Oct 15, 2010
Viral Video: If This Isn't Viral, It Should Be....
My nephew, who is a dad himself, sent me this clip... What's it like to be a DAD? This sums it up, Yo!
Sep 17, 2010
Oh Dear God... Ryan Seacrest's High School Picture
Sep 8, 2010
How NOT To Fire A Watermelon
Image via Wikipedia
Aug 31, 2010
Mashups: If You Can't Beat 'Em, Do Them
I've been very busy, creating over 50 instrumental and vocal mashups, specifically mixing new music with 80's music.... Here's an example....
Tons more at my website:
Aug 30, 2010
A Musician's Thoughts on Tech and Trash
Image via WikipediaA couple samples, if interested....
Halo Shallow Your Blackest Eyes
Lead Guitarist, and mastermind of the band Steven Wilson was asked about the shape of the music industry...
Difficult to say. This is the worst time in history for the music industry. Everyone agrees on it, artists and labels - everyone involved.
I believe that ultimately what will happen is that recorded music will become something no one will pay for. People will expect to get it for free, even now a lot of people don't think about buying music, just to download it. Recorded music will become an advertisement for the live show. I already see it in Porcupine Tree concerts, where the attendances keep on growing, and the record sales as well, but not in the same proportion.
People get to know the band from downloading on the internet for free but they pay for the shows. This has a positive side, because it means that bands who play real instruments, and can manage a good live show will survive, and the kind of manufactured artists like Britney Spears won't. These are interesting times....
----Steven Wilson.......It struck me that in the 21st Century what's replaced race relations as the number 1 concern for young people is a kind of terminal boredom, a generation X thing, it's the blank generation. It's exacerbated and accelerated by living vicariously through gadgets. Since I was a kid in the 80's the amount of technology that's around now is unbelievable. The worst thing my parents were probably worried about was TV, and we only had 4 channels in the UK back then!
But now we live in the information technology age – with the Internet, Ipods, cellphones, Playstations, and Xbox's. You have the proliferation of TV channels, digital TV and MTV and it's various imitators. You have lowest common denominator stuff like American Idol, Big Brother, Cribs, and all the other similar shows.
It seems to me that no one's really trying take notice or take gauge of how all this stuff is affecting the younger generation. You know, what kind of human beings are we going to turn out?
I couldn't have put it better myself, so I didn't try.... Music is dying a most unflattering, slow, painful death, and it's hard to watch, and even harder to listen to. Like Wilson, I want to go deaf when I hear most of the stuff out there, especially rap. How about you? Do you think today's youth are actually HEARING the music? When they have no physical contact with the band, such as an album or a CD to own, they simply delete it from their iTunes playlist, move on, with the attention span of a flea....and forget the whole thing happened... He just wrote a guest editorial in September about music reviews.....found here
"Great music journalism is an art in its own right. It places music in a historical and cultural context while revealing the passion and personality of the musicians that made it. It reaches out beyond the music to the core of the human condition, just like the music it is about. "
Aug 26, 2010
The Most Alive Man In The World
If this video hasn't gone viral, than it will soon... Unbelievable... gorgeous... thought-provoking....
To see the video, you must be a Facebook member... This is almost worth joining the service for..
The video is here on Facebook.
To see the video, you must be a Facebook member... This is almost worth joining the service for..
Aug 9, 2010
Caddyshack's 30th Anniversary Trivia
Not by any means, a top 50 movie favorite of mine, Caddyshack still is a must-see movie... My God, I am old... 30 yrs? Anyway, here's Trivia Fact No. 1:
1. Bill Murray's classic "Cinderella story" moment came from two simple lines of direction. Harold Ramis asked Murray to play the scene like a kid who pretends he's a sports broadcaster; Murray asked for a few rows of flowers and then improvised. He did the scene in one take, too.
The other 29 are over at Moviefone
1. Bill Murray's classic "Cinderella story" moment came from two simple lines of direction. Harold Ramis asked Murray to play the scene like a kid who pretends he's a sports broadcaster; Murray asked for a few rows of flowers and then improvised. He did the scene in one take, too.
