The Disturbingly Kinky History Of Video Games

This mind-bending little animation is supposed to be an intro to a German documentary about the history of video games... After watching it the whole way through - and gazing in confused disbelief at the last few seconds - I'm pretty sure someone got their definition of 'documentary' wrong. This looks like the intro to a retro gamer porno. Which begs the question: why hasn't anyone thought of this before? 

 

So... ya. What do you think? Via Kotaku.

Beard Yourself

If you have a beard or any other type of facial hair configuration, you will instantly relate to this magnificent tribute to the legendary chin curtain. If you don't have a beard, you will want one after watching this music video. Apart from a fact that it centers on a topic that is close to our hearts (and mouths), it's also not such a bad song either. Catchy, y'know?

Share with all your furry friends! Have a hairy Friday! Via The Chive.

The Biological Advantage Of Being Awestruck

The word 'awesome' is thrown around a lot these days. I'm not complaining, I'm as guilty of it as the next person - if not more. In my world, anything from a piece of music to today's weather could be considered awesome. That being said, this video is actually awesome - even though it seems as if the narrator's taken one too many motivational seminars.

Mainline the whole of time? Sounds intense bro. I found this video on a site called Upworthy, which is filled with awesome sharable content. I definitely recommend. 

Monday Funny: GIF Sound

A wise man (@Oolex) once said, "'tis better to GIF than to receive". Or something like that. Anyway, I agree. Whereas - in times prior to the Internet - we would send each other postcards or roses or gift baskets as tokens of goodwill, these days it's a lot easier to just hit up Fuck Yeah Reactions and pick a GIF to suit the occasion. The video below has taken some relatively well known GIFs and put audio to them. Now, that might not sound like a big deal, but honestly, it multiplies the funniness x10. At least. Even dubstep cat shows face! Go ahead, laugh your Monday away.

The best part? You can make your own audio GIFs at GIF Sound, and it's super easy too. Big thanks to @richardkuiper for sharing this!

Song Of The Week: Zach Heckendorf - Forgot About Dre

I discovered this song by extremely happy accident. I was trawling through YouTube looking for the original music video for Forgot About Dre (by Dr Dre and Eminem) and came across this new and improved version by mistake. Honestly, this is one of the coolest things I've heard ever. Think: gangsta rap meets folk.

 

A quick look through the other videos on Zach Heckendorf's YouTube channel and you can tell that the guy has major talent. Now subscribed. Remember to check Song Of The Week regularly or run the risk of missing out on gems like this one. 

Ticket Giveaway: AZA 2012 Official Afterparty at Assembly

Architecture ZA is a biennial urban culture festival where leading-edge thinkers from multiple disciplines come together to celebrate the beauty of architecture. Ya... and it's also the perfect excuse to have a party -- or an after party in this case. It's going to be a big one.

Line Up:

MAIN FLOOR

HEADROOM

THE COMMERCIAL HIPPIES

RIOT SQUAD

DEAN FUEL

HYPHEN

HEADPHASE

ELU EBOKA

ANNEX FLOOR

CANDICE HEYNS

DJ SIDESHOW

LADY M

+ LIVE VISUALS BY CONTRABAND

Saturday 15 Sep 2012

The Assembly

61 Harrington Str

CAPE TOWN

Cover:

R40 Pre-sold. R50 before 10pm. R60 after.

Now you too can be one of those cool people who say things like 'ummm, yes, I'm on the list', because I'm giving away 4 x tickets to this party, and all you have to do is comment on and share this post.

• Join the Facebook event.
• Leave your FULL details (name and contact) in the comments section below.
• Share this post on Facebook or Twitter (tag me @Nick_Frost so I can check it out)

That's it. Happy Friday!

Bad Lip Reading: Edward and Bella

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen for sure. It's just so delightfully random. If you'd like to see what Twilight would sound like with its audio replaced with hilarious, non-sensical one liners, then watch the video below. The funniest part is, it's not even that much worse than the actual dialogue in Twilight... In fact I think this is a major improvement.

This video is courtesy of Bad Lip Reading, the geniuses behind that Mitt Romney parody video and the fucking brilliant Michael Bublé remake, Russian Unicorn. Do yourself a favour and check them out.

Badvertising: James Franco Makes Me Sad In This Ad

I saw this on Techcrunch this morning and it made me sad. James Franco is cool. I liked him as the stoner in Pineapple Express. I enjoyed seeing him between a rock and a hard place in 127 Hours. I even liked him as the spoilt brat villain in the Spiderman movies. But this ad for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is just a bit weak.



What do you think?

SPRING RUSH Giveaway - Sinsation Launch Party (CT)

The third and final ticket giveaway in the SPRING RUSH series, the launch of Sinsation promises to be a night of zero judgement, where you can throw your inhibitions to the wind and partake in all forms of sin, from lusting over the fairer sex (who'll be dressed to kill, no doubt) to gluttoning out over amazing food and cocktails. It's all there for the taking, and you could be rocking it with free VIPs. Mmmmm, tasty exclusivity.

