Archive for the ‘Humor’ Category

Eddiecoms #2: “Such a perfect method of writing”

August 12, 2012

Eddiecoms #2: “Such a perfect method of writing”

There has been a lot of talk recently about dishonest promotion on the internet.

Back in July, I wrote a post about what I decided to call “Eddicoms”. These are comments that people make on blogs which are really just disguised links to their commercial sites.

I would guess in many cases they are paying other people to do these for them, and it may even be done by software.

I post them here partially as a public service to let other bloggers know about them…and partially because they can be funny. :)

I’m careful to test the comment before I include it here. How do I test it? I select a distinctive phrase (often with a misspelling or a grammatical anomaly) and search for it on Google. In the case of an Eddiecom (named in honor of Eddie Haskell from Leave it to Beaver), there will be thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of posting of the same comment on other blogs.

I have tested that by searching for comments that I was confident wren’t Eddiecoms (because I knew who the poster was, or there were elements that clearly referred to my post)…and got none to very few matching results (even I selected a section with very little specific information).

If a comment fails the Google search test, I’m sure it’s an Eddiecom.

What first sets off my instinct to check the comment?

There are some red flags:

  • The comment is on a post I did some time ago
  • They are vague and don’t mention anything specific
  • They may say they just stumbled across the post
  • They may be effusively complimentary
  • They may be in fractured English
  • The posting name is a website, rather than a person
  • There is a website linked for the poster which appears to be a commercial website

No single red flag is enough, but when I few, I’ll test it.

“Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely useful information specifically the last part :) I care for such information a lot. I was seeking this particular info for a very long time. Thank you and good luck.’

“If some one needs to be updated with most recent technologies afterward he must be pay a quick visit this web site and be up to date daily.”

“Thank you for any other magnificent article. Where else could anybody get that kind of information in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the search for such information.”

“Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to far added agreeable from you!
By the way, how could we communicate?”

“Marvelous!!! Job you have done. Actually, you are pleasure to know, seriously. Your work is incomparable. It’s a masterpiece.
Your article is very resourceful and beneficial. And the work done is appreciable.”

“At this time it sounds like BlogEngine is the preferred blogging platform available right now.

(from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?”

This one is particularly clever, in my opinion. Although the punctuation is eccentric, the English is good…and people love to correct other people, so a blogger would be tempted to approve this and respond.

“Very good post. I am facing a few of these issues as well.”

This one might seem like it’s legit, but I found the exact same comment from the same poster…132 times on different blogs.

“I am not sure where you are getting your info, but good topic.
I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for magnificent info I was looking for this information for my mission.”

I got two Eddiecoms from the same poster on the same day…on the same post. :) One of them was the above.

“Excellent site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any community forums that
cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get feed-back from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you!”

This one was particularly good. The post on which the comment was made didn’t really fit the comment…and again, it failed the “Google search” test, where I find the same wording in comments on unrelated topics (in this case they included woodworking, weight loss, and the Cayman Islands).

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

High fly the 1-click, oh!

August 8, 2012

High fly the 1-click, oh!

(based on the folk song Green Grow the Rushes, Oh!)

I’ll download one book
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What is your one book?
One for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download two books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your two books?
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download three books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your three books?
Three, three, the trilogy!
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download four books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your four books?
Four for the romance series
Three, three, the trilogy!
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download five books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your five books?
Five for what Twitter recommends
Four for the romance series
Three, three, the trilogy!
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download six books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your six books?
Six for books that my friends wrote
Five for what Twitter recommends
Four for the romance series
Three, three, the trilogy!
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

I’ll download a million books
High fly the 1-click, oh!
What are your million books?
A million freebies I’ll never read
Six for books that my friends wrote
Five for what Twitter recommends
Four for the romance series
Three, three, the trilogy!
Two, two, the history that comes in two big volumes
and one for the new bestseller that I read about in People

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

“Your writing taste has been surprised me…”

July 3, 2012

Your writing taste has been surprised me…”

Not too long ago, I wrote about comments I get on the blog.

I love getting those comments, but some of them don’t appear to be sincere commentary on what I’ve said. They look like they are just ways to link to another site.

I got some great responses to that post, and I have not been approving comments that really appear to be irrelevant.

However, I still get them. :)

I’ve gotten a few recently that amused me.

First, they will typically be on a post that I did some time ago: that’s a good tip-off. Yes, people do legitimately find my older posts and comment on them, and that’s fine, but it is a red flag.

Second, they are vague: they don’t mention anything specific.

Third, they sometimes say that they just stumbled across the post in some way,

Fourth, the posting name is usually the name of a business or a website, not a person.

Fifth, they are often complimentary: that seems like a new trend.

Sixth, they may be in fractured English (although they can also be in another language entirely). It makes me wonder if machine translation is being used, since they can really mess up the idiomatic expressions.

As you know, I like making up neologisms, and I think I’m going with “Eddiecoms” for these. The Eddie part is for Eddie Haskell, because they tend to be so ridiculously flattering. I hesitated with that, because Eddie was actually very articulate when speaking with Mrs. Cleaver (see my parody, Beaver and the Kindle). I considered Eddielinks, but “Eddiecoms” (short for “Eddie Haskell Comments” just sounds better to me.) :)

Here, then, are some Eddiecoms. I’m not going to include who sent them, so the linking part will be unsuccessful. I believe it’s legal for me to publish them, since they posted them for publication. Generally, also, my understanding is that an e-mail belongs to both the sender and the recipient, unless the sender indicates it is private.

“I do not even know the way I finished up here, however I assumed this submit was once great. I do not know who you might be but definitely you’re going to a well-known blogger when you aren’t already. Cheers!”

“This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me.

Thanks!”

“Usually I do not read article on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and
do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me.
Thank you, very nice post.”

“excellent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I am sure, you have a huge readers’ base already!”

“What i don’t understood is in reality how you are not really a lot more neatly-liked than you might be now. You’re so intelligent. You know thus considerably with regards to this matter, produced me in my view imagine it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be involved except it is something to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your individual stuffs nice. Always take care of it up!”

Let me know if you’d like to see more of these in the future…

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

Whatever happened to reading a book?

June 29, 2012

Whatever happened to reading a book?

Whatever happened to reading a book?
Just sitting down and having a look
At words, just plain words, as they sit on a page
Is that now a thing of a bygone age?

I’ll listen to music, a nice song or two
Now where is that playlist? This one just won’t do
Oh, look…that hot artist has dropped a new single!
The video has Twitter feeds all a-tingle
Wait, what was I doing? Oh yes, I was reading
A concert is really not what I was needing
Go back to the words: make me cry, make me laugh!
I’ll start at the start, with the first paragraph

The font’s a bit boring, I think that I’ll change it
This menu right here will let me rearrange it
I’ll make it much bigger, no, smaller, no darker
I won’t need my glasses: take that, Dorothy Parker!
Wow, this is such fun: I feel like the Sheriff!
Curlicues out of town! I’ll go with sans serif!
Mwah hah hah! Now I’ll switch it and put white on black!
All you layout artists are under attack!
I’ll do it my way, I don’t care what you want!
I’m finally freed from the force of the font!

