You Only Live Once

The Strokes - You Only Live Once (Official Music Video) - The most amazing bloopers are here

This video is from The Strokes for their song "You Only Live Once". It is an awesome song with especially good lyrics. I love the video, not only for the tragic story that unfolds but for the flawless directing and seamless editing as well. I really like the dark, morose message the band cries out as they inevitable meet their demise drowning under the viscous brown liquid. I’m not a huge fan of The Strokes, although I do really like some of the songs they have put out in the past. To me, they play that disillusioned, New York, dive bar, punk role to perfection. The shaggy haircuts and jaded mannerisms remind me of a slower, less hyper, yet more emotionally distraught version of The Ramones. Overall, great song, even cooler video.

Power Out

This really cool music video, for the song "Power-Out" is from the first album of Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. I wanted to share it with the world. I absolutely love the video and the really cool use of art/CGI. The music video is both entertaining and tells a story which is a needed break from most music videos on air today of rappers waving guns and pouring money on scantly clothed "hoes". The animation and CGI reminds me of the artwork used in "The Nightmare Before Christmas", with all the exaggerated proportions and dark imagery. Arcade Fire is an incredible band with some of the best trained musicians I've ever seen, and their rare music videos don't disappoint. I think there is a deeper, under the surface meaning in this video. Maybe something to do with rebelling against authority/anarchism? Can you spot any social commentary in this video?

Dumbest Commercial Ever.

I don't know what the foundation for a better life is, and I don't particularly care to know. All I can say is that there commercials are incredibly stupid. I mean I get that they're trying to get across an important/serious message to society, but c'mon, these commercials are lame and there’s got to be a better way to go about this. It's not just this commercial, the organization has put out a number of different spots similar to this, all just as cheesy and outdated and all just as unintentionally funny (in the haha I'm laughing at how retarded this kid is, not how cute he is sort of way). I’m not trying to be a jerk, but how can anyone take this stuff seriously?

Blink-182 Reunites!

It's true, Blink-182 is back.

This is absolutely huge. I have been a Blink fan since I was in grade school and there first pop punk anthem "What's my age agian?" topped the charts. Seriously, I used to beg my mom to take me to the store and buy me the new Blink-182 CD the day it came out. On top of being an incredibly talented band that virtually created the genre of pop punk/emo music they were all born and raised in my hometown of San Diego California. The band even attended Poway High School, a rival of my High School. They have achieved a sort of hometown hero status in San Diego, especially in my neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fe, where the bands lead singer Tom Delonge currently lives with his family. A good buddy of mine even sold Delonge some dog accessories while working at his summer job at Petco this past summer. Believe me, this was a big deal to us at the time. Regardless, I’m stoked for the reunion; it’s perfectly timed and brings back a ton of fond memories of my childhood.

The Band originally broke up after jealousy arouse from Bassist Mark Hoppus over lead singer Tom Delonge's side project "Box Car Racer". Things only got worse from there as Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker broke off to start the mildly successful band "+44". Delonge was quick to move on from blink as well, as he went on to create/front the hugely successful electronic pop rock group "Angels and Airwaves". While I liked both "+44" and "Angels and Airwaves" and enjoyed the music each group put out, I missed the magic of Blink-182. It seemed that uniquely irreverent, pop punk, toilet humor, innocent one moment, kick you in the teeth the next, youthful, edgy, emo sound of Blink-182 would be lost forever. Until now. After drummer Travis Barker's near death plane crash that left the drummer seriously injured with nerve damage and broken bones, the band put their differences aside and came to each other’s aid. After an apology from Delonge and a short while back in the same room together the magic clicked again, and the band was back. The band officially announced the news on-stage at the 2009 Grammys. They will soon begin recording there 6th album, and I can't wait to beg my Mom to buy it for me!

