Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVII

I've only watched/listen to a little bit of these guys, but this video made me laugh so hard.



Recycling is important.



Funny stuff. Not all of their is family friendly, but these two shouldn't be a problem.

SPOTD #140

I've been out of town, and it's been a while, but I have some good stuff for you.

Today's phrase:
One of those idioms that doesn't translate exactly.

Actual:
Con el dinero baila el perro.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Cone ail dee-nair-oh by-lah ell pay-roe.

Translation:
With money the dog dances.

It is an idiom, and the English meaning would be "With money anything is possible." You may not agree, but its a cool idiom.

Still Running
This is a great story about an Iraq vet who continues to play lacrosse despite losing his leg in the war.

Pirate?
This is a great story about a woman who is fighting back against the RIAA's efforts to prosecute music sharers.

So Hot
This is one of my all-time favorite cars, the McLaren F1. I saw one in London when I was 12 years old and it remains unique to this day.

Donate
High School blood donors are more likely to face complications, but they are also among the best source for donated blood in a time when more and more people are getting tattoos and piercings that can inhibit your eligibility to donate.

Jet Packs!
Who doesn't love jet packs? Honestly!

Link of the Day
This is a really fascinating story about an untouched Indian tribe in the Amazon.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXV

Japanese Commercials are awesome.

Here's Ah-nuld for Cup O' Noodles:



This one is vintage, brought to you by Maxell and WHAM!



Just two guys having fun, right?

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXIV (On Wednesday)

I just saw this video over on Eric Snider's website. It is from Weezer, and it is a kind of salute to YouTube all-stars. You can follow this link it you want to follow all the various YouTubery contained in the video.

Enjoy.

SPOTD #139

This is a long edition. I had some time to do some music reviews and other things that I wanted to share. As always I encourage you to visit the blog. I've been focusing on Latin American issues to a greater degree, which has been relatively easy considering the amount of attention being given to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

I also posted a video from the set of Twilight, a movie that I know some of you are eagerly aniticipating.

Today's phrase:
From Plato:

Actual:
La música es para el alma lo que es la gimnasia para el cuerpo.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Lah moo-see-kah ess pah-rah ell ahl-mah low kay ess lah heem-nah-syah pah-rah ell cware-poe.

Translation:
Music is for the soul what gymnastics is for the body.

Música
I've purchased some new music lately that I wanted to share. Some of these were actually bought several months ago, so I'm playing catch-up.
-Wyclef Jean's new CD has some good numbers. Nothing will compare to The Carnival for me. That was one of my most frequently listened-to CD's during my freshman year in college, as the guys who knew me then can attest. To some extent, I think the inclusion of guest performers on almost every song has actually weakened the quality of the music, which I thought was best served by Wyclef's own abilities. Then again, I'm not a millionaire singer/songwriter/producer. I can't vouch for the disc as family-friendly, as I haven't listened to the whole thing. One nice track to download would be Any Other Day with Norah Jones.
-Gnarls Barkley released a new CD, and with little fanfare considering the success of their first album. The new one is also pretty great. Cee-lo has such a distinctive voice.
-Paolo Nutini showed up as a recommendation on iTunes. I downloaded one of his songs, New Shoes, and really liked it so I decided to buy the rest. New Shoes is the peppiest song on the album, but I like the whole thing. It's a good set to have on in the background and just listen to while you're hanging out, driving, whatever.
-Bossa N Roses is one of the best finds I've made lately. It is a cover album consisting of electro-bossa nova versions of Guns N Roses' most well-known songs. My favorite is definitely Patience, but Sweet Child of Mine is pretty good as well. It helps you appreciate the excellent melodies of GNR's songs, and is another album that can be in the background without overpowering your ears or freaking out the kids. Can't necessarily say the same of the originals. I'm not saying these are better, but they're enjoyable like the Easy All Stars.
-Radiohead released their latest, In Rainbows, quite a while ago. I was late to the show on this one, which is silly because I've enjoyed everything that they've done, even if it took a little work to "get." I think it's a strong effort, a nice mix of electronic and more traditional instruments.

Travel Notes
-I ate at a restaurant that I'd never tried before, J Alexander. I met my friend, the recently engaged Lisa Chau, and her fiance. The portions are enormous and quite good. Even better than that, J Alexander surprised me in another impressive way. I have long felt that the best restaurants are those that have the Sports section affixed to bulletin boards over the urinals. You guys will understand. J Alexander has small LCD televisions over each station! Fantastic!
-Atlanta Hartsfield International airport has never been a favorite of mine. 90% of the flights that I have taken since moving to Gainesville in 1989 have gone through Atlanta. I had one of the longest nights of my life there in 2001, spending 8 hours in a plane that never left the ground due to bad weather. Well, this last trip that I took was the first where Atlanta was actually my final destination. Knowing Atlanta's reputation as one of the busiest airports in the U.S. I was prepared for the worst. I was wrong. Painless bag retrieval. Painless transport from the airport. Painless check in and very fast security lines.

Nostalgia Corner
-I saw a huge Indiana Jones poster at the Atlanta airport. Less than one month. This movie will be outstanding, I can feel it. When is the last time that Spielberg made a "fun" movie? The last one I can think of is probably The Lost World, although that film was not his best effort. Harrison Ford has always been a favorite actor of mine, so I'll be there opening night, the 7:15 showing.
-Transformers was one of the most enjoyable movies of last summer for me. It wasn't the best movie, not by a longshot, but I enjoyed every moment. This trip I borrowed my brother's DVD to watch it again. The film's flaws became more apparent, but I enjoyed it just as much.
-GI Joe is currently in production. This WAS my favorite cartoon as a child, with Transformers being second and He-Man third. I'm sure I'll post more info in the future.

Wow
David Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes. Have you ever seen some of the stuff this guy can do? I think he has a deal with the devil.

Link of the Day
I admire elite-level athletes, but this story is one of the special ones.

SPOTD #138

Howdy folks. I hope all is well.

Today's phrase:
Whatever we're going through, chances are we've been there before. From Lord Byron.

Actual:
El mejor profeta del futuro es el pasado.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Ell may-hore pro-fay-tah dale foo-too-row ess ell pah-sah-doh.

Translation:
The best prophet of the future is the past.

Perfection
Only 4 more months until the college football begins. This is a very positive article about the BYU Cougars and the resurgence of the program as led by Coach Bronco Mendenhall. It's been fun.

Music
This is a very interesting transcript from a short segment on NPR.

Bruta
This is a great review of the Porsche GT2. It is blazing fast. It never ceases to amaze me what Porsche can do with a 6 cylinder engine.

Eric's Bad Movies
Eric Snider is my favorite movie critic. A few weeks ago he began a feature where he reviews bad movies. This one is for Superman IV, a movie I enjoyed a great deal as a kid but now find mostly unwatchable. It's a good review.

Infrastructure
Popular Mechanics has pointed out several aspects of US Infrastructure that need attention. Soon.

Dad's No Dummy
Advertisements portraying fathers as stupid are neither effective nor creative.

Link of the Day
Speed Racer looks crazy, and I think it will be awesome. Here's a little clip.

The RIAA hates you

I'll comment on the Iowa Caucus tomorrow. This article is from the Washington Post, on efforts by the RIAA to claim that putting music from a CD THAT YOU OWN is a violation of copyright.

Does the RIAA have a deathwish? The only reason I buy a real CD anymore is precisely because I can have it as an mp3. I think that such small-minded and antiquated thinking will continue the descent in record sales that has been in evidence for so long.

Awesome Video Saturday XXII

This is a pretty funny cheerleading mishap.



One of the all-time classic SNL bits:

Awesome Video Saturday XVIII

Eric Snider posted this biting interview of Paris Hilton by David Letterman.



