1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
- Dated someone when I didn't think the relationship would work out

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- I've never made a New Year's resolution.

3. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?
- Bored in front of my computer.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
- Yes.

5. What countries did you visit?
- Unfortunately none.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
- An acceptance into a PhD program

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- August 1st and May 22nd. Not for good reasons.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Kicking the GRE's ass.

9. What was your biggest failure?
- I don't fail, I succeed at finding what doesn't work.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Who hasn't gotten hurt or sick at least once over the course of a year? Yes, now I have arthritis in my right knee.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
- Pizza

12. Where did most of your money go?
- Paying the application fees for grad school programs, food, rent

13. What song will always remind you of 2011?
- No song will remind me of a specific year. Unless there's a song titled "2011". :U

14. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Gone to therapy more.

15. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- I have no regrets. :v

16. What was your favorite TV program?
- House MD <3

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- Nope.

18. What was the best book you read?
- Wizard's First Rule

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- ThePianoGuys on youtube.

20. What was your favorite film of this year?
- I... don't think I watched any movies this year. Oh, no, wait, I did. But I hated it. Technically, though, it's my favorite from this year because it's my only from this year...

21. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- Went to class, work, came home, did nothing. Older than all but two of the people that will read this.

22. What kept you sane?
- Nothing. |U

23. Who did you miss?
- Fuck you, stop bringing up painful memories. Hmph. |c

24. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
- Continue to not trust people, it never works out and it's not worth it.

So! Hi.

I've gone and built a monolithic maze inside of Minecraft. It's 106 blocks x 106 blocks x 32 blocks, and filled to the brim with corridors and passageways and what-not. It is... very difficult to solve.

I'm offering the map to anyone who wishes to download it. Here's the link: http://db.tt/Gq86nVuj

Your challenge? To complete the maze. It will be hard, it will take you a long time. There are obviously rules to the map: No flying, No destroying blocks, and No placing markers (such as torches) inside of the maze to help you remember where you are.

I can't enforce any of these rules. I know that some of you will just destroy the maze with TNT, or take it apart, or whatever. Go ahead.

I'm offering a prize, however. Five dollars, I'll send it to you through paypal. Seriously. Not for completing the maze, though, because I have no way of proving that you didn't just fly to the end, or break your way through the walls, whatever.

No, how to get the prize is detailed inside of the map. You will not be able to win the prize if you destroy the maze. You will have to actually thread the maze, probably more than once, to win the prize. Follow the rules, you win the prize! Multiple people can win. :3

And so I'm not handing out money to a bunch of people, and because I realize that not a lot of people will read this immediately (seeing that it's Christmas Eve), I'm putting a time limit on it. You can win between the posting of this journal and five days from now: December 29th.

If you intend to try to win the prize, comment in this journal, and download away.

To play the map, put the unzipped folder into your Minecraft saves folder. You ought to be able to open up the map from inside the game then. Have fun!

So! About a year ago, nationstates began looking for new editors for the game. In their search, they opened up a contest, allowing anyone who wished to submit issues for consideration, in the hopes that well-written issues will yield good editors.

Yes, I think you see where I'm going with this.

Weeee! I'm a finalist! Check it out: http://forum.nationstates.net/viewt.....3&t=154627

Fuuuuuuuck yeeeeessssssssssss!

I cannot emphasize how happy I am at this moment.

I just returned from taking the GRE. I scored a 165 on the Verbal Reasoning section and a 153 on the Quantitative Reasoning section. Both scores are out of 170, meaning I scored a 97& and a 90% respectively. Blows the required scores I need for my grad school applications out of the water. I have a hugely increased chance of getting accepted into at least one of the PhD programs that I'm applying to. 83

This link is the most important link that you will click on in your entire life.

http://tinyurl.com/4485gce

It is necessary.