Flight Of The Conchords

Flight of the Conchords is an incredibly funny and clever band from New Zealand. They hilariously combine folk rock and humor to make their own unique comedic performance duo. On top of being talented musicians and comedians they have begun acting and have even scored their own widely entertaining HBO series "Flight of the Conchords", which is loosely based on their lives.

Idiot Savant

These videos are incredibly interesting. I’m not sure we will ever understand how the brain of an idiot savant works, but if I ever meet one, I would love to quiz them.

Top Ten College Football Uniforms

1. Penn State-Joe Pa keeps it classy with the simple Blue and Whites. The Helmet is also basic yet elegant with the classic single stripe. Not the flashiest uniform in the world, but as a whole the uniform represents a deeper meaning for the program, reflecting Paterno's coaching philosophy: don't be fancy, just play football and respect the game.



2. Notre Dame-The nostalgic Blue and Gold Jerseys of Notre Dame are a staple of college football Saturdays. While I am personally a diehard USC fan and hate everything about Notre Dame, I cannot deny the sharp, classic look of the Fighting Irish Jersey. Reminds me of the old days watching the movie Rudy.



3. Michigan-Classic yet Trendy. Where new school meets old school. The wolverine Blue and Maize with white trim is a sharp look that will no doubt catch any football fans eye. Topped with the hands down most popular helmet design of college football history "the wing", Michigan’s jersey comes in at #3 on my top 10.



4. USC-The Trojans sport a very classic jersey that really connects to the style and flavor of Los Angeles, the very same style adorned in the days of OJ Simpson and Marcus Allen. Cardinal tops with gold shoulder stripes on top of gold pants with double cardinal stripes give the jersey a bold and casually fresh look. The helmet, easily one of the most distinct in the country is southern cal's proud Tommy Trojan viewed side profile wearing battle gear. This Jersey is definitely a fan favorite.



5. Maryland-The Terps have really out done themselves with this jersey. While not a great NCAA football team, they do sport some of the best jerseys in the game. My personal favorite is the Black ones, only worn on special occasion or for a big rivalry game. This makes them even more elusive and mysterious. With the yellow, red and white trim, a symbol for the state flag, these jerseys are both intimidating and eye catching. Topped with a sold white helmet with black and red stripes and a cursive "terps" logo, this jersey easily rounds out my top 5.



6. Georgia-The Bulldogs scored a touchdown with their jerseys. They are very bold as the school shade of red really pops out on football Saturdays. With grey pants and a single white striped red helmet, Georgia's jersey is both simple and elegant. The "G" symbol is synonymous with other football teams including Green Bay making the helmet easily recognizable. The team also has an alternate black jersey that is very sharp. The v-neck collar ads a nice touch to the grid iron ensemble. Bulldogs score on this one.



7. Miami-Miami has a number of good jerseys including green, white and an orange alternate. The combination of orange, green and white is very bold and unlike most teams, their away jersey is just as nice as their home. The white helmet with the orange and green "U" is solid, and the modern jersey with multicolored trim is very stylish. The jersey is a perfect match for a south beach football school playing most of their games under the bright south Florida sun.



8. Missouri-The tigers jersey is bold and intimidating. The all black with large white and yellow trim on the pants is very symbolic of the tiger mascot and the helmet sports a quietly cool and simple logo. Black and yellow are perfect colors to combine, and in the case of the Missouri football team, they really attract your attention. These are possible the most underrated jerseys in the country.



9. Auburn- The Auburn colors of blue, white and orange are a perfect jersey combination. The blue is bold and fresh and the orange and white pop. The triple shoulder stripes are classic, giving the jersey a simple yet retro look. The white helmet with the interlocked U and A is easily one of my favorite in the country. While I don’t see the mascot played into the jersey very well, the uniform as a whole is very cool.



10. Louisville- Louisville rounds out my top 10 for best uniforms. I like their home and away jerseys as well as their black alternates. The sharp white/red shoulder stripes are intimidating and eye catching, and the red and white sock combination is clean and classy. I absolutely love the white helmet with the red stripe down the middle and the fierce cardinal on the sides. The jersey is also adorned with a very cool "Louisville" type across the chest. Louisville has an extremely underrated jersey, but it doesn't keep them off my list.

