One Man's Blog » Videos

Smirnoff Tea Partay and the Green Tea Partay Response!

John P. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:15:12 +0000

Yo. Terry G. (the G stands for Gangsta) hooked a brother up with a link to this hardcore rap video called Tea Partay. As soon as I filled my ear holes with the lyrical goodness I knew I had to share it with all my Bitches.

These videos were created as advertisements for Smirnoff, and after getting over 5 million views I’d have to say they did their job quite nicely! By the way, I’ll pay $10,000 to anyone who creates a Rap video for Woopra that goes viral like this! (100% serious!) :-)

After the success of the first video, Smirnoff created the West Coast version as a follow up. It didn’t quite get the same attention as the original, but it’s just as amusing if you ask me!

Review: Benro Travel Angel Tripod – The 13.1″ Wonder!

John P. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:50:15 +0000

I purchased the BENRO TRAB069 Travel Angel TRAB a couple of months ago, and all in all I highly recommend the little tripod.

This Travel Angel tripod features individual leg angle adjustments, anti-rotation leg design, a reversible center column with spring loaded weight hook, anti dust and moisture rubber leg lock grips, and reversible 1/4″-20 to 3/8″ mounting threads. It has 5 leg sections and a maximum height of 54.3″ with a normal height of 47.8″ with the legs fully extended.

However, what makes it so special is that the folded height is a tiny 13.1″ while still maintaining a load capacity of 13.2 pounds! This makes it one of the most compact travel tripods around, while still being professional grade. Oh, and at just over $210, it competes with the Gitzo GT1541T Series 1 6X 4S G-Lock Traveler which is much bigger and costs $535!

Video Demonstration

Here is a little video that demonstrates the versatility and operation of this tripod.

The Link on Amazon

With any luck, the link below should show you the current price and stuff on Amazon. Let me know if it’s broken.

My Experience

I highly recommend this tripod. It feels solid and sturdy, though when fully extended I recommend weighing it down a bit with the included hook to keep the tripod steady. It’s very, very light and comes with a nice carry case. In fact, it’s so light that I actually left one in a cab because I forgot I had it with me! Don’t make the same mistake!

The legs fold up easily, and to extend them you simply twist the rubber joints to lock and unlock them. Operation is simple, and should be usable even for people with weaker grips or arthritis who might otherwise have difficulty with latches on cheaper tripods.

I also recommend a simple modification to it as well. You see my other tripods, my new monopod, and most importantly the heads for my tripods are all Manfrottos. More specifically, the heads for my Manfrotto tripods all have a very specific quick connect called the RC2 Rapid Connect Mounting Plate. This is very important.

Now, the Benro comes with it’s own little ball head (someone please let me know if you figure out how to buy these specific legs without the head!!!!), but it uses a completely different quick connect plate. That means that you have to continually be changing the quick connect on your camera to move between the travel tripod and the larger studio tripod you might have for non-travel use.

To make matters worse, unlike the Manfrotto RC2’s finger tightening grip, the Benro plate requires an allen wrench to install or remove (someone please shoot the engineer responsible). This is a major pain in the ass for traveling!

The Recommendations

So, the bottom line is that I recommend that you switch the head out for one that will match whatever your main tripod is. If you don’t have another tripod, but you want to future proof yourself, or if you just want the quick disconnect feature so you can interchange cameras, camcorders, etc from the tripod, I recommend one of these options to you. Also, remember that when you are not traveling you can move any of these heads to another tripod or monopod.

Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System – ~$60. This compact yet sturdy ball head allows you to rotate, swivel and position your camera at any angle you want, then lock it in with a simple twist of a knob. It’s small, light and the least expensive high quality ball head you should consider. Plus it uses the RC2 plate.
Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System (3157N) – ~$90. This is like the head above, except that it has an additional knob which controls side to side rotation. This is great when you want to mount the camera and then be able to pan from side to side. Without this adjustment you simply can’t do that, so I recommend you spend the extra $30 or whatever and get this one.
Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Video Head w/RC2 Rapid Connect Plate – $85. This is your standard traditional video recording head. It has a nice long arm and smooth action for swiveling and panning to follow the action. It can also be locked in place for still photography. It’s by far the most versatile of these heads, but the biggest and heaviest too. It’s not practical to take this with a tiny travel tripod unless you are looking to do video. But if so, it will work just fine.
Manfrotto 322RC2 Horizontal Grip Action Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate (3157N) – $120. This is a ball head with a big grip that makes it easier to tighten and release the angle, but also allows you to use the grip a bit like the handle on a traditional head like the one above. However, this grip is primary meant to be stationary, so you can’t really use it with a camcorder for panning and stuff. It’s designed to unlock, position, an lock.

