Today In WTF

You know that really cool Volvo commercial with Jean Claude Van Damme that went viral last week? (27 million views in four days viral)

This isn't it...




That isn't really Toronto mayor Rob Ford.  It's the work of a visual effects company in New York City by the name of Artjail.

Hilarious and horrifying, all at the same time.

BTW, during the same city council meeting today, Ford was filmed mimicking drunk driving and knocking a female city councilwoman to the ground. He's a walking cringe factory.

A Video For 'Somebody That I Used To Know' That's Worth Watching

Personally, I find this one much more entertaining than the official video released by Gotye.  It features two six-year-old kids singing along to the song in the backseat of a car.  It's surprisingly stirring.  Take a look:

Will The Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up? (Video)

I had a chance to see this video earlier today.  When I did, there were less than 100 views of it on YouTube.  By the time I got around to post this, there's more than 30,000.  Story of my life.

Until today, I never realized how monotone Romney is.  He lacks vocal inflection to such a degree that you can seamlessly edit portions of his speeches together.  Who would have thought that Mitt would become the world's next great white rapper?  Hell.  If Eminem is white, Mitt Romney glows in the dark...

"Every Mormon, swing your underwear.  Sing the chorus, Papa Bear."

"Jedi Mindfuck" (Video)

A dad filmed his four year old watching 'The Empire Strikes Back', just as Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that he is his father.  His reaction is priceless.

29 Year Old Deaf Woman Hears Her Voice For The First Time (Video)

Eight weeks ago, 29 year old Sloan Churman heard something for the first time that most of us take for granted - her own voice.  She was born deaf, and though she has been wearing hearing aids since the age of two, they can only do so much.  Recently, she received an implant called an Esteem by Envoy Medical.  It's implanted in the middle ear, and uses the eardrum as a microphone.  It picks up sounds through the ear canal and naturally reduces background noise.

Take a look at the video.  It's very touching.



From what I have read, the Esteem is virtually invisible.  It also works much differently than a Cochlear implant.  If you haven't seen this video before, it is of an 8 month old little boy named Jonathan.  Doctors are testing a Cochlear implant that has just been placed in his ear canal.  When they turn it on for the first time, look at his reaction when he hears his mother's voice.  It's amazing.



This is what advancements in technology are about.  At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how thin your cell phone is, or how many apps it has access to.  The clarity of the latest high definition televisions aren't important.  None of those things are improving the day to day life of those who need it the most.  A child born deaf today may never have the need to learn sign language or to read lips.  Think about that for a moment.  They can function, and thrive, on a level playing field in a hearing world.  What does the next twenty years have in store for the medical field?  Will disabilities and sensory loss be a thing of the past?

Video: MUST WATCH Mind Blowing Dubstep Dancer

For the record, I cannot stand dubstep music.  I don't know why.  Maybe, I'm just getting older, but it grates on my nerves.  That being said, this is the most impressive video I have seen in months.

It comes from a 29 year old dancer from Lawrenceville, Georgia, named Marquese Scott.  Now, I have seen this video more than a half dozen times.  First, this guy's moves are simply astounding.  We're talking "21st Century Michael Jackson" level dance moves.  Secondly, I had to make sure the video wasn't tweaked or edited.

Pay attention to the traffic in the window's reflection behind Marquese.  Even while he's moving in slow motion or in reverse, it continues to move at normal speed in the background.  The video is real.  Take a look:



It's easy to see how this video has received 1.2 million hits in 3 days.

Video: Cool State Capital Movie Clip Super Edit

YouTube user dondrapersayswhat has a history of piecing scenes from movies and television shows together, and producing hilarious montages.  His latest clip is a "supercut" from 67 films that lists the state capitals of all 50 states in the U.S., in alphabetical order, by state.  It's quite clever.

Video: This Grey Cat Is Kind Of A Dick

Notice how the clip was edited?  How long was the cat sitting on the box?

I love the way it patted the white cat on the back at the end, as to say, "Sorry bro.  Totally didn't know you were in there."

Video: Sleepy Baby Is Sleepy

She's trying so hard to stay awake.  This is too cute.  Dammit, now my ovaries are hurting.

Video: The Funniest Thing You'll See All Day

Via Tosh.0, I'm proud to present "The Splendiferous Barfing Cup":

Video: 2 Brits Discover The Wonder That Is Walmart

Liam and Alex, members of the band Chameleon Circuit, check out the madness and majesty that is a Walmart supercenter.  Hilarity ensues.

Video: Sesame Street + Beastie Boys = Sure Shot

I have seen this video on a number of sites in the last day or so.  Every time I see it, I can't help but bob my head and smile.  Great job at slowing down some of the footage to present the illusion of lip-syncing.  Very funny.

