Thursday, February 23, 2023

Random thoughts

Eaton Rapids Joe explaining "Faster than Light" travel, how the internet works or applied mathematics

The backstory on this video is that the "professor" is a professional actor who specialized in commercials. He was hired by Chrysler to act in the production of a "promotional" film. The cameraman was twiddling with his camera setting up focus, sound and brightness when the actor ripped off this masterpiece of bullshit to warm up and get in-character.

The cameraman kept recording and the rest is history.

As a writer of fiction, I have to make decisions about how much detail (bullshit) to include. Sometimes it is a matter of pacing. Good stories start at a pedestrian but entertaining pace and speed-up. Other times it is to provide a lesson or to help the reader suspend disbelief..."Well, that could happen"

 

Wisdom from plumbers

Shit runs down hill
Never work with your mouth open
Don't bite your fingernails
Don't eat the last bite of sandwich
Payday is on Friday

The primary use of leather is to...

Keep the insides of animals inside and the outsides outside.

Bill Staines

Bill Staines was a folk singer who is a great favorite of Mrs ERJ and Quicksilver.

We were playing The First Million Miles when Mrs ERJ asked me "Where does he live?"

A quick check of the internet suggests that he now resides in a cemetery, having passed away near the end of 2021.

Native of New Hampshire. 

A couple of selections for your enjoyment




11 comments:

  1. Magneto reluctance!

    ReplyDelete
  2. There was a new version for the Retro Encabulator with a new actor, and he just did one for the HyperEncabulator. There is even a trail bike Encabulator.

    Classic technobabble and sidesplittingly funny for any engineer.

    ReplyDelete
  3. As a rather accomplished BSer coming from a long line of BSers, that is God-Emporor level BS

    ReplyDelete
  4. ERJ, I had not heard of this until fairly recently. The fact that this was a warm-up makes it all the more funny.

    Thanks for the song references. They were enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I got to hear Bill Staines play live about 25 years ago in the old Unitarian church (complete with tons of high heel dents in the wood floor) in Saint Joseph MI. Great music by a fantastic entertainer. Funny how music brings back specific memories - can still remember how those wide plank pine floorboards looked.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Classic technobabble riff that became a cult recording!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That gives you a whole new level of respect for James Doohan, LeVar Burton, Amada Tapping, or any of the ranks of SF actors who had pages of technobabble to deliver.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That was an awesome technobabble riff.

    Having worked in health-care, explaining to patients and family, I realised a long time ago that that is exactly how any/all ‘specialist’ sounds to everyone else. That and, whilst a lot of such specific technical language is needed (shorthand) to define and differentiate, most is really just to exclude (or impress) non-members. Having to, as a major part of your role, explain in ‘layman's’ terms such concepts forces you to realise that most esoteric knowledge is really quite simple to express if often a bit long-winded.

    Having worked in multiple careers (military, construction, health-care) and having some strange interests and hobbies over the years, I suspect everyone does it (I once overheard SWMBO and friends discussing ‘lady things’ and I swear only every fifteenth word was even English). Now what does that say about us?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a great economics professor when said "Jargon is the leader the initiate pull up behind themselves." Then he defined disintermediation.

      Delete
  9. I didn't know that Bill Staines had passed. I saw him play several times in the late 70's, early 80's.

    ReplyDelete

Readers who are willing to comment make this a better blog. Civil dialog is a valuable thing.