Those letters look cool…hey, don’t they make words?
I’ll make sure I read them…but first, Angry Birds!

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

If dogs were devices

June 24, 2012

If dogs were devices

Hy: “Hey, did you hear about the new model dog they’re releasing? It’s supposed to be bipedal!”

Cybee: “That’s just a rumor, and I don’t believe it. Who would want a bipedal dog? How would you keep them off the kitchen table?

Hy: “Maybe it’s a nano-dog…they couldn’t reach on two legs.”

Cybee: “I hate those little things. If it has to worry about you stepping on it, it’s not a real dog.”

Andy: “I’ll tell you what’s a real dog…a wolf.”

Hy: “Ah, what do you know about it?”

Andy: “I was there when we got the first dogs.”

Cybee: “What, like fifteen thousand years ago?”

Andy: “Yep. I’m a cloned Neandertal…they even managed to pull in my old memories.”

Cybee: “You’re Andy Tal?”

Andy: “That’s me. You modern Saps don’t seem to care much for my real name, so they started calling me Ne Andy Tal…and Andy just sort of stuck.”

Hy: “What did you call us?”

Andy: “Saps…no offense meant. It’s just sort for Homo sapiens sapiens…that’s you guys.”

Cybee: “Wait a minute…I thought I read that the…um…Saps used dogs to help us conquer you Neandertals.”

Andy: “That’s just a bunch of disinformation. Believe you me, there wasn’t any conquering going on! I’ve heard all about it…you had tools, you had language, you name it. All you had was dominant genes….you just mated us out of existence, for the most part.”

Cybee: “What do you mean for the most part?”

Andy: “There are still a few of us around, out in the wild, and I’m sure you’ve seen somebody at the beach who got some recessive genes and looked like me.”

Hy: “I guess so. So, wolves, huh? I’ll be you’re jealous of our modern dogs!”

Andy: “Not really. Wolves were a whole lot more reliable. I can’t believe all the glitches you have with your dogs! Hip dysplasia, heartworms, ticks, fleas…sure, wolves had some problems with those, but you’ve thinned out the skins so much and spent all this time breeding for cute noses and pretty hairdos that you take your dogs to the doctor all the time. You inject them and powder them and buy them special foods…it’s pathetic, really.”

Cybee: “But you can’t really train a wolf, right?”

Andy: “Train them to do what?”

Cybee: “Oh, fetch, and sit, and…um, canine agility…”

Andy: “Sigh. That stuff has nothing do with what being a dog means. You want all the bells and whistles, and you love your multi-functional animals. For us, wolves ate the garbage and let us know when a stranger was around. They might even help out with the hunt, but none of that took any training. They just did what they always did…it’s just that they did it with us, instead of in their own packs.”

Hy: “What about house training?”

Andy: “No houses. When we were in the same caves, wolves don’t poop where they sleep. The way you guys live, with wood on the ground and plants in the rooms, it’s not surprising dogs get confused. I’ve seen some of those pretty dog breeds…they aren’t all that bright anyway.”

Hy: “I don’t care what you say. I want a dog that will sit in my lap, come when I call, and make me laugh.”

Andy: “Up to you. Don’t let an old ‘caveman’ tell you what to do.”

Cybee: “That’s fine, old-timer. Hey, Hy, did you hear that J.K. Rowling has announced her own brand of dog?”

Hy: “You’re kidding!”

Cybee: “Nope, she’s taking pre-orders now. It’s a cross between a Maltese, a Pug, and a Poodle.”

Hy: “What does she call it?”

Cybee: “A Muggle…”

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

The Pirate steals songs, Batman rights wrongs – part 2

May 22, 2012

Batman rights wrongs

This is part two of a parody of the 1960s Batman TV series. 

Voiceover:

“We have already seen…

A charity premiere

But the movie’s not here!

The mayor’s been taken

All dogs love bacon!

The pirate plays a game

The batcomputer’s aflame!

Our heroes brave and bold…

Rickrolled!

Can Batman and Robin escape the certain doom of being crushed by a giant log? It looks hopeless…but have you seen this show?”

Batman and Robin are straining against the log, but it’s still rolling unstoppably, while Rick Astley cowers against the wall. They step away dramatically.

Robin: “Holy Sisyphus, Batman!”

Batman: “Don’t give up hope, old chum. Fortunately, I have something that might just do the trick!”

Batman pulls a tube out of his utility belt. It’s labeled “Bat-Termite”.

Batman: “Mastotermes darwiniensis, or rather, my own genetically-modified mutant strain…Mastotermes darwiniensis chiroptera…the Bat-Termite!”

Rick Astley; “A termite? Seriously?”

Batman: “I am always serious when lives are at stake! Chew, little termite, chew!”

Batman shakes the termite on to the log. Sawdust begins to fly, as the log rolls forward. When the log rolls far enough and the bat-termite reaches the floor, though, we see the termite chew through the floor and disappear through  a hole it has made.

Robin: “Holy Hogan’s Heroes! It escaped through a tunnel!”

Batman: “Holy hole indeed, Robin!”

Robin: “Actually, I said ‘Holy Hogan’s Heroes’.”

Batman. “Really? I just assumed–”

Rick Astley: “Don’t you have a bat-chainsaw or a bat-axe or something?”

Batman: “They would spoil the line of my utility belt.”

Robin: “Fashion is a powerful weapon against the criminal mind!”

Batman: “If only there was some way we could remotely contact Alfred! Some device that could transmit our voices across a distance without the use of wires!”

Rick Astley: “I have a cellphone.”

Batman: “Is it a bat-cellphone?”

Rick Astley: “Um…no.”

Robin: “Holy rotten luck!”

Batman: “The Boy Wonder is right! I appreciate your offer of assistance, citizen, but it would go against everything in which I believe to use a non-bat-item to save us. It’s unfortunate that you will also come to an untimely demise, bones snapping and being ground into dust, excrutiatingly squashed into unrecognizable jelly, but better to die than to live an unbranded life.”

Robin: “Gosh, that was deep!”

Batman: “Perhaps if I recalibrate my batarang, I can turn it into a bat-tuning fork! There’s one chance in a billion that I can hit the right frequency, which should dissolve the molecular bonds in the Pirate’s lethal log!”

Rick Astley: “Or you could just tell me the number, and I could dial it! That way, you wouldn’t be the one to use the device…and I wouldn’t die!”

Robin: “What do you think, Batman?”

