An Engineer’s Guide to Cats (Plus a Brief Explanation for Missing Yesterday)
Yes, I know I missed yesterday. I went to a social gathering for Passover (here, I'll give the English version -- not that I know Hebrew anyway, yet 
that went a lot later than I had expected. Not only did I miss blogging, but I also missed homework, which is arguably (ha-HA!) more important than this site. Daily posting is more difficult when my already crowded computing (and real-life) schedule becomes even more crowded with one-off events. Hopefully I can get a bunch written tomorrow so this place won't go dead over the weekend when I'm away. On to the relatively short post now, with one minute to spare...
I saw this video shared on FriendFeed (in a rather roundabout way) a while ago, and I'm pretty sure most of the people who read my blog probably don't even have accounts over there. With that in mind, I thought this one was so amusing and well-done it had to be blogged. The clip is titled "An Engineer's Guide to Cats"; before I commentate and ruin the whole thing, just watch it:
For some reason I just find that to be really amusing. I'm not an engineer by any definition of the word, but I do find myself occasionally being very analytical. That's exactly what these guys did for the video.
Sorry I can't offer more of an opinion, but it's late and I have to be up really early tomorrow. And I still have a bunch of stuff to do. Blogging is going to have to be moved down a notch in priority for a little while, unfortunately.
The Evolution of Dance
I didn't have time to write a post this morning, so I'll do it now, in the afternoon. Better late than never... Not that this one would draw major traffic anyway, no matter when it's posted.
All right, it's the weekend. I don't really have anything new to report -- well, nothing that I find exciting, at any rate. A lot of things have happened this week, to be sure, but none of the events really caught my attention beyond the usual read-it-star-it-share-it-move-on in Google Reader (or the read-it-close-it-Like-it-keep-going in FriendFeed).
So I thought I'd take advantage of this uninteresting period to dig through my YouTube favorites and pull out a couple entertaining videos I've seen over the last several months. One came from a recommendation (I think) -- that's today's -- and the other was posted on FriendFeed a while back. The one I saw on FriendFeed will be tomorrow's post if nothing interesting comes up.
On to the video. You've probably seen it by now. It's the #1 most viewed video on YouTube, having been watched nearly (as I write this) 85,000,000 times. I present Judson Laipply's "Evolution of Dance":
It's a six-minute clip, as can be seen by the counter in YouTube's player. The dimensions are 425px by 355px... Oh, who am I kidding? This isn't a scientific analysis; this is commentary!
I only saw this after it had become immensely popular. Always behind on memes, I am. Such is my nature.
The video was amusing to me then, and it still is. As I recall I was babysitting my two-year-old nephew the day I discovered it. YouTube makes a great time-waster for those periods of an hour or two when I would get the job of entertaining him. That was just one of the videos we watched that day, but I think it was my favorite.
Most of the songs are familiar to me, in melody. A few are obscure, and there are several for which I don't even know the artist -- but for the most part, they're known. The dance moves are also mostly familiar.
So, hope this made a good diversion. I'm trying to save some ideas for scheduled posts that I can set up for next weekend, when I'll be out of town (in Chicago, on an orchestra trip). More on that next week, probably Wednesday or Thursday morning.
If you've watched this video again and again, and now hate the guts of anyone who shows it to you one more time, I sincerely hope you'll forgive me. I've avoided posting the Numa Numa Dance because I know everyone's really tired of it, but this one doesn't seem to have become quite as large a phenomenon. At the very least, nobody rolls their eyes when it's mentioned (that I've spoken with). And at least some thought went into this video...
Google Docs Going Offline
I'm really late to this party. Both the Official Google Blog and the Official Google Docs Blog announced offline support coming in Google Docs this afternoon, and this is the first chance I've gotten to write about it. So I'll publish a brief description (more details are of course available from Googlified, Google Operating System, and Lifehacker; strange lack of Google Blogoscoped so far) and a short commentary.
Everyone has probably heard of Google Gears by now, that open-source browser extension that lets Web applications enable offline functionality. Google Reader uses it (until now the only Google service to do so), as does Remember The Milk (which I love, except for the flawed sharing). Supposedly Google Calendar is in the works, and Haochi said Gmail is "possibly" going to get it.
