Mary Matthews at Video Pancakes is going for number 2 in collecting photos and videos of what folks are doing at the stroke of midnight 2010. She is hoping to gather midnighters from around the world in their time zone.Here is an example from last year: So you want in? Cool head on over to the information post and follow the instructio...
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
A resolution is a solution to a problem. Some of us have been making resolutions to the same goals and problems going on five or more years. I say chuck it. How about instead we start thinking about developing and enhancing the life skills we need to invoke the change?The Age of VerificationOur informational life needs are a changing. For example, think about what we talked about and debated in 2009. Issues such as health care, the federal budget, large scale fraud and free enterprise versus social responsibilities.In 2009 we didn’t just talk...
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer who blogs at The Atlantic. He has a new book out called The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood.It is about fathers and sons. Growing up and surviving yourself. This is a video where Ta-Nehisi is talking about his father and the need for love infused direction:I check out Ta-Nehisi posts from time to time. I like his writing and perspectives. Most of the time. Which is pretty good. All I ask of a writer is put out original thought. That doesn't mean that I accept it 100%. I like the...
Friday, December 25, 2009
One more week and time slips into a new decade. Well, yes. I suppose so. I was burnt out on the whole holiday thing three weeks ago. It was like I was forced into acceptance when I only wanted to be a by-stander.It was like being made to go to a party and I just was not in the mood. The party came to me anyway. I couldn't sneak out the door. It wasn't as bad as I'm making it out to be. Some people had it rough road this year. This wasn't that kind of time for me and I am grateful. It is a good day when you can spend part of it watching episodes...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
There is a change in how education is being distributed, from elementary school to the college and university level. This is the time to ask yourself, "What do you want to learn?" I posed the question because there may be a free or open source education content that can fit your limited time availability, your energy and your desire to learn a subject.These are the beginning stages of an educational transformation. There is phenomenal educational...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
It was a rough Friday. It was the kind of Friday where you go to the Salt Mine sick as a dog and then everybody who has questions pick that day to ask you questions.It was a day when other people's lunch has you looking for a nose plug to stop the stench. It was a day when being non-chemically disorientated is not fun.It was also a day when mercy is shown to you by a friend who brings you home to a 15 hour nap.So yes, I need to watch Christopher Walken dance and strip. I need a bit of fun. Cracks me up and reminds me of Jimmy Cagney, who was...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
I was word hungry. I needed something to scratch a brain cell. It took a few hours but the term narrative discourse finally arrived for exploration. That began my journey.The narrative is how you tell the story; linear, non-linear, verbal, pictorial. It also includes the grammatical construction. My understanding of discourse is the methods used to tell the construct the tale. The story is the final product.Maybe that is the problem. There are marketers, politicians, religious organizations and all manner of thought shakers trying to figure out...
Friday, December 11, 2009
I have RSS feeds up the ying yang. I don't know why I have three different link streams but what can I tell you? I have needs. From AppScout I learned about this neat service called Who Sampled?You can find out how much or how little a song is carried forward in time. How many times has Walk On By been covered or sliced and diced. You get to hear the original recording and the one that was inspired by or transformed the work. It is a interesting way to learn musical history and track the DNA of various musical forms.Which leads me into Robert Palmer....
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Many non-profits need help but folks we gotta pony up for this one. If you can't relate to being a teenager and trying to find out about sex, I don't know what more I can tell you. I was cruising through BitchPh.D and she had a post about Scarleteen needing funds.I have two and half minutes to convince you.Watching porn is not sex education. There are questions that need to be asked and answered. Scarleteen does that and puts those questions into...
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Yes a shout out to all the fakes, distorters and opportunists everywhere. It has been a while but rattling on the edge of musical memory is Alexander O'Neal.He wasn't a pretty boy singer, no this was a manly man on the mike. Alexander O'Neal's music videos came across as man power in a suit. O'Neal is still performing and has a web site up to support his latest album.This is just a gentle reminder about being careful with the stories that you tell yourself. There are repercussions and possible concussions if you confuse yourself with the wrong...
