Just Push Play

2009 in review

2009-12-28T23:21:00.001-05:00

Even though I dislike a majority of these songs, it pretty much sums up 2009, doesn't it?

Alice in Wonderland

2009-12-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

Epiiiiic. I so can't wait.

Flash Mobs

2009-12-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

To celebrate finals week, I acted as any good college student would: procrastinate studying by spending hours on YouTube.

And I found these fun videos of flash mobs:

Fun!

Talented kids

2009-12-14T21:36:00.002-05:00

I'm not so sure about his singing, but this kid has mad skills on that ukelele.

He reminds me of this other tuneful toddler. Too cute.

Sharing the Christmas spirit; or, giving the people a headache

2009-12-10T09:11:00.006-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about over exuberant displays of Christmas cheer and spirit, but is this taking it a bit too far?

They're worse than the Griswolds.

There's a house down the street from where I live that's decorated nearly as blindingly as this house (and they started decorating at the beginning of November). My favorite part of their display that the people from the house in the video unfortunately did not include: a blow up aviator Snoopy landing his plane on a runway that leads to a Nativity scene. I had no idea Snoopy was there when Jesus was born! Really, why something like that isn't included in every household Nativity scene baffles me.

Do you have any crazy neighbors like this? Or perhaps YOU are the crazy neighbor! Share your stories in the comments.

I'll leave you with this. It's a video I'm sure everyone has seen by now, but that's doesn't make it any less awesome.

Fun with Music!

2009-12-04T14:34:00.004-05:00

I found this video a long time ago and it still amazes me. Fun with music!

So, if you're a musician and need help writing a hit single, just use those chords and you'll be set.

One I think they forgot: "Superman" by Five for Fighting.

Can you think of any others?

Pa-pa-pa poker face

2009-12-02T16:04:00.003-05:00

I hate Lady Gaga.

Yep, I said it.
She's a psychopath and her music is stupid. She has a decent voice, but that's really all I respect about her.

Now, some of you may remember an earlier post when I said a general rule of thumb to follow is that all covers are bad. I'm telling you right now, though I don't change my opinion from that post, that I am a hypocrite.

Why? Because these covers of Gaga's "Poker Face" are much better than the original.

British indie band Absent Elk:

Mika:

Heck, even actor Jude Law does it better!:

Black Friday

2009-11-27T10:01:00.003-05:00

It's Black Friday, the greatest shopping day of the holiday season. I go every year, but I'm not one of those crazies that goes at 4 in the morning. Those people scare me. I wait until later in the day when things have calmed down and the early birds go home for a nap.

If you are going shopping today too, I beg you to be careful and to not act like idiots...like these people:

And these people:

Oh, and these people:

In the year 3000

2009-11-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this never comes true.

Obviously a lot of this has been exaggerated, but I still can't help but wonder just how much will be forgotten 1000 years from now. Not just music...more than likely, as sad as it is to say, the Beatles won't even matter in the future. But what about all the leaps in technology? That will probably seem primitive and useless 1000 years from now, just as 1000 years ago seems to us. Strange.

Although, "Sgt. Pet Sounds and the Spiders from Aja" sounds like the coolest album ever.

Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-11-24T14:59:00.001-05:00

This was the No. 1 trending topic today on Twitter.

Why is it so amusing? I have no idea, but everybody I've talked to so far have said they love it.

I love Animal's part. "Mama! Mama?"

Spaghetti Cat!

2009-11-17T10:20:00.004-05:00

I'm honestly surprised at myself that I haven't posted this yet! It's only the greatest thing that has ever happened to television!

Yes, my friends, I'm talking about Spaghetti Cat. What's that? You've never heard of Spaghetti Cat?! Well, allow my good friend (I wish...) Joel McHale of E!'s "The Soup" to introduce you to this amazing sensation.

"It was, for lack of a better word, art."

But what I love about Spaghetti Cat is how he keeps coming back:

I'm pretty sure at some point they were even selling Spaghetti Cat T-shirts and mugs at the E!online store. Too funny.

The world's strongest nose

2009-11-10T15:29:00.004-05:00

So not only can this guy blow up rubber hot water bottles until they pop, he blows them up with his nose and with an overweight man sitting on it.

It's not just impressive, it's super weird.

