Random Music

Just some music I've been enjoying lately... :o)

"Blackwinged Bird", Nina Persson:



"Comptine d'un autre été : L'Après-midi" , from the Amélie soundtrack:



"Long Time Traveller", The Wailin' Jennys:



"Glory Bound", The Wailin' Jennys:

Those Crazy Swedes! ;o)

This is what happens when you put a Volvo 240 turbo engine in an old tractor...


(Video from Gotland, Sweden.)

Look, It's an Eskie Puppy!

Okay...
Eskie puppy videos make (almost) everything better. Even if they do grow up into bratsy little dogs that like to wake you up in the pre-dawn hours, knowing full well that you'll have trouble going back to sleep. ;o)

I ought to go to YouTube for early-morning, puppy-based entertainment, from now on. (And Facebook shall be shunned forever and ever, amen. In that direction lie fail-proof depression triggers.)

How Prius Lost My Business ;o)

Please add me to the list of people who find this commercial horrible, creepy, and nightmarish:

Truly, it is awful.

I solemnly vow not to run right out and buy a Prius, in protest of this creepy ad.  (Because you know I was going to buy one, otherwise, right?)

Guilty!

I know-- some "experts" swear dogs are incapable of feelings of guilt. "That dog doesn't feel guilty! Even if he did eat the cat treats, he forgot about it two minutes after it happened! He can just tell by your tone and body language that you're displeased, so he reacts accordingly." Personally, I'm not convinced, but either way, this video gave me a good laugh.

Musical Resemblance

Do you ever listen to a song and think, "Wow, this really sounds like so-and-so (another band or singer).  I know it's not them, but there is definitely a resemblance!"?

The lead singer (only singer?) for The 88:

...sounds a lot like Rod Stewart to me:



(Maybe not particularly in that song, so much, but just in general.)

Then there's "Change of Heart" by El Perro Del Mar:



...which feels very Fleetwood Mac to me:



(Though "Dreams" may be a better match...)

Agree? Disagree? Don't care one way or t'other? ;o)

"The Deep"

If you haven't already seen this guy-- PES's-- other stop-motion videos, you really ought to give them a look.  (And if it's been a while, some of them are worth a re-watch.)  They're amazing!

How It's Made: Amigurumi

Apparently, this is one of the things that can happen when I wake up (way) too early and can't get back to sleep-- I flood my blog with stop-motion videos.

Organizing the Bookcase

Something-- Anything!

Ugh, no more "dead birds" entry at the top of my page!

I don't have much to say, really, though... at the moment...

So, here, I'll just put up a video I saw... somewhere.  (Never mind where.  It's not important.)

It's an ad for some Italian cheese aimed at women who... well, see for yourself:

Well, what did you think?

Don't you wish your husband / boyfriend / significant other had such a well-practiced "listening face"-- finely tuned to convey how he hangs on every word as though it might contain the secrets to the greatest mysteries of Time and Life (not the magazines, though-- sorry if I confused you by capitalizing them...)?

Only... the fact that he has to practice it makes it seem like it will be fake when he finally finds a woman and "has" to listen to her talk about her friends' problems.  Hmm...

Grr.

It's unfortunate that some people on some sites (*cough*YOUTUBE*cough*) think that it's okay to "say" things that (I very sincerely hope) they'd never say to someone's face.  What's wrong with people?  *sigh*

It must be sad to be you, random stranger on the Internet...

Probably Not to Everyone's Taste...

Here's something I saw someone link to on Twitter this morning.  It's probably not news to most of you, but just in case...



And (on a related topic) as for the "Ground Zero mosque":

No, of course the government shouldn't generally get involved in the legal sale and use of private property (regardless of whether religion is involved)... That's what makes it a tricky subject for a lot of us... But when you come right down to it, this feels like a slap in the face-- certainly not a kind, well-meaning thing to do.  It's not as though there are no existing mosques in NYC-- and no reasonable person is trying to prevent mosques from being built elsewhere in the city-- but come on.  Let's not play dumb.  Why is it so important that the new mosque be built that close to Ground Zero?  If the people behind this project are so respectful and understanding of the situation-- so interested in promoting peaceful relations among religions-- why can't they see that this is being perceived as an insult-- even a flaunting of "victory"?  Obviously they know how the community (and the country) feels about it now, even if you believe they were somehow unable to predict the response beforehand.  It seems like a truly peaceful, respectful group of people would at least consider finding a different location to develop, given the very recent history.  (It hasn't even been ten years, people!)  Why is that specific place so important to them...? 

I assume you've all heard the (at least potential) significance of the name "Cordoba"?   No wonder they've since changed the proposed name from "Cordoba House" to the innocuous "Park51".

Cheerful Tunes ;o)

I haven't embedded music in a while. (And sometimes I can't find the song I want for my little Playlist widget in the sidebar, so YouTube it is.) So... This entry will be a boring bunch of music-themed rambling. Sorry, something else next time.

This entry's title? Chosen because this first song isn't exactly cheerful, yet I still find myself playing it a lot lately:

(The video itself is kind of pointless-- just a few photos of the band, I guess.)

