A NOT-SO-HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Everyone needs a hobby. It appears one Washington man's was constructing homemade torture devices (like this guillotine seen below).

Photo by Alberto Pizzoli

The contraption went into operation suddenly when one man had his shoulder in the prime spot and lost an arm. It wasn't said whether or not it was the man who made the device.

"I hope that's a Halloween costume," was one woman's reaction. It was not.

The victim has been transferred to Harborview for further treatment. Read the full story from CBS Seattle.

Not everyone is going to be having a happy Halloween it seems. At least now they know the guillotine works (for arms anyway).

PRIME PURCHASE: SAMURAI UMBRELLA

Introducing the Samurai Umbrella! You can be ready for the rain with unmatched speed and deadlier precision than anyone.

Not since Mary Poppins has anyone looked so cool with an umbrella.

Everyone will want to be under your umbrella-a-a-a-a.

You can purchase the Samurai Umbrella for just $28.95 at Neatoshop.

THE WIZARD OF AZ

On the Travel Snapshots section of CNN Travel this morning, I was awed by the pictures of one Floyd Yarmuth. He documented the majestic areas of Sedona, Arizona and the Petrified Forest National Park, two places now on my travelog as I walk planet Earth. Credit first, of course, to the Creator and then, of course, to the one who captured it. Both practice art and design. Creation begets further creation in a beautiful circle of development and achievement. For more from both, check out Yarmuth's portfolio.

Earlier this week, I beheld an incredible time-lapse video of a sand monster taking over Arizona. This leviathan-of-a-storm belongs to the breed and creed of haboob (news to me). As photographer Scott Wood reported, this haboob "engulfed the Phoenix metro area on July 5th." (There is no shortage of other impressive images at Scott Wood Photography.) I was traveling through several states that day, including Arizona for some miles; there was something special brewing in the air. I had no idea this was going on until I had returned to Los Angeles and checked Twitter. The dust gale delayed flights and left some 10,000 residents without power. From what I could gather, nobody was hurt. Amazing really, you'd think somebody would have crashed their car with such driving condition abounding. Here is CNN's coverage of the story, which includes more video of the undertaking (or overtaking I suppose). One man, born and raised in Phoenix, said it was "unreal" and "like a movie." It certainly looks like something Roland Emmerich would salivate over having in one of his productions.

And so, after having two different sources in one week lead me to the spectacles of Arizona, I was pushed to write, post, and share. Having lived in America's Southwest for years, I know the exclusive beauty and mysterious energy lodging in that region. The first time I saw a dust devil while driving through Santa Clara, UT would have left me speechless if it weren't for my teenage tendency to exclaim the likes of "dude... awesome!" I am ever-impressed by the world we live in and the ultimate "powers that be" who made this land for you and me.

MVOTT - AMERICAN PIE

I just barely watched this and absolutely had to share it with others. Like many cool and fascinating items, I learned about this from Twitter. Sure, I would have been bound to come across it sooner or later, but getting it sooner (it was posted on Thursday) and the source from which it comes ought to be noteworthy. If you want to know some stellar folks to "Follow," I have a few recommendations. I learned of this music video from Roger Ebert who Tweeted: "The greatest music video ever made. All done with a single uninterrupted shot. http://bit.ly/jTbylH." 


It certainly is done with a "single uninterrupted shot" and it just might be the "greatest music video ever made." The city of Grand Rapids (in Michigan) has come together in a big way: they have done a lip dub to "American Pie" by Don McClean and apparently set a new World Record in the process.


It may help to have a basic understanding of the recent single-shot lip-dub craze... In November of 2009, the students of Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington made an impressive lip dub of "Hey Ya!" by OutKast. It was a single take and featured myriad "faces in the hall." A month later, Shorewood High School (Shorecrest's rival in Shoreline) responded with a longer lip dub of "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates (recently made popular by the film "(500) Days of Summer"). What made it all the more impressive was that the entire thing was done backwards! The local news was sure to cover the story at that time. Other schools have produceed their own versions. I have not been following that scene as of late, but I will be looking into it because of this. "The Office," always ready to dissect memes of the day, began the Season 7 premier with one of their own lip dubs. (I apologize for the shoddy quality. If I find a better one, I will certainly replace it.) The group OK Go also deserves to be mentioned. While the songs are their own, they have certainly popularized the single-shot music video, often done with a homemade vibe about them.


