Worldwide Monopoly, Odes to Puncuation and Other Recent Bests of the Internet

O'Reilly announced a 14 day tour called Geeks On A Plane. This European expedition takes VCs, entrepreneurs, bloggers and thinkers on a trip filled with the best in technology, people, events and overall geek talk over the pond. I'm in love.

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Do not pass go, do not leave your computer. At least don't plan on leaving it on Wednesday when Google and Hasbro release their anticipated Monopoly City Streets. With an initial $3 million dollars and the ability to buy property anywhere in the world using Google Maps you can hope to collect a whole lot more than pass go and collect $200 dollars. Join up and see if you can become the world's richest property magnate in existence.

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Grammar Girl is hosting a favorite punctuation mark contest. You send in an ode to your favorite punctuation mark and on the week of September 24th (National Punctuation Day) the website will feature the best of the best. COOL!

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Mashable's "Mobile Melodies" article pointed out ten great cell phone music performances. Here's one I really enjoyed, one that makes me believe this is Gen Y's version of memorizing how to solve a Rubik's cube or win Pac Man every time.

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The Telegraph recently released an article that spells out 50 Things that Are Being Killed By the Internet. The list includes "the art of polite disagreement," "trust in Nigerian businessmen and princes," "the usefulness of references pages at the front of diaries," and much more.

Kept, Lost, Forgotten and Remembered Again

There's a website called Forgotten Bookmarks and in case the name of the site doesn't explain enough, it's like Post Secret for the bookish type. I've added a couple images below, but check it out if you're curious.

Preferably while listening to the sweet sounds of The Backseat Goodbye. (Warning: He's a total guilty pleasure but a pleasure nonetheless). And not that it matters, but he has a song called "32 Ways to Make You Smile."

Ukulele Fever

I've got ukulele fever and I've got it bad.  This isn't just some sort of tepid condition alleviated with a few aspirin and a couple days rest.  It's an all encompassing obsession that pumps through my veins and leaves me restless.   Most of my passions end up driving me through the day and this hankering desire for a ukulele is no different.  I've always felt a connection with the instrument's mobile and triumphantly nerdy beauty but right now I feel like the connections in my brain are made of ukulele strings.  In my obsessive condition I've been scouring YouTube and I recently stumbled upon this 11 year old elementary school student named Anko.  His hobbies include making "new rube goldberg machines" and his favorite books are "novels."  This guy is adorable, not to mention talented.  Check out his YouTube channel here (he also makes Lego- animation videos) or just listen to a couple of his songs below.

Keita - "Stand By Me"

Keita - "Love Me Do"

Pork Chops, Applesauce, and The Real Life Simpsons

I'm not sure what this family was doing when they had the idea to recreate the Simpsons intro in real life, but I like it. I would like to think that they were sitting at the dinner table eating pork chops and apple sauce when the Lisa equivalent said (because of course Lisa would be the type to have an idea like this), "Hey, Bart (or whatever his real name is) doesn't have any sleep overs this weekend and dad isn't working late this Friday night, let's become famous on YouTube by recreating the Simpsons intro."

From there Maggie gave her pacifier a few sucks and the deal was sealed. The family set into filming. At least that's how I imagine that magical night in the three dimensional Springfield of real life. You can check out the final product below:

Random Thought: Why does it always seem like I need three Oreos to even feel like I've eaten one? I don't necessarily need four but being limited to one or two is a simply dreadful thought. Does anyone else feel this holy Oreo trinity?

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I was introduced to a band called Lowry earlier today. I'm getting an advance of their new album so glue yourself online to look for the review I'll put out soon. Or, just believe me now when I tell you that if you like Bright Eyes or think you might enjoy a folkier Frou Frou or tamer Flaming Lips then you'll probably love Lowry.

They're deep, layered and intense, and they constantly drop lines like, "There is a color that smells like her hair; I can't name it." Lowry is a calming escape, so don't let them slip through your fingers.

Thrill Magazine Debut

Thrill Magazine is more than a dream, it's a dream come true. Your lifestyle guide to music, style, and the arts is now online. We're still in a halfway beta testing mode right now and have a bit of development left but since my readers here are mostly friends and loyal followers, I thought I would give you an exclusive glimpse before we pull out all the major tricks. Feel free to visit the site often, because your clicks create our funding. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the content and please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns. You'll find a rough webshot below, as well as a letter from the publisher...a few heartfelt words that get a little more personal than I traditionally reveal. I hope you enjoy it all...

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A Letter From the Publisher

On Beginnings
Courtships and Crushes and Falling in Love

Love for me has always been vehement. Whether I’m electrified by the syncopated percussions of a favorite song, the art that pulls my soul through my eyes, or the power of a crush, when I let love overcome my existence something in me changes forever.

I remember my most recent crush, the way my heart skipped violently toward madness every time my eyes met the other person’s. I gravitated toward the object of my attraction, lost in the drumbeat of ethereal delight. The beginning of love changed the tint of my perspectives, and my investment into making love thrive was infinite.

