Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author
As seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, Fox, Wired, Yahoo!, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal
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Tagged videos

The history of rap

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW-fPBh6w7A[/youtube]

This is really well done. Fallon’s delivery is impressive, especially for a night show host. The Roots on backup are phenomenal. (Thanks, Mark)

My first time sailing was everything I thought it would be

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjedB9d2v8k[/youtube]Now can someone lend me a few thousand dollars so I can take up the hobby full time? Either that or let me impose on your Cape Cod, Maine, or Southern Florida timeshare?

Seriously though, Lindsey and I had a wonderful time and plan to go again sooon. It’s a perfect way to slow down your life.

Thanks, Bonneville Sailing.

With exception to the corney caption at the end, I love this video for the following reasons:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w[/youtube]

  1. Observing people with a common interest in a moment of elation gives me goose bumps.
  2. National pride—something America could use a lot more of.
  3. Rudy is my favorite sports movie, so anything that uses its soundtrack gets high marks from me.
  4. It’s fun watching your country master one of the few things it has yet to master.
  5. Goonies never say die. And the U.S. soccer team is comprised entirely of Goonies.
  6. Last minute goals are awesome.
  7. Hollywood endings happen in real life.
  8. It demonstrates why the World Cup is such an exciting sporting event.

Go, USA!

My new favorite commercial: Cars and freedom

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezk0e1VL80o[/youtube] Appropriately making its debut during halftime of the USA-England World Cup game last Saturday, I love this commercial. Freedom aside, I also love all three American muscle car reboots: Challenger, Mustang, and Camaro very much included. Would probably buy the Mustang though.

I didn’t score a goal in a World Cup final, but I know someone who did

These videos profiling World Cup final goal scorers are awesome for the following reasons:

  1. They’re beautifully filmed.
  2. I love watching old people smile as they reminisce their proudest moments from the past.
  3. I love sports biographies.
  4. I love scoring.
  5. I love World Cup soccer.

Note: Smooth Harold will likely be overrun with World Cup-related posts for the next two months. You’ve been warned.

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I’m about to buy a swagger wagon

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7coJ0mc09Q[/youtube]

In preparation for a bigger car, Lindsey and I sold our beloved Jeep this weekend. As a replacement, we’re planning to buy a 2007 Ford Freestyle, which seats 6-7, but handles like car instead of a splashy SUV or van. After seeing the above commercial, I’m officially calling our anticipated new ride the Swagger Wagon. Only better because it’ll look like a Volvo instead of a paddy wagon.

Is anyone overwhelmed by Google search results?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWV6iklM_HQ[/youtube]Microsoft thinks so. And they’re newest commercial says so: “I can’t pick a restaurant in all these links,” an indecisive women using Google replies, when asked “What’s taking you so long?”

I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve never felt overwhelmed by Google results. It’s not information overload if I find what I’m looking forward on the first results page, second at most. It’s almost as if Microsoft is confusing relevance with lack of choice.

I’m all for keeping Google on their toes through competition, but build a better mousetrap if you want to compete.

Reebok Pump documentary is form over function awesome

Although gimmicky, Reebok Pump became such a phenomenon in the early ’90s, that even Nike released pressurized knock-offs for a while. That being the case, the above documentary of Pump technology is well worth 22 minutes of your time. Featuring the inventor of the shoe, Dee Brown, Michael Chang, and urban collectors.

See also: Classic commercials: Reebok Pump vs Nike Air

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Top 5 new bands of the last decade (with video)

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After much mental torment, I’ve decided to name the best new bands of the last decade. For one to qualify, they must have met the following criteria: 1) be awesome; and 2) formed in the year 2000 or beyond (which excludes Spoon, Muse, and The Strokes for example).

With the power vested in me, I hereby announce the winners. Continue reading…

Top 10 best Killers songs (with embedded videos)

killers 2008

Prediction: The Killers will end being the best rock band of the decade. They have a fresh sound without straying too far from their rock roots. They’re ambitious, hoping to knock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Nirvana “off their pedestal.” And unlike 90% of most promising bands, their albums have gotten progressively better over time (sorta like Led Zeppelin and Nirvana—go figure.) I expect many more great songs from them in the future, but for now, these are their 10 best.

Top 30 facts about The Most Interesting Man in the World

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2SSZA0CjdQ[/youtube]

I’m a teetotaler. But I can’t stop laughing at The Most Interesting Man in the World, the fictional celebrity endorser for Dos Equis beer (similar to Chuck Norris Facts). As usual, the new ad spots are proof positive that beer advertisers are the funniest in the world.