Now back to the latest and greatest! "The Grand Rapids Lip Dub" (as it will be known) was not made by a school, but by the city itself. 5,000 people were involved for the nearly 9-minute extravaganza on a budget of $40,000. The music video was filmed just last week on May 22nd. (You see, these types of projects require very little editing.) Besides setting a World Record, the city was making a statement. Rob Bliss, the director and executive producer of the project, surely says it best, "This video was created as an official response to the Newsweek article calling Grand Rapids a 'dying city.' We disagreed strongly, and wanted to create a video that encompasses the passion and energy we all feel is growing exponentially, in this great city. We felt Don McLean's "American Pie," a song about death, was in the end, triumphant and filled to the brim with life and hope." 


I suppose we have whoever wrote said Newsweek article to thank.


As Rob Bliss (a fitting name for the man who would produce such a celebratory video) discussed, "American Pie" is a significant song, I'd argue one of the best in our nation's history. It is an anthem of the 20th Century, a tribute to men and women who rock. A reverent text that remains open to interpretation while still surely alluding to some certainties. Don McLean's worship of God and honor of men. Music speaks to our souls.


I did not know the story behind the production when I watched it just now (that realization came with writing this post), but I was still greatly affected by it. This is officially the first lip dub to bring tears to my eyes. They were tears of joy really, an appreciation of the human race as represented by the citizens of this conurbation. I did not know their cause, but could see in the countenances an honest and heartfelt effort. Thank God for it. There is so much good in this world! People joining together in a creative and constructive concept. There is glee and triumph here. A jubilation of group achievement and a healthy pride for their beautiful city! Oh, how I love people! Oh, what a way to sell your town! Do you know the breed of laughter that comes from joviality? Not because there is humor, but because there is a poised happiness. I just experienced that. My smile stretched and it felt refined. I love people.


Watching this I wondered how on earth they did it. What a tremendous undertaking! I also wondered how anyone can top this. Then I wondered if I should move to Grand Rapids, Michigan tomorrow.


I have the people of that city to thank.

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW DUCK VOICE

Here is a news story in several parts and it is not yet finished. Then again, how many stories are?

Meet Gilbert Gottfried. Chances are you have seen him somewhere. He is a comedian (among the most crude). He is an actor. He has also appeared on "Hollywood Squares." Mr. Gottfried has a very distinct voice: a persistent, grating, screech-like tone.  Perhaps that is what he is best known for.

Did you know he provided the voice the Aflac duck? A rather fitting choice for one of the most annoying mascots around. See one of their commercials here.

Last month brought tragic natural disasters to Japan. As with any large event, Twitter was positively abuzz. A new trend (#prayforjapan) immediately rose above the rest. Although, not all the tweets were positive or in good taste. Gottfried himself, a joker through and through, thought it was a good time to test some new material:

• "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now."

• "Japan is really advanced. They don't go to the beach. The beach comes to them."

He had a dozen tweets in total (which were later taken down). These quips did not fly for the voice of Alfac duck and Gottfried's professional neck was on the line. Alfac fired him on March 14th.

So, this morning I open to my browser's (Chrome) homepage (CNN) and I this picture catches my eye:

(Sorry, I am unable to copy the larger version of the pic, which appears in a slideshow within the article. Besides, now you are treated to the same picture and same size that caught my eye this morning.)

The attached report? You guessed it: auditions for the new voice of Aflac. I suppose the title of this post gave that away eh? You can find that story here. The best/worst part about the article is that there is some audition footage attached. Seriously, did some of these people know they were auditioning for the Aflac duck? Did they really practice and put this date on their calenders? There might be a useable sound or two among this bunch, but it is mostly laughably bad.

Gottfried was quick to apologize after being fired. Good for him. That does require some decency and thoughtfulness. If Aflac's casting department cannot find a better flock of voices (than those is said video) I really think they and Gottfried should let bygones be bygones and get back to quacking (which in this case is work).

AllMoPs 23

All Manner of Plugs: Issue 23 (3.21.2011)

a weekly informing and recommending email

Written by J.S. Lewis

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PLUG IN

Thanks for clicking this open and now thanks for starting to read. This is the 23rd helping of AllMoPs! There have been some changes to the program. For one thing, The Film Tome Report and Gamerain are no longer to be found in this email. They still exist and are now better than ever (including pictures). I will provide links to them in each issue. In fact, here you are: The Film Tome Report: Issue 23 and Gamerain: Drop 23. The rest of AllMoPs is the same as always and can be found below. Enjoy!

