a special message from Kyle

Man was that ever a rad video of Fonzie on Happy Days or what? The best part is how at the end he hits the shore and walks away from the stunt. Fonzie is so cool. If you didn't see the original "Jump the Shark" video that spawned the term, check it out here.

Switching gears now. A lot:

If you look through the current offers for one KISS snow globe, and comments on the offers for the KISS snow globe, and think about it for a second, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to figure out who I'm going to trade with next. I actually received the next trade item as an offer about a month ago, but I simply didn't have anything this person could use at the time. Because of this, I never guaranteed I'd trade with him or her. (yes - I'm trying to keep you guessing who it is...) I never sought out a snow globe and actually never thought of the snow globe up-trade angle until I found out Mark Herrman had one when he called ten days ago. The fact that it was a KISS snow globe was just icing on the cake. The cake of ridiculousness. Until Mark called I literally had no idea who I was going to trade with for one afternoon with Alice Cooper. By doing this move, I also wanted to see what would happen if I made a trade "down" for something - to see how people would react. The response (read the comments after the entry on this page) made it clear that not quite everybody understands that this project is about people, and not the saleable value of objects.

Mark Herrmann was the ONLY person who called me up and said why an afternoon with Alice Cooper was important to him and how it could potentially change his life for the better. He explained how he was an aspiring concert photographer and that if he could hang out with Alice Cooper it'd be a bit of a break for him in the pursuit of his dream. He got lucky because he was in the right place at the right time with (surprisingly, in this case) the right trade item. But he didn't just sit there on the couch and wait for his luck to happen - he made the call. He got involved. Sure, there was a massive case of "right place, right time, right trade object" going on, but in order for that to happen, you have to put yourself in the right place with something and just hope it's the right time. I could get really deep and introspective and talk about how that's kinda a great metaphor for life itself, but I'll use this somehow appropriate anecdote that features Darryl Strawberry instead.

When I was a kid I collected baseball cards and read Beckett Monthly. It's what we did. I'd always flip directly to the back and check the current value of my 1986 Darryl Strawberry Topps card to see what it was worth. But did I ever sell it? Nope. Did I ever trade it with somebody for a pen and fill out a potentially sweepstakes-winning entry form? Nope - I didn't even take a shot at the sweepstakes - and I love entering sweepstakes. I just chewed my stick of rock-hard gum and dreamed about what I could buy with the $5.00 the card was "worth". (MINT COND) - So it was only worth what I thought it was in my mind's eye. I've so totally lost that card since then, and still haven’t won the sweepstakes. Any sweepstakes.

So that's my message with this project I guess: something is only ever worth whatever somebody is willing to give you for it. But if you don't step up and trade away your "one red paperclip", then there ain't nuthin' that's never gonna happen to that silly little "red paperclip" sitting on your desk - except that maybe it'll get the honor and dignity of holding together your prized stack of baseball cards, including Dan Gladden, Oil Can Boyd, Atlee Hammaker and Rance Mulliniks

It didn’t take long with this project to realize I can trade up to a house and help people out – so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I’m more than blown away by the sheer number of people around the world who follow one red paperclip every day. I think there's a lot of people out there that check the site more than I do. The experiences have been awesome, but the most important thing is everyone around here has been awesome. Early on I introduced a self-made word called funtential. ORP has met and exceeded its potential for funtential, but I still think the best is yet to come.

Back in the days of one instant party, I came up with another word: "furiousity". Maybe we can say that furiousity is a rare combination of anger/shock/curiousity/inexplicable mindblowingness, and that it really only truly ever occurred for the first time in the history of the world, ever, when I traded the afternoon with Alice Cooper for a KISS snow globe. Yeah, I think that'll probably work just fine as far as the definition of furiousity goes.

Anyhow, I'm doing nothing short of trading up to the house in the fastest and bestest way that I feel sticks to my principle of funtential, and I will not stop making trades until I own a house outright.

one red paperclip is about the journey and experiences of trading from one red paperclip to a house, and above all else, it's about meeting people along the way. one red paperclip is not a preconceived idea, it has unfolded over the past 10 months and taken on a life of its own. There are no rules. I'm literally flying by the seat of my pants on this. This project is 100% legit and happens in real time. I got the call from Yahk after I randomly said their town's name on the air, and I never could have guessed that I'd ever be on stage with Alice Cooper. Those two serendipitous events totally blew me away by their awesomeness. I have literally no idea what will be offered for my next item or who it will come from. There is no plan, and that's the only plan I've got.

