Customer relations

Alohamigo,

With the havoc that downloads have caused on some musicians' traditional revenue, you've got to be impressed by former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese's selling tactics. Sure, you can simply download his album for $7, but the more you spend the more additional goodies he throws in. For $50 he'll call you up and thank you personally. For $1000, he'll come to your house and do your laundry among other things. And it only gets better from there.

Masterminded music marketing
http://mashable.com/2009/02/20/josh-freese-album-promotion/


How to torment telemarketers with one word
This devious clown enjoys winding up the caller by answering all of his questions with "yes". Stick with it to the bitter end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh4EPcOpSy8


"Car Ad" with Andy Richter
The Daily Tube review: "Do you drive a Hyundai? Are you tired of Prius-driving dicks? Stay calm or you'll end up like Andy Richter."
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2defe22fe0/andy-richter-car-commercial


QuOteD
"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." -- Sir Winston Churchill


Tool of the day: Bullshit detector
http://ruletheweb.co.uk/b3ta/bullshit/


Game break: The Fast and The Funniest
Think you're funny? Then write a worthy caption for a random photo in under a minute, and beat the other players in the round.
http://captionx.com/


Letter man
And finally, this dude wrote a ton of idiotic letters to companies, claiming, for instance, that an IKEA sofa teleported him to Paris. His creative rantings have generated some surprisingly nice replies from bored CSRs. Here's one of the better examples.
http://www.rollzero.com/chads-letters/157-a-letter-to-brylcreem


Famous last words
"Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the cost becomes prohibitive." -- William F. Buckley, Jr.


Ciao for now,
vW

The devil, you say

Happy Friday,

Although I don't watch the show "Hell's Kitchen", I am aware that it features a Satan-possessed chef yelling at a bunch of battling kitchenaries. I can only imagine it would probably harken me back to the family kitchen during the holidays. Perhaps this imaginary reenactment of celeb chef Gordon Ramsay's devilish start will make more sense to the better initiated.

Hell hath no fury like a lunchbox scorned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL0zxK_aXWM


Let sleeping dogs lie
Gangway -- possessed sleeping dog with a first-rate comedy ending.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA


What is...Presidential Jeopardy
Amusing clip from the last days of Leno's Tonight Show a few weeks back. (Thanks Bomser)
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/clips/presidential-jeopardy-0212/1017401/


Creepy kid shows
Cable access shows aside, the strangest stuff on TV has to be children's programming. See if you don't agree. Are your children watching this stuff?
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/16069


QuOteD
"People who are brutally honest get more satisfaction out of the brutality than out of the honesty." -- Peter F. Drucker


Paint it your way
If something can be used to make a mark on paper, then it can be used to make a drawing. Marvel at this greasy-fingered artist who uses burger fat as his application of choice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orjALWsyaR4


Cash4Cash.com
Someone tell Ed McMahon -- his spare change could actually be worth something.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/fea6b1fdd4/cash-4-cash


Friday game: Ultimate Crab Battle
This one skips right to the ultimate battle. Heck, you're riding a shark with a frickin' laser beam.
http://www.kongregate.com/games/wiesi/ultimate-crab-battle


Dead At Your Age
And finally, some congratulations are in order -- you've outlived some interesting people. Tell 'em your date of birth, and they'll tell you who they were.
http://dead.atyourage.com/


Famous last words
"Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk." -- Joaquin Setanti


Hasta luego,
vW

Strange new worlds

Rome wasn't built in a day, although in fairness it wasn't computer-generated. By contrast, in this award winning short, a strange man builds a world using holographic tools for the woman he loves. Visually stunning, it was created by filmmaker Bruce Branit (apparently known as the co-creator of '405'), and was shot in a single day followed by about two years of post production.

