Name That #GoldenFest Tune

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

during the set of Slavic Soul Party in the Grand Ballroom, this solo dancer was clearly enjoying himself – among a crowd of fellow happy dancers!

HINT: “Jackson” by Slavic Soul Party!

Team America: Pulgasari

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

This trailer is deservedly getting a lot more views in recent days – in case you don’t know the tale of Pulgasari it’s not only a mythical creature but was also a film produced – yes, what I’m about to say is true – by the now-deceased North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. A few years prior to the kidnapping of that film’s director, Jong-il penciled the treatise On the Art of Cinema [link] (fantastic cover by the way, pictured above) which led to the formation of the North Korean film industry aka Jongilwood (just made that up obviously). It’s a terrible movie but if you’re a fan of the monster genre, it’s sort of quintessential:

PS – the post title is not only a reference to Team America: World Police but because I’d love to see a puppet re-make of this film in their parody-style – yessir!

how to make a #robot out of #junk

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Chinese farmer Wu Yulu has been in the news and blogosphere before – plenty of times. But I’m hoping some of y’all that read this rag haven’t heard of him before, or seen his wack-tastic inventions. They show that anything is possible – everything in the world can become a ‘bot!

[via The Creators Project]

Flava in Ya (Flushing, Queens) Ear

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Throw back! It’s 1994 and Jersey-born Suffolk County-raised Craig Mack releases “Flava in Ya Ear” which tops at #9 on US Billboard, #4 on R&B and #1 on Rap charts; it features throughout the music video prominent shots of structures throughout Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. There’s the Queens Theatre in the Park flying saucer buildings, the Unisphere, and my favorite sighting the Great Hall at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) – where at one point Craig Mack becomes a colorful but frame-dropping hologram! The Great Hall was built for the ’64/’65 World’s Fair and last year used as the staging area for 2010′s World Maker Faire tesla coil performances by Arc Attack (below). You see, I have or had, the Flava in Ya Ear single on LP, way back when – so that song has a special place in my heart. I don’t remember the music video at all to be honest, but the LP (if I still have it), lives in a box in the basement of my good friend John Pitts, and it was his twin brother Jello who just yesterday put up Craig Mack’s video on his facebook wall – so you see, it’s all full circle now! Life is weird like that, no?

Don’t Steal Bikes Bro!

Monday, June 27th, 2011

I met Kurt Boone over the weekend, at the annual Bike Film Festival street fair. I first heard about Kurt a few months ago when I saw a screening of his poem “Alley Cats” (below), a quick verbal summation of pedal-powered work & life on the streets of NYC, delivering the goods. Kurt is a poet, a Queens resident (from Jamaica), and NYC’s fastest messenger; he’s also super friendly, oh and he has an ongoing Messenger Poet Show on KoldCast.TV

awesome visualization about Health & Wealth over past 200 years (Joy of Stats)

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Also alludes to how technological advancements have helped pull so many countries out of the metaphorical gutters. There is still room for improvement, of course, but we’re waaaaay better off now than in 1810 that’s for sure!