Interesting Fact 16: The Rent Stays the Same (Compliments of Hannah)

If the flat you live in has stayed in your family since before WWII, then the rent stays the same as it was before WWII.

- Hannah

Ready

Today was a cleansing day.  I packed a suitcase full of necessities, until I realized it wasn't needed.  I then packed my old backpack full of clothes and it all fit perfect.  Pretty weird.  I was expecting to use the larger case.  Not that big of a deal.

Today I was tired all day.  The day was pretty exhausting cleaning everything.  This is lame.
I'm out.

Interesting Fact 15: Grapes!

The phytonutrient resveratrol in red grapes and red wine counters aging the same way calorie restriction does.  Both activate a family of enzymes, sirloins, that slow the body's metabolic machinery and offset the damage of a high-calorie diet.

- Current Biology

Interesting Fact 14: They Know

Metacognition - the ability to think about your thinking - has now been shown in monkeys, dolphins, and rats.  Monkeys can assess how hard a memory task will be for them and wager food accordingly.  In other words, they know when to hold and when to fold.

- Matthew Hutson, Psychology Today (August 2007)

Interesting Fact 13: The Shinning (I know how I spelled it)

In the filming of the Shining, Stanley Kubrik and friend William Friedkin purposely tormented actress Shelly Duval on set, and somewhat convinced the rest of the crew to follow along, to help Duval get into character of a tortured wife and mother.  As a result, Duval became sick and lost a lot of hair while filming.

What to Say?

It's an odd feeling to walk into a room full of strangers and find out someone, who just left, was talking about you.  This is someone close to you.  This is someone you would think wouldn't do this.  This is someone you thought gave a shit about you.

Sharing is Caring 7

"Symbols shmimbols.  Sure they're important but...Well look at Ahab's whale.  Now there's a great symbol.  Some say it stands for god, meaning, and purpose.  Others say it stands for purposelessness and the void.  But what we sometimes forget is that Ahab's whale was also just a whale."-

- Stephen King.

From "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

Oh, Yet Another Injury

It seems as the days come closer and closer to my departure I'm injuring myself.  I stepped on some invisible rock yesterday, my ankle turned at an angle it shouldn't and I nearly fell.  I heard three pops and a sharp pain shot up my leg.
"Shit," I said.
I can still walk, and I'm still leaving, damn it!

Interesting Fact 12: The Horror Frog!

The "horror frog" is a hairy frog native to Cameroon that can break its own bones, causing them to puncture its toe pads, in order to form makeshift claws when in danger.

The Pain

Damn it!  I crushed my right index finger.  Now, yet again, I will not be able to play the cello for some time.  And, typing like this is a pain in the ass.

Strange Talk

The other day I was chatting with a co-worker.  Now, they use quite a bit of slang in their talk, and it throws me off sometimes.  This last time it threw me off, I had to laugh.  They were telling me about a friend they had problems with, and when I asked them if they still talked to this friend, they replied, "Naw, we squashed our beef."
Yes, I laughed, because, though I use some slang, I sure as hell haven't used nor have I heard of this type of talk.  It was insane!  I mean are kids these days really saying things like this, or did this person just make his own slang up?  Either way, it was pretty damn funny.  We squashed our beef.  Great stuff.

Sharing is Caring 6

Crazy people who are judged to be harmless are allowed an enormous amount of freedom ordinary people are denied.

- Katherine Peterson, Jacob Have I Loved

Interesting Fact 12: A Few For Nature

Thirty-two of the 42 known species of bats live in Texas.

More than 2,000 plant species contain cyanide.

Azaleas and rhododendrons contain andromedotoxin, a toxin that can cause nausea, paralysis, and even death.

A Short Story

Today, I made a fool of myself, yet again!  I read a short story to a group today, and realized how bad it is. First off, originally this short story was very long, but then I had to cut out over 5,000 words for a competition.  I always had a problem with it, and couldn't figure out why.  Then I changed it from first person to third.  It was a big difference for the better.  Then today, as I read the story aloud to a writers group, I realized all the errors and how bad the story is.  I was very embarrassed.  I even stayed behind, after everyone left, and asked the leader of the group if I was kidding myself.  Yeap, I always asked that.  He said no, but knowing what I'm capable of, he was disappointed in that story.
I need to re-work this story and make it original.  As it stands, it's crap.

Nicholas D.

Angry!

This person held onto my story.  I gave them options of when I can meet them and where, so I could get my story back.  They are not working with me.  Shit!  I'm getting angry.  They claim they are going to give it back on the next meeting, but I want it before I leave.  I'm growing angry.

I must go and drink.

Interesting Fact 11: Stay Clean, Wash Your Hands

I guess this would fall under "Facts," and not "Fact."  Here they are:

Percentage of doctors' NECKTIES that harbor disease-causing bacteria: 48.

Every year in the U.S., 1.7 MILLION hospital-acquired infections cause 99,000 deaths.

Percentage of patients with invasive MRSA infections who die from it: 17.

Percentage increased of MRSA INFECTIONS since 1995: 867.

Percentage of health-care workers who do not clean their hands properly: 60.

Time needed to scrub away bacteria with hand soap: 20 seconds (like singing "Happy Birthday" twice).

- Popular Science
November 2010 Issue

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterial infection that is highly resistant to some antibiotics.

Mayoclinic.com