David on August 28th, 2010
On August 28, 1963– 37 years ago today– Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his landmark speech, “I Have A Dream,” at the March on Washington.
The speech seems as relevant and important today as it did 37 years ago.
David on August 28th, 2010
Today’s video is a recording of Bobby Goldsboro performing his pop hit from 1974, called “Hello, Summertime.” Happy Summer from Jankenpon!
Birds and bees and all the flowers and trees, fishes on the line
Girls and guys and yellow butterflies singing hello summertime
A homemade boat and a river to float nothing on our mind
Summer moon above two people in love singing hello summertime
Summertime laying back in the sun, yes summertime having summertime fun
It’s a time for two just me and you and the summertime
Swing from a limb drop in for a swim, hey the water sure looks fine
Ain’t nothing wrong just floating along singing hello summertime
Summertime grins, lots of good friends we’re all feeling fine
Watch the sun go down, hear the summer sounds singing hello summertime
Summertime laying back in the sun, yes summertime having summertime fun
It’s a time for two just me and you and the summertime
David on August 14th, 2010
This Fall, CBS reboots the classic TV drama Hawaii Five-O, which aired for 12 seasons, from 1968 to 1980. The re-imagined series stars Alex O’Loughlin as Detective Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly, Grace Park as Detective Kona Kalakaua, Jean Smart as Governor Patricia “Pat” Jamenson.
Here’s the official CBS trailer for the new show.
And here’s a video from CBS showing one of the sessions where the famous theme song for Hawaii Five-O, which was popularized by The Ventures, is being re-recorded.
David on June 26th, 2010
Today’s video is Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking music-video, Black or White, directed by John Landis and released in 1991 on the Dangerous album. The video is a reminder of the creative genius of Michael Jackson, who passed away on May 25, 2009, at the age of 50.
David on June 5th, 2010
Today’s video is a charming tribute to dachshunds and the joy of dogs, courtesy of Sean Van Damme. Enjoy!
David on May 29th, 2010
Today’s video is an amusing and witty homage to the genius of Velcro and the Apple iPad– together, at last.
David on May 1st, 2010
Today’s video is an amusing and entertaining tribute to Lady Gaga’s and Beyonce’s music-video “Telephone,” filmed by American troops in Afghanistan.
David on April 18th, 2010
Today’s video is “Bad Romance,” by Lady Gaga. According to YouTube, this video has been viewed over 183 million times– astonishing!
David on April 17th, 2010
Today’s video is called the Renate and Charly Dance Tour, featuring the couple dancing in front of iconic visitor attractions around the world, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Machu Picchu in Peru, Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, to name just a few. The concept of this video is reminiscent of the famous series of videos, called Dancing Matt, by Matt Harding. Enjoy!
David on March 21st, 2010
Today’s video is an appeal from the Humane Society of the United States to Sea World to consider releasing Tilikum, the 29-year old, 12,000-pound captive orca who caused the death of veteran Sea World animal trainer Dawn Brancheau on February 24, 2010. In the video, Naomi Rose, Senior Scientist for the Humane Society of the United States, recounts the story of Keiko, the orca who was made famous in the movie “Free Willy,” and released into the waters off Iceland in 1998, as an example that Sea World could consider.
David on March 20th, 2010
Today’s video is a commercial for Lipton Ice Tea, featuring Australian actor and Tony-Award winner Hugh Jackman, who also serves as International Ambassador for Lipton.
David on March 18th, 2010
Matt Harding is back– and he’s still dancing. This time, Matt is learning the Diski dance and traveling across South Africa.
To go to a previous post with another video of Matt Harding Dancing, click here.
David on March 12th, 2010
Today’s video is an outrageously fun music video, called Telephone, featuring Lady Gaga, the high priestess of dance music, and Beyonce. The 9-minute video features more of Lady Gaga’s signature “over the top” costumes, as well as some very fine choreography. Within one day of its posting on YouTube, the video has been viewed over 2 million times. Enjoy!
