What is Microsoft Doing?

First Commercial Featuring Jerry Seinfeld

Second Commercial Featuring Jerry Seinfeld

New Commercial "I'm A PC"

Pharrell Williams is an Apple User

Microsoft is a brand that has been losing a lot of ground to Apple recently and have decided that it is time to do something about it. While I commend their effort to put a halt to the Apple's dominance, I find it terrible the way they are going about it. First off I do not find Jerry Seinfeld or Bill Gates to be great spokespeople for the brand. Why? Well, Seinfeld is known to be an Apple user and what about Seinfeld has to do with Microsoft and its products. Seinfeld does not make Microsoft cooler. Bill Gates is no longer with the company. Even though he is seen as the face of the brand, he is in the past and it is time to move forward. For that reason alone, Bill Gates should not have been used. Microsoft, who is spending $300 million for this campaign, received a lot of criticism for these ads. Also, another problem with these commercials, is that it's not clear what the message the consumer is supposed to take away. It is not really that clear it is a Microsoft commercial really.

The "I'm a PC" ad is a better move in the right direction. I like the "Life without Walls" tagline. It gives the brand some crediblity and a message to send to its consumers that they can connect to. However, the problem I have with this commercial is that some of the celebrities that are used that claim they are a PC are in fact, avid users of Apple products. For example, Pharrell Williams has videos where he has confessed his love and loyalty to Apple products, such as his famous gold iPhone. This is not good for Microsoft because a lot of people know what these celebrities use. When I saw this commercial that was the first thing I noticed. A lot of these people use Apple products on a regular basis. This can only mean one thing. Microsoft is sendind mixed messages or they are that deseparate to create an image. In my opinion, there can be no half stepping, people will call bullshit on this immediately and Microsoft will find it self in even more trouble. While I love the message, the exectuion was half done. Go out there and find some people that really do use PCs. If there are none, get some footage or something of Pharrell and other Apple users, using a PC. You have to be authentic and that is what I feel Microsoft has fallen short of with these new ads.

Terry Richardson: My Favorite Photographer

T-Rich and Obama

Megan Fox from the Oct '08 GQ
(These photos made me fall in love with this girl, who I really did not care much for in Transformers.)

Skateboard P

The 3-Way Kiss

"Terry Richardson is an international celebrity as well as one of the most prolific and compelling photographers of his generation. Known for his uncanny ability to cut to the raw essence of whomever appears before his lens, Mr. Richardson's vision is at once humorous, tragic, often beautiful, and always provocative."

I really like Terry Richardson because he goes away from the norm of what you would normally see in most photography. He has a great way of catching the edgier side of his subjects, but still maintain the image they have set for themselves. His photos are racy, yet classy. They push to the edge without falling over. I admire anyone who does their own thing and brings their own style and is unapologetic about it. That is what I see in Terry Richardson's work, just a man doing what he loves and doing what he loves how he wants to do it. Much Respect to T-Rich.

Terry Richardson Website

Speechless....

I saw this picture on the internet and I was not sure how to interpret it. Having lost a friend in the Virginia Tech massacre, I definitely get mixed feelings when I see this. Not sure of the statement he was trying to make.

Quote of the Day --- "Style"

"Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men, any more than fine feathers make fine birds. A plain, genteel dress is more admired , obtains more credit in the eyes of the judious and the sensible."
--George Washington--

Simple thought in this quote, the clothes don't make the man. This day in age it can never be more true. But what struck me more is who said this quote. George Washington, the first president of this country. It is weird to me that he was making a comment of this nature back in the 1700s. When you think about it though, the world and its circumstances do not really change, just the people. What we are dealing with today is what people were dealing with back in the day, just in a little bit different capacity. Interesting.

Quote of the Day --- "Talent"

"Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places that it leads."
--Erica Jong--

I believe we all have special talents, but these talents we have can really distinguish us from others and that can be a scary thought to many of us. It takes courage to be set apart on your own and to fulfill your destiny becauseyou do not know who is really going to be accepting of you. I encourage to follow your destiny and to be the best you can, those who are true friends and really want the best for you will support you in developing your talent and becoming the best person you can be.

Main Source--"Fakin' The Funk"

Lots of people out here are fakin' the funk. This song is in my head while I am in class right now.

CLASSIC Jam from a CLASSIC Movie .... Featured on the "White Men Can't Jump" Soundtrack

Read To Them

For my Cultural Exploration class, we are going to be creating a branding campaign for, Read To Them, an organization that reads to kids and encourages kids to read. In order to prepare for this assignment, I had to do my own research and actually go out and read to kids. So, Friday afternoon, I went to the VCU Child Development Center and read to a class of toddlers for thirty minutes. It was quite the experience. I am not a big fan of kids, though I like them, I just never mesh well with them. They always seem to be intimidated by my height and my monotone voice, haha. However, this experience was quite different. The kids took a liking to me quickly and were not shy at all. Though many of them could not talk very much, they were very engaged in my story that I was reading to them and me. They were climbing all over me and trying to take the book away from me and throwing new books for me to read at them. It was pretty funny. When I left the class, I was attacked bythe class giving away hugs to these little toddlers. Kids never fail to amaze me and one thing I learned from the experience is that children really need to be nurtured. There purity and innocence is something that should be cherished and preserved. Kids are a thing of beauty and their interest in everything around them is to be admired. My experience Friday really inspired me and will make me work my hardest to develop some good work for the Read To Them program.

Quote of the Day---"Procrastination"

"The world is full of human lobsters; men stranded on the rocks of indecision and procrastination, who, instead of putting forth their own energies, are waiting for some grand billow of good fortune to set them afloat."
--Orison Swett Marden--

This quote is basically a note to self, to be proactive and a go-getter. Not to sit around waiting for things to happen because if I do that, nothing will happen. Make goals actionable and wake up everyday with a set of things to accomplish and don't rest until those things are acoomplished. Hold yourself accountable and develop a strong discipline.

What I'm Listening To...Smashing Pumpkins---"Cherub Rock"

It may be because I have been playing Guitar Hero for awhile and this is my favorite to play on the game, but I can't stop listening to this song right now. It puts me in a weird sort of mood, on edge yet mellow, kind of like I am calm and confidently ready to handle anything that comes my way. This is a classic song in my opinion. I could see this beat being sampled for for a hip-hop song sometime, I wish I had that skill cause I would definitely do it. Strong message in the song to if you listen to it, definitely something I can relate to. LET ME OUT!!!!

Federal BMX

Federal BMX Team in Paris

I started riding earlier this summer in my free time and just to have something else to do. BMXing is definitely a challenge and something that takes a lot of work, but it is fun as hell. Anywho, any time you start something new you have to find someone to look up to and to look to for inspire. The riders of Federal BMX from the UK are definitely that for me. Their style and the fun they seem to have while riding is crazy. They do a lot of daring tricks and have a care free, go for it attitude about them. What I like about the team is their trips to scenic cities like Paris, London and Cologne where they just take over the streets and landmarks and go crazy. That fearlessness and energy excites me and is definitely something I try to resemble when I am riding or when I am doing anything else in life. The video aboce is from their trip to London. Check Federal out on Youtube as well as on their website.

Federal BMX

Wifey Shirt: Offensive?

Do you find this shirt offensive? I have a friend who wore this shirt recently and caught extreme heat from some people who observed the image. I was kind of shocked at the backlash, he recieved from it and it kind of bothered me. What I see in this image is pure humor, it is simply funny, nothing more. This sends no negative message in my opinion. Of course, you would not wear this around kids and families, but there is nothing else to this shirt to me but humor. I find the shirt funy because seriously, is she really wifey material? If you really want to analyze this shirt, it probably comes from the saying , "you can't turn a hoe/partygirl into a housewife" no matter what you make her do, her roots are forever instilled in her. That is a message a lot of guys feel and live by, and that message is simply expressed through this humorous image on this shirt. A part of a lot of urban streetweat and urban street culture is taking these common phrases and philosophies we hear in music and in everyday life and flipping them on their heads in a humorous way. It is not meant to be understood by everyone.