Monday, November 30, 2009
I'm working on an education post and I'm coming across a lot of great information that I think should have a larger audience; the kind of science that should be on the news or in popular discussions.This is a video from the UCLA YouTube education channel about adapting a cell phone into a microscope.I kept hearing in my head "Tricorder"and feeling a little wistful. Just want to pass along another shout out for the better aspects of our human natu...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
It is the Austral Summer. It is travel season for those making their ways to Antarctic research stations. There are a number of scientists, students and even an artist or two who have recorded their experiences. Yes, there are bloggers in Antarctica. You think you have a shaky Internet connection? Try blogging from Antarctica.Making the JourneyMany of the American scientists and researchers travel to the McMurdo Station. Ice Stories, Dispatches...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The Yahoo Videoblogging Group 30 Vloggers, 30 Day Challenge is that each person draws inspiration from the video created the day before. Adam Quirk created Death In the MorningDeath in the Morning from Adam Quirk on Vimeo.In honor of (Inter)National Videoblogging Posting Month this is my contribution to Day 21 for November 2009. This is my answer video, Life Walking 2009:This video is a mixture of what my original goal was, to get out and see life. Pulled in more directions but I hope to get back to doing more point and record slice of life videos.It...
Friday, November 20, 2009
Here I am waiting on a man. Time is ticking and the truth is out there, so they say. Time to jump off the grid and try a new stroke. Never heard of these folks before so that is as good a reason to have them on the Freakout. This is Koop and Koop Island Blues.Actually I just want to kick back and stop being a grown-up. Past couple of weeks it has been a drag. Worst part about today? That fracken radio station jumped the gun and started that dang blasted Xmas music. It is in the stores. Office radios. Unexpected places.November 20th is not anywhere...
Sunday, November 15, 2009
In this video a woman is asking questions about the Stupak amendment that would not allow a woman to have an abortion even if she is paying for it with her own funds.This is an extract from a video I recorded at the Coffee with Congressman Xavier Becerra meeting, November 14, 2009. To check what I was being told I went to Thomas.gov and looked at H.R. 3692. Here is the short version of the Stupak amendment:The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits...
Friday, November 13, 2009
You take a step. And another. If you keep doing that you can find yourself in unexpected places. Happens to me all of the time. This is not a bad thing.I need a bit of soothing. Something non-toxic and coming from a heart centered place. This is Deva Premal and Miten in a 2005 performance of Brahma Nand...
Just a heads up for those folks near northeast section of Los Angeles/Eagle Rock that Rep. Xavier Becerra is having a Town Hall meeting at Eagle Rock High School. I don't know if I can make it. Hopefully it will not be a shouting match but a discussion of the House health care bill.Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Eagle Rock High School1750 Yosemite Dr.Los Angeles, CA 90041I'm not getting my hopes up about civility. But for those in neighborhood, no matter your persuasion, I hope you can attend. Hopefully civil participants...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
On Halloween, 2009 Pastor Grizzard of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina planed to burn versions of the bible, music and other objects that are not in alignment with his church’s belief system. One of the definitions of hubris is pride of presumption. Here are the exact words copied from a cached version of the website:Come to our Halloween book burning. We are burning Satan's bibles like the NIV, RSV, NKJV, TLB, NASB, NEV, NRSV, ASV, NWT, Good News for Modern Man, The Evidence Bible, The Message Bible, The Green Bible, ect....
Yeah. Ok. It is not like I didn't know. I knew the health care disinformation campaign started years ago. I don't generally hold rank and file actors accountable for taking jobs that pays cash money.Because if you think every actor who has done a commercial for Mr. Clean or Tide actually knew how to use that product then there still might be some part of the Brooklyn Bridge for sale.I'm trying to pace myself for the final versions of the health care bill because I know they will be pork fat and trapdoors embedded so that the insurance industry...
