Classic Video Games, The 15-Pixel MegaMix
This clip made me all smiley. Twelve games in four minutes. Punch-Out! + Gauntlet = WIN
Also great is the production company's name: Alaskan Military School
(Via Waxy and GameSetWatch.)
Penguins Can’t Fly!?!
The Critic was Jon Lovitz at his best. Quotable, random, detailed, smart, layered, funny. While in college, I'd watch the back-to-back episodes of The Critic and The Tick every week, cracking up at the animated antics.
Unfortunately for me, I know almost no one else who watched these shows. I suppose the animation turned them off to experiencing comedic genius, which is really too bad. And, of course, I'd walk around using the genius one-liners and referencing jokes that no one else knew. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, but I don't really care -- it was funny for me.
One of the best jokes on the show involved Lovitz's character's adoptive father, an alcoholic millionaire who loved to get hammered and dress up as Baby New Year. (Hilarious already, no?) During a flight, the drunkard's plane started jumping around wildly so, fed up, he sprung to action. In a rule-breaking move that only the absurdly wealthy would think to attempt, Baby New Year burst into the cockpit, only to find a drunk penguin at the controls.
"A penguin. And you've been drinking! Wait a minute, penguins can't fly..."
So. Funny.
The Critic: Penguins Can't Fly
the penguin is probably the Dame Judy Dench of cartoon cameos. he’s in this episode for like 40 seconds total, and its probably the funniest thing i have ever seen. i’m sorry. i have a really weird sense of humor and an alcoholic penguin who cant fly a plane (where did he get those goggles? has he really bagged all those stewardesses? and most importantly, where did he get the idea to try to fly it from, the drinking?) is probably one of the funniest things in the entire world.
Check Please Loves The Dumpling King
All hail the King!
A few weeks ago, C and I ate at one of our favorite San Francisco restaurants, the Shanghai Dumpling King. We knew something was different as soon as we walked in -- the cute family that owns and operates the King were dressed up and coordinated. Very odd. We moved through the small entry way and into the larger eating area and what do we see but a gent with a giant video camera!? We knew right away -- it must be Check Please!
We had no idea when the episode would air, but C's parents called tonight and shouted into the phone "you're on TV!" Thanks to PBS' tech saavy, the episode is also available online. Check it out ... that's C eating the first Xiao Long Bao (2:25), and then the two of us eating the Ma Po Tofu (4:50). We also had the Green Onion Pancakes -- great for dipping in the Ma Po:
Not only did the great little restaurant get some excellent publicity, but all three reviewers loved the place! I'm so happy for the King -- that family works hard, and they deserve the love.
If you're ever hungry and want company, we're always up for a trip to the Outer Richmond. But you'll need to order your own dumplings -- C won't share her Baos.
Wisdom From The Wire (Part 1)
Presenting: Like Some Grown Fuckin' Men
Until then, Mr. Charles, we gonna handle this shit like businessmen. Sell the shit, make the profit, and later for that gangsta bullshit. Yeah?Do The Chair know we gonna look like some punk ass bitches out there?
MuthafuckaIwill punk ya ass for saying some shit --
Yo, yo String... String!
WHAT!
Yo. Pooh did have the floor...
Innovation Is A Must
Tom Freidman's world is flat theory (c)(TM) merged with his latest call for a green revolution in a recent article titled "While Detroit Slept." Mr. Freidman states his number one rule of business in the modern world thusly:
Whatever can be done, will be done. The only question is will it be done by you or to you. Just don’t think it won’t be done. If you have an idea in Detroit or Tennessee, promise me that you’ll pursue it, because someone in Denmark or Tel Aviv will do so a second later.
To prove his point, Freidman cites to a case study about an innovative business model for green personal transportation.
The Better Place electric car charging system involves generating electrons from as much renewable energy — such as wind and solar — as possible and then feeding those clean electrons into a national electric car charging infrastructure. This consists of electricity charging spots with plug-in outlets — the first pilots were opened in Israel this week — plus battery-exchange stations all over the respective country. The whole system is then coordinated by a service control center that integrates and does the billing.
Under the Better Place model, consumers can either buy or lease an electric car from the French automaker Renault or Japanese companies like Nissan (General Motors snubbed Agassi) and then buy miles on their electric car batteries from Better Place the way you now buy an Apple cellphone and the minutes from AT&T. That way Better Place, or any car company that partners with it, benefits from each mile you drive. G.M. sells cars. Better Place is selling mobility miles.
I don't know if it will work, but I love the innovation. Meanwhile, US automakers are waiting for politicians to stop posturing, and getting beaten to the punch in the race to produce a viable electric car.
On a positive note, President-elect Obama today officially named Nobelist Steven Chu as the next secretary of energy. Those pushing for support of the green economy are thrilled, but I can't help but think that Frosty the Coal Man's Christmas is ruined.
[Via Wait Wait Don't Tell Me]
Happy Birthday Google!
The one website most responsible for the explosion of growth for the Internet over the last decade turns 9 today. They "do no evil", advocate for openness and transparency on the Internet, push for an interpretation of IP law that will allow for improved development and greater exploitation of future Internet tools and information aggregation, and continue to innovate, pushing their competitors to improve.
I remember the first time I used Google. I'd been a Yahoo! search user, but always felt that limited and frustrated when I attempted to search for something. At my dot-com job one day I became frustrated when unable to find an answer to a simple coding question. My co-worker, a skilled programmer by day and drummer by night, saw what I was doing and said "Worst!" - his catch phrase. "Man, why are you using Yahoo? Try Google. I just heard about it for a buddy, and I ain't goin' back."
I entered w-w-w-.-g-o-o-g-l-e-.-c-o-m into my fancy, new, IE-whoopin' Netscape browser. The logo, a search box, and a plain white background appeared on my screen. I typed in the same search I'd tried earlier. Google returned a plain, clean list of results. I clicked on the first one and had my answer. Game over.
Sure, people have concerns about the data they collect from users, but so long as they stick with their Mission, we'll all be alright. And Google will continue to improve. My birthday was yesterday. C's birthday is Sunday. Good to know that we're bookends to the endless repository of information named Google. Happy Birthday!
Fun facts about the U.S. Register of Copyrights
Marybeth Peters is our Register of Copyrights. She's served as an employee in the Office of Copyrights for over 40 years, and took over as Register in 1994.
One of her most important tasks is to head up reviews of copyright law to ensure that it continues to operate fairly in the face of ever-changing technology. She is also required by law to oversee periodic reviews of anti-circumvention rules, most notably the DMCA, to decide whether it's necessary to specify narrow exemptions.
Regarding the DMCA, Ms. Peters is not a fan of the Safe Harbor found in Section 512. This section requires that copyright holders (Viacom, for example) notify hosts of content on the Internet (YouTube, to name one) before the host must take down copyrighted content that has been posted by users. Only if the host fails to respond to these requests can the host be liable for participating in copyright infringement.
The Safe Harbor is a cornerstone of Google's argument in fighting high-profile copyright lawsuits, including one brought by Viacom, against its YouTube subsidiary.
While an expert in the arena of copyright law, Ms. Peters is a technology novice. She does not own a computer for personal use, and considers herself a Luddite.
Of the DMCA, she says:
Shouldn't you have to filter? Shouldn't you have to take reasonable steps to make sure illegal stuff that went up comes down? . . . I think there are some issues.