Summary. The music video production of High off the Fame was recently released and features hip-hop superstars Candyman 187, Snoop Dogg, and Ariano.

Review. The music and vocals are expectedly exceptional. What’s interesting about High off the Fame is how the melody morphs from quasi-rap to house-dance music, covering multiple genres of music in the same song. The video clarity and quality are impressive considering some of the low-light challenges that the venue presented.

Multiple camera angles and points of view provide a surround-perspective in what looks like a converted warehouse-flat where this video was produced. Some of the animated special effects were unexpected and very well done – pay close attention to the tattoos that seem to come to life.

The performance by Candyman187 is spot on, and when partnered with Snoop Dogg this becomes an epic video sure to become a classic. The dance scene at the end is well choreographed and the dancers are obviously some of the best in the business. As a side note, anyone into fashion, hair styles, tattoos, and clothing design will find this video interesting. This video has something for everyone.

Summary. When a non-profit organization engages in social action, we think of it as activism. When a business engages with society through advertising, we simply call it marketing. Yet, activists exist in all areas of society including companies and they are leveraging their positions to impact the world in positive ways.

Among the leadership of Liberty Mutual there apparently are some people who had the brilliant idea of using advertising as a carrier signal for delivering a positive social message. For example, in radio broadcasting, it’s possible to send an HD FM radio signal with music that also includes embedded data that can provide information about the current song such as artist and song title. In the same way, advertising can tell the public about a product or service, while at the same time conveying a message that is designed to have a positive impact on society.

The Responsibility Project. Liberty Mutual has launched an initiative called The Responsibility Project. Below are videos from their advertising campaign about living responsibly. The general theme is that people who see acts of kindness, generosity, caring, giving, and responsibility, will feel compelled to do the same. What’s really powerful about this advertising campaign is that it offers an almost documentary presentation of the world from a God’s-eye-viewproint in showing how kindness can spread quickly. It’s alarming to realize that stress and unpleasantness can spread just as quickly. The multiplayer effect depicted in these videos demonstrates the impact that each person has in the world.

Summary. The Fall of 2011 will mark a significant moment in the revival of Hip Hop music as Candyman 187 (Sardar Khan) and The Havenotz are planning to launch a major project that will revitalize the landscape of rap music.

Known for his involvement in films such as Thug Angel, Welcome to Death Row, and Tupac Shakur: Before I Wake, Candyman 187 has proven his ability to powerfully utilize all forms of media.

Candyman 187 was mentored by the legendary Tupac Shakur and Yaki Kadafi of the Outlawz. Tha Havenotz, was originally started by and consisted of Tupac Shakur, Yaki Kadafi, and Sardar Khan (Candyman 187).

With his band of over a dozen talented musicians, this summer Candyman 187 has released the first in what promises to be an unrelenting series of music videos. Below is the video featuring Show Em’ All.

Learn More. Candyman 187 and Tha Havenotz have taken the Internet by storm reaching out through every imaginable social network and media channel.

• Candyman187.com
• Candyman 187 Facebook Page
• iTunes Web Page
• MySpace
• The Havenotz Facebook Page
• Tumblr.com Page
• Twitter
• YouTube Channel

Commentary. Below is a commentary by Greg Johnson about the video release of Show Em’ All by Candyman 187 and The Havenotz.

“I got goosebumps when I saw the video of Show Em’ All for the first time. The lyrics of the song juxtaposed with the civil rights and protest footage in that music video carries a very powerful message.” ~ Greg Johnson

Summary. Sometimes audio files can get corrupted. This can be for any variety of reasons. If deleted files are recovered, and those files have been overwritten, then corruption exists to the file format.

Most audio players will stop playing an MP3 audio file if any corruption is encountered. As a result, it’s no longer possible to listen to the audio files.

Pictured above is the waveform of a corrupted audio file as viewed in Audacity. Click here, or on the image above, to view this full size.

The solid vertical bars indicate that there is unrecognizable data. Attempting to play these portions of the audio will only result in a loud squealing noise.

Using Audacity, it’s possible to identify, select, and delete these segments of a recording. Once the corrupted portions are gone, the file should be playable in a regular music player program such as iTunes.

Summary. As an instrument, the Lakota Flute is relatively easy to play, yet it also offers the use of more advanced techniques to create a wide range of sounds including pitch bending. The Lakota flute can be played naturally, or used with digital recording effects such as those available with Garageband music recording and production software from Apple.

Vendors. Sources for Lakota flutes are listed here. As you will see from these websites, some flutes are ornately crafted and artistic while others are plain and simple.

