I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty

And The Heartbreakers

Shave Like a Man

One of the best commercials I've seen.(in a while, anyway)

Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945

Japanese artist Isao Hashimoto has created a beautiful, undeniably scary time-lapse map of the 2053 nuclear explosions which have taken place between 1945 and 1998, beginning with the Manhattan Project's "Trinity" test near Los Alamos and concluding with Pakistan's nuclear tests in May of 1998. This leaves out North Korea's two alleged nuclear tests in this past decade (the legitimacy of both of which is not 100% clear).

Each nation gets a blip and a flashing dot on the map whenever they detonate a nuclear weapon, with a running tally kept on the top and bottom bars of the screen. Hashimoto, who began the project in 2003, says that he created it with the goal of showing"the fear and folly of nuclear weapons." It starts really slow — if you want to see real action, skip ahead to 1962 or so — but the buildup becomes overwhelming.

Miramax Oscar Ballot Challenge

Take the Miramax Oscar Ballot Challenge for a chance to win prizes.

From the site:

Here’s your chance to win a massive prize pack of Miramax Oscar®-winning films. Are you ready to take the challenge? Complete your ballot now!

GRAND PRIZE: 20 of Miramax’s Academy Award®-winning films
2nd PLACE: Miramax’s Best Picture, Actor and Actress winning films
3rd PLACE: Miramax’s Best Picture winning films

All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Saturday, February 23, 2013.

Before you start, review the official rules.

I haven't seen any of these movies in their entirety (although I did embed "Paperman" earlier this month, but have now noticed the video has been made  private), but I have seen some of the trailers and read "the buzz" on most.  So, my entry into the contest is riddled with (mostly) educated guesses and a few favorites.  Here are my picks:

Actor in a Supporting Role: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Animated Feature: Frankenweenie
Original Song: 'Skyfall' - Skyfall
Original Screenplay: Zero Dark Thirty
Animated Short: Paperman
Documentary Short: Redemption
Live Action Short: Henry
Makeup: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Adapted Screenplay: Life of Pi
Supporting Actress: Sally Field, Lincoln
Production Design: Les Miserables
Costume Design: Lincoln
Sound Editing: Life of Pi
Sound Mixing: Life of Pi
Cinematography: Life of Pi
Original Score: Skyfall
Visual Effects: Life of Pi
Documentary Feature: How to Survive a Plague
Film Editing: Life of Pi
Foreign Film: Kon-Tiki
Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Director: Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Best Picture: Lincoln

After you fill out your choices, you'll get an email listing them.  I hope I don't get more spam because of it, but if I do...oh well.

Miramax Oscar Ballot Challenge

Procession - The Moody Blues

A homemade video of one of the most interesting songs that's ever been written. With only three words for the lyrics, "Procession" basically describes the history of music from the beginning of time up to the present.


Read more about "Procession" at Wikipedia

Fun Phone Fact

Did you know the first phone in the White House was installed  in 1879 during the Rutherford B. Hayes administration? (even before electricity in 1891) Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, gave Hayes personal instructions on how to use it. The number was "1" because at first it was only connected to the Treasury Dept.

I wonder how long it was until the President was interrupted during dinner by a telemarketer?