A - Age: 22
B - Bed size: I love my king size bed. :3
C - Chore you hate: Taking out the trash. Haaaaates trash. HATES IT.
D - Dog's name: I've never had a dog before, I don't like dogs.
E - Essential "Start Your Day" item: Waking up.
F - Favourite colour(s): Black
G - Gold or Silver: On what? Rings? Earrings? I'm not much for jewelry. I'm not really all that particular to shiny things.
H - Height: 5'3" without my shoes on. My shoes add an inch.
I - Instruments you play: Viola, and I can plunk out some tunes on a piano.
J - Job title: Social psychologist/research assistant/student/work-study. Pick one.
K - Kids: Good with ketchup, but I don't want any of my own.
L - Liquor, Beer or Wine: Water.
M - Mom's name: Frances
N - Nicknames: Tony, Grey, Kitteh, Mister Kitteh, Kitten, Douchefuck, and the Arrogant Bastard.
O - Outie or Innie: Innie!
P - Pet Peeve: Being late. Oh god, being late. I can't stand lateness.
Q - Quote from a movie: "And there was much rejoicing."
R - Right or left handed: Right hand dominant.
S - Sibling(s): I've a younger step-brother that I haven't really talked to in years. Other than that, none.
T- Time to get up: Weekdays: 5am. Weekends: 6:30-7am.
U - Underwear: Boxers
V - Vegetable you dislike: All of them.
W - What makes you run late: Nothing short of an apocalypse will make me run intentionally late.
X - X-rays you've had: My left hand, my teeth. I've also had an MRI and an fMRI of my head.
Y - Yummy food you make: PIZZA
Z - Zoo favourite: Lions, tigers, ocelots, lynxes, panthers, bobcats, cheetahs, jaguars... there might be a central theme here...

Borrowed from  namelessimp

You can take the test yourself here: You can take it here~ http://www.signalpatterns.com/psych_central

Seems... fairly accurate. Bit off in a way I can't really quantify though. What do you think? Sound like me?

I especially like the Introspective category. "You like your own company; you're a very interesting person."

Creative

You are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high score on the "creative" trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly non-fiction.
You do not shun abstractions and concepts in favor of the concrete and tangible.

Competent

You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges.
You are not a "que sera sera" type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.

Astute

You are a quick study. You generally don't need to have things explained to you more than once. When presented with a problem, you will often have an instant understanding of where to look for the solution.
You do not take your sweet time when presented with a new task to complete or problem to solve. You don't avoid assignments that require you to learn new skills.

Irritable

You have your own problems to deal with, and little patience for those who need help to get through the rough spots. Going out of your way to lend a hand not only takes time away from your own pursuits, it ultimately harms those you're "helping" by insulating them from the harsh realities of life.
You don't need to help others to feel better about yourself. It's not your ambition to be known as a major bleeding heart.

Accessible

You're comfortable expressing yourself in words and actions, with no self-censorship. You believe that if someone doesn't like what they see it's not your problem, but theirs. A high score on the "accessible" trait suggests that you have a lot of friends, socialize often, and enjoy rap/hip-hop music.
You don't see the need to keep your thoughts to yourself, or to have a zone of privacy that encompasses only yourself and a small circle of friends and relatives.

Conscientious

You feel it's important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly.
You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you've lost interest.

Optimistic

You are a "glass half-full" kind of person, always on the lookout for the silver lining. Your happiness is contagious, which is why others like to be around you.
You do not feel that the world is an intrinsically depressing place; you are not the kind of "realist" who thinks that only fools find joy in life.

Unflappable

You are not a slave to your emotions. It takes a lot to upset or unnerve you. That's why you're a good person to have around in a crisis.
You don't let it all hang out, which means that those around you often don't know the pressures you're under or what you're going through. You're not the kind of person people run from in a crisis.

Introspective

You like your own company; you're a very interesting person. Tracking your own mental processes, knowing what you're thinking and why you do what you do, is important to you. Often, what's going on in your mind is more compelling than what's going on outside. For the most part, those with a high score on the "introspective" trait enjoy reading, taking long walks, learning new things, and other solitary activities.
You are not someone who is constantly looking to be among a group of friends; you never feel bored when you are by yourself.

