I should be sleeping right now. I should be tired. I got less than five hours of sleep last night, but for some reason I'm awake and feeling guilty about having not blogged in a little while.

I think I may have said this before, but my summer is very routine and kind of boring. I have very little awake time during the week and there isn't a whole lot to blog about. Yes, I know, I will eventually write about work, the application, the Celtics riots, the Red Sox game I went to, yadda yadda yadda, but there's just so little time to write when I could be sleeping.

So little happens during the week that I've taken to writing notes to myself on my iPod Touch, things I should remember to mention on my blog. Each could have its own entry, but I'll fall asleep before accomplishing that, so I'm going to go through them all in this entry. These are totally random, maybe not what you'd typically expect from me (or maybe you would?), and kind of interesting. Here we go!

1) Before Wall-E there were previews for movies that are coming out soon. Two of these movies probably involved screenwriters on crack who have no judge of what movies the public actually wants to see. These two movies include Madagascar 2 and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Why? WHY!? The third preview actually looks good. "Bolt" the wonderdog has extreme potential, see for yourself:

2) It REALLY bugs me when sound mixer people fade music that's supposed to acoustically explode. Crescendos exist so that they can reach a climax, not so they can be turned down so the speakers overload. Examples of this include:

This song, 8 seconds in,
This one at 4:15
and this one at 11:30

3) If you are a girl and you smell good, you earn uber bonus points. Smelling good can make up for a lot of shortcomings, as shallow as this sounds (but isn't that why you wear perfume, for guys to notice?). Personal favorites? Vanilla and sweet pea. If I catch you wearing these then I automatically consider you a friend.

4) Have you ever noticed that Kellogg's Corn Pops and Fortune cookies have the same aftertaste?

5) I remember something that happened at high school graduation. A tradition existed at my high school. The seniors sneak inflatable beach balls into commencement every year so that we have something to play with between all the speeches and name calling. My year was no exception. When you enter staging for commencement they make you give them your cap and gown, which they proceed to shake. They then check you for any visible bulges. If you’re clean then you get to put your gown on and wait to graduate. I found about a gazillion ways around this system, and thus managed to get 9 beach balls and 2 inflatable dolphin rafts into graduation. The 9 beach balls were on my person, smashed flat under some Under Armor shorts and some baggy khaki pants. The dolphin smuggling was a bit more covert. There was no way to sneak them in on me, so I had to organize a hand-off. The graduates walk right by the band on the way to their seats, so I gave a percussionist a small packaged that contained two dolphins, wrapped in masking tape. As we marched by he just pulled it out of the cymbal bag, held it under the roped off area, and a friend grabbed it, hid it under his robes, and got it all the way to our seats.

The funny part about this is that I was very involved in digging beach balls out of my pants for much of commencement. As such, I didn't realize that the faculty speaker was finishing up his speech. I also didn't know what order the ceremonies were going in. During a particularly extravagant attempt to remove plastic from my pants I heard "And now to deliver his commencement speech, senior Michael Snively!" Oh.

I didn't have time to zip up or button my pants and I had a beach ball hanging halfway out. I quickly tightened my belt and jumped up, creating a nice and comfortable Under Armor wedgie, and started towards the stage. I tried to make my awkward under-robe situation as invisible as possible, but there was definitely some creative shuffling and strange steps on my way to the stage. That's right, I gave my graduation speech with my pants half off, a beach ball hanging out of my waist band, and a giant wedgie. I rock.

6) I took a class called 2.001 last semester (you look it up) taught by professor Hosoi. The other day I was reading CNN and stumbled upon this article:

Click to read article

OMG! My professor was in CNN! This was beyond cool. What was even more beyond cool was what happened once in class, securing Hosoi as awesome in my book forever.

At the end of each week we were all handed blank notecards that we were allowed to anonymously ask questions on. Then, after reviewing all the cards, Prof Hosoi would post her answers online. Sometimes there were no questions and students improvised. I decided to test Prof Hosoi's 1337ness one day and simply wrote "My spoon is too big" on the notecard. Would she respond? How?

By the way, this quote is from the following video:

Watch More Videos       Uploaded by www.bebo.com/YaManicKill

A couple of days later the answers came online. I scrolled through looking for my card. BINGO! There it was, at the bottom. What was the response?

"I am a banana!!!"

Hosoi, you win.

7) Looking back on high school I realize that I've experienced just about every girlfriend stereotype I could imagine. These include: the cheating girlfriend, the sketchy girlfriend, the overly physical/affectionate girlfriend, the girlfriend I met online, the girlfriend that moved away, the girlfriend that now wants to kill me, the long distance girlfriend, and the perfect girlfriend. Very few people know who all of these girls are, but let's just say that high school was definitely an opportunity to experience different types of relationships.

8) If you ride an escalator that's only wide enough for one person, you better be walking up or down that escalator. If you're on an escalator wide enough for two people you'd better be standing if you're on the right or moving if you're on the left. If you're doing anything else, I (and many many other people) really just want to shove you out of the way and tell you that you're doing it wrong. Don't be an escalator n00b, be courteous and think of others.

9) Did you know that there's a junior mint factory right on the edge of campus and that every so often (a couple of times a month) the air all around main campus will smell like junior mint?

10) I've been doing the same thing every morning for the last two months. It's routine. Other people have routines as well, and I've started to notice what other peoples' routines are. There's a lady that gives out copies of "The Metro" at South Station who, every day, will walk up and order coffee from McDonalds right at 6:05. There's a guy who sits at the same table in the station reading the newspaper, every morning, with a green baseball hat that says "Ice" on it. The train conductor is the same every morning, and when I skate from the train stop to work I always pass a donut place and wave and say hi to a black guy sitting in the same spot on a bench, waiting for somebody.

Routine is kind of cool, it makes you feel semi-psychic knowing what you're about to see when you round a corner.

11) People say firefighters are like brothers. This is true, maybe more so than you thought. My dad has been a fire captain for as long as I can remember and as such, I grew up around fire stations, fire trucks, and fire fighters. As a member of a fire fighter family, I get certain perks. Any fire station in the entire country is open to me. Seriously, if I needed a place to stay or somewhere to crash/shower/rest then I can walk up to any fire station, introduce myself, tell the firefighters that my dad is a captain, and I can just wander in. Fire station parking lots are also accessible, as are directions if I get lost. It's amazing how close firefighters are, it's really really cool.

12) Sometimes I wonder if, before I spend a large amount of time talking to somebody or giving them advice about applying to MIT, I should administer the geek test to all potential MIT applicants that ask for help or advice. Maybe MIT should even include it in their application? Reading responses to that test would help me answer so many questions more effectively and it really lets me know what a person is like. Therefore, if you ever want to guarantee the number one priority in my e-mail inbox and want a very long, thought out reply, include which items of the geek test you checked. I will over-achieve in answering your question.

13) People complain about my blog entries all the time, saying that they're dumb and have nothing to do with admissions at MIT. This bugged me a lot one day so I wrote a reply on my iPod, which I'll copy directly to here:

The blogs are an atmosphere, reading a single post isn't enough, MIT is how you feel after reading hundreds of posts, seeing the mix and how blog entries change over the course of the year. An overall impression is built from many different types of posts.

That about sums it up. Try to see the forest through the trees. Just as a casual exercise, read through my entries and by looking at frequency of posting and tone of entry, try to figure out when I was most stressed during the school year. Ignore the actual content, just go by tone and frequency of postings (because sometimes I'll lie and say I'm doing great when really I'm slowly dying).

14) I was at Home Depot the other day and say 4 foot long zip ties. They were amazing. I want some, I have no idea what I'd do with them, but I want some.

So that's it, everything from my iPod. Hope you enjoyed, it was kind of fun typing these all out!

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

first!!! sorry. couldn't help it. nice entry.

Posted by: kayla '12 on July 14, 2008

prof hosoi is pretty awesome.. i wondered how long it took her to google/ search for it or if she actually have seen the video

Posted by: carmen '12 on July 14, 2008

Second. Awesome post. Do know that some of us out here actually enjoy your random entries because it makes college seem real and not something that is always in a state of pseudo-existence.I personally love the whole picture of MIT and the world around it that you help me envision. Think of your blogs as our experiences through your eyes. Thanks Sniv! :D

Posted by: Cody Dean on July 14, 2008

first

Posted by: 0 on July 14, 2008

^^^^EPIC FAIL!

Posted by: ... on July 14, 2008

I liked this entry a lot. A couple of weeks ago I watched a talk by the biologist that was quoted in that CNN article. It's super cool. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/robert_full_on_animal_movement.html

Posted by: Mary on July 14, 2008

The first song you linked to has a pretty awesome jazz bass break. Who's the artist? Is it some sort of post-production mash up of more than one song?

Posted by: Ahmed '12 on July 14, 2008

Please ignore my previous comment. I had a Rhythmbox window open, and I opened your file with VLC. Pressing the play button on my keyboard started the Rhythmbox playlist (which was on Lonnie's Lament by Coltrane, explaining the bass break).

I am made of fail.

Posted by: Ahmed '12 on July 14, 2008

9) Did you know that there's a junior mint factory right on the edge of campus and that every so often (a couple of times a month) the air all around main campus will smell like junior mint?

Not just any Junior Mint factory, but THE Junior Mint factory. No joke - ALL the Junior Mints in the world are made in a factory just behind CAVS and the MIT Museum.

Mmmm, mint.

(You're still awake?! Seriously?!)

Posted by: 0 on July 14, 2008

Two things:
1. Why, dear Lord, why does Miley Cyrus have to dress like Lindsay/Britney/any-other-lost-former-teenage-star-who-is-now-a-drug-addict/bald/alcoholic/bad-driver? Alas, the role model of younger generations....

Sorry, I just had to get that^^^ out of my system.

2. Snively, thanks to you for posting the 'BANANA' video a while ago, my friends deliberately avoid the words 'spoon' and 'banana' around me.

Posted by: '11 on July 14, 2008

whatWHAT?? don't diss beverly hills chihuahua

Posted by: 0 on July 14, 2008

I like the smell of sweet pea, but i rather smell vanilla on food than on people.

4 ft zip ties are great for tying 120 pound robot onto the side of the crate. Also good for tying up friends.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

I enjoy your random blog entries.

Posted by: Steph on July 15, 2008

Hodge-podge is right...but I still can't picture you with multiple girlfriends...

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

3) You will be happy to know that I just bought vanilla and sweet pea shower gel from Bath and Body Works

5) My graduation was freezing, but I toughed it out and wore a skirt anyway. I brought a big U of I blanket and cuddled under it with my friend sitting next to me and felt ironic.

7) Will you talk to my inexperienced friend about why he needs to break up with his insane girlfriend?

12) I took the geek test and am only 22.682% geek

14) We used them on our FIRST robot's bumpers to attach the pool noodles to the wooden backboards...but we are kind of makeshift

Posted by: Karen on July 15, 2008

i knew you were a girlfriend person!
i knew it

Posted by: snivelybloglover on July 15, 2008

Haha the trailer for "Bolt" cracks me up every time.

Posted by: Omar '12 on July 15, 2008

I'm far too old for MIT and I already have a degree from my country anyway. Reading your posts however makes me feel that I'm actually at MIT, walking on its pavements, feeling the sunshine and breathing its air.

Thank you. ^_^

Posted by: Mist on July 15, 2008

*squeals*

Posted by: *whispers "I'll go get my ball!"* on July 15, 2008

Nice entry Snively...I can totally relate to your wacky "capers on Graduation Day"....and I took the Geek test-I'm supposed to be "a super geek". I will be socially shunned at my school!!:P
btw, vanilla lip gloss ain't bad either...

Posted by: Ahana on July 15, 2008

27.21893% geek. Nice.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

38.6587% - Major Geek

I'm amused by the 5 extra points for being female ^.^

Posted by: Piper on July 15, 2008

1) Oh gosh I felt the same way about the previews before Wall-E. I seriously wanted to chuck my drink at that Chihuahua.

14) Those zip ties were included in the FRC Kit of Parts last year. We used them to hold together and attach the storage tanks for the pneumatics. In 2006 we used them at an offseason competition to hold our entire hopper and shooter to the base when the mount was severely damaged in a match. Those things are awesome.

Posted by: Noelle on July 15, 2008

That Chihuahua trailer gets on each and every one of my Mexican nerves.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

8) This really made me laugh, I spend a lot of time in London and had to teach a friend 'escalator etiquette' recently because she didn't know about the 'stand on the right, walk on the left' thing.

12) I took the geek test and I am 28.00789% - Total Geek.

13)Psh, I love your blog entries, everything posted on this site really helps build an atmosphere of what MIT is like. =]

Posted by: Bethan on July 15, 2008

I died on the inside at seeing Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea must have had too many martinis.

And wall-e was disappointing. They should nominate RATATOUILLE for best picture instead! woo love

Posted by: Oasis '11 on July 15, 2008

prof. hosoi is basically my hero.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

Don't hate on Beverly Hills Chihuahua. and Wall-E will always own my heart.

