My little world

Occasionally I like to do these little blogs about whatever is on my mind, because I can't settle on a topic. Here we go:

• I just killed a spider with a paper towel, which is a big deal because it required me to come within arm's length of it (well, my hand was obviously even closer)! I saw it last night in my room near the ceiling and just let it go, but then it reappeared on the opposite wall on the blinds right next to my bed! It had to be stopped. It could have even been in my bed last night (it's hard to keep track of those things, you know ;-P)! That's the second one in a week, too! I stepped on the last one. Without roommates I have to fend for myself, like a big girl. I should get bug spray, I guess, but then I'll just have bug carcasses lying around for someone else (Joel) to pick up. No way I'm going anywhere near them.
  

• My Sister's Keeper is coming out this week and it looks good, but I think I'll wait until it comes out on video. I'd prefer to bawl my eyes out in the privacy of my own home.

• I was looking up suggestions on how to ward off jet lag, and I found that hamsters that were given a shot of Viagra recovered more quickly from jet lag. They might start prescribing the active ingredient to shift workers and frequent fliers. Um, awkward. ;)
  

• Ooh I have a new emoticon: v (^_^) v Get it? It's peace (a person making a peace sign)! Don't try this at home though; it's only for emoticon connoisseurs, like myself.

• Can someone please tell me why there is a single cornstalk growing along the fence in my backyard? I didn't even know what it was at first, but it's over a foot tall at this point. Maybe my neighbors grew some in their garden and it blew over here. That poor thing will have to fend for itself, probably, because I am by no means a farmer.
  

• I'm going to a funk concert on Friday and I'm kind of excited. My old web design teacher is in the opening band, so that's kind of cool. I forgot all about it until a friend invited me.

• Same-sex behavior has been found in nearly all animal species. I wonder what the homophobes that claim that (human) homosexuals "choose" to be that way have to say about that.

• Just in time for father's day, a new study suggests that fatherhood is part of what makes us human. Whereas 95% of males in the animal kingdom have little to no interaction with their children, humans need their fathers well beyond conception. I'm lucky to have a good relationship with my dad, and we have a decent amount in common, too. Maybe it affected me more than I knew. Read the whole article here.

• My cousin Beth (and aunt) came to my taiko performance last weekend, and I was told we looked like we were somewhat related. Oddly enough, that is my adopted cousin. She looks eerily similar to her adopted mom, though. I realized she also looks more like me than any of my other cousins, too, and we have more in common than anyone else. Ha, I guess that's sort of telling.

• I have never felt like I fit in remarkably well anywhere, especially in group situations. It's relatively rare that I find someone that I can really connect with on a number of levels. I consider myself a decent conversationalist, but it depends on the topic and the company. Many people would rather talk than listen. I like to observe group dynamics, though, and gather "data," I guess you would call it, to apply either at the moment or in the future. I just think partially because of that, I view the world differently than most people. Plus, I have a unusual mix of interests and talents that makes me sort of hard to pigeonhole. I don't want to be like everyone else, anyway, but sometimes it would just be easier. What do people even do if they're not exploring or expanding their many interests or attempting to satisfy their curiousity about random topics and current events, though? I have no idea.