Another short blog today…with apologies to those of you who are utterly enraptured by my every word (snort)!

I have a personal goal of promoting the activities of aweseome people I’ve encounterd on the internet.  Right at the tippity top of that list are Rhett and Link, for those who have never read The Garden Party before (or even taken a peek at the sidebars).  Though my boiz were criminally under-appreciated at YouTube Live on Sunday, they did have an opportunity to perform…in a parking lot…standing in the back of a dressed-up tractor trailer.  It was a pre-show thing.  Friend and fellow Rhett & Link fan, Genevieve, captured a bit of that here (including technical problems):

But, Harnett County, NC gave them all the love they deserve when they got home!  Readers, I give you Rhett and Link on their local news station:

Okay. I can walk away from my computer with a clear conscience now. Please let me know if you enjoyed these little confections.

Tags: Harnett County, North Carolina, Rhett and Link, YouTube Live

Maybe it has to be 11:00 p.m. or later – like it is now – for me to find this stuff hilarious.  The fact remains that I am just tickled pink by this whole thing.  A bunch of YouTubers seem to enjoy taking old videos of pop hits and overdubbing them with death metal versions of the songs.  While it may sound like something that would get boring in a hurry (especially for a middle aged woman who does not listen to death metal), I’ve gotta say:  When done well, this is truly an art form. (Warning:  The comments sections of these video pages are littered with profanity.)

Submitted for your approval:  Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” covered by Italian band “Raintime.”  The audio doesn’t always match the video, but that’s hardly the point:

Like that?  I placed it first because it was the most listenable track I found.  Now, how about Britney Spears’ covered by “Ten Masked Men.”  I just could not stop laughing watching this.  It’s 11:09 now.  Maybe that’s why.  Or, maybe it’s really just funny as all getout:

These are the only two I found that were good enough to post here.  There are more, including several attempts to cover Tay Zonday’s “Chocolate Rain,” death metal style.  All of those failed miserably, making me wonder why so many people thought it would be a good idea to try.  See, now?  It’s 11:22 and I seem to be coming to my senses!  What did you think?

Job 37:17 Why are your garments hot, When He quiets the earth by the south wind? 18 With Him, have you spread out the skies, Strong as a cast metal mirror? 19 “Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness. 20 Should He be told that I wish to speak? If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.

Tags: Britney Spears, Chocolate Rain, cover songs, death metal, Michael Jackson, Music, Raintime, Tay Zonday, Ten Masked Men, Video, YouTube

It’s Friday.  The SuperNote challenge launched 5 days ago (I blogged that here).  I’ll tell you this much:  Rhett and Link dream big!  On Day 5, at 11:30 a.m. EST, 678 people have submitted their video SuperNote for the team captain of their choice.  That’s an average of 136 submissions a day.   The contest continues until Halloween.  If things continue at this rate, there should be about 5,424 videos of people going “AAaahhhhhh…” on YouTube by then.  That, my friends, is an EVENT!

So, here’s what’s going on:

Rhett and Link, famed internet comedy duo (see box in my left column and link in my right) have hatched this wickedly cool idea.  Challenge the YouTube community to record themselves making the longest vocal note they can produce and  upload it as a video response to their team captain’s SuperNote video.  The team captains are these popular YouTube entertainers, all of whom have significant followings:

Charles Trippy, iJustine, thehill88, ShayCarl, edbassmaster, What The Buck?, David Chow Music, Brookers, Katers17, Wicked Awesome Films, Nalts, and Rhett & Link themselves. Those links will take you directly to their SuperNote Team Captain YouTube page.

As a casual YouTuber, I was unfamiliar with most of these people, but now subscribe to nearly all of them.  So, this is bound to be good for business for the team captains!  I borrowed these graphics from Rhett and Link’s website, where you, too, can visit to keep an eye on the contest as it develops, choose a team captain, read comments, and view the top 100 submissions on a given day.  That’s rhettandlink.com/supernote. Click on any of the team captain banners there and you’ll be whisked to the team standings for that captain.

