Funny Friday: Dogs Attacking Leaves
If only attacking leaves would make me this happy. Then again, I've never really tried to attack a pile of leaves. I'll be right back. ~ p
Funny Friday: Cats Fake Getting Shot
Don't worry, PETA. No animals were hurt or shot in the making of this video. But Keanu Reeves should be worried that his next role might go to one of these cats. Play with sound. ~ p
Spooky Time-Traveling Cell Phone User...Real or Fake?
I don't get scared. I'm not bragging, I just literally don't get creeped out by Halloween movies or gory costumes or, well, anything. Heights can sometimes freak me out. And I'll sometimes 'jump' if you can startle me. But that's about it. Knowing this, to get my adrenaline going, I like unusual, interesting stuff that makes me ask questions, like magic tricks. This video falls into that category.
Irish filmmaker George Clarke created a YouTube video that has gone viral this week. It shows a cellphone-using “time traveler” attending the 1928 premiere of Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus.
I watched it, and it's very convincing. Who knows? It could even be 'real'. But, with that time traveler theory, as I often do, I started to ask questions, like 'Who is on the other end of the phone?', 'How does a cell phone work when cell phone towers haven't been invented yet?', and 'Does her cell phone company charge her for long distance minutes?'
Also interesting is the profession of the guy who 'found' this gem. He's a filmmaker. Is it possible this has been fixed? Likely.
Or maybe, in the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'
Take a look and judge for yourself. ~ p
Irish filmmaker George Clarke created a YouTube video that has gone viral this week. It shows a cellphone-using “time traveler” attending the 1928 premiere of Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus.
I watched it, and it's very convincing. Who knows? It could even be 'real'. But, with that time traveler theory, as I often do, I started to ask questions, like 'Who is on the other end of the phone?', 'How does a cell phone work when cell phone towers haven't been invented yet?', and 'Does her cell phone company charge her for long distance minutes?'
Also interesting is the profession of the guy who 'found' this gem. He's a filmmaker. Is it possible this has been fixed? Likely.
Or maybe, in the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'
Take a look and judge for yourself. ~ p
Twitter Worth $1.1 Billion. Haven't We Learned Anything?
Twitter was recently evaluated at $1.1 billion. I'm a Tweeter, and I even claimed that one day, Twitter could surpass Facebook in terms of size and revenue. That's because their system is simple and single-focused in an increasingly mobile, short-attention-span world.
But $1.1 billion? THEY DON'T HAVE A REVENUE STREAM!!!!
Isn't this, in part, why Capitalism failed us in 2007-2008? People falsifying markets and companies that have no business (literally in this case) getting valuations as high as they did? Just because it's cool, doesn't make it valuable. It needs to make money first. Doesn't it?
I'm not an economist. There are things that I don't fully understand. But I also think that the complicated systems created by Wall Street got us into the mess we were in and still are fighting through in some parts of the country. This rang true in Michael Moore movie Capitalism: A Love Story, when he asked members of Congress and Wall Street bankers to 'define a dividend', and no one could.
Don't get me wrong. I like money, and I want more of it. I also understand that Capitalism is a great way to get me there. Real Estate investments won't always come through. I am, by definition, pro-Capitalism...but are there limits! Stock, even internally with employees and investors, should not be traded when they company hasn't made a dime. It sounds too close to a trick being performed at the circus. Only time will tell who are the clowns. ~ p
(Source: TechCrunch)
Lebronathon: Epic New Nike Ad for Opening Night
It's time. Opening night in the NBA. I've waited like a kid who, for the first time, fully understands what it means to wake up on Christmas morning.
Awesomeness.
It's been a rough off-season for Lebron fans, as some say. But I think this has been the best off-season since Grant Hill, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady flirted with teaming up in Orlando. But, instead, it actually happened.
Lebron's Decision, and I feel like I might get stoned for saying this, was the most exciting moment in sports, outside an actually sporting event, that I've ever seen. Everyone I knew was on the edge of their seats watching him talk about who knows what with Jim Gray. No one knew with absolutely certainty what was going to happen. Sure, sucks to be a Cleveland fan, but how is it really different than when other free agents flee? Chris Bosh told Raptors fans over a streaming internet feed on ESPN with Wade at his side. It wasn't a one-hour special, but frankly, at least that was interesting.
Just by the numbers, most notably ESPN's Player Efficiency Rating, Lebron has been the most dynamic and talented player to ever put on a pair of shorts since Jordan. But when people say that he will be or not be the next Jordan...they're missing the point. He will not be. And that will truly define his greatness. Jordan wasn't the next Magic or Bird. He was the one and only Jordan. Every great person defines himself against no one but himself.
Okay, rant over. To cement the awesomeness I was talking about earlier, Nike has launched a new commercial that is an instant epic classic. Enjoy. ~ p
Awesomeness.
It's been a rough off-season for Lebron fans, as some say. But I think this has been the best off-season since Grant Hill, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady flirted with teaming up in Orlando. But, instead, it actually happened.
Lebron's Decision, and I feel like I might get stoned for saying this, was the most exciting moment in sports, outside an actually sporting event, that I've ever seen. Everyone I knew was on the edge of their seats watching him talk about who knows what with Jim Gray. No one knew with absolutely certainty what was going to happen. Sure, sucks to be a Cleveland fan, but how is it really different than when other free agents flee? Chris Bosh told Raptors fans over a streaming internet feed on ESPN with Wade at his side. It wasn't a one-hour special, but frankly, at least that was interesting.