Batman: “I still like the tuning fork idea.”

Robin: “A billion to one is pretty long odds.”

Batman: “You see, Robin! Math does serve a useful purpose. Your use of a statistical argument has convinced me.”

Robin: “Gosh yes, Batman. I’ll hit those math books twice as hard when we get home.”

Rick Astley: “What’s the number?!”

Batman: “Gotham City 5-5555.”

Rick Astley dials the number. We hear Alfred: “Batcave: Alfred speaking.” There is a bit of awkwardness as Rick Astley tries to hand the phone to Batman, who won’t take it. Rick Astley ends up holding the phone up to Batman’s cowl.

Batman: “Alfred, this is Batman, the caped crusader.”

Alfred: “Yes, sir. I’m sorry it took me so long to answer the phone. I was regrouting the bat-hot tub. How may I be of service?”

Batman: “Is the laser-equipped Earth-circling Batellite still in geosynchronous position over Gotham City?’

Alfred: “I believe so, sir.”

Batman: “I need you to program it to project a Robin-shaped beam precisely 375 centimeters from my current position, adjusting for a downward rotational rate of three degrees per second.”

Alfred: “Very good, sir.”

Alfred walks over to a machine labeled “Laser-equipped Bat-satellite”, and pushes a single, large red button shaped like a bat.

We see a red beam cut a Robin-shaped hole in the log. Robin dashes through.

Robin: “Holy square peg! What now, Batman?”

Batman: “Look for some way to halt the progress of this fiendish mechanism!”

Robin finds a handle labeled: “Stop the fiendish mechanism.” The boy wonder throws the lever! The log stops, and begins reversing.

Alfred: “Will there be anything else, sir?”

Batman: “That should be sufficient for now…you may return to your grouting.”

Alfred: “Thank you, sir. I consider it a privilege.”

Rick Astley: “We’re saved! Thank you, Batman!”

Batman: “I was simply doing what any citizen with a geosynchronous laser-equipped satellite would have done.”

Rick Astley: “Um, right. By the way, I meant to say…I’m actually not a citizen, I’m from England.”

Batman: “We are all citizens of the world.”

The log has retracted. We can see Robin, and a stairway with a sign that says, “Exit from Deathtrap”.

Batman: “You may return to playing your music, Britizen. Let’s go, Robin…we have a pirate to pursue!”

Batman and Robin run up the stairs.

We bat-cut to Commissioner Gordon’s office. Mayor Judi Rooleeani is there, with Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara.

Commission Gordon: “Your Honor, it is fortunate indeed to see you back in command of this fair city. Chief O’Hara, I commend you and your men for your valiant action.”

Mayor Rooleeanee: “Actually, the Pirate dropped me off outside. The officers just rode up with me in the elevator.”

Chief O’Hara: “If only me and me boys had been there when the blackhearted scoundrel was here! I’d have shuddered his rudder.”

Commissioner Gordon: “I share your sentiment, Chief, but there will be no rudder shuddering without a court order…or a positive assessment of probable cause.”

Chief O’Hara: “I’d cause his probable!”

Mayor Rooleeani: “Listen, you two. Neither of you were there or were a part of this, so that doesn’t matter. In fact, I can’t think of the last time either of you were involved in anything more than a parking ticket! What do I pay you for?”

Commissioner Gordon: “It’s a mystery…and one I’m sure I can’t solve. However, there is one person who can…do you concur, Chief O’Hara?”

Commissioner Gordon reaches for the bat-phone…

Mayor Rooleeani: “Stop that!”

We bat-cut to the street outside a swanky restaurant named “The Crow’s Nest”. The Batmobile roars up (trailing bat-shaped bubbles). Batman and Robin unfasten their seatbelts and leap out. A uniformed parking attendant (Jay Leno) approaches them.

Attendant: “Valet parking?”

Batman: “No thank you, citizen. We are here to capture a major offender against the city’s civil code. It shouldn’t take long; we’ll just park at the meter. Besides, the Batmobile isn’t your average vehicle: not just anyone can drive it.”

Attendant: “I have some experience with exotic cars.”

Robin: “Holy in-joke!”

Batman: “Be that as it may, it won’t be necessary.”

Batman leaps to the meter, and we see a closeup of the utility belt as he pumps a little lever and it drops out quarters one at a time. We see a “bike rack” with the surfboards parked in it. There is a sign: “Amphibian surfboard parking only”.

Robin: “This looks like the right place, Batman! Gosh, it was smart of you to put bat-tracking devices on the Pirate’s surfboards! How did you know which ones to do?”

Batman: “Simple, Robin..I put bat-tracking devices on every surfboard in Gotham City.”

Robin: “Holy Big Bat-Brother!”

Batman: “It was a small matter to calculate the tracks of the surfboards which left the water, and led us here…to the Crow’s Nest.”

Robin: “Holy appropos!”

Batman: “I think it’s safe to assume that the Pirate and his high seas henchmen are using this newly established eatery as a front. To the batropes!”

Batman whirls a batarang and releases it! It sails up…and up…two stories…five stories…ten stories…twenty stories…now we’re getting bored! It wraps around a railing. Batman jerks it so it tightens. We cut to Batman and Robin doing a 

b

a

t

c

l

b

.

Robin: “Gosh, Batman, why do we always use the batropes? Why don’t we ever go up the elevator?”

Batman: “For the element of surprise, old chum!”

Robin: “But if we always do it the same way, why is it a surprise? Why aren’t the criminals just waiting for us at the window?”

A window pops open in the wall they are climbing. Lady Gaga leans out.

Lady Gaga: “Hello, Batman and Robin.”

Batman: “Good evening, citizen. What brings you to our city?”

Lady Gaga: “I’m doing a show at Gotham Square Garden.”

Robin: “Holy Little Monsters!”

Batman: “I hope your preparations are going well.”

Lady Gaga: “We’re all set. Although, say, I like the way you are climbing up the walls…maybe I could use that as my entrance.”

Robin: “Bat climbing isn’t for amateurs, miss. It takes years of practice.”

Lady Gaga: “Oh, I thought maybe you were born that way.”

Lady Gaga shrugs and closes the window. Batman and Robin continue their climb.

Voiceover: “Meanwhile…inside the Crow’s Nest restaurant…”

Hacker: “I’m still confused, Captain Boss. Why did we kidnap the Mayor, and then return her to police headquarters?”

The Pirate: “It be all part of a clever plan, you seagoing simpleton! While we had  the Mayor at the abandoned Pirate Bay attraction, I scanned her.”

Malware: “What for, Captain Boss?”

The Pirate: “So I can feed her statistics into this, what be me greatest invention…The Infringer! Then, we’ll be able to make all the unauthorized copies we want…hahr hahr hahr!”