It's unfortunate, but most people are only going to see that this is a naked girl on your T-shirt, and it is a corporate brand trying to make a joke and show the stupidity of today's youth. I disagree. Some people are just so closed minded and controlled by the thoughts of others that they are afraid to step out and make a statement. Yes, making a statement comes with a price sometimes, but should we live and do things everyday trying to avoid a price. I don't know. I guess I am in search for another perspective. It is quite possible that I may be mixed up in the head. Who knows. If you find this shirt and image offensive, let me know why? I want to learn.

Quote of the Day--- "Argument and Debate"

"It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it."
--Joseph Joubert--

"Men are apt to mistake the strength of their feeling for the strength of their argument. The heated mind resents the chill touch and relentless scrutiny of logic."
--William Ewart Gladstone--

"There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees."
--Michel de Montaigne--

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me."
--Dudley Field Malone--


I know I have a lot of quotes today, but they all mean something to me and is something that I deal with on a regular basis. I am a person that loves to disagree or to bring up controversy. Sometimes I just pretend to play the other side because it makes things more interesting, but at the same time I get a bad rep for having my own mind and expressing the willingness to debate my opinion. I have learned that argument and controversy can be where you learn the most about yourself and test your beliefs as well as learn new things about other people and other thoughts. I feel too many people look negatively on argument and debate and take things to heart to soon. Seriously, if everyone agreed with each other, if everyone saw things the same way, if we all attempted to be happy by simply pacifying each others egos and opinions by not challenging each other and ourselves, life would be so boring. Argument and disagreement are extremely important to our lives and society, and those who think otherwise, I feel leave in a world that they are the citizen. If there was no disagreement, the country as we know it, based on democracy, would not exist and there would be no interest in politics or elections. I encourage people to disagree and to debate, it is one of the most exciting and educational things we can involve ourselves in and should not be shyed away from.

Mellow Mood for a Saturday Day Night

It is a Saturday night and I don't feel like doing anything. When I get in these moods I usually just lay on the floor in the dark and put on some of my favorite music. What I put in tonight was Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution , one of the greatest albums of all-time. Purple Rain is also one of my favorite movies. What I love about this album is the vast amount of musical instruments and the live band elements that brings the album to life. My favorite track on the album is "Darling Nikki" followed by the title track, "Purple Rain". Great music from one of the greatest men in music history.

The Generational Gap

The generational gap is something I never thought was that big of a deal. With a little discussion, teaching and exploration about certain misunderstood topics the two differing generations could gain better understanding or at least agree to disagree. Recently, this train of thought has been derailed. I have come to realize that this gap is sometimes impossible to bridge. Maybe it is the fact that both parties think that they are right, the fact that both parties think they had it a little bit harder or the fact that both parties are just closed minded to the learning they could obtain from another generation. I do no know what it is, but recently I have found it hard to communicate the cultural aspects of my generation to those generations before me. Even after an in-depth explanation of certain topics of discussion, these explanations are usually only met with blank stares or eye rolls that suggest that these thoughts being shared with them are absurd and pointless.

But as I think about it, a lot of the topics and discussions I have with older generations, the view points are not that different. Even fact as I look and listen closely, many ideas are born out of the same mindset and attitudes. Truth of the matter is we all face the same obstacles and circumstances, but through different stages of life we have different feelings about certain things. Everyone wants to be right and have their point of view reigh superior. In my opinion, we are both right and each generation has that thing that defines them and different aspects that influence their thought patterns. However, as I said before the feelings and points of views usually come from the same place you just have to look and listen closely for them. I admit it is hard to listen and to digest somethings that you feel go against how you feel and what you seen in your everyday life. But if you think about the generation you are talking to probably said the same thing about the generation before them and vice versa. To bridge the generational gap, we have to listen to each other and really try to see where they are coming from because at the end of the day, you could really learn something about yourself or someone else that can impact your life and the world around you.

Quote of the Day---"Individuality"

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting."
--Edward Estlin Cummings--

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
--Friedrich Nietzsche--

We are encouraged everyday to be ourselves, but how much of the world really allows you to be yourself. There is a mold or a shape everyone has to play to and if they don't they will pay a price. So, if something is truly a part of a person we are must hide it or cover it up sometimes just to be accepted or to maintain function in society. It just makes me wonder, how much are we really supposed to discover for ourselves and if we discover something unique or that isn't the norm are we supposed to hide that? Being yourself and an individual is one of the greatest most rewarding things in the world, and being successful while maintaining your individuality in this close-minded, stereotypical, form fitting world is something to be commended and something I strive for everyday.

DIDDY: Swagger Like Puff

Sometimes I cannot decide if I am a fan of Diddy. He is definitely a success person, but I ask myself why is this man so famous. I then see this video and realize that I am watching the reason why this man is who he is. It is simply because he tells us who he is so often, so frequently and in some of the most convincing type ways that we have no choice but to believe him and make him rich. This video shows precisely the great self promotion and self branding that Diddy has mastered and what has made him who he is today. Like him or not, you have to respect his hustle. This video is funny and he rhyme kind of nice on this song, I wonder if he actually wrote these verses or if he just wrote a check to pay for these verses. Hmmm...

Quote of the Day --- "Inspiration"

"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson--

To be great and to do great things, we have to be inspired. I believe inspiration is all around us, but it is a matter of being in tune with yourself to recognize these things that can spark intersts in our minds and desire in our hearts and lead us to places and to do things we have never done before.

Being Batman.

When The Dark Knight was first came out in theaters, I saw it three times. Each time I was amazed noticing something different about the movie or being fascinated by some spectacular thought or stunt that I witnessed. But like a little kid, in the back of mind I asked myself, "What if I was Batman?", "Wouldn't it be cool to be Batman?"

Don't laugh it, everyone has had that thought, I am just not afraid to admit it. haha. Who wouldn't want to drive the hottest car on the planet? Who wouldn't wanted to be feared by every person you encountered? Who wouldn't want to jump off buildings and glide through a city to kidnap a criminal? Anyways, I came across this article in Forbes that tells a little about what it takes to be Batman and how much it would cost. Its pretty expensive. Take a look at the article it is interesting and if becoming a real life Batman is your goal, you are one step closer to knowin how to do it.

Full Article

Shoes For Thought

Nike HyperDunk Gold Medal Edition

Nike Dunk Hi Back To School
"I WILL BE GETTING THESE VERY SOON"

Nike Dunk Lo Wingtips

Nike Blazer SB

Air Jordan 6 Rings White/Black

Nike Air Penny 2
CLASSICS

Nike Blazer--Elephant Capricorn


These are just some of the kicks that I will be obtaining and adding to my collection very soon.

Recycled Toy Furniture

In one of my classes, we just finished trying to rebrand Toy 'R Us and for like 3 weeks all I have been talking about is toys. Then I see this exhibit. Why didn't I think of this? This exhibit by Greg Lynn, features recycled children's toys used as bases to create pieces of furniture. The pieces won awards at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Cool uses of plastic things people just step on to create peices of furniture people just sit on and rest their glasses.

Quantum of Solace Trailer # 2

The second trailer of the long awaited Quantum of Solace. I cannot wait to see this movie and this trailer spikes my interests in this movie even more. Daniel Craig, in my opinion, seems he will seal the deal as the best Bond of them all. Check out the trailer.

