Things I Like That Are Strange
On this Labor Day weekend, I’m spending time cleaning my desk, making astronomy videos and writing poetry. Since I’m in such a cleaning/creative mood, I thought I’d clean the following thoughts out of my head, then my brain will be as shiny as my newly cleaned desk.
I like many strange things, things are strange if I consider that most people wouldn’t do them or think about them (I’m very anthropic that way - it’s all about me). I like the following things that are strange:
- Going to bed at 3am and waking up at 11am.
- Living with as few photons as possible. I rarely turn on a light, and if I suddenly went blind, I could navigate my house with no problem.
- Listening to Goth music. That by itself isn’t strange, but I don’t know many 45 year old men who do.
- Eating corned beef hash made with Hormel canned corned beef.
- Eating dinner with an Amish person.
- Picnics in the dark.
- Driving 1000 miles in 15 hours.
- Looking into the big end of a pair of binoculars.
- Calculating a person’s blink rate (in blinks/minute) when they talk.
- Watching people who people watch.
- Six gallon salt water aquaria. It’s amazing to me how small a complex ecosystem can be.
- The term numero deux.
- Walks in a heavily wooded park in the middle of the night during a new moon. It’s best if you can’t see where you’re going.
- Asking people what causes the seasons.
- Watching people speaking in tongues.
- Getting my palm read.
- Getting a tarot card reading.
- Celtic knots.
- Standing in the smelly part of the beach where all of the foam collects.
- Being an atheist.
- Egyptian scarabs.
- 1950’s advertising.
- Wearing bow ties. (This one’s new. Someone just turned me onto them,)
- Reading scientific papers that turned out to be wrong.
- Acoustic astronomy.
Whew. I feel much lighter, it’s nice to lighten the load.
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POSTED IN: about me, skewed perspective
6 opinions for Things I Like That Are Strange
Frederica
Sep 2, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I am a bit puzzled by number 12… numero deux ?? ‘Numero un’ is so much better !! ;)
Gerry Alanguilan
Sep 2, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Hey Tony! I’m glad I found you on this site. I first found out about you on You Tube, and I asked you a question there about what you thought of Google’s new star gazing program compared to the one you plugged Stellarium. I got your answer right here. Thanks!
I love how you write. Like I said once in one of my comments, you’re the coolest nerd I’ve ever come across, and I mean that in a good way.
Your list is interesting. Most of it isn’t strange to me. What’s strange about being an Atheist? I’m not one, but I don’t think it’s strange for anyone to be one. It is strange though that you get tarot and palm readings though, because that’s kind of a superstitious exercise isn’t it? So yeah, that would be strange.
I love canned corned beef. I prefer our local brand Purefoods though. The imported ones seem a little too finely corned.
I think bow ties are cool! :)
PS. I absolutely loved your Harry Potter post.
Samuel Forbes
Sep 3, 2007 at 12:18 am
Based on the the title of your website, I was half expecting ‘doing astronomy in the buff’!
Definately agree with number 2. The only photons I like are the ones that come from the sun and stars. Never tried a picnic in the dark. I think I just now figured out the format of my next date…
Tony
Sep 3, 2007 at 1:02 am
@Frederica: LOL! Yes, that term was invented by a good friend of mine, I love the mixed language.
@Gerry: Wow, thanks for the great compliments, I’m happy you found the site too! I don’t recall seeing your comment on YT, but to be honest, I have a very little time to answer all of the comments my channel gets. I do try to refer people to this blog for questions and answers.
I tend to this blog a lot because I get paid, the other stuff is all for fun and I just can’t devote the time to it. This is the best way to interact with me and ask questions. In fact, I highly encourage it, this blog needs all the attention it can get.
You wouldn’t think being an atheist is all that strange, but in these times I feel like a sub-citizen having to huddle in the dark asking, “Did he just say Jesus rode a dinosaur? What? A 6000 year old universe? Are you kidding? The anthropic principle? Huh? Where do you get THAT from?”
Things like that. It may not BE strange to be an atheist, but it sure FEELS strange.
As for the tarot cards and palm readings, I find them immensely entertaining because the people doing them are so serious about it. I also read my horoscope, I never know what hijinx Pluto’s gonna pull on my daily commute.
@Samuel: Astronomy in the buff… Yes… well… ahem… I’m not admitting to anything mind you, but it is usually very dark behind the eyepiece… Who’s gonna know the difference, right? Brings new meaning to the word ‘tripod’, doesn’t it? Alright, I’ll stop now.
As for the picnic in the dark, it is an awesome date, you’ll love it. I predict it’ll be one of your most memorable. Bring one very small candle, you’d be surprised how much light that sheds once your eyes have acclimated to the dark. If the moon is up, your can forget the candle altogether.
A large telescope is always handy on such a date as well….
What? Oh, now wait just a minute people… I meant a REAL telescope, that wasn’t a euphemism. Jeez you guys…
Show your girlfriend Saturn through a 10 inch dobsonian on a dark night and believe me, the rest will fall into place.
alicia
Sep 3, 2007 at 7:19 am
Not so strange - I like many of them, too :)
Share some goth music with me.
julie
Sep 3, 2007 at 3:22 pm
hummm. Wow, Tony, we share like pretty much all these strangenesses. Much more in common than I would expect from simple coincidence. Strange! ;)
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