Saved a quick blog post draft about the The Johnny Cash Project back in April of last year when I first learned of it. The collaborative project site describes it:

Working with a single image as a template, and using a custom drawing tool, you’ll create a unique and personal portrait of Johnny. Your work will then be combined with art from participants around the world, and integrated into a collective whole: a music video for “Ain’t No Grave”, rising from a sea of one-of-a-kind portraits.

Strictly Global just aired he the ever evolving video of “Ain’t No Grave” on regular old TV and it is high past time to blog it.

The video itself as of 9/30/10 starts around the 2:45 mark.

The first interview is available in the originally titled “Interview Project” hosted at DavidLynch.com.

Directed by Austin Lynch and Jason S. the project spans 20,000 American miles over 70 days to interview 121 people.  A new interview is promised every 3 days.

The subject of the first interview, now showing at http://interviewproject.davidlynch.com, is Jess, a man in his mid 60s filmed in Needles, CA.

Based on the first interview I won’t attempt to say anything about the whole project other than the obvious, empty truism: it seems Lynchian already.   Trying to judge the entire project based on one interview would be like the tired cliche: You can’t judge a book by its cover.

But I will point out a few yeas and nays of the project website in general.  The “all episodes” tab is impressive in its simplicity.  Thumbnails of interviews that are currently watchable, or will be watchable, are in color, while the future ones are in black and white.  Further wowing me is a short, one line audio clip from the subject that plays when mousing over an interview thumbnail.  This provides context and a teaser of what’s to come.

Still photographs; a map plotting the journey and interviews; and a clean layout all add to the experience.  What takes away is a lack of written information.  It is my bet that those involved in this project wish to keep everything as mysterious as possible thus shunning verbal verbosity.

You also can’t embed the videos.

The term “content” — referring to material that constitutes a publication or document for an audience — is abhorrent. Applying the word “content” essentially cheapens the writing, music, video or whatever other form of media one is taking in and attempting to gain a life enriching experience from it.

The only purpose for casting a blanket term like “content” over every form of consumable media is convenience. It is simply easier to say we need more content on this or that site instead of actually taking the time to discuss what actually needs written or recorded.

Providing content. Content is king. Instead of focusing on gaining knowledge from whatever we are reading, watching or listening to, too many times the Internet community lumps these together and says “content” instead of engaging web communities in conversation by producing things that matter, things of lasting value.

Commodification of information is not at issue here. Many folks make a living off of good art and wanted words. It is simply the sweeping way this livelihood is often referred to.

My argument may come off as purely semantic with a high burden of proof and much chiding, but the point is to urge quality in everything we produce and consume online.

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(Updated 5/18/10)

But there’s really no one to blame.  Referring to it as “content” seemed to gradually come in to use and now you’re a weirdo if you don’t use the term.

But by referring to various media as “content” it all but jells one’s consumption of it away from style, substance and meaning and towards other intents for media like monetization.

When was the last time you referred to the music, films and written words you love so much — stuff that somehow helps define you and your beliefs — as “content”?

“There’s this awesome content I just consumed that has completely revolutionized my own life and is changing how people view the world.”

No.

Members of the American Legion can now sign up for VetCam, a free video conferencing website that allows Legion members to talk face to face with friends and family in the Armed Forces without either party having to download additional software.

Looks like it’s Windows only however:

For this free one-on-one video conferencing, you will need to obtain a webcam and a headset with a microphone, available at most electronic supply stores. Additionally, the software requires a PC with Windows XP or higher.

I shot and edited this heinousness.

The music is by Leo Kottke, The Old 97′s and, I believe, an instrumental by the Beastie Boys.

If anybody is wondering about the title, “Fatwater”, I guess it is kind of a play on Blackwater and “Fatroll” which is a nick name of one of the dudes in the video.

I’m not a Michael Moore fan. Let’s just get that out there first.  But, for some reason, I have watched several of his films.  The only reason I’m mentioning his latest film, Slacker Uprising , is because it has released to the Internets very recently.

If you care to watch it, stream it in high quality at Amazon Video On Demand .  The Amazon thing kind of stinks.  Windows only download and non-embeddable.

You can apparently sign up on the Slacker Uprising site to download the film, but I’m sure it’ll be available for download plenty of other places soon.

12Seconds.tv launched in late July with a Twitter-like purpose.  Let others know where you are and what you’re doing, but 12Seconds does it with video — up to 12 seconds worth at a time.

Mowing on 12seconds.tv

Embedded above is 12Seconds user tw3nty3ight mowing grass.

One point ABC News makes in its write up about 12Seconds: the ability to scan large amounts of information fairly rapidly is an obvious drawback of 12seconds compaired to Twitter.

12Seconds is currently in private alpha.