I'm quoted in this article about parents joining facebook!

Esther Kustanowitz, popular Internet blogger/writer, has done a very interesting interview with the creators of a website called Oh Crap. My Parents Joined Facebook. And what's an interesting interview without quoting The Most Interesting Person On Earth? (That's me, in case you were wondering.) As with most topics, I have a different take on things. I actually love that parents are on Facebook. I mean, come on people. If you're lucky, you'll be parents too one day. Will you want your kids devoting a website to making fun of you because you're out there being sociable? Anyway, the whole thing just gets me steamed. So take a read of the article by clicking here and decide for yourself how you feel! :-)

Watch "Beaver Tale 4: Working Out"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BEAVER GETS BUFF TO WIN BACK PORCUPINE
4th episode of beaver puppet series resolves cliffhanger

Toronto, Ontario – March 20, 2009 – Beaver Tale 4: Working Out, the 4th in the award-winning Beaver Tale short film series, launches today at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TKnnwtiq-k. The film takes up where Beaver Tale 3: The Break-Up left off with its cliffhanger ending a week ago. When we last saw Pelt The Beaver, he was living alone in a bachelor apartment and poking himself with sewing needles to remember how it felt to cuddle with Quillette The Porcupine. Will Pelt find a way to win her back? Is she even worth it? These questions and more will be answered.

“We know fans are on the edge of their seats,” says series creator, Josh Rachlis. “Because at the end of BT3, things were pretty prickly between Pelt and Quillette. Get it? Prickly? Because she's a porcu- Oh, you do get it? You're just not laughing because it's not funny? Right, okay.”

Catch up by watching the first Beaver Tale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQUPwlgDu1s
Then Beaver Tale 2: The Bed & Breakfast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_5rXbvTahE
Then Beaver Tale 3: The Break-Up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmerGh1OnnM

ABOUT THE SERIES: It all began when Pelt The Beaver found a pack of gum in a camper’s backpack in the forest. He realized he could chew this gum instead of trees. So naturally he moved to the city and bought a condo-loft. Films in the series have won “Most Original Idea” at the Leo Burnett Advertising Short Film Festival, “Audience Choice” at the Small Town Film Festival two years in a row and been featured on CBC TV’s show “Exposure.” And released just a week ago, the 3rd Beaver Tale has already received interest in being covered by a prominent film critic and a popular relationship columnist.

For more films by Josh Rachlis, please visit http://www.youtube.com/joshrachlis and for more information, email josh.rachlis(at)gmail dot com

Watch my green music video

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AN INCONVENIENT PROPOSAL
Green guy makes eco hip hop video to win Laurie David’s heart

Toronto, Ontario – March 17, 2009 – It’s sure to be the next Internet sensation, and will maybe even usher in a new era of Canada-U.S. environmental relations: It’s Josh Rachlis, environmentally-conscious Canadian, rapping his heart out in an eco-themed hip hop music video that’s just been posted on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/ecovid (be sure to select "Watch in HD" under the video).

The song is dedicated to Laurie David, producer of An Inconvenient Truth and ex-wife of Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. With the goal of winning Laurie’s hand in marriage, Josh rhymes off everything that’s earned him “green street cred,” including not flushing for just, um, Number 1. The video includes scenes of “Enviroman” magically cleaning up the city. There’s also a female back-up singer who looks remarkably (and disturbingly) like Josh.

Josh is just an ordinary person who, like many people today, is concerned about our environment. So everywhere he walks, he picks up litter. He even goes through the trash in subway stations to put paper and bottles in the proper recycling bags. When he heard of stopglobalwarming.org, he was curious as to who started the site. When he found out it was a woman, he developed a green crush. And when he further learned that the woman was married to Larry David, he was really excited. Because Larry’s bald, neurotic and Jewish – just like Josh. So Josh was Laurie’s type! But she was married, so it was all just a dream. But then one day, Josh heard that the Davids were getting a divorce…

Upon hearing of the divorce plans, Josh promptly recorded a marriage proposal for Laurie with his webcam: http://tinyurl.com/marrymelaurie. It was featured on eco-celeb site Ecorazzi - see the write-up here: http://tinyurl.com/ecorazzi - and it was mentioned in the blog of Edge 102.1 FM’s Alan Cross. But alas, Laurie played coy and never contacted Josh, surely because she wanted to ensure he was serious. So now Josh is kicking it up a level with a song. Because girls love songs, right? Especially hip hop songs. Even more especially when the singer is dressed as a superhero. He hopes that Laurie sees the video and that together they can save the world. Or, at the very least, Josh hopes that the song teaches viewers some positive things they can do for the environment. And that way, his love for Laurie will do some good for the Earth no matter what happens with their relationship. But still, his fingers are crossed for a green wedding.

As part of his "oeuvre" of green comedy, Josh has also made a movie in which, at the risk of spoiling what could be a very romantic evening, he attempts to convince his date that compact fluorescent light bulbs are a much better "idea" than regular bulbs. You can view that at http://tinyurl.com/ruthvid.

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Josh Rachlis, please send an email to josh.rachlis(at)gmail dot com. And in addition to the link at the start of this press release, you can also view the video here:

Watch "Beaver Tale 3: The Break-Up"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVEN BEAVERS HAVE ROMANCE TROUBLES
Beaver puppet series goes to dark place in 3rd episode

Toronto, Ontario – March 7, 2009 – A new installment in the award-winning Beaver Tale short film series launches today at www.youtube.com/joshrachlis. Beaver Tale 3: The Break-Up takes a darker turn than the first two, chronicling romantic troubles between Pelt The Beaver and Quillette The Porcupine.

The movie has been highly-anticipated, as the first Beaver Tale won “Most Original Idea” at the Leo Burnett Advertising Short Film Festival and the “Audience Choice” award at the Small Town Film Festival (STFF) in Chatham, Ontario, while Beaver Tale 2: The Bed & Breakfast won “Audience Choice” at the following year’s STFF. And both Beaver Tales were featured on CBC TV’s show “Exposure.”

In a new twist for the series, BT3 ends with a “To Be Continued” cliffhanger. “As is increasingly common in Hollywood, we shot Beaver Tale 4 simultaneously,” says series creator, Josh Rachlis. “And we promise not to hold it back too long. We know the audience will be chewing at the bit! Get it? Chewing? Normally you'd say chomping at the bit. But I said chewing, because it's a beaver... Ok, never mind.”

For those unfamiliar with the doc-style series, the story began when Pelt The Beaver found a pack of gum in a camper’s backpack in the forest. He realized he could chew this gum instead of trees. So naturally he moved to the city and bought a condo-loft. His adventures have taken him to a career in architecture, to running a bed & breakfast, and now to dealing with the heartbreak of a troubled relationship. All the while, he maintains his sweet, innocent disposition and curiosity about life.

Catch up by watching the first Beaver Tale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQUPwlgDu1s
Then Beaver Tale 2: The Bed & Breakfast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_5rXbvTahE
And here's the link to Beaver Tale 3: The Break-Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmerGh1OnnM

ABOUT THE CREATORS: Josh is an advertising copywriter, actor, stand-up comedian, filmmaker and radio host in Toronto. Ruth Sorrell, a Ryerson University film graduate now living in Seattle, saw the original Beaver Tale online and liked it so much that she wanted to get involved with subsequent films.

For more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Josh Rachlis, send an email to josh.rachlis(at)gmail.com. And in addition to the link in the press release above, you can watch Beaver Tale 3 here: