Sunday, January 13, 2008
When I was on my internship, my supervisor and I would have our meetings at IKEA. Nothing got the creative juices flowing quite like milling around cheap, brightly-coloured Swedish furniture! Alas, those good times had to end as I moved away to a place that only sells pre-assembled furniture in neutral colours. So, this week when I was surfing a certain popular video sharing website and came across videos of a man living inside an IKEA store in New Jersey, I got giddy!
If anyone has ever tried to get a television show on the air, they will know that the chances of finding your pilot on the TV are as slim as Britney Spears finding her self-respect. (What? Everyone else is doing it.) This is the reason that I don't have cable. With the exception of anything involving Ricky Gervais, by-in-large television programming sucks! And it's all because the viewing audiences demand predictable hour long dramas, half hour sit-coms filled with canned laugther, and copious amounts of advertisements for household cleaning supplies apparently. That means that historically all the really good stuff got tossed by the wayside, never to be seen again.
Enter THE INTERNET - that big bad machine with all its many "tubes" filled with information and entertainment. While I can (and do) rant on about the downfalls of the internet, it is hard to deny that it has given an outlet for artists to share their crafts with little-to-no fuss, muss, and money. It also gives you and me access to some really cool stuff.
Take comedian and film maker Mark Malkoff for instance. He's downright funny but I wouldn't have probably known that if not for the viral video he first posted showing himself visiting 171 Starbucks in one day. Well, he's at it again with a really cool project. As you may have figured out from the clip, Mark has been living in IKEA all of this week because he had to be out of his apartment to have it fumigated. Everyday he posts clips of his adventures on his website Mark Lives in IKEA. From eating to dating to playing in a ball pit with a bulky security guard named Jarvis, you can see it all there.
And thus continues my love-hate relationship with the interweb.
If anyone has ever tried to get a television show on the air, they will know that the chances of finding your pilot on the TV are as slim as Britney Spears finding her self-respect. (What? Everyone else is doing it.) This is the reason that I don't have cable. With the exception of anything involving Ricky Gervais, by-in-large television programming sucks! And it's all because the viewing audiences demand predictable hour long dramas, half hour sit-coms filled with canned laugther, and copious amounts of advertisements for household cleaning supplies apparently. That means that historically all the really good stuff got tossed by the wayside, never to be seen again.
Enter THE INTERNET - that big bad machine with all its many "tubes" filled with information and entertainment. While I can (and do) rant on about the downfalls of the internet, it is hard to deny that it has given an outlet for artists to share their crafts with little-to-no fuss, muss, and money. It also gives you and me access to some really cool stuff.
Take comedian and film maker Mark Malkoff for instance. He's downright funny but I wouldn't have probably known that if not for the viral video he first posted showing himself visiting 171 Starbucks in one day. Well, he's at it again with a really cool project. As you may have figured out from the clip, Mark has been living in IKEA all of this week because he had to be out of his apartment to have it fumigated. Everyday he posts clips of his adventures on his website Mark Lives in IKEA. From eating to dating to playing in a ball pit with a bulky security guard named Jarvis, you can see it all there.
And thus continues my love-hate relationship with the interweb.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
I will be the first to admit that I primarily use the internet for entertainment. I like to laugh and my laptop is usually a lot closer than the nearest Yuk Yuks. However, every now and then I come across a website that reminds me of the power to good that the internet holds. The internet would gain back some of its respect if only a fraction of those porn sites could focus on making sure people get the meat they need on their tables instead of . . . well . . .making sure Bambi gets the meat she need on. . . You get the point!
Recently, I was listening to a radio program that showcased Kiva.org. If you do nothing else worthwhile today, do me the favour of clicking on that link. Their product is completely inspiring. Kiva uses the internet as a tool to work toward alleviating the devestation and desperation of poverty in the third world. And the way that they do it is completely personal and fun!
Recently, I was listening to a radio program that showcased Kiva.org. If you do nothing else worthwhile today, do me the favour of clicking on that link. Their product is completely inspiring. Kiva uses the internet as a tool to work toward alleviating the devestation and desperation of poverty in the third world. And the way that they do it is completely personal and fun!
Basically, Kiva gets lenders like me and you to give them a very small amount of money (as little as $25) that they in turn loan to entrepreneurs in the developing world. Your inner paranoia may be screaming, "Scam!" but you'll be interested to discover that 99.3% of these loans are repayed. (And if Dr. Phil has taught us anything it's if Oprah promotes something it must be great! roflmao
When you go to the site (and I'm confident you will), you'll see that you can browse through all the entrepreneurial projects looking for funding and decide for yourself which one you would like to contribute to. The array of project is astonishing. They range from taxi services to basketweaving to poultry farming.
So, if you have a few extra pounds, dollars, clams, or lumps of dough to spare, strongly consider doing this. In the end, it doesn't end up costing you anything but it helps so much in giving people a purpose in life, a chance to provide for themselves and their families. Don't let Oprah scare you off. Give it a click!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Oh, pranks. Remember the days before called ID when you could call a random stranger and ask for "Mr. Wall". Of course, when they inform you that there is no "Mr. Walls" there, you ask the practical question: No walls? Then what's holding up your house? They never see it coming! And then there's the real life pranks; the fodder that April Fools Day is made of! Tacks on the teacher's chair, anyone? Well, thanks to the internet pranks have been taken to a whole other scale. If you want to relive some of that pranky greatness and discover some interwebby goodness all at the same time, check out Improv Everywhere.
This website comes from a dedicated group of pranksters who take pleasure in causing mass confusion with involving large numbers of people. These "missions" are carried out in NYC with volunteers gathered through their e-mailing list. The website offers videos, written accounts, audio, and even merchandise for sale.
One of my favourites was Mission: Best Buy. Basically, IE instructed a group of people to show up in a designated location, each wearing a royal blue polo shirt and khakis - the exact uniform of Best Buy employees. Then, about 80 of these people entered a nearby Best Buy. If asked directly, they told the truth, saying, "No, I don't work here," but otherwise they did try to help customers who needed assistance. Let's just say the police ended up showing up but it was hilarious.
Other noteworthy missions include:
Mission: Fake Ben Folds
IE ended up doing some episodes for NBC. You got to give them E for effort and A+ for awesome. Still not sure what it's all about? Think Just for Laughs Gags only actually funny.
This website comes from a dedicated group of pranksters who take pleasure in causing mass confusion with involving large numbers of people. These "missions" are carried out in NYC with volunteers gathered through their e-mailing list. The website offers videos, written accounts, audio, and even merchandise for sale.
One of my favourites was Mission: Best Buy. Basically, IE instructed a group of people to show up in a designated location, each wearing a royal blue polo shirt and khakis - the exact uniform of Best Buy employees. Then, about 80 of these people entered a nearby Best Buy. If asked directly, they told the truth, saying, "No, I don't work here," but otherwise they did try to help customers who needed assistance. Let's just say the police ended up showing up but it was hilarious.
Other noteworthy missions include:
Mission: Fake Ben Folds
Mission: No Shirt [see video above]
Mission: McDonalds Bathroom Attendant
Mission: Cell Phone Symphony
IE ended up doing some episodes for NBC. You got to give them E for effort and A+ for awesome. Still not sure what it's all about? Think Just for Laughs Gags only actually funny.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Read and Release
With all this talk of internet this and online that, do people still read books anymore? Believe it or not the worldwide web has probably helped more than hindered the popularity of books. You can find some sweet deals at Chapters or Amazon and have them shipped right to your door. You can even go to your local library's website in most cities and have books put on hold for you. There's tons of sites that review books. There's even online book clubs. But one of the neatest websites that I have ever seen pertaining to books is BookCrossing.
Have you ever picked up a book in a public place that someone has left behind? Have you yourself ever left a book behind in a coffee shop or subway station when you were finished reading it? It is fun to pass books along. BookCrossing has made that process even more entertaining.
When you register an account on their site, they provide you with tags that you print out and stick in your books. Each tag has a number and instructions for anyone who sees the tag to log on to the website. So, if someone picks up your book for a quarter at a churh yard sale, eventually they'll notice the tag and log in to the website. When they do, they make a note on the book's file with info about where they found the book and they can even review the book. Then, when the book finds its way into someone else's hands, the new person does the same. This leaves you with a paper trail of the history and whereabouts of your book.
The site has become popular with book lovers everywhere and, of course, offers a community aspect for those brave enough to take their nose of that book. If you do happen to check it out, look me up. My username over there is Hippychickali.
Have you ever picked up a book in a public place that someone has left behind? Have you yourself ever left a book behind in a coffee shop or subway station when you were finished reading it? It is fun to pass books along. BookCrossing has made that process even more entertaining.
When you register an account on their site, they provide you with tags that you print out and stick in your books. Each tag has a number and instructions for anyone who sees the tag to log on to the website. So, if someone picks up your book for a quarter at a churh yard sale, eventually they'll notice the tag and log in to the website. When they do, they make a note on the book's file with info about where they found the book and they can even review the book. Then, when the book finds its way into someone else's hands, the new person does the same. This leaves you with a paper trail of the history and whereabouts of your book.
The site has become popular with book lovers everywhere and, of course, offers a community aspect for those brave enough to take their nose of that book. If you do happen to check it out, look me up. My username over there is Hippychickali.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
She's Got A Ticket to Ride
Computer gaming has come along way in a short time. No longer do we have to hunker down for a few hours as we install a basic game onto our computer, inserting one floppy disk after another. Now, all we have to do is basically turn on the computer and a wide arrange of games are at our fingertips. But, like much of the internt, many of these games suck. While they might provide minor distraction, they grow old fast, regardless of how impressive the graphics are.
One simple game though that is a constant standby for me to pass the time comes from the Days of Wonder website. The name of the game is Ticket to Ride and, like its award-winning board game counterpart, this multiplayer game promises to be a good time. While you can buy a membership for added features, I've been using the free membership for years now without fail.
Ticket of Ride is an easy game to learn but provides enough strategic options to keep you interested. The idea is that you are in charge of a train company and are trying to create routes between cities (either in North America or Europe) to gain points. This game is fast moving and, unlike other online games, the players take it seriously and keep it going. And like most online games, you are given a platform to chat with the other players while the game unfolds. The website also has a community access, offering a forum for players.
While you're on the site, check out some of the awesome wares they have for sale. Days of Wonder happens to be one of the finest manufactuer of board games you will ever find.
Monday, December 17, 2007
He Had to Have It!
I tube. You tube. Everybody tube! Aww...YouTube, the home of thousands of people who are less than a fraction of a celebrity combined! I always think it's so cute when these emo kids buy a $20 webcam with their allowance money so that they can make videos to share their pain with the world. They get a few hits - mostly from people mocking them - and all of the sudden they are YouTube "celebrities".
If you have enough time though - after mocking the emo kids - you can really find some entertaining clips. That is why the very first piece of interwebby goodness that I have for you comes from YouTube. If you haven't discovered it already, I encourage you to watch an episode or six of the What the Buck Show.
Michael Buckley is the man behind and in front of this celebrity news/gossip/bashing/commentary type program. He doesn't discriminate; he manages to offend everyone including himself at one point or another with his almost-daily show filled with catch phrases that he admittedly stole from other people.
If you look up (look waaaay up), you'll find an episode from last week aptly titled "Jesus Hates THE VIEW - Loves TRANNIES":
If you enjoyed this video, you might want to check out more of the What the Buck Show. Due to the success of this bitching and moaning, Michael has since started a website - BuckHollywood.com. This is his own personal website where you'll find many special things like "150 Ways to Say Vagina". He's also started a second YouTube channel (overkill, perhaps).
Overall, Michael Buckley is just plain funny. Even if you don't watch the shows he talks about or know the celebs that he harasses, it's still fun to watch this slightly gayer version of my husband at work.
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