Imagine if we lived in a world where there was no such thing as money. Instead, we lived in a resource based economy where the necessities of life would be available to anyone. This is what the Venus project is striving to do and the mastermind behind this vision, Jacque Fresco, has been pushing for his cause for the past 35 years. The Venus Project was founded on the idea that poverty, crime, corruption and war are caused by the neuroses and scarcity created by the present world’s profit-driven economic system, a structure which also stifles the progress of socially-beneficial technology. The progression of technology, if it were carried on independent of its profitability, Fresco theorizes, would make more resources available to more people by producing an abundance of products and materials. This new-found abundance of resources would reduce the human tendency toward independence, corruption, and greed, and instead rely on people helping each other. When education and resources are made available, there would be no limit to the human potential. The max success would be based on the fulfillment and quality of ones life, not on how much wealth or power they amass over a period of time. If you have ever seen the movie The Beach, then you have an idea of how this society would work. I personally think that it would be great for the evolution of people and societies. Check out some of these clips from the Venus Project, as explaining something like this is more difficult than it looks.

When we started ZootPatrol, I figured it was going to be something fun, where I could post some random videos, some tunes, a few pictures, and that would be about it. I never thought that it would make me reflect on the life decisions I have made and really reevaluate the direction I am heading in this world. Looking through different types of art and other forms of expression have given me the motivation to really start painting and drawing again, and the artist below for some reason really inspired me.

Dan Witz has made a 30 year career out of expressing himself in the streets of New York City. From the no-wave and DIY movements of New York’s Lower East Side of the 70’s, through the Reaganomics of the 80’s to the flourishing of graffiti art in the new millennium. Whether stickers or paste-up silk-screened posters, conceptual pranks and interventions, or beautiful tromp l’oeil paintings, the medium is inspired as much by the nature and subject of his art as by the mutating urban conditions in which the piece is executed. I look at his art not as the best thing I have ever seen, but I look at it as a symbol of someone who has followed their heart and dreams for most of their life, without worrying if it was excepted by anyone else, especially not the stiffs sitting in cubes.

Social Media is nothing new to our generation. In fact, I would bet that many people that use Social Media don’t even realize how, or how often they are being targeted based strictly on what they put in their profiles. Next time you are on Gmail, check out the right side of the page. It is filled with ads based on what is writen in your emails. We no longer have to search for information, because it will find us whether we like it or not. This video is filled with mind boggling information about Social Media, and it just goes to show that it is not the fad that many people in the marketing world thought that it would be. It is here to stay, and the youth of America is here to help it thrive.

“[The youth] can steer you in the right direction.” – Freddie Laker, director of digital strategy for Sapient

Is it weird that while watching this trailer I got super stoked, then super sad all in under 2 minutes? This trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is unreal in almost every way. Stunning visual effects? Check. An all star line up? Check. A really cool and legit story line? Check.

The film follows the leader of a travelling theatre troupe who, having made a deal with the Devil, travels through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations. After Ledgers death, production was stopped on the film, until the story was rewritten to have Judd Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell portray the new idea of transformed versions of Ledger’s character traveling through a magical realm. This movie will give fans one last chance to see Heath Ledger at his best. All of the credit for this movie getting finished should be given Law, Depp and Farrell. They did this movie in Ledgers memory, and even donated their salaries to Matilda Ledger, Heath’s daughter.

(props to Mia for having a lady boner for Johnny Depp. If she didn’t, I might not have seen this clip so soon)

We here at ZootPatrol recently added a new category called ” I Want That!”. What we basically are going to be posting on are products that either are way to classy for us, or things that we will never be able to afford in our wildest dreams. The Confederate P120 Fighter Combat falls into the ladder.

Setting the bar ultra high, the luxury motorcycle manufacturing company, Confederate, is gearing up to roll out it’s latest luxury machine at the Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel California this month: the P120 Fighter Combat. This beast from the future is made from a lightweight aluminum frame that hugs an obviously massive engine, yet manages to maintain a somewhat graceful silhouette. This bike is right out of iRobot and is sure to turn some heads and sprain some necks in the process. Confederate, known for celebrating the art of rebellion, has not yet marked a price on this new beauty – but I’m guessing you’re not going to see too many of these on the streets of your cities, especially since production on this bike is limited to 45!

To celebrate the release of Paul Rodriguez’s third shoe, Nike SB has produced a new commercial titled “Today Was a Good Day.” This is the newly released extended version which features Eric Koston, Kobe Bryant, Ice Cube, Lance Mountain and Theotis Beasley. It starts off the same way as Cubes original “Today Was a Good Day” video, and follows P-Rod and his friends though L.A. If Nike keeps putting in this kind of effort with each release of a new P-Rod skate shoe then I will be happy. Enjoy!

