blogging about paper.

*important*
to read this post, click on the giant notebook. feel free to scroll down after you read it.

now feel free to scroll down.

in case you were curious, this is what it looks like without the flip--with matchbook authenticity check even! just click on this notebook to see it in a better, more glorious resolution.

illusory correlations.

"of course i failed--i forgot to wear my lucky trousers."

the most clear and concise explanation of illusory correlation that i've found comes from wikipedia: "the phenomenon of seeing the relationship one expects in a set of data even when no such relationship exists." data here can be taken as traditional data (statistics, reports, etc.), and can also be applied to a broader scope in understanding it as events, experiences, perceptions, and so on.

this is a common phenomenon and examples of it can be found in most any context. stereotypes are an extremely common example, studies claiming correlation between environmental factors and personal effects can readily fall victim to it, and people simply seeking explanations will typically find them, though they may be completely irrelevant and utterly incorrect (conveniently animating this principle). this is why someone may think that people named trace are not as handsome as neils or rogers(after people meet me, neil, and roger), that pot roasts cure colds (after an ill child pips up after a bit of beef), or that a pair of trousers dictates his or her academic fate (after a success or failure in a pair of 501s).

i've not failed any tests as of recent, but illusory correlations have certainly seemed to have played a role in many of my recent actions. both in the way i make decisions and in the way i explain the reasons of their successes or failures, retrospect and further experience seems to be showing where various correlations were indeed illusory.

from merriam-webster:
illusory: based on or producing illusion.
correlation: the state or relation of correlated. specifically : a relationship existing between phenomena or things.

rorschach bell.

greetings.
we're going to try a little something with this post. i'm quite curious to see how it turns out. a little background first.

no doubt many of you have seen or heard of inkblot tests, more formally titled rorschach tests after their creator. the idea behind the test is that a participant is shown an ambiguous shape and the participant projects meaning onto it and says what the object "is." of course it's not really the shape of anything. it's completely random. the meaning it has to the viewer is only that which the viewer projects onto it. dig?

so i was eating taco bell today, as i often do, and on my way to my seat grabbed some extra hot sauce and napkins for today's post. here are the rules. as you scroll down the page, you'll be shown six sauceblots. your job is to decide what you think each is, and write it down. the blots will be numbered, so when you're done, post your numbered answers as a comment if you could be so kind. the only rules are that you only look at one sauceblot at a time and that you don't look at anyone else's answers before you have your own. we don't want their answers influencing yours.

and yes, they may not be exactly symmetrical. in an ideal world they would be, but with the resources as hand, we'll make do.

so... go ahead. start projecting meaning.

scroll down.

sauceblot one.

stop.

scroll down.

sauceblot two.

stop.

scroll down.

sauceblot three.

stop.

scroll down.

sauceblot four.

stop.

scroll down.

sauceblot five.

stop.

scroll down.

sauceblot six.

you're done! now remember, make sure you've recorded your answers before you go any further so that you don't see the answers that other people have placed before you put your own down. thanks! i look forward to seeing what everybody says. i'll post my answers as soon as i finish posting this whole thing.

thanks all, see you next time.

justin timberlake.

i couldn't tell you why, but i really wanted to title this post "justin timberlake." probably for no real reason other than the novelty of naming a blog post after a member of n*sync. but hopefully by explaining myself, i'm...

...justified.

with the explanation out of the way, the rest of this waste of time can continue.
for the unaware, last weekend--wait, two weekends ago--i fell ill. i had the pleasure of going to the health center, wearing a biohazard mask, and having a six inch q-tip shoved far enough up my nose that my brain started pushing back. just before the doctor put the thing in, she handed me a tissue and said, "when i do this, your eyes are going to run like crazy and your nose will probably do the same." and indeed it did. as soon as it entered my right nostril my left retaliated, and yes, the tissue was very much appreciated.

following the interrogation, i got to take the swab to the lab, wait for results, and then be told they weren't really sure what i had. but don't worry, they were still confident enough in my illness that they banned me from campus for the next four days. those four days were thursday, friday, and the weekend. so two days of no classes and then no church. made for an interesting weekend.

