I got to thinking about video blogs and what the proper protocol for getting something like that going. I went to YouTube and did a search for blogs just to see what would pop up.  this is one of the videos I got.  This is a very clever presentation of the benefits of both blogs and wikis.  For those unsure of what a wiki is, it’s a platform for sharing information where the content can be edited by the readers.  This “debate” uses the Kennedy/Nixon presidential debates of 1960 as its vehicle.  Now, I think that while this is a good presentation, I also believe it automatically sets a bias in the viewer’s mind because we all know what Nixon eventually did when he was President. Which is why I wince to say I sided with the Nixon side of the debate in general. At one point, Nixon talks about how you can see who said what when.  With a wiki, you can edit anonymously and there is no repercussion if your statement is incorrect.  But, watch the whole video and decide for yourself which platform is better.

I decided to do something different for this weeks bit of Friday fun.  Remember the old word game Mad-Libs? I decided to take a story and edit it, protecting the names of anyone involved, and replaced words with blanks to create a fun, silly story.

Martin Stone, an 83-year-old World War II veteran, and his wife Rosetta, 82, say that police have come looking for __________(noun) at their house about 50 times in the past _______(number) years.

It’s not clear why.

Police arrive from all over and ________(verb) on the door of the Martins’ two-story home searching for a _________(adjective) _________(noun) nearly every time. “I’m really worried,” Rosetta said. “How could so many people get my __________(noun) and how could cops be ________(verb ending in -ing) from so many different precincts?” The couple said one of the most __________(adjective) mix-ups came when police and ___________(celebrity) rolled up, hunting for _____________(famous villain).

“That is one I can’t get over,” Martin said, unable to understand how the NYPD could not know how to _________(adverb) find one. Even police don’t understand why the couple’s ____________(noun) continues to be a target. “Our identity theft squad is investigating the matter,” Inspector Red Mulen said.

Martin says they’re ___________(adjective) — but it still makes his ____________(noun) ______________(verb).

This is not fantasy. This is a belt buckle with an LCD screen capable of showing pictures and movies. The company that make it is called Egokast and they are already coming out with a newer version with a slightly bigger screen and improved funcionality. So, you know what this means. Guys, you now have a surefire way of getting a girl to look, and then you can say, “Hey, I’M up here!”

Fox news ran a fun little slideshow today on male celebrities and the facial hair they have sported in the past. Specifically beards. The premise is what would these beards say about their appearance and the celebrity to which they are attached. It got me to thinking: what would other accoutrements say about their functions of the stars. What would the polarized sunglasses of Jack Nicholson have to say? What would Leno’s chin say? It makes life more fun to think about these things every once in a while.

Any one remember the TV show Full House? That syrupy sitcom that introduced us to the twin vortex known as the Olsen twins? Fox news did a fantasy recast and their choices are quite interesting. Probably the best casting is Stephen Colbert in the Bob Saget role. This got me to thinking: which show would I recast? Who would be cast? So, I turn it over to you. What TV show would you recast?

Keeping with the last post, I decided to put another Star Wars related post up today.  This comes from Goldentusk, the genius who put together the LOST video I posted last week.  This is one of my favorite videos/songs from this guy.  Enjoy!

As the title should suggest, I am a huge Monty Python/dry humor fan. And since this is Friday, I figured I’d give you something funny for today. I stumbled upon this guy while surfing YouTube videos. He goes by the username of Goldentusk and what he does is nothing short of amazing. He takes instrumental theme songs from popular movies and TV shows and adds parody lyrics that describe the premise of the movie or show. Each one is unique and incredibly entertaining. Some of my favorites are his videos for Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman. To give you a taste of his creativity, I’m including his latest video for the TV show Lost. I have never watched the show, so I don’t understand the humor, but it seems to be real popular at this point, so I figured you might enjoy it more.

At least I laughed.  Apparently, according to msnbc.com, NASA officials discovered small amounts of cocaine in one of the facilities at Kennedy Space Center.  So, while the shuttles are getting worked on, the workers are getting worked up.  Don’t get me wrong, space travel is the future and it’s a dangerous undertaking, but the idea of NASA employees doing drugs is a little on the humerous side.

This idea comes from the heart today.  As a former teacher, my greatest joy is to help someone understand a difficult concept.  I ran into a problem in the public schools in that the kids did not share my passion.  It’s hard to teach someone who doesn’t want to learn.  That’s why I started blogging.  I wanted to share information with people who are willing to find the information and apply it to their own situation.

Since I’ve been blogging, however, I’ve noticed the need to lighten up.  Not every post needs to have earth-shattering information.  You try to do that every day, and you burn yourself out.  Have some fun.  Go off on a tangent every once in a while.

I’ll give you an example.  I was shopping for baby gifts for my niece when a lady nearby doubled over and started convulsing.  I got freaked since I don’t see that very often, but I went over to see if she was okay.  She looked at we with the biggest smile and handed me her cell phone.  On it was a picture of her grandson in mid-dive, two seconds away from belly flopping into a pool.  This lady had taken one look and started laughing so hard she doubled over.

See, go off on a tangent, tell a story, a joke, share a fond memory.  Give your readers a chance to connect with you personally.

I decided to do a little research last night for snow shovels and found this thing called the Sno wovel. It’s a shovel mounted onto a single wheel for easier lifting and snow moving. While it has some national endorsements for safety and ecological benefits, I wonder how effective it is. Does anyone own one of these things?