Archive Category: Video Clips
Fun With Webcams
(YouTube link)
This is a music video for “Hibi no Neiro” (Tone of everyday) by Sour. The people in it are fans of the band, and the whole thing was shot on webcams all over the world. At first, you think that using fans and webcams would be the cheap and easy way to produce a video, but then you see the result and realize how challenging this must have been to coordinate and edit. -via Metafilter
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Fly Powered Aircraft
Photo: Eric Long / Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
It goes without saying that the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has some of the neatest collection of planes in the world, but this one is particularly intriguing: fly-powered aircrafts built by famed aircraft modelered Frank Ehling in the 1970s.
The AirSpace Blog has more:
Designed and built by famed aircraft modeler Frank Ehling in the 1970s, they are the smallest flying models the Museum owns. But more unusual than their size is that they are powered by flies – yes, you heard right, houseflies, the insect. Constructed from balsa wood and red tissue paper, the one-fly design has a wingspan of two inches, and the two-fly version, which features a delta-wing design, is four inches wide. In both cases, contact cement was used to attach the live powerplant to the fuselage.
If you’re skeptical, there’s a video clip of another fly-powered airplane, this time by inventor Thomas Fetterman (oh, you can also buy the kit from his website)
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Candy Fireworks
(YouTube link)
Sweet, safe, and delicious fireworks, from PES. -via Buzzfeed
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Missing Cat Found on TV
A cat named Tango became the accidental star of the BBC TV show Question Time, hosted by David Dimbleby.
One-year-old Tango became the star of the discussion programme after finding his way into the school hall where it was being recorded.
He ducked under a desk and headed towards the panel. At first, Dimbleby and guests including employment minister Jim Knight and Tory security spokesman Dame Pauline Neville-Jones were oblivious to his presence.
But as he pawed under the table he caught the eye of LibDem MP Julia Goldsworthy, who in astonishment mouthed the word ‘cat’ at the production team.
Meanwhile, Jackie Ellery of Newquay, England hadn’t seen her cat Tango in hours. As she wondered about his whereabouts, she sat down to watch TV.
She said: ‘My friend phoned me to say, “Have you seen your cat on the telly?” And there he was.
‘It’s lovely - he’s a mischievous cat anyway and because we live so close to the school he’s often in the school grounds.’
Tango, who returned to his owner that night, has since become something of a celebrity. Mrs Ellery said: ‘I’ve even been asked for his paw-tograph.’
The video:
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Sewer Creatures
(YouTube link)
This sewer-cam video from Raleigh, North Carolina has been inspiring nausea all over the web. Deep Sea News contacted experts to find out what kind of creature this could be.
They are clumps of annelid worms, almost certainly tubificids (Naididae, probably genus Tubifex). Normally these occur in soil and sediment, especially at the bottom and edges of polluted streams. In the photo they have apparently entered a pipeline somehow, and in the absence of soil they are coiling around each other.
Read more about annelid worms and see more videos, if you have the stomach for it. Link -via a comment at Digg
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How to Start and Drive a Model T
(YouTube link)
If you are ever lucky enough to get the chance to drive a Ford Model T {wiki}, keep in mind that they were a bit different from modern cars. Who knew it had three pedals, none of which was an accelerator? Henry Ford Estate volunteer Ed Hebb takes you through the process. -via Metafilter
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Video Games In Legos
This is a really creative stop motion video using Legos to play out our arcade favorites. Only 8 bit could look this good in block form.
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Web Side Story: Internet, The Musical
What could be better than the Internet? How about the Interweb, the musical? Here’s Web Side Story (but of course), a musical by College Humor about all the good things on the Net in the style of West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein is probably spinning in his grave.
Web Side Story, written and directed by Sam Reich, produced by Eva Wong.
Hit play or go to Link [College Humor Video] - Thanks Stephanie!
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5 Strangest Products Pitched by Billy Mays
Everybody knows that Billy Mays is TV pitchman for OxiClean ("powered by the air we breathe!) and Kaboom ("tough on grime, easy on you") ... but wait, there's more! Did you know that the loud, bearded uber-salesman also pitched strange products like the Grater Plater and the Hercules Hook? (There's also the Green Now, a spray paint to paint your dead lawn green, but I couldn't find the video for it.)
In memory of Billy Mays, the king of infomercial, here are 5 of the strangest product he ever pitched:
The Grater Plater
What do you get when you combine a cheese grater and a plate? The plate that grates, of course, here's The Grater Plater. (The name alone is golden: Grater. Plater. Grater plater. Gotta love it!)