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MVOTW

"Hooked on a Feeling" by David Hasselhoff

This has been on YouTube for five years? I don't know how I went so long without seeing it until now. Special thanks to members of VGAME for showing me this. I do not know how this video came to be, why Hasselhoff agreed to it, or why more people don't watch it on a daily basis. It is one of the most entertaining MVs I know of.

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A LIST

The Hollywood Reporter announces "Hollywood's 10 Most Stupid Tweets."

Yesterday Cracked published "6 Insane Uses of Animals in Wartime (That Actually Worked)." A friend and I actually did a presentation on this topic last year in our Chinese class (learning how to say "incendiary monkeys" in another language has blessed my life). What did I learn? Genghis Kahn is a brilliant strategist. Also, see the related article entitled, "7 Insane Military Attempts To Weaponize Animals."

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MONKEY DO

I will let the title of the article speak for itself: "Woman Goes to Court with a Monkey in Her Bra." 

 

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POLICE BEAT

Assault

March 2: A student reported being told to sit down at the basketball game. He did not comply and he was grabbed and hit in the face.

Criminal Mischief

March 4: Microwaves from Helaman Halls were moved into the hall lounge, where someone destroyed them by running food in them for a considerable amount of time. When officers responded they found the ruined microwaves along with charred remains of a burrito. Police said this has already happened twice in Helaman Halls, and investigation is pending.

Suspicious Behavior

Feb. 18: A writing center employee reported a male student often comes to the center to receive help with sexually explicit stories he has written. The male also pushes to spend an hour with tutors even though most students are only allowed 30 minutes. The writing center is taking action while police are monitoring the situation.

March 2: Officers received a report of a van with fogged windows and seats removed from the vehicle. The caller suspected lewd acts were being committed in the van. Upon arrival, the officers discovered 10 fully-clothed individuals watching a movie.

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RANDOMONIA

This is one of the funniest videos I have ever seen. Well made!

Terrifying.

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UNPLUG

Unestimated chinchillas! If you have any comments, questions, requests, complaints or threats please let your voice be heard by allmops@gmail.com. If you wish to be removed from the AllMoPs send-list, let me know. If you wish to add someone, let me know. Remember, all previous AllMoPs are available at my blog, All Manner of Posts. Have a merry week and thanks for plugging in!

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AllMoPs 22

All Manner of Plugs: Issue 22 (3.7.2011)

a weekly informing and recommending email

Written by J.S. Lewis

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PLUG IN

Missed the last two week, but like a good boomerang I have returned and like a good pizza boy I am delivering (on a Monday!). Sit down and relax, the links are on me. Well, not on me, but provided by me. You know? No? Here:

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MVOTW

"Welcome To Heartbreak" by Kanye West

An interestin' visual to one of the excellent tracks from Kanye's "808s and Heartbreak." It was an experimental mechanical album (entirely done with auto-tune) and this MV seems have the same hard-shelled casing of technology with a flesh and bones message inside. No, your computer is not wigging out, it is supposed to look like that.

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A LIST

Forbes presents "25 Stunningly Dumb Warning Labels." Sadly, there are probably reasons for them.

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NEWS TO ME

Tony Mangan from Ireland plans to run a marathon every day for three years... and I thought trying to watch a movie every day was hard. Video news here.

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GAMERAIN

At the Game Developers Conference this year, Toru Iwatani (the creator of Pac-Man) spoke on the influences and development of the arcade classic from 1980. Check out IGN's entertaining and informative article, "7 Things You Never Knew About Pac-Man."

Xbox Live Arcade is one of the best platforms for gaming today. With new releases every week and with multiple 5-star titles already in the library, it is an easy sale for anyone interested in games. Besides that, every game is required to have a playable demo! Last year IGN posted their "Top 25 Xbox Live Arcade Games." My only grievance is that their placement of "Braid" is much too low... Still, their #1 is a pleasant surprise!

"Pokemon White" and "Black" for the Nintendo DS hit shelves today (on a Sunday, I know, weird right?). Of course, it is the same tried-and-true formula with some new features slapped on, namely the 3D-ish environments. IGN gave the game a 9 and labeled it "Amazing." Click here for access to their written and video reviews. The game currently has an 87 on metacritic.