We see Batman and Robin have arrived on a ledge outside the window.

Robin: “Let’s get ‘em, Batman!”

Batman: “Ready when you are, old chum! Those batclimbs are a good warm-up before a strenuous bout of batfighting!”

They are about to dash through the window when Batman pauses.

Batman: “Great Scott! Look who is being led to a table!”

We see Aunt Harriet and Alfred following a waitress in a pirate outfit.

Aunt Harriet: “Thank you for driving me, Alfred! I’ve heard that this restaurant has the most amazing seafood.”

Alfred: “I live to serve, madam.”

Batman is waving his hands wildly at the window. Alfred sees him. Batman points to Aunt Harriet, and makes a little walking motion with his fingers, to show Alfred he wants Aunt Harriet taken out of harm’s way. Alfred nods.

Alfred: “Madam, shall we go?”

Aunt Harriet: “Whatever for?”

Alfred: “Well, since we’ve finished dinner…”

Aunt Harriet: “Finished? But we haven’t started yet.”

Alfred: “Oh, but we have, madam. Don’t you remember? You said the mahi-mahi was delicious.”

Aunt Harriet: “Did I? I don’t recall.”

Alfred: “Yes, madam.”

Aunt Harriet; “Well, we must come here again some time, when I’m not quite so forgetful.”

Alfred: “As you wish, madam.”

Alfred winks at Batman, and ushers Aunt Harriet out of the restaurant. Batman and Robin bound into the dining room.

Batman: “Hold it right there, Pirate! Your sinister sailing days are through!”

Robin: “Yeah, you’ll be landlocked all right…landlocked in a jail cell!”

The Pirate: “Sink em, boys!”

The batfight breaks out…WOOT! LOL! BRB!

Batman and Robin are leaping off tables and smashing them over Hacker, Malware, and Trojan. Each of the henchmen goes down. Batman and Robin shake hands, and look from side to side for the Pirate. They spot him…next to the window! There is a plank sticking out of it, and on the plank is Katy Perry, in a leg-revealing leotard covered in feathers.

The Pirate: “I demand safe passage, Batman, or I’ll make her walk the plank!”

Robin: “Holy hostage!”

Batman: “Who are you, young lady?”

Katy: “I’m Katy Parrot. The Pirate hired me to replace his mechanical macaw.”

Batman: “Pirate, you fiend! Why did you do that?”

The Pirate: “I figured more people would pay attention to me this way.”

Robin: “Holy Yvonne Craig ratings desperation!”

Batman: “Now, Robin, don’t be sexist. Women can do anything that men can do…they just can’t be paid the same for it.”

Robin: “Gosh, Batman, you’re right…how insensitive of me.”

We hear a commotion, and Aunt Harriet enters quickly, followed by Alfred, who is trying to dissuade her.”

Aunt Harriet: “I’m sure I must have left my purse here in the restaurant, Alfred. Perhaps it’s in this cloakroom…”

Aunt Harriet enters The Infringer through a door. Lights begin to flash and we hear the sounds of a modem!  A progress bar quickly moves to 100%, and “Item Scanned” flashes in neon lights on the side.

The Pirate: “Hahr, hahr, hahr! It works!”

The Pirate dances a jig, moving away from Katy Parrot. Batman hits him with a decorative treasure chest, and he sinks to the floor.

Batman: “Alfred, help Miss Parrot! Robin, to The Infringer!”

Batman and Robin leap towards The Infringer. They open the door, and Aunt Harriet stumbles out…and then another Aunt Harriet…and another…

Robin: “Holy duplication!”

Batman: “The Pirate’s sinister server has created a herd of Harriets!”

Robin: “Holy stripped DRM!”

Alfred: “Sir, I’ve  noticed that there is another door labeled ‘Delete’. If you were to entice the copies to enter it, I should think that would dispose of them.”

Batman: “Good work, Alfred!”

Robin: “But how do we know which one is the real Aunt Harriet?”

Batman: “Simple, chum. Alfred, the fire alarm!”

Alfred: “Very good, sir.”

The alarm goes off and the overhead sprinklers engage. Everyone is getting wet, and on one Aunt Harriet, we can see the words “Harriet Cooper” appearing on her arm.

Robin: “Holy watermark!”

Batman: “Precisely, Robin. Some time ago, I took the precaution of marking everyone I know with a special invisible bat-tattoo. The chemicals in the ink interact with the hydrogen and oxygen in the water, becoming briefly visible, thus enabling me to verify their identities!”

Robin: “Why didn’t The Infringer duplicate the tattoo?”

Batman: “A scanner can’t scan what a scanner can’t see.”

Robin: “Holy tongue twister!”

Alfred has been feeding the duplicated Aunt Harriets into the delete door, and they’ve been disappearing. As the last one goes in, The Pirate recovers consciousness.

The Pirate: “What…what happened? Where are all the duplicates?”

Alfred: “What duplicates, sir?”

The Pirate: “You mean…you mean it didn’t work? I don’t understand…the programming was perfect.”

Batman: “No programming is perfect, Pirate…not even television.”

Robin: “Holy mixed metaphors!”

The Pirate: “Ahhhhrrr-choo! Ahhhhhhrrr-choo!”

Batman: “Caught a cold, Pirate?”

The Pirate: “I think I’m allergic to her feathers.”

Robin: “Well, there’ll be plenty more feathers where you are going…from the jailbirds!”

Commissioner Gordon, Police Chief O’Hara, and some uniformed officers enter the dining room.

Robin: “Holy obsolescence!”

Chief O’Hara: “Take ‘em away, boys!”

The uniforms and O’hara drag out The Pirate, Malware, Hacker, and Trojan.

Commissioner Gordon: “What about her, Batman? Evil moll or innocent bystander?”

Batman: “She’s not one of the boys, Commissioner.”

Katy Parrot: “That’s right. This whole thing has just been a bad teenage dream. Thank you for rescuing me, Batman!”

Batman: “No thanks are necessary, citizen. Alfred, will you see that Miss Cooper,  the aunt of Bruce Wayne’s ward, Dick Grayson, gets home safely to stately Wayne Manor?”

Alfred: “Certainly, sir. Miss Parrot, may we offer you a ride?”

Katy Parrot: “No, I’d better start looking for a job, now that I’ve lost this one.”

Robin: “Say, Batman, do you think that nice singer we passed on the way up here could use her?”

Batman: “No way to know for certain, Robin, but you can tell her Batman sent you, Miss Parrot. My friend, millionaire Bruce Wayne, owns a talent agency. I’ll have him send someone over to look after your interests.”

Katy Parrot: “That’s swell! Would he do that for me?”

Robin: “He’s a philanthropist, Miss Parrot. Just another rich guy helping out society.”

Batman: “Let’s go, Robin!”

Batman and Robin dash to the window.

