Celtics/Cavs Game 4, live blogging attempt

4:07 pm First quarter over. Rondo already playing awesome. first quarter stats: 11 pts, 3 assists, 5 rebounds

4:12 Second quarter. Rondo taken out by Shaq. He's only 6'1'' don't forget.

4:13 Davis actually did something, besides fall over. He's at the line. Announcer's correct. "Uno uno" is not replacing "Big Baby"

4:17 The Cav's do have aweseome retro uniforms. Shaq at the line. I can't believe he's the oldest active player in the NBA. Wow. Just wow. He still makes an impact. Go Shaq.

4:23 A Ray Allen 3! Wide open, perfect pass.

4:24 Another 3!!!!!! or a 2 (Fine. We'll take that too)

4:27 Awww a Ray Allen Mommy moment. Happy Mother's Day!

4:28 Perkins blocking up a storm. Then a blocking foul on James. No fear for Rondo as he drives into the paint. clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. Yea a fictional football reference seemed appropriate at the moment.

4:30 Lebron, where you at? Traveling and getting away with it. Fans don't like it.

4:35 Jameson for 2. James v. Jameson. Confusing. Annnd +3 for Lebron.

4:37 Back to back turnovers by C's then Cav's = lucky.

4:39 WHAT IS THIS?! A LEO movie I've never heard of? Movie trailer for "Inception" feat. Leonardo DiCaprio. Get excited.

4:43 KG! Hahaha "Why was Glen Davis late on that? His name is Shaquille O'Neal." 'Nough said.

4:45 Exciting plays. Breakaway by Rondo, misses (damn), Big Baby surrounded, loses it, Ray Allen foul #3, out of game

4:47 Paul Pierce. WHere have you been? Nice fake by that guy (Parker?). Misses it.

HALFTIME

Rondo kicking ass and taking names: 18 pts, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

5:13 Half-time was extremely boring. So no more live updates.

6:29 FINAL SCORE 97 - 87 Celtics!!

RONDO is amazing. 29 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists. Triple double yeaa

There's no difference between a memory... and a memory of a memory.

I'm writing a paper on long-term memory and music.

Here's an excerpt (it's my last college paper, and therefore not very good, because I'm graduating!!!!!):

Long-term memory can be divided into explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory develops when information is consciously memorized. It consists of events (episodic memory) and concepts (semantic memory). These memories typically must be recalled with some effort (Snyder 76).

On the other hand, implicit memory is acquired unconsciously, through some type of exposure event. It is believed that implicit memory is responsible for people liking and understanding the music of their culture. Several studies have shown that, “passive exposure to music leads to implicit knowledge of tonal relations, musical preferences, and expectancies for melodic continuations.” This automatic type of memory is useful in humans because the brain loves to predict events in music. Implicit memory allows humans to store music, make it familiar, and therefore better predict what will happen. Named the prediction effect (Huron 2006), the brain actually releases a chemical reward when musical events are guessed correctly. This association between prediction and reward may have evolved to cause animals to have a strong sense of anticipation, protecting them from dangerous situations (Thompson 104).

This figure from Bob Snyder’s Music and Memory outlines all the types of long-term memory and their connections to music learning, performance, and understanding:

Yo Gabba Gabba

This kid's show was brought to my attention by my housemate Eric. It's on Nick Jr. All the songs are hilarious, but this one is our favorite:

2010

It's 2010.

I haven't updated for OVER a year!

I wasn't going to update at all, ever again, to tell the truth, but I got all nostalgic ... of course i did. (I'm very sentimental)

So yea, I reread the first posts on this blog from May 2008. They consist of me talking about how fast sophomore year went by, deciding about going abroad, and going to the library to study! ?? I did those things?? Now I go to the library to do one of three things: staple, 3-hole punch, and kill 5 minutes. Maybe if it's raining, I'll stop in. Also, I thought sophomore year went by fast? Try the second-semester-senior feeling. It's killer.

Time has gone very fast. Apparently it's because your brain likes to "condense time" but scientists are not totally sure how the brain tracks time. "

It's WARMER in Boston today than Madrid. Yes. 

I'm happy to be back at school, but I have one thought: I MISS MADRID! 

Especially my friends. I just looked through all the pics and we had some good times. Miss you!

From Home

I'm not sure if it's cool to update a blog while one is not in a foreign country, but I'll risk it. I've been home now for something like 17 days and I haven't really had a chance to think about Madrid very much. I've been busy with strep throat, Christmas, New Years, and other things. I think that is why so-called Reverse Culture Shock has not set in. I should miss being able to go out all the time and being able to walk everywhere, but I've gone out a lot at home and I can drive everywhere (which I love). I do miss the metro and will continue to miss it in Boston because the T does not compare.

Last night, I was reading my friend Amy's guide to Spain. She is going to Madrid this coming semester and reading about Madrid places and realizing I wasn't going back was pretty sad. I started making a list of good places for her to try. Most of my home friends will be in Europe this Spring like Amy. My friend Nicoline is already in Barcelona and I said goodbye to Emily yesterday. She's back in Paris until August! My good friend Jess is heading to Rome in a few weeks. So I hope that they all have great times in Europe and all enjoy their 21st birthdays...when you come back I'll still be 20.

No Bill O'Reilly you are not welcome...

This is just too hilarious for words. 

Background: Last December on his program Bill O'Reilly gave my town Great Barrington shit for not having enough Christmas lights in downtown and for generally being anti-Christmas. (?) He called GB "the town that hates Christmas." Well actually, the Chamber of Commerce was trying to save a little money and electricity by turning off the lights two hours earlier. How many lights does a town of 7,000 people in western Massachusetts need anyway? Who's out past 8 pm to look at these things? 

So now Fox News has returned to Great Barrington....and you can watch:

1. ) Favorite quote: "This town is held hostage by secular progressives" 

2.) Yes. We do hate your input. 

3.) I know the guy with the baby! Ryan Arnold.

 Ironically I see him every year at the Christmas Eve service. Anyway Ryan posted a quote on youtube: "That's me with the Baby, I didn't think to ask what station this was for. I want to assure Mr. O'reilly that my two year old is not anti-christmas... but may be a secular progressive. Great Barrington is a gaggle of leftist uber-liberals but we still enjoy a bit of egg nog and Santa Claus!!" 

Very true.