July 29, 2007
July 26, 2007
Chromeo - Tenderoni
July 24, 2007
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
July 22, 2007
Taco Town on SNL
July 18, 2007
Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel
Tears For Fears - Mad World
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (Reinterpreted)
July 17, 2007
dan le sac VS scroobius pip "Thou Shalt always Kill"
Charlie the Unicorn
Benjamin Owen's "Fanny Pack"
Japanese Tetris
July 16, 2007
This is how to mass produce terrible art that nobody cares about. This one was made for a dental office restroom.
Music and dance from Bollywood film "Devdas"
Why would you stand here?
This is footage of a 747 landing at St. Maarten. The 747 is so big it needs the whole airstrip for this landing. The crazy thing is this happens all the time and people stand there for thrills. No thanks.
JamesNintendoNerd is hilarious on youtube
Falling from Real Genius
July 03, 2007
David Blaine: Street Magic 1 & 2
May 10, 2007
Limahl - NeverEnding Story
May 09, 2007
Something For Rockets - Look Around
Check out their site. You can hear their entire album for free. Very good new music I heard from a new friend.
New Product: Glade - Plug Ups
May 08, 2007
Muse - Time Is Running Out
Muse - Starlight
Arcade Fire - My Body Is A Cage
Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill
May 02, 2007
Fita Commercial
May 01, 2007
Finally a name worse than Asstemborski
Did I Break It?
Contact Intro
Minilogue/hitchhikers choice - short version
Thom Yorke of Radiohead - Speed Painted
April 27, 2007
Look Around You - Computer Games
Mr. Mister - Kyrie
Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance (Live)
November 09, 2006
Alcazar - Crying at the Discotheque"
This is for Sam the Soundman.
November 08, 2006
Alphaville - Forever Young
Matisyahu: King Without A Crown
The Music Video
The same song live:
November 07, 2006
Lady Sovereign on Letterman
Chickity Check.
November 02, 2006
Hanging out with my friends
December 20, 2005
Frou Frou: New Music I Heard About Through Aaron Molho
A collaboration between musician/vocalist Imogen Heap and producer/arranger/songwriter/musician Guy Sigsworth, Frou Frou manufactured an impressive brand of vocal-driven, electronic pop formerly the exclusive territory of Björk. The British duo had been collaborating for years without a record deal, and after what must have been countless hours matching Sigsworth's studio finesse and trickery with Heap's breathy yodel, the group's debut, Details, was completed for American release on MCA Records in 2002. Heap and Sigsworth first worked together on "Getting Scared" from Heap's 1998 solo record iMEGAPHONE. After completing the promotion for that splendid debut, Heap was ready to begin work on a new project and the two hooked up again as Sigsworth had privately been compiling music specifically for Heap while producing other projects. The first track conceived by the new, more formal (but as yet unnamed) pairing eventually turned into "Flicks" from Details, perhaps Frou Frou's most Björk-reminiscent number. Sigsworth — who had in fact worked with Björk (Homogenic, Vespertine) and Madonna ("What It Feels Like for a Girl") among many other significant '90s pop and electronic artists — grew up listening to eclectic female artists like Kate Bush, and along with Heap, developed an appreciation for classical music. Far from being the kind of campy moniker one might expect from a more sugary pop outfit, the name Frou Frou was decided upon when Francophile Sigsworth noticed the phrase in a Baudelaire poem. Apparently, when uttered in French, the phrase is meant to approximate the swishing of skirts as they swirl about the legs of comely dancing women, as in a burlesque performance. Born composers, multi-instrumentalist Heap and studio/sound/ producer/musician Sigsworth are credited with many side appearances in support of other artists, especially Sigsworth, who was often used as a bit of a song-fixer. While those aren't bad jobs to have, artists of Frou Frou's caliber need to step out on their own, and while Heap worked as a solo artist for a majority of her career, Sigsworth had never been so strongly identified with any previous project. Instead of relegating the male producer/writer to a barely credited back seat, as often happens with a female-fronted team effort (for example, Glen Ballard's participation on Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill), Frou Frou was conceived and honestly portrayed as a true collaboration, making it significant for its marketing truthfulness if nothing else. Details has some relatively conventional pop moments like "It's Good to Be in Love," but more experimental cuts like "Only Got One" display a more definitive quality. The true accomplishment of Frou Frou — which is in evidence on just about every track the "band" created — is their uncanny ability to infuse highly manipulated, digitally crafted music with a warmth quite rare in pop and almost unheard of in music so technologically progressive. In the studio, Frou Frou achieved unique sounding beds for Heap's luscious voice via more-than-would-be-expected acoustic and natural instruments. These actual instrumental performances were recorded first, then heavily manipulated in an editing stage, giving the duo their own process and thus, their own sound. This approach made their music lush, dynamic, and more earthy when compared to typical electronic/dance and canned pop.
This band was introduced to me from my friend, Aaron Molho. You can find it on Amazon here.