I'll announce who I'm trading the snow globe with on Friday June 2nd at 8:18 AM EST.

If you want to trade something for whatever my next trade item happens to be, well, you know what to do.

Have fun - Kyle

PS - I've found collecting snowglobes to be a delightfully wonderful hobby. If you're interested in taking up the pastime, I suggest that you read this.

Kyle Jumped the Shark

Yes, all the rumors, speculation and totally unreliable third-party opinions regarding my decision to trade one afternoon with Alice Cooper for one KISS snow globe are 100% accurate.

I jumped the shark:



PS - If you're lost, or really just a fan of late 70s TV show drama-heightening theme music coupled with slow-mo action scenes that include no less than (a)a leather jacket, (b) a waist-belt-type life preserver, (c) water skiing, (d) hangtime, (e) a shark, and (f) the "OK" sign, then go here.

one KISS snow globe

Mark Herrmann of Villa Hills Kentucky (Greater Cincinnati) is the lucky trader who now has one afternoon with Alice Cooper. Mark's an awesome guy who's really working hard at realizing his dream of becoming a rock n' roll photographer. He's a huge Alice Cooper fan and an encyclopedia when it comes to music. You can scope out his brand new concert photography website here:

www.markherrmann.blogspot.com

Now, I know what you're thinking, dear blog reader, "Kyle, what are you thinking? A KISS snowglobe for an afternoon with Alice Cooper? Are you crazy?"

Well, I'm not exactly sure if I'm in a position to plead for my sanity here - after all, I am trying to trade one red paperclip for a house. But I must re-inforce what I believe the one red paperclip project is all about: relative value. What's more important to a man dying of thirst in the desert - one million dollars or a glass of water? So all I gotta do now is find somebody who needs a "drink". (The KISS snowglobe is filled with water - well, a water-ish substance, at least.) What I'm trying to say here is that I strongly believe that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Sure, to you, a KISS snow globe might be worth a lot less than an afternoon with Alice Cooper, but what about somebody who really likes snow globes? I think I'll be able to flip this snow globe for something much bigger and better on my quest to get to that house. What's it going to be? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and find out how this turns out!

Remember, this isn't just a regular old KISS snowglobe - it's a motorized KISS snowglobe with multi-colored lights, and above all else, a variable speed dial. Yes, you read that right - a variable speed dial. See for yourself:

I know, I know. Variable. So good. Stay tuned. I feel good about this one. And hey, if you want a KISS snowglobe, send me your offer! - Kyle

**IMPORTANT**

These offers are for one KISS snow globe. If you want to make a trade for any of these items listed below, PLEASE MAKE ME AN OFFER FOR THE ONE YOU WANT! It will be very easy for me to choose which of the below items to take if my next trade is already lined up! Thanks - Kyle. BE CREATIVE! I'm not holding out for any offer in particular and I don't expect to get a house for one KISS snow globe. However, my offer still stands that I will trade one KISS snow globe for a REAL General Lee - which I'm sure we can all agree will be the best intermediate trade item of all time. Ever.

**********
OFFERS FOR ONE KISS SNOWGLOBE
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I kind of piggy backed off your idea. I traded 10 points in a cribbage game for a banana. Traded the banana for a screwdriver that I traded for a can of soup. That can of soup was traded for a light that attaches to a mixing console. I traded the light for a microphone, then traded that for a better mic. (An Audio Technica MB4K Midnight Blues Condensor mic) I would like to trade this mic for your snow globe.

**********

I will offer you either:
-An autographed Super Dave Osborne show ticket
-Unused, near mint baseball tickets: 1st game at Exhibition Place (1977) and last game at Exhibition Place (1988)
-Collection of specialty Coke cans (empty. approximately 30 from around the world - Japan, New Zealand, Spain - as well as Canadian hockey teams, Blue Jays 1994 World Series)
-Or all of the above

