Old School Sesame Street Music Videos

I loved me some Sesame Street back in the day.

When my siblings and I were growing up, we were allowed very little TV time by our parental overlords.  And on those seemingly scarce occasions when we were actually granted permission to sit in front of "the tube" (as my dad called it), we were often interrupted by my parents (which, I now realize, was just them wanting to play with us). {Rough life, right?}

In addition to time limitations, our television restrictions also included content considerations (in other words, we didn't have cable and we watched a lot of PBS (Public Broadcasting). As a result, while other kids played "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Power Rangers,"my household playmates and I reenacted the Underground Railroad and built extensive, miniature cities entirely from shoeboxes, popsicle sticks, string and glue. All in all - a fascinating childhood. But enough about that.

This post is dedicated to some of my favorite old-school Sesame Street music videos. Honestly, some of these still get stuck in my head on a rather consistent basis.







In the words of Cookie Monster, "me love it!"

Best Photobombs Ever

Like photobombs? I sure do. You know what I like more than photobombs? Animal photobombs.

Alpaca photobomb

Homeslice does not seem very amused with his pal's photobomb

Hello there!

Hilarious

Awesome

Note: These photos are courtesy of Reddit/aww.

Can't Get Enough #WhatShouldWeCallMe

Thanks to Becca, I'm addicted to this site. I've reached my sharing maximum of this stuff on Facebook, Twitter, at work, and with my husband. So I'm turning to this blog, which, thankfully, no one reads so no one can complain. And, if you are the one person that reads this blog, you can't complain either because that would mean you'd have to admit that you are the only person that reads this blog. :)

#WhatShouldWeCallMe

WHEN I GO HOME TO VISIT MY PARENTS













WHEN A GUY TRIES TO USE A CHEESY LINE ON ME

Him:














Me:















WHEN I SEE A GIRL WEARING
Heeled rainboots














Jeans without back pockets














Ed Hardy








These are all courtesy of the site #WhatShouldWeCallMe.

How We Die on Social Networks

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Alicia Eler from ReadWriteWeb regarding death and social media. It's a very interesting and timely article that's worth a read (don't miss more of my quotes on the second page!).

Article: I Wanna Live Forever or How We Die on Social Networks

True Story

Video Thursday

One of my responsibilities at work is to come up for a video to end our weekly meetings (hard life, I know). The following two videos were selected for yesterday's meeting. You've probably already seen them. If you haven't, please watch in order.

My Favorites from the Web this Week

Not Your Momma's Gift Guide

Here at Georgia Tech's College of Computing, we never do anything like "normal" people. Meaning, we like to step it up a notch. For the holidays, the communications team came up with a new spin on the traditional holiday gift guide. Trust me, you want to check out what we made (hint: it includes a super cool robot).

Check it out: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/holiday-gift-guide

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

Corey sent me a link to a truly brilliant post, which I feel I must recreate here because I am jealous that I did not think of it first. I tried to select a few excerpts from Chelsea Fagan’s original post (which she describes as “ a primer for when your future children want to know what the hell you were doing with your boxy, multicolored electronics”) but, alas, I couldn't choose between them.

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever.

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’etre, our very own Tamagotchi. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were perhaps our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men In Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really. He was that good.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.

8. “I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the keyholders. With great power comes great responsibility.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman, it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living. It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant, they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.

NOPE!

Facebook Privacy for Dummies

There has been an increasing backlash in the media, among academics, and my own friends regarding the information that people disseminate on Facebook. It harkens to a social fear surrounding privacy and the over-sharing of personal information. While I will be the first to admit that social media is increasingly problematic, I think it can also be empowering to many people in a variety of ways.

On that note, I want to laugh and yell at the same time whenever I see people complaining about Facebook and, yet, they have enacted NONE of the privacy settings available to them. While nothing posted on Facebook is completely "safe" there are certain precautions you can take to limit who can view your information and profile.

