Slap Chop - Remix

I thought this advertisement was a great example of remix culture. I saw this new ad on TV and was very impressed. It's really cool when the stuff we talk about in class starts popping up all around you. I guess we just never really paid attention till we understand what it is we are seeing. Hope you enjoy!!

Mike Granato

Somebody's response to whale video

Here is a creative response to the whale video. It boggles the mind. I guess this person was expressing horror in a unique way. Or maybe it is an expression of helplessness since there is nothing anyone can do about it now. That's whale 3, mankind 0. The alien is a cute little fellow.

Here is a clip showing that killer whale that killed the female trainer. This whale has been involved in attacks on people before. It reminds me of Hurricane Katrina. There was an aquarium that Katrina destroyed, and all of the fish swam away. Fish psychologists said the whale is not happy being in cativity.

PatheticGirl43 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

spoof of pathetic girl

Chapter 5 YouTube Overview

We failed to mention that we totally got flagged by NBC Universal and CollegeHumor for using copyrighted material in this presentation. We did dispute the claim on the grounds of good faith/fair use/ solely for academic purposes. Our claim is still pending, so hopefully you'll be able to follow this link to our video. We also hope that Dr. Thompson will credit us 10 points for this week's blog post.

Cool Vlog

VEGGIE ATTACK!

I thought that this was an interesting vlog. This man takes the comments that are left on his video and integrates them into his life. He has had over 1,500 "creative challenges" given to him by viewers and then acts them out and posts them. By doing so, he is one of the most followed people on youtube. I think its interesting how vlogging has become such an integrated part of his life that he gets his wife and kids involved, and views in turn refer to members of his family by name.

The White House Official Vlog

When we think about vlogs, we usually think about funny things. There are some real serious vlogs exist too. For example, White House YouTube Vlog. Yes, it is the official White House Vlog.

As you might recognize, after Barrack Obama was elected as the president, he started making his office as transparent as it can be. He used Facebook and YouTube in his election campaign, and he continued using both of them after he was elected.

I speak as a foreigner, I think it's a great privilege for American citizens to be able to watch your government on YouTube minute to minute. You cannot miss press conferences. You can be aware of what's going on in the country. I am kind of jealous not to have this kind of a privilege in my country.

Please visit http://www.youtube.com/whitehouse if you haven't done yet.

The video below is one of the videos on White House vlog, President Obama's first overseas visit to Europe, and to my country, Turkey. I think you might find some information about Turkey from the own words of U.S. President. It was one of the most influential rhetorical speeches a U.S. President ever gave in Turkey.

President Obama speaks to US-Turkish relations in his address to the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Turkey on April 6, 2009. He discusses the progress of Turkey's own democratic reforms, and reaffirms US support of the Turkey's bid to become a member of the European Union.

Alternative Media Using Vlogs

I shared this video last semester in my seminar presentation for Dr. Thompson's Cultural Studies class. I consider New Left Media as one of the alternative media on the web. I consider all sorts of cultural and political video blogs on the web as part of the alternative media. Reason: They are media, which are alternatives to the business or government owned mass media. So these people pretty much produce media different than the mainstream media. Regarding in a political perspective, these people often think media are bias and ignoring opposition. They tend to think there is inequality of wealth and power. They also think misuse of money and power filter out the news.

I recommend you to start watching by 01:18. I think it's very interesting.

Coming back to this video, New Left Media is an independent owned alternative media. followed up on YouTube and only two people manage it: the reporter Chase Whiteside and the camera Erick Stoll. They ask “supposedly” fair questions people who are in supportive meetings for Republican Party. New Left Media is trying to take attention of democrats. Mainstream media often play with ideologies to promote not only the capitalism propaganda but also demonize social movements, such as health care reform. In New Left Media, there are some interesting short interviews with right-wing community. Especially, in Washington D.C. Tea Party, reporter Chase Whiteside tries to prove that people who support an ideology are not even aware of the actual meaning of the things they support.

New Left Media VLOG URL: http://newleftmedia.com/

Jackie Mason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqJEk6vgy1k&NR=1

I remember as a kid sneaking into the Television room after hours to watch the Red Buttons cinamax specials, Jackie Mason was a regular comendian on the show. His comedy of the 70's to 80's left me in sticks. I'll never forget my trip to New York city and meeting him out on the street. He was rather enjoyible man to visit with. Low and behold at the start of this project I discovered he had a vlog series. The number of posts alone shows his commitment to his craft, as a performer. Like many performers who reach that point in their career, when personal opinions will no longer reflect on ticket sales, Jackie Mason puts out very candid vlogs.

The Word on Tardiness and Arrogant Email

 A student at NYU's Stern School of Business sent a complaint email to a professor about his class's lateness policy. The professor emailed back...really, really emailed back. 

Boo-Ya!

Mc Donald's Sexual Assault Security Tape

Hey guys, I'm sure many of you know about this case but I happened to run into this video on Youtube and knew exactly what it was.....You will be SHOCKED!!!!!(WTF)

Vlog Posting

Hey guys, I saw this on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. It is awesome to see someone who is willing to stand up to "the man," and it took a lot of courage for her to do it! I give her a big ol' BRAVO ZULU (a navy term) for her posting!

HAHA tips on Vloging, I think some people should take notes!!

How Social Networks are Making TV Bigger than Ever

Finally, some sanity in the New York Times about how social networking encourages TV watching: "Blogs and social Web sites like Facebook and Twitter enable an online water-cooler conversation, encouraging people to split their time between the computer screen and the big-screen TV...'The Internet is our friend, not our enemy,' said Leslie Moonves, chief executive of theCBS Corporation, which broadcast both the Super Bowl and the Grammy Awards this year. “People want to be attached to each other.”

Why'd You Make Youur Username Schubes17? Vlog

Colleges Accepting YouTube Vids in Applications?

What is the world coming to? Check out the article below and try not to wince too much.

http://gizmodo.com/5477595/dramatic-chipmunk-phd-colleges-accepting-youtube-videos-as-part-of-application

~JV

Roger Ebert's Blog

Roger Ebert became world famous for his "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" TV show with Gene Siskel back in the 1980s. I kind of hate that model of film criticism, but his writing has much more depth. He has been engaged for almost a decade with a battle with cancer. In the last few years, he has been more productive than ever, more than a little due to his blog. He covers all sorts of material on it, and it's really compelling stuff. I'm posting a link to his "Best movies of the 2000s". Number 1, Synechdoche, NY.

Heater Campbell Vampire Chick

This is Heather Campbell, vampire living among us. Her language is foul, but she seems comfortable with herself. In the background, you can see the Olympics. Heather reviews the movie "Twilight" as only a vampire can. She reminds me of a friend who used to go to a vampire club in New Orleans.

Ooops

girl spoofing Texas A&M girls

I like this girl. She looks like a model and moves well. She is really cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bh70vt_Ds

Vinny's America Idol

Vinny is someone that says that he is going to audition on America Idol but the bus leaves him. He also plays different roles such as a dork, bossing man, and himself. Vinny is a funny and is good of trying to make people laugh. Vinny also does have more than one video posted on youtube.

VLOG

THIS BLOG IS TARGETED MORE FOR TEENS. BUT IT HAS A LOT OF FOLLOWERS, THIS BLOG ALONE HAS BEEN PLAYED ABOUT 46000 TIMES.

Vlog on Celebs

This video is of KevJumba who is Vlogging about celebrities and how the media hounds celebrities who are just ordinary people but at the same token most of the celebrities should not be viewed as role models for little girls.

And more goofy you tube stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boewpOWt988&feature=related

Saturday morning in the 80's!!!

Ah the memories...

Goofy you tube stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bz6_NBKGZg

Ok all you 30 somethings in our class...(you know who you are) do any of you remember these? Can you just remember sitting on the couch on a Saturday night (before you were old enough to be dating) and watching these? Or am I the only dork in this class??? (its ok if I am)

~Lisa

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong (The Vlog Brothers)

This is the latest entry of “The Vlog Brothers” – “Wrong, Wrong, Wrong.” In the vlog, Hank responds to five incorrect accusations John makes about him. This video qualifies as social media, because viewers have the opportunity to respond how they choose. The video itself is practically one large comment, because Hank responds to the accusations John made in a previous video. Also, along with replying in text format, viewers can respond by either linking another video for viewers to see (which may or may not be related to the video shown), or create their own video and say what they thought about it. Viewers also have the ability to recommend the video to other viewers via e-mail or posting the Web site link onto a social network.

-Rob Boscamp

Michael Buckley Vlog on 3rd grade and farting!!

This video blog is kind of boring in the sense that he drags it out longer than necessary. However, Michael Buckley created a whole series of 12 episode vlogs on each grade and his experiences with each grade that he found significant. Check it out, it can be funny, especially because he talks about farting when you were younger and how embarassing it was when you were a kid. But since he drags out the conversation, it's not quite as interesting as he could have made it.

-Jaclyn Nix

Philip Defranco Show

Funny, Funny, Funny! The Philip Defranco Show is a weekly Vlog with a news cast style mixed with comical remarks and his personal views on things. Hope you like!

You tube

Why is it that the media are afraid of anything that can not be regulated, controlled or profited from? In the case of you tube I believe the media see it as a form of infringement and anti-gate keeping. In essence it takes the power out of medias hands and puts in into the peoples. This is a good thing for society. As I read chapters 1-3 this week in "You tube" Digital media and Society, I thought of all the ways in which we live our lives based on what media decides is important. The concept of gatekeeping and its effects on daily life are evident in all spheres of influence-not just on the nightly news. Take a look around you the next time you are in the store or out and about around town and you will see there are "controlled" messages everywhere one looks. I believe one of the main reasons You tube is so successful is the fact that the people control this medium. Personally I love to use You tube for all sorts of mindless activities like listening to old commercials from the 80's. If I wake up in the morning and feel like hearing ABC Friday night at the movies bumbers-I can! (and I have) You tube gives us freedom. It is freedom to give and receive what we choose. This is truly what the media can not stand!!!

Film Pigs Vlog (NSFW Language)

This is a vlog I found today that features three buddies reviewing movies together. Although the guys are borderline obnoxious, they provide useful reviews. The vlog has entertainment value thanks to the more-often-than-not extreme critical nature of their reviews. They tend to take sharp jabs at the bad movies they see, as well as criticize the film-makers of those films.

Lloyd Dobbler

I'm a huge fan of most of John Cusack's work. Including, "High Fidelity", "Grosse Pointe Blank", "Ice Harvest", and of course, "Say Anything". "Say Anything" is nostalgia gold, and this parody of that movie's scene is funny.

But then again, so is this.

The Vlog Brothers

Hank and John Green are the "Vlog Brothers". They do not talk about anything in particular, but they seem to try to offer anything from advice to alternative perspectives of just about anything. They're weird, border between nerdy and geeky, and are relatively funny. I like the props to the "untapped resources" of nerddom and geekdom. And just so you know, there is a difference between a nerd and a geek.

Fred and What the Buck- I couldn't choose.

Fred is the product of Lucas Cruikshank a 15 year-old kid from Nebraska. The character is a 6 year-old ADHD child who's mother is an overweight alcoholic and his father is in prison. Fred is a one man show set in a video blog style. I stumbled upon Fred because my little brother Junie (who is 11) was completely enraptured with his show and watched it religiously, the absurdity is what drew me into the vlog and I have since subscribed. Also it is good to note that Fred now has more followers on youtube than Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Which is pretty awesome.



What the buck is a video blog hosted by Michael Buckley a youtube star in his own right. He comments on current celebrity news and events and is known for his cynical and often ridiculous remarks. Ring a bell? Well it might considering that it is very similar to the Perez Hilton style of gossip.

Twilight sucks blog

this guy seems incredibly annoying and spastic, yet mildly humorous. despite his annoying voice, we seem to be on the same page on how Twilight is LAME.

Vlog Posting

This kid is very angry over South Park saying redheads have no souls. The funnier part is all the responses people have had. That's the trade off, if you put your feelings out there you need to be prepared for people to respond in not the nicest ways.

-Leilani Stein

The Original Human TETRIS Performance

Our YouTube book discussed two examples of creative combination of a trick concept with capabilities of video recording and editing techniques. One of those is 'The Original Human TETRIS Performance' by Guillaume Reymond. It's pretty awesome. Enjoy!

Lazy Sunday: The Video that Made YouTube

Awesometown: The Lonely Island Pilot

The Lonely Island - Stork Patrol

Before there was Lazy Sunday, there was..."Stork Patrol."

James Cameron's Laser Cats

Lazy Ramadi: Vernacular Video

Tosh.0 Meets Denny Blaze

Tosh.0
Preview - Web Redemption - Average Homeboy
www.comedycentral.com
Web Redemption 2 Girls, 1 Cup Reaction Demi Moore Picture

Great You Tube Lecture

Hi Class, Check out the following post to a pretty good lecture on YouTube and the different ways it can be utilized! It's a bit long, but very informative!

REMIX CULTURE

I SAW THIS COMMERCIALS ON TV AND I THINK THEY ARE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF REMIX CULTURE. I THINK IS VERY INTERISTING HOW VIDEOS THAT ARE MADE BY FANS CAN BE A BIG INFLUENCE ON THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE COMMERCIALS, IT IS OBIOUS THAT THIS COMMERCIALS ARE INFLUENCED BY YOUTUBE VIDEOS.

Fair Play?