when i'd reccuperated, i returned to find my midterms happily waiting for me; staring into my eyes with they're own and grinning sadistically. all things considered, they went alright. because i was having to play catch up and study for all of them at the same time i didn't exactly ace them, but as i knew that was coming, i planned ahead and things should still be able to work out fine in the long run.

this weekend, though, i'm missing class for a weekend by the sea rather than a weekend with the chills playing my roommate's wii. that's a welcome difference. also, the drive to san diego should supply plenty of time to read text books and sleep, both of which i always insist i'll do when i'm sick. then i get sick, remember how apathetic i become towards everything, and wind up beating guitar hero.

so yeah, should be a good time. a pleasant break from things for a few days--at least in presence. if anybody would like me to bring you back some sand, just let me know. i'd be happy to. just get me a vial.

watch for my next post, "joey fatone." as i've named one post after a member of n*sync already, i think in naming the next likewise, i'd be...

justified.

dishonest clicking.

I have been asked what I mean by my word of honor. I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls-- ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground - there is a possibility that in some way or another I will escape; but stand me on a floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the Circle? No. Never! I would die first.
-Karl G. Maeser

for those reading that are unfamiliar with byu's ways and practices, this story will take a little bit of explanation. basically, when you sign apply to byu, and each year you continue, you agree to the byu honor code. it consists of a few basic groups of rules and standards you agree to uphold during your attendance at byu. some included are following church standards of dress and grooming, the word of wisdom (see link for explanation), and of course, academic honesty. it's nice because although i'd imagine you agree to something similar in regard to academic honesty no matter where you attend, at byu so much emphasis is placed on the students having agreed to follow the honor code that the professors are willing to trust the students with a lot more. and to be fair, i've rarely seen students abuse that trust.

on that note, i've a story to relate. if ever i have been tempted to cheat here at byu, i am no longer after this experience. in my biology class, we use iclickers throughout the lesson. they're basically little remotes that every student brings to class in order to answer multiple choice questions posed by the professor. each has an indavidual frequency making it possible for students to recieve credit for answering the question correctly, or answering at all. in this class, something like one point is given for a correct response and two points is given for just showing up to lecture and even being able to answer. well, twas a sad day for karl to look down upon, and a remarkably uncomfortable one for everyone else present. after one such question was posed by the professor, he asked for someone to explain his or her chosen answer. one eager student a few rows ahead of me raised his hand, and the professor called on him as he walked up the isle toward the student. the conversation between the teacher and student proceeded as follows, the professor speaking first.

"alright, go ahead and tell us why you chose c."
"well, i just saw..."
"wait. why do you have three iclickers sitting on your desk?"
"..."
"are you clicking in for students who aren't here?"
(mumbling) "um... no, i..."
"i think you are. that's academic dishonesty."

(a few second pause)

"well, i, i mean..."
"no, it is. you and i both know it."

(ten second pause. the entire class of around 150 students is dead quiet.)

"um... well... i..."
"alright. fine. well then. what was your answer?"
"um... it was... uh... i think..."
"fine. somebody else."

at this point, the entire class is so uncomfortable that we're all just scrambling to move on. thankfully some kid blurted out an answer vaguely connected to the given question and completely incorrect. everone was grateful for it as it made the professor correct him and move on. the kid, though, was able to have his crew of friends surrounding him pat him on the back and whisper (i'm assuming) assurances to him that the teacher was an idiot anyway.

yes, this was probably the most uncomfortable i've ever been in an academic situation. i felt bad for the kid, but at the end of the day, what was he thinking? honestly. you want to cheat, that's you're own choice. but to then be drawing attention to yourself, and then to be showing off the tools of your mischief, seriously. have a little tact.

as a follow up, after class the professor came up to the student and said, "i have the right to flunk you right now, take those i clickers and find their owners and flunk them all as well unless you did it without their permission." at this point i was too uncomfortable to stay and left before i found out if it was just a threat or something more. either way, that really must have ruined that kid's day.

so anyway, for as uncomfortable as i was simply being in the presence of this taking place, i can only imagine how i would feel being responsible. not like cheating was a huge temptation before, but it certainly isn't now. maybe professors should stage something like that at the beginning of each semester... use it as a learning tool.

