Fighting off ninjas. Easy.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Earlier today a coworker told me about a new ninja-themed MythBusters episode, due to premiere on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Here’s the official episode description:
Episode 78: Walking on Water
It’s “East Meets West” in this episode of MythBusters. Shrouded in secrecy and mythology, not to mention cult popularity, ninjas are perfect fodder for the MythBusters. The whole team joins forces to pit science against martial arts mystique. Can ninjas run on water as movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would have us believe? In “Walking on Water,” Adam, Jamie and a ninjitsu master try their luck at aquatic agility. And if that doesn’t work, the boys get confrontational as they compete to see how ninjas — masters of illusion — could create the impression of water running. In “Samurai Swing,” Kari, Tory and Grant find out if a ninja could stop a samurai sword with his bare hands. To avoid the sharp sting of steel the team devises a ninja rig to clap onto the sword, and it seems like this myth is all in the timing.
I may not get a chance to watch it, but I will definitely look for a torrent of the episode to download this weekend.
And if you’re wondering about the inset image . . . well, last week a different coworker showed me the April 9, 2007 issue of Information Week magazine. Believe it or not, this is part of a Microsoft ad that appeared on the inside front cover. It’s apparently a piece of Microsoft’s new “Easy, Easier” marketing campaign for their Forefront business security products.
And, I have to say, this is an ad that clearly panders to the pretend-ninja culture/fetish of IT workers in cubicle land. Shame on you, Microsoft!
Great ad, though. I mean, I liked it enough to bother scanning it.
Of course, aside from Microsoft’s ninja-fighting techniques, there is always the Indiana Jones approach to dealing with sword-wielding assailants. That scene killed me when I first saw it as a kid. My sister and I must have watched Temple of Doom a hundred times.
Some other 1980s childhood favorites were The Dark Crystal, Back to the Future, The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Big, Short Circuit, The Goonies, Innerspace, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and the awful Howard the Duck.
Read more about movies I like at Filmometer.
And if you’re still disgruntled about your office job, even after fighting off all those ninjas, you could always play Adult Swim’s new game: 5 Minutes to Kill (Yourself).