Analysing the March of the Penguins?

This neat little Wired article deals with using mobility of penguins to help humans with stability problems. Can you picture a penguin on a treadmill? Too cute!!

Walk this Way

Couple to finally feel full heat from finger-in-chili fraud

I almost missed this story…. but I’m glad the judge finally “handed” them the sentence.

Finger in Chili Nets Prison Term for Couple

Eggs and Green Spam

At first, I thought someone new had found my website, and for some reason found it interesting (a little weird, but okay…). Not so. Apparently, Stephen Eli Harris has been visiting the websites and blogs of a number of friends, leaving comments that include the link to his blog, supporting the Green Party, who have candidates in this upcoming federal election.

I think Brian summed it up best, so check out his post.

Say ‘No’ to spam, but please do vote.

Ooops… Remind Me

I need to update my sidebar, add some links to some new blogs (yay House!) and add some photos. I’ll do that later…. promise!!

Random Facts and Wisdom on a Winter Day

First off: new evidence that it’s better to drink than sleep, if you can only do one. Or you can use this as an excuse ont to do anything in the first hour of your work/school day.

Sleep Can Leave You as Groggy as Booze

I took the bus in this morning… no noticeably weird people, well, no weirder than me (I have a new winter hat I love, must take and post a pic of me in it). I remembered to take Blue Devil (my iPod mini… I know, I’m sooo out of date) and listened to the “Avenue Q” soundtrack. Once again, I’m impressed at the life lessons from a musical with puppets. For example, “It Sucks to Be Me” is all about how much each character’s life sucks, so at least when I think it (I’m not too bad, thinking about the suckage of my life… it’s great, except for the no funding no job thesis to finish… damn!) I know I have company. In fact, this article on Slate yesterday shows there are a lot of people like this, and then proceeds to basically say, “Suck It Up!”. Something that needs be said every now and then.

The song “Schadenfreude” rings quite true. For those of you not in the know, it is a German term meaning “pleasure taken from someone else’s misfortune”. We don’t have a word for it in English… funny, since in North America we get great joy from watching others crash, both figuratively (see James Frey and his fictional memoir) and literally (see Ahhnold). The song “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” also has some truth in it, whether we want to admit it or not. We all are prone to making judgements by the book’s cover from time to time, or accepting generalizations of people astruth. And if we can all admit that, then we might get along better.

And in “For Now”, we are reminded that many things – love, friends, happiness – are only for now, a cautionary message for those who may not want to hear it. But hey – at least it also says that bad haircuts and George Bush are only for now.

The Fickle TV Gods

Read this story over my lunch hour, and I gotta admit, this particular episode sounds hilarious!

‘Arrested Development’ going all out

I’ve heard from numerous sources that the show is/was funny… the one episode I did see was great, so why didn’t I take it up as a show to watch? I think it was a combo of too many shows already on my plate, on the night on which it fell (Sunday and then Monday, both TV-reserved nights). I hope it does awesome in DVD release and gets pulled back in, or that Home Builders Organization takes up the cause. :)

Ah well, I plan on watching less TV anyway. But ‘Scrubs’ is back… and Zach Braff is dreamy. :) I’ll watch some Scrubs, or record it at least. Why did ‘Joey’ get the Thursday slot over this show?

Caught ‘Rabbittown’ last night on CBC, one of three new comedies they are demoing, and based on feedback they’ll likely select one to produce. I have to say, I didn’t enjoy the pilot. I’m not sure if that’s because, as a Newfoundlander, it offended me a little (though it is funny to think of erotic tradiotional Newfoundland dancing, swing your partner Sally Tibbo), or if it really just wasn’t my cup of tea (a lot of people like ‘Trailer Park Boys’, but I’m not a fan, I think it’s a bit crude), or if it was just really bad. I’ll have to see what the rest of the world who watched it (and on an average night of CBC, that can’t be more than 50 people).

And ‘The West Wing’, of which I am a fan, was dealt a major blow in mid-Decembre with the death of John Spencer, who played vice-presidential candidate and former Cheif of Staff Leo McGarry. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Happy New Year!!

