nickfruhling.com / blog

The Rumors of My Blog's Death Have Been Somewhat Exaggerated

2009-12-31T15:46:00.007-08:00

This post is dedicated to the 44 of you out there who, for some reason, still hold hope that I will be updating my blog. More likely, it is for the 44 of you who forgot you were even still subscribed.

As the year ends, you may have noticed that I have let the blog go silent since September. What you may not have noticed is how active my Twitter feed has been since. As seems the path of many other bloggers, it is time to fully move on and lay my blog to rest, giving it the respect it deserves, while giving the full attention to the infamous 140-character updater that is lately all I have time for.

With two kids, a loving wife, a full-time job and a freelance side business, the portability and lightning-fast-ability of Twitter is perfect for those precious moments of down time, while still remaining a useful way to provide good links and the personal commentary and perspective that you 44 appear to appreciate. From a purely numbers standpoint, it seems silly to write to 44 people in blog format when 186 people want to have it in Tweets.

I'm working on a redesign of my home page right now, and it will incorporate this blog only as a sidenote to let people know what I am up to professionally, and while I will keep the old content archived for the search bots, it will not be linked from anywhere important. This should keep the people happy who, to this day, are desperately searching for images of Joey Gladstone and screencaps from old episodes of The Apprentice.

So it is with 51% reverence and 49% embarrassment that I now send this out, marking my last official post of this old blog format. It's been very fun, and thanks for taking part in whatever way and for however long, but with all due respect, it's 2010 and it's time to let go.

Did You Know 4.0

2009-09-17T13:08:00.003-07:00

In an update to their much viewed Shift Happens video from 2007, XPLANE Visual Thinking has released a new bunch-of-amazing-earth-changing-statistics-set-to-motion-graphics-and-ethereal-music-type video, with a focus on social media and connectivity. It's good, and at the very least, you can sit back and watch, be amazed by it, and then continue on with your 2272 text messages a month.

Mysterious Broom Stands Up

2009-09-02T14:07:00.004-07:00

There is just so much to say about this news clip, and yet there really isn't anything to say at all.

BLT on NBC

2009-08-20T15:00:00.002-07:00

Further to free Degrassi on iTunes (it's still there if you missed it), there's a promo for Jay Leno's new primetime show out now that, besides being fairly weird, features a cop played by who I'm almost 100% sure is Dayo Ade, none other than Bryant Lister "BLT" Thomas from Degrassi High. See for yourself...

Via BrandFreak.

Free Degrassi Junior High 101

2009-07-28T10:15:00.005-07:00

The angst, the agony, the acne, and the acting: this is not the time to discuss the merits and memories of eighties classic, Degrassi Junior High. Just go right now to iTunes and get the very first episode, "Kiss Me Steph", absolutely free while you still can.

It's available on the Canadian iTunes Music store here, but I can't confirm whether or not it's available to international students.

Hot Pepper

2009-07-24T09:45:00.001-07:00

Whatever kind of day you are having, it is about to change.

Needless to say, I have watched this a zillion times, can't get the song out of my head, have no idea what I am singing, and am loving every minute of it.

For the diehards, like me, who can't get enough of this little diddy, there are some alternate versions of varying length and content here, as well as a pretty swell extended remix here. Also, if you're wanting to delve deeper into the mysterious origins of this earworm, it's an ad for a local Japanese newsmagazine called Hot Pepper, and it features a J-Pop artist named Kaela Kimura, who really has some sweet dance moves.

(originally found via videogum)

Clutching the Bumper of the Arcade Fire Bandwagon

2009-07-13T01:40:00.019-07:00

Minifig Bands # 7: Arcade Fire, originally uploaded by minifig.

In the month since my last post, I've been catching up on culture. Since my wife and I had our second son last year, we've been a little behind in all things entertainment-related, and between the TV season ending and our boys sleeping through the night, are just now attending to the backlog. Case in point: we just saw Dark Knight for the first time, we just finished the second season of Arrested Development, and I'm just now getting into a little band called Arcade Fire.

