I Told Stalin that I Love You

6:18pm: Portmandon'ts
Here are some words you should never say around me:

"Bromance". I get it. A man has a guy friend that he's close to in a completely platonic/heterosexual way. There is already a word for this--"friendship." This word has about another ten seconds before it becomes completely annoying.

"Ginormous". Ok, it's big. It's really big. Why aren't "gigantic" and "enormous" enough to describe it?

"Guesstimate". An estimate is essentially an informed guess. Without any information with which to make an estimate, you are just guessing.

--SJ

Update: When I performed a spell check on this entry, and two of the three words were not counted as misspelled. I'll leave you to guess which ones.

7:52pm: Rite of Passage
It was bound to happen someday. I got my very first speeding ticket today while passing through Mecklenberg County, VA.
--SJ

4:58pm: Good news
You can now call me sciencejerk, M. S.
--SJ

11:15pm: Why Third Parties Are Irrelevant
Someone asked me this week:
"Didn't you vote for Bob Barker?"

Yes we can...control the pet population.

Get your pets spayed or neutered!
--SJ

6:18pm: As if You Were Really Surpirsed
I cast my vote for Bob Barr two weeks ago during early voting. I also voted Libertarian in the Senate race. I was going to vote for Dole, but the "Godless Americans" ad swayed me away. Pat McCrory for governor, and B. J. Lawson for Congress. Republican (or anti-Democrat) for the rest of the down-ballot elections.

Part of me hopes Obama wins so that my boss will stop complaining about the Bush administration. (I know that this probably won't happen no matter how the election turns out.)

The crossword in my campus newspaper today was amusing. There were four theme clues, and they all said "Winner or Loser." The answers were "BARACKOBAMA," "JOHNMCCAIN," "JOSEPHBIDEN," and "SARAHPALIN."
--SJ

10:00pm: More Strange Dreams
A few nights ago, I dreamed I was at a party with some friends from school. While there, I met a girl who seemed very nice and very interested. She was pretty, too; she looked like some young actress, but she might have been one of my grad school friends. I was very flattered that she was flirting with me, but something seemed amiss. I had a feeling that I probably shouldn't be encouraging this girl. Still, I went along with it. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask her out, and she excitedly accepted. But I couldn't shake this nagging feeling that I just setting myself up for trouble.

Then I woke up and remembered: "Oh, right. I'm married now."
--SJ

11:05pm: Война и мир
I recently learned that my school's library has the DVD set of Sergei Bondarchuk's version of War and Peace. Supposedly, this is the longest screen adaptation of the novel that is available.

We finished the first disc tonight.

We have no idea what's going on.

Somehow I doubt reading the book is going to help.

--SJ

9:07pm: We're Back
Great trip. Lots of pictures. Very tired.

More eventually.

--SJ

10:57pm: It'sOver!
We got married.

More later.

--SJ

1:11am: Question
What will happen to my facebook page when I die?

UPDATE: Found this on the terms page:

"When we are notified that a user has died, we will generally, but are not obligated to, keep the user's account active under a special memorialized status for a period of time determined by us to allow other users to post and view comments."

10:41pm: My New Life Dream
I want to have this guy's job:



--SJ

7:46pm: Trivia Game #85
Here is the 85th trivia game. First, a reminder of the rules:

Post your answers in a comment below. I am screening comments for this, so you cannot copy other people's responses. Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to get full credit. An incorrect or blank answer is worth no points. You can comment with answers as many times as you like. If you initially post a blank or incorrect response, you can post again later. The person with the most points will be considered the winner. Answers will be posted in one week.

Now for this week's theme:

Film directors' spouses. For each question, I will name the spouse (or spouses) of a famous film director. You must name the director. The total value of this quiz is ten points.

1. Amy Irving, Kate Capshaw
2. Florence Baum, Anne Bancroft
3. Robyn Moore
4. Molly Day Thatcher, Barbara Loden, Frances Rudges
5. Anne-Marie Deschodt, Candice Bergen
6. Assia Noris, Marcella De Marchis, Ingrid Bergman, Sonali Das Gupta
7. Else Fisher, Ellen Lundström, Gun Grut, Käbi Laretei, Ingrid von Rosen
8. Giulietta Masina
9. Laraine Brennan, Julia Cameron, Isabella Rossellini, Barbara De Fina, Helen Morris
10. Virginia Nicholson, Rita Hayworth, Paola Mori

Bonus! Name as many of Woody Allen's spouses as you can. (One point each.)

4:59pm: My Pappy Said, "Son, You're Gonna Drive Me to Drinkin'"
This guy is awesome:


And, he's coming to Raleigh on Saturday 19 April. Anyone want to go?
--SJ

9:01pm: Trivia Game #84 Results
Hi everyone. I hope that everyone is enjoying a very happy New Year. I will give a detailed report on my holiday break in the near future. In the meantime, here are the answers from the last trivia game.

( Here are the answers )
Five people responded to this game. With 11 points, this week's winner is arasnaem. Congratulations!
--SJ

5:04pm: Trivia Game #84
Here is the 84th trivia game. First, a reminder of the rules:

Post your answers in a comment below. I am screening comments for this, so you cannot copy other people's responses. Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to get full credit. An incorrect or blank answer is worth no points. You can comment with answers as many times as you like. If you initially post a blank or incorrect response, you can post again later. The person with the most points will be considered the winner. Answers will be posted in one week.

Now for this week's theme:

Christmas Stories! Answer the following questions related to Christmas in entertainment. The total value for this game is ten points.

1. On the television program Seinfeld, we learn that George Costanza's family celebrates a different holiday at the end of December. What holiday is it? Name some of its traditions.
2. Who played Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Muppet Christmas Carol?
3. In the video Elmo Saves Christmas, Elmo wishes that Christmas could be everyday. Which popular film is the only thing on television as a result?
4. Name the fictional pizza place in Home Alone from which Kevin McAllister orders dinner while his family is away.
5. What toys do the chipmunks want in Ross Bagdasarian's "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"?
6. In the 1964 Rankin/Bass animated special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph befriends a young elf. What is the elf's name, and what does he dream of doing?
7. In the critically panned film Jingle All the Way, what toy do Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle over?
8. In a Christmas episode of The Simpsons ("Marge Be Not Proud"), Bart decides to shoplift a video game. Which game does he try to steal?
9. In which month of the year was the 1946 film Miracle on 34th Street released?
10. How much money does Della have at the beginning of O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi?" (Within ten cents.)

3 Point Bonus. What does Ralphie want for Christmas in A Christmas Story? You must get the line right to receive full bonus credit.

4:01pm: Trivia Game #83
The 83rd Trivia Game has now ended. You may now read the responses here.

( Here are the answers )

Six people responded to this quiz. With 18 points, this week's winner is djproject. Congratulations! The next game will go up soon.

5:29pm: Does This Make Me Crazy?
My new favorite song:

I think theremins should be used more often.
--SJ

8:50pm: Trivia Game #83
Here is the 83rd trivia game. First, a reminder of the rules:

Post your answers in a comment below. I am screening comments for this, so you cannot copy other people's responses. Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to get full credit. An incorrect or blank answer is worth no points. You can comment with answers as many times as you like. If you initially post a blank or incorrect response, you can post again later. The person with the most points will be considered the winner. Answers will be posted in one week.

Now for this week's theme:

Musical dead or alive! I'm going to provide the first names of the members of ten rock bands. You must tell me the name of the group and identify the members of each group that are still alive as of 28 November 2007.
Example: John, Paul, George, Ringo
Answer: The Beatles; Paul (McCartney) and Ringo (Starr) are still alive.
The total value for this game is 20 points.

1. Robert, Jimmy, John, John
2. Brian, Dennis, Carl, Mike, Bruce
3. David, Stephen, Graham, Neil
4. Mick, Keith, Brian, Bill, Charlie
5. Kurt, Dave, Krist
6. Pete, Roger, John, Keith
7. Steven Patrick, Johnny, Andy, Mike
8. Johnny, Sid, Glen, Paul, Steve
9. Paul, Bruce, Rick
10. Eric, Duane, Jim, Carl, Bobby

8:38pm: Trivia Game #82 Results
The 82nd trivia game has ended. You may now view the responses here.

( Here are the answers )

Three people responded to this quiz. With ten points, this week's winner is ragnarok42007. Congratulations! The next game will be posted soon.

10:36pm: Trivia Game #82
Here is the 82nd trivia game. First, a reminder of the rules:

Post your answers in a comment below. I am screening comments for this, so you cannot copy other people's responses. Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to get full credit. An incorrect or blank answer is worth no points. You can comment with answers as many times as you like. If you initially post a blank or incorrect response, you can post again later. The person with the most points will be considered the winner. Answers will be posted in one week.

Now for this week's theme:

Poetry in Classic Rock! I will give the lyrics to ten popular classic rock songs. You must name the title and the album that each song came from. The total value for this game is ten points.

1. "Hey, hey, Mama, said the way you move/
Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove."
2. "You need coolin'; baby, I'm not foolin'./
I'm gonna send you back to schoolin'."
3. "I wanna hold you in my arms, yeah./
I'm never gonna let you go 'cause I like your charms."
4. "When I read the letter you wrote me, it made me mad, mad, mad./
When I read the words that it told me, it made me sad, sad, sad./
But I still love you so; I can't let you go./
I love you... Ooh, baby I love you."
5. "Alimony, alimony payin' your bills./
When your conscience hits you, knock it back with pills."
6. "Squeeze me baby, until the juice runs down my leg./
The way you squeeze my lemon, I'm gonna fall right out of bed."
7. "Should I fall out of love, my fire in the night,/
To chase a feather in the wind/
Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight,/
There moves a thread that has no end."
8. "Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars fill my dream./
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been./
Sit with elders of a gentle race, swirl but seldom seen,/
Talk of days for which they sit and wait, all will be revealed."
9. "Find a Queen without a King,/
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings: la-la-la-la./
Ride a white mare on the footsteps of Dawn,/
Tryin' to find a woman who's never, never, never been born."
10. "Let me take you to the movies, can I take you to the show?/
Let me be yours ever truly, can I make your garden grow?"

Bonus. All of the songs you've named were all performed by the same group. When and where is this group scheduled to perform next?

10:25pm: Trivia Game #81 Results
The 81st trivia game has now ended. You may now read the responses here.

( Here are the answers )

Four people responded to this quiz. With 4.5 points, this week's winner is sngbrd39. Congratulations! The next game will be up soon.

6:20pm: My Ultimate Goal
Forget an industry job or a professorship. As a biophysicist, I'd like to try to describe all biological processes with dancing hippies.

--SJ

11:03pm: Trivia Game #81
It's been awhile since I've had time to post a new trivia game. Here is edition #81. First, a reminder of the rules:

Post your answers in a comment below. I am screening comments for this, so you cannot copy other people's responses. Be sure to read the instructions carefully in order to get full credit. An incorrect or blank answer is worth no points. You can comment with answers as many times as you like. If you initially post a blank or incorrect response, you can post again later. The person with the most points will be considered the winner. Answers will be posted in one week.

Now for this week's theme:

Spaghetti Westerns! Answer the following questions about this genre of film. The total value of this quiz is ten points.

1. What is a "spaghetti western"?
2. Many of these films were shot in the Tabernas Desert because of its similarity to the American Southwest. In which country is this located?
3. Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly starred Eli Wallach, Clint Eastwood, and Lee Van Cleef. Who was good, who was bad, and who was ugly?
4. Who composed the score for The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
5. Name up to three other Sergio Leone films that fall into this genre.
6. What television program was Clint Eastwood starring in before being cast as The Man With No Name?
7. What was different about Henry Fonda's role in Once Upon a Time in the West?
8. What is odd about Burt Reynolds' role in Sergio Corbucci's Navajo Joe?
9. Robert Rodriguez's westerns, El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico have been referred to by what food?
10. This filmmaker was greatly influenced by spaghetti westerns and incorporated many elements, such as music, cinematography, and stylized violence, into his own films. In fact, he has declared The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly to be the "the best-directed film of all time." Who is he?

12:10am: Solid Hate
Recently, I was trying to explain the point of my Solid State physics class to my lady.

You know how you can use the Schrodinger Equation to solve for the dynamics of a quantum particle?

No? Ok, so Schrodinger derived a very important equation that we use in physics to solve for the dynamics of quantum particles.

Now imagine solving said equation for actual matter, where you have ~10²³ particles interacting with each other. That's way too many variables than you could ever hope to solve for. It's damn near impossible and stupid to try to figure out something like that. That's Solid State Physics.

Now if only I could explain my research...
--SJ

1:43pm: Costume Answer
( Mystery Solved! )

Ten points to sweetspastic for figuring it out.
--SJ