Monsanto Go Away
[Loband: Object Removed -]
As part of the Occupy Maui movement, The Human Revolution has a clear message for Monsanto.
More on Monsanto on The Road.
Where the hell is Matt?
[Loband: Object Removed -]
This is really sweet.
From his website:
Matt is a 35-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think
that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt
achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but
eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In
February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the
money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this
site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.
A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They
were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said
"Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it."
He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the
only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a
very good idea.
A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it
to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is
quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy.
The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."
The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum.
They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the
world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They
said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea.
In 2006, Matt took a 6 month trip through 39 countries on all 7 continents. In that time, he danced a great deal.
The second video made Matt even more quasi-famous. In fact, for a brief period in July, he was semi-famous.
Things settled down again, and then in 2007 Matt went back to
Stride with another idea. He realized his bad dancing wasn't actually
all that interesting, and that other people were much better at being
bad at it. He showed them his inbox, which, as a result of his
semi-famousness, was overflowing with emails from all over the planet.
He told them he wanted to travel around the world one more time and
invite the people who'd written him to come out and dance too.
The Stride people thought that sounded like yet another very good
idea, so they let him do it.
And he did. And now it's done. And he hopes
you like it.
Thanks for the link, Jan!
Hans Rosling: The only way to stop population growth.. is to increase child survival rates.
[Loband: Object Removed -] ... even if it sounds contradictory: Increasing child survival rates will stop population growth. With thanks to GB for the link!
Read the full post...Video: Wear your seat belt
[Loband: Object Removed -]
Amazing what emotional impact a good video clip can make, no?
PS: Updated the post. Video fixed.
Steve Jobs: Lessons on life
Steve Jobs (RIP) talking about his lessons on life, to young Stanford University graduates.
About dropping out to drop in at college, about the trust that one day the dots in your life will connect. About to love doing what you do. About not loosing the limited time you have on Earth, by living someone else's life.
Truly inspiring. Reminded me of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.
Dog and man: "I ate it all"
...because it is Saturday, something lighter.
Discovered via: @bethkanter
The world at 1,000 frames per second
Today... because there is too much misery in the world, a post of beauty in small things.
Discovered via Laughing Squid
How egoistic can people be?
A video showing two motorcyclists who got entangled on a busy highway in China... Nobody seemed very eager to help...
Yeaah, It's a Party in the CIA
yeah, we’ve got our backups all over the world,Read the full post...
from Kazakhstan to Bombay;
payin’ the bribes like yeah, pluggin’ the leaks like yeah;
interrogating the scum of the earth,
we’ll break them by the break of day!
yeeeaaahhh, it’s a party in the CIA!
by Weird Al Yankovic
Which countries are the happiest?
GOOD's World Database of Happiness has tracked down how happy people over the past 30 years.
Check out the interesting infographic on the state of happiness in the different countries, over the past years.
Video: The Girl Effect
We have covered advocacy campaigns by nonprofit organisations in the past. Here is a very simple non-pretentious video by The Girl Effect.
Simple is powerful.
How NOT to moor a yacht. Take 3
With the summer approaching, it is time to switch to another subject. Sailing.
"Master Steve", the instructor who guided me through most of my RYA theoretical qualifications, and brought me up to the level of a powerboat instructor, send me the video link above, shot in the British Virgin Islands by Wind In My Sails.
It is an ode to the "Credit Card Captains", those who have the financial means to charter a vessel, but have no freaking clue what sailing or navigating is all about.
In the past I wrote two similar stories about "Credit Card Captains", witnessed during our previous two trips to the BVI. One was from one from Anegada and an even worse case we witnessed in Virgin Gorda.
Of all the areas I have sailed so far, the BVI has the most dense population of "Credit Card Captains". Most of them, Americans who might never have sailed before, taking a yacht to sea, endangering others and themselves.
Oh well,.. Enjoy the video.
Living in Italy - Part 18: Mobile phones
[Loband: Object Removed -]
In Italy, talking on a mobile phone without an earpiece or microphone is punishable by law.
But I am not sure if the law actually has provisions if you talk on one phone, held in your right hand, while at the same time, you set the Email configuration of an other phone with your left hand.
While you are driving.
Let me correct that: While you are driving a bus full of people. In the middle of Rome.
I mean, after all, God gave men two hands, right? How else would you use the spare time in a traffic jam than calling up a helpdesk to configure the "Backke Barry" (sic) Email settings. Right?
Discovered via Repubblica, tipped by @GeoMmm
Read more in the Living in Italy series
A historic overview: The US involvement in Iran
Via St Pete for Peace. Discovered via Pros before Hos
Breaking news: Obama is an American Citizen
(to view the video, you might have to first click the "close" button in the top right corner, to close the ad)
For the elite not following the news: Trump and others claimed that Obama was not born in the US, which created a US media hype...
This showed once more there is no end to the hot air US media can sell.
Here is Jon Stewart taking a piss at them all. "This man should run for president!" Love it!
PS: Now the only issues remaining:
- Obama's christianing certificate ("He really is a Muslim")
- Justification for his extensive stay in several Muslim countries ("He really attended a madrasas instead of kindergarten")
- Obama's DNA testing to show he is really who he says he is ("He can't be")
- Media claims that the island of Oahu is actually an independent state, and not part of the US Commonwealth ("See the lawsuit of the Single State of Oahu versus the United States of America, for the protection of the Inherited Pacific Guano Reserves")
Video courtesy MediaIte
Song of the Day:
Lotus Flower by Radiohead
watch on youtube[i-watch on youtube]
Because all I want is the moon upon a stick
Just to see what it is
Just to see what gives
Take the lotus flowers into my room
Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
All I want is the moon upon a stick
(Click on the picture to watch the video on YouTube)
Discovered via Matt Brown, who shot the video.
More Songs of the Day on The Road Read the full post...
Predicting revolutions in Arab countries
The Economist predicts which Arab countries are most vulnerable to revolutions...
"Changement" by Sodre Ousmane and Isaka Belem
When we were in Ouahiqouya, a town in the Northern region of Burkina Faso last December, I saw Sodre Ousmane presenting a radio programme on the farmer's radio "La Voix du Paysan" (The voice of the farmer).
During the programme, Sodre sung along with one of the songs on the radio, and I got enchanted by his melodic voice. Afterwards, I asked him if he could do a song for us, which we would then use as background music for our video testimonials about farmers adapting to the climate change challenges.
Sodre asked what he should sing about, and I suggested "Change" (or "Changement" in French). He sat down with Isaka Belem, and improvised a song, right there on the spot, about the impact of "Change", in the weather, the political climate, the economy...
The song, the authenticity, and "couleur locale" of the melody took us all by surprise.
Meanwhile, we have used the song as a background for one of our testimonial videos, but I also wanted to show the song by itself.
So here is Sodre Ousmane with Isaka Belem on strings. Enjoy!
United Nations Home Security: The Solution for Safety at Home
[Loband: Object Removed - application/x-shockwave-flash]
The United Nations now offers your home the same security that countries have enjoyed since 1945. If your house is broken into, the UN will send unarmed observers to watch the burglars and debate the appropriate response.
Hilarious.
Video courtesy BabelGum, discovered via AidBlogs and Alpha