Thanks to Brittany from The Steal City for sharing this with me!

Merry Christmas!

2009-11-08T14:11:00.004-05:00

Yep, I get a lot of strife about this, but I already started celebrating Christmas. In fact I was late this year - I usually start mid-October.

My reason for so suddenly getting into the Christmas spirit was because of a few posts ago when I shared videos from Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas." I was rewatching them today and stumbled across the song "What's This?" from the movie.

And in the sidebar (under related videos) was "Last Christmas" by Wham! And that just put my Christmas spirit over the top. I even made my yearly Christmas station on Pandora!

Unfortunately, it's 70 degrees in Pittsburgh today...not really Christmas weather. But I hope it snows soon!

Fun Personality Quiz

2009-11-08T11:42:00.002-05:00

Here's just a fun quiz I made. Tell us your results in the comments!

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

"Neither violinists, nor are they violent"

2009-11-07T22:35:00.006-05:00

I can't figure out how these guys aren't more popular.

Violens (pronounced "vy-lenz," as indicated on their MySpace) are an indie rock/alternative group comprised of a few members of the recently disbanded (I think...) Lansing-Dreiden. And who is Lansing-Dreiden, you ask? Well, I don't know exactly. I only heard of Lansing-Dreiden through my discovery of Violens...but from what I've heard, I like Violens' music much better.

They have this ambient, dream-like vibe to them, yet they revert back to the grass roots of pop/rock. They easily could've stepped straight out of the '60s, opening gigs for The Kinks or someone similar. And they somehow could just as easily have belonged in the '80s. How they've managed to bridge two completely different decades of music is beyond me, but they do it flawlessly.

Their EP, "V," may only be four songs long, but I can already tell they'll easily become one of my new favorite bands.

My favorite song from their EP, "Violent Sensation Descends," unfortunately does not yet have a video to accompany it (but I strongly encourage you to listen to it on their MySpace at the link provided above). So here's my second favorite, "Spectator & Pupil":

Silly Celebrities: Interviews

2009-11-07T12:28:00.008-05:00

Popeater.com recently posted a list of the Most Infamous Celebrity Interviews.

The list highlights such pop culture favorites as Tom Cruise's jump on Oprah's couch, Whitney Houston's "crack is whack" interview with Diane Sawyer and Paris Hilton's appearance on David Letterman after she was released from jail.

But one I think was sadly neglected from the list was Joaquin Phoenix's appearance on David Letterman just after the announcement made earlier this year that he was quitting acting to pursue a hip-hop career.

This interview doesn't have nearly enough unabomber jokes, but it's still pretty hilarious - evidence of another talented celebrity who has gone insane.

Sesame Street 40th Anniversary

2009-11-05T08:45:00.004-05:00

As you can tell by the ever-changing Google Doodle, this week is the mark of 40 years that popular children's show Sesame Street has been on the air. (P.S. Happy Sing A Song Day!)

To celebrate, here's one of my personal favorite Sesame-related videos. These are outtakes from an interview with Ricky Gervais, who guest starred for a day, and Elmo.

I love when Elmo laughs into his hands at 1:04 and the end. So cute.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:55:00.003-04:00

Lost Season 6

2009-10-29T22:04:00.007-04:00

It has been reported that, in order to maintain the highest level of secrecy, no new footage will be shown in commercial promos for Season 6 of ABC's acclaimed drama, and my personal favorite show ever, "LOST."

Despite this, fans, including myself, have been going crazy in anticipation for the very first promo of the new, and final, season that was supposed to air tonight during "FlashForward."

It wasn't anything earth-shattering, but it's comforting to know the new season is just a few months away. (Believe me when I tell you that 7 1/2 months is a very, VERY long time to wait for such a great show like "Lost" that quite literally demands a crazy-devoted following.)

I know the new promo, and the promos that will follow this, won't contain any footage from the new season, but I can't help rewatching this over and over looking for clues. It's the way my brain has been programmed to react any time something Lost-related crosses my path. Fellow obsessers, enjoy! Only 2 more months - we can make it!

And for those of you who may not have yet discovered the amazingness that is "Lost" (you poor things...), here's something to help you out, minus season 5:

I wonder if he's seen this video

2009-10-28T18:35:00.006-04:00

This has been making the rounds on YouTube, blogs, and the Internet in general.