Doodleedoodleedoodleedoodleedoo!

The final scene, in the sitting room at stately Wayne Manor.

Aunt Harriet: “Well, that was quite an evening!”

Alfred: “Indeed it was, Miss Cooper. I’ve taken the liberty of drawing you a warm bath upstairs.”

Aunt Harriet: “I still don’t understand what happened. At one point, I think I was seeing double!”

Bruce Wayne: “Fatigue can do that, Aunt Harriet. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

Alfred leads Aunt Harriet upstairs.

Dick Grayson: “Bruce, look!”

Another Aunt Harriet enters from the library.

Dick: “Holy viral video! I thought we got rid of all the duplicates!”

Bruce; “Unfortunately, Dick, once an illegal copy has been made, there is no way to eradicate it completely. I’m afraid these counterfeit Coopers will continue to pop up from time to time.”

Dick: “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

Bruce: “Not us this time, old chum. It’s up to the public, the good people of Gotham City. As long as they keep downloading unauthorized songs, videos, and e-books, the demand will exist. Until they stop, these criminals will keep infringing on the rights of law-abiding corporations and artists.”

Dick: “Holy futility!”

Bruce: “Never give up hope, Robin…never give up hope.”

THE END

(~^v^~)

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

The Pirate Steals Songs, Batman Rights Wrongs – part 1

May 21, 2012

The Pirate Steals Songs, Batman Rights Wrongs – part 1

This is part one of a parody of the 1960s Batman series with Adam West and Burt Ward.

(~^v^~)

We see spotlights outside a swanky theatre, and then a banquet room filled with celebrities and rich people.

Voiceover: “A glamorous night in Gotham City…all of Tinselwood has turned out for the Wayne Foundation charity premiere of the latest Bat-blockbuster! Silence those cellphones, viewers…your feature is about to start!”

We cut to a table. Seated at it are millionaire Bruce Wayne (Adam West), his ward Dick Grayson (Burt Ward), a famous movie director  (Paul Reubens) and his wildly-dressed companion, Helena Troy Mondale (Kristen Wiig).

Dick: “Gosh, Bert Timmons! I think your movies are the coolest!”

Bruce: “I agree, Dick. They have an offbeat surrealist sensibility, not unlike the early cinematic efforts of Tod Browning.”

Helena: “Are you a student of the cinema, Mr. Wayne?”

Bruce: “I prefer the classical arts, Ms. Mondale, but I don’t deny the value of the artistry of the moving image.”

Bert: “Well, I really appreciate you hosting this exclusive premiere of my latest Batman movie, Bruce.”

Bruce:  ”The Wayne Foundation is always ready to help out a charity…especially when it involves such lovely ladies.”

Helena: “Oh, Mr. Wayne!”

(Bert chuckles)

Dick: “I think they’re starting.”

We cut to a podium in front of a large screen showing the Wayne Foundation logo. Commisioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara flank the podium.  A woman walks to to the podium. We cut to a medium shot, and can see a name plate: “Mayor Judi Rooleeanee”.

Voiceover: “Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Rooleeanee.”

Mayor Rooleeannee (Melissa McCarthy): “Citizens of our fair city, and distinguished visitors! Welcome to the Gotham Chinese Theatre! I want to first thank millionaire Bruce Wayne and the Wayne Foundation for their generous support. Second, thank you to director Bert Timmons and the lovely Helena Troy Mondale for allowing us this exclusive premiere of this movie, starring the city’s own caped crusader…Batman! I had hoped Batman himself might make an appearance, but it seems that he had another engagement. I don’t know what it could be, since we are the safest large city in the country…bat-villains excluded, of course.  If he was here, though, I’m sure he would ask you to give generously to the Orphans and Extras Fund on your way out, after your exclusive first look at Batman: Cave of Dreams!”

The lights stay up, and the screen changes to a green background. A piratey voiceover says, “This movie is rated Arrr!” The screen clears, and we see The Pirate (Will Ferrell).

The Pirate: “Yo ho ho and a bottle of bummer! You won’t be setting sail on an exclusive tonight!”

Bert: “Hey! That’s not my movie!”

The Pirate: “Information wants to be free! I’ve plundered your picture…but don’t worry, ye’ll all be seein’ it!”

Suddenly, we start hearing cellphones going off all around the room. We see Bert look at his phone, as a “Batman: Cave of Dreams” title card appears on it.

Bert: “Aah! They’ve stolen my movie and sent it to everyone in this room!”

Bruce: “Unless I miss my guess, the fiend has sent it to everyone in Gotham City.”

Dick: “Gosh, Bruce! Who’s going to donate to the Orphans & Extras now?”

The Pirate: “I’m thinkin’ that ye might all be wishin’ for a little less freedom right now. Well, never let it be said that The Pirate weren’t hospitable. I’ll be throwin’ the Mayor in the brig!”

The lights go out for literally just a second.

When they come back up, we see that the Mayor is missing!

Chief O’Hara: “Faith and begorrah!”

Commissioner Gordon: “The Mayor is gone!”

Dick: “Holy special elections!”

Bruce: “Well, Dick, since we aren’t going to see the movie tonight, I think we’d better get back to stately Wayne manor. After all, it is a school night.”

Dick: “You bet, Bruce! It was an honor to meet you, Mr. Timmons.”

Bert lets out a wail.

Bruce: “Don’t worry, Bert. The Wayne Foundation will make a generous donation in your name.  Good evening, Ms. Mondale. Let’s go, chum!”

Doodleedoodleedoodleedoodleedoo

We are at police headquarters.

Voiceover: “After a fruitless search for the city’s chief executive, Commissioner   Gordon and Chief O”Hara ponder the Pirates perfidious performance.”

O’Hara: “I don’t understand it. Me boys have scoured all of downtown, with nary a sign of her honor. If I could get me hands on that sea-going scoundrel, I’d keelhaul him!”

Gordon: “Now,Chief, while I understand your frustration, it will be up to the courts to determine an appropriate punishment…after a finding of guilty, of course.”

O’Hara: “Sure, and that’s the truth. I just don’t know what else we can do.”

Gordon: “Neither do I…but I think we know someone who might.”

Commissioner Gordon makes a call on the Bat-Phone. We do a bat-cut to stately Wayne Manor, where Bruce and Dick have just entered the sitting room.

Aunt Harriet: “You boys are home early. Wasn’t the movie good?”

Bruce: “Unfortunately, there were…technical difficulties.”

Aunt Harriet: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that! A night at the picture show would have done you both some good.”

Alfred enters: “I’m sorry to interrupt. It’s the red phone, Master Bruce.”

Bruce: “Thank you, Alfred. We’ll take it in the library.”

We cut to the library, and Bruce on the phone.

