Friday, January 22, 2010

snafu

something has to affect you for you to make a video about it.

the bits you take out of a video can be just as telling (if not more so) than the bits you put in.

i made a video about a list of the "proper" terms to use for the disabled. while editing the video i constantly thought, "no, take that out. you don't want to spoon-feed people. let them come to the conclusion." also, i didn't want it to ramble on. i wanted it to be short, clipped, blunt.

unfortunately, i overlooked that sometimes a little encouragement with the first spoonful is necessary.

but enough about spoons. Steve commented on my video, clearly a bit offended. i clarified the best i could with a 500 character limit, but found that i needed to say more. because clarifying myself made me think about why i posted the video in the first place.

Steve was offended because he thought i was blatantly disagreeing with the "politically correct" terms. (and in a few cases, i was) but terminology on a list did not move me to make a video. the existence of such a list moved me to make a video.

the most telling of the footage on the cutting room floor was the part about my autistic brother. they said not to use the term "autistic" but to say instead, "a person with autism" thus punctuating that they are a person. however, i find this insulting. the fact that they feel the need to point out that he's a person is saying that someone could ever make a mistake otherwise. such that if you don't point out that you are in fact talking about a person, one could reason that someone autistic is sub-human.

with a few exceptions, the entire list is like this. it contains some contradictions, but it's mostly a list of euphemisms.
eu⋅phe⋅mism  [yoo-fuh-miz-uhm]–noun

1. the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.

2. the expression so substituted: “To pass away” is a euphemism for “to die.”


the mere fact that they feel a need to have a euphemism suggests that there is something wrong, or dirty or offensive that needs to be smoothed over and made acceptable. i find this concept, when applied to the disabled, appalling.

i've learned an important lesson about video editing tonight. some things need explanation. even if you're preaching to the choir. otherwise, people may get the wrong idea.

i'm looking forward to tomorrow's video (already edited an ready to post). no one will get offended! except maybe if you're a stoner.

the list and video in question:

Friday, January 15, 2010

wii blog

i am writing this on my wii all. because i can! takes a bit longer, but hell. i'm writing a blog on a freaking wii! this, by the way, is the first time i've used my wii in WAY too long. oh, and i've just discovered wii is fail at writing in all caps.

also, this shall be my last blog coming at ya from a wii. just takes too much time!i am

...um, sorry, maybe???

if you're like me and follow all the blogs you read in a reader, then you may be seeing some old posts showing up there multiple times. i was fixing little things and experimenting. some things i can't test with the "preview" button, so i have to publish the blog to see if what i did worked. sorry for spamming up your reader in the process! here, let me redeem myself --> May this link bring you joy.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

despicable

ok, Facebook. we need to talk. (wait, i feel like i've pulled this gimmick before)
hmm...
Facebook, i've had enough. i mean, you've been pretty nervy before, but this is getting out of hand. you've already suggest friends, which, i'll admit, on occasion comes in handy. ON OCCASION. but lately you've been keeping track of how often i'm in contact with my friends and suggesting that i message them. and already makes me uncomfortable.
now you're telling me i should make friends the "easy way" and claiming that my friends and family have already tried it.



you wanna know what the easy way of making friends would be? logging out of Facebook and going irl. i'll do it Facebook, i swear to God i'll do it!

better today

ok. new day! thank God!
yesterday wasn't my favorite. my nose had morphed into a faucet. i erased 4hrs. of updates on my blog post. my video wanted to take no less than 36 hours to load. i was not a happy camper. i wasn't even a camper. my car had broken down 2 miles from home on my way to the camp site. (that was all metaphor. i never attempted to go camping.)
but yesterday is over, and my nose is not leaking today, i'm not going to accidently erase huge chunks of my blog post, and my video is not taking over a day to upload! i have much higher hopes for today! in fact, i had higher hopes for yesterday, but it was persistent upon not meeting my expectations.
so, hopefully, everything will go as it should and i won't accidentally yell at my friends in my video about email. :/
and the new video apologizing for it should be live soon. *sigh* weird, bad days FTL!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

everybody dies

once again, Chelsea's internal diaglogue:

"I need another cup of tea, I'm dying. 'I'm dying.' A bit dramatic. 'I'm dying.' Never an untrue statement. What you're dying from could be a dramatization, but the dying part is always true. No one has ever made that statement without it being true. The only way it would be a lie is if you're dead. And no one dead has ever made a such a statement. At least as far as the living know. I'm consciously discounting the psychics. 3 for a dollar!!!"