**********

Dear Kyle, I'm not here to hate on how you Canadians value trinkets and how you barter pelts and beads like they taught me in some class; I'm here to make you a serious offer. Since my own brother is a die-hard KISS fan, and not one of those stick-your-tongue-out and paint whiskers on your face kind, more like the kind that wears tight pants and sleeps with countless women and rocks crazy hard, I need to get him the snow globe as a graduation present. He graduates from the Sorbonne in the fall, I can't tell you what he does, because I don't know. Papier-Mache maybe (that sounds kind of french). But as consideration for this great and powerful KISS snow machine, I am offering you a job. "A job?" I can hear you say. " A motherf'ing job?" I know you started this quest for a house, but along the way maybe you can roll up the old sleeves and work for a while, or get one of our unemployed brethren to rectify what wrongs life has put upon him/her. Say, for instance, somewhere in the world, there was this cat. And he has a house but no job. And he doesn't want the house, but is scared to look for a job. Well then here is the answer. I offer you a job at my restaurant, Little Havana, see: www.littlehavanas.com. What kind of job? What kind of restaurant? The good kind. And I will throw in one of our Havana T-shirts too. The spot is located on the water in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a big place with diverse clientele. A good place to throw back some booze. It is an excellent job and for a young man in your position in these uncertain times, it might be the answer you are looking for. So give it a shot. Trade that snow globe for financial security. You can tell Corbin Bernsen there is room for him here too. Let me know, Marc

**********

I dunno man, I think you took a few steps back with that last trade! I'll throw the belts on the table again, but I'm reducing my offer to 500 belts!!!! Here's pics of the belts and a little office fun… www.cocobelt.blogspot.com.

**********

Hey there, I made a suitcase a while back.. I painted it, and collaged it, and took it to something like 38 states while I was on tour... but I don't need it anymore. I put it up on the free section of craigslist, and have gotten some amazing offers for it... so I figured before I let it go I should offer it to you. I don't really need a kiss snowglobe, but some people really want my suitcase. It has eyes, and lips, and you can fit many a thing in it! you can even travel to your next trade with your stuff in it! I think you're amazing! later, Nicole...:)

**********

Hello Kyle, I was a big fan of Kiss when I was in High School. I remember by friend Doug Elliott and I would listen to LP's of Kiss for hours. Doug pursued his music career being the bass player for the Odds and now is the bass player for Colin James. I would trade you the Kiss Snow Globe for a Stars Wars Trilogy Special Edition collector's Set (VHS). It contains the following:

1. Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition videos in original theatrical letterbox format.
2. Exclusive behind-the-scenes presentation on The Making of the Special Edition.
3. Reproductions of the Star Wars Trilogy posters.
4. A 64 page Collector's book.
5. Pewter Medallion Keepsake of the Star Wars Logo.
6. Specially mounted 35mm film strip which contains five consecutive frames.

This Box Set has never been opened so I am hoping a Star Wars fan would appreciate the quality of this item. I would send the Kiss Snow Globe to Doug Elliott because I have enjoyed his music since he left Jasper.

Kevin Lazzari - Jasper, Alberta - www.onebluepaperclip.com

**********

Kyle, like many, I'm concerned you may have stumbled w/a year's free rent to a KISS Snowglobe. I'd like to see you on your way again and make this offer in that spirit: ONE: screenplay writing package, including 4-dvd set and ebook Retail: $199.95 plus shipping from Million Dollar Screenwriting. ACTUAL value? There's a reason we call it MILLIONDOLLARscreenwriting.com. I will also NOT put the globe up on ebay, but will try to trade it. Thanks "A Million", Chris Soth

**********

Hey Kyle, I heard about your project on KROQ last month. I didn't really have a use for a place in Phoenix or an afternoon with Alice Cooper, but when I found out about you traded for that glitter globe I stopped in my tracks. I've been collecting snow globes quite a while now and this is the kind of thing I could totally use in my collection. Not only do I want the KISS snow globe, I need it! (For reference, and I say this knowing full well it makes me sound like a total schmo, I'm the actor who was on LA LAW and in the Major League movies - and yes, those will go on the tombstone, I'm sure - Here lies Arnie Becker and Roger Dorn.) Well, I've been redirecting that potential by making movies lately with my company Public Media Works. We completed our first film last year called Carpool Guy - www.carpoolguy.com . My company makes movies specifically for fanbases. So this movie was made for Soap Opera fans.