Quote of the Day----"Work"

"Work is the true elixir of life. The busiest man is the happiest man. Excellence in any art or profession is attained only by hard and persistent work. Never believe that you are perfect. When a man imagines, even after years of striving, that he has attained perfection, his decline begins."
--Sir Theodore Martin--

As I read this quote I came to realize that I am just beginning to learn what hard work is. With that, I am also learn that it is nothing to be afraid of. When you begin to embrace hard work, it becomes a part of you and is displayed in everything you do. It becomes habit. To work hard, really brings out the best in me and really makes me feel good about myself. To accomplish things, I thought I could not. To keep getting better knowing that I will never be perfect, but still trying to obtain that. It's funny how people still try to when a battle that they know cannot be won and that striving creates some of our greatest figures and people of all time.

Quote of the Day---"Forgiveness"

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."
--Alexander Pope--

Forgiveness seems to be a hard thing for some people. Some people just don't have the thickest skin and are really bitter about certain things. Maybe the fact that they choose not to forgive makes them feel stronger by condemning one who has made mistakes or done them wrong. No one is perfect and I really see now that the ability to forgive is something everyone is not born with. Whether people see the full picture of one's actions and not just how it makes them feel, I believe that people have to learn to forgive. At the end of the day, holding things against someone else is only hurting yourself.

Graffiti Artist: Banksy

The thing I hate the most about advertising is that it attracts all the bright, creative and ambitious young people, leaving us mainly with the slow and self-obsessed to become our artists. Modern art is a disaster area. Never in the field of human history has so much been used by so many to say so little.

-Banksy

People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish... but that's only if it's done properly.

-Banksy

"Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a fucking sharp knife to it."

-Banksy

"Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymous British graffiti artist. He is believed to be a native of Yate, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol and to have been born in 1974, but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details. According to Tristan Manco, Banksy "was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier engineer, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s." His artworks are often-satirical pieces of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti writing with a distinctive stencilling technique, is similar to Blek le Rat, who began to work with stencils in 1981 in Paris and members of the anarcho-rock band, Crass, who maintained a graffiti stencil campaign on the London Tube System in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His art has appeared in cities around the world. Banksy's work was born out of the Bristol underground scene which involved collaborations between artists and musicians."

I just heard about this graffiti artisit and I am amazed by his work. More so, when I was looking for more information about him and found so much uncertainty about where he is from and how he came to be who he is today, I am even more intrigued by his mystery. I am for anyone who does what he loves without being apologetic and one who is true to himself. That is what Banksy is. He really tries to inflict change and thought upon the world around him with his work, not for glorification or fame, but simply for the love and the need.

Banksy Website

Google attempts World Domination

Google has the search engine game on lock and when you are as powerful and such a strong brand like Google, there is nothing else to do but expand. That spells trouble for the competition and puts brands under pressure to get there game together. New products to challenge Wikipedia, Firefox and a slew of other internet services and companies Google is set to really take over the game and establish itself as a brand that can't be tocuhed. Only time will tell if they are able to do it. With there innovative and entrepreneurial prowess as well as there strong brand culture to attract the best talent, Google ina very short time will be an unmovable force.

Full Article from Complex

Quote of the Day ---"Reality"

"The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails."
--William Arthur Ward--

This made me think about reality and what it is really to be a realist. Does a realist just sit back and let things take place and live with how they are? Or does a realist realize what is happening and try to change it?

Hmmmmm....

FYI-MAG.com

N.E.R.D. x Common Tour

"Seeing the Invincible Sounds of Summer" Tour
Featuring N.E.R.D. and Common

This is going to be a crazy tour. This could be on the same level as Kanye's "Glow in the Dark" Tour. More dates to be added. Check out the new Common and Pharrell Video- "Announcement".

