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Code Monkey - Jonathan Coulton

I was reminded today of how much I love this song, and this is far and away my favorite music video of it. So, look at me, ma!  Here I am sharing!

Like JoCo (Jonathan Coulton)? Check out his website at http://www.jonathancoulton.com.

Also check out some more of my favorite JoCo fan-made videos:

re: Your Brains

Creepy Doll

Someone Is Crazy (made with Heroes footage)

Tom Cruise Crazy (LIVE)

Enjoy, and stay tuned for my favorite Grandaddy tracks... when I get around to it...

Jonah Crab The three most dangerous things in the world are a programmer with a soldering iron, a hardware engineer with a software patch, and a user with an idea.

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How To Tell If Your Child Is Going To Be The Crazy Cat Lady

Spoiler Alert: Yes. In fact, she already is.

I shouldn't come down to hard on her.  If I wasn't allergic to them, their ears, whiskers and noses would really tug on my heartstrings.  Until I saw this video.  If I wasn't already allergic to them, I would be after watching it.

Jonah Crab The truth?  The truth is... I'm sorry, I was thinking about cats again...

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What Sci-Fi Series Should I Watch On Netflix?, The Flowchart

A simple flow-chart to help guide you through that all-important decision. Click below to see it embiggened.

http://www.geekologie.com/image.php?path=/2011/05/12/scifi-movie-flowchart-full.jpg

Jakey Estacado

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I went to a timeshare presentation with my wife several years ago.  We had no intention to buy anything, we were there for the free cruise.  At the appointed time, about two dozen or so individuals and couples crowded in a room to hear what I can only describe as "opening remarks" from the sales force.

The lady leading the "discussion" asked if there were any engineers in the group.  I raised my hand.  Being in the front, I did not see if anyone else did, nevertheless she stared right at me and said, "Good! Engineers almost always end up buying timeshare with us because the model just makes sense to them."

Uhm, excuse me? Did she think that stroking my ego that blind me from seeing that for the platitude that it was? Not only did we NOT buy timeshare that day, but before it was over I was pretty angry at our sales rep for implying that I didn't love or care about my family enough to commit to taking them on vacation in their franchise every year. Worse, we never did use that cruise...

Anyway, they weren't all wrong about engineers.  We tend to be very analytical thinkers, and one might assume that if they can pitch their product in a logical way, we'll bite. However, we also tend to be very skeptical. "An analytical needs facts, not feelings or persuasive platitudes", points out the author of the article "10 Curses of the Analytical Thinker". And while facts were spouted, I didn't agree that they created the premise that lead to the conclusion that I should buy.

So, hit the link for a great read for anyone who is analytical or knows one.  Chances are, you'll have a story to share, too! And don't even get me started on Global Warming...

Jonah Crab I'm toying with the idea of becoming a useful member of society.

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Batman drawing sells for $448,125

Heritage Auctions auctioned the original art for page 10 from issue #3 of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson's "The Dark Knight Returns (1986). They figured it would sell for at least $100,000. Well, it sold for $448,125, making it "the single most valuable piece of American comic art to ever sell." The buyer is anonymous.

The image is the single most memorable image from the entire comic book series and the greatest image from the decade of the 1980s ever to come to market, as well as now standing as one of, if not the most desirable pieces of original comic art from any era to come to market. It is a perfect stand-alone image of Batman and Robin (Carrie Kelley, the first female, full-time Robin) soaring high above Gotham City, emblematic of the entire storyline.

 "I've always loved that drawing," commented Miller, when asked before the auction what his thoughts on its imminent sale were. "Danced around my studio like a fool when I drew it. I hope it finds a good home.

The previous record price for a piece of original American comic book art was set last year when the cover of EC comics Weird Fantasy #29, by legendary artist Frank Frazetta, sold at Heritage via a private treaty sale for $380,000.

Ok... I'll admit it, I bought it.  Don't tell Jana.

Jakey Estacado

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Too soon?

Jonah Crab "I never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." -- Mark Twain

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Movie Review: Source Code

I saw the movie, Source Code last weekend while on vacation in Las Vegas. I found the idea of the movie to be very creative and riveting. The premise is that a soldier who was near death was pluggeed into a high-tech computer and was able to interact with another person's dead brain in order to figure out how the person died and who was responsible. The acting was good, and the action was great. I found the ending to be a bit too formulaic; however, it left it open for another movie, though I hope that does not happen. It might make a good series, though, if they land actors of near quality to the movie. Overall, it was a good movie; though I'm not sure it was worth the $11 I paid at the theater. It is a good redbox movie, but if you do wait, you need to watch it with a minimum of a 5.1 digital surround sound to get the full audio effects. Just my thought.

  Dr. Lawcachorro

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Hex Defense - Android Game Review

I have a new game I'm addicted to on my phone.  It is a real time strategy game that reminds me of the old Total Annihilation if you could just build towers and no mobile units.  For those of you who aren't video game nerds, it is a fun game where you strategically build and upgrade towers to protect a base from marauding robot thingies.  

  The sound and graphics are excellent and the game play is very easy on a phone.  I'm guessing that lower end android phones would struggle with this game because of the graphics, but you can disable a few things in settings.  Visually akin to Geometry Wars, with high-def exploding geometric shapes and lines in technicolor. The game plays like most defense games, although instead of free movement, or square tile based, it's hex tiles. This alone gives interesting traits, and makes certain towers better in certain positions. The interface is nice and simple. The towers you can build are along the bottom of the screen. All in all, I would suggest the game as it is definitely one of the more fun games I've played on my Android phone. 

Jakey Estacado

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Gary Larson's cartoon linked to millions of stupid kids contracting leprosy. 

See Jonah Crab's post below -

Jakey Estacado

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Vaccinate Your Holiday Armadillo

If you're like me (and I just assume everyone is), nothing says Christmas like the arrival of the Holiday Armadillo!  And what better way to say 'I love you' then with the gift of a spatula? But wait!  Before you go carving your Holiday Armadillo, ask yourself, how likely is it that this 'possum-on-the-half-shell ever got vaccinated? (Well, maybe a tetanus shot once when Donatello cut himself on his katana... No, I said 'possum-on-the-half-shell, not heroes in a half shell.  Besides, Donatello had a bo staff, idiot....)

Anyway, it turns out armadillos can carry leprosy and transmit it to humans!  Kinda makes you rethink all your holiday traditions doesn't it?  Is it possible to get stuck in a chimney? What is wassail really made of?  How does a chicken get stuffed inside of a duck, and more importantly, how does said duck then get stuck inside of a turkey?  Why do my neighbors yell at each other around an aluminum pole?

It turns out that in the 1960s, evil mad scientists researching leprosy injected the disease into armadillos. Apparently, many of the armadillos already had it. (Can I get a 'That's what she said'?)

But don't worry too much - according to Dr. Truman (no relation to Dr. Jones), "The fragility of the leprosy bacterium suggests that infections result from something more than casual contact".

Just keep it casual, and it should be fine, right? What's considered casual when it comes to armadillos?  Dinner and a movie, but only if we go dutch?

Here is my big question.  Given the number of references to leprosy that we find in the Bible, what were people in the Middle East doing with armadillos 2,000 years ago?  Apparently, whatever it was, it was not so casual...

Jonah Crab Ever notice how every TV show in the 80s had the same premise?  What kind of money do these people have that they can just travel around and help people?

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I'm not sure this is legal!  I took this photo at Disneyland this week. I didn't know they let adults shop in the children's section.

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Ian, my 10 year old, was sick of his older brother bragging about eating the best BBQ ever (his words) at Sean's Smokehouse, so we went there today for a sandwich after his soccer game.  We ended up getting the "Trippple Threat" made from smoked ham, pulled pork, and bacon.  Now I realize that is quite a lot of pork so I had them add some veggies for me - a big ol' handful of jalapeños.  The bacon was crispy, the pulled pork was perfect, and the smoked ham held it all together. Drizzling Sean's Black and Blue BBQ sauce made from blackberries and blueberries over every bite only added to the flavor.  I know not many people find themselves in our neck of the woods in Saratoga Springs, Utah, but if you do and want an excellent BBQ sandwich, this one hits it out of the park.

Jakey Estacado

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A really crappy reality show, or a geeky ratings blockbuster?

Imagine wanting to buy an extra copy of an out of print book that people in your industry use frequently, so you do an Amazon search and find 17 used at around $35, and 2 new - each at around a whopping $23,000,000 each!

(Yes, I see the redundancy, but I'm leaving it and I'm not gonna touch it.  Much easier to keep typing and not stop writing.)

Hit the link and read as hilarity ensues while these two rogue algorithms lack any kind of sanity checking.

Jonah Crab "Do I need to hold my 'sarcasm' sign?" "You have a 'sarcasm' sign?"

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If there's a bright center to the universe, it was written in Perl

"If the Matrix is real, I promise you it is written in Perl. It is the programming language of the gods. It would not have been possible to create the world in only seven days were it not for the powerful regular expression and string processing features of Perl. If you can't program in Perl, you a not a whole person yet." - Me, November 4, 2009

And don't forget to check out my new book being released tomorrow, "The Meaning of My: Perl and Regular Expressions of Philosophy", co-authored with Jack Handy!

Jonah Crab I have been to the future. No girls would date me there, either…

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Where is *his* birth certificate?

It has been announced that in issue #900 of Action Comics, Superman renounces his American citizenship and declares himself a "citizen of the universe".  Not surprisingly, Glenn Beck fans are declaring this the event that signals that we have not just boarded the hand-basket, but that it has officially left the station on its one-way trip to h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

Granted, this isn't a story arc I've been following, but I think Glenn's fans are overreacting.  I do not lean liberal - in fact quite the opposite.  But I know many comic book writers do.  Still, what little has been released doesn't give us enough context to be up in arms!  Maybe later in the story he changes his mind and embraces his 'citizenship'! Maybe this isn't Superman at all, but an imposter! Maybe this is a side effect of a heretofore unknown color of kryptonite!  Maybe - maybe - maybe it's just a comic book.

All that aside, despite the rhetoric we see in the picture above, I can't say I disagree with Superman's position.  As long as foreign governments see the acts of a single, non-elected and unsanctioned individual as a representation of US policy, anything Superman does could put us more at risk.  This, if you recall, was one of the concerns that lead to the Marvel Civil War over the Superhuman Registration Act.

And specific to the sheep out there horrified by this alleged turn from "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" (which it isn't, he's just saying that it isn't enough), aren't you the same folks that are all up in arms about illegal immigration?  As far as I know, Superman didn't come into our country through the front door, nor has he ever been naturalized*.  (Sure, he was "adopted" by the Kent's, but the adoption papers were, at best, forged, making them void and of no effect. Like Obamas birth certificate! *snicker*) So, to be intellectually consistent, shouldn't we be seeking to deport him anyway?

Superman for years has been not just bigger than America, but bigger than planet Earth. Fighting alien invasions isn't helping just American, ya' know.  Fighting along side the Green Lantern Corps against a galactic threat is something we've come to expect from the Man of Steel. While the approach taken here by DC isn't to my liking, I can certainly see where the general premise is not just valid, but not even new.  After all, Captain America became disillusioned with President Nixon, who can blame Superman for becoming disillusioned with the current administration? ;)

Jonah Crab The East Coast’s answer to Dungeness? What kind of question is Dungeness?

*Disclaimer: I only started reading comic books as an adult, so if, in fact, there is an issue or a story line somewhere where Superman becomes a citizen, I'm just not aware of it, nor could my 30 seconds of google searching find any reference to such a incident.

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Tim Burton Needs to Put Jack White in his Next Film

So this isn't a rumor I'm starting, it is a request.  I want these photos and my words to mix and meld and after being translated into 1's and 0's, I want them to go forth and either change millions of people's minds to influence Tim Burton, or just cut to the chase and directly convince the director of "Sleepy Hollow" and "Ed Wood" and every other fave of mine to cast Jack White as a lead in a new film. 

I threw in The White Stripes concert video, "Under the Great Northern Lights" while I was on the exercise bike tonight, and while I watched interviews and concert footage of Jack and Meg performing throughout Canada, this epiphany came to me.  Jack already fits every criteria of a Tim Burton staring roll:  He is weird, he is pale with black hair, and he is brilliant.  I know that Johnny Depp is Tim's right hand man, and I love Johnny, but he can pass on one film just this once. And if it sweeten's the deal, Meg can mumble and be a quirky Helena Bonhamm Carter standin, no prob.  

It isn't like Jack and Meg haven't acted before.  Check out their cameos in Jarmusch's "Coffee and Cigarettes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftT3JKUSygw Okay, Okay, so they didn't have to do much in that scene but it was passable.  And the awesome documentary, "It Might Get Loud" has several Jack White interviews.  He stays weird and well spoken through them all.  

Maybe Tim Burton can do another musical.  It will be better having Jack sing than Johnny (not that I hated Sweeney, but singing isn't Johnny's forte).  Maybe it would be better to do a stop motion animation like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or "Corpse Bride".  Something about a cursed guitar and a deal with the devil, like an evil Faustian tale of horror for children or something.  I don't know, and I don't really care how it is done. Just make it happen Internet! I command you!    

You owe me for all the time I have wasted with you.

Jakey Estacado

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Graphic Novel Review: "Sloth" by Gilbert Hernandez

Gilbert Hernandez’s "Sloth" is graphic novel that examines the feelings of fear, frustration, uncertainty, and joy all adolescents go through during their teenage years. He does this by constructing an imaginative plot line: the two main characters Miguel and Lita, escape the trauma of adolescent love by “willing themselves” into a self-induced coma. When both characters awaken from their comas, they seem to have forgotten about the most stressful moments of their past, and opt to perceive the world in a much slower, methodical way.

Hernandez artfully creates illustrations that suggest to the reader that Miguel and Lita are in a dream-like trance while existing in their self-induced comas. His illustrations also suggest the dreamy-like state of a coma is connected to a peace of mind only found within the lemon grove that much of the plot-line takes place in.

Hernandez creatively suggests how young adults opt to escape the social and emotional pressures of growing into adulthood in the 21st century. Hernandez successfully depicts how the three main characters opt to “fade out” of society through self-induced comas, rather than the much glorified subject of teen suicide. The story is of young people too creative, too smart and too passionate for the constraints of suburbia. Miguel Serra wakes up from a yearlong coma, slower physically but not mentally. He is literally out of step with the rest of the world, a perfectly disaffected youth. 

The text above is a little too small to read but says, "Adults who burn out from living in the city pick up their families and move to towns like this for the slower pace, the quiet. They feel they can rais their younger kids in relative peace and safety.  What they fail to recognize is that it's their teenagers who suffer boredom and existential low self-esteem in extreme ways".

I have re-read this graphic novel several times and always leave it with an uneasy recollection of certain feelings I had growing up.  It is in many ways a sentimental book for me and the black and white art serves only as a framework for the introspective writing.

  Jakey Estacado