David After the Dentist – So Funny

This video has been viewed over 9 million times on YouTube! It chronicles 7-year old David’s trip home from the dentist and his recovery from the anesthesia he was given for dental surgery. David’s. The video is really – David is such a cute kid

Read Full Post »

In Music

Assorted news from my musical world:

1. Honky Tonk Heroes – A great story by Jimmy Patterson about the life of Waylon Jennings, and the “outlaw” movement forged by Waylon and Willie that “changed the course of country music and redefined everything about it from how it was made to where it was played.”

2. The Local Scene – The newest House of Blues is set to open in Boston next weekend at the Landsdowne street address formerly occupied by the Avalon & Axis nightclubs. The new HoB will include a 2,400 capacity music hall, a restaurant, and a VIP lounge. The opening will mark a return to New England for the music chain, which first opened doors in Boston’s Harvard Square in 1992 and remained there until it closed in 2003. They plan to do about 300 shows a year.

3. Best New Album this Year (so far) – Speaking of the House of Blues, The Derek Trucks Band is set to play there on April 2. Derek Trucks released their latest album, Already Free, in January and I can’t say enough good things about it. There isn’t a note too many, nor one you could do without. From top to bottom, it’s a wholesome blend of soulful, bluesy, southern-rock infused good music. For the uninitiated, Derek Trucks is Allman Brothers progeny and one of the best guitarists alive today. For the initiated, don’t expect something similar to their last album, Songlines- this album is a departure from the jazz and world music influences on that album.

4. Sadness – Billy Powell, the only keyboardist Lynyrd Skynyrd ever had, passed away on January 28^th. “He was one of the best piano keyboardists, rock ‘n’ roll keyboardists, of our lifetime,” said Ross Schilling, the band’s manager. Hank Williams Jr. said: “I will truly miss Billy. We have all lost one of our best rowdy friends.” I like to think Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph all greeted him with “We’ve been waiting on you, welcome to the band.” R.I.P

5. Awesomeness – Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash

Read Full Post »

Ranting and Raving At Its Best

Howard Beale (Network, 1976) shows us that sometimes anger – not laughter – is the best medicine. This is a great rant – articulate, cogent, and crazed all at once. It’s also remarkably applicable to now.

Read Full Post »

Butterflies in the Sky

Reading Rainbow is a fond childhood memory of mine and…LOTS of other people:

Lovin’ me some LeVar Burton

Read Full Post »

Buzz Worthy Links

Here are a few links that I’ve come across over the past day or so that I’ve found amusing, informative or interesting and wanted to share

• Middle-school student gets his head stuck in a chair (check out the photo on BuzzFeed.com) - Boys will be boys, I guess. This moment will most likely rank as one of the most embarrassing for this kid, but will also be a story that he’ll laugh about with friends for years to come.
• 10 ways social media improved lives in 2008 (check out the post at TheSocialPath.com)- Social media such as blogs, micromedia sites like Twitter, and social networks like Facebook, are often used to benefit charities and other great causes. David Griner compiled 10 ways social media has been used to improve lives in 2008  including the example of The Domestic Diva , a blogger who through the help of other bloggers spread the word about her daughter’s need for a kidney transplant. Just this week her daughter underwent the life-saving transplant. Unbelievable.
• The joy of video games on Christmas morning - Kids go crazy for Wii (check out the videos at Kotaku.com) - These videos of kids opening their Nintendo Wiis on Christmas morning are great. Slightly annoying, but great. The first kid is INSANE!
• Video games meet conquering, dominating, and annihilating needs of men (check out the news post on CNET) - A study from Stanford has proved that video games “stimulate the parts of men that so many other activities just cannot reach: the need to conquer, stomp on, dominate, crush, destroy, maim, annihilate, and turn to ashes and dust.” Makes sense.
• Photos worth a peek (check out the most viewed photos of 2008 on NationalGeographic.com) - Not necessarily the most beautiful photos I’ve seen, but this slideshow features some eye-catching and interesting images, for sure.

Read Full Post »

Happy New Year! Favorite Posts of 2008

I can’t believe 2008 is already over! It was another crazy, but great, year. Work has been as busy as ever for us. Family and friends were getting married left and right and having babies. Our apartment almost burnt to the ground (well, sort of). I got ambushed and made over on a moving train (still waiting for it to air on TLC!). Then, of course, there were all the extracurricular activities (a trip to Texas, 2 seasons of kickball, etc.).