Video: Impressionist Does Shakespeare In 25 Voices

This guy is amazing!  Often, when you see an impressionist doing a bit, it's some childish political humor.  Many times, they're appealing to the least common denominator.  In the case of comedian Jim Meskimen, he's doing Shakespeare.  Clarence's speech from Richard III, specifically.  25 voices in the 3:46 clip.  Though is George Clooney is a bit rough, it's certainly worth your time.



What a way to sell tickets to your show.

George C. Scott Reacts To New Adam Sandler Trailer

In what may be the beginning of the next huge internet meme, Paul Bonanno presents the trailer for Adam Sandler's new movie, 'Jack and Jill', with a reaction from George C. Scott.  It's safe to say that Scott isn't a fan of Sandler's movies.



I have a feeling this is going to be bigger than the Hitler reaction videos on Youtube.  Comedic genius. 

The reaction clips come from 1979's 'Hardcore', for those who are curious.

MUST SEE VIDEO: 16 Year Old Mixes 39 Songs In 3 Minutes, Live

A French kid, and I do mean kid (he's 16), posted a video on Youtube three days ago.  It starts out simply by saying, "Here are 39 songs I like."  What follows in the next 3:25 is something that must be seen, and heard, to believe.

Madeon is a DJ that has yet to have his first professional club appearance.  Again, he's only 16.  But, by using a Launchpad, a mid-level MP3 accessory that costs about $200, he is able to spice mashup 39 separate tracks to complete a new track entitled 'Pop Culture'.



Say what you will about DJs and digital artists.  "They're not real musicians."  "Well, it takes a lot more talent to be able to read music and play the piano."  I could go on and on.  It takes someone with an phenomenal understanding of music, melody and beat to put together something of this magnitude.  No computer program in the world can simply patch this stuff together.  You have to practically have a sevant level mathematical comprehension to pull of a feat like this.  It's nice to know that for every Justin Bieber in the world, there's a kid like Madeon.

In case you missed a few songs, the 39 songs were:

Alphabeat - Boyfriend
Alphabeat - Fascination
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Black Eyed Peas - Gotta Feeling
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
Capsule - Can I Have A Word
Chromeo - Momma's Boy
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Daft Punk - Aerodynamic
Daft Punk - Around The World
Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon (Madeon Remix)
Deadmau5 - Right This Second
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
ELO - Mr. Blue Sky
Girls Aloud - Biology
Gorillaz - Dare
Gossip - Heavy Cross (Fred Falke Remix)
Gwen Stefani - What You Waitin For (Jacques Lu Cont Mix)
Housse de Racket - Oh Yeah
Justice - DVNO
Justice - Phantom Part II
Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
Ke$ha - Take It Off
Kylie Minogue - Wow
Lady Gaga - Alejandro
Linkin Park - Crawling
Madonna - Hung Up
Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette - Boys and Girls
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Nero - Me and You
One Republic - All The Right Moves (Danger Remix)
One-T - Magic Key
Ratatat - Shempi
Solange - I Decided (Freemasons Remix)
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
The Killers - Losing Touch
The Who - Baba O'Riley (SebastiAn Remix)
Yelle - Que Veux Tu (Madeon Remix)

When Fact Meets Fiction

Casey Anthony was acquitted of murder charges last week in Orange County, Florida.  She is scheduled to be released from custody in two days, on July 13, after more than three years in prison.

Dexter Morgan is currently sitting in his office in Miami; less than four hours away.  What would happen if the players in these two worlds collided?



Things aren't looking too good for Ms. Anthony...

Minneapolis Cat Adoption PSA Goes Viral

Late last year, the Minneapolis based Animal Humane Society printed an article in their newsletter, 'Animal Tracks', about the local cat adoption crisis.  Their local facilities were over capacity with stray and surrendered felines.  Luckily, the right people were reading.

MAKE is a design studio that has done commercials for Nike, Target, Best Buy, and Burger King.  They are also located out of Minneapolis.  A number of staff members from MAKE have adopted cats in the past from the Animal Humane Society.  When they read the story, they were motivated to help promote adoptions the best way they knew how:  by filming a commercial at no charge.  Production started last November, and it aired for the first time about three weeks ago.  It's called 'I Want...'



So far, the commercial has been viewed nearly a half of a million times on Youtube.  A representative for AHS said that if the ad results in just one adoption, it's a job well done.

Video: Woman Gets Punched By Officer While Boba Fett And Stormtrooper Looks On

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

At an Atlanta area IHOP, on Sunday morning, at 4:00AM, a disagreement broke out between a woman and an off duty Atlanta police officer.  According to eyewitnesses, she was yelling at other patrons, and was asked to leave by the officer.  She refused.  That brings us to the video your're about to see.

