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October 26, 2011
The Power of Word
A word can start a conversation.
A word can end a conversation.
A word can make you laugh.
A word can surprise you, console you, haunt you.
A word can comfort you.
A word can be advice.
A word can anger you, please you, stop you dead in your tracks.
A word can make dreams.
A word can deliver news.
A word can alert you, build you up, make you feel loved.
A word can be happy.
A word can be sad.
A word can criticize you, adore you, compare you.
A word can be aloud, whispered, shouted.
A word can bring joy.
A word can be ignored.
A word can be funny, playful, beautiful.
A word can mislead.
A word can reinforce.
A word can shape, fill, remember.
A word can be young, old, ancient, new.
A word can make you stay longer.
A word can say no.
A word can be simple.
A word can be complex.
A word can startle.
A word can transfix.
A word can divide.
A word can believe.
A word can overcome.
A word can be freeing.
A word can be damning, hateful, mistimed.
A word can turn off lights.
A word can give you the giggles.
A word can warm you on a cold day.
A word can be love, show love, or take love away.
A word can bring the house down.
A word can be a secret.
A word can be on everyone's mind.
A word can echo and sing.
A word can be silent.
A word can tell stories.
A word can ruin.
A word can be overused, cliché, trite.
A word can be just a word.
A word can be hopeful, meaningful, metaphor.
A word can make a difference.
One word can.
And so much more.
Posted by Seth at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2011
Ghost Rider Movie Poster Contest
I'm a busy man. So busy, usually, that I barely have time to breathe properly. Which means that when I'm not designing really cool things for my clients at Sullivan Higdon & Sink, I'm probably sleeping or eating or something else necessary to living. It means that I don't do extra projects. No freelance. No favors for friends. Nothing.
But every so often a design contest perks my ears. This morning was one of those times. I only had 5 minutes to spare (remember, I'm busy. See above). But the result was amazing.
"Ghost RiderTM: Spirit of Vengeance" is coming February 17, 2012, and now you have a chance to design the A poster for the movie.
I'm a sucker for these types of contests. Sadly, my track record isn't good. None of my posters for the "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" poster contest even made the final five (Poster 1, Poster 2, Poster 3).
But this time, I'm a shoe-in. It's a shame fans don't get to vote on entries.
I would encourage you to enter. But, really, you've already lost.
Posted by Seth at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2011
The Day of the Triffids
For years, seriously years, one of my best friends went on and on about a book that I just HAD to read – "The Day of the Triffids" by John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (yes, that's really his full name). The story was simple and extremely fresh for the 1951 publish date: civilization and mankind is on the brink of destruction due to a virus zombies global warming vampires man-eating plants that are able to walk and can make humans blind by whipping them in their yes.
Yes, it's a little bit out there and may not be as hip as zombies, but I'd say it's been influential in several modern day apocalyptic stories. And if you've ever seen 28 Days Later, you'll see it's influence not only in the opening scene (as Danny Boyle would attest to), but in a lot of the film.
The great thing about John Wyndham's book isn't the picture he paints of the world and how bad it is, it's the thought that went into how different groups of survivors would react and start to re-build. Much like "World War Z," the book is brilliant because it doesn't focus so much on the problem, but the various solutions and psyche that went into them.
And the more I read apocalyptic story lines (or watch movies and television shows), the more I worry about my survival if an apocalypse ever really occurs. I know nothing about surviving without the common luxuries of society. But you best believe that I'm going to start educating myself on such things like cultivating seeds and farming, knowing how to find and procure clean water, mating, how to shoot a gun or yield a variety of weapons and maybe even how to drive a big truck.
That's why "The Day of the Triffids" is great. It asks all the questions we would have to ask if something hugely traumatic indeed happened.
After one story, I'm now a fan of Wyndham. I'll definitely read more from him, perhaps next will be "The Midwich Cuckoos," or you might know it as Village of the Damned.
Wyndham's book about Triffids is amazing. Read it if you can. And the audiobook is just as good, if not better, because of the British narrator. So elegantly written/spoken.
If you don't have time for either the book or audiobook, there's always the 1962 film:
Or you could just wait a few years for the new 3D version of Triffids that's sure to be made.
Posted by Seth at 07:05 AM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2011
Don't let the aliens win!
I don't believe in ghosts.
There. I said it. I really don't. I know that because of physics class in high school that energy doesn't just disappear. But I don't believe that energy from a human body stays around in a house (or school, building, etc.) after the body dies.
Now I know what you're thinking ... no, I cannot explain the crazy, uh, thing that occurred in the house a few years ago (that's a story for another time – or not, because it was probably something other than a ghost). But I'm not quick to say that it was a ghost.
So, no ghosts.
But aliens?
Oh, fo' sho'!
I honestly believe that:
- Alien life exists.
- Aliens have been around longer than Earthlings ("Earthlings" is a great word, by the way).
- Aliens have been to our planet.
- Aliens have influenced our lives and technology (much like the Transformers did).
I believe all of that. And, with the recent de-funding of NASA, I also really believe that aliens have led almost every human on Earth to care about things they shouldn't.
Think about it for a second. If you've EVER uttered the words:
- "I don't make enough money."
- "I can't be late to this meeting."
- "What do you mean they cancelled Arrested Development?"
- "That jacket is so pimp."
- "I have to get my daughter that pogo stick she's been begging for."
- "I bet you X dollars that Team A beats Team B."
- "You have spinach in your top teeth."
- "Did you see that monkey peeing in his mouth?"
- "Gah! Your face is too close to mine."
- "Corn is disgusting."
- "My belly is too fat."
- "Your belly is too fat."
- "Our bellies could use some fat."
- "We need to find more oil for our cars!"
- "Dinosaurs totally existed, you freak."
- "Have you heard that new Bing Bong Brothers song?"
- "I love the Kindle Fire!"
- "Miniature corn is super disgusting."
If you've EVER uttered those words, or anything close to it, the aliens have won.
They've won. Hands down.
If the tables were turned, and I were the more intelligent species, I would most definitely go to the lesser intelligent species and tell them how important it is to think that "America's Next Top Model" was a worthwhile show. I would quickly show them how tending to your yard was something you should care about. And I would enthusiastically teach them to embrace a two-party political system that can't get out of their own way when it comes to making any sort of progress leading the people that elected them.
The human race is an amazing thing.
We can think. We can deduct. We can create.
And, unfortunately, we can all get completely caught up in extremely trivial things (see above).
To paint a seemingly-bleak picture rosy, I don't think that this is the end of the world – far from it. But I do think that society puts an emphasis on caring about things that are so less important than the simple action of reaching out and exploring things outside of our world.
If all of the doomsday movies are right, then only a few thousand will survive on a spaceship that's flying/floating to nowhere. And the boyscout in me wants us all to be a little more prepared than we already are.
Is that so wrong?
That's why I say, "Don't let the aliens win!"
Or something. I mean, as you can see, I have no actionable items or to-dos. Just a "don't let'em" tagline. Good luck!
Posted by Seth at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2011
The Best Car Rental Advice
Not that this is a big deal, because you know how much I LOVE PT Cruiser-like cars.
Posted by Seth at 01:15 PM | Comments (2)
October 07, 2011
Shi Pow-Pow
Recently, at work, a co-worker of mine (Mr. Jacob Edenfield) has been taking us all along a journey of music through the past two decades. Using Pandora, he types in a year and hits play – or sometimes he'll have us listen to the Top 100 from said year. Either way, it's uncovering some absolute gems of songs that you're either excited to hear again, or extremely upset that it's probably going to get stuck in your head.
One song came across my ears a few days ago that did both:
I know that music videos were THE THING in the 80s and 90s (and actually still might be even today), but this video is just goofy. I'm fairly certain that I made better videos than this when I was in high school.
Some things to call out during the video:
- It's a widely known fact that brightly colored 3D-rendered guitars that robotically float around the screen are the perfect companion to the old west ... at night. Yes, these men were on drugs.
- 0:09, "Guys! Stop just standing around! We need some fist pumps! Get excited! This is your music video! You're going to get to do so much sex after this! Be cool!"
- At 0:24, Vanilla Ice makes his first appearance (and yes, he looks REALLY cool).
- At 0:33, the
pianokeyboard player does awesome loopy things with his arms. - At 0:42, the
pianokeyboard player does awesome loopy things with his arms, again. - 0:48, "Okay guys, this is going to be cool ... stand in a line and do some ducks and then look up. Maybe even fake run a little."
- At 1:00, Debbie Gibson makes her first appearance. In black and white.
- Quick, someone does a dive at 1:11!
- 1:24, "Hey keyboard guy, take that shit-eating grin off of your face, please!"
- Master editing at 1:33: the words "still confused" are sung while standing in front of a waterfall.
- At 1:45, the boys try to channel their inner Charlie's Angels.
- The computer renderer got tired of guitars at the 1:52 minute mark. Now we have digital horses.
- And at 1:56, the lead singer is "on" the fake horse. Looks natural.
- 2:12, "Okay, now jog in place and then point up to the sky where Debbie Gibson is laying down on a cloud."
- At 2:28, Vanilla Ice does a guitar solo and almost gets kicked out of the video for pointing and then nearly laughing at himself.
- At 3:15, the guys try to do the Dougie and fail, miserably.
- Are you still watching this? Masochist.
So that was Londonbeat and yes, they said, "she pow-pow." It's probably the greatest love song ever. Try it out when you're in love. See what happens.
Posted by Seth at 07:13 AM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2011
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
Today is a sad day, for Steve Jobs has passed on.
While working late into the evening, my boss played Jobs' 2005 commencement speech at Stanford – it is nothing less than amazing (and easily worth 15 minutes of your time).
Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs. And thank you not for all of the wonderful ways you changed many of our lives, but for being an inspiration and a spark for us all. In case you want to read the transcript.
Posted by Seth at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2011
Babies With Things On Their Heads
It's the latest fad, I tell ya – Babies With Things On Their Heads! And it's really simple to take part of. All you have to do is put something on a baby's head, photograph it then post it somewhere with the #BabiesWithThingsOnTheirHeads hashtag. Give it a shot.
And a special thanks to Jason and Abby for allowing me to babysit and put something on their baby's head.
Posted by Seth at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)