Even though it all went wrong

Welcome to 2017. Believe it or not (though if you choose the latter please note that there is direct evidence of the following fact and to not believe it would be to be willfully blind to the truth but then again we're living in a post-truth society so choose whichever option suits you) we are approaching the FIVE YEAR anniversary of this blog. The first ever post (where we looked exceptionally young I think) was made on February 11, 2012 (!), which, in one month and one day, will have been exactly five years ago. As we begin 2017, let's take a look back at what brought us here, and how it all went so wrong (don't worry -- just a figure of speech).

1. Trent University's fine Physics Department supplied me with an educational foundation for my future endeavors that they are still highlighting to this very day. In fact, they are clearly looking for people just like me (at both the undergraduate and graduate level) as you can see by visiting the Prospective Students page and the Prospective Graduate Students page (and you thought I looked young in 2012!). In case they make changes for any reason (but why would they after 12+ years?), here are the tops of the above pages reproduced for your viewing pleasure:

2. So it seems that my true calling was a model for attracting students to study physics at Trent University. But wait. It looks like there is another preeminent institution that is aiming at advancing its interests by making use of my name, likeness, or other aspect of my persona for commercial gain. Look out Xerox, as I have already instructed my attorney to start combing the finer points of the federal Lanham Act to determine our optimal legal strategy going forward. But, if you're interested in what research is going on at the Xerox Research Centre Europe, then check out this page (the main "home page" for XRCE) and scroll half-way down. Reproduced again for Internet posterity:

It seems photographers have decided that the "barely visible, from-behind angle shot" is my most profitable pose ($$$$$$$$$$).

3. Going back even further, to exactly nine years before the launch of this blog (well, exactly plus 4 days), we can see that maybe it's just the way I pose for pictures...

Maybe where it really all went wrong was that, though it was not in my name, the US invaded Iraq (despite our protest) relying on clearly false/fabricated intelligence re weapons of mass destruction. This helped lead to the failing of the US economy, ultimately to Trump, and now allows people (even though it was clear political influence from the executive branch that went against the intelligence community's findings it was still touted as coming from the CIA) to argue how can we trust the CIA/FBI/NSA on the Russian hacking thing since they were so convinced about the WMDs (answer: they weren't).

So what can we look forward to in 2017? Only time will well (but at least expect a giant five-year-anniversary celebration for GWMD)...