Okay, so I have 2 x VIP and 4 x general tickets to give away to this sexy event. To enter, you're going to have to put your creative hat on. That's right. I want you to create an 8th Deadly Sin. A brand new sin. Think you can do it? Well then:

• Join the Facebook event
• Create an 8th Deadly Sin and leave it in the comments, along with your FULL NAME and email address
• Share this post on Facebook or Twitter (tag me @Nick_Frost so I can check it out)

Sorted. 

Yours in sinning, Nick.

Song Of The Week: Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You

Why isn't Ed Sheeran bigger? He's really good. Well I think so. Definitely one of the coolest gingers I know of. And this music video is great too; even deaf people can enjoy it, as 17-year old Matthew Morgan is really good at signing the lyrics of the song to the rhythm of the music. So much so that I initially thought he was just busting mad dance moves.



Hey?! I'm going to be getting stuck into some Devlin (UK rapper) in my next Song of the Week posts so keep an eye out for those. Dude has ill skillz. Peace.

SPRING RUSH Giveaway: Hello Spring (Dragon Room)

The second SPRING RUSH giveaway this week is now open for business. Big Dreamer Productions has planned a super hot party to scare away the winter chills. Put away the scarves (unless you're hiding lovebites), pack up the stifling clothes and say hello to LEGS. Spring is here.

Join the Playboy Playmates and Bunnies at the The Dragon Room for an All In White Themed Party and the launch of Lady Lea’s newest album WAM BAM THANK YOU MAM. Shit's going to get hot. I have 2 x VIP and 4 x general tickets to give away. See below for details on entering:

• Join the Facebook event
• Tell me about the craziest dream you've had recently in the comments section underneath this post.
• Share this post on Twitter/Facebook. Tag me (@Nick_Frost) so I can check it out.

Godspeed.

SPRING RUSH Giveaway - Labyrinth WINTER TRANCE-ITION

Welcome to the first in a series of Spring Rush ticket giveaways coming up this week on my bloglet. Labyrinth has been throwing the hottest psytrance parties of the winter season. Unfortunately, with the end of winter comes an end to Labyrinth's series of winter 2012 events. So what does it all MEAN?! Come party it up at Trinity this Saturday (1st September) in true psychedelic fashion. The DJ line up will ensure the biggest send off for this season; a party to end all parties (but not really). Don't miss this.

Okay, so I've got 2 x general and 2 x VIP tickets to give away to this bad boy. Who wants them?! All you have to do is this:

• Join the Facebook event/follow@LabyrinthLIVE on Twitter
• Tell me why you want to go to this party in the comments section underneath this post.
• Share this post on Twitter/Facebook. Tag me (@Nick_Frost) so I can check it out.

Go, go, go!

ANCYL March Through Cape Town CBD

This is happening right now. Hundreds of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members have taken to the streets after a delay which the league said was due to transport issues. They're marching to the Western Cape Legislature in protest of poor service delivery, the government’s proposed youth wage subsidy and the possible closure of 27 schools in the province.

Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, said she would not receive their memorandum of grievances until the league withdrew its threat to make the province's capital city ungovernable. A reasonable request in my opinion. There is a heavy police presence to ensure public safety during the march.

Protesters will move from Keizergracht Street along Darling Street, left into Adderley Street, and then to the provincial buildings in Wale Street.

Anyway, back to work!

First World Problems - A Short Film

By now, you must surely know about the First World Problems meme. If you don't, here you go - you're welcome. A few weeks ago, my brother Dax and I were bored at home on a Sunday and decided to shoot a short video rendition of the first world problems meme. I guess it ended up looking something like a black and white wannabe french art movie about an over-privileged bachelor… we have a lot of fun. I digress, if you've ever been down in the dumps because you've run out of coffee or received the wrong sized Big Mac, this video is for you. Do it.

Happy Fri/payday!

Ticket Giveaway: The Surreal Experience (Haezer And More)

This Saturday, brand new local events co., Cold Motion, will be launching at Affinity with a bang, boasting a lineup that includes trash-electro punk, Haezer (who recently released a brand new EP), the king of twisted psy, Frozen Ghost, bass aficionado Liam Pitcher and many more.

Yes, I have the pleasure - nay, honour - of sending four of you to this party for free. That's 2 x sets of double tickets. So what do you have to do to enter? It's simple:

• Like Cold Motion on Facebook
• Tell me who you're most excited to see by leaving a comment on this post. Please also leave your FULL NAME and email address so I can let you know if you've won.
• Share this post on either Facebook or Twitter.

See you on Saturday night!