As SuperNote videos are submitted, they are tracked by a super secret review database where several actual human beings sit, watch, and time the SuperNotes.  They are given Mini Wheat Thins and small bits of swiss cheese for their efforts. Water if they review more than 20 submissions in a half-hour period.  At least, that’s what I’ve heard.  From there, the top 10 SuperNoters are displayed on the SuperNote page (updated periodically), as well as the overall team standings.  At this writing, here is what those stats looked like:

Visit the Rhett & Link SuperNote page to see this chart live and to click on those links so you can view these over-achievers with your own eyes and ears.  Heck, let’s face it, this is not nearly as much fun to read about as it is to actually listen to.  The first few are annoying, but after a while, there’s a kind of zen-like feeling that creeps in.  By the 10th video, you’re convinced you have to be part of this thing!  You have been warned.

Yours truly is currently in the #35 position, which is not too shabby, considering how many entrants we have at the moment!

Here’s what I think about the SuperNote contest…er, challenge…er, experiment.  I think it is good, clean fun that absolutely anyone can participate in and that it builds fellowship and community.  There are a few complainers that don’t seem to like contests that have actual rules.  SuperNotes must be one, real, continuous note produced by the person (or persons) whose face can be seen on the  video producing it.  If you don’t have a microphone, don’t like your face seen on the internet, or flat out think you can cheat your way to the top, you’re just not in the right contest.  Complaints these exclusions aren’t “fair,” are cropping up, but to them I say, “Hey!  This is a silly internet contest…lighten up!”

Prizes are being offered by Rhett & Link as well as by some of the team captains.  Creativity is rewarded as well as simply holding the note the longest.  I’m glad I discovered The Boiz (I had better call them “The Boiz” at least once in this post since I made such a big deal about that being my personal pet name for them in the launch post) before this took off.  It’s a great ride, playing in their yard.  Go find out for yourself!  I’m predicting right now that this will make national news and result in late night talk show appearances for at least The Boiz, and maybe some team captains as well.  So, why not get in on the ground floor!

Exodus 32:18 It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.

Tags: Brookers, Charles Trippy, Contest, David Choi, edbassmaster, iJustine, Nalts, Rhett and Link, ShayCarl, SuperNote, TheHill88, What the Buck, YouTube

Katers17 is one of the YouTube team captains for the “SuperNote” collaborative experiment/contest spawned by Rhett and Link.  Don’t know about that yet because you don’t read my blog every day or because you don’t know Rhett and Link or because you actually have a life outside of the internet?  Well, either check out yesterday’s post here at the Garden Party or head on over here for more information on how you can become a part of the greatest thing that has ever happened to YouTube.  Miss that, and you’ve missed being a part of history.  That would be tragic.

I’ve only been a casual YouTuber since I first discovered it a couple of years ago.  I don’t follow many of its in-house celebrities.  When Weezer did their “Pork and Beans,” video last May,  I discovered a whole bunch of iconic YouTube figures and realized I wasn’t fulfilling my civic duty to stuff my brain full of popular culture until I glaze over.  So, I gave myself an education and added a bunch of subscriptions to my channel.  However, neither Rhett & Link nor Katers17 were included in that pantheon.  Now, with the SuperNote party in full swing, The Boiz (my new pet name for R&L) have introduced me to a whole new crop of wackos that are beginning to really eat into my real life.  Not that I’m protesting…much.

Rhett & Link themselves (oh, excuse me…I mean, The Boiz (that might get old sooner than I anticipated…even for me)) wormed their way into my heart the very moment they showed up in my email inbox and have simply refused to leave that warm and cozy spot even though they aren’t paying any rent.  But, that’s okay…they’ve commented here (which is very close to paying rent in my book…I thrive on comments) and they’ve called me “awesome,” (which is actually one better than paying rent).  Beyond that, they’ve led me to Katers17.  Let me tell you something, friends.  This is exactly what YouTube ought to be about!  Katers17 has real talent, and has that spectacular combination of gorgeousness and humor that make a performer irresistible.  She sets out to entertain…and I’d much rather watch one of her sketches than some dude making sure the world knows how little thought he is willing to put in before activating his webcam.  Want to meet her?  Of course you do.  Here’s a wonderful introduction for you:

Now that you’ve been properly acquainted, let’s go right on to a more intimate relationship.  I get the impression Katers doesn’t mind of we move a bit fast.  Spend about five minutes with her here:

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Katers17 has also done a 4-part series called “Garden Party,” which, I’m certain has nothing whatsoever to do with this blog, but is kind of serendipitous anyway!  Here’s the first of the series…go on her journey!

