h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last month, printed my adventures as a National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org ) participant (A78131919).

Some subset of the NaNoWriMo online community participates in the Year of Big, Fun, Scary Adventures. NaNoWriMo participants post a list of intimidating adventures they wish to undertake here (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/forum/192 ) then spend the next year tackling that list.

Participants are supposed to return to the NaNoWriMo site throughout the year to give updates on their progress. I think it may be easier to keep most of my updates here in my journal.

1) Learn how to edit videos and post them to my youtube channel. (http://www.youtube.com )
2) Learn enough web page design to keep commitments I've made.
3) Get my sax chops back.
4) Finish my NaNovel.
5) Rewrite my NaNovel.
6) Get a satisfying, well-paying job.
7) Organize office, including class notes from last online class and tax records.
8) Learn the trombone.
9) Finish or discard incomplete projects.
10) NaNoWriMo 2011.
11) Have one crazy road trip adventure.
12) Update, redesign, or pull the plug on my web page.

This list doesn't include all the wonderful things Mr. Nerd and I have already planned, such as celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary, attending the Boonville Beer Festival (http://www.avbc.com/events/beerfest ) or taking another fun ride on the Skunk Train. (http://www.skunktrain.com )

My list also doesn't include the usual stop smoking and lose weight type self-improvement things. In the first place I don't smoke. In the second I already have 12 things, and I'm afraid that discussions of healthy living might make this journal dry reading. However I leave it up to you. If you want me to add it, I will be brutally honest and even give numeric details. How's that for scary?



On the first Big Scary Fun target, it took me pretty much the whole year to date to get to the point where I could transfer footage from the camcorder to the computer, edit it together, and upload the results.

I edited together some clips of kitties I comb at the shelter. The resulting videos don't look too bad on Facebook, but they look horrible on Youtube. I just looked up some instructions on video formatting and resolution, but I have yet to fix the videos.


HN

Okay, I made an improvement to the quality of the video by adjusting some settings. This one is much better. It is a 30-second clip of one of the shelter cats putting the moves on me in front of Mr. Nerd, who is operating the camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IklwfBv-38

2011 JD=8

I redid the video for Dilly whose petfinder listing is http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16748436

Unfortunately I can't upload it until I get back into town. Our internet connection is too slow.

2011 JD = 9

Dilly's video is up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmYYCJ7IPJc

Working on Hokey's video. Not much to work with really, but I can at least edit the two clips I have.

It is only one clip, as it turns out; good sound and poor visuals. Because of the low lighting and the fact she is a black cat, she looks a bit like a cut-out of a cat.

Until I can get some more footage of Hokey, I've moved on to the next cat, which is Carmichael.

2011 JD010

Finished with the short youtube-esque videos for both Carmichael and Amber Eyes.

Carmichael is a 17-pound male; all power, no fat:
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15964617
Based on his size, musculature, head shape, body shape, and toe-tufts, I believe he may be a Maine Coon Cat mix. He is a magnificent cat.

Sweet kitty Amber Eyes is more the usual size of house cat:
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17770268

The editing went much smoother and faster this time. Of course I can't upload them until I get to town tomorrow. My internet connection is too slow.

I did however learn how to use the software's batch processing function, so that counts.

Made some headway sorting through accumulated paper, but only the stuff that hasn't quite made it into the office, so that target is as yet un-tackled.


HN

At least you can get rid of the Jefferson State notes once the entry is out of PR.

What will I "remind" you about now?

Some of my notes are photocopies of microfiche San Francisco Chronicles. It was interesting to read snippets about the diplomatic failure between Japan and the US that was happening at the same time as the Jefferson rebellion. But other than rolling the copies up and hitting someone over the head for repeating that old canard about PH being a sneak attack, I don't know what they're good for.

Do feel free to nudge me on whatever suits your fancy. I plan to write an entry on Boontling. I find it rather interesting that I haven't felt inspired to contribute any little mathematical tidbit to the great pile of number theory entries. Probably has something to do with my tiny little attention span.

What were we talking about?

I suppose I could point out that next Sodit isn't a school day, so you could tackle some of that traveling you want to do this year

2011 JD=011

Videos for Amber Eyes and Carmichael are now on youtube and my facebook page too.

Amber Eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDrkY8HZ8bY

Carmichael:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXhsf3srSOU



Ah, so have you decided to remind me about the topic of travel, Amy?

Maybe Though if I really wanted to be annoying, I'd call, give Faith the phone, and let *her* do so

Tempting.

2011 JD=11

Today was kind of a bust. While I was editing Waylon's and Willie's video, the software crashed, and I lost all my edits.

I did visit the shelter kitties for about 2 hours in the afternoon. Waylon and Willie are just so cute together.

Waylon is a beautiful neutered male with silver and grey fur in an agouti pattern, as if he is part Abyssinian. Several months ago, a woman tried to bring him in, but without a cat carrier. As she carried him from her car toward the office, past the pens of barking dogs, the cat became frightened and jumped from her arms. He took up residence under one of the out-buildings and let no one touch him until about 3 weeks ago.

While he was living outside, he became friends with Willie, an orange tabby approximately 3 or 4 years old. Willie arrived by car about a year ago. One of the volunteers was out walking a dog when a car sped up, someone tossed the cat out, and the car drove off, gravel flying.

Neither cat let any of us get too close until recently. During the days of heavy rains, some dogs from a neighboring ranch chased the outside cats around. When a volunteer arrived in the morning, poor Willie was halfway up a tree, covered with mud, and very ready to give up the outdoor life.

The volunteer picked Willie out of the tree, and carried him inside. Waylon followed them in, never letting Willie out of his sight. Now they live in the same cage, they groom each other, and they cuddle together when they sleep.

Aaaaw

Too bad we can't have uncaged pets here Then again, if we could, we should support our local humane society, and not yours...

I suppose that is fair, although we do have the odd problem of summer people from out of the area renting a cabin then leaving their summer pets behind.

Attention, summer people! Your summer dog or cat does not survive well on its own. We end up with the lucky ones that aren't eaten by predators or squashed by cars. That is one of the reasons why incoming animals are so shell-shocked when we get them. Gah!

And whoever heard of a summer pet before? Aargh!

Okay, okay, calm down.

2011 JD=14.

I didn't post anything for yesterday, so I probably ought to do something really scary for today. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Willie's and Waylon's video is finished. It was entirely too bad that there wasn't any footage of Waylon grooming and petting Willie. Maybe if we get some of that, I'll re-edit the video to insert it. They are such good friends.

I finally have some good footage of Gus. He is such a good cat. He has a sort of dignified elder statesman look about him, even though he is a young cat, I think.

Time for bed, I think.

JD = 15

Two new videos are up on my youtube channel, and they are also on Petfinder: http://www.petfinder.com/

Anne:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOITVnceC7w

Willie and Waylon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-BHJBN9S04

Youtube videos so far:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-1TlLNXxk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOITVnceC7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-BHJBN9S04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDrkY8HZ8bY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXhsf3srSOU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmYYCJ7IPJc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IklwfBv-38

JD = 18

I have been continuing to consolidate my various online presences under my actual name. I think they are all done.

Today I was invited to submit a show proposal on animals, both pet and agricultural, in the county. More about that tomorrow.

JD=20

Just noticed that the title bar above is shorter than the old one, so I felt obliged to shorten up the title to match.

Yesterday and the day before I was up at the radio station. Yesterday I installed skype on the production room computer so hosts have the option of conducting phone interviews that way. The sound is better. I tested it on 2legs. Thanks, 2legs!

Today I groomed kitties. And I think I can place one maybe two adult kitty cats in homes. Some bad news: one of the good kitties, his mental state seems to be deteriorating.

This is the heart-breaking part. Ours is a no-kill shelter, which means that any adoptable cats and dogs have a home with us as long as they remain adoptable. Adoptable means healthy and non-aggressive. But animals suffer from stress-related mental and physical ailments just as we do. So I cuddle them and groom them. And put up youtube videos, and hope for the best.

Please spay and neuter.

JD=21

Handsome tuxedo Ray is now a movie star:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz044hxdOAE

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15617381