On stupid emails

I recently got an email that reads like this:

"Can you raed tihs? Olny 21 plepoe can. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny
iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghout slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

ONLY FORWARD IF YOU CAN READ THIS"

Okay, I've gotten an email with this text before and found it quite amusing. It is funny that you can still read it, even though the words are all horribly (if purposely) misspelled. But it's the first and last lines that are pissing me off so badly. If the whole point of the study (which may or may not actually have existed) is that "the human mind works in such wonderfully wonderful ways that you can read this text regardless of how misspelled it is" (paraphrased) then why does it also say that only 21 people can read it? I imagine they meant, like one in 20 or 21 or maybe even in some weird world 1 in 2, but it still seems like the numbers are ridiculously skewed, which makes me skeptical that such a study every existed, or if someone just made this up. And my issue with the last sentence is this: if you can't read it, would you actually forward it? If you would, then you should be shot, maybe not in a place that would kill you, but definitely in the leg or something, because that's just dumb. Would anyone in the world actually think, "I have no idea what this says, I'm going to forward it on to my entire list of contacts in the hopes that it will make sense to one of them."? I doubt it. It's just silly.

Sorry, I guess I'm in that kind of mood today.

Ahhhh... Staycation

Okay, I have to make this fairly short, but I will try and get in the important parts.

I’m on staycation.  If you don’t know what that is:  start watching Corner Gas.  When Olivier came back to Munich we were talking about going to Poland for a week or 10 days, but then we picked up the magazine full of everything that’s going on over the next little while and found out that there is an absolute buttload of awesome concerts happening.  So we went out and bought a bunch of tickets instead.  So now our days are filled with watching every episode of Scrubs, as well as the first season of Lost.  Oh, and going to concerts.

We started by going to see The Paddingtons on Wednesday.  It was a good show in a small venue.  The only problem is that this place, the Atomic Café, is a little bit expensive, but whatever.  The other best part, aside from the actual show, is that I talked to this midget who often goes to shows.  I love midgets; they’re funny.  

The next night we went to Nashville Pussy.  It was awesome.  The first opening band was alright, but nothing special except that the lead guitarist was awesome.  The second band was really good and then Nashville Pussy took the stage.  It was an awesome show.  The lead guitarist is a chick who has my hair… well, my old hair.  She was incredible, and she took quite a shine to me (as I was rocking out right in front of the stage) and ended up giving me a half a bottle of wine in the encore.  Oh, and a kiss.  Anyways, it was a great show, and afterwards, as Olivier and I were finishing our beers, I saw a guy who lives on my floor, but whom I’ve never spoken to and we struck up a conversation with him and his buddy.  Then the four of us went out to a bar and drank until the trains started running again.  It was a good night.

The next concert we visited was Controller Controller on Saturday.  That was also an amazing show.  The band kept having technical problems (like all power going out twice, but at least not in the middle of a song at any point, and the high-hat breaking for several songs), but the show was pretty good anyways.  Afterwards Olivier and I hung around and had a few drinks while we talked with the band.  We danced around a bit too, some of it with the band, but didn’t go out anywhere else because they had a flight back the next day early.  So we finished up, said our good-byes, and headed home.

Yeah, other than that, we’ve been eating lots and lots, and watching all sorts of TV.  The next concert planned is Stars (with The Most Serene Republic) on Tuesday (hey Becky – oh yeah!!) and then the Rapture on Friday.  Also, I think my buddy Eddy is coming to visit next weekend from near Frankfurt.  It’s going to be a good last week before classes.  I’m stoked.

Sorry about this

Okay, I was trying to write a good post, but got side-tracked by Freecell (damn you, Freecell) so this is all you guys get before I go to bed.  I am back in Munich now, as I’ve said before, but I may now be headed off again this next weekend for probably a week or so.  I’m not sure, I’ll let you know what’s going on.  Nicole is gone now and I’ll write more about that if I ever get around to writing a real post.  Katie is headed off on Thursday for Kiev and Olivier gets back tomorrow morning.  Wow, this whole “being an exchange student during semester break” thing is nuts.  Everyone is everywhere.  Hey, for no reason at all, that reminds me:  Hey Noirin?  Was your brother in town this last weekend, or is he coming to town this weekend?

The only other thing I have to say is that today (well, yesterday now, but it’s still April 3 in Canada) is my sixth month anniversary of arriving in Munich.  That also means that I have less time left than has already passed.  It feels really weird.  I feel, simultaneously, like I’ve been here forever, and also like I just got here.  I feel pretty bad that I’ve hardly seen the city at all.  Katie and I have this plan to get on a bus that goes to places we’ve never seen, to see what sort of fun things there are (that aren’t touristy) to be found.  I am specifically hoping to find a good ice cream shop.  Being in Bad Hersfeld and Berlin reminded me how many ice cream shops there seems to be in every German city – with the exception of Munich!  And being in Italy reminded me how much I like gelato.

Okay, I really, really hope to write something worthwhile in the next few days, but we’ll have to see.  Have fun!