When I'm up with my son on the couch at night, I can't watch normal TV because I will never go to sleep. Thus I started TiVo-ing "television's longest-running concert music program", Austin City Limits, with the intention of the PBS-powered uninterrupted music lulling me to sleep. When I was a kid the show was a weird mainstay in the TV listings, and almost always had country artists, but now is surprisingly diverse and often quite indie-focused. While the show went through its regular scheduled programs, it worked in putting me to sleep. Then came the Arcade Fire episode.

I've always known of Arcade Fire, heard some of their music, appreciated their impact on the indie music scene, and respected their elevation of Canada as a talented musical community. Now, however, I have just really got into them, in no small part thanks to the powerful Where the Wild Things Are trailer, but mostly because of their intense performance on ACL (as the cool kids seem to call it). If you've never seen them live, try to imagine ten people on stage switching places with a hundred different instruments (including a pipe organ, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, and a car alarm), literally beating the music out of them and the whole time playing their hearts out. PBS has only one of the performances online, in really low quality, and it's one of the tamer ones from the show, but it will give you a small taste.

The following is recommended watching for anyone who, like me, is desperately trying to clutch the bumper of the Arcade Fire bandwagon, which has already had a few years head start, but all the while enjoying the pursuit.

- The entire band together in an elevator playing Neon Bible, utilizing ripped magazines and the roof for percussion:

- A live performance of Wake Up with David Bowie, which the YouTube user publishes with the disclaimer "If you don't cry watching this, you are dead inside":

- A fan-edited music video for My Body Is A Cage using clips from a spaghetti-western classic (thanks for this one, Peter):

- Lastly, an interactive music video, also for Neon Bible, that you need to point and click on to make come alive.

SBTB FTW!

2009-06-09T09:43:00.003-07:00

Here I was, going to post some things about the big Apple WWDC keynote yesterday, when news from Jimmy Fallon's Saved by the Bell reunion blew the importance of new iPhones right out of the water.

There is so much SBTB goodness in this interview that I can't even summarize it in a witty way. Let's just say that Jimmy Fallon has secured both the kingpin, and someone thought to be the hardest to convince, for the "class reunion", and he does it in true Bayside style. As a SBTB fan, you could not ask for more.

But if you're still hoping for some WWDC coverage, Jimmy's got your back for that too.

You Say You Want A Rock Band Evolution

2009-06-02T09:22:00.006-07:00

Some of my favourite announcements from the E3 Conference are all the new musical releases. While Guitar Hero 5 has announced an impressive list of artists (everybody from Cash to Kiss to Coldplay), and Lego Rock Band seems interestingly entertaining, The Beatles: Rock Band sounds (and looks) the most amazing. With a keen attention to detail, a genuine rags-to-riches storyline, and of course that music catalog, it's sure to be a successful gaming experience.

Take a look at the trailer here, and notice the addition of multi-vocal harmonies, bonus sayings like "fab" and "double fab", and the care with which they've reproduced the locales (both real and imagined) as well as the varying hairstyles of the group.

via Raihan Sangherra

Archie Getting Married

2009-05-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

Am I the last to hear that our good friend Archie Andrews is getting married? I didn't get an invitation, did you?

I could have linked to any of the news stories that Google turned up, but I think I owe it to you, the reader, to go straight to the source and get it from Archie News, where all the headlines are reported in a green 3-piece suit and old-timey "press pass" fedora.

Also, Archie apparently chooses Veronica (a "pragmatic choice on Archie's part given the economic recession"), the gang will reunite after they graduate college, and everyone chooses careers. Boy, Archie comics have certainly got a lot more complicated since I was a kid. Back then, the biggest proposal would be between Jughead and a sandwich.

Clients: We've All Been There

2009-05-29T08:48:00.002-07:00

No matter what industry you're in, I'm sure you can relate to clients behaving badly when it comes time to pay up, and this video puts them in more everyday situations without going too far from the truth.

via Brandflakes for Breakfast

Social Media Sabbatical

2009-05-19T09:47:00.005-07:00

After one week of Blogger FTP issues, one week of putting on the 2009 GDMA Degree Show at work, and another week of directing my church's family camp, I'm back to blogging. At the same time, however, I am living in constant fear of having my favourite blabbermouth, the Internet, spoil the season finales to my favourite shows.