Most Disturbing Sport Ever.

I just discovered a new sport that I never knew before. Yep, it's Turkish Oil Wrestling. Oil Wrestling or "Usumlu" is a Turkish sporting tradition and has been played for hundreds of years both competitively and as a way to train soldiers.

The rules of the game are simple, squeeze into as tight of leather pants as possible, douse yourself in olive oil, find another oiled up man wearing tight leather pants, and try to wrestle him to the ground. There are no fouls or illegal moves in Turkish oil wrestling; you can do whatever necessary to get your opponent to the ground, including sticking your hands down the other man's pants for leverage. The winner of each match continues competing in a round robin tournament fashion until only one oiled up man in tight pants is left standing. "Usumlu" is by far Turkey's most popular national sport, as thousands of fans are drawn to watch each match.

Commentary: With all due respect to the people of Turkey, I don't think it's ever occurred to them that their national sport of man on man oil wrestling is a little gay. No Offense to the homosexual community either. I mean it's always exciting for a big sports fan like myself to discover a new sport being played around the world. But I think I'll pass on this one.

Where Will I Be In Ten Years...

In today's lecture we discussed the rising creative culture in the digital age. Dr. Griffin spoke on how digital media is currently the fastest growing category of advertising, and how Interactive boutiques are becoming more and more appealing to students graduating college looking for jobs in the advertising industry. We then watched really impressive online interactive ads from agencies like AKQA, Big Spaceship, R/GA, and Tribal DDB Worldwide, which all got me thinking. Do I want to pursue a future job in digital media/interactive advertising?

I mean, I always saw myself at a larger more traditional ad agency, and had never considered the possibility of pursuing a smaller interactive boutique. I've never been great with computers and I'm not much of a technology wiz but watching those online spots in class today really got me interested in the detailed CGI creative work these digital media agencies are producing. Seriously, this stuff was incredible, and as our class textbook stated, account managers were even closer to the creative process in these digital media agencies. That's what really turned me on to the whole idea of going into interactive advertising, because I am a definite tweener between the creative and the account side of advertising, and am very much still on the fence about what I want to do in advertising. For me, the possibility of getting to create fun, technologically groundbreaking online spots through a digital media job in advertising is becoming more and more intriguing. Not to mention, my sister currently works in interactive advertising at FIM (Fox Interactive Media), and absolutely loves her job. She works in a beautiful building in Los Angeles and constantly reminds us of how fun and innovative her work as a campaign manager on the MySpace account is. I'm not looking forward to begging my sister for an internship with her company.

Anyway, as the class continued we looked into different cities where the creative class seems to be flocking in order to land these Interactive digital media jobs. Some of the places I can see myself, others, not so much.

Places I could live in for a high paying stress free job in Interactive Media:

1. Los Angeles (I don't mind the smog or traffic, and it's close to my family in San Diego)

2. Dallas (I've gone to college here for two years so far and love it, It's affordable and I could see myself living here if I found the right job)

3. Seattle (Cool city, fast growing job market)

4. London (I think it would be cool to work abroad for a few years and get some international advertising experience, although I would want to return to the states eventually and get some decent food)

5. New York (Although it's crowded and cold, there is just soo much going on there, and living in New York would give me fantastic career opportunities due to its definite Mecca status for advertising)

6. Washington DC (I have a ton of family and friends in the DC, Maryland area, plus this would be a fun place to live/work)

Places I will probably never work (unless extremely high paying):

1. Chicago (too cold)

2. San Francisco (too liberal)

3. Austin (too liberal)

4. Amsterdam (no comment)

So where will I be in ten years...? Nobody knows, just hopefully not living with my parents.

