Fun Stuff

The IBW

/ Shane / 1 Comment

Introducing The Interdimensional Buddy Wilson (otherwise known as The IBW)

I know that picture already has you hooked, but let me explain a little bit. The IBW is an Internet television show (yes, they have those now!) written, directed and produced by my brother-in-law. How cool is that?

Episodes premiere every Thursday between 3 and 5 p.m. Maybe the coolest part about it is that, because it is a relatively small production, anybody has an opportunity to get involved, from donating money and getting a mention in the credits, to watching their facebook page for opportunities to become an extra in an episode.

Last week was the series premiere, and is available here.

In this premiere episode of The Interdimensional Buddy Wilson, Buddy decides to take a journey in order to try and save his beloved girlfriend, Melissa. He hopes to accomplish this by finding an identical version of her in another world, and bringing that version back to rekindle the brain of his own Melissa. It is a big undertaking, but what’s the worst that could happen?

Hurry up and watch that episode, because it’s Wednesday already and episode 2 premieres tomorrow. Watch their website for each episode as it premieres.

If there’s interest, I can set up a post on Thursdays for discussion. Let me know in the comments.

And now for something completely different

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That’s some pretty amazing guitar playing, if a little unconventional.

Link via Roger Ebert, way down at the bottom of a pretty good article about actual changes in the human brain as a result of the way we use the Internet.

The Beginning of the End

/ Shane / 1 Comment

I try and I try to warn about the robot menace, but nobody listens to me. Every day some new story about robots getting smarter, scientists teaching them to stab people, etc. Quite frankly, I don’t know why the scientists even make them.

First off, the most dire news I have probably ever heard…a computer gave birth to a new life form. A computer actually created a DNA sequence, inserted it into an existing organism, and then got that organism to reproduce. This is the first time that someone (or something) was able to create a DNA sequence that was actually able to perpetuate itself.

Read that paragraph about 3 times and if you’re not too frightened to go on, let me tell you about this one. A robot actually performed a science experiment. That doesn’t sound scary until you consider what that means: a robot was able to perform a task, learn from its failure, modify the task and keep going until it got it right.

Did you buy some of that robot insurance I mentioned? Humans united against robots.

I have a dream (it involves pirates)

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Since high school I have had a vision of the ultimate pirate performance piece / urban prank. Imagine, if you will:

You’re sitting at a stop light, minding your own business. Suddenly a pickup truck pulls up next to you at the light. In the back of the pickup truck is an entire crew of pirates, minding their own business, acting for all the world like they belong there. You get a chuckle out of seeing an unexpected crew of pirates, maybe people start pointing.

Then it turns ugly.

A second pirate crew pulls up in a different pickup truck, flying a different pirate flag. Soon, a fight breaks out, complete with swashbuckling, boarding planks, and choreographed sword duels. Eventually everything is settled and the two trucks drive away as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

The closest I ever came to this was dressing up as a pirate and driving around with another pirate and a Jolly Roger in the back window. No sword fights though. No swashbuckling.

So, I think it’s time for the real deal. Who’s with me?

Ian McKellen does a dramatic reading of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

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Okay, so it wasn’t really Ian McKellen, but that was a spot on impression, you have to admit.

The guy does a bunch of other dramatic readings too, such as Charles in Charge, Ducktales, and Saved by the Bell. If you close your eyes, you can totally believe they are Sir Ian McKellen himself!

Link via Interactive Reader