Being so busy, the TiVo has been piling up with good television that I haven't seen. The main show I am concerned about is Lost, which has been so amazingly awesome this season I expect no less than earth-shattering revelations from the final episode. To a lesser extent, the results of Survivor, the always fun wrap-ups from 30 Rock and The Office, and the last show ever of the Prison Break series, are also something I'm looking forward to.

Thus, I have made the difficult decision to avoid all social media, including Facebook, Twitter and blogging, until my expectations have been met, my story arcs have been resolved, and my TiVo hard drive has been wiped clean.

So chatter away, Internet, but I'll be virtually plugging my ears and typing "la la la la la la" on an imaginary keyboard until then.

Fake Trailer Friday

2009-04-17T12:05:00.003-07:00

If you've already seen my post about the Where the Wild Things Are trailer, you'll appreciate this other trailer, with the description "Spike Jonze wastes no time adapting another 10 page childrens book into a film".

Good Things Come In MP3s

2009-04-10T20:31:00.003-07:00

Three parts of random musical goodness for the long weekend.

The online newsmagazine Dose.ca has a free 15-song iTunes download of music featuring artists to watch in 2009, many of them Canadian. I just got it, and while some of the songs have been free downloads of the week on iTunes already, it's an easy way to discover some bands you might never have heard otherwise. To get the songs just go to dose.ca/artists and they'll send you a code redeemable in the iTunes Music Store.
Speaking of Canadian, my friend Brett posted this video of a vapid butchering of the Canadian national anthem, and if you're familiar with how the iconic tune should actually sound, you'll find it just as outrageous as I did. Also on the YouTube front, a group of kids singing Viva La Vida is almost catchier than the original, and this choir of monks "sings" the Hallelujah chorus while under a vow of silence (via Chelsea).
Last, but not least, if you're looking for a soundtrack to the Easter weekend that gets past chocolate egg-laying bunnies and pastel confetti strips, I highly recommend the debut record from The Welcome Wagon, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon. It's an amazing album that sets the perfectly appropriate tone, and has the right mix of quirkiness and acousticness to keep you humming all year round. If it sounds like Sufjan Stevens, it's because it's produced by Sufjan Stevens, but in my books, that is not a bad thing.

Happy Easter, everybody.

Train Station Musical

2009-03-31T08:52:00.003-07:00

I'm sure everyone wishes in some small way that a musical would break out in the middle of their daily life, so I'm sure everyone can't get too tired of these "impromptu" performances in train stations. Here's the latest, with a description automatically translated by Google (I gather it's a stunt to promote a How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? style show):

"Antwerp Central goes out of his roof because Looking for Maria is coming! View more than 200 dancers and dancers of the station on his head onto the sounds of the Sound of Music!"

Saved By The Bell Reunion

2009-03-28T11:22:00.005-07:00

This may very well be the most important thing you do today.

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon has been a great show. I've always liked Jimmy, I was pumped for the first episode, and while his monologue might be rocky and he may have had some nerves at the beginning, he's really starting to find his footing. His integration of technology and nerdiness has been better than I expected, the Roots are such a cool addition to the show, and I actually really enjoy his interviews, which can be the uninteresting part on other late night talk shows.

However, he has just launched an initiative that has increased my respect for him tenfold, and may very well save America. Jimmy Fallon wants to get the Saved by The Bell cast back together for their 20 year reunion. If there is one link you click on today, one field you type your name into this week, and one video you spend 3 minutes of your life watching, I urge you to do it here.

For all you Canadians, just select the nearest state and city to sign the official petition. Conveniently, I thought it was befitting to select Bellingham.

Where the Wild Things Are

2009-03-26T09:30:00.002-07:00

Take the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, mix in decades of fan anticipation, add the legendary imagination of director Spike Jonze, throw in beautiful costumes plus the right amount of reverence for the characters, and set it all to an Arcade Fire tune, and you've got one of the best trailers of the year that for some reason you aren't watching right now. I don't care if you've seen it already, watch it again!