But I digress. I’m not here to talk about beer ads. I’m here to name the most interesting facts about The Most Interesting Man in the World. They are as follows, according to reputable researchers, top scholars, and his contemporaries: Continue reading…

Video games bigger than their biggest expo

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_txF7iETX0[/youtube]

LOS ANGELES—Video games have finally grown up. As evidenced by this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, the medium is no longer a boys-only club. And in an effort to appeal to all audiences, the race for a better user interface has officially overtaken the race for photorealistic graphics.

“The show was a bit of a turning point for games,” said George Jones, senior vice president at GamePro. “Games, products, and hardware are expanding like never before, and there was a lot of excitement for the future at this year’s show.”

Continue reading…

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DJ Hero, Beatles Rock Band to melt faces this fall

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGBF6AHaaS0[/youtube]

I had the chance to play both DJ Hero and Beatles Rock Band this week. Fully. Awesome. While my interest in rhythm games has waned recently due to overexposure, these two tickled all the right spots to get me excited again. Cannot wait.

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Best kissing scene ever

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhzEzaYXxdo[/youtube]

Lindsey and I watched Some Kind of Wonderful last night. Having not seen it since the mid ’90s, I had forgotten how funny, well-cast, and totally awesome it is. While there are numerous memorable scenes, this one, entitled “Kissing Lesson,” takes the cake for its effective use of music, humor, and one-liners (“Lesson’s over; you’re cool”). If only more movies were so well done.

Hackers having fun with road signs; traffic officials not amused

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This is hilarious!

Hearing this story still gives me goose bumps

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y80BBjJAUaI[/youtube]

The above story broke about 2 and a half years ago, care of ABC News. It’s a dinosaur when it comes to internet memory. While cleaning out my hard drive this morning, I stumbled upon it, and watched it again. It still makes me feel good.

Today, Jason McElwain works part-time as a grocery clerk in New York, according to Wikipedia. He wrote a well-received biography in February, and Columbia Pictures recently secured the movie rights to his incredible story. I can’t wait to see it.

The only thing I hate more than nuclear war is the national debt

We’re screwed. The time to secure our own oxygen mask before helping others is long overdue. Big government for the loss or bust, because there are no such thing as global bailouts.

China, Japan, others: “Hey America, time to pay up.” America: “Sorry, we can’t.” China: “Then we’ll crash your currency by calling in your debts. Have fun scrambling for a solution. You’ll soon be destitute, out of options, and out of international friends because you borrowed all their money and defaulted on your loans. If you won’t liquidate your remaining assets or sell them to us on the cheap, we may collectively do it for you (aka invasion).”

See also:

World of Goo is blowing my mind

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A_JfkzPwww[/youtube]

I downloaded World of Goo yesterday on Wii, and it’s crazy good. Played for like four hours already. If you like clever writing, brilliant puzzles, Tim Burton visuals, or Danny Elfman music, you must get this game. Something special like this comes only once every 1-2 years — don’t miss it.

Amazingly, the game was created by only two people. It is available as a download on Wii for $15 or on PC for $20. A demo can be downloaded here.

First Microsoft, Seinfeld commercial is unfunny and ineffective

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz6amk3P-hY[/youtube]

Behold, this is what Redmond is using to combat the effective and clever “I’m a Mac” ads. It’s bland, forgettable, and awkward — outside of the Spanish subtitles and quick shower scene.

I really like Seinfeld, and I’m a Windows XP user, but this is more Bee Movie and Office Paperclip style than anything else. Too bad.

Olympian Jason Lezak is money

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jpsqnZylZQ[/youtube]

Lindsey and I all but did synchronized cartwheels last night, after watching the U.S. men out-relay the trash-talking and heavily favored Frenchies. Anchor Jason Lezak’s full-body split was incredible — just one of the many reasons I love the Olympics.

If a coporation were charged with designing a stop sign

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9YeOQm3Y0[/youtube]

From this video we learn two things:

  1. (Most) People are terrible designers
  2. (Most) Designers have no balls. Rather, they collectively pander to client requests instead of imposing their professional will on customers much like a doctor or mechanic would. This is a disservice to both the client and the designer — everybody loses.

[via Nick Roussos]

Fighting stereotypes with comedy

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=I9quD2YRvuQ[/youtube]
Lindsey and I watched a PBS special on Arab-American comedians earlier this month and got cramps from laughing so hard. It was funny stuff filled with perspective and comes highly recommended. I can’t think of a better way to combat muslim stereotypes (or any stereotype for that matter) than with a hearty laugh, which is innately human.