Here’s something to ask ourselves: Are we being held hostage by foreign oil as we’re been told? Or is Congress the real culprit?

I remember when the Republican led Congress passed a bill to drill, only to have it vetoed by Bill Clinton. Well, here we still are. So in this video clip, Newt Gingrich suggests three things we should do now to dramatically lower the cost of oil.

Is anybody listening?

“Oceans” from the “Fresh Wine for the Horses” album by former Catherine Wheel lead singer Rob Dickinson. I can’t explain what’s happening in the video or how it relates to the song except it apparently involves a mermaid who doesn’t know she’s a mermaid, and a guy in a wetsuit stalking her in Palm Springs…

I like the song. And I found it interesting that the entire video was shot on a Nokia N93 camera phone! Curious how it was done?

As Arthur C. Clarke told us, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” So think of Irish magician Keith Barry as a technologist, an elite software engineer of the human brain. Witty and direct, he celebrates human cleverness even while he’s hacking it.

In this 2004 TED presentation in Monterey, California, Barry shows us how our brains can fool our bodies. Then he involves the audience in some jaw-dropping (and even a bit dangerous) feats of brain magic.

At just under 20 minutes, you may think it a bit long. But I believe, once you get into it, you’ll be hooked. Enjoy!

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It began in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). The TED website makes the best of these available to the public. Free.

Regular contributer Hugh Atkin from Down Under makes videos, some of which are comedic spoofs featuring the U.S. presidential candidates, and posts them on YouTube. Says Hugh in an email the other day:

“I’d taken a bit of a break from election videos, but if you’re interested, I’ve just posted a mock interview with Barack Obama based on the word association game he played on Fox News. I hope you like it.

Best regards,

Hugh Atkin”

In this spoof, Obama struggles with the concept of word association. I found it pretty funny. See what you think.

Here are a couple more of Hugh’s videos I particularly enjoyed: “What Voters Want Is…” and “Clinton and Cruise - On the Campaign Trail”

All right, for those of you that asked to see Episode 2 when it was released (and those that didn’t ask but secretly wanted to), here ya’ go…

Watch Episode 1.

Got a dead body? Just call Frank’s Crime Scene Steam-N-Clean — the premiere biohazard removal company! Here’s the just released (well, July 21) first episode of this original webisode series:

The first episode of a dark comedy series created and produced by USC graduate film students Scott Rickels, Tim Dragga and Tim Kolesk stars Dale Midkiff, Richard Riehle, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Tuione, Chrissy Anderson, Travis Willingham and Jessica McClendon. More episodes are “in the works” (as those of us “in the biz” like to say). Link

It’s the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.

Neil Patrick Harris…..as Dr. Horrible
Nathan Fillion……….as Captain Hammer
Felicia Day…………..as Penny

And a cast of dozens!

Joss Whedon began writing his musical web series (watch the teaser below), with the help of all his relatives and friends, during the writer’s strike, then streamed the first three acts, free, on the official web site (not to be confused with the official fan site). The “free streaming broadcast” part is no more, but they are available on iTunes and, in the not-too-distant future (before Christmas) the complete short epic will be available on DVD. It’ll be legen….wait for it….dary!

P.S. At great personal risk, I was able to obtain this copy of “The Master Plan”, secretly penned by Joss Whedon in a dark, scary secret cave somewhere (but not the Bat Cave. This one’s shown at the beginning of the teaser, I think) that will explain the whole twisted, diabolical scheme. Read it! Be safe!

No presidential election would be complete without a contribution from JibJab to make light of it. Here’s their latest…

Davey sent a wmv version of this a couple years ago and I’d posted it on my AFP website. It apparently was shown on Good Morning America in August ‘06 and is due a reprise. If you live in a metered water area as I do, you’ll see this in a whole different light…

I wasn’t able to get this ready in time to make it a Patriot’s Journey post, but for those of you unable to attend our 48th Annual Folsom Pro Rodeo July 3-5, I thought I’d share a couple video clips via MyFolsom.com to give you a taste of the event.

