John Gushue . . . Dot Dot Dot

The Idlers, One Future

The Idlers are a band that bring a ska/reggae vibe to St. John's music ... and St. John's plays a role in the band's new video, for One Future. A few familiar haunts are featured here. (Follow the Idlers on Twitter right here.)

The tweetness of King George

On Historical Tweets for today.

Quincy Jones, skeptic

Quincy Jones knew Michael Jackson far better than most, having produced many of the songs that have been playing everywhere since Jackson died last week. From Details' website, a new interview in which Jones is surprisingly frank about things, including Jackson's explanation of his ever-changing appearance:

Q: Did you believe him about the disease?
A: I don't believe in any of that bullshit, no. No. Never. I've been around junkies and stuff all my life. I've heard every excuse. It's like smokers—"I only smoke when I drink" and all that stuff. But it's bullshit. You're justifying something that's destructive to your existence. It's crazy. I mean, I came up with Ray Charles, man. You know, nobody gonna pull no wool over my eyes. He did heroin 20 years! Come on. And black coffee and gin for 40 years. But when he called me to come over to see him when he was in the hospital on his way out, man, he had emphysema, hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, and five malignant tumors. Please, man! I've been around this all my life. So it's hard for somebody to pull the wool over my eyes. But when somebody's hell-bent on it, you can't stop 'em.

Q: But it must've been so disturbing to see Michael's face turn into what it turned into.
A: It's ridiculous, man! Chemical peels and all of it. And I don't understand it. But he obviously didn't want to be black.

The rest of the interview is here.

Blackadder Goes Forth, the finale

From 1989, the final minutes of the last Blackadder series, set in the First World War. Hilarious and bone-chilling at the same time.

Inside an Entourage script meeting

New episodes of Entourage start later this month, and I know I'll watch them, in spite of myself. The show's a bit of a chuckle, but it has felt like it's been treading water for a while. From Cracked.com, this video on what an Entourage story pitch meeting is like. (Not for the weak-hearted.) 

How 'Entourage' Comes Up With Show Ideas -- powered by Cracked.com

There's something in the water

I got a link to check out out a bit of animation with a peppy bit of music on the side ... and for a few seconds, it looked like one of those many, many, many online animations you can find all over the internet. After a few seconds, though, I figured out what it was: a well-executed online ad that makes good (very good, actually) use of the style of hand-made, and viral, web elements to sell something. In this case, V Water, a vitamin=enhanced water on sale in the UK.

The campaign actually launched in the fall of 2007. You can see the animation part below, though the site integrates it well.

A thought on who actually gets things done

"The greatest things are accomplished by individual people, not by committees or companies."
- Fay Weldon

[Fay Weldon is a bit of a deal in our house; she was the original subject of Martha's ever-expanded Master's thesis.]

Mis-Q: The hazards of the music monthly

London's Q magazine prepared for Michael Jackson's series of sold-out shows with a cover package that appears to take the piss out of the singer. The thing is, the issue went to press before Jackson died last week, but will only hit newsstands this week. Hence, a somewhat apologetic note from editor Paul Rees on the Q site:

As such, we have had no opportunity to change any of the editorial content within the issue. Such is the risk inherent in producing a monthly magazine – that events may overtake a story that you are committed to.

If you do take offence to any part of the issue in light of Michael Jackson’s tragic passing, I can only apologise on behalf of Q. Hopefully, you will understand that no offence was intended or meant.

I suspect the magazine will sell well in the UK ... although I bet some consumers will be wondering why the death is never mentioned without figuring out the publication schedule.

New Order, Temptation (and short shorts)

I came across this live-in-the-studio performance New Order made of Performance, for a BBC 1 broadcast. I'm sure it was a hot day, but I wonder if Bernard Sumner might have rethought the shorts if he knew the video would have a life of its own 25 years later!

The Invention of Lying: Ricky Gervais tells some whoppers

I'm a big Ricky Gervais fan. Love Tina Fey. Find Rob Lowe funny, especially in smarmy persona. Yet, did not laugh out loud once while watching trailer for upcoming The Invention of Lying. Hmmm. Hope to have expectations met.

A social marketing campaign that has its eye on you

The above illustrates how Amnesty International is using a bit of technology to grab people's attention. When a face looks away from the poster, the image shows a man about to strike a woman. When the face turns, the image changes to a normal-looking facade. The tag line is "It happens when nobody is watching." More on the award-winning campaign and the technology, which captures an impression of when someone is or is not directly facing the poster, can be read here.

A thought for my Scottish friends, before it's too late

"There are two seasons in Scotland: June and winter."
- Billy Connolly

(In her latest column, my wife cited this phrasing of the St. John's seasons:  almost-winter, winter, still winter and construction.)

When famous people die

This cartoon pretty much sums up the immediate news cycle for the TV crowd. (Spotted via @rachelnixon.)

A thought on integrity

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thriller, in St. John's

A shot-for-shot remake of Thriller in St. John's... with the waterfront playing a starring role. Robert of Product of Newfoundland pointed me to this video, directed posted to Facebook by Philip David Hogan, of a video that you really oughtta see. The group, including Greg Pike playing Michael Jackson, went to some lengths to do a tribute on a low, low budget. The plan evidently had been to post the video at Halloween, but it's up now in light of Michael Jackson's death.

Watch it here.

Sympathy for the Devil, percussively

I've seen this clip of Sympathy for the Devil from the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus several times over the years, but didn't notice till now just how important percussion  - shakers, congas and of course the Charlie Watts drum factory - was to the sound.