Holiday Recipe: Magic Cookie Bars
Always a hit, these cookies are made with butter, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 pkg (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (3 1/2 ounces) flaked coconut, or about 1 1/3 cups
1 cup chopped pecans
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt butter in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over melted butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool magic cookie bars before cutting.
THANK YOU, COOKIE FRIEDMAN! Your son made me write that. I think your recipe is slightly different, but Brian feels you deserve some credit, even though I have had Magic Bars since I was in 2nd grade.
American Splendor: I give it 4 out of 4 White Russians
Harvey Pekar is file clerk at the local VA hospital. His interactions with his co-workers offer some relief from the monotony, and their discussions encompass everything from music to the decline of American culture to new flavors of jellybeans and life itself. At home, Harvey fills his days with reading, writing and listening to jazz. His apartment is filled with thousands of books and LPs, and he regularly scours Cleveland's thrift stores and garage sales for more, savoring the rare joy of a 25-cent find. It is at one of these junk sales that Harvey meets Robert Crumb, a greeting card artist and music enthusiast. When, years later, Crumb finds international success for his underground comics, the idea that comic books can be a valid art form for adults inspires Harvey to write his own brand of comic book. An admirer of naturalist writers like Theodore Dreiser, Harvey makes his American Splendor a truthful, unsentimental record of his working-class life, a warts-and-all self portrait. First published in 1976, the comic earns Harvey cult fame throughout the 1980s and eventually leads him to the sardonic Joyce Barber, a partner in a Delaware comic book store who end ups being Harvey's true soul mate as they experience the bizarre byproducts of Harvey's cult celebrity stature.
Paul Giamatti is excellent in this film as he has always been in the past. I suggest you buy the movie right now.
Trailer for American Splendor.
Amazon Listing for American Splendor.
December 16, 2005
Conventional and Jumbo Loans
Conventional loans are secured by government sponsored entities or GSEs such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Conventional loans can be made to purchase or refinance homes with first and second mortgages on single family to four family homes.
In general, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's single family, first mortgage loan limit is $359,650 in 2005. This limit is reviewed annually and, if needed, changed to reflect changes in the national average price for single family homes. The current loan limit applies to all conventional mortgages delivered after January 1, 2005.
2005 Conventional Loan Limits
First mortgages
One-family loans: $359,650
Two-family loans: $460,400
Three-family loans: $556,500
Four-family loans: $691,600
Note: Maximum original loan amounts are 50 percent higher for first mortgages on properties in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Second Mortgages
$179,825 (in Alaska, Hawaii, and the US Virgin Islands: $269,725)
Loans which are larger than the limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are called jumbo loans. Because jumbo loans are not funded by these government sponsored entities, they usually carry a higher interest rate and some additional underwriting requirements. A strategy to lower your overall interest payments if your purchase or refinance balance is above $359,650 is to use a combination of both first and second trust money, referred to as an 80/10/10, 80/15/5 or 80/20. Every situation is different, but it is one more option to consider.
In addition to common loan structures such as fixed rate, adjustable rate and balloon loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also have loan programs for low to no down payments, community lending and affordable housing initiatives, construction to permanent, home improvement and reverse mortgages. If you have questions about mortgage loans, email me at mark@gotmark.com.
December 11, 2005
Should You Pay Points On A Mortgage Loan?
A point, which equals 1% of the total loan amount, is an upfront fee that reduces your monthly interest rate and total interest due over the life of a loan. This means that a one point loan will always have a lower interest rate than a no point loan. Paying points is in essence a trade off between paying money now versus paying money later.
Deciding whether to pay points depends on how long you are looking to keep the loan. I suggest paying points up front if you plan on keeping the loan for at least four years to ensure that you recoup the costs through lower monthly payments. If you think that you might move within the next four years or might want to refinance because the market rate is declining, then you probably would be better off with a no point loan.
Lenders allow you to choose amongst a variety of rate and point combinations for the same loan product. Therefore, when comparing rates from different lenders, make sure you compare the associated points and rate combinations of the offered program. The published Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a tool used to compare different terms, offered rates, and points among different lenders and programs. For more information about loans, contact me at mark@gotmark.com.
December 03, 2005
Mortgage Advice: Several Factors Affect Your Mortgage Rate
| Increase | Decrease | |
| Amount of Loan | Rates Up | Rates Down |
| Length of Loan | Rates Up | Rates Down |
| Adjustable Rate | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Down Payment | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Discount Points | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Closing Costs | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Credit Quality | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Income Level | Rates Down | Rates Up |
| Lock In Period | Rates Up | Rates Down |
The amount of your loan can increase your interest rate if the amount financed exceeds the conforming loan limits established by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The conforming loan limit changes at the beginning of each year.
Shorter loans, such as 20 year or 15 year note, can save you thousand of dollars in interest payments over the life of the loan, but your monthly payments will be higher. An adjustable rate mortgage may get you started with a lower interest rate than a fixed rate mortgage, but your payments could get higher when the interest rate changes.