David on February 14th, 2010
Today’s video is a 1990 live performance of “My Funny Valentine,” by the legendary Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990), who was affectionately known as The Divine One.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
David on February 1st, 2010
Today’s video is another hilarious spoof from the creative minds at Saturday Night Live, featuring characters depicting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate newcomer Scott Brown (R, Massachusetts), among others. Go SNL!
David on January 23rd, 2010
Today’s video is another wickedly funny video from the hilarious guys at JibJab, called “Never at Year Like ‘09,” which offers a hilarious look back at 2009.
David on December 30th, 2009
Today’s video is a classic featuring ABBA singing “Happy New Year.” Best wishes for a wonderful New Year to all friends and visitors of Jankenpon.
David on December 19th, 2009
Today’s video is a nostalgic trip to Christmas in the 1970’s with a performance of “Merry Christmas, Darling,” featuring Karen Carpenter (1950-1983). The song, which was written in 1966 by Richard Carpenter to lyrics by Frank Pooler, and recorded by Karen and Richard Carpenter in 1970, has become a modern Christmas classic .
The song is available on the Carpenters Christmas Portrait CD, which is available for purchase from Amazon.com by clicking here.
David on December 16th, 2009
Today’s video is an excerpt from the holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, the beloved animated TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts, which first aired in 1965. The Emmy- and Peabody-winning film was created by Bill Melendez, who also provided the voice for Snoopy. It’s one of my favorite films.
To order your copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas DVD (re-mastered 2008 edition) from Amazon.com, click here.
David on December 12th, 2009
Today’s video is another wickedly funny offering from the crazy folks at JibJab.
David on December 9th, 2009
Today’s video is an old Christmas classic from vintage Elton John, singing “Step Into Christmas.” Enjoy!
David on December 7th, 2009
NBC’s Saturday Night Live is at it again! This time, their target is Tiger Woods and his unlucky automobile collision.
Critics are claiming the spoof makes light of a serious national problem– spousal abuse. I say “give it a rest, and have a laugh.”
David on December 6th, 2009
NBC’s Saturday Night Live took a comedic swipe at the recent White House State Dinner party crashers– Tareg and Michaele Salahi– in their telecast yesterday. As always, the skit hits the mark.
Congratulations to SNL on another hilarious spoof, and to the Salahis for giving us so much rich comedy content.
David on December 5th, 2009
Today’s video is another hilarious treat from JibJab celebrating the holiday season. Enjoy!
David on December 2nd, 2009
Today’s video is a clip from Meet Me in St. Louis, in which Judy Garland performs the holiday classic, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which is ranked No. 1 on my list of Top 10 Holiday Songs.
To go to a previous post with the Top 10 List of Holiday Songs, click here.
David on November 30th, 2009
Today’s video is a recording of Nat King Cole’s classic performance of “The Christmas Song,” which is ranked No. 2 on my List of Top 10 Holiday Songs.” To go to a previous post with the Top 10 List of Holiday Songs, click here.
Happy holidays!
David on November 28th, 2009
Today’s video is a live performance of Mariah Carey’s rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” which is ranked No. 3 on my List of Top 10 Holiday Songs.
To purchase Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas CD from Amazon.com, click here.
David on September 26th, 2009
Susan Boyle is back and at the top of her game following a powerful performance of “Wild Horses,” a classic from The Rolling Stones, on America’s Got Talent on 9/16/09. And on 11/24/09, the 48-year old singer will release her much-anticipated debut album, which was produced by Simon Cowell. Titled “I Dreamed a Dream,” the album has reportedly already sold over a million advance copies. According to published reports, Cowell is quoted as saying that the album will include I Dreamed a Dream, Wild Horses, Memory, You’ll See (Madonna), and Cry Me a River; other tracks have not been announced.
Above: A video clip with Susan Boyle’s amazing performance of Wild Horses on the reality talent show, America’s Got Talent, on 9/16/09.
To place an advance order for Susan’s Boyle’s debut album, go to Amazon.com by clicking here. To read more about Susan Boyle, go to her official music website by clicking here.