anyway, there's the story. outside of this delightful experience, things are going well. nothing too exciting to report on, really, but things are going well. hope the same for all of you. so long.

facing books and rotcen meat.

hello again. this post is meant as an explanation as well as a brief update. as you may have noted from other sources, i have for the time being, closed (or soon will) my facebook account. i'll be taking a sabbatical for a yet undecided period of time. it may last until the beginning of the new fall semester, the end of it, perhaps the end of march 2010, or maybe it will never be opened again. the last is doubtful, but possible just the same.

there are several reasons for this, but the only one i'll mention for now is the fact that i've decided to enroll in the air force rotc program here at byu. this normally wouldn't have much of an effect (at least the effect it does now) because it's intended to be done over a time span that would grant two years of preparation before your fate is decided by a board as to whether or not you'll be endorsed as a pre-med and eventual med school student (which is my objective). but i, being a late bloomer, have started later than most, and as a result, must take all of the required courses in one semester, ace my classes, up my personal fitness level substantially, get to know my commanding officers in six months to make up for a year and a half, and prepare like mad for the entry exams (i'll only have one shot at them before i'm reviewed) before the end of fall semester. and facebook is problematic in the amount of time i use it. and for those of you who may whine at this, take comfort in knowing that facebook isn't the only thing on the chopping block.

so, what remains to be done before fall's beginning is complete the application, study for the entrance exam, as well as prepare for the semester ahead by beginning on my chem/anatomy studies to ensure my gpa is raised. likewise raising my personal fitness to meet and hopefully exceed standards set by my peers. which makes me wish to note that if there is one thing that i'm not looking forward to with the program, it's being ranked against my peers. i know it's how things work in the world, but it's still not as pleasant to realize your buddy from class and so on is potentially your reason you didn't get in, or that you're likewise his reason. but oh well, if i don't sabotage anyone's plans or efforts i can't say i'll have a heavy conscience if i proceed while they do not. anyway, that's the big reason. if you're reading this, chances are you already have another way to contact me. if not, check my profile and you'll find a link to my e-mail address. feel free to use it.

the last two and a half weeks.

hello all. sorry about the hiatus of sorts. some combination of taxes, finals, moving, job hunting, rediscovering music software, having a computer with a bad attitude, and just having post-semester apathy set in, i got a bit lazy with my blog posts. that being said, i had a few posts i planned to a degree. therefore, rather than having one big theme to this post, i'll have the titles and condensed versions of said posts. i'll try to keep up better in the future.

taxing.
so. taxes are due. i'll assume that you, the reader, are familiar enough with taxes and the general attitude toward them that i won't bother writing about them. instead, i just decided to share something funny from the paperwork for utah state taxes.
i'm glad to see that the state of utah is either seeking to make these forms all the more clear, or simply trying to add a bit of humanity to the taxing process. either way, i was indeed "frowny face" to find i had more due than my refund. oh well, i suppose it's like rent for a year for a very big hotel.

variations on warpaint.
it's finals week. that means things are a little crazy.
for me, with finals week comes certain preparation. in many cultures, the practice of painting faces and bodies in preparation for battle is part of the local heritage and tradition. the purpose, i'd imagine, is generally unique to different groups in the specifics. in general, though, intimidating the enemy and preparing the self for the difficulties of battle seem a safe bet.
here at byu, we're not allowed warpaint, but over the semesters and terms i've developed a sort of variation on warpaint.

my ring and middle fingers are generally the ones that cause me annoyance in testing. even if well maintained, if they're only a bit longer (as in not clipped within two days), they will inevitably begin bothering me through testing. this has defined my "warpaint" for finals week. i clip those two nails shorter than the others. perhaps not intimidating the enemy, but just the same, putting me in the warrior mindset.

i share this not so that you feel as if you should as well, but to encourage you to find some kind of warpaint for yourself... but if you can just use normal facepaint, that's probably the most fun.

to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.
it's interesting. finals week is clearly lined up for students for the whole semester. here at byu, many finals aren't scheduled. instead, students can take their tests according to their own schedule, simply going to the byu testing center to take their tests as they like.

the gut instinct is of course to put off your most difficult test to the end of the last day of finals in order to maximize your available study time. the issue here is the fact that that's everybody's gut instinct. what does that translate to?
this is the end of the line to the testing center. this is the benson building. let me give you some scale to put this in context.
the testing center therefore had to stay open until three am (normally closing at ten), with the line peaking at something like two and a half hours to take a test.

moral of the story? sometimes, test aren't worth taking. but they typically are if you don't wait until the afternoon of the last day.


sad bean.
we recently moved apartments. by we, of course, i mean myself and two of my roommates, sean and brad. or sad bean.
the move wasn't all that intense because all we had to do was move our stuff from apt 12 to number 8.
anyway, things are now pretty well settled, and we have our new roommate who i think is still getting used to us, and that's fair enough.

that's about the extent of what i intended to post, but i thought i'd add this just because i could.

this was taken just after sean had finished singing his own interpretation of "i believe i can fly" while brad looked up a conference talk.

they are just toooo cute!






that's basically what i intended for the last several posts that i failed to actually do. i probably could have mentioned more, but i thought this was good enough for now.

so now i'll hopefully be able to feel caught up once again and continue to post garbage that nobody really cares about. three cheers for blogging!

epiploic beauty.

*warning*
to those it may bother: there's anatomical talk in here...
but it's all about beauty.

today was the last day of lab for my anatomy course. the lab anyway. this essentially means that one half of the course is done (the hands on cadaver lab half). i took the final earlier today, and i was up early to study for it, so this is a short post, then time for a nap.

anyway (and no specifics because talking about the test can get me a zero), while taking the exam this morning, i was looking in a cadaver and saw what's called epiploic appendages. they're essentially little sacs of fat that chill out in storage on various parts of your digestive guts. i've looked for a photo, but i can't find a good one that does justice, so you may have to do some further investigation to find out what i mean (if you have one, please leave a link).

well, the coloring of these things is pretty vibrant. they're all bright yellow (as they are concentrated fat) and especially flashy when stuck to the dark red of a large intestine. reminds me of a clown's flower that squirts water at you. it's weirdly enough the most visually appealing part of your digestive tract... in my opinion. everything else looks essentially the same to me, varying only in shape, consistency, placement and size. in a crowd of innards, epiploic appendages really are the shooting stars of the abdominopelvic galaxy.

it's interesting to think that really, if zombies were to ever arise and challenge humanity, they may not be as horrible looking as we think. sure... a little rotting flesh, missing pieces perhaps, but if i see appendages like i saw today, i'll probably ask for a photo (to put on this post). on top of that, even if zombies never come around, the fact that we've got such beauty literally hanging out on our large intestines is exciting in itself.

so if you ever feel like you're not pretty enough, or your hair isn't how you'd like, or even if you're just having a hard day. remember, it's inner beauty that counts, and inside your gut you've got plenty of beautiful yellow epiploic appendages. we're all gorgeous.

1134

finals' week is drawing nigh, and such being the case, fun in general is gradually eeking away for the time being. this being the case, i've resorted to using the homework and study loads given as my new source of fun. i'm sure that we've all used some of these methods from time to time, but i decided to share some of my favorites in hopes that it might help someone else. if you've any that i don't have here, by all means, please leave a comment.

in no particular order, ways to make your homework more fun than it will ever actually be.

#1) calculator speak. of all the calculator fun, this is my personal favorite. now, no cheating, you with graphing calculators. there are rules. the essential idea is that you write words with the screen of your standard issue calculator by using numbers and then holding your calculator upside down. i think this one was at least dabbled with by anyone who went to a public elementary school. you can seen an example to the right.

it should be noted that many of the words sixth grade boys learned to type were not exactly appropriate... so you may want to stick to "hEll.o", "B0.0", "oh", and "hohohohoh.o" in case one of your teachers walks by while you're showing your friends.

i've also heard rumors of people drawing cool pictures with the same methods... eh, i doubt it. but if you've seen it done, please prove me wrong.

#2) taking your subject matter out of context. this one is an old classic. nothing makes a subject more interesting than relating it to drift racing, elephant hunting, or dungeons and dragons. this is more of a group activity. there are two methods that make this work best.

a) decide on a topic before your study group and insist on relating it to everything, stretching topics as much as you have to to make it work. ex.--i've decided on roller rinks as my topic before going to my trigonometry study group. an example comparison could be, "think of a 30-60-90 like when you go into the orem roller rink. you're at the door, you're friend is buying some glowsticks at the stand and your other friend is playing the area fifty-one arcade. if you draw lines between you, you'd have a 30-60-90 triangle. get it?"

b) find something that a diagram, graph, or photo in your textbook or slides looks like. a real life example of this took place in anatomy a few weeks back. we were looking at a male reproductive system diagram (don't worry--i'll be vague enough in case there are children reading), and found that the various cords, veins, and anatomical bodies formed the very likeness of a gazelle (or a giraffe, as autumn argued). following this realization, everything was funnier simply because everything was now part of a gazelle. saying something like, "the dartos muscle makes the lines of the jaw!" is infinitely more entertaining than "the dartos muscle is visible here."

#3) draw in your notes. this may seem rather basic, but it's quite fun actually, and can even help your studies. the basic rule is that if you don't turn it in, you should have fun with it. i'm not saying to draw while taking your notes (though at times, this can be the case), but more so draw in them while you review them. drawing a skull and crossbones next to "acid qualities" in your chemistry notes is always satisfying. in fact, drawing most anything next to anything in your notes is satisfying. then every time you review your notes, your serious studies can be lightly interrupted with the fairy holding a crossbow you drew in earlier.

the practical side of this is that you then get a vivid mental image of your notes' pages with the pictures, making finding specific notes much easier. two birds, one drawing of a stone. however, in order for this to be the case, you need to make sure your doodles are (at least loosely) related so your mind can connect the dots.

#4) make a point of having your most awkward or difficult subject matter visible to other people. this one is for when you're studying in the library or with a group of friends (everyone individually, though). we all have a class that has things that either are or at least look remarkably difficult or remarkably uncomfortable. your goal is to have other people see what you're studying and either comment on how difficult it looks or walk away after awkwardly double taking to make sure they saw what they thought they saw.
effective tools for this are anything to do with formulas (statistics, chemistry, upper level math), being sure to increase the font size if you need to to ensure all the cosines and square roots are noticeable. if you're going for the awkward route, anything to do with bodily functions or intimacy can be pretty useful. experiment, i'm sure you'll find the subjects that work best for you. maybe even try keeping a tally. if it's not working as well as you'd like, try making audible sighs of desperation and groans of displeasure.

#5) calculator races. another calculator pass time from elementary school days. this requires that you have two calculators (preferably of the same make and model) that are basic enough that if you type in 1, then +1, and then equals multiple times, it will continue to add one each time. participants all type in the initial 1+1 and then have a "ready set go". one-hundred always seemed a good number, but all that matters is that you agree to a number to race to. winner is the first to get to the number and put both hands in the air. alternatively, you can decide on a time and race to get the highest sum. both work.

#6) mad-lib your text book.this take the mad-libs principle and applies it to your subject matter. since the lines aren't already there for you to fill in, it'll take a little more work, but it's worth it. here's the how to:
make a listing of word's you'll be replacing. for instance, "first, third, fourth, and sixth nouns i read; second, third, and fourth verb; first, third, and last adjective; etc." then make a list of however many of each you decided on. i'll give an example from my chemistry book.
nouns:1st=shoe(s); 3rd=umbilical cord(s); 5th=breakfast(s);6th=messenger bag
adjectives:1st=oversized;2nd=modest;last=furious
verb:1st=laugh (at); 2nd=leap; 5th=devour
so, a paragraph on close the packing of spheres (randomly selected) becomes,

the shoes adopted by oversized solids are those that laugh at umbilical cords closest in contact to leap the modest forces between them. in many cases the particles that make up the breakfast are spherical or approximately so. such devours the case for messenger bags in furious solids.

and if you mess up in your counting, no loss. i certainly messed up, and it was still fun, see? learning complete rubbish is fun!