This is an old commercial, but it is one of my favorites.

Professor Thompson had asked, in class, if there should be a limitation to the "remixing" of already established or copyrighted material (I'm paraphrasing, obviously). And that reminded me of a question I asked myself when I first saw this commercial:

Is it ethical for a person to choose an interactive form of entertainment (specifically, video games, RPGs, MMORPGs, etc.) if it makes its name by replicating actual or historical war time events/scenarios of which real people have perished serving their country? Whether yes or no, why? And as a follow up, what conditions would be necessary for you to switch your answer to the opposite point of view?

I'm not referring to the "WoW" type/fantasy stylized games, but the realistically stylized games.

This Day in Tech from Wired Magazine

Feb. 16, 1978: Bulletin Board Goes Electronic:

Ward Christensen and Randy Suess launch the first public dialup bulletin board system. The two unleash the kernel of what would eventually spawn the world wide web, countless online messaging systems and, arguably, Twitter.



http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/02/0216cbbs-first-bbs-bulletin-board

The Dark Side of YouTube

Yes it’s odd but why does Dumbledore lose his clothes halfway through, and what’s with the pipe-bomb?

Pork and Beans

In the book YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture Burgess and Green discuss the emergence of YouTube’s “internal system of celebrity based on and reflecting values that don’t necessarily match up neatly with those of the ‘dominant’ media” (p. 24). They discuss, using Chris Crocker as an example, that a YouTube “star” must maintain that status by continuing to participate in YouTube. Burgess and Green say that this is different than the attention received by a winner of a reality TV program or someone who creates a viral video. What I immediately thought of was Weezer’s “Pork and Beans” video that contains several YouTube “stars”. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, director Mathew Cullen, called the video “a viral made of virals”. Cullen goes on to say that “the non-conformist message of ‘Pork & Beans’ felt like a very natural anthem for the self expression going on on YouTube” and the video was about celebrating what made each one of these YouTube “stars” special. The director also called the video “a redemption for these people. In the case of Afro Ninja, he gets to show off his skills. In the case of Miss Teen South Carolina, she gets put the questions they asked her in the blender and wield a light saber. Chris Crocker gets a hug from Rivers”. It appears being a YouTube “star” may have some fringe benefits.

MMORPGs: An Analysis

It’s been two months of hard work and dedication and now it’s time to reap the benefits…a nice piece of shoulder armor to match the other pieces you have. But wait! Something isn’t right…the armor is going to someone else…someone who only helps out…twice a month!

But what about your dedication and contribution every single week? Why should a filler person take the armor you’ve worked so hard for? All those 7-hour raid trips into the volcano core for naught. Welcome to MMORPGs.

The previous story is based on true events. In class last week, we discussed a different type of addiction game, the MMORPG. There was some debate in class about whether or not it’s a video game and there seemed to be some misinformation about them. As a former addict (going on five years free now) and lifelong game enthusiast, I’ll provide some insight into this dreadful delightful genre (no sarcasm here, folks!).

Regardless of whether or it’s Everquest, Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, or EVE Online, all MMOs have a basic style and set of mechanics. You know the game where spend 30 hours to beat it, see an end cutscene, and watch the credits roll? That’s not MMOs. There is no beating these games. There is no final boss to beat or end to the game. How can this be, you might wonder?

Let’s take WoW for example. Back when I played, the level cap was 60. You had to fight monsters and do quests to level up from 1 and go all the way to 60. The whole way there, you’ll collect gear and make new friends. This sounds fun, and for the most part it is. “But level 60 sounds like the end of the game” you might think. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some (like myself) believe that the game doesn’t truly begin until you hit level 60. With leveling up out of the way, you are free to pursue “high-end” gear and raid the most difficult dungeons. Raiding isn’t always easy and rather than doing the impossible stuff alone (like Halo’s Master Chief), you need large numbers of other players to help you take down that lava titan.

The most difficult dungeon when I used to play, Molten Core, required 40 people to complete. That’s 39 other people counting on YOU (especially if you are a healer class) to be there and ready to participate (and failure to do so would mean letting the team down). We used to start the party invites (because gathering 40 people takes time) at 5pm on Saturday afternoons and make our way to the dungeon. Fast forward to midnight or 1 am and we’d be leaving for the night with our loot.

It may sound like fun (or not) and a lot of it is, but it’s not easy. Some enemies require such specific strategies to beat that it requires timing and cooperation of everyone. One boss would target one player to self-destruct and anyone nearby would almost surely die. This would require everyone to pay attention so you don’t get targeted and accidentally blow up the healer along with yourself. I know from experience that this is bad.

When so much can go wrong you can bet it often did (trust me, it did). We’d spend hours getting our collective asses kicked only to leave empty handed for the night. To put that into perspective, imagine taking 5+ hours and doing the least productive thing you can think of with it. This was worse. And if you were the one that caused the party to “wipe” (a term to describe getting wiped out), imagine the guilt of having the time of 40 people on your hands…

This may sound like a Nazi experiment (and at times it sure felt like it) but it can be really addicting (understatement of the year), especially if you’re with a bunch of friends. It’s like going to a family reunion. A reunion that meets at least once a week… with a dysfunctional, trash-talking, drama-loving family…

Relapses aside, there was some confusion in class about paying per month to play these games. One person said it was “ridiculous”. That isn’t unreasonable, but it is a bit misinformed. You pay to play for a reason. Allow me to explain.

Imagine you are told to run a large store. This store will have thousands of people coming in and out at all hours of the day. You will need to constantly provide new products to purchase so you don’t lose your faithful customers. You also need to maintain the store and keep problem customers out and from bothering the good ones. Now multiply this by 200. You’ve got yourself quite a lot of responsibility and upkeep. Since there is no way you can manage these 200 stores alone, you’ll need plenty of help. You’ll need people to handle customer issues (problems, complaints, bad customers, etc.), adding new products, store upkeep, and so on. All of this will cost money…lots of it. It cannot be done for free or even a one-time fee. But that’s where your customers come in. Keep them happy and your business will thrive.

The above scenario is very much like how MMOs operate. All game data is stored server-side, meaning on the game’s computers, so if you accidentally fry your pc, your level 60 Druid will be fine. These servers cost tens of thousands of dollars for the company to run. And remember, you’ve got about 200 of them, not including any backups you might have. I mean, you wouldn’t want to lose several thousand level 60-80 characters that have armor that took six months to get, would you? (Hell hath no fury like an angered MMO gamer). Also, MMOs have Game Masters (GMs) that take care of customer complaints, police problem players (or griefers as we call ‘em), handle item issues and game glitches.

There is also another key component of MMOs that separate them from regular games and is another reason you pay for them monthly: the game developers. MMOs aren’t just a game out of the box that you play and beat - they constantly evolve. New content like armor, items, classes, level caps (WoW’s cap was level 60 when I played, now it’s 80), new areas/dungeons to explore and so on are always added. Expansions are also common for MMOs, which are basically add-ons that usually raise the level cap and add tons of new items and places to explore. In the 10 years of being online, Everquest has 16 expansions. That’s a lot of content for just one game.

I hope that you can now understand why you have to pay for these games. Contrary to class discussion, they do not cost $30 a month to play. $12-15 is standard monthly fare to play these games. While paying this monthly may sound like a lot, you actually save money (crazy, I know!). When I played WoW, I didn’t buy any regular games. Regular games run $60 a pop and you can beat some in 8 hours or less. If you buy two games in 3 months, that’s $120 compared to $45 for 3 months of an MMO. If anyone can juggle real life, an MMO, and a regular game, please share your secrets, because I don’t think it can be done.

MMOs are mindrot a different type of game. They’re not for everyone and even of the ones that do play them, only a small percentage are the ones that are “hardcore”, or the ones that spend 7 hours raiding one dungeon in search of the best armor in the game. Some are content to play an hour or two a night, while fools others have 40 accounts and play them at the same time on 40 computers (that scream you heard just now was probably you).

Unfortunately for me, I fell in between the two extremes. I used to spend countless hours a week playing these games. One time back in high school I even stayed up 24 hours just getting one level, stopping only for necessary breaks (food and the like). Hey, it’s called “Evercrack” for a reason. I have a lot of great memories from playing these games and I don’t really have any regrets for spending as much time on them as I did. I made lots of great friends, some of which I still keep up with on facebook and instant messaging. MMORPGs are dangerously addicting, which is why I swore them off after I quit WoW nearly five years ago. At least, until I get my Final Fantasy IV beta invite……

So there you have it folks, the wonderful *cough* world of MMORPGs. They have their ups and downs, like anything else. But hey, at least you’re not the guy playing 40 characters at once. And if you are, what the hell are you doing reading this? Get back to manning that Rogue!

/JV signout

The Future of Video Games

IGN.com just did a great article on what the future of video games might be. They interviewed several game developers and got their opinions. It's an interesting read and worth checking out.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/106/1069330p1.html

~JV

Why is the rum gone? (remix)

I'm a fan of Johnny Depp. I'm a fan of rum. Doesn't it just make sense?

Google Apologizes for Buzz Privacy Issues

If you're a Gmail user, then you may want to click on the "Buzz" tab of your account. After reading this article, I learned that I had already been thrown into the loop and was following/ being followed by nearly 20 people, most of whom were random Gmail contacts and people I had never met, and/ or distribution list recipients from my days as the PSA coodinator at UT's student radio station. In any case, you might want to double check.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/189329/google_apologizes_for_buzz_privacy_issues.html

Billboard Thighs and the Colbert Nation

This is Stephen Colbert's official Olympic poster for the Vancouver 2010 games. It was designed by Shepard Fairey, the same man who created the Obama "Hope" poster for his presidential campaign. What's Colbert doing at the Olympics you ask? He became the primary sponsor for the U.S. speed skating team (including Chad Hedrick, Apolo Ohno, and Shani Davis) when he stepped in after the team's sponsor, DSB, went bankrupt and dropped their finical support in October. Colbert will be filming in Vancouver during the first week of the games and will provide commentary with Bob Costas on February 17. According to Colbert, the "Colbert Nation" symbol will be on the skater's uniforms primarily "on their enormous, billboard thighs" which will be easy to see "because it will be in first place".

Stumbleupon.com

For those people who have a lot of time to kill (like me) and who want a break from their internet routine, Stumbleupon is the place for you.

Haven't heard of Stumbleupon? Well in a nutshell the site is a user customizable web page fetcher. Basically, stumble users can create a list of personal interests things as vague as video and humor or as specific as religion and music genres and the site uses those specifications to generate web pages it thinks you may be interested in.

However, this is just scratching the surface of the site. Once a page is brought to you, you can favorite it or dislike the page which then in turn modifies your interests within the site. So basically, the more you stumble the more the site gets to know you and what you like.

The reason why this is so interesting is because it takes the notion of web browsing to a whole other level making the web's content fit you and your life rather than trying to fit your interests to the content you are exposed to, giving the participator a fuller and invested experience in what is being presented to them. Also, since Stumble does not just bring you web pages but videos, pictures, comics and you name it, you are exposed to a wider variety of things thus building a more comprehensive internet taste.

I seriously recommend that you try this sometime when you are bored and have a few hours to kill because this site can suck you in the first couple of times.

Happy Stumbling!

TV Rampage Gone Wild

Raw security footage of a man smashing 29 TVs in Wal-Mart. So...does he hate Wal-Mart, or just flat-screen TVs? Or does he just need stronger anti-depressants?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/11/westley-strellis-walmart_n_458652.html

"Plagiarism" and Video Games

Lethem's article about plagiarism and influence reminded me of things I have heard/read about video games. An interesting thing to note, however, is that you don't really hear about game developers going to court for copyright infringement.

Lethem mentions influence and how musicians are influenced by what they hear of other musicians and the like. Games are the same way. Take Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War for example. RE4 was released in earl '05 and Gears late '06. They both have a similar over-the-shoulder camera angle and invlove heavy use of weapons. They are quite different apart from some key genre elements. Gears designer Cliff Bleszinski stated once that the camera angle for Gears of War was inspired by RE4.

This is not uncommon in the game world. One game borrows a concept from another or games like Mario 64 completely revolutionize the entire industry (Mario 64 is said to be the basis for all 3d games that followed it's 1996 release). What one game does so-so, another will come along and do it better.

That being said, new innovations are always on the horizon in the game world. Be it Microsoft's Project Natal (controller-free motion control) or the upcoming Wii Vitality Sensor (worn on your finger, nobody knows what it does yet), technology is enabling us to play games in ways never before imagined. Should be interesting to see where we go from here...

~JV

Greg Rutter's 99 things you must see

Greg Rutter's compiled a list of the 99 links and videos you have to see on the internet. Most are probably things you have seen before but I was actually quite surprised by how many I hadn't seen.

