vid's for the kid's pt 2

Some new ones:

Trace Bundy:


Joe Purdy:


Ray LaMontagne:


THE best cat video ever:

human study

Just a few movies and one musical artist that have greatly amused me. All of them are definitely off the beaten path.

-King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters:


-Wordplay:


-Lastly is an artist we saw this past Friday at the Musikfest in Bethlehem. He goes buy the name Cast in Bronze, wears an all black jumpsuit, rocks out on a carillon, and wears quite an interesting mask. Check it out:

shins

The Shins are a great band and I've listened and enjoyed their poppy-wackiness over the years. They also have a knack of making great videos as well and I've featured 3 of them tonight.

1. "New Slang" is the best song The Shins have ever released:


2. "Phantom Limb" is a great song with a history lesson to boot:


3. "Australia" is one of the latest tracks off of their newest album, "Wincing The Night Away". This video cracks me up:

janjaweed

I just finished watching a documentary on the Darfur Genocide in Sudan titled, "The Devil Came on Horseback". This film is the story of Brian Steidle, who spend 6 months as a military observer monitoring the peace process in Sudan during 2004. He collected many stories and photos of the mass killing and raping which is going on in Sudan by the Janjaweed, which interestingly, translates into "devil on a horse".
The film gives a snapshot of the genocide and sadly, a glimpse of yet, another missed opportunity for our country to have stopped genocide in Africa. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell had the courage to at least call the atrocities in Darfur the "G" word. Something the Clinton Administration and Madeline Albright were too cowardly to do during the Rwandan Genocide. Yet, the Bush Administration was to fixated on the mire of Iraq, to do anything significant in Sudan in 2004. And they have yet too...
Please watch:

Educate Yourself:
Sudan Dafur Overview
Darfur Conflict
Darfur Eyewitness: Brian Steidle
Then Act:
Save Darfur
Check your senator's & representative's voting activity regarding Darfur at Darfur Scorecard
Global Grassroots

vid's for the kid's

Stupid title? Perhaps...but you can't deny the popularity of online video sites such as my good friend You Tube (the proud sponsor of all of tonights videos).

First one from R.E.M., who I've been intermittently delving into deeper over the past year or so. This is "Drive" from R.E.M. (gotta love a video entirely of crowd surfing):


Secondly, Jeff Tweedy singing "The Thanks I Get". Possibly the greatest song of the entire history of people singing stuff from their mouths with words:


This I just found and can't resist posting it as well. It's from the Jeff Tweedy "Live in the Pacific Northwest" DVD. Jeff has a moment where he rants on all the annoying people who are talking during the concert. I love this rant!! I have the same feelings which I why I almost got in a fight at the last Ben Harper concert I went to, ask Tim if you don't believe me. Here goes:


I'll leave you with the song, "Rich Young Ruler" from Derek Webb. Let this one sink in:

moving pictures - 03

This will be quick. Just got back from the cinema. Saw the movie "Blood Diamond". Great story. Great topic. Mildly cheesy token love affair. Well worth everyone's time and $8. Go see it. I'm tired but will write more later...I haven't fully digested this movie yet.

Addendum:
First, let me say that this addition in no way holds any spoilers for those that haven't see the film. I have two reflections/questions after letting this picture sink in for a week.

1. During the scene of Freetown being overrun by the rebels did anyone else get a glimpse into what Kigali, Rwanda must of looked like during the chaos that ensued that first night of the Rwandan genocide? The madness, drunken soldiers, bonfires, and packs of roving men armed with AK-47's and machetes.

2. I found it hard to watch yet, felt I needed to be an observer during the indoctrination of the young boys into the rebel army. I wonder if this is how Joseph Kony warps the minds of the young children he kidnaps in the middle of the night in Northern Uganda. Does he crank up the rap music and the juvenile egos by passing around weed, beer, and handing out machine guns, then send them out to do his killing and raping?

Keep in mind that while the story in the movie is fictional. Blood diamonds, refugees, and child soldiers from Sierra Leone all happened. Rwanda happened. And child soldiers in Northern Uganda is still happening.

gangsta amish

Just a quick post of a very funny video that my sister tipped me off to while she was out visiting Whispering Pines.

invisible children

This weekend was the 2nd annual Ellensburg Film Festival. I only caught one film, "Invisible Children", which I've been wanting to see for quite a while.
The story is told from the view point of 3 high school guys who, after graduating, decide to leave the comforts of America and travel to Sudan, Africa. They go in search of adventure and the hopes of capturing it all on film.
On arriving in Sudan, they find a virtual wasteland devoid of excitement and humankind. The boy's continue to search for an exciting story and when they begin to think to only "cool" thing they have on tape is the killing of a "gigantic snake", they go on a trip to Gulu, Uganda.
In Gulu, they met the children of the Acholi tribe who have grown up in the 17 year war which, still has no visible endpoint. The rebels who are trying to overthrow the government, The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), drive into the refugee camps at night and abduct the children, ages 8-12, to bolster their troop ranks. You may ask why those ages of children. The answer is coldly logical and sadistic: #1, these children can be easily terrorized into fighting with an indoctrination of beatings and murder of their fellow kids. #2, children that age are big enough to carry automatic rifles and machetes to continue the murder and rape which plagues Uganda & Sudan.
Each night the children of Gulu make a "night commute" from their villages & refugee camps to the surrounding hospitals and town centers to sleep in relative safety. In these sites the children are not at as much of a risk of being abducted by the LRA. This war has been going on for 17+ years with minimal outcry and no media coverage in the United States. In the film one local priest states "If a bomb goes off in Israel the whole world knows about it. If children are killed & abducted in Africa it does not even make the news in America." The priest was referencing a killing of 40+ children who were studying to be priests at his school in Uganda.
The story this movie tells sickens and saddens me; it saddens me that here is another example of tragedy in Africa which it getting minimal outcry in the world and it sickens me that again our country wants little to do with aiding and stopping these crimes against humanity!! (read this) WHY? Because it's happening yet again in "black Africa"? (see posts: speak up and truth in humor)
At the end of the movie the filmmakers ask the viewers for 3 things: Talent, Time, Money, in that order. So, I ask you to take the time to sign the "Children Should Never Be Soldiers Declaration" and send a message to President Bush and your representing member of Congress. Please send a one time gift to the Children of War Center or sponsor the Gulu Community both of which are in Gulu, Uganda and in need of your money. Then, read more about the conflict and use your talent to spread awareness and help end this tragedy. Please help.

moving pictures - 02

"Water" is a somber and interesting movie set in the late 1930's, in India, with Gandhi's rise to power set as the backdrop. Water tells the story of a 8 year old girl who is now a widow and must live a life of poverty apart from normal society according to Hindu law. Go here for the trailer.

"The Fog of War" gives an insider look at Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara during the Vietnam War. This is well worth 90 minutes of your time. McNamara's wit is still sharp at 83 years of age with a great amount of wisdom to pass on. President Bush and his hawks (Rumsfeld & Cheney especially) would do well to heed the "11 lessons" Mr. McNamara has for us in this film.

moving pictures - 01

This is the beggining of a new line of posts regarding cinema.

Tonight, Rae and I saw "Little Miss Sunshine"; which I highly recommend.
A few of the previews looked quite intersting as well so I'll pass the links on to the void:

- "Catch A Fire"

- "The Last King Of Scotland"

hypnotic

Just a quick post. There are two YouTube videos that I keep going back to watch in the past few weeks.

The first is a Honda commercial which my brother turned me onto, which I have never seen aired. According to Micah it was all done in one shot and took something like $200,000 to film and 14 days (I probably just really butchered his quote):


The Second is a short video done by someone/something called Animusic. I didn't really research it on the internet about who they are but this is quite a cool musical video, very Pixar-esque:

Also, is anyone having trouble viewing the video I embedded in the "whispering pines" post. I made it a private video on YouTube and that may have caused some problems. Please let me know if you can't see it. Thanks.

old charter

Celebrate with our friends the Brit's and some Old Charter. They're good blokes and not at all miffed that we won our independence from the crown they're still under. With Old Charter bygones are bygones......

upcoming films

Just a quick break in the monotony of studying to provide you with a short list of notable films to check out at your local cinema arthouse. These films are most likely not showing at the regional 40-screen multiplex, except maybe the M. Night film, "Lady In The Water".

here's the list:
The Proposition [in theatres]
Road To Guantanamo [6.23.06]
Lady In The Water [7.21.06]
The War Tapes [Film Festival Circuit]
The Puffy Chair [Film Festival Circuit]

Author's Note: Whoops, not sure how I missed this one, "Talladega Nights" is out 08.04.06. Will Ferrell's latest movie poking fun at all the rednecks & Nascar fans (if those are actually two seperate being's). Will Ferrell is a funny funny funny funny mofo.