The Gopher
While my wife likes OxiClean, The Gopher is actually my favorite item Billy Mays had ever pitched (in the words of another late-night infomercial, "I'm not only a blogger, I'm also an infomercial customer!"). It just works well - many years later, I still use mine to grab things too high to reach (saves me from getting the step stool out).
Tool Band-It
The Tool Band-It is another in Billy May's long line of making a product out of two existing ones. This time, it's magnet + armband, to give you a magnetic arm band. Genius!
The AwesomeAuger
I distrust a $20 drill, but the idea behind the AwesomeAuger is pretty solid (I have a similar device - the drill bit alone cost me $20. It works well for boring holes in hard ground for small plants). The only thing that works better is The Garden Weasel's Garden Claw.
Hercules Hook
The Hercules Hook is in a class by itself: here, Billy Mays used his infomercial prowess to sell you a bent pin for hanging stuff on your wall. I myself am a nail-and-hammer kind of guy, but the Hercules Hook does work well (if you don't damage the drywall while you're pushing it in) though I wouldn't use it to hang shelves or anything like that ...
Billy Mays, RIP.
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Blue Angels Cockpit Cam
I have always had a fascination with planes and fighter jets ever since my Dad used to take the family and I to the Dubai Airshow when I was really young where we got to watch some of the craziest and most talented pilots showing off their stuff. I remember once seeing the Blue Angels on display and they blew me away! Still to this day their stuff is top notch and gives me thrills to see them fly.
Lucky for us we get to see the view from one of their cockpits as they perform some hair raising maneuvers. I trust I won’t be the only one who gets goosebumps and a few butterflies in their stomachs as you get to see how amazingly close they get to each other and how in tune they are to each others positions. Mind you it’s almost 10 minutes of video!
* Also, if you are prone to motion sickness be careful watching this! Thank you SydneyClaire for reminding me to put a motion sickness warning!
** This is raw footage so the sound will be a little loud so please take care to drop the level just a bit after hitting play! Don’t want to hurt your ears! 
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Michael Jackson Tribute
(YouTube link)
The dancing inmates of Cebu prison in the Philippines (featured previously at Neatorama) presented a choreographed tribute to Michael Jackson yesterday. 1,500 inmates participated. The best is the middle part, where you’ll see dancing nuns and prisoners doing the Thriller dance to “I’ll Be There”. -via Buzzfeed
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Otter Plays Piano
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has trained this cute little guy to play piano. Of course, he’s not the next Beethoven, but it’s still too cute to look away.
Link Via Cute Overload
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Don’t Stop Believin’
(vimeo link)
Eight-year-old Riley Silos sings in this video recorded and edited by his dad. It was a Fathers Day project they did together. -via Buzzfeed
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Silly Experiments in Spaaaace!
Koichi Wakata, a Japanese Astronaut who is working aboard the International Space Station was given the task to perform a few silly experiments in Zero-G requested by the Earth People of Japan. They consist of the mundane such as performing push-ups, squirting water from a tube, backflips and so forth but then some of them are bizarre like the “flying magic carpet” request! Oh, how I wish I were in space like Koichi and the other fine men and women of the ISS crew! I would see to it if I could perform the moonwalk in Zero-G!
The 16 space experiments in a nifty list - Link (also from Pink Tentacle)
Via - Pink Tentacle
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Machu Picchu Post
Machu Picchu Post from Machu Picchu Post Team on Vimeo.
A gorgeous 3D film by Clement Crocq, Margaux Durand-Rival and Nicolas Novali for the “Supinfocom Arles” in 2008. It depicts the antics of a young Peruvian boy, his Llama and a Pilot who goes through a psychedelic experience filled with Peruvian iconography and mysticism. Also check out the making of the film on CGSociety as it details the fascinating steps into creating a 3D short film.
TGIF! 
Machu Picchu Post Website - Link
The Making of the film on CGSociety - Link
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Alcoholic Monkeys of St. Kitts
[YouTube - Link]
The Vervet Monkeys of St. kitts are known to raid local bars for a drink or two. Studies have found that the percentage of alcoholism in these monkeys matches the percentage of the human population - most drink in moderation, 12% are steady drinkers, 5% drink to the last drop and some are even teetotalers!
From the Upcoming 
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Life Imitates Unbreakable: Boy Survived Being Hit by a Car Unscathed
Four-year-old Turkish boy Muhammet Dirlik is one lucky boy: he was hit by a car, which sent him tumbling down a flight of stairs. But what seems like a surely fatal accident left Muhammet unscathed.
