Comments for MicroExperience

Comment on Why are TV shows still using a laugh track? by microexperience

microexperience — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:32:39 +0000

That’s an interesting point, and brings up something I didn’t cover in the original post: the use of a laugh track in an ironic or otherwise purposeful way. Another example of this can be found in David Lynch’s “Inland Empire”. During the scenes that depict a bizarre rabbit-headed family, the laugh track helps emphasize the absurdity of the situation, yet makes it seem more familiar at the same time.

Comment on Why are TV shows still using a laugh track? by Mike

Mike — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 06:40:40 +0000

I don’t recommend the train wreck, “Natural Born Killers” to anyone, but Quentin Tarantino blew the doors of the laugh tracks dirty little secret in that movie by illustrating just how desensitizing it can be by throwing it over an unacceptable and sever domestic abuse situation.
Canned laughter manipulates the minds of younger and more impressionable viewers not only to trick the mind into thinking it’s amused, but to color it the shade of a miserable self centered consumer.

Comment on System status pages aren’t just for high-tech services by microexperience

microexperience — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:37:02 +0000

Thanks Bryce. I checked out your website, and it looks like a very useful service. I especially like how the status info can be updated through both manual and automated methods, which makes the product ideal for a wide range of usage cases.

Comment on System status pages aren’t just for high-tech services by Bryce Thornton

Bryce Thornton — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:45:12 +0000

I totally agree. I’ve created a site called OffsiteStatus that aims to make these types of pages quick & easy to setup. Take a look at http://www.offsitestatus.com to check it out.

Comment on Taxi lines and other arbitrary policies by microexperience

microexperience — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:57:39 +0000

Thanks for your comment — it’s nice to hear that at least one other person thinks organized taxi lines are ridiculous. After writing this post and taking a rather terrible ride in a cab, I realized another ironic aspect to the situation. While taxi companies expect you to follow their arbitrary rules, the drivers themselves often violate the policies that apply to them. For instance, I believe all Chicago cabs are required to take credit cards and to accept any length of ride. However, many cabs will go against these policies by claiming the credit card terminal is broken (so you have to pay with cash) or refusing to take any passenger who is going for a short trip down the street (since what they really want is a big-money passenger who’s heading to the airport). It’s a nasty double-standard, indeed.

Comment on Taxi lines and other arbitrary policies by Evie Garone

Evie Garone — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:00:30 +0000

I love it, and you are so right. That is the freedom of choice America was based on?!? Not the forced arbitrary rules officials decided they wanted to make us have to be forced into like CHATTEL!! I for ONE am sick of it! I would most definitely break ranks and go across the street to a different cab right away!!! Power to the PEOPLE!!!

evelyngarone.com

Comment on Why do people buy light roast coffee? by microexperience

microexperience — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:18:06 +0000

Thanks for the info — I never knew there was such a fundamental difference between the types of beans that are used in each roast. Of course, I’d venture to say that many of the people who prefer lighter roasts probably couldn’t tell the difference between a cup of coffee made with one full scoop of light roast, versus a half-scoop or three-quarter scoop of dark roast. It would certainly be an interesting taste test, if nothing else.

Comment on Why do people buy light roast coffee? by Bill

Bill — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:02:29 +0000

Dark roasting beans is essentially cooking the beans longer, which releases more of the compounds that makes coffee bitter and destroys more of the flavor compounds that make different coffees taste different (that’s why espresso roast is made with inexpensive and somewhat flavorless robusta beans while lighter coffees are made with more expensive but more flavorful arabica beans). Consequently the chemical makeup of darker roasts is actually different, making the flavor different.

Thus, “why don’t they buy dark roast and use less of it” is kind of like saying “butter is just like concentrated milk. So why not just buy only butter, but use less of it in place of milk?”

Comment on Lamps, max wattage labels and the confusion over CFL bulbs by microexperience