Interesting Thoughts #002 | A House Divided

President Abraham Lincoln said that "A house divided against itself cannot stand."[1]

Mathematically, however, a house divided against itself can stand. Any number divided by itself is equal to 1 (ex. 39 / 39 = 1). Therefore, house / house = 1

One could argue that, if anything, it causes unity.

I can see the comments now...

"But Zac, he didn't mean it mathematically"

"That's not what he meant"

"He meant it metaphorically"

I don't care.

I never said he did mean it mathematically. I'm just saying that mathematically, it would work.

Post #003 | Friends

Friends are an important thing to have. Especially when you're like me, who has trouble making new friends, let alone keeping the ones I already have (I ask too many questions, always want to hang out or play a game with a friend, socially awkward, just a general pain in the ass, etc.). I have many... well, I guess you would call them "acquaintances". I wave or say "Good morning" or "How're you?", and they wave back or respond to me, and that's that. I define "friend" as someone I know well enough that I'd hang out at home with or something outside of school, in person. I know people at school that I'll play Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, and some other games with online, and they're on my "Friend's List" on Steam, but do I can't really see myself hanging out or talking about stuff with them. I don't know. What defines "friendship"?

Well, whatever it is, I know for certain that I have one friend. We've known each other for as long as either of us can remember. We're best friends, even if we do get on each other's nerves from time to time. He and I are a lot alike, which is probably one reason why we've stuck together for so many years.

This is getting really personal, and I know that that's what this blog is for, but regardless it still makes me uneasy and uncertain to type this and share the information with the entire Internet. I guess I'll publish this, and begin working on the next part of this post. Got to dip your toes in the pool before you get in.

New Music

Listened to the group "Wu-Tang Clan" for the first time yesterday. Wow.

I love it.

April 20, 2017 [Thursday]

Blaze it

Dear Diary

Dear Diary, I ate enough to live till tomorrow, so I've got that going for me

Back From Spring Break

After nine blissful days of relaxation, I'm back from spring break. Yay, More school ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Intriguing Thoughts #001

Ever heard the age-old argument about "If you replace the head of a hammer, and later replace the wooden handle, is it still the same hammer"? A hammer is just an example, though. It can be any object. But what about a human?

It is no secret (hopefully) that your body is constantly replacing old cells with new ones at the rate of millions per second. In fact, by the time you finish reading this sentence, 50 million of your cells will have died and been replaced by others. But don't worry, the life cycle of every cell is carefully controlled, so you should always have just the right number of each type of cell.^[1]

Only a few cells don't get replaced: Those in the lenses of our eyes, and most neurons of our central nervous system.^[2] So, physically, are you the same person as you were 7-10 years ago ( the average time it takes for all replaceable cells to be replaced)?

Post #002 | Rhymes

We all know what a rhyme is, right? I don't need to explain them, do I?

Almost everyone is exposed to rhymes from a very young age, from "Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat & The Fiddle" to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Rhymes are euphonious sounds, which means "(of sound, especially speech) pleasing to the ear". Rhymes are used everywhere. Company slogans, mnemonic devices, poetry, and, of course, music.

Which is what I wanted to focus on in this post.

I love music. I'm really passionate about music. I also really love listening to rhymes. I recently discovered my affinity for rhymes when playing Batman: Arkham Origins, whilst fighting Mad Hatter and hearing some of his quotes (I always liked rhymes. It just didn't exactly click how much I liked them until then, does that make sense?). The quote that triggered the realization was one said when the player dies, "O Frabjous Day! Callooh! Callay!".

I don't know what it is about that line, but it really woke up my thirst for rhymes.
(Eyyy)

About two weeks ago I was craving some rhymes, so I started thinking "Where can I go or what do I look up to find, like, people reading out rhymes?" Not nursery rhymes, mind you, just regular rhymes, like the quote mentioned above. Now, I know most music is based on rhyming words, but I was looking for something that really accentuated the rhymes. It was then that I had an epiphany.

Now, before two to three weeks ago I don't think I had ever listened to a rap song in full. But I decided that it's good to try new things. My brother really likes Marshall Mathers, more commonly known as Eminem, so I decided to begin there. I started with the classic "Lose Yourself". I was pleasantly surprised by the correspondence of the instrumentals and beat with the vocals, how they played off one another. At the beginning of the song, a slow thumping can be heard that sounds similar to a heartbeat. It begins to speed up until it reaches a steady speed and stays throughout the entire song, acting as the metronome. After it reaches that steady speed, it stays constant, but if you aren't paying attention to it you wouldn't even recognize it was there, yet you would absent-mindedly tap your foot to it regardless.

Before all of this all I listened to was stuff like Meat Loaf, Genesis, the occasional Beatles, Michael Jackson, etc., but most of all, Patent Pending (Strongly recommend checking them out! They're awesome and definitely deserve more recognition). Now, I've added artists like N.W.A., Xzibit, and MF Doom to my music library.

