All posts tagged video

Pruning the tree of life

February 6, 2009

I’m taking a course in genetics and evolution this semester — a good month to start, no? — to fill in my biology background as I work towards a future involving neuroscience. So I am likely to post more about science here, and also less frequently.

Especially since I had an epiphany about “focus” last month. For most of my life I’ve sympathized with Sylvia Plath’s fig tree predicament, too engrossed in possibilities to fully realize any of them. But perhaps some process of maturation has culminated, because it’s become easier to prune away activities and possessions (tangible and electronic) that aren’t contributing to my goals.

(If you’re looking for inspiration along those lines, try the chorus of Saul Williams’ “Break” — NSFW)

PS — For the record, I do think one can be too goal-focused. (continue reading…)

Mystery Science Theater at MIT

January 19, 2009

I manned a video camera last night for a talk at MIT by two of the creators of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Joel and Trace), which was pretty rad.

It was a little inspiring to hear about how the show started pretty much from scratch in Minneapolis/St. Paul and gained a local following, before eventually attracting the attention of cable networks. I often think about how much of a handicap it is for someone to do art somewhere outside of LA or NYC.

Also funny was hearing about confused feedback they received early on, from people complaining they couldn’t focus on the movies with all the snarky commentary interrupting. Reminded me of when in college I got one of the funniest guys on campus to write a fake, obviously humorous advice column for the school paper – people would hilariously complain that he was giving out bad advice.

In case you were wondering, the most disturbing (clip) and funny (commentary) MST3K clip they showed would have to be this one on how young women should dress themselves.

They also showed bits of the trailer to the 1972 ecological sci-fi film Silent Running, which formed part of the inspiration for the show. Joan Baez sang two songs for the movie (co-written by Peter Schickele of PDQ Bach fame, of all people), and here’s the one I like best:

I hear the talk may be on some MST3K DVD in the future, so be on the lookout if you’re a big fan…

Al Green, “Lay It Down”

December 31, 2008

Normally I dislike music by nice guys who sound like they finish last – or rather, I avoid it lest it compromise my psychological butchness (such as it is). But damn, I like Al Green’s last album, Lay It Down:

“Lay it down” –

“Just for me” –

“No one like you” –

And speaking of media posted in full to YouTube: I don’t be ticklin’ or nothin’…

Björk’s Christmas album

December 25, 2008

(Photo from bjorkish.com.net)

…doesn’t exist, but I’ve always thought of Gling-Gló that way. And turns out it was actually released on Christmas in 1990.

Here are three tracks, with English translations of the (Icelandic) lyrics:

Brestir Og Brak

Crackle and Bang

The commitees are bad, heavy is their load
we will however beat their asses
because we can delay the christmas to march
if only we want to

It is like I hear crackles and bangs
from the awesome power
when you, down in congress, whip their asses
with your thunderous mouth
yes, the ruralparty I break back
like a leaky wreck
yes, maybe I should
lift the house and blow off the green copper roof

Yes, it will make him happy
lighten his dark days
as the small children buy a ki-li-li-lo
of fruits for their belly
yes, merrily I will sing he-le-le-lo
also ding-ding-dong
It will all be sold out
though I seldomly find that we ever have sold enough!

No, it will make him happy
lighten his dark days
as the small children buy a ki-li-li-lo
of fruits for their belly, yes
merrily I will sing he-le-le-lo
and also ding-ding-dong

It will all be sold out
though I seldomly find that we ever have sold enough!
though I seldomly find that we ever have sold enough!
though I seldomly find that we ever have sold enough!

Bella Símamær

Bella the Operator

She’s Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella the operator
not quite born yesterday
she’s Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella the operator
knows something about everyone,
and tells you how long you’ve been on

In lovecalls right of precedence always applies
I ought to know best about that
in humor and beauty she eliminates all others
that Bella, Bella, Bella the operator

Hello hello
yes what is your name?
what do you want with me?
I don’t know you!

Hello hello
oh is that you!
I know you now!
let’s have a truce!
there, you win!

And her eyes are blue and deep and bright
she smiles heartily and laughs

She’s Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella the operator
Not quite born yesterday
More fun and beautiful than any other
Bella, Bella, Bella the operator

Hello hello
yes what is your name?
what do you want with me?
I don’t know you!

Hello hello
oh is that you!
I know you now!
let’s have a truce!
there, you win!