Posted by: '12 on July 15, 2008

lol at pigeons in trailer for Bolt

Posted by: sarli on July 15, 2008

Hamster in bolt is too awesome. Its like Hamtaro, but, *lights fade and sudden epic blast of sound* in a ball. Ingenious.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

14.565% -Geekish Tendencies

Posted by: Becca on July 15, 2008

"Have you named a pet after a technical term?" - the Geek Test

This made my day. (I used to have guppies named Car and Cdr)

Posted by: Nicole on July 15, 2008

i loved this entry.

i don't care if it's not directly pertinent to applications/admissions/school-endorsed stuff; it's just awesome to get a glimpse into the head of an MIT student.

and snively, your graduation must have rocked! think you can pull that off again in three years?

Posted by: christine on July 15, 2008

29.5858% - Total Geek

I love how "I want to work for Microsoft" was a question... I'm working there now. ^_^

Posted by: Nicole '10 on July 15, 2008

7) wow! o.o you should start a dating blog. extra points if its an MIT dating blog. :D

Posted by: cristen on July 15, 2008

I lol'd for like five minutes at the hamster in the Bolt trailer. Awesome.

Posted by: 0 on July 15, 2008

I'm a really sad person: 62.1308% Extreme Geek :-----
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Aditi
EMAIL: aditive@mit.edu
IP: 220.226.42.44
URL: http://www.irevil.blogspot.com
DATE: 07/16/2008 09:16:53 AM
COMMENT_BODY:
That must've been some graduation o.O

Oh and the thing about the MIT blogs, well said.



17.something% geek :(

Posted by: Meagan on July 16, 2008

... wow Snively... you must have one heck of a graduation... lol. It would have been more awkward if that beach ball was an inflatable dolphin.

Posted by: Judy '12 on July 16, 2008

ummm.. umm. i only got 16% on the Geek test and i sort of exaggerated to be more geeky... but i already got admitted so it's ok! hopefully a few years of MIT will bump up that score though.

Posted by: kayla '12 on July 16, 2008

27. something % geek (I forget, I took it awhile ago. I should retake it)

Posted by: Kelly ('13 Hopeful) on July 16, 2008

Hahahahahaaaa, I love your blog, Snively. Don't listen to those naysayers. One day, when you least expect it, I will bombard you with the full results of my geek test.

Posted by: Hawkins on July 16, 2008

9.something% geek? Maybe MIT will add 50 ercentage points.

Posted by: 0 on July 16, 2008

9.something% geek? Maybe MIT will add 50 percentage points.

Posted by: Sam'12 on July 16, 2008

2): What if you smelled vanilla or sweet pea on a guy? Does it then not smell good? (ha)
Thank you for pointing out 8) for the public good.
And 10) just made you a bit more awesome.

Posted by: Jess '12 on July 16, 2008

haha, i wanted to sneak in beach balls to my graduation because of what you did but no one else cared to do it with me. Yeah it failed oh well.

I can't believe there is the junior mint factor right next to MIT. I think I'm going to be eating them a whole lot more now yay

Posted by: Omar '12 on July 16, 2008

I'm somewhat of a geek, ranging between 29.4 to 34.8 percent depending on the day, and I too like your blog. You are a quirky kid, random, as evidenced by your fourteen thoughts, and interesting kid. Write more often!

Posted by: I'll apply on July 17, 2008

AND you're not that bad to look at.

:]

Posted by: I'll apply on July 17, 2008

Regarding Beverly Hills Chihuahua, my friend put it well .. "its like they walked into the CGI animator office and were like 'we in writing had a big meeting, and we decided we hate you. Therefore, you get to spend the next 3 years of your life animating the stupidest concept we could possibly come up with. Have fun, scukers!' and then walked laughing hysterically out of the room. Cause just think .. for a period of time after this, people will walk up to some people at a bar or something and be like 'oh, so what do you do?' 'I'm an animator' 'That's interesting! What project are you working on?' 'Umm.. its called Beverly Hills Chihuahua' *blank stares and snickers* "

..okay so that was more an amalgam of things that 2 of my friends said and thoughts I had, but its still completely relevant!

also .. alot of this stuff was cool, I didn't know about all the firefighter relation perks.

Peace,
~Donald

Posted by: donaldGuy on July 18, 2008

This is completely off topic but uh, the Dark Knight was Amzaing.

Posted by: Sarli on July 18, 2008

so amazing that i wrote "amzaing" because i wanted to reach the climax of the word faster to express myself more thoroughly.

Posted by: 0 on July 18, 2008

Snivley, your blogs absolutely rock!

Posted by: 0 on July 18, 2008

Too bad you lost you ipod!!!

Posted by: Ehsan'15 on July 24, 2008

Too bad you lost your ipod!!!

Posted by: Ehsan'15 on July 24, 2008

Add a comment

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.