Aug 6, 2010
The Search For The Funniest Screen Names
One of my favorite sites is Gizmodo, because the readership is pretty literate and funny.. One of the screen names on there made me spill coffee on my keyboard.. Korean Abdul Jabbar....That got me thinking.... and then I did a short search for other witty names.... a few I found amongst the crap:
iris wishkey
mexyback
Lactose_The_Intolerant
daft.vader
not eurotrash
DeucheBagalo
IHopeThisNameWillFi
My Pretty Pwny
I then discovered there are wise asses who name their wi-fi networks... creative names... which can be seen here.
iris wishkey
mexyback
Lactose_The_Intolerant
daft.vader
not eurotrash
DeucheBagalo
IHopeThisNameWillFi
My Pretty Pwny
I then discovered there are wise asses who name their wi-fi networks... creative names... which can be seen here.
My Favorite Guilty Pleasure of 2009 Returns: Dating In The Dark
Could I BE more embarrassed? I watched all of last season's 6 episodes of the ABC-TV reality series "Dating In The Dark," and was surprised a network would only order 6 episodes of a show...and bummed that there weren't more... I'm not a reality TV freak... but this... is safe voyeurism in its purest form... not even the people we're watching can see each other...
The Concept? 3 guys, and 3 girls spend a weekend in a special house, separated into two groups, and occasionally, each guy and girl get to go into a pitch black room, to get to know each other... At the end, they get to finally see each other, and then decide whether to date again in the real world in the future... You see more REALITY in this show, than most others.... Guys, like the moron presented in the teaser trailer try to hit on the women, and the women are free to react facially to the nonsense...since no one can see their expressions, but the viewer.... a vital social cue that we don't normally get to see.... I've never watched Big Brother, because it seems like there are just 16 actor wanna-be's who are looking for FAR more than their 15 minutes of fame... Dating ITD seems more genuine.... (ABC TV Monday, Aug. 9 8 p.m.)
The Concept? 3 guys, and 3 girls spend a weekend in a special house, separated into two groups, and occasionally, each guy and girl get to go into a pitch black room, to get to know each other... At the end, they get to finally see each other, and then decide whether to date again in the real world in the future... You see more REALITY in this show, than most others.... Guys, like the moron presented in the teaser trailer try to hit on the women, and the women are free to react facially to the nonsense...since no one can see their expressions, but the viewer.... a vital social cue that we don't normally get to see.... I've never watched Big Brother, because it seems like there are just 16 actor wanna-be's who are looking for FAR more than their 15 minutes of fame... Dating ITD seems more genuine.... (ABC TV Monday, Aug. 9 8 p.m.)
Aug 5, 2010
Best of YouTube in 4 minutes?
With the semi-intriguing movie about Facebook coming out soon enough, someone created a fake trailer for a film about Youtube.. And it should get made... but in the meantime, hold on to your hats for a whirlwind tour of the YouTube experience....
Back When America Actually Dreamed Big
I discovered, then forgot about, then re-discovered a website/blog that highlights lots of vintage photos of America..... One reader summed up the impact of photos like these:
"Having been so used to seeing this time period only in black and white it's almost surreal to actually see it in colour..." Obviously.. the main pic on this post is b&w, but click here and here for a ton of COLOR vintage photos...
The Detroit River circa 1910. "Sinking cast section of Michigan Central Railroad Company tunnel." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size.
Jul 31, 2010
FIDO is the obvious next movie to see after Zombieland....
Cover of FidoFor the first time, I think a movie's rating influenced how I viewed the film... I kept expecting something that would force me to pass by it on the next family movie night... Nope.... Nothing... Alright, so a kid beheads an old woman... who here hasn't seen a few of those things happen from time to time? And yes, who hasn't seen a mom kill and burn a couple of ill-mannered kids....? But seriously, I am not afraid to recommend this to kids aged 12 and up. It makes no real attempt to scare you....just entertain....
The movie is awesome.... Basically very funny, and exudes 1950's charm, a la Pleasantville.... But shame on the MPAA for rating it 'R'... This is a PG-13 movie all the way!! Unlike any other zombie movie you are likely to see this week...
One reviewer noted: "It is probable you will appreciate the humour of this film unless your father tried to eat you."
Don't Throw A Brick In Your Washing Machine
FAST FORWARD to about 45 seconds in..... wait for it........
Then read some of the comments posted by readers of Gizmodo below.....:
So...why didn't Jack use a brick to kill the smoke monster?
Jul 29, 2010
Sunday Night Football? Uh.....Try NFC East Footbal
Jul 25, 2010
The Scientifically Perfect Handshake
Researchers at the University of Manchester in England have turned their attention to uncovering the perfect handshake:
1) right hand
2) a complete grip
3) and a firm squeeze (but not too strong)
4) in a mid-point position between yourself and the other person
5) a cool and dry palm,
6) approximately three shakes,
7) with a medium level of vigor,
8) held for no longer than two to three seconds,
9) with eye contact kept throughout and
10) a good natural smile
11) with a slow offset
12) with, of course, an appropriate accompanying verbal statement.