My offer for the snow globe is a credited speaking role in one of our upcoming films, Donna on Demand. I'll throw in a round trip ticket from anywhere in the world to the shooting location and will provide room and board for the actor/actress for the duration of their stay - per our need to have them there and take care of meals etc. If whoever you trade with doesn't quite fit the bill for a character in the film, we will write a speaking role based on their character into the film. We will also compensate them according the the union agreements we have in place for that film. So there it is, a Role in a Movie (sometime during the next year) I hope this generates some activity for you, either upward toward the house or lateral move for position.
Corbin Bernsen
President Public Media Works

**********

Hello Kyle, I am currently the President of the ITMSA (www.itmsa.ca), Information Technology Management Student Assosication, at Ryerson University and it has come to my attention that you have in your possesion a kiss snow glow with variable speeds. This is something that the ITM student at Ryerson deem to be in high demand. We are willing to give up our ITM mascot, the Dragon Head himself, in return for the Kiss Snow Globe. Attached is a picture of the mascot in action during our latest parade and picnic. Please take this trade into consideration as the ITM student body is serious about making this trade happen. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Regards, Mark Do Couto

**********

Hello Kyle, My name is Steve De Chellis and I'm a game designer living in New Milford Connecticut, USA. I'm willing to trade you one of my very limited edition copies of my game Quadrovex for the Snow Globe. You can see pictures of the game by visiting www.boardgamegeek.com and doing a search for "Quadrovex". The original intent was to produce 50 hand made copies out of marble with signed and numbered wooden boxes but after making the first 20 copies I found another game was already using the name so I had to change it. I then found a publisher so I stopped making copies. So, I'm offering you the last hand made copy made of the game made in exchange for the KISS snow globe.

**********

I really used to enjoy my trips to Montreal to watch the Expos play their very special brand of baseball and eat french fries with gravy and cheese on them while drinking LaBatt Blue. I feel bad that Les Expos are no longer around, so I am going to allow you to choose from 3 (three!) offers for your lovely snow globe.

#1 - An autographed photo of baseball hereo, and Mr. Steroids himself, Jose Canseco.
Jose was my favorite player as a kid, and I was psyched when he joined the Expos. I was much less psyched when he was cut from the team a few weeks later...

#2 - A very large box of baseball cards.
There are many cards in here from the golden age of baseball card collecting, the late 80's and early 90's. I will be sure to include cards of many great Expos who got away, like Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, and Delino Deshields.

#3 - A family pack of tickets to see the Richmond Braves.
Since the Expos are no longer with us, and I live in Virginia anyway, I now root for another awesome team - the Richmond Braves. I would like for you to have the opportunity to see my new hometown team. Much like the Expos, all of their good players end up with other teams (especially the Atlanta Braves, for some reason). The family pack includes 4 General Admission Tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 12oz sodas.

Jeff Hanson - www.jhanson.com

**********

Hi Kyle, My name is Kurt and I am one of the owners of ESKnives My brother is a huge KISS fan, and the snow globe would be a great present for him. I will trade you a hand forged Bushido katana and a $200 gift certificate to www.ESKnives.com. The katana is 100% hand forged. It has a Razor sharp, fully functional blade made of high-carbon steel. It is has full tang, also known as being "live". The handle has an authentic ray skin wrap, and it has a 2-tone zinc alloy guard. The blade fits perfectly into a high lacquered finished scabbard with a rounded kuikata w/ shitodome fitting. There is also a sateen sword bag and a cleaning kit. Most hand forged katanas like this one sell for well over $500 if you can find a local smith to make them, and I have seen much lower quality ones for well over $3500 in stores. We have a smith that we work with that can make one special for this deal to match the one in the attached picture, and I’ll throw in the gift certificate for an extra kicker. Are you interested? Talk to you soon. Kurt

**********

I have a 16ft fiberglass trihull ski /fishing boat without a motor I will trade. It has a trailer I have just refinished it and painted it camo. New seats new wiring new astro turf. It is there for the trading if interested. I took the motor and controller off. Peace steve - Campus Minister - Park Chapel Christian Church

**********

I would have offered you my 2002 Saturn (in perfect working condition with low km's) for a year's rent in Phoenix, but since all you have is a KISS snow globe, here goes:

1 Large Tim Horton's coffee (dressed as you please)
1 Tim Horton's apple OR blueberry fritter
1 Set of McDonald's miniature replica NHL trophies (including Stanley Cup) WITH STAND!

Good luck, man. Despite recent stumbles in judgement there are many of us wishing you succeed.

Cheers, Andrew.

