FAIL Halloween

It's back again and scarier than before.

Scare FAIL

(Lesson: When deciding to scare someone, choose people who will likely choose 'Flight' instead of 'Fight')

Honking FAIL


Parking Lot FAIL

Oldest Living Rick Rolled Me

The blogging virtuoso over at Oldest Living has all the best Rick Rolled videos on the net. Here's a couple of my favorites, enjoy.






Rick Rolling has been done....you just got SNOWED!

Flexible Displays Closer to Reality, Thanks to U.S. Army

Saw this article on Wired.com about the recent advancements in producing flexible displays. If you think LCDs and plasmas are cutting edge then you need to check this out. We are taking a display that can be rolled up into your pocket that won't break and consumes almost no power...pretty amazing.

That technology could become reality in two to three years, thanks to U.S. Army-backed research being done at Arizona State University's Flexible Display Center. According to Army researchers, the displays could be in field trials with soldiers as early as 2010 or 2011.

These flexible displays have been the dream of science fiction authors, wearable-computing enthusiasts and the display industry for nearly a decade. LG Philips, Fujitsu and Sony have shown off prototypes of flexible-display systems, while startups such as Plastic Logic and E-Ink have talked about the possibility of putting their digital ink displays onto bendable backings. But so far the idea has remained more in the realm of Minority Report than the real world.

The Army is interested in small displays that can be folded up, have very little weight and won't break. They will allow the military to send greater information to soldiers and replace many of the bulky devices that they carry currently.

Flexible displays — when they arrive — will be a big leap from today's liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and even organic light-emitting diode-based displays (OLEDs).

Consider the difference in power consumption. The flexible displays will consume 100 times less power compared with LCDs. Even OLEDs, which are two to three times more efficient than LCDs, can't match that kind of efficiency.

The center is focusing on electrophoretic ink-based displays that are extremely low power and flexible, says Raupp.

The displays have thin-film transistor arrays on specialty polymer and thin stainless-steel substrates and use electrophoretic ink (E Ink), among other technologies, to render the characters. [Wired Gadget Lab]

Obama All Over

With his 30 minute national TV ad last night and almost double the amount of ads running across the country, presidential candidate Barack Obama is everywhere it seems.

Barack Obama's 30-minute campaign commercial Wednesday night was not merely a tactical decision to carpet-bomb millions of Americans in pursuit of a few thousand undecided voters who can dictate the outcome of the presidential campaign.

Aired on seven network and cable stations, the ad served as a national get-out-the-vote organizing tool for Obama operatives. It offered even the swiftest channel-flipper the chance to see Obama looking presidential, helping to condition voters to that possibility. And once again it proved to John McCain, and everyone else, how Obama's deep pool of campaign cash has allowed him to rewrite the rules of presidential campaigning. [SFGate]

Obama's campaign truly has rewritten the rules on how to campaign for president. He has embraced YouTube and his channel has videos going up everyday. According to Nielsen Media Research an estimated 33.6 million viewers watched Obama's half hour commercial last night. He has done a particularly good job in targeting a younger audience, the video game ads probably helped with that. AdAge even named Barack Obama the Marketer of the Year.

Warriors Season Opener Tonight

Game #1 - Warriors vs Hornets
Warriors (W-L): 0 - 0
Hornets (W-L): 0 - 0
Time: 7:30 PM PST
TV: CSN Bay Area
Radio: KNBR 680

2008-2009 Warriors

I have seen numerous team previews for the Warriors. Everyone mentions the departure of Baron and the addition of Maggette. Everyone mentions how Ellis’ injury will eliminate the Warriors from playoff contention this year. As hard it is to agree with that, I have to disagree.

Jackson and Maggette will both average over 20 a game and will be doing the bulk of the scoring. Biedrins will get his 15 and 10 a game. I also don’t believe there will be a problem at the point guard position since the ball will be in Jackson and Maggette’s hands most of the time. The Warriors will be on the fast break more than ever. The team is deeper this year so I see them subbing in and out a lot more than in past years.