To visit Katers17 right at her own home on YouTube, click on this little linky.  You’ll be greeted by her and by her Team Captain SuperNote entry.  Then, come back and tell me you adore her as much as I do.  Then, go record your SuperNote and upload it to the contest!

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Tags: Entertainment, katers17, Pork and Beans, Rhett & Link, SuperNote, Video, Weezer, YouTube

I promised you I’d let you in on the new interactive project Rhett and Link have cooked up.  About an hour ago, they launched “SuperNote: The YouTube Experiment.” What’s this all about, you ask?  The Boiz (as I have decided to refer to them from now on whether they like it or not) describe it this way:

The biggest, baddest, most innovative, most intense, YouTube user collaboration experiment in YouTube history is here! It’s SuperNote, where we find out who can hold it the longest on YouTube. A vocal note, that is. It just launched today with this intro video:

And, without further ado, here is the video explaining the experiment:

Shy about the notion of being seen by the whole world doing something this goofy?  Me, too.  I considered donning a foam clown nose, over-sized dark glasses and a hooded sweatshirt in order to gain the courage to upload my SuperNote.  But, then I realized courage was not the necessary motivator…playfulness is.  If you need the disguise, go ahead and wear one.  I didn’t hear anything in the rules that said you couldn’t hide behind a mask!  But, why not just enjoy the spirit of this experiment and become a part of something really fun!

Join whatever team you like (team captains include iJustine, Michael Buckley, Nalts, Brookers, and other familiar YouTube faces).  My heart belongs to The Boiz (even as they begin to grow increasingly annoyed with me for calling them that).  My SuperNote has been uploaded.  Time will tell if my reputation will suffer for this, but I’m not running for office or even doing anything half as scandalous as so many who have run for office seem to have a predeliction for!  So, I’m not sweating it.  Hope to see your faces there!  If you decide to do a SuperNote because of this blog, please comment and let me know who to look for over there!

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Tags: Brookers, Christian, Community, iJustine, Michael Buck, Nalts, Rhett and Link, SuperNote, Vlog, YouTube

By the time I received this email from my cousin Courtney, the “forward” was 10 levels deep.  This baby’s getting around!  Actually, this particular urban legend is enjoying a second life after last year’s viral campaign claiming an egg can be cooked by placing it between two activated cell phones.  The concept seems to have originated from an article written on the Wymsey Village Web site in 2000.  Though the site publishes spoofs, some genius (maybe two or three of ‘em) decided to take that ball and run with it.  And we, the ever-wiilling to swallow whatever looks like it might be juicy, slam-dunked it right into lore (Source: snopes.com).

Alas, we are easily bored, so if the same old hoax is to keep us fascinated, it needs a shiny new coat of paint.  In June of this year, the new model was rolled out, making me wonder why it took so long to reach my inbox.  The email carried a couple of comments from a few of the people who had forwarded it.  Comments like:

“THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO STOP USING YOUR CELL PHONE SO MUCH!!  Check this out!”

There was a single word below that linked me to a video and promised me I would not believe my eyes.  The word was:

POPCORN

Let’s face it, popcorn is a much more dynamic food than eggs.  At least, from what you can see with the naked eye.  Here’s what the link led me to:

Wasn’t that fun?

Now, if you’ve never encountered this concept before, chances are good you’ll do the same thing you did when you saw emails like the other one’s I’ve posted in this blog (Bill Cosby is running for president and the “front fell off” an Australian oil tanker): You’ll wonder for a minute or two whether this could really happen.  But, let me make this very, very easy for you.  It can’t.  The three scenes in the video were actually part of a marketing campaign for a company called Cardo Systems, which manufactures wireless headsets (among other things).  The YouTube community gobbled it up like cotton candy and a simple search on “cell phone popcorn” yields almost as many copycat videos as smarty-pants debunking videos.  Go ahead and play with that over at YouTube if you have some free time on your hands.  It’s good, mindless fun.  But, I wouldn’t recommend actually getting your friends together with their cell phones and sitting around a coffee table for an hour trying to discover the truth about this for yourself.  There is a difference, you know, between good, mindless fun and a complete waste of time!

