I finally had a chance to upload the screenshots I took last week on Internet Blackout/Strike Day (January 18, 2012), the massive online protest of the proposed SOPA/PIPA Legislation. It seems to have worked because Congress shelved the bills indefinitely two days later.
I was fascinating to see the range of creative solutions employed by sites participating in the protest. Many went with the standard black/shadow approach or played up the censorship angle. Some went minimal but others went wild like my personal favorite — The Oatmeal’s incredible animated GIF which was featured on CNN and a bunch of other places.
What approach struck you the most? Did you take any action that day?
]]>PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.
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Here’s the presentation I gave this morning at my first Minnesota Blogger Conference. It won’t be my last. I haven’t been to a better organized conference in ages . The venue, content and speakers were first rate.
Thanks to my awesome session attendees for the great conversation. Kudos to Arik Hanson and Missy Berggren for organizing a fantastic event!
Like all such lists, this is highly subjective. I’d love to hear which WordPress plugins are on your top-15 in the comments.
UnSummit5 happens on June 18, 20011 at CoCo in St. Paul, MN. Get your free tickets at http://unsummit.org
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It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) – R.E.M.
You Dropped a Bomb on Me – The Gap Band
Apocalypse Please – Muse
The End Of The World – The Carpenters
99 Red Balloons – Goldfinger
Armaggedon Theme – Hans Zimmer
Earth Died Screaming – Tom Waits
Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire
Until The End Of The World – U2
My Apocalypse – Metallica
End Of The World – Shocking Pinks
The Final Countdown – Dispatched
Goodbye Cruel World – Pink Floyd
The End (From Apocalypse Now) – The Doors
What’s on your end of the world playlist?
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Dale Connelly penned this damn fine article for The Line about last week’s Ignite Minneapolis 3. He really captures the experience of an Ignite event.
It even included a nice shot of the Ringo slide from my “Karaoke Tips for Anyone” presentation (above, photo by Bill Kelley). I’ll be posting the video of that presentation soon.
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All good things must come to an end. I completed my challenge to sing 40 karaoke songs before I turn forty on schedule on this past Friday at Joe & Stan’s Sports Lounge & Grill in Saint Paul. It was a hell of a ride. So, without further ado, I give you:
#40: Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
I didn’t want to mess around with something I had never sung for such a milestone. I toyed with Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing (an overdone, yet iconic piece I love to rock the hell out of every so often) but figured it would be too predictable. I needed something epic to finish the challenge. Maybe with a touch of drama as well. There could be no other choice than this timeless classic. As the lady says, “forever’s gonna start tonight.”
I want to thank too many folks to mention for all the support and encouragement. I definitely didn’t feel like I undertook this challenge alone. Rock on!
UPDATE – I did it! Song lists and videos: #1-4, #5-9, #10-14, #15-16, #17-21, #22-32, #33-39, #40
]]>Here’s the up-to-the-minute, or more accurately up-to-the-song, status report on my challenge to sing 40 karaoke songs before I turn forty. The following were belted out at The U Otter Stop and Nye’s Polonaise Room in Minneapolis on February 17/18.This was my last full night and thanks to the Karaoke Miracle the previous evening I was sitting pretty with only a handful of songs left.
It was another slow night at The Otter and only it took a couple of hours to get though five songs. We moved to Nye’s piano bar for the last two songs of the night. Live piano accompaniment adds an extra layer of complexity which is why I saved it for the end of the challenge. It’s also pretty cool.
#33: Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield)
A standard warm up for me. Such a fun song. It reminds me of my youth.
#34: More Than Words (Extreme)
First time singing this solo. I missed a few notes here and there but I was pretty pleased overall.
#35: I Kissed A Girl (Katy Perry)
I have wanted to sing this for ages. You know, for the irony.
#36: Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
I’ve tackled this before. I wasn’t happy with the backing track of this version. It was super cheesy.
[No Video]
#37: Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
First time singing this. Another song I’ve been dying to try.
#38: Joy To The World (Three Dog Night)
First time for this one. At Nye’s with live piano. You can hear Gillian (my fearless karaoke companion) singing along at times. Added bonus: the waitress discussing the Flip cam. At this point in the challenge I’m not going to be critical of the videography.
#39: I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
Wishful thinking considering how tired I was. Another one with the piano, sung shortly after midnight on my actual birthday.
Song number forty will be performed later this evening at Joe & Stan’s Sports Lounge & Grill in St. Paul. What will it be? Stay tuned.
UPDATE – I did it! Song lists and videos: #1-4, #5-9, #10-14, #15-16, #17-21, #22-32, #33-39, #40
]]>Here’s the up-to-the-minute, or more accurately up-to-the-song, status report on my challenge to sing 40 karaoke songs before I turn forty. The following were belted out at The U Otter Stop in Minneapolis on February 16/17.This challenge is becoming more about if I can continue to stay out until 2am each night. I have to say I am wiped out. But the end is in sight. I must forge ahead.
I started Wednesday evening feeling a little nervous about the number of songs left to sing. Admittedly, I didn’t plan ahead enough to provide a buffer if I fell behind. I was averaging only four songs per night. What was I to do?
That’s when the Karaoke Gods smiled upon me. Basically the only people at bar were myself and my constant karaoke companion Gillian. The rotation had us trading off, singing every other song for over an hour or so. Even when others started arriving, they just sat and watched us for a while. This gave me the edge I needed to catch up and make some serious progress. By the time the bar closed, I had eleven songs under my belt. Eleven! It was a Karaoke Miracle.
Every song wasn’t a gem, but I was pretty darn pleased overall. My voice held out and I had a blast. This is the night I’ll be telling my grandchildren about.
#22: Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)
First time singing this. Worked well as a warm up too.
#23: Spin Me Round (Dead or Alive)
Another first. I had a little trouble finding time to breathe in the short time between verses and the chorus. It’s trickier than I imagined.
#24: To Be With You (Mr. Big)
Duet with Gillian Reynolds.
[No Video]
#25: She Talks To Angels (Black Crowes)
I love this song and have always wanted to sing it. I probably wouldn’t have attempted it before.
#26: Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers)
Fighting the urge to make pottery. First time singing this.
[No Video]
#27: Don’t Let Me Down (The Beatles)
Yet another first for me. It sort of jumped out of the catalog. Once I got the pacing of the verses down it was really fun to sing.
#28: The Time of My Life (Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes)
Duet with Gillian Reynolds. Second time we’ve ever sung this. You have to love the classics.
#29: I Love Rock & Roll (Joan Jett)
First time singing this. Next time I’ll probably switch the gender of the person referenced so often in the lyrics (I saw her standing there by the record machine…)
[No Video]
#30: At this Moment (Billy Vera & The Beaters)
I’ve done this before. Such a great 80s ballad.
#31: Rock & Roll (Led Zeppelin)
Another song I’ve done in the past. Although, it’s been a long time since I sang this. See what I did there?
[No Video]
#32: Build Me Up Buttercup (The Foundations)
I was singing along to this on the radio the other day and thought it would be a fun addition to the countdown.
So. Close. Stay tuned for more details…
UPDATE – I did it! Song lists and videos: #1-4, #5-9, #10-14, #15-16, #17-21, #22-32, #33-39, #40
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