Best Moments from the R Kelly Trial!

...But her testimony quickly turned into a play-by-play of a fantasy basketball game in which Kelly was the star player. Kelly had a hit with "I Believe I Can Fly," from the soundtrack to the animated movie "Space Jam." According to Guerrero, Kelly also believed he could play ball.

Guerrero described--and prosecutors provided photos of--a mural on the wall of a half basketball court in the lower level of the home. In it, Kelly is a Michael Jordan doppelganger, bald, shiny, muscles rippling, committing a flagrant foul against the Tasmanian Devil. Jordan himself is the referee. And the audience? A cast of Looney Tunes characters, from Elmer Fudd to Sylvester, cheering on the one-on-one game and holding signs that read "Go R. Kelly!" and "Go Taz!"

- source

Are you kidding me? This is unprecedented.

Jamison also got a few laughs out of the court, such as when Adam asked her about the possibility of the tape having been altered with special effects. Had she seen the Wayans brothers movie "Little Man"? "It looked real, didn't it?" Adam asked. "Not really," Jamison replied with some sarcasm.

- source

The Wayan Brothers defense?

Kelly's attorneys suggest that a prayer group called "Midnight Missionaries" often came to the studio in the wee hours to pray about topics such as "sin and adultery."

- source

It's a hard time to be an R Kelly fan. Don't get me wrong, it's never been all that easy to be an R Kelly fan. But the infamous urination video seems a lot less funny in the cold light of the courtroom.

I, like the rest of society it seems, have inconsistent opinions about both the criminally famous and the sexualization of children. I only need to cite some first names - Britney, Miley, Jon-Benet - to make the point. Let's be clear - sexual activity with young teenagers, as a forty-year old man, is repugnant and appropriately criminal.

But my R Kelly love has never been about reason or ethics. It's a lawless love born of ego and delusion. And thus, I follow the trial. R Kelly, you never cease to amaze.

Heroes in a Half Shell...

TURTLE POWER!

You will watch this video because:

a) you were with me when I was one toe over the line outside of the Astoria after the completely amazing Clips/Woodhands show, yelling this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme line and having people call back the Turtle Power! part;

b) you've ever seen the original version;

c) you wish to finally settle the question of whether any words can sound soulful and sincere with the right delivery;

d) you deserve a mellow, turtle-powered jazz break (which, obviously, you do);

e) you are willing to indulge me in a musing on media;

Quod erat demonstrandum - you press play now.


0:54 to 1:20 will blow your mind and break your heart simultaneously

Friends, meet David Choi. He's a moderately talented aspiring singer from LA playing mainly acoustic covers of popular songs, and his own saccharine ballads. But what strikes me is that David Choi is so 2.0 it's 2.econd nature.

Witness davidchoimusic.com - re-launched recently, it includes a member's community, links to multiple networks (he has about 15,000 myspace friends) an active text blog, video blog and Twitter feed, a (currently empty) store and even a LIVE DAVID CAM. Yes, you read that right. He even accepted my friend request on Facebook within twelve minutes of sending.


Hidden Website Secret! You can softly caress David's pet hamster in real time by pressing control-shift-e repeatedly on his homepage!

I've recently the pleasure of hearing two of today's most relevant digital thought leaders speak: Chris Anderson at this year's Vidfest keynote, and Richard Edelman at our offices (full disclosure - both Vidfest and Richard Edelman are connected to my current place of employ.)

Both made speeches which included an identical statement: If you're under 25, you know this already.

The need for this sentence is interesting. It isn't necessarily generational, but the gap between those who are using the digital space and those who are learning from slideshows about it has never been more important.

Social media is so specifically about interaction, I wonder if it's possible to understand it without actually participating in it.

Long-time readers will remember that this site used to have a '10 reasons why this blog is better than your myspace page' sidebar. Then I registered an account for personal reasons. I loved it, and am now active there and on Facebook as well as peripherally on some other sites. Being open to new social networking ideas helps create smart strategies, organize life, and have a lot of fun.

But, if you're under 25, you knew that already.

Skanks!!!!

Yet another awesome comedy vid inspired by the world of social networking.

If nothing else, the popularity of vids like this is a clear indication that the social net. phenomenon has reached critical mass, and that we're all trying to figure out what it means.

Don't Copy that Floppy!

'cause it's gonna get sloppy!



1992 was amazing.

I love this line in particular:

By the time you add up all the people who are involved in creating an application, you'll end up with as many as 20 or 30 people.

iTunes by the Numbas

This little iTunes questionnaire comes to me by way of Sean Klassen via Kevin Broome, and is a cute little 'why not' meme.

This is my work iTunes library, which is fairly different from the one on my home laptop. I will repeat this exercise from home, and use it to draw over-stated conclusions about the difference between homeBeckstar and workBeckstar.