David on September 4th, 2009
Today’s video is a hilarious audio recording, with added imagery, of a woman’s call to 911 reporting problems getting her cheeseburgers prepared by Burger King. If you’ve ever wondered why 911 is overloaded with calls and often cannot respond to bona fide emergencies in a timely manner, this recording says it all.
To go to The Huffington Post to see their 11 Stupidest 911 Calls of All Time, click here.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on August 19th, 2009
Today’s video is a hilarious sketch from Saturday Night Live (circa 1978) in which Dan Aykroyd famously parodies American icon Julia Child as she prepares a chicken on her TV show, The French Chef. According to some published reports, Julia Child loved this parody and showed it to dinner guests at her home. Bon Apetit, Julia!
In a clever move, Nora Ephron includes this SNL skit in a scene from her new movie, Julie & Julia.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on August 16th, 2009
Today’s website is Serve.gov, a national clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities, which is being managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The CNCS is a federal agency that is chartered with improving lives, strengthening communities and fostering civic engagement through service and volunteering by providing grants through the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, VISTA, NCCC, and Learn and Serve America programs.
United We Serve, which was launched by President Barack Obama earlier this summer, is a nationwide service initiative designed to help address the growing social needs resulting from the current recession. The 81-day program, which runs from June 22 to September 11, aims to both expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers and encourage volunteers to develop their own local “do it yourself” projects with family, friends and neighbors.
The Serv.org website provides individuals with the ability to locate organizations in their local area who are seeking volunteers, via a tool from All for Good which provides a list of organizations based on keywords (e.g., AIDS, recycling, children, pets, etc.), as shown below. The website allow enables organizers of local and community-based organizations to register their initiative and to help them find volunteers.
Here’s a 3-minute video released by The White House in which President Obama introduces the United We Serve campaign.
David on August 2nd, 2009
Today’s video is a short clip about two Purdue University students– Cameron Brown and Brett Westcott– who spend time each Wednesday passing out “free compliments” to passerbys on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, IN. Known affectionately as “the Compliment Guys,” they have been featured in local and national newspapers, as well as NBC’s Today Show.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on July 31st, 2009
Today’s video is an amusing and technically impressive (yet ever-so-slightly creepy) TV commercial from Evian water, which is part of its “Live Young” campaign.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on July 22nd, 2009
Today’s video is a funny and entertaining exchange between NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and Jon Stewart, host of the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in the July 20, 2009 episode. Brian Williams ostensibly was asked to appear on The Daily Show to share his remembrances of Walter Cronkite, the legendary CBS News anchor who passed away July 27, 2009 at the age of 92; instead, the conversation between Williams and Stewart turned into a lively and humorous exchange, including a mock arm wrestle.
Brian Williams definitely demonstrated his quick wit and great sense of humor, no small feat when you’re matched against comic genius Jon Stewart.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Brian Williams | ||||
|
||||
Video Credit: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on June 29th, 2009
Today’s video is an amazing stop-motion video, called “Deadline,” which was conceived and filmed by Bang-yao Liu, as part of his senior project at the Savannah College and Art and Design, in Savannah, GA.
I thought this was a marvelously clever video and clearly required a lot of work and imagination.
To learn more about the Savannah College of Art and Design, go to their official website by clicking here.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on June 22nd, 2009
Today’s video is a recording of a live performance of Linda Eder singing “A New Life,” a song she originated and made famous in the Broadway musical “Jekyll and Hyde,” written by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The musical, based on the novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, opened on Broadway on April 28, 1997 and ran for 1,543 performances, closing on January 7, 2001, making it the longest running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre. I saw the show on Broadway, with Linda Eder in the leading role of Lucy, in December 2007.
After popularizing this song, along with “Someone Like You,” in the musical, Linda Eder has incorporated it in her repertoire of show tunes that she routinely features in her touring concerts.
The song “A New Life,” as performed by Linda Eder, is ranked No. 9 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. To go to a previous post with the full list of Top 10 Favorite Songs, click here.
To read more about Linda Eder and to view her schedule of upcoming concert performances, go to the official Linda Eder website by clicking here. To go to a previous post regarding a live performace by Linda Eder in Las Vegas, click here.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on June 20th, 2009
Today’s video is another hilariously entertaining video from the comic masters at JibJab, called “He’s Barack Obama.” Enjoy!
