Jack Johnson: Oracle?

This is something that's been bothering me for awhile in a big way, and I really need to share it (before anyone else makes the connection).

By now we've all heard about Deepwater Horizon and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It's about a three hour drive for me to the nearest oil-soaked beach, so it hits pretty close to home, but I'll get to the point: I was listening to a song from Jack Johnson's 2003 album, "On and On," when I realized the lyrics were eerily relevant to the crisis in the gulf.

Have a listen:

A Coal Story

I recently ran into an interesting little short on the web that I feel I must share here.

Produced by the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather in China, Greenpeace brings us a Coal Story.

About a Squirrel

Following the theme of cute animal videos (I sense divine retribution for this in my future), I would like to present a rather heartwarming video about a big squirrel and a little squirrel.

It's impressive how much a bit of music and some narration can transform some otherwise boring amateur footage into a veritable Disney-quality tearjerker.

Stealth Cat is Stealthy

Truth be told, I've never been much of a fan of anything involving cats or kittens (excepting, of course, this one); too much cuteness is the equivalent of kryptonite to my shriveled heart. Even so, on rare occasion something will pop up that is just too rich to pass up.

Enter the Stealth Cat:

Dancing Teachers

The title of this post is rather explicit, but it might not hurt to give a little bit of information before delving into the content.

Teachers are strange creatures. They are well educated individuals who have been tricked into wanting to spend nearly all of their waking hours with children of varying ages, but this is only a small portion of what makes them so strange. A truly complete analysis may never be conducted, but I will say this:

As evidenced by the 30 second clip below, there is something incredibly entertaining about a secondary school teacher dancing.



The addition of music was especially artful in the way it matches nearly ALL of the movement.

Still, nowhere near as incredible as the Robert Englund lookalike that was my high school algebra teacher:

Dancing with an Iron Fist

Following the theme of incredible game trailers, I stumbled across what must be the SECOND best trailer ever created. The lack of a serious budget obviously lends itself to creativity, as is shown in what will likely prove to be a sleeper hit: Stalin vs. Martians.

That's right.

Stalin.

Gardening 101

As usual, a busy schedule has dragged me away from my computer at an inopportune time. Normally I would follow the established routine of making up a number of excuses for this and leave it at that, but this time I actually found something that needs to be shared.

Anyone who regularly uses Steam may have seen this already, as it's currently featured on the main page, but PopCap Games (the developer behind incredibly addicting games Peggle and Bejeweled) is releasing a brand new timesink, and with it comes what must be the most amazing game trailer ever made.

Enter Plants vs. Zombies, a VERY different mixture of the Tower Defense and Real Time Strategy genres with a premise that should be pretty self-explanatory (if not absolutely insane). Normally I avoid these kinds of games, as I value my time and would prefer - if I'm going to waste the better part of a day - to waste the better part of a day playing a video game with a high production value. Still, regardless of how well it all comes together on release, isn't 10 dollars a fair reward for such a spectacular trailer?

Let it be known, also, that the song itself was written and sung by one Laura Shigihara, who has since stolen my heart.

I want my heart back, Shigihara.

Soundscapes - Magnet

Some time ago I made the decision that, in an effort to give this blog SOME form of regularity, I would make at least one post on the second Thursday of the month. This was to be a continuation of my "Soundscapes" segment, where I could feebly attempt to impose my musical taste on others. I promptly ignored that decision.

Here I am, however, several months later (and an hour too late to make the Thursday deadline), apologetic for yet another period of inactivity, and ready to give this segment a go.

This month I'd like to share the soulful melodies of Magnet. Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Even Johansen (according to his website) "...follows in the footsteps of traditional folkdom and modern surrealism, treading a neat path between the two." The comparison, as the site continues to say, has not been made in vain.

I originally discovered Magnet, believe it or not, through a videogame. A rather incredible videogame, actually, named Dreamfall: The Longest Journey; an oldschool adventure game trapped in a modern development cycle. The game still has decent graphics by today's standards, and an incredibly well-developed story with extremely likeable characters and, of course, a great soundtrack. But I'm getting off track.

With lyrics that delve into the soul and a sound that sweeps the mind away in its current, Magnet is a refreshing reminder that someone is out there who still 'gets it.'

The Stench of Brilliance

Let it be known that I like zombies. They're a sort of hobby of mine. With this in consideration, I would like to share a few revelations.

Firstly is last month's release of the online co-operative survival horror masterpiece known as Left 4 Dead. Any gamer should be familiar with this title by this point, which places four human survivors in one of several diverse locales where they must work together to fight their way through a zombie hoarde to safety. I've been following the development of Left 4 Dead since it first went public, and to say that it meets expectations is an incredible achievement. Survivor beware - these aren't your standard slow, stupid zombies. Instead, expect something more akin to the infected from 28 Days Later and I Am Legend.

Left 4 Dead Intro

Similarly excellent is a comic series - oddly enough - by Robert Kirkman (artists Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard). The Walking Dead is an aptly-named portrayal of a group of survivors, lead by small-town police officer Rick Grimes, struggling to exist in a world stricken by a zombie apocalypse. The series is unique in that the focus is placed not so much on the typical disaster-driven content of other mainstream comics, as Kirkman feels no need to further dismantle an already-rotting world, but rather the relationships between the people in this world, and the breakdown of established roles in the face of chaos. While the zombies are certainly a compelling and prominently featured component, the true genius lies in the emotional connections formed with the survivors as they must deal with a threat more dangerous than the encroaching ghouls: each other.

Also, for the uninitiated, any self-proclaimed zombie fan is obligated to read the following. Written by mastermind Max Brooks comes

World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide

For those who missed it last time, be sure to check out Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the survival precursor to Shaun of the Dead. On a predictably unrelated note, I'm nearing completion of a poem, one of the first I've written in ages. I will showcase it in the near future.

Youtube Videos We Can Believe In

Already, the President-elect is bringing about change in the way our government works. For those who don't remember their history lessons, Franklin Roosevelt made history by circumventing the press and speaking directly to the people via his periodic Fireside Chats. The tradition hasn't died, and while Presidents Kennedy and Reagan mastered the transition to television, Obama is bringing a new act to the table three-quarters of a century later.

For the first time, the President's weekly messages to the public are taped not only for radio broadcast, but for publication on the web. The weekly videos are to be posted on Youtube for easy access by everyone.

The Obama Administration has created a website specifically for the transition into the White House, which you can find here.

Now if only our new President could stop fiddling with his Blackberry.

Improv Everywhere - Not a Flash Mob

For those of you who aren't aware, a flash mob is described as "a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse." The first flash mob occured in Manhattan in 2003, and is credited to Bill Wasik, but similar gatherings have been occuring for much longer (see Mobile Clubbing and Pillow Fights) .

Improv Everywhere, as described on their own website, "causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 70 missions involving thousands of undercover agents." But while they seem quite similar to a well organized flash mob, they differ in certain key details, namely the amount of time an action is performed as well as the anonymity of those involved.

Below is, if I may say, one of Improv Everywhere's finest achievements: The Food Court Musical.

The Food Court Musical

Visit Improv Everywhere's official site, or check out the Urban Prankster social network to get involved in your own community.

Soundscapes: Morcheeba

Being away from this blog for so long makes it difficult to get back into the swing of things, but after the excitement of weekly essays and road trip photos I began to run low on truly original content. Between that and the lengthy process of relocating to Orlando, I've neglected my portfolio out of a bit of both necessity and sloth. In short, I've not been very productive lately.

With that said, I'd like to present Morcheeba, the subject of my second Soundscapes post - something I hope to make a regular feature. Spearheaded by DJ Paul Godfrey and his multi-instrumentalist brother Ross Godfrey, along with the lilting vocals of singer Skye Edwards, this British band mixes heavy influences of trip hop, rock, and R&B with the occasional spicy dash of electronica.

While Skye was ousted from the band in 2003 (to be replaced by Daisy Martey), Morcheeba continues to be responsible for intense, soulful soundscapes.

Featured below are videos for the songs Rome Wasn't Built in a Day and Be Yourself from the album Fragments of Freedom.

Morcheeba - Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

Morcheeba - Be Yourself

Imagine...

I'd like to take a moment this morning to share another remarkable video from MoveOn.org's Obama In 30 Seconds contest. Meg Pinsonneault uses claymation to take a fresh approach to a political ad.

Meg Pinsonneault - Imagine...

The contest is down to some 15 finalists, and the winner's video will be aired on television. Visit Obama In 30 Seconds to support Meg's video and view the other finalists.

Taking Flight

Four hours from now, I am set to take flight.