The Warrior’s success lies in the hands of Al Harrington. If he can have a breakout season, average 15-18 ppg and 8 rebounds a game we should be looking at a record over .500 before Ellis comes back. I can’t help but compare David West to Harrington. They have similar body types and can both shoot. West is more physical, which is what Harrington needs to do. Wright will come along just fine but I’m not expecting too much from him in his second year. We will all find out how much of a BUST Belinelli is. I just don’t see him being productive enough to have a spot in the rotation. Turiaf will bring energy and passion to each and every game and will become a fan favorite. Lastly, I hate to say it but Randolph won’t get much burn. I would love to see Nelson give this potentially great rookie a chance, but we all know how much he plays his rookies.

Speaking of Nelson, everyone knows he thrives when he is the underdog and he will find a way to win even without Baron Davis. The western conference is as deep as last year; it is gonna be no easy task to make the playoffs this season, but as long as we win the games we should (T-Wolves, Charlotte, etc.) we will be okay. With Warriors fans uniting together fighting together for one common goal, I know our beloved Warriors will not let us down.

Prediction: 28-13 at home
22-19 on road

Record: 50-32
3rd in Pacific Division, 8th in Western Conference

We Believe 2.0 starts now… [GoldenStateofMind]

Internet Classic: Numa Numa

Numa Numa was first uploaded to NewGrounds.com on December 6th, 2004 and gained worldwide attention less than three months later. Numa Numa’s star, Gary Brolsma, filmed the video using his webcam at his house in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Gary Brolsma initially stayed out of the public eye, but in 2006, embraced his celebrity status and released a follow-up video entitled, “New Numa,” which was sponsored by a Minneapolis viral media company, Jaeter Corporation. In late 2007, he released his most recent video, “Numa Three: Crazy Loop,” where Gary dances to Dan Balan’s, “Crazy Loop.” [CollegeHumor]

Original


New Numa


Numa Three: Crazy Loop!


T.I. - Live Your Life (featuring Rihanna)

Rihanna-"Live Your Life" Perfomance with T.I
Uploaded by Deea90

Links:
O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei Music Video
South Park YouTube Fight (Warning: Contains Animated Violence)
Weezer - Pork and Beans Video

You Can Vote However You Like

Election day is approaching and the online media coverage is being even more intense. Half or more of the top viral videos all related to the election. Here are some interesting videos I've come across.

You Can Vote However You Like (T.I. Election Parody)


If that doesn't make sense to you, check out the T.I. video below. You really should go on iTunes and look at the popular songs.


There's also another 5 Friends PSA. While Jonah Hill & Sarah Silverman provided the comic relief in the last PSA, it's Sacha Baron Cohen and his character Borat who save this one.

Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Snoop Dogg, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Justin Timberlake, along with Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, Zach Braff, Colin Farrell, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson, Shia LeBeouf, Tobey Maguire, Ryan Reynolds, and Jason Segal, are featured in a second of a series of public service announcements to encourage American youth to vote.

The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election. So get some friends and go vote! [HuffingtonPost]

5 More Friends (Uncensored)


5 More Friends

You can see the other 5 Friends PSA HERE

Brokers With Hands on Their Faces

Thanks to Digital Two-Footed Tackles, here's a very interesting blog. Well they don't have any video or text, just everyday it is updated with pictures from Wall Street of brokers with their hands on their faces. Check out the faces of people working the front lines during the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression.

THE BROKERS WITH HANDS ON THEIR FACES BLOG

Wassup 2008

There's a new short video clip making its ways around the internet recently. The video is a parody of the Budweiser Wassup commercials from 8 years ago. The group posting the video, 60 Frames, describes themselves as this on their YouTube channel:

60Frames is working with really talented artists to create really awesome, original internet programming. This week we're featuring "Wassup 2008" -- you haven't seen these guys in a while, but we're certainly glad to have them back. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel to stay informed of new releases from 60Frames, and keep watching!
Check back with us often for new shows, episodes and updates or visit us at 60frames.com.

The video does take an interesting turn at the end, seems a little unexpected since the whole time I was waiting for a Budweiser logo to appear.

Wassup 2008

Wassup Original

Wassup Girlfriend

Wassup Wasabi

Wassup Telemarketer


Ok so there are literally tons of these videos on YouTube, so go there if you want to see more.

