[Piraen's Scrapbook] My Humble Abode...

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 24th, 2014, 5:52 am

"Humans do have an amazing capacity
for believing what they choose,
and excluding that which is painful."

In case I haven't already established that I'm High Nerd of all the Nerds in Nerdville, here's a lovely quote from the Star Trek television series. Courtesy of Spock, circa stardate 5029.5, "And The Children Shall Lead."

Live Long and Prosper, friends!

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 24th, 2014, 11:05 pm

Just a cute little picture of cute little Joseph Gordon Levitt. That is all. Carry on.

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 26th, 2014, 5:27 am

This probably isn't a good idea...unfortunately for me, though, I never developed that little filter in my head that tells me to stop when red flags go up.

Ugggh...here goes....

A first note, a sort of disclaimer, I guess: This isn't my disapproval, nor is this my way of challenging anyone. This is simply how I feel, and I would rather like it if I wasn't eaten alive for expressing these opinions.

I was reading through some scrapbooks, discussion pages and other OOC pages for a couple days now, and I've come across something that kind of upsets me. A lot of the criticism presented to Miz is shot down and burned. I understand it gets tiring having to listen to members complain all the time, and I understand how it irks one's soul when newbies walk over Miz like they own the place. I also get the whole "if you don't like it, fix it yourself" mentality. However, I don't quite understand the hostility. Often times it seems that people get their heads bitten off for expressing their feelings here.

Obviously I'm not talking about the people who nag. I'd murder the naggers too. I'm talking about members like myself who just make observations, and then get them shoved back in their faces for saying something.

I should rephrase what I'm trying to say, actually: Sometimes I feel as though saying something on Miz will get me jumped if I don't word it in precisely the right manner.

I don't know.

I might just be awkward, oversensitive and way too socially anxious. I love Mizahar. I just wish that I didn't feel so dang....ostracized/watched/judged sometimes.

EDIT-Sorry if this offended people! I didn't mean to step on toes or make people angry. Please, if you are going to yell at me about how terrible of a person I am for posting this, just understand that this is my respectful opinion, not a battle cry.

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 26th, 2014, 5:41 am

Aaandd now I try to buy back everyone's love with puppy loaves...

by **Uleru** on January 26th, 2014, 7:23 am

Dont panic, I'm sure you'll be forgiven for having an opinion.

To tell the truth, I'm pretty sure this is a problem indicative of all internet forums. Most of it is a bit elitist and unreachable to the newbies. And there are such things as dumb questions in a place as richly detailed as Miza, when you're expected to know that the answer is on an obscure page on the far side of nowhere. But that just comes with the territory eh?

And I have a rather drastic solution to this problem with the world wide web:

Assume everyone is a dick, and plan accordingly.

It's a bit cynical, I know. But don't get me wrong, there are people on the internet that I know and enjoy talking too (like you sweety

), I just don't get into all the behind the scenes stuff. I don't go on chat, I participate in OOC discussion at a token level at best, and I don't have a scrapbook. I like to write with people, and I like to read what people write. That's what I'm here for and enjoy. Then I put down the comp and talk to my spouse or my fleshy, organic friends.

Become an internet hermit like me and reach the mighty 0% drama zone! ^(^.^)^

Oh, and heres a puppy. This will be my currency. Every time I post on your scrap, I will give you a puppy as a toll fee. It's only fair.

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 26th, 2014, 5:37 pm

Ooh, yay! Puppies. :3 They're probably the best creatures to have ever roamed the Earth. Ever.

Hmm...seems like a good plan. But then you have to talk to humans in the real world, in real time, without a cool looking box code. D: I could, of course, just become a life hermit. Just sit, look up pictures of puppies and talk to no one. That seems acceptable to me...

by **Piraen Saneka** on January 26th, 2014, 11:19 pm

Storage Locker Number 4

New batch of sigs! I love them all, and I really can't decide which to use. :disgust:

Ugghh... -facedesk- Decisions, decisions.

Signatures :

Pi's Seasonal Challenges Progress :

by **Piraen Saneka** on March 1st, 2014, 1:50 am

This website is awesome! I stole it from Abstract's scrappy, and I love it. I've found myself just sitting here, looking at the patterns they post. It's memorizing.

Also, an apology to anyone I owe aesthetics to. I've been pretty busy with my independent study for the last month. Don't worry, though...I should be back after this month.

Thanks for the patience.

by **Piraen Saneka** on March 2nd, 2014, 8:44 pm

Lately I've been freaking out about my independent studies proposal. At my school, we have an option of applying to the "advanced studies program" instead of taking another class our senior year. Basically, you sign up proposing an idea that would take as much work as a normal class would. This project could be anything from painting a floor-to-ceiling mural to writing a series of 20 page papers.

My project idea, if you're interested :

I would like to look into what causes freshmen to conform. More specifically, I want to explore the different conditions that may affect how a student conforms. To do so, I will use tests based off of Solomon Asch's conformity experiments. In these experiments, Asch gathered participants and asked them to match lines with the same lengths together. They would do so with a group of people that Asch called "confederates." These confederates were instructed to answer questions correctly up until a certain point. After this point, the confederates were instructed to unanimously agree on an incorrect answer. With the true subject being the last to answer, Asch would then see if the subject conformed to the confederate's incorrect answers.
I plan on using the same type of setup for my tests. However, the main difference between Asch's tests and my own will be the variables changed and group tested. While Asch tested male college students, I will be testing Payton freshmen. Furthermore, I hope to see not only test whether or not changing the group size affects a student's willingness to conform, but whether or not the gender of the confederates affects them as well.
After conducting these tests, I hope to compare my results to the social constructs of the students. I would like to see if a freshmen who will easily conform in a academic setting will then also easily conform to the social views and constructs of their peers. To do this, I would apply the same testing procedure as I did in the aforementioned experiments. This time, however, the group will be shown a word and then asked to pick which person fits that word best. The words shown to the group would be examples of social constructs. For example, the group would be shown a card that says "Girl." They would then have to choose between three pictures, two of which portray males. If early in the experiment, then all the confederates would pick the only female picture. If later on in the experiment, they would then all pick one of the two males. Thus, the subject will have to choose between conforming to the majority's beliefs or presenting their own.
When all the testing is completed, I would like to create a presentation that will operationalize the research, testing and theories I explored. In order to complete this project, I will be referencing articles and books written by Solomon Asch, Thomas Coffin and Herbert Kelman, though I am unsure as to exactly which ones are the most relevant right now. I plan on using the internet, libraries, and the Chicago History Museum's archives as resources for the rest of my research.

Anyhow, the application has 11 questions that all require essay-style answers. Though these essays are supposed to be only about a page each, I'm still stressing out over them. I have four left, and the initial application is due tomorrow. Yikes!

My mother is a teacher, and she gave me the advice she gives to her college kids: if you're stuck, refresh your brain by walking away and doing something completely different for a bit. So here I am, Mizahar! Distract me, please. xD

by **Piraen Saneka** on March 2nd, 2014, 9:37 pm

Storage Locker Number 5

In the next month or so my school will be publishing its annual art and literature magazine. I put in a few images and short poems, and I'm really excited to see whether or not they made it.

Fingers crossed!

Either way, here they are for your (hopefully) enjoyment!

Manips :

Twitteratures :

Saving for later :