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Lydia's Birthday!!!

so, to anyone who doesn't know, it's Lydia's birthday! go send her happy birthday tweets! -->click here

you see what i did there? i pretended like more than 5 people read my blog! XD

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

no video, yes video

so now that i've declared that i'm going to start making more videos, i can't find the charger for my camera. :/

i'm pretty sure i left it at work, but that's beside the point. the point is i wanted to do a video this weekend and now i can't. :( this is upsetting.

i still have to upload my 10 minute video of City Walk. i can't believe it's that freaking long. i will NOT be surprised if no one watches it. or if they skip through parts of it. i probably would.

so, i was watching the new charlieissocoollike video and i noticed in the comments (cuz i'm a weirdo who loves reading comments) a girl who said people had told her she looks like a female Charlie. which is funny because i had just been thinking how much Charlie's sister looks like a female Charlie. but this girl comes in second. and her videos are pretty good.

the discovery of her channel has inspired me to start making an effort to explore more random channels.

oh yeah, and there's a woman who lives in a tent behind the grocery store. she just moved there in the past week. the last few times i passed, she wasn't- erm- home. but today i saw her and gave her $50. i need to get more cash so i can do this more! :)

my declaration and swatsch's video:

Friday, January 8, 2010

chai-chai-Chinese tea

The following is the dialogue inside my brain whilst making another cup of chai tea.

"hmm... that's (the Equal i.e. a fake sweetener) supposed to be bad for you. i take in tons of that stuff per day. i'm probably going to get stomach cancer. ooh! i've heard stomach cancer is really painful! a horrible slow death. well, but that's ok cuz i'll OD on my meds. or i'll have euthanasia. youth. in. Asia. yes. little Chinese children will give up their souls to cure my stomach cancer. it's bound to be better than having to work in the sweat shop. they'll DEFINITELY be going to heaven! probably about 5 would do it..."

seriously, mind? seriously?! what are you thinking?!

it's you

ok, we need to talk. i was looking at some of my back entries (finding something i'd said) and i noticed the quality isn't as good. i have the same writing style, the same sense of humor, and am the same person, so... it's not me, it's you. that's right, dear reader.
you see, this is "The Unread Blog" and i was writing it as such. but lately it's been, well, "The Read Blog." and that's just not the same. you make me feel all self-conscious and that's no good at all.
oh, but don't feel bad! i'm not breaking up with you! i'm just saying we need to take this to a more emotionally abusive level. i still love you. i'm just going to ignore your existence when we're in public (blogs and vlogs). but i'll totally still hang out with you when no ones around!

phew! i feel so much better now! so... on with the awkward ramble! :D

so, i don't remember what the hell i had wanted to write when i came to this realization, but the internal dialogue went something like this:
"oh, i should write a blog about that! oh... wait... no, people read my blog. that might be kind of awkward." and then i read some back entries. some of it saying stuff i would probably think to be "awkward" now. but they were so much BETTER.
so i'm pretending that i don't have friends. it's good for the writing. and that's really the most important thing, right?

so, things, as far as i'm concerned, are getting a little awkward in the Guide staff camp. one member is starting to creep me out. i'm hoping this kind of smooths over or goes away soon. ...and i hope one of the Greens get around to writing back. i mean, who the fuck are they, anyway? "my wife's having a baby." "i'm doing Truth or Fail and planning VidCon." wa wa wa! cast the frivolous details aside for a sec, k? let's get back to the priorities people: Guide to Nerdfighting. alright? seriously! the stupid things people allow to distract them!

oh, and i get WAY too excited when i know what the word of the day means. but doesn't everyone on YT know this one? (or at least all the NFs.)



words are cool, ok? words are cool!
loquacious, conceptual, antagonizing, sardonic <-- those are some bad-ass words!

also:

"But our relationship was torn,
When i found out
Unicorn, unicorn
Met you on MySpace, you have a horn"

Met You on MySpace by Care Bears on Fire

Thursday, January 7, 2010

random acts

i am on top of the world right now! couldn't possibly be happier! what has suddenly made me so happy?

I JUST GAVE AWAY $80!!!

that's all the cash that was in my wallet.

there was a lady who said she and her family (her husband and son) are living out of their truck and washing windows for money. so i gave her all my money. she thanked me and hugged me and told me a bit about how the money would really help cuz they're out of gas and everything.

that feels so awesome! man i wish i made more money and could do that more often!

it's such a great feeling!!!! i suggest that everyone go do it! do it now! give away money to someone who needs it! it feels WONDERFUL! :D :D :D

Monday, January 4, 2010

kid stuff

i remember when i was a little kid i used to imagine all kinds of different realities for myself at age 25. why 25? why weren't you playing outside? i don't know! i was weird, ok!

and i realized, all things considered, that i haven't done all that bad for myself. i don't know if that's because i'm good at reaching goals (not likely), or because i was a rather realistic child, but either way i'm rather pleased.

however, this reflection did leave me pondering: "where the heck is my ferrari?!"

...what? yeah, i know i just wrote a blog like 30 minutes ago! ...what? yeah, i know this one wasn't any better than the last! we already talked about you lowering your expectations, right?

oh! New Year!

holy heck! this is the first blog of the New Year!

aw! i'm sorry it couldn't be more remarkable and it's not on New Years Day. but honestly, if you're disappointed then you really need to lower your expectations. i mean, seriously. you've read back entries right? it's really not gonna be getting any better.

and anyhow, there really wasn't very much to remark on. especially not on New Years Day. and for the record, i still haven't got that podcast yet.

ps. Tom Milsom is gonna make it onto my "Top 25 Most Played" any moment now!