It has been a long time coming. Hi, I am back in the saddle again. The first semester at the VCU Brandcenter is long over and I am beginning to take back the physical detriment it caused my body. Weight gain aside, I am becoming so much more involved in the advertising process.
So where does that leave me for the second semester? Longing for some NBA Jam. Yes, the game franchise that began on SEGA Genesis has had more staying power than anything else I have encountered over the past month. Fans of Saturday Night Live will remember Andy Samburg’s turn as a victim of ADD (“Automatic Death Disease”) fulfilling his wish to commentate a professional basketball or football game. This skit completely describes my current mindset. Speak loudly and learn quickly from your own mistakes.
I suppose what I am trying to get at is that I am more serious than ever about becoming a good planner but not at the expense of fun. Hopefully, I can shut up now and begin to post what is on this mind of mine more often.
Aptly titled “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” Oliver Stone is set to shoot the sequel to his movie that glorified excessive greed to some, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). To others it was a warning of the toll trading can take on an unwitting stock broker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).
Stone laments how the first film resonated with today’s Wall Streeters.
“I can’t tell you how many young people have come up to me in these years and said, ‘I went to Wall Street because of that movie,’” says Stone.
The upcoming sequel to the 1987 classic features the return of Michael Douglas in the role that made him… well him. Supporting actors include Shia LeBeouf, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon and Frank Langella.
It is interesting to note that Jim Cramer of CNBC’s “Mad Money” will make an appearance in the film. One wonders if this is his civic duty that Jon Stewart commanded of him earlier this year.
The reference in the title is from the sublime film Lost In Translation. Not only does the film depict the creepiness of Tokyo it also does a great job of examining how the city is both foreign and inviting at the same time. Simultaneously, it also features the best use of Scarlett Johansson’s butt in film yet.
Caught up on a few photography blogs, and I found an article everyone should check out. I thought I would link the two Tommy Lee Jones television spots because they are too awesome to miss out on.
Here’s an interesting article I just read via the Drudge Report so I thought I would link it here. Apparently Japan is interested in testing out a new prototype space pant to see how it holds up. The test: wear said pant for a month and analyze the results. Poor Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata was the unlucky guinea pig in this sick experiment.
Designed to resist the rigours of lengthy space travel, the anti-static, flame-resistant, odour-eating, bacteria-killing, water-absorbent smalls have been put through their paces as part of a project aimed at ensuring that future space travellers will need only minimal space in their suitcases.
“We’re going to go beyond the Moon some day, and little things like this will seem like really, really big things when you’re far away from Mother Earth,” Mike Suffredini, manager of Nasa’s space station programme, said.
The test went well and none of Wakata-san’s fellow crew members complained of the ’stank. Apparently, despite the near infiniteness of space it is important to leave that extra change of clothes during those long hibernation pod trips to Celestion 4. I just wonder what people on Earth will do once they get their hands on such pants. On second thought…
How often do you find yourself staring down the barrel of a shotgun as you are forced to hand over the controller to your favorite video game system? If you answered more than once than Master has a deal for you.
A new Xbox 360 security kit enables the user to lock their TV to a nearby support post or table. Oddly enough the device does not protect the detachable hard drive or any other devices attached to said Xbox such as a Rock Band drum set or guitars. Some say money can’t buy you love, but $29.95 can help you rest easy knowing your $299 purchase will be around when the forensics team is sweeping through your bloody apartment.
Giant Bomb.com, for the unintiated, is a huge video game wikia that also licenses said database to companies and research firms while providing daily news and updates for surfers. The wiki part of the website just turned one yesterday and is now available as an iPhone application in the iTunes store. The site also has daily reviews, previews and content submissions by video game industry veterans Jeff Gerstmann, Vinny Caravella, Brad Shoemaker and Ryan Davis – all former Gamespot employees who left after the Eidos review bribery scandal in late 2007.
Each week the crew at Giant Bomb does a two-hour podcast wrap-up of the previous week and talks about upcoming releases, taste tests sodas and answer e-mails. It’s Car Talk with video games and not broadcasted live. Since I have only recently become enamored by the Fab Four I decided to send in an e-mail to see if it would be answered. To my surprise I got an answer. You can find the two minute snippet from yesterday’s Bombcast below. If you love video games at all make sure to subscribe in iTunes. Totally worth it.