And also this incredible lyrical treatise on our times:



Jimmy Kimmel actually had him on his show. You can see it on YouTube.

Awesome Video Saturday XVII

This is an ad for the Montgomery, AL flea market. It's awesome.



This kid is loving life. I've always liked kids like this.

Quick Hits

There are a lot of things I want to bring to your attention today:

• A major terrorist plot was disrupted in Germany. The individuals in question were in possession of large amounts of explosive ingredients and military-grade detonators. The NYT has more. I'm sure more information will come out regarding this successful intervention.
• The surge in Iraq is bearing fruit. I maintain that entering Iraq was the right thing to do and that persisting in that effort is essential. Some Democratic congressmen, such as Washington's Brian Baird, have witnessed the surge-borne improvements and expressed that to the public. These honest assessments are not without cost, as leftist groups like MoveOn.org have moved against Baird and others.
  The anti-war element makes a grave misjudgement by criticizing Baird. Baird was opposed to the war and the surge, yet he sees the progress being made, as well as the concern in other states at what a US withdrawl would mean. He said the following:
  I believe I must speak and act based on what I believe is in the best interest of our nation regardless of political advertisements or partisan interests. Based on personal visits to the region, I believe the dynamics on the ground in Iraq are changing for the better and, while there are still multiple and serious challenges, and while the course is uncertain and dangerous, the changes I have seen warrant continued support of current actions through next spring.
• President Bush went to Australia in support of embattled ally John Howard. Howard's support for our country has earned my admiration. I hope he is able to retain his position in the next election.
• There was a Republican Presidential Debate last night. Meh.
• Democratic Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson thinks it is God's will that Iowa have the first say in the presidential primaries. Seems a little weird to me. I think there are more important things on the Divine Agenda. All this business of the various states jockeying for preferred order in the primaries is tiresome. I don't think their movement forward is a big issue, as it may allow more time to vet the real candidate. Some disagree.
• Ted Kennedy is catching flack for his opposition to an offshore wind farm near his Nantucket sailing grounds. He and some of his pals in the Senate have made a serious miscalculation in opposing this initiative. Follow the link for more.

Finally, Luciano Pavarotti has died. The linked article has some good information about the tenor. It is a sad day, as Pavarotti found acceptance among opera lovers and those indifferent to the discipline. Enjoy a performance of Nessun Dorma, appropriately subtitled in Spanish.

Awesome Video Saturday IX: Alternative Music

This week's installment showcases some of the excellent, more unique musical styles in the world. First is Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, interpreted on the Theremin.



This is an exceptional video, showcasing the talents of World Air Guitar Champion C-Diddy.

Awesome Video Saturday VIII: World Travels

This first video is something a guy made as he traveled around the world. It's one of the best videos I've seen (via IRF).



You can check out his outtakes here.

Gotta love those Germans and Swedes! Next, mein friends in Deutschland.



Unt now da Svedes

Music Time

Over the years I have received various music recommendations as well as given them. Two of my friends have been particularly consistent recommenders, Scott Williams and Lisa Chau. I have never been steered wrong by them, and a few recent tips (actually not that recent, but that I recently acted upon) have been quite good.

Lisa recommended Death Cab for Cutie over two years ago, and I finally bought their 2005 release Plans. It's a great album, with a lot of melancholy tunes, but also some more upbeat choices. At the same time she had also recommended Snow Patrol, but it only took me about a year to buy it.

Scott, among other things, recommended The Killers' second album Sam's Town and Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I enjoyed many of the tracks from The Killers first release and have really liked the second one, which has an arena rock feel. Their music incorporates many of the elements that made '80's music great.

Arcade Fire is a really cool band from Quebec. They have some pretty interesting instrumentals. I'm still getting a feel for their music, but it is different and what I've heard I really like. It also has more of a "live" feel to it. I also recommend both of these albums.

The SPOTD is always looking for good recommendations to pass along.