Innocently searching for some good banjo music, I somehow came across this video, and I can’t help but share:
Here’s the complete caption that comes with the video on the Youtube:
“All I can figure is that sometime back in the ’30s, a psychology department found itself with a pregnant human and chimpanzee mom. What to do with this turn of events? That’s right! Raise the chimp as a human baby, and when they’re both toddling, start making comparative tests on them! This really is a weird flick. It’s adorable, and its horrifying. There’s a series of these, but I only found this one on the Internet Archive. I’m not really sure what sort of information this could present, with the chimp being raised in alien circumstances. I did notice that the chimp (who actually was performing better in most of the tests than the kid) also seemed to have a little attitude going on. A rebel ape! Which leads us to the music, “Baba O’Riley”, by the Who. Right, the original rebels! Bad boy rockers to the core! Who probably NEVER intended their opus to be performed on banjo. That’s right. That is a BANJO. In Raggae-Bluegrass style. I believe much beer went into the development of this bit of strangeness. You’ll hear the old Silvertone Bass, the Moog MG-1(standing in for the jug), and a little dulcimer to wrap it all up in the strangest version of the Who classic ever. Yup. It’s… different. But there’s a cute baby and chimp to go with it! Some Rights Reserved. Welcome To Route 66.
So does anyone know where I can get some good banjo music?
New ads for Sonic burger have launched since I last wrote about it, and I don’t know what to say. Actually, I do; so Sonic, clean out the wax and listen up:
Just because I like you and The Hills both, it does not mean I like you together. Yes, I agree that LC is mesmerizing, but by sacrificing some of your hilarity, you’re turning your back on who you are! In this time of economic uncertainty, what you’re really telling me is I can’t have my cake (The Hills) and eat it (Sonic burger) too. All I really want you to tell me is that we both agree cherry limeades are delicious, and do it in a mouthwateringly funny way.
So, please Sonic, leave the drama for the ladies and stick with what you know.
“Albemarle County Supervisor Ann Mallek said, ‘There’s so many community benefits to increasing our food production locally: for the freshness, for the health, for the lower energy cost, for knowing your neighbor - the community building that goes on there..’
Mallek estimates that if people spent $10 of their grocery expenses on locally produced food, it would produce about $20 million in revenue that would stay in the county. Mallek also says that promoting local food helps protect local farmers and ultimately helps preserve the rural areas of Central Virginia.”
NBC29’s website also takes you to Locallectual, a website based in Charlottesville that promotes “local food :: local products :: domestically produced goods :: locavore community :: locally supported lifestyle :: socially responsible eco-friendly shopping”. How’s that for Search Engine Optimization?
According to The Hook, the following C’ville entities are participating:
So all my classmates in grad school going to Monticello this weekend, and all my fellow UVA alums going to the game, stop by the Blue Ridge Harvest Festival!
Living locally, the practice of consuming only goods produced within a 20-50 mile radius, if becoming a full-blown cultural phenomenon:
Walmart, which many consider the opposite of local, emphasizes locally grown goods as part of its larger commitment to environmental sustainability and helping us all Live Better.
Farmers’ markets are becoming more and more popular in urban environments.
Of course, the idea of roadside farmstands is nothing new where I come from; whether I’m taking the back roads to Vabeach, heading down to the Outer Banks, or driving between Richmond an Great Bridge, I see at least three.
But I loved taking the drive to the Charlottesville farmers’ market when I was going to school there, and I went to the Union Square market almost every Saturday when I lived in New York. One of the things I like most about them is seeing the same people every time you go, whether they’re selling their goods or joining you in checking out which stand has the best-looking sunflower sprouts.
The Martin Agency has arranged for a farmers’ market to visit its patio next week, and I think it’s one of the best ideas I’ve ever heard. As our society starts to make its difficult reconciliation between our fast-paced, convenience-focused lives and an environmental consciousness that sometimes entails a little extra effort, it’s great to see that a company is taking steps to bring convenience to responsible living.
I’d like to see this idea expanded to other businesses, colleges, shopping malls; help people incorporate the new custom into their lives as easily as possible. Also, for many people, being able to show off the green choices they make is at least as important to them as their effect on the environment, and what better way to show off then to buy organic cucumbers outside your office building and then store them in the office fridge?
The Living Locally philosophy has its limits though. Because now that we’ve been introduced to avocados, mangoes, even oranges and bananas, does anyone really expect us to go without just because they’re grown more than 50 miles away? And if someone does figure out how to grow fresh Virgina mangoes, I don’t want to think about how much extra energy would go into creating a suitable artificial environment to do so.