MA's Guide to Privacy on Facebook:

1. In the upper right corner on Facebook, click "Account" and select "Privacy Settings" from the drop down menu.

2. Start with the first option, "Connecting on Facebook," and click on the hyperlink "Account Settings." This section allows you to control who sees the type of information you share on Facebook.

3. Select the information you want certain people to see, from the most restricted (selecting "only friends" for every option) to the most open (selecting "everyone" for every option"). My current settings allow everyone to search for me or send me messages but the rest of my information is restricted to friends only.

4. Once completed, click on the button at the top that says "Back to Privacy."

5. The "Sharing on Facebook" section contains more detailed privacy settings.

6. To edit these settings, select "Custom" from the blue side bar and then click the small, blue hyperlink that says "Custom Settings."

7. You may now go through and edit each one of the options by selecting who is allowed to view your pictures, posts, and comments, as well as who can interact with you on Facebook and how.

Stay tuned for version 2 of Facebook privacy when we will discuss how you can organize groups of friends and select which group can see what. This is an ideal function if you have Facebook friends who are co-workers, bosses, professors, parents, etc.

Jesus on Social Media

Voices from Cuba

My mother told me about this blogger, Yoani Sanchez, who lives in Cuba. She has to e-mail her posts out of the country to be published by someone else (due to the strict laws there).

Her blog, Generation Y, is fascinating and echoes a lot of the feelings I picked up when living there, although I was only 11 years old.

I've realized that my family hardly ever talks about our time there. We lived there for a few months while my dad was conducting his dissertation research. Although it was only a few months, the numerous amounts of individual stories and pain I encountered will never leave me.

You should read this blog; Yoani is taking major risks by publishing it. She was just arrested and beaten on Friday, November 7, because of her blog.

Here is the link: http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/

Teddy on People.com!

My little baby is on People.com's homepage! I'm too excited. I should also mention that the person he's standing on in the photo is my mom, so I guess she's on People.com, too! Congrats to Teddy and Mom!

Oh, and that also means he's on People Pet's homepage again, too! What a little cutie pie!

Check him out: www.people.com (scroll down, he's on the right side)
http://www.peoplepets.com/photos/cute/october-s-cutest-of-the-cute/1 (you can't miss him in this one!)

P.S. He's also on the homepage with Robert Pattinson; could I be any prouder??

Can we say hmmmm?

11.11.09 - CAN'T WAIT!

Los Diarios Vampiros

I have a problem. First the Twilight series, now this. I'm becoming a tad concerned, or maybe just ultra embarrassed.

I watched the first episode of The Vampire Diaries but due to circumstances beyond my control (a husband who does NOT want to watch this show on a weekly basis) I haven't kept up with it.

I decided to watch the second episode last night online, just to give it another shot. Fast forward 3 hours: I've watched all five episodes since the pilot and I'm already anxious for this Thursday to roll around so I can catch the newest one.

I don't know what it is: forbidden love, mystery, mythic beings, or just gorgeous, sexy vampires? Regardless, it's worth a shot if any of the above strike your fancy. You can watch it on the CW on Thursdays at 8 p.m. You can also catch up on previous episodes through the show's Web site.

My New Favorite Site

I know what I want for Christmas: a personal shopper. Well, not just any shopper, I want Lauren Lefevre from Edit by Lauren.

Here's Why:
1. Not only is she super sweet, she has always dressed amazingly.
2. I have too many clothes, most of which are cheap. My closet is a mess and most of the time I don't even know what's in there.

3. I want to get the "Edit Your Wardrobe" service:How sweet is that?? I LOVE this idea! I would offer to trade her for social media services for her company, however, she's got that down pretty good with company presence on social media (including a blog, facebook and Twitter). Which, by the way, you should check out her blog for latest fashion trends and deals: editbylauren.blogspot.com.

Maybe Santa will include her in my stocking this year!

Water, Water Everywhere

I can't remember the last time it rained this much in Atlanta!