All of this and so much more sometimes made it difficult to find time to blog, but I’m so glad we did and, to wrap up 2008, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite posts from the year. It was quite difficult to narrow a list down, but here it is:

• Video game related post: Nintendo Wii - Cha Ching! (Fit Launches, Calls UK Girl Fat?)
• Photography related post: Famous Photos (of the LEGO Variety)
• YouTube/ online video post: Christian the Lion = YouTube Star
• Work related post: Gamers Bill of Rights – PR to Buzz About
• Personal stories: Eaves Dropping on the Train – Boston Marathon Stories
• “List” post (you know I love lists!): Webby Awards – Buzz’ Best Bets 
• Dan Buzz post: Critter (with Au Bon Pain in the Ass finishing a close second) Editor’s Note: Booooo to Dan Buzz posts about the economy and politics! We (meaning I, Elicia, and the Dan Buzz fan club) encourage more posts in 2009 about sports, food, music, and humorous stories.

Again, hard to pick out just a few, but it is New Year’s Eve and, honestly, I’m eager to get off this damn computer, so think it is best to wrap it up for the night We’ll have to wait to see what is in store for us in 2009 – and I’m looking forward to blogging about it.

New Year's Eve Ball, 1978, New York Times

Read Full Post »

Mario Kart Comes to Life

I am particularly fond of the Italian duo that millions call Mario and Luigi. They were never the greatest plumbers, but right along with them, I’ve jumped down my fair share of green pipes and on top of mushrooms. I’ve also slung my fair share of bananas out onto the open road.

If the world of Mario and Luigi were to come to life, I would be ecstatic. Wait…it has. Well, at least, the world of Mario Kart has.

Apparently some French guy put together this live action video based on the popular N64, DS, and Wii game, Mario Kart. Check it out:

Thanks Meat Bun for posting the video!

Read Full Post »

Go Elf Yourself!

The Elf Yourself website is quite brilliant. When it first debuted as a promotional site from Office Max and JibJab.com, it was everywhere – it seemed like everyone and their brother had heard about the site. It was such a success that Jib Jab and Office Max still promote the site on their home pages around Christmas time. Today I took a few minutes to Elf-ize myself, Dan Buzz, and Willie Nelson - the quality is not great with the YouTube upload, but it is pretty hilarious anyway:

 

If you’re not a big fan of elves, of the North Pole variety that is (not necessarily the Middle-earth variety), go to JibJab.com and there are all sorts of different goofy scenarios you can drop you or your friends/family members’ head shots into.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Print print, dig dig

Is it time for the government to stop printing money to throw in the Money Hole? You decide.

Ha Ha! Ha. Huh. Hmm. I’d be laughing harder if this wasn’t effectively true.

Oh, and to go along with this tongue-in-cheek video on bailouts, how about a tongue-in-cheek sentence of the day on the same subject: “The seepage of government into everywhere is, we are assured, to be temporary and nonpolitical.”  Well, now wouldn’t that be somethin’?

Read Full Post »

One Little Piggy Went to Market….Another Beat Up a Lion

We all deal with a little B.S. every once and a while – at work, from friends and family, and even from everyday “Joe the Plumber’s” that we run into at the store or on the subway. Well, the next time someone tries to push you around, take advantage of you, or stands in your way, think of the Little Pig That Could. This little fellah possesses a number of valuable qualities – persistence, determination and a special “can do” attitude. An inspiring tale…

Read Full Post »

Probably won’t be the hot toy for Christmas ’08

Parents are outraged by this freaky looking doll that utters pro-Islam and satanic messages. People insist they can hear Fisher-Price’s “Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo” saying “Islam is the light” and “Satan is king.”

…don’t try pulling out the batteries….you’ll just makes it angrier

Read Full Post »

The Soup (not necessarily for the soul)

In the 90′s there was a little show on E! called Talk Soup, which in 2004 was ”re-mixed” into a much better show that we now know as The Soup. I can’t get enough of this 1/2 hour weekly show of utter hilarity during which host Joel McHale “reports” on the latest in pop culture news and reality show debauchery.

Instead of your typical news show segments (like Weather, Local News, and Politics),  The Soup’s segments include “Chicks Maaaan,” “Let’s Take some E!,” “Reality Show Clip Time,” and “What the Kids are Watching,” among others.  

I can see how these segments may sound foreign and unfamiliar, if you’ve never seen the show. To help clarify, check out this clip from a couple weeks ago. Joel points out the sudden insertion of a spaghetti-eating cat photo into a segment about binge drinking on the Mike & Juliet Show.

New episodes of The Soup air every Friday at 10pm on E!. If you can’t wait that long, The Soup has its own blog with additional clips.

Read Full Post »

More Blogs to Buzz About

To follow-up on my previous post from a couple weeks ago, I wanted to share with you some MORE blogs that I find enjoyable and hope you will too

Neatorama – A blog about “neat” stuff. I get the newsletter. Posts cover everything from advertising news, architecture, gadgets, travel, and more. There is a wacky twist to all posts, no matter the topic. Here are some PacMan cookies – mmmm.

Indexed – A blog from Jessica Hagy that uses Venn-diagrams and other figures (via index cards) to comment on….life.

Post Secret – This blog is “an ongoing community mail art project in which people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” The entries are often shocking, depressing, uplifting, and/or odd, but always very interesting. The project became so popular, it was even turned into a book. You can’t view the archives, unfortunately, but the blog is updated with 20 new entries once a week.

Man Babies – Exactly how it sounds…hilarious pictures of men and babies (with their heads switched). You have to scroll through these yourself!

Sorry I Missed Your Party – Along the same lines as the Man Babies blog, this one also features funny photos – photos from “other people’s parties,” to be exact. Some of these are hilarious.

Read Full Post »

Curb Your Enthusiasm will have a 7th Season!

I just found out about this - last month Larry David confirmed that there will be a 7th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and it will premier at the beginning of 2009!

It’s the funniest damn show on TV. We don’t get HBO anymore so I didn’t see any of season 6 when it first aired, but I got the Season 6 DVD a couple months ago, and Elicia and I ended up watching the whole thing in one sitting…its the best one yet. The underlying plot line that runs through the whole season is that a family displaced by hurricane Katrina comes to live with Larry and Cheryl. The many exchanges between Larry and Leon, one of the new characters in this family, are freakin’ hilarous! They are also very explicit (you’ve been warned)…this YouTube compilation has the Best of Leon and Larry I dare to you to try and not laugh when Leon says, “I gets mine, Larry. I brings a ruckus to the ladies.”

Read Full Post »

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer!

It seems like just yesterday that the first novel in JK Rowling’s wildly popular series of books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was released in 1997. I’ve read most of the books – working on the final installment, The Deathly Hallows (Year 7), now. Yes, I’m a slow reader…one of the reasons that I love the movies as well as the books.

Just this week the trailer for the sixth movie (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) was posted online. The movie is scheduled for release on November 21st and I can’t wait! Check it out:

The buzz online is that the last movie (Deathly Hallows) will be split into two parts with Part 1 debuting in November 2010 and Part 2 in May 2011. It seems like so far away, but, as they say – good things come to those who wait!

Read Full Post »

Christian the Lion = YouTube Star

In 1960, a baby lion was purchased by a couple of guys (John Rendall and Ace Berg) in a department store (yeah – I guess they sold lions at department stores back then). They named him Christian. For years they raised him as their pet, but when Christian got too big to care for, John and Ace worked with a conservationist to reintroduce Christian back into the wild in Africa. After a year, John and Ace went back to Africa to find Christian, even though many people told them that the he would never recognize them and that it would be too difficult to find him.

Well, they did! And the reunion is incredibly touching. How do I know? Well, videos of it have surfaced  on YouTube after over 30 years since then and have gained MILLIONS of views in recent weeks! Check out a re-mixed version of the video for yourself below (just hit the play button). In addition to being on The Today Show, video footage of the reunion also appeared on The View recently. This is just another example of how powerful user-generated content and YouTube can be!

As the below video says “love knows no limits and true friendships last a lifetime.” I can’t help but tear up a little watching this video. Simply incredible. (Sigh) I can’t wait to get a dog one day

 

Read Full Post »

The Media Has a BAD Case of Obamania

Analogy – Media:Obama :: Lewinski:Clinton

Explanation: Last week I heard a primetime network news person declare, “Obamania is here to stay!” It’s not the first or last time such absurd media bias will show up on my TV screen. But anyway, what is this Obamania that’s evidently sweeping the nation? Well, let’s see, according to Webster’s:

• Mania - (1) A form of mental disorder marked by great elation and violent action. (2) An irrational and prolonged desire or enthusiasm.   

Ah! Now I understand why the media thinks Obama is the second coming of Jesus Christ – they’re suffering from mental illness. Have you been afflicted with this horrible new disorder? The media has caught it really, really bad, and the symptoms have been quite embarrassing for them. Just watch:

And the coverage has become a lot more pathetic this week since Obama’s been on his arrogant and presumptuous international coronation tour. But hey, look on the bright side - with all this Obama worship by the establishment media at least one industry is booming during these difficult economic times…I reckon demand for knee pads is skyrocketing!

Addendum: If you’re afraid you too may be suffering from Obamania, be on the look out for other common symptoms, including: a strong sense of entitlement to things you did not earn, and a firm belief that your shit doesn’t stink and you know what is best for everybody. 

Read Full Post »

Willie and Wynton – Two Men with the Blues

Well, first of all, I think labels were invented to sell the music. You had to know what to call it before you could sell it. So they call it, the blues, jazz, bluegrass, gospel, or whatever. But, some music accomplishes it all…so what do you call that? And, that’s pretty much what I like to play.”  - Willie Nelson

Check out this cool short documentary of live music and behind the scenes video of Willie and jazz legend Wynton Marsalis playin’ the blues. Their new record, Two Men with Blues, was released today. Long live Willie!

Read Full Post »

Summer Redneck Games – Next Weekend, Y’all!

When the Olympics were held in Atlanta 13 years ago, a local radio station from East Dublin, GA wanted to draw some of the Olympic crowds to their little town. What could they possibly do to accomplish this? Create the “Summer Redneck Games”, of course!

A week from today, on July 5th, the 13th Annual Summer Redneck Games will commence. With around 10,000 attendees each year, it has grown into quite the shin-dig. Rednecks compete for the respect of their fellow Southerners and trophies appropriately made out of crushed beer cans (something to proudly display on their mantels – although, I’m not sure trailers have mantels).

A local asphalt layer (who happens to have no teeth and goes by the name of Elbow) is the Games’ mascot. Every year, Elbow kicks off the festivities by using the Redneck Games torch to light the Ceremonial Grill.

 

The games include everything from the Mud-Pit Belly Flop (competitors are judged on beauty of form and size of splash), Bobbing for Pigs Feet (ugh!), Dumpster Diving, the Armpit Serenade, Redneck Horse Shoes (with toilet seats!), and a Seed Spittin’ Contest. In addition, they have live bands and other forms of entertainment like swimming in the watering hole, Redneck Idol, and the Miss Redneck competition.

 

CMT put together a short documentary on the Redneck Games – not something you see everyday!

Read Full Post »

Celtics Win, Despite Horrendous Officiating

‘Beat L.A., Beat L.A.!’ Celtics vs. Lakers in the NBA finals, it’s the match-up we’ve all been hoping for! These truly are the golden days in our region.

And yet, I still feel compelled to point out what was obvious to anyone who has been watching the NBA recently – the NBA has a major credibility problem with their officiating. I feel sort of foolish even making the refs an issue , especially since the Celtics ended up winning the series, but it really has gotten to the point where it is difficult to take seriously some of these games. If the refs are doing their job well, they should hardly be noticed during the course of a game. But in today’s NBA, it is ALL about the officiating – they are more at the center of attention than the players during the course of a game and it sucks. There is absolutely NO consistency and there are only two possible explanations – either the refs are just bad at enforcing NBA rules, or there is some sort of deliberate bias for the home team and/or certain players.

Last night’s Celtics-Pistons game 6 was easily one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen. It was mind-boggling and pathetic. And the offensive foul called against Paul Pierce in the third quarter was, without question, the worst single call I have ever seen in any NBA game – ever!  

With the Celtics down five after a Detroit run, Pierce, standing beyond the arc on the left wing, got his defender in the air with an up fake, drew the contact, and somehow made the 3-pointer as he fell backwards. The Palace of Auburn Hills was silenced until the call was revealed to be an offensive foul. Tayshaun Prince would get two free throws on the other end to complete a six-point swing. Bull****. Here is the video.

Read Full Post »

Webby Awards – Buzz’ Best Bets

Last week the winners of the 12th Annual Webby Awards were announced. The Webby Awards pick the best of the best on the Internet in over 100 categories. Most entries fall into four main buckets -”Websites,” “Interactive Advertising,” “Online Film and Video,” or ”Mobile.” Some of the sites are quite entertaining! So you didn’t have to, I dug through them all and here are my favorites:

• Here Comes Another Bubble - A catchy (and funny) music video about the state of Web 2.0 and the Internet business set to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
• Tony vs. Paul - A tale of two friends torn apart via stop motion video. The video was shot in a bunch of different towns in Massachusetts – including Upton. Wicked pissah!
• Coke’s Happiness Factory – An animated movie from Coca Cola. So great!
• National Geographic – Your Shot - NG posts readers’ photos. Love looking at these.
• Post Secret Blog - People anonymously submit their “secrets” to the editor, who posts them. Simple and successful concept.  (I’ll be posting later with my list of other great amusing blogs….stay tuned)
• Milk Get the Glass - Got Milk? Well, you might after playing this visually impressive and fun online board game.
• Atom Films - Tons of great online video.
• Toyota Tacoma World of Warcraft Ad - This guy is the “lawgiver.” Hilarious ad – you may have seen this on TV, but I believe it started on the web.
• Bud Light Swear Jar - Put a quarter in the jar….its for the good of the office!
• Starz Bunny Theatre – Popular movies cut to 30-seconds and re-enacted by animated bunnies. Huh? Exactly.
• Wired.com - Website for Wired Magazine. Cool beans!
• HowStuffWorks.com - Self explanatory. 

Read Full Post »

What Do Moms Want for Mother’s Day?

Once you are married, you officially have two mothers, so Mother’s Day was eventful this year. The more the merrier!

Fortunately, our mothers are not from New Jersey. You’ll see what I mean after watching the drag-mom video below from Clay Weiner. Thanks to AdRants for including the video in your newsletter today. I got a kick out of it!

Read Full Post »

‘Revolutionary’ CO2 Maps Zoom In On Greenhouse Gas Sources

Researchers from Purdue University’s Vulcan Project have created the most detailed picture yet of human sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. There is an article on this featured in today’s Boston Globe. This video is a really interesting animation presenting the data – you can see the emission levels pulse as emissions increase during the day and fall off at night.

You can get their data and rank the emissions of carbon dioxide by county - Middlesex County, MA, where I’m from, has the 16th highest level of CO2 emissions among all counties in the country (Middlesex is #1 nationwide in carbon emissions from the commercial sector and ranks 6th in terms of emissions from residential sources – i.e., “McMansions” abound).

Read Full Post »

YouTube.com – 2007 Video Awards

Every once and awhile you’ll stumble across a brilliant video on YouTube. Sometimes an ambitious director devised some wonderful visual concept and then carried it out in an elaborate production. Other times some shocking or hilarious person or event was captured on video by chance. 

The winners of the YouTube.com 2007 video awards are a mixture of both produced and spontaneous videos. A few of my favorites include:

For the Harry Potter Fans (“Comedy” category winner)…

You can’t go wrong with a hysterically laughing baby (“Adorable” category winner)…

Lions, buffalo, and crocodiles – oh my! (“Eyewitness” category winner)…

For those familiar with massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), you’ll like “The Guild” series (“Series” category winner)…

Read Full Post »

“The RIGHT Way” – Road Trip Video Contest

Corporate-sponsored contests are all over YouTube! The formula is simple – company pays YouTube lots of money to secure a prime spot for their company on YouTube, thousands of aspiring online video stars submit videos with content meeting the contest criteria, prizes (often big prizes) are awarded to the best video/s.

A new contest called “Sketchies 2″ is sponsored by Toyota to promote the new Corolla. The grand prize is $25K and $15K in video equipment – pretty sweet! My brother Eric and his Brooklyn roomie threw together a great video. Check it out below. Good luck Eric!

Read Full Post »

Tina and Beyonce – Proud Mary at the Grammy’s

The Grammy’s were on last night (if you haven’t already heard or, perhaps, live under a rock). Tina Turner and Beyonce’s performance of Proud Mary was absolutely FABULOUS!

Tina probably could have picked a better outfit (the silver body suit wasn’t extremely flattering for her), but I loved her hair and the overall performance from both of them was outstanding.

If you ask me, Tina’s wheels are definitely still turning!

Read Full Post »