Monday Inspiration: I Am The Antichrist To You

I may be slow on the uptake but did you guys know about this? I have almost no words to describe this video and song. It is just beauty. It reminds me a little bit of Watership Down, but other than that it's probably the most original thing I've seen or heard in a while. Please watch and share if you like.

 

Kishi Bashi is K Ishibashi's self-recorded and self-produced project. K is a founding member of Jupiter One, as well as a touring member of Regina Spektor. Thank you for sharing this @KerryBeetge! Have a great week, team!

Ticket Giveaway: PSYENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION (Trinity)

This weekend's Labyrinth party at Trinity, PSYENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION, looks like it's going to be a killer. With a line up that includes Super Evil, Plus Minus and Dean Fuel, you'll be kicking yourself for weeks if you forget about this one.

Line up:

SUPER EVIL 

SHIFT VS DELERIANT

PLUS MINUS

IVAN TURANJANIN

DIGITALL

BRUCE

DEAN FUEL

Extras:

Psychedelic decor by Luminos

Funktion1 Sound System

Multiple Bars

Cover:

R80 GENERAL

R120/ R150 VIP

But you can beat the cover-charge demons. I have 2 x general and 2 x VIP tickets to giveaway for PSYENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION. Here's how to win:

• Comment on this post. Tell me why you should win tickets.
• Join the event page on Facebook
• Share this blog post on Facebook OR Twitter

Godspeed to you fine people.

Madvertising: Stride's "Intelligisity"

Most of us are familiar with Apple's unique style of advertising new products and innovations. They use an almost unapologetically self-satisfied approach that somehow makes you hate and love them at the same time. Not surprisingly, other brands have caught on to this new practice of smug marketing and are using it as a form of parody. The result is hilarious. Chewing gum brand, Stride, recently got Olympic snowboarder, Shaun White, onboard (pun intended) to endorse their product, and then released this Mintacular video for the world to enjoy.

"This will change everything you thought you knew. Again." Go ahead and visit Stride's website. It's disgustingly well put together. Bye now.

The Beauty Of The Irrational

This is a bit different from my normal posts. I've never been much of a fan of running; I've always thought it's really only necessary when you're late or if you're being chased. After watching this video though, I'm not so sure. For one, it's beautifully shot. For two, it has a grand, inspiring soundtrack. For three? Well... I might not be a fan of running, but I'm a huge supporter of any and all things irrational. Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing this Jono Mervis - champ! You can view the video in all it's full-res glory right here.

10 Things To Do On Women's Day

The title of this post might seem a bit misleading, as it isn't really 10 things to do on Women's Day so much as 5 things to do on Women's Day for women, and 5 things to do on Women's Day for men... Unless you're both of the above, in which case, well done. So let's get this show on the road shall we? Oh! Before I start, thanks @ShellsPemBroke for inspiring me to write this post. You're a Woman of the people! So here goes...

Things to do on Women's Day for women:

1. Give thanks - Just because you're a woman, it doesn't mean you're the only woman in the world. It's International Women's Day. Send your mom a nice long email; you have plenty of time. Visit your grandmother with a box of chocolates (or a bottle of wine depending on how much she likes to/is still able to party). Take your daughter to lunch. Call up your lady friends and arrange a girls' night out. Capture it all on film.
2. Don't give thanks - And by this, I mean, take the opportunity to speak up about something that you disagree with. Not that you shouldn't be doing this already - but make a point of it, woman! Is there a guy at work constantly slapping your ass and/or making disgusting attempts at sexual innuendos? Kick him anywhere between the shins and balls depending on the severity of his offenses. Do you suffer from a serial stalker who posts slimy comments on your Facebook photos? Delete him as a friend, but only after taking a screenshot and mailing it to his wife. After all, it's Women's Day for her too.
3. Eat ALL the food - Seriously, don't think twice before devouring that chocolate donut sandwich and side-order of entire chickens. The world is your oyster, so f**king eat it. Forget about stuff like calories and carbs, they're just words anyway. Have your cake AND eat it. You can starve yourself and lament in front of the mirror any of the other 364 days in the year.
4. Watch chick flicks - Go on a date and watch Girl In Progress or What To Expect When You're Expecting or whatever the hell you people enjoy. The point is not to force a guy to watch a chick flick, it's to force a guy to watch what YOU want to watch - so if you happen to choose The Dark Knight of The Dictator, then bonus lady points for you.
5. Support a cause - Let's face it. Women's Day isn't just about acknowledging the fact that you're a woman. You've known that since you came out of that other woman. Support a cause; make a donation, volunteer locally. Help out rape victims at your local Choices or whatever. Act on what is closest to your heart.