The Head Images

A Video History of the Internet

John P. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:19:17 +0000

I’ve seen a few decent writeups on the History of the Internet, but this short video crams a working history into about 8 minutes that anyone can follow.

Now, it will start using some funky technical terms like TCP and IP, but they introduce it in such a way that I think almost anyone can understand it. Give it a listen.

And don’t forget to check out The World Wide Web Circa 1994 and the “Ancient” Internet TV News Special from 1993 if you didn’t see those before. I find the olden days fascinating. :-)

My New Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod Setup

John P. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:37:31 +0000

I’ve got some really great photography gear, but I’ve decided that my hand-held shooting, even with a shoulder-pod and an image stabilized lens, is disappointing. I just can’t get the razor sharp images I want.

At the same time, I rarely have time to set up a tripod, even if I’m carrying my tiny little 2.5 pound Benro Travel Angel. So, I’m adding a Monopod setup to my photography arsenal. And the monopod setup I’ve chosen was recommended by professional photographer Yuri Arcurs (the world’s top selling stock photographer). The video that convinced me is below.

The main reason I am going with the Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod he recommends is because it’s the only one with a quick extension system. Watch and learn…

The Parts

Heres everything you need to duplicate the setup demonstrated in the video:

Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod Deluxe with Safety Lock

This monopod is actually pretty long, which I consider the major downfall. It’s 30″ long when closed, so at 2.5′ it’s not going to fit in any backpacks or carry on bags. This means I’ll be carrying it from start to finish on every trip. I hope it is worth it!

Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System

Personally, I’m going with the Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System (3157N) which is just slightly larger, but has two controls on it. One for rotation, and the other for the ball movement. This is totally unnecessary for a monopod, but I’ll use the head on a tripod as well, so I’m killing two birds with one stone.

Custom Brackets Digital PRO M Rotating Camera Bracket Kit

You’ll notice that this rotating camera kit costs more than both of the other pieces combined. It’s a serious piece of professional gear, and personally I’m going to hold off on this one for now. The benefit of being able to quickly swap from landscape to portrait mode is very useful when you need to quickly change with precision. But at this point I don’t need that. I may invest in it later when I start shooting models or something like that.

The Alternatives

If you’re thinking that is just too much of a setup and would like to start with something more economical, smaller, and simpler, then I recommend you take a look at the Benro monopods.

I really like the 1.2 pound Benro MC-91M8 Carbon Monopod which currently goes for about $130, but you can also do the 2 pound Benro MP-98M8 ALUMINUM MONOPOD for only about $85.

They both have built in feet which allow you to turn them into mini tripods if you need to. They can also be extremely useful when combined with a remote flash (i.e.- use them as an off camera flash stand in conjunction with a Pocket Wizard). Here’s a one minute to demonstrate:

Jameson’s Irish Whiskey Commercial

John P. — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:18:09 +0000

I was watching a little TV today and one of the most spectacular commercials I’ve ever seen came on! It’s so awesome I just had to share it.

And now I’m going to go out and buy some Jameson whiskey because the commercial worked!

Cory the Baby – Dancing to Beyonce

John P. — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:15:36 +0000

Hmmm. As long as we are exploiting the children…

Here is Cory Elliott from Auckland, New Zealand getting his dance on to Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (which has been viewed 75 MILLION times). By comparison, Cory’s video has only been viewed a paltry 4 million times.

Well, then again, Cory is only about a year old. So I guess we can forgive it the lack of attention just this one time. Even though dancing babies are all the rage. Though I do wonder… when Cory grows up, will he brag about this?

Brutal “Hate Crime” Beating Caught on Video

John P. — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:56:31 +0000

Less than two weeks ago, an absolutely brutal beating was caught on video in New York when two men decided to give a gay man “a beat down”.

Daniel Rodriguez (21) and Daniel Aleman (26) pummeled Jack Price who ended up in a coma after the incident with a fractured jaw, ribs and a lacerated spleen. Why did they do it? Well, Jack “came on to them” obviously! Duh. I mean, clearly that deserves having the crap kicked out of you, right?

