[another gem from Andrew Sullivan‘s blog]
April 29, 2009
April 22, 2009
Haven’t seen "A Gathering Storm"?
The National Organization for Marriage’s A Gathering Storm advertisement against gay marriage has triggered yet another parody, this one starring Alicia Silverstone, Lance Bass, George Takei, Sophia Bush, and others.
Oh, please. Hurry with that giant umbrella that will save us from the storm of gay people about to shower down on us opposites.
(The original ad)
April 17, 2009
Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent … a one hit wonder?
Susan Boyle aced Britain’s Got Talent and the link to the video of her performance is flashing around the Web. The YouTube video was even mentioned in Jon Carroll’s column this morning.
But can she really sing or was her rendition of I DREAMED A DREAM from Les Miserables a fluke?
Listen.
(Thanks, Annie Chernow!)
Update: ?? I guess! Guy Kawasaki Twitters about an analysis of Susan Boyle’s viral video. http://adjix.com/c7ti
Holey moley!
April 8, 2009
Simon Wood on writing with dyslexia
TV interview on ABC News 10′s Sacramento and Co.
Simon talks about dyslexia and his writing and the back doors you learn to use to do what you want to do when the dyslexia is holding you back. Simon, for those who don’t know him, writes thrillers (as Simon Wood) and horror (as Simon Janus) and (under yet another pseudonym, Simon Oaks) has a nonfiction book out last month, WILL MARRY FOR FOOD SEX AND LAUNDRY.
March 30, 2009
Book trailers.
Book trailers are like movie trailers, in a way. Movie trailers cut and piece from the movie to give you a taste of what you will see when you see the movie, to lure you into the theater to buy a ticket.
Book trailers are a video advertisement for a written book. They cut and piece from the book — add sound, action, pictures, sometimes live actors — and turn the result into what would be a mini-trailer for the movie the book would be if the book were a movie. The hope is that you will see the trailer and buy the book.
Came across this one just now and thought it was a good example.
There was a panel that included some talk on book trailers at LCC a few weeks ago. You can make your own trailer for something less than $100 (and up) and post it on Facebook or your blog or you can pay one of the companies that know what they’re doing (Circle of Seven Productions was specifically named) and for something in the range of $2K-3K (although the price can be much higher, depending on your needs) you get a professional video and the placement/marketing expertise of the company. Or you can make your own trailer and contract with a company like Circle of Seven to do the promotion.
Book trailers as advertisement. As lures. With hopes that the trailer will go viral and the fever will translate into sales.
This trailer (Michael Connelly, THE BRASS VERDICT) is a more sophisticated production with screenplay and actors.
Would you buy a book from a book trailer?
Do you ever send them on?
March 24, 2009
Robert Frost and his heirs and assigns: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN.
“Is Frost out of copyright?” his nibs asked.
“Could be, I suppose,” I answered. “All depends on whether his heirs and assigns renewed during that period when copyrights needed to be renewed.”
“Well, look at this. I’ll send you a link.”
The link was to Creativity, whose links self-destruct soon after they’re posted.
Here’s another link. Ford and the Road Not Taken.
March 23, 2009
Carl Sagan’s Cosmos
Carl Sagan’s Cosmos is available for free! at Hulu.
In 1980, the landmark series Cosmos premiered on public television. Since then, it is estimated that more than a billion people around the planet have seen it. Cosmos chronicles the evolution of the planet and efforts to find our place in the universe. Each of the 13 episodes focuses on a specific aspect of the nature of life, consciousness, the universe and time. Topics include the origin of life on Earth (and perhaps elsewhere), the nature of consciousness, and the birth and death of stars. When it first aired, the series catapulted creator and host Carl Sagan to the status of pop culture icon and opened countless minds to the power of science and the possibility of life on other worlds.
[via JDRoth’s twitterfeed]
January 22, 2009
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Buh buh bye, George!
You taught me the meaning of “preemptive strike.”
January 20, 2009
US Presidents – George Washington to Barack Obama
US Presidents – George Washington to Barack Obama
44 US Presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama morphed to the music Boléro by Ravel
Must admit that I don’t really know what each and every president looked like.
James K Polk was a surprise. He had a sly grin look about him. Reminded me of Baryshnikov somehow. Also reminded me of the They Might Be Giants song.
James Monroe I couldn’t’ve picked out of a crowd.
And then there were the “He’s on the $xxx bill” presidents.
John Tyler. Had I ever seen a picture of him that wasn’t in a heads-of-all-the-presidents poster?
Grover Cleveland looked like a well-fed beermeister.
Entertaining.
gekko talked about the smiling/not-smiling aspect of the morph. I was more fascinated by the facial hair. Chester Arthur. Whoa.
[hattip to gekko, who posted this link on Usenet but I’m using a link to her blog instead of a link to that post.]