Experience Human Flight

I have always equated skydiving with the fall.  Dropping at roughly 120 mph from an airplane at 8-10,000 feet had never sounded like pleasant experience.  An adrenaline rush?  Yes.  Cheating death?  Absolutely.  But peaceful, even otherworldly?  Not in a million years.  Then I saw this advertisement for Melbourne Skydive Centre, in Australia.



I'm a believer.  What an ethereal experience.  I realize that this is an advertisement, and the point of an advertisement is to sell a commodity.  But, to take a product like skydiving, and present it in a way that is contradictory to the world's expectation of it...that is simply brilliance in both film making and marketing.

Don't tell my wife, but is going to be my reward for losing another fifty pounds.  At that point, I will be at a weight where I can go on my first tandem jump, and fly for the first time.

A Video Countdown Of Disney's 50 Animated Feature Films

From 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' in 1937 to 'Tangled' in 2010.  This is a bonus feature on the 'Tangled' DVD and Blu Ray discs.  I saw it for the first time yesterday, and thought I would share.  I was surprised at how many of the films I haven't seen.  Interestingly, the list does not include any of the 11 Pixar films that had been released between 1995 and 2010.

A Belated Easter Message From Dr. Seuss

...And 'The Kids In The Hall'.



Sure beats the 'My Book of Bible Stories' from my childhood.

Watch Moby's Video For 'The Day'

Last Thursday, Moby released the video for 'The Day', the first single from his upcoming album, 'Destroyed'.  It stars Heather Graham as a hospital nurse/demon slaying angel.  In a word, it is remarkable.  It uses an artistic style that is unrivaled in music videos today.  It is simply glorious.  Heavy on religious imagery, the song is surprisingly not about life and death.  Rather, according to Moby himself, it's about dealing with addiction.  The video will stick with you, guaranteed.

Without a doubt, 'The Day' is the best track Moby has released since his 1999 album, 'Play'.  See for yourself.

The Return Of Mash Up Monday

After a brief hiatus (four weeks), I think it's about time that I start posting one of my favorite weekly blog posts.  Regrettably, there hasn't been much that has been released lately that is...how should I put it?...noteworthy.

Norwegian Recycling released a new mashup last week, but it isn't as good as the tracks that he normally produces.  Don't get me wrong.  It's still pretty good, but just not at the "genius" level that I have come to expect from him in recent months.

SpareElbowSkin has released a couple of new tracks within the last month, or so.  I really like his Katy Perry/Genesis mashup that he released on March 29th.  I would normally post a video of that today, but I feel like I am starting to play favorites, especially since my last two posts focused on his music.

Instead, I started to do a Youtube search for mashups that included my favorite artists.  Today, I found a couple of really impressive mixes that have Radiohead tunes as their base.  I was quite a bit apprehensive when I first saw the descriptions of the songs.  Conceptually, they sound like a nightmare, but they were pleasant surprises.  In fact, the first one has become one of my favorite tracks to listen to.

The first track is taken from a site called MaxMashups.com.  Unfortunately, since this was uploaded over two years ago, I can't find where the creator of the mashup was given credit.  It's a mix of Radiohead's 'No Surprises', with Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World'.  It's called 'What a Wonderful Surprise'.  Indeed it is.



The second mashup of the day comes from Go Home Productions.  It has, believe it or not, been floating around the channels of Youtube for more than three years now.  It combines Radiohead's 'Karma Police', with The Beatles' 'A Day In The Life'.  It's entitled 'Karma In The Life'.  It narrows the song down to a manageable three and a half minutes, and takes out McCartney's lyrics from the song, which, in my opinion, never really should have been in there to begin with.  It was if the two songs were made for each other.  Peanut butter and jelly.



I hope you enjoyed the tracks.  For one, I put the 'What a Wonderful Surprise' as a favorite on my Youtube list.  It's that good.

Breaking News: Interview With Woman That Tried To Stop McDonald's Beating

For those of you that have seen the now viral video of Chrissy Lee Polis, getting beaten by two women outside a Baltimore area McDonald's ladies room, it's apparent that no one in the restaurant tried to save her.  The manager made a vain attempt to break up the attack.  Other employees can be heard laughing and practically cheering the assailants on.  The employee that took the video even went so far as to tell the attackers to run, before the police showed up.

No one seemed to be on this young woman's side, except for Vicky L. Thoms.  She is the lady in white that steps in at about the 2:00 mark to try to protect Ms. Polis.  If you watch the video closely, you can even see Polis wrap her arm around Thoms' leg, in a desperate attempt to get away.  But Thoms was out numbered and out matched.  She was punched, "the way someone would punch a man", according to Thoms, and shoved to the ground.