Rhyme on my friends.

My Life With Asperger's Syndrome #001 | What Is Asperger's Syndrome?

Hello everyone, my name is Zac. I'm currently 17 years old, I have Asperger's Syndrome (but you probably already knew that from the title of this blog), and I'm an Atheist that lives in South Carolina, USA.

So yeah, I guess you could say I stand out a bit.

So, what is Asperger's Syndrome, you ask? Well, before I can answer that, I'll need to tell you what Autism itself is.

Under the [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition], autism is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. These deficits are present in early childhood, and lead to clinically significant functional impairment. There is also a unique form of autism called autistic savantism, where a child can display outstanding skills in music, art, and numbers with no practice. Because of its relevance to different populations, self-Injurious behaviors (SIB) are not considered a core characteristic of the ASD [autism spectrum disorder] population however approximately 50% of those with ASD take part in some type of SIB (head-banging, self-biting) and are more at risk than other groups with developmental disabilities.[1]

So, as you can see, autism has a very large spectrum. It's not all like the memes are and people make jokes (in ill-taste) about. Only roughly 50%, as stated above, fall into the category that those people are making fun of (something which I find very wrong and offensive, personally). That 50% is referred to as low-functioning autistic, or LFA.

Symptoms may include impaired social communications or interactions, bizarre behavior, and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. Sleep problems, aggressiveness, and self-injurious behavior are also possible frequent occurrences.^[2]

The other 50% (which I belong to) is called high-functioning autistic, or HFA for short. One disorder in the high-functioning autistic spectrum is called Asperger Syndrome.

Autistic people, including those with Asperger syndrome, have difficulties with interpreting both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Many have a very literal understanding of language, and think people always mean exactly what they say. They may find it difficult to use or understand:

• Facial expressions

• Tone of voice

• Jokes and sarcasm

• Vagueness

• Abstract concepts

People with Asperger syndrome usually have good language skills, but they may still find it hard to understand the expectations of others within conversations, perhaps repeating what the other person has just said (this is called echolalia) or talking at length about their own interests.

People with Asperger syndrome often have difficulty 'reading' other people - recognising or understanding others’ feelings and intentions - and expressing their own emotions. This can make it very hard for them to navigate the social world. They may:

• Appear to be insensitive
• Seek out time alone when overloaded by other people
• Not seek comfort from other people
• Appear to behave ‘strangely’ or in a way thought to be socially inappropriate.

They may find it hard to form friendships. Some may want to interact with other people and make friends, but may be unsure how to go about it.[3]

Asperger's Syndrome is one of several previously separate subtypes of autism that were folded into the single diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual in 2013. Asperger syndrome was generally considered to be on the “high functioning” end of the spectrum. Affected children and adults have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Motor development may be delayed, leading to clumsiness or uncoordinated motor movements. Compared with those affected by other forms of ASD, however, those with Asperger syndrome do not have significant delays or difficulties in language or cognitive development. Some even demonstrate precocious vocabulary – often in a highly specialized field of interest.

The following behaviors are often associated with Asperger syndrome. However, they are seldom all present in any one individual and vary widely in degree:
• limited or inappropriate social interactions
• "robotic" or repetitive speech
• challenges with nonverbal communication (gestures, facial expression, etc.) coupled with average to above average verbal skills
• tendency to discuss self rather than others
• inability to understand social/emotional issues or nonliteral phrases
• lack of eye contact or reciprocal conversation
• obsession with specific, often unusual, topics
• one-sided conversations
• awkward movements and/or mannerisms[4]

HFA is a non-medical term often used to describe people with autism who have an IQ score above 80 and who have the ability to speak, read and write.Although many physicians and healthcare professionals have adopted the term “high functioning” to recognize this form of autism, there is actually no medical condition known as “high functioning autism.” A person diagnosed with HFA meets the same diagnostic criteria as do other people on the autism spectrum. However, the person with HFA may just have an easier time communicating with others and carrying on more regular activities.[5]I notice things that others do not at first glance, like symbolic shots in movies, hidden plots in books, etc. I also greatly enjoy decrypting codes that a friend and I make up and see if the other can crack the code. But by no means am I bragging. Yes, I know that my "D" in Personal Finance is completely my fault and no one else's (I get distracted when I should be taking notes) and yes I know I mess things up when I know better and have been warned. There's more, but that's for another post.

Anyway, the point of this blog is to record my day-to-day life and how it is getting through it with Asperger's. I hope that whoever reads this is either interested in what I write or it helps them with any issues they are going through (or better yet, both!). If you do enjoy my blog or it helps you, please share it with whomever you like! Have a great day!


--Edited and Updated 2/27/2017 @ 10:28 P.M.--