As it should. It's just that funny.

But what I love most about this video, as lame as it may make me, is the lesson it teaches. See how stupid you look when you drink? While most people don't usually get this drunk (or high...or whatever he's been using), the relative degree of stupidity, from my sober point of view, is pretty close the same. Just food for thought.

www.abovetheinfluence.com

I've Been Looking For Freedom

2009-10-27T23:13:00.008-04:00

This just completely made my night.

Today, in my history class, we discussed the liberation of East Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Very briefly in an off-hand comment, my professor mentioned there's a video clip of David Hasselhoff singing on the wall the night the borders were opened. I did a little searching, and found this video is so much funnier than I thought it would be.

My favorite parts:
a. His light-up jacket
b. His obvious lip-syncing (or rather out-of-syncing)
c. His shout of "Happy New Year!" at the end (note: in case you don't know, the date this happens is Nov. 9, 1989...no where near the beginning of the new year)

What the heck is David Hasselhoff doing at such an historic event like this anyway?

More 13 Nights of Halloween

2009-10-25T19:09:00.004-04:00

Continuing with the trend of my post from a couple days ago, this one focuses on another brilliant Tim Burton/Johnny Depp movie part of ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween.

Tonight, they are playing one of my all-time favorite movies, "Edward Scissorhands." The movie is so so sad, yet oddly funny at times too...as is the brilliance of both Burton and Depp. There's no other word to describe it but beautiful - the end makes me cry every time, and I can assure you I rarely cry during movies.

The soundtrack is just as beautiful and tear-inducing. Danny Elfman, Burton's long-time musical partner for his movies, scored this amazing film. He also did Burton's other masterpieces "Big Fish," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and the aforementioned "Beetlejuice," among many, many others. Needless to say, this man is as genius with music as Burton is with film. Add the ever-talented Johnny Depp, a quirky and devastating plot and a cameo by Vincent Price, and you have quite honestly one of the best movies ever made.

Why yes, this is a rave post. I love this movie. Really, really love it. And my love for this movie can actually be summed up in one scene - "The Ice Dance":

Edward Scissorhands - Ice Dance - Click here for another funny movie.

Chills. I get them every time.

The music from this scene is used everywhere too, especially in movie trailers. It was used in the trailer for another Tim Burton film, "Big Fish," and also for "The Secret Garden."

I seriously encourage you to watch "Edward Scissorhands" tonight on ABC Family if you get the chance. However, if you miss it (like I unfortunately am going to), I just recently saw the DVD at Target for $5. If you can take my word for it, this movie is worth so much more than $5...you will not regret this purchase.

Disney soundtrack?

2009-10-22T02:19:00.000-04:00

OK, readers, I need some help.

As some of you may have realized by now, I'm a Disney addict - more specifically, I'm addicted to the Walt Disney World parks. I've been there at least 9 times now and I can't get enough. I become depressed at the thought of not knowing when I might go back, and I spend a lot of my spare time on the Web, Googling Disney information.

During one such recent Google search, I came across several free mp3 downloads for some of the rides' entrance queues, as well as the music used in the SpectroMagic parade in Magic Kingdom and a brief clip from Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios. These recordings just make my heart melt:

Fantasmic
Peter Pan's Flight Entrance Queue
SpectroMagic Parade
Space Mountain Entrance Queue

(sources, and where you can find many more: Disney Sounds & Air Mp3)

So my question is, readers, do you know where I can find a complete, official soundtrack of Walt Disney World rides? I'm also looking for complete audio recordings of Wishes - the Magic Kingdom's fireworks show, Fantasmic - Hollywood Studios' fireworks, and IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth - Epcot's fireworks...and whatever other miscellaneous music the parks might use, like in parades or restaurants, etc.

There is one soundtrack I found, called "Walt Disney World: Four Parks One World," on Amazon, but a listing of the tracks and what's included on it isn't provided.

Does anyone have any information to help me out? I'll love you forever, and I honestly mean that! :)

And, just so you don't feel jipped out of a video post, here are the fireworks from Epcot, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.

You can see why I want the soundtrack. (This video really doesn't do the show justice. Trust me when I say this is the best video of it on the Web...believe me, I've looked. I promise it's much more magical in person.)