• Ancient Territories Flutes by John Stillwell – “I have been a craftsman throughout my life. Each day as I work at making Native American style flutes my craftsmanship continues to evolve and improve. This takes place through a process of personal dedication, experimentation and respect for the source of my inspiration. Ancient Territories Native American style flutes are hand crafted musical instruments. I hope that the craftsmanship, sound quality and appearance of these flutes inspires your playing. The Native American style flute that I make for you is something that you will enjoy and treasure.”
• BruceBeckerFlutes.com – “I make my flutes of various fine hardwoods, and some of Cedar, Maple, Cherry  or other exotic woods. The woods most often used are Curly Maple, Walnut, Cherry, Redheart (a beautiful, rich, deep red-colored wood), and Paduk (an orangish-red wood which deepens in color with age).”
• HeartSongFlutes.com – “Rated a top buyer’s choice for quality and craftsmanship, since 1994 the beautiful hand crafted Flute lines offered by JP Gomez continue to satisfy Flute player enthusiasts and professional Flautists from around the world that have been looking for a time-tested quality instrument and also to become tomorrow’s collectibles.”
• LittleLeaf.com Listing – “Here at Littleleaf.Com, we are pleased to offer you one of the most popular, comprehensive listings today on the Internet with links to many Native American flute makers, native-heart flute makers, and flute related items from around the country and abroad.”
• Waking-Spirit.com – “It is my belief that Grandfather (the Creator) has bestowed upon me a magnificent and extraordinary gift for creating Native American Flutes. I am truly honored and accept his gift with humility. As a full-time flute maker, I feel I need to share this gift with anyone who has an interest in these wonderful instruments.”
• Wind-Dancer-Flutes.com – “These Native American flutes are custom made to fit the spirit of your music. Each flute embodies the delicate and careful work that can only be achieved by a Master Flute Maker. Wind Dancer Cedar Flutes are becoming well known for their artistic expression and concert quality tuning.”
• Zadjik.com Listing – “ It should be noted that on this list, several links have been removed where the site has not been updated in years and it cannot be ascertained that the flutemaker is still making flutes. Plus there are one or two sites not listed because the maker disparages other makers and that is not acceptable to me. Everyone has gifts and everyone is at different places in their journey to develop those gifts to its utmost.”

Video Tour. Below is a video tour of the website Ancient Territories Flutes by John Stillwell.

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Document History. This document was first posted on 20081219@2126CT. It was updated and posted again on 20100609th1518CT.

Summary. To be most effective, advertising must be engaging, entertaining, interesting, and inspiring.

The Québec City and Area Tourism Department recently produced a spectacular high definition video with areal flyovers and panoramic vistas combined with an uplifting music score. It’s possibly one of the most impressive tourism videos ever produced.

Summary. Jeff Rolfzen is a folk music artist who plays acoustic guitar, ukulele, harmonica and sings vocals.

He plays music of his own creation as well as some songs popularized by traditional folk music artists such as Bob Dylan.

You can learn more about Jeff Rolfzen on his MySpace and YouTube pages.

Video. Below is a video of Jeff Rolfzen playing the song “Don’t Think Twice” originally popularized by Bob Dylan.

Summary. Eduardo Porter explores the logic and emotion behind themes of price, value, and worth, in his book The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do. [BUY NOW]

Book Promotion. Perhaps equally intriguing is the creative marketing campaign behind promoting the book. Porter is working with the Leigh Bureau as his agent for public speaking engagements. He has chosen Penguin as his publishing agent. The think-tank creativity agents at SpongeChicago.com have assisted in the promotion of the book by creating a very catching video (below). In their Laboratory for New Thinking, Sponge helps brands find, fulfill, and express their unique identities.

Commentary. This is a commentary by Gregory Johnson about the theme of Porter’s book.

I first learned about The Price of Everything through the impressively crisp and musically rich video created to promote it (see below). I’ve long been fascinated with how our society arrives at determining the price of something. So, inspired by the premise of this book, here are some thoughts about the price of everything.

Everything is Free. The song Everything is Free by Gillian Welch [iTunes] is a folk-style song telling the story of how increasingly things are free that once cost something. Many companies are moving the free line and giving more of their services away for free. This is particularly popular with online providers offering email, photo sharing, video hosting, ebooks, music, email distribution, etc. Rather than giving away the tip of the iceberg and selling everything else, companies are giving away their services to 90% of their customers and the 10% who pay for premium services help fund the entire operation. This is creating a society where many people can have for free the services that meet their basic needs.

Cost and Worth. Gigaom.com offers a very well presented visual report on the cost of an iPhone. The cost of something is essentially the sum of its parts, but the worth of something is often greater. The true value of something is found in how much money and time it can save the one who possesses it. Or, how much money it can create for the possessor. A lawyer can charge $500 per hour because they are saving their client millions of dollars. Sometimes, something is worth a lot not because it saves or makes either time or money, but simply because of how it makes us feel. There are sometimes research and development costs that far exceed the eventual cost to build one mass produced unit. So, all of these factors go into determining the value of something.

Market Value. Another way we arrive at the value of something is by allowing consumers to vote with their purchase decisions on what price is too high. Once the price gets too high, consumer demand diminishes. Of course, for necessary products and services such as food, heat, shelter, and healthcare, consumers will pay whatever it takes. This introduces the possibility for price gouging.

Video. Below is the video produced by SpongeChicago.com for the promotion of The Price of Everything.