Things to do on Women's Day for men:

1. A woman - This should seem obvious, but I'll say it anyway. Give a woman some loving. Of course, make sure it's consensual, or you might fall victim to above point number 2 (or worse). Make it romantic too; none of this quickie bullshit. I'm talking scented candles, mood music and sensual lighting. Do it.
2. Give chocolate - Give a woman chocolate. Everyone likes chocolate. If they don't, not only are they not a woman, they aren't even a human. Send them back on the next Curiosity Rover. To return to my original point though: as Forrest Gump once said "Life is like a box of chocolates; you've gotta give it to a woman". Or something.
3. Show some respec' - Maybe chivalry is dead. Maybe it isn't. Regardless. Open the car door for a lady. Give her right of way when walking through a door. Maybe you think this is lame but it isn't. Chicks dig that shit, and if the girl you're with doesn't dig it, then you probably shouldn't be with her in the first place.
4. Hold your tongue - I realise that it's now considered almost normal practice to refer to the fairer sex as bitches, chicks, broads, betties and a variety of similar synonyms. I do it. In fact I did it in the paragraph above (luckily I wrote this post yesterday) - but just for today, when you're about to say one of the above words, substitute it with a more appropriate, gentlemanly one.
5. Support a cause - That's right. This one is for you too. In fact, it is especially so. Donate money, lend a hand or help your lady out at the shelter. Whatever you do, do it for the women, man! It's just one day. After that you can go on gargling beer, ordering for more sandwiches and watching Olympics while your girlfriend vacuums the entire house and cries. Jokes.

Okay, have fun. Bye!

Ticket Giveaway: THE FIASCO (The Side Show CT)

The Fiasco - an upcoming event brought to you by Young N Underrated - promises to be a night of pure bliss, ecstasy and elation. Already, that's almost impossible to ignore... and, considering the (j)amazing line-up on offer, you'll have to be crazy - nay, sedated - to miss it. Feast your eyeballs.

Yes. Just as I thought. I'm giving away 2 x VIP tickets to this psychotic mass murderer of an event; but wait, there's MOAR: there'll also be a grand prize of a table in VIP (seats 6), a bottle of vodka and a bottle of tequila, as well as mixers (pffft, mixers... riiiight). How do you enter? I'll tell you, succinctly, and in bullet-point format:

• Share the event link on your Facebook profile 
• To confirm your entry, comment on this blog post, beginning the post with: ''I want to go to this event because __________'' . 

Candidates will be dumped into a random number generator and luck will decide whether you win or not. I'm not sure what you're waiting for. Tick, tick.

Song Of The Week: Biffy Clyro - Stingin' Belle

Here it is folks; the first single off Biffy Clyro's (rumoured to be double-disc) album, Opposites - due for release on September 17th.

Hope you all enjoyed your day, snow 'n all!

The Dark Knight Binges (Parody)

I haven't yet seen the last film in The Dark Knight trilogy, so I don't even think I can fully appreciate the magnitude of the humour involved in the following parody video. I'm sure - once I've stopped making excuses and paid the cinema and Bruce Wayne a visit - I'll be able to add a few extra funny layers of understanding to this video - kinda like a hilarious sandwich. Right now though, I'm enjoying the cheese.

Have a nice day now.

Mission To Mars

It's a big day for Earth. Curiosity, the most advanced spacecraft ever sent to another planet, managed to pull off its extremely complicated landing procedure last night (Sunday, 5th August, 2012). Here's an interesting video that delves deeper into the exact technologies involved in landing Curiosity on Mars.

Curiosity is set to begin its two-year hunt for the building blocks of life. In other words: signs that we may not be alone in the universe... Exciting stuff right? Because the landing occured about 154 million miles from Earth, the entire landing sequence had to be automated - a decision that may have had engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada biting their nails off. To add to the difficulty, the Earth also "set" below Mars' horizon shortly before Curiosity was due to land, making direct communication with mission control almost impossible. Needless to say, early this morning, space scientists heard the phrase they had been waiting on for 10 years: "Touchdown confirmed."

Curiosity is set to revolutionise our understanding of the Red Planet. It will spend the next few years gathering evidence that Mars is, or was, capable of fostering life. You can keep up with all things Curiosity on Twitter, and make sure to add to the conversation by using the #MarsCuriosity hashtag. Have a great week!

Song Of The Week: LA.VI - Solitaire

This just happened. Cape Town indy/folk band, (and firm favourites of mine - I know I'm biased for obvious reasons) LA.VI, have just released their second single, Solitaire, off their upcoming 2013 album. And it's grand.



I particularly love how vocalist, Chantel Van T, experiments with her voice in this track. In fact, just in general, the song is beautifully put together, from a song-writing perspective down to the post production and mix (great job Monarch Mountain Records) and deserves a listen.

Friday Funny: Badman Begins

Imagine my utter shock and surprise when, while browsing through my Facebook homepage and Twitter timeline this morning, I learnt that it is, in fact, Friday - the last day of the working week. Who'd've thought!? Without further ado, I give you this Friday Funny.

Peace yo.

