Radiohead Cover + Stop Motion Animation + Mean Girl Barbie = Genius | VIDEO ART

Creep (Radiohead) - Scala & Kolacny Brothers from Alex Heller on Vimeo.

This is a pretty awesome stop motion video art piece, set to a cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' (also heard on The Social Network trailer - by Scala & Kolacny Brothers choir).

The video has a pretty good message (I think) -- be happy with yourself, just the way you are. And also, Barbie's a real b*tch.

The artist, Alex Heller, from Chicago, says of herself: 'Seventeen. Trapped in the suburbs. I root for the underdog.' Wait...seventeen?

...just goes to show (Mr Pixar) that you don't need a huge budget to produce an animation that has class, pathos and a real heart. We all want to belong but sometimes recreating ourselves to suit others will end in more rejection and hurt than if we just remain true to what we are. This wonderful short animation is composed of 1554 pictures, shot with a Nikon D60. Fantastic.
[via Kuriositas.com]

Thanks RH for sharing this gem!

-jmd

Time: Coffee losing steam to energy drinks? | BEVERAGES / PRESS

Earlier this week, Irma Zandl weighed in to Time on the decline of young coffee drinkers -- and the rise of energy drinks:

Coffee has to party more too. Irma Zandl, president of Zandl Group, a New York consumer-research group, notes that it was Red Bull's introduction into the bar scene, where people would order the drink with vodka, that first attracted consumers to it. (And exposed the company to criticism.) Likewise, "the best way to get them to consider buying a coffee machine and buying coffee is if they've had that experience in a fabulous coffee bar," she says. Zandl cites the Stumptown café in the Ace Hotel in New York City as an example.
[via Time.com]

We here in Zandland might be known to grab a Red Bull or two when we're out and about, but we're certainly not about to turn our backs on good ol' cup of joe.

The Ruins of Six Flags New Orleans | ART / VIRAL VIDEO

This amazing video by Teddy Smith has been making the viral rounds this week. The vid showcases the vacant and dilapidated Six Flags New Orleans, which has been out of commission since Hurricane Katrina. Pretty stunning footage.

via Gawker
-p!n, jmd

Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck gives out free food to raise cuisine awareness | MARKETING / EATS

A special surprise met us outside the LIC Zandl Group office today. The Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck was parked on the corner, handing out free samples of deliciousness to passers by. The truck has been making it's way through NYC over the last month, spreading the word (and flavor) of Malaysia's tasty offerings with samplings from participating tri-state area Malaysian hot spots.

Unlike most food trucks, the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck only offers free samples (rather large ones at that) with the sole purpose of igniting interest in the cuisine. And it worked! Today's offerings came from the menu of Flushing's Sentosa (39-07 Prince St.). We tried the Mee Goreng, a fried noodle dish with tofu and vegetables in a squid sauce and we give it two big, satisfied thumbs up!

Press Release:

October 4, 2010, New York - In an effort to drive consumers to experience the exotic flavors of Malaysian cuisine, Malaysia Kitchen for the World will host a food truck offering free samples of delicious food from local Malaysian restaurants.  From October 11 to November 6 in Manhattan and from November 8 to 19 in Queens, the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck will offer free portions of Malaysian delicacies weekdays from 11:30 am - 3:00 pm.

Stationed at different, high-traffic locations in Manhattan and Queens, the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck will feature food from restaurants such as Café Asean, Penang (Upper West Side), Laut, Nyonya (Chinatown), Fatty Crab, and New Malaysia from Manhattan, Bentara from New Haven, Connecticut, and Malay Restaurant Inc. (Restorant Malaysia) from Queens.

On Tuesday, October 12, the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck will officially launch at Bryant Park (40th St. between 5th and 6th Aves).  On that day, sampling will commence at 7:00 am with Malaysian breakfast dishes and continue with lunch offerings at 11:00 am.  Samples available while supplies last.  Chef Zak Pelaccio from Fatty Crab and Fatty ‘Cue restaurants in New York, and Chef Hasni Ghazali from Bentara restaurant in New Haven, will be on hand Tuesday morning to discuss their culinary contributions to the truck.  In addition, Chef Ghazali will demonstrate his dramatic cooking technique for Roti Jala, the signature Malaysian flat bread.  Bentara will provide samples for the Malaysia Kitchen Food Truck November 5 and 6 to complement the "Eat| Drink| Explore Malaysia Kitchen" celebration at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal.