So, 2006 is a little over a day-and-a-half old, and while I’ve done nothing productive, nothing bad has happened… to me, that I know about. While I’ll miss 2005 a little, in all honesty it was too stressful. I know life inherently has some stress, but it was getting me down. So I did absolutely nothing school-related over the past two weeks… and it was nice. It was a goood break.

My main goal/resolution for 2006 is to try not to do things that make me too unhappy or too stressed. One of those things that is causing me much stress and unhappiness is school, and since my funding has run out, I’m currently looking for a real engineering job. I’ll continue the Masters work (which, yes, I’m getting near the end of) on a part time basis. And because I enjoy volunteer work, I’ll continue that, but no new commitments other than what’s already on my plate. I have two main ones for this upcoming year, new ones from last year (good luck Randy with RSR, I’m here for ya!) but I’m sure I’ll have fun and learn lots, and make a difference.

Another goal/resolution I have is to be healthier, and it does go hand-in-hand with the first. It upsets me that I’ve become a larda$$, and my clothes doesn’t fit properly, and I’m not in shape. So with the help of Weight Watchers (again) and Nubody’s, I’ll get to a place where I like my body (ideally, I’d like to be 15 lbs. light in three months when we go on vacation, and 40 lbs. lighter by my birthday in September) and my level of fitness.

A final goal/resolution I have set is to do more things for myself. Again, it goes with the first goal. Reviewing 2005 in my head, I realized that too often, I put the needs and wants of others ahead of my own and, as a result, do things I never really wanted to do. It’s okay to say “No” when asked to sit in on a seminar I find super-boring, or go to a movie or party I don’t want to. I worry in these cases that I’l disappoint and upset the people who are asking, when really it’s not that big a deal.

So… let’s go 2006!

Four-Things Meme (rhymes with “dream”)

Since Divinity tagged me with this, I must respond… with major apologies for not posting it earlier!

It’s Getting Late…

… when the heck did it become December 19th? The house is only half decorated, the Christmas cards haven’t been mailed (well, one was, but that was more an accident than anything else, I was somewhat coherent that day). I’m not done my research and Masters as I had planned to be. No finalized New Year’s plans yet (but they are coming along, Chinese anyone?). Do have my shopping done, but again that was almost done by accident (hurray for the Internet, but gotta make sure things get shipped on time, right?). No resolutions yet, but no progress on last year’s either :S.

What have I been up to? Not long back from another IEEE business trip. This time to the “IEEE mothership” – Piscataway, NJ. A nice quiet place that even the car hired from the airport can’t find. It was very cool to see headquarters and work again with Bruce, Igor, Laura and Chris, to get a CD with resources for students put together.

After two days in NJ, it was time to head to someplace a bit more interesting… NYC. Travelled via train from New Brunswick, NJ (did you know there’s also a Newfoundland, NJ?) to Penn Station and onward to the hostel. It was my first hostel experience, but it’ certainly not gonna be my last (we plan to hostel a bit in Australia in April). For the price, it was awesome, though I’m not sure I could do it for more than a few days in one place with strangers… it’s just not me.

The highlight of my trip had to be seeing the Broadway musical Avenue Q. It’s like Sesame Street for adults, complete with swearing, puppet sex and puppet nudity. Lots of good tunes from the soundtrack including “The Internet is for Porn”, “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”, and “For Now” (which includes the line, “George Bush is only for now”, that got the applause). Currently the show is only on Broadway and in Vegas… if you ever find yourself in either of thos places, check it out!

New York City put me in a little of a Christmas mood, though it’s slipping again – I’m bombarding myself with carols this morning. But one can’t help feel joyous under the tree at Rockerfeller Centre or in the world’s largest Toys ‘R’ Us. The threat of a subway strike put a damper on some of my plans (the spreadsheet was not used as much as it could have been). Oh well… next time…

Weirdness Confirmed

You Are 70% Weird

You’re so weird, you think you’re *totally* normal. Right? But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!