https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekEwVt0iieg

Back in the 80s, people used to make videos to try to convince other people to date them. Now, I think people just text naked pictures to each other or something. I dunno, I’m not very clear on the concept.

This was a fun video to make although switching back and forth between the characters was tricky. I sorta had an idea of how it would go in my head but after I finished all the initial shooting and started editing it together the next day, I realized that I missed a couple lines. Thankfully, I didn’t go with my original idea of cutting my hair to differentiate between the characters.

So my advice for anyone doing this sort of thing: write a full script beforehand to make sure you’ve got all the shots you need. Or wear a hat. The hat’s easier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJlrPQXlPpM

The wife and kid are out of town, so I decided to make some more silly videos. I don’t have a crew or anything so I have to think of ideas that I can do on my own. But I did recently purchase Final Cut Pro X, so now I can do jump cuts!

Disclaimer: I have almost no experience with dating! We were in a long distance relationship for a couple years, and then we got married. Also, I’ve only ever been in the one relationship. So I don’t really know much about either dating or relationships but I find the topic really fascinating.

Two more videos in this theme will follow…

Kids are crazy about cardboard houses. Dyson’s been asking for one for a while and we finally accumulated enough cardboard. So I asked him what he wanted. He was very specific:

• A door.
• Enough room to lie down in.
• Dark.

I get the desire to have a door and enough space to lie down in, but what’s with the need for darkness? I have no idea. Also, once I made it, he was very clear that Tracy and I could only come in if we were invited. And we had to knock first.

You know what else kids are crazy about? Dress up. Superheroes and fairy princesses. But at the age of 4, kids are not as gender-restrictive as adults. My mother-in-law forbids us from sharing any incriminating photos that might hinder a future Presidential bid but I will say that Dyson is adorable in a wide range of attire.

Dyson really loves trains. I don’t know why. And for some reason, he’s particularly enamored of the Southern Pacific 4449. I think it has something to do with a video he used to watch over and over of a train scene from the movie Tough Guys.

So for his birthday, I took a couple of wooden trains and painted it the colors to match. He didn’t quite recognize it at first so I asked him what was wrong. He looked at it and said, “It should have 4449 on it”. So I painted the numbers on it as well and now it’s acceptable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RwR7S3YpU

If you haven’t seen “Her”, you should definitely check it out. It’s thought provoking and I identified with a lot of it. It’s not like I have deep conversations with my computer or anything. But I have had a lot of conversations with people on the computer, which has a lot of the same sense of connection without physicality that the film explores.

This is kind of a different topic altogether, but technology has had a profound effect on the way I interact with people. I have a number of friends that I don’t get to see much, but I still keep in touch through chat or email. That’s great, but it’s also strange to think that some of my relationships have become almost entirely virtual. I have lots more to say on that topic, but this was supposed to be a post about a silly video inspired by an interesting movie.

I liked “Her” a lot and I found Scarlett Johansson to be particularly effective in that role. But I’m a heterosexual male and the film sort of caters to that. So I started thinking about what it’d be like with a different “voice”. Hence, the silly video.

Also, a funny bit of trivia: my dad actually went to high school with George Takei.

During the week, I spend about 3 to 4 hours a day on a bus and I used to feel pretty queasy by the end of it. I tried a few different things like making sure I don’t have an empty or full stomach, sitting on the bottom deck, looking out the window, etc. But the most effective thing for me was ginger.

There are probably a bunch of different ways to use it but I just opted for buying a big jar of the pickled version that they usually have with sushi. Somehow, the tangy sharpness of it really settles my stomach. I suck on on a piece or two for a while and then just bite down on it when I start to feel a bit queasy and that usually takes care of it.

So if you’re prone to motion sickness like I am (apparently, motion sickness is more common among Asians), give it a try!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfeXH51IApg

Every once in a while, I get a brilliant idea for a video. Something transcendent that will alter the very way people will — ok, maybe not. Mostly, I get really dumb ideas like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFzYyXYxAQ

Ever since it was announced that Google was buying robotics companies, some people have been freaking out with the comparisons to Terminator 2. I wanted to lay those fears to rest so I made this totally reassuring video.

A couple of notes:

• Intentionally blinking while talking is really hard.
• I hope this doesn’t get me fired…

My web host recently migrated the server my blog was hosted on and as a result, my blog wasn’t available for a couple days. Fortunately, I don’t think anyone but me noticed.

Anyways, it got me thinking about the infrequency of my blog posts as of late. Then I was curious to see how much of an impact it makes on viewership and iPhone app sales so I made a graph. Some observations:

• Blog viewership seems uncorrelated to iPhone app sales.
• Blogs should probably have at least a post or two a week to maintain an audience.
• If you want to do either a blog or iPhone apps, try to do it before you have a kid!

I started to write that this year was one of big change what with the new job and all that that entails (completely different job, entirely different people, super long commute). But looking back on it, it seems like every year or two has had a big change: moving to the Bay Area, starting a blog, writing iPhone apps, having a kid, etc.

One thing that I have noticed, though, is how quickly we become accustomed to change. This applies to both the good and the bad. A decade ago, my wife was diagnosed with a serious heart condition, which has significant implications for the rest of our lives. At the time, I wondered how we would ever adjust to it. But we did.

And this is how I know I’ll eventually get accustomed to commuting for 4-5 hours a day. If nothing else, it’ll give me a chance to practice my French.