"Interviewed in her home Monday by The Baltimore Sun, Thoms said she had stepped in because she feared the assault on Polis might be fatal. "I thought, 'They're going to kill her,' " Thoms recalled, stressing that she is not a heroine and would have helped anyone, despite her concern about aggravating a back injury. I couldn't take it any more," Thoms said, describing her horror as she watched the beating for about two minutes.

She also said she had no idea the victim was transgendered, but added that it would not have mattered. "It didn't matter if it was a pig laying there being beaten," she went on, tearfully.

"I still would have helped. I knew she was clinging on to her life. I just keep seeing it over and over again." 

  

Breaking: Candlelight Vigil Taking Place Tonight At Scene Of McDonald's Beating

At 7PM Est. tonight, a candlelight vigil is scheduled to take place at the McDonald's location in Rosedale, MD, where Chrissy Lee Polis was savagely beaten on April 18th.  The vigil, organized by a number of local equality, trans, and LGBT organizations, is meant to show support for not only Ms. Polis, but the transgendered community in the Baltimore area as a whole.

The vigil is being planned Trans-United, TransMaryland, the Baltimore County for Equality, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and other allies. 

“Our primary concern is for Ms. Polis’ well being. We will support her through this difficult time and we ask that the legal process be unhampered and thorough,” TransMaryland spokeswoman Jenna Fischetti says in a press release issued on April 24. 

“This is precisely the kind of hatred and bigotry that transgender women and men deal with on a daily basis,” adds Caroline Temmerand of the GLCCB, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland. “We as a society have failed if we cannot do more to protect all Marylanders from this kind of brutality.”

Based upon a large number of hateful comments that I have seen on local Baltimore news sites, I wouldn't be surprised to see some counter protesters, at what should otherwise be a peaceful event. When video of the vigil becomes available, I will have it posted on The Daily Twitch.

So far, Baltimore Police has charged one of the assailants, a 14 year old female, as a juvenile.  Police are still trying to determine whether to try her as an adult saying, "We're looking at the proper place for her case to be".  The prosecutor has not ruled out the filing of hate crime charges at this time.

The other woman involved, 18 year old Teonna Monae Brown, was arrested on a count of first degree assault and two counts of second degree assault for her role in the April 18th beating.  She has extra charges against her for punching the 55 year old woman that tried to stop the attack.

Interestingly enough, she was arrested on July 27, 2010, for a fight with a man, that took place inside the same McDonald's location.  The victim in that case dropped the charges, but refused to tell prosecutors why he wanted them dropped.

The District Attorney's office has said that no charges will be filed against Vernon Hackett, the asshole that filmed the attack on his cell phone and did nothing to stop the beating.  The state of Maryland does not have any laws that impose punishment on someone that fail to help those that are being attacked.  He did lose his job, though, and has had his name and image blasted across every television across the state labeling him as a douchebag.

In case you were wondering, Polis is planning on suing the McDonald's corporation for what some of their employees did that evening, but more importantly, what they didn't do.  No one stepped in and helped her when she needed it most.

A Two Year Old's "To Do List"

Earlier today, I had an appointment at the hospital downtown for a couple of tests to rule out possible conditions that may be causing my "mystery illness". I was there for approximately a little more than four hours, and had an SSEP, as well as a Doppler procedure on the arteries and veins on my legs.  From what I understand, my little girl was, to say the least, a handful.

On the way home, my wife and I were talking about what we had planned for the rest of the day.  Lennon suddenly piped up from her car seat and declared her "To Do List" for the day, as follows:

1. Climb up the stairs when we get home.
2. Put Star Kitty (her best friend/favorite stuffed animal) to bed for a nap.
3. Climb the trees.
4. Save the monkeys.
5. Save ALL the pandas.

Goddamn.  And to think, all I really have to do is take out the trash today.

TLC Announces New Lineup - "All Dwarfs, All The Time"

Monday night is especially big on little people (pun intended), with 'Little People, Tricky Fridge' at 7, and 'Dwarf Hoarders' at 10.



Is 'Dwarf Hoarders' about dwarfs that are hoarders, or people that hoard dwarfs?  The latter would be much more entertaining.  Then again, wouldn't that just be a replay of 'Snow White'?

In all seriousness, though, is it just me or do the Discovery Networks, which include TLC and Animal Planet, have a fascination with little people?

