Captain Disillusion - much more YouTubeFamous than Lou Ryan!

Lou Ryan may have been the first superhero I've been impressed with, and the only one I've ever been engaged to, but he's not the first whose YouTube appearances I've applauded.
` Late last year, before our terrible troubles with crazy roommates, cops, and all that, I discovered the chrome-skinned internet crusader Captain Disillusion, an expert in digital special effects who has effectively debunked many fake YouTube videos.
` I began writing about him here, but forgot all about my post when things got too scary -- so let me start again: The first video he takes a look at is a penguin bitch-slapping another penguin into the ice. I instantly noticed the way the penguin's slapping wing looked that it was fake, but apparently not everyone caught this.
` In the words of CD, "The footage is posted dozens of times over on YouTube... and yet I have never, not once, seen a single comment propose that the video might be an artifical special effect, and that worries me...."



I hope he sets that girl straight with Santa Claus and all that! Now, that was a nice, pleasant little non-challenging episode, and I see that he did this one first because debunking it offends nobody, and watching it gives one a feel for his style.
` Very clever.
` Of course, the value of 'debunking' is actually showing people how they can be fooled. I've tried to do that here, but not in nearly such a cool way as an awesome video.
` And as for his second episode, he begins, "Tonight, I'd like to talk to you about how creepy you all are...." Yes, apparently we humans have an affinity for making somewhat clever fake ghost videos -- this one is the reflection of the Japanese girl who looks in the mirror and turns away... but her reflection doesn't!
` CD says, "Kids, I know that there are times when not believing something you see feels really, really wrong. But don't worry, that's just your brain adjusting to the nice cold bubble bath of healthy disillusion. It's better than staying in the hot, muggy gazebo of gullibility. Just relax, let the bubbles do their work."
` Mmmmm, bubbles! That, I like!



We will see our old friend Mr. Motion Tracking in future videos as well. I guess that was a simple one to figure out. But this next one... the next one is just too easy! So easy that Captain Disillusion is angry!
` "Alright, come on, I'm not really angry, come back. I'm more disappointed. Disappointed in you. That's right. Aw, don't cry. Sometimes, it doesn't seem to take any effort for someone to make you believe a hoax is real. No special effects, no testimony, no shaky cameras, just... context."
` Wow. This is incredibly dumb, but several YouTube commenters are freaked out as hell. It's just a dog looking out a window with some electric blinds that 'move by themselves'. Run for your life! And the YouTube poster wasn't even serious about it being supernatural, either!



Why did he 'debunk' a video that needs no debunking? This is CD's way of introducing his viewers to the concept of being expected to believe a video is paranormal because of context, not because of the actual content!

His next 'debunk' is quite the opposite -- a very convincing-looking video of an alien spacecraft! What surprised me the most about this one is that the creator of this video, Barzolff814, let it be known in the news media about how the entire video was computer-generated using View 6 Infinite, which comes with the palm tree clones seen in the video.
` It didn't matter, though -- some people were still convinced it was real and it really freaked them out.
` So then, Barzolff created another fake video that is meant to show the first one is fake -- some people who still believed the first video was real were tremendously offended by it, not realizing that the second video was fake!
` And then, of course, CD just had to do his own version....



This next video is quite different than the last two -- there's nothing supposedly paranormal about it, it's just two guys and a pair of sunglasses. One appears to throw sunglasses and the other seemingly catches them on his face, in all sorts of creative ways. But, how do they do it?
` After all, "Special effects are, above all, a source of entertainment, and when they're used for entertainment purposes, I love 'em. Enjoying cinematic puzzles and then trying to figure out how they were created is good for the brain."