Song Of The Week: Sun-Do Q'lisi - Susan Sarandon

I posted about this group a while back and have since been tracking their moves with increasing interest. Sun-Do Q'lisi, the electronic/dance/I'm-not-actually-100%-sure-what-genre-they-are band from Cape Town, are definitely doing something fresh.

Apart from being on-trend and extremely well produced, their music is also incredibly unpredictable - a quality that's definitely lacking in most local music of late. Take a listen to their new EP, Susan Sarandon and let me know what you think in the comments below. Happy fucking Friday people!

Ticket Giveaway - FABIO & MOON in Cape Town

International progressive trance sensations Fabio & Moon - notorious for their excessive passion for parties and a knack for the appropriate bumping music - are set to hit Cape Town shores for one night, and one night only. The event is brought to you by the joint forces of AfterHours and Hype Media, and promises to be a killer by the sounds of things.

You can check out Fabio & Moon on SoundCloud below if you want to get an idea of their sound.

I'm giving away 2 x VIP and 2 x General tickets to FABIO & MOON on August 4th at The Side Show. To enter, all you have to do is the following:

• JOIN the event page. 
• Comment on why you should win the tickets AND make sure you include the fact that you found the competition on my blog, otherwise I won't know who to give the tickets to.
• Share this blog post. There are little buttons under this post for Facebook, Twitter etc.

See you on the dance floor.

Zombie Inception Drawing

I know right, the title of this post is impossible to ignore; there is just too much awesome. Remember earlier this week, when I mentioned an upcoming post about drawing? Well this is what I was talking about, and if you're interested in this particular artistic outlet, then you'd do well to subscribe to marydoodles' YouTube Channel.

You can follow marydoodles on Twitter too; it looks like she gets a lot of her ideas from tweeted suggestions. Later.

Monday Inspiration: Think Outside The Box

First, watch the video below...

Pretty cool right? Now, to be honest, the stop-motion clip above has little to nothing to do with the point of this post, but think of it as an extended metaphor for thinking outside the box. I digress. I often find myself stuck in a state of mental block; wandering aimlessly, mumbling random phrases until I find something that works for whatever I may be doing at the time. Lately, I've been trying to kick-start my brain into thinking differently by experimenting with a few things. I've found that the tips below can trick your mind into tackling a problem in a new (sometimes more effective) way - often forcing you to rethink an entire situation. So here they are, in no particular order.

• Say YES to random
  Stop what you're doing. Look at something else. Take a walk with someone. Make tea instead of coffee. Break a habit for a while. Do something you wouldn't normally do. Surprise yourself.
• Get a kid's opinion
  Often, a child will cut straight to the heart of a problem because they're not really too focused on the details. I don't believe that kids have some unspoken wisdom that adults slowly lose as they become conditioned by external influences, but I think kids will always offer some kind of fresh insight.
• Do it in reverse
  What is your goal? Fantastic. Now use that as a starting point and work backwards until you've reached where you are now. It's actually harder than it sounds, but it's like jogging for your brain. If you play guitar and have ever tried playing the other way around, you'll notice that you have to rethink the shape of every chord and strumming pattern. It's the same with any other activity.
• Doodle
  It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Just doodle something. Get your thoughts out on paper so you can make room for some new ones. (Also, I've got a great drawing-related post coming up later this week, so keep an eye out for that).
• Think in terms of another industry
  Reading up on the best practices and processes of another industry can often lead to helpful insights that might apply to your own line of work. As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat, so if your job is skinning cats for a living, you've got your work cut out for you. Lastly...
• Take a shower
  This is my favourite one, and it totally works. The shower is a beautiful place. Just you, your thoughts and your naked body trapped inside a cubicle while your dirt is washed away by jets of water. It's probably the purist thing we can do as humans and often leads to great ideas (like a luminous shower head that changes colour according to the temperature of the water!).

Well, I hope this has helped... or at least taken your mind off work for a while. Go now, and vanquish this week!

Converse Announce Top 10 To #play100club

Remember this? Well, now this happened.

Voting opened at 13:00 today, which was over 30 minutes ago, so make it count. Click here and cast your vote. You can follow the conversation on Twitter @Converse_Africa and with the #Play100Club hashtag. Do it.

Song Of The Week: Jack White - Freedom At 21

Here's Jack White's latest music video for Freedom At 21, a song off his debut album, Blunderbuss. Directed by Hype Williams and featuring racy visuals and scantily dressed women, this video is oozing Rock & Roll. 

Thanks for sharing weareawesome.

Madvertising: It All Started With A BACARDI Party

What do free running, texting, planking, vibrating mobile phones, video games and music downloads have in common? Well, until recently, the origins of the above-mentioned activities have been a mystery (for the most part). Now, thanks to BACARDI, there is an answer.

Yup. Amazing things have been starting at BACARDI parties for years. Want proof? Join BACARDI and the Wedding DJs at this party and see for yourself. And you can check out the rest of the BACARDI: It Started With A Party videos here. Later.