In the interest of responsible reporting, I feel compelled to spend a moment on the current facts about the dangers (or lack of danger) of using your cell phone.  Here’s a video from a 2007 Fox News broadcast:

And, for a more recent update, here’s a blog from Brian Dunning called Skeptoid that brings it all together very nicely.  It has links to articles, references, and everything!  I just became a fan of Skeptoid while researching this post!  Of course, since he’s an atheist, I wish I could use my cell phone to transmit the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ right in to his doubting brain, but he’s a smart guy and does some very good work.

I’ll leave you with one heartfelt request:  Please hang up and drive!

Proverbs 21:28 A false witness shall perish, But the man who hears him will speak endlessly.

Tags: brain damage, brian dunning, cardo, cell phone, Christian, hoax, popcorn, skeptoid, Snopes, urban legend, wymsey village web, YouTube

A new video from Rhett and Link is always instantly blogworthy at this Garden Party!  Last night, after their weekly live chat, the fellas held what they referred to as an “after party.”  Their plans for the evening were to rehearse, record, and video tape a new song, called “The Economic Meltdown Song 08″ – an extremely timely endeavor considering President Bush had just addressed us on that issue earlier that morning!  They decided to leave their live video feed up so we could watch the creative process…and even participate in it!  They monitored the chat that accompanies the video feed and even used the live poll feature to ask our preference on the phrasing of a particular line.  I’ll toot my little horn for a second and say they (and the chat community) chose phrasing that I originally suggested.  I’m loving that to pieces, but I’m not going to indulge my ego enough to tell you which line it was.  That would take away from the awesomeness that is Rhett and Link, and that’s what we’re really here to discuss tonight!

It’s a bare-bones video, which is intentional to compliment the subject matter.  There was discussion of making sure to mention both McCain and Obama in the song so as not to appear they were endorsing a particular candidate.  But, when I saw the finished video this afternoon and laughed my butt off at the picture they used to accompany the line, “moving back in with Mama,” (It was a pic of Sarah Palin), I decided to believe it was their tiny, subtle way of making their statement.  Link’s funny expression after that sealed the deal on that one for me.  Maybe that’s just me.

Anyway, I wanted to see this video filmed outside in the dark under a street light with the guys’ guitar case open at their feet for tips.  But, it was after 2:30 a.m. before they even got around to setting up the video camera.  Without further ado…please enjoy!  Oh, and COMMENT!  Comments are my favorite snack food!

Since I am part of the crowd that is showing up for the live broadcasts, I’m privvy to certain privileged information.  I’ll share this with you now:  There is an absolutely awesome interactive video experience being unveiled on YouTube Monday (September 22).  It is the brainchild of Rhett and Link but will involve lots of other YouTube favorites…and you’ll have a chance to participate yourself!  Check back here or at their YouTube channel for more!

Luke 14: 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it– 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

Tags: AIG, comedy, econimic crisis, Economic Meltdown Song, economy, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Rhett and Link, Video, YouTube

Since I moved to Florida, I’ve had to get a whole lot more comfortable with creepy things as a survival mechanism!  Things just don’t want to die here and they don’t want to stay small!  New Yorkers are supposed to be tough, but I have new respect for people who have lived with Palmetto bugs their entire lives!  I must admit, I’m enjoying the reptile life.  The ubiquitous brown anoles (genericly referred to simply as “lizards,” here) aren’t even indiginous, but I’m no longer alarmed at the way my hedges suddenly come alive when I open the front door.  I talk to them when they’re sunning themselves on my back patio and have even made friends with a few who will sit in my palm for a few minutes.  The little green tree frogs that come out at night and stick to my windows are adorable and the toad that sits just outside my sliding glass door every single night now has a name (Theodore).  He’s come in for a few minutes on occasion when I open the door to take the dog out.  The dog likes him, too…and I don’t mean that in the culinary sense of the word!  But, I digress.  We’re here to talk about insects today.  Well, I kind of misled you.  We’re here to talk about animated virtual spiders, specifically.  Check this out:

Apparently, this fella (Tomas Erikkson) is working out the details of creating a lifelike spider using Flash and he wants your feedback.  I haven’t given him any  yet because I’m having too much fun dragging the spider around.  I’ll let him know about this blog, though.