Vertical Intertexuality

In class on Thursday, we discussed intertextuality within advertising. Dr. Griffin explained intertextuality as a theory based on how consumers understand new cultural texts by relating them to old cultural texts. Dr. Griffin demonstrated how individuals apply existing textual knowledge whenever they encounter new texts and how we therefore understand and interpret new cultural texts by relating them to things we may already be familiar with. He identified 3 different types of intertextuality including: horizontal intertextuality (connections between a single genre), vertical intertextuality (connections between multiple genres), and tertiary texts (public commentary on texts). As a homework assignment, we were asked to blog on an example of one of these kinds of intertextualities in an ad today.



General Electric's Scarecrow super bowl ad is a perfect example of vertical intertextuality within advertising today. GE beautifully draws a cross genres connection between electric companies and The Wizard of Oz' scarecrow (connection between new cultural text and old cultural text). The Wizard of Oz was a highly identifiable and beloved movie by our parent’s generation, a movie that to this day still strikes a chord with the emotions of the baby boomer generation. In probably one of the most impressive uses of computer graphics and animation seen today, General Electric brilliantly plays off the nostalgic American movie tradition, tying the brainless scarecrow to today’s outdated and inefficient use of energy. By connecting their new smart grid technology to the scarecrow from Oz, GE successfully alludes to a simpler more family oriented time and demonstrates their message that like the scarecrow, energy needs to become efficient by becoming more intelligent. Coupled with the song "If I only had a brain", the metaphor works perfectly for General Electric, making this commercial a standout for 2009. I've watched this ad probably 10 times, and every time I can spot something new in the commercial; Kudos to the art director responsible for this outstanding super bowl ad.

Bizarre

I'm utterly confused. Is Joaquin Phoenix pulling an elaborate Andy Kaufman like stunt or his he just high out of his mind?

The internet is buzzing with blogs arguing over whether the February 11th interview was all staged by Joaquin as an elaborate joke or if he was truly drugged out. The interview itself is incredibly awkward, and toward the end it, it seemed Joaquin was really upset with Letterman. When Phoenix yelled at Letterman's band front man and stuck his gum underneath the table I thought all hell was going to break loose. And, by the looks of it, Letterman didn't look too pleased about how the interview was going either.

This interview is tough for me to watch. Is this all a set up joke on us the viewer? If so, than Joaquin is a genius. If not, I am concerned for the guy. I mean Hollywood already lost his amazingly talented brother River to drugs and It would be utterly tragic to see Joaquin get caught up in it as well.

The whole idea that this was a prank raises many questions in my mind. Why would Joaquin go on Letterman to promote his movie if he didn't care about it/want to talk about the movie? And if Joaquin truly is retired and disillusioned with the Hollywood scene, why is he still appearing on shows like Letterman?

When all is said and done this will go down in TV history as one of two things: Either an ingenious and amazingly hilarious set up, or a tragic and painfully live meltdown of one of Hollywood’s greatest talents. I just pray it's not the latter.

My Favorite Accounts

(Lowe Lintas & Partners)



(The Martin Agency)

Heineken and Geico tie for my favorite advertising accounts. They both effectively use humor to demonstrate their message and Brand themselves. I'm excited to see where the incredibly talented creative’s at these agencies take these brands next.

Tornado

Tuesday night was quite the experience for a Southern California boy. I got to experience my first tornado.

Early reports didn't surprise me, it looked like another Texas lightning/rain storm, the likes of which we seem to see every month. But, as the day progressed I heard rumors that this may be more than just a heavy shower. According to weather reports, there was a definite chance of a tornado touching down in Dallas County.

This may have scared other people, but no, not me. I'd been waiting far too long to see something as cool as a Tornado in my two years here at SMU, and I was gunna be damned if I missed this one. And as the weather channel news feeds came in there seemed to be an atmosphere of sheer excitement running through the frat house. Coming from San Diego, I'm used to intense earthquakes and the occasional Wild fire evacuation, but never had I gotten the chance to be near a tornado.

