Weird Animal of the Week

Glaucus atlanticus.

"Oh, fire... That... that's not for white people."

Kasper Hauser has a wonderfully dead on This American Life parody.

Will 2008 be fought on YouTube?

YouTube didn't even become public until May 2005. It didn't officially launch until six months later. I am not saying that YouTube is a real source of political change, but it is hard to ignore its impact on the distribution of ideas.

Most of it is fluff and ignorable. But the fact video editing is now simple and easy and cheap, and the fact that you can now deliver it to the world almost instantly, has changed things.

The amount of attention being given to the pro-Obama/anti-Clinton Apple "1984" ad mashup is pointing towards something.

This was posted two weeks ago. There are numerous video responses to it. It is being covered by much of the mainstream press. Obama's people have even made a statement about it.

This "ad" isn't by any official campaign. Who really knows who is responsible. If can be made for practically nothing. And these "ads" can say anything they want. As the campaign moves forward we will be awash in these things... and many will get very ugly. Sure, a lot will be creative and witty and even intelligent. But we are going to get a lot of what we once referred to as "attack ads"... except that there will be no limit on what will be said in them.

And many will be ignored. But certain once will be mentioned in the press. Some will be mentioned because they are just good. Others because they are extreme. Blogs will cover them and then the media will cover the fact that blogs are covering them. People will see them and talk about them and campaigns will have to think about whether or not to give a response.

Sure, in 2004, the Internet was around. Sure, there were bloggers who could say whatever they wanted. But, let's be honest. People, in general, don't like reading all that much. But they like videos. We complain and complain about how television has changed how national campaigns are run. About how tv plays too big a roll. How campaigns are now geared towards sound bites and images.

Well, this time around that may, in some part, be taken out of the campaigns hands. For better or worse, it is going to be in the hands of the people.

(Small note: blogger.com's spellchecker doesn't know "bloggers.")

An added note to the last post.

While poking around for links for the last post, I came upon Jen Wang's Touchfood.

Again, just an amazing artist with a wonderful mind. Touchfood also reminds me of some of the relationships I've had, for better or worse.

B-Day Gifts: Art & the amazing Jen Wang

I have a birthday coming up. My parents, being super super thoughtful, gave me a bunch of artto hang on my bare walls.

Eight stills from Bashki's Lord of the Rings that MamaSix found in our old stuff. Pretty cool. I need to group them all together somewhere. I think the yellow room.

A bunch of PapaSix's photos. He's getting pretty darn good. Some amazing stuff. I have no idea where to put them or how to group them. I have hung on over the bed already.

But the most mind blowing piece they gave me has a bit of a back story... a back story very related to this blog. Months ago I made a post about the artist Jen Wang and how much I dug her work. In fact, I even said that if someone wanted to get me something super cool, I would love one of her originals. Well, Papasix contacted her and commissioned her to do something based on the ol' blog. He sent her links to some posts and she also took a gander around. And she settled on one from last February. Well, one sentence from that post:

Going out to dinner with 2 couples tonight. There will actually be 7 people at the table as both women are "with child." Ah, the world of bumps.

And here is the amazing piece she made for me.

(Sorry the picture isn't better. It is already very nicely framed.)

Isn't that just wonderful? I love how the two men are just shadows and how the "bumps" are little hearts... and how the whole composition approximates a heart. Now, I've haven't worn a sweater vest in probably 20 years, but I think it is a good look on me. And, anyway, the look on my face is priceless... and very very accurate.

Again, thank you Papa & MamaSix. And thank you, Jen Wang.

(I also got a Nabaztag/tag. I'm still trying to figure out what it is. It's cool... just weird... and, um, buggy.)

YDKJ: The Return

You Don't Know Jack was just a magical computer trivia game. It was around for awhile and then disappeared. Now it is back. Yeah, it is only web-based and single player and super short. They are doing daily DisOrDat questions and now weekly "episodes." Still high quality fun stuff.

I can only hope they can get enough backing to start doin this for realsies again. Maybe a console version with regularly available downloads available. Seems like a good opportunity for a continual money maker. Sell me a retail disc with 500 questions and then do monthly downloads for $4 t0 $5.

Anywhozits, here's the link.