World Builder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzFpg271sm8


Twouble with Twitters
The problem with Twitter is that it's difficult to "get", though that doesn't seem to stop a few million people from doing it. If you're one who finds it difficult to see the point of it all, then you'll find a certain satisfaction in this slickly produced cartoon in which a young man struggles against the pressure to Twitter his life away.
http://current.com/items/89891774/supernews_twouble_with_ twitters.htm


Experts Agree Giant, Razor-Clawed Bioengineered Crabs Pose No Threat
The Daily Tube review: Though the crabs have only been engineered to help in construction, just make sure you don't catch any of these during Spring Break this year.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/experts_agree_giant_razor_clawed


QuOteD
"The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything - or nothing." -- Lady Nancy Astor


Buggy mechanism
If genetically mutated crabs don't bother you, then neither will these fairly creepy photos of dead insects that have been "case-modded" with antique watch parts. As B3TA said, "Could be the early work of a particularly meticulous steam-punk serial killer. They start with animals, you know."
http://www.insectlabstudio.com/?item/311


The Uninvisible Art of Amazing Urban Camouflage
Camouflage isn't just for hunters and the army anymore -- it's being used to make artistic statements, beautify urban environments, make ugly cars look nicer and for shock value. These examples of unusual use of camouflage show how versatile the concept is, from making homes blend into forest environments to creating eerie optical illusion effects in photography.
http://weburbanist.com/2009/02/09/the-uninvisible-art-of-amazing-urban-camouflage/


What's the angle?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes this ain't exactly right. Distance overlapping, positions, and timing can sometimes create a brand new perspective of a photo. This weekend, we want to show you 100+ Funny Photos Taken At Unusual Angle, a compilation of photos taken at the exact right timing and angle, thus creating a humor side of the story; intentionally or unintentionally.
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/100-funny-photos-taken-at-unusual-angle-humor/


Having Fun, Wish You Were Here
And finally, it was news to me hearing that Chernobyl's tourism industry is growing. Check a few chilling photos from this fellow's travelogue -- it would be an excellent location to shoot a low-budget zombie flick (medical insurance for the crew not included).
http://www.grcade.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2217


Famous last words
"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt


Hasta luego,
vW

Tech the good with the bad

Happy Friday,

Technology makes our lives easier in so many ways, but there's no gratis lunch. These benefits come with a certain penalty in frustration, especially as you come to rely on them. To wit, this clip from Conan O'Brien's show featuring comedian Louis CK with a rant on the "spoiled generation". Good stuff, even if you are a member.

Everything's amazing, nobody is happy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus


Extreme Sheep LED Art
We took to the hills of Wales armed to the teeth with sheep, LEDs and a camera, to create a huge amazing LED display. Of sorts. (Thanks Professor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw


5-Second Films
Useless yet amusing video diversions, "Wasting your time, but not very much."
http://5secondfilms.com/


QuOteD
"Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, wholeheartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation." -- William H. Sheldon


Use Twitter to make sentences
This site uses Twitter to finish off sentences that you start, with the goal of hilarious, unexpected or nonsensical results.
http://www.meandr.net/


A/V Geeks
And for that matter, check this collection of classic not-a-parody-but-seems-like-it-is educational films.
http://www.avgeeks.com/our-films-online/


Friday Game: Manifold
Work with it.
http://www.bored.com/games/play/132/Manifold.html


The Roads Less Traveled
And finally, cool time lapse footage that makes all the scenes look like beautiful scale models. And by the way, the film maker (aspiring cinematographer) is looking for a job, too.
http://rossching.com/movies/eclectic30/480p/


Famous last words
"All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income." -- Samuel Butler


Enjoy and have a good weekend,
vW

Alternative presentation

Forrest Gump, one minute, one take
The Tom Hanks neo-classic reduced to its basic elements, which mostly appear to have been made of cardboard. Watch this "light" version and save several hours of your life for something worthwhile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOvgJ0TxdfI


Octomom Birth Video
A little clip of "Octomom" Nadya Suleman giving birth, courtesy of "Jimmy Kimmel Live". (Thanks Kory)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxtgLzi-aK0


PuppetPlay
I wouldn't normally have much of anything to do with Coldplay but the video is visually cool, with the band represented as marionettes performing at a village fair.
http://www.coldplay.com/videolitii.php


QuOteD
"Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died." -- Steven Wright


Swapping villains
A little switch-up -- this Worth1K contest has villains from one film transposed into a completely different film.
http://www.worth1000.com/contest.asp?contest_id=23005#entries


1x10^12
And something worth a few extra zeroes -- here's what a trillion dollars looks like.
http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html


Game break: I'm a Celebrity, Don't Run Me Over
Think you could resist running these privileged swine over...?
http://r8urm8.com/fun


WWW, now with bacon
And finally, add a delicious-looking strip of bacon to the website of your choosing, as in this example. Everything's better with bacon, right?
http://bacolicio.us


Famous last words
"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish." -- Ovid


War in,
vW

Taking the good with the bad

Aloha and happy Friday the 13th again,

Good stuff and bad stuff...we all have our share of each. This video -- a mix tape of the best NFL Fantasy Player Files with each video containing a different NFL player doing a cool move -- is definitely good stuff (with other varieties of stuff follow). And wishing a happy birthday to CJK (a.k.a., Boop)....

Pick me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHH-6ZQktRQ


How Not To Avoid Tough Questions
Frightening witch lady uses blatant dumbass tactics in a TV interview. Nice try.
http://www.break.com/index/chick-owned-during-interview.html


Awesome motorcycle stunt
Changing the front tire while riding a motorcycle. (Or if you want to see it tried with a car, go to 3:30 in this video.)
http://www.snotr.com/video/2391

Holy scheisse
Not-so-awesome boating experience.
http://www.chilloutzone.to/video/schiffaufprall.html


QuOteD
"Life's not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well." -- Jack London


Twits
Such is the allure of Twitter these days that when a software developer posts an audio guide to pronouncing his name, within minutes someone else will have taken a swipe with a dance remix. But here's the real proof that this thing has really gone too far.

This Toilet Is Awesome
Likely the most impressive video of toilet flushing prowess you've ever seen.
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/3/This-Toilet-Is-Awesome-680472.html


Friday game: Tiny trials
A series of small challenges, like much of life in general.
http://tinymania.com/play/TinyTrials


Top 10 funniest news reporter bloopers
And finally, you think your local TV news guy, Mr. Perfect Hair, is always on top of things? Not so much. And when local and national news reporters mess up, chances are the cameras are rolling. That makes for great YouTube fodder. Here are the top 10 funniest news reporter bloopers on YouTube.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10190584-2.html?tag=nl.e703


Famous last words
"You can either hold yourself up to the unrealistic standards of others, or ignore them and concentrate on being happy with yourself as you are." -- Jeph Jacques


Enjoy and have a good weekend,
vW

Purchasing power

Buenos dias amigo,

The Daily Tube review: "We're not sure how this fake commercial for the future nationalized Citibank portrays anything different from the norm; the line at certain banks is already like the DMV. We're looking at you, Shmank of Shmamerica." Or as Rebecca Johnson once said, "Money is the opposite of the weather. Nobody talks about it, but everybody does something about it."

Introducing The New Nationalized Citibank
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c130f64d6f/the-new-f-ing-citibank


Tip Jar
A collection of money saving tips submitted and ranked by the web community.
http://moderator.appspot.com/#16/e=3cfc


Old ads
Amazing what and how they used to advertise in the good old days.
http://www.weirdomatic.com/creepy-ads.html


Quick pic: Coolest business card ever
(Note: this is the opinion of the poster.)
http://positivesharing.com/2009/02/coolest-business-card-ever/


QuOteD
"I love to go to Washington -- if only to be near my money." -- Bob Hope


Who's Buying What?
A look at where people around the world are directing some of their purchasing power.
http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/014/014-buying-whos-buying-what.html


