behind the times

I still haven't yet used or installed Zoom. However, one of Qiao's nieces is having a Zoom wedding event in a few weeks (they already married a few months ago, but for some reason the virtual event ended up being scheduled for later...), so I'll probably get to try it out then. But I keep thinking "virtual event = I can watch online", forgetting the "Zoom = they can watch me too" part. I guess that means I should dress up a bit, or something? And that maybe it will be a bunch of individual conversations between people I mostly don't know, and it will feel like a real live social event where I just sit quietly listening to people talk? Although with his family, it will probably be a ton of people, so I don't even know how individual conversations could work. Maybe it will be a few people speaking and everyone else listening. I suppose I should get Zoom working on Qiao's laptop, so he can join and I can just look over his shoulder now and then. Hmmm. I wonder if his laptop even has a webcam?

For work, I've still only ever had one video call this last year.

I still haven't tried out any video chat apps on my phone. My mom tried out Google Duo a week or two ago, with her friend. When she'd mentioned wanting to try out a video chat app, I'd almost installed Google Duo on my phone, but upon seeing the permissions page I decided to wait, as I wanted to look into other options first. But really, I don't have any particular urge to video chat with anyone. That's why I don't get around to it.

I used video chat on my computer about 15 years ago, with Qiao on Yahoo Instant Messenger. And with my brother on Facebook once long ago.

Skype used to be a thing. I installed it on my computer to try out, but don't remember ever using it with anyone else. At work, we used Skype, but for texting, not video.

whoo hoo cool

That commercial clip must have been done by putting a camera on the middle of a jump rope and spinning it around the actor while they jumped rope. Nifty idea.

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Standing by an open window as a car happened to drive past, I heard someone inside it exclaim, "Hoo hoo hoo! This is so cool!"

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Paper wasps were trying to build a nest under my front porch overhang today. I shooed them away with a broom and sponged away the tiny beginnings of nest they'd made, but I'm not sure how long I can stay vigilant. I read now that they don't like light, so I'll keep the porch light turned on bright during the day to see if that keeps them away.

There were at least 3 different wasps that came and loitered in the same area, a couple at the same time, which confused me as I thought each nest was built by one queen. According to The Wasp Life Cycle, "it is possible for several Queens who survived the winter – normally all from the same previous nest – to start construction of their new nests in close proximity to each other", so that may explain it.