Distractions

Like everyone else who has the ability to waste time on the internet, there are certain things I use every single day to distract myself from more important, boring adult tasks.  One of my favorites is Google Talk, of course, where I can talk with my friends, and of course Grooveshark where I get my music fix no matter what I'm feeling like.

Then, there's the entertainment stops that are visited every day.  Besides e-mail and facebook, I check Damn You Auto Correct, Cracked.com, and Reddit.

Today I distracted myself with Otomata, which is a generative sequencer.  So, go check it out and create your own song of the day!!

What do you check out for distractions?

Let's talk gross

One particularly unsettling fascination I have is with diseases and parasites.  I don't know why this is, I do have a leaning towards the morbid, though, so perhaps that is a good enough reason for the interest.

For example, I once got pretty sick a couple years ago but I only had your standard run of the mill cold symptoms.  I didn't go see a doctor for a very long time- probably 4 weeks in to being sick I finally made myself go.  So, I sit through the horrible ordeal of being at a freakin' clinic, waiting for the doctor, all that really unfun stuff.  The doctor checks me out, contemplates all the little fascinating notes he's made, and then has the audacity to tell me that I am experiencing a "double cold."

Is that not the lamest fucking outcome?  I got two colds back to back.  If I am going to be sick for a month, I want it to be something like scarlet fever, whooping cough, pneumonia, ebola, west nile... you get the picture.  What kind of shit story is that to tell someone?  Turns out- double cold! Worst. Story. Ever.  I'm pretty sure I'm the odd person here, who else agrees with me??  Anyway, there's so much to talk about with these two very interesting topics that I will only be brushing the surface of talking about them.

Let's start with some real fucking weird diseases.  This list as some classics like elephantiasis and pica, but also some really interesting ones like Blaschko's lines and Walking corpse syndrome.

Then, there's parasites. What more can be said?  I get hooked on Animal Planet's Monsters Inside Me, and I also don't have a desire to go to Africa, South America, or Asia because of the nasty shit all these places have- including the most horrific parasites on Earth.  Here's some parasites in a picture gallery.

Monsters Inside Me - Maggots in My Head
Monsters Inside Me - Worm in My Butt

So, go out and do some more exploring on these two incredibly interesting subjects, and also tell me what you think about them, or what your favorites are. Mmmkay?

Song of the day! Pixies - Where is My Mind?
If I had something nasty, I can imagine myself tweaking like this song encourages.

Cartoons

So, I have almost no time to write this- I have friends coming over in a matter of minutes and I put this off until the last minute.  But, here I can at least write about some of my favorite cartoons.

Right now, my favorite cartoon is Adventure Time on Cartoon Network, which is about a human boy Finn and his magically stretchy best friend, Jake the dog.  They are young heroes that are always on a quest to help those who need it.  Hilarious.  Lots of little aspects that are hilarious.  Here is an example episode:

Guardians of Sunshine episode- this is especially good if you like video games/old school video games.

Runner up is going to be Spongebob Squarepants.  Too many people judge this cartoon- they are turned off by the ridiculous Spongebob laugh, but, that's part of the humor.  The expressions and scenarios are laugh out loud funny to me, and never fails to make my day better.

Hash Slinging Slasher episode- I looked quickly for the full episode but couldn't find it, so here's a five minute clip.  Essentially the Krusty Krab has to stay open 24 hours and Squidward and Spongebob are working the graveyard shift, and Squidward tells Spongebob a scary story about the villain The Hash Slinging Slasher.

What are your favorites?  Why?  Or, why don't you like cartoons? Etc. etc.

Song of the day: The Verve Pipe - Hero

Word of the day- awesome

Here are some awesome things about the awesome universe we live in!

First, here's an awesome timelapse video of a flight to San Francisco that shows the aurora borealis.  Awesome.

Second, on March 28th, astronomers may have witnessed a star torn apart by a black hole.  I mean, black holes are pretty fucking awesome, and this one is particularly more bad ass than some of the others out there.  Take a look at the story and images here.

Third, NASA has set up a really cool database called GRIN, or Great Images in NASA, that you can browse to check out some of the best photos of significant historical explorations and discoveries.

Here's an example of the Earth, but they also have photos of equipment, people, space shuttles, and space exploration... How awesome is space??

Fourth, there's also the awesome HubbleSite which has some of most unbelievably awesome photos:

Beautifully awesome! 

Anyways, I hope you take the time to check out some of this awesome stuff, and I will leave you with an awesome song of the day that has a music video set in space

The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Le sigh, another double whammy

Whoops! I am getting downright awful at posting every day!  You'd think I'd learn my lesson after just having to write that big ass entry I did on Sunday.  Anyways, I'm feeling fairly unoriginal today, good thing there's lots of interesting and other descriptive words articles in the news today.

First, this story about a serial killer is alarming.  They've found the remains of what could be a human, and additionally another human skull out in Suffolk County- bringing the total up to potentially nine victims.  What is up with this casual, taken over time search and whatnot?  This better end up like a Criminal Minds episode where everything gets solved.

Second, beyond alarming, beyond frightening is the Japan Nuclear Disaster being moved up to a threat level of 7- the highest level it could be placed at.  The only other disaster that was a 7 was Chernobyl, and the Fukushima Daicchi plant could potentially ever eclipse that.

Third, I could go on (Planned Parenthood, anyone) but when the hell are we going to stop getting mainly bad news and get mainly good news?  The news of today is so unbelievable.

Monday's song of the day: Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby (you may have to skip an ad, sorry)
Today's song of the day: Clint Mansell - Lux Aeterna (one of the most bad ass instrumental pieces) (additionally, you may recognize this also as Requiem for a Dream)

Double whammy

Here was my first fail of the month! I didn't write anything on Saturday- I had good intentions, but it completely slipped my mind because I went to Chicago yesterday and today.  I had planned on writing the Saturday one before I left, but, I don't really like writing in the mornings, and then I was off and there was no other time to think of it.

I don't like being in cities, but I had two really great reasons to be there. First of all, my best friend lives there, and I would always take an opportunity to go and see her.  Second of all, it was another friend's birthday and we decided to surprise him by taking him to Medieval Times- he never went to it as a kid and has always wanted to go (how cute is that?).

That is exactly what we did!  Here we are awaiting dinner (consisted of zero silverware- soup, bread, chicken, spare rib, potato, and pastry) and jousting.  If you've never been there, well, here's the set up.  You just placed in different sections that cheer on particular knights- our knight was the Red and Yellow Knight- hence our beautiful and expensive hats.  There are 5 other knights besides ours- one of which (the Green knight) is naughty and must be stopped to save the good prince who is Green Knight's hostage.

Anyways, our knight lost.  But, in his defense, he picked the most bad ass weapons like a mace and a long-handled ax on top of a standard shield and sword combo.  Anyways, the birthday boy loved it and a good time was had by all.  After that we went back to an apartment and played drinking games for the rest of the night, including classics such as 31 and Asshole, but also a new one where a person reads from a smut book until someone laughs and then they have to drink.

Since Saturday was so much fun, here is a fun song for the song of the day!
Neon Trees - Animal

As far as today goes, well.  My friends and I decided that it was a good day to go into downtown Chicago, so away we went!  We hung out at Millennium Park, which of course include the bean- although it didn't look at cool as it does in this photo up above.  It was really nice out, but damn, there had to have been 40 mph winds going on in The Windy City.  And now, man, I am completely bushed.  So tired.  Possibly sunburned, as well.
Song for today- Waka Flocka Flames - No Hands
This song is dedicated to our rousing Saturday evening of heavy drinking