Intellectual

You are thoughtful, rational, and comfortable in the world of ideas. People find you interesting to talk to. You're the living embodiment of the saying "You learn something new every day." In general, those with a high score on the "intellectual" trait are employed in such fields as teaching and research, and are enthusiastic about reading, foreign films, and classical music.
You do not avoid abstract conversation, experimenting with new ideas, or studying new things. It bores you to stick to the straight and narrow of what you already know.

So, I've adopted two new kittens. Their names are N and Piper.

Pictures: http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i.....New%20kittens/

They're keeping me company and entertained. :3

My cat is dying.

He's lost all interest in food and water. He can barely walk. He's lost control of his bladder. He's throwing up again.

He'll be taking his last trip to the vet in a couple of hours.

I can barely see the screen to type this.

For those of you that don't know, I have a cat. His name is LK. I also call him Cat, Fuzzy, Silly-Looking. I'm pretty sure he thinks his name is actually a chirping sound that I use to get his attention. I've had him since I was in the 1st grade; he's a pretty old cat, as cats go, though you can't tell from the way he acts.

Early this morning, I took LK to an 24 hour emergency vet clinic. Yesterday, I sprayed for fleas, and LK must have somehow gotten too much of a whiff/taste/whatever of the stuff. He puked 5 or 6 times last night. Starting late last night, he'd been moving slow, and kind of staggering around. As of this morning, he was in pain, as indicated by hissing at nothing when touched, hiccuping motions, and an express desire to stay in one spot and not move. He was trying to meow at me, and failing. I was concerned that his breathing was labored at that point, and off to the vet he went.

According to the vet, he's been poisoned by one of the active ingredients in the RAID spray: Pyrethrins. Very toxic to cats, as I now know. It's known to cause seizures in cats, though thankfully LK has not progressed to that yet. They put him on activated charcoal, and he'll be on fluids at the vet for the next 24 hours.

I'm on 3 hours of sleep, $422.44 in the hole (not sure how I'm going to afford rent this month anymore), and I don't even have my cat around. Worse, it's all my fault. I feel absolutely terrible and worried about my cat. I honestly care about him more than most people.

I could use some support, even if it's just a word or two of sympathy in the comments. It feels awkward saying this, but I could use some money too. I don't honestly expect anyone to help me out with this, not with money, but I feel desperate at this point. Thanks for reading, at least.

UPDATE: Vet called. LK wasn't happy about the bath that they made him take to get any of the pyrethrins off of his fur, but the activated charcoal seems to be working. They found a small mass in his kidneys, presumably from the poisoning. No, I don't know how that works, but they're breaking it up and making him better. Right now, he's zonked out and hooked up to fluids and a catheter.

I'm allowed to visit whenever I want, so I'll be going after work to check up on him.

UPDATE V2.0: I've brought him home from the vet now. He's still pretty weak, and he's limping from the IV that they stuck in his leg, but at least he's home now. The vet couldn't get him to eat while he was there, but LK managed to eat a little bit for me when we got home.

Here's a couple of pictures of the poor guy:

At the vet, with the IV still in: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/LK%201.jpg
At home bandaged up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/LK%202.JPG

The vet says that LK's kidneys are failing. I'm taking him back to his regular vet soon to get everything checked up proper.

Turns out, I like money. And, you know, I like writing too. So I decided to attempt to try and combine those two activities!

I'm going to start publishing my short stories on Smashword. I sincerely doubt that I'll make any amount of money doing that, but it's good to have this stuff out there, neatly published online.

Where you'll be able to find all of the stories I publish there: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lordgreyii

The first story published so far: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61483

It'd be neat if you went on and bought it from me, but you don't have to at all, of course. I make $0.56 per purchase (1 so far, at the time of writing this journal).

Thanks guys. :3

Stolen from  namelessimp because it looked fun! I love answering questions, especially personal ones, but people never seem to ask them. No idea why. Anyway!

1. This survey gets a little personal; can you handle it?
No, I'm doing this survey at gunpoint, call the cops. :|

2. If you married the last person you texted, what would your last name be?
Camper. Unchanged from now

Guys don't generally take the last name of the people they marry. :U

I'm not really big on anyone taking new last names anyway.