It isn't until the 'Fire Angel' episode that we meet Captain Disillusion's semi-sidekick, Mr. Flare. And boy is he pissed off!
` "I'm simple and easy to get along with," says Mr. Flare, "but you know what? That doesn't mean I'm worthless and don't deserve recognition and respect!"
` Captain Disillusion tries to stop the refraction's rage; "And you really like to travel, right?"
` "I sure do! I've been all over the world and present at some of the most important events in history." We are shown photos of this same optical effect: "The 2006 night launch of the space shuttle discovery, the launch of any space thing, really, The Police reunion tour, the re-enactment of the world trade center reenactment of the Iwo Jima raising of the flag by the Lafatette High School cheerleading squad. Hell, I've met most of these kids watching, although you wouldn't know it from the way they act!"
` "All right now, Mist..."
` "I'm not finished! They don't want to give me my due credit! They'd rather believe I'm some paranormal orb or ghost or angel! Well, angel my big refracted a..."
` He's right; this 'Fire Angel' example really is silly, and I'd be pissed off, too if I were a lens flare!



You might remember a blog post I did a couple years ago about the 'Cuervo Chupacabra' news segments. The first one was so hyped-up that the news reporter didn't give much credence to the wildlife expert who identified it as a mangy canine. The second news segment was a solid ten minutes of sensationalism until they finally revealed the genetic analysis... coyote DNA!
` When news reporters find a mundane event and then hype the mystery instead of actually getting to the bottom of it, or even reporting the most obvious explanation, it's called 'fluff', and local news programs have a lot of these segments because they compete with one another as well as with entertainment shows.
` Captain Disillusion did a fine example of such exposure of what is obviously a bug crawling around on a security camera, in the following way: "Using the latest video editing technology, I've altered the famous segment about the gas station ghost caught on security camera into the way it should have been produced had the journalist actually done her job."



This is the funniest one yet! Can Captain D outdo himself? I'm afraid he does. There are all kinds of crazy things in episodes, though I was most interested in the first widescreen HD episode, where where he went to The Amazing Meeting 6.
` The key speaker was physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and all his skeptical colleagues were there, including the hilarious co-hosts of my favorite podcast The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, and the eccentric masters of illusion Penn and Teller.
` Captain D also exposes how a TV show in Germany plagiarized his footage of the sunglasses-catching analysis. Mr. Flare says; "I sure hope nobody floods them with angry emails!"
` After TAM, CD moves onto a home movie with low FLV compression, and shows how such low quality can do some strange things the producers offered prize money for duplicating. That was so incredibly simple-- and I've seen the same things on other low-quality videos! "Can I have the $25,000 now?"
` And then, of course... HOW DID HE DO THAT? He's Captain Disillusion, Penn and Teller in the same shot!



And his next episode co-stars famous skeptic and illusionist The Amazing Randi, for which The Amazing Meeting is named. Randi comes to the rescue after CD blows a gasket! (Actually, not really, it's just the script.)
` I think it's supposed to be kinda like Contact, although I don't remember that movie. In any case, I'm duly impressed by how Amazingly high Randi's pants are!



It's Vegas! But... wait.. it turns out that Randi's video debunk of the 'pantry ghost girl' wasn't quite right, either! That's right, all that production, and it still wasn't quite on the mark.
` Well, Mr. Flare wasn't "one to glow idly by while someone might be wrong on the internet!... So now, here to present the real answers, the guy who screwed it up in the first place...."



The last time I had checked out Captain Disillusion's website -- that would be for the first draft of this post -- this video had been the final one on the cue. Months had gone by, and I figured CD had planned something special.
` I was not disappointed -- finally, seven months after Pantry Ghost Girl, they finally finished producing the videos for TAM7, and there are five of them!
` Conveniently, they are all linked together by a... well, a link, shown near the end of the video, which gives you the opportunity to watch the next one. Watch out, though, it takes you to YouTube, so you'll have to backtrack if you want to get back to my blog.

At last, we get more into what TAMs are all about, and it's a parody of Mystery Science Theater 3000 to boot! I dig CD's silver skin! Oh yeah, and the shape-shifting shirt is pretty cool, too.



And yes, Michael Shermer really does sound like a muppet, I've seen him in person, as I've posted somewhere before on this blog.

In the second video, a dowser FAILS! And even worse, for CD anyway, Rebecca Watson, sexiest voice of Skeptic's Guide, gets married! NOOOOOOO!

Number three reveals what happens when scientific-minded people attempt performance art. "...The tsunami-like onslaught of noise! And the horrible, horrible silence." And, then, a Skepchick party! I dig the digitally-added drug paraphernalia, like the bong in Steven Novella's hand -- that's just too funny!

