Jesse says...

I was watching Saturday morning cartoons with my daughter today and came to an interesting realization:

The only functional difference between Tom & Jerry and Itchy & Scratchy is that Tom & Jerry just doesn’t show the blood.

It’s been a while since I posted, and as I’m really tired right now but can’t seem to sleep, I’ll give just the quick overview of my world as of late:

• Work’s been really busy, but I have our Open House to look forward to on the 3rd. Check out our promo for the party!
• Freelance has been equally busy, but I should have a nice new piece to put up on my website when I’m done (in the next couple of days, probably).
• We’ve got some nice stuff happening with the new Étoilé site… but that won’t launch until early next year. But still, I’m really happy with the new direction.
• I’ve taken a hiatus from learning Chinese for a while, instead focusing my language-learning endeavors on Portuguese. I don’t know what it is about Portuguese, because even though Spanish makes much more sense for me to immerse myself in here, I just keep getting drawn to Brazil and it’s beautiful sounds.
• On the theme of Brazil, I’ve started taking samba lessons. It was stepping out of my comfort zone, but it’s going really well so far.
• I just discovered Alan Watts, and he’s awesome.
• I really dig the new CW show, Reaper. It’s damn hilarious… check it out if you find yourself home on a Tuesday night with nothing better to do than watch ridiculous television.

Coming to HBO — and damn hilarious:

They say the best way to learn a foreign language, short of dating a native speaker, is to watch TV in the language you’re trying to learn. Since I’m in the process of learning Portuguese (only 25 days until I’m in Brazil!), I managed to track down the webcast, Brazilian version of MTV.

I’m on my second day of programming, and I’ve already learned the following words: domingo, segunda, terça, quarta, quinta, sexta, sábado (the days of the week — I then also learned that the weekdays are actually followed by -feira), bunda (ass), maratona (marathon), assine e ganhe (sign in/subscribe and win), quebra-galho (literally “twig breaker” — it seems to mean a resourceful penny-pincher with connections, but I’m not completely sure), lei (law), aborto (abortion), corno (seems to mean a stupid, slutty guy who cheats on his girlfriend/wife), batalha (battle), modelo (model). I’m sure there are a bunch more that I’ve subconsciously taken in as well.

Also, there have been a few really, really good web resources for helping me out with Portuguese stuff:

Online Verb Conjugator
Portuguese Wikipedia
Portuguese Dictionary

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Mental Engineering is a weekly roundtable discussion about TV commercials and our commercial culture. It airs exclusively on public television.

Each week host John Forde is joined by four smart fun panelists. The conversation usually begins with the way the commercial uses the mechanisms of social psychology, then wanders through history, technology, sex roles, spirituality and humor.

I just discovered this show a few weeks ago, and it’s by far one of the best shows I’ve seen on tv. Funny, poignant… simply great television.

Check out their site and check them out on YouTube.

Chasing Windmills was on WCCO last night! Yay! We’re news-worthy! (Look for Local Bloggers ‘Chasing Windmills’ on Web TV Show)

I love the Internet. I get so much from the Internet: not only does the Internet provide me a steady paycheck via a web-related job, the Internet also gives me outlets to satisfy my many curiosities and hobbies, as well as a way to just pass the time. While I still watch a lot of DVDs, and the occasional television show, I would still have to say that the Internet is my primary form of entertainment. But not only do I enjoy content distributed via the Internet, like Yacht Rock and ChinesePod and LugRadio, I enjoy content about the Internet.

Take my most recent addictions: Google Current and Rocketboom. I’m sure I’ve mentioned Rocketboom before, since it’s just a damn awesome show, but I’ve really gotten back into it, mostly since upgrading my system has allowed me to store more video and play it more smoothly. Google Current is a relatively recent addiction, but one which got me hooked right off the bat.

Both are news-ish shows. Rocketboom has a focus more on discussing topics that are currently causing a buzz around blogs and forums of the net. Google Current takes a search term that’s been popular on Google lately, and expands that to show what people are actually searching for (and finding) on the Internet. What’s really remarkable about both shows is that they share a similar format: short shows (4 – 7 minutes average), with multiple stories/topics within that timeframe, and a good dosage of reality and humor.

Both shows “get” the Internet, and “get” web attention spans, and “get” how to connect with a busy, but involved, audience. The hosts of both shows (Amanda Congdon on RB, and Conor Knighton and Kinga Philipps on GC) represent the web’s version of news anchors: they’re young, they goof around, and they have the right balance of geek and chic. Neither show is overtly glossy or rehearsed-feeling, although GC has a bit more of that, due to being backed by Current TV’s (and presumably Google’s) budget. Still, both shows feel like someone with the right equipment and time could have produced it out of their basement.

The Internet already has a lot of stories and myths, and a rich world-spanning history. It’s amazing to be at the beginning of this, and to see the formation of Entertainment around the Internet, as people start to tell (and broadcast) these stories. As the gypsies would say:

May you live in interesting times.

Indeed.

Hilarious. Watch it!