**********

Hi Kyle, My name is Dave Leroux. I am a retired movie star. My offer isn't worth much financially but the publicity you'll get trading with me is priceless! I've acted in a number of blockbuster hits including MVP 2 (Most Verticle Primate 2), Slapshot 2, and Airbud 4: 7th Inning Fetch. I am offering you Original DVD copies of MVP 2 and Slapshot 2 for the KISS Snow Globe. I am a HUUUUUUGE KISS Fan. I Hope you consider my offer. I'll even autograph the DVDs! I have included a picture proving that I am the biggest KISS fan EVER! I'm the one wearing the Singapore shirt! -Dave Leroux P.S. I,m the cat. Meowwww


**********

Kyle, I have a trade offer for you: I will trade you three professionally done eNthems for your new item up for trade - the kiss motorized globe! give it a try, I think this can be huge!!! I really want to see you succeed man, I have a lot of respect for guys like you! Anyways, I think that would make a great trade, but of course you're the man and you decide! Hopefully you will accept my trade offer! Talk to you soon, Stan

**********

Hi Kyle, OK i will try to help I will trade you a guitar that has a red white and blue flag on it. It is very cool looking. It is on a body that looks like a Fender Telecaster. Hope this might help you on your journey. I love what your doing. I am a musician that is trying to get the Inclusion Tour going. That is the Inclusion of all handicapped people. You can read my blog about it on www.myspace.com/bobgrecoband OK let me know, Peace Bob Greco www.bobgrecoband.com

Deadline for offers Wednesday 9pm EST

That's right. I'm setting the deadline for trade offers for one afternoon with Alice Cooper for one day after my radio appearance with the man himself. You can catch Mr. Cooper and I on his show, Nights With Alice Cooper, tonight (Monday). So if you've got an offer, get it in ASAP by email to oneredpaperclip@gmail.com or call me at 310-689-8867.

Don't snooze - I'm making my decicion at 9:01 PM EST Wednesday.

Have fun - Kyle

Nights With Alice Cooper

I'll be on-air with Alice Cooper Monday night (may 22) on his internationally-syndicated radio show, Nights With Alice Cooper. It'll be the second night I get to hang out with Alice Cooper, so the title for his radio program is quite fitting for the occasion - being plural and all. You can tune in and listen on about 100 different radio stations, or listen on-line between 7-12 EST here. It's gonna be a great show. And yes, in case you were wondering, I'll try my best to find a way to talk with Alice about Ronnie James Dio.

Shame on the night - Kyle

New Angle on Fargo

If you think I'm gonna milk the Alice Cooper giant red paperclip clip Fargo experience as much as I can, you're right. T-Bone from 101.9 The Box in Fargo just sent me a link to a page that's filled with all sorts of Alice Cooper/Fargo/one red paperclip assorted goodies. Check it out here.

There's also a video with another great angle of Alice and I on stage here.

Thanks T-Bone! The Box Rocks! - Kyle

Re-Cooperating

Man it's nice to be back home in Montreal. First fresh pair of socks in a month. Great to come home, hang out and do laundry. Yes, about as far to the other end of the spectrum from hanging out on stage with a Alice Cooper and getting doused in blood, but comforting nonetheless. That's the thing about laundry - it's comforting.

Speaking of dirty laundry, I really think you should check out this auction.

Yes, that's right - Guy Pearce's washer and dryer with bonus dirty laundry included, for FREE! This auction is being held by a guy named Levi in L.A. Levi is the roommate of Nirvan from The 1 Second Film. When my dad and I were in L.A. last week, we stopped by Nirvan and Levi's place to pick them up and go out for tacos. On the way out we saw the actual washer, dryer and dirty laundry with our own eyes. Amazing. I saw Guy Pearce's actual dirty laundry! OMG! Yes, that's right, OMG! Trust me, you will not want to pass up this amazing opportunity to own a unique piece of Hollywood memorabilia. Yes, that's right, Amazing.

K, gotta go rinse - Kyle

Fargo ROCKS

Yeah, I can't believe it either.

Big thanks to the combined force of a packed Fargo house and Alice Cooper for making one red paperclip rock harder than I'm sure any of us ever imagined. Tonight was insane. I could probably write all sorts of stuff about tonight, but I'll just let this video do the talking:



The balloon was filled with blood. It exploded all over the crowd. I "never saw it coming." I then got hosed off stage by a giant stream of blood. The giant red paperclip got ripped to shreds by the crowd. 20/20 from ABC caught the whole thing on tape. I then autographed pieces of giant red paperclip. None of this has ever happened before. To me at least.



Thanks Alice. You rock.



Safe to say I won't ever wash that shirt.

Sweet dreams. Or nightmares - Kyle

This just in...

Alice Cooper and Kyle MacDonald ("The red paperclip kid"), are about to rock Fargo.



And the news anchor actually says "Oh yah" at the end. Fargo, you have not let us down.

See ya on stage - Kyle

Alice in Alice

I'm staying in the same hotel in Fargo as Alice Cooper. I still think he's stalking me, but I guess he does have a good excuse to stay at this hotel:



Yes, we are tourists. Kyle, Kristine and Jody Gnant.

I'm not sure about you, but today was the first time I ever:
1) arrived in North Dakota.
2) ate at Hooters.
3) met a rock legend.
4) got in a stretch limo SUV with a rock legend.
5) got a police escort in a stretch limo SUV to the town of Alice, North Dakota (pop. 60), with a rock legend.
6) arrived in aforementioned small town to see thousands of fervent fans who'd come out to meet a rock legend and watch him accept the key to their city.
7) ate chinese food with a rock legend.





A big day of firsts. Tomorrow is gonna rock. Literally.

Have fun - Kyle

Alice Stalker

I was worried to discuss this at first, but now I think there is only one prudent course of action to take - I'm going to let you in on a little secret:

I think I'm being stalked by Alice Cooper.

The other day, Dom and I looked at the pictures from our trip to Japan and we came across something we didn't notice before:

Frankly, it left us a bit shaken, startled and concerned. My knees shook together audibly for three days. I couldn't go outside without looking over my shoulder. I even had dry mouth. Yes, dry mouth. Anyhow, today I finally gathered enough courage to share my nighmare with all of you.

That picture was taken last week in Japan. I'm in Fargo today. I'm not sure, but I have a creeping suspicion that Alice Cooper is coming to Fargo North Dakota today to stalk me. He even planned a concert here Monday night as an excuse to be in Fargo the same night as me. Well, my courage has not waned and I promise you that there will be no more shaking knees and definitely no more dry mouth. That's right, I'm giving you a no dry mouth guarantee. And yes, in case you were wondering, that's an iron-clad guarantee.

I've got a message for you, Alice Cooper:

Hey Stoopid - I'm fed up with your stalking ways. If I find out that you are in Fargo North Dakota, stalking me, then it's going to be No More Mr. Nice Guy from this Desperado. I'm not Eighteen - School's Out buster. If you wanna come around here and Feed My Frankenstein, go right ahead, but remember, It's My Body, I Never Cry and this time it's just You and Me. I've got a rental car. It's a Subaru. A red Subaru. If you wanna be Under My Wheels, then go right ahead: I'll be happy to Welcome you To My Nightmare.

Lock your doors, it's going to be Dangerous Tonight - Kyle

DUKESFEST

Wow. This might be an orange-colored gold mine of awesomeness.

It's widely known that I have a bit of an ongoing half-joke that I will accept a General Lee on the spot for a trade offer. Actually, it's not a half-joke at all. Not even a quarter-joke. If anyone offers up a real General Lee for whatever I happen to have at the moment, my mind is made up. I just think that a General Lee will be the raddest thing ever to have as a trade item. Anyhow, I was quite excited to find a link to this in my inbox two minutes ago:

www.cootersplace.com

If anyone out there can help spread the word to the 'DukesFesters' about my ongoing desire to trade up to a General Lee as an intermediate item between "now and the house", please feel free to do so! By the time DukesFest rolls around, I'll probably have something else up for trade. I'm thinking about throwing down the gauntlet for offers for one afternoon with Alice Cooper. Maybe a deadline of Wednesday May 17th?...Two days after the big to-do in Fargo...Whatcha think?

June 3-4. Man, a good part of me feels like booking a flight to Nashville right now.... - Kyle

Gnant Myspace Nirvan Drupal

"Gnant Myspace Nirvan Drupal". Four words that have never been strung together in the history of the universe. Here's why they are now:

Gnant Myspace:
Jody Gnant has a myspace: www.myspace.com/jodygnant
Listen to her music! Be her friend!

Nirvan Drupal:
My dad and I met up with my buddy Nirvan Mullick from The 1 Second Film today in Los Angeles. We ate tacos. They were delicious. With a mouth full of pork taco, he told me that he's looking for a super good Drupal programmer to help take his project to the "next level". If you're super good with Drupal, and want to help lay the foundation for what has the potential to be a MASSIVELY popular project, give Nirvan a shout at: nirvan-at-the1secondfilm-dot-com. He'll totally hook you up with tacos.