As I heard the campus wide tornado siren go off, and the man tell everyone to seek shelter, my heart started pumping. It's here; this is what I've been waiting two years to see. I got my sunflower seeds and my fold out chair and parked myself by the back window of the house, ready for my first tornado experience. I mean I didn't want SMU to get torn to shreds; I just wanted to see one up close (Maybe a little campus destruction would be okay). But, as things always seem to work out, the tornado passed right by us and destroyed some lucky little town in Oklahoma. Maybe next time.

Malibu

Hahahaha. This guy is by far my favorite American Gladiator ever. Tower and Laser are easily distant seconds to Malibu.

This video just brings back wonderfully nostalgic memories of walking home from a long day of grade school with my brother and sisters. We would all race to the living room to grab a good spot on the couch as our favorite after school television programs started. First up was always "Saved by the Bell", quickly followed by "Full House" and "Family Matters". But then after all the others finally came the long awaited "American Gladiators", where for a half hour a day I got to watch unsuspecting contestants get the living hell beat out of them by modern day goliaths (both male and female). My favorite event was the one where the contestants had to try to put the balls inside the standing baskets on either side of the football sized arena, all the while being tackled and maimed by vicious gladiators bent on total pain and destruction. I think it was called Powerball.

Whatever happened our thorough love of watching others pain and suffering? Why was it socially acceptable, even funny to watch innocent armatures run for their lives whilst getting the crap kicked out of them by behemoth freaks of nature in the '80s and '90s, but not now? Why now is it distasteful and barbaric? Has society become more humane, more civilized? If so, I don’t like it.

And don't give me the "well they brought back American Gladiators on NBC" answer. I've seen the "New" American Gladiators, and it’s a joke. It's nothing more than a scripted dance of overly steroid laced balls of muscle all hosted by the incredible annoying and washed up Hulk Hogan. American Gladiators will never be what it once was.

Goodbye Malibu. You were my hero.

Up In Smoke

By now, everyone has heard the news that put the sports world in some hot water and has our nation’s greatest Olympic hero all red in the face. Yes, Michael Phelps got caught smoking weed from a bong.

Personally I don't think it's a big deal. If he busts his ass at the gym all day and wants to come home and smoke a little refer, then good for him. At the same time, he is smart enough to know marijuana is illegal and with that he should be willing to suffer the consequences that come with taking an illegal substance. I mean c'mon look at Prince Harry and the time he got caught wearing a Nazi uniform to a British Halloween party. How stupid can you be? The fact is when you’re a celebrity and sign endorsement contracts to be on Wheates boxes or are born into the British royal family you assume a certain level of social responsibility. Being a national hero and role model means Phelps and others no longer have the same rights to privacy as the rest of us untalented wastes of air.

I know it seems unfair, why do we hold Michael Phelps to a higher standard than everyone else? Isn't everyone equal? No, were not, at least not until your fat ass wins 12 Olympic gold medals and shatters dozens of world swimming records. Celebrities and athletes alike have an obligation or social contract when becoming famous or signing endorsements to be the next face of Kellog's brand cerial to live up to their role as a hero and to partake in socially responsible behavior. I think spider-man said it best: "With great power comes great responsibility." And in that sense, Phelps what you do in private is your business, but you should know better than to do something as pathetically illegal as smoking weed because you know as a national hero you are have a spotlight on you.

I can't stand seeing talk show hosts and comedy pundits across the country vilify Phelps for smoking a little weed in his off season. If Jay Leno or the ladies from the View really think that was the first and only time Phelps has smoked weed than they are retarded. If they actually think Phelps is sorry for smoking the marijuana than they are even dumber than I thought. Phelps isn't sorry about doing drugs, he's sorry some jackass took a picture of him ripping a bong load and the fact that he got caught. I mean the freakish swimmer already has a DUI on his record demonstrating a clear lack of judgment already. It just so happens Phelps is the newest member to join Charles Barkley's "I am not a role model" facebook group.