New Guitar Hero 4 Commercial

The true American Idol himself, Mr. Ryan Digicrest has the new Guitar Hero 4 commercial over at Rants of a Modern Day Elitist. Guitar Hero must have shelled out some big money for these big names. Props to Kobe for really selling the song but what's up with him not rocking the underwear like everyone else in the commercial? Phelps, A-Rod and Tony Hawk can do it but I guess Kobe is too big for that.


Here's some more game info:
Another Game Ad
Official Site
IGN GH4 Info

Berries & Cream Guy

Remember that Starburst commercial featuring the berries and cream guy? Well anyway the video got over 9 million views on YouTube and you can check out an interview with Jack Ferver, the star of the commercial, over at The Digital Dojo. Here are the videos of the Little Lad. Enjoy.
Commercial

Little Lad Dance

$79M of Product Placement in New 007 Film

It seems 007 now has more than a license to kill; he has a license to sell, and a very lucrative one. Quantum of Solace, the 22nd "official" outing of Britain's best known secret agent, released this week, has reportedly earned a record £50 million from manufacturers for "product placement", as these subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, adverts are known. It tops the previous record of £44 million for Die Another Day, a film so laden with plugs for 20 products that it sometimes resembled a big-budget Argos advert and was retitled by critics "Buy Another Day".

For the author of the original novels was ahead of the game when it came to product placement, or, as he viewed it, luxury products that helped characterise the type of man about which he was writing. The James Bond of the printed page wears a Rolex Oyster, drives a Bentley 1933 Continental, collects his suits from Savile Row and pours Gordon's Gin, Smirnoff vodka and Tattinger Blanc de Blanc 1943.

Daniel Craig's revamped Bond, however, will drive a customised Aston Martin, wear his Omega watch and possibly sip from a bottle of Coca-Cola Zero, the soft drinks giant's latest beverage. His laptop and mobile phone will be Sony while his latest love interest will drive him around Panama in a Ford Ka.

There is even a Bond Girl perfume, being launched by Avon, the mail order beauty firm. It is being fronted by Gemma Arterton, who plays Agent Fields. As Ms Barrett recently wrote: "It's not the smoothest or cleverest of tie-ups, but we should expect more women-targeted brands to get on board."
[The Scotsman via FilmDrunk & Filmonic]

Links:
First Clip of Quantum of Solace
007: Quantum of Solace Trailer

Year's Best Gadgets, Gizmos & Products

Wired.com has tested and reviewed over 100 of the years hottest new and upcoming gadgets, gizmos and products.

Check out the reviews HERE

Music Monday: Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Robert Randolph & The Family Band is a multicultural American funk and soul band composed of Robert Randolph, Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass), Jason Crosby (keyboards and fiddle), Lenesha Randolph (vocals and rhythm), as well as three rotating rhythm guitarists, Joey Williams of Blind Boys of Alabama, "Shmeeans", and Cousin Ray-Ray.

Randolph, a native of Irvington, New Jersey, began playing the pedal steel guitar in the House of God Church, which used steel guitars in worship services. The instrument is referred to in many African American Pentecostal style churches as Sacred Steel. Randolph was discovered while playing at a sacred steel convention in Florida. Randolph himself cites the late Stevie Ray Vaughan as a primary influence in his own technique and style. The group's sound is inspired by successful 1970s funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly & the Family Stone, another multicultural band composed of former members of the Church of God in Christ. Randolph himself has explained that in his adolescent years before his discovery by the secular community, he was almost completely unaware of non-religious music, saying "I never heard of the Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, none of them. I wasn’t into that music, only the church thing."


"Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" on Letterman


"I Need More Love"


Dave Matthews Band - Lousiana Bayou (with Robert Randolph)


"Thrill of It" on Jimmy Kimmel Live


Links:
Official Site

Niners Lose........AGAIN

If you are a Niners fan and you happened to miss the game against the Seahawks yesterday be thankful, it was painful. The Seahawks, who had just 1 win on the year before yesterday, dominated the 49ers from the opening minutes. As much as I am rooting for UC Davis alum J.T. O'Sullivan to get it together, his turnovers are really killing the team. O'Sullivan's pick at the end of the first half was crushing to the team and fans. If you happen to still be holding on to Vernon Davis in hopes that his great potential will be realized and he will finally emerge as a legit fantasy football tight end it's time to cut him loose. Vernon Davis was send off by coach Mike Singletary in the 4th quarter, never a good thing.