Insanely Big Cats

So this may just be the worst blog post ever, but I have to share these big cat pictures with someone. Did you know that house cats can get to be this large? I surely did not. (note: obviously the last one is fake)

Twitter for Beginners

Since I've been representing Georgia Aquarium on social media sites, at least twice a week (if not more) I'm asked what Twitter is, how to use it and why it's so popular. Instead of explaining it over and over, I've created a mini tutorial for Twitter newbies!

Twitter is a free micro-blogging site that allows you to send short 140-character updates --or "tweets" - to a lot of people at once. It was designed to be read on you cell, though many people read it online, too. It has a world-wide audience of six million unique visitors a month, up from 1.2 million a year ago, according to ComScore Media Metrix.

How do I get started?
Go to http://twitter.com and set up your account. Upload a personal image from your computer but remember that the dimensions need to be square and that it will appear fairly small to others, so it’s best to use a headshot.

Search for friends through your e-mail. This is the easiest way to find people you know on Twitter. From there, you can start looking at who your friends are following for recommendations.

Unlike other social media outlets, relationships on Twitter are not reciprocal. People you follow do not have to follow you or give you permission to follow them. You just sign up and start following them.

Give it time; it may take a while for people to follow you. As a rule of thumb, the more people you follow, the more will follow you. But, be careful. Your “friend feed” can become too full and overwhelming if you follow too many people, but that is up to you.

Who do I follow?
Obviously, people you know to start, but the beauty of Twitter is that you don’t have to know people personally to follow them. News outlets, TV shows, celebrities and aquariums :) frequent Twitter and are often the most interesting Twitterers to follow.

Why is Twitter so popular?
For celebrities and organizations, Twitter is gaining popularity as a way to reach fans, plug new projects and act like BFFs.

For us normal folk, it’s a fast, easy way to keep up with your friends and fave celebrities and you can easily update from your phone no matter where you are. Even if you don’t have a phone with internet capabilities (like me) it’s a great tool to use on your computer.

How do I direct a Tweet to someone?
You can either send a person a direct message (which only they can see) or you can reply to them. Next to each person’s Tweet you will see an arrow. Click on it and their name with an @ symbol will appear in your post box. You can also simply type their username at the beginning of your tweet with an @ symbol in front of it: @michaelannedye it was great seeing you today!

Your Tweet will show up in their @ Replies section and will be public for everyone following you.

Note: if their name isn’t at the beginning of the Tweet, it won’t show up in their @ Replies section. However, you can use http://search.twitter.com/ to search for your name (or any other term) and find who’s mentioned you in their Tweet even if it’s not at the beginning of their post. This is incredibly helpful when searching for Georgia Aquarium Tweets on Twitter.

Twitter Glossary
@: At reply. A public tweet directed at a fellow Twitterer, such as @Barack Obama, that shows up in their Twitter stream.

DM: Direct Message. A private message that appears in a Twitter inbox. You can only direct message people who follow you.

RT: Retweet. A tweet that you like so much that you are resending to your followers. Usually includes credit to original tweeter, such as RT @BarackObama, followed by the tweet.

Other Useful Twitter Tools
Twitpic: Post a photo on Twitpic, and then share the Twitpic link via Twitter.
Twhirl: Desktop software to help you manage your Twitter account, find your @replies and shorten URLs so they can be shared on Twitter.
Tipjoy: A service that lets you send small amounts of cash across Twitter, and then tweet about your donation.
Twibs: A list of businesses on Twitter with links to their Twitter accounts.
TweetDeck: Desktop software that lets people split their tweets into columns, such as @replies, direct messages, groups and keyword searches.
Twitterholic: Ranks Twitter users by number of followers.
Twitturly: Tracks which URLs are most popular on Twitter, based on how many times they've been shared by Twitter users.
Monitter: An easy way to keep tabs on multiple searches on Twitter at the same time.
Tiny URL: When posting a URL please, please, please use this site. It will make your long URLs short and help save you space.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/michaelannedye
Follow Georgia Aquarium on Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgiaaquarium