video

Article

Selections from Gwyneth Paltrow's New Cookbook

This is so delightfully stupid I had to share it. In this video (I'm sorry, "short film") a faux-beatnik reads selections from Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook, My Father's Daughter. Now, I haven't read this cookbook, but I can extrapolate that it's a hoot. Spoiler alert: apparently she uses a lot of VEGENAISE®. Read some more choice quotations in this coverage by ABC News. My favorite? "Could I use some butter and cheese and eggs in my cooking without going down some kind of hippie shame... READ ON

List

Where Are They Now? 6 Artists Who Got Lots of Airplay in 1996

1996 was a heady time for popular music. We were learning the "Macarena," trying to shake the bizarrely infectious "I Love You Always Forever" from our brains, and cringing at Alanis Morissette's misuse of the word "Ironic." Okay, maybe it was less "heady" and more "crappy." 1996 was also the year I graduated from high school, and left my sleepy hometown of Venice, Florida. We all know where I ended up -- I'm a big rich* blogger now! -- but let's take a look back at some artists who got a lot of... READ ON

Article

The Late Movies: Disney Propaganda Cartoons

During World War II, Disney created propaganda for the US government. The cartoons dealt with subjects as varied as income taxes, the daily life of Nazis, and military tactics. I've collected a sampling of the cartoons below, for your viewing pleasure and amazement -- be warned, some are pretty weird, and many contain offensive racial or cultural caricatures. Note that most (all?) of these are included in the DVD box set Disney on the Front Lines, if you're into this kind of thing. I have this set,... READ ON

Article

Oregon House Members Rickroll Colleagues

In Oregon, our House chamber is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. This 50/50 split has been the topic of some concern, as bipartisanship is now required to pass critical legislation. In a surprising (and delightfully nerdy) move, a bipartisan group of Oregon House members decided to Rickroll their colleagues, by embedding lyrics to the Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up" into their floor speeches. Citizen volunteers helped videotape and edit the resulting rendition of the song,... READ ON

Article

Exclusive: Mike Rowe Talks "Human Planet"

NOTE: My interview with Mike Rowe appears below a bunch of discussion of the documentary Human Planet. Jump to the "Interview" heading if that's what you're here for. Human Planet premieres Sunday, April 10 in the US on Discovery. Two episodes air each night, running from 8-10pm EST on April 10, 17, and 24. Check your cable listings for more details, and set your DVRs -- again, this is a huge justification for why you bought a big shiny HDTV. This time around, Mike Rowe will narrate the... READ ON

Article

Five Goofy Star Wars Re-Cuts

Need a way to nerd your way through the workday? Enjoy these re-cut Star Wars videos (they're all short) by YouTube master OneMinuteGalactica. They're completely safe for work, except for the fact that you're watching Star Wars videos at work. Warning: stupid but funny. Ben Kenobi Won't Shut Up Obi Wan's got a walkie talkie and he just can't stop using it. Best YouTube comment comes from warmachine021: "Strike Me Down and I Will Become More Annoying Than You Can Possibly Imagine" - Ben... READ ON

Article

The Late Movies: Jacobus, A Vlogger from the 14th Century

Tonight, for your viewing pleasure, the video blog of Jacobus, a 14th-century serf with a suspiciously bad accent. I don't know how they got that webcam all the way back into his village (I guess the demonic cats at YouTube finally added a time travel feature), but I can tell you that this is the most wonderful thing since Phone Call to the 14th Century, which itself is quite wonderful. The content of these video blogs is roughly as pedestrian as modern video blogs, dealing with daily life, politics, and... READ ON

Article

Fresh Perspectives: Libya

Ever wonder what The Colbert Report might look like with children panelists? Look no further... READ ON

Article

Gmail Motion

OMG, you guys. Finally, Gmail Motion is here! Now you can use easy, real-world gestures to control Gmail. Want to send a message? Just pantomime licking a stamp and putting it on an envelope. Message sent! Want to Reply-All? Just point both thumbs behind you! You're sending some mail to a bunch of people!! Let the webcam (and your whole body) do the work -- not just your stupid fingers! This enhancement to Gmail is going to be huge. I'm already learning new gestures, just by waving my arms... READ ON

Article

The Late Movies: Dumbness, Insanity, Celine Dion Screaming, and Billy Joel

Last week I pointed to the unbelievably wonderful Brother IntelliFax 2800 App Store. I wondered -- who made that video? Well, it's Mike Lacher, proprietor of the delightfully weird and sometimes NSFW Wonder-Tonic. Tonight, I round up the five videos Wonder-Tonic has posted on YouTube. They're really weird. Most of them are unwatchable. But at the same time, there's something wonderful about knowing that somebody took the time to make this stuff, and thousands of people have watched the videos -- or... READ ON