Before TIm Burton got his hands on the "Alice in Wonderland" franchise (which turned out to be a rather disappointing venture) there was "American McGee's Alice," a macabre and bloody action game based on Lewis Carroll's books. Now, American McGee and his team at Spicy Horse are finishing the sequel, "Alice: Madness Returns," due this summer (June 14th). Here is the trailer and gameplay. I feel the twisted visuals and overall lunacy demonstrated herein surpasses what you may have seen in theaters last year and that is what Alice is all about. Still, no adaptation can surpass the under-appreciated masterpiece that emerged from Disney studios in 1951.

If I am going to buy one game this year, it is going to be "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." The first trailer (with gameplay!) came out last week. All of the excitement that I had in the months before "Oblivion" released is coming back! It is a grand time to be a gamer. Charles and Ryan from IGN breakdown the trailer in a hearty session ofRewind Theater. There is so much to dissect herein and they do a great job (even managing to point out the nirnroot that I honestly missed!). 11.11.11 is the day.

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THE FILM TOME REPORT

THE TRAILER ROUND-UP

We have had a teaser, a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl and now finally a full trailer! I speak of "Kung Fu Panda 2." I am a fan of the first, which featured one of the most stellar training montages in all of film, and hope this one can match if not surpass it. I think the trailer looks great, more in terms of the visuals than the film as a whole. In any case, Po asks a perplexing question, "How can kung fu stop something that stops kung fu?" We shall be able to find come May 26th.

It's true, the folks at Dreamworks thought it would be a good idea to give Puss in Boots, the metro-swash-buckling kitty voiced by Antonio Banderas from the "Shrek" sequels, his own film. It is called... "Puss in Boots." This silly teaser tells us little of the narrative, but looks to take place in a Latin setting and methinks it will be an origins story for the Zorro-like feline. The "Shrek" series ended off on a very high note with "Shrek Ever After" (although ANYTHING could be considered very high when compared with the king of tripe known as "Shrek the Third"), so I am justified in being a little hopeful.

"Legend of the Fist," starring kung fu master Donnie Yen as kung fu master Chen Zhen will knock your shoes and socks off! Not since the exceptional likes of "Kung Fu Hustle" have I seen a stylized martial art epic set in a 20th century world that looks so sweet. While we yawn our heads off in the West with one superhero movie after another (not to mention one rebooted superhero movie after another), the East is sharpening a knife to slam in the table of contemporary action films. Hiyah!

Rainn Wilson, BKA Dwight from "The Office," stars in "Super" (I am a little envious someone officially used that title before me and in a similar way and for a similar reason), not your typical super hero film. I have yet to see last year's "Kick Ass," but this certainly harks back to its likes. After beholding the trailer I must declare my love for it: The confrontation and abandonment of cliches, the hand-drawn comic book effects and use of blunt humor all seem golden. Kevin Bacon, Liv Tyler and the Ellen Page co-star!

Toss of the Week: The namesake for "A Better Life" seems to be what the father in this film hopes his son will have compared to his own. Father-son relationships are among the most touching to me, add on the situation of a foreigner trying to make a life in America (a situation I have come to intimately learn) and you have a narrative that grips me from the get-go. The lead performances seem promising enough throughout the carefully shot sequences that lend themselves to realism. In this trailer I saw a sort of contemporary retelling of "The Bicycle Thief," a film that reaches greatness on multiple facets. "A Better Life" will hit select theaters on June 24th.

ENLSITED

Will Entertainment Weekly's list of "25 Greatest Working Directors" have you shaking your head in disbelief or nodding in agreement? Thankfully, my noggin did more of the latter. JoBlo responds.

AND THE WEIRD

The rumors are true... Lucas is bringing back "Stars Wars" with a 3D makeover, starting with "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." It will hit theaters on February 10, 2012. I for one am not planning on being there. On one hand, it will be an interesting experiment and some will see if the conversion works, on the other hand, it seems like business as usual and audiences will surely fill the hungry pockets of some.

Not sure what I feel about a sequel to "Dumb and Dumber." If it is near as bad as the prequel looked, no thanks. Still, the Farrelly brothers seem to be for it and I must ever remember that few duo can make me laugh like Carrey and Daniels.

I thought this spoofed trailer was magnificent! I am a big fan of "The King's Speech," but must accept this a spot of well-done fun. Great to see Tyson's acting chops in "The President's Speech."

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UNPLUG

Underage jabberwocky! If you have any comments, questions, requests, complaints or threats please let your voice be heard by allmops@gmail.com. If you wish to be removed from the AllMoPs send-list, let me know. If you wish to add someone, let me know. Remember, all previous AllMoPs are available at my blog, All Manner of Posts. March on and thanks for plugging in!

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