13 Nights of Halloween

2009-10-21T13:00:00.005-04:00

ABC Family began their 13 Nights of Halloween movie marathon on Monday, and I was excited to see, based on the previews, that at least 3 Johnny Depp and/or Tim Burton movies were included - "Edward Scissorhands" (which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time), "Corpse Bride" and "Beetlejuice."

So, in honor of this, I'm sharing with you this little gem: one of the funniest scenes in a Tim Burton film, and that's saying a lot because he has a whacky sense of humor.

It's from "Beetlejuice." And just for a little backstory, and the reason this scene is so funny: they are being possessed, basically, by Beetlejuice, who is a "bio-exorcist" helping a recently deceased couple scare away the new residents of their house which they now haunt. Ridiculous, right? But I love it.

"Beetlejuice" will air as part of the 13 Nights of Halloween tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.
(I believe "Edward Scissorhands" is scheduled to premiere at 8 p.m. on Sunday)

I'm curious why Nightmare Before Christmas was never included in the 13 Nights line-up. It's definitely more of a Halloween movie than Christmas movie. But I guess they can't have Tim Burton completely dominate their schedule, no matter how amazing he is.

But I thought he was gay...

2009-10-14T23:26:00.005-04:00

I'm pretty sure my head just exploded. I seriously cannot wrap my mind around this concept. I mean, seriously...

...Spongebob and Sandy, getting married?! Nickelodeon, what the heck were you thinking?

As reported by Entertainment Weekly:
"Truth or Square" — narrated by Ricky Gervais and featuring Rosario Dawson, Craig Ferguson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, LeBron James, Pink, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and Robin Williams — will piece together never-before-seen flashbacks of SpongeBob and his pals after they get trapped inside Krusty Krab’s freezer during the restaurant’s “eleventy seventh” birthday. And apparently, the SpongeBob-Sandy ceremony is one of the Very Special Moments being revisited for the first time. Press play below for a glimpse of a moony-eyed SpongeBob in love. You may never look at Bikini Bottom the same way again.

And just to prove that yes, as far as I'm aware, this is real, check out the 27 second mark:

Or check out the Entertainment Weekly story (linked to above) for a full preview of the wedding.

The hour-long episode is called "Truth or Square" and airs Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.

I really, honestly cannot believe this is happening. Kids shows have gotten so weird...
And yes, I am still trying to find out if this is a joke or not. I mean, it can't be real...can it?

Fail

2009-10-12T19:26:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite blogs to follow is called Fail Blog, which is a collection of the idiotic mishaps of everyday people.
I also love to watch infomercials or home shopping networks, because something is bound to go wrong.

As it did in this case, which Fail Blog titled "Animal Identification Fail":

"Look at that horse! The bushy tail, big teeth, hooves..."

And here's one not on Fail Blog (though it should be) that I would call "Journalism Fail." It also happens to be one of my favorite videos ever. :) :

So many things to laugh at!
"All who see the leprechaun say yeaaahhh!"
"This amateur sketch..."
"Could be a crackhead that got hold of the wrong stuff, and it told him to get up in a tree and play a leprechaun."
"This guy, helping to direct traffic..."
"This is a special leprechaun flute that was passed down for thousands of years from my great-grandfather, who was Irish."

Are you freaking kidding me?!

2009-10-09T20:27:00.006-04:00

Now THIS is 5 octaves!
I seriously laughed so hard the first time I saw this video, many years ago, and have been searching for it ever since. I couldn't remember the singer's name (which is Vitas, by the way), so it made searching for this very, very difficult. Eventually, after typing in some variation of "creepy guy singing a ridiculously high note" into Google for the thousandth time, I finally found it. So of course I have to document it! It's not like this video is something you watch just once.

That creepy smile, those weird "wave" dancers in the back, the even creepier hooded musicians.
And that note! Holy crap, that note!

I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or be seriously impressed.

5 Octaves? Really?

2009-10-09T20:05:00.003-04:00

I dare you to not laugh at this.

Jim & Pam's Wedding

2009-10-08T22:30:00.005-04:00

Tonight was the episode of "The Office" that audiences have been anticipating for the past 5+ seasons: Jim and Pam's wedding. And while the hour-long event had it's high and low points, the moment that has the Internet (especially Twitter) a-buzz right now was the Dunder Mifflin employees' dance down the aisle set to "Forever" by Chris Brown. Jim later said in a talking head interview that he feared such an event would take place ever since he saw the video of the same scenario posted on YouTube.