In number four, they discuss skepticism and ethics in stage magic. Teller and the others are seen discussing the ethics of Darren Brown's offering fake explanations for his illusions.

So finally, in number five, we get to Brown's fake explanation of using a group of volunteers to guess lottery numbers. But if we could really do that, a lot of people would!
` So how did Brown really predict the lottery numbers? He didn't. Apparently, CD has found that this trick involves the 'magic' of a motion control system!
` And then... Captain D's parody of the Carl Sagan remix Glorious Dawn! Love it!

Just last week, the most recent episode of Captain Disillusion was posted, in both 2D and 3D. He explores the 'Fantasy Files.' They appear to be football players doing amazing stunts to get you to put them on your Fantasy Football team -- but in fact, they are advertisements, and the ones Captain Disillusion looks at have really neat special effects!
` I also noticed that this one is called an 'Explanation' and not a 'Debunk'. It's true that a skeptic's job is to explore, not debunk, but in the world of fake YouTube videos it's the only thing one can wind up doing, because they're... well, bunk!
` So, let's check out the bunk... and a few crazy special effects frills, such as 70's green-screen technology!



Wait... is he implying that he has an illegitimate daughter? I ought to recruit her....

In the meantime, I've got to go. I have a lot of work to do, including creating more original content for this website -- I know what I should have done in the first place, and clean up my own 'exploring' act.

I'll be back with my plan once you have had enough of CD. And if you haven't had enough of him here, you can go to CD's YouTube channel for more videos, and perhaps by the time you are reading this post, there will be even newer ones!

MAL, 2.0 - my new computer!

My previous AI, MAL, has been getting rather snotty with me, so I've replaced him with a newer, better AI - and it's portable!

At last! I shall be able to be online each day, and for as long as I want! No more waiting in line! No more writing my emails on paper and then typing them when I get the chance! That is BULL HOCKEY -- my least favorite game!

Anyway, I'll be back soon enough, with some more interesting content besides just photo uploads. I am, after all, a mad scientist. I'm worth more than just that!

One Whole Year Of Photos On Flickr!

What an exhausting time I've had, spending about six hours putting titles and captions on all 467 photos I took this September 2009. Don't congratulate me or anything.

This one is called 'Crazy The Alligator'. Lucas took that one from the boat in Okefenokee swamp! (I think that's part of the boat at the bottom of the picture, just to show how close we were!)

Also, last week I uploaded all of my photos from a year ago in September 2008. That was back when we were preparing to move from the ghetto apartment to the ghetto house, the one we got kicked out of because the landlady refused to bring it up to code. Ah, those were the days....

Now it's time to go to bed and get up for school!

If you don't have to do the same, I recommend browsing through my photo sets on Flickr! I have a lot of cool stuff on there, including the photo I took just this past night, a la Chef Brad: Defiled Halal chickens! Too funny!

BTW, both Brad and Lucas are hosting their own shows! The Angry Chef and Max Deluge! Apparently, their personalities are made for TV (albeit local TV)!

Lou Ryan makes a good Pinhead.

Crypticon Idol, a project my superhero boyfriend stars in, turned out to be funny stuff. For the sake of soup, WATCH IT!

Oh, and how to make a UFO... that'll be next post. I promise. Loves to all my unwilling subjects!

Here's yet another post NOW...

Partly because I feel the need to document my third attempt at digitally copying my video of my fuzzball creatures growing up and becoming big and scary. This is because I'm using a MacPro and cannot comprehend its 'user-friendly' interface and extremely inconvenient one-button mouse (which, once I get some video to work with, I shall replace with a two-button mouse).

` The first time, Final Cut broke all two hours of my video into small chunks, so I had to stay up way past my bedtime to constantly check on the computer to prompt it to continue after each chunk.
` Finally, at about two in the morning, I put everything together into one continuous clip... and found that instead of not noticing the transition between clips like I thought would happen, there is a noticeable skipping between them, which looks as if someone randomly just edited bits out - sometimes in places where I need a continuous shot!
` So, I did it once again today, using Lou Ryan's account (because I don't have my own account on this Mac) so there are no such settings applied to the program. Unfortunately, at the end of my two hours of wait, I found that there was no sound whatsoever.

