Review: The Big Bang Theory Season One

I first heard about The Big Bang Theory on Fresh Air, and while the interview sounded funny, I was concerned: can a mainstream TV show really depict scientists in a manner that really respects what such people do?

The first episode of the show had me thinking that this was going to be another "let's make fun of the geeks" show (and to some extent a sitcom has to make fun of its main characters). The redeeming feature of the show, though, is that it actually does respect the kind of things you might actually hear when geeks talk. For instance, from Episode 2:

Leonard: Do you wanna join us for Thai food and a Superman movie marathon?
Penny: Wow, a marathon, how many Superman movies are there?
Sheldon: You're kidding, right?
Penny: You know, I do like the one where Lois Lane falls from the helicopter and Superman swooshes down and catches her. Which one was that?
Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz: *One.*
[Raj holds up one finger]
Sheldon: You know that scene was rife with scientific inaccuracy?
Penny: Yes, I know men can't fly...
Sheldon: No, no, let's assume that they can... Lois Lane is falling, accelerating at an initial rate of 32 feet per second per second... Superman swoops down to save her by reaching out two arms of steel... Miss Lane, who is now traveling at approximately 120 miles an hour, hits them and is immediately sliced into three equal pieces.
Leonard: Unless Superman matches her speed and decelerates.
Sheldon: In what space, sir, in what space? She's two feet above the ground. Frankly, if he really loved her, he'd let her hit the pavement. It'd be a more merciful death.

(See: IMBD for an extended quote, or you can watch the segment on YouTube)

Yes, as a geek I can critique that dialog: no self-respecting scientist would ever use imperial measurements instead of metric: Sheldon should have said 10 meters per second squared. Superman's arms are also too broad to neatly slice Miss Lane's body into parts. But I can't make even that critique and not add to the humor the show espouses about geeks. My big non-geek complaint about the show is that it has a laugh track. I don't like shows with laugh tracks, and to be honest, I didn't think this show needed one.

Yes, these men are all stereotypes, but the dialog is well-written and interesting. In fact, the dialog is perhaps a bit too well-written. One friend of mine said he couldn't watch the show because it made him uncomfortable, and some of the jokes hit very close to home.

In any case, the show has many laugh out loud moments, and in 22 minute segments is perfectly suited for a portable video device (I watched a lot of it while waiting at airports). The show probably wouldn't get anything out of high def. I enjoyed every episode, even the ones that made me (very very slightly) uncomfortable. If you can't stand the first episode, skip it and go right to the second one. Highly recommended, and I've already checked out Season Twofrom the library.

Some conversations are too funny not to post

Back when she was at Google, X used to work out with me every so often. Not being a motivated health nut, as soon as she left, she lapsed, but recently tried to get started again:

X: I'm thinking about seeing my doctor because everytime after i work out my chest area hurt. I'm not sure if it's my heart or if i'm pulling muscle and just exercising wrong.
Me: Do you feel nauseous? That can happen if you work too hard.
X: i don't feel nauseous. i just feel a tight feeling near my chest but i don't think it's my heart
me: What are you doing when you feel the tight feeling? running? lifting weights?
X: no, stretches, light weights. really light tho, lighter than what we used to do.
Me: oh, that just means your bra is too tight
X: REALLY?!?!?!??! .... OK, I'll cancel my doctor's appointment.

Accept no substitutes!

I saw this shop window at the Bazaar in Marmaris. I wonder if the shop owners think it means what it means.

The Most Expensive GPS Mount...

Lately, Pardo and I have been making jokes that we've been running the most expensive bike shop in the world out of his garage. Obviously, we're being facetious, but the amount of engineering time we've put into our bikes have been enormous, and at Pardo & my billable rates, would be incredibly unprofitable if we had tried to do bicycles as a business (the average bike mechanic in our area probably makes $20 an hour, with the good ones earning as much as $40 an hour --- really good mechanics make 6-figure salaries at the BMW dealerships). At one point we had Lea building wheels in Pardo's garage, and of course, that meant that we were spending on the order of $600 of engineering time per hour. Of course, if the average bike mechanic paid as much attention to detail to our bikes as we do to ours, we'd be happy to pay $40 an hour.

Well, I recently wanted a 31.8mm space grip type mount. It turns out that all existing mounts (including my favored Nitto Lamp Holder) are designed for 25.4mm handlebars. I did, however, find the FSA Control Center mount, and bought it. To my disappointment, mounting my Garmin 76CSX on the mount was too much --- the unit shook and vibrated all the way down the road, making the display absolutely worthless.

Well, any other bike shop would have given up and told me to buy a Garmin Edge 705 instead, but the most expensive bike shop in the world does not give up that easily (after all, we're open even on Easter Sundays)! Pardo machined a couple of aluminum mounts to fit the carbon fiber rod that came with the FSA Control Center, mounted it to my bars with a couple of hose clamps, and a little bit of fiddling later, we had ourselves a working GPS mount for the 76CSX unit that works very well, and is in fact, probably overbuilt. The total weight of the mount comes up to about 150g, which is a bit on the heavy side.

Another interesting thing is that the Garmin 76CSX when turned on, disables the 2006 MHR Sigma Computer, which really surprised me --- both units are supposedly passive receivers, but I guess the circuitry in the Garmin confuses the Sigma. Not a problem, since the 76CSX contains a barometric altimeter anyway, so we're still good to go.

Engrish

Lisa & I spent at least 20 minutes laughing at the pictures on the above site. This is really great stuff.

One of my favorites: