I am definitely here.

procrastination loop, anyone? (click to enlarge. see? you got to waste a good 2 seconds just reading this line.)

I may have...

...crapped out a little on the chocolate quiz, but I got a solid 11/14 on the Pixar Movie Quiz! Now I really want to see WALL-E...

this is a waste of time, but hey -- chocolate!

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sweet, mellow, and easily satisfied. You don't like anything too intense and dramatic. Deep down, you're a kid at heart... and you're nostalgic for the past. You are down to earth and lovable. A true friend, you're very tolerant and understanding. In fact, your friends' biggest problem is that they don't like each other! You love being by yourself and thinking. Developing your own theories and ideas is fun. You feel lost when you're forced to be social. Being with other people can be lonely for you.

The Chocolate Oracle

this was pretty much a waste of time as my answers went something like: (1) all chocolate, please, but if I have to I guess I'll pick milk chocolate, (2) hazelnut is the only acceptable item on this list since "more chocolate" isn't an option, and (3) the shape that fits in my bel--I don't care! give me chocolate!

so in other words I'm not convinced that the results of this quiz accurately represent my personality. I *do*, however, really want some chocolate, like, now.

If you need a new way to waste time...

... then by gum, here one is:

Torch Run



It's ridiculously stupid and equally ridiculously addictive. You just use the arrow keys to move the Olympic Torch around to grab the little ring icons while avoiding the red dots (protestors). My record thus far is 155, as denoted above... but I'm bound and determined to beat 210 (might have to wait until tomorrow after I have actually slept more than a few hours though), since that was the high score of the Slate editor who mentioned it in an article.

Speaking of which, if you're looking to waste yet more time, you could also read Slate's special issue on procrastination, and enjoy the delicious irony. Most of the articles are pretty decent.

I need your help

this is very, very important, more so than the presentation I have yet to finish for a HUGE meeting tomorrow:

which way is the dancer turning?

I don't want to ruin the trick by saying too much before you click over, but first: I definitely see it the right-brain way (yaaaaaaay lefties), but for the life of me I can't see how the left-brain way could possibly be right. do any of you bori--I mean, logical right-handers see it the left-brain way? can you (and now I'm pointing at *you*, neuroscientist) explain why this happens and why it's so hard to see it both ways?

it's oh so quiet

so I was trying to find ways to waste time so I could look up at 4:30 and say, "hey! it's time to leave for st. patrick's day festivities!" and I decided to see when exactly we started this blog. for the record, our blogiversary is april 23 (mark your calendars!), and for an additional part of the record, we were WAY more prolific in our early days. what happened? not much has changed since last april -- we're all still students, and matt may have some qualifying thingy to worry about this year, but he didn't let something small like a neuroanatomy final get in the way of his blogging last spring so I see no reason to cut him some slack now. I will do whatever it takes to restore our early levels of irreverance and lively debate, but I need your help!

here's your first topic. wedding cake festooned with twinkies: awesome or hideous?

I am way on the side of awesome: chocolate frosting (hopefully surrounding chocolate cake) -- good! happy little decorations which will probably last longer than the marriage -- even better! what do you guys think?