and that's what i can offer for now, but there undoubtedly many more. leave your own secrets to survival as a comment, and help another person make it through.keep up the studies.

when storms seem to be staring.

the midterm nightmare period of the last two weeks is finally over. and thank goodness.

i'm currently in what you could equate to the eye of a storm. the current two weeks are void of any tests, papers, or group projects. one half of the storm has passed over, we're the placid center now, awaiting the second half of the storm to come and throw the oak tree behind my apartment three streets over.

the interesting thing is, it doesn't seem to be one big clump. almost as if this eye was actually two eyes which have met, and will cross and then continue with their respective storms. please see the diagram on the left.



it's clear here that the respective storms have individual courses and only meet by happen stance. however, this happenstance is going to be extremely satisfying as it means for once i can actually study all my class subjects rather than simply studying for each one for two days prior to exams.


you also note that it kind of looks like the storm is staring.






and now i have time to make stupid diagrams for a blog. hooray!

dinitrogen trioxide.

so... another day, another two weeks since i've taken the time to put anything up on the ol' pig pen blogwash. anyway, time to act as if that never happened.

i've decided that the key to happiness, or at least absence of aggravation, is essentially the delay of affect or knowledge of affect. this seems to be the case at least as a student right now.

i'm by no means seeking to convince anybody that you should forget consequences in order to paint a picture of a more pleasant reality. instead, it's sort of a method for dealing with really frustrating situations.

example.
testing is part of education. fair enough.
you know (or remember) the really annoying feeling of reading a question, knowing the answer is somewhere inside your huge skull, and still putting the wrong answer simply because you can't seem to claw it out? yeah. i have that somewhat frequently. now, if i hear the answer to such questions within hours of taking the test, i'll be aggravated. within a day or two, annoyed. past that, i can view it subjectively. or as close to it as i'll ever be, i suppose.

the reason i bring this up is because i used this exact same method on friday after a chemistry test. we'll see how i did soon enough. but the story goes something like this--

friday, at three forty-five, i enter the testing center after studying for a few hours. i bring with me a packet of cookies, three mechanical pencils, and a sheet of graph paper for notes and pencil work. i recieve my test, solubility chart, and bubble sheet and head for the first left-hand-friendly desk i can find.

test begins. i work on the first ten problems for half an hour. fifty questions to go with two and a half hours left before i need to turn it in. now, the first ten i had a fair grasp of. it was tricky, but most of the answers options i picked had perfectly matched the answer i came to. around question eleven, that changed. and so it went. i decided instead of taking forever on each one, i'd blaze throught the ones i already knew. and i did. maybe half the test was "easy" stuff i could quickly recall. as for the rest, i took a break before i started. i'd been there an hour and a half by the time i had completed all the stuff i knew.

cookie break.

the sun that had been peaking in the window and pouring on my desk at the beginning had since migrated to the next row over and my wrist was cramping. it's strange though, after the cookies, the testing center took on a different feeling. at first enterance, it's an opponenent. something to beat. as your test continues, it becomes a tyrant--something you must submit to or conquer. but when you've been there for a few hours, your eating a cookie, and you have a few moments to take in atmosphere of pencil lead and fluttering papers, it becomes a sort of friend. not one you'd want to hang out with, more the kind of friend that offers a shoulder to cry on. it's almost as if he would rather you didn't have to be there, but since you do, he's going to try to keep you as comfortable as he can.

but i digress.

when the cookies were gone, i continued on. this is where educated and non educated guessing came into play much more than before. either way, within another hour's time, i had completed the exam. entrance time: 15:45. exit time: 18:30. it was quite a trip.

and now on the the point.
you see, i don't know how i did on that test. they have a tv screen when you leave that will tell you, but i decided not to look. now, i still don't know, but it's something that i can't change now. so why let it ruin my weekend?
i have an anatomy mid-term on monday, and i think i'll check my chem score after that. we'll see how i did on a chemistry test after i take an anatomy exam and hope the edge is worn off if the grade is poor.

and so, my idea of a delay equalling a lack of aggrivation will possibly be put to the test.

i suppose we'll see.