WordHurdle

Impromptu public Sound of Music

More than 200 dancers performed this techno version of "Do Re Mi" in the Central Station of Antwerp on March 23, 2009, with just 2 rehearsals. The performance lasted 4 minutes starting at 08:00 AM. It is a promotional stunt for a Belgian television program looking for someone to play the leading role in the musical of "The Sound of Music". These sorts of impromptu public performances have cropped up over the past few years, and I enjoy watching the joy they create in those who aren't involved in the performance. There is something about hundreds of supposed bystanders coming together in a performance like this that really captures the hearts of people that can only be described as the joy that art brings.

ImprovEverywhere.com is one of the groups that puts together mass artistic moments, also called "flashmobs". Their YouTube channel is full of videos like this, including the one below where over 200 people froze in place at the same time in Grand Central Station in New York City, plus one where a musical breaks out in a Los Angeles mall food court, another where over 100 shirtless guys wander through the New York Abercrombie & Fitch (and get kicked out for being shirtless in A&F -- go figure).

Trailer for the new Star Trek movie

In the way of Batman Begins, Star Trek is getting a facelift, and the trailer was released yesterday.  It has action, it has adventure, it has emotion, romance and apparently a little time between the sheets with Kirk and Uhura.  It gives insights into the younger Kirk and Spock and the coming together of the Enterprise crew.  And J. J. Abrams is directing it.  I could get into this.  The UK's Mail Online tears apart the trailer and tells us what we're seeing.

Mad soccer skills from a 6 year old

Learning Morse code?

While at GeeksAreSexy.net for the Star Wars post (I have honestly never been to this site before, but I'm liking it alot), I also found this post about Morse code and its usefulness.  Morse code is dying a slow death and will soon be a lost language, but they make a good argument for learning it and knowing it as a survival skill.  But the whole reason I'm posting is because I love the Jay Leno clip posted below.  The only downside I take away from this video is that using Morse code apparently requires you to dress funny.

The original 1977 Star Wars: Episode IV trailer

The people at GeeksAreSexy.net posted the original Star Wars: Episode IV trailer from 1977 today.  It's hilarious and definitely worth a watch.  As their site notes, "When viewing it now, it’s funny how the whole thing looks like a poor, fan-made montage, created to pay hommage to the Star Wars saga."  This seriously looks like fan work posted on YouTube.

Barney Frank's economic plan

I just can't let this one pass by without pointing it out.  I can't tell the date of this interview from the clip, but it's in the last week or so at least.  It was just posted on YouTube yesterday.

Barney Frank, who is the head of the House Financial Services Committee and one of the masterminds of the $700 billion bailout, had this to say in the CNBC video shown below:
- He sees a need for an "immediate increase in spending"
- He thinks "deficit fear has to take a 2nd seat"  - didn't I hear Barack Obama in the debates beating up the Bush administration for record deficits and national debt?
- "I believe later on there could be tax increases.  Speaking personally, I think there are alot of very rich people out there who we can tax at a point down the road and recover some of this money."