Greg Rutter's Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You're a Loser or Old or Something

(In No Particular Order)

01) Grape Stomp
02) Charlie Bit Me
03) Chocolate Rain
04) Dancing Baby
05) Post Secret
06) Charlie The Unicorn
07) Mentos and Diet Coke
08) Numa Numa
09) Peanut Butter Jelly Time
10) George Lucas In Love
11) You're The Man Now Dog
12) Yatta
13) Star Wars Kid
14) Bubb Rubb
15) The Flying Spaghetti Monster
16) Dramatic Chipmunk
17) Homestar Runner
18) GI Joe Pork Chop Sandwiches
19) Fail Blog
20) Skateboarding Dog
21) All Your Base Are Belong To Us
22) Winnebago Man
23) We Like The Moon
24) I Can Has Cheezburger
25) Barney Vs. Tupac
26) Shining
27) Cute Overload
28) Rick Roll
29) Lazy Sunday
30) David After The Dentist
31) Powerthirst
32) Christian The Lion
33) Bert and Ernie Rap
34) Lady Punch
35) Leprechaun in Alabama
36) Where The Hell Is Matt
37) Boom Goes The Dynamite
38) Breakdancing Baby
39) Drunk Jeff Goldblum
40) Scarlet Takes A Tumble
41) Susan Boyle
42) Gay Mount Everest
43) Afro Ninja
44) Cop Shoots Himself In Leg In Classroom
45) Tron Guy
46) "Leave Britney Alone"
47) Laughing Baby
48) I'm the Juggernaut Bitch
49) Exploding Whale
50) Take On Me The Literal Version
51) Bill O'Reilly Flips Out
52) Don't Tase Me Bro
53) The Landlord
54) Breakdancing Baby Kick
55) The Pet Penguin
56) Ms. South Carolina Answers A Question
57) I'm F*#king Matt Damon
58) Will It Blend
59) Spaghetti Cat
60) Tom Cruise Kills Oprah
61) Little Superstar
62) Chad Vader
63) Pretty Much Everywhere It's Going To Be Hot
64) I Like Turtles
65) Who Needs A Movie
66) Jake E. Lee Shreds
67) Hawaii Chair
68) Aussie Party
69) Hitler Plans Burning Man
70) Montgomery Flea Market
71) Look At The Horse
72) Asian Backstreet Boys
73) Leroy Jenkins
74) Pinky The Cat
75) Monkey Sniffs Finger
76) Sneezing Panda
77) Prison Inmates remake "Thriller"
78) Techno Viking
79) Ask A Ninja
80) Best Man Trips and Ruins Wedding
81) Best Wedding Toast Ever (Amy's Song)
82) Kitten Surprise (how to break up a cat fight)
83) Katana Sword Infomercial Goes Wrong
84) Matrix Ping Pong
85) La Pequena Prohibida
86) Angry German Kid (translated)
87) Evolution of Dance
88) Ok Go "Here It Goes Again"
89) Battle at Kruger (lions vs. buffalos vs. crocodiles)
90) Daft Hands
91) Human Beatbox
92) Most T-Shirts Worn At Once
93) Zero G Dog
94) Cuppy Cakes Song
95) George Washington
96) Scary Maze Prank
97) Gay Referee
98) Tranquilized Bear Hits Trampoline
99) Reporter Gets A Fly In The Mouth

Recut Trailers

The Mary Poppins recut trailer actually scared me...

So, this song, "The Thrill" is by Wiz Khalifa. He is a good example of remix culture because he takes his music and merges it with music that has already been made. In this case, he took the song "Walking on a Dream", by an electronic Australian band called Empire of the Sun, and used it as his beat and background.

Not only is this a remix but the song is pretty damn awesome... except for those who do not like rap/hip-hop or electronic.

An Oldie But A Goodie

Remix+Clinton+SNL= good stuff

Nick Swardson - Online Gaming

Jokes.com
Nick Swardson - Online Gaming
comedians.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

One difference between RPGs and video games...

maybe...

This, too, is remix.

John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things," 1961.

RIP: A Remix Manifesto (part 1)

This is a well-known and well-respected feature-length documentary on remix culture, focusing on the exceedingly awesome remix DJ Girl Talk. The entire doc is available in pieces on YouTube, and you can also "pay what you want" to download it on the official site, ripremix.com.

Game Changers: How Videogames Trained a Generation of Athletes

Great article from Wired about how video games have influenced the strategies and reflexes of professional athletes during live play.

I am not an athlete. But I do believe that this virtual- realtime transfer explains why I grip my steering wheel with white knuckles and lean my head to the right or left whenever I'm driving on curvy roads in the Hill Country like I'm playing Mario Kart.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/ff_gamechanger/

Lawrence Lessig on Fair Use

Here's an interview associated with a documentary about Fair Use/Remix that aired on PBS, Copyright Criminals.

Did I mention I love remix culture?

This is a funky little remix of David After Dentist. If you find yourself wanting more, I suggest searching "David After Dentist" and "Christian Bale". Now that is NSFW remix.

I Love Remix Culture

Star Wars franchise, meet the A-Team opening theme.

Mac309 Compete With Piracy

View more presentations from Rob Jewitt.

