Somehow a dude named Matt convinced Stride gum to finance his 6 month trip through 39 countries on all 7 continents to dance with various people and film it. Can you say jealousy? The video has become a You Tube phenomenon with more than a million views a few days after posting. Though his dance is ridiculous, I have to admit that the result is a gorgeous. For more info visit: wherethehellismatt.com.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

This film was recently featured on You Tube’s homepage and was the winner of the 2007 Oscar for best short subjects animation. It was created by Torill Kove, narrated by Liv Ullmann and distributed by the National Film Board of Canada. For more click here.

Can we trace the chain of events that leads to our own birth? Is our existence just coincidence? Do little things matter? The narrator of The Danish Poet considers these questions as we follow Kasper, a poet whose creative well has run dry, on a holiday to Norway to meet the famous writer, Sigrid Undset. As Kasper’s quest for inspiration unfolds, it appears that a spell of bad weather, an angry dog, slippery barn planks, a careless postman, hungry goats and other seemingly unrelated factors might play important roles in the big scheme of things after all.

And if you haven’t read Sigrid Undset’s epic novel Kristin Lavransdatter, you MUST.

The world needs more people like Severn Cullis Suzuki who at the age of 9 started Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO). In 1992, at the age of 12, she raised money to attend the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro where she spoke to delegates from the UN. She received a standing ovation. Read about the experience and her thoughts on whether it truly had an impact ten years later here.

There is something about this KIA commercial that is really disturbing. Sure, they’re allowed to use any pop cultural reference they want to sell their cars, but this seems a bit extreme. It’s like they’re stealing cool vibes from Obama while at the same time sullying his image with smarmy car salesman germs. Not to mention, those cars are crappy (visit mykiasucks for details). Not that I want to honor the video with an embed but you do need to see for yourself:

The Daily Show made fun of it a little while ago:

I have to agree with The Founder over at the Tribble Ad Agency who says,

This is the worst, the absolute worst TV ad the world has ever seen. So freaking wrong to do this.. It’s an insult to Obama.. I want to know who their Advertising Agency….. feel free to contact Kia and give them your thoughts on this ad.

Just a little gem of video happiness for Monday…

Bert Parks sings Let ‘Em In during the 1976 Miss America telecast with male background dancers. I agree with You Tube commenter monkzenone who said, “Can’t you just hear the director : “Uh…Mr. parks…can you make it more like a gay whiteface minstrel number?” Warning: If you watch this video just once you may not get the song out of your head for a week.

Special thanks to Dan Rybicky for the tip! Check out his pretty delicious photography on Flickr!

On Father’s Day a lot of articles and blog posts focus on what gifts to give dad but often the more important message of spending quality time with family is overlooked. Father’s Day is a great reminder that we all should take a moment out of our busy day to call or hang out with our parents or children. In our stressful and consumer-based lifestyle, a little time spent with loved ones goes a long way.

This weekend, in an effort to get out the message that dads play a critical role in their children’s lives, the Ad Council, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse have all joined forces to release PSA’s online.

Created pro bono by Campbell-Ewald, the new PSAs emphasize to fathers that “the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child’s life.” The PSAs conclude with the tagline, “Take time to be a dad today” and direct fathers to visit www.fatherhood.gov or call 1-877-4DAD411 for parenting tips and additional resources for fathers.

DID YOU KNOW:
• An estimated 24 million children (34%) live absent their biological father.
• Nearly 20 million children (27 percent) live in single-parent homes.
• Children who live absent their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.
• Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers.

I love the art direction in this music video “Stand Right There” from Canadian singer Laura Peek. The director is Ante Kovac - Ante you rock! Buy The Album at www.justfriends.ca

The Nike Foundation just released this sweet video to promote social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society. More info at http://www.girleffect.org.

Plus, watch documentaries about girls around the world on the Girl Effect YouTube channel.

‘Tis summer and apparently that means it’s time for lots of video contests - including two chances to win a Flip Video camera!

1) Activate wants to feature your citizen journalism photos and videos for a chance to win a Flip Video camera and other prizes:

News shouldn’t be a spectator sport. The best stories engage you with the world. They are a call to activate. To celebrate our 100th Issue, we are stepping out of the mainstream-media box. We want to showcase the stories that activate your universe. Enter here to win some great prizes by sharing your story on our Flickr ™ group.

2) WE Can Solve the Climate Crisis wants suggestions for their “Unlikely Alliance” series:

You may have seen the ads already. Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich. Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson. Complete opposites. But there they are, together, on a couch. Addressing climate change brought them together. Now it’s your turn to come up with the next pairing for the couch. Tell us what famous pairs would motivate the rest of America to put aside differences to solve the climate crisis. Click here to watch the ads and nominate the next “Unlikely Alliance.”

Here’s one they’ve already done with Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson. Personally, I’d like to see Bill Gates and Steve Jobs appear together…

3) Americans for Informed Democracy is offering a chance to win a Flip Digital Camcorder through their Rights Camera Action Video Contest:

“For the past six months, student groups across the country have been organizing innovative campaigns around global human rights issues and documenting their experiences on film. From labor rights to access to essential medicines, and from fair trade to divestment, these campaigns have touched upon a myriad of pressing human rights issues. Vote for your favorite video here and be entered to win a free Flip Digital Camcorder!”

The Trailhead blog on Slate posted a funny roundup about the way media outlets tried to describe Barack and Michelle Obama’s fist pump on Tuesday night. No matter what they call it, it was pure hotness: