November is a long time…

Obama was at 284 in May. Half the lead used up in a couple of months. It’s could be a long summer.

Planets, planets, planets (by XKCD)

This is a great example of visualization of complex data in a way that make it compelling and fun – and make you want to look further and learn more. I’m amazed how much has happened in this area in my lifetime; I hope to be around to see even more exciting developments.

(via xkcd)

Captain Beefheart – Live in Detroit 1971

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Live on Detroit Tubeworks 1971. An astounding example of what was once possible with this thing called rock’n'roll. Lean back and let in blow your mind for the weekend.

Language is a virus (from outer space)

Screaming Females

A New Jersey punk band, calling themselves Screaming Females, releasing an album named Ugly.  What’s not to like?

Recommended.

 

SOPA and PIPA day

More here, here, here, here, here, etc. This is actually truly important.

If you have local initiatives along these lines where you live, please, please beat on policy makers to stop creating idiotic policy that wont solve the problem they claim to be solving and in the process will deeply harm the wonderful and important source of creative energy that is the internet. Please.

Plaid

Today’s fashion advice

I’m a stripes guy myself, but this just might convince me to try something new

For the serious plaid fans,  you can even get the song on iTunes, get more from composer Josh Johnson, including a how it was made video,  or see more videos from actor Joe Cummings.

And, yeah – it’s personal marketing & branding, but it makes me happy that the internet is still a channel for creative silliness; it’s good to see that people continue to take advantage of a global media with no real control.

(via joe.my.god)

Birthday Hit Music Meme

OK, so there’s a music meme going around – it’s all over Facebook, so you’ve probably seen it. Goes like this:

Challenge: Find out the song that was #1 the week you were born.

1.  Go to this site to find out which song: http://www.joshhosler.biz
2.  Find that song on YouTube.
3.  Post that video on your wall without shame

Now, since I was born in Denmark, I found the Danish hitlists to be more appropriate than Billboard; it’s what was on the radio where you were born that matters, right?’ So, I get Elvis Presley Devil in Disguise. Is that supposed to be a subliminal message?

I love the false starts and the studio banter on this one (“You sound like a bird…”).  Gives usa glimpse of what Elvis was like. Things like this is what make me love youtube. If you just want to hear the song, go to about 2:50.

I kinda like this song, even though John Lennon nixed it with his famous “Elvis sounds like Bing Crosby now”.  It’s not Elvis of ’56, it’s not Hound Dog or Don’t Be Cruel, but I like the ease and confidence in the voice, and the effortless rhythm. And, well, I like that the man can just sing.

For comparison, UK hitlist gives me Beatles (She Loves You), and Billboard has Bobby Vinton (Blue Velvet). Not a bad week, not a bad week at all.

House for sale

You know, I’m a sucker for good marketing. I’m not at all a marketing person, not even bye a long shot, but communication is crucial in any endeavor, and when done right it’s just plain fun. Good marketing is like good broth – the good stuff, condensed.

Wanna buy a house yet?

(No – no ulterior motive. No other reason than “this is great marketing” for posting this or watching it again. Thanks for asking)

(via Joe.My.God)

Harry Potter – Gendered?

Today, a girl in my daughters class asked my daughter “Why are you reading Harry Potter – that’s a boy’s book”.  My daughter doesn’t care – she reads Harry Potter because she likes the story.  But I’m confused – is Harry Potter really considered a boy’s book?  If so, why?

The only thing I can really think of is that the gendering madness has reached a point where everything children do must be gendered, and hence a gender choice must be made for HP. It’s absurd, of course – why would HP be considered gendered?  Sure, like so many children’s books it tends to cast boys as active and girls as passive, but it’s far from uniform (HP has a refreshing number of examples of girls in the active role), and anyway that’s such a cliché that it’s hardly specific to boy’s books.

Either way – it’s annoying  that 10 year old children worry about this rather than just reading the books they like.