I mean, like Rodriguez’s friend’s tattoo says, “[Thou] shall not lie with a male as one does with a woman. It is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22″. Of course, as Jesse Galef points out:

Leviticus also forbids tattooing. In the very next chapter.

“Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28″

Well, I’m a big fan of selectively following the bible too. By doing so, I can pretty much do anything I want and claim divine guidance for it. It’s awesome, you should look into it too.

Andrew Sullivan broke the news over on The Atlantic. And now here is the news clip that contains some of the beatdown on video. Damn. You know what kind of a coward you have to be to sit there and kick the crap out of a 49 year old gay man who is lying in the street?

So, I’ve really got nothing magical to add about this incident other than to share it so we can all be outraged together. I’d like to literally beat those punks who did this to death, if for no other reason than to simply protect the world from that kind of hatred and stupidity. But what can we do?

This starts with the parents. If you teach your kids to be intolerant, then this is what you get.

Kevin Spacey Imitates Pacino, Brando, Walken, Eastwood and More!

John P. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:18:49 +0000

Everyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows Kevin Spacey (my apologies to those of you who have actually been living under a rock, I meant no offense), but not many people know he’s amazing at doing impressions!

Well, when he appeared on Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton, James had him rattle off a series of impressions on the fly, and luckily we’ve got the video to share with you now! I find it amazing that anyone can simply switch into character after character on the fly like that.

Now, what I would really like to see is Kevin Spacey doing an impression of Kevin Pollak doing an impression of Christopher Walken!

Think You Can Drive? This Guy Can Wheelie an Excavator!

John P. — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:57:12 +0000

Well, I’ve seen some pretty bad ass driving in my life, and I don’t think I’m all that bad myself – but here’s a guy who can take like a 10 ton piece of heavy equipment and rock it onto two wheels and drive back and forth!

I don’t know what they pay this guy to operate that thing while he’s working, but clearly he’s worth every penny!

SOLVED: 10 Hot Dogs to a Package vs. 8 Hot Dog Buns to a Package!

John P. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:30:08 +0000

MUCH thanks to Terry G for forwarding this video on to me. Before I saw this, my stomach was all tied up in knots and I was just an anxious mess. I mean the fact that there are always too many hot dogs, and not enough buns, has been clearly unacceptable!

Come on people! Why can’t Oscar Meyer and Wonder just call a truce and negotiate a settlement on what the proper number of dogs and buns to a package should be! As the person from Kraft said in this video by John Hargrave, “…sir we don’t work together with Wonder….” Well, that’s obvious! But maybe you should my friend! Maybe you should.

Chad Vader Hits on Cali Lewis in the Blog World Commercial

John P. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:29:58 +0000

This is the greatest commercial that anyone has ever done for an event that I’ve seen. You’ve got Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogen, and Cali Lewis… oh, and Chad Vader. :-)

Incidentally, I’ll be attending Blog World in Las Vegas as well, and I’ll be lecturing at the WordCamp Las Vegas event that will be happening right smack dab in the middle of Blog World! Yee Haw! It should be a blast.

I’ll be teaching you everything you ever needed to know to grow rich, powerful and sexy from your blog! Well, either that or I’ll give you some WordPress tips and tricks, as well as an overview of how to use your stats to improve the online experience.

Google Wave – It’s New! You’re Gonna Want it! But What Is It?

John P. — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:34:30 +0000

First of all, before you even watch the video you should go to the Google Wave home page and request access. You’re going to have to wait in line, but like all other Google stuff, you know you’re gonna want it.

According to Google:

What is a wave?

A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

Now, I want you to watch the following video, and then think about the fact that this is free open-source software that Google will be releasing soon. If your business isn’t among the first to adopt this, you are going to be left behind – big time!

Here’s a Good Porn Video For You

John P. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:01:20 +0000

HaHaHa! I knew that title was going to grab your attention, cause lets face it – sex sells. And so as not to disappoint you, I’m actually going to show you a video about porn produced by Good Magazine!

Be aware that although there is no nudity, the hot chick in the video is almost nude. So, if you are easily offended by scantily clad women in a bathing suit, this video is not for you. But come on now, who are we kidding? I know that every one of you is going to actually watch this video.

The only thing that is yet to be seen is who is brave enough to leave a comment and admit it!