To view JibJab’s full offering of videos on YouTube.com, click here.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on June 8th, 2009
Today’s video is a vintage (circa 1968) recording of Cass Elliot singing “Dream A Little Dream of Me,” written by Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt and Gus Kahn. The song was a Top 20 hit for Frankie Laine in 1950 and later was recorded by Louis Armstrong, Doris Day and Ella Fitzgerald. Today, it is probably most associated with the legendary Mama Cass.
“Dream A Little Dream of Me” is #6 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. To go to a previous post with the complete list of Top 10 Favorite Songs, click here.
David on May 31st, 2009
Today’s video is Grammy-nominated artist Amy Hanaiali`i’s tender performance of Aloha `Oe (”Farewell to Thee”), the beloved Hawaiian standard, written by Queen Liliuokalani (1838-1917), from the album Nostalgia, produced by Jon de Mello for the Mountain Apple Company.
Aloha Oe is ranked #3 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. To see the full list in a previous post, click here.
In Memory of Robert G. Perreira, 10/25/20- 5/24/09.
David on May 25th, 2009
Susan Boyle, the worldwide singing phenomenon and YouTube superstar, returned to the stage yesterday with her version of “Memory,” from the musical Cats, in the British talent competition, “Britain’s Got Talent.” After a somewhat nervous start, Susan Boyle delivered a rousing rendition of the classic Broadway song, and will advance to the final round of the show.
Meanwhile, the YouTube videos of Susan Boyle’s first appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, where she stunned the judges and audience with her soaring performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, have been viewed an astonishing 220 million times.
Go, Susan!
David on May 2nd, 2009
Today’s video is a special performance of “Sun and Moon,” from the hit stage musical “Miss Saigon,” which appeared on British TV. The song is performed by Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman, who originated the roles of Kim and Chris, respectively, in the 1989 West End production of the show by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr. The show played in London for 4,264 performances and on Broadway for 4,092 performances, where it became the 10th longest-running musical in Broadway history.
Miss Saigon is a modern adaptation of Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly and was inspired by a photograph discovered by Schonberg in a magazine showing a distraught Vietnamese mother saying farewell to her child at a military air base in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam as her child prepares to board a flight headed to the USA where her father, an American G.I., would be able to provide a better life for her. This concept of “ultimate sacrifice” is a central theme to Miss Saigon.
In reports about his inspiration for the the show and his reaction to the photo, Claude-Michel Schonberg said, “ The silence of this woman stunned by her grief was a shout of pain louder than any of the earth’s laments. The child’s tears were the final condemnation of all wars which shatter people who love each other. Behind this particular picture lay a background of years of enquiries and bureaucratic formalities, in order to find the ex-solider from the other side of the world, with whom the woman had shared a brief moment of her life. She knew, as only a mother could, that beyond this departure gate there was both a new life for her daughter and no life at all for her, and that she had willed it. This photograph was for Alain and I, was the start of everything… ”
And, here’s a remarkable video showing Lea Salonga’s audition to the creative team who were casting the central role of Kim for the West End premiere. The team includes Schonberg, on the piano, together with Nicholas Hytner, Cameron Mackintosh and Alain Boublil. Of course, Salonga, then 17 years old, went on to win the role of Kim and the U.K.’s Olivier Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for the 1989-1990 season, as well as the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards for her performance in the same role on Broadway.
Miss Saigon is No. 2 on my list of Top 10 Shows. To go to the complete list, click here.
David on April 26th, 2009
Today’s video is a recording of Judy Garland’s legendary on-screen rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, from the 1939 musical-fantasy film “The Wizard of Oz,” directed by Victor Fleming.
The song is ranked No. 1 of the “Songs of the 20th Century” list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also No. 1 on the American Film Insitute’s “100 Years, 100 Songs” list. The song won the Academy Award for Best Song of 1939.
Judy Garland was 17 years old when The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939.
This song is ranked No. 1 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. Click here to go to the complete list.