Just by the numbers, most notably ESPN's Player Efficiency Rating, Lebron has been the most dynamic and talented player to ever put on a pair of shorts since Jordan. But when people say that he will be or not be the next Jordan...they're missing the point. He will not be. And that will truly define his greatness. Jordan wasn't the next Magic or Bird. He was the one and only Jordan. Every great person defines himself against no one but himself.
Okay, rant over. To cement the awesomeness I was talking about earlier, Nike has launched a new commercial that is an instant epic classic. Enjoy. ~ p
Xbox (Microsoft) Kinect launches $500 million campaign
The ads for Microsoft's new controller-less Xbox stystem, Kinect, have surfaced. AdAge reports that they are rolling it out with a $500 million budget. Yeah, wow. Luckily, I think they're great, so as much as they're bound to get annoying with that many impressions over the media, it will take a while. Plus, it looks like they've done numerous executions to keep interest high. The only suggestion I have for Agency215 (Xbox's AOR) is to end with a big Super of a Microsoft logo.
Yeah...I just suggested to end with a huge client logo. Here's why - these commercials are cool. Not overly hard to do when your product is wicked, but it's also easier than you might think to screw it up. Microsoft, as a brand, has suffered in the last few years. Their commercials and, well, marketing, has kinda stunk. So now, as customers, we don't associate with them as much as we once did. But this product is so good that it can remind us that, 'Hey, these guys were cool and relevant at some point. They were the ones who commercialized this whole personal computer thing. I should like them again.'
Yeah...I just suggested to end with a huge client logo. Here's why - these commercials are cool. Not overly hard to do when your product is wicked, but it's also easier than you might think to screw it up. Microsoft, as a brand, has suffered in the last few years. Their commercials and, well, marketing, has kinda stunk. So now, as customers, we don't associate with them as much as we once did. But this product is so good that it can remind us that, 'Hey, these guys were cool and relevant at some point. They were the ones who commercialized this whole personal computer thing. I should like them again.'
Sony has another opinion on Microsoft's new system. They've softly launched a defense campaign to counter with the benefits of their new Move controller, trying to convince anyone who will listen that it makes for a better gaming experience. I have a PS3 and I love it. But if I had both of these systems at my disposal, there is a good chance that the Kinect might soon become the Swifer to my PS3 mop.
What do you think? Is this something you would buy or want as a gift? ~ p
Starbucks Rolling Out Mobile Payment: Will this Slow Down Service?
Starbucks is brewing up some fresh thinking lately. I wrote about one of their Seattle stores offering craft beer and local wines last week, and I tweeted about their new Starbucks Digital Network, now they're rolling out their Starbucks Card Mobile Payment program into 300 stores in New York and Long Island.
Starbucks Card Mobile for iPhone and BlackBerry lets users pay for their coffee by holding up the 2-D barcode on their smartphone to the scanner at the counter. The application also allows customers to manage and reload their Starbucks Cards.
“We’re seeing more and more customers using their smartphones as their mobile wallets,” says Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “We’ve heard from our customers on My Starbucks Idea that they want a faster, more convenient way to pay.”
A mobile payment device is faster? Interesting. In the Quick Service Retail industry, loyalty cards and alternative payment devices tend to fail and/or meet a lot of criticism both internally and externally. There are a few reasons for this, but the main one is that it slows down the line, and the experience. It doesn't traditional speed it up. I haven't tried this Card program yet, but from my 2-D interactions so far, it's not as fast as it often promises to be.
Regardless of the past, if anyone can figure this hurdle out, it's Starbucks. They recognize that mobile is an increasingly important avenue for them, and other should take note. The company reports that more than 50% of all logons to its free in-store WiFi are made via mobile phone, and that of its smartphone-carrying customer base, 71% have an iPhone or BlackBerry device.
The ultimate goal of the program is to get customers to trade in their physical Starbucks Cards for the digital variety — it’s a time saving exchange for the customer and a cost saving exchange for the company. Already, one in five of all in-store transactions are paid for via Starbucks Card (mobile or physical), and more than $1 billion will have been loaded on to cards by year’s end. ~ p
Starbucks Card Mobile for iPhone and BlackBerry lets users pay for their coffee by holding up the 2-D barcode on their smartphone to the scanner at the counter. The application also allows customers to manage and reload their Starbucks Cards.
“We’re seeing more and more customers using their smartphones as their mobile wallets,” says Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Loyalty. “We’ve heard from our customers on My Starbucks Idea that they want a faster, more convenient way to pay.”
A mobile payment device is faster? Interesting. In the Quick Service Retail industry, loyalty cards and alternative payment devices tend to fail and/or meet a lot of criticism both internally and externally. There are a few reasons for this, but the main one is that it slows down the line, and the experience. It doesn't traditional speed it up. I haven't tried this Card program yet, but from my 2-D interactions so far, it's not as fast as it often promises to be.
Regardless of the past, if anyone can figure this hurdle out, it's Starbucks. They recognize that mobile is an increasingly important avenue for them, and other should take note. The company reports that more than 50% of all logons to its free in-store WiFi are made via mobile phone, and that of its smartphone-carrying customer base, 71% have an iPhone or BlackBerry device.
The ultimate goal of the program is to get customers to trade in their physical Starbucks Cards for the digital variety — it’s a time saving exchange for the customer and a cost saving exchange for the company. Already, one in five of all in-store transactions are paid for via Starbucks Card (mobile or physical), and more than $1 billion will have been loaded on to cards by year’s end. ~ p
(Source: Mashable)
Getting Ready
I'm lucky. I don't have to deal with this every morning, or every time we go out for dinner. But I know a lot of men do, and I think it's hilarious. ~ p
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