Just a quick post to apologize to everyone for the lack of posts, e-mails, responses to comments, and so forth that has occurred lately -- with the laptop fans making these highly disconcerting sounds, I've been kinda scared to use the machine and have turned it off at almost every opportunity. That said, last night I successfully disassembled the laptop, removed and cleaned the fans, and reassembled the machine, so I'm confident that I'll be able to do it again when my replacement fans arrive sometime next week. And then, barring any other unforeseen technical difficulties, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming!
Despite what I say in the lengthier discussion, I'm not really sure what compelled me to try my hand, voice, and visage at a video log -- but here we go. So yeah, if you've never seen me in person and would like to point and laugh at my awkward mannerisms and rambling speech, now you can! The 24-second test video is below, followed by a much lengthier three-part discussion behind the cut. As note at one point, I really hadn't intended for it to be so long -- I neglected to time myself and ended up rambling on for 23 minutes. Eat your heart out, Vice President-elect Joe Biden!
Part 1 (6:40)
Part 2 (8:35)
Part 3 (8:06)
And get this: there's even more stuff that I wanted to discuss, like that this mindset mine is arguably unhealthy because it makes me significantly less motivated to go out and "succeed" in social and/or material contexts, since I largely have everything that I want -- or at least what I feel it is important to have -- aboard the floating citadel in my psyche. (Even a room filled with mannequins!) Perhaps I'll save that for a future vlog or a text follow-up (or even the comments section below, if it comes up there).
Anyway, let me know what you think. I may post this on YouTube, but I obviously have no aspirations to be some widely-watched YT celebrity -- I don't ever plan to care enough to add special effects (beyond the fades) or cut stuff out or even work from a script (though outlines or checklists may be helpful in the future) so keep that in mind when offering criticisms, comments, et cetera. There's also no need to suggest that I not ramble so much or make shorter videos, since I am both well aware of those issues and inclined to agree! And while I certainly have no plans to transform Wesoteric into a vlog -- this would be a biweekly feature at the absolute maximum, and probably more like a monthly thing -- do let me know if you'd balk at video entries even that infrequently. I certainly have no problem with text entries, and as noted I'm infinitely more comfortable with them. 🙂
I was having an okay day before that, too. Not a fantastic day, but I did end up getting some mahi mahi free at Weis because the register wouldn't ring up the sale properly. Plus Phoenix will be on television tonight -- always a good thing. So the day wasn't shaping up to be completely miserable... but then, on the last leg of my three-mile trek back home, I saw something flying towards me! Gravity ensured that it hit my shin and not my face, but that was still pretty fucked up and I was still pretty furious.
I initially thought it was a Big Gulp, since there was enough fluid left in there to splash all over my leg and up to get my left hand and forearm all sticky, but since the cup was plastic and had a spoon straw in it I now think it was a melted Slurpee.
Anyway -- as if I hadn't gotten the message -- this is just more proof that people fucking hate me and will always go out of their way to make sure I know it. Whether the incidents involve students and administrators accusing me of all manner of nefarious deeds, book store customers treating me like shit, interviewers exhibiting uncalled-for rudeness, people driving by shouting, "Faggot!" and now people throwing fucking Slurpees at me, it seems like the human race just has to throw me a big fucking middle finger every time it seems like I might momentarily forget just how mean people can and will be where I am concerned.
Former White House press secretary Tony Snow -- who once told reporters "I'm a very lucky guy" -- died at the age of 53 early Saturday after a second battle with cancer.
Why would they choose that quote, only to follow it up with something that is so decidedly unlucky? I enjoy an ironic and/or morbid crack as much as and probably even more than the next guy, but even I would curb my wicked sense of humor when writing news articles about the deaths of public figures (excluding entertainers, of course). That's just tacky.