Tour Dates:
September 9 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
September 10 - Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
September 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
September 15 - Anaheim, CA @ Grove Of Anaheim
September 17 - Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl
September 18 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
September 19 - Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater
September 20 - Berkeley, CA @ Berkeley Community Theatre
September 21 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
September 23 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
September 27 - Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
September 29 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
October 1 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
October 2 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
October 4 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
October 8 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
October 9 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Cafe
October 10 - Miami Beach, FL @ Fillmore

"The Art Of Music" presented by Scion

"Every music style has its own visual identity that manifests in accompanying artwork and can elevate a great record or band to iconic status. "

This could not be more true, especially back in the day of records when some people's only reasoning for purchasing a albt is on the cover or within the sleeves. This exhibit celebrates this mode of self-expression for artists, music and art alike, and the link between these tum was the art work on the record cover. Today, we even identify some of our favorite albums by the art thao art forms.

Full Article at HighSnobiety

New Hot Music

'

The Dream--- "Put On Freestyle"
(He might have killed Jay, Jeezy and Kanye with this one)

Solange Feat. Wale --- "Fuck the Industry" (Remix)

"The Voting Fad"

Something that I do not understand is why people do not vote. I hear a lot of people complaining about the things that are going on in the world, but at the same time they are part of the problem because they do not do their part in helping to solve it and that is simply to vote. Many may argue that voting does not change anything, that all politicians are the same, that their one vote can make no difference. I could not disagree more. Yes, you have one vote, but if there are a million people who have that same mentality that is a million votes that are left out there and a million votes can definitely change things. Also, why not exercise your right as a citizen. There is an enormous amount of people that would do anything for the right to vote and have a hand and controlling the destiny of their country. By not taking advantage of this privilege, you are in a sense disrespecting what so many people have struggled to gain. I feel a lot of people refuse to vote just go against the norm or just to be different. Though that sounds stupid you would be surprised of some of the things people say to defend their position on why have not registered t vote or have not gone to the polls to vote. Voting is not a played out fad or fashion that comes around every couple of years. It is your voice to change the world and to influence what is going on in the world around you. Unless you have done your part, it is not right for you to complain what has or has not been done. Vote it is your voice. It is your right. It will make a difference.

Miss Independent (She Got Her Own Remix) --- Ne-Yo Feat. Jamie Foxx and Fabolous

Miss Independent Remix

I don't get excited about to many albums these days, but like I said before Ne-Yo has stepped his game up and "The Year of Gentleman"(I love this concept especially with the low quality of music and the even lower quality of personas in the music industry today) about to be a sick album. This remix is crazy and proves to me that Fabolous is one of the best rappers in the game right now.

TADO

This is some interesting art here. I love art and anything that is completely weird. That is the beauty to me. One person can see something that no one else can see and idea or piece of work can inspire someone to do something totally different. This duo call TADO, pulls their inspiration from so many places and come up with some art that is compelling, interesting and is art that no one else could think of. Look around everyday with an open mindset, you can be inspired to do anything that has never been done before.


"Mike and Katie are the perky British duo known as TADO (tay-doh). Their love of meat, puppies, and cute, spiky characters brought them together in their art school days and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Their work includes graphic design, illustration, animation, toy design, and everything in between. There newest release is a double feature, comprising a multiples critter series called the Littlest Cannibals, and a 7” psycho little Miss Fixitby by the name of Tulip, thanks to Kid Robot. You can catch TADO and their touring show this fall at various toy shops across North America including Magic Pony in Toronto from August 28 to September 14."

Format: Ancient myths and legends are full of weird little creatures. Are there any mythologies that you guys look to when starting on a new character sets?
TADO: We tend not to do any specific research for characters, unless we’re working to a brief on a subject. We’re continually taking stuff in all the time on a day to day basis—our ideas can come from anywhere really, from a funny looking dog in the park to vintage advertising.


Full Article (Taken from Whores Never Learn)

Quote of the Day --- "Greatness"

"The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment."
--Elbert Hubbard--

Criticism is a necessity in life. It keeps your humble and always working hard. Some of the greatest people in history have been the people who have been criticized the most. We have to take criticism and use it as our fuel to keep moving forward. It's motivation.