The article might be a bit old [July 2] but the story is fascinating. A man, Ron James, who recently went through a divorce after thirteen years of marriage decides to “get back on the horse.” He joins JDate, one of the largest dating sites for Jewish men to try to find his perfect match. Since his job didn’t pay well he would often “stack” dates at the different Starbucks’ near Grand Central Station in New York City. When he finally finds the woman of his dreams, Sheryl Daija, it turns out she got married on the same day he did back on May 30, 1993. Eeerie.
The strangest part of all this is that the article mentions numerous twenty somethings joining JDate that weren’t Jewish. I guess I am going about my “glory years” all wrong since I could be hitting on 44-year old shayners. I’m just glad that this story isn’t about someone finding their perfect someone on plentyoffish.com. Eeesh.
The news of Michael Jackson’s death didn’t hit me at all yesterday. I was too busy being down in the dumps after not receiving $1,000 scholarship grant from H&R Block (not that big of a deal in the long run). So how do I feel 24 hours later? Different. This afternoon I re-listened to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Dangerous and parts of Off The Wall at work. Michael Jackson left a considerable dent on my childhood but in retrospect I’m not sure I enjoy what I remember of him.
It’s hard to hate Michael Jackson, well, it is hard to hate Michael Jackson if you knew him before the mid-1990s. I can clearly remember a VHS recording my dad made of the music video of Jam wherein Michael played basketball in a rundown gym with none other than Michael Jordan. Everything from the fact that I was watching it on a big screen television set to the fact that it was on MTV made him the “man” in my opinion. I grew up listening to Thriller each year during the weeks leading up to Halloween because my dad made a mix tape with assorted “monster-related” songs (i.e. Purple People Eater, Ghostbuster’s Theme, etc.). The first cassette tape I put in my first home audio player was Sting’s Mercury Falling. The second cassette tape I put in my audio player was Michael Jackson’s HIStory.
Michael Jackson gave me a link to R&B which was a wildly exotic world for me at the tender age of 8 or 9. I grew up loving jazz mainly because I knew that the jazz greats (excluding Kenny G.) were black and that was something I could never be. Michael Jackson gave the world R&B by making it mainstream. Sure, Motown and disco did a lot to help the music genre but it was Michael’s tender ballads and fancy footwork that set the world on fire.
The past decade hasn’t been easy for Michael or the rest of his fan base. I still haven’t listened to Invincible, his last major effort at a career revitalization. To me Michael Jackson stopped being “cool” after his duet with Janet Jackson in 1996’s Scream. The music video, another Jackson tool, shows just how amazing his effect on music was. Who else could command a music video that cost the same as many major motion pictures of the same time period? Michael. His allegations of sexual molestation and constant abuse of pain killers haven’t helped his situation. Nor has his gross negligence of his financial spending (he spent thousands of dollars on candy and ice cream). In short, Michael’s fantasy life may have provided him refuge from his abusive childhood but it only led to his public downfall.
After listening to Thriller today I can officially say that I enjoy every one of the nine songs on that album outside of his duet with Paul McCartney (The Girl Is Mine). I also noticed that the only song where Michael sounds aggressive or angry is Billie Jean (Beat It and Thriller have a distinct tongue-in-cheek to them). I kind of enjoy the Smooth Criminal that inhabited Michael’s earlier efforts. When it came time to preaching his messages of global peace, racial equality and love I don’t think the world was quite ready.
I think Thriller’sThe Lady In My Life is the best send-off I can think of for his tumultuous career. Everything from the jazz guitar to the disco-esque keyboards give the song a beautiful sound that almost made me cry. If only Michael evolved that sound instead of heading in a popier direction. Thanks for all you gave us, MJ. You single-handedly proved that disco isn’t dead and that we can never Blame It On The Boogie.
Even When We’re Old And Gray
I Will Love You More Each Day
‘Cause You Will Always Be The Lady In My Life
Pixar is the film studio that can do no wrong. With a better track record than the Japanese economy, Pixar now has… count them… 10 hit films under its belt. When your two worst received movies earn $825 million together (A Bug’s Life and Cars) you would think the studio could begin slacking off (*cough* Dream Works) and we would be none the wiser.