Instructions on how to move the spider on in the upper left corner and controls for the spider’s size, leg length, speed, etc. are on the right.  He advises using the space bar to add insects which the spider will go and eat up, but you can also left click on your mouse to make that happen.  If you simply move your mouse around and sit still for a moment, he’ll track you, too.  That’s the creepiest part.  It invokes the instinctual, “Oh no!  He’s coming this way!” response.

And, for kicks, he includes a link to this video of a cat responding to the spider being dragged across three flat screen monitors!

Eriksson is working out the kinks of a number of things that look like they may be interesting when completed, but I had a good time for a few minutes with this Table Tennis prototype.  Go on, waste some time!  Then, COME BACK AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT!  I’m comment lonely!

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Tags: animation, Flash, fun, spiders

Well, this will be my 18th blog post.  I started it for kicks, figuring a few friends and family members might breeze by from time to time and check it out, but it would mostly be a little corner of the interwebz for me to keep my cool stuff.  When I set up The Garden Party, I didn’t know WordPress would provide such a rich array of statistics on the activity of the blog.  I can see where people are coming to the blog from, what search engine terms they used to find my blog, which links they clicked on, whether they viewed my posts on-site or through RSS and more.  It has become a mild addiction, really, wanting to see if anyone else has viewed the blog since I checked 15 minutes ago.  I’m sure it will wear off.  Please, experienced bloggers, tell me it will wear off!

But, since I’m still all tickled pink about this, I thought I’d share the initial stats with you.  There really are already some interesting stories to tell!  Here’s what my all-time views are, by name of post:

My total views to date are 1,190, which actually sort of floors me.  It’s a number that teases and tempts me to figure out new and innovative ways to provoke a view spike.  As you can clearly see by the post in the number 1 position, “Moose Magic,” is in the lead.  What you can’t see by this chart, though, is that the reason for that is largely due to the 245 views it received on a single day: September 2.  What could be so outrageously captivating about a baby moose hanging out in someone’s house, I asked myself? I looked a little further and found an odd url in the list of “referrers,” (sites from which people clicked to find that post).  Something called Four Winds.  I clicked through to find my post literally cut and pasted, formatting and all, into their site.  That was a mild surprise and struck me as somewhat outside generally accepted internet eitquette.  Had I wished to do that with someone’s blog, I would have asked them it if was okay and credited them with the authorship of the post.  But, since I was basking in viewers, I didn’t let my feathers get terribly ruffled.  I didn’t even notice that they had inexplicably renamed my post to “Moose Majic.”  I did, however, wish to understand what this site was all about, why they found my post so important to their mission, and what kind of visitors I might be drawing from their place.

I’m not going to link to them here, because, frankly, I find them creepy and had a rather unpleasant email exchange with them when I wrote to share with them what I have just shared with you.  They told me to grow up or take my blog down if I didn’t “want my posts to be seen.”  So, if you really want to see for yourself what I’m about to tell you, you’ll have to go and google them for yourselves.

My jaw literally dropped when I read their mission statement:

The Four Winds and The Phoenix Archives websites are committed to giving Truth to the people of our world and to revealing the lies under which we of Planet Earth have been living for thousands of years.

This website has been established to freely give Truth to anyone seeking Truth on this planet. The Bellringers are assisting to fulfill the promise that Esu Immanuel made 2000 years ago, when he said that at the end of the age, Truth would be presented one more time to the “four corners of the earth”

Whoa.  But, that’s just the beginning.  Here are their stated objectives:

1. To reveal the Darkside’s secret Plan 2000 for total world control by our present evil world leaders.
2. To reveal to the world’s people that Creator God Aton of Light also has a Plan 2000. God Aton and His Forces of Light will not do it for us but will work with us, as we responsibly confront evil in our day and change the “ending of the play.”
3. To reveal the evil world leaders’ cover-up of off-world humans (our ancestors), who are here in starships in Earth’s atmosphere at this time, and who have come with good intent to help us prevent the evil Plan 2000 from being accomplished, and to help us establish the New Age of Enlightenment.
4. To reveal the Truth presently being given to our civilization by the Realms of Light:
   • How to change the age-old prophecies, e.g. how to change the ending of this civilization without the prophesied final destruction occurring.
   • How to prepare for our future survival, if necessary, against coming Earth changes.
   • How to heal ourselves from any disease or ailment by within in combination with those things provided by Creator God for our healing.
   • How to have total and permanent protection for ourselves and our families against all darkside energies, entities and technology.
   • How to change what is and create our way, through the power of our God-Spirit within. This includes bringing balance and harmony again to our “Mother Earth and ushering in the New Age of Peace and Enlightenment.
   • How to assist our Planet Earth in her transition into fifth dimension by 2012.
   • How to make our own transition into fifth dimension and the Age of Enlightenment without experiencing physical death and returning to another 3D lifestream.
5. To assist Truthseekers, Lightworkers, and Truthbringers alike in their search for and presentation of Truth.
6. To spread the Truth from Creator God Aton of Light to the “Four Corners of the Planet Earth” via the “Fourwinds” website and the Phoenix Archives website. The original foundation of Truth upon which Fourwinds rests is that which has been presented by Creator God Aton of Light and the Ascended Masters in the 241 volumes of The Phoenix Journals. These Journals are also known as the “Holy Books of the Lighted Realms.”

Double whoa.  Having read that, you’d think I would not have been stupid enough to actually email them and inquire about internet etiquette.  By this point, I hadn’t considered it.  It wasn’t until I read this next bit that I felt I had to take a stand. In their instructions to their new readers, they state:

This section contains more than one hundred categories of news and information items ranging from government and political to science, health and spiritual areas. You are free to read, copy and use with good intent any article of interest you find here.

Er…you’re giving the world permission to do whatever they wish with something you don’t own?  My ethics radar went up.  I was polite and sweet, but received a rather obnoxious response.  Big surprise there.  I guess universal truth is a tough business!  In the end, this mostly served to amuse me and make me wonder what I might do to watch my stats line graph grow more interesting. I think I’ll start by tagging this post with their website names, since they seem to be so unnervingly popular!

Coming in a distant (but much more reasonable) second is the viral video “The Front Fell Off,” featuring an Australian comedy duo doing a sketch about a shipping accident that resulted in a major oil spill.  At the moment, this post is getting the most views per day and is enjoying quite a lot of attention.  The Stats tell me it is the most searched-on topic on my blog…actually coming in second to the rescued baby moose.  Since both of these stories came to me through my email, and both professed to be true, I’m making the huge intellectual leap that people are satisfying their need to separate hoax from truth by googling these topics as they receive the emails themselves.  I’m particularly entertained by watching the search queries for “The Front Fell Off,” because it tells the story of how many people must have gotten the email and wondered, “Wow!  Could that really be true?”  We’re such a gullible bunch!

While we’re talking about search engine queries, I am still dumbfounded by how many people are still trying to find out the facts on how to properly wrap a potato in aluminum foil for baking!  That was a total fluff piece!  I was just getting my blogging feet wet!  And, there it is, number 4 in popularity and showing up on the search engine stats daily!  I’m dying to know what is really up with that!

Finally, there is a stat section called, “Incoming Links,” that says it tracks other blogs that have linked to me.  Something’s not right in that land.  A couple of friends and fellow-bloggers have, in fact, linked to me from their blogs.  They don’t show up here.  On the other hand, this site does!  Curious, I went there to see where I had been linked.  Unless I’m missing something, I don’t see a link to my blog anywhere on that site, nor would I expect to, since it is actually about gardening and not The Garden Party!  So, I’m seriously scratching my head there.  If you have insight on this mystery, please comment!

And, the epilogue has to do with just that:  comments.  Please post some!  I can see you guys all reading the blog from the Stats page and yet the comments section is paltry in comparison!  Let me know you were here, for crying out loud!  Just a little shout out would be fine…no need to write anything profound!  Let me know if you found a post interesting, amusing, enlightening, boring, or whatever.  Thanks!

Psalms 48:12 Walk about Zion, And go all around her. Count her towers; 13 Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following.

Tags: baby moose, baked potato, Blogs, Christian, Four Winds, Fourwinds, organic gardening, Phoenix Archives, Stats, the front fell off, WordPress, Wordpress Stats

Ha!  I just got a Twitter tweet from Link Lamont of the “popular internet comedy duo, Rhett and Link.” It says, “New song and video (with free mp3),” and there was a tantalizing tinyurl that led me immediately to YouTube where I was among the first 400 people to view this:

I have come to adore Rhett and Link since their “BBQ Song,” first showed up in my email and became the subject of my third blog entry…before I realized it was a couple of guys in character.  Last Thursday, I even tuned in to their weekly live video and chat event and stuck around while they worked through some techincal difficulties.  My first visit, and they mentioned my name (well, my username)!  I found out about the weekly event because I had recently noticed one of my Twitter friends was following them, so I followed them, too and they followed back!   That same evening, I got the tweet from Rhett that the chat was on and I clicked through to it.  I already had tabs open in my Firefox browser for my gmail, this blog, Theologyweb.com, and my Netflix queue, and I was building two small websites and browsing through Firefox add-ons.  But, I stopped to have this completely new internet experience with the fellas.

Just now, when I got Link’s tweet about the new video, I was actually in the process of going through all of the other blogs I link to here and adding them to my Google Reader so I can actually keep track of when something is new without clicking through to them every day.  I’m behind the times, I know.  But, I’m no spring chicken and I am trying not to neglect actual life while I try to keep on top of virtual life developments!  So, I had more reason to laugh at this video than I would have, say, three months ago, when I didn’t have a blog and I didn’t have a single RSS subscription and I wasn’t actually following the guys who made this video on Twitter and Facebook.  Mostly, I blogged this because I think Rhett and Link are extremely cool and represent a new breed of entertainer. I wanted to give them props, help boost visibility, and send new people to their playground on the interwebz.  Go play!  They’re waiting!

Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Tags: Blogs, Christian, comedy, facebook, internet overdose song, Rhett and Link, rss, TheologyWeb.com, twitter, Video

I love JibJab…especially at campaign time.  It seems so many of us lose our sense of humor when there’s an election on, especially if our candidate is the one being made fun of.  But, the folks at JibJab just throw everything up in the air and make fun of everyone…so there’s no reason not to laugh.  Ya gotta appreciate that!

With that illustrious introduction, here is their very latest as we say goodbye to the Bush administration and hello to God knows what at this stage of the game!  It’s set to the tune of, “The Times They Are A’Changin’.”

Now, if you loved that…I mean, if you really loved it a LOT…you can visit the JibJab website and actually put yourself in the video.  Or, put someone you know (and have a good head shot of) in it and send it to them.  I put my Dad in it.  If you’re not expecting to see yourself show up at the end of the thing, it’s quite a trip!

And, if you like putting your head on other people’s bodies (and I do mean that in the most sociably-acceptable fashion), there are a whole bunch of other JibJab “Sendables,” to keep you amused and on top of your special occasion e-card responsibilities.

A little history on the minds behind the videos can be found on the JibJab YouTube profile:

Brothers Gregg and Evan Spiridellis founded JibJab in 1999 with a few thousand dollars worth of computer equipment, a dial-up Internet connection and a dream of building a global entertainment brand. In 2004, their election parody “This Land” spark an international sensation and was viewed more than 80 million times online. NASA even contacted the brothers to send a copy to the International Space Station! Since then, JibJab has premiered ten original productions on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and received coverage on every major news outlet. In 2004, Peter Jennings named the brothers “People of the Year.”

Not bad going for a couple of guys from Brooklyn just messing around!

Matthew 16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Tags: 2008 Election, Bush, Campaign, Christian, Jib Jab, JibJab, McCain, Obama, Politics

Just so you don’t think I spend all day on the internet wasting time and making no productive contribution to society whatsoever, let me say right off the bat that I’ve collected these character-ized versions of myself over a period of time…months, even.  I’m interested to know how many of these you’ve done yourself.  I believe there is something deep-seated in us that makes us need to re-create ourselves in our own image.  Wait, that sounds kind of sinful.  What I mean is, if you send someone an email with a link to one of these sites where then can make a character-ized image of themselves, chances are they’re gonna put everything else on the back burner and play with that thing for a while!  So, let’s begin, shall we?

I think this is the first time I really sat down and did one of these. It comes from the Candybar website, which seems to have acquired a frighteningly large fan base since I last visited the site.  When I did this, there was a boy doll maker and a girl doll maker.  That’s it.  If you follow that link, you’ll see a page that offers about a dozen options for making characters of yourself or others…or even critters that aren’t human.  I actually did this one a couple of years ago to update one I had done even earlier…I changed the color and style of my hair quite dramatically and the old one just didn’t cut it any more!  And see?  There are my two kitties, Brian (on my head) and Sarah.  I live in Florida now, so the sandals and capris are part of my everyday life, where the near-black hair and lots of black clothing and dark lipstick were more reflective of my New York self.  I also went back to wearing glasses after my lasik surgery finally gave out to the aging process.

So, looking at these two images, would you think they were the same person?  I sure woudn’t.  Yet, they both look like me in an odd way, though if I had it to do again, I would not have made my New York version’s chin quite so square.  Anyway, let’s not dwell here.  There are so many other characters in the sea!

Once I had spent hours upon hours making these dolls of everyone in my family, some of my friends, and a few celebrities, I was truly hooked on the process.  Then, some years passed and I thought I was over it.  But, I saw some people I know on Theologyweb.com using South Park charcterizations

of themselves as avatars and I just HAD to give that a go!  Now, see, you have something to compare.  Does this character look like the doll above?  I kinda think so.  Again, I went for the shorter pants, though I was not given the sandal or flip flop option this time.  And, I actually do have a shirt roughly that color with a big gold cross on the front.  The halo, however, is another story.  I have no idea how that got there. You can become a South Park character yourself here.

Around the time the Simpsons movie was on the verge of release, there was an awesome website that created Springfield and had a bunch of interactive screens.

I don’t think that’s there any longer (I’ll be honest, I didn’t really check), but the Simpsonization machine is still in operation here!  Are you starting to think you know what I actually look like?  I didn’t like any of the fashion options here, and I think I had to use a screen capture technique to actually get this image, but, hey, I’m a Simpson!  Not much to complain about there!  If you try this one, I recommend resisting the temptation to match your skin tone.  Just go yellow!  You won’t regret it!

The M &M print ads featuring celebrities made into characters is still popular.  You can make yourself an M&M, but the options are not nearly robust enough to create a likeness like those ads.  Still, I did one a while ago, and then again recently.  I rather like them both!

I’d honestly forgotten I’d already saved an M&M characterization when I went back and made a new one for this article.  The Starbucks cup and maniacal grin definitely complete the picture!

Getting out of the realm of rampant commercialism for a few minutes, there are also character-making machineries specifically for use as avatars…some aimed just at fun and some advertised as options for those who don’t wish to display their own photo on public forums or chat environments.

I use a WeeMe on AIM, but I hardly ever log on to AIM since I get my buddy list delivered right to my gmail interface and I love that!  But, I think people chatting with me from AIM do see my Weeme which does some funny stuff whenever I type certain things, like “LOL” or “;-)” for example.  But, here she is in still life.  This program actually allows one to choose a body shape that generally resembles reality…a new option for me.  No capris or shorts available, so I had to go with full-length jeans, but there are my flip flops!

Actually, WeeMes are part of “Wee World,” and you can get sucked into that black hole if you’re not careful with your time management.  But, you can also use WeeMes on Skype, and in other places, I believe.  I don’t know.  I’m afraid to go back there.

There’s a generic program called “Portrait Illustration Maker,”

that touts itself as, “Best ‘n’ Free Avatar Generater ! Available for blogs and SNS ! But Unmeasurable about the Combinations of parts.”  I suspect a BabelFish translation!  Actually, I didn’t find the combination of parts quite “unmeasurable.”  I like this least of all the characterizations.  I just don’t really see myself here.  I see Sarah Palin, sort of! With a little Dana Scully mixed in.  But, there you go, anyway.

Now, normally I wouldn’t do this on a blog, but I don’t see how you can comprehend the true awesomeness of my prowess at character-making if you don’t actually have an image of me to compare against the characters.

So, here I am, about a month ago.  I still change the color and style of my hair frequently, so don’t look for me on the street using this mug shot!

But, I’d love it if you would leave comments on this post.  Tell me about your own character-making experiences…let me know what you think of mine…post links to other sites with character making machineries!  Above all, have fun!

Cheers for now!

Isaiah 40:19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.

Tags: aim, avatars, Blogs, characters, chat, Christian, dolls, m&m, simpsons, south park, weeme