**oh, and if you're not Drupal programmer, or have no idea what I'm talking about, but want to help produce a feature film for $1 and get your name in the IMDB like this, go to www.the1secondfilm.com and become a producer for the shortest film of all time. Yes, you will officially become a film producer and get your name in the IMDB for one buck. It's worth sacrificing one taco to be part of this - trust me - Del Taco and El Pollo Loco will still be there for you when you scrounge up another buck.

Over and out, brussel sprout - Kyle

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

As if I could resist using the title of a 1990s basketball-themed sitcom for the title of this blog post to metaphorically refer to what will transpire in Fargo North Dakota next Monday. As if I could resist.

Okay, here's the skinny:

On Monday May 15th I will be in Fargo North Dakota - hanging out with Alice Cooper. I'd tell ya more myself, but there's really no way I can write anything more incredible than this:

www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2006/10/c5138.html

This is going to be so unbelievably amazing. It hurts my brain to imagine the awesomeness that will transpire in Fargo next Monday.

I also totally can't believe I just wrote "transpire" twice...no, three times in one blog post. I'm also trying to wrap my brain around that as well. I need to check my head. This blog post is wild, just wild. Today, I should sleep in late man, it'll be much easier on my constitution. - See ya in Fargo - Kyle

one famous ski-doo update

Just got word from Kerry at SnoRiders West that he traded the snowmobile!

From Kerry:
"Kyle: I thought you may like to know what happens to past trade items that you have made. In the spirit of OneRedPaperClip we at SnoRiderswest.com have traded Michel Barrette's famous snowmobile to a local Cranbrook resident, Richard Wake. Richard is a database consultant who traded us his services for the sled, which he has given to his 11-year-old son Marshall. Trading isn't as easy as you make it look! I think you have made three awesome trades in the time it has taken us to make one. But we are happy to report that Marshall is absolutely thrilled to have a famous snowmobile that in his words has "been on TV."

Shown in the photo from right to left is: Richard Wake, Marshall Wake and Kerry Shellborn



Nice work boys! - Kyle

Back from the Future

Big thanks to everyone at Fuji TV in Japan. Such an awesome few days. I really can't describe how rad it was. If you can tune in to Fuji TV wherever you are, June 8th a one hour special runs about one red paperclip on "Miracle Experience! Unbelievable"

It's so cool when you cross the International Date line. Going back in time is the best. Dom and I are back in North America. Dom's back in Monteral and I'm kinda on the go flat-out for the next little bit. I was in Vancouver yesterday, Phoenix and L.A. today, maybe Tijuana Thursday. It's been a bit of a wild ride travel-wise lately. Glad I packed an extra pair of socks a few weeks ago in Montreal. There's talk of some good fun in Phoenix on the weekend, and it looks like a good surprise for ya from Fargo North Dakota Sunday/Monday. Stay tuned for some really fun stuff coming up! I'm super excited about this week, North Dakota is the only Dakota I haven't been to!

Git yer Buffalo watching hat on - Kyle

Tokyo Dance Fever

Tokyo continues to annhiliate all predicted levels of awesomeness. These videos raise the bar to a higher level of wow than I ever imagined. These two guys are at least eighty years old.

Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Japan. May 6, 2006:





Start stretching - Kyle

Super News

Man, Japan is so awesome. Dom and I rocked up to two super rad media outlets today: J-WAVE radio and Fuji TV - both of whom I did interviews with last week via telephone. Both of whom half-jokingly invited me to come on their shows, should I ever find myself in Japan. Funny how a half-joke can become a reality in less than two weeks. half-jokes are so underrated. We met up with Kanae and Jon from J-Wave in the AM and did a cool live hit on the FM airwaves. I even got to request some songs. If Frontier Psychiatrist by the Avalanches confused anybody in Tokyo today, I take all the blame.



So that was great.

After hitting up J-WAVE, we rocked up to Fuji TV.



