By some weird cosmic convergence, I have come across a metric whack of good videos today and so tonight’s blog entry will be all about the vids!

Including my own, natch.

In fact, let’s do that one first. Presenting : Day 6!

First off, let me explain the blue sky image.

The reason the video portion is missing is that, midway through the first edit of today’s raw footage, I discovered that around three minutes in, the video and audio go way out of sync.

I just could not imagine starting the whole thing over again, so I said “Screw it, today we are going audio only. ” Nobody will miss seeing my ugly mug anyhow.

I really want to get my teeth fixed. I’ve got a fucking Dick Cheney underbite. Ick. Still, if anyone needs an actor to play an inbred hick from a place without dental care, I am totally your guy.

Now about the subject matter : that documentary really irritated me, so I had to reply. I realize today’s vid is a bit of a mess, and self-indulgent to boot, but I promise to shape up for the next one.

And test the video capture thoroughly before committing my precious thoughts to it!

Next up, an amusing short comedic film called To Be Frank.

I discovered this video because someone I know online gave me the link. They had done the sound design for the film, getting all those foley effects off the Net and putting them in place, and I think they did a great job. I would not have the patience for that kind of hunt.

Makes sense, though, that in this digital age, the original foley artist with his buckets of gravel and train whistles would be falling by the wayside. It’s sad to see such a fascinating and demanding art fade away, but who in the low budget world can afford that kind of thing?

About the flick : I would go insane with a boss like that. The only possible relief would be that he probably would be too much of a flake to hold you accountable for your failure to perform miracles.

If not, it would be reform him, quit the job in a huff, or cold blooded murder, because seriously, that guy would drive Gandhi nuts.

Oh, and I saw Frank’s solution two heartbeats before it was revealed.

You can’t fire someone for refusing to forge your name, can you?

Next up, some very fun low-rent comedy from some funny fey people.

I know, not exactly slick, but I love their energy and enthusiasm. They are clearly having fun making the video and that kind of fun is contagious.

And I am drawing great inspiration from their example too. Right now, I only have a webcam, so pretty much everything has to be shot within like a yard of my computer, but that kind of rapid-fire list-based comedy works really well in that format and I am sure I have a few comedy lists I wrote ages ago lying around here somewhere, I swear.

I might not have a video camera (that connects to the computer) and a green screen yet, but that does not have to limit my ambitions too much.

After all, there’s a thing called talent. I am a very funny fellow with a lot of comedy knowledge and an amazing sense of humour.

I just have to write myself some suitable material. Something that I can do with just my giant head and a webcam and still make it sparkle and shine.

I will cogitate about this notion.

And less damned philosophy!

And speaking of highly effective low budget comedy, check this out :

It’s a response to the groundswell of racist sewage unleashed in the YouTube comments thread (an arena known for having the worst human beings in the world) of this harmless and adorable ad.

OK, the original is a little saccharine and cutesy, but apparently, all a racist sees in that ad is that the parents are not of the same race, and that’s MISCEGENATION HORRIBLE BLACK OBAMA WARRRRGARBL.

Hell, the ad never even says that this fellow on the couch is her Dad. He could be a friend of the family for all we know.

I bet that if the man was white and the woman was black, you wouldn’t hear a peep from them, tho.

I hope the little girl in the original ad doesn’t find out about all this until she’s older.

Anyhow, there are a lot of “response” videos out there but none of them have the marvelous sting in their tail that the one I’ve lined does.

I can totally imagine that one nailing some people who are not racist, but are not so sure about this whole gay marriage thing yet. Gotcha!

Finally… speaking of awesome black people (sorta kinda), check out this educator.

Un. Fucking. BELIEVABLE. This lady is a saint of education. She knows what it is all about. The whole video just filled me with a powerful sense of the true nature and power of education, and renewed my sense of just what an important job teaching is, and how tragic it is that we treat it so lightly sometimes.

I admit, I am biased. My mother’s a teacher, and in my opinion, an awesome one. She certainly taught me a lot when I was a wee sprog and she had not gone back to work yet.

Plus, because I was such a shy and isolated kid, I became a lot more emotionally dependent on my teachers than your average kid, a lot more than they could handle most of the time, to be honest.

So the subject of good teaching and good teachers is kind of dear to my heart.

And as for the horrible woman who said “They don’t pay me to like them”, Rita’s answer was incomplete. Kids won’t learn from someone they don’t like… and they won’t like you unless you like them!

Or, as Rita points out, at least learn to fake it convincingly.

Well, that’s the show for today. Seeya tomorrow with SCIENCE!