Los Angeles Fires Raging Uncontrollably

John P. — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:36:37 +0000

The fires in LA are seriously out of control. If you have any doubt, here is a very impressive time-lapse video that Brandon Riza shot, with his Canon 5D Mark II I might add.

First of all, the fires are very scary, and I feel bad for the folks in California right now. I hope none of you guys are being affected, but I’m sure a few of you are, so my heart goes out to you. Secondly, it goes to prove how little control we have over our environment. After thousands of years, and with all the technology we possess, mankind still lacks the ability to put out a forest fire.

Sad.

By the way, I have a whole bunch more Time Lapse (also called Stop Motion) videos for those of you who like this sort of thing.

The Amazing Hypnotic Powers of Kenny Craig, My Hero

John P. — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:59:35 +0000

If I could have only one wish, it would be that I would be able to hypnotize people just like Kenny Craig here.

Apparently this is from a sketch comedy show called Little Britain. I notice that Kenny here happens to be one of the stars of a new Comedy Central show called Krod Mandoon.

Anyway, you are getting very, very sleepy. Look into my eyes, my eyes… not around my eyes…. Now, watch this video.

Thanks to Jennifer for this little gem!

Scotch Tape Makes Frosted Glass Transparent!?!

John P. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:00:44 +0000

Ok. Someone has got to try this and report back if it works! I’m not sure if this is a video trick, or if it really works, and I don’t have any frosted glass to try it on. But according to this guy, if you put some of that clear box tape on frosted glass, you can see right through it.

I really can’t believe this works, but the darn video is so convincing! So again, I’m putting a call out for anyone and everyone who has the ability to give this a try and report back if it works!

How to Open a Banana Like a Monkey

John P. — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:35:28 +0000

Whoever said that humans are more evolved than our hairy little cousins in the monkey kingdom is probably the same idiot who taught you how to open a banana… WRONG!

I don’t know about you, but for at least 3 decades I’ve been opening bananas like a, well… cro-magnon. When I should have been opening it like a primate! Here, just watch the video and you’ll see.

The eROCKIT Electric Bike Goes 50 MPH!

John P. — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:15 +0000

There are quite a few things I want when it comes to motorized contraptions, but very few I want more than a fully electric motorcycle. And here is a contraption that’s right up that alley. A pedal powered electric bike from Germany called the eROCKIT allows a rider to go 50 MPH!

I think the general design of the bike is very interesting, although the pedal power part is kind of novel and I’m not sure at all useful. There is just one problem though it’s going to cost you… wait for it… $40,000.

Here is what GizMag had to say about the characteristics of the bike:

The whole thing weighs just 110 kilograms and with over 45lb/ft of torque and 13bhp, it can top 50mph.

The torque characteristics of an electric motor are very different to a roadgoing motorcycle powerplant – the aforementioned 45lb/ft of torque is available from standstill, and the linear nature of the power delivery makes it very easy to control… this would put it in commuter 250 roadbike territory for acceleration, and the 50 mph top speed is suitable for just about anywhere other than an autobahn or freeway.

Around town, it will be a rocketship and light and manoeuvrable enough to make breeze of weaving through stopped traffic – a better town motorcycle than currently exists.

You can download a PDF Brochure here for more information. Keep in mind that the bike has a range of about 35-50 miles before it needs it’s batteries charged. That’s right. It has onboard batteries.

What, you thought your pedaling alone was going to make this 200 pound “bike” go 50MPH? Not quite…

The Most Interesting Origami Discussion Ever

John P. — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:18:44 +0000

Robert Lang is a pioneer of the newest kind of origami, using math and engineering principles to fold mind-blowingly intricate designs that are beautiful and, sometimes, very useful.

Some of the origami patterns have been used even to go into space telescopes which need to be large at the destination, but small for transportation. It has also been used in heart stints and even automobile airbags.

And if you’d like to give origami a try, here is how you can create the origami turtle that she showed in the previous video:

The Knight Rider Building Lights Up The Night

John P. — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:57:54 +0000

I don’t have a lot of information on this video’s background except that I believe the building in question is located in Poland. Of course, there is some speculation that the building is in Germany, becasue as everyone knows… Germans love David Hasselhoff!

Having said that, it’s amazing that they could choreograph so many lights to change colors and come on in these complex patterns. It must have cost a fortune just to put it on.