Who hasn’t been in this position before? You’re riding a form of public transit, heading to a long day of work. You have your music playing and just want to sing… but can’t. Well, this guy embodies that dream.
Here’s why this clip rocks:
1. The guy is riding a bus in Jersey City at 8 a.m. and starts belting out “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (you might remember the many parodies of this song already out there?).
This video was created by the Alabama Panhellenic as a recruitment tool. Apparently the people who created this bizarre mix of rapping and Rebecca Black thought it would convince more girls to sign up for Rush Week. Do you think it works? I half wonder if this was done poorly intentionally as a way to attract more attention. People must now think, “If I make a video so bad that it goes viral that will attract as much, if not more attention, then a really great video.”
Could that be a new model for publicity? Of course, I doubt the people making this video ever believed it would go this big. In the meantime, this is cringe-worthy.
For the fourth day in a row, a series of violent nighttime riots swept across the United Kingdom last evening. The disturbances turned deadly as three young men in Birmingham were murdered. Haroon Jahan, 21, Abdul Nasir, 31, and Shazad Ali, 30 were protecting their neighborhood from the rioters when a car ran them over. Another man who was assaulted by protesters in Enfield also died last evening, bringing the total deaths in the riots to 5.
Many point to the death of 29-year-old father Mark Duggan as the spark to the riots. According to limited information from the police, Duggan was a passenger in a taxi that was stopped. At some point during the stop, shots rang out and Duggan was fatally wounded. Information about his background remains uncertain, with some people alleging Duggan was tied to a violent gang.
At what should have been a peaceful memorial service to Duggan, violence suddenly erupted and has not stopped since. The Atlantic Wire has an excellent roundup of the various theories about the causes of the riots.
Sky News reporter Mark Stone was on the front line of the riots and actually tried to interview some of the looters who were savaging Clapham Junction.
Look at this unbelievable image as a fire tears through a building in Tottenham.
One of the most uncomfortable and shocking exchanges occurred on the BBC. Writer and intellectual Darcus Howe was interviewed live on television by presenter Fiona Armstrong. The exchange quickly turned to deeper racial issues in English society. Armstrong at one point asks, “You are not a stranger to riots yourself I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself.” Howe responds, “Stop accusing me of being a rioter and have some respect for an old West Indian Negro, because you wanted for me to get abusive. You just sound idiotic – have some respect.” The BBC has since apologized for the interview.
Here is an incredible picture of a woman jumping from a burning building into the arms of rescuers below.
Watch here as rioters attack police officers in Woolwich.
Ben Schoefield tweeted some amazing photographs of the violence in Liverpool, including this amazing picture of his car on fire.
Back to Mark Stone for a short video showing the violence as looters smash windows and try to rip televisions off the walls of some stores.
A horrifying image of a double-deck bus on fire during one of the first nights of the riots.
Finally, there is this moving speech from a West Indian woman in Hackney. She urges the rioters to stop, pointing out that they are destroying the businesses and property of their hard-working neighbors. The speech has explicatives and is NSFW.
After what will surely go down as one of the more epic voyages of my life, I arrived safely in Italy with 10 new kids on the Experiment in International Living. We’re now close to entering the second week of the program (time flies) and the group has safely arrived in Treviso for our homestay. We’re here until July 16, after which we’ll journey to Bologna, Parma, Modena, Venice and finally Riccione.
Among the highlights of those upcoming travels: a four-day course on how to make artisanal gelato, a visit to a Parmasean cheese farm, learning how prosciutto is made and a tasting of the world-famous balsamic vinegar made in Modena. Should be lots of fun.
I’ll fill everyone in on the adventure getting over here at a later date, but I’m happy to say that I should have regular internet access for the next couple of weeks.
On the negative side, I have discovered that All’Italia is probably the worst airline ever. When we flew from New York, we connected in Paris but my bag didn’t make the trip. It’s now literally a week later and the bag still has not arrived. Supposedly it is in Rome and should be on one of the next flights up here. Not sure I believe that though. The setback is mostly annoying, but getting really aggravating now. Am I entitled to money for this? Please offer your suggestions below.
Will update more in the coming days. A presto! Ciao!
He was the Big Man in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and the only member of it to share an album with the Boss. Clarence Clemons, who died yesterday at age 69 from complications after a stroke, left a large mark on the music world.
He continued to innovate up until his death. Most recently he provided saxophone solos for Lady Gaga‘s current album. His solo work is featured prominently in the song “Edge of Glory” and in its music video, which came out late last week. Unlike most of her other songs, Gaga appears alone in the music video except for Clemons (likely a testament to his importance on the track).
Bruce Springsteen said of his friend’s death: “Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”
Clemons’ extended his talents across a number of genres in the music world and worked with artists like Jackson Browne , Aretha Franklin, Gary U.S. Bonds, Jim Carroll and Twisted Sister. Touchingly, a number of Lady Gaga fans sent a “get well” message to the saxophonist last week. Unfortunately, it was not enough. Clarence Clemons will be missed.
Not Intent on Arriving 