Rob Jewitt, blogger at Remedial Thoughts and lecturer in Media & Cultural Studies at University of Sunderland, created this great slidecast summarizing the main points of The Pirate’s Dilemma. Via http://thepiratesdilemma.com/category/we-invented-the-remix

Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law

This is a terrific lecture from one of the most important thinkers/lawyers/activists today--also has written some good books.

Lethem's Ecstasy of Influence

Be sure to read this week's linked article, because it is awesome. A remixed essay on remix culture, full of great ways to rethink copyright and culture at large.

From Harper's Magazine, which itself is a great remixed source through its digest and excerpted articles.

Troops!

For any of you who have read chapter four in Convergence Culture, this is the independent film made Kevin Rubio called Troops. It's a parody of the Stormtroopers from Star Wars acting like police officers from the TV show Cops. It's pretty funny, and shows the kind of fan convergence that Jenkins is trying to explain to us.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5351101160052590481#

Looking at the true meaning behind Little Jack Horner’s’ nursery rhyme we found that, Little Jack Horner was a Stewart to Richard Whiting, the Bishop of Glastonburg. It is said that during the 1500’s valuables were hidden in bizarre foods to trick thieves. In the nursery rhyme a fruit, the “plum” is used to symbolize a deed, which was included in one of the twelve pies sent out by Bishop Whiting to bribe the King. It just so happens that Little Jack wound up with the pie which had the deed to the Manor of Wells in it. It is not know whether Little Jack stole the pie or if it was given to him as a gift for helping convict the Bishop for treason against Rome. However, after receiving the deed it is said that Little Jack Horner and his family lived in the estate until the 20th century.
When choosing present day pictures for our comic strip we looked into a product which has been around for years but just recently turned into a hit As seen on T.V product, the “Snuggie”. We all know what a Snuggie is but let me remind you again, it’s a robe turned around, and instead of wrapping your front side it wraps around your back side. Whoever thought of turning a robe around was a “smart boy” and probably made a million dollars off his or her idea.
With this in mind we found a picture of a homeless man sitting on a street corner with what appears to be a robe turned around backwards on. In the next slide we found a picture of a man eating a pie matching up to the second line in our rhyme. Our third slide shows a set of three pictures, one being a man with his thumb down, next a pie, and lastly a plum illustrating that Little Jack put his thumb down in a pie and what did he find …a plum! Our last comic picture used was Ocho-Cinco a famous football player wearing a snuggie and holding the box it comes in with stacks of money displayed on both sides of him.
In our comic our plum was the product we know as a snuggie. We used this product because just like Little Jack he benefited by the deed he found in the pie. For our comic strip we were hoping to provide evidence that the homeless man benefited by marketing the robe he was wearing backwards as the As Seen on T.V product Snuggie.

Rand Clark, Liz Warden, Jon Maybee, Mike

The Evolution of Remix Culture

This is an excellent "mini-lecture" on remix culture, particularly the social functions of remix, that ultimately can be limited by copyright management. Talks about a series of remix videos made to Phoenix's "Lisztomania". May be a guest lecture in class this week.

Chinese Democracy vs. The Office

Here's an example of something from The Office that makes absolutely no sense unless you have spent a LOT of time watching content on their web site, regardless whether or not you watch the show. I personally find a lot of their online content tedious.

Yankee Doodle

LAUREN SMITH
MARCUS HAMMONDS
GERZAIN PERALTA

OUR NURSERY RHYME WAS, "YANKEE DOODLE". THE RHYME WAS USE BY BRITISH MILITARY FOR MOCKING THE YANKEE SOLDIERS AND MAKE FUN OF THEM.
WE DECIDED TO DO A FUNNY TAKE ON OUR SLIDE SHOW, AND TO FOLLOW THE LYRICS BY USING VARIOUS PICTURES THAT ARE SELF EXPLANATORY. WHEN WE HEARD THE YANKEE DOODLE RHYME, THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MIND TO REPRESENT IT WAS THE NEW YORK YANKEES, SO WE DECIDED TO USE DEREK JETER AS THE MAIN FOCUS OF OUR SLIDE SHOW. WE USE DIFFERENT PICTURES OF DEREK JETER THOUGH OUT THE SLIDE SHOW IN ORDER TO REPRESENT EVERY SENTENCE ON THE RHYME AS WELL AS OTHER VISUAL ELEMENTS TO GET OUR POINT ACROSS. WE BELIEVE IS VERY FUNNY AND THAT IT COULD BE EASILY BE IDENTIFIED WITHOUT EVEN HEARING OR SEEING THE LYRICS.