In the midst of the GFC and domestic political turmoil... let's go back to the Eighties

If you remember the eighties you'll probably remember this film clip, now reworded:



HT: Tory Maguire, The Punch

I actually liked the film clip at the time. And I loved the eighties.

Here's the original - a work of art, although I don't know what it means, and perhaps that's the point.

And an Australian, Russell Mulcahy, produced it.

More details below the fold:

"Russell Mulcahy's career began with making early music videos while he was working for the Seven Network in Sydney, Australia. In early 1974, former radio DJ Graham Webb launched a weekly teen-oriented TV music show cawlled Sound Unlimited which screened on Sydney's ATN-7 on Saturday mornings.

In need of material for the show, Webb approached Mulcahy (who was then employed in the Seven newsroom) and asked him to shoot film footage to accompany popular songs for which there were no purpose-made clips. The success of his early efforts encouraged Mulcahy to quit his TV job and become a freelance director, and during this period he made clips for several popular Australian acts including Stylus, Marcia Hines, Hush and AC/DC.

After relocating to the UK ca. 1976, Mulcahy made successful music videos for several noted British pop acts -- his early UK credits included XTC's "Making Plans For Nigel" (1979), The Vapors' hit "Turning Japanese" and his landmark video for The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star" (1979) which became the first music video played on MTV in 1981.

By the mid-1980s Mulcahy was one of the most sought-after video makers in the world, directing videos for some of the most successful pop-rock acts of the period including The Human League, The Tubes, Elton John, Ultravox, most of the major hits of Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Kim Carnes, Bonnie Tyler, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, The Motels, Supertramp and The Rolling Stones."

Mulchay's hallmark was water. He used a lot of it.

Here's Video Killed the Radio Star:



And here's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues:

Wow! (You'll probably need to hit play then pause and wait for some of it to download)

The way this works with the music is awesome. What does it mean?

Maybe that's not the point. Brian Eno said on Radio National last week that too many composers tried to make the lyrics literally "mean" something. Instead he wants lyrics to feel right. He says those are nearly always the lyrics that first come to mind.

And here's Allentown: (Again, you'll probably need to hit play then pause and wait)



Wow again.

But back to Total Eclipse:

"The Gothic themed video features Bonnie Tyler clad all in white, apparently having a dream or fantasy about her students in a boys' boarding school. Young men are seen dancing and participating in various school activities such as swim team, fencing, football, and singing in a choir. Also, there are unexplained ninjas."

That's enough for me:

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Canberra in Autumn

Here's the way the camera on my mobile phone tells it:

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Friday Fun: The Budget, the CPI, and the movies.

First, fun with the budget:


Budget Hero, created by the team at American Public Media, is a life-like test of skill, for a Treasurer. Such as you Wayne. Turn on the sound.


Now, graphing the CPI.

All of Inflation’s Little Parts is an intuitive, almost organic graphical representation of what makes the Consumer Price Index (in the US):


Play with it. Roam around and zoom. It tells you a lot.


Finally, the movies.

The Ebb and Flow of Movies: Box Office Receipts 1986 — 2008 is at the cutting edge of graphic design: ultra intuitive, ultra-organic, packed full of information, and a thing of beauty. I am in love with it.



Play, and learn, and then read the story of how it was created.


Hat tips: Shane Wright, Zubin Jelveh.

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It's art. Another very Canberra story

If you are one of the people outside of Canberra or London, or Melbourne or the many many parts of the world where this is being reported, you might not have heard of Canberra's Steve Pratt.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph was unkind enough to caption this photo with the words "Pratt by name". Actually, you may have heard of him in more serious context.

To summarise what others have reported more extensively, he faxed my office among many others with this statement promising that he would tomorrow "endeavour to remove long standing graffiti and politically themed posters".

It noted that: "Mr Pratt will be at the following locations..."

He turned up and was captured on film painting over the paint with white paint. Only problem was he had vandalised a commissioned work of art.

And the police have the evidence.

I just love the story! Don't know why I love it so much. Something to do with the nature of "art".

To me its an echo of Ern Malley.

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