Ticket Giveaway - The Labyrinth, ALIVE @ Trinity

This Saturday, Trinity will be host to yet another Labyrinth party... and it looks like a killer. Okay, bad jokes aside, this one is gonna RIP! Did I say 'bad jokes aside'? I guess I did. Regardless, this is going to be a party to die for.

Line Up:

ALIVE FLOOR

BROKEN TOY

HEADROOM

DEAN FUEL

FROZEN GHOST

ZION LINGUIST

DEPSYPIL

SILO

INCENDIA FLOOR

SYNCHRONIST

DIGITALL

NOPSIS

PHATGRESSIVE

Luckily, you don't have to die. Just enter my competition and roll in VIP-style. I'm going to try something new with this one; I have a bunch of tickets to give away, so whoever can come up with the best caption for the picture below will get the VIP set. Runners up will take the rest. So:

• leave your funny caption in the comments below this post
• leave your name, surname and email address

EDIT: 

And the winners are... (captions will be shared on Monday)

VIP guest list:

Jenn Southwell

Tessa O'Malley

Regular guest list:
Keanau Mark Pearce

Brendon Pearce

Brett Powell

Charne M

You're all on the guest-list. Go forth and party.

The Best Way To Block Ex Lovers

This app is just all kinds of awesome. If you have a close friend who is constantly going back to the same dead-end relationship, regardless of how many times you take him out for shots and strippers, this app is for you. And him.

Basically, you convince your buddy to download the app. He then chooses three close friends to alert every time he feels the weakness coming on. These friends then get a notification whenever he tries to call evil ex girlfriend. The best part? Even if he ignores his comrades and decides to call the bitch anyway, the app automatically posts his activity to his Facebook wall so that all his contacts can see just how weak he really is. Genius.

Thanks for sharing @StefMarent! Have a great weekend - don't drink and dial!

I Met The Walrus

I watched this video a while back (thanks @Ch0pp3r!) and have been meaning to blog it for ages. In a nutshell, it's an interview with John Lennon conducted by a 14-year old Beatles fanatic named Jerry Levitan. The clip uses the soundtrack from the original interview and is accompanied by animated visuals that delve deep into Lennon's thoughts and beliefs. It's a vivid insider's glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest musicians and thought provokers of our time. You are missing out if you haven't seen it. Go on.

 

Mind blown right? Please share this.

How To Write A Formal Apology

If you've ever had to write a formal apology, you probably will have noticed that it's a pretty hard thing to do while maintaining a sincere tone. This - I believe - is because people don't like apologising, even when they know they're wrong about something. Even worse is when you're right about something, but you're being forced into writing a formal apology because of circumstances that are out of your control. The following document breaks it down so that you don't have to. It even has a sincerity scale so you can stipulate just how serious you are.

Just click on the picture to view the high-res version. Happy Humpday!

Song Of The Week: Daughter - Landfill

This song assaulted my ears today, thanks to rad (and, conveniently, free) app, songza. This isn’t at all like my regular choices for Song Of The Week, but it’s great in another way entirely. Like some kind of eargasmic mixture of CocoRosie, Imogen Heap and Dido. Enjoy, and happy Friday! 

Bloc Party Headline Rocking The Daisies '12

It's confirmed. Bloc Party are headling Rocking the Daisies 2012! This follows in the wake of a number of international acts set to perform at venues and festivals across the country throughout the year - namely: Lady Gaga, The Darkness, Bullet for my Valentine, Eagles of Death Metal and Enter Shikari.

The four-piece band of Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong reunited, prompted by a creative impetus inspired by a dramatic year in world events, as well as a shared desire to rekindle their singular musical kinship. Their new project, ‘FOUR’, presents a band in the fullest sense of the word: lean, hungry, spirited and uncompromising, armed with a collection of songs as powerful and anthemic ever, as well as some of their most hard-hitting and visceral recordings to date. Daisies fans will get to watch this all unfold on the main stage at RTD 2012. Check out their album trailer and get amped:

Rocking the Daisies will take place from 4-7th October 2012 on Cloof Wine estate in Darling. Get your tickets NOW from here!

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Madvertising: One Of The Best Anti-Smoking Ads Ever Created

I smoke - and I enjoy it... But after watching this anti-smoking ad, I think I might also be in denial. What a brilliant idea.

Finder's fee goes - once again - to @saskiaredivo.

Monday Funny - Treadmill Fail Compilation

Yes, it's Monday, I know. If you're anything like me, you're also still trying to figure out just what the hell happened between 'Friday drinks after work' and the sour taste of despair in your mouth this morning. Yes, it's one of those days. You know the kind: one of those days where it's cold outside, but for some reason you're sweating underneath your clothes. What's up with that? One of those days where you need to take a shower after you've showered to get the shower off you. One of those days where your eyes are really only open because you're afraid someone is about to throw something at you... In other words: Monday Syndrome. Which makes this next video particularly apt.