The Rosebuds have been a bit of a musical obsession lately. I'm also enjoying "Life Like", "Border Guards", "Cape Fear", and (to a lesser degree) "Another Way In".

(Incidentally, I feel obliged to comment that I don't necessarily endorse the lyrics of these or any other songs I may link to in my blog. (g) I'm usually listening for melodies, harmonies, etc.-- not so much the words. I know, lyricists everywhere simultaneously give me the evil eye-- but sorry, it's still true.)

This next one continues the cheerful theme. With a name like "Apocalypse Lullaby", you know it's cheery! ;o) However, since I can't find the version sung by The Wailin' Jennys, here's one of some man I don't know playing it on his guitar-- so it's lacking the lyrics... so you can just pretend it's about something nicer than the apocalypse. (g)  "Fluffy Baby Bunnies Lullaby", perhaps?

He did a good job (especially if he figured it all out for himself)!

One more, then...
Despite the title, "Terrified", it's a love song.

Favorite things about the song-- the lush (somewhat Asian-sounding) background and the main repeat in the melody.

Well, enough of that for a while.  Something a little more real next time, as we agreed earlier. 

Oh, man. . .

"[Milwaukee] County Supervisor who supports boycott doesn't know that Arizona borders Mexico":



How embarrassing!  You have to wonder, though, if this woman is intelligent enough to even realize how idiotic she just made herself look. . .

Even if you're no good with geography, take a minute to "google Arizona" (as she herself mentions doing) and make sure your brilliant observation about the state's border situation is accurate.  It's really not that hard.

A Guide to Taking Better Photos (of Yourself)

Donald showed me this; I thought some of the rest of you might like it, too.  :o)

The funniest part is that I've used a few of those tips, myself. . .  (And they didn't even go into Photoshopping!)  I guess everyone has done some form of this, at some point. . . . Right? (g)

Truth, Stranger Than Fiction

Ballet Ski:
A short-lived Olympic event that I might not have believed existed, were it not for video such as this:



I was old enough to remember this, but I don't. Donald told me about it and found the video.

This feels like something you'd see on Monty Python, shake your head over, and wonder where those crazy guys came up with such bizarre ideas.  

"The Loony Left"-- Vintage 60 Minutes

(This won't be for everyone, but here it is, anyway. . .)

Here's a little something I saw linked to on Twitter this morning:

The following YouTube videos present a circa-1987 story from 60 Minutes titled "The Loony Left".  Some of the issues are very familiar.  I suppose the point of posting it in the first place was to highlight those similarities between Britain at that point in history and the US today.  The sad thing is that for many of us-- those my age and younger-- it's difficult (and for some, impossible) to remember a time when we weren't always being bombarded with such sickening political correctness and the politicization of everything.  (Math can be racist, for example.  What?  Didn't you know that?  Those wicked numbers and formulas-- you can't trust 'em for a minute!) 

Part 1 of 2:


Part 2 of 2:


If it weren't so dangerous, parts of it would be funny.

For instance, take the bit in the first video where the committee of book-banners explains how bad that one book is. The horse that behaves badly just happens to be black.  "It's not a white horse," the annoying woman feels compelled to point out-- not that there appear to be any white horses in the book... (Coincidence? I think not!) And then he's "tamed" by a little white girl. (White, I tell you! How can you not see the blatant racism when it's there before your very eyes?!) 

And it's not just racist-- it's sexist, too, because the little girl tames it using sugar instead of force to overcome it, as a little boy might have done.  But isn't that using her brains?, Mr. Interviewer asks.  Isn't that preferable to her beating the horse into submission?  Would you rather she hit it instead?  One woman answers, "I'd rather she had the choice."

. . .Had the choice?  What on earth do you mean?  This isn't a choose-your-own-adventure book, lady.  The author has to make the choice for the character in his/her book. 

And then there's math (as I mentioned before). 
Direct quote from some guy (who, forgive me, doesn't look like someone I'd instinctively trust, what with his hippie hair and humongous messy beard) interviewed in the story:  "Math isn't neutral, and it isn't culture-free, but is a product of the society in which it exists.  It transmits the messages of that society-- the political ideas of that society."  Apparently this man was commissioned by someone-or-other to help them in their goal toward "non-racist mathematics".  *gag*

Interviewer (whose name I ought to know, because I recognize his face):  "In teaching percentages, the questions are phrased in terms of exploitation of the workers."

Mr. Scruffy Non-Racist Mathematics Dude:  "There are people who gain from profit and people who lose from profit in society.  You can't understand profit without actually centering it in a particular form of society."

Interviewer:  "So beyond learning how percentages work, there is a social message..."

Mr. Scruffy:  "Yes."

Interviewer: "Or a political message..."

Mr. Scruffy:  "Yes.  Yes.  Yes. . . Yes." 

Then there's a charming example of a math exam where one question compared the spending on arms in the Soviet Union and the United States, "showing an enormous increase in expenditure by the United States".  You can't afford to waste a single opportunity to cram in a little more indoctrination.  Not even in the traditionally (comparatively) sterile environment of the mathematics test.

Music, via YouTube :o)

I find myself in the mood to share a few songs I've been enjoying lately.
(I haven't done this for a while, have I?)

The featured artist today ;o) is Anna Ternheim, a Swedish singer/songwriter.  

First, here's her version of "Come Fly with Me":

Then here's "Quiet Night", which is the theme song for a series of Swedish crime/mystery films:

I'm not sure what motivated the choice for some of the photos in that video. Obviously a couple of them are of Anna Ternheim herself, and I thought maybe the rest were Swedish scenery-- but then there's that sci-fi/fantasy-looking one. Your guess is as good as mine. (g) Just something pretty to look at while you listen, I guess.

Next-- "Lovers Dream". (Or maybe "Lover's Dream"? I'm not sure...)

I think I prefer the version where she sings solo, but I can't find a video of it. . . It's very similar to this one in sound-- but she sings all the lyrics herself. (. . .Because that's what people do in solos. . . (g))

I love the musical saw in that last video. It's such a unique instrument.

This man manages to make it sound incredibly like a violin:

. . .But most of the time, I think it has a more unusual, distinctive sound with more vibrato (as in "Lovers Dream"). I'm having a hard time finding a good video of that, right now. . . plus I'm getting bored with the search. . . and this suddenly seems very familiar.  Might I have written about the musical saw before? Oh well. If I don't remember, maybe you won't, either. . .

Two Oddities in the Ocean

There are bizarre creatures hidden beneath the water's surface, some strangely reminiscent of the alien beings that populate distant sci-fi worlds.

Here are two that have come to my attention recently:

Barreleye (aka "Spookfish")
Barreleyes have an unusual arrangement as regards their eyes:


Did you catch that? The "dots" in the front of its face are not its eyes. Those are "olfactory organs". (Think of them as nostrils.) The eyes are the green marble-shaped things in the image below, and they're sealed within the creature's transparent head.


So incredibly weird!

Now, don't try to tell me that eyes looking at the world through a transparent head aren't a feature worthy of the latest alien life-form to pop up on Star Trek. Just admit it. This is the kind of thing you'd expect to see in the Star Wars cantina. ;o)

Cuttlefish
To truly appreciate this one, you have to see a video of it in action. What sets these fascinating animals miles apart from the usual is their ability to dramatically (and instantly) change the appearance of their skin. Sure, it can change its color and/or colorization pattern-- either for camouflage (when hiding from predators) or to stand out (when mesmerizing its prey or attracting a mate)-- but even more amazingly, it can change the very texture of its skin, from smooth to spiky and back again.

There are a few nice video clips of cuttlefish here, or you can always check out YouTube, which is where I found this video:



Pretty impressive!

Is This Even Real??

Donald was watching this video yesterday evening. It's a young woman addressing the Santa Cruz, CA, City Council on May 13, 2008. She drones on and on, saying the most outlandish things. She's all over the place, from organic food and perfect pesticides to mining metals and silkworms. There's also a very interesting bit about how the East Coast has slaves.

I have to ask myself if this is even real. Could it be a joke?
Also (if it's real) why didn't her friends or family stop her?
It's cruel to let someone speak in public if you know it might turn out like this:



Please note that the video above is only bits excerpted from the original. (If you can believe it.)

In case the video "disappears", here's my best effort at a transcript:

Young Woman:
"While [or is it "Well"?] the crops are, um, growing very well, and um, they're organic and some of them have pesticides, and I think that we should make, um, a perfect pesticide for the crops, but, um, and it's good for people, and healthy, and keeps the crops preserved, too, because we need the food, because it's food and stuff, and organic food is good also."

"And the businesses downtown, um, really need to lower their rent, because if the rent was lowered, those people would really have their own businesses. They have enough stuff. They're very good at making things. They're like experts. They're really good."

"And we can really be a community, and um, make the things, and um, sell them in our stores, and I really believe that it can be a California thing-- that it can, it can really work out-- because, um, we can be rich in cotton, and mining metals, and silkworms, and we could make things-- we could make things-- cars-- the machine can make it for us. And we can have the community, and the city, and San Francisco, and we can make things and put them in the store..."

"On the East Coast, they have slaves, and they believe in slavery and made in China, but um, on the West Coast-- the New West Coast-- we don't believe in that. We believe in the Union, and that's what we are..."

"You can grow every kind of fruit and vegetable you want. That's how they do it. They have fruit trees and vegetable trees. That's where fruit and vegetable comes from."

"You freeze the fruit and vegetables. It'll last forever. You can put, you know, broccoli or strawberries in the freezer. It'll last forever. If you don't, it, you know, might go bad in a while, but..."

"People! We live in California. This is our home. This is where we live."

"Growing food is so good, um, for the people, because it's free. Alls you have to do is pay the farmers and pay for the land. But why do we have to pay for the land? The land's free. It's new land, you know. I mean, do we have to pay for the land? Do we have to pay rent? Do we have to pay? Um, the food's free, so we should just... sell it at the farmer's market."

Official Guy: "Thank you. Next speaker?"

(One person in the audience claps as she leaves the podium.)

(Am I mean for posting this? Oh well. I'm just really thankful that this wasn't from a city council meeting in Alabama...)