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube], and quick, someone stop M. Night Shyamalan before Signs or The Happening happens or we’re doomed!
Previously: Life Imitates Final Destination: Woman Who Missed Air France Flight 447 Died in a Car Crash 2 Weeks Later
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To Protect and Serve … and Dance!
[YouTube - Link]
Sometimes you just gotta let it loose, though this short video clip shows that even when you think you’re alone … Big Brother is always watching!
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Rottweiler vs. Cat: Who Will Win?
[YouTube - Link]
If you need the protection of a guard animal, would you be better off with a Rottweiler … or a cat? Watch the video first …
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Hairless Cat Loves Hair
(YouTube link)
Maybe there is a little envy in this cat, but he sure is affectionate. The laughter from the spectators is a bonus. -via Buzzfeed
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TXT Island
[YouTube - Link]
TXT Island is a stop-motion film by Chris Gavin, who hand-crafted each frame using hundreds of plastic peg-board letters.
The films follows the endeavors of a squad of letters, as they delve deep into the jungle of a mysterious island. What is their mission? And will they succeed?
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by
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The Terrible Thing of Alpha Nine!
(Cartoon Brew link)
Space explorers go to Alpha Nine to check out the monster, which turns out to be what you’ve secretly thought space aliens were really all about. This animation was Jake Armstrong’s thesis film at the School of Visual Arts. -via Dark Roasted Blend
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8th Grader’s Amazing Basketball Shot
[YouTube - Link]
Aaron Shutway, an 8th grader from Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School, makes an amazing half court shot to put his class in a frenzy.
- via sports
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80s Toys As Action/Horror Movies
Toy Movies is a short film by Dan Meth. It’s a compilation of trailers for faux movies based on toys from the 1980s, including The Smurfs by Peter Jackson, ALF by John Carpenter, and Cabbage Patch Kids by David Cronenberg. Run time: 2 minutes.
Via Topless Robot
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World’s Most Dangerous Driver
Think that the person yakking on his cell phone while driving in the car next to you is bad? He’s nothing compared to this dancing Romanian driver! How on Earth did he get his license?!
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Information Nation
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Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, Badass
I love a politician who has a sense of humor and can poke fun at himself — like Robert Reich, U.S. Secretary of Labor under the Clinton Administration. Here he is on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien as a hard-boiled street cop eager to bite crime in the shins.
Via Bits & Pieces
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Music Tidbits: Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper is one of my heroes. I saw her a few years ago and even though she was around 45 at the time, she had the energy of a teenager. Her style has changed over the years, but it is as unique as ever. If you get the chance to see Cyndi live, do it. She’s an amazing performer with an excellent voice.
That being said, I was excited to write about Cyndi for the Music Tidbits today. It’s in a new format that should make it a bit more fun and readable. Hope you like it!
She Keeps it Real
Or at least, her name is real. Unlike other pop stars, Cyndi Lauper was born in New York in 1953 and was named Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper.
Cyndi Does it All
Image Via danorbit. [Flickr]
While she’s best known for singing, she can also play guitar, write lyrics and act. She started writing songs and playing guitar at only twelve years old. She’s acted in quite a few movies and tv shows, including Mad About You, the Ron Howard movie Vibes and Life With Mikey beside Michael J. Fox. Her role in Mad About You almost turned into a spin off, but network executives thought the show concept was too out there.
She’s always Been So Original
When she was only a middle-schooler, she was already dyeing her hair crazy colors and wearing her weird clothing styles she’s known for. Speaking of her wardrobe, it actually became a problem during the1985 taping of “We Are the World,” when a weird clacking noise showed up on the tape. Audio engineers finally tracked the noise down to her jewelry bonking against itself.
Doctors Said She’d Never Sing Again…Then She Did
In 1977, Cyndi severely damaged her vocal cords. Three different doctors told her she would never sing again. But she didn’t give up and started seeing vocal coach Katir Agresta, who helped Cyndi recover by teaching her a series of vocal exercises.
She’s Got High Standards
In 1978, she started a music group, Blue Angel, with saxaphonist John Turi, where they performed original music. When labels started showing interest in Cyndi’s vocal abilities (she can sing in four octaves and has perfect pitch), they wanted to sign her as a solo artist. She refused to sign with any labels until Polydor Records opted to take on all of Blue Angel.
Write On!
