The Princess Bride: The Home Movie

I just finished watching the last installment of The Princess Bride: The Home Movie, and there are quite a few amazing appearances in it.

As it turns out, this movie also includes Carl Reiner's last screen performance.

If you have seen The Princess Bride, you definitely need to watch this version.

(And if you haven't seen the original version of The Princess Bride, you have some catching up to do!)

P.S. I have the right hair for Inigo Montoya (but I think that I would make a great Dread Pirate Roberts).

Update (7/11/20): I really enjoyed this version of the movie. It is kitschy, of course, but it's supposed to be. There are some really cool performances and choices of actors in it. And some cool bits of humor with improved props. It's definitely worth watching. Obviously, it's not polished like the original, but it isn't supposed to be.

Alexa: Coming Soon with Samuel L. Jackson's Voice

Soon there is going to be the option for Alexa to have Samuel L. Jackson's voice.

The possibilities are glorious.

However, it may still not be as cool as Samuel J. Jackson as the voice of God when reading from the bible.

Look at Me, I'm 𝞧 sub d...

I am going to have a field day for puns with this new (for me) nugget of information...

Sooo, Max Born, who gave us the statistical interpretation of the quantum mechanical wavefunction, is the grandfather of Olivia Newton-John @olivianj of Grease fame. How did I not know this.

— Michelle Kuchera (@MKizzyy) October 3, 2018

RIP Gene Wilder (1933–2016)

Well, we have lost another epic talent: Gene Wilder (who I enjoyed in flicks like Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and other movies), has died. He was also in Willie Wonka the Chocolate Factory (which is a bloody creepy film, by the way), many films with Richard Pryor, and a lot more.

I can't write this blog entry without one particular word: FRONKENSTEEN!

(Tip of the cap to Bonnie Harland.)

This Random Walk is Not One of the Usual Suspects

The random walk in the paper "The Spacey Random Walk: a Stochastic Process for Higher-order Data" is not one of the usual suspects.

RIP David Bowie (1947–2016)

Today, we lost a music legend: David Bowie has died of cancer. His last album was released three days ago (last Friday, on his 69th birthday).

There are numerous excellent David Bowie songs --- so much good (and very innovative) music! RIP.

Update: There is more detail in the BBC obituary. Here is the CNN obituary.

Update: As discussed in this article in The Telegraph, the timing of the release of David Bowie's final album last Friday was as a 'parting gift' to his fans. And the video for "Blackstar", which completes the saga both of Major Tom and of David Bowie, is chilling (especially in the context that it has turned out to have).

Update (1/12/16): Also look at these final pictures of David Bowie from last Friday. Amazing!

Update (1/12/16): I should have mentioned the following for those of you who don't already know: In addition to my really liking quite a lot of David Bowie's songs, Bowie exerted a major influence on so many of my favorite artists. The music to which I listen every day, and which gives me a great deal of pleasure, owes a Hell of a lot to David Bowie.

Update (1/13/16): Also see this small collection of tributes. Also don't forget this video (which was first posted in 2013, though is appropriate now more than ever).

Update (1/16/16): Here is visualization of many prominent musical artists and others who were influenced by David Bowie. (Tip of the cap to Duran Duran's post on Facebook.)

Topps Baseball Cards of Will Ferrell

In commemoration of Will Ferrell's Spring Training stunt, Topps now has issued Will Farrell baseball cards using designs from years gone by (and one from 2015 for Ferrell's last hurrah with the Dodgers).

Calling People Out: The All-Male Panel "Congratulations" Tumblr

I approve of this all-male panel tumblr that offers sarcastic congratulations. (And I am very much in favor of calling people out to try to encourage improving the situation on such matters.)

The David Hasselhoff picture is an added bonus.

(Tip of the cap to NetSci Backstage.)

Ferrell on the Diamond

Will Ferrell played all nine different positions and for ten different teams in spring training yesterday. Although this is a pretty cheesy and is a publicity stunt, I still think it's highly amusing --- and if the publicity stunt is amusing and entertaining, I'll take it. Plus, being traded 9 times in one day is quite an accomplishment. :)

Anyway, the point is to have fun, and I appreciate creative ways to do it. (And if I were given this opportunity, I would do it too!)

Most posterity, I think it's also worth to linking to yesterday's set of box scores.

Update: You can find more details here.