As the Mike Singletary era began with a heaping helping of humiliation, J.T. O'Sullivan's reign as starting quarterback for the 49ers appeared to come to an end with the usual roll call of sacks, fumbles and a killer interception.

If this is the bottom, the 49ers hit it hard, and often, Sunday at Candlestick Park in a 34-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, who came into the game at 1-5 and left with whoops and hollers.

After keeping the locker-room doors closed at least twice as long as predecessor Mike Nolan did following games, Singletary came into his news conference and spoke in a booming voice with a fervor that approached rage.

After O'Sullivan threw an interception on fourth down that cornerback Josh Wilson returned 75 yards for a touchdown and a 20-3 lead by Seattle 31 seconds before halftime, Singletary walked to offensive coordinator Mike Martz and spread his arms in a universal signal of exasperation before sending Shaun Hill into the game with 25 seconds left.

At that point, O'Sullivan had been sacked three times, fumbled twice and lost one and threw the pick-six interception. He had completed 13 of 21 passes for 131 yards.

Singletary's other decisive act was to banish Vernon Davis to the locker room with 10:41 left in the game after the tight end drew a foolish unnecessary-roughness penalty for tipping up the facemask of free safety Brian Russell following his 7-yard catch. [SFGate]

Time to FAIL

Another Friday is upon us. Be thankful you're worst/most embarrassing moment isn't caught on tape....and that tape hasn't ended up on the internet.

Chair FAIL

(That's Nhlanhla Nene, the South African Chairman of the Finance Portfolio Committee)

Skateboarding FAIL
(Warning: Very painful for about 50% of you)


Victory FAIL

Remember the NHL?

Anyone happen to know that the NHL season has been underway for about 2 weeks now? With the start of the NFL and MLB playoffs its easy for hockey to be forgotten. The video clip below gives you a reason to catch up on what you've been missing this season.

After the third or fourth viewing of the slow-motion replay of this Milan Lucic check, you actually see a large piece of the glass smack Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mike Van Ryn in the noggin. Perhaps the greatest argument for the necessity of helmets we've seen in quite a while.

The hit came 18 seconds into the second period tonight in Boston; what makes this play even more amazing is that Van Ryn scored the Leafs' first goal almost exactly six minutes later, sparking a rally of four unanswered goals for a 4-2 Toronto win over the Boston Bruins.

Hope those fans that got the shard shower are OK. Or at the very least that they didn't get glass shavings in their beer, what with the cost of a brew in Boston these days. [PuckDaddy]

Will Ferrell Returns to SNL

Last night's Saturday Night Live election special featured Will Ferrell returning to play George W. Bush as he gives his endorsement for McCain/Palin. As you can probably guess Tina Fey was also there to play Sarah Palin and Darrell Hammond played John McCain.

Ferrell reprised his famed impression of the president on the live "Weekend Update" special Thursday to give an "impromptu" evening address to the nation. He spoke about the election between John McCain and Barack Obama — both candidates, he said, that are "heavily patriotized" and "display much characterization."

He then gave his endorsement to McCain and Palin, something that they apparently didn't want. Ferrell said he was unaware that his approval ratings were low because he had several months ago declared the Oval Office a "bummer free zone." [AP]

Related Links:
Tina Fey Plays Sarah Palin....again
Ohhhh Sarah
SNL Debuts with host Michael Phelps

All Things Football

I had a collection of random videos that somehow related to football, so here is my attempt to post them all and make it seem like they all somehow flow together.

Item #1: High School Football - 2 Guys, 1 Block



Item #2: Redskins are Black & Blue
This comes to us from Chris Cooley, the Washington Redskins tight end. It was posted on his blog but was a guest post by teammate Todd Yoder. Not sure if it's from a cleat or a hit but here's what its like to play in the NFL. Check out the story HERE.