Bruce: “The Pirate, you say? And the Mayor vanished? Fear not, Commissioner…we won’t waste a moment.” (hangs up dramatically) “To the Batpoles!”

(in the Batcave)

Robin: “Gosh, Bruce, I don’t understand. How did The Pirate get Mayor Rooleeanee out of the Gotham Chinese Theatre without anybody seeing them?”

Batman: “I have my suspicions, Boy Wonder, but let’s see what the Bat-Computer has to say.”

Batman pushes a few buttons. We can hear the relays closing, and the Batcomputer spits out a card, which Robin grabs and reads out loud.

Robin: “‘The Pirate could not have gotten the Mayor out of the theatre.’ Holy that does not compute!”

Batman: “Exactly as I had deduced.”

Suddenly, the Batcomputer begins making noises again, and another card spits out. Robin grabs it and read it: “Arr, Batlubber, you’ve been pinged!”

Batman: “Step back, Robin!”

Batman touches a button on the Batcomputer, and flames instantly appears, separating Batman and Robin from the Batcomputer.

Robin: “Holy flame-broiled burgers! What’s that?”

Batman: “Just a little security measure I installed on the Batcomputer. It prevents anyone who hacks into our system from getting any information or geolocating us.”

Robin: “But what is it?”

Batman: “The Bat-firewall.”

Robin: “Gee, that was smart, Batman! But how do we get to the Batcomputer now…and what did it mean by it saying it was impossible?”

Batman: “I’m afraid we won’t be able to use the Batcomputer for some time, Robin. Still, it’s never good to become too reliant on technology. The human brain is the greatest computer ever built.”

Robin: “Gosh, Batman, that’s right. I don’t know what I was thinking. You said you had an idea about what happened to the Mayor?”

Batman: “More than an idea…a theory, and the Batcomputer confirmed it. Did you notice anything unusual when the Mayor approached the podium?”

Robin: “It seemed like a perfectly ordinary star-studded event.”

Batman: “Although the microphone was open, there wasn’t the tell-tale sound of a woman’s heels on the floor, even though I had quite distinctly heard the sound of Commissioner Gordon and Chief O’Hara’s shoes as they had taken up their protective positions.”

Robin: “I don’t get it.”

Batman: “It’s simple: the Mayor was never in the theatre. What we saw was a clever three-dimensional illusion, created no doubt by that techno-fiend, the Pirate.”

Robin: “Holy hologram!”

Batman: “Precisely, Robin! Since it was impossible for The Pirate to have taken the Mayor from the benefit, the devil must have taken her before!”

Robin: “So what do we do now?”

Batman: “We think, Robin. The Pirate must have waited until the Mayor’s work was done for the day before absconding with her to his pirate ship. That means his hideout must be nearby. Now where would there be a pirate ship in Gotham City?”

Robin: “The old abandoned Pirate Bay attraction in Gotham Harbor!”

Batman: “You’ve done it, old chum! To the Batmobile!”

They leap into the Batmobile. We see “Bat airbag” icons appear on the dashboard, as they fasten their seatbelts.

Robin: “Atomic batteries to power…zero-emission turbines to speed!”

We see a shot of the back of the Batmobile, as bubbles come out of a pipe, form into bat shapes, and then pop. The Batmobile roars out of the Batcave, and we see it race off down the road.

Voiceover: “As the Dynamic Duo drives at the speed limit towards Pirate Bay, the Infamous Infringer taunts Gotham City’s duly-elected Chief Executive.”

We see the Pirate at a Captain’s Wheel (although we are indoors) and three henchmen. They are wearing shirts that have their names on them: HACKER, TROJAN, and MALWARE. The Pirate’s electronic parrot on his shoulder squawks. Mayor Rooleeanee is tied to a mast, in the enclosed room.

Hacker: “Gee, Boss, I don’t get it. Why’d we kidnap the Mayor? We don’t usually do stuff in real life.”

The Pirate: “That be Captain Boss, Hacker! Twere a necessary evil, twere.”

Mayor Rooleeanee: “You’ll never get away with this! Gotham City’s finest won’t rest until I”m rescued!”

The Pirate: “Ye be forgettin’…we be on the water, and outside their jurisdiction…arr har har!”

Mayor Rooleeanee: “It’s you that has forgotten! Batman knows no jurisdiction! I’m sure he’s on his way right now to serve you some waterlogged justice!”

The Pirate: “Aye, your dissed honor! I be countin’ on it.”

Hacker: “What do you mean, Boss…uh, Captain Boss? Batman’s coming here? How could he find us?”

The Pirate: “We’re on the only pirate ship in a hundred miles, barnacle brain! But don’t be worried…I’ve prepared a surprise for the noxious noobs!”

Voiceover: “A surprise? Watch out, Batman! Sometimes surprises are not good!”

We cut to Batman and Robin on either side of a door in what appears to be the interior of a pirate ship. There is a big X on it, and it is labeled…”www.thepiratesbrig.com”.

Batman: “Ready, old chum?”

Robin: “As always, Batman! But, gosh, it seems a little obvious…what if it’s a trap?”

Batman: “What are the odd of that?”

Robin: “Gee, Batman, I’m not that good at math.”

Batman: “Mathematics are the ballet of the mind, Robin. We may not all dance in the Gotham City Ballet, but we all have to pirouette from time to time.”

Robin: “Gosh, I never thought of it that way, Batman.”

Batman: “It’s never too late to see things from a new perspective. Now, let’s rescue the Mayor!”

Batman and Robin burst through the door and assume fighting positions. The lights come up on a stage and we see…Rick Astley (live) performing Never Gonna Give You Up.

Robin: “Holy hijacked hyperlink, Batman! We’ve been Rickrolled!”

The Pirate appears on a screen behind Rick Astley, who has stopped playing and looks confused.

The Pirate: “Ye be right, me unlucky lad! Don’t be tryin’ the door…it be battened down!”

Batman: “You scurrilous cyber sea-dog! What have you done with the Mayor?”

The Pirate: “Oh, she be here with we…um, us. She’ll be goin’ on a voyage with us!  Hacker! Trojan! Malware! Ready the boards…it’s time for us to surf!”

The henchmen take the Mayor and each step on to a brightly colored motorized surfboard. The Pirate turns back to the camera.

The Pirate: “I’ll be sendin’ you to Davy Jones’ Locker, Masked Monkees! It be time for you to log out…”

We hear a loud rumbling sound, and a huge log (several feet high) that has been up by the ceiling begins slowly, inexorably rolling towards Batman and Robin.

Robin: “Holy orange crush, Batman! We’ll be squashed like bugs!”

Voiceover: “Will Batman and Robin be logged out…permanently? Will their crimefighting accounts be deleted by a shivering timber? Wooden you like to know? Tune in tomorrow…same Bat-time, same Bat-blog!”

