September 2008 Archives

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September 28, 2008

Language of My Reality - through TubeMogul

After 3 years, I finally uploaded a video version of "Language of My Reality" through TubeMogul to Youtube, MySpace, and others. The best part about TubeMogul is that you only have to submit to one place, then it automatically submits to multiple sites and allows you to track metrics across all of them.

Read the full lyrics if interested.

Language of My Reality
by Colin Mutchler
2005

I am speaking the language of my reality,
images expressed, the distinctions between
my experience of moments of illegality
and the slanted views of they mean.

to me it’s about the choices we’re making,
the lives we're leading,
and the futures we’re creating

we are a generation raised on media
an image nation that sees the biased news, the many truths,
and yeah, buys sweatshop shoes

whose stories are being told,
whose stories are still owned by the ten o’clock blues?
and whose stories am I telling in my privileged shoes?

white, hippy, suburban, family, business, pharmaceutical industry,
dollars and stress, and love
that paid my way, sourced my days.

you see if we want to move forward
we need to acknowledge and build on the past.

so whether we shoot, or speak, or edit, or click through media,
we choose the direction of his encyclopedia, his story
which is becoming our story,

as we gain the power to lead the interpretation,
license the information, and
be the strategic communication
that hears competing views
and reconstructs the worlds’ truths.

I say that I'm a strong and powerful leader for love and freedom,
but behind the fear and the confusion
and the judgement and the stess
I see fighting images of beats and breath.

yes, things seem to be breaking down,
from church boy confessions and corporate transgressions,
to tommy and grandma getting sued as a copyright lesson,
and quote “men of peace” using solders and weapons,
yes these are the days of break down, break through
a time of forgiveness, to begin again,
truth and reconciliation

yes I am speaking the language of my reality,
images expressed, the distinctions between
my experience of moments of illegality
and the slanted views of what they mean.

--

These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

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Fun Flash Eco-Footprint Calculator

As mentioned previously, I think the most important tool that still needs to be created is an implicit carbon footprint calculator (so the data is based on reality, and users don't have to make up numbers submitted into a form).  However, in the meantime, the flash video footprint calculator from Earthday.net is one of the more fun I've seen. 

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September 27, 2008

Internet Dream - Music Video from 2003

Internet Dream is a song and video about my love and dreams for the internet. The words were written while I was teaching at Public School 7 (K-6th grade) in East Harlem. The images were gathered from some of my own photographs, as well as some public domain photos and screen shots of websites.

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September 11, 2008

Beyond Lipstick, Please - Letter to MSNBC

Hi,

I am a concerned voter. It is 2008. This is a historic election where our country is facing major challenges about how we choose to take responsibility for ourselves and our people, how we interact with other countries and cultures, and how we choose to impact the current and future changing climate and ecology.

And yet again, the conversation on stations like MSNBC is spending nearly a full news day bringing guests onto national television to discuss a comment about lipstick.

Yes, there is sexism and racism in our culture. But this election should not be about catch phrases that Barack Obama or John McCain say, or who is looking like a better candidate to win this week. It should be a constructive conversation about what's important to our citizens and our country.

Today's conversation reminds me of what John Stewart said to Tuck Carlson on Crossfire a few years ago applies to you as well: "You're hurting America."

As a citizen and consumer of your content, here is my request to you. Please lead and take responsibility for the conversation that you create on your national television station that millions of citizens and families watch every day.

Thank you,
Colin

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September 2, 2008

Mazdar City in Dubai

Check out Mazdar, the future green city being built in typical Dubai fashion. Lots of money, totally from scratch, and now, with 100% renewable energy and zero waste.

Link to Youtube video (embedding was disabled for some reason).

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