And while we are on the subject of the Redskins, check out a video from one of their fans, she demonstrates how not to break a table.



Item #3: International Rules Football
Well I guess we would call this rugby but they call it football so I'm sticking it in this post. Anyway, apparently the International Rules Football Series resumes tomorrow in Australia.

Yes, the hybrid of Australian Football and Gaelic Football — which could have been something interesting if it hadn’t degenerated into an on-the-pitch brawl every year — will be played in Perth tomorrow and in Melbourne next week, and the Irish team is already vowing to get physical with the Aussies. The Australian side, meanwhile, is saying it plans to tackle within the rules, but it’s damn near impossible to know what those rules are by now. This could just be Gaelic Football with marking and behind posts. It makes you wonder how many times the AFL and GAA can restart this party before people just get annoyed by it. [Dave's Football]

2008 Election Dance Off

Everyone is tired of the back and forth. Obama says this, McCain says that. It's time we take the campaigning back the streets and by that I of course mean dance battling. It's finally time for one of the candidates to take the reins and let the other one know, "You Got Served."

Lost: Season 5 Trailer

Looks like a trailer for Lost Season 5 has made it to the internet. There seems to be a lot of postings that go up and quickly get taken down off YouTube so hopefully the video I embed will stay working for a while. Anyway, Lost is a great show and let's hope they actually make some strides to tying up all the loose ends that have accumulated over the past 4 seasons. Here's a little more Season 5 info:

The seventeen-episode fifth season of the American serial drama television series Lost will commence airing on the American Broadcasting Company Network in the United States, and on CTV in Canada in either late January or early February 2009 and conclude in May 2009. The season continues the stories of the survivors of the fictional crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815, after some of them are rescued and those still stranded seemingly disappear to an unknown location and time with the island that they inhabit. According to Lost's co-creator/executive producer/writer/show runner Damon Lindelof, the season "is about why the [people who have left the island] need to get back". While the island stories of episodes of prior seasons were intercut with flashbacks or flashforwards of a featured character, the fifth season will be presented differently with part of each episode taking place off the island and the other part following characters on the island in a different time. [Wikipedia]

Lost Season 5 Trailer


Dharma Video from ComicCon this summer


Links:
Lostpedia
Lost Teaser Trailer
Season 5 Trailer Blog
Mythology of Lost
Lost Map

Palin is a YouTube Gold Mine

I feel like every other day there is a new viral video clip of Sarah Palin getting passed around the internet. You would think someone in McCain's camp would have locked her away from doing anymore interviews because it seems like she gives the Obama campaign a new piece of gold every time she speaks on camera.

In this clip that's being heavily trafficked today, Palin, in response to a 3rd grader's question states the job of the Vice President is to be, "in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it's a great job and I look forward to having that job."

I guess significantly overstating the role and authority of the VP is better than her saying she doesn't know what it does, like in this clip.



In case you were wondering, "As President of the Senate (Article I, Section 3), the vice president oversees procedural matters and may cast a tie-breaking vote. There is a strong convention within the U.S. Senate that the vice president not use his or her position as President of the Senate to influence the passage of legislation or act in a partisan manner, except in the case of breaking tie votes. [Wikipedia]

Internet Classic: Bubb Rubb & Lil Sis

Today's internet classic comes to us from our very own San Francisco Bay Area. KRON-4 aired a news report in 2003 about a whistletips and the problems they were causing in Oakland neighborhoods. I especially like the part in the video where he peels out from the body shop and commits about 3 traffic violations in one block.

