Monday, November 28, 2005

Underground Film: What is Facism?

Rev. Dionysus is a filmmaker, actor, and writer who has recently created a short documentary film entitled, "What is Facism?" This documentary briefly overviews some of the scandalous "pre-war" operations by the US government, including Pearl Harbor, the Oklahoma bombings, 911, and others, and asks some important questions about why there is so much secrecy and confiscation going on around the hard evidence that exists if the facts really are just the facts. This documentary is yet another reminder that our current involvement in Iraq is unacceptable and a call for immediate impeachment is paramount and overdue.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

What Is Videoblogging?


Watch the video
A while ago I saw this kind of obscure post by Raymond over at DLTQ. I was really interested in it at the time because so many people were trying to define videoblogging, and I thought it was fascinating that so many people got so upset about the whole thing. I had originally saved this post to create a mishmash of all of the things being said in the vlogosphere at that time, but since then I have successfully procrastinated long enough that none of the other posts exist in my aggregator anymore.

Although I think that would have been a kick-ass post, I am proud that I have at least created something from Raymond's exploration of the topic of videoblogging. As it turns out, making a remix was much more difficult than I imagined it to be, and I think I did a pretty good job on this (my first). Thanks to all of you that have made such great material from which to draw for the remix!

Remix Until You Get Lucky

Michael Verdi Considers His Year
As the year's end approaches many of us will take the opportunity to reflect on our lives and consider what we have accomplished (and not) over the last year. For those of you who made New Year's resolutions last year (and still remember them) this is often a time for self-scrutiny, self-justification, and self-deception. However, as many vloggers approach and exceed their one-year mark of vlogging, this year is a time to rejoice over all that has happened both personally and publicly in the vlogosphere.

Michael Verdi is doing just that in Lucky. Michael recently passed his one-year mark, and now he can enjoy reflecting on all of the beautiful, mundane, narcisistic, serendipitous, and epiphanic moments that he has shared with the rest of us. What is so remarkable is that, in the revlog of these experiences, as in the vlogosphere in general, there is a sense of nostalgia for both the vlogger and the viewer. Watching Michael's revlog helped me reflect on my own introduction to the vlogosphere and to the wonderful people it inhabits.

So how has your live changed over the past year? Think about it and get out there and make a post about it--you have until Wednesday to post a remix right here!

Originally posted on We Are The Media.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Procrastination: How to Get Nowhere Fast

Lately I have been thinking about changing careers, which has led me re-evaluate my skills, and I have realized that I am incredibly skilled at procrastination. I am so skilled, in fact, that I am able to not only put off the unpleasant tasks in life (putting away the dishes, cleaning out the cat box, clipping my toenails), but I am also fascinatingly good at putting off the enjoyable things (calling up an estranged friend, writing on my blog, taking a shower). You could say that I am an equal-opportunity procrastinator, universally skilled in the area of procrastination, able to put off leaping tall buildings with a single bound.

Now, procrastination has gotten a pretty bad wrap over the years, so let's take a moment to look at the merits of procrastination. When you procrastinate, you are literally not doing what you don't want to do! What's wrong with this? And who is to judge me if I don't feel like taking out the garbage??? This sounds suspiciously like self-care to me! Procrastination is also such a positive word--just look at the spelling--who ever heard of something negative starting with the prefix "pro?"

As it turns out, a lot of the things that seem unpleasant, and are therefore procrastinated, would actually be pleasant in the long run. For example, if I actually got around to cleaning out the catbox, we would have a much more pleasant living environment and we could quit burning all of those candles all of the time. Those candles drip all over the place, and I, for one, am not going to clean that up! On second thought, forget what I said before. Yuck! Chores sound unpleasant for a reason!

All of the above has convinced me that I should narrow my job search to those jobs that have procrastination in the list of required skills. I know I am qualified--it took me three weeks just to write this post! I don't know if it is possible to procrastinate procrastination, but if it is I know I can do it. If there is a job for a procrastinator, I would be perfect for it--if only I could get around to applying...