Jokebook: Computer Gender

When the computer came to Mexico, they had to figure out what gender to refer it to: as “la computadora” (feminine) or “el computador” (masculine).

One group decided that "computer" should be feminine because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The second group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves.
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time, they ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

"1, 2, 3, 4" is My New Favorite Song

My fascination with the song "1234" started when I was watching Sesame Street (gimme a break, I have two toddlers), and a woman came out and immediately captured my attention. I didn't recognize her, but the way they shot her segment made me think she was "somebody," like I was supposed to recognize her. She came out, smiling and beckoning sweetly, and began to sing [Youtube]. The song she sang was so cute and sweet, far more than just a counting song, and she had such charm that I couldn't get her out of my head. Plus, it all seemed so familiar.

So I Googled her, and discovered her name is Feist, and her song was familiar. I'd heard it as the background song in an iPod commercial. Turns out the song "1234" was re-written for Sesame Street, and it had become a smash hit from that commercial alone. I had to see what the real version was like, so I found the music video for the original "1234" [Youtube] And that proceeded to blow me away: a wildly fun, goofy, and enthusiastic dance sequence from a huge group in a warehouse, all seemingly shot in one take. So I read up on the music video, and it's even more amazing. Inspired by Feist's performance in a dance routine at the 1988 Olympics, the video was choreographed and shot in three days. They really were as happy as they seemed in the video: according to the director, even after they got their twentieth take, the dancers still wanted to do it again.

I've had the song stuck in my head since I first heard it. So I bought the mp3 from Amazon. And I love it.

Quote of the Week: The Box

Arcturan on the terrible review given to the movie The Box by Scifi Wire:
So, as bad as it is, when can we expect it to be prominently featured on SyFy along with the other high quality movies?

Alfred E. DVD: MadTV's Second Season DVD

I loved MadTV. Always would choose MadTV over Saturday Night Live, any day. I thought it was consistently funnier and more original than SNL from beginning to end. I also wondered why it never got any love. There were no movies with MadTV alumni. No one was walking around quoting or wearing T-shirts that said "He look-a like-a man." Bottom line? MadTV never got any respect. The absolute proof is that they released the first season of MadTV on DVD, and it sold so poorly that they cancelled plans to release any others. Well...I liked it.