No, we didn't broadcast from the giant, oversized, super-shiny silver ball, and I'm more than tempted to lie and embellish and say that we did...but if that giant oversized super-shiny silver ball decided to fall, it would've crushed the two guys in this next picture:



See that guy I'm talking to? That's Mr. Kimura. He's the chief fun-affairs correspondent for Japan's largest news program, Super News. Yes, that's right - Super News. Once again, a straight forward visionary name that more than aptly describes the magnitude of a news program. It's safe to assume that no other Japanese news broadcast stands a chance. Anyhow, TV program adjective riddled names aside, Super News beams into more than ten million homes a night. Last week on our phone interview, Mr. Kimura half-jokingly invited me to come visit him in Japan. I said I'd "try my best" and we left it at that. The next day, another Fuji TV program, the now-legendary "Miracle Experience! Unbelievable", called me up and asked if Dom and I wanted to come to Japan. I told Mr. Kimura about our super news and we set up a time to meet. Cut to today and there we were - looking out at the Tokyo skyline talking about one red paperclip and Alice Cooper. Who woulda thunk it? After the interview Mr. Kimura's producer Eiko showed us a video tape of Super News's "little" story about about one red paperclip from last week. Dom and I promptly had our minds blown with arguably the best one red paperclip news clip of all time. Ten minutes long, including dramatic music, Japanese subtitles, multi-lingual dubbing, head-pasted-on-cartoon-legs-map-based-trade-rundown, crazy graphic effects - much more than the whole nine. We're talking the whole ten here, perhaps the whole eleven. It was amazing. I'll try to get a copy of the tape - and I'll cross my fingers and see if I can somehow share this masterpiece with you. So good.

Arguably gooder than this:


And this:


This is totally un-related to anything else, but just imagine what this key does:


Smoke 'em if you got 'em


But wait for the light to change


Till tomorrow - Kyle

Miracle Experience! Unbelievable

That's that name of the TV show we taped today in Tokyo. "Miracle Experience! Unbelievable." It just doesn't get any better than that. Wow. Until now, "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" was the name to beat, but without the mid-title exclamation! mark, it really never stood a fighting chance to the force that is "Miracle Experience! Unbelievable". The show will be broadcast nationwide on Fuji TV in Japan on june 8th. It's highly unlikely that Fuji TV broadcasts to more than 1% of all people who read this blog, so I'll try and get my hands on a copy and release it over the internet for your viewing pleasure.

Wait'll you see the actors for the trade re-enactments! I somehow got red hair and freckles and Dom's hair went blonde and has a real Russian vibe going on. So rad. I also never thought I'd have any input whatsoever into the song "Hey Stoopid" by Alice Cooper being broadcast into millions of Japanese homes in the year 2006, but I'm more than proud to be partially held responsible for that feat. Thank you "Miracle Experience! Unbelievable", you more than lived up to your name.

You can scope out more Miracle Experience! Unbelievable pictures here.

bye for now - Kyle

Frontiers of Construction Lighting

As imagined, Japan is mind-blowingly rad. And I've hardly left the hotel room yet. The first thing I saw when I flicked on the TV was an eating contest. A 100 lb girl polished off 10 pounds of steak in five minutes - the restaurant erupted in applause. I hope she got a ribbon. A blue ribbon. Eating one tenth your body weight in less time than it takes to change a spare tire is why blue ribbons were invented. Next up was an interactive 10 minute map-based breakdown of the northern movement of the cherry blossoms, orchestrated by an astute man with a long white pole with standard oversized round tip pointed at a computer graphic illustration. Strangely mesmerizing. Dom crashed hard from a deadly combination of amazement/jet lag. That's the problem with traveling across the international date line into the future. The jet lag. And the amazement.

I went out for a solo late night stroll only to stumple upon arguably the funnest construction zone in the entire universe:



So that was awesome.

Seven favorite Japanese vehicle names so far:

Fuso Fighter
Fuso Super Great
Suzuki Turbo Joy Pop
Nissan Elgrand Highway Star
Toyota Athlete
Toyota Success
Toyota Super Exceed

And you just know there's more where that came from.

Have a successful happy bright great joy day - Kyle

Better Than a Sapporo Ichiban TV Commercial

Dom and I are being interviewed by by Japansese TV. I'm so juiced about the idea of appearing on Japanese TV. Maybe we'll be subtitled, or better yet, dubbed. I can only imagine how awesome the one red paperclip graphics will be! Apparently they're casting Japanese look-alikes of Dom and I and all the traders to re-enact the trades for the Japanese audience. Yes, you read that right - Japanese re-enactments. This is unprecedented territory as far as one red paperclip is concerned. I still can't believe it. Fuji TV. My mom even cut my hair for the occasion.

In other ridiculous news, I'm featured on page 85 of the May 8 edition of In Touch Weekly Magazine. Yep, In Touch Weekly. Britney, Paris and Kyle. Makes perfect sense to me. After all, I'm sure we're the perfect demographic for Doggy Steps.

Don't fall off the fence - Kyle