Photo Via t_a_i_s [Flickr]
When Cyndi signed as a solo artist with Portrait Records, the label wanted her to sing all only their pre-written pop songs. Cyndi changed most of these songs to suit her personality, which also let her claim co-writer credits and royalties later on. The most well-known song she did this to was “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” which was originally written for a male singer. Cyndi thought the original lyrics were a little misogynistic, as it was all about a woman pleasing a man.
Although the label didn’t trust her writing abilities, the record producer decided they needed one more song on her first album and convinced the label to let her write a song. She co-wrote Time After Time with Rob Hyman. The song ended up being the biggest single of 1985 and has since been covered by over 100 artists. The title came from a 1979 sci-fi movie starring Malcolm McDowell.
Girls Just Want to Have Trivia
Video Link
In the video for “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” Cyndi’s mother was played by her actual mother. Also in the video was Cyndi’s dog and pro-wrestler Lou Albano. Cyndi’s famous red dress in the video was from the boutique she was working at between being signed for Blue Angel and her solo career. The video won the first ever award for Best Female Video at the MTV Music Awards. The album it was on was so popular that she became the first female artist to have four consecutive Top 5 hits from a single album.
The World Wrestling Foundation Loved Cyndi
And vice versa. Aside from having Lou Albano appear in her first video, Cyndi had frequent interactions with the stars of the WWF. Her video for the Goonies included a number of wrestling greats, including Andre The Giant and when she recieved her first Grammy Award, Hulk Hogan appeared with her, pretending to be her bodyguard. She also made quite a few appearances at WWF events, the most famous event was at the Inaugural WrestleMania event. She appeared as the manager of Wendi Richter and entered the area to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
She Hates The Goonies
Or rather, the song she wrote for the album, “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough.” It doesn’t have too much to do with the song itself, she was just traumatized by the physical exhaustion she suffered during the taping of the video. The director was too much of a perfectionist and ran the entire crew ragged. She left the song off of her best of album and only started singing it at concerts again back in 2003.
PeeWee’s Playhouse Lied To You
Cyndi wrote and performed the theme song for PeeWee’s Playhouse, but was credited as Ellen Shaw for some reason. When Cyndi was married, PeeWee (aka Paul Ruebens) was at her wedding, along with Little Richard, John Tuturo and other celebrities. Although Cyndi threatened to show up dressed as a Christmas tree, she wore a traditional white gown.
Cyndi Loves Guest Appearances
Throughout her recording career, Cyndi featured a number of guest stars on her albums, including Billy Joel, The Bangles, Rick Derringer, Bootsy Collins, Eric Clapton, Shaggy, Ani DiFranco, Jeff Beck, Paul Reubens (PeeWee Herman), Sarah McLachlan, The Hives and more. In her recent 2008 tour, she had appearances from Joan Jett, Rosie O’Donnell, The B52’s, Indigo Girls, Regina Spektor, Wanda Sykes, Sarah McLachlan and more. Lastly, although it may not count as a guest appearance, Julia Stiles, appeared as young Cyndi in the video for “Sally’s Pigeons” before she was a famous actress.
She’s Heterosexual, but Once Wished She Was Gay
Lauper is considered a gay icon, but she is heterosexual. Her sister and many of her close friends are gay and she has been performing at gay pride events since 1994. In fact, for a while, she thought herself to be a lesbian. She told The Times, “My sister was gay, my best friends were gay, so I figured I had to be gay. So I did everything they did. I tried kissing girls. But it didn’t feel right for me and eventually I was forced to come out as a heterosexual.”
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The Compact Marble Machine
(YouTube link)
It’s not really necessary to watch the entire video to get the idea of what’s going on here. This marble machine was built in four hours. If I had one of these toys at home, I’d watch it constantly. But I have three cats, so it would probably be wrecked within a few minutes. -via Cynical-C
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Bat Swinging
(YouTube link)
Since when is this possible? Long Beach Armada outfielder Josh Womack shows off a bit at training camp. Can I learn to do this, or would I just hurt myself? -via Reddit
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Synchronized Fireflies
(YouTube link)
Mid-June in east Tennessee means fireflies that flash in unison!
In 1995, scientists confirmed the existence of the Great Smoky Mountain synchronized fireflies, and have subsequently discovered other populations in the Congaree Swamp in South Carolina and other high altitude locations in the Appalachian mountains. As this curious phenomenon remained undiscovered for years, it is quite possible that there are other varieties of fireflies blinking in unison throughout the United States, perhaps even in your own backyard.
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