Home Video-a-Palooza!

This would have been a science post, but it got erased when I let Lou Ryan's mom check her email on my laptop -- because her laptop can't access our wi-fi -- and she shut it off!

I know. Just when I thought my BlogImpediments were outta here, something always surprises me.

And if you doubt my story, I actually caught this blunder on camera -- precisely because this was the only time I was in the living room with Lou Ryan and his mom, while trying to figure out how the video function on my camera really works, and all three of us were distracted by electronic devices.

Yes, I just had to try to make a witty comment (which the camera cut off at the end anyway) before asking her whether she meant shutting the laptop, or actually turning it off (thus erasing my blog post and everything else that was open and that I thought I had saved), but didn't because I wasn't too worried about that.
` After all, I thought it was ludicrous that anyone would even think of just turning off a computer that has several programs open, and besides, why would anyone turn their computer off, which shortens its lifespan, instead of putting it in sleep mode (which you can do by shutting the screen)?
` As soon as I stopped recording, I asked, "You mean, put the screen down?" and she said, "No, I meant turn it off," and I said, "No, never do that," and she said, "Well, it's too late."

I was really annoyed when I saw that the post I was working on (as well as documents in which I was translating things from Spanish to English) were completely erased somehow. That's what I get for working on posts outside of Blogger, which backs up your progress automatically.
` Such is the fog of having a short attention span, and other human faults. Speaking of, here's a picture I took in the fog -- I tried to get the spider web in front of my reflection so that you can see it better:

Anyway, I should at very least be thankful for the fact that, after five years of stress and suffering with much worse roommates than the ones we just booted out, as well as some seriously unsafe and miserable, sometimes utterly intolerable living conditions, I've finally earned my degree -- I think!

What else? Lots:

Haven't been doing much keeping up with the internets, either, especially not Facebook, so my plans to check out more stuff there have not worked out well. So, what have I been doing lately?

For one thing, I've been chatting with Evan Bernstein more -- he is also a friend of George Hrab (the one I drew in this post), and I am eager to meet them both at TAM. Of course, we haven't been chatting in person, as he lives in Connecticut, so it looks like this:

 

You know, I should really stop talking until I'm blue in the face. Evan also told me about his vacation in Italy, both before and after he went there -- so jealous! Not only did he visit Pompeii, but I remember him telling me about this amazing historical hall which made Catholocism actually seem really shiny.

Also, bees:

 

Later that day (the second Thursday in June), after an evening of hanging out with friends, I gave three people a ride to their house and wound up squashed between a projected image and their wall:

 

At some point later, Lou Ryan and his strong muscles captured Vada! (Note: his huge abs make him look like he has a pot belly, but this is just an illusion.)

Also, on Saturday, June 16, saw the science show at the Paramount -- there was more than just Stephen Hawking there, too, but that's a whole 'nother post. (Also, must get this book, and give it to the neighbor girl...)

 

After using my camera to show said neighbors some pictures from that event, I got a photo of their dog on their TV room bed-thingy:

  

The day after that, I went to dinner with my Spanish class for an end-of-quarter celebration -- and sat right next to my teacher (of the past three years). He's actually from Spain and is a really good teacher, and always makes us laugh! Hairy, isn't he?

He says I'm actually really skilled at Spanish -- a good thing for my well-being, my number of neural connections, and my ability to understand an entire other section of the world's media!

Later, when I was out taking pictures of the sunset, Lou Ryan's mom showed up -- and she had a gun! Why? Because when moving her mattress and box springs, she found it loaded in between them. The gun, from the 1950's, was left there by the late IBM hard drive inventor John "Jack" Connolly. (He really got around, apparently.)
` And all I've got to say about it is, doesn't it help me look kinda scary?

 

This is the target from her very first try at the shooting range -- Lesson: Don't break into her house!

  

While she was showing off her swag, her son had some stuff to show us as well; he was helping a guy move out of his house, and he gave Lou some stuff he didn't want, like this heirloom mug:

 

On Tuesday, had another wonderful Meeting of Skepticism. One of the things we did was watch a Colbert Report interview with Jonathan Haidt:

I have no recollection of what it was about, other than the fact that we laughed a lot, so let me look it up. Oh yes, it was him talking about his book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. An interesting subject, to say the least -- and Colbert helps!
` Is it me, or does Haidt have a dry mouth?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Jonathan Haidt
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

The main event, however, involved Ginger doing a blind taste test to see if people could tell the difference between the texture of ground beef with pink slime and without -- she says she noticed that for years, it was much chewier but didn't know why, and no one could tell her.
` When news broke that 'pink slime' started being added to various brands of ground beef about when she began to notice more and more brands become chewy, and yet was unlabeled for all that time, she figured that must be why.
` As for the results of the taste test, which used three different varieties, the results look possibly good, but more testing is needed.

In any case, I had to get up from the table where the ground beef was being served because it smelled really weird for some inexplicable reason, and made me want to vomit. Instead, I got to smell the bathrooms.

Later, when I got home at 10:45, there was still some light on the horizon!

 

Also, before Brianade had left the house, he had made some cookies, which I had some of, as did Lou Ryan and his mom when they finally returned from working or some such. (Best way to spend vacation with your mom ever!)

And now for some glorious VIDEOS!

Why? Because for a few days, I was having trouble controlling when my camera stopped and started recording video, so I did a lot of testing. This first one shows my cat Vada making snorting noises in the general direction of the neighbor's cat, Mr. Yoboshi. Poor Vada -- she's so cute when she's annoyed!

Now, here's my mug -- but I've got nothin'! (Bonus -- it's SIDEWAYS!)

 

Later on, when I was trying to get Vada to come inside, she gave me the old, "But mommy, there's a car chase!" excuse!

 

Me trying to get Vada's attention by way of weird voices:

  

Finally, one voice does get her attention, much to my surprise:

  

At last, she jumps into the window! (Gosh, I should really take a chisel to that gunk that's all over the frame. Thanks again, single pane aluminum windows!)

  

 A little later, when Vada and I were playing, I tried to videotape her tearing up and down the house, but it didn't record (as I'm still trying to figure out how to properly start and stop recording). Luckily, I did hit 'record' properly again, so got it that time:

  

Now, from the other end of the hallway -- had to scratch Vada's belly to get her moving this time!

 

(Notice the stuff sitting on the floor by the chimney. It had been sitting in the defunct fireplace for a while, until I noticed that rain was leaking through, which explained how it got so moldy and water-damaged.)

Moving on, it turns out that a foot is not Vada's favorite hat:

 

How Vada is the best cat in the whole world -- she puts up with this:

 

How Vada is the best dog ever -- yes, that's right:

 

The rest of that wretched, wretched video:

 

Again, cut myself off because I didn't know how to keep the camera recording:

 

It is funny, though, that I do look stoned, partly because of the way I move my lower eyelids whenever I look up. I should stop doing that. In conclusion:

 

At the very least, with this camera function I can annoy people at The Amazing Meeting! Anyway, that's enough for now, must get to other things in life before life itself escapes me!