German in Venice: Bob Barkers House , graveside, his Star on the walk of fame 2023

 

[VIDEO] One guilty pleasure for the last few months have been watching German in Venice. He's known for documenting the scenes around his native Los Angeles, Calif. It's a place I've only visited three times in my own life.

So he arrives on the scene of where deceased celebrities have made their marks. He did so most recently with Paul Reubens who played Pee Wee Herman - and children of the 1980s & 1990s would know who he is. He went to the Hospital where he passed away and he went to sits where Rueben had started performing as a stand-up comedian. He also went to a house where the film Pee Wee's Big Adventure was filmed.

So this video shares some of the sites of Bob Barker who passed away over the past weekend. So he went to Barker's home, visited his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, went to where the Bob Barker Studio is located. And as an aside as of June 2023 Barker's former game show The Price is Right is moving to a new studio so they're no longer at Bob Barker Studio.

And of course he visits Barker's future grave. His wife Dorothy Jo Gideon had passed away in 1981 way too young and Barker himself lived another 40 years and about 26 of those years he was still hosting The Price is Right. He already had his headstone next to his late wife so as the GiV states it's weird that Barker would visit his late wife at the cemetary knowing that one day he himself would be buried there and was looking at his own headstone minus the date of his demise.

Either way just another person from my earliest memories of watching TV that has most recently passed away.

Bob Barker R.I.P. 🙏

When Alex Trebek passed away I noted that he seemed to be a constant presence thanks to his role as being host of Jeopardy! Although to be honest I didn't totally understand Jeopardy! when I was younger, therefore I hardly really watched the show. However that program was such a pop culture icon.

And then there's Bob Barker. Although I fell off of my fandom for The Price is Right it was a show I did watch often. In fact my dad was a huge fan. It was probably a sad day when Barker retired and made some reappearances to the program he started hosting in 1972. In fact there was an April's Fools Day episode that he hosted a few years ago [VIDEO]

I wish I could say that I watched his very last season in 2006-07. It was certainly the end of an era when he left the show. And it's hard to believe he was only 99 years old when he passed away. He's had a long career in TV and he was well known for his pitch to control the pet population and have pets spade or neutered. He was very passionate about animals.

And now another part of my childhood watching TV has gone on to that great beyond. At least we still have the memories available on YouTube. 

And the above meme, how appropriate.

Daily Dose of Internet: NYers are built different

 

[VIDEO] Been a while since we've seen them here.

We see a New Yorker who bikes around with a couch on his head. We see a police officer jump on a runaway boat to stop it. We see people using barcodes to make music. We see a baby who makes sure mommy sees her crying. Among other fascinating things you see somewhere on the internet! 

Levar Burton takes us onto the set of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

 

[VIDEO] Reading Rainbow was a public TV series that often aired on PBS TV stations around the nation during the 1980s. Actor Levar Burton hosted this show in addition to being USS Enterprise Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

What I have seen in this episode so far are the rehearsals and it appears that Burton and the TNG crew were doing a scene during that series very first season all the way in 1987-88. A long time ago, and back during the first season La Forge was actually the flight officer for the Enterprise as opposed to Chief Engineer for which he was promoted by the series' 2nd season.

Reading Rainbow is a series that's really about books, however, in this episode it seems as if Burton is giving you an inside look in the production of a TV series. Perhaps there is a child out there who saw this edition and decided they wanted to go into TV production. Perhaps they wanted to go into acting. Who knows.

However, I hope you enjoy this look back.

ALSO, if you're a Star Trek fan Levar Burton is back in Star Trek Picard as Commodore Geordi La Forge. So they promoted him again to be a "flag officer" in Starfleet. And the final episode of Picard airs on the streaming service Paramount Plus. Hopefully you will check it out and stream other Star Trek series available.

Daily Dose of Internet and some other newsworthy updates

 

[VIDEO] How about a Daily Dose of Internet today? How about scientists using the extinct wooly mammoth DNA to create a meatball? How about a student pilot accidently opening up the plane door during flight? How about a remote car finding and purchasing pet food?

And we're already three months into April. We just got through WrestleMania weekend. The WWE aka The World Wrestling Federation was sold to a company that owns the UFC.

Back here in Chicago, there will be a runoff election to determine who the next mayor of Chicago will be. That's important information if you haven't voted or otherwise missed early voting which ends today.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the above video.

Mr. Beat discusses every US President's favorite beverage

 

[VIDEO] Who knew that Obama preferred tea over coffee and liked beer - even had some brewed in the White House. Who knew that Donald Trump was a "teetotaler" and liked to drink Diet Coke. Also who knew that our current President Joe Biden also was a teetotaler and also preferred not to drink any alcohol. Biden also likes Gatorade and as most of the men who held the office of the President likes a cup of coffee.

If I ever become president we can add an Arnold Palmer, lemonade mixed with iced tea. That's awesome now if I could make my own.....

WrestleTalk Christmas Special

 

[VIDEO] This is for you wrestling fans out there on this Christmas Day. Wrestle Talk is what I consider a bit of a "dirt sheet" basically a place to get daily wrestling news from anywhere from the independents to the major promotions around the globe including WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

So the duration of this video is about and hour and one half of a special Christmas Day podcast. So I hope you all enjoy if you're on your computer on Christmas. :)

Daily Dose of Internet: Best of the Internet in 2022

 

[VIDEO] That time of year, the best clips from the past year from the YouTube channel Daily Dose of Internet. Funny animals, pranks, generally very interesting clips that hopefully makes your day just a bit better. Happy holidays! 

Mr. Beat: What if Lincoln lost the 1860 election?

 

[VIDEO] Mr. Beat goes into the alternate history game. Let's say Abraham Lincoln loses to fellow Illinois resident Stephen A Douglas in the 1860 election. That staves off the Civil War for four years, its going to happen! The sectional issues between north and south were too great and no one even prior to 1860 was able to adequately navigate those issues. Although presidents such as Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan it could be argued made the sectional issues worse.

A few interesting tidbits. Before becoming President Lincoln in 1864, he was Sen. Lincoln. Remember in 1858 Lincoln debated Douglas pursuing a US Senate seat - and remember back at that point US Senators were appointed by state legislatures. Before becoming President in this alternate timeline Douglas was a US Senator from Illinois. And of course in our history Douglas was a US Senator until he died in 1861. Even in this alternate timeline that doesn't change as President he dies in office.

Regardless it happens a bit later, but the Civil War still happens. Lincoln still becomes President although if it was meant to be that he would be assassinated after the conclusion of the Civil War it'll happen later. Of course that's not noted but we know what happens in our history. Perhaps it doesn't happen and Lincoln serves a second full term as opposed to his death early in his second term in our history in 1865.

I guess to fully explore the after effects of this alternate timeline - and owing to my own interest in science fiction and alternate universes and timelines - would be very interesting to speculate. Perhaps our own line of Presidents since the 1860s in an alternate timeline would look very different. Who knows.

I hope you found this interesting.

Your Daily Dose of Internet

 

[VIDEO] Time for a Daily Dose of Internet.

We've gotten through Halloween we're heading towards the Holiday Season and we've got an election next Tuesday. Hope all is well with you and hope you enjoy this one.

I really did like the chef who has a tattoo on his hands for measurements. That was pretty cool! 

Daily Dose of Internet: Police hate this one simple trick

 

[VIDEO] Today's video starts off with a homeowner using their own security system to transmit a message to police officer who are at the door. Hmm I don't thin this was in America, perhaps it was Australia is a neat trick. However, hopefully there isn't anything going on at home when you do offer police on the scene that message.

Of course other things that hopefully either entertains you or informs you. There is a quick video of shrimp going into a diver's mouth, however, they're just lucky they haven't been friend before they go into mine. LOL

Mr Beat explores The Oregon Trail

 You might see this meme on Mr. Beat's hat it seems there is merchandise out there based on this computer game The Oregon Trail.

Meme

Unfortunately I don't remember this game at all from my years in school. It seemed we played other games on computers from The Prince of Persia to games based on TV programs such as Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune.

What I will share with you today is Mr. Beat's adventure retracing the real world Oregon Trail. If I had played that game back in the day the history would've went over my head to be honest. Who knows if the game would've sparked my interest in that aspect of American history.

So here's Mr. Beat's video about that [VIDEO]

What I will marvel at are the many historic sites that Mr. Beat and his family visits along the way. He's driving around in a Tesla which means one concern about his journey is his ability to keep a charge in his batteries. However, driving around in an electric vehicle for him proves to cost much less than driving around in a gas powered vehicle.

I found the history and the sights he visits on the Oregon Trail very interesting. Now I want to visit Chimney Rock. Add that to the list of places I want to visit in the future.

Daily Dose of Internet: Aging 60 yrs. in 6 sec.

 

[VIDEO] Hey it's August. Summer is almost over make it count, soon it'll be time for school and you'll have to make that count as well.

Want to see how a person appears ages due to g-forces in a jet. A cow being airlifted after medical treatment. Even a person in China anonymous donating facemasks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to a police precinct. Hopefully you enjoy this edition of Daily Dose of Internet.

There's a Till movie coming out in October 2022

 

[VIDEO] Many of you might be familiar with Emmet Till, this young man in his teenaged years who should've been enjoying his summer in Mississippi during the 1950s made one innocent mistake and whistled at a white woman. That minor act sadly cost him his life in a very segregated and racist environment of that time.

At 14, he experienced far more than I would expect anyone of that age to go through. This young man was lynched - and reportedly went through far more extreme torture. When his body was found he was badly disfigured and his mother wanting the world to see what those men who took her boy had done wanted an open casket funeral. If you want to see Till's remains just Google it, I won't show that here.