Thanks for sharing this @Rouleaux! Have a good week people.

Get Out Of The Garage And Onto The Stage In London

So you're in a band, which means one of two things: you're either getting a little tired of playing the same old gigs in the same old venues to the same old people, or you're not gigging at all. Either way, Converse has got an offer that you should seriously consider. Seriously. 

Converse wants YOU to get out of the garage and be transported to the The 100 Club in London  to play an epic gig. And believe me, you want to play at this venue.

If you’re an unsigned band/artist, upload your best original song and a short bio via this Facebook app http://on.fb.me/getoutofthegarage. The judges - Zulu Boy, John Savage and Garick Williams - will then narrow down the entries to SA's top 10 unsigned artists. Converse will then showcase these acts on Facebook, where South Africa can vote for their favourites and have the chance to join their favourite band VIP style for the gig.

Follow the conversation on Twitter @Converse_Africa and with the #Play100Club hashtag. Entries close 8th of July and winners will be announced on August 6th 2012. Go, go, go!

Ticket Giveaway - Shakedown At Casablanca

The winter solstice happened last week, which means it should be getting progressively less wintery over the next few months. I, for one, don't see (or feel) this is happening - which is probably why I suspect the visual for the event at Casablanca this Saturday might be slightly optimistic... but I digress.

Line up:

MILKSHAKE

P.H

GARY POOLE

JDM

Click here for the Facebook event.

Now, I know we could all use a shakedown after the last few weeks, so I'm giving away 2 x VIP and 4 x general tickets to whoever needs them most. Just leave your full names and contact details in the comments section below plus a link to your favourite summer song on YouTube. I want to compile a summer playlist post so I could use some help. Do it.

Madvertising: Meowbook, A Social Network For Cats

"Pretty much anything to do with cats and the Internet... works." I love both, which is why I'm sharing this video. The following clip was created as part of the Boosted Inspiration Series to promote the new Cadbury Boost.

People trawl the web for inspiration, while a handful do the inspiring. They are The Starters. Pioneering in their innovation, seemingly effortless trendsetters. They disrupt, polarise and create conversation. And they shape the ideas that people dare to share.

Honestly, I think the promotion is a bigger deal than the actual product, but maybe I'm just being bias 'cause I love cats (although not nearly as much as this guy, evidently).

Crazy cool.

Ticket Giveaway - The Plastics & Friends At Brass Bell

Next Saturday 30 June, SA's very own retro-pop rockers, The Plastics along with up-and-comers The Mysticcs and Them Birds will be making loud noises at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay. I've got a double ticket to give away, so if you fancy yourself some Saturday-night delight, keep reading.

Rad poster, but I don't understand why the shark isn't drinking the whiskey... Regardless, to win a ticket and a +1 to this particularly groovy shindig, all you have to do is answer this question: if sharks had legs, what kind of jeans would they wear? Leave your contact details and answer in the comments below and I'll let you know if you've won. Sweeet.

Burger Stylists

People always complain about the fact that their food doesn't look like it does on the fastfood takeaway menu. I've always suspected there was a reason for this - although I'll admit that I assumed the "model" burgers were prosthetic burgers made of silicone or rubber (which I guess isn't so different from the actual burger you end up eating). Today, this video appeared in my Twitter feed (lol at 'feed') and I made a mental note to do a post on it. Pretty damn interesting.

 

So, where does one learn how to become a food stylist?

Microsoft Unveils Surface Tablet

Microsoft's new tablet is a unique expression of entertainment and creativity. At least, that's what they'd like you to believe. Let's face the facts here: it's not that unique or creative. We've seen similar hardware from the likes of Apple and Samsung. Okay, so they don't offer built-in stands/keyboards or - what appears to be - the ability to change colour - but those are just novelties anyway. One area that Microsoft's new offering does stand out in though is its delivery. Watch this video:

My inner nerd just trembled a little. What do you think? Will this one take a bite out of the mighty Apple? Will it launch into a space far beyond the Galaxy? Or will it just skim the surface? Comments below.

BOS: Tweet For Tea

A while back, I posted about BEV the Ice Tea-vending machine. Remember? Well, BOS, in collaboration with Cow Africa and Thingking, have triggered the next phase in BEV's evolutionary process. You can now get free BOS Ice Tea for the price of a Tweet. No jokes.

Get your ass down to Wembley Square, tweet @BOS with the unique hashtag and enjoy yourself a refreshing beverage. You know you want to.

Ticket Giveaway - Labyrinth THE KIDS WANT PSY at Fiction

The last few Labyrinth events have all been mental parties, and this Saturday's THE KIDS WANT PSY is no different. Think about it. It's shitty winter. Everybody's cold and complaining, day in, day out. Maybe your mornings are spent at home boiling water for coffee using a magnifying glass and a few bleak rays of sunlight because ESKOM scheduled impromptu 'planned maintenance' (however-the-fuck-that-works); maybe you study or work, and find yourself chain-smoking on a windy balcony like a lunatic because - goddammit - you'll get warm even if it means igniting harmful carbon monoxide-emitting death sticks and inhaling the blessedly hot smoke into your shaking lungs. They're shaking because they're cold, you tell yourself between ragged drags, while your nose slowly turns the same colour as the coal. I guess the point I'm trying to make is: it's cold, but we can stomp it out. Let's take it inside. Fiction, that is. THE KIDS WANT PSY, however, is a FACT.

Line up:

BROKEN TOY

DEAN FUEL

THE SKRAGG

KINETICZ

DIGITAL

Extras

Psychedelic décor by Luminos

Funktion 1 Sound System

Multiple bars

HypeMediaSA have once again done me a great niceness, and have provided me with two tickets to give away to those most worthy. The challenge? Tell me the best way to beat the cold. Seriously. The best solution wins. Just leave your answer, your name and your contact details in the comment section below. Okay, my fingers are frozen. Bye!

The Voice of Youth Launch At The Assembly

New youth culture magazine on the block, LIVE, is going to be mixing it up at The Assembly's SYNW (tonight) to celebrate the launch of their brand new mobile site. 

The boring, talky stuff is all going down in the early evening, so pull in at 21:00 for the regular See You Next Wednesday student night -- with a twist. LIVE Mag are bringing the swag.

• Street-style photo booth: strike a pose/pout with style and get featured in LIVE Mag Issue 4.
• SYNW-style snaps: if the roaming photographer digs your vaaaib, you could be featured in Issue 4’s fashion piece.
• Falko graffiti art: watch as the maestro of caricatures creates a new masterpiece before your blurry eyes. 
• Awewolves VJs: mesmerising VJ talents; aweh. 
• Street-culture inspiration: a skateboard art exhibition from Verb and KFD.

LIVE Mag is credible content created by the very audience who consume it. Think: music, fashion, celebrities, sports, culture -- seen from the angle of mainstream youth: school leavers, varsity students and young professionals. A collection of thoughts and opinions in one neat package.

So, See You Next Wednesday tonight?

Game Of Fuckin' Thrones

Game of Thrones -- sorry, GoT -- is the best epic fantasy to ever be adapted for television (it is known). Now that I'm out of fresh episodes to watch, videos like the one below are going to be the only thing keeping me from plummeting into a pit of anguish, induced by a lack of witty imps, bitch queens and decapitations that don't quite cut it. Enjoy!

Fuckin' Game of Thrones. Thanks for sharing @DiscordianKitty!

Yes Sir! Mister Music Video

This has been a long time coming... Team Machine is bringing hardcore back - but in a completely new way - pioneering an original and approachable take on this mostly misinterpreted genre of music. They prove, without a doubt, that you don't need to dress up like Goths or dabble in modern vampirism in order to slot into the heavy niche; you just need to play heavy music. YS!MM's debut music video, Cold Rush Song, dropped this morning at about... well, one minute ago. It's all kinds of rad and you'd be a fucking idiot if you didn't check it out.

If you'd like to see them in action, they're playing with Beach Party at Kimberly Hotel on the 22 June. Click on the event flier and join the Facebook Event.

What do you think of the video? 

What Makes A Real Rock 'N Roller?

Today is the birthing day of my good friend and co-musician from Mister & Misread, Fourie Pretorius - known to his friends as The Fury or Rock 'n Roller. But what makes a real Rock 'n Roller? In the clip below, The Fury himself explains exactly what it takes.

 

Follow @ROCKandROLA.

Are You A True Cat Person?

I often hear people saying "I'm a cat person". Obviously, they like cats. But I've never taken it literally - and I wish I had, because it has vast potential to be fucking hilarious. Imagine having to turn around 4 times before sitting down... or finding endless amusement from a ball of string. These are the days of our cat lives, and the guy in the following video is living them.

Yes. Once again, the credit for finding this gem goes to @saskiaredivo, Lady of Many Links.

This Video Just Made My Whole Life

O Fortuna. Everyone's heard it. Everyone immediately thinks of it whenever something epic happens. It's in just about every movie you've ever seen. Yet no one knows the words. Today, we have the answer. I'm pretty sure this is a very lose translation of the original 13th century Latin poem. Enjoy.

Thanks for sharing this @DaxFrost. Have a great weekend everybody.

Madvertising: From Love To Bingo

Cool ideas are cool. And I like cool things. The following clip, entitled 'From Love To Bingo', utilises 15 different stock images per second to create a narrative video. Brazilian Ad Agency, AlmapBBDO produced this video for Getty Images to show that anyone can tell any story using stock images. This is madvertising.

Cool right? Thanks for sharing this @saskiaredivo!