Rather, I've booked a ride in an engineless glider plane this afternoon. I've been intrigued by the thought of unpowered flight for awhile, and have been considering the pursuit of a hobbyist pilot's license. Of course, I'll never be able to afford such a hobby, but who wouldn't want the bragging rights? You never know when you'll need to fly a plane to escape a secret military installation.

Seriously, though; this is some cool shit.

Glider Aerobatics

Oh, and happy May Day, you yanks.

There is Hope

There Is Hope - Jonathan Reed

Featured above is an interesting video by Jonathan Reed. Reed is one of many individuals who submitted clips to the Obama in 30 Seconds contest sponsored by MoveOn.org. The contest has brought out some impressive talent. Videos can be viewed and voted for after signing up.

Bush Booed

In what must be an unprecedented event in American history, President George W. Bush was openly booed when he appeared at the Washington Nationals baseball game on Sunday (3/30/08). The President appeared to throw the ceremonial first pitch of the season - a remarkably good pitch, I understand, where Presidents are concerned.

President Bush appears to what could generously be called a mixed reception.

It's remarkable how everyone involved manages to ignore the crowd.

And I thought I wouldn't have anything else to post about this month.

Yes, We ALL Can

There probably isn't anybody who's going to read this who isn't well aware of my support for Barack Obama's campaign bid. With that said, a video was posted on Youtube today interviewing a class of students from the Bronx High School of Performance and Stagecraft and their reactions to Obama's racial speech earlier this month.

Anyone who's attended high school in the last decade should be duly impressed by these kids and their teacher. Obama's right: the American people are not the problem; they are the solution.

Students at Bronx Highschool for Performance and Stagecraft respond to Obama's 3/18 speech on race.

An Escape

Ben Croshaw - "Yahtzee" - isn't what one might call a well kept secret in the online community. In fact, the man is hugely popular among the tech-saavy masses, and for good reason. Satirist and Vlogger, Yahtzee was picked up by The Escapist Magazine last August after scouting a few game reviews he had posted on Youtube.


His reviews, released every Wednesday under the title "Zero Punctuation," are concise, witty, and often scathing looks at popular games, and are a must-see for any gamer out there.

FullyRamblomatic - Fable: The Lost Chapters

In other news, game developer Sora's long-awaited Super Smash Brothers: Brawl was released last Sunday on Nintendo's Wii console to much fanfare. The release has smashed multiplatform sales on all consoles by a considerable margin, and has seen consistently high reviews.

Meta Knight and Pit - Super Smash Brothers: Brawl

Now all Nintendo needs to do is fix the online play. In the meantime, feel free to post your friend codes: 0259 0003 9268

Barack the Vote

If it isn't entirely apparent from previous posts, I'm a huge supporter of Senator Obama's campaign bid. I'm not the type, however, to argue with every other person over politics or what's right for the nation. At least, not unless there's a great fault in an individual's logic.

It's with that thought that I like to bring to attention the popular argument against the good Senator: experience. For his scrambling opponents, experience seems to be the key issue of this campaign. Experience - or rather, Obama's inexperience - appears to be the prime concern with the coming elections, and voters are being made well aware of this fact. Indeed, one would believe from the constant debates that a lack of experience in the executive branch has never been anything other than disastrous.

It's certainly an interesting argument, especially in the light of history. When experience is paramount, I find it interesting that the single most experienced politician ever to be named Commander in Chief has never been regarded as a spectacular leader. In fact, President James Buchanan has been consistently ranked dead last on the ladder of American Presidency. Conversely, Washington, Jackson, and Truman - some of the most renowned presidents in American history - had almost no real experience to speak of. Even Lincoln, the Great Emancipator himself, never attended college.

And let's not forget, nobody had a longer curriculum vitæ than Cheney or Rumsfeld.

In related news, Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am, in conjunction with director Jesse Dylan, produced a rather inspirational music video promoting Senator Obama's campaign. The song is written almost entirely using excerpts from Obama's speeches, and is called "Yes We Can."

Flying Cars Shot Down - The Onion

Fans of The Onion, a parody newspaper based out of New York, have undoubtedly been enamoured with the additions of Radio News and Network News pieces over the past several years. The straight-faced stories satirize history, popular culture, current events, and are consistently outrageous in the most delightful way. Featured below is the most recent headline:

Mean Automakers Dash Nation's Hope For Flying Cars

Mean Automakers Dash Nation's Hope For Flying Cars