The Photos From Iceland

Many have asked, "Sir, hasn't our breath been baited enough? Are we not worthy of your many, many pictures of Iceland?"

Children, you have waited long enough.
Behold, I give unto yee (the little people) these pictures.

Trip To Iceland (And Beyond)

I chose only the best, least rock-related photos of the 541 primarily rock and landscape based photos to be posted. Each has what I hope to be some kind of explanatory caption, but do ask questions using the comment feature on each picture and I will use my encyclopedic knowledge to answer it.

I'd like to take a moment to explain just what happened to yours truly upon his glorious return from the Land of Ice (and Vikings). Claire and I came into New York, where we were met by Ba and Mare - my wondrous aunts of legend. After a night in the Casa De Everett (home of Rick Everett, man about town), we sojourned on to New York. Our two-day mission was to aide in moving Claire's sister Hannah into her new home at Columbia University.

After a few minor, less viking-related adventures in NY (sadly, not involving Justin Kavoussi) Claire and I headed back to Ann Arbor - the Big Sleazy. She left later the next day, and then I was on my own. Homeless and alone, but at least gainfully employed, I staggered through the next ten days. On the 31st of August, I moved into my new domicile and then immediately left for Indiana.

Since then, I have started classes (more on that later) and the Gargoyle has kicked into gear for the year (more on that later, also rhyming). The only real obstacle between me and getting back into semi-regular contact is the sheer lack of internet in my house. Despite my best efforts to steal it from neighbors, I have been without internet in my life since the 21st of August. I miss it, but according to the voice on the other end of the line a modem should materialize on or around the 11th of September.

Now take some time to enjoy the pictures. Its very late, and this Max is off to bed.

I Like To Toss Things

I've got another paper due Wednesday that I have started working on. Claire's been sick all weekend and I've been taking care of her. Put 'em together, and I've been a busy bee. Non-stop run-around since Friday night, at least.
Please accept this humble filler post, prepared for just such an emergency.

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The other day I was standing in the shower, like you do, washing my hair. Being a totally hot dude, this kind of a problem since I have wash some serious footage of hair. This leads to really long showers, simply based on necessity. I also take forever because I wake up freezing every morning. I honestly feel like I receive all my body heat for the day from the showers I take in the morning. Which - of course - results in even longer showers. I need to recharge my heated core! It's vital!
So, Im taking this 1,000ºC shower, getting ready for my day, and I bend over and pick up the shampoo bottle by it's cap. Then, I did something amazing. I deftly flicked my wrist and released the bottle into mid air for a fraction of a second. At more or less the time the bottle was loosing all it's upward momentum and was on the cusp of being pulled tub-ward, I grabbed the bottle at it's center. I did this for a better grip before dispensing it's cleansing goo. I do this all the time, and not just with shower goo bottles! When I was in marching band, way back in High School, I would do the same trick with my clarinet to get a better grip. Everyday, I whip my cellphone out in the same manner. I hardly ever drop it.
I heard on NPR that famed soccer playing "BECKEM" (or some such thing) performs thousands of calculations in seconds to be able to intercept a flying soccer ball with his head, and send it in for a goal. This involves differential equations, which anyone who is taken higher math than me (which is apparently everyone) can tell you are very hard. Some of the first computers were contracted by the US Defense Dept. to calculate firing tables utilizing differential equations, basically so that the allies could win the war. At least that's what they tell me in my Computers in Literature class.
Anyway, humans do really hard math instinctively and for the most part we do it really, really well. Ever watch those videos of dudes bouncing off walls like theirs something wrong with em'? Yeah. Thats some heavy physics, dudes.
As I was standing in the shower, marveling at my abilities, I wondered 'was this all learned? Did I work all this out as a baby or was I born with these instincts?' Of course, I have no idea what the answer is, but while washing out the conditioner, I had another thought: 'what if a baby was taken to another planet that had similar gravity, but not exactly the same, as our own planet. Would the kid be able to do these neat tricks? Or would his DNA, hard-wired to thousands of years on Earth be unable to cope?'

Still, I have no idea.

We need someone to find a planet and volunteer a baby.