Bubb Rubb entered the public’s eye in 2003 during a KRON-TV report on an increase in whistetips, a modification to a car’s muffler that made a high-pitched screeching sound while accelerating, in the Oakland area. Residents of the town were complaining that these modifications were the cause of a lot of disturbances in the area. A few minutes into the report, the KRON reporter approached a local man who was getting whistetips installed at a local shop. The man, Bubb Rubb, first reenacted the sound the whistetips made by hooting, “Woo-woo!” Seconds later, he made a comment towards the residents who found the tips annoying by saying, “Some neighbors say it's way too loud. That's only in the morning, you're supposed to be up cooking breakfast! It's like an alarm clock. Woo-woo!” Bubb Rubb became an instant internet celebrity because of his passion for whistetips and his catch phrase, Woo-woo! Also because he nearly crashed his car while trying to show off his tips just moments after they were installed. [CollegeHumor]

The video has sparked lots of video responses and dedications, not to mention many sites dedicated to Bubb Rubb & Lil Sis.

IT'S DAT WOO WOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (Fan Site)
Bubb Rubb - Remix
Bubb Rubb - 50 Cent Remix
Shatner vs Bubb Rubb

"Stayin' Alive" Can Save Lives

The Bee Gees disco classic "Stayin' Alive" can actually save lives according to recent study. Apparently performing CPR around 100 beats per minute gives the person a significantly greater chance of being revived and it just so happens "Stayin' Alive" is 103 beats per minute.

In a small but intriguing study from the University of Illinois medical school, doctors and students maintained close to the ideal number of chest compressions doing CPR while listening to the catchy, sung-in-falsetto tune from the 1977 movie "Saturday Night Fever."

The American Heart Association recommends 100 chest compressions per minute, far more than most people realize, study author Dr. David Matlock of the school's Peoria, Illinois, campus said Thursday.

And while CPR can triple cardiac arrest survival rates when properly performed, many people hesitate to do it because they're not sure about keeping the proper rhythm, Matlock said.

He found that "Stayin' Alive," which has a way of getting stuck in your head anyway, can help with that.

His study involved 15 students and doctors and had two parts. First they did CPR on mannequins while listening to the song on iPods. They were asked to time chest compressions with the song's beat.

Five weeks later, they did the same drill without the music but were told to think of the song while doing compressions.

The study showed the song helped people who already know how to do CPR, and the results were promising enough to warrant larger, more definitive studies with real patients or untrained people, Matlock said.

He plans to present his findings at an American College of Emergency Physicians meeting in Chicago this month.

It turns out the American Heart Association has been using the song as a training tip for CPR instructors for about two years. [CNN]

And the Number 1 Viral Video is.....

...a chimpanzee riding a Segway? That's right, according to ViralVideoChart the viral video spreading across net the quickest is indeed that, a chimp riding a Segway on what appears to be a Japanese game show. Gotta love the internet.

Viral Videos Inspire Weezer Video

Ahhh the internet, a wondrous place where a chipmunk, a kid reenacting Star Wars, or a Rick Astley song can suddenly explode and become a cultural phenomenon. Well the alt rock band Weezer took that idea and ran with it in their music video for the song "Pork and Beans."

On May 23, 2008, the video premiered on YouTube. It features the band interacting with many YouTube stars and Internet memes, including Gary Brolsma ("Numa Numa guy"), Matt McAllister, Mark Allen Hicks ("Afro Ninja"), Caitlin Upton, Judson Laipply, Chris Crocker, Kicesie, Tay Zonday, Kevin Federline (stock footage), Kelly, Ryan Weiber, Michael "Dorkman" Scott, Jeong-Hyun Lim, Dramatic Prairie Dog (including lookalikes of J-Pop group Mini Moni, who were in the original TV clip the Dramatic Prairie Dog originated from), Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz's Diet Coke and Mentos eruptions, parody G.I. Joe PSAs, catching Raybans with one's face, the Dancing Banana, Will It Blend?, All Your Base Are Belong to Us, Sneezing Panda, One Man Band by Connor Berge, Daft Hands, Daft Bodies, the Soulja Boy dance (listed on YouTube as "Crank That Soldier Boy"), a CGI Donald Duck and King Kong, Charlie the Unicorn, and the UFO sighting in Haiti Hoax video. [Wikipedia]

Check Weezer's "Pork & Beans" video out on YouTube or......

Weezer - Pork And Beans
Uploaded by Weezer

I've posted some of these original videos in previous posts and I'll try to keep at least 1 classic viral a week coming. Check back later today for one.

Bye Bye Nolan

Yesterday the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan. If only the Niners had played half as good as Nolan dressed.

