Driven by Cheese

What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images

This article in Quanta magazine was really interesting to me! I’m aphantasic, and I always thought things like “counting sheep” and “visualize it” were just metaphors. I remember discovering the concept of Aphantasia in 2016 or so, and it blew my mind that there were people that could actually visualize things when they were told to imagine a concept.

Saw the apple? Shomstein was confused. She didn’t actually *see* an apple. She could think about an apple: its taste, its shape, its color, the way light might hit it. But she didn’t see it. Behind her eyes, “it was completely black,” Shomstein recalled. And yet, “I imagined an apple.” Most of her colleagues reacted differently. They reported actually seeing an apple, some vividly and some faintly, floating like a hologram in front of them.

That is me. I imagine the apple, but see nothing. But I do dream in images! I just can’t conjure an image. Apparently, this is normal for aphantasic people!

Because many people with aphantasia dream in images and can recognize objects and faces, it seems likely that their minds store visual information — they just can’t access it voluntarily or can’t use it to generate the experience of imagery.

I also have a pretty weak autobiographical memory, particularly for things like day to day memories of high school; and a terrible sense of direction. Turns out, these things are related!

They found that people with aphantasia indeed tended to have weaker autobiographical memories and less activity in the hippocampus, which helps encode and retrieve such memories.

Overall, just a really interesting article.

What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images

Oh look, my actual nightmare!

When two American astronauts blasted off on a test mission to the International Space Station on 5 June, they were expecting to be back home in a matter of days. But things didn’t quite go to plan. In fact, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are still there, floating high above the Earth nearly two months later.

They went to space for eight days - and could be stuck until 2025

Famous Paintings Recreated using Emoji via waxy.org

To celebrate its stateside debut, KFC will transform its restaurant at 242 E 14th St. in New York City – the pizza capital of the U.S. – into a one-of-a-kind “Chizzeria” pop-up where customers will get to try Chizza before anyone else for free.** The KFC Chizzeria offers one menu item only, hot & fresh Chizza, in a KFC-ified, modern take on a classic pizzeria. The world’s first Chizzeria (probably) opens its doors for a limited time, Friday, Feb. 23-Feb. 24 (1-9 p.m. ET), but don’t worry, Chizza is available to the rest of the country starting Monday, Feb. 26.

Found via this random post on Bluesky and frankly KFC is not doing its job because that should not have been the first place I learned about this. Yes it’s only in the states but I HAVE A CAR, KFC.

via exocomics by Li Chen on Bluesky, which I can link to now because Bluesky is out of beta! The twitter replacement is real and viable, y’all, get on board.

www.youtube.com/watch

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

THE FUCKING THEME SONG

Oh my God Animal Crossing Lego is coming!!!!

(Via lego.com)

Just ran my first 10KM in ages. Slow but good progress. I’ve been struggling to go for a good distance due to pain issues, and it feels really good to have worked through them to the point where I can do 10K. Proud of this one.

Still working on the queen size blanket I started in August. Making good progress!

Was a big long post about running that I neglected to share, and now having read this McSweeney’s piece I’m glad I didn’t

You Should Try Running, According to Me, Your Friend Who Won’t Shut Up About Running - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

Via kottke

• Having a show in a combat zone is very stupid!
• “Thanks for saving my life! Call me if you need anything! But don’t actually call though, okay?”
• 10 days off with pay for Christmas? What is this world.
• Bing Crosby’s character is definitely at least 40, unmarried, and in show business. Would really NOBODY at the time have assumed he was gay?
• “How dare you make me famous and rich, I don’t have enough free time to myself!”
• Freckle Faced Hanes, the DOG FACED BOY?!
• This plot is really bad but also it doesn’t matter because watch Vera Ellen dance
• Why do they do this sister act, why don’t they just do one of their own songs? Is dressing up like women that hilarious in the 50s?
• Where is the SNOW? Ah movies before climate change was a thing
• The housekeeper is such a bitch, I love her.
• They must skip this Minstrel number when they show this on TV right?
• “Goodnight Judy”, face full of perfect stage makeup
• So nice of Bob to sing Betty a lullaby
• The wordplay in this is consistent but always unexpected. “Bleached charger”.
• “The listening on the phone to things you shouldn’t overhear and getting it wrong” is my least favourite plot in anything ever but especially this.
• By “let’s think about it over a sandwich” I assume Phil means “while I eat one” because Judy clearly never eats.
• What a jaunty ascot Bob has on in this scene.
• Bob at the train station trying to make sure it can handle … trains? This seems like not his job.
• Vera Ellen’s WAIST my GOD
• “Weirdsmobile”
• All the creative ways they find for Rosemary Clooney not to dance
• Betty if you just asked Bob directly we would not be in this mess.
• “No one is getting money for this!” Such a regular thing to say on TV
• “It took 15,000 men to take my place” how long has Emma been with General Waverly anyway.
• They threw me a musical number! Now all my problems are solved!
• No matter how many times I’ve seen this I’m still delighted when it magically snows at the end.
• And the dresses. And the kiss. And the song. It’s a great end to a ridiculous movie.

Never had a Christmas tree so early in my life but my husband was very stoked to go to a nearby neighbourhood tree lot and get our first ever real tree. It’s one of them Balsams. It smells like Christmas!

It’s called Habbie! You “feed” it by meeting your daily step goal, which you can raise or lower to meet your own needs. You can also give him nice pats.

If you don’t meet your step goal, it poops, and the only way to clean it is by walking more. I love this because the last pedometer phone pet I tried would die if you didn’t meet your goal, and I found that very upsetting. Like what if you’re sick, and really can’t do your step? It just dies?

Not Habbie! He just poops and sulks about it until you meet your goal. Perfect. He’s also super cute! For the really low one-time fee, I’m really happy with it.

If you’re looking for a home- or- lock-screen widget pal, I highly recommend!

habbie.app

But now I think, you know what? It’s my blog, I can post Tamagotchi if I want to.

Doing some old school M!xing today.

The Fairy Door Map is a work-in-progress, tracking the doors as they impishly appear and disappear throughout the city. Blue pins on the map are from 2020 and may not be still around, but recently the map has been festooned with pink pins, which are more recently confirmed door sightings.

Via BlogTO - Someone made a map of Toronto’s hidden fairy doors

Super Mario RPG remake dropped today and it made me SO HAPPY to play. It’s so nostalgic and fun and beautiful. I had such an amazing afternoon with this game. It’s everything I could do not to just speed through it! I think I might be half way done already!

I took a couple of hours away from the blanket I’m working on and made a crochet Froggo

I made him using this pattern, which was fun and easy to follow: sarahmaker.com/crochet-f…

It’s my first real toy I’ve ever made so there’s lots of room for improvement. But I really enjoyed getting better at sewing, and working in the round!

• I changed the O-ring in the brew group of our coffee maker. I was very impressed with myself and so I am telling the internet.

• I made a great pot roast last night. Again I am very impressed with myself and am telling the internet.

• I’ve been feeling a little head-cold-ish so I’ve fallen off my exercise schedule. Disappointing but hopefully I get right back on the horse.

• My friend/cousin is coming to town tomorrow and we’re going to see a concert and I am excited.

• I’m still working on crocheting a Queen size blanket. Who knew how long a Queen size blanket would take?? I hope I have it done by Christmas. Will upload progress pics soon.

• I’ve gone back to using Goodreads for my reading list. I don’t love that Amazon owns it and I have tried several alternatives, but it’s really the easiest way to track my books.

• Someone actually found a needle inside a candy bar, people are the worst, why would you do this.

• Good time to remind that I post most of the links I read/come across on my Linkroll ‘cause it’s quick and easy. They’re cross-posted to my Mastadon if you prefer.