Google Docs' offline functionality works only for documents at the moment; spreadsheets and presentations will have to wait. And it's only available in English. Rather than rehashing everyone's prose, I'll just shamelessly use the same YouTube video. (It is featured on nearly all the sites I mentioned above, BTW. I wish Google had continued using Google Video embeds though.)
So now you know how it's supposed to work. I can't test it myself because I haven't got it yet -- and I probably won't for a while, judging from past experience with Gmail IMAP. Update (04/01): This paragraph should have mentioned a few restrictions. The feature is only available in English for now, and it's being rolled out to everyone over the next few weeks, which means most people probably won't be able to use it for a while, like me.
What I'm glad about is that it -- at least purportedly -- continuously saves the data required to go offline, like RTM does. There's no planning to go offline like Google Reader makes you go through. (It always annoyed me how you couldn't get images, even, offline; but I digress.)
To summarize, it looks like the offline feature will be killer. I know Zoho Writer has had this for a while, including the ability to edit offline, but they started with just viewing; Google took longer and launched with all the functionality they could. And Zoho's suite, as far as I know, still requires you to manually prepare to disconnect from the tubes.
This battle of the online office suites gets more interesting by the day. I wonder what's in store next week...
Update (04/19): Some time in the last week or so, I got access to this feature. I don't use Google Docs every day, so I'm not entirely sure when it showed up. But it wasn't there at the beginning of the week; I'm sure of that. Anyway, it doesn't seem to be especially useful, really, because of one little caveat: No new documents. Harrumph. Fortunately I'm not offline much.
Musical in the Food Court!
This post digresses from my usual technobabble, but it's just too funny and creative (not to mention awesome!) to pass up.
Improv Everywhere is a New York City-based group of people started in 2001. What they do is usually totally off-the-wall and almost always funny. Their blog's tagline: "We Cause Scenes". The mission I'm featuring today, though, was done in Los Angeles, CA. (There is now a global Improv Everywhere site on Ning as well, but this mission was performed before that was launched.)
I like the idea of Improv Everywhere because I am also into improvisational performance. I don't usually get into the complexity they do, nor do I pull off stunts in public places -- in fact my improv is usually part of some exercise in theater classes. I do like to do things like randomly start singing in the middle of a mall, and that's what their latest mission was.
Posted to ImprovEverywhere.com late last night, "Food Court Musical" has already drawn a ton of comments. The story is, well... Watch the video first.
I don't know who came up with the idea to sing a song about needing some napkins, but this is just too funny. The way it starts with one person and escalates into an entire group is really great.
One of the best parts, I think, is the security guard. He comes in and everyone thinks he's about to break up the performance, when suddenly he starts to sing as well.
The title sounds to me like a cross between the two Disney films High School Musical and Full Court Miracle. It really works, I think. The choreography even reminds me of some stuff from HSM.
As described further on the mission's page, Improv Everywhere actually got permission from the mall to pull off this show. That's something they don't usually do, but in this case it made for a better performance. Having people dressed in the same uniforms as mall personnel and putting one behind the counter of Hot Dog on a Stick definitely made it seem more real. (The other food court businesses had no idea what was going to happen.)
Anyway, I won't lift all the notes from Improv Everywhere's mission page, even if I am rewording it. They deserve traffic for this one, so head on over there for more commentary and the photos.
Before you go, however, I would appreciate a comment here if you like this sort of post, or if you don't. I need feedback so I know what to write more about. 
Update (13:28): Reduced embed size; it was too big for the content column. It should no longer overflow into the sidebar.
Chris Pirillo’s Thoughts on Bad Grammar: Same As Mine
As usual, I'm going to ask you to watch the video first before reading my comments:
There, all done? Good, now I can comment away!
This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy, too. I don't know if anyone notices, but I try to keep my English as perfect as I can here on my blog, in my email, on Wikipedia... The list of places where I write goes on -- and in each and every location, I try to use scholarly-sounding English that won't have me embarrassing my school, my parents, or (most importantly) myself.
Chris says he gets emails like that all the time. I can relate; I see loads upon loads of messages like that on Wikipedia, in online school discussion boards, and forums across the Internet. Fortunately, most of the people I correspond with via email and IM have a firm grasp of the English language, and only make mistakes when they're intentional (say they're ignoring the rules for the sake of typing speed). Only a very few people I know personally mutilate English.
