I *heart* YouTube very muchie. Before it came along, you had sit around while you downloadeded a video you probably didn’t want to watch anyways, but with such a huge community of “contributors”, YouTube has grown into one of the best entertainment solutions for people with short attention spans (e.g., yours truly). Here are three videos that I came across on my daily journeys, each of which speaks to quite a different issue.

Now, I’m sure you’ve already heard about the racist outburst that Michael Richards (better known as Kramer from Seinfeld fame) at the Laugh Factory and how he has gone on the record on several occasions to apologize for using the N-word so freely and so negatively. Well, National Lampoon had their way with several clips and very cleverly pieced them together to form a long lost Seinfeld episode. Very well done and definitely recommended viewing.

Next up, we have a hot live performance by Jay-Z and Nas, the latter of which is on the cusp of releasing his highly anticipated new album, Hip Hop is Dead. I’ve always been a big fan of Nas as he is an incredible lyricist, busting out rhymes like none other. He doesn’t need to rap about bitches and ho’s, bling and “popping a cap” to make his sentiments known. In this way, I appreciate him in sort of the same way I appreciate Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. This song is furthers the truce that the two artists have come to agree on, following several years (in the late 90s and early this decade) of a heated and bitter rivalry (or “beef”). In fact, Nas is now signed under Jay-Z’s Def Jam label. Hip Hop is Dead:

And last and definitely not least is this fun clip from CollegeHumor. Street Fighter was easily the video game series that not only revolutionized but defined the fighting game genre. Without it, we would have never had Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, or any number of other incredible franchises. But what happens to Dhalsim, Ryu, Sagat, Zangief and crew now that they are in semi-retirement? In case you missed part one, you can view that here, but those of you anxiously awaiting part two need not wait any longer, ’cause here it is:

Edit. Damn it. They took it off of YouTube for copyright infringement. Check out Part two at CollegeHumor’s official site by clicking here

Okay worry warts. Those of you who were concerned that AGLOCO was going to fill your computer with oodles of viruses, trojans, and nasty spyware can now rest easy. Prominent and well-respected Vancouver blogger John Chow had a chat with the people behind AllAdvantage 2.0 AGLOCO and they have confirmed that the toolbar, while displaying ads, will not contain any spyware whatsoever.

To quote from his blog:
Mavani has assured me that the AGLOCO Viewbar has absolutely no spyware. The Viewbar tracks your Internet surfing and serves advertising based on the web page you’re visiting. Everything the Viewbar tracks will be spelled out in the privacy statement. This is really nothing new. Many other toolbars, like Google’s, already track surfing habits. In addition, the Viewbar will offer privacy and phishing protection and an uninstaller should you wish to remove it for any reasons.

It’s been slow for me to get people to sign up for AGLOCO and I started to think that many people think it fishy. Well, there you have it. Unlike AllAdvantage, AGLOCO will not come with any spyware, only providing pretty flowers and happy thoughts.

In the beginning, they will be offering stock in the company to ensure that they will have enough funds to go around (and not abruptly go bankrupt like how AllAdvantage did). You’ll receive one share for every hour you surf (to a maximum of five shares per month), and as their business picks up, you’ll have the opportunity to switch over to a pure “pay me cash” agreement. Moreover, when and if they manage to go IPO, you’ll be able to sell those stocks for whatever you think you can get. When they do go IPO, however, they will probably prefer you take the cash, but if you still want stock, it probably won’t be on a one-hour-for-one-stock basis.

If you missed my first AGLOCO post, you can check it out here.

So, go ahead. Sign up for AGLOCO. You have absolutely nothing to lose and oh so much possibility to gain.

And don’t forget to include my referral code: BBBB6961. You can use this link to sign up, but if you wander away from that page, PLEASE go back to that link to make sure I get the referral.

Thanks all! Happy money making!

As a followup to my post the other day about the Three Days Grace concert, here are a smattering of pictures and a video taken from the concert, this time featuring Theory of a Deadman. They had a stunning performance, showcasing such hits as “Santa Monica” and “Make Up Your Mind.” Don’t worry, the photo and movie quality this time around is significantly improved.

I mentioned this in the other post, and someone on REVscene.net echoed the sentiment that The Centre was a strange choice of venue for a rock concert. RS user “litebrite” said: “there’s bound to be seats. the energy’s not the same when you can’t jump around.. or when ppl around you are standing like logs.”

Well, it was my first rock concert and it certainly won’t be my last. Anyways, here are a few pictures and videos taken from a Motorola V635, a vast improvement over the Nokia 6133 I used to take the shots for the otherpost.

UPDATE: I just noticed that this is blog entry #100 on Beyond the Rhetoric. What a milestone!

 

And finally, the video:

YouTube is a wonderful, glorious website. Not only do we get to enjoy random idiots performing random feats. Not only does it give me an avenue to (host and) share videos with the internet community. But it is literally a treasure trove of “real” clips as well. Legal or not, you can access a wide range of music videos and the like, in addition to someone named lonelygirl15. What I particularly enjoy, however, are short clips from popular television shows that you may not have otherwise had a chance to catch. Perfect moments like this, featuring Kate Winslet.

On the Late Show with David Letterman, the esteemed actress talks about working with Cameron Diaz on The Holiday, and then something very interesting comes out. Check the video below to see how Diaz, Winslet, and “under a table” all fit together.