3. Were you happy when you woke up today?
I don't think so.

4. When were you on the phone last? And with who?
2pm today, with my mother.

5. What are you excited for?
There's a new set coming out for Magic!

7. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you they love you?
Wait, to just say they love me, or to say they love me and mean it? They're different answers. The first one, however, is my mother.

8. What's the last thing you put in your mouth?
My hand. :U

9. Have a best friend?
Not anymore.

10. Are you scared to fall in love?
Not at all. I'd be scared of losing that love, not being in it.

11. Do you think teenagers can be in love?
I see no reason why not. I think it's a bit more fleeting for teenagers though, and they aren't really capable of dealing with the things that go along with being in love.

12. Last person you wanted to punch in the face?
Uuuuuhhhhhhh... His first name is Steven, I believe.

13. What time is it right this second?
7:14:24pm

14. What do you want right now?
Comfort/love. Pizza. Money. Sex. About in that order. I'm a simple guy.

15. Who was the last person you took a picture with?
As in, I was in the picture with someone? Uhm... Luke, at Anthrocon last year. Or Immy. Not sure.

16. Are you single/taken/heartbroken/or confused?
I consider myself taken.

17. When was the last time you cried?
Couple of weeks ago, I think.

18. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
I think they think so. I don't think so.

19. Do you find it hard to trust others?
Yes. Very.

20. How fast does your mind change?
Depends on what, really. My mood is mercurial at best. I know what's right most of the time, but I can be proven wrong. (this doesn't happen incredibly often)

21. I bet you miss somebody right now.
That's not a question! >:U

... yes.

22. Can you honestly say you're okay right now?
I think so.

23. Why do you think so many people cheat?
Biological imperatives. People aren't good at telling their loved ones that their sex bores them. People aren't good at handling being told that they're not good at sex. Because they don't love the person they cheated on anymore. Etc.

24. Tell me what's on your mind?
Glad the semester is over, sad that the semester is over, relieved that I'll likely be able to keep my job over the summer, designing a Magic deck, thinking about where I'm going to move next year, thinking about what I might do come winter, if I can.

25. What are you looking forward to in the next three months?
Next 3 months? Uhm... Well, the semester doesn't start for another 3.5 months, so nothing, really. I might take a trip around the US, but that's iffy.

26. Have you ever worn the opposite sex's clothing?
Who hasn't? Yes, I've been in women's clothing before.

27. When did you last talk to your number 1 top friend?
I don't have a number 1 top friend. I don't have any friends.

28. When is your next road trip?
Hopefully never. I hate road trips. Planes are better.

29. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell anything to?
Yup!

30. How's your heart?
Beating steadily, providing blood to the entire body.

*sighs* That's not what you're asking and I know it.

A bit hurt, really. Doing my level best to ignore it. It'll get better soon, I hope.

31. Have you ever felt like you weren't important?
Never.

32. Do you think somebody's in love with you?
No idea.

33. What are you planning on doing after this?
Looking up cards to help design the deck I started in my head.

34. Next time you will kiss someone?
In person? No idea.

35. Have you told anybody you loved them today?
No. Well, here. You know if this is addressed at you. I love you. <3

If you have to ask me if it's addressed at you, it's not addressed at you. :|

36. Who do you not get along with?
Stupid people. People acting stupid.

Trust me, a LOT of people fall under this umbrella, on purpose or not.

37. What does you 3rd recent text say?
">:U"

Yes, that's it.

38. What are you wearing right now?
Black shirt, blue jeans, boxers, a necklace. Contacts.

39. You're locked in a room with the person you last kissed, how is it?
Awkward. I don't think I've spoken to her in three years.

