Gonna play with the beta tonight. More info.

Labels: other people's stuff, youtube

Labels: because i get self-conscious when i blog too much serious stuff, other people's stuff, youtube

I was recently contacted by a PR firm to participate in a little viral marketing campaign they have launched. Basically it's a contest that goes with their client's slogan and they are using user-generated videos.

The e-mail I received was crafted pretty carefully and the sender mentioned some specific posts that I have made on this blog, which was flattering (although I was a bit skeptical about its sincerity). He noted the amount of videos I post and thought I might want to post some of the contest videos here. I'm sure they've sent out these e-mails to a ton of different bloggers. (I can see the template now: refer to specific posts, refer to posting behaviour, say something about your own activities that make them relate to you.)

I find the notion of user-generated video advertising really appealing despite the whole "rich companies getting something for free" thing... The reason is that I think that the people who submit entries into this kind of contest are often very creative and they get to "show the world". I often love what they produce.

It's weird timing since lately most of my (work related) writing has been about the ways that companies attempt to participate in the social web.

Do I check out the videos? What do you think? What if some of the videos are really really funny? Should I ask for reciprocation? (I'll post some of the videos if you promote my little blog? ;) Or maybe I can ask for those much coveted shoes?) I think it feels weird because I have never been approached to post content before. And the blog is mine, not an advertising forum for others (although I'm sure I advertise for others in indirect ways.)

Here’s an advertisement from a completely different company. (I may have posted this before, but I find it hilarious.)

Labels: i'm thinking no, sell out, video, youtube

Jason Polan is attempting to draw every person in New York. :)

Manbabies: A somewhat disturbing (in a good way) site where the fathers' heads are photoshopped over their kids' faces and vice versa.

178 ways of improving your internet writing by the very thorough Bob Younce. It is a good list, but I violate a lot of these rules. In particular:

Swear off using the word “great.” (woops)
Do the same with: nice, beautiful, wonderful, just, really, quite & that.

(I’m starting to feel really insecure. But this list is really quite wonderful. I think that the advice will just really make my writing more beautiful. And nice. ;))

Bob, I will try harder. I promise.

The aesthetics of failure is a flickr group that describes itself in the following way: "Brakdoewn, slippgae, entrpy, accidetn, gl!tczhes, failures in sound, image, concept, utopian and dystopian experiments" I love the chaos of it. (image by designwallah)

A fantastic blog entry by Los Angelista about what lies behind walls and the things we don't see. (I almost wrote, "wonderful blog entry..." So see, I learned something from that list.)

Graffiti Archaeology: Graffiti Archaeology is a project devoted to the study of graffiti-covered walls as they change over time. The core of the project is a timelapse collage, made of photos of graffiti taken at the same location by many different photographers over a span of several years. The photos were taken in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and other cities, over a timespan from the late 1990's to the present."

Piece of me piece of you. Fantastic zombie/puppet movie. :) I don't say *that* every day.

That's all for this week. Have a fantastic weekend.

Labels: aesthetics of failure, bob younce, graffiti archaeology, internet writing, jason polan, los angelista, manbabies, other people's stuff, wasting your time on a friday, youtube

via swissmiss

Labels: youtube

And check out the info on the originating site.

Their stated target markets:

Girls who are reaching or having reached puberty, hope to improve the growth of breast.
Women who received surgery in the breast, desire to have a faster and better recovery.
Mothers, who are nursing babies, want to release the pain and to accelerate the secretion of breast milk.
Female who is having the period, want to release the swelling pain of breasts.
Women who want to lower the incidence of mastopathies.
Women, who are under pressure, want to relax themselves.
Women who want to improve the quality of their sex activities.
Women who want to have pretty breasts.

Well, hell, I think all women want to have pretty breasts. This should be a smash hit.

Labels: be gentle with me, ok well i thought it was funny, weird, youtube

first seen here

Labels: ok well i thought it was funny, youtube

Enjoy the absurdity that is "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" with the terrific Simon Amstell, Phill Jupitus and Bill Baily (he's my favorite).

Labels: watching telly on the computer, youtube

Tim Noble and Sue Webster's shadow art consists of garbage on which light is projected, creating beautiful and incredibly detailed silhouettes (really shadows) of people. It is really remarkable.

A fun advertisement for eye glasses. (It's the whole superman thing revived.)


A very cool Flickr photostream set of high-speed photography by Mark Watson.

And some more ant action, just because.



And some more ants because the guys dramatic voice and background music are very amusing. But I also like "nature" shows in their many incarnations.

Labels: links, other people's stuff, youtube

(Turn off the sound. It adds nothing since it only contains an annoying barking dog.)

Labels: moose, youtube

Via

Better than finding Nemo ;)

Labels: other people's stuff, video, youtube

Video by Monkeehub (Laith Bahrani)

Labels: other people's stuff, youtube

Also, check out the concept of tensegrity sphere. :)

Labels: other people's stuff, youtube

Lovely lovely lovely. Awww. And other similarly mushy reactions.

Labels: lovely, other people's stuff, youtube

Labels: youtube