Up on Vimeo.com, there’s a series of videos by Mark Bunker of an interview he had with actor Jason Beghe, who was a Scientologist since 1994 or so, and left earlier this year. Looks like a pretty interesting interview.

For all your other Scientology criticism needs, see Operation Clambake.

Ever had one of those moments when you’re watching one of your favourite programs on TV, a big movie or television star is on screen, you look at their surroundings, and you’re like, “Hey, I’ve been there!”

Well, I had one of those moments two weeks ago while watching the programme Corner Gas on CTV HD. I was watching the episode entitled “Coming Distractions” when it came to the setting shot the show used to transition to the scene in the theatre. Lo and behold, that’s the very same theatre I frequent a couple times a week, which is less than a ten minute walk from home.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised when that happens, considering they mainly film in a town not an hour’s drive away from the city, but I don’t care. It’s still pretty cool, nonetheless.

Maybe it’s because it’s shown nationally during prime time and has huge ratings. It’s not the same as Puttnam’s Prairie Emporium, which never left the studio AFAIK. And as cool as they are, local cable access channels don’t count either.

As for movies, I had it a few times watching Just Friends, but less so during The Messengers and not at all during Decoy.

—

My apologies to Miss Judy Garland.

I was checking my web logs this morning, and trying to filter out the crap, to have a look-see at the types of visitors I’ve been getting for the last little while. I noticed a particularly odd user agent string (the piece of text that a client’s browser presents to others to identify itself) appearing throughout my log files. These are usually the standard fair: Firefox, Safari, IE, etc…, but some of the IE browsers have the extra tag, “FunWebProducts,” associated to them. This is not a new revelation. This type of agent string has been around for four years now. It’s the result of a company using sneaky and underhanded tactics to get their software installed on unsuspecting users’ computers. Yes, it’s adware (or malware, or spyware, or viruses, wherever your beliefs put you on the anti-spyware scale). I’ve just never paid much attention to them before. But the hows and whys of these vistors’ arrivals to my site are what recently peaked my interest.

So here are the search strings that were used by said users’ browsers to reach my site from January 2005 on (in rough chronological order). Where a search phrase has been repeated, I’ve placed a multiplier modifier at the end of each line to represent how many times. There’s a bit of a common thread going here, and might also lead you to realize how such adware may have been installed in the first place. Ashlee Simpson screensaver anyone? The IPs have been hidden to protect the incompetent.

* used rolex wanted
* PDV-0700K (x2)
* ps2 hdd winnipeg
* crash bash
* heroscape pieces
* swoosh swoosh sound
* bestbuy.ca
* “never fly”
* leaf collection hose
* fly games
* penial implants images (x5)
* redd skull comics
* hands in my pockets spoof (x3)
* jeopardy snl scenes
* CJME
* fly with leaf blowers
* scrollable comments (x2)
* “guy fawkes costume”
* amazing race
* Korean girls
* clever firefly quotes
* haircut skateboarder
* humour old 80’s stories
* fly rider game (x4)
* o.c.disorders
* saber rider
* humour of accountant
* wqiki
* list of cooking shows of the 80’s
* 80’s sci fi toys
* savings in egypt in the 80’s
* 80’s weird songs list
* hentai girl with bandaid
* where can i watch free cartoons from the 80’s

I’m not sure which is more shocking: that my site is considered that much of a haven for photos of penial implants, or the types of search queries that will eventually lead to this post now that I’ve collected everything in one place.

That’s just the search phrases from the people “infected” with FunWeb stuff, which is a much smaller slice of the pie that represents my overall set of visitors. The other search phrases are far more boring (but maybe I’ll give the same treatment to those some day).

And if you happen to recognize some of those search queries as your own, you might want to try running Ad-Aware and some other kinds of anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer. And get your Windows Updates up to date. And stop clicking “Yes” and “Allow” to everything that pops up. Actually, just stop clicking anywhere on a pop-up. Forget that, install a pop-up blocker. Better yet, get one of your kids to do it. Scratch that, just stop clicking… period. Don’t even turn your computer on.

Spotted on John Gruber’s blog.

At first I didn’t notice what was happening until half way through. I had to go back and rewatch it. But then I was laughing for five minutes straight. It still makes me laugh now, even after watching it for probably my tenth time.

A higher quality version is available at their site. There are also others available. Dynasty, Golden Girls, Designing Women, and Cheers, I thought were also well done. The remaining were a little more mature or risqué, and IMHO not quite as funny.