40. When's the last time you had a grilled cheese?
Many years ago.

41. What's your favorite boy and girl name right now?
I have no idea.

42. How did you feel when you woke up?
I don't know. Awake?

43. Do you wish someone would call or text you right now?
Yes, but it's unlikely to the extreme.

44. Do you crack your knuckles?
Yes.

45. What were you doing yesterday at midnight?
Sleeping.

46. What are your LEGAL initials?
ALC

47. Who's the first B in your contacts?
For a minute, I didn't think I had a B, but hey, I do! Burt Reynolds, my boss.

48. When was the last time you laughed really hard?
A month or so ago.

49. Your number 1 top friend walks out of your life, do you go after them?
Seeing as he did that about a month ago, and I didn't 'go after him', no. I don't even attempt to rekindle ended relationships.

50. Explain your last awkward moment?
Goddamnit.

Right now, because the last truly awkward moment isn't exactly something I've shared with a lot of people.

What the hell, only four or five people are going to read this anyway. Congratulations on getting this far, by the way. Talking to my therapist about the time I was sexually assaulted in 4th grade by an older student. No, I don't want to talk about it.

51. Are you afraid of the dark?
Nope! I am afraid of being blind though.

52. Do you have good vision?
I used to! But now I wear contacts. Very weak prescription though, I can still drive without them in.

53. Have you ever tripped someone?
Who hasn't? Of course I have.

54. Have you ever slapped someone?
An open-handed slap? Hmm... probably, although I can't remember an instance of the top of my head. Punched someone? Yes.

55. Are you Irish?
A bit of me is. My father's side of the family has Irish and Scottish in the lineage, though I'm more Italian from my mother's side of the family.

Course, the last three generations on both sides were born in America, so I'm American whether I like it or not.

56. Do you use chap stick?
Nope.

57. Do you have any scars?
Who doesn't? I've got a long one on my right arm, small one on my left wrist, and a dozen different ones on my legs.

58. Is there someone you will never forgive?
Several.

59. Are you dating the person you last held hands with?
Physically? No. I also don't know the last person I held hands with physically.

60. Name the last person to text you?
Natalie.

61. Would you marry someone 8 years older than you?
Yes.

62. Can you go in public looking like you do?
Yes, all the time.

63. Have you ever kissed someone whose name started with a A?
Yes.

64. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
ALL OF THEM. <8U

Seriously, I move around a lot when I sleep.

65. What's the first thing you'll do on your wedding day?
Wake up. Go to the bathroom. Swear because I stubbed my toe on something.

Fuck if I know. Even if things went exactly the way I want them to, I won't end up getting married anyway.

66. Do you fall for people easily?
Nope.

67. Has anyone put their arms around you in the past 5 days?
Yes. Girl that sits next to me in my Philosophy of Language class hugged me after the final yesterday.

68. Do you miss the way things used to be?
How far back? Recently? No. 3 months ago? No. 6 months ago? No. Since August last year? Yes. Since last year this time? Yes. Since 2 years ago? No. Since 3+ years ago? VERY no.

69. Song you're thinking of right now?
I wasn't thinking of a song when you asked me this question, but the first one to pop into my head was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 4th Movement, the Ode to Joy.

70. Want someone back in your life?
Back in my life? No.

71. Will tomorrow be better than today?
Who knows, it's not tomorrow yet.

72. What's the color of the shirt you are wearing?
Black. I said this already.

73. Who was the first friend that you had?
David. He lived just down the street from us when we moved to Texas, when I was 4.

74. Does it bother you when someone lies to you?
Depends on who's lying to me, and why. The why is honestly more interesting to me.

75. Is there anyone who understands your relationship status?
I believe so, yes.

76. Are you a naturally happy person? Or is your happiness forced?
Maybe. To both questions. I don't know.

77. Is there anyone you wish would fall in love with you?
Yes.

78. What do you wear when you sleep?
Underwear, and occasionally nothing.

79. Are you obsessed with something right now?
Probably. Luckily, I'm obsessed with multiple things, so I can bounce back and forth between those things, and it doesn't look like I'm obsessed with any of them! :D

80. The first person you loved is?
The first person I dated was named Sasha.

81. Something terrible happened with you?
Who hasn't had something terrible happen to them?

82. You are locked up with someone you love, what happens?
SHENANIGANS. <3

83. If you could wish something, what would it be?
For a lot of money, because that would enable me to do the things I would wish for if I wasn't allowed to wish for money.