As in past years, the rodeo began with Kent Lane, skydiver extraordinaire, dropping into the arena each night trailing a 2,000 square foot American flag. During a short free-fall from 4,500 feet, Lane spoke to the audience via helmet-mounted radio, then deployed his canopy and guided the huge flag to a soft landing in the middle of Dan Russell Rodeo Arena where a waiting ground crew whisked it from the ground before it touched, all to the sound of Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American.” I’ve seen it done many times and it always makes my chest swell and brings a lump to my throat.

The second clip if of a bronc rider having what looks to be a pretty good ride. Sorry, I don’t have his name. And, as always, the rodeo was preceded on July 2 by the annual longhorn cattle drive down Sutter Street in historic Folsom. We missed it this year, but here are a few photos (click to enlarge) from a prior year.

There are more images in this album.

Ever watch Dilbert, the TV version of the well known Scott Adams comic strip? This is a Dilbert “minisode”, a five minute short, but you can watch full length TV shows as well on this site.

It’s called Hulu, a website that offers free, high-quality streaming video of TV shows and movies, primarily from NBC and FOX and their cable networks. It’s supported by occasional commercials (sorry, but at least they’re short) and provides higher viewing quality than YouTube, even some offerings in HD. Miss an episode of The Office or House? Catch it here!

Sorry, no downloads, but if you’ve got an Apple iTV, you can probably stream to your big screen. How cool is that?

James sent this “post Fourth of July” Comedy Central skit with the caption, “Steve Pelkey, American Hero”…

As we approach Independence Day and prepare for our annual backyard barbecues and “safe” fireworks with the kids, many of us reminisce about the “good old days” when cherry bombs, bottle rockets and Roman candles were as much a part of the holiday as The Star Spangled Banner and Aunt Minnie’s Dutch apple pie. But most states outlawed them years ago to reduce injuries and fires. Replacing them are “snakes and sparklers” and assorted thingies that do little more than whistle and smoke.

Apparently, “real” fireworks are still available in Nevada (if they have whores, they’re bound to have serious fireworks, right?) but our Governor has begged Californians not to buy them this year. No wonder; we already have more than 1200 wildfires burning through our landscape, and firefighters have no idea when they’ll get them under control!

All of which reminded me of a classic scene in the movie Joe Dirt, a conversation between David Spade and Adam Beach…

Now, I’m not telling you what to do or not do, but I’m with Arnold on this, at least this year. How ‘bout forgetting the “real” fireworks? Go to a controlled fireworks show in your area instead. They’re bigger and better anyway, right?

You may remember various email hoaxes over the years claiming that cell phones could cook an egg and therefore were frying your brain while you used them. Well, a new version popped up May 28th in the form of YouTube videos purporting to demonstrate how cell phones can pop corn. I’ve received several emails from friends “alerting” me to the danger.

Sorry, folks, but all three videos were illusions produced by Cardo Systems, Inc., a provider of Bluetooth headsets, as part of a marketing campaign to - you guessed it - sell more headsets. Pretty clever, I suppose, but how was it done? Well, someone’s produced a video that purports to “expose” the hoax. The video on the left is one of the three produced by Cardo showing the corn “popping”, the one on the right by someone dismantling a microwave to demonstrate how the trick was conceivably accomplished. Kids, don’t try this at home.

A word of caution seems appropriate here. Cardo refers to their videos as “illusions” without explaining how they were accomplished. The video purporting to expose them was not produced by Cardo and could conceivably be a hoax itself. In any event, attempting to reproduce the illusion as shown in the second video would be, at the very least, dangerous. At worst, you could be electrocuted or burn your house down. Needless to say, I don’t recommend anyone try it.

Dawn and I enjoy watching “America’s Got Talent” and witnessing the birth of some amazing acts like Terry Fator and Bianca Ryan. Some of you may not be aware that the show is patterned after its counterpart, “Britain’s Got Talent”.

If you watched BGT last season, you’ll remember finalist Connie Talbot, the little six-year-old princess that captured everyone’s hearts with her version of Over the Rainbow. Following the competition, she recorded an album featuring some of her favorite songs. I’ve posted two, but you can hear more, including her new single, Three Little Birds, on Connie’s web site.

I have to admit that I’m a little disoriented; I’m talking about a recording artist, her album, her new single, her web site… and she’s only six!? But no matter; she’s definitely got talent!