COMMENTS:
Oddly enough, its almost the same formula for someone at a urinal...
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So, no deductions if I whip it out? AWESOME!!! yes. I've been drinking..
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I find that this always does the trick...
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Isn't this entirely culture-specific? I've been in the middle east and south-east asia, where handshakes are completely different - very limp, a shake or two, but then the grip can last upwards of 30 seconds. I've had short conversations before the hand release. Very awkward for a westerner the first few times. I've gotten used to it, but I still don't like it. It is fun to demonstrate to other people, and see them start getting very antsy :)My point is that its very culture-dependent.
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Cartoon site "The Oatmeal" has a nice overview of "The 9 Types of Crappy Handshakes": HANDSHAKES
Jul 24, 2010
Great Movie Pick-Up Lines
Take this, from Clark Gable to Jean Harlow in Red Dust:
"Mind if I get drunk with you?"
Or Annette Bening to Warren Beatty in Bugsy:
"I gotta warn ya, every man I've ever gone out with has been ruined."
"Well, that's what they get for messing with my girl."
Or, of course, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade:
Cary: "Do we know each other?"
Audrey: "Why, do you think we're going to? Because I already know an awful lot of people and until one of them dies I couldn't possibly meet anyone else."
Cary: "Well, if anyone goes on the critical list, let me know."
“I would give anything if you were two people, so I could call up the one who is my friend and tell her about the one I like so much.”
(Albert Brooks to Holly Hunter, Broadcast News, 1987)
“Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?”
“I'm in.”
(Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, Lost In Translation, 2004)
“Your eyes are amazing do you know that? You should never shut them, not even at night.”
(Oliver Martinez to Dianne Lane, Unfaithful, 2002)
Jul 23, 2010
Inception Hurts Your Head
The First Post-Apocolpytic Reality Series
The Discovery Channel finally got off their duffs, and added something to their seemingly non-stop Crab-Fishing coverage, and came up with something intriguing.... A "Survivor" type show in an urban area, predicated on the idea that something HUGELY BAD has happened, and 7 volunteers are on their own.....Against real people, and staged .... um events.......
It Premieres this Tuesday, the 27th.
To get a taste, click here
To get a taste, click here
Jul 21, 2010
A Few Thoughts About Time Travel
A recent article in WIRED.COM talked about Time Travel, and the latest philosophical thoughts about it, but it is the reader's comments that are the most fun to read.....
From the article:
" .....Any theory of time travel has to confront the devastating “grandfather paradox,” in which a traveler jumps back in time and kills his grandfather, which prevents his own existence, which then prevents the murder in the first place, and so on........"
From the article:
" .....Any theory of time travel has to confront the devastating “grandfather paradox,” in which a traveler jumps back in time and kills his grandfather, which prevents his own existence, which then prevents the murder in the first place, and so on........"
Jul 20, 2010
Ten Major Billboard Music Records
Fun site Mental Floss had this recent Top 10 article:
1. Most weeks on the chart: Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, 741 weeks. 741 WEEKS. That’s more than 14 years! Color me impressed, Heather. No other artist or album has even come close to that achievement – the closest was Johnny Mathis’ Johnny’s Greatest Hits, which spent 490 weeks (almost 9.5 years) on the charts.
2. The most top-ten albums: The Rolling Stones with 36 albums, followed by Frank Sinatra at 32 and The Beatles at 31.
3. The most number-one albums: The Beatles with 19, followed by Elvis and Jay-Z with 10 each. Tied for third are The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen with nine each. Fourth place is another tie: Barbra Streisand and Garth Brooks both have eight.
4. The biggest chart jump: Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G., #176 to #1. This is really no surprise – the album was released posthumously just 16 days after his death in 1997. Other huge leaps include Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy, from #173 to #1; Radiohead’s In Rainbows, from #156 to #1; and somewhat surprisingly, The Monkees’ More of the Monkees, from #122 to #1. And another quick fact about Vitalogy – it originally charted at#55, and that was actual vinyl album sales, not CDs. It was the first vinyl album to chart at all since CDs entered the market.
5. The biggest chart drop: Light Grenades by Incubus, from #1 to #40. This just happened in 2006 and broke the previous record held by Marilyn Manson’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, which dropped from #1 to #21 in 2003. Other plummets include Young Jeezy’s The Inspiration, falling from #1 to #18 and Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile, which fell from #1 to #16. You can see that Incubus holds the record pretty handily.
