Open Letter to the Mythbusters

Dear Adam, Jamie, Kari, Tori, and Grant,

Although, yes, I have proclaimed my love of Mythbusters in the past, I wanted to especially commend you on your excellent Moon Hoax episode. But more specifically, I wanted to thank you for all your efforts, not just to debunk myths...but in also help teaching people to think critically.

A few months ago, during a jobless period, I actually found myself watching Fox's rather inferior clone of Regis & Kelly (Hey, I was desperate, and Oprah was a rerun. I'm not proud.) But they had someone who cited your testing of gas mileage and keeping car windows open, and proclaimed that you guys "did it wrong."

But your team does it right - unlike, say, Penn and Teller, you don't take the moral high ground. Your reliance on the scientific method - of performing controlled experiments, of questioning your own assumptions - is a skill that is barely used in our culture. When you have a culture that promotes shows like Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (which suggests that most people aren't - or at least, aren't smart enough to avoid public humilation on television) or Deal or No Deal (which seems like Jeopardy for the inarticulate).

For all of our talk about valuing education, as a culture - in all honesty, we do not. Granted, there are exceptions to the rule (I know several people who believe the Internet revolves around them...and quite frankly, who take every opportunity to remind us how wonderful they are), but we value "commonality". We value "normalcy." In a perfect world, the Bad Astronomer would have tons of media spotlight...and Perez Hilton would be, well, a relative nobody.

Am I being mean spirited? A little. But the five of you do what very few do - make learning fun, make it interesting, and more importantly - make it cool to be smart.

And as someone who has put up with a lot of hassle over being educated, it's heartening to know that there is an increasing movement of skepticism, rational inquiry, and most importantly - a refusal to pander to baser impulses.

Thanks for your hard work, and keep making more episodes...and blowing stuff up. I like the explosions as well.

Your pal,
Gordon

P.S. If Kari has a twin sister who's single, please give her my e-mail. Thanks.

To Get You In The Holiday Spirit

Just thought I would spread a little holiday cheer by basically, well, cribbing videos from You Tube.

First, a little excerpt from the Extras Christmas special/series ender (which I never quite got into the same way I enjoyed The Office.) This is a nice little guest star role from some guy in some obscure science fiction show I've never heard of:

Next, some Chicago-style sketch comedy from my favorite local access show. (WARNING - you might not want to show this to the little ones):

In the same spirit of my last blog post:

And finally, because Christmas is not complete without Morey Amsterdam (from an old show I watched a lot as a kid):

...because everything's cooler with Morey Amsterdam. If you don't like Morey, you hate America. And kittens.

5 Reasons Why I Love Mythbusters

Mythbusters
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

As the holiday season approaches, I find myself grateful for the many blessings bestowed upon me. One of which is the discovery of Mythbusters, the show that works hard to reveal the truth behind many misconceptions. This is the only reality show that I watch on a regular basis, and taking a cue from another, irregularly updated blog, here are my five reasons for loving the show.

1. The understated, droll humor of Jamie Hyneman - Let's face it, if it weren't for his relative groundedness and down-to-earth demeanor, the show would be extremely over the top. His bio reveals a man of diverse experience; think of him as a younger, sexier James Randi. Adam Savage may be the assertive, go-get-'em leader, but Jamie easily serves as the practical counterpoint.
   
2. It promotes science and reason in a realm of the supernatural - when several prime time shows openly acknowledge a "debt" to psychic phenomena (such as Medium and Ghost Whisperer, this show emphasizes the scientific method over supernatural fakery. The team tests urban legends and other misconceptions, and quite frankly, it makes science cool again.
   
3. Kari Byron - She's smart. She's attractive. She's a redhead. If she weren't already spoken for - and she also loved Doctor Who - I would so write embarrassingly gushing blog posts about her. She and Kristen Bell are in the running for "cutest female geek pin-up queen"
   
4. Episodes now center around themes - for example, a recent show took on comic myths such as changing in a phone booth, whether punching someone can leave a ring imprint on their face, and whether a grappling hook can make a car turn suddenly. They did an episode around airplane myths. Now, it's more than just the typical here's-a-myth-let's-bust-it; they actually proved that it is more dangerous to use a cell phone while driving than driving under the influence.
   
5. The stunts range from the mundane to the F**** Yeah! - when you use a jet airplane to knock over a car, plane, and school bus, or use a decoy seal to attract sharks...or even fire random stuff out of a cannon, you know that if Mythbusters were a comic, Chris Sims would be on that like Mike Sterling on Swamp Thing. Trust me, you won't see this kind of wanton mayhem and destruction on, say, The Bachelor.
   

So this holiday, once you get your gift cards, or some horrible gift that you need to exchange...take my word for it. Buy one of the many Mythbusters DVD sets (as well as other items) from our store. Catch it on the Discovery Channel. You'll thank me later.

Insert Lame "Hot" Joke Here

Mythbusters - Kari & Peppers
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

I am playing with some open source video software, and wanted to try a feature.

Plus, inspired by Ben Varkentine's blog, I am providing a picture of two of my favorite things. This way, you get to know the real me.

I'm talking, of course, about hot peppers and Mythbusters.

If this doesn't drive up blog traffic, I don't know what will.