Dec 16 2006
The Shake and Throw
While I’m waiting for a tech support guy to look over a techdump file, here’s another video in the holiday spirit.
Shot in 2002 and edited in 2003, it shows a family tradition celebrated less grandly than others. Sort of an unsung hero story, if you want to stretch your imagination a bit.
This one features my first attempt at voice-over, recorded probably on one of those computer wand microphones on a stand. It’s intended as a spoof of NPR feature stories (but with a visual).
Here goes.
The woman leaning over my dad at first is his sister, not my mom.Yes, even though we’re from Arkansas, those are two separate people. I figured I’d beat everybody to the joke.
Is my hubby a dork or what??? Oh, well, at least he’s a funny & cute dork!
That is just about the catchiest slogan I’ve heard all year! The Sweet’n'Low Shake’n'Throw. Nice.
And for the record, I wasn’t even thinking about the Arkansas thing until you mentioned it. Now if you were from Alabama or something…
Hey, watch it Simon. I’m from Alabama.
I am reminded all over again why I like cyber-socializing with you guys. That was one of the most wonderfully dorky things I have seen in quite some time. But in the end, I’m right there with you…the Sweet n’ Low Shake n’ Throw as a slogan is just too good to not capitalize on. It deserved its own mini-documentary. Nicely done
Wife - Hey, you’re a dork, too. Data is your favorite “Star Trek” character. No, wait, just the fact that you have a favorite “Star Trek” character.
(I got her hooked on ST:TNG, one of my crowning achievements, along with getting her to try (and like) root beer.)
Simon - Thanks! I’ve had it “in the can” for a while now. Figured this was as good a time as any to unveil it.
Josh - Huh? Born in Alabama, I guess?
M to the G - It was fun to make. The geek in my loves to edit video.
Speaking of modes of socializing, I’m about to load up a stack of board games to take to a real-live gathering at a house. No kids present. Should be fun (although, the fact that we’re taking board games should be a sign that things won’t get too terribly rowdy).
Mark, I’m not sure exactly how you keep coming up with new names for the Mokker but could ya decide on one you like and stay with it??? He’s going to develop a multiple personality and I’m still getting to know the one. And we all know how easy it is to confuse me.
Speaking of dorky, I know the guy who designed the pink Sweet n’ Low packets.
Board games and no kids? Hmmm. You better behave.
Foisting geekdom upon our wives is truly one of life’s great joys. Moonshot now begrudginglyunderstands the significance of Wedge Antilles and has joined me in using “Utapau” as a sound effect when playing with Norah. That just makes me happy.
Hey, just about any board game can be turned into a drinking game. So a rowdy round of board games IS possible. But I take your meaning ;)
I don’t suppose I could get away with looking intelligent AND asking what Wedge Antilles and “Utapau” might be???
Linda - I don’t know why I only play with his name. Just kind of did it one and ran with it. That’s too cool about your knowing the pink packet designer. What else has he designed? The corny sayings on the packets of Equal?
MG - Love your new label for yourself on that last comment. I’m with Linda on the Wedge Antilles and Utapau questions. I would look them up, but I prefer to get a personal take from you.
Linda - Thanks. I thought I was going to have to ask.
Mark, that’s a big nope, t’was was his only claim to fame.
I like M to the Mokkin’ G too.
Oksha-May the En-Gray. Mubokkingsha Grubbingen.
Ahskom Nerg. There, I like that.
How about Mokker the Gay Wren? Nah, too foofy.
I think we really need an alias for Mark, guys. What do you think? Suggestions, Shannon? Marky Mark is the only thing that comes to mind for me, but that’s what I call my sister’s BF.
Wedge Antilles…obscure pilot who appeared briefly in all three original Star Wars films. Was long used as a lithmus test for testing the level of Star Wars geekness.
Utapau - Star Wars planet where Obi fought General Greivous. Plus, it’sjust durn fun to say.
Linda - Marky Mark doesn’t bother me as long it’s uttered by folks I like and in fun. Plus, the original, Mark Wahlberg, is a talented guy whose work I usually enjoy. Sometimes, too, I “feel the vibration.”
Mokker - I knew it was something like that. The two things that bothered me most about Revenge of the Sith were 1) Hayden Christensen’s acting, and 2) Natalie Portman’s underachievement as an actor. She’s waaaay better than she was in that movie. I guess it’s kind of hard to feed off the energy of a brick wall like Christensen, though.
One of my favorite lines from that movie, was completely ruined because Christensen delivered it. Obi-Wan says something to the effect of “I will stop you,” and then Anakin utters his cool but utterly wooden reply, “You will try.”
Of course, Obi did stop him, in grand fashion.
Oh, that brings me to my other problem with that movie. Any Jedi worth a damn would have put him out of his misery. But then we wouldn’t have the movies numbered 4, 5, and 6.
So glad I asked.
Love,
La-La … as in, you la-la-lost me.
While I enjoyed Ep III…I too had a problem with the acting, but not just Hayden’s. I think Lucas has too much faith in his post-editing. His mind is so wrapped up in the post-production than he fails to really direct his actors properly…and when all they have is a green-screen, the direction becomes critical. So everyone seems wooden and forced, Hayden just happened to be the worst.
However, my biggest problem with that film is the treatment of Padme. She just gives up and dies? Just decided she can’t go on? Never mind the two children she’s abandoning…what sort of a reason to live is that, right? It took a character we had been asked to believe was strong-willed and suddenly asked us to accept that she would just cash in becasue Anakin had turned evil. It trivializes her whole character. I have to tell myself the little lie that Sidious killed her with the Force.
Linda - You know, that song with a popular music video from back in the ’90’s. Marky Mark (a.k.a. Mark Wahlberg) and the Funky Bunch?
Mokker, Kirk, and Spock ‘er - Yes, Lucas is largely to blame for the acting. You can tell who has more of the natural gift for acting when there’s poor or no direction. Take Saturday Night Live, for example. Done quickly, not a lot of time for directors to say, “No, say it like this.” Some hosts do great and some fall flat. I guess some of that has to do with comedic talent, but it’s also general acting skills. Lucas is not able to help actors and actresses overcome their mediocre skills (and, to be honest, Samuel Jackson was pretty piss-poor under Lucas’ direction). I thought Ewan did pretty well, though.
Okay, now back to Sweet ‘n’ Low. I think we’ve geeked out enough on this topic.
Just one more thing… I know about the Marky Mark thing (duh). It was all the Jedi talk that fried some brain cells for me.
Ok, we can quit this topic now ;-)
Must… Resist… Star Wars… Essay….
MUST!!
Utapau!!
It sure is fun to say.
***********
(PS — sorry Josh, I had to pick some state or other to tease, and Alabama ended up being it because I started to think of Lynyrd Skynyrd (do I have too many Y’s in there?) and the hate-on they have with Neil Young.)
Mark, you’ve outdone yourself with this one. The pre-emptive narration warning us to watch for the ladies’ reaction was priceless.
Although it has been panned as nerdy and geeky by your readers, I thought it was priceless. I know you narrate as you go many times, but to actually go back and add it after the fact makes it even more funny.
I think you should continue on that theme. Hilarious.
Simon - Thanks for holding off. It would be fun to read elsewhere, of course.
Charles - Thanks, bro. It was fun.