The great thing about Videoblogging Month is that it is much easier to find and show other people that there really is an expansive range of video content and experiences.This is a video of a place I'd have to practice a good hour or so on how to properly pronounce it. This is part two of a trip to Knoydart.Into Knoydart (part 2) from Documentally on Vimeo.Christian's main website is One Man Inside if you want to see more of his vlogging and commercial work. He is also participating in the Vlomo 30 day Video Challenge and you can check out those...
Friday, November 6, 2009
The week ended kinda rough. People in denial of something being very wrong. People killing other people. Still more denial of what we know to be true because the lie is louder.Maybe we are living in towns without pity. Is it all just about the me and my own?I first heard this song on the radio. I'm sure it was playing on the "other" radio station when WDAS AM signal stopped broadcasting on Sunday evening. I really liked story songs as a teen so if the story was good I generally did not care about music genre.I never saw Gene Pitney's perform until...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
More stuff from the conference to pass on. The National Institute of Health has a website designed specifically for seniors.This is reliable health care information from the government. In addition, there is a speedy way to change the text size. There is an option to change the contrast on the page; in this case you can have a high contrast black or white web page. You also can have have the page read itself to you or your relative. You don't have...
Monday, November 2, 2009
I participated in the prior census and it was a hoot. It might be a tad more challenging this time around but I hear that there are a few folks looking for work so what the heck.I attended the California Library Association Conference. Well, I could only afford the Exhibit Hall. I made my visitations and notice that the Census Bureau had a table. I like to pick up the CD copy of the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Yeah, I'm wired that way. I'll read anything. It is actually kind of cool and you can get ideas for stories and such stuff.Anyway,...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Every Sunday I have this list of things to do. And every Sunday evening I feel like a failure. There is the home stuff and the reading/researching stuff and the fuck it I want to take a nap stuff and the when do I get time to create stuff and on and on and on.So today, I think I am going to try something different. No list. Just time units. 10 minutes of one thing and they do something completely different. Seeing how there are sixty minutes in an hour I should be able to get six things done. In theory. Now, I know me. I'll start in on something...
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Now sure I could post some of the usual suspects for the start of the consumption season. But I'm not one to always go down the well worn path. So today, in honor of the moon, moon pies, cherry pies, and especially chocolate coconut cream pies I thought a little appreciation should be shown to the smallest pi of them all 3.14 and a bunch of digits.After all, you can't have much of anything without a circle, no matter what the square boys say. For those of you who are traditionalists, I don't want to leave you hanging so...Now I know number and...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
This was an experiment I did to see if I could make a short video explaining a topic. I want to get better at creating informational videos and screencast.At some point you have to take a chance. The first steps are the hardest.I looked at Ask.com, Bing and Google and made this short video screencast on using the Intitle search operator.Feedback welcom...
I was raised on it. I can't help it and don't want too. TOS, The Animated Series, Next Generation, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise...ok I only watched the first season or so but I ain't hating on it. I just had other things to do.Anyway, there is a traveling exhibit of Star Trek stuff over at Hollywood and Highland. Yes, I know, you are too old for that kind thing. You want to jump off the franchise grid. The Great Bird has left the galaxy.I understand....
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Santa Ana wind is kicking up something fierce. All afternoon I've heard leaves, soft whistles and metal expanding and contracting. The birds gave up and called it a day. The crickets are telling folks to lay low.These winds are nothing new but when they blow this hard they force you to pay attention to nature, the will of the seasons and just how much you nose can twitch to keep from sneezing.I happen to like the wind when it is warm but we had enough of that fire thing so we are experiencing cool Santa Ana winds. Unusual but, you know change...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Yep, the pie man has gone to meet the owner of the bakery. Just found out that Soupy Sales passed on October 23, 2009. I was just a wee kid when this show aired. I'm not sure if I saw the NY version or the one that went national. I didn't catch all of the jokes but I was grooving on White Fang and those pies.Soupy didn't break the fourth wall of television; at times Soupy demolished it. It was fun, silly, corny and who could ask for anything more. There isn't much more I can say but "Hey, Do the Mous...