` So, rather like a scientific experiment, I have to run it once again to make sure things are going okay.

` The reason I'm telling you here is because the project alerts blog is currently spitting out some really great photos every three days, which would sweep this message away in no time. (Kind of lets you know how much time I've been investing in blogging - next to nil.)
` In any case, I had planned to make this video on this computer since February, though I was not allowed to even set it up and turn it on for quite a while. After that, the computer wound up being sent away every weekend to be used by Director Nate. You know, for important purposes such as working.

` Discouraged, I found that other things might be more productive to focus on for several months, seeing as this situation seemed hopeless. But now, since the computer has been back for a few days after being in Hood River for a month or so, and because I have the confidence, I am actually attempting to create this video, with the express purpose of posting it on YouTube where all can see!

` The creatures are really quite something, so it will be worth the technical difficulties!

Update - 17: 24 (or 5:24 p.m.): I'm now doing this a fourth time because I actually deigned to leave the Mac and go to the gym to further inflate my overly-bloated muscles, thus strengthening my resemblance to a young man.
` Though the computer had been steadily capturing my digital tape when I had left, I returned to find the tape at the end of the reel and no indication that it had ever been saved to the hard drive.

` Khaaaaaaaannnn!

Further Update - 18:25: Qa'pla! After my extensive walking of said fuzzballs (in sporadic rain, no less!), all of my insidious footage has now been safely stored on the hard drive, so Phase One is complete.
` However, Phase Two shall have to wait until tomorrow because I have plans for tonight... which involve going to a movie theater. I hear Dark Knight is a good movie....

You must watch Dr. Horrible - and right now you can see it all!

And, if you've seen it already, you might be tempted to watch it again! In any case, this is for you, my unwilling subjects, to be subjected to!

Yeah I know... post numero tres having to do with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. What's the big deal? Why have I suddenly started acting like some kind of horny fan girl? Am I really that pathetic? Don't I have anything better to write about?

` Yes I do - and I have been - but it's like this;

` I didn't expect to be able to even watch it again without paying five bucks on iTunes, but I just happened to see Dr. Horrible on MySpaceTV: And this only because of a very rare occurrence - roomie number 1, B-Dizzle, needed to do something online, or otherwise I would have not found it when I did.

"What?" I thought at the title. "Surely it can't be the actual musical... the whole thing...." Oh yes, it's being hosted on Hulu a magical land where there are actually more viewing options than on my blog.

Then, I showed it to my roomie number 2, Director Nathan Lee (having permanently moved in yesterday), who, being a wacky filmmaker and all - thought that it was brilliant. That's right. He thought it was brilliant, while I had to bribe Lou Ryan just to watch it (yes, with sexual favors!), and he just made fun!

Maybe it's a superhero thing?
` However, when Lou Ryan walked into the room, he became glued to the screen and eventually - once we got the glue off - he agreed with Nate.

Anyway, I thought I'd cram this post in ASAP instead of finish the one I was working on last night - considering that it can be done in a few minutes instead of hours. Also, I had a really long day at work, having to sub for someone else, so I don't have time anyway.

` And now I have a blue eyed fuzzball sitting on my lap, purring and licking my face, so I had better go - they can be quite a handful. Pth! Creature hair!

Darn that critter!

Sorry I'm so late with this! I'm just now finishing up with Finals week and I've been incredibly sick (...continuously, for over a month now).

I just wanted to share with you a little stunt my critter, codenamed 'Vada' has done while she was out trying to take over the world.
` On May 30, I was walking up to the Way that is Safe and could not help but notice the flock of helicopters circling near the store. Soon, I noticed that the traffic through the main drag on Rucker Avenue was being diverted through the ghetto.
` Well, I often take my camera outside with me in case of strangeness, so I was thinking that perhaps it had paid off that day. (Note: This street rarely has any more than one car on it at a time.)

alteredtraffic Because of a complete lack of traffic on Rucker Avenue, I could cross the street outside of the crosswalk, away from all the noise of the intersection. I got a really good view of why it had been roped off, though I didn't bother taking a photo of the gruesomeness until I was mostly hidden in the parking lot.... (The horror! Can you believe the price of gas? And it's gotten worse!)

accident I didn't think of it much until after I'd done my shopping and was back on the other side of the street, where I managed to take another photo without looking like an ass. (I hope... one lady did scowl at me while I momentarily pulled out my camera in the store in order to reach my wallet.)

roadster Apparently those kit cars aren't all that sturdy, as the driver found.

ouch What's strange is that there's a partial chalk outline on the sidewalk... perhaps the police had begun making before they realized he wasn't dead! (Or it was made for insurance purposes....)