Not Pixar. Colby Curtin was a 10-year-old girl living in Huntington Beach, CA diagnosed with vascular cancer in December 2005. At the beginning of June it became apparent that Colby would die soon. Her dying wish? See Pixar latest film Up.
“When I watched it, I had really no idea about the content of the theme of the movie,” said Curtin [Colby's mother], 46. “I just know that word ‘Up’ and all of the balloons and I swear to you, for me it meant that (Colby) was going to go up. Up to heaven.”
Pixar heard of Colby’s story from a friend of the family that made frantic calls to the studio. The studio flew an employee with a copy of the movie to the Curin’s home in Huntington Beach. Sadly, Colby died a mere seven hours after viewing Up on June 10 at her home.
Apparently, Colby saw Dream Works’ Monsters vs. Aliens in April but was impressed by the preview for Up. When Colby’s condition worsened on June 4 her mother asked hospice workers for a wheelchair so she could go see the movie in theaters. That wheelchair was never delivered. Five days later it was apparent that she could not leave her bed and all hope was nearly lost for Colby.
When asked by her mother if she was ready to die Colby said:
“I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie.”
Internet web game fans have something new to play this summer. Mobile developer Cellufun announces a free social multiplayer game that taps into the infamy of ponzi scheming Bernie Madoff in a game entitled Made Off.
Fans use fictional cellupoints instead of real cash as they try to duplicate the Madoff’s success as a slimy fund manager. The idea is to deceive enough people before the Feds knock on your door with a battering ram.
Neil Edwards, chief executive of Cellufun, says that the game is intended to poke fun at Madoff and not at his victims. The game is supposed to be educational in helping people learn how not to fall victim to investment schemes.
“When your fund goes broke, you go, Holy crap, I didn’t invite enough people,’” says Edwards.
It has been a long time coming. Hi, I am back in the saddle again. The first semester at the VCU Brandcenter is long over and I am beginning to take back the physical detriment it caused my body. Weight gain aside, I am becoming so much more involved in the advertising process.
Aptly titled “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” Oliver Stone is set to shoot the sequel to his movie that glorified excessive greed to some, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). To others it was a warning of the toll trading can take on an unwitting stock broker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).
The reference in the title is from the sublime film Lost In Translation. Not only does the film depict the creepiness of Tokyo it also does a great job of examining how the city is both foreign and inviting at the same time. Simultaneously, it also features the best use of Scarlett Johansson’s butt in film yet.
Here’s an interesting article I just read via the 
How often do you find yourself staring down the barrel of a shotgun as you are forced to hand over the controller to your favorite video game system? If you answered more than once than Master has a deal for you.
Giant Bomb.com, for the unintiated, is a huge video game wikia that also licenses said database to companies and research firms while providing daily news and updates for surfers. The wiki part of the website just turned one yesterday and is now available as an iPhone application in the iTunes store. The site also has daily reviews, previews and content submissions by video game industry veterans Jeff Gerstmann, Vinny Caravella, Brad Shoemaker and Ryan Davis – all former Gamespot employees who left after the Eidos review 
The news of Michael Jackson’s death didn’t hit me at all yesterday. I was too busy being down in the dumps after not receiving $1,000 scholarship grant from H&R Block (not that big of a deal in the long run). So how do I feel 24 hours later? Different. This afternoon I re-listened to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Dangerous and parts of Off The Wall at work. Michael Jackson left a considerable dent on my childhood but in retrospect I’m not sure I enjoy what I remember of him.
Pixar is the film studio that can do no wrong. With a better track record than the Japanese economy, Pixar now has… count them… 10 hit films under its belt. When your two worst received movies earn $825 million together (A Bug’s Life and Cars) you would think the studio could begin slacking off (*cough* Dream Works) and we would be none the wiser.
Internet web game fans have something new to play this summer. Mobile developer Cellufun announces a free social multiplayer game that taps into the infamy of ponzi scheming Bernie Madoff in a game entitled Made Off.