Archive for the Uncategorized category
Mike
February 12, 2013
Two TED Talks That I Should Have Done
I’ve been saying everyone should learn a little about coding. I posted about it over a year ago when there was an online Computer Science 101 class. Not sure what happened with that class, I signed up and got one email that it was running behind schedule.
Still, even in the simple example used in the video, it gets kids to start thinking with a basic idea of a variable (and maybe a data type) and if statements.
This guy’s idea was to take a second of video everyday and stitch it all together. He was thinking that he forgot too many experiences. I’ve always had a similar problem. In college I always said I wanted to hire a stenographer to follow me around because I always forgot really smart things I said during the day.
The bonus to this video concept is that in order to remember, you should have some video worth remembering. So it forces him to try and do something each day that is worthwhile. A chunk comes from his 3 month cross country roadtrip. Which is weird cause I’ve wanted to do that for a long long time and was just thinking about it a few days before watching this.
Mike
January 14, 2013
Late Night TV is all the same and so different
With Kimmel going to 11:35 last week, I think it was Letterman who pointed out (many times) how necessary it was to have 3 shows that were exactly the same all on at 11:35. I find it so interesting how they are all pretty much the same, yet I like a lot of them for different reasons. I wanted to try and describe each show as quickly as I could.
David Letterman
The master of the format. I’m not old enough to have watched Carson (but I’ve seen plenty of specials). I can see why people might be turned off by Dave and all of his quirks, but for some reason every one of them cracks me up. As great as I think he is now, I wish I would have been old enough to watch his NBC show. I probably would have invented the DVR in order to watch it.
Jay Leno
When I watch I can’t grasp how anyone finds the show funny, yet, the ratings. I hear so many people say how great he was when he’d go on Letterman, but I have not seen the proof. I really want someone to make a documentary about it called, ‘I Swear He Was Funny’.
Jimmy Kimmel
Most resembles what I image the show would be if my friends and I put one together. I think he’s the best interviewer and the number of pre-taped bits that have been home runs shouldn’t be possible.
The Daily Show
Jon is so good that sometimes trying to get jokes in actually takes away from the greatness of the show. How’s that for a comedy show? Less jokes! He could do the show by himself but has so many funny corespondents around (and how do they keep finding great new ones when others leave?). I don’t know how everything fits into a half hour every night. (Except for interviews going long and being posted online almost every night these days.)
The Colbert Report
The concept is so genius that they really don’t even have to try and the show would be great. The fact that they work really hard, there is no way anyone else should ever win the Emmy.
Conan
I watch because the bright spots are so much fun. I usually skip the monologue, and the interviews aren’t the best. So what’s left? The sketches are just off the wall sometimes. The show is at its best when it is the most cartoon-y. Bonus: Andy Richter is incredibly underrated. A lot of nights he will just say one thing but he’ll get my biggest laugh of the night.
Jimmy Fallon
When you put it on, it feels like a really hip club that went through initiation and learned all sorts of secret handshakes that you don’t understand. Yet they are really friendly to visitors who want to stop by. You always feel welcome, but also feel like you shouldn’t ask about the handshakes because they won’t tell you.
Craig Ferguson
Sometimes I catch the first few minutes after Letterman. He’s so different than everyone else, even though the format is so similar. Of all the shows, if I had to test someone to see if we had a compatible sense of humor, I think I’d go with Craig.
Mike
October 9, 2012
Dog steals golf ball
Favorite story from the weekend.
This happened in Scotland at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which looks to be an event on the European Tour. So this wasn’t just a random country club occurrence. It may have been during a Pro-Am since the story mentions the golfer being partnered with Michael Phelps. The golfer was Paul Casey and he was lining up for an eagle putt when a dog ran onto the green and took the ball!
A spectator stopped the dog and got the ball back. There was no penalty.
A dogs often hanging around major events? Casey said this one showed up at the tee and followed them to the green before it saw an opening on the green to get the ball.
Mike
September 16, 2012
SNL: Seth MacFarlane
A strong opening to the SNL season. Not too surprising. I expected Seth to be excellent. I thought his monologue did a decent job of showing off his many skills.
Not as good:
– Not sure about Jay Pharoah as Obama. Not that Fred Armisen was particularly great at it.
– Weekend Update is always a little flat when the season starts. But I forget every time. There is just too much time to figure out which jokes to tell. I also imagine with changes for the new season, those get more attention than Seth Meyers back for another year at the desk.
– Someone explain Frank Ocean to me. I tried to listen to his new album when it came out, I didn’t get far into in before giving up.
There were a lot of good sketches (including this great one with Amish guys trying to give their web address for their wooden spoon business), but I think this was my favorite …
Now I liked the sketch itself, but I love the concept. You could do this multiple times a season. Starting with the host as the teacher, there is nothing tying it to a single cast member. You can go a million different directions with teachers, students, puppets, and puppet personality. Please SNL, make this recurring.
Next week: Joseph Gordon-Levitt with Mumford & Sons
Mike
September 16, 2012
Matt & Kim – Now
Matt & Kim – Now
I have a proposal. Fun. has to swap names with Matt & Kim. If any band should be called ‘Fun’, it’s Matt & Kim. What should fun. do having to be called Matt & Kim? They could just call themselves The Format. If they called themselves The Format they’d have to make songs as good as they were then. (Me = bitter than fun. is so popular when The Format made much better music.)
The new album is called Lightning and comes out October 2nd. You can pre-order the CD on Amazon
Found on AbsolutePunk.
Mike
September 4, 2012
I’m a Tropical Storm?
Tropical Storm Michael popped up. Doesn’t appear to be headed for much in its life. The computers aren’t even sure which way it will head before it fades away.
Mike
August 31, 2012
Full Moon Names
Tonight is a Full Moon. It’s the 2nd full moon of August. And that means it’s a Blue Moon. At least, I think. I thought the 2nd Full Moon in a month meant it was a Blue Moon, but then Wikiepedia said something about a Blue Moon being the 3rd Full Moon in a season with 4 Full Moons. That seems a little complicated.
Back to the link. I was not aware that each month’s Full Moon has its own name. August is the Sturgeon Moon, but that already happened a few weeks ago. So look forward to the Full Harvest Moon on September 29th.
The next Blue Moon? July 2015. That is, if you are following the 2 in a month business. Sounds like next August has that other seasonal Blue Moon.
Mike
August 30, 2012
Meet Leslie
I think everyone (on the east coast) should be aware of any named tropical systems. Even if they aren’t going to hit the US. It might be my weather obsession, but every once in a while, they make landfall. Then you can be smug and say, ‘I knew Issac when …’.
So here’s Leslie. She a tropical storm now. The computer models don’t have her hitting much of anything. Still, get to know her a little bit.
Another fun thing to do, is reminisce of anyone you knew with that name. I don’t recall meeting any Leslie’s. The first one that comes to mind is Leslie Knope. So watch some Parks & Rec.
Mike
August 29, 2012
Alex Goot – Not Over You (Gavin DeGraw)
Alex Goot (covering Gavin DeGraw) – Not Over You
Covers are usually just ok. Every once in a while I find a good one, although it’s usually not a cover of a song I like a lot. In this case I like the original a lot and this cover is really well done. So listen.
Listen on Spotify.
Never sure if music posts should be morning or night.
Found on AbsolutePunk.
Mike
August 29, 2012
First few SNL hosts for this season
September 15: Seth MacFarlane
September 22: Joseph Gordon Levitt
October 6: Daniel Craig
Saw this on HitFix. Can’t really complain about any of the hosts. Seth MacFarlane surpringly hasn’t hosted before but as all the tools. Joseph Gordon Levitt has all the tools as well and I remember him being good last time. I’m curious to see Daniel Craig because I only know him from being serious in the Bond movies.
I’m surprised SNL isn’t doing Weekend Update Thursdays like they did for the election in 2008. NBC doesn’t have a lot going for it, I’d think a handful of half hour slots being spoken for would be a no brainer.
Oh, the musical guests are Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, and Muse. No big deal, I usually skip through the musical acts. Mumford & Sons are the only ones I’ll listen to for a minute.
Mike
August 28, 2012
High Frame Rate Video Playback
High Frame Rate Video Playback
There was a lot of talk about high framerates when The Hobbit was previewed a little while back at 48fps. This post has a lot of examples of some of the effects of different framerates.