I think I did a post about this in May 2021 where YouTubers visit the sites of Money, Miss. where most of the story of Till demise happened. They go to the grocery store where he whistled at the white woman. The home where he resided and he was taken from that home. And then where he was tortured, and where his body was disposed of.

Recently it was in the news that an arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant - that's whom Till was whistling at - was found in a Mississippi court house. According this report from the Mississippi Free Press it is possible to serve that arrest warrant to Ms. Carolyn Bryant Donham who's last known address is in North Carolina and yes still alive an elderly woman at this point. Her then husband Roy Bryant was served with the warrant and he was one of the people who murdered Till. 

Him and an accomplice J.W. Milam after they were acquitted in Till's murder they sold their story to Look magazine admitting their crime. And of course double jeopardy, they can't be charged and tried again for a crime that they were already acquitted of in court.

According to wikipedia Till is expected to be released on October 7, 2022

So anyway I hope to see this movie when it's released. Perhaps you'll check it out as well.

Daily Dose of Internet: Realizing Everyone is an NPC

 

[VIDEO] Time for a little fun from Daily Dose of Internet, it took me a minute to recognize what an NPC is. For you gamers - I'm really not a gamer - NPC is a "non-playable character". Basically if you're referred to as such in real-life an easily description is you have no personality, no real independent thought or actions. Of course in a video game you're just in the background.

My cousins had a Playstation and one of the games they had was an NBA game and there was a mode where you could play basketball at a park. I remember a guy in the background with a boombox and just for fun, I'd throw my basketball at him and it would just bounce right off. The guy never responded or reaction, that's a blatant example of an NPC. His purpose had little to do with the game.

Of course there are other things other than that in this video, that I hope you will enjoy. Perhaps you learned something new or see something that you're curious about.

Daily Dose of Internet: Monkey shocked by magic trick

 

[VIDEO] Check out a monkey shocked by a magic trick a man makes a leaf disappear and the monkey is dumbfounded. Also including is professional pillow fighting I might want to take that up. Those two vids another others that I hope make your day. Enjoy. :)

Daily Dose of Internet

 

[VIDEO] In this edition we start off with an artist who has an antenna installed to their head in order to see color. He only allows close friends to transmit to send messages primarily through wi-fi or satellite although transmissions has been hacked before. Woah, life can really be stranger than fiction.

That amongst other things that I hope not only you learn something new, but also entertains you. :) 

The first Daily Dose of Internet in 2022

 

[VIDEO] It starts with a bunch heads yelling, college boys being chased by a bird, skydivers diving into an airplane, or a ski jumper being rescued after being buried in snow. Another very entertaining video by Daily Dose of Internet. Enjoy! 

Subscribing to streaming services

 Just at random I subscribed to a number of streaming services over the holidays.

Right now I'm watching the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams on HBOMax. Actually this is a cool series for history nerds as it's set during the colonial era of American history. The series shows John Adams defending British soldiers against charges of murder in the Boston Massacre, to his service during the American revolution - and just so you know he wasn't just a founding father, he was a lawyer also, and ultimately to when he's elected the 2nd President of the United States. We don't see much of Adams we might see more of Thomas Jefferson or even George Washington in popular culture. [VIDEO]

Another series I'm following is a mini series about a man I often liked to refer to as OUSTED governor Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich's federal sentence was commuted by then President Donald Trump in 2020 and thus he was released from prison. We see what Blagojevich does now that he's out of prison and there is certainly a lot of focus on his political career and how he rose so quickly.

Let me tell you a little secret - actually it's no secret. To become a state representative to a Congressman to the Governor of Illinois the fifth largest state in the union it certainly helps to be the son-in-law of a Chicago alderman who's known as a kingmaker. Of course there is coverage of how Blagojevich became OUSTED governor, he was arrested during his second term as governor by federal authorities for essentially attempting to sell then President-elect Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. He was later impeached and ousted or removed from the governorship.

And he was convicted of charges related to his December 2008 arrest and served time in federal prison before being released from custody last year. The mini-series which you can find on another service I have recently subscribed to Hulu is called Being Blago and I noted that on this blog last year.

It's one of those Illinois related media projects that I wanted to share with you in addition to a WBEZ podcast about Rod Blagojevich. Hopefully in the same vein as I had reviewed the Better Gov't Association's podcast about former Speaker Michael Madigan.

Anyway I hope you all are having a happy holidays so far. We got one more to go, which is New Years! Be safe out there! 

DC Comics: 10 hour Yule log fireplace

 

[VIDEO] Giving you this treat for those of you who are comic book fans. I consider myself more of a fan of the DC Universe anyway. Batman is my favorite comic book character of all time having been a real fan since the Batman Animated Series aired on the FOX network in the early 1990s. It changed my perception of that character from the more hilarious direction of Adam West and the 1960s Batman series.

Either way 10 hours of a fire set by the Man of Steel himself, Superman. And this is a bit of a treat on the morning of Xmas day. Although hopefully you're also spending this with people you care about.

Once again I hope you are having a happy and wonderful holiday season so far.