(~^v^~)

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

Beaver and the Kindle

March 12, 2012

Beaver and the Kindle

Scene 1

In the Cleaver kitchen. Ward is reading the newspaper. June, wearing her trademark pearls, sets breakfast in front of him.

June: “Ward, I’m worried about the Beaver.”

Ward: “What is it, dear?”

June: “I was dusting under his dresser and I found a note from Miss Landers.”

Ward: “Maybe it was a homework assignment for the dust bunnies.”

June: “Ward Cleaver! We do not have dust bunnies!”

Ward: “I’m sorry, dear. I was just trying to be funny. I know we don’t.” (June smiles)

June: “Well, this is serious. She said she was worried that Beaver wasn’t reading enough.”

Ward: “Dear, Beaver’s a young boy. He doesn’t read anything unless…he doesn’t read anything.”

June: “Well, his teacher thinks he should.”

Ward: “We could get him some comic books.” (chuckles)

June: “Oh, you!”

Ward: “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt him to read some Tom Swift. I’ll talk to him about it.”

June; “Thank you, Dear. I wouldn’t want him to end up living in our basement when he’s 25.”

Ward: “No young man would ever live with his parents when he’s twenty-five!”

June: “It was my turn to be funny.”

Ward: “It’s always your turn to be pretty…leave the funny to the man of the house.”

(June crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows)

Ward: “All right, dear, you don’t have to give me the look. (yelling) Boys!”

(Beaver and Wally come bounding down the stairs)

Wally: “What is it, Dad? Is breakfast ready?”

Beaver: “Yeah. I’m so hungry, I think I’m more empty on the inside than on the outside.”

Ward: “Your stomach will just have to wait for a minute. Beaver, did Miss Landers send a note home with you?”

Beaver: “Gee, Dad, she’s a teacher…they’re always doing junk like that.”

Ward: “Why didn’t you give it to us?”

Beaver: “I didn’t remember on accounta I forgot.”

Wally: “That’s right, Dad. He’s just a little kid. His brain’s too small to remember stuff.”

Ward: “Be that as it may, Wally. Beaver, did you read the note?”

Beaver: “Gosh, no, Dad. Miss Landers didn’t ask me to read it.”

Ward: “You don’t read anything unless your teacher asks you to?”

Beaver: “No, Dad…why would I wanna do that?”

June: “Your father was reading right before you came downstairs.”

Wally: “What were you reading, Dad?”

Ward: “What was I reading, Dear?”

June: “The newspaper.”

Beaver: “Ah, that’s grown-up junk.”

Ward: “That’s right, Dear…we can’t expect a young boy to be interested in what’s going on in the world.”

June: “Wally, you read books, don’t you?”

Wally: “Just for school. Can you imagine the razzing I’d get from Eddie if he saw me with a book? He’d call me a square.”

Ward: “That’s right Dear. The boy does have a reputation to think about.”

June: “Ward…”

Ward: “Yes, Dear. Beaver, your mother and I think you should read books, and that’s all there is to it.”

Wally: “I guess it won’t be so bad being the brother of a square.” (punches Beaver in the bicep…the boys play fight)

June: “Stop it, you two…no rough-housing.”

Ward: “I just thought of something. I think Fred Rutherford got one of those Kindles. I could ask him about it. That way, Beaver could read and it wouldn’t look like a book.”

June: “Oh, Ward, aren’t those expensive?”

Ward: “You’re the one who said the boy’s reading was important. I’m just supporting you, Dear.”

June: “Beaver, Clarence has a Kindle, and he’s not a square, is he?”

Beaver: “Gee, Mom…I don’t know what kind of shape Lumpy is.”

Wally: “I’m taking geometry, and I don’t even know.”

Ward: “That’s settled, then. Beaver, you are going to have to take good care of this. I don’t want the same thing to happen to this that happened to your accordion.”

June: “Who wants French toast?”

Scene 2

The Cleaver kitchen. June is cleaning the windows (in her pearls). Eddie Haskell appears outside the window, prompting a jump take from June and an “Oh, oh…hahhahahah” from the laugh track

June: “Come on in, Eddie.”

Eddie: “I’m sorry if I scared you, Mrs. Cleaver. A gentleman should never scare an old lady.”

June: “Thank you, Eddie…I think.Wally and the Beaver are up in their room.”

Eddie: “Would if be okay if I went up to see them? It’s always such a pleasure to see young Theodore.”

June: “Certainly. Eddie, do you mind if I ask you a question, first?”

Eddie: “Of course. I’m always interested in the wisdom of my elders.”

June: “You don’t think reading a book makes a boy a square, do you?”

Eddie: “Certainly not. I think literature is crucial to the development of young minds.”

June: “Thank you, Eddie.” (she smiles broadly)

Eddie: “Of course, I don’t think that’s true for young ladies. I think glasses spoil a girl’s looks. I’d hate to see you ruin your lovely appearance with a pair of spectacles.”

June: “Run on upstairs, Eddie. Tell the boys I’ll make some sandwiches for the three of you, and bring them up with some hot soup in half an hour.”

Scene 3

In the Cleaver boys’ bedroom…Eddie enters

Eddie: “Hey, Sam, what’s shaking? Beat it, small fry…me and Wally need to have a pow wow…you know, man talk.”

Wally: “Hold on, Eddie. Go ahead, Beav…what happened?”

Beaver: “Well, I took my Kindle to the playground. I told Whitey about all the books in it, and he broke it open, on accounta he wanted to see the books in it. Gee, Wally, I don’t know what I’m gonna do!”

Eddie: “You’re in trouble now, Squirt. You’re old man’s gonna blow his top for sure! You’ll be lucky if you ever see anything with a plug again.”

Wally: “Knock it off, Eddie. Beaver, just tell Dad. There’s probably some kind of warranty or somethin’.”

Beaver: “You really think so, Wally? That’d be swell. I don’t wanna not have plugs again. How would I watch TV?”

Scene 4

In the Cleaver family room. Beaver and Wally are there, looking worried. June is in a dust mask and pearls, cleaning the air vent. Ward enters

Ward: ‘Well, Beaver, I just got off the phone with Amazon.”

Beaver: “Am I in trouble? Do I gotta go to jail for bustin’ it?”

Wally: “Beaver, they don’t send kids to jail for bustin’ stuff…they wouldn’t have enough room for the real bad guys.”

June: “What did they say, Dear?”

Ward: “They’re going to send us another one.”

Beaver: “Do you gotta pay for it?”

Ward: “I wasn’t the one who broke it, Beaver. Who do you think should pay for it?”

Beaver: “Whitey? He’s the one who busted it.”

Ward: “That would be between him and Mr. Whitney. When we agreed that we would get you this Kindle, we agreed that you would be responsible for it.”