Oh, fair warning.  This particular IHOP is apparently a fueling station for the Empire.  The gentleman taking the video is the "Hip Hop Stormtrooper".  He's sharing a table with Boba Fett, the galaxy's most dangerous bounty hunter.  I always pictured Boba Fett as...taller, and not as scrawny.



Did you see how hard the cop punched that girl at the :45 mark.  Damn.  Atlanta PD has released a statement regarding the incident:

"The officer involved in the arrest and confrontation with a patron at the IHOP in Buckhead has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Standards. Use of force by police officers is a matter the department takes seriously, and the OPS investigation will determine if the officer acted within established guidelines. Chief Turner has pledged to have the OPS investigation concluded in 10 business days.”

Just imagine what that place looks like after hours on Halloween night. 

Excuse Me, But I Was Promised Cookies.

For the last couple of years at Disneyland, two or three times each afternoon in Tomorrowland, they have something called the Jedi Training Academy.  They get a bunch of little grade school kids together, dress them up in robes, and give them each a plastic light saber.  Then a "Jedi" comes out and teaches them all some fancy moves.

During the middle of each show, Darth Vader and Darth Maul make a surprise appearance, and it's up to the little ones to fend them off.  They come up, one at a time, and duel on stage with Darth Vader.  It's really cute to see these kids get excited and think that they're in a battle with THE Darth Vader.  Some of these little ones are only 4 years old or so.  It's a great photo opportunity if you or your kid is a fan of 'Star Wars', and you have an hour to kill in the park, too.

Home video of a performance back in February, though, shows that in one instance, things didn't go exactly as planned.  When it was eight year old Sariah Gallego's turn to fight Vader, she bowed to him instead.  She turned to the Dark Side.



I so want that to be my kid someday!!!  She must have heard about the cookies.

Well Sariah was interviewed yesterday about the clip, and her motives were even more sinister than first thought.  She had bowed to Vader in order to gain his trust, become his apprentice, and later kill him and rule the galaxy. (Oh dear god.)

She says her inspiration came from Darth Zannah, an ancient female Sith Lord that killed her master Darth Bane.  For the record, even after listening to her interview, I had to look all of this up on a 'Star Wars' fan page, just to understand what she was talking about.  I'm a fan, but not as big of a fan as this eight year old kid, evidentially.  I must say, she has a really cool 'Star Wars' collection.  I was unaware that there were that many female characters in the 'Star Wars' universe.



Let this be a lesson to you, dads.  Little girls like science fiction, too.  Mine is only two right now, but you better believe, as soon as that evil monkey turns three, Episode IV is going into the DVD player.  Last time we were at Disneyland, I bought a set of 'Star Wars' toddler toys to introduce her to the characters, with the understanding that they are not to be opened until she starts watching the movies.

I figure with six movies (five if I leave out 'The Phantom Menace'), at roughly two hours or more apiece, that makes for some quality bonding time.  Hopefully, in five years, it will be my daughter scheming to take over the universe.

Ellen Knows Talent When She Sees It

Since Ellen Degeneres stepped down from the judge's booth at 'American Idol', she has really made a point to try to showcase new and undiscovered talent on her show.  She even started her own record label, ElevenEleven, to sign artists that she feels need to be seen and heard.  Her latest discovery is no exception.

Karmin is a band from Boston, comprised of Amy (who sings and plays guitar), and Nick (who sometimes sings and plays piano).  They've had a Youtube channel since August of last year, and do some amazing covers.  They've recently ventured out and started to record some originals, too.  Here is the video that got Ellen's attention.  It's a cover of Chris Brown's 'Look At Me Now', featuring Lil' Wayne and Busta Rhymes.  I have never seen anyone cover Busta Rhymes, and do it justice.  This white girl from Boston kicks it's ass...



Of all of the songs on Karmin's channel, my favorite is their cover of Adele's 'Someone Like You'.  They have a really original take on it.  First, they added a backing string track on the song, which adds a nice layer of depth to it.  Then, they turned it into a duet.  Amy has a great voice, but she can't compare to Adele.  At the moment, this song is the shoe in for Best Female Pop Album Vocal Grammy, if not Song of the Year or Record of the Year.  Amy has to strain on some of the notes, while Adele doesn't break a sweat.  She's a natural.

Nick, on the other hand, is impressive.  He has a natural gift and finds the harmony on the chorus effortlessly.  The result is beautiful, and hands down the best cover of the song I've heard yet.  The combination of the two voices really make it an emotional piece.  It really tugs at the heart strings.



If you haven't heard the original from Adele, here she is singing the song inside her home a couple of months ago.



You can find out more about Karmin by checking out their official website.  They even have an ITunes store, which carries all of their originals, as well as a number of their covers.  Unfortunately, neither of the two songs in this post are available for download....yet.