84. Ever forced someone to do something?
Yes, in every way possible. Blackmail, emotional manipulation, physically, etc.

85. When you are alone, what do you think about?
"All day every day, what do you think about?"

Of course, that's a slight exaggeration. The future, my day, how I'm feeling, why someone said this, my relationship, what I'm gonna do the next day, that sort of thing.

86. How was your first kiss?
Good? It was Truth or Dare.

87. What's your favorite music genre?
Classical.

88. Are you going to tag people to do this?
Not at all.

So, instead of working on my various story ventures, I've come down with the 'serious illness' and going to the doctor's all this week. Yay!

And, instead of working, I decided to debate religion, which is fun for me, being a long-time atheist. Last night, the thought occurred to me: "What about herms?" They do exist in nature, albeit much much rarer than you see in the fandom. So! I went and asked a Mormon on the mormon chat that people like to troll on the internet.

Here, read it! http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/Mor.....nd%20Herms.JPG

I'm honestly curious, and if any of my watchers are religious and care to address my questions (as Thomas did not), please feel free. I'm not sure how natural hermaphrodites and homosexuality and religion mix, or rather, how religion views herms.

So, I understand that a few of you watch me because of the things I write. (Of course, some of you watch me because of the porn I've posted, and shame on you for doing so, you pervs. ;3 ) With that understanding, it seems odd that it's been, what, 5 months since I posted anything written?

I'd make excuses about being busy, which is semi-true, but mostly, I haven't been doing a lot of work on the things I should be working on, such as out-standing art-trades (for a story, I still don't draw). However! I have been puttering around, and I promise that I'll be posting a new story in a week or two.

Who knows? Maybe I'll even start writing with more frequency. I just need the motivation, after all. I still don't understand why you lot think I'm a good writer. :U

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod THERE'S SNOW ON THE GROUND SNOWSNOWSNOWSNOWSNOW

If you don't understand why I'm so excited about this, this marks the fifth time in my life I've seen snow, and the SECOND time I've ever seen it stick to the ground.

There must be... I dunno, HALF AN INCH!!!

If you'll excuse me, I have to go outside, take pictures, and make a goddamn snowman for the first time ever.

IT WILL BE WONDERFUL.

EDIT: PICTURES NOW

The snow: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/SNOW%21.JPG

My snowman (best snowman EVER): https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/Snowman.JPG

I made snowballs and threw them at my car! https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2975278/Snowballs.JPG

I have over 1000 pages views. <o.o>

What are you people looking at?! <XU

So! This morning I woke up really early in the morning and went to take my psychology final exam for this semester. My first discovery was that the final was at 8am, not 7:30am. No matter. 8am comes and goes, and the class is nearly entirely there, and everyone else is abuzz with studying for the pending exam. Except me, of course, I don't study, and don't need to (A fact that causes most of the students that sit near me to hate me. I made a 104% on the last test. A test that I forgot was happening.) Time flies by, and no professor. I ended up waiting three and a half hours in the class room until the end of the allotted time of the final (10:30am), with no professor. The class came to a consensus, and we all signed a sheet of paper saying we had attended, and a healthy portion of us went up to the psychology department with it, explaining what happened and asking what we should do. They couldn't get ahold of the professor. We got to go home!

About 2 hours ago, the professor emailed the class, apologizing and giving us options for our grades. Basically, we could either take the grade we currently had, or we could take a very short version of the final exam via email. I, of course, took the grade I have, because it's an A already. No need to boost my grade. But! I thought that I would share the final exam with you guys, just in case you were curious.

If you wish, you may attempt to answer the questions. If you answer them all correctly (hey, it's multiple choice, you're allowed to guess) then maybe I'll figure out a prize for you lot. Yes, I know what all the correct answers are already. Yes, I know that one question asks about the textbook; it's not actually necessary to own or read. I don't.