Here goes:

TOTAL LENGTH: 814 items, 2.2 days, 3.42 GB

FIRST AND LAST SONGS (BY TITLE):
-Abaixa E Pega :: Brazilian Funk Compilation [noted: the Alta Vista translator translates this as 'It Lowers and it Catches'. My hunch is that it translates more accurately to 'Drop that Booty and Get Yo' Man']
- 3030 :: Deltron

SHORTEST AND LONGEST SONGS:
- Vault Character :: Calvin Harris - 0.08
- Avalanches Mix for the BBC - 1:04:18

FIRST AND LAST ALBUMS (BY TITLE):
- The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams :: Kid 606
- 6 Feet Deep :: Gravediggaz
- (Z by Gonzales if we go by alphabet only)

FIRST AND LAST ARTIST (BY TITLE):
- Aesop Rock
- 1337 G33K B3AT
- (Zookeeper if we're going by alphabet only)

TOP FIVE MOST PLAYED SONGS:
Follow the Light :: Dungeon Family
Paper Planes :: MIA
I'm a Slave 4 U :: Britney Spears
Sweet Jane :: Cowboy Junkies
Tribulations :: LCD Soundsystem

SEARCH FOR THE FOLLOWING WORDS. HOW MANY SONGS SHOW UP?
Sex: 5
Death: 3
Love: 31
You: 76
Home: 4
Boy: 16
Girl: 55
Robot : 4
Nerd: 23

FIRST FIVE SONGS THAT COME UP IN PARTY SHUFFLE:
- Side Effects (featuring Young Jeezy) :: Mariah Carey
- Solstice :: Pit Er Pat
- Civilization Day :: Quasimodo
- The Undercover (Remix) :: Encore & G Luv
- Crazy On You :: Heart

Have I told you about my newish co-worker Kevin Broome? Yes, check him out, but please don't leave me for his articulate, interesting, insightful and amazing blog. I loved you first readers! I LOVED YOU FIRST!!!!

Betweein Kevin and the other new playa on the work scene, Leigh Peterson, the digital/interactive department is off the hizzy with talent. Makes it fun to come to work in the mornings. Awwwww...

If life was like facebook...

Idiots of Ants are a UK based comedy troupe. These particular ones are based on the premise of Facebook-style interaction in the real world. Enjoy the LOL's.





It's funny to watch, as obviously Facebook communication is stilted and strange when done in person. The hundred or so comments added since the video was uploaded four days ago are quick to crow about how it

This is great, now I can send this to my friends when they ask why I'm not on Facebook.

brilliant.. i dont understand why anyone would want the world to see what the frick they are doing...frikin hate facebook...

Great...that's why a Removed my account from Facebook lol

HA thats so funny i guess its realy like that when u think about it'

Not that YouTube comment streams are really worth serious response, but it seems rather self-evident that different modes of communication will not be transferable.

I would love to do a parody video of these parody videos with older and more accepted communication forms. I'm thinking:

• a fax party


• two people meeting on the street and talking in long form letter


• a morse code date

Older, but in a similar vein, we have the Comment Stream business meeting, which is pretty lol'sy...



... and the all-time greatest 'internet in real life' video ever - Cracked's Internet Party- what happens when google's parents go out of town

As other bloggers have said about this...

You wish, Microsoft.



Memories of this video, which I blogged about earlier, but which definitely deserves a second look. The video was pulled for a while, but it's back, and.... uh... wow.

McMarketing 2.0

You likely know David Armano's exemplary blog 'Logic + Emotion', which is most definitely a go-to site for business and user interface design and all things 2.0.

The cowboy-hatted one grates my nerves a little sometimes, mainly due to his inability to take off his cowboy hat. I know, however, that the mark of a successful brand is often the nausea due to over-exposure I feel when I think of that hat, so go David.

In any case, the graphic above is a reminder that we need to be thoughtful and insightful in generating marketing programs in the digital space, and not just throw some buzzwords in a happy meal bag.

Don't eat the gas station sushi!

Even if it is free with a fill-up.

Hooked on Phonics and Strategery

Well, it's not quite Stephen Colbert's sublime White House Correspondent's Dinner keynote, but Tim Robbins had some interesting things to say at the National Association of Broadcasters confab.

Check them out here.

Monster attack!

My friend Rhya, who I've blogged about before, is profiled (with her fantabulous company - Monster Factory) on CityNews, as part of their 'Toys in Toronto' series.



Why would you purchase one of those cheap, tacky, made-in-China Ugly Dolls, when they can have a lovable, completely Canadian-made creation?

Go Rhy go!

Do some ho shit.

I love me some Erykah Badu.

Rat on a Wheel...

Yes, gentle readers, it's me.

I am in a state of flux, pure and simple. On one hand, yes, I am working on the blog facelift and a billion new posts, and ain't no lie, things are going to get good. Here's a little tease of good things to come.

I won't set a deadline, for fear of harassment from neighbourhood bloggers who put me to shame with eloquent, intelligent and frequent posting. But things are happening friends, don't you worry.

But for now, a state of flux. Working too much, looking for an apartment and running out of time, legal battles far too harried to relay here.

And thus the lack of posting. But I have plans. So I figured, if y'all are itching for me to talk to you so badly, how about showing some love back? Huh? Let me know what you think of the following ideas and I'll love you for always.

1. More thoughts and insights about my professional passion - interactive/digital marketing/communications.

2. More frequent but much shorter posts about things that catch my eye.

3. Dance videos. Do you know my male alterego Daily Dancer? All I can say is... I could really see it working out.

4. Better navigation system.

5. More Beckstar photos.

If you've been here for a while or a new visitor, it would be really cool to know more about what you like to read about here in Beckstarland.

Okay. Back to work. Into hour 13, with end far from sight.

Le sigh.

Oh and Happy Chinese New Year. I'm feeling like the Year of the Rat is all too appropriate right now...

Merry non-denominational holiday y'all!

If any of you are still out there reading this forgotten closet of my oldest, dearest, most bloggy of friends, I wish you all the best this holiday season. Haaa-aay!

I'm off to a cruise for a week, so... you'll be hearing about that before the year's out. In the meantime, I've been feeling, what with all the seasonal parties, five years of overdue taxes, preparation for the trip, a bit like this...



Stay tuned for the 'after' photo!