Trying Out AMC Mutant Mayhem Pop Rocks ICEE #SHORTS

July 19, 2023 YouTube Shorts
Trying Out AMC Mutant Mayhem Pop Rocks ICEE #SHORTS

AMC Theatres is offering the Mutant Mayhem Pop Rocks ICEE. You can add the Blue Razz Pop Rocks to your blueberry ICEE for an extra $1.50. Pop Rocks are hard candy with a bubble of carbon dioxide that explodes in your mouth. I had Pop Rocks as a kid in the early 1980s.

I made the mistake of adding the Pop Rocks to my ICEE in layers. That didn’t work out too well. Just dump the entire packet into the bottom of the cup and pour your ICEE on top. The blueberry flavor of the Pop Rocks was more intense than that of the ICEE.

My FreeNAS/TrueNAS File Server History #SHORTS

Published: July 17, 2023 YouTube Shorts
My FreeNAS/TrueNAS File Server History #SHORTS

Here’s a brief overview of my FreeNAS/TrueNAS file server.

In 2015, I built a new file server for FreeNAS. Six 1TB Western Digital Red NAS hard drives divided into three mirrored virtual devices (or vdevs). Storage pool was 3TB.

In 2017, I bought a used 3Gbps SAS controller card. In 2020, I replaced all the case fans and added two 2TB Western Digital Red Plus NAS hard drives. Expanded the storage pool from 3TB to 5TB.

In March 2022, I switched from FreeNAS on mirrored 16GB USB drives to TrueNAS on mirrored 120GB SSDs.

In May 2022, after replacing a 1TB hard drive with a 2TB hard drive, I had to replace the failed 120GB SSD.

This year I bought a 6Gbps SAS controller card.

The Products I Use to Shave My Head Bald #SHORTS

Published: July 11, 2023 YouTube Shorts
The Products I Use to Shave My Head Bald #SHORTS

Here are the products that I use to shave my head bald.

I started shaving my head with the Gillette Mach3 Men Razor and Edge Shave Gel for Men. When shaving your head bald, you need to take it slowly to avoid nicks and bleeds. I spend ten minutes shaving my head every other day.

I used the Bee Bald Smooth Plus Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion after every shave. If I’m going outdoors all day, I use Banana Boat Sport Ultra SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion and wear a hat.

Earlier this year I picked up the Skull Shaver Palm 3 Head Electric Shaver. I spend five minutes shaving my head with shaving cream every day.

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.

The Bruce Willis Effect on My YouTube Channel #SHORTS

Published: July 9, 2023 YouTube Shorts
The Bruce Willis Effect on My YouTube Channel #SHORTS

Men who shaved off a full head of hair are confident, dominant and masculine. Otherwise known as the Bruce Willis effect. Did shaving my head bald contribute to the growth of my YouTube channel?

  • For the three years before shaving my head bald, my channel got an average 100+ subscribers per year.
  • For the three years after shaving my head bald, my channel got an average 200+ subscribers per year.

Shaving my head bald improved the performance of my channel, right? Not so fast.

I must point out that the subscriber growth for the last three years may have been a coincident. People watched more YouTube videos than before because they had nothing else to do during the shutdown. Since the world had returned to normal, people are watching fewer YouTube videos.

Many YouTubers—myself included—have noticed a tapering off in performance since the beginning of this year.

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.

Opal C1 Webcam As Apple Webcam Replacement #SHORTS

Published: July 5, 2023 YouTube Shorts
Opal C1 Webcam As Apple Webcam Replacement #SHORTS

The Opal C1 webcam is being marketed as a replacement for the built-in Apple webcams, which were limited to 720p for a great many years. The newer MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac have a 1080p webcam. But the overall visual quality has always been meh.

Apple has to cut corners somewhere to keep their products thinner year after year.

The 4K visual quality of the Opal C1 rivals that of a DSLR camera. Jon Prosser, host of Front Page Tech, replaced his Sony DSLR camera with the Opal C1 for his Genius Bar Podcast. No one noticed the difference between the two.

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.

Maria Hill Got Fridged In Secret Invasion #SHORTS

Published: July 3, 2023 YouTube Shorts
Maria Hill Got Fridged In Secret Invasion #SHORTS

Cobie Smulders’s interview with “Variety” confirmed that Maria Hill got fridged.

Her death propelled the story in a much more vulnerable direction for the rest of the characters in the show. It certainly is increasing the stakes and setting up Fury to be in a very emotional state.

Variety, 6/23/2023

“Secret Invasion” is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Maria Hill could still be alive and well after the first episode. We watched Nick Fury die in the first half and show up alive in the second half of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

It wouldn’t surprise me if Maria Hill pops up alive in the last episode of “Secret Invasion.”

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.

Casey Neistat VS Wildfire Smoke #SHORTS

Published: July 1, 2023 YouTube Shorts
Casey Neistat VS Wildfire Smoke #SHORTS

According to Casey Neistat, New York City has the worst air quality on the planet. From my perspective in California, I’ve seen much worse from the annual wildfires. Or when Pacific Gas & Electric tries to burn down the state.

Wildfire smoke from Canada is blowing down into New York City and the East Coast. Many people there haven’t experienced that kind of air quality since the 1960s. One way to protect yourself while outside is to wear a face mask.

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.

Welcome to The Jungle, Lara Croft – FortNite #SHORTS

Published: June 15, 2023 YouTube Shorts
Welcome to The Jungle, Lara Croft – FortNite #SHORTS

FortNite Chapter 4/Season 3 opens with a new jungle biome. Lara Croft from Tomb Raider arrives in the jungle with “Welcome to The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses playing in the background. She has the Emergency Raft glider, the Expedition Backpack with Durr Burger Relic, and the Raider’s Relic harvesting tool from Chapter 3/Season 3.

The Shogun Warriors Toys #SHORTS

Published: June 5, 2023 YouTube Shorts
The Shogun Warriors Toys #SHORTS

I read neither “Godzilla” nor “Shogun Warriors” as comic books. The comic books were based on imported Japanese toys from popular movies and anime shows. The toys were put out by Mattel.

The person who negotiated the licensing deal passed on licensing a 20th Century Fox movie called “Star Wars.” Oops.

I had the 24″ tall “Mazinga” giant robot in 1976. One fist could launch spring-loaded plastic rockets that could injure kids and pets. The spring-loaded mechanism caused the giant robot toys to disappear from the market by 1980.

NOTE: Check out the longer version of this blog post.