So, I beg the world, please watch how you write. It drives geeks like me, Chris, my friend i80and, and all kinds of other people absolutely crazy to try and interpret sentences like, "r u srsly gnna get widnows vitsa? u cnat possiby b srs abt tht!"
That's my rant for the day, then.
Yuck! Proprietary USB Cables
Chris Pirillo makes a good point in this video. Before I say anything further, you should watch it:
There, now that you've seen his ire, you can read my reasoning.
Plenty of us know that proprietary anything is usually bad for the consumer. Proprietary data formats force us to use the same program (switching would be a pain -- manual re-entry -- because the software company didn't make a converter or export function). Proprietary procedures mean patents, trademarks, copyrights, or whatever, and mean no two companies will necessarily do things the same way. And proprietary connectors lock in an accessory market, with purchases often costing more than generic products would simply because the company that makes them has you in a death grip.
Now, while Chris's reaction is an emotional one (no doubt inspired by a conversation on his IRC channel), he makes a very, very good point. Proprietary connectors do nothing but irritate the consumer. Finding which USB connector fits which USB device is a nightmare. I'm happy to say that my camera uses a standard Mini USB cable. My iPAQ uses a proprietary connector, but that's because it performs more functions than just charging and synchronizing.
Microsoft and Sony use proprietary connectors for their gaming devices (these are only a couple examples), and as a result, you have to buy their authorized accessories. The prices can be whole factors higher (twice as much or more) than standard cables and connections.
Lego is also a user of proprietary connections. Within its Mindstorms robotics line, the cables used to connect the NXT computer with the various sensors and motors look, at first glance, like ordinary RJ-11 wiring, but the release tabs are pushed to the side, making them incompatible with other devices and standard cables incompatible with Lego's products.
I haven't had to replace any NXT cables yet, but there's a definite boon to companies like Canon (and Olympus; my mom's five-year-old camera also uses a Mini USB plug) using accepted standards. I could use the cable from either camera in the other in a pinch, or buy a standard camera cable at any electronics store should I lose or damage the one that I got in the box. It also means that if I have multiple devices that use the same connector, such as a camera, a phone, a PDA, and an external storage device, I can share one or two cables between all of them, as I'm unlikely to use more than a couple devices at a time.
So you see, standards are a good thing for the consumer. Even if the companies make a little less money, they'll make up for it in consumer happiness.
Thanks for the inspiration, Chris!
IPv6 vs. IPv4: The Day The Routers Died
Most geeks these days have heard of the upcoming IPv6 standard to provide an exponential increase in the number of available Internet Protocol addresses. Regular users don't need to worry; the geeks have probably already written compatibility into your favorite programs.
For us humor-loving geeks, though, there's a certain love of funny songs and parodies, one of which I'd like to share tonight. The song is titled "The Day The Routers Died". You can probably guess what song this is written to ("a possibly recognizable tune"). On the very off-chance you don't know, even after watching the video, I'll post the answer below the embed.
Also, if you want to read along, I have copied the lyrics from the original YouTube page and included them at the end of this post.
The song, for those who didn't know, is "American Pie" by Don McLean.
It kind of reminds me of "Weird Al" Yankovic's "The Saga Begins", except that was about Star Wars and this is about the Internet. They're both parodies of the same song, though, so I guess that's why. They're all funny, aren't they?
Lyrics:
The Day The Routers Died... a song performed by the secret-wg in the closing plenary of the RIPE 55 conference
a long long time ago
i can still remember
when my laptop could connect elsewhereand i tell you all there was a day
the network card i threw away
had a purpose - and worked for you and me....But 18 years completely wasted
with each address we've aggregated
the tables overflowing
the traffic just stopped flowing....And now we're bearing all the scars
and all my traceroutes showing stars...
the packets would travel faster in cars...
the day....the routers diedChorus (ALL!!!!!)