That’s how I feel as Thrill Magazine comes to fruition. It’s like a new beginning, the result of countless late nights and hours of deep conversation with those who have helped make Thrill what it is today. It’s madness but nothing short of the investment of my life: a dream come true.

I hope you that as you read our content about music, style, and the arts that it captures your attention and holds your affections. After all, this is the object of our devotion and a beautiful new beginning, the kind that we hope sends electrical currents down your spine and anticipation through your body. May you enjoy this new beginning and fall in love with Thrill the way I have.

-- Lauren Proctor
Founder and CEO of Thrill Magazine

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For now I recommend a classic, "Mother We Just Can't Get Enough" by the New Radicals. Bask in the beautiful crescendos of this song and then check out Thrill Magazine for more music recommendations and news updates.

The Wii Never Looked So Sexy

Ten years ago video game socializing sounded like a ready made oxymoron. But since the emergence of the Wii the idea of sticking people in the same room and asking them to play a video game isn't so absurd. The very nature of games has changed; they are short and often perfect for social interaction. Call having your friends over to play Wii Tennis or Guitar Hero the new version of inviting someone to the movies. You don't have to entertain and because there's something engaging your guests there's no need to make conversation. But is this a good thing?

I'll offer full disclosure now: I am an owner of the Wii. I've spent evenings dripping in sweat during Wii Boxing or Wii Tennis and even rearranged my living room to accommodate two player sports games. I love having people over to play the Wii, and I think that allowing people to come over and play has resulted in enough Wii sales to give me reason to start claiming a commission. Of course Nintendo wouldn't agree, but that's beside the point.

My real point is that the Wii has revolutionized gaming, and I thought that even before I saw Yann. Wired calls Yann a "Franco-American software developer hacker musicians currently living in Scotland" but I'll tell you he's more than that. Yann is the dreamy creator of the Wii Loop Machine, a software that allows people to create music using their Wii remote control. This makes Guitar Hero look childish but better yet, proves that Wii users are intelligent. With creations like the one you'll see in the video below, who cares if people don't make conversation while socializing anymore. This is just too cool and the Wii remote never looked so good.

Wii Loop Machine 2.0 :: Sampling! from The Amazing Rolo on Vimeo

Air Traffic doesn't use the Wii Loop Machine in their newest album Fractured Life but the US release on February 5th is worth paying attention to. I just reviewed Air Traffic's debut album and the band that has received comparisons to Keane and Coldplay proves they're worth the hype. Give them a listen on their myspace, and if you're willing to give away your personal information to the UK's XFM Radio you can get a free download of their single "Come On" by clicking here.

Let it Snow

Today was my final day of regular classes and I'm delighted to report that it's snowing. We've been inundated with weather alerts but there's nothing like watching a blanket of snow slowly accumulate outside. I'm taking some time to relax and as I result I think this blog will turn out to be a random menagerie of random thoughts and comments.

1. I want, sometime in my life, to see the Northern Lights also known as “Aurora Borealis." It seems like it would be one of the most amazing experiences someone could witness.

2. I Am Legend. Children of Men, Cormac McCarthy's The Road. I've noticed an outpouring of post apocalyptic type works of art recently. What does that say about the world? Discuss.

3. Naturally, while unwinding I was checking out Youtube. User Nalts (www.willvideoforfood.com) is brilliant. Check out some of his videos. I've been absolutely rolling.

Now to the music: I found Rilo Kiley in high school and fell in love with "The Frug" and "Glendora." Now I'm obsessed with Rilo Kiley's song "Silver Lining."

If you want you can watch the video and sing along to my favorite line, "I was your silver lining, but now I'm gold!"

Sincerely, Me

Where do you see yourself in 2018? It's a difficult question. Everything can change in a second, but assuming ten years from now you still have the same values, sentiments, and work ethic, where do you want to be in life?

It's a question I've thought about a lot. And it's tough because life can pull you anywhere. But in an effort to stay focused and on track I developed a ten year plan. Then I found a wonderful tool that ten years from now will allow me to review what I wanted out of life back when I was 21 and 22 years old.

It's called FutureMe.org and using this program you can schedule emails to be sent to you in the future. Assuming we'll be using email up until 2037, you can send yourself an email anytime between tomorrow and December 31, 2037.

I assume that when I open my future hopes email ten years from today I'll get a few laughs. "Oh my goodness," I'll think. "Why did I ever want that out of life?" or "Oh dear, I'm such a nerd." I might pick up the email to myself ten years from now and laugh, but if I can achieve most of what's on that list I imagine a bright 2018. And here's to wishing a bright future for each of you as well.

Sincerely,

Me

P.S. I'm currently listening to Hellogoodbye - "Is it Love?" It's poppy, and maybe a little cutesy, but ten years from now I hope I'll still enjoy this song as much as I do today as well.