` But what caused the accident to begun with?

` A couple of days later, superhero Lou Ryan and I found the critter hiding in the basement. Great, we thought; she was finally home! However, Vada was very unwilling to come near us - we had to chase her all around!
` I became highly suspicious that she was trying to hide from the authorities.

` As she would not tell us anything, we had no choice but to resort to torture....

onemorepic When the nipple-pinching was too much for her (now that her giant fat belly had disappeared), Lou Ryan and I determined that Vada was guilty of using her Alien Cat Mind Control to make the driver of the Roadster careless enough to speed through an intersection.
` This is exactly why we have to keep a leash on these critters when they go outside. We can't have them wreaking havoc without our approval!

Raise your hand...

` ...if you're sure your kitten licked the stink from your armpits this morning!

` Kitten Brand Antiperspirant! (Now with more Catspit!) Don't leave home without it!

Strange New Life...

` Extraterrestrials have taken over the lab! This is not a joke!

` Luckily, I've managed to decipher their latest broadcast. Perhaps there can be peace between us.

It's a total X-mess around the lab! (...And not just because I made a monkey out of Lou!)

` This day is monumental, for you see, I have finally found a way to use my Unpredictability Drive for randomly traipsing into alternate realities from the comfort of my own kitchen cabinet! As a result, several bizarre and random things have occurred as a result.
` The first thing that happened was relatively mild: The drive wound up generating enough local temporal-spatial instability to cause the dining room to fill with Martha Stewart merchandise. A very frightening thing, indeed!

` After I had managed to banish the merchandise back through the portal, I discovered that the Evil Spirit of Commercialized $mas had rubbed off on me, turning myself a mysterious livid shade of green. "Well," I said to myself, "At least I can tell people they wouldn't like me when I'm angry..."

` After applying the Unpredictability Cleansing Wand to myself (it comes with the drive in case of spillage), I had somehow inadvertantly set other developments into motion: A little later, I noticed my internal organs had began to feel a bit odd, and I had the sense that my body was beginning to change shape. Finally, I reached into my pants to find that my existing biological structures were sprouting... new growth. Um.
` As you can see, I am - quite visibly - different, for sure!

` After I had stabilized after the transformation, I mostly stood in the kitchen, looking around insecurely. Luckily, my perverted side got the best of me and I ran off into the bedroom, leaving my clothes on the floor.
` When Lou got home, I pulled my pants back on and told him what had happened. He said to me; "Not to fear, my new gay lover," and proceeded to change the settings on the Cleansing Wand. (I swear, that man has such a weird sense of humor!)

` Unfortunately - and I have no idea why - Lou wound up inadvertantly taking a trip back to his roots. Literally. I had to get out the straight jacket to keep the primitive and panicked homonid from destroying things.
` In the meantime, ladies and gentlemen I present to you a new species; the Australoupithecus.

` Darn! And I had been hoping for a blow job!! Let me tell you, this December has been such a mess - and it's only just begun! Forget about holiday shopping, folks! I have enough stress to keep me going until January.
` I'll probably be very busy for a while, trying to get Lou back to normal. I'll keep you posted about my insane adventures, so until next time, behold my manliness!

` This is Dr. 'Casmir' Nociceptor, signing off. And may the Schwartz be with you!

She made a Crab Monkey out of me!

` Crabby, I don't know how you did this, but I can finally see now that my DNA was put to good use!

` ...And it's even a boy! I've always wanted a mutated offspring of mine to be a boy! My dear Crabcake, you really are delightful! I must show you around the lab sometime....