I don’t do too much ranting and raving, and I certainly don’t really have any pet peeves. I truly believe that every single person is entitled to make their own decisions, and be themselves. No one should be scared to dress a certain way, listen to any style of music, or express their opinions. But recently, a trend has been on the rise, and it makes my skin crawl. Generation Y is taking this concept or thought of “being yourself” to the next level and they have spawned a new trend, where cool young things that we all loved as kids are finding their way to the front of the fashion line. From McDonalds to KFC to Lego’s, Brand Whores are taking logos, products, and memories from our childhood and trying to make them the next huge fashion crazy. It really hurts to see some of my favorite toys, cartoons, or products I loved as a kid, as the center piece in some emo hipsters wardrobe. I’m pretty sure that the brands don’t mind though. Any opportunity to have their logos splashed about – irony, or no irony – is a chance to market.

I recently came across this artist, iri5, who works mostly in non traditional mediums. She is an imaginative painter and sculptor who has created some of the coolest art I have seen in a while. Her works are often noted for their unique and innovative style that focuses on recycling found materials, such as old cassettes and used books as well as old movie reels. The fact that her style is so broad is what makes her work so interesting. She has been featured in galleries in London and Bristol, UK. iri5′s art has also been featured on major websites and in newspapers and magazines all over the world. The coolest thing I noticed about iri5, is although she is a commercial success, she still is very much in touch with her fans, and even gives out her personal email address. If you want something custom, check out her site, but be prepared to drop some decent coin on it.

Obama. Made with pictures from his election run.

Jimmy Hendrix made from tape

Royal Flush with Lady Luck carved into the cards

Audrey Hepburn made from old 16mm movie reel.

Marilyn Monroe

For the second year in a row, the organizers of All Points West put together a stacked line up and they are well on their way to making APW one of the top summer festivals around. Compared to 2008, the inaugural year, the weekend of music and art was improved by leaps and bounds. I can’t remember waiting more than a few minutes for a beer (I dont know if thats a good thing, or a bad thing) and the port-a-johns were tripled, which made everyone a little happier. They even upped the beer limit from 5 to 7. YES! The Friday show was filled with so many good bands, we almost didnt know where to start. We got a late jump on the day because of the weather, but with a little help from Mr. Goldschlager, we were ready to brave the storms. We caught the end of Fleet Foxes, who were great, and a nice way to ease into the day. It was just getting sunny, so we decided to explore the beer garden before checking out Ra Ra Riot. With a few beers in us, we made our way to Riot, and let me tell you, if you get the chance to see them live, DO IT! “The lead singers voice is so good it sounds fake”, direct quote from my partner in crime, Lanie. She wasnt lying though, I was seriously amazed. Next we saw Vampire Weekend, who I personally am not too crazy about, but we checked them out anyway (from the beer garden fence). They sounded good. Not great, but good. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were on around 7:30pm, and their set was great. They even had these 2 giant eye balls as props, which made their way into the crowd. That got everyone going and gave me flashbacks of last years GirlTalk set.

Up to this point, the day had gone amazing. It started off humid, sticky, and hot, then it rained, and then it rained some more. The entire crowd was so excited about the music and the party, that no one even cared that they were dirty and wet. It was nice to see that many people come together and get along, even if it was only for one day. I didnt see one confrontation, one argument, or one fight. With everyones spirits high, it was time for the main event. HOVE! The Friday show had been advertised with the Beastie Boys headlining the show, but with the recent news of Adam “MCA” Yauch’s throat cancer, Jay Z stepped in to save the day. Words can not described how well Mr. Carter performed that night. He opened with No Sleep Till Brooklyn, which got the audience to level 10, and he didnt look back. Hit after hit after hit, with a live band that only upped the energy. Check out some of the pics, and if your really interested in how well the bands performed, check them out on youtube.

A little pick me up (not my hands)

How cool is this program?

My Ride or Die chick

A backdrop like no other.

It was like this most of the day

Ra Ra Riot

English dude we met drinking beers.

R.I.P. Slipons

Vampire Weekend.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the eye

The eye is on the loose!

HOVE

Cute girls from the JayZ show. (You, in the middle, email me)

HOVA HOVA HOVA

We stood in this the whole show. No one cared and it made it more fun.

My hands were stuck in the diamond pose all night long.