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July 30, 2005
Rats to Rats: The Potential Power of Vlogs
These are some drawings I created for my presentation at the SOHO Apple Store yesterday. They illustrate the way "Jane" could hypothetically use a video blog to solve a problem in her neighborhood, the problem being a restaurant that leaves its garbage on the sidewalk at night, which attracts packs of rats that gross Jane out everytime she walks by. More images after the jump.
By the way, the SOHO event rocked with offering from Shannon Noble, Adam Quirk, Josh Kinberg (who also emceed and produced the event), Peter Van Dijk, Andrew Baron, myself, and Gabe McIntyre who interviewed Amanda Congdon infront of the live audience.
One day Jane walked down her block in Manhattan to find the garbage the restaurant below her apartment had put out on the sidewalk, teeming with rats.
Ick.
Jane went up to her apartment and pondered what to do. She ended up talking to the restaurant owners, writing her community board, local politicians, media, to no avail.
Then she had an idea! She would use her videoblog to make her voice heard.
One night she videoed the rats...
...in all their ratty nastiness, using her little 200$ digital still camera, which also shot decent video.
Then she put the video on her computer, added some titles and made a movie for the web.
She uploaded it to the Internet Archive, a free place on the web to put digital meda.
And she linked to the movie from her videoblog, which she learned to make from freevlog.org.
Then she sent out emails to various politicians, local media, community organizations, and her own social contacts letting them know about her problem and directing them to her videoblog. Meanwhile, people who already subscribed to her videoblog via i-Tunes, FireAnt, Mefeedia, and Vlogdir, were already checking out her video.
Local media actually paid attention, and the Mayor got anxious and called up the Chief of Police to make something happen.
One of New Yorks Finest went out to the restaurant and served the owner with summons for disposing of garbage improperly.
The owner ended up making sure the garbage was put out the morning that the garbage was picked up, not the night before. People in the neighborhood were psyched.
And so was Jane, happy that her videoblog helped her solve her ratty little problem.
Posted by Jonny at 07:09 PM | Comments (4)
July 29, 2005
Apple With Creamsicles On Top
Jonny is referrring to himself in the third person and he is making two appearances Saturday, tomorrow, July 30.
1) I'll be speaking about videoblogging at the Apple Store with a gaggle of other videoblog superstars. This is a great way to learn about the coolest grassroots media thing since Peter Bagge discovered the photocopier. That's at 7PM at the SOHO Apple Store, 103 Prince Street. FREE.
2) That same night at 10PM I will be comedically introducing the sweet delicious rock and roll band, The Creamsicles at the Alphabet Lounge, Avenue C and East 7th Street. 6$ at the door. If you know them, you love them, and if you don't you will. Come on down! I'll be the one wearing a flannel nighty and a mullet wig.
Posted by Jonny at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2005
Chris Hampton
I just want to give some props to Chris Hampton, blogger, producer, and all around Grade A Choice USDA human. She not only writes a funny blog, heaped with fresh, filthy, funny links and anecdotes; she not only curates the WYSIWYG Talent Show, a monthly smorgasbord of performers who blog; she also gives really good link. She has an ego about the size of a brussels sprout and a soul the size of Australia. She's a crucial piece duct tape that's helping hold this ridiculous contraption we call civilization together. There. I just had to let the world know.
Posted by Jonny at 08:09 PM | Comments (2)
Jonny in the Post
My lisping Rabbi Goldthtein character got a mention in last Saturday's New York Post article about Kostume Kult, a group which creates over the top costume parties. Here's the clipping. I guess I have really arrived now. Or should I say, I gueth I have really arribed now?
Posted by Jonny at 08:09 AM | Comments (33)
July 25, 2005
Jonny Live TV Call In
Tonight, Monday, July 25, 10PM Eastern Standard Time, I will be hosting a live cable TV comedy call in show "Off, Off, Off, Vegas," from the bowels of the Manhattan Neigborhood Network. This is on Channel 56 if you are in Manhattan, otherwise you can catch it on the web at mnn.org. I'll be combing through this week's hairy events with rock and roll raconteur, John Sully, and novelist, Kevin Brink Nielsen. Tune in, turn on, call up!
Posted by Jonny at 12:36 PM | Comments (2)
July 21, 2005
WYSIWYG Camp Followers
Had a blast last night performing at the WYSYIWYG Talent Show at P.S. 122. An enthusiastic crowd and a bunch of great storytellers telling tales of summer camp gone horribly wrong added up to s'more gooey fun. Pics below. Read more about reactions to my tale here, and here. My favorite comment on my story so far: "outrageously funny riff on masturbation, dirty songs, and clueless puppy love by Jonny Goldstein." Doesn't get much better than that, my friends.
Originally uploaded by jonny goldstein
The audience sat nervously as I turned the camera on them, but soon were reduced to quivering, giggling, jelly at my kamped out kraziness.
Originally uploaded by Corporal Tunnel.
Jess Hulett read a tale of lust and betrayal at Christian camp.
Originally uploaded by Corporal Tunnel.
Here I am spinning tales of my Jewish camp ordeal. I really enjoyed this gig. It was a nice change from stand-up, both audience-wise and performance-wise. P.S. 122 lacked that rancid beer smell that most stand-up venues emit, as well as the usual drunken audience of bitter aspiring comics. Afterwards, I schmoozed a little, sucked down some fries doused in wasabi mayo, and headed back to my air conditioned cave. I'm not gonna post my story, because I'm not quite ready to have it circulating around the web in excruciating detail. It's a bit of a....sticky subject.
Posted by Jonny at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2005
Student Work
By day, I teach art to public school kids in Hell's Kitchen, New York City. These are a few photos of work by kids I work with. Although I have taught a wide range of ages, these works are all by elementary school aged students.
This is a 9 year old student's drawing of his hand, made at the end of a series of lessons based on Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The cross hairs are there to help the student have points of reference while drawing his hand.
This is one frame of a stop motion animation a group of my students made about aliens visiting Earth. I particularly like the planet with pencil shavings standing in for volcanos
Pipecleaner sculpture.
Posted by Jonny at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
Time Warner Blows
I have had no internet access at home since last Thursday. This is due to the fact that there is a construction project next to my building which cut Time Warner's Cable connection to my building. OK, fine, construction happens, but how long does it take TW to fix this problem? I called them up and they have given me all kinds of conflicting reports: "They are working on it right now," "Um...it isn't showing any possible time for fixing it." "We aren't showing that there is any repair happening currently."
This is seriously messing with my professional and personal life and I am upsetus maximus. Anyway, that's my excuse for not posting more stuff this week. Right now I'm leeching some wifi internet access from a sidewalk bench four blocks away from my house. Grrrrr. I hate Time Warner. And I'm not alone.
Posted by Jonny at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2005
Wired Gets It
Wired just put up a couple of good articles about videoblogging on its website. Check this one out for a good overview of the vlogging phenomenon.
Posted by Jonny at 05:09 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2005
Jonny Camps it Up
Tuesday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m. at P.S. 122
150 1st Ave. at East 9th St.
It's time for s'more gooey fun at the world's first and best all-blogger series of readings and performances, this time with a summer camp theme. I will be presenting my tale along with a veritable cabin full of other talented blogerati. And the nature of my tale? Let's just say it is drawn from the Jewish summer camp experience, one part holocaust reenactment, and one part unrequited pre-teen love.
Tickets are $7 — call the P.S. 122 box office at 212-477-5288 or
click here to purchase advance tickets
Featuring:
WYSIWYG is always more fun than a goulash fight in the mess hall. Come on down and enjoy. Just watch the flying gravy covered meat cubes.
Posted by Jonny at 01:46 AM | Comments (1)
July 13, 2005
dave alpert rocks
Dave Alpert is not just one of my best friends: He's also a crafter of rock and roll confections drizzled with the bittersweet lessons of love gone just slightly awry. He just came out with an EP called "Peace of Mind." Here's one of my favorite tracks , "Ties That Bind." And if you want more, check out his site where you can hear the rest of this pop pleasure.
Posted by Jonny at 11:17 PM | Comments (0)
vlogmap.org
vlogmap.org is a place where videobloggers can post their location on a global map. Visitors can click a location and get the name, web address, and RSS feed for a vlog. This is a great way to see to find vloggeriffic content be it it from just down the block or the other side of the world.
Posted by Jonny at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2005
Wedding Chronicles 2: Lost Ring
Watch video Size: 4.2 megs. Duration: 1:11 Format: Quicktime
You know it's a successful bachelor party when you lose your wedding ring.
Posted by Jonny at 11:27 PM | Comments (2)
July 07, 2005
Jonny Applestore
A bunch of videobloggers from all over the country will be talking about about different aspects of vlogging a the Apple Store in SOHO Friday 6 PM. I'll be there, maybe even presenting something soft, light, and giggle inducing. And I'm not talking about my famous nitrous oxide merangue cookies.
The vlogging community has been developing at a gallop in the last couple of month using such means as the videoblogging group on Yahoo and frequent videoconferences. I'm feeling a little out of it, not having participated in any of the videoconferences, but maybe I will go out and get a cheap webcam so I can get in on the action.
Meanwhile this Apple Store event and the Vloggercue the next day will be good opportunity to mingle with vlogsters in the finest of all media spaces---meatspace.
Posted by Jonny at 01:23 AM | Comments (1)
July 05, 2005
The Wedding Chronicles: Episode 1
Watch video Size: 5.3 megs. Duration: 1:14 Format: Quicktime
My wife and I got married a couple of weeks ago, not once, but twice. The first ceremony was a civil ceremony at the Municipal building in lower Manhattan. A couple of days later, our friend Erzsi performed a big public ceremony, but this first one was the legally binding one. Thanks to my best man, David Strother, for shooting this.
Posted by Jonny at 01:07 AM | Comments (4)
July 04, 2005
Cult of Marriage
This is a photocollage I made that was diplayed as a massive poster at our wedding banquet a couple of weeks ago. I kind of liked the whole cult of personality vibe. We hope to be benevolant dictators, so just sit back, relax, and enjoy our reign.
Posted by Jonny at 06:54 PM | Comments (4)