This Guy Falls Down

Transcript of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's Oscar Acceptance Speeches

I said I'd round these up, so I did. Here you go:

Glen Hansard:

Thanks! This is amazing. What are we doing here? This is mad. We made this film two years ago. We shot on two Handycams. It took us three weeks to make. We made it for a hundred grand. We never thought we would come into a room like this and be in front of you people. It's been an amazing thing. Thanks for taking this film seriously, all of you. It means a lot to us. Thanks to the Academy, thanks to all the people who've helped us, they know who they are, we don't need to say them. This is amazing. Make art. Make art. Thanks.

Marketa Irglova:

Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we're standing here tonight, the fact that we're able to hold this, it's just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don't give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.

(via wikinews)

Also, Kari has a YouTube clip of their performance on her blog, in case you missed it...

Banner, man!

Wow. I've gotten several great ideas for a banner (some folks call it a header, I call it a kaiser blade...I mean banner), and will be making a decision soon. I was pretty blown away - I thought I'd get a couple of emails from interested parties. Instead I've gotten several full blown banner mockups.

So at this point, if you haven't already made a banner, and you haven't gotten an email from me, go ahead and hold off. I don't want anybody doing any unnecessary work around here :)

My "read" on global warming, pt 4

After reading my last post on Cool It, by Bjorn Lomborg, it feels necessary give you a bullet point version of his proposed "solution" to global warming as laid out in his book. I'm not necessarily saying I agree 100%, but it might be helpful to present it before I talk about my own thoughts.

So here, in a nutshell, is how Bjorn Lomborg proposes we save the world:

• Increase spending on fighting HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, trade stabilization, and malaria. This will save millions of lives at a fraction of the cost of massive CO2 cuts, and will help stimulate economic growth in developing nations. This growth will help these populations deal with the issues that will inevitably come later this century due to global warming.
• Cut CO2 emissions by 5%, escalating to 10% by 2100. This would be a greater step than that proposed by the Kyoto protocol, but with a realistic timeline.
• All countries should commit to massive research and development in low and zero carbon technologies. Lomborg proposes that spending at 0.05% of GDP would create the technologies to stabilize world climate.

Look for my own theories in the near future...

Blog 27 - Ragamuffin Soul

You remember that "cool" kid from high school with the charismatic personality who everybody liked and he genuinely liked everybody in return? The Mr. Congeniality kind of guy? In the neck of the blogosphere I operate in, that title goes to Carlos Whittaker and his wonderful blog Ragamuffin Soul.

Ragamuffin Soul has that perfect blend of personality and content, technology and heart. I first got turned on to Facebook and Twitter by Mr. Carlos (both on the same fateful evening last November - what was that Mexican dish we ate? Whatever it was called it was killer). He is a wizard with a video camera and uses it to capture some amazing and heartwrenching video, whether that be his and Heather's adoption of little Losiah in Korea a couple of years back or footage of kids in Uganda last week. It's always fun, it's always personal, and you will love it. I guarantee.

I've gotten the chance to hang with Carlos a pretty good bit since he moved to Atlanta. And he's just as witty, just as fun, and just as personable in "real life". Go pay him a visit and tell him I said "hey"...

Who wants to make me a banner?

I had a bit of a wakeup call after a comment last week. When I first started this blog, the idea was to be sort of on the down low so that I'd have the chance to engage with a lot of people I wouldn't normally talk to because I'm in a band. My blogging has lost that feel over the years, but the look and vibe of it have stayed that way. I'm now at a place where I want people visiting this blog to know that it's, well, me.

SO.... The question I'm throwing out now is: WHO WANTS TO MAKE ME A BANNER? I'm looking for something that reflects me, probably a picture of me, maybe a concert shot - who knows. And I'm willing to make it worth your while, to the tune of Third Day swag out the yin yang, and of your choosing (within reason).

Email me if you're interested!!!

My PowerBook is dead

Two days ago, I was watching Monsters, Inc. with the daughter on my Powerbook. A couple of hours later it started making really weird noises. Now it powers up but it won't start. A weird black rectangle is the only thing that comes up when you try to turn it on. Not good. Oh, but I've backed everything up, right? Of course not.

Needless to say, my blogging prolifery might be coming to a screeching halt. Pray it isn't so. I'm too much of a blog geek to not have a computer.

(Thanks to the misses for letting me borrow her computer to compose this post!)

For "Once", the Oscars got it right

For five minutes last night, it felt like a doorway had been kicked open and I was looking down the chasm and everything seemed right in the world. In a triumph far greater than even Eli's comeback for the ages in this year's Super Bowl, a little song from a little Irish film stole the hearts of everyone watching. "Falling Slowly", the gloriously simple ballad from Once, won the Award for Acievement in Music for a Film (or some other pomped up name like that). And when Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova went up there and accepted it, it was obvious that this was meant to happen. Their speeches were humble and inspiring. Irglova got cut off by the orchestra when she went to talk, and later in the show host Jon Stewart had her come back out to make her remarks. And what both of them said, humbly encourage people to make art regardless of your circumstances, seemed so fitting in the tumultuous world of entertainment we currently reside in.

I'm going to try to find a transcription of their acceptance speeches. It would be worth posting in case you didn't get to see it.

Watch. This. Film.

Buy. This. Soundtrack.

Once: see this film immediately

I just finished watching an extraordinarily little film called Once. To describe the story, involving a street musician who befriends a Czech woman who encourages him in his career, almost sounds silly. But I cannot tell you the last time, if ever, I saw emotion captured in such a raw way. The film was made for something like $100,000, and the "actors" were Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, two friends from the Dublin music scene. But I think that's the charm of the film - because they're singers who are acting instead of actors who are trying to sing, it feels real. Real to the point that many upon seeing it thought it was a documentary.

I guess Once would best be described as a musical of sorts, as the two friends sing songs that they're working on throughout the film. And much of the plot is contained within the lyrics. What great songs they are - I'm downloading the soundtrack as we speak.

See this film ASAP. You will thank me.

Clapton shreds

I must be on tour because I keep sharing these silly videos. This one is priceless, and it's Friday. So why not?

Absolutely brilliant...

Hillary 4 U & Me

As Obama's star continues to rise and Hillary's wanes, she's got to pull out all of the stops in her campaign to be able to turn this thing around. This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about:

(Thanks to my co-guitarist Brad Avery for the link...)