Tech Talk #6: UFO Hunting Gear
Sometimes history happens, and you’re lucky enough to be there to see it. So, I wasn’t exactly surprised when, after five episodes of (mostly) up and (occasionally) down performances, The Debrief’s Tech Talk Trio (minus one) The Honorable Josh Rutledge (who is not a judge) and Mr. Stefan Gearhart (who was a camp counselor) finally hit their stride, and this reporter was there to see it happen.
Shockingly, the duo’s breakthrough episode is about being at the right place at the right time. And since it is still Tech Talk, it is also about having the right gear to make sure you don’t miss your chance to document history.
UFOs, They Comes and Goes
Normally, I would take this opportunity to lambast Rutledge and Gearhart for their various science mistakes. But in this episode, they are operating in their element. Both have seen and recorded sightings, and have used the vast array of tools they describe and recommend.
Want to make sure the UFO you spotted isn’t the International Space Station? The Guys tell you. The same goes for identifying commercial flights, satellites, planets, space debris, and pretty much every other human-made object in the sky to make sure your UFO isn’t an IFO.
Of course, the reason I opened this review with such glowing praise is that the gregarious gadget heads not only know their subject matter backward and forward but present it with the usual mix of intentional and unintentional comedic flare that attracted us to them in the first place.
For example, in this episode, the viewer will learn the basics of Stockholm Syndrome, what a gazillion pixels is, how Stefan once made a camera out of a corn flakes box (which is also number 137 on Jeff Foxworthy’s ‘You Know You’re a Redneck When…’ list), why it is always better to have video than a still, and what aliens would do if they saw Josh setting up a selfie stick.
“Lips and assholes is on the menu,” Rutledge announces at one point, although I’m still not sure why. But I laughed.
This episode will also explain how the Shake Weight is connected to Area 51 (it isn’t) and how that connection was the basis for artist Aaron Smith’s first cartoon for The Debrief (it was).
You will also learn what to do as soon as you have any UFO sighting and what to say out loud if you are recording audio. Gearhart will also teach you what to do if “your paranoia kicks in”.
Near the end, our hosts highlight which websites you should check to see if someone else saw the same thing you did. And why, when it comes to recording any sighting, it is more important to “shoot” first and ask questions later.
You will also learn about how cool lasers are and all of the places you should never shine them. As a bonus horror segment, this portion of the pod includes an anecdote about how Josh’s dad, a.k.a. “Rambo” Rutledge senior, put on camouflage and crept on a kid who was shining a laser pointer into their house. That kid is still crying.
IT’S AN APP!
In their regular final segment, “It’s An App!” our professional Tech Talking Temporary Taco Tuesday Taste Testers take an inside peek at the CANVA Pro Premium Version.
Hear Gearhart talk about how he makes programs, flyers, FaceBook Posts, T-Shirt Designs, GIFs, videos, newsletters…and a million other cool things using CANVA! By the time this segment is done, you will feel like you just sat through a paid infomercial, only there is no phone number to call.
Of course, if you don’t sit through the whole segment, you would never learn how, in some ways, Stefan values Canva more than pizza. And that’s sayin’ something. ‘Cause it’s pizza.
Follow and connect with author Christopher Plain on Twitter: @plain_fiction