thinglets: Gavin at the Butcher's

If you haven't seen the character of Gavin from the Kids in the Hall, do yourself a favor and check out this classic sketch at the Butcher Shop. As with most slightly bizarre humor, you'll probably either love or hate it, but that's what the blog's all about. If you like it, there are a ton more over on YouTube.

Cow's eyes, dog's heads, old phonebooks are ingedients in what? Gavin'll tell you.

Impromptu Podcast 33: Where the Rubber Meets the Goal

I never thought I'd be podcasting about hockey, but next to the other six seasons: Winter, Spring, Construction, Summer, Fall, and TV Premiere, NHL Playoff Season is right up there in prompting a two month anticipation of great televised sports.
 
In as much as I believe that any product of a culture can help to define at least one piece of the culture that spawned it, hockey helps to define the entire Canadian culture for the past century.

stanley cup

thinglets: Wax On, Wax Off Remote

Through CNET's Crave, and several conventions over the past year or so, has GestureTek use-the-force hand-waving television remote come to the fore. And I cannot think of a more ridiculous idea.

Oh sure, the technology is cool, but do I really want to sit in my basement waving my arms around like I'm guiding a plane down the tarmac at LaGuardia? The traditional television remote control has reduced my inaction down to the most minimal press of my thumb. Why do I want to engage in a Karate Kid exercise every time I want to interact with my tuner?

I've got a gesture for the workmongers at GestureTek, and it involves quickly inverting an avian creature with my middle finger. I'll stick with my thumb press thanks.

thinglets: one of the best TV montages ever

Anyone who watched Chris Carter's Millennium when it was around, you may remember this scene from the final epsiode of season 2. This was on Primetime TV. The character of Lara Means (Kristen Cloke) has been infected with a plague and "over medicates" in trying to cope with her impending doom.

I remember this impacting me to a huge degree when it came out largely due to its unflinching resolve to allow Patti Smith's "Horses" play out to its full length. The scene went from commercial to commercial. It was surreal and daring which network TV rarely is. Undoubtedly scenes like this contributed greatly to the show's demise as I doubt the ability of the average viewer to cope with something as intense.

If you happen to like Patti Smith, it should be extra special if you've never seen it before.

thinglets: Retro Canadian Game Shows

Okay... first off, if anyone outside of Canada ever thought they saw a cheap game show, they were never in the Great White North during the 1970's. Grand prizes included toaster ovens, dinner for twos, and the cash sometimes almost went to triple digits. Included below are some clips from some of the cheesiest games ever played on television.
 
The Premier Episode of the Mad Dash

 
Check out Alex Trebek's 'fro in Pitfall (admittedly this show had a budget)

 
Definition actually lasted until the 80s, but still brings the cheese

 
Pay Cards was produced in Canada and syndicated to the US... so you know it was good!