I did a little searching and found that very video. It makes that part of the episode even more hilarious to know that they copied the dance almost exactly.

Computer Drawing

2009-10-08T17:06:00.002-04:00

The amazing things that can be done with a computer...

Made with just MS Paint! That's nuts!

And this is a drawing of John Locke from the TV show "Lost." Original picture

Campaign for Real Beauty

2009-10-08T12:54:00.004-04:00

Yet another reason to love Dove. Not only do they make amazing products (I have their grapefruit lemongrass scented shampoo & conditioner, body spray and deoderant!), but they're taking a stand against this.

Disturbing, no?

Piano Prodigy

2009-10-08T02:15:00.001-04:00

But his feet barely reach the pedals! Incredible.

He's playing Chopin's Waltz No 14 in E Minor.

Creepy Exercise Videos

2009-10-07T15:41:00.004-04:00

It's creepy work-out videos time!

For the kids (or are they vegetables?):

Something fun to practice for Halloween:

The infamous Hawaii Chair:

And learn English while you exercise! Teaches those key phrases everyone needs to know, like "I was robbed by two men," and "Spare me my life!":

Birds on the Wire

2009-10-07T15:03:00.003-04:00

It's videos like these that make the former band geek in me freak out.

Story behind the video (as posted in the description box on YouTube):
Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Music made with Logic.
Video made with After Effects.

The newspaper story about my work (O Estado de São Paulo): tinyurl.com/l4qdbg

"I'm not wearing pants!"

2009-10-06T19:17:00.007-04:00

I can't stand to look at that video from the previous post anymore (it freaks me out), so I'm posting a silly one to lighten the mood and bump that one.

Hands down the two funniest people on television right now: Joel McHale and Craig Ferguson. Get them together, and hilarity will ensue.

Who is Joel McHale, you ask? Have you not seen NBC's new comedy "Community" or E!'s "The Soup"? You haven't?! Well, what are you waiting for?

You can catch "Community" Thursday nights at 8 and "The Soup" 10 p.m. on Fridays, or just watch clips from "The Soup" at their online blog, www.eonline.com/thesoup. I'm currently searching for a clip from last Friday's episode where McHale brilliantly mocks TLC's outrageous show titled "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant." I couldn't breathe from laughing so hard -- as soon as I find it, I'll post it here.
And, of course, Ferguson's "The Late Late Show" airs every weeknight at 12:30 a.m. on CBS, following Letterman.

Treeman

2009-10-06T14:35:00.002-04:00

This is the most frightening video I've ever seen. It doesn't seem real, but it definitely is.

His disease is called Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (yeah, I don't know how to pronounce it either), which, according to Wikipedia, " is an extremely rare autosomal recessive genetic hereditary skin disorder associated with a high risk of carcinoma of the skin. It is characterized by abnormal susceptibility to human papillomaviruses (HPVs) of the skin. The resulting uncontrolled HPV infections result in the growth of scaly macules and papules, particularly on the hands and feet."

A follow up video has also been posted to show how Dede is recovering after his surgery. You can view that video here.

Single Ladies

2009-10-06T09:57:00.005-04:00

I'm probably in the minority for this, but I really hate "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. A lot. (Shh! Don't tell Kanye!) But I have to admit, this is a pretty clever cover. Probably the reason I like it is because it sounds like a completely different song, and I especially love the incorporation of a piano.

"Don't make me sing this part of the song. The lyrics are so bad, so we're going to skip ahead to the 'single ladies' part instead."

Speed Painting

2009-10-02T19:17:00.005-04:00

I couldn't paint something like this slow, let alone fast, upside down and choreographed to music.

Search "Dan Dunn Paintjam" on YouTube to see more work by this incredible artist.

Social Media Revolution

2009-10-01T22:12:00.004-04:00

Just found this via Ashton Kutcher's Twitter. Very interesting video:

The only discrepancy: no sources are cited for any of their "statistics," so I don't actually know how accurate their information is. But at the same time, we can't deny they have a valid argument. Social media is a huge trend right now, and more and more ways to interact via the Web are popping up at a surprising rate. It's a world-wide phenomena...but is "revolution" the right word for it? I guess time will tell.