A schedule of truck sampling locations, dates, restaurants and dishes will appear on the Malaysia Kitchen for the World web site (www.MalaysiaKitchenNYC.com) on October 11. Updates will also be available via Twitter by following @malaysiakitchn.

"We're delighted to give New Yorkers the opportunity to sample the flavors of Malaysia by bringing our food directly to them," said Wan Latiff, MATRADE Commissioner.  "We think the truck will be an effective and fun way to promote Malaysian cuisine and entice consumers to visit their local Malaysian restaurants."
At the truck, consumers can enjoy a free sample of some Malaysian signature dishes ranging fromBeef Rendang, a dry beef curry, to Chicken Satay, chicken meat on skewers served with a tasty peanut sauce, and Nasi Lemak, a coconut rice dish traditionally served with chicken curry and spicy chili sauce called Sambal.   Menus from restaurants sampling food on the truck as well as a restaurant guide of local Malaysian restaurants and restaurants serving Malaysian dishes will be available for patrons.
[via MalaysiaKitchenNYC.com]

-jmd

Sandra Bernhard Tour, 'Kiss Me On The Lips, Texas' | EVENTS

This is a must-catch tour if you'll be in Texas later this month. The always fabulous and funny Sandra Bernhard (featuring Zandland fave, White Widow) is going to knock out some serious awesomeness for three nights only -- in Houston (11/18), San Antonio (11/19) and Austin (11/20).

Tickets available at District512.com.

The tour benefits a good cause too! Check out the great work of Equality Texas.

Also check out this retro clip of Sandra on Letterman circa 1989:


RELATED ON ZANDLAND:
White Widow, Black Heart | NEW MUSIC/REVIEW
NEW MUSIC/VIDEO - White Widow, 'Black Heart'

-jmd

Extreme Product Placement - Days of Our Lives | ADS

With waning interest in daytime TV, the soaps are forced to step up shameless product endorsement. Cracking us up... But seriously, this has simply gone too far...


via WorldOfWonder.net

-jmd

Most Popular Time of Year To Go Single: Information Design | TECH / BUSINESS

Just caught this intelligent presentation from David McCandless' at TED (from August 2010) called, 'The Beauty of data visualizations'.

David McCandless turns complex data sets (like worldwide military spending, media buzz, Facebook status updates) into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out unseen patterns and connections. Good design, he suggests, is the best way to navigate information glut -- and it may just change the way we see the world.
[via YouTube]

We found our way to the vid by way of this humorous and intriguing chart (via Best Week Ever via mathiasmikkelsen.com) generated by information gathered on Facebook on 'peak breakup times':

(With information compiled from 10,000 Facebook status updates, the above chart visualizes specific peaks and lulls of user breakups during the course of a year.)

Point is, our sense of vision can so beautifully illustrate (pun intended) how we comprehend and engage with information. Nothing new, really -- but McCandless does an impressive job at pointing at the effectivity of visualizing information.

Over the years, we've found that our clients have increasingly responded more excitingly to highly visual reports and presentations, with less text. With more access to fancier chart-building tools, programs and applications that can easily retool information into a visual format, this trend will certainly keep on the up.

Enter more professional opportunities and schools offering education in Information Design.

-jmd

Amy Sedaris, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People | READ

Entertainer Amy Sedaris wears plenty of hats - and always looks good doing it. Today marks the release of her new book, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, a followup to 2008's I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence. And we couldn't be more excited. The comedian excels at pretty much everything she touches -- this is sure to be of no exception. Check out Sedaris' video promo via Amazon.


Also, get some giggle-worthy insights from Sedaris in a recent interview on Etsy. Cracking us up. An excerpt:

Is it true that anyone can craft? (Really? Anyone?)
Absolutely, anyone can craft. Stick a fistful of pencils into a potato and you've got a pencil holder. Who can't do that?

If you could craft with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
If I pick a dead person does it mean I have to craft while accompanied by their corpse? That just makes me uneasy.

Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People is available at a STEAL of a price ($16.49) on Amazon.com.

RELATED ON ZANDLAND:
Amy Sedaris Talks Hallween To Epicurious

-jmd