Corner Gas has been very well received in Canada, quickly becoming one of the best known (if not the best known) Canadian sitcom on television today. Fans of the show appreciate the subtle prairie humour and the distinct Canadian feel to many aspects of the program, which is why you’ve got to wonder how it would ever fare south of the 49th parallel. Well, it seems we’re about to find out, because Corner Gas has just been inked for an 80 some-odd episode run on Superstation WGN.

The Chicago-based cable and satellite network is owned by Tribune Broadcasting Company, the same people that own such popular channels as KTLA Los Angeles, WPIX New York City, KCPQ (Fox) Seattle, and KHCW Houston. The first Corner Gas episode is scheduled to air sometime in early 2007.

As a refresher, Corner Gas has been airing on CTV and The Comedy Network since 2004. Based in the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan, we follow the everyday antics of Brent Leroy (played by the show’s creator and head writer Brent Butt), owner of the only gas station in town. Other key characters include Brent’s parents Emma and Oscar (played by Janet Wright and Eric Peterson), Brent’s sole employee Wanda Dollar (played by Butt’s real life wife Nancy Robertson), Ruby Cafe owner Lacey Burrows (Gabrielle Miller), and town nitwit Hank Yarbo (Fred Ewanuick).

On a side note, I had a chance to see these fine folks in the flesh at the recent Gemini Awards. For more on that (including pictures and videos), check out my blog entry, as well as the feature article I have over at The Commentary.

Some have said that Corner Gas has the same kind of appeal as Seinfeld in that both shows, really, are about nothing (it’s right in Corner Gas’s theme song — “There’s not a lot going on”). The dry humour is incredibly appealing (to me, and several other Canadians if ratings are to be believed). I’m glad to see Brent Butt enjoying the success that he is, and I hope that this latest deal doesn’t go straight to his head. He’s always come off as quite the humble person, and with the huge success of Corner Gas, he doesn’t seem to have changed much.

In fact, meeting him in real life, Brent Butt isn’t all that different from his on-screen avatar, Brent Leroy. A little goofy, but straight as an arrow.

There’s even word that they’re working on a Corner Gas movie. That’ll put Saskatchewan on the map (they can’t really put Dog River on the map, since, well, it’s not exactly real).

Brent Butt on continuing success
(filmed backstage at the 2006 Gemini Awards)

The rest of the town may still be abuzz over some other band coming to town (The Rolling Stones… I don’t know, I’ve never heard of them either), but last night, I was over at The Centre in Vancouver checking out another concert. Rolling through town were a quad of Canadian rock bands, each more hard hitting than the last. Three Days Grace was the headline act, but backing them up were the likes of Idle Sons, Mobile, and Theory of a Deadman.

I’ve been to concerts before (most recently, Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey), but this is the first time that I’ve ever been to a rock concert, let alone getting this damn close to the stage. As this was at The Centre, there was no such thing as “floor seats”, meaning that there wasn’t going to be a stereotypical mosh pit set up. Remember this is the same place that they show relatively upscale musicals and plays, so I have to admit that the choice of venue was certainly a little strange.

Anyways, I was in row six, close enough to see the beads of sweat running down their brows. What this also meant was that I was insanely close to the blasting speakers: each thump of the bass reverberated through my very being, rattling the hoody on my back and the soles of my feet. I think my ears are still ringing.

Prior to the show, I wasn’t particularly familiar with any of the groups, with the exception of Three Days Grace (their most recent album — One X — is pretty darn good). So, my experience may have been different than the countless other raving fans in the audience.

Idle Sons was easily the least known of the groups, and as such, they received the least enthusiastic response. They had to ask the audience to get on their feet, whereas spontaneous headbanging and moshjumping was nothing out of the ordinary for Three Days Grace. That said, I’d say they did a reasonably good job keeping the earlycomers entertained.

Mobile had a very Brit pop feel to their music. The lead vocalist, Mat Joly, clearly looks like he is in love with Bono. His every mannerism, the intonations in his voice, even his wardrobe and hairstyle were very much like the U2 icon. He emerged on the stage with slick straight black hair, parted in the middle, large sunglasses, and a leather jacket. Their best known single is probably “Out of My Head” (which you can see below; please excuse the poor cameraphone quality), but I was particularly entertained by “See Right Through Me.”

I’m no fan of Theory of a Deadman, but I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy their set. They played well into the enthusiastic crowd, tossing countless guitar picks into the audience as keepsakes. At the end of their portion of the show, the drummer — Brent Fitz — even tossed his sticks.

The highlight of the show (for me) was definitely Three Days Grace. Best yet, they opened their set with my personal favorite from their latest album. The crowd automatically stood up on their feet as soon as the house lights dimmed. A distorted bassy sound blasted through the speakers, riling up the fans even more. And then, as they trotted onto the stage, the music started… Animal I Have Become.

It was powerful. It was exciting. It was an absolute thrill.

Three Days Grace played an assortment of songs from both of their albums (their first was self-titled), but I particularly enjoyed the songs that had a real “punch” to the chorus, like “Riot.” It was a little strange watching Adam Gothier (the lead singer) perform his cover version of Chris Isaak’s biggest hit, “Wicked Game.”

The show was wicked. The only low point was leaving afterwards, emerging from the warmth, comfort, and adrenaline of The Centre into the cold, damp streets with the snow still pouring down from the heavens.

I can’t tell if my ears are still ringing.