Never go hiking in Spain

2009-10-01T09:44:00.006-04:00

Seriously, I'm scared to death just watching this. No harness (there is a guide line on the wall at some points, but it doesn't appear the cameraman is using it), no net and there are spots on the trail where the ground beneath him is crumbling! You have to be insanely brave to attempt this...or just insane.

Hiking trail in El Camino del Rey, Spain:

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

2009-09-30T13:22:00.010-04:00

As a kid of the '90s, I was privileged enough to grow up in, what I believe to be, the heyday of Disney animation. Movies that have now become classics, such as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King" and, my favorite, "Aladdin," were the crowning glories of the Disney film industry long before Pixar was ever part of the corporation - not just because of their breath-taking artistry, but also because of the endearing stories.

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard a version of the "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp" tale from One Thousand and One Nights would yet again be made into a film. This time, the story is adapted in a more authentic Bollywood style from Eros International/Boundscript Productions, called "Aladin."

If you think Disney's "Aladdin" was a stretch from the original tale (which it inarguably was), then this new film will really blow your mind. It's live action and set in, get this, modern times. From what I can gather from the much too vague trailer (which you can view at the link below), this film also strays far from the original plot, though possibly being truer to it than Disney was. I'm imagining a 1996 "Romeo + Juliet"-type interpretation for this particular film.

The official Web site for the film says "Aladin" will release on Oct. 30, but I'm still unsure as to whether that will be a limited or wide-spread release...or if it will even be playing in the United States at all.
And believe you me, I'll be super bummed if it's not.

You can view the trailer here.

FlashForward

2009-09-24T15:16:00.009-04:00

Critics are calling FlashForward the new LOST. And as a big LOST fan myself, these promos have me intrigued. The show obviously looks interesting, and has an amazing cast (with two LOST alums, actually - Sonya Walger, who played Penny Widmore, and Dominic Monaghan, who played Charlie Pace). But the next LOST? Those are some pretty big shoes to fill...

The premiere is tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC. What did you see?

Rainstorm

2009-09-23T18:44:00.001-04:00

Amazing.

Time Warp

2009-09-23T15:36:00.008-04:00

Time Warp, a show on the Discovery Channel that video records everyday or extraordinary events with a high speed camera and plays them back frame by frame to see the effects, is a show I just recently discovered through YouTube. They've uploaded some of their best moments:

Face punch

Sadistic? I don't care, it looks cool! Even his ear lobes are flapping around.

And I love this episode too. Some people might find it boring, but I think it's beautiful.

Sydney Dust Storm

2009-09-22T21:25:00.002-04:00

Here is some absolutely stunning and terrifying footage of the dust storm that happened in Sydney, Australia a few hours ago.

Cover Controversy

2009-09-22T13:26:00.008-04:00

My roommates and I had a debate (not an argument!) earlier about what makes a good cover song. My roommate loves unique representations of other artists' material, and I was so bold as to say all covered songs are terrible (with my argument being that there is an exception to every rule). I now see my statement may have been too bold, because there are quite a few of covered music that I enjoy; however, it's not quite as easy as we thought to determine what makes a good cover song and what makes a bad one.

My personal opinion (and many [including my roommate] have disagreed with me) is that covering another artists' song depends on the coverers ability. As terrible as it is to say, even music artists are split into classes, ranging from brilliant to good to mediocre to bad to awful. If an artist from one classification tries to cover an artist from a classification higher than them, 9 times out of 10 that cover will fail. Likewise, if an artist from one classification covers an artist from a classification below them, 9 times out of 10 that cover will succeed. Additionally, if an artist attempts to cover an artist of equal skill, they have a 50/50 chance of either succeeding or failing miserably.*

For example:
Yael Naim covering Britney Spears' "Toxic" = success because (in my opinion) Naim is the superior artist in this scenario.

Likewise, Scritti Politti, a terrible reggae/pop/something artist from the '90s, I believe, covering The Beatles' "She's A Woman" is doomed to fail. Though I can't say I didn't enjoy it -- I've never laughed so hard!