Friday, October 23, 2009
I was reading Dave Pollard's blog "How to Save the World." I check into it every now and again to see if he has figured it out. Because, you know we live here and perhaps there is a better way to live.Dave wasn't feeling the positive vibe this week in his post "Nobody Knows Anything."No one is in control. Obama isn't getting anything done, despite being the most powerful person on the planet, because he can't. The 'leaders' aren't going to deal with climate change or peak oil or pandemic disease or unsustainable debts, because no one has the power...
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Opera music is a lot like okra to me. it If I know it is heading my way I run in the opposite direction. I don’t like Opera music. Well, most of it anyway. If it is not wrapped in a Warner Brothers cartoon or some form of animation I suffer. Classical music, yes, rack up some Glenn Gould and I will be happy; that dude could rock the 88’s, classically speaking.Honestly, I gave Opera a fair shot. I watched a performance of Madame Butterfly. Came away thinking she was a Class-A fool. I watched Fosca, not to be confused with Tosca, and again was shaking...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Yeah, I'm gonna get right on that as novel soon as we can confirm that 36 hour day that start on Friday afternoons. I got a couple of books in me but I can honestly tell you not a one of them will see the light of day this year. It ain't gonna happen. But for those of you game enough to get pump happy with the words, well, I salute you. From a distance cuz somebody needs to cheer you folks along the route. In case you hadn't heard it is coming around once again in November. Yep, November 1st is National Novel Writing Month. This is Chris introducing...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
I'll fess up to it. I don't go looking for new music because I don't know where to go. All the music genres are on lock down. There are assumptions made that I will not like a certain type of music because I am x and a quarter years old.Not true. Wait, I am x and quarter years old. What I mean to say is you shouldn't make assumptions on what I will like and not like based on the Friday Freakout. I was siting in my chair scoping out the Blue Microphone web site. I saw this woman's photo and I clicked on it.This is Janelle Monae and Many Moons.Yes,...
Friday, October 16, 2009
I first saw Patti Smith photo on a book cover. I bought a book of her poetry. I was in a mainline inject it into my veins mode of poetry so this was a good fit. I could read it on the bus. I could sneak and read it in class.I could lie in bed and try to figure out what was she talking about because there were patches in my cultural and sexual education. I was trying to understand. I didn’t get the pronoun confusion.I knew nothing about the Punk scene. Wasn’t a blip on the radar at the time. That came later with Wendy O. Williams. I wouldn’t have...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
This video is from MoveOn.org take on health insurance companies. You can find it at Funny or Die but I saw it at Pam's Coffee Conversations.Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will FerrellI'll keep saying this, I don't want health insurance reform. I want health care access and reform. I'd prefer a single payer option. It seems this is gonna be a knock down drag out fight for the most minimal coverage Americans can hope to get.I'm still working my way back to positivity so, go figure. I also have a cold. Not the flu. I am one cranky woman at...
Friday, October 9, 2009
It is time for some attitudinal adjustment. Need to hit some musical therapy for I head to the Salt Mine. Just heard the news about Prez-O and the Nobel Prize. Speaking of sharp dressed men, this is the beloved Marvin Gaye. There will be questions. I have questions. These questions are valid but ultimately not important. The shear fact that some media pundits will be hysterical in anger about the President winning a peace prize is reward enough for me. I'm gonna do my best to watch the ceremony. I do like watching a sharp dressed man taking a stroll.Too...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Art is subjective; it can be quantified as being beautiful, inspirational or for the early painters a form of reporting the events of the day. Kitsch is more like syrup on top of ice cream. It is of the heart, the emotions and a strong dose of guilty pleasures. There are times when it is hard to tell what is art and what is kitsch. Once upon a time my high school class made the pilgrimage to a museum of art. We saw works of the masters. We were silent and respectful, nodding our heads when the Docent pointed out why Van Gogh was a great painter. ...
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