CNN's Hologram on its Election Coverage was not really a Hologram

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I have always been a huge Star Wars fan and this was something right out of Star Wars, which made it very cool to me. Only problem, like the special effect in the movies, it, too, was not real. The hologram was not really a hologram at all.

Here is a story which I am sharing with you courtesy of www.gearlog.com

(Posted by Sascha Segan).

One of the most talked-about features of last night's election coverage was CNN's supposedly-holographic projections of correspondent Jessica Yellin and musician Will.I.Am onto the CNN studio floor. But CNN's name for the technology was misleading.As Gizmodo explains, the anchors on the studio floor couldn't see 3D images of the correspondents - there was no "hologram" being projected.

Rather, the correspondents were being shot by 35 HD cameras simultaneously to create a 3D image which was then digitally composited into CNN's broadcast image of their studio. There was no live, glowing, 3D picture that people could walk around. The "image" of Jessica Yellin and Wolf Blitzer standing in the same room existed only on TV screens.

If you want to be really pedantic (oh, and I do), Merriam-Webster describes a hologram as

a three-dimensional image reproduced from a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation.

The CNN shots weren't three-dimensional images - they existed only on two-dimensional TV screens. And they weren't produced from a pattern of interference, etc. They were produced by meshing live feeds from 35 cameras pointing in different angles.

It was movie magic, folks, similar to what we all remember from The Matrix. Given that it was done live without a hitch, it was extremely, way-cool. But it wasn't a hologram, and no amount of wishing will make it so.

Segan’s article was very well written, fully explaining the stunt, so I thought it was worth sharing. We are now in 2008 and I would have expected to see more real technology like having an anchor interact with a hologram, or fending off an onslaught of flying cars or (insert your favorite sci-fi futuristic ability here). Until I checked into it, I would have assumed CNN mastered the latest technology, broadcasting at least one of those inventions. (Though it now appears completely unnecessary, it was kind of cool to watch Anderson Cooper interview Will.I.Am in this manner. Here is a link to watch the video of this particular hologram interview.

I am a little disappointed that the interviewer was just staring at blank space, and at no time was there an actual holographic image being projected anywhere. The more I think about it, the more it seems the illusion was pointless. On the other hand, it did made me watch CNN last night, and I am writing about it today... so it can't be all bad.

Back to the 80s: The Karate Kid & 'Sweep the Leg' video By: Kickin’ It Old School

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As you all know by now, I love almost everything about the ‘80s, but especially the music and movies. One of my very favorite guilty pleasures is the movie The Karate Kid (the original from 1984).

I am not sure exactly why, but I have always loved this movie.

Maybe it is because it is about the underdog who overcomes tremendous obstacles to achieve his goals in the end. Maybe it is because it is a story about the power of friendship, trust and honor. Maybe it is the thrill of victory and that all of the hard work and training really does pay off. Maybe it is battle of good versus evil with the good guy losing some battles, but ultimately winning the war? Maybe it is because of Elisabeth Shue? Maybe it is a combination of all of those reasons, but I love this story about Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi and whenever it is on I cannot help but sit and watch it.

Here is a link to an article written by Bill Simmons for ESPN which discusses his love for The Karate Kid movies, which made me feel a little better about my sentimentality toward this movie. Also, here is a link to a YouTube video that I thought gave a great summary of the movie in less than five minutes, set to the song Blurry by Puddle of Mudd. The video only glosses over some of the enjoyable training scenes, but I feel it does a good job of hitting the highlights. Despite supplying you with this link, the clip is not the real purpose of this entry.

There is a video that I find amusing called Sweep the Leg by the band No More Kings. The video was released in 2007 and was written and directed by William Zabka who played Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid.

The premise of the video is to see what old Johnny is up to nowadays. He is haunted by the band (No More Kings) and ends up chasing front man Pete Mitchell and a battle ensues. He then wakes up to realize he was only dreaming, only to get hit by a car driven by none other than Ralph Macchio himself. Strange, but funny stuff especially for an ‘80s junkie like me.

The video not only features Zabka and Macchio, but also other members of the movie cast including all of the other Cobra Kai cronies. Macchio looks good considering he is now 46 years old, but the same can't be said for some of those Cobra Kais. The beginning of the video stars Dennis Haskins (better known as "Mr. Belding" from the Saved By The Bell (television series). Sweep the Leg also references some other ‘80s movies like Back To School (which also starred Zabka as a bad guy bully) and Raising Arizona as well as the music video for The Cars song, You Might Think.

Enough talking about it, you should just watch it for yourself. It is about 7 minutes long, but it is entertaining.

Sweep the Leg video by No More Kings

So, what did you think…? If you are not a big fan of The Karate Kid, you might not find it as amusing as I do. It is good to see that Zabka does not take himself as seriously as many of his 80s characters did. Hope you enjoyed this little piece of pop culture gold.

Peace and much love.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read some more 80s-related articles, If you click here. As well, check out the Archives in the upper left hand column to see all past issues of Kickin' it Old School organized by month. If you enjoy anything here, please consider subscribing or at least bookmarking it.

Check this out: I have mentioned a couple times how much I dislike Amy Winehouse as a person and that I also do not really appreciate her music much either. Here is a link to a story about how she recently punched an audience member at one of her performances. What a loser. I also came across this picture of her, which features her out-of-control beehive hair do. I can't believe someone would leave the house with her hair looking so ridiculous...

Quote of the day: The fruits of life fall into the hands of those who climb the tree and pick them. -Earl Tupper (American entrepreneur and Tupperware inventor)

Download this: What's Been Going On? by Amos Lee - I have recommended a couple Amos Lee songs in the past and he just released a new album titled Last Days At the Lodge with this song being one of my favorites.