Mental Sampler 8

I have long wanted to don a virtual reality headset and explore a three-dimensional space.  This summer I ended up getting two Google Cardboard… systems? (What do you even call that?)  But I couldn’t get them to work because I’m just not that bright.

The Wolvog found them this week and asked what they were, and he was able to figure it out in seconds.  He downloaded the app and told me he was looking at a beach.

OH MY G-D, I HAVE TO SEE NOOOOOOOOW.

So he handed it over and it was very cool.  If I turned my head, the image moved, too, just as it would if I was standing in reality and turned my head.

And then I pulled it away from my face and I instantly felt like I was going to vomit.  The dizziness and nausea didn’t leave me for at least 15 minutes.  It felt like when you stand in the middle of a field and spin around for a few minutes and then stop, and the whole world is wobbling.

Of course, in writing this, I went on Google Cardboard’s site and saw that there was a warning.  I’m a little bummed out because I had high hopes of doing some armchair travel with this, but I don’t think I can deal with the hangover.

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Martin Shkreli was arrested this week for securities fraud.  I cannot cheer on someone else’s misery despite their other actions, BUT I do wonder if he would have been investigated if he hadn’t jacked up the medicine prices.  Maybe yes and his arrest would have been a personal experience instead of an international news one, or maybe when people do crappy things, it draws negative attention that leads to crappy things done to them.  I don’t know: I guess I see him more as a “how not to comport oneself in the world” example more than anything else.

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Do squirrels feel shame?  I was writing and when I looked up, two squirrels were having sex… squirrel-style (I was going to say “doggie style,” but Josh said that’s probably rude to squirrels)… right outside my window.  If the window was open, I could have reached out to touch them.

The receiver squirrel had his/her eyes closed, and the other squirrel was taking care of business.  After they were finished, they looked up and met my eye, and froze in place.  We all stared at each other for about 3 minutes, and I got a definite shame vibe wafting off them, much in the same way teenagers stare at their parents when caught having sex on the living room sofa.

Finally, the giver squirrel casually cleaned himself up… with his tongue (TMI?).  And both squirrels hopped down.  Receiver returned a little while later with a different squirrel and promptly engaged in sex again.  In the same place.  Which seems a little rude, no?  I mean, if you’re going to have a second (third?  fourth?) sexual partner in the matter of an hour, shouldn’t you at least choose a new spot?  Pretend that you only have eyes for one squirrel?

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Have you found all the hidden images in the new Harry Potter covers?  I love stuff like this.