For the record, I'm not going to post video of any of the shows that I'm going to mention.  The above video was made as satire, but I think that it makes a valid point.  At some time within the last five years, TLC has realized that little people attract viewers.  Viewers attract advertisers, and advertisers generate revenue.  Millions and millions of dollars of it.  TLC, and their parent company, Discovery, have gotten rich exploiting, let's face it, a disabled segment of the population.

It all started with the Roloff  family being filmed in 2006 for 'Little People, Big World'.  The show featured little people parents, a set of twins (one of which was a little person), and two younger siblings.  The final episode aired in December of 2010.

Then came 'The Little Couple'.  It debuted on TLC in October of 2009.  It features a dwarf couple by the name of Bill, who is 4' tall, and Jen, who is 3' 2" tall, and is a neonatologist at Texas Children's Hospital, in Houston, Texas.  The show's fourth season is supposed to premiere on May 31st.

Then on January 31, 2010, 'The Little Chocolatiers' debuted on TLC.  This show mixed the two popular genres of little people shows and cake/cooking shows.  It features chocolate shop owners Steve Hatch and his wife Katie Masterson, who are little people, and the goings on in their Salt Lake City shop.  It was canceled after one season.

Let's not forget 'Pit Boss', a show on Discovery owned Animal Planet, which crossed the popular little people and Pit Bull rescue genres.  It debuted two weeks before the "Oh how cute.  Little people are making chocolate" show, on January 16, 2010.  It follows Shorty Rossi and his group of little people Pit Bull activists, as they rescue, steal, and care for Pits at Shorty's Rescue, his personal Pit Bull rescue facility.  It's currently in it's third season.

At least they're not TruTV.  The network, which is owned by TBS, has signed a contract with former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan to develop and star in a show tentatively titled Micro Championship Wrestling, or 'Hulk Hogan's MCW'.  It will feature Hogan "serving as a mentor to the wrestlers -- who also happen to be little people -- in a new professional league."  Really?  Really.


So pull up a chair people.  Grab a beer.  Let's sit back and laugh at the midget wrestlers on TruTV.  Check your local listings.

Radiolab Presents 'Symmetry'

Radiolab, a public radio show that is heard on approximately 300 stations nationwide, has released their latest "visual poem", entitled 'Symmetry'.  I have been a fan of their visual poems for a while, now.  But, before I show you the video, I need to give you an idea as to how it works.

'Symmetry' has virtually no words in the video.  It is up to your mind to form the words of the poem.  You'll see a split screen with two images on it, and you'll catch yourself saying something like "peanut butter and jelly", or "cops and robbers".  It may take you a few seconds to get used to the concept of the video.

I promise you, it will be worth your time to watch it.  It's thought provoking, powerful, touching, and at times, utterly heartbreaking.  This is 'Symmetry'.



If you would like to see more of Radiolab's "visual poems", they can be seen at everynone.com.  One of my favorite poems of theirs is called 'Words'.  I enjoyed it the first time through, but really got into it the second time around, when I was able to fully grasp what they were getting at.  Very clever.



They say "a picture is worth a thousand words".  When a group of artists take video at 30 frames per second, and paint a picture to have your mind fill in the blanks, it can speak an opus of dialougue in a matter of three minutes.  At that point, it becomes a work of art.

I Need A Trim

At this point, I am far beyond a Galifianakis.  I am closely approaching a Matisyahu, and am quickly creeping up on a Fitzsimmons.  I'm starting to think that there are a family of finches nesting in there somewhere.  I can hear the babies cheeping at night.

Someone pass me the clippers.

An All Female Version Of 'The Hangover'?

Sign me up!  On Friday, May 13th, a movie is coming out that will likely redefine the meaning of "chick flick".  It's called 'Bridesmaids'.  Written by, and starring, SNL's Kristin Wiig, it follows a group of bridesmaids on their bachelorette party in Las Vegas.  From the trailer, it looks like it's going to give 'The Hangover' a run for it's money.



The standout star, of the trailer at least, is Melissa McCarthy.  She seems to be the scene stealer.  The Zach Galifianakis of the group.  If her name sounds a bit familiar, it's because some of you have probably seen her every week on CBS's 'Mike & Molly' as Molly.

It's scary how such a beautiful woman can be transformed into someone so....sketchy.  But, damn, are her scenes hilarious.

And let me just say, it's so nice to see Maya Angelou in a comedy again.

Best. Church. Sign. Ever.

I thought something like that was between me and god.  Or, at least my partner and I.

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.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day

Now go eat a ham, and find some eggs that a rabbit left you....to celebrate the resurrection of a Jewish carpenter.  Yeah.  That makes sense.