Notes From The 5th Row

• Guy reading directly from paper zombie-like makes finger quotes several words after the word he meant to finger quote
• Members of the panel look zombie-like while listening to paper. Are they listening?
  
• Dude is a good speaker, but the mic is having a tough time picking up his voice because his head is buried in his paper. Seriously, his neck is at like a 90 degree angle. That can't be comfortable
• More mic troubles. Ma'am, please be aware of your swaying. back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Leads to: quiet quiet quiet, mumble mumble LOUD LOUD LOUD mumble mumble LOUD mumble quiet quiet. What was your topic again?
  
• Macs are also not immune from the powerpoint curse. The cable will not truck any type of computer. Woe be to those who needed visual aids for this panel.
• (completely different panel) Overhead projector? Might as well bring out the campfire so we can make shadow puppets on the wall. They could have at least got one that had consistent focus. Here's a headache potion
• It's so sad to see the fleeing of audience members after the big name has finished her paper. The next presentation was a good one, too
• A monotonous tone can make even the most interesting topic duller than a pair of kindergarten scissors.

Forgotten

on this trip:

Eyeglasses
Contact case
Saline solution
Ethernet cable
Conference registration material - including my 'Hello my name is' tag

feh!

Horray!

I got to see the nieces last night, and they are truly sweet beyond understanding. There was much My Little Pony-ing and a good time was had by all. Number 1 niece is a flat out genius. She's already running a laptop like a wiz. But, oh, niece number 2 is only a year old, but is already showing an interest in books! Well, it's in tossing books from the bookshelf, true, but still!

I think I'm even becoming a little more recognizable to them too, which is amazing, considering I hardly ever get a chance to see them.

Ah, they're just beautiful. I'm sure we got them so wound up that they didn't go to sleep for hours though hehe.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Originally uploaded by Overread.

I'm Leeeeeavin' On A Jet Plane!

I am such the jet-setter. I've got a meeting at 11, a lecture at 12:30 and a flight to catch a little after that. I'm flying off to Monster Conference which is nearby the Land of Wonderful Nieces (and Brother too!), so I get to go to there and enjoy both MonCon and family!

Oh, and despite my late email, potential advisor at Prospect #1 Uni has graciously agreed to meet with me and chat about my potential future there. Yea!

Also, and even more terrifying/thrilling:

The summer class schedules came out and I am listed as the instructor for my two summer classes. What is the world was this university thinking hiring me?! Don't they know what they're doing? Don't they know I will most likely... um... break their students?

And finally, why no, no I haven't packed yet, why do you ask?

The Emmy Goes To...

The Little Professor

She's simply much funnier than she has any right to be.

more videos

here

An American Revolution

So, it seems that Chevy thought it would be cool to allow random folks on the internet build commercials for them. Brilliant, right? Who needs all those ad execs anyway?

Hilarity ensues.

Enjoy the videos: (more here)

Originally uploaded by Overread.

Apropos of Nothing...

Note to all the ladies out there:

When the bathroom trash can has just been emptied (mind you this is a bathroom used by four people and the only option most of the time), perhaps there might be a better place to throw away your dingy thong.

It's been sitting there all alone for days now. Maybe I should give it a decent burial shroud of toilet paper so I don't have to look at it.

No Fair

I want my hour back.