Speaking of facebook, this whole Michael Phelps thing got me thinking. If people are making such a big deal of pictures surfacing of Michael Phelps partying, what's going to happen when those of us from the facebook generation ever get famous? Will our drunken college party pictures still be exposed on the World Wide Web? I mean seriously, we may not be famous now, but in the years to come, the future Bill Gates' and Steve Jobs of the world will have to deal with tabloid pictures of them doing beer bongs when they were 20 years old. Will future CEO's and business moguls be held to the same high standards as Phelps when the pics of them doing keg stands in the frat house surface 30 years down the road? Granted the difference between the future celebrities of the facebook generation and Michael Phelps is that Phelps was already famous before he got caught being and idiot. Maybe down the road society will be more understanding and lenient to that sort of behavior. People from the facebook generation may not be held accountable to the same standards years down the road when our pictures of drunken college revelry come into question. Who knows, maybe there will be pics of our future president smoking crack online.

Anglophile

My mom sent me this, she is a total anglophile. Whether its British movies, British singers, British history or British tea, my mom is absolutely obsessed with those crooked teethed imperialists across the pond.

Regardless, this commercial is hilarious. Where did they find these kids? I never knew people could be so talented with their eyebrows.

But seriously, what does this have to do with chocolate. I mean, this just demonstrates another example of my theory that commercials are becoming more and more random and shocking and having less to do with anything about the product being advertised. I just feel that the entire industry is pushing itself dangerously close to 30 second SNL skits than actual advertising spots. I guess Cadbury thought it best to brand itself and make sure you remembered the nerdy looking kids with dancing eyebrows than the actual chocolate itself.

I'm not trying to come down on Cadbury at all. It's a funny commercial and I can't get it out of my head, but is it too much to ask that maybe one of them actually pick up a Cadbury chocolate bar and eat it. Call me old school, but it’s just a thought.

What motivates you?

In today's lecture, Dr. Griffin discussed the different philosophical positions on the social personality tradition. We touched on Teresa Amabile, professor and psychologist at Harvard Business School who researches the role of motivation as a factor of creativity. Amabile developed the componential model of creativity, which identifies 3 crucial components involved in the production of any creative work. They include: Intrinsic task motivation, Domain relevant skills, and creative relevant skills. We further discussed the idea of intrinsic motivation (engaging in an activity for its own sake) vs. extrinsic motivation (engaging in an activity in order to meet an external goal or reward). This is to say are we primarily motivated to be creative because we enjoy the process or are we creative merely for reward, fame, or money? This can expand outside the realm of creativity as well. Do we go to class, work, and the gym because we enjoy doing it, or are we doing it for what it will bring us in the future?

I used to have a math tutor who would tell me that love was the greatest motivator in the world. I consistently disagreed with him around finals time when I would come in for my last few crunching sessions. I would tell my tutor that it was not in fact love that motivated people to do anything in life, but fear. To me it seems that most people go to class or work or to most duties of everyday life because they fear the cost of not doing so. Failing a test, getting fired, not being able to support our families, looking like a social outcast are all fears that motivate us to live our lives the way we do.

This worries me. Are we becoming a society that doesn’t appreciate hard work for its own sake anymore? Are we so caught up in the materialistic motivations of graduating and getting a high paying job that we've forgotten what college is about? College should be a time to learn, to find yourself, to enjoy the ride. Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to be better than our parents?

I'm not purposing that everyone stop pushing themselves and settle for mediocrity. I just hope that when people look at their own lives and examine their own motivations for waking up in the morning, or going to class or work that it be because they're doing what they love, and not about any financial monetary gain. I think my high school football coach put it best when he said "They're payin' me for this!?"