Assistant head coach Mike Singletary will be the interim head coach, general manager Scot McCloughan said. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the two sides are working on a suitable contract for a head coaching position.

Nolan's firing came late Monday afternoon after he met with ownership. Earlier Monday, ESPN's Michael Smith reported that Nolan was going to be fired after next Sunday's game and be replaced by Singletary. Whether that story sped up the process or not, it was clear that Nolan's days were numbered following Sunday's 29-17 loss to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

Nolan, 49, was 18-37 as coach of the 49ers. Though the offense improved its scoring under the play-calling of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the defense -- which is Nolan's specialty -- has been inconsistent all season.

Nolan brought back a measure of respectability to the franchise, but the 49ers have had five straight losing seasons and were 4-12, 7-9 and 5-11 in three full seasons in his tenure.

In fact, Nolan might be best known for his insistence on wearing a suit and tie on the sideline for the 49ers' home games. After protracted negotiations with Reebok, which has a contract to supply clothing to all the league's coaches, Nolan got permission to wear his specially designed suit.

Nolan's future also was heavily tied to quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. Smith never became a consistent starter, and he had an embarrassing public spat with Nolan last year over the severity of the quarterback's shoulder injuries, which forced him onto injured reserve last year.

Smith's shoulder gave him more problems this year, and the quarterback went on injured reserve before the season began. [ESPN]

What remains for Smith's future is still uncertain. Some of have said he will be released after this season but it appears only time will tell. Check out the video BELOW.
Mike Nolan addresses his job security just hours before he was fired Monday night.

Music Monday: Bang Camaro

Bang Camaro is composed of a bassist, a drummer, three guitarists, and anywhere from ten to twenty vocalists comprising a full choir of lead singers. The band's music is somewhat similar in style to '80s metal. The basic song structure employed by the band does away with traditional verses in order to highlight catchy choruses and integrate as many guitar solos as possible. The result has been described by the band as, "taking everything we loved about the genre, and throwing everything out that we hated." The band cites Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly as influences in addition to hard rock/heavy metal bands like Skid Row, Iron Maiden, and Dokken. "I would call us anthem rock," said Alex Necochea. "We're really not heavy metal. I think our focus is more on writing great singles, as best as we can make them. That's just something Bryn and I grew up on. We're big fans of melody and big driving hooks, that sort of thing." Some of Bang Camaro's songs have been featured in both Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Push Push (Lady Lightning)


Night Lies


Pleasure (Pleasure)


Performance & Interview


Not a video, but interesting...think you could be in Bang Camaro?


Links:
Official Site
MySpace

Hardest Hits of the NFL Season

If you were watching Sunday Night Football last night you probably saw the vicious hit on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ike Hilliard that left him unconscious on the field for a few minutes. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was also shaken up on the play and had to leave the game with a concussion. No doubt a fine is coming Leroy Hill's way as the hit was clearly helmet to helmet.

Lofa Tatupu & Leroy Hill hit Ike Hilliard
(Tatupu & Hilliard both suffered concussions, a fine is likely for Hill)


Adrian Wilson hits Trent Edwards
(Wilson was fined $25,000)


Eric Smith hits Anquan Boldin
(Smith was fined $50,000 and suspended 1 game)


Hines Ward puts a mean block on Keith Rivers...keep in mind Ward is a wide receiver and Rivers is a linebacker (Rivers is done for the season with a broken jaw, Ward will likely be fined)


Tom Brady hit by Bernard Pollard
(Brady tore his ACL & MCL and is done for the season)


Bonus Compilation

Another Big SNL Show

SNL has really come on strong this season. After a few recent years where it seemed SNL (except for a few very funny SNL Digital Short clips) had lost its popularity and relevance, it is back and just as funny as ever. The Tina Fey impersonations of Sarah Palin continued again this week but this time Sarah Palin actually made an appearance herself. This week's show was hosted by "W." star Josh Brolin. Here's the videos below but go over to Oldest Living and check out his take on the Palin SNL appearance.