David on April 20th, 2009
Today’s video is a recording of Love Changes Everything, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the stage musical Aspects of Love, and performed by Michael Ball in a live performance at Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002. In 1989, Ball, then 26 years old, originated the role of Alex in the West End production of Aspects of Love, which ran for over 1,300 performances.
The full-length recording of Michael Ball’s live performance at Royal Albert Hall is available on DVD from Amazon.com and can be ordered by clicking here.
To order the 2-disc CD recording of the Original London Cast of Aspects of Love from Amazon.com, click here.
Love Changes Everything is ranked No. 7 on my Top 10 Favorite Songs. To go to the complete list of Top 10 Favorite Songs, click here.
David on April 18th, 2009
Like millions of other YouTube watchers, I was overwhelmed by Susan Boyle’s bravura performance of “I Dreamed a Dream,” from the hit musical Les Miserables, on the British reality TV show, “Britain’s Got Talent.” What’s stunning about the performance and video is that it has already been viewed an estimated 48 million times, making it one of the most viewed videos in history, surpassing such hits as Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, shoes being thrown at President Bush, and Obama’s election night victory speech, according to Visible Measures, which tracks online video usage.
Although the current record holder for most views on YouTube is held by Evolution of Dance, with a staggering 118 million views, it’s conceivable that the Susan Boyle video will surpass that number in the weeks ahead.
In case you haven’t seen the video of Susan Boyle, click here to go to YouTube. Unfortunately, embedding of the video has been disabled, which makes the large number of views even more impressive.
Go, Susan Boyle.
David on April 14th, 2009
Today’s video is a terrific live recording of Louis Armstrong’s classic, beloved rendition of “What A Wonderful World.” Written by Bob Thiele, George David Weiss and George Douglas, the song was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1968 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Although it has since been recorded by dozens of other artists, nothing compares to the original interpretation by the great Satchmo (1901-1971).
Even on the darkest days, this song always lifts my spirit and makes me remember– there is always hope for a brighter day.
Thanks, Satchmo.
“What A Wonderful World,” sung by Louis Armstrong, is ranked #2 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. To view the complete list of Top 10 Favorite Songs, click here.
David on April 13th, 2009
Today’s video is called “Life’s for Sharing,” a British TV commerical for T-Mobile in which commuters in a London station appear to spontaneously erupt into dance. It’s great to find commericals that not only entertain but uplift your spirits, in addition to delivering their brand or product message. According to a published report, a cast of 400 people took part in this commercial.
My thanks to Joan and Bruce for sharing this video with me.
To go to previous entries in the “Today’s Video” series, click here.
David on April 12th, 2009
Today’s video is “Desi Girl,” the lively, high-energy signature track from the popular Bollywood film ”Dostana,” directed by Tarun Mansukhani, which premiered in New Delhi during my visit in November 2008.
Enjoy it and dance along!
To purchase the Dostana soundtrack album from Amazon.com, click here. In case you haven’t seen the movie, which played in most major USA markets earlier this year, you can rent it now at Netflix.com or purchase it from Amazon.com. To learn more about the movie, visit the official Dostana website by clicking here.
To go to previous entries in the “Today’s Video” series, click here.
David on April 10th, 2009
In the midst of sadness, there is always comfort to be found somewhere. I find comfort in this song– Into The West, written by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox, which won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Song, from the film The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
This song is #17 on my list of Top 10 Favorite Songs. Click here to go to the full list.
To purchase and download this song from Amazon.com in MP3 format, click here or go to iTunes.
David on April 7th, 2009
Happy Passover!
And in honor of Passover, here’s a very amusing video for you to enjoy. My thanks to Carolyn for sharing it with me.
David on April 4th, 2009
This video was shared with me today and I was completely charmed by its artfully-crafted message about spontaneity, community and the universal language of music. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. And… if you’re a fan of The Sound of Music, this is a BONUS for you!
We all should immediately pause from what we’re doing and just dance!
If you’ve seen another video that gave you a smile, please pass it along today.