Beaver: “Yeah, I guess so. I shouldn’t oughta of taken it where Whitey could bust it. But gee, Dad, I only got forty-five cents…does it cost more than that?”

Ward: “I think that will just about cover it.”

(Beaver and Wally trudge upstairs)

June: “Ward, it can’t cost only forty-five cents.”

Ward: “No, Dear, you’re right. They are actually replacing it for free.”

June: “So why did you want Beaver to get his forty-five cents?”

Ward: “I just want to teach him a lesson, so he’ll be more responsible with his things in the future.”

Epilogue

In the Cleaver boys’ bedroom. Beaver is laying on his bed looking at his new Kindle

Wally: “It was pretty swell of Dad not to take your forty-five cents.”

Beaver: “Yeah…how come he did that, Wally?”

Wally: “Oh, he just wanted to teach you a lesson in the first place…but then he couldn’t go through with it. Adults are like that: they like to say stuff, but they don’t always like to do it. That way, he can seem like he’s being a good father, but he’s really still just Dad.”

Beaver: “I guess so.”

Wally: “Whatcha readin’?”

Beaver: “Oh, I’m not reading nothing: I’m playing Minesweeper. I don’t wanna be a square.”

Wally: “Yeah…you don’t want to be a square and a goof.”

End Credits

This is a parody of the classic Leave It To Beaver TV series. As in any parody, I’ve exaggerated aspects of it. When I went to watch a few episodes to help me recapture the rhythm and the characters (I did used to watch it, but it’s been some time), I was surprised to not find it easily streaming. I think that may be a mistake on the part of the studio…it may be hard for older programs to find new viewers if they are only available for purchase or on scheduled TV. On demand will increasingly be the way kids see shows. By the way, yes, I am that geeky that I even research my parodies…and as a kid, it was rare that people saw me without a book. ;)

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

Liveblog: Vellum introduction event

March 7, 2012

Liveblog: Vellum introduction event

7:37 AM: This is Giovanni Techini liveblogging the introduction of Parchment 2, which Digiscribe says will be called “Vellum”.

8:45 AM: We are now taking our seats on the benches.

8:57 AM: The sun has broken through the clouds. Good sign?

9:00 AM: We are supposed to start, but the jugglers are still performing.

9:10 AM: Late as usual. Some day, people won’t have to put up with that.

9:16 AM: The jugglers have left the stage. A crier is announcing that something new is about to “unfold”. Folding is how Parchment (I guess we call it “Parchment 1″ now) took market share from Papyrus in the first place

9:18 AM: Stefano takes the stage. He looks good.

9:25 AM: He’s holding up a codex, showing the pages. “Parchment changed the world” yada yada.

9:26 AM: Looks like the same process was used with scudding and a hemispherical knife. We’re looking for more than that.

9:30 AM: Okay, here’s something new: pumice! That should make it smoother…easier for illuminations.

9:35 AM: Huh. They are using uterine materials? That’s going to make it expensive…no price given though.

9:43: Stefano has left and I am waiting my turn to feel the piece of “Vellum” they brought for reporters. My thoughts? Smoother and more expensive is going to make this a niche product. If they aren’t careful, people will go back to writing on stuff made from plants…

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.

The Real Book Experience (with ads)

February 18, 2012

The Real Book Experience (with ads)

Note: this is a work of humor. The Real Book Experience app does not actually exist. 

Ed: “Hey, Sula, come check out this new app I got!”

Sula: “What is it?”

Ed: “It’s called the Real Book Experience. It’s a front end to Amazon, but it’s pretty cool. They made it for people who miss the old book-buying experience.”

Sula: “Okay, show it to me.”

Ed: “Right. So, I’m going to buy this book, right? I click the Buy button and…see that little guy?”

Sula: “Sure. Where’s he doing?”

Ed: “That’s supposed to me. I could pay for an upgrade and upload my picture for the avatar. He’s getting my wallet from the bedroom. Isn’t that cool?”

Sula: “I guess. Why is he wandering around back and forth like that?”

Ed: “I’m not sure. I’ve only done this a couple of times…he’s never done that before.”

Sula: “Wait, he found something!”

Ed: “Yeah…oh, those are the car keys! I guess he couldn’t find them.”

Sula: “That’s pretty funny.”

Ed: “I like it. Now he’s going to get in the car…and there he goes!”

Sula: “I like the way the scenery looks.”

Ed: “Did you notice the stores? Egghead Software, Woolworth, Levitz…”

Sula: “What about them?”

Ed: “They are all chains that went out of business.”

Sula: “Pretty clever. “

Ed: “Yeah.”

Sula: “Ed?”

Ed: “Yeah?”

Sula: “How long does this driving part go on?”

Ed: “It’s about twenty minutes, I think. Do you want me to skip to the next scene?”

Sula: “You think?”

Ed: “Ha, ha. Okay. He’s stopping the car.”

Sula: “Is that the bookstore?”

Ed: “Gas station.”

Sula: “Oh, come on!”

Ed: “Okay, okay…I’ll skip it. You might want to watch it some time, though. A guy in a uniform comes out and cleans the windshield…and gas is thirty-three cents a gallon!”

Sula: “After we passed an Egghead?”

Ed: “They kind of mix all that old stuff up together.”

Sula: “Could you just skip to the bookstore part?”

Ed: “I already did.”

Sula; “Why hasn’t the car stopped?”

Ed: “He’s looking for a parking place.”

Sula: “Whee.”

Ed: “Wait, wait…he’s getting out now. See, he’s going in the bookstore!”

Sula: “What’s that big blue eagle?”

Ed: “Oh, that’s just an ad. I got the free version, so I see ads. That one’s for the Post Office. I guess they figured people who liked shopping in bookstores would want to buy stamps, too.”

Sula: “Now what?”

Ed: “Now he’s looking for the book. If you tap the shelves, you can see all these old paperback covers.”

Sula: “Can you buy one of those books?”

Ed: “That’s not part of the app. I think they made it so it would work on the iPad, too…no shopping in the app.”

Sula: “Is he…leaving the store?”

Ed: “Yeah…they must not have had the one I ordered. Hey, hey, hey…don’t walk off! He’ll try another shopping center.”

Sula: “How long does that take?”

Ed: “It depends. Maybe ten minutes, but he might stop for lunch.”

Sula: “You’re kidding!”

Ed: “Nope. Last time, he went to a Pioneer Chicken. One time, he went to a Hollywood Video before he went into the next bookstore.”

Sula: “This is driving me crazy!”

Ed: “I don’t get it. You used to love going to the bookstore…”

===

:)

This has been a joke. :) The Real Book Experience does not exist, as an app. I was telling my Significant Other about someone who wanted Kindles to come with an ambient sound option…and somebody else thinking that meant the sounds of turning pages. :) I just extended that idea…

This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.


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