Blah Blah, Philadelphia

Hi everybody, I wanted to make a short video blog to let you know I'm not dead yet. Actually, very few people watch my video blog, I use Feedburner - oh, this is Mischa, I don't think you've been introduced to him yet, but he just came in and he's sitting on my lap and - ow, he got me with his claws. Anyway, I use Feedburner for my statistics - OW - and it shows zero subscribers. But I finally found my camera again and I can make video blog entries if I can come up with something to say.

This weekend I'm planning to go to Philadelphia again for an interpreting job, leather interpreting again. And I'm looking forward to it and kind of not, because it's goig to be a long drive for short job. I asked for a hotel room because I'm not really willing to drive home the same night. The event is supposed to end at 10:30, I'm not driving home the same night.

Anyway, that's my short and sweet video blog, see you all next time. Bye now.

High Tea at the Ritz

I decided wanted to tell you about my day, but not by typing it. I'd rather tell you in ASL. Today was my wife's birthday, and she wanted to go to the Ritz Carlton ... that was my wife! Anyway, she wanted to go to the Ritz Carlton hotel for high tea, it's very fancy. The total cost was over $300 for the five of us for high tea. We really did enjoy it, but unfortunately that was the biggest meal I've had since the beginning of 2006! Oh! Excuse me. See, that's what happens when you come when I'm filming. See, that's what happens, you get grabbed. OUCH! Oh that hurt, his claw got me in the leg! Anyway, high tea was great, but it was the biggest meal I've had since the beginning of 2006. When it was over I felt nauseous and sick because I'd eaten so much. We had hamburgers - wait, that's the wrong sign! We had sandwiches, uh...sweets, like scones and cake, champagne, tea of course, a fancy thing with strawberries all over it and whipped cream on it...I really liked it but that was the last part of the meal and I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't eat everything! I really enjoyed high tea, I'd like to go all the time but it's so expensive. The cheapest option for one person was... $25? $30? And that's just for tea and sweets. With sandwiches it's $38, and with the strawberries and champagne I think it was $48 per person. That's why, for the five of us, it was over $300 with tip. So that's the story of my day - whoa, I just noticed on my white skirt a little bit of blood because of the cat. Anyway, that's the end of my video blog for September 10th 2006. See you later, bye bye!

I just realize I signed the same way twice - "[cocktail]" No, I meant champagne. Not cocktails, that was wrong, please excuse me. My brain is loopy, I said hamburgers when I meant sandwiches, and cocktails when I meant champagne! So that's the end after all, bye bye!

Late Night in the Hotel Room

Hi there, this is just going to be a brief entry. I wanted to mention that I'm in Philadelphia, and I came here for a workshop related to interpreting and sexuality. And I'm by myself in a hotel room, the time now is...let's see...it's 2:00 in the morning. But I can't upload this video tonight because of a bad connection in the hotel room, I'm having to use the phone line to connect, it's awfully slow! So I'm just going to put up with it, I'll film this tonight and then upload it tomorrow. My film - er, workshop - let me backup. My workshop is really interesting, but it requires a lot of simultaneous communication because some people are not so good with receptive ASL and others are fine with it. So there's a variety of ASL skill levels in the class. One - one - it's frozen? I think it's frozen. Anyway, one woman in the class is deaf, which means I have to - well, we have to - use sign. Oh, shit - shit! It's frozen again. I should stop for now, my computer seems to be having a hard time here. I - helloooo? Okay. Some of you may have seen me on Archive.org, and I was very honored to participate in that website, it's pretty cool. So that was a real plus for me, to realize that somebody has been noticing my videos! So if you saw me on Archive.org, thanks for watching! I hope you've enjoyed my video. Good night for now, it's time to go to bed! Bye!

Stuck in an Elevator

Hi there. Today I had a first-ever experience: I got stuck in an elevator. I was with a hearing woman and a deaf woman. The three of us waited patiently for half an hour. Fortunately the lights were on, and the air was working fine - well, the fan was running, the A/C didn't work, but the fan was good enough. I had a hard time with communicating with both the deaf and the hearing woman at the same time. The reason for that was the deaf woman wanted to just talk directly with me, so the hearing woman was kind of left out and I didn't know what to do. I try to provide equal access to communication as part of my job, but this situation I was just stuck. So I was stuck in two ways - in the elevator, and with communication. Anyway, that's the first time I was ever stuck in an elevator, and I hope it never happens again! Bye now.

Sorenson Support

I just spent half an hour on the phone with Sorenson technical support. I use software called Envision SL, which is for making phone calls to videophones. I was able to call VRS and see the interpreter, I said I was testing and then disconnected. I wanted to test having a friend call me, but it didn't work. The operator wouldn't take the IP address and I don't have a real videophone so I don't have a VP number. So I don't know how my friends could call me using the IP address. I don't know how to receive an Envision phone call, I don't understand how it works, and the Sorenson technical support was no help.

My Firefox Testimonial

I'm not providing a translation of this video here, because it already has subtitles. I used Ulead VideoStudio to create the subtitles, but deaf vlogger Jared Evans has written instructions for subtitling digital videos. He also created a video in ASL about encouraging companies to subtitle their digital videos.

Gallaudet Protests and Truffle

Okay! This is my fourth time trying to film this tonight. It's been screwing up for a bunch of different reasons, but anyway, seems like it's working now. I had mentioned a few things the previous time I tried to film, but it was slow, and not working, and...

I didn't do a whole lot today, we went to see the movie Stick It - Stick It - it's a gymnastics movie, and I really didn't like it much. I had high expectations and they were dashed, because I just didn't like it. That's really the only thing I did today.

I want to mention again my opinion on this Gallaudet protest thing - I don't support it. In the past, in 1988 at DPN, everyone knew that the president was hearing until he was 20 years old. But now, at least Jane Fernandes was born deaf. Her parents decided to raise her as hearing - as oral. So, I just don't understand this stuff, why they're continuing to protest. I know people who are involved in it, but I don't really support it myself. And you know, DPN was almost 20 years ago, so some of the students weren't born back in 1988 - or mostly they were little babies. So I don't get why they're still protesting - because they want the same experience as DPN? People have to understand, I. King Jordan can't be president forever. So, really, they have to - uh, I don't know. I don't want to get into it. I just don't think it's a good idea them to keep protesting for the sake of protesting, that's all.

Anyway, the real reason I'm making this is because I want to introduce you to my cat, Truffle. [grabs him] He just woke up! I think it's important to take videos of all my cats, because I want to have those memories forever - that's the most important thing, to keep those forever.

Signs, Gallaudet, Amanita

I wanted to make a brief video for Kit and Kyle. I want to explain two signs. The first one is butch, that's the sign I use for butch, I've also seen another sign that looks kind of like the sign for Canada, maybe boichick can answer about that. The other sign is, the first one I described is feminine, I've seen that, and the second sign is feminine. That's using the F handshape, feminine. Okay, now, about the new Gally president, I've heard complaints, people are saying oh, it's bad that she was raised orally, but it doesn't really matter if her background is signing or oral, what matters now is her current preference. If her parents decided they wanted her to be raised orally, then it wasn't her decision. Okay, now, for the final part of my video, a brief introduction, I want to show you all my cat Amnanita, she's the one my webpage is named for.

Go or Not Go

I wanted to make a blog entry because wanted to express myself without actually having to say anything. A few people will understand my ASL blog though. I just got back from interpreting a leather contest again, in Baltimore - that's my wife, she's being silly and making me laugh - I just got done interpreting this contest in Baltimore, and I'm so exhausted, my head is crazy...I am supposed to meet a friend tomorrow night, but I really don't want to go. This is somebody that I've met once before, but...I want to meet them again, of course, and this is somebody from the web, anyway, I want to meet them for a second time, but I am just so tired I don't know what to do. Should I go or not?

Recap

I wanted to make a video entry again, but I don't know what to say. Since the previous video entry, what's happened...my cat died, I think I've already mentioned that but I'm not sure; I interpreted at a Star Trek convention, I do that twice a year at two different cons, and I actually enjoy it. Some interpreters might think working at a Star Trek convention is silly, but I enjoy it. Honestly, I appreciate the opportunity to go, because I'm a sci-fi fan myself so I like that I can get in for free, and they pay for my hotel room, plus I get to interpret for TV and movie actors. Most interpreters don't have the opportunity to interpret for famous people often, so I like that.

Another thing that happened - do you remember my Firefox video? I won an award for that! I got a $50 gift card from Amazon.com, plus a backpack that I think matches - huh, that was weird, it seems like something went wrong with the video. Anyway, I thought it would match the bag they have at the Firefox store, but it's a different one, not exactly the same. It's not built for computers, but I still like it, and [unintelligible] - I'm trying to think what else happened.

I don't know why my video is screwed up, I'm watching it and it seems like it's not working right. Okay, I'm going to stop - there, it just did it again! That's enough for now, I'm going to stop, see you all later, bye.

Introducing Toadstool

Hi everybody! Tonight I'm coming to you from my guest bathroom. Why would I be doing that? Is the bathroom that pretty? No, that's not it. There are a few different reasons. First of all, my wife is sleeping, which means that the bedroom light is off. Of course, it's important to have good lighting for filming! The second reason - if you notice, the background is blank. Of course a dark color background is better, but for right now this is what I've got. And the third reason...there is no third reason! So scratch that.

If you read my blog tonight, you're aware that my cat is sick. This is the same cat you've met previously, named Wu. Tonight, I'd like to introduce another cat, named Toadstool. She is the most evil cat ever!

[18 seconds of cat footage]

Did you see how pissed off she got?! Did you also notice the cool page turning-effect? I downloaded a fancy program called Ulead Video Studio. The trial period is one month, and it costs $100 - yikes! We'll see what happens. It's midnight now, and I'd like to finish filming, publish this, and scoot off to bed. Good night!