Nov 20 2015

French Father Explains Paris Attacks To Son (Video)

This video of a father talking to his son about the Paris attacks might make you cry. Me? Oh, you know. Allergies. #liar

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Oh my. The kid is adorable, and the way the father handles the situation is just wonderful. To be fair, I’m assuming that’s his father. It could be an uncle or a friend. But the tweet says father, so let’s go with that. Excuse me. I need a new box of tissues. I told you. Allergies. #liar

H/T to @thereaIbanksy and the awesomely talented actress Constance Zimmer (currently being awesome on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) who retweeted it.


Mar 13 2015

Robert Downey Jr. Brings Georgia Boy Bionic Arm (DaddyTube)

The line between Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man is growing slimmer every day. Here is a video of the actor bringing a Georgia boy named Alex Pring a real bionic arm.

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It’s OK if you get a little misty-eyed. We’ll wait.

The important bit here is that a group called The Collective Project made a bionic arm for a child, Alex, who was “born with a partially developed right arm,” according to the video. The arm was made by Albert Manero, “a college student who builds and donates low-cost, 3D-printed bionic limbs to kids around the world,” according to the YouTube video. Here’s a quote from the Fox 5 DC story where we found this:

“The arm doesn’t have a lot of supernatural powers, but it makes life easier on Alex both physically and mentally.”

The two then compare arms, with Downey pulling his out of a case with the Stark Industries logo.

Which brings us to what we were talking about when we said the line between Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man is getting slimmer every day.

Remember in 2012 when we posted that Robert Downey Jr surprised kids at Comic Con? (Heck, remember 2012? I’m not sure I do.) Here’s what we had to say back then:

Marvel could easily drop this footage into ‘Iron Man 3‘ if they want to. … Have the kids shouting out “IRON MAN!”, people cheering when Downey Tony Stark shows up… Free idea from me to you, ‘Iron Man 3? filmmakers. I’ll take a special thanks and perhaps a repulsor ray if you’ve got an extra one lying around.

(They didn’t take my idea. Maybe for Iron Man 4, or a future Avengers movie.)

The second best thing about this new video (the first, of course, is the kid getting the arm, because that’s actually real-life awesome) is the moment when someone off-camera asks Alex, “Do you know who that is?” “Iron Man,” Alex replies, to the delight of everyone in the room (and us home viewers). But then comes the follow-up:

“What’s his name?”

“Robert.”

Downey does nothing to correct Alex, nor does anyone else. In Alex’s 7-year-old mind, Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man. To Downey’s credit, he’s a good enough actor that playing the super-rich Avenger has not hampered his film career; he can play other roles just as convincingly as he always has. But if he keeps this up, he might have to change his name to Tony Stark. Or maybe Marvel will just change Iron Man’s name to Robert Downey Jr. Both are about as likely to happen as me turning into Thor. But this particular blurring of fact and fiction is fun to watch.

On a more serious note, huge, massive, supremely large shout-outs to Albert Manero, who is apparently making bionic arms for kids who need them (it’s OK if that makes your head explode a little bit), and to Mr. Downey Jr., whom we like both on and off screen. And best of luck to Alex, a young man growing up in very interesting times.

‘Iron Man’ surprises boy in Georgia – DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG.


Dec 20 2014

DaddyTips Comment 12-20-14 (Video)

The third DaddyTips Video commentary has arrived. Today, 12-20-14, I’m talking about NFL football.

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Because this video is a little bit longer than usual (it’s about 3 minutes long; the other two have been closer to 2 minutes), and because I wrote it out rather than improvising, I’m going to include the full text here. It’s still faster to watch the video, unless you happen to be a speed reader. But if you don’t watch, you miss out on my stellar wit and brilliant facial expressions.

DaddyTips Video Comment

 

So here we go. This is fun. If you like the video, please share it with anyone and everyone.

Thanks for reading/watching/sharing, and most of all thanks for just being you. Happy holidays!

(Text of video follows.)

<singing>
The NFL, The NFL
Today I’ll be talking / about football-all-ell
</singing>

Today is Saturday, December 20. There will be 2 football games, billed as a special Saturday edition of Thursday Night Football. Despite the fact that that phrasing is a sign of the apocalypse – kind of like midnight movie premieres that are actually at 7pm – I like football enough that I’m going to watch the games.

Today’s comment is not about one of the Saturday games, it’s about the Bears/Lions game, which is on Sunday.
Apparently the Bears are going to start Jimmy Clausen instead of Jay Cutler. This quote is from an article on Michigan’s MLive.com written by Kyle Meinke, titled “Golden Tate hopes Jimmy Clausen ‘stays safe’ against Detroit Lions defense“.

“He may give us a spark. Who knows? We’re not sure, but I think it was a good time to take a look.”

That’s Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman talking about his decision to start Clausen instead of Cutler.

NFL coaches are an intriguing breed. Generally they live and breathe football. They spend endless hours studying tape, coming up with plays, and thinking of ways to motivate their players.

“He may give us a spark. Who knows?”

Compare this to Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who, when asked if his team could win the Super Bowl with their backup quarterback, said yes. To be fair, he was ASKED. He didn’t make a proclamation like Rex Ryan, the sometimes crazy coach of the hapless New York Jets.

The Cardinals have suffered a pile of injuries to key players, including starting quarterback Carson Palmer. They are currently 11-3, first place in their division, the NFC West. They are also the ONLY team in the NFC that has clinched a playoff spot.

The Bears are 5-9. That’s LAST place in the NFC North. They haven’t lost their starting quarterback. Until Sunday, when they plan to put in a guy who hasn’t started a game since 2010. Because they’re out of the playoffs.

Maybe coaching does matter.

It was suggested to me by a friend that I end these videos with a Tip, since they are being posted on – wait for it – DaddyTips.com. My tip today is:
Be more like Bruce Arians than Marc Trestman. I don’t follow the Cardinals closely, but from what I’ve heard and read, Arians appears to do everything he can to help his team win, including convincing his players that they CAN win, no matter what. Trestman – you know, the guy who said “Who knows?” when asked if starting Jimmy Clausen would help the Bears beat the Lions, would seem to be cut from different cloth.
My point? Buck the odds. Say “why not me?” instead of “who knows?”

Happy holidays.

(Note: The music used at the end is “I Am A Bear In A Lady’s Boudoir” by Cliff Edwards, recorded circa October 25, 1933. It’s in the Public Domain and available for download at the invaluable Internet Archive.)

Previous DaddyTips Video comments:

DaddyTips Comment 12-16-14

DaddyTips Comment 12-15-14


Dec 16 2014

DaddyTips Comment 12-16-14 (Video)

Here it is, DaddyTips second semi-daily video commentary. On this day, 12-16-14, we talk about Hobbits and Hanukkah.

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By the way, for those playing along at home — we shaved!

Thanks for watching. Once again, please let us know what you think, publicly or even privately if you prefer.

DaddyTips Comment, 12-16-14 from Brett Singer on Vimeo.

Here are the links mentioned in the video.

Xmas in Frisco, the terrific Internet Radio station that has been playing Electric Menorah songs during Chanukah for the past… 10 years? Is that possible? I think it’s been 10 years. Many thanks to them. Note: the station is not safe for work listening (depending upon where you work, of course) because sometimes they play songs with dirty words in them.  Anyway, here’s the link: somafm.com/xmasinfrisko (They have other good stations as well, but this is the only one that plays our music.)

The Hobbit: Book and Film Differences is a really great blog that delivers exactly what the title describes – the differences between The Hobbit films and The Hobbit book. Note that I said “films” and “book”. There’s only one book but there are three films. Have I mentioned that? I’ve actually really enjoyed reading this site, written by someone who goes by the handle Quoggy. Well worth checking out if you have even a passing interest in the subject matter. Here’s the link: hobbitdifferences.blogspot.com

Last, but certainly not least, make sure to go to facebook.com/brettmusic and click the button that says “Like”. That way we’ll know that you like us, you really really like us.

Happy Hobbit Hanukkah!


Dec 15 2014

DaddyTips Comment 12-15-14 (Video)

We’re going to try something new here at DaddyTips — a semi-daily video commentary on… well, whatever we want to talk about.

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We’ll try to keep it brief and clean. We do not promise to shave. (This time we didn’t; we considered shaving and then re-doing the video but decided that would ruin the spontaneity of the clip. Also it would involve shaving.)

Today’s topics are excessive consumer surveys and the leaked emails from Sony Pictures.

So here it is! Let us know what you think, publicly or even privately if you prefer.

DaddyTips Comment, 12-15-14 from Brett Singer on Vimeo.


Oct 28 2014

DIY Halloween Wine Bottle Centerpieces from TeeWii.com

The lovely and talented Ms. Tracy Pendergast of TeeWii.com posted a great video just in time for Halloween.

Check out her fun DIY Halloween Wine Bottle Centerpieces video. It’s so easy even I could do it.

DIY Halloween Wine Bottle Centerpieces

via DIY: Halloween Wine Bottle Centerpieces – YouTube.


Aug 20 2014

The Six Dollar Man – Sesame Street Video

How I found this is too complicated/boring to explain. But finding the video of this vintage Sesame Street sketch, The Six Dollar Man, made me smile. Hope it does the same for you.

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This is, of course, a parody of The Six Million Dollar Man, a show I also look back upon fondly.

h/t The Six Dollar Man – Muppet Wiki.