Borderline Fantastic

Erratic updates in 2011, mostly due to being busy with school and at my internship. Still, I think there are enough links to reflect on.

Inter-Dis Material
I’m most pleased that we were able to start up Inter-Dis Material in September. We missed one month, November, but had two December shows to make up for it. Once again we’ll shoot for every month in 2012, but I think we all know that won’t happen. Here are the links for this years’ shows.
September
October
December #1
December #2

Notebook
How did I only do one Notebook post this whole year? Terrible on my part. So I have little to choose from for my favorite Notebook entry:

On Cash Cab a contestant named David called his partner David. I hadn’t though of this before, but I’m against same name marriage.

From 12/10.

Question of the Day
Same goes for the QOTD, just one, and no responses.

What would you do with an old High School?

Top 10 Posts
1. Swanson Pyramid of Greatness
2. Robot Chicken: Footloose Peanuts
3. Breaking Bad on Netflix
4. Ice Cream Helmets have a home
5. Hulu – Saturday Night Live: Digital Short: Andy and Pee-Wee’s Night Out
6. Tosh.0 Viewer Video – Car Crash
7t. I was going to use iCloud email
7t. Robot Chicken: Mario Meets Parents
9. I was excited for iMessage
10. I Want: Philadelphia Union Scarf

One Last Link
Here’s where I drop a link that hasn’t been mentioned. While I was going through the old posts this is my favorite clip that I forgot about. It’s from Norm’s Sports Show that was on Comedy Central. A sad year for sports shows on Comedy Central. Norm’s was good and The Onion’s was really good, and they canceled them both. This was the best segment from Norm’s show: ‘Wait, What?’ This one features stick horses: Wait, What? Stick Horse Edition

No guarantees about tomorrow. Really, I’ve never heard a song on this subject (I don’t listen to country).

Before I figured out what was going on in this song I thought it was an attempt to see how many brands and products they could squeeze into one song. Once I figured it out, I was on board.

Also, they really remind me of MxPx in this one.

On Amazon
On Spotify

Not as good as Halloween, but still great.

I thought he should have waited a little closer to Christmas, but the kids seem to have bought it. I could say he should be careful not to overdo this, but if you just get a handful of them, you can do them again every year. The worry isn’t the kids knowing, cause they won’t, its the parents who want to get their kids on TV like the Halloween kids. Although it will be fun when it’s scripted by the parents and the kids get on the show and spill the beans.

Audio: mp3
Running Time: 1:06:26
Hosts: Evan and Mike
Guest: Megan (Style Girlfriend)

Topics
Evan sets the scene
Evan’s sister got engaged, what does this mean for him?
Not touristy winter things to do in NYC
Megan’s many holiday parties
Festivus is coming up
Megan attended an improv graduation
Evan checks out the ballet

Some more random on Spotify.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen these guys live. I’ve had the shot at least once and sadly didn’t take it.

Get it on Amazon

The Xavier/Cincy fight with post game comments. Watch to the end to see the Cincy coach.

It was easy to be appalled by the Cincy players during the brawl. When I saw it the ESPN anchor said suspensions. Suspensions? One or two of them should be off the team. Then the Cincy coach, Mick Cronin. Wow. Exactly what he should have said. Made the players take off the jerseys and will decide who should get to put it back on. Jump to around 3:20 if you want to see the coach.

I assume no Cincy players spoke to the media after the game, or else ESPN would have shown it. I doubt the coach would have let them. I don’t think the Xavier players should have been out there either. I didn’t think they were wrong talking about being thugs and standing up for themselves, but maybe give it a little time before letting the players speak.

ESPN Story

I still have a few things in my notebook from the summer, meaning I didn’t keep a notebook the entire semester and I’m a little upset about that. I’ll clean it out now and hopefully that will encourage me to fill it with some new things.

Do walkie-talkies have infinite battery life? Whenever the world comes to an end they seem to be the only electronic device that keeps on going.

On Cash Cab a contestant named David called his partner David. I hadn’t though of this before, but I’m against same name marriage.

On the way to work one day this summer I saw a guy picking a CD out of his visor CD case. It was like I was in a time machine.

Things I don’t get that people love to talk about online: Happy Potter, U2, Adele.

Every Sean Kingston song should start with “Yooo, Mista Kingston.’

I think you should take a class. You won’t get any credit for it. It will probably take a little bit of time. There are quizzes and assignments, but any grade is meaningless. It’s free!

The class is Computer Science 101. It’s offered by Stanford. They have been offering some free CS classes, a lot of my fellow Google interns signed up for some of them this summer.

CS 101 starts in February and I think you should take it. You means everyone, not just tech-y types. In fact, those are the only ones who shouldn’t take it because you already know way more than an introduction to Computer Science would teach you.

Here is the quick overview:

CS101 teaches the essential ideas of Computer Science for a zero-prior-experience audience. Computers can appear very complicated, but in reality, computers work within just a few, simple patterns. CS101 demystifies and brings those patterns to life, which is useful for anyone using computers today.

In CS101, students play and experiment with short bits of “computer code” to bring to life to the power and limitations of computers. Everything works within the browser, so there is no extra software to download or install. CS101 also provides a general background on computers today: what is a computer, what is hardware, what is software, what is the internet. No previous experience is required other than the ability to use a web browser.

It doesn’t sound advanced at all, they really stress that you don’t need to know anything. Any code you write is in the browser, the biggest headache in getting started it getting used to the program you use to write the code and figuring out all its quirks.

Here are my reasons I think you should take it:
Computers aren’t scary, coding isn’t scary. Ok, if you go far enough, it will get very scary. Coding, that’s on the surface and easy to understand the basics.

You might get some idea of what is possible in software. When people tell me what they wish some things on their computer should do every once in a while it’s a brilliant idea that I hadn’t though of. That’s rare. Usually it’s something impossible or possible but so complicated to be implemented or understood by all users that it would never be done.

You might follow some problem solving processes that are a little different than you are used to, maybe more structured thinking will help you outside of this class.

Reason you shouldn’t:
It’s all a lie. I’m not that smart. If you take this you will realize that. You’ll all being writing your own code for a variety of things and they will all be better than anything I’ve ever done.

Head over to the page for the class. I signed up and if I have time I’ll check some of it out. I hope some of you give it a shot and tell me what they think of it.

Once you master CS 101 there are a few others listed. Most seem to start around the same time, but I’m hoping they’ll just leave the material up so anyone can take these at any time at their own pace.

Since I wrote about Spotify today, today’s song is the first song that came up in my playlist (well, the first that I thought was worthy of sharing) …

I’ve only listened to the new Blink 182 album once, but I kept thinking, as much as I love Blink, I think I’d rather have +44 for my Blink fix. And Angels & Airwaves too, but +44 is more in line with the Blink style.

On Amazon
On Spotify

Favorite Story of the Day.

I probably don’t need to tell you but the Phillie Phanatic was born in the Galapagos Islands.

I didn’t see much about the details of the trip, but based on the pictures this appears to be a book tour as he is trying to sell his book about his adventures in the Galapagos Islands.

So many great pictures, this has to be my favorite:

What that little sea lion must be thinking. Check out all the pictures.