A wonderful little profile of Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden from WNYC radio’s Street Shots video series. As Gilden searches for characters walking down the streets of Manhattan, he doesn’t hesitate to put his camera in a stranger’s face and snap a flash photo. Don’t bother yelling at him because he’ll come right back at you with some Brooklyn attitude. And for god’s sake, don’t smile! Visit WNYC’s Street Shots website for more videos and a chance to share your own Street photographs.

And for those of you who still listen to the good old radio, I highly recommend another WNYC offering: Radiolab.

Definitely one of the strangest videos I’ve come across lately…What is up with the choir? Check out Windfall Films for more info.

Now that it’s finally starting to feel like summer, say goodbye to the cold with the unusual sound compilation Fare You Well - Songs After Winter which we discovered on the always wonderful MULE magazine blog. It’s the first album released by the brand new Reelfoot Library of Music and Sound, the sister establishment to Reelfoot Books. They plan to release tracks of rare, common, and previously unheard recordings 2-3 times a year. As the website states, they are always accepting donations of original songs and sound collages.

“Reelfoot Library of Music and Sound is interested in everything audible, even some things that aren’t. If you run across an unusual sound bite or hear something that makes you feel happy, send it to us. We will file it away in just the right place. Sing a song and give it to us. Read a poem into your dictaphone and let us have it. Contributors will receive an official Reelfoot Certificate of Participation and be a permanent addition to our mailing list. 2-3 times a year, you will receive a CD containing samples from our collection, curated by Chris Roberson - founder, director, conservator, and Minister of Visuals for both The Library and Reelfoot Books.”

Ok, I’ll be the first to admit that I have yet to sign up for Twitter. I know it’s supposed to bring the experience of chatting, blogging and text messaging all into one fun and easy-to-use package but I’m still skeptical about why anyone needs to know that I’m flossing my teeth (yeah right) or eating chocolate for breakfast (more likely). This video from Wired pretty much sums up my feelings, though I’m still open to being converted…

Special thanks to Arthur Plotnik, author of Spunk & Bite, for the tip!

Thanks to Treehugger.com, I just found two great videos made by German companies that spread the message of alternative energy in surprising ways.

“Mr.W” was created by Epuron in association with the German Ministry for the Environment. I don’t want to give away the details so just watch it below:

“Hail: Return of the Sun” is an ad campaign by Solon AG Fuer Solartechnik, manufacturer and distributor of solar cells and photovoltaic power panels, which operates in Germany and Switzerland. Some people think it’s a bit violent but I’m sort of glad they’re forceful with this important message.

Produced by Hassan S. Ali and Dorothee Royal-Hedinger

Hear ye, city dwellers: Spring is here, and for those of you surrounded by urban sprawl, it’s time to show your neighborhood greenery some love.

“Seed bombing” involves planting flowers on barren land that’s otherwise hard-to-reach or simply not conducive to plant growth, such as construction sites, abandoned lots, and even alleys and sidewalks.

In this episode of “DIY,” we give it a shot for ourselves.

(Photo credits, via Creative Commons License: North Avenue Beach, Skyline, Millenium Park)

In the crazy world of web video, it’s often hard to get your work to the top of the heap. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that a video made by Fresh Cut’s own Dorothee Royal-Hedinger and Robert Aquilar (of Bulletproof Films) was featured on YouTube’s homepage on Earth Day. In a short 24-hours, the video was viewed by more than 130,000 people! The video, “Carrying Power: Solar Energy On the Go” is about Noon Solar, a company that makes stylish solar-paneled bags.

Check out this amazing animation by the artist BLU which is painted exclusively on public walls. See his other videos here (one my favorites is Loop which he did on the Tate Modern in London).

The title, “Green Porno” is shocking but the reality is probably no less bizarre than what you first imagined. A series of eight short films depicting the strange and amazing sexual practices of insects, Green Porno was written, co-directed and stars Isabella Rossellini. It was created for the Sundance Institute and premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival but was made to be viewed primarily on mobile phones.

Since the films have been pulled from YouTube “due to a copyright claim by the Sundance Channel”, I’m posting the AP story featuring clips and an interview with Rossellini below. However you can see all eight films on the Sundance website.

If anthropologists from the distant future took a look at the objects we’ve left behind, what conclusions would they come to? KQED’s QUEST series explores this idea with a funny and revealing take on the “future” analysis of plastic water bottles. What does our use of these objects say about us and our society?

Special thanks to Morgan M. for the tip!