Whedonverse Alumni

Wondering what your favorite Whedonverse actors have been up to lately? Well too bad, because that's not the subject of this post. Instead, this post is about what a couple of them did some years before they me Whedon.

First up is this video for George Harrison's "I Got My Mind Set On You, from 1988.* The boy in the video is played by Alexis Dennisof, everyone's favorite rogue demon hunter. I found this video indirectly, because Dennisof's wife and co-actor, Alyson Hannigan, tweeted it, presumably to lightly tease the man. Please note the hairstyles and fashion in this video.

Second, and last, is this 1992 advertisement for the Nerf Slingshot. The spokeskid in the ad is Seth Green. His hair is priceless, I must say.*** The girls' outfits are equally timeless.

Enjoy.

* Interestingly, Harrison's performance was a cover. The song was originally written in 1962.**

** "Wierd Al" Yankovic created a parody of Harrison's version called "This Song's Just Six Words Long."

*** It's no worse than a 'do he's sported more recently, when he couldn't claim fashion impairment due to pubescent flood of hormones.

Hodgman: Is Obama the Kwisatz Haderach?

Last Friday, at the Radio and TV Correspondents' Dinner, both President Barack Obama and author, comedian, actor, and personal computer John Hodgman addressed the audience. In Hodgman's address, he spoke of his hope that Obama would be the nerd President that many geeks have been dreaming of, and he quizzed the President on his geek credentials. This speech is must-see viewing for nerds everywhere.

CR-Z: Return of the CRX

Honda has officially announced that the CR-Z concept car will be turned into a production model. Additionally ally, a hybrid version of the Fit will be produced. Good news. Now let's hope these two hybrids make it to the United States.

By the way, it's unclear how many seats the CR-Z will have if and when reaches the States. The CR-Z concept has rear seats, but that may mean less than you think. The CRX had tiny rear seats in Japan and Europe, but, due to stricter safety regulations,* they we removed from the North American version of the car.

* I'm only guessing that this is the reason.

Alien'ation

Based on this interview, it sounds like Tim Minear's reboot of Alien Nation won't be just a rehash of the original show. Minear seems to have something interest to add.

Happy Birthday, Nikola

Today would be the 153rd birthday of Nikola Tesla, an all-around genius and one of the titans of electrical engineering.

Vibram Five Toes

I've been aware of Vibram's Five Finger shoes for a while, but now I really want a pair.

D9

District 9 is looking pretty interesting. Check out the trailer here.

Recipe: Nut-Butter Banna-Dog

Here's another of my bachelor-style* culinary inventions: the nut-butter banana-dog.**

Ingredients

• 1 hot-dog bun. I like whole-wheat ones, but use whatever floats your boat.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons nut butter. I like almond and cashew, but peanut, is a classic and is also acceptable.
• 1 small-ish banana.

Directions

• Open the bun.
• Spread the nut butter of your choosing on both inter surfaces.
• Peal the banana and press it, firmly, into the bun.
• If needed, slide banana back and forth to spread the nut butter.

* This one's also great for a kid, or for a child-at-heart like me.

** No dogs were harmed during the development of this dish. Although, one might have eaten some pieces of the prototype that were "accidentally" dropped into his bowl.

Recipe: Spaghetti Enchilada Casserole

Today for lunch I'm having spaghetti enchilada casserole: leftover spaghetti sauce---with ground turkey!---layered with corn tortillas and reheated in the mircowave oven. It's not just international; it's tasty.

Google Chrome OS

Google announced last night that it will release a lightweight, open-source operating system called Chrome OS. The OS is Linux-based and clearly aimed at cloud computing and web applications; it's primary function will be to run the Chrome browser, and most apps will run inside the browser. Chrome OS will begin appearing on netbooks in late 2010; then it will move to full-function laptops and desktops.

Given Google's size and popularity, this news could have enormous ramifications.