Dance Post #2 - George Sampson

It's all about dancing and giving yourself to the music at a 110%.

Well I've been wanting to post something from Britain's Got Talent for quite some time. They have had a couple of acts that could decently bust a move, yet it really wasn't hot enough to give it mad props. Then I saw George Sampson kill it like Chris Brown. Its like watching a music video on stage. This white boy could really dance?! No cuts. No edits. Just this kid dancing his heart out. Simply amazing. I hope he wins cause he just blew the competition out of the water.

LQ Britain's Got Talent - Semi Final 3 - George Sampson

Flashing Lights: A 3 Part Series

To be honest, they don't fit together like a series. I feel it has something to do more with violence and that dark evil feeling. I mean I would expect this to pour out of Kanye for while since his Mom passed away. (Call your Mom today) I like the first video best, though the second plays a little bit with the "photo novel" idea that I've been experimenting with. Either way, enjoy. (And yes I did post the first video before)

Flashing Lights (Ver. 1)


Flashing Lights (Ver. 2 feat Charlotte Carter-Allen)


Flashing Lights (Ver. 3)

Undiscovered Life On Earth...No Way!

There are still people living on this planet that have NEVER had contact with the outside world?! Crazy! Things like this remind me that we know NOTHING! Everyday you will learn something new. Yet I will point out that this is all connected to a bigger issue and that needs to be addressed: Deforestation and the Extinction of a Human Race

"In this image from Survival International, showing 'uncontacted Indians' of the Envira, who have never before had any contact with the outside world, photographed during an overflight in May 2008, as they camp in the Terra Indigena Kampa e Isolados do Envira, Acre state, Brazil, close to the border with Peru. 'We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist,' said uncontacted tribes expert Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior."
Uncontacted Indian tribe spotted in Brazil -- MyNorthwest.com

"There are more than one hundred uncontacted tribes worldwide, with more than half living in either Brazil or Peru. All are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and decimated by new diseases. Survival has launched an urgent campaign to get their land protected...The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct."
Uncontacted tribe photographed near Brazil-Peru border -- Survival International

The Trippy Sounds of Disney

I totally stole this from my main man Tiger Trax, but it's too good not to. I love the song and I wish people did more things like this. Yeah for appropriation! Plus Alice in Wonderland has this odd hold on creative people. Seriously Disney has a drug problem.

Alice


You can download Pogo's song here, I know I did.

I'll Beat You Senseless

I'm not registered to this website but I thought it seemed like a very cool idea. Something a little different and more interactive then Youtube. I think the fact that there are REAL celebrities interacting with users just doubles the pleasure. Imagine crushing Jessica Alba at a stare off, proving to your friends that you're better then a Hollywood hottie at being creepy. It's seriously worth a browse.

"ibeatyou (IBY) was started by a group of very competitive friends. Whether it was determining who had the funniest celebrity impressions, or remembering how many times someone beat somebody else in Nerf Basketball Contests, we realized there was no real outlet to easily showcase our "skills" with other people, or ways to easily let others decide on the true winner. ibeatyou was created for this sole reason alone. We wanted to create a platform where people could compete with anyone else in the world in anything....Letting the "public" choose the true winner and tracking stats to back up your bragging." - ibeatyou.com

So I built a time machine...

What I love about the internet is finding all the weird projects you can build that if someone tried to explain it to you face to face, it would make them sound crazy. Well you can build this thing called "The Time Fountain" which is freaking cool. I don't have the time or the energy to build one but if you have or do in the near future. Let me know. I want to see one of these in REAL life. The video below is pretty cool. Basically with light and droplets of water you can make it look like your speeding up, slowing down or freezing a drop of water in real time. It's an optical illusion but it should freak out any 7 year old and that's always fun.

Time Fountain - Optical Illusion

Indiana Jones and the Maybe I'm Getting to Old For This

Let me give it to you straight. It's an okay movie. I'd give it a B- on a good day. Let's just say no one in the theater clapped when the credits rolled, but I still think it was worth watching in theaters just not at midnight. It's definitely the weakest of the 4 films.

Well Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull like most of George Lucas's projects in the last decade probably shouldn't have been made.

What I liked: Watching Indiana Jones kick ass, watching Harrison Ford run (name a movie that he's in where he doesn't run), Cate Blanchett's character, the return of Karen Allen and a couple of good jokes.

What I didn't like: Shia LaBeouf, the dialogue, the plot, the visual effects and the editing. (Now, I just want to point out the fact that though I did not enjoy the editing this is not a smear on Michael Kahn (age 72) and his inspirational career. Just that I noticed a few repeated mistakes which I'm sure was more related to production then post production.)

Yep, it was kind of disappointing. The story was wishy washy and a little plain. There were too many special effects and it made it look clean and glossy, not dirty and real. I'm not going to spill the beans with details but I feel that Lucas and Spielberg's creativity must be zapped. They're too old and are family men to the core which can make you too full of good morals. This film is soaked with positive family messages. Plus it was like watching a combination of all of their Sci Fi films starring Indiana Jones. Yes, I laughed and clapped at some parts but they recycled so much material. I mean all in all its kind of refreshing to know that Hollywood has officially almost run out of ideas. That means the next generation of imagination can take over this world at a moment's notice. (C'mon Shyamalan!) I have a shot. You have a shot. We all have a shot, but in the end we really need to WANT it.

Indian Jones 4. It was okay.

Oh and did you know that they're making a Jurassic Park 4 that is coming out in 2009? Good grief, I bet it takes place in space this time.


Indiana Jones and the Song of Theme

Cubicle Buddies!

I came across these "paper toys" today and if I was working at an office with cubicles and a color printer...I think I might have built an army. Though I'm sure you can take the files to Kinko's and have them print HUGE ones for your room. Overall this is a pretty cool idea and its FREE.

"Each toy features interlocking tabs for construction - eliminating the need for tape, glue or other messy adhesives. To download click on the model you would like then save the template image."
Cubee Craft

Baking Cookies Fun Time

I so want one. This screams sweet and delicious in so many ways, but where do you get the sticks?

"I bought this to use as an activity for the kids...and they loved it. The adults loved it too...The pan is so easy to use. You can use cake batter or brownie batter or even cookie batter. We made brownies and cookies because they seem to hold up better on the popcicle sticks."
Norpro Nonstick Cake-Sicle Pan -- Amazon.com

Dance Post #1 - Miley VS Adam

Dancing is a very big thing in my family. If you have ever been to my parents house during a birthday/graduation party or a special event you have taken witness to our dance battles. (The last one ended with my brother Josh splitting his pants declaring me the victor.) We take our show on the road to weddings and in college we join dance clubs and sometimes major in dance. Dance is life and we are dancers.

So I'm going to try and routinely post dance videos that inspire, wow and drive me to dance. The first posting is about a new thing which has been dubbed as "the biggest online dance battle ever" between Miley Cyrus and Adam Sevani (Moose from Step Up 2). The whole idea is kind of cheesey and the dancing is edited to showcase their best moves but its some really amazing stuff. I've posted the videos in the correct order. They're long but entertaining, enjoy.


Adam and Chu challenge Miley and Mandy: Blog 6.


M&M Cru with a U BATTLES Step Up 2


Dance battle with Miley Cyrus, Adam Sandler, Chris Brown...

Break it down!

There are things in this world that never get old like the way women wear towels after a shower, a good Chuck Norris joke and dancing robots.

Chevrolet Aveo "Transformers"

Celebrating Easter with Fireworks

A fireworks battle!? I would love to go see this in person and take pictures. It's really freaking ridiculous but beautiful. This could never happen in America.

My Big Fat Greek Firework Battle

i <3 TyPoGrApHy

I'm a big patriot for creativity and I love it when people think outside of the box. We should all try smashing things together because sometimes you end up with new and beautiful. Anyone who is into graphic design or typography will get a kick out of this article from Smashing Magazine. It's worth browsing through all of the COOL typography examples. It's about inspiration.

"Sometimes typography is all you need to communicate your ideas effectively. Graphics can support the type or type can support the graphics, but to deliver the message precisely, you need to make sure your type is expressive enough, your design is distinctive enough and the composition is strong enough. The results are sometimes crazy, sometimes artsy, sometimes beautiful, but often just different from things we’re used to."
Sexy, Bold And Experimental Typography -- Smashing Magazine

Rain Drops On Roses

Okay besides this past weekend consisting of love-hate relationships, car booting, the DC nightlife and celebrating Mother's Day, I will have to say the rain has been just that ugly smell coming from the refrigerator. Yes, we do need it but so much at one time? What happened to April showers bring May flowers?

Highlights from the rain...

3. Getting soaked while walking two blocks with a broken umbrella with my girlfriend to go buy ice cream from Giant before it closes. Sometimes Cookies N'Cream is worth that much. Plus the cake donuts thought we also bought are crazy delicious.

2. Hydroplaning in my sister's car through the streets of DC. We even took a different route home to avoid the floody streets of Mass Ave only to drive through an ocean that formed on River Road. BOOYA to the jack ass in front of me who slammed his brakes once they realized how deep the water was. Dude, I can't brake while gliding through 4 inches of water.

1. Coming home this morning to find my basement studio recovering from a flood. Yep. There must have been a quarter inch of water at some point. The floor rugs and some of my artwork/sentimental things were ruined. I'm pretty clean so there wasn't much on the floor but the point is during the signing of my lease...I did ask if the basement flooded. The Property Manager either said she didn't know or there has never been any complaints. BS!! Oh well...I may have an indoor pool by the end of the week. (More to come later I'm sure)

Also to add to my frustration is all the idiots who walk down the streets of DC carrying umbrellas and ignore the Umbrella Code of Conduct. For those of you who are ignorant of the dangers of wielding an umbrella READ THE ARTICLE BELOW or otherwise stay indoors for the safety of mankind. Thank you.

"When it rains, I simply refuse to use my umbrella. I have one....The umbrella is the perfect fit for me, not too big, not too small....But still I refuse to use my umbrella, even if it is pouring elephants and hippopotamuses. Why is that? It's because the people around me do not know how to operate their umbrellas. But my problem with umbrella use worsens when I, umbrella-less, am walking down a crowded sidewalk where everyone and his dog is using an umbrella...improperly."
Lessons in umbrella etiquette--The Pitt News


Umbrella Etiquette-People Behaving Badly

When I Was Young

This falls under celebrating life and I thought it was so precious. You never realize that time waits for no man and we all grow up someday.

YOUNGME - NOWME is apart of the Colorwar2008 and basically find a photo of when you were a kid, recreate that photo as best you can today, and submit them both. You can browse through thousands of submitted photos. My favorites are the family portraits.

I haven't tried this yet but Mother's Day is coming up and all of my siblings should be home. I'll post the results later. Enjoy.

Bush's Stimulus Plan - Is it really free money?

I've been doing some research on this topic lately and like most people I never take a second to read over the fine print because when I do the language is too complex to really understand anything. So when the Stimulus Plan was put into effect I thought I was getting free money from the government. Then I started hearing about how this is all one big joke and in reality its a loan and will effect my 2008 tax return. Oh crap! Again, the media has lied to me.

Well I felt flustered and was sure things didn't add up. Luckily one of my co workers found an article from the wise Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post who finally gave me an honest answer.

"First, this money is not taxable. And your stimulus payment will not reduce or increase any refund you are entitled to when you file your 2008 return. The stimulus payment -- some call it a rebate, others refer to it as a refund -- is based on your 2007 tax return, but it is considered an advance on a 2008 tax cut...payments will range from $300 to $600 for individuals and $600 to $1,200 for joint filers."
Rebate Fact and Fiction -- The Color of Money

So from what I understand...its not free money and will not affect your 2008 tax return. Basically they're giving us the extra money we would have received back from a tax cut in '09 this year. Well I hope this help clears things up and that your check arrives today. I'm either paying off some credit card debt or dropping the whole thing into savings. Either way, thank you.

Pink Floyd - Money

From Drumline to Glitter

Is anyone else slightly grossed out by this? Usually I'm like...that's kind of hot but even their music video "Bye Bye" made me dizzy. Can't Nick Cannon swing better women? I mean he dated Christina Milian and Kim Kardashian. He almost married Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks! Brother man, what's up?

"The 38-year-old singer and the 27-year-old actor confirmed to People magazine that they tied the knot at Carey's Bahamian estate April 30 after a courtship that began in late March."
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon spill wedding beans to People -- Yahoo! News

Well since I'm suppose to be celebrating life...congrats and good luck you two "crazy" love birds. Oh and yes the Mr & Mrs Cannon tattoos are a cute idea.

MARIAH CAREY - BYE BYE

She said my name...?

The highlight of the day...

On my lunch break I stopped by the Wachovia Bank in Georgetown to deposit my roommate's check. I've been coming to this bank for the past three years and I love their quick service. Well for the very first time the gorgeous bank teller Ms Flood called me by my first name. SCORE! At first I was a little shocked. Is she trying to flirt with me? What should I do? What should I say? Ask her about the weather. No...don't do that. Just stare at your hands and don't say anything.

