Geek Force FiveCast 185: More Than An Audiobook

In which ECC geeks out about how he might make something more than an audiobook with the money he’s raising through Kickstarter.

How To Drive a Model T

My grandfather (my mother’s father) was an antique car enthusiast, and though the cars he had in his garage when I was younger were far newer than the Model T, watching this video reminded me of him, and put a smile on my face. In it, Ed Hebb, a volunteer at the Henry Ford Estate, shows us how to prepare a Model T for a drive, then takes it for a spin.

What I love, in particular, is the moment where Ed describes what the third pedal in the Model T does. In that moment, as he describes how quickly a person could go from forward to reverse, thanks to this pedal, he talks about how no modern car could do the same. And it was in that moment that I was reminded fiercely of a memory I have of my grandfather. It’s from the August afternoon that my mother and I drove to see him in her then brand-new 1994 Dodge Intrepid. Grandpa looked under the hood and was flabbergasted by what he saw, by how complicated modern car manufacturers had made things. And I imagine that’s the kind of reaction that Ed here might have, too. It’s a reaction that I played up in the book that I’m raising money to finish right now.

Do you have any antique car memories of your own? Ever ride in a rumble seat? 

Geek Force FiveCast 182: Old Friends

In which ECC geeks out about socializing with old friends.

New Burger King Ad Blows Minds

Copyranter writes that the new Burger King ad for a Singapore-exclusive sandwich called the Super Seven Incher is the “most overtly blow-jobby ad” he’s ever seen. A Hamburger Today says, “The suggestive and gross nature of the poster don’t make me want to try the sandwich any time in the near future.” And Best Week Ever offers 10 slogans less dirty than this phallic poster, including my favorite “You can suck on this sandwich all night long!”

So, what does it say about me that I can’t wait to try one of these?

26 Scarlet Letters by John Leavitt

I am a sucker for literary humor, and John Leavitt’s 26 Scarlet Letters is one of the best bits I’ve seen in a long time. My favorites include the ones I’ve posted above, plus I for Idolatry, P for Prophesy, and X for Xenophilia.

Seen any other good bits of literary humor that you’d like to share? Share ‘em below, in the comments.

Geek Force FiveCast 180: Presenting

In which ECC both geeks out and freaks out about a presentation he is giving this weekend on Websites and Blogging for Writers.

John Hodgman on The First Nerd President

It took a while for it to grab me, but John Hodgman’s speech at the 2009 Radio and TV Correspondents’ Dinner, wherein he declared President Barack Obama the first nerd president, did finally deliver. Have you seen it yet? If not, check it out via the embed above or by clicking here to view it on Mashable, where I first saw it.

The funniest bit for me was when he declined to say the word Blackberry due to contractual obligations, a nod to his role as PC in the famous Mac vs. PC ad campaign from Apple.

Terrible Yellow Eyes - A Tribute to Maurice Sendak and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

My good friend Bryan Ballinger is among the artists paying tribute to Maurice Sendak and his seminal work, Where the Wild Things Are, in a new project called Terrible Yellow Eyes. Bryan, aside from being a fabulous artist, is a great teacher, and often includes videos documenting his process alongside his finished works. You can see his two contributions to the Terrible Yellow Eyes project here and here. As far as I’m concerned, this project in general, and Bryan’s work specifically, are certifiable Grade A AwesomeSauce.

Certifiably Yummy: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl Sundae

Here’s a story direct from the Department of Yum. Michael Ruhlman’s son James asked him last Sunday about making a bowl out of cookie dough. Ruhlman decided to give a try and the resulting treat was deemed “Awesome!” by his son. I think it looks pretty darned awesome, myself. I mean, what’s not to love? Chocolate chip cookies are, in the words of Joey Tribbiani, good. And ice cream, as Joey would say, is also good.

Check out the whole story, including a recipe and more photos, here.

Geek Force FiveCast 177: Random

In which ECC geeks out about a whole bunch of random things that are going right in his world this week.