I just came across this video on YouTube.

Apparently, CBS is inviting people to submit 15 second clips of anything they want to tell the world. Anything within reason. Way more details can be found here.

What will they do with them? They’re going to choose and post some on CBS.com and broadcast some on Superbowl Sunday.

I may put something together. Maybe not. Either way, this is an interesting way to get users interacting with you. It reminds me of the videos of people singing Christmas Carols that the Springfield News-Sun gathered.

It’s an interesting concept that can be used for other things… have an outpouring of support when local troops leave? or after a solider is killed/injured? Let the community either submit their own videos or have a station set up in the lobby or mall so people can come in and record a message for the solider/families. Other uses of course exist, but that’s the one on top of my head.

What would you think if you were driving down the street and saw this guy hunched over a few inches off the ground, moving his head across the pavement while spewing water on the ground?

You’d probably think, “What the hell? This is why I live in the suburbs.”

Or, you could think, wow, it’s a cool new trend called “spit art.” Somehow, I don’t think it will catch on. But even so, you do have to admit, though gross, it is kind of impressive.

I am going to see The Pursuit of Happyness tonight. (Watch the trailer.)

It’s been awhile since I had time to go to the movies. I used to go every weekend, sometimes multiple times each week. This semester that dropped off. My TV-viewing habits also fell to empty, which perpetuated my lack of interest in movies. I didn’t see the trailers and thus didn’t know what I was missing.

This movie, which is about a single father who decides to make something more of himself by taking on an unpaid internship as at a brokerage firm, looks good and heartwarming. And I’m excited to have a few hours to spend doing nothing better than being entertained.

My only question is, who decided to spell it “Happyness”? That was honestly what made me click on the link to see what the movie was about. Apparently, the meaning behind the spelling is explained in the film. We’ll see if it’s justified. Either way.

By now, everyone has heard that when you combine Diet Coke and mentos it makes one crazy fountain of foam. I saw it on Myth Busters this summer, so I know it’s been around for awhile. Still, this chain reaction video is pretty impressive. Using 251 2-liter bottles of pop and 1,506 mentos on the ridiculous project. They have way too much time on their hands, but the outcome was insanely amusing.

I suddenly remember why I don’t watch TV. I just want to catch the headlines, and all any of the major stations is talking about is the climbers in Oregon who are missing/dead. Yes, this is an important story, and yes it is heart-wrenching. But, certainly there are other headlines worth mentioning at least? No? CNN, MSNBC, even (or maybe especially) FOX News all seem to think nothing else in the whole world is happening. Gah.

Anyway, the point is between the talk/repetition of how little info they actually have/leading questions on CNN (what else other than news would I have on in the background?) I just saw the dumbest infomercial I’ve ever seen (except maybe the annoying “HeadOn apply directly to the forehead” commercials — p.s. that’s a link to Aman’s parody not the commerical). It was for the MXZ Saw. They compared it to another saw by saying basically, yeah sure that other saw can cut through wood… but what about this cinderblock? Now, the MXZ saw can… I don’t understand why this would convince anyone to buy the saw. Who tries a cut a cinderblock with a saw? Nobody sits around and thinks, man, if only I had a stronger saw, I could cut through that cinderblock. What a stupid gimmick. These types of things are why I’d rather read the newspaper or catch the headlines on CNN.com.

OK, now Meet the Press is on. That’s better.

Kids are adorable. That goes without saying. However, it doesn’t have to go without watching. I’d like to direct your attention to a few adorable kids singing Christmas songs over at the Springfield News-Sun. In addition to being a great way to engage the community and use the community to provide interesting and amusing content, the idea of having readers sing and then other readers vote is a good one. You’re engaging both for minimal effort and minor editing. And plus, you’re providing my “cute meter” with plenty of fodder.

In case you’re wondering, while Joshlyn and Josh are by far the cutest, my vote for best goes to the first entry, Tyler. I played the violin for a decade, and I love Christmas carols as much as the next person. But I don’t know if I would have been willing to play and sing on camera at my peak, let alone when I was that age. He’s actually pretty good, too.

I love that the staff sings on video, too. Although I *know* I wouldn’t be willing to do that even today, I do admire the people who are. It definitely gives you a “we’re having fun” vibe.

As this Beacon story (Smoking drifts back into area businesses) notes, several area establishments have quite literally been ignoring the new statewide smoking ban, which went into effect last Thursday.

I actually debated this with my father on Sunday. He (a smoker) pointed out that everyone was (and will continue) just ignoring the ban, so it didn’t even matter. Apparently, the bowling alley I used to work at (which was always a sort of shady place) is just telling smokers to pack the back party room and smoke there because they don’t want snow being trampled in all night. The smoke in the bowling alley alone probably took a year or two off MY life just because I had to breathe it constantly every night I worked. I remember guys would come up to the counter to smoke cigars. Cigars! I would literally choke while taking their order thinking “now, is that necessary?”

My father went on, “You think the bars in Kent are enforcing it? You’re wrong. Nobody is.” To wit I replied, “The ones I was in Thursday didn’t have a single smoker, and Ray’s yesterday and BW3’s today… nobody was smoking in any of them.” Perhaps because Kent was so close to its own ban, the bar owners resigned themselves to the inevitable. My dad’s argument to continue flaunting his cigarettes in public places was that it was a basic right. My reply? And not being exposed to pollutants that literally decrease the length and quality of my life, that’s not a right of mine? He then went into the old well “fast food is bad for people but they haven’t outlawed it” argument, and I quickly put that one to bed as well with a retort, “Well, if I chose to eat at McDonald’s then so I harm myself. I’m not hurting innocent bystanders or forcing it down anyone else’s throat.”

It’s not that my family and I don’t see eye to eye on most things, we do. It’s just that I am the one who sticks up for my position even when everyone else disagrees — probably because I’m the most informed. But seriously, as the article points out, enforcement or no enforcement, choosing to continue smoking is breaking the law.

In other unrelated news, this panda video is adorable.

Can I please just say how hilarious this video of Barak Obama is…

Good evening. I’m Senator Barack Obama.

I’m here tonight to answer some questions about a very important contest that has been weighing on the minds of the American people.

This is a contest about the future, a contest between two very different philosophies, a contest that will ultimately be decided in America’s heartland.

In Chicago, they’re asking, “Does the new guy have enough experience to lead us to victory?” In St. Louis, they’re wondering, “Are we facing a record that is really so formidable, or is it all just a bunch of hype?”

Let me tell you, I’m all too familiar with these questions. So tonight I’d like to put all the doubts to rest. I’d like to announce to my hometown of Chicago and to all of America that I am ready…

For the Bears to go all the way, baby.

You have to admit, that’s a pretty gutsy campign. And you KNOW it’s going to get a lot of attention. Definitely made me laugh.