A couple other funny skits from the show:
(including Mark Wahlberg confronting Andy Samberg about his impersonation of him)

Weekend Preview: Red Bull Soapbox Race

UPDATE

Click HERE for pictures

Click HERE for a video

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another Friday is upon us, so time to preview what to look forward to for the weekend.

This October 18th, Red Bull Soapbox Race will make its San Francisco debut as more than 30 teams of gear heads and auto amateurs speed down Dolores Street in their homemade, human-powered vehicles in a race against the clock. Teams have already been chosen, and those selected will be judged on four criteria – speed (of course), the creativity of their car and showmanship and the quality of their performance prior to crossing the starting line.

Event Day Information

When is Red Bull Soapbox Race San Francisco?
The big event is on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. Pit Row opens at 11:00 AM, with first race scheduled for 1:00 PM. Award ceremonies are expected to take place around 3:30 PM.

Where is it?
The event is taking place in the Mission District at Dolores Park in San Francisco. The start line will be located on Dolores St. and 21st St.. The pit area, aka “Pit Row”, will be located on 20th Street, between Dolores and Church St. This is where you can view the crafts and mingle with the teams beginning at 11:00 AM before they line up in procession to the starting line around 12:00 PM. The finish line will be at the intersection of Dolores St. and 19th Street.

Entry Fee?
Is 100% FREE to the public and open to all ages!

Here's a couple videos posted on the RedBull YouTube Channel of previous Soapbox races




More Weekend Previews:
FilmDrunk's Movie Preview
WithLeather's Sports Picks

FAIL Friday

More Friday videos from the FailBlog. I kind of feel bad for the best man, there is pretty much no chance the bride will ever let him be friends with the groom again...you don't mess with a girl on her wedding day.

Best Man Fail


Hotel Ad Fail


Biological Fail

Joe (Sam) the Plumber

By now I bet you have heard of "Joe the Plumber" who was referenced numerous times by Senator John McCain during the third and final presidential debate Wednesday night. Since McCain even decided to declare "Joe the Plumber" the winner of the debate, I figured I might as well post the video and some more info about this whole thing.

A couple of things about Joe the Plumber, the icon of the authentic working-class voter who was declared the "winner" of the final presidential debate.

His first name isn't really Joe. It's Samuel.

He's not really a plumber - at least, not a licensed one.

He's concerned about increased taxes - but hasn't paid his own income taxes.

And he's not exactly just a guy from Ohio.

He's lived in Arizona ... and Alaska. [SFGate]

Original Joe the Plumber Video


McCain Ad


Obama Mentions Joe

I Guess Bo Burnham is Popular

It's news to me but I guess this guy named Bo Burnham is pretty big on YouTube. Not only that but somehow he hooked up with comedy genius Judd Apatow and is helping him write the script for a movie.

Bo Burnham achieved internet fame in December 2006 after releasing a video featuring his performing an original song, "My Whole Family", on YouTube. As of July 2008, "My Whole Family" has received 2 million views. Over the following year, Bo Burnham released 12 videos on YouTube and Myspace, garnering a combined total of 14.5 million views. In June 2008, Bo Burnham released his first EP on iTunes, entitled "Bo Fo Sho". The album subsequently reached the number three position on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart and the number 6 position on top iTunes albums. He was on Last Call with Carson Daly. He also appeared on Talkshow with Spike Feresten on October, 4, 2008.

Burnham has had his videos featured on a variety of webpages besides YouTube, including Break.com, collegehumor.com and comedycentral.com. [Wikipedia]

Here are a couple of his videos:

My Whole Family...


Bo Fo' Sho'


i'm bo yo.


New Math


Links:
Wired.com Article
Official Site
YouTube Channel
ComedyCentral Page

Love Lockdown Video

I've noticed that some people really seem to dislike Kanye West's new single Love Lockdown well to those people I say relax; Kanye has had such mainstream success because he's willing to take risks and be original. Give the song a few more plays and I'm sure it will grow on you. I on the other hand think it's awesome, how many platinum albums and Grammys do you have? Yea, that's right, quit your whining and enjoy the video.

Kanye West - Love Lockdown

Links:
Kanye West YouTube Channel
808s & Heartbreak Wikipedia