That seems to be the true beauty in life, when we can find the one thing we love doing and actually get paid to do it. To essentially make a living off our passion. I can remember Mr. Harvey, my 11th grade physics teacher, who donated his paycheck back to the school every month. And despite being a multi millionaire retired NASA scientist, he drove a beat up old blue truck to school every day. I admired his passion for what he did, the fact that he actually enjoyed teaching and was motivated by more than money and fame.

I left today's lecture wondering if I am myself a performance oriented learner, someone externally motivated by the possibility of reward and wealth. I don't really know, I mean, I hope I'm not. I would like to think that I learn for the sake of learning and not for the notion that it is going to make me rich or happy in the future. Even as I write these words I'm reminded that this very blog is a mandatory assignment for class and the only reason I need to blog is too avoid failing the course. Yet, I've come to love this blog and really enjoy getting my thoughts out through blogging. I have actually become intrinsically self motivated to continue this blog even after I am through with my intro to creativity course.

Let's be honest, advertising is not a profession people go into to make the big bucks. If I was planning on making a copious amount of money when I graduate, I would have majored in law or finance. I do advertising because it’s what I love, and it’s my passion. In the end, I think I just might rather have quality of life than a BMW…but a beamer would be nice too.

Bird Man

Raise the terror threat to level orange. We have a pigeon smuggler.

February 3rd, Melbourne International Airport, a man is stopped after customs officials find two large bird eggs stuffed in his multivitamin container. After further inspection it is revealed that the man has two live pigeons stuffed in his tights (one in each leg).

The 23 year old man was returning home from a trip to Dubai when custom officials stopped and searched him. The man was also found with bird seeds hidden in his belt and an undeclared eggplant in his luggage.

According to Customs Spokesperson Richard Janeczko "Wildlife smuggling is not only cruel to the animals involved, it poses a severe risk to the Australian environment and the health of the Australian community,"

If convicted the man faces up to 10 years in prison and an $110,000.

This raises quite a few questions in my mind. Why was this man smuggling two pigeons down his trousers? Was he planning to use them as clandestine terrorist carrier pigeons to transport vital information off the island? Was he just trying to give the birds an opportunity at a better life? Maybe he was trying a new terror tactic wherein he gives the entire continent bird flu? Whatever this dude was trying to pull with two live birds down his tights I don’t know, I just hope it doesn't come to the point where airport TSA agents are patting down grandma for a song bird stuffed down her handbag. I mean seriously, how much of a threat can this bird man really be?

That must have been the most uncomfortable plane ride ever. I bet the guy sitting next to him on the plane had no clue this dude was carrying two fully loaded flying rats strapped to his calf’s. Better yet, I wonder how much bird shit was in his shoes when they caught him.

Don't quit your day job

I have a couple bones to pick.

First up: The new lead singer of Journey

What the hell?? Since when did Journey get a new lead singer?

Yesterday I tuned into the super bowl pregame show and to my surprise I was delighted to hear that Journey was going to be playing a few songs before kickoff. I felt a surge of adrenaline and excitement. Could this be real? Is JOURNEY really playing the super bowl pregame? Seeing as how Journey is hands down the most legendary power ballad rock group of the '80s and easily one of my favorite bands of all time, I didn't think it could be true. I didn't even know they were still around. I was pumped to say the least and as I took my seat awaiting the curtain to open, my boyish excitement and eager anticipation turned to shear anger and confusion.



Who is this clown holding the microphone and why is he on stage singing a butchered cover of "Don't Stop Believing". Seriously, go back to the local karaoke bar where your legions of middle aged housewives can fawn over you while you destroy one of the classic rock ballads of all time.



What happened to the real Journey, the one I knew and loved? Seriously, who is this dude? I know that since Steve Perry (the original lead singer of journey) left the band in the mid '90s it has been tough finding someone to replace him. I mean Perry was a man so amazingly talented and one of a kind he was simply known as "the voice". I mean, I'll be realistic, I don't expect any man to replace the chops of Steve Perry, but c'mon...this guy? I mean there's gotta be someone out there who can front Journey better than this man.



Meet the Philippines' Arnel Pineda, the new man fronting Journey, and the reason for my recent frustration. In likely the cheapest audition in musical history, Pineda was actually discovered on Youtube.com by Journey lead guitarist Neil Schon who was desperate for a new lead singer and turned to the internet for answers. Schon found Journey cover band The Zoo(with Pineda as lead singer), fell in love with Pineda's vocals, asked him to join the real band, and the rest is history. Seriously, I'm not making this up. They found this guy on youtube. He was actually promoted from a Journey cover band, to the REAL Journey. I could have sworn I saw this guy try out on American Idol. Well, I guess nothing is impossible. I'm not trying to be too hard on young Pineda; he's decent, just nowhere near the real thing. It is a sad day for Journey fans everywhere.

Second: Keith Olbermann



Now i know Mr. Olbermann is the target of quite a bit of internet flack, not surprising, as it seems to come with the title of being an unabashedly one sided political commentator. No no, my issue is not with Keith Olbermann's political views or his fiery and opinionated MSNBC talk show. My hate lies much deeper. It is seeded in a place where Mr. Olbermann should have never dared to go - a place so dear to my heart that when Olbermann crossed the line I had to set things straight: Sports.

Keith Olbermann is hands down the worst sportscaster I have ever seen or heard. The guy seriously knows nothing about what he's talking about and for that reason alone should keep his mouth shut. I've seen the Bob Costas and Lou Holtz's, I've even tolerated the Chris Mortensen's and Skip Balis's of sports casting, but Mr. Olbermann, you sir are the worst sportscaster in the world. I have noticed the trend on NFL Sunday's as Olbermann sits silently next to the experts who have actual knowledge and experience analyzing the game. Not just sneering in every few minutes to make a blanketed general statement before it cuts to commercialas as Olbermann seems to be famous for.

I have no problem with the Olbermann's political opinions, and I sincerely believe everyone is entitled to their own views on government. But I cannot stand to see this talentless windbag dare to enter the arena of sports. In the past I would have simply changed the channel to a different game when he pops up, but this time, when I saw him trying to comment on the super bowl, the world title of god's gift to man, something just snapped.

So, to Keith Olbermann and the new lead singer of Journey (Arnel Pineda or whoever you are). Please, quit your day job.

My Favorite Super Bowl Ad

So, I just got back to my room from watching the super bowl at Ozona's (my frat throws an annual super bowl party there every year). Seeing as how my beloved Chargers were not playing, I couldn’t have cared less who won. I mean I’m not a big fan of Ben Roethlisberger but I equally feel no allegiance to the Arizona Cardinals who in my opinion don’t deserve to be playing in the world title. I guess when push came to shove; I was pulling for the Cardinals. So much for how that turned out.

What I was truly interested in this year were the Super Bowl commercials. Seeing as how I recently declared my major as advertising and I very well may be doing this in the future, I should take a keen interest into the nation’s biggest stage for advertising. I was very excited to see what the country’s top agencies had cooking for this year, and what message was soo important that companies are willing to pay up to $3 million for a 30 second spot.

Well...I was both surprisingly impressed and thoroughly confused by this year’s ads. They were hands down some of the funniest television commercials I’ve ever seen but at the same time, they could not be more random and pointless. I mean it seems like commercials are less and less having to do with the product being sold and more and more for mere entertainment and shock value.

My personal favorite was a wonderfully creative spot by Weiden+Kennedy for careerbuilder.com. It was wacky, funny, random, and surprisingly on message which is always a good thing for an industry that is really suffering in today's economy. The ability to keep the ad fun and optimistic while demonstrating the point was what really impressed me.

Even watching the commercial now, I’m cracking up, and I’ve seen it probly twenty times. I just can’t get over that woman riding the seal and the sound she makes. Deliciously random and sublimely funny, this ad was by far my favorite one of the day.