One of the greatest websites I’ve ever stumbled upon has got to be Kids Give Me Hope (http://kidsgivemehope.blogher.com). I imagine that most of the things posted on the site (incredible stories of innocent, heartwarming things done or said by children) must be true. But even if they are not, you can’t help but be affected by them.
Here are some samples:
Right. It’s Thanksgiving. So what? What do I have to be thankful for?
Just kidding…let me tell you some of the things on my list this year:
I’m thankful…
I’m not a huge reality TV fan. There are plenty of shows that I’ll watch that fall into that genre (Survivor, Amazing Race, Extreme Makeover – the house version, Ice Road Truckers, American Chopper, etc.,) but there are many, many more whose mere existence depresses me (American Idol, Wife Swap, The Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, to name a few.)
The distinction between these, in my mind at least, is that the one’s I like are shows that exhibit people’s profession or have some element of actually competition. The shows that I can’t stand are the ones that exploit people for their desire to be famous and are purely subjective meaningless in their execution. On Amazing Race, for instance, you take average Joes, fly them around the world and set quantifiable tasks before them to accomplish. Conversely, on Jersey Shore, the main attraction is the dysfunctional nature of the “stars” on the show. The more screwed up these people are, the more popular they become with the show’s followers.
While bopping around the channels today between football plays, I stumbled upon a show that has the best of both of these groups and, as such, has left me confused and a bit dazed.
The show I found is called Parking Wars. The program has a two pronged focus. It highlights the men and women who perform the duties of vehicle ticketing, booting, and towing in various cities, and it also showcases the people who are receiving the fines and costs. There is a stark contrast between the working-class, seemingly honest persons on one side and the incredibly moronic individuals who challenge, chide, and swear at the former. (more…)
This is a very interesting video, though the subject matter might leave some of you a little disturbed. The speaker is Jesse Schnell, a professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie-Mellon University, speaking at D.I.C.E. 2010. (more…)
Check out the newest page of Miscellany Buffet… my reading list. What I’ve been reading and what I think about what I’ve been reading.
Is this guy a jerk? I don’t know, but someone sure thinks so.
I blurred his face since I don’t want to get sued. I blurred hi hand because, well, this is a family friendly blog. So be advised – neither is blurred when you go to www.chatranch.com, an entire domain dedicated to one page that gives a short photo essay on this guy’s faults. (more…)
Have you ever been online and not been able to get to a site? Of course you have, it happens to everyone. When this happens at work, you can shout to the lemming in the next cubicle something like, “Is poop senders dot com down for everyone or is it just me?” Usually you get a response to let you know if you are as alone as your wardrobe would lead us to believe.
If you’re at home, you can now enjoy the same sort of instant gratification that your cubicle neighbors have been able to provide you with for years.
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/
Just type in the URL and press your ENTER key.