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on February 28th, 2009
I discovered this video nearly a year on YouTube and thought it was delightful and charming. In the time that has passed, it has been viewed nearly 2.5 million times. So I guess other folks have found it amusing, too. It’s called, Jerry Dog, and features a cute miniature dachshund playing with tennis balls. I hope it brings you a smile.
Source: You Tube
David on February 23rd, 2009
Among the winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards held last night in Los Angeles, CA, I thought 35-year old TV and film Writer/Director/Producer Dustin Lance Black delivered the most memorable and heartfelt speech in accepting the award for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk,” a film based on the life and times of politician and activist Harvey Milk, which was directed by Gus Van Sant, and filmed in part in San Francisco.
An estimated 800 million people worldwide watched the broadcast of the Academy Awards show.
Milk won two Oscars, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for the remarkable performance by Sean Pean.
To watch the official trailer for the movie, Milk, click here.
To review previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on October 27th, 2008
Saturday Night Live continues to score with their hilarious spoofs of the 2008 national election. In the 10/25/08 episode, Will Ferrell makes a guest appearance as President George W. Bush. Together with Tina Fey as Governor Sarah Palin, the SNL team delivers yet another amazing parody of the 2008 Presidential election.
What will we (and SNL) do for laughs once the election is over?
Credit: Saturday Night Live, NBC
To go to previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on October 21st, 2008
Today’s video is one of the latest TV spots from No on Prop 8 which is attempting to combat the recent wave of advertisements by conservative political and religious groups behind California Proposition 8, which appears on the November 4th ballot. As many of you know, Proposition 8 seeks to modify the California Constitution by eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry. If passed, this proposition will enshrine discrimination in the State’s constitution.
This ad uses a nice, light touch (through the now familiar Mac vs. PC ad format) while still delivering a strong, clear message– Prop 8 is unfair, unnecessary and wrong.
To make a donation to the No on Prop 8 effort, click here to access their secure website. To learn more about Proposition 8, you can visit the No on Prop 8 website by clicking here.
David on October 19th, 2008
Governor Sarah Palin made her much-anticipated appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on 10/18/08 and the SNL team used it as another great opportunity to lampoon her public persona. Here are two videos from the show. To view them, click the Play button.
Source: Saturday Night Live, NBC
David on October 17th, 2008
In its broadcast on 10/16/08, Saturday Night Live took aim at the third and final Presidential Debate held on 10/15/08 at Hofstra University in Long Island, NY. In this hilarious lampoon, SNL comedians Fred Armisen and Darrell Hammond play Presidental candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, respectively.
To view the video, click the Play symbol in the video frame.
SNL continues to do an amazing job mining the candidate’s appearances and exploiting their performances to great comedic effect. Go, SNL!
Source: Saturday Night Live, NBC
To review previous posts in the “Today’s Video” category, click here.
David on October 7th, 2008
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the premiere of the hit TV series, Hawaii Five-0 (which debuted on 9/26/68) and in celebration of the announcement by CBS in August that they are planning a remake of the series for the 2009-2010 season, here’s the famous title sequence from the 1968 series, featuring the theme music that was later popularied by The Ventures.
And here are some tidbits about Hawaii Fve-0:
* The show ran for 12 seasons, from 1968 to 1980, making it the longest running crime show on American television until the police drama Law & Order surpassed it in 2003;
* The term “Five-0″ in the show’s title was intended as a reference to Hawaii, the 50th state in the nation;
* Seven of the show’s principal actors have since passed away– Jack Lord (as Steve McGarrett), Kam Fong (as Chin Ho Kelly), Gilbert Kauhi Zulu (as Kono), Herman Wedemeyer (as Duke), Richard Denning (as the Governor), Moe Keale (as Truck) and Khigh Dhiegh (as Wo Fat);
* Kam Fong, who played Chin Ho, was a real Honolulu police officer for 17 years before changing careers to become an actor. He originally auditioned for the part of villain Wo Fat, but was cast as Chin Ho instead;
* The show still airs in syndication and has been seen by an estimated 40 million people;
* Seasons 1 through 4 of the series are available on DVD; Season 5 will be released on 11/18/08;
To order the DVDs from amazon.com’s Hawaii Five-0 Store (yes, they have a store for the series!), click here.
Long live Hawaii Five-0!
David on October 5th, 2008
Sarah Palin. Gosh, darn, bless her little heart. She provides enough raw comedic material to keep Saturday Night Live going forever. In their broadcast on 10/4/08, Saturday Night Live took aim (and hit the bullseye) at the Vice Presidential Debate held on 10/2/08 between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden. Tina Fey scores again with another spot-on impersonation of Governor Palin (although she winks at us with the wrong eye). And Queen Latifah is pitch perfect as Moderator Gwen Ifill, with just the right touch of astonishment and a raised eyebrow to be effective.
Source: Saturday Night Live, NBC
Also, to order an advance copy of Gwen Ifill’s forthcoming book, entitled “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,” from amazon.com, click here.
David on September 29th, 2008
NBC’s Saturday Night Live scored again with another spot-on parody of Governor Sarah Palin. In the broadcast on 9/27/08, Tina Fey returned to SNL with a remarkably-skilled impersonsation of Governor Sarah Palin in her recent interview with Katie Couric of CBS News.
Hats off to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler (as Katie Couric) and the comedic team at SNL. Keep ‘em coming!
David on September 16th, 2008
In case you missed the hilarious parody of Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Hillary Clinton, played by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, respectively, on the 9/13/08 broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, here’s the full-length version from the official NBC website.
Video Credit: NBC
David on September 11th, 2008
Today’s video features San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom speaking to a group on 9/6/08 regarding Proposition 8, which will appear on the November ballot in California. Proposition 8 seeks to amend the California Constitution and remove the right of same-sex couples to wed.
“On November 5, the day after the election, I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to know that I did everything I could to defeat Prop 8, to stop the elimination of the fundamental right to marry for all Californians.”
–Gavin Newsom, Mayor, San Francisco, 9/6/08
To learn more about Proposition 8, visit the No on 8, Equality for All website.
And, here’s a public service announcement from Power Up for the Equality Campaign urging California voters to vote no on Proposition 8.
Click here to see a related previous post at Jankenpon.
David on August 25th, 2008
Kui Lee (1932-1966), one of Hawaii’s most beloved musical artists, wrote “I’ll Remember You,” which was sung by Elvis Presley in his landmark concert in Honolulu on 1/14/73– a performance that was seen by an estimated 1 billion people in 40 countries.
In addition to writing “I’ll Remember You,” a personal favorite of mine (which was recorded by Don Ho, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, and many others), Kui Lee also wrote “The Days of My Youth” and “Lahainaluna,” two popular and cherished contemporary songs.
Kui Lee died of cancer at the age of 34 in Honolulu, HI. His only recorded album is available from Mele.com and other retailers.
To view previous videos in the “Today’s Video” series, click here.
David on July 16th, 2008
JibJab has done it again. Earlier today JibJab launched another highly-amusing and extremely well-crafted cartoon, called “Time for Some Campaignin’,” which pokes fun at the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
It’s a lof fun. Take a look.
David on July 6th, 2008
This is a charming short video of a miniature dachshund playing fetch with an automated ball-throwing machine. Who says we can’t make our own fun?!
David on July 2nd, 2008
Matt Harding, the guy who dances his distinctive (and endearing) dance all around the world, returned in June with an all-new video featuring a compilation of his latest visit to 42 countries, filmed over a period of 14 months. [Update: As of 8/25/08, this video on YouTube.com has been viewed over 9 million times.]
And, here’s a link to his landmark second video in 2006 which has been viewed over 11 million times on youtube.com, called Where the Hell is Matt? In 2007, Jawed Karim, one of the founders of Youtube, is reported to have stated that Harding’s video is his favorite video posted to Youtube.
For those of you who love the music from his 2006 video, you can purchase Sweet Lullaby from the Deep Forest CD from amazon.com.
I have been so thoroughly captivated with and moved by Matt Harding’s videos and his worldwide dancing quest, as well the simplicity and purity of the message contained in his videos. I think we all must dance and see the world!