If you don't want to take it, hey, it's there for interest. If you do, cool, have fun! :3

---

01. The reason that mental multiplication and simultaneous finger-tapping is sometimes difficult is . . .

a. because it is difficult to coordinate a cognitive task and a physical task at the same time.
b. because there is not enough cognitive capacity to support both processes at the same time.
c. because both tasks make use of the articulatory loop and the visual-spatial sketch pad.
d. because the finger-tapping is distracting enough to make it difficult to focus on multiplication.

02. According to the text, a “schema” can be understood as a form of declarative knowledge in which . . .

a. standard argument “slots” are filled in with stimulus information or with default values.
b. stimulus attributes are connected by logical rules such as “AND,” “OR,” or “NOT.”
c. every proposition in a set is connected to every other proposition by one or more shared concepts.
d. visual images are used to represent the meaning of verbal information.

03. Metacognition is most COMPLETELY described as . . .

a. the regulation of more basic cognitive processes through one’s deliberate efforts.
b. an awareness of what you know and don’t know about a topic on which you are well informed.
c. declarative knowledge of one’s mental processes and procedural knowledge for controlling them.
d. making use of one’s declarative knowledge to monitor cognitive processes.

04. The “Basic Comprehension Formula” proposes that learning and memory both depend upon . . .

a. linking new information to old information.
b. determining what is distinctive about new information.
c. noticing how new information is both familiar and different.
d. the shallow and the deep processing of new information.

05. Which one of the following is NOT one of the ways recommended by your authors for INCREASING self-efficacy on a particular task?

a. Modeling of target task by experts
b. Verbal persuasion from teachers and peers
c. Providing explicit feedback about task performance
d. Decreasing performance expectations for the task

06. According to the lecture, an “implicit,” “naïve,” or “tacit” theory refers to . . .

a. opinions that one has about things with which he or she has no experience whatsoever.
b. well worked out and highly focused predictions about the outcomes of particular experiments.
c. rules or beliefs that one bases on his or her own informal study of a particular topic.
d. unspoken or informal assumptions that reflect one’s past knowledge and experience.

07. The five-step problem-solving strategy advocated by Dewey and endorsed by the authors of your textbook includes three of the steps listed below. Which of the following is NOT a step in that strategy?

a. evaluate the quality of different solutions in order to select the best one.
b. represent the problem so as to clearly define goal states, initial states, operations, and constraints.
c. using a means-ends strategy to work backwards from the desired goal state.
d. select a strategy that reflects a reasonable approach to solving the problem.

08. __________ constructivism involves efforts to construct new knowledge that conforms to external patterns or structures, while ____________ constructivism involves efforts to construct new knowledge that conforms to one’s prior beliefs and experiences. _________ constructivism represents the process at work as learners change their understandings in response to both prior experience and external pressure.

a. exogenous—endogenous—dialectical
b. endogenous—dialectical—exogenous
c. dialectical—exogenous—endogenous
d. endogenous—exogenous—dialectical

09. For Kintsch and Van Dijk, a situation model for a given text is . . .

a. the goals and concerns of the reader as he or she attempts to understand text information.
b. a memory representation that integrates of prior knowledge and text information.
c. the cues in a text passage that indicate how sentences relate to each other and the theme.
d. the prior knowledge of the text topic that a reader brings to his or her comprehension efforts.

10. Given the capacity demands of writing, a good rule for organizing your writing time is to . . .

a. work at the same time on those parts of the task that have a natural relationship to each other.
b. dedicate most of your time and effort to maintaining coherence and cohesion.
c. work on only one part of the writing task at a time and focus only on that part of the task.
d. dedicate most of your time and effort to identifying and listing relevant content.

Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Ten: One confession.

I'm... really unsure what to put here. I don't have any confessions to make. The only things I keep a secret are the things I'm asked to keep a secret by others. That makes it their confession to make, not mine.

I feel like it's cheating though. This is supposed to be the culminating journal for this personal, but admittedly fun, meme. Now I don't have anything to put? Pah.

