This film is not out yet, but look for it to be released this fall. It’s one of those really “important” films, like Food, Inc. and an Inconvenient Truth (same filmmaker Davis Guggenheim) “Waiting for Superman” is one of those must-see movies. Through real-life children’s stories, this documentary tells us how the U.S. school system, once the best in the world, is now utterly failing our kids – to the point of calling the schools “drop-out factories” and “academic sinkholes”. Still, it seems that the documentary offers hope as Guggenheim explores alternative, innovative approaches that could revive the system.
The current [...]

My issues concerning my body size and all its various flaws? They have haunted me for years and have been the cause of sooooo much wasted energy. I look back on the photos of me in my mid-twenties when I thought then that I was “fat” (a size 4-6). What was I thinking? Why-o-why did I spend a single second torturing myself with those thoughts. And torture I did.
Now, that my beautiful daughter is thirteen, I’m hoping that she, somehow, miraculously, bypasses these issues. I tell her my “wasted energy” story all the time; I tell her that she should [...]

I looooooooooooove this video. If you remember (you should, it was one of last decades most viral videos), OK Go is the band that made the Treadmill video.

The “Machine” in this video was invented and created by 20 (yes 20!) engineers. The construction of the Machine – using 10,ooo sq. ft. of space over two floors – must have been a daunting though thrilling task. I don’t even want to guess how many trials they had to go through to make this work. And how many pianos, TVs, mannequins and other items had to be smashed to get to that [...]

A simple text will donate $5 to help the crisis in Haiti. Text HAITI to number 25383 to give $5.

Or go to the International Rescue Committee’s website to donate a tax-deductible gift in whichever amount you like. Either way, it shouldn’t take you more than a minute. And, if you have an extra minute, please spread the word on Facebook. Update your status to say:  “I am donating my status update to rescue lives in Haiti.  Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to help the International Rescue Committee rescue lives.  COPY & PASS THIS ON AS YOUR [...]

I’m not a scotch drinker – and perhaps, neither are you – but I am an admirer of creative, brilliantly executed advertising. So, I thought I’d share this remarkable advertisement for Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey.
It stars Robert Carlyle who delivers an incredible six minutes monologue in a single take, while interacting with various props lined up along his (must be) mile-long walk as he recounts the history of the Johnnie Walker brand.
“The Man Who Walked Around The World” is truly a masterful production that demonstrates some agencies still know how to make a brilliant commercial with impeccable craftsmanship and storytelling [...]

Sooooo perfect! Couldn’t have said it better. Really, I couldn’t have.

Here’s the behind-the-scene process on how JibJab’s team got this done. Phew! No little process but totally worth it for our entertaining pleasure!
Only good cheer to you in 2010!

For all the crazy running around caused by our “obligations” to the season, there are many rewards. One of them would be the abundance of the bubbly stuff, Champagne if you’re a purist, or some much more affordable sparkling wine like a Prosecco (which Audrey wrote about here).
It’s when I saw our son attempt to pop our Champagne for a party last week that I realized that some of us need some training in the art of uncorking and pouring the bubbly. It’s not supposed to happen as it does in the movies. No, the cork should not fly across [...]

This music video revved up my morning.  Indulge in a quick break and watch this great montage video by Japanese band Sour for their “Hibi no Neiro” song. Assembled from webcam footage provided by their fans throughout the world.  Brilliant or what?

With cyberbullying and sexting now a growing problem is schools (and tragically, a confirmed second sexting related suicide), LG Electronics has just launched a public service announcement campaign called “Give it a Ponder”.
“The webisodes feature a beardless James Lipton (Inside the Actors Studio) who encourages teens to Give It A Ponder while caught up in the excitement of certain situations such as sexting, or texting a hurtful rumor… At the heart of the campaign is the iconic symbol of the Ponder Beard…”

Excellent, because most kids are not aware of the consequences of spreading harmful rumors and/or of sending sexually explicit [...]

I know that I’m harping on the subject (oh, just here, here and here, that’s all), but it’s whatever it takes to spread the word about how invasive-ly nasty water bottles are for our environment. We’ve all fallen for the pure-spring-fed-mountain-fresh bozo claims of water bottlers, but NO more.

And here in a movie-is-worth-a-thousand-words, is Tapped the Movie, which will help the message sink in:
“From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry and the communities which were the unwitting chips on the [...]