And of course I let the opportunity slide right by, but hey...it made my day.

Iron Man...more like Gold Man

Iron Man...go see it! It's an awesome blockbuster summer movie. You won't be disappointed at all.

Thursday I went to watch the movie at the Uptown Theater with my film buff buddy Brendan. I wasn't expecting much since most people consider Iron Man to be a B-Rated super hero and to not have much of a fan base. We thought the trailer was going to be better then the movie but we were so wrong. The movie is just as good, maybe even better.

It's seriously one of the highest rated super hero films to be released in the last decade. (IMDb 8.4 out of 10 & Rotten Tomatoes 94%) I would say this action packed flick is as good as Transformers and Batman Begins. It appeals to every body and keeps you cheering for the good guys the whole time. Robert Downey Jr was excellent and when he puts on the suit for the first time, it just looks so badass. They really did an amazing job and it doesn't feel cartoony or fake like the Spiderman movies (especially #3). I expect them to make an Iron Man 2 because it would probably be a bigger hit cause now Iron Man has a million new fans.

"Iron Man grossed $100.8 million, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations Co., a number that makes the Robert Downey Jr. film second only to Spider-Man for comic book movie debuts. The estimate does not include the movie's Thursday night sneaks. If it did, it'd be $3.5 million higher. The estimate also doesn't include overseas ticket sales. If it did, it'd be nearly $100 million higher."
The $100 Million Iron Man -- E online

"'What I think this says about the marketplace is that if we make really entertaining movies, people will show up for them,' said Rob Moore, president for marketing at Paramount. He said Iron Man delivered the best opening weekend of any live-action film in Paramount’s history."
‘Iron Man’ Impressive in Opening Weekend -- The New York Times

"The spectacular weekend results of Iron Man and strong first-quarter earnings prompted Marvel Entertainment Inc. to raise its 2008 forecast Monday, as the company's shares hit an all-time high in morning trading."
'Iron Man,' strong results prompt Marvel to hike view -- MarketWatch

Well I would go into more detail but seriously just watch the trailer and believe me its worth the $10.50, but there is one thing you should do and that is STAY UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS FINISH ROLLING. Don't leave early and miss the coolest thing ever!


Official Iron Man Theatrical Trailer 2008

I Want Those Flashing Lights

Every once in a while you need to go to Youtube and search for "Kanye West Remix". You would be surprise how much new stuff always pops up. Some of it is fake but people are posting NEW work by him that never makes the radio or MTV. This is what the internet is all about! Mad props to Colin Munroe for pulling off his own spin on Flashing Lights.

Colin Munroe-I Want Those Flashing Lights (Kanye West Remix)

Requiem for Portishead

I downloaded Portishead's new album the Third off iTunes at work and I've been blasting this great dramatic music for a week straight. It's sooo good.

My best friend in high school introduced me to them almost a decade ago but I didn't really get into it until my senior year in college. I really love their moods, textures and how they mix genres. Beth Gibbons vocals are eerie and perfect for their sound. It just tells a sad story that is worth listening to over and over again.

Well Third is a great Portishead album. If you know the band and their music you will like this album. If you are new to their music go buy their first two albums, especially Portishead. Well you won't find any real BIG hits but I'm a fan of "Nylon Smile" and "The Rip". Overall this album is quiet and dark. I would give it a B+ for its solid down-tempo sound since it has been a decade since they've released a new album as a band. I only wish there was a little more jazzy trip hop to the music.

Portishead live at Portishead "THE RIP" 04 (current tv)

At the Battle of the Puebla

Back in college the 5th of May was a huge drinking day for me and some of my friends. One time I think we even managed to visit 4 parties (2 of them we crashed) and drink for free all night. So I'm planning on going out on Monday and probably hangout at Alero near my house but the Post had some other cool locations to find tequila. Well enjoy.

"Monday is Cinco de Mayo, and for the next four days, there are a lot of parties on our plate...If you're looking to celebrate, I've put together this handy guide."
Best Bets for Cinco de Mayo -- WashingtonPost.com

Great for those who can't read!

I know I shouldn't say this but I too get DailyCandy emails. It's one of the many ways I find odd things online but this has to be one of the coolest. It's an "efficient new search engine that enables you to scan resulting pages visually." I will definitely put this to good use, though I hope their search engine gets better with time. I think Google might want to steal this idea too.

Searchme.com