A larger down payment – greater than 20% - will give you the best possible rate. Down payments of 5% or less should expect to pay a higher rate as you are starting with less equity as collateral. If you've got the cash now and want to lower your payments, you can pay on your loan to lower your mortgage rate. It's a simple concept, really: In exchange for more money upfront, lenders are willing to lower the interest rate they charge, cutting the borrower's payments. Closing costs are fees paid by the lender, if you don’t want to pay all of the closing costs, expect a higher rate which will pay the lender additional interest over the life of the loan.
Credit quality and debt-to-income-ratio affect the terms of your loan through FICO Score. If you have good credit and your monthly income far surpasses your monthly debt obligations, you will get approved at a lower interest rate. However, if your monthly income barely covers your minimum debt obligations, even if you have a credit report, you will not receive the lowest available interest rate.
If you want to position yourself appropriately for the years ahead and need advice on what loan is right for you, email me at mark@gotmark.com.
November 25, 2005
Tahiti 80: Parisian Pop
Singer Xavier Boyer and bassist Pedro Resende formed Parisian pop combo Tahiti 80 in 1993 as students at the University of Rouen, bonding on the strength of their shared affinity for the music of the British Invasion era. A handful of demos
followed before the duo recruited guitarist Mederic Gontier in 1994, and with the addition of drummer Sylvain Marchand a year later, the lineup was complete. Adopting their name from a souvenir t-shirt given go Boyer's father during a 1980 vacation to the Polynesian islands, Tahiti 80 issued their debut EP 20 Minutes in 1996. The I.S.A.A.C. EP followed, and in mid-2000 Minty Fresh issued the band's first full-length effort, Puzzle. The Heartbeat Remixes was issued that fall with Extra Pieces following in early 2001. The abstract and artistical sound of Wallpaper for the Soul appeared in 2002.
November 19, 2005
Covenant - Swedish Electronic Music
Covenant
is a Swedish electronic band signed to San Francisco's 21st Circuitry Records.
Their music is built around deep, droning tones and thundering rhythms that
support dark songs focusing on science fictional and cyberpunk themes, such as "Replicant"
and "Painamplifier" from
Dreams of a Cryotank. The third recorded band to use the name Covenant,
they issued
The United States of Mind in early 2000.
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November 03, 2005
Kraftwerk: German Techno from the 70s Comes to Life
 Kraftwerk is considered one of the most influential bands in pop history. In a career spanning more than 35 years, the German electro pioneers have been endlessly saluted and mimicked by each new generation of innovators. In the 1970s, the post-punk futurists professed their devotion. In the 1980s & 90s, the leading lights of Chicago house along with Detroit and Euro-techno paid homage. Possibly the most sampled band on the planet, their music continues to inspire. Over the last decade, Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz have toured the world, and in 2003, as rare and splendid as a returning comet in the night sky, Kraftwerk released Tour De France Soundtracks. Now in 2005, having already electrified the band's global army of disciples and following an unforgettable appearance at Coachella 2004, Kraftwerk are returning to perform a short series of shows in DC, New York, Detroit, Chicago and LA, their first since 1998. Astralwerks will release a 2-CD live set entitled Minimum-Maximum on June 7th containing 22 tracks recorded throughout Europe, Japan and the US during the band's 2004 world tour. Recorded and mixed with Kraftwerk's legendary precision, Minimum-Maximum features all of the band's classic compositions alongside their most recent 2004 Billboard Club chart hit "Aerodynamik". | |||||||||||||||
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Chromeo: Chrome and Romeo Finally Combined
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Chromeo is Dave 1 and P-Thugg, also known as David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel. Two best friends that have been doing music together since they were kids and now live in the same crib like The Monkees. | |||||||||||||||
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Website -> 
November 02, 2005
Phoenix: I see London, I see France, I see Phoenix making me dance
The French band Phoenix draws elements from an eclectic '80s upbringing to arrive at their rock-synth sound. Thomas Mars (vocals), Deck D'Arcy (bass), and Christian Mazzalai (guitars) were a garage band based out of Mars' house in the suburbs of Paris. Mazzalai's older brother Branco joined the band on guitar when his band Darlin' disbanded in 1995. The group got their touring start on the French bar circuit doing Hank Williams and Prince covers to drunk audiences. Two years later the band took on the name Phoenix and pressed 500 copies of a single on their own label, Ghettoblaster. The A-side was a punk rock song and the other a chugging Krautrocker, hinting at their eclectic tastes. Shortly after, they were signed to the Paris-based Source records. Phoenix became well aquainted with labelmates Air when they acted as their backing band on several U.K. TV appearances. The result of the electronic exposure was a single called "Heatwave," which was very similar to an old '70s disco tune. United, the group's debut album, appeared in 2000 on Astralwerks and was recorded over two months. The album featured guest appearances from friends and family, including Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk), Phillipe Zdar (Cassius), and D'Arcy's mother's choral society on the track "Funky Squaredance." Alphabetical followed in 2004. | |||||||||||||||
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