6. The only artist to ever have four number one albums in the same year: The Monkees. They even topped ever-present bands The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, which is pretty astounding. The year was 1967 and the albums were The Monkees (released in 1966 but still #1 on the charts in 1967), More of the Monkees, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. . Their two album releases in 1968 only managed #3 and #45, 1969′s efforts landed them at #32 and #100, and it only got worse from then on out. It must hurt to fall so hard, so fast!
7. The first rap/hip-hop album to hit #1: Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys. It was 1987. Kind of ironically, it only made it to #2 on the actual Hip Hop/R&B chart.
8. First artist to hold the #1 and #2 spots: Bob Newhart. Yep, that’s right. In the ’60s, Bob’s The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and its sequel, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back held both spots, beating both Elvis and The Sound of Music soundtrack. The subtitle of the first album is “The Most Celebrated New Comedian Since Attila the Hun.” That first album garnered him three Grammys in 1961: Best New Artist, Best Comedy Performance (Spoken Word) and Album of the Year. But back to the #1 and #2 spots on the Billboard Charts thing: the only artists to ever do the same are Guns ‘n’ Roses in 1991 with Use Your Illusion I and II, and Nelly in 2004 with Suit and Sweat.
9. The most weeks on the top ten: Music for Lovers Only by Jackie Gleason at 153 weeks. Surprising, no? That’s almost double the length of time Thriller spent in the top ten: 78 weeks.
10. Longest time for an album to make it to #1: Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl, 64 weeks. Yep, Paula’s album was on the charts for more than a year before it finally gained enough steam to take the #1 position. But she did really well on the singles chart – the album contained four #1 hits, which ties her for second place for the most songs to hit #1 from one single album. The singles were “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted” and “Opposites Attract.” The number-one spot goes to Michael Jackson’s Bad album, which had five #1 singles: I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror and Dirty Diana.
1. Most weeks on the chart: Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, 741 weeks. 741 WEEKS. That’s more than 14 years! Color me impressed, Heather. No other artist or album has even come close to that achievement – the closest was Johnny Mathis’ Johnny’s Greatest Hits, which spent 490 weeks (almost 9.5 years) on the charts.
2. The most top-ten albums: The Rolling Stones with 36 albums, followed by Frank Sinatra at 32 and The Beatles at 31.
3. The most number-one albums: The Beatles with 19, followed by Elvis and Jay-Z with 10 each. Tied for third are The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen with nine each. Fourth place is another tie: Barbra Streisand and Garth Brooks both have eight.
4. The biggest chart jump: Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G., #176 to #1. This is really no surprise – the album was released posthumously just 16 days after his death in 1997. Other huge leaps include Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy, from #173 to #1; Radiohead’s In Rainbows, from #156 to #1; and somewhat surprisingly, The Monkees’ More of the Monkees, from #122 to #1. And another quick fact about Vitalogy – it originally charted at#55, and that was actual vinyl album sales, not CDs. It was the first vinyl album to chart at all since CDs entered the market.
5. The biggest chart drop: Light Grenades by Incubus, from #1 to #40. This just happened in 2006 and broke the previous record held by Marilyn Manson’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, which dropped from #1 to #21 in 2003. Other plummets include Young Jeezy’s The Inspiration, falling from #1 to #18 and Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile, which fell from #1 to #16. You can see that Incubus holds the record pretty handily.
6. The only artist to ever have four number one albums in the same year: The Monkees. They even topped ever-present bands The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, which is pretty astounding. The year was 1967 and the albums were The Monkees (released in 1966 but still #1 on the charts in 1967), More of the Monkees, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. . Their two album releases in 1968 only managed #3 and #45, 1969′s efforts landed them at #32 and #100, and it only got worse from then on out. It must hurt to fall so hard, so fast!
7. The first rap/hip-hop album to hit #1: Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys. It was 1987. Kind of ironically, it only made it to #2 on the actual Hip Hop/R&B chart.8. First artist to hold the #1 and #2 spots: Bob Newhart. Yep, that’s right. In the ’60s, Bob’s The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and its sequel, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back held both spots, beating both Elvis and The Sound of Music soundtrack. The subtitle of the first album is “The Most Celebrated New Comedian Since Attila the Hun.” That first album garnered him three Grammys in 1961: Best New Artist, Best Comedy Performance (Spoken Word) and Album of the Year. But back to the #1 and #2 spots on the Billboard Charts thing: the only artists to ever do the same are Guns ‘n’ Roses in 1991 with Use Your Illusion I and II, and Nelly in 2004 with Suit and Sweat.