Vintage Dharma Initiative Ads

2009-03-25T09:12:00.011-07:00

Something for the Losties: Adam Campbell of Hot Meteor Design has unearthed a series of vintage ads from the Dharma Initiative.

Who observes the observers?, originally uploaded by Hot Meteor.

Twitter My Life Away

2009-03-19T12:31:00.001-07:00

I may have just bought a minivan, I may have started to wear socks to bed, I may have only sent three text messages in my life, and I may have mistakenly believed that I was a year older than I actually am, but I'm not old enough yet to miss jumping on the Twitter bandwagon.

While I'm approaching level 5 on the "5 Stages of Twitter Acceptance" chart, I still realize the insanity of it all, which is magnificently lampooned in this animated short.

You can drop by and tweet hello: @nickfruhling

Happy International Day of Awesomeness

2009-03-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Do you really need to click here and learn about today, The International Day of Awesomeness, or did your day just get more awesome by the knowledge alone?

Kay Pettigrew Acoustic Cover

2009-03-06T09:15:00.004-08:00

I love acoustic covers, and this one hasn't left my head for the past few days. It's by a Canadian songstress from Toronto named Kay Pettigrew, and while I love her jazzyfolky vocals, the subject matter is what's dear to my heart.

You should experience the cover for yourself, so I've provided the link using NoSpoiler.com and embedded the video using this title-removing trick. Kay has also kindly provided the MP3 for download here. If anything I can say that this cover is rare...

Prank War

2009-03-04T09:13:00.006-08:00

The thing that first got me into College Humor was when my boss showed me the Prank War series, a group of videos that chronicles the escalating one-upmanship of pranks between Streeter and Amir. They start out pretty bad, but as they progress they get more elaborate, and consequently, more hilarious.

The latest one just came out and it is very much worth watching, in a train wreck sort of way. If you can't stand that good 'ol second-hand embarrassment, though, this one is not for you. If you're interested, you can find the rest of the pranks in reverse chronological order here.

Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy

2009-02-27T14:50:00.005-08:00

This weekend, take a break from our modern world with a hilarious clip from comedian Louis CK. Give it time to load...

Life In Technicolor ii

2009-02-12T09:19:00.005-08:00

After an album that I liked but was underwhelming in parts, Coldplay released the Prospekt's March EP that had more blow-me-away songs for my buck. In a similar fashion, after the music videos for Viva La Vida didn't really stick with me, the next video out of the Prospekt's March EP is a return to form. With a style and humour that hearkens back to the glory days of MTV, and a clever play on the "now my feet won't touch the ground" lyric, the video only adds to my love for the song (in my opinion, the best on the new album).

Coincidentally, it also reminds me of the haunting Spice Girls music video for Viva Forever with all it's animated puppetry and vintage British quirkiness. Yes, I said haunting, and yes, that is my favourite Spice Girls song...

Dinosaur Comics

2009-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

I have been reading Dinosaur Comics for months now, and have been enjoying it immensely. So much so, however, that I haven't been a good friend by not recommending it sooner. In fact, ever since my favourite web comic, Perry Bible Fellowship went off the air (more about that here), this has been my favourite daily funny.

Now before you write off a web comic about dinosaurs, you should know of the storied history of Dinosaur Comics. Namely, that this Canadian guy uses the exact same computer-retro, clip art-inspired, bitmapped artwork for every single comic, with only the dialogue changing. This may sound like the cheapest comic ever, but within those six panels, it explores "a wide variety of topics, including ethical relativism, the nature of happiness, the secret to being loved, and more." Besides the three main characters (T-Rex, Utahraptor, and Dromiceiomimus), you can also expect guest appearances by Edgar Allan Poe, Patick Stewart, God, the Devil, and mirror universe versions of the regular cast, but with goatees.

The thing that brings me back to Dinosaur Comics, and the reason I so miss PBF, is that both comics are consistently enjoyable while simultaneously being intelligent, thought-provoking, relatable, witty, informative, philosophical, outrageous, irreverent, tragic, bizarre, truthful, and more often than not, all of these and hilariously inappropriate at the same time.

As you can see, it is extremely hard to choose the perfect example of a Dinosaur Comic, so start with those links and I think you'll be frigorific in no time.