Stephen Colbert's Top Ten List
“Stephen Colbert presents a Top Ten list he submitted for a writing job on Dave’s show in 1997.”
Star Wars: Bad Foley Edition
“While originally praised for its sound effects, Hudson Hongo has made a marked improvement over the lauded sound design of the Star Wars films by overdubbing them himself - using his mouth.”
David Letterman And Drummers
Dave Shumka, writing for CBC Music:
Ever since I made this video of David Letterman talking to drummers, I've wondered if he's actually seen it. I recently asked one of his writers, Bill Scheft, on Twitter. According to Scheft, not only has Letterman watched it, but "he loved it as he loved few things." I realize that it just seems like I'm bragging on the internet, but that's about the greatest thing I've ever heard.
Go check out his post and watch all the videos embedded.
An & Ria's First Flight
Two older dutch women who have never flown in an airplane before are taken up in a private plane. This video is delightful.
Thanks to Leah Reich for making me aware of this on Twitter.
Crosswind Landings At The Birmingham Airport During This Past Winter
“Some landing and take-off highlights in awkward wind conditions at BHX this winter (a record winter for stormy conditions in the UK). Note the frequent flexing of the planes’ wings in response to the turbulence.
Of the five “missed approaches” shown, three diverted to other airports, two were “go arounds” and landed successfully on second attempt.”
Thanks to Samer Farha who brought my attention to this video.
Game of Thrones Cello Cover by Break of Reality
“Game of Thrones theme song arranged and performed by cello rock band Break of Reality. Original composition and soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi.”
Letterman’s Last Great Moment
Bill Simmons, writing for Grantland:
After Johnny Carson retired in 1992, David Letterman became the king and stayed the king, even as his show transitioned from antiestablishment to establishment. Leno drummed him in the ratings without matching Letterman’s relevance; he never mattered as much as Letterman did. We forgave Letterman for losing interest over the years, for never filming bits anymore, for clearly not working as hard as he used to, for chugging along because he couldn’t think of anything else to do (and maybe for the paychecks, too). Even an embarrassing sex scandal couldn’t ruin his legacy; he handled the ensuing fallout so effectively that, five years later, people barely remember it.
As Letterman became older and older, those human moments distinguished him. You wanted to watch him after 9/11. You wanted to grieve with him after Carson passed away. You wanted to hear him admit that heart surgery was scary, that he felt humiliated when private demons seeped into his show, that it pissed him off when John McCain canceled on him at the last minute. Candid Letterman was always better than Candid Anyone Else. When Kimmel and Fallon started thumping him in the crucial 18-to-49 demo, Letterman held one trump card: He’s the only late-night host who elicits the same respect from guests that Carson did. Even Jon Stewart can’t say that. We know celebrities appear on late-night shows to promote themselves; it’s part of the deal. They went on Letterman’s show to impress him, to win him over, and that was always the difference.