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Nick

Watch this: video overload

NewNowNext was completely new tonight. Well, yesterday – I recorded it, of course. So far, I’ve had three fantastic videos and I’m only halfway through. Thought I’d blog now before I start to forget (because who rewinds?)

First up: “We Are Electric” by Fischerspooner

We Are Electric

And next: “In For The Kill” by La Roux

Finally: “Black Balloon” by The Kills

Now, if we count the number of media sites this post required me to visit, we’ll soon realize that everything should be allowed by artists, labels, etc to be posted to – if not one then – all media sites. Thank you.

I need this

Cameron’s house from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is for sale. Remember? With the Ferrari that careens out of the garage and into a ravine? That one. This one.

Cameron's House

I want this house bad. It’s gorgeous and still entirely contemporary in its mid-century retrofuturistic style. The furniture is even passable, though with a decór overhaul and few upgrades – namely, some better windows as I’m betting 1953 was not the most eco-friendly of times – this would be one flash tree house. I’d spend most of my time in that garage, of course…

(Thanks, Uncrate.)

Chestertown has found the internet

It seemed inconceivable to me when I arrived here that Chestertown, by and large, wasn’t online. Sure, some restaurants had web pages. Sometimes you could find the dry cleaner’s phone number online. Occasionally the movie times at the glamorous Chester 5 were even correct when you found them. However, there was not really any sort of push for the community to use the web’s resources to make life easier for residents.

Well, with the advent of The Chestertown Spy it seems that the offline-only predilection of the Eastern Shore might finally be giving way, just in time for the second decade of the 21st century. Congratulations, Chestertown. May you even develop comprehensive online classifieds or a Craigslist next!

What the ghost?

My family and I put together a new version of the front flower bed. Dug out all of the river rocks, used the backhoe to remove overgrown holly bushes and other shrubberies and then planted a new tree, some ornamental grass and a rose bush. Oh, and dragged down a 1 ton boulder and then a half ton boulder for good measure. You know, the usual for my family.

After taking a few photos of the work done and Bailey perching on the larger of the megalithic decorations, we dumped things onto my mom’s MacBook and viewed the outcome of so much toil. However, we were not prepared for what we saw in the last of the images. Do you see what I’m talking about above?

How about now?

My mom has always been convinced that her father comes to visit from beyond the veil any time she takes on a new project, much as he would when he was alive. I’m inclined to believe her today.

Listen to this: Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun

While watching Logo’s NewNowNext after work yesterday, I encountered the most remarkable of videos. (You can see it below or go straight to it on Vimeo.) What was this amazing world of spectacular colors and costumed insanity called Empire of the Sun? As always, I added it to my list to download after the show.

And I’m so very glad I did. I’ve talked about “Walking on a Dream” but I wasn’t prepared for the lush peculiarity of “Country” or the foreboding of “Half Mast.” The album art is bonkers and the music it wraps itself around does not deviate from the twirling, spinning path it prepares you for. If you think it looks kind of like a deranged IMAX movie poster, you’ve pretty much hit the way it sounds on the head, too.

Just avoid the last track “Without You.” It’s 80s ballad kitsch and it offends my sensibilities.

Good find, Kate

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control publishes its own line of health-centered e-cards? And that these e-cards are delightfully tacky in an Adult Swim kind of way? Neither did I, until Kate pointed them out to me in all of their stock photography glory. I highly encourage you to send someone you care about a CDC e-card right now. Like this one, for instance:

The Notificator

Is this what hyper-connected internet users will have to fall back on after the energy grid takes a dump on us all? An interesting article I posted on my work blog:

Twitter Predecessor