9. The most weeks on the top ten: Music for Lovers Only by Jackie Gleason at 153 weeks. Surprising, no? That’s almost double the length of time Thriller spent in the top ten: 78 weeks.
10. Longest time for an album to make it to #1: Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl, 64 weeks. Yep, Paula’s album was on the charts for more than a year before it finally gained enough steam to take the #1 position. But she did really well on the singles chart – the album contained four #1 hits, which ties her for second place for the most songs to hit #1 from one single album. The singles were “Straight Up,” “Forever Your Girl,” “Cold Hearted” and “Opposites Attract.” The number-one spot goes to Michael Jackson’s Bad album, which had five #1 singles: I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror and Dirty Diana.
Jul 19, 2010
Jul 15, 2010
Top 10 Stand-Up Performances of All Time
We've all seen them somewhere... on DVD most likely... the 80 or 90 minutes of pure gold....... My Favorite single performances (not lifetimeAchievements...) are:
10 Demitri Martin - Person
9 Lewis Black - Black on Broadway
8 Chris Rock - Kill The Messenger
7 Eddie Griffin - Voodoo Child
6 Seinfeld - I'm Telling You For The Last Time
5 Brian Regan - Standing Up
4 Jim Gaffigan - Beyond The Pale
3 David Spade - Take The Hit
2 Eddie Murphy - Live
1 Christopher Titus - Love Is Evol
84 minutes of spot-on headache-inducing comedy, where he details his divorce, and the new girl in his life, told on Valentines Day... Here's the first 10 minutes... the other 74 are funnier....
10 Demitri Martin - Person
9 Lewis Black - Black on Broadway
8 Chris Rock - Kill The Messenger
7 Eddie Griffin - Voodoo Child
6 Seinfeld - I'm Telling You For The Last Time
5 Brian Regan - Standing Up
4 Jim Gaffigan - Beyond The Pale
3 David Spade - Take The Hit
2 Eddie Murphy - Live
1 Christopher Titus - Love Is Evol
84 minutes of spot-on headache-inducing comedy, where he details his divorce, and the new girl in his life, told on Valentines Day... Here's the first 10 minutes... the other 74 are funnier....
The Top 10 TV Shows From 2000-2010
10. Entourage - There are few shows as short as Entourage... Some pound on you with intensity, or drama, and some drift by like a breeze, so easy to watch, that it takes no further concentration than writing your name on a sheet of paper... No sooner than I've settled into my seat, with a soda or beer, and vicariously lived a week in the life of one Vincent Chase, and held onto my hat as Ari Gold rips into his assistant, the end credits are rolling.
9. Prison Break- Michael Scofield is one of the most charismatic characters ever brought to the small screen.
5. House - Don't you just wanna smack Gregory House? Not if you were in his hospital, with some ridiculously obscure disease. Hugh Laurie deserves every Emmy nomination he gets for his work. Hell, just quashing his native British accent alone, and sounding so.... American is fine work, but he inhabits that character like no other.... He is a thinking man's Archie Bunker. Quick to point fingers at everyone else, and unable to figure out why he is so damn miserable. Yet, he is funny in the snarkiest of ways, and I rejoice in the torment he unleashes on his co-workers.. The medical mystery runs a distant second place to his antics....
3. Lost - Very little more can be said about the most innovative show to EVER air on television. When theologists and scholars are still trying to write about the themes and theories of the show, all I can do is stand back and smile. Thank you J.J. Abrams for Lost, AND "Alias."
I hope the rumored film packs the wallop that the series sustained. I only regret that some of the characters they killed off could've made it into the big screen version....
1. Deadwood - Shakespeare would've been astonished by the writing of this show.... and at times, he'd be the only one who could comprehend it.... Never has a show had such eloquence mix with such potty-mouth dialogue... The dialogue that issues from this heavy drama about life in Deadwood, South Dakota circa 1871.
Honorable Mentions: Battlestar Galactica, Coupling (BBC), Jericho
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Nothing can move in spacetime, goddammit. Furthermore, the idea that we are already traveling in time toward the future at one second per second is not even wrong. It is an illusion of the mind that we are traveling toward the future. There is no time dimension because a time dimension would make motion impossible. There is only the changing present, the NOW. That’s it.
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All your time travel fantasies are crap. LOL.