Video Saturday #22 – Utah Phillips

Utah Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008)

This Video Saturday is all about Utah Phillips. He passed away on May 23rd, 2008. I only know him through his collaboration with Ani DiFranco – or her collaboration with him, rather. From what I understand, she took hours and hours of his material and toyed with it to create Past Didn’t Go Anywhere and Fellow Workers.

Bruce “Utah” Duncan Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008) was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the “Golden Voice of the Great Southwest”. He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action. He often promoted the Industrial Workers of the World in his music, actions, and words.
(from Wikipedia)

Look at those videos to get an idea who Utah Phillips was, if you don’t know yet:

You can find more Utah Phillips on YouTube on VeniceArtists’ profile and on mediagrrl9’s profile or if you simply search for Utah Phillips.

Enjoy and comment.

Music Monday #16 – L.E.S. Artistes

Get the song here:
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes (Megaupload)
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes (Mediafire)

On today’s Music Monday I’d like to introduce you to a song by Santogold. Santogold is the new star in the music press it seems, and she definitely has an idiosyncratic sound. I mean that as compliment to the artist.

I suppose it’s only a matter of time until you’ll hear L.E.S. Artistes again and again on the radio (which is why I don’t listen to the radio most of the time), but if it’s not shoved down your throat ears, it’s actually excellent. She sounds a bit like Joan Jett on this song, and when I first heard it I couldn’t help but think: Tegan and Sara could probably do an excellent cover version of this. Somehow this song sounds like something Sara Quin might’ve written for The Con.

You can buy her album Santogold at Amazon.com.

Here’s the (weird) video on YouTube:

_________
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes

What I’m searching for
to tell it straight, I’m trying to build a wall
Walking by myself
down avenues that reek of time to kill
If you see me keep going
be a pass by waver
Build me up, bring me down
just leave me out you name dropper
Stop trying to catch my eye
I see you good you forced faker
Just make it easy
You’re my enemy you fast talker

I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
If I could stand up mean for the things that I believe

What am I here for
I left my home to disappear is all
I’m here for myself
Not to know you
I don’t need no one else
Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later
You don’t know me
I am an introvert an excavator
I’m duckin’ out for now
a face in dodgy elevators
Creep up and suddenly
I found myself
an innovator

I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
If I could stand up mean for the things that I believe

Change, change, change,
I want to get up out of my skin
tell you what
if I can shake it
I’m ‘a make this
something worth dreaming of

Video Saturday #20 – Interviews

On this Video Saturday I present you some interesting interviews.

The first two videos are an interview with Joan Jett on the Henry Rollins Show. She looks eerie (like she’s had a bit too much work done..) but she says some very very interesting things about Howard Dean and the US media.

Also a bit political, but mostly hilarious is Wanda Sykes on The Ellen DeGeneres Show:

And now another interview, only hilarious, Lauren Graham on The Ellen DeGeneres Show:

Enjoy and COMMENT!

Linkage #12 – Piclens Publisher/Prettier Books

<< Books I’ve Read (PicLens compatible) >>
<< Piclens Publisher >>
<< PicLens Add-On for Firefox >>

I already linked you before to the very awesome PicLens Add-On that lets you view images as a 3D picture wall. Meanwhile you can even have a video wall and search youtube videos with it. It’s amazing.

Also new is the Piclens Publisher, that lets you very easily make your own galleries. Not necessarily for websites (although that’s possible, too), but you can also just use it for your holiday pictures or whatever else you have on your computer.

Of course I already tried PicLens Publisher and the result is a beautified Books I’ve Read website that is PicLens compatible. Yay!

Music Monday #15 – Sh-Boom

Get the song here:
The Trevor Horn Orchestra – Sh-Boom (Mediafire)
The Trevor Horn Orchestra – Sh-Boom (Megaupload)

It’s Tuesday Music Monday again and today I bring to you Sh-Boom. Here’s what Wikipedia says about the song:

“Sh-Boom” (sometimes referred to as “Life Could Be a Dream“) is widely considered to be the first popular Doo-Wop song. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster & Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and James Edwards and published in 1954.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh-Boom)

This version is by The Trevor Horn Orchestra and it’s excellent.

[Sh-Boom at YouTube]
___________
The Trevor Horn Orchestra – Sh-Boom

Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I’m the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
(Hello, hello again, sh-boom and hopin’ we’ll meet again)

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If only all my precious plans would come true (sh-boom)
If you would let me spend my whole life lovin’ you
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

Now every time I look at you
Something is on my mind (dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-duh)
If you do what I want you to
Baby, we’d be so fine!

Oh, life could be a dream (sh-boom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (sh-boom)
If you would tell me I’m the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da
Sh-boom sh-boom Ya-da-da Da-da-da Da-da-da Da, sh-boom!

Every time I look at you
Somethin’ is on my mind
If you do what I want you to
Baby, we’d be so fine!

Life could be a dream
If I could take you up in paradise up above
If you would tell me I’m the only one that you love
Life could be a dream, sweetheart
(Hello hello again, sh-boom and hopin’ we’ll meet again) boom sh-boom

Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang (sh-boom)
Ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay
Life could be a dream
Life could be a dream, sweetheart!

Life could be a dream
If only all my precious plans would come true
If you would let me spend my whole life loving you
Life could be a dream, sweetheart

Video Saturday #19 – Time Lapse

On this Video Saturday I will show you some swell time lapse movies. They’re done by either speeding up normal footage, or by taking photographs in certain intervals and then sticking them together.

A thunderstorm time lapse video. Note how at some point,
the clouds are going in two different directions.

Time Lapse in the Antarctica. Fascinating.
(Click for more videos by Antzarctica.)

The famous Dove Evolution time lapse. Must see!

This one is called A Beautiful Storm Cloud Time Lapse (with a surprise).

And last but not least:

Time Lapse in San Francisco at night. Very pretty.

Enjoy and comment!

Linkage #11: Music Video Database

>>> http://www.mvdbase.com/ <<<

The Music Video Database has not as catchy a name as the imdb.com, is not particularly pretty and by no means complete. For Tegan & Sara they only list four videos so far, although they’ve made many more. They do have lots of info on many other directors and artists, though. It shows 73 entries for Michel Gondry, so it still has quite a lot of info. You can even search for actors and technicians, so if you want to know what music video Julia Roberts was in, mvdbase.com has the answer. Enjoy!

Rambling: Job Interviews

One week ago I was in Galway, Ireland, for a job interview at a very successful European company. I decided after the interview that I didn’t want to work for them, and they called yesterday to tell me they didn’t want me to work for them anyway.

I dressed up for the interview, which made me uncomfortable, but they told me they were glad that I did, otherwise they’d have thought I wasn’t serious about the job. Then they asked me a lot of silly questions like:

* Why Galway?
* How will you deal with all the rain?
* Why translating?
* Why do you want to work here?
* Why should we hire you?
* Where do you see yourself in three years?
* Have you ever had to work in a team? What did you have to accomplish, what was your contribution, and what was the outcome?
* What has been the greatest achievement in your life so far?

That team work question really bothered me, since you know what they want to hear but it’s just so trite. They want to hear that you had a difficult project to work on and what your amazing contribution was that saved the day and the project. But I think that working in a team means that you don’t have one person who saves the day. Anyway, I found it hard to pick an example because the question is so silly, and later on the phone they told me that while I did very well on their written test, I had a hard time finding examples and they were more interested in someone with stronger communication skills. (I was relieved, though, because I figure it’s easier to be turned down than to have to tell them ‘It’s great that you want me, but I figured I’d rather stay put.’)

Be that as it may, I dare you to think about this question:
What has been the greatest achievement in your life so far?

Here’s what I read yesterday:
“These questions seem to be about honesty. Really, they’re about diplomacy. What you’re most proud of might be your comic-book collection. That’s not necessarily what the interviewer wants to hear, and you probably know that. There are safer answers, such as “the feeling of accomplishment I get from doing something – it could be anything – really well.” The trouble with the traditional interview is that both sides are wise to the game. The interviewers nod, not believing a word of it.”
(“How would you move Mount Fuji?” by William Poundstone, page 17)

Music Monday #14 – Beggin’

Get the song here:
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Megaupload)
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Mediafire)

On today’s Music Monday I’d like to bring to you a classic: Beggin’ by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. This song has lately been very successfully covered by the Norwegian band Madcon, but I personally like the old version a bit better. Kudos to Madcon, though, for introducing me to the song in the first place!

(Click for the Madcon video at YouTube.)

(Click for the Frankie Valli video at YouTube.)

______
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – Beggin’

(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby
(Begging) begging you
Put your loving hand out, baby

Riding high when I was king
Played it hard and fast
Cause I had everything
You walked away, won me then
But easy come and easy go
And it would end

(Begging) I’m begging you
Won’t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby

I need you to understand
That I tried so hard
To be your man
The kind of man you want in the end
Only then can I begin to live again

An empty shell
Used to be
Shadow of my life
Is hanging over me

Broken man without a throne
Wont even stand the devils dance
To win my soul

(Begging) begging you

Won’t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging you
Put your loving hand out, baby

I’m fighting hard
To hold my own
No, I just cant make it
All alone

I’m holdin on
I can’t fall back
Now that big brass ring
Is a shade of black

(Begging) I’m begging you
Won’t you give your hand out, baby
(Begging) begging
Put your loving hand out, baby

Linkage #10: Speech Accent Archive

>>> Speech Accent Archive <<<

Let me just quote the website to tell you what this is about:

“The speech accent archive uniformly presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed. The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyze the accents of different English speakers.”

It’s fascinating. I actually only found this site when Zooey Deschanel mentioned it. No, not personally to me, but in the JaneTV Exclusive Zooey Deschanel Interview (YouTube).

Here’s an extreme German accent, a cute Spanish accent, a French accent and last but not least, soothing Southern drawl. Enjoy!