Bonus addition to Granite State of Mind

Today on the radio I heard a smackdown improv addition to something that's been setting YouTube on fire, with a million views this week: Granite State of Mind. The guy was asked to rhyme "Winnepesaukee" on the spot, and he aced it. :-)

Read on.

A huge YouTube success has been hip-hop artist Jay-Z's homage to his home town, Empire State of Mind, featuring Alicia Keys, with 36 million views. (See it here.)

A hugely successful parody hit YouTube ten days ago: "Granite State of Mind" by SSP (Super Secret Project). It already has almost a million views:



(Interestingly, in the parody the lyrics sync much better with the rhythm than they do on Jay-Z's original.)

Today on WBUR's "Radio Boston" Karen Pelland ran a great interview with SSP about what a hoot this is. (Audio here. To hear this segment you can move the slider to 41:45.) At 47:50 she wraps up with one last thought:

"Even though you got a TON of both obscure and well-known New Hampshire references [into the song], there's a couple that I thought, 'I would have liked to have heard them.' So... I'm gonna throw down this challenge. Could you craft a rhyme right now that gets in the greatest of the lakes, Lake Winnipesaukee?"

In seconds he said "All right... here we go" and came back with this:

Catch me at the Whittemore
for Wildcats Hockey
but wishin I was fishin on
Winnepesaukee

Awesome. Great work, SSP.

Take THAT, Penn and Teller

Okay, I don't speak Chinese, but I don't think that's necessary...



As the old magician's wisecrack goes, "Notice how my fingers never leave my hand."

(Email subscribers: if you can't see the video above, click here to view it online.)

"Graceful consort!" from Haydn's The Creation

My good friend Lucy Jo Palladino wrote Find Your Focus Zone, a great book that combines old and new research into advice on finding just the right level of background stimulation so that your particular mind can comfortably accomplish things. She's wonderful, and the book's wonderful: it works.

I seem to like Bach, and while scrounging on YouTube I ran across this, which isn't Bach. It's just lovely; I keep playing it over and over in my new noise-cancelling earphones, as I work. Enjoy.

John Lennon tells royals to "Rattle your jewelry"

Ah, holiday weeks: we discover all kinds of things we'd otherwise never find.

Twitter user @TheBeatlesVideo links to a blog where they post all kinds of Beatles related videos. Some have lyrics on top of the song, some are others playing Beatles on guitar.

But some are little-known videos of real performances. I love this one. Aren't they just having FUN playing for the queen?

From November 4, 1963:



(If you can't see the video, click here.)

"Cop Fail"

I am *so* glad I have a separate blog for things like this. (Email subscribers, click the headline above to come view it online. 57 seconds you won't want to miss.)



Thanks to the world-famous Fail Blog for bringing this to our attention.

I mean, how many news stories make the off-camera announcer snicker to the point of snorting?

The Cactus Cuties sing the national anthem

Wonderful, moving rendition. What precision! Great arrangement, well directed and beautifully executed by these cuties. Thanks to Uncle Sandy for this:



This must have been done some years ago, because here there are five (now four) and they're a lot younger here than on their site.

They seem more "produced" now, which is just not as impressive or, well, cutel. :-) Anyway, I love this, so enjoy.

O Sole Mio

Thanks to good friend Jere for this link, sent months ago.... I just found it, undiscovered, in the email. As she said, "If you haven't already seen these guys, brace yourselves."



Even if you can't read Italian, you'll understand their ages when they're shown...

I solved the Canadian airline terror crisis

I figured it out!

Today I returned from a medical conference in Canada, and at the airport I found that they don't make you take off your shoes when you go through security!!!!

No wonder they have constant suicide bombings!!  Why can't Canada just be more like Americans??

Those silly northerners.

Well, that's my good deed for the day. Time for a bike ride.

Excerpts from pet diaries

Another from Uncle Sandy, who clearly has plenty of time on his hands but is too lazy to use the free authoring login I gave him on this blog:

This may be old enough to have long gray hairs, but it still speaks abundant truth.

Excerpt from a Dog's Diary........

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
__________________________________________

Excerpt from a Cat's Diary...

Day 983 of my captivity....

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.

Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. >

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now

Innovative response to having one's car booted

I've seen plenty of cars with a Denver Boot on them, but I've never "earned" the privilege of wearing one. Apparently in this case the woman disputed the charges...


Thanks to Uncle Sandy...