You might think that creating an ad for NASCAR fans is easy; you just think of a funny situation, insert your driver of choice to be the star, and slap your logo on at the end. If you think this, I’d like to invite you to check yourself before you wreck yourself.
I’ve been monitoring the NASCAR rumor mills all summer and into the fall, and I found out that the top 12 drivers were recently on Letterman to promote the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Without further ado, I’d like to present casting options for the “actors” in your “easy” NASCAR ad:
Also, I wrote in an earlier post that my friend Enrico had made a video of our experience at the Richmond race on 9/7. Steiga posted it on his blog; here’s the link. I think the title of his post is making fun of me.
Adrants highlighted this site today, which is highlighting a Facebook group for Hot Moms. Even though I’m all for hot moms, it made me think that mom culture must be a pretty tough thing to deal with; different factors come together, like Stiffler’s mom glorifying the MILF, and the tide of stigma switching from working moms to the stay-at-homes. I thought about TV moms these days too - no more Donna Reed and that lady from Everybody Loves Raymond. Even Betty Draper on Mad Men, a show set in the 60s, is a former model that men at her stable can’t resist. Here are two songs from a few years back that contribute to the MILF side of mommy culture:
And here’s a digital story I wrote about the working v. stay-at-home aspect for a brief on Shutterfly:
Mommy culture is a vicious jungle. Motherhood comes with a lot of pressure; it means taking complete responsibility of a young person’s development, and the high stakes manifest themselves through self-comparison with other mothers. The most involved mothers - the avid scrapbookers in this context - judge all others on their dedication to motherhood, and it’s natural for any mother, especially those who work, like the Shutterfly target, to feel concerned about measuring up and avoiding their judgment. But buried under the guilt is the feeling that all the mommy infighting is silly, and counterproductive to their cause. This middle-ground, moderate, internal sentiment is the real trusted authority (not the scrapbookers), but it often gets drowned out by all the external peer pressure.
Shutterfly can establish an emotional connection with its target by both acknowledging their mommy guilt, and also legitimizing their sentiment that the mommy pressure doesn’t matter near as much as taking care of their children. Shutterfly can make its target feel assured in their dedication to motherhood in two ways:
1. Taking a lighthearted approach to mommy guilt and pointing out its silliness in a good-humored way.
2. Showing how Shutterfly can help them make something at least as beautiful, accessible, and personal as the scrapbookers, without all the time, money, and energy.
A series of webisodes accomplishing both of these things could effectively change mommy culture as we know it.
This has been a week of many cultures. Here’s a rundown of adventures:
Thursday: trip to DC for a book signing. Interviewed many comic-book fans and the author of this book.
Friday: First Friday ArtWalk in Richmond, preceded by an authentic Russian dinner.
Saturday: Hurricane Hanna kept us inside and postponed the NASCAR race until…
Sunday: my friend Enrico made a great video of our time. I’m trying to get a copy from him so I can post it; stay tuned.
It’s the kind of week I wished happened every week, and the kind that makes me appreciate friends who value new experiences. Love it or hate it, a new experience breathes fresh life into our thought processes, challenges our preconceived notions and help us define ourselves - do you ever really know who you are unless you have an understanding of who you aren’t? Similarly, is there any truer sign of being comfortable with who you are than a willingness to evolve your own self-identity?
I’ve been loving on the commercials for Sonic burger for years now. I still remember borrowing my grandfather’s old farm truck to drive to town every day for a cherry limeade when I visited him as a teenager. It seems I’m not alone in thinking these ads are great; my classmates have been talking about this one that’s on the air now:
And someone actually took the time to track down all the Sonic ads they’d ever seen a few years ago:
There are groups on Facebook petitioning for a Sonic burger in their town because the ads are too awesome and delicious.
But when you go to the actual Sonic website, big disappointment! Yeah, there’s the Tot Rejection game (which loads super slowly), and you can send an email to your friend asking them to Sonic burger, but there’s so much more to be done! Sonic, you and your ads have a genuine cult following on your hands, you should leverage it:
House all your commercials for people to view and pass on.
Ask for user submissions for new creative ideas (check out all the spoofs on the Youtube!).
Formalize the petitions for new Sonic burger locations so fans feel like their voice is really heard.
One of my favorite things, the Olympics, just ended earlier this month, and by all accounts this one was a great success; I have only one regret. That awesome ads like this would never get greenlit in the US.
It seems funny/tragic to me that our country is convinced it has everything all figured out, and yet in general we’re totally unaware of what we’re missing.