(Note: You may want to wait a few days to try it out. Right now the site seems to be sluggish.)

I miss the Apple Pan

While New York is starting to get some decent burger places, I still have fond memories of the Apple Pan in L.A.. Great burgers, great pies.

Link.

(via The Gothamist)

Mega64

Mega64 is just wonderful videogame/guerrilla theater goodness. Most of their sketches will make no sense without a relatively deep videogame knowledge (for example if you are unfamiliar with Ico, this video will make no sense). The Tetris one will make sense to most people at this point (and is somehow oddly touching).

I've finally gotten around to playing Dead Rising so the following video is very funny to me.


But the reason I bring them up today is their special GDC (Game Developers Conference) Super Mario Bros. video.

While the chance that Mario is familiar to you is pretty high, your recognition of the Japanese fellow* is slight... and in there lies all of the humor. That and Link.

*He is Shigeru Miyamoto.

Sick

I'm a touch sick today. I think it is just the fact that it has been brutally cold and all moisture has been sucked out of my body. I don't know where it goes when it is this cold. But clearly my body it trying to lube myself up with mucus.

To sooth my soul PapaSix link me to The Comics Curmudgeon. Basicaly just some simple daily commentary about newspaper comic strips. Fun stuff.

LittleBigPlanet

This was just announced by Sony for the PS3. It's hard to understand how neat this game is from watching this little clip... especially if you haven't been playing platformers for 20 odd years. But watch the video... and then realize that this isn't just the game. The game is actually a complete level editor. In fact you could re-edit that level on fly. All four of you.

This is just fun.

Second Life and Age Play

As I've stated before, it was only a matter of time. The Lindens have laid down the law of age play in Second Life: No more.

This is clearly a premptive move before the media and/or legal forces start moving in. It will be interesting to watch how users respond.

Western? Check. Zombies? Check. Puppets? Check, check and check.

It Came From The West
(warning: extreme puppet violence)

Push Button, Receive Bacon

I wish I live in this world... (via SupersizedMeals)

Serbian vampire hunters drive 3ft stake through Milosevic's heart... just in case.

From The Register:

...the politically-motivated Van Helsings, led by Miroslav Milosevic (no relation), gave themselves up to cops after attacking the deceased despot in his grave in the eastern town of Pozarevac. Milosevic popped his clogs back in 2006, while on trial in a UN war crimes tribunal for various unsavoury activities connected with the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.

Miroslav Milosevic said "he and his fellow vampire hunters acted to stop the former dictator returning from the dead to haunt the country". His team explained that the wooden stake had been "driven into the ground and through the late president's heart".

Points for being proactive.

More of Awkward Boy

Link.

"Clowns can look rather intimidating if you see a lot of them in one place."

Look, I am not a religious man. I respect religion and I certainly try not to mock religions for no reason.

But I have to say I am loving GodTube.

Christian Clown Training pt. 1

"I'm a Christ Follower" "And I'm a Christian."

Baby Got Book

NWA for the kids.

(via Neatorama)

Back on the movie stick.

I like movies. A lot. I like small movies. I like big ol' bloated movies.
I need to see Zodiac and Black Snake Moan. I am looking forwad to 300 this coming weekend (IMAX, definitely). I will not be seeing Wild Hogs so don't ask.

Anyway, since I always seem to forget the movies I plan to see, I need to be more diligent. So here is a partial list of what I plan to see this coming year:

• 300
• The Host
• American Cannibal: The Road To Reality
• TMNT
• Grindhouse
• Penelope
• The Reaping
• Hot Fuzz
• Spider-Man 3
• 28 Weeks Later
• Paprika
• Pirates of the Caribbean: AT World's End
• Knocked Up
• Ocean's 13
• Evan Almighty
• Live Free or Die Hard
• Martian Child
• Ratatouille
• Sicko
• Transformers
• 1408
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• The Simpsons Movie
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• Black Sheep
• Stardust
• Sunshine
• Across the Universe
• 30 Days of Night
• Beowulf

Okay. That is the rough list. Not including movies I haven't heard about. And, yes, most of these will probably blow.

Most Awkward Boy in the World

Chris Gethard and Zach Woods (and a cornucopia of UCB folks in cameos) have made a series of videos. Enjoy.

Cobra bites DC