And her eyes are blue and deep and bright
she smiles heartily and laughs

She’s Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella the operator
not quite born yesterday
in humor and beauty she eliminates all others
that Bella, Bella, Bella the operator

She’s Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella the operator
Not quite born yesterday
in humor and beauty she eliminates all others
that Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella
Bella, Bella Bella, Bella
Bella, Bella, Bella the operator

Luktar-Gvendur

Lantern-Gvendur

He brought light in both his hands
around the town each night
lamplighter-Gvendur from long long ago

By his grey hair he was known
gleaming by the lanterns light
lamplighter-Gvendur from long long ago

He could be heard walking calmly and quietly
down every street during the night
his heart would smile with joy

If a young boy and girl
he saw, he would not light his lamp
leaving them in the shade of darkness

And he reminisced about his youth
and he looked back on his sweet love
when he hugged tight his sweet young girl

He brought light in both his hands
around the town each night
lamplighter-Gvendur from long long ago

French word of the day: ut

December 19, 2008

I logged into Google Reader for the first time in months, finding a sleek new interface, containing a new Anne Archet entry, containing a new word: ut.

Et puisque les murs sont aussi minces que du carton d’emballage, on peut tout entendre, des premiers soupirs au contre-ut orgasmique — fuck, on entend presque tes sous-vêtements tomber sur le sol.

Apparently it was the original name for C in solfège (you know, do-re-mi-fa-sol), taken by Guido d’Arezzo from the first syllable of Ut queant laxis, a chant for John the Baptist. In the 18th century people decided it was hard to sing and switched to do, but in French ut is still used for phrases like “contre-ut,” which I’m pretty sure means “high C”.

Here’s a recording of that chant (gets a little weird after the first round):

Raffaella Carrà, “Rumore”

December 19, 2008

If you’re in Boston, it’s a snow day, and via my friend Suse comes the perfect snow day viewing:

Prada in the spring

June 16, 2008

I made the following video – the Sex in the City trailer with an awesomely weird Japanese band as soundtrack – as a joke for my girlfriend, whose friend broke into her Facebook profile and filled it with Sex in the City references. (She detested the movie.) It syncs up surprisingly well, especially after 0:45 and 2:10, so I am posting it here for general consumption.

The track is “Refusal fossil” by Ruins.

Ddoom-tchak!

Bill Maher’s “Religulous” trailer

June 7, 2008

Here comes one of the first movies to take full advantage of the new cultural interest in atheism and irreligion – Bill Maher is releasing a film called Religulous, in theaters October 3. Trailer:

(Higher-res version)

I imagine it will have a positive effect on balance, and be mostly accurate, but I’m expecting it to be at least a little unfair. In a Larry King appearance last year he praised Michael Moore, and the trailer highlights the unremarkable fact that it’s being produced by the same studio as Fahrenheit 9/11 (unremarkable because Lionsgate has done 60+ other films since then).

A night at Lee’s Unleaded Blues

April 12, 2008

So when I was in Chicago last week I made the de rigueur blues club visit, at Lee’s Unleaded Blues.

Ironically it was a soul night, but a good time was had nonetheless.

I was mostly trying to listen, and talk to an interesting musicology student doing her thesis on Lee’s and another club called Rosa’s Lounge, but I did manage to take a few blurry photos, and a lousy “video” clip of the excellent house band, which nonetheless has a certain charm –

(Clearly I need to get some better recording equipment. For audio I’m leaning towards the Zoom H2 or a Roland, don’t know about video.)

Since it was an open mic, the aforementioned student later played some viola with the band(!), and in good time I got up to sing 2/3 of the lyrics to some Marvin Gaye. I wanted to sing Sam Cooke’s “Lost and Looking”, since I actually, you know, know the lyrics to that one, but the band didn’t know it :(

At the end I ask the MC how he tied his crazy tie, which had more knots than one would reasonably expect. He goes, “Oh, it’s a clip-on,” and reaching behind his head, “Do you want it?”

The holy or the broken hallelujah?

April 12, 2008

So David Bazan of Pedro the Lion fame played a show at Gordon College Thursday night, with Damien Jurado opening.

It was kind of perfect — a singer who has blurred the line between Christian and secular music, playing at one of the the more freethinking Christian colleges, for an audience of students and alumni who end up broadly agnostic at higher rates than you might expect. One of them asked during the Q&A, “Are you indifferent to or ambivalent about religion?” He said no, but made some non-propositional insinuations. And mentioned he was reading Bart Ehrman.

You could almost hear the faith (of a certain kind) being lost during the finale, a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” –

(video from a previous show.)

His new CD has a song apparently about the breakup of Pedro the Lion and his new solo career, which at first seemed a little self-indulgent… but I quite like it now. (starts at 1:05)