Quick pic: The Funniest Picture You'll See Today
Mind the hazards of using images from Google News on air. (Thanks RayGun)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/03/the-funniest-picture-youl_n_171530.html


Game on: Pi guess so
Can you fill in (i.e., guess) the digits of pi?
http://www.sporcle.com/games/pi.php


Slide out of work early
And finally, proving that credit cards work better in the UK, an office worker commutes via waterslide and swipes his way through subways and grocery stores with his RFID card in this ambitiously silly bit of marketing from Barclaycard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ1PeXPNCrM


Famous last words
"If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars." -- J. Paul Getty


Hasta,
vW

Such is life

Happy Fri,

Sometimes things go the way they go, whether or not you want them to. For instance, this hapless QVC host as he tries to hawk a telly while Charlie Brooker's "TBCiA" (the video that this is in response to, which itself is humorous) repeatedly pops up on the screen.

Infomercial SNAFU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKRs3LF88M


"30"
Check out this epic battle as a small band of hornets takes on a sh**swarm of bees. Sort of like the insect version of the movie "300", but more of an ass-whooping believe it or not. Nature is proved cruel once again. And once again, nice guys finish last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSf3Kshq1M


Quick pic: Tattoos are for life
http://vinweasel.posterous.com/tattoos-are-for-life


Comin' 'round the mountain
Amazing downhill mountain biking footage filmed with a helmet-cam in the French Alps. Crazy frickin' bastards -- lucky the wheels didn't come off.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2m62b_mondial-du-vtt-descente-de-venosc-c


QuOteD
"We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower


Smugopedia
Pretend you know better.
http://www.smugopedia.com/


Poladroid
It's not really dead.
http://www.poladroid.net/


Gamesm: Chasm
Your platypus needs help escaping the canyon. (Whose doesn't?)
http://www.tubegame.com/chasm.html


Shake a Tail Feather
And finally, you've got to admire this parrot's gung-ho appreciation for classic R&B. You've got to imagine he's done this act a thousand times by now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bt9xBuGWgw


Famous last words
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." -- Walter Bagehot


Have a bueno weekend,
vW

You call this progress?

Holamigo,

A news flash from the political incorrectness files. The Daily Tube sez: "With unemployment at a record high and layoffs increasing everywhere around you, it should be something of a relief to sweatshop workers that their employers have actually invested into a technology that will help them keep their jobs."

ONN: New Portable Sewing Machine Lets Sweatshop Employees Work On The Go
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/new_portable_sewing_machine_lets


Graham talks social networking
A reminder of why you maybe should be afraid to go on Facebook. Painfully close to reality for some.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFKHaFJzUb4

(And on a related note, this was an entertaining and on-the-money article: You Can't Friend Me, I Quit!)


Quick pic: The Future
http://twitpic.com/1faqu/full


News you can reuse: Bottom reached (Thanks Pops)
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/bottom_reached


QuOteD
"Change is inevitable (except from a vending machine)." -- Robert C. Gallagher


Save the Words
A different kind of adoption service.
http://www.savethewords.org/


Quick pic: "Very Gradual Change We Can Believe In"
http://www.zazzle.com/very_gradual_change_we_can_believe_in_tshirt-235487367914303657


Game time: Don't shit your pants
A survival horror game.
http://www.kongregate.com/games/Rete/dont-shit-your-pants


The 20 Most Terrifying Pictures of Ronald McDonald Ever
And finally, something a little scary. In the author/poster's own words: "What inspired me to write this post? Well, I was trying to search for a shot of Heath Ledger's Joker that I hadn't seen a million times and this came up. Yup, haven't seen that before. And that got me thinking about a long-held childhood fear, that Ronald McDonald is pretty damn creepy. He shook my hand in a parade once and I've never been the same since." Ready to be afraid and/or amused?
http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2009/02/25/the-20-most-terrifying-pictures-of-ronald-mcdonald-ever/


Famous last words
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." -- Alvin Toffler


Ciao for now,
vW