Like I said, there is, of course, an exception to every rule. And just to prove I'm fair, I'll give such an example.
Mott the Hoople, a then relatively unknown band from the early '70s, was on the verge of failure and disbanding as a group due to lack of commercial success. To prevent the band's downfall, glam rocker David Bowie graciously permitted the group to cover his song "All the Young Dudes" as a single for their upcoming album. The song was a huge hit for Mott the Hoople, and was actually even more popular than Bowie's version!

This may be the most complicated and pointless post out there, but I felt the need to defend my decisions. The lesson I learned is that not all covers are bad...just most of them.

Notes: Yes, this post is completely biased and unfairly opinionated. If you feel differently, let me know in the comments!
* These statistics are completely fabricated, but you get my point.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2009-09-20T21:41:00.009-04:00

The Emmys are just about half way over right now (and going much smoother than last year, that's for sure). And while I've never been a "How I Met Your Mother" or even a Doogie Howser fan, I absolutely love this year's host, Neil Patrick Harris.

Why? See for yourself:

Note: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog has three acts, each with two parts, so six videos in total. Posted is only Act 1, Part 1. But I seriously encourage you to watch the rest.

The most magical place on Earth

2009-09-19T14:00:00.009-04:00

Today's post has a triple agenda, all dealing with my favorite place on the planet: Orlando, Fla.

First, and most importantly, exciting news has surfaced regarding a make-over of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. This announcement came from the Disney D23 fan club expo on Friday, Sept. 11 in Anaheim, Calif. The new design is set to open summer (I believe...) of 2012.

I have to say, I'm super excited about the Be Our Guest restaurant!

Also coming from the D23 expo was the announcement of the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, due out in summer 2011. Johnny Depp, in character as everyone's favorite captain, Jack Sparrow, joined Disney Chairman Dick Cook to announce the new film's name - "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" - and release date.

And finally, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios was given the official launch date of spring 2010. Alan Gilmour, art director for the attraction, and Paul Dario, show producer, provide a commentated virtual fly-through of the concept art of the World.

Exciting things are happening in Orlando! I can't wait to see it when it's all completed and fully functioning!

Metallic Oxidized Salt?!

2009-09-18T15:48:00.003-04:00

Hands down the most hilarious video I've ever seen. Prepare to feel really smart.

'Paris, Je t'Aime' is better!

2009-09-17T23:46:00.004-04:00

A new movie trailer came out recently for the film "Valentine's Day." It looks cute, but also like a sad rip-off of a much superior "Paris, Je t'Aime."
Maybe that's an unfair statement since I haven't actually seen the film yet, but seriously, same exact premise: a bunch of different stories of people and their love lives. No way this could be better than "Paris, Je t'Aime."

But here's the trailer, nonetheless:

"Valentine's Day"
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810094501/video/15612532

And, just so you can compare for yourself, the "Paris, Je t'Aime" trailer:

Oh, check out the "Paris, Je t'Aime" sequel, if you can call it that, too, titled "New York, I Love You." It's set to release Oct. 16:

Free As A Bird

2009-09-17T17:16:00.004-04:00

I know I'm personally addicted to YouTube the way some people have obsessions with Facebook or Twitter. The vast variety of videos to be found on that site - from music videos, to movie trailers, to fan-made creations, to news updates - is absolutely astounding and always a source of entertainment.

This blog, for the most part, will be a (hopefully) daily update of all the hilarious, weird, interesting or exciting videos I find on YouTube, or other such video uploading sites, along with some sparse commentary provided by me. I would like to keep this as random as possible - you'll never see the same type of video two days in a row.

Also, if you come across a video during your Web surfing that you find interesting and would like to share with the other readers of this blog, e-mail me at cnfergu@pointpark.edu with your suggestions! There's so many videos floating around the Internet these days; it would be impossible for me to find all the great ones. I need your help!

So, without further ado, here's the first video of what is sure to be many more of its kind. It's a music video for the song "Free As A Bird" by The Beatles, released in 1995 on the Anthology recordings. The song was previously unreleased and, actually, had never been completely recorded. While the Anthology was being assembled, Paul, Ringo and George recorded the music and backing vocals for the song and used previously recorded vocals of John's from when the Beatles were still together. The end result is pretty astounding, I think, and also happens to be my favorite song and video...for today, at least. Look close for other Beatles' song/music video references.