Kitten growing

Progress of kittens: steady (good)

Some of you may be waiting for another update about VWBPE. However more are likely to be wondering: how are Quilt and Silky?

So, here you see them. Quilt is shown sleeping, which is what kittens need to do to grow healthy and strong. Are those hind paws cute, or what.

Silky has not grown any more, since that was already her at her prim peak. However she looks rather fetching in this pose.

Cat diversion

Kittens grown to cats: 1 (good); New kittens bought: 1 (bad)

Have more to say about VWBPE conference, but today has seen a new addition to the menagerie on Infolit, so will have a short cat diversion. After the conference was over, Kattan visited Dimitrova's kitten, which is kitten no longer, but full grown cat. And v. cute it is too, it sleeps, it plays with butterflies and (as Dimitrova found out today) it will pad across floor and leap into owner's arms and cling limpet-like until DROPPED.

In Fact 1st embedded video will show this in some detail. [curses curses they aren't embedding. Will try and work out why tomorrow. In meantime this is the link http://www.screenr.com/V4o]
1) Cat ignores Dimitrova
2) Cat shows fatal attraction to Dimitrova and jumps to be cuddled
3) Dimitrova forgets she is supposed to DROP cat and instead DETACHES it. Panic!
4) In haste to restore cat to thr ground, Dimitrova inadvertantly drags and drops cat half way up window
5) Dimitrova clicks cat to jump home, which it does, only suspended 5 feet in air
6) Dimitrova takes and rezes cat again. All is well.
[and this is the link to this video http://www.screenr.com/V4o]

After these excitements, only sane response was to buy another cat. Thus 2nd video shows kitten turning from a cardboard box into a kitten.
She is called quilt, because she is patchwork coloured.
Like a quilt.
Oh well.

Moderating

Sessions moderated: 4 (good); Percentage of speakers appearing on time to give talks: 100 (v. good); No. of pics taken during moderating: 5 (bad)
Calmed self before conference through use of tai chi (see first pic) and it had desired result since rather enjoyed moderating duties in end. Only down side was that since taking pics seemed to trigger crash computer out of SL, did not dare take any until last of 4 sessions, when had minor supporting role.
This was session about "veteran dialogues": ex soldiers in USA using SL to talk about their experiences. Jenaia was really chairing session and I was sort of backup link person. Therefore risked taking pics at that point, and duly crashed. This showed had been sensible not to try previously, but was pity since in particular session from Globalkids Bixby had been very photogenic (involved Globalkids dressed in bee costume raising teen grid avatar from coffin). Earlier in day had encouraged own students into SL and know that majority attended at least one session, after some fiddling around with headphones and audio settings. Saw various other people, including Dousa who was involved in recording some of the conference, and had some nice chitchat with Loreena.
Am wondering whether crashing thing could be avoided by some sort of computer upgrade. However, would have to be inexpensive computer upgrade, what with funding cuts to Higher Ed etc.

Attended some of a session about recording stuff, and learnt about new screenr-type app, which immediately used to record part of the session on recording stuff. Am not sure can remember what it was called exactly - screencastomatic? - something like that. Feature was that you had the opp to upload, download, whatever, and then clicked "done" and it was gone. Main disadvantage over screenr (apart from it not staying online) was that it seemed to have a rather small area for the recording screen.

After this went to session on focus groups. Quickly emerged that I WAS the session on focus groups, since only other person was presenter. He had filled in time by putting words expressing pain in having noone turn up to your session on innovative interactive board. Had interesting conversation: at least I thought it was interesting. Only thought afterwards that perhaps should have asked for a copy of innovative board as prize for being only person there.
Finished day, heady with earlier moderating success, by volunteering to moderate more sessions tomorrow. May regret this.

Awesome-ish

No of sessions am moderating at VWBPE: 4 (good) No of speakers with whom have not made contact: 1 (bad); No. times crashed out of SL in last 18 hours: more than 18, I think (v.v.bad)
Have not had serious crashing problems for a couple of years, but am currently attending the VWBPE conference and with huge crowds in first session was just like old days of no sound, greyness, bits of sim suddenly vanishing (see first pic) and sudden crashes. Sims created for conf are steampunk and awesome (see 2nd pic) but wonder if also a bit lagtastic. Particular worry as am moderating sessions shortly and do not want to crash in mid-moderate.
But enough negativity! Loads of speakers and lots of them v. interesting - and all free! And you can attend the conf in slippers.
As I am doing.
Or is that too much information.
http://vwbpe11.vwbpe.org/

Kitty

Breedable kitten acquired: 1 (good)
Up til now have resisted fashion for breedable SL animals. Idea is that you have at least one of each sex of animal, you set them to breed, then after X days a prim package arrives that turns into a baby animal. Fortunately do not have to watch Mating Animation, apparently it all happens by osmosis.
Way that inventors of breedable animals make money is buy selling food (you buy prim food, put it near prim animal, and if food runs out animal stops moving and dies).
First big craze was chickens, then bunnies and horses, and anyway latest one is cats. As readers will know already, have fondness for cats, so have been tempted esp. as if you just have one cat and set breeding OFF, then only costs 170 Linden for 2 months worth of food.
As didn't want Mitsy and Goggles to be jealous, Dimitrova bought the kitten. It arrives in a cardboard box, which you rez and have to wait 5 mins or so whilst it gives twee messages about kitten opening eyes etc. etc. Then suddenly cardboard box TURNS INTO the kitten (bit spooky, that). Perhaps idea is that kitten had to eat box to get first nourishment.
Anyway, you rez the kitten, shove some food near it, and then can watch it grow for 1st week, until it becomes an Adult Cat. At birth Silky the Kitten was about 4 inches, but after a day it has grown to 6. You see her here in close up, and then with Dimi, for scale. She blinks, and does breathing animations, and also gambles around and you can hug her, but when took these pics she kept saying she needed more sleep, so all you get here is Sleeping Kitty.
Silky may be future source of quiet joy. Alternatively she may simply be drain on finances. If you want to see her she is in the CILR on Infolit iSchool.

The luck of the lost pig

Hours spent waiting for "S" to come up on a lucky board in February: 2 (bad); Hours spent on this blog in February: zero (bad, very bad)

Spent 2 hours a couple of weeks ago waiting for letter "S" to come up on this Lucky Board in the Aju shop. During that time "D" came up four times. Know this since actually got Dimitrova to hang round (so wouldn't be troubled by friends expecting me to do something more constructive than lurk round a lucky board waiting to snag a cute item of virtual furniture). Eventually "S" did come up and was able to clutch item to Inventory and later position it in yet another new house (see here). However of course when teleported into Aju yesterday, "S" came up straightaway. Why does that happen? Must be a Law of The Lucky Board.

On another note, when clearing up after the Inf6011 class last week I found this escaped pig outside the Educational Informatics village. It had been there for a year, floating in space, the result of some mismanaged piece of Editing or perhaps just of someone who had decided to Abandon Pig in mid flight. Anyway, it was swiftly Returned to its owner's Lost and Found.

Of course, could make up some elaborate story about pig making bid for freedom and an eternal flight over Infolit iSchools mossy hills.

But, after all, it is just prims. And, to be frank, not very ornamental prims either.

Hmmm, I feel a bit mean, now.