*thinks*

Ok, how about this. It's not any sort of secret, but it's the closest I can come up with: I have no idea what I'm going to do with my degree. I don't know what I'm going to do after college. I know what I would like to do, but it's not related to having a degree at all. I'm mostly going to college to pass the time, because I'm good at it, and because it's free.

Does that work?

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

<o.o>

:c

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Being love-y on me absolutely melts me. I adore being called sweetie, honey, love, etc etc. This is separate from lusting at me. In here I'd include wanting to cuddle, playing with my hair, saying I smell good, doing the hundred of little things people do to make their significant others feel special. I cannot even emphasize enough how much of a turn on this is for me.

Lusting for me is also a huge turn on. I need and crave feeling wanted, sexually. I like being thought of as attractive, because I'm insecure. However, this can be tricky. If I think there's a reason behind complimenting me (such as you're trying to make me feel better, trying to get me in bed, because I asked for the compliment, that sort of thing), no matter how small or slight, then I feel it's insincere. I can't help it. Frequently I will refuse to ask for sex despite feeling frisky, because even if my partner agrees, it will feel like the only reason they're having sex with me is because I asked. However, being asked for sex is such a turn on, even if I wasn't frisky at all beforehand.

The other two sound so... noble, compared to this base turn on. I fetishize cum, semen, man juice, etc. I want my partner's and I want my partners to want mine (maybe not in the same fashion as me, however). "I want your cum" , "Fill me" , references to tastiness... all phrases that my lovers can say that guarantee turning me on, if not an instant boner. :U

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Pain. Ye gods, pain. I can tolerate pain, but it should never be mixed with pleasure. Pain is a sure way to kill my mood.

Body waste, meaning both excrement and urine. They're not gross, in and of themselves, because they're natural bodily functions. But you know, they just kill the mood for me. Possibly because of the smell. :V

'Angry' sex. Where clothing is literally ripped off, the words bitch, whore, slut, etc, get tossed around, that sort of thing. It, quite frankly, scares the hell out of me, and reminds me far too much of rape. I'm all for hard semi-rough sex, and I'm even ok with being called a slut every once in a while (and like it), but that's too much. It feels like less of something the lovers are sharing and more of one person that is taking. I think it's the tone that does it for me.

Being ignored. I don't know whether it's because I'm insecure and needy, or if it's something I just expect my lovers to do, but if I don't feel that I'm getting at least a little bit of attention, I get a little upset. If it happens too much too quickly, I lose any sense of being in the mood. It's stupid, and I wish I didn't do it, but I can't help it.

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Mike.

Alyx.

Luke.

Immy.

LK.

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Registered for my Web Design class this semester.

Joined the frumph.net authors. (now TGT webcomics)

Agreed to getting this stupid cell phone.

Picked certain artists for commissions at Anthrocon. (Specifically, the one that was supposed to do a zombie monkey and the one that did a wulf.)

Flirted with this one guy a long time ago, who turned out to be creepy and stalker-ish.

Stopped going to therapy.

*************************************************************

Man, this one was difficult. I don't regret a whole bunch. I just spent 5-10 minutes trying to think up each one.

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

"I don't want to go to work/class."

"Am I hungry?"

"Fuuuck I'm itchy"

"Wish I was there"

"Wonder when she's gonna get on."

"What should I do now?"

"Booooooooorrrrreeeeed!!!"

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Totally stole this from  fluffball

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.

Day Two: Nine things about yourself.

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Day Four:Seven things that cross your mind a lot.

Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.

Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever).

Day Seven: Four turn offs.

Day Eight: Three turn ons.

Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.

Day Ten: One confession.

*************************************************************

Continuing with:

Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.

Be there for me.

Be funny.

Be quirky.

Express interest in me.

Have similar interests.

Accept the things that are wrong with me.

Give me things.

Know me well.

*************************************************************

Interestingly, this list is exactly the same for making friends. Anyways, I can go into more detail with any or all of those points, but I didn't want to make it hugely long. If you want to know more or want to know what I mean, simply ask.

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