So bye bye, folks at RIPE 55
Be persuaded to upgrade it or your network will die
IPv6 just makes me let out a sigh
But I spose we'd better give it a try
I suppose we'd better give it a tryNow did you write an RFC
That dictated how we all should be
Did we listen like we should that dayNow were you back at RIPE fifty-four
Where we heard the same things months before
And the people knew they'd have to change their ways....And we - knew that all the ISPs
Could be - future proof for centuriesBut that was then not now
Spent too much time playing WoWooh there was time we sat on IRC
Making jokes on how this day would be
Now there's no more use for TCP
The day the routers died...Chorus (chime in now)
So bye bye, folks at RIPE 55
Be persuaded to upgrade it or your network will die
IPv6 just makes me let out a sigh
But I spose we'd better give it a try
I suppose we'd better give it a tryI remember those old days I mourn
Sitting in my room, downloading porn
Yeah that's how it used to be....When the packets flowed from A to B
via routers that could talk IP
There was data..that could be exchanged between you and me....Oh but - I could see you all ignore
The fact - we'd fill up IPv4But we all lost the nerve
And we got what we deserved!And while...we threw our network kit away
And wished we'd heard the things they say
Put all our lives in disarrayThe day...the routers died...
Chorus (those silent will be shot)
So bye bye, folks at RIPE 55
Be persuaded to upgrade it or your network will die
IPv6 just makes me let out a sigh
But I spose we'd better give it a try
I suppose we'd better give it a trySaw a man with whom I used to peer
Asked him to rescue my career
He just sighed and turned away..I went down to the net cafe
that I used to visit everyday
But the man there said I might as well just leave...And now we've all lost our purpose..
my cisco shares completely worthless...No future meetings for me
At the Hotel Krasnapolskyand the men that make us push and push
Like Geoff Huston and Randy Bush
Should've listened to what they told us....
The day...the routers....diedChorus (time to lose your voice)
So bye bye, folks at RIPE 55
Be persuaded to upgrade it or your network will die
IPv6 just makes me let out a sigh
But I spose we'd better give it a try
I suppose we'd better give it a tryWords and performance by Gary Feldman
Web 2.0: Here Comes Another Bubble
When I come across genuinely funny songs, I sometimes like to blog about them. This particular one was posted on Google Blogoscoped, and I traced it back through Reddit to YouTube. It's quite amusing. While you watch, pay attention to the lyrics and the video; there are some fleeting visual jokes, and the lyrics are always good.
And yes, I will blog about this song (obviously).
Update (12/17): YouTube removed my original embed "due to a copyright claim by a third party." A quick search brought up another copy, which I've used to replace the old video. Meanwhile, other versions have been uploaded and deleted again. As TechCrunch writes, though, the song should fall under the umbrella of fair use. YouTube's deletions seem to be somewhat unreasonable...
Hat tip to i80and for pointing out the removal in the comments!
Update (12/18): Apparently the video was taken down in response to a DMCA complaint from Lane Hartwell, a photographer whose photo of Owen Thomas (managing editor of the Valleywag blog) was used in the video. Read the analysis from PlagiarismToday for more details.
Update (12/19): Enough already! I'm so tired of posting updates... Anyway, I've changed the embed again to use the new version the Richter Scales uploaded, this time with a (much too fast) credit reel (in small print) and without Hartwell's photo. Can I focus on new content now, please?
"Numa Numa" Language Fixed
Today I checked the PC World editorial in which I found an erroneous language yesterday, and noticed that it had been corrected. Instead of saying "German", the article now correctly states that the song is "Romanian". Thank you, PC World. I didn't get a comment response, though.
PC World Blunders "Numa Numa" Language
Everyone these days has probably heard of the famous "Numa Numa Dance" video. They probably also know the name of the song used, the band that performed it, and what language it is in. Apparently, that assumption is absolutely wrong.
PC World published a "Greatest Hits of Viral Video" article yesterday, and I got a link in my email today (I am a newsletter subscriber). Smack on the third page, the now-familiar face of Gary Brolsma is contained in an embedded YouTube player, with a paragraph-length blurb stating that the song is German.
Wrong! Everyone probably knows this, but I'll state it anyway. Gary is lip-syncing to the song "Dragostea Din Tei" by the Romanian (Moldovian, to be precise) band O-Zone. Hence, the song is written in Romanian.
This is the first time I have seen a big error in a PC World story, and even though it is an editorial, it should be completely true, insofar as the facts are concerned. In other words, if it is the author's opinion that the song is German, that doesn't make it so; Romanian is Romanian, no matter what you think it should be.
I will now post a cropped screenshot of the error, in case PC World corrects the story (per my comment there) before you read this:
Stunning in its inaccuracy, isn't it? I thought so. I'll have to start taking PC World's reports with a grain of salt now, won't I?
Update: Fixed.
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