Update: Baseball-reference.com has now posted a highly amusing player page for Ferrell. I approve! Notice the quotations around how he "bats" and also the list of transactions. I approve! (Also see the ESPN.com article about Ferrell's page at Baseball-reference.com page.)

RIP Leonard Nimoy (1931–2015)

In terms of famous people with whom I feel a connection (to them and/or their portayed characters), today's news really hurts: Leonard Nimoy died today. I am sure many of my fellow nerds/geeks feel the same way. Nimoy is best known, of course, for playing---and often reprising---the character Spock as part of the original "Star Trek" crew. The character of Spock, and several aspects of that iconic character that originated with Nimoy (see the obituaries to which I linked to see the origin of a couple of the things that Nimoy brought to Spock) has had a huge impact on popular culture. But as you can from his Wikipedia entry, he had a very long, successful, and varied career.

The CNN article about his death has some nice pictures and nice tidbits.

In addition to Spock, another more recent way in which I will remember Leonard Nimoy is through his voice acting in Civilization IV when one discovers a technology. (Tip of the cap to Travis Hime for the URL with the clips from Civ IV.)

I would also like to include a very nice quote from Nimoy (which appears in the CNN.com article) in which he describes a visit to Caltech: "I had an embarrassing experience once, many years ago," he told The New York Times in 2009. "I was invited to go to Caltech and was introduced to a number of very brilliant young people who were working on interesting projects. ... And they'd say to me, 'What do you think?' Expecting me to have some very sound advice. And I would nod very quietly and very sagely I would say, 'You're on the right track.' "

(Tip of the cap to a large number of people.)

Bill Murray's Summer in Baseball

Rob Neyer has written a very nice article with descriptions and reminiscences of Bill Murray's summer hanging out (with occasional spots coaching and even playing once or twice) with minor league baseball team Grays Harbor Loggers in 1978. It's a fun read.

RIP Joan Rivers (1933–2014)

Joan Rivers, a comedy legend, died today.

I don't remember when I first heard of her, but it was a long time ago, and vastly predates when I saw her in 1987 in Spaceballs, where she played the voice of Dot Matrix (who is, roughly, analogous to C3PO). That's her role that I know the best (by far), and my favorite quote of hers from that movie is the following one: That was my virgin-alarm. It's programmed to go off before you do!

(Tip of the cap to David Blau.)

RIP Robin Williams (1951–2014)

Comedy legend Robin Williams was found dead earlier today (the 11th) from an apparent suicide. I'm not sure what my favorite one of his roles is, but he certainly had some memorable ones (such as Mork and in movies like Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society).

(Tip of the cap to several people via their Facebook posts.)

Update: The CNN article about Williams' death has some additional information.

RIP Harold Ramis (1944–2014)

Harold Ramis, who is best known for his role as Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters movies, died today after being ill for several years.

I hadn't realized this, but he also wrote/directed Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, and Analyze This. That's some seriously high-quality work!

In his honor, it's worth pointing out that sometimes you need to cross the streams.

(Tip of the cap to Scott Porter.)

RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967–2014)

Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment today (apparently of a heroin overdose). Hoffman was an excellent actor, and it was a virtual requirement for an indie film to include him in at least some role. (According to a rumor spread in Laemmle Theatres, some Congressman once tried to even get that made into a law.)

The Social Status of British Cows

Patrick Stewart explains the different types of moos from cattle based on their social status. As Sir Patrick explains, bovine dialects also depend on political, environmental, and cultural conditioning.

(Tip of the cap to Meredith Alden.)

RIP Russell Johnson (1924-2014)

Russell Johnson, who starred as The Professor on Gilligan's Island, has died at the age of 89.

I briefly tried to find via Google a commercial that Johnson did a couple of decades ago in the guise of The Professor. (At some point in the commercial, he becomes rather indignant: "First they take me out of the theme song and now this!")

RIP Herbet Lom (1917-2012)

Herbert Lom died today. He is best known for his role as (Former) Chief Inspector Dreyfuss in the Pink Panther films. My eye has started twitching uncontrollably in his honor.

(Tip of the cap to Steve Van Hooser.)

RIP Sherman Hemsley (1938-2012)

Sherman Hemsley, best known for playing the memorable George Jefferson, has died. I watched Hemsley on the show Amen as well.

Cookie Monster Should Host SNL!

I think that Cookie Monster should totally host Saturday Night Live! (Parts of the video are hilarious, by the way!)

(The video on that Facebook page is highly amusing, by the way.)

Update: This similarly-themed demotivational poster is also really funny.