July 18, 2009 by traveler.

What hasn’t yet been said about the King of Pop? MJ has seemingly been on TV more after his passing than during his entire lifetime. It struck me that there was one aspect not entirely explored, however- the worldwide urge to recreate his performances. Browsing Youtube videos yields a TON of tribute videos, and I’ve saved you the trouble of sifting for the golden nuggets. Here’s a small sampling of MJ’s influence- the 23 Best Michael Jackson Youtube Tributes.

MJ around the world-

Thriller- Phillipine prison

Thriller- Sydney Opera House

Thriller- Indian ‘homage’

Billie Jean- Saudi dance (Billie Jean added to unrelated dancing video)

Billie Jean- Yemeni kid

Beat It- Mariachi version

Beat It- Eritrean kid

Dangerous- Chinese kids

Billie Jean- on Britain’s Got Talent

Does the costume make the performer? Here are a few more MJ tributes-

Beat It- Mini Michael Jackson

Smooth Criminal- Mario style

Worst MJ dance EVER (but kinda funny)

Of all MJ’s performances that people love to recreate, Thriller is by far the most popular. There are dozens of Thriller versions on the net. Here are some of the best-

Frame for frame LEGO remake

OU Marching band

Darth Thriller

US Marine

W&M University (new record?!)

‘13 Going On 30′ clip

Enthusiastic 3-year-old Girl

Mario Paint recreation

There is also a meme of Thriller dances at weddings. Here are two of the best matrimonial Thrillers-

Groomsmen Get Down

Entire Wedding Party

No tribute would be complete without a performance from the real deal. Here is Michael himself performing “The Way You Make Me Feel” with Britney Spears. Britney is then at her peak, but is still no match for Michael.

MJ & Britney- The Way You Make Me Feel

Posted in Comedy, Junk, Weird, World, Video, Retro, DJ, Old News, Funny, Music | No Comments »

June 9, 2009 by traveler.

…The better to entertain you with, my dear. A little backstory- when I go to work I turn on the tv for my dog. It seems to comfort him while he’s alone in the house. Like a little kid, one of his favorite tv characters is Elmo. I remarked to my wife that she’d be surprised to see who performs Elmo’s voice.

She didn’t believe me, so I tracked down the youtube proof. Here it is for your amusement and amazement.

Now that’s voice acting. I wish I had that sort of talent. And Kevin Clash plays more than just Elmo. He also performed Splinter in the Ninja Turtle movies and Baby Sinclair from Dinosaurs. I love Baby Sinclair- simultaneously grating and lovable. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes shenanigans during a Dinosaurs taping. Enjoy!

Posted in Weird, Video, Funny, Old News, TV | No Comments »

October 6, 2008 by traveler.

Is it September yet? What?! October already?! Holy @#$%! Sorry for the delay. As I emerge from my sleep chamber, I figure I would look back at some of the news we missed.

My last post looked at Obama’s Vice Presidential pick and speculated on McCain’s choice. By now, Sarah Palin is firmly ingrained in America’s consciousness. We were all thrown for a loop- she’s certainly no Waldorf or Statler.

I congratulated Mad Men for its Emmy nominations, and now I get to congratulate the show for its ‘best drama’ win! Congrats to the cast & crew who bring us this terrific show! Cheers to you and to the upcoming adventures at Sterling Cooper.

I made a joke at Clay Aiken’s expense back in July. After his coming-out, the joke may be in poor taste. But seriously- did you see that picture?

June’s Ghost in a Bottle post was outright cynical, and I have since realized the error of my ways. My bottle arrived last week and I can confirm that it contains mischievous spirits. Yeah right- I wouldn’t waste money on that crap. Maybe Chinese baby formula, though.

Alright- well there’s a wrapup of the last few weeks. See you in December. (kidding!)

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August 23, 2008 by traveler.

By now you are probably waking up to the news that Obama has picked a running mate- Jumpin’ Joe Biden! So now, the big question is who will McCain choose as his VP? Personally, I have my money on either Statler or Waldorf.

Posted in Old News, TV, Pics | No Comments »

May 25, 2008 by traveler.

I didn’t know all-you-can-eat baseball seats were popular. Apparently tickets are selling briskly for these seats, which feature a range of free concessions from popcorn to hot dogs. If only baseball were fun to watch, this would be a great deal.

I remember going to Wrigley Field as a kid and watching the Cubs play. Wrigley is a great historic park to visit, but the action was so slow I resorted to throwing peanut shells into a woman’s hair to keep entertained. (Note to self: bored kid + projectiles = trouble) If they had all-you-can-eat peanuts back then, just think of the carnage.

This USA Today article lists the stadiums that have all-you-can-eat seats for 2008. If you’re a baseball fan and you live near one of these stadiums, check out their all-you-can-eat seats. Just keep your peanut shells to yourself.

Posted in Food, Sports, Old News | No Comments »

May 18, 2008 by traveler.

The current generation of US space shuttles is scheduled to retire in 2010. No problem- the next generation of shuttles will be ready in…oh wait…2014? Oops. And delays may push the date even further back? Crap.

I’m no space expert, but that seems like a big gap. Almost a half-decade without any space shuttles? Stark Industries better get on top of that. With their rocket technology and Tony Stark’s power suit designs, I’m sure they could build a space shuttle in record time. =P

Posted in Tech, Old News | No Comments »

May 17, 2008 by traveler.

National Police Week 2008 is coming to a close, and it reminded me of a story I read awhile back.  National Police Week honors the service of law enforcement officers, and it remembers the sacrifice paid in the line of duty. According to the NLEOMF site, 35 officers were killed in 2007 in traffic incidents. 

There is a new technology being fielded that may prevent some deaths and injuries in car chases.StarChase allows cops to launch a GPS tracking unit onto suspects’ cars during a chase. This GPS data can then be analyzed from a safe distance to keep track of the offending vehicle. Pretty sweet.

The LAPD is putting this in their vehicles, which is smart for the car chase capital of the US. Like many other Angelenos, I had the fortune of watching a chase pass right in front of my house. It would have been awesome if I saw the cops blast the StarChase onto the suspect’s vehicle.  At any rate, this technology looks to be a good tool in the cops’ arsenal.

Posted in Tech, Video, Old News, Gear | No Comments »