Posted Without Comment
Reply
The Show
Several years ago, when I was still on the other side of 30 and Twitter didn’t even exist yet, there was a man named Ze Frank who created things on the Internet. One of the greatest things he ever did was a video podcast (back before it was called a video podcast) called The Show with Ze Frank.
Every day, he would post a new 5-7 minute video covering current events, pop culture…pretty much anything that entered his mind. He wrote songs. He made up new terms. He entertained and delighted his Sports Racer audience.
The Show lasted exactly one year, starting on March 17, 2006 and ending on March 17, 2007. I never missed it. In fact, I looked forward to each day around 3:00 when the new show would be posted. My friend Kevin and I would anxiously refresh our browsers until the new one showed its bug-eyed face. And we were rarely disappointed.
After The Show ended, Ze went on to do even more amazing things, posting web content for Time and speaking at conferences like TED.
Earlier this year, I heard about a Kickstarter campaign he was running to start another season of The Show. The Internet came through and now, he’s published his first video, something he’s calling, “An Invocation.”
I’m thrilled to see his face on the web again. Every day, he came through with a wonderful video that entertained and inspired through the monotony of a work day. His “Invocation” is a reminder of everything that was great about The Show — his cadence, his editing, his never-ever-ever-blinking, his writing. He’s really one of those things that make the web great.
I’m so excited that he’s putting on A Show. I hope that you’ll tune in too.
Trailer for ‘On The Road’
I read On the Road first when I was 21 and again when I was almost 30. I didn’t get it the first time. I sure as heck understood it the second time around.
The trailer gets extra props for using my favorite quote from the book:
But then they danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I’ve been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, made to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”
Looks like a really interesting cast. Garrett Hedlund really impressed me in Country Strong and in my opinion, Kristen Stewart keeps getting better.
Source: AMC Movie News Tumblr:
My favorite Super Bowl Ads
A lot of people watch the Super Bowl. Something to the tune of 400 billion in 250,000 countries or something like that. Some watch for the game (and a great game it was!), others watch for the halftime show (my wife was in that group tonight) and lots of people watch for the commercials.
In this world of DVR fast-forwarding, this is the one time of year that advertisers are pretty much guaranteed that a metric crap ton of eyeballs are going to be watching. A lot of money is spent on agencies and a lot of rich people get a lot richer (#OccupySuperBowl, anyone?).
I could care less who won the game…in fact, when Boston and New York play, I think most people root for both teams to lose, if that’s possible. I do watch the game, and this was definitely an exciting one. But as a marketer, I definitely pay very close attention to the ads.
This was my setup during the game: Twitter on the left, ad notes on the right.
After, I went back through and looked at my notes…tried to figure out which ones I liked best. Here were my favorites:
Hyundai – “All For One”
Now, I just bought a Hyundai Sonata last year. I love my car. I also loved what Hyundai did as the sponsor of the pre-game show. This nod to the Rocky theme was pretty great.
Best Buy – Phone Innovators
This ad from Best Buy was terrific. Phone-agnostic, but showing the type of amazing innovation that has come from the smartphone industry. And hats off to Instagram and Square…both amazing apps. And the Words with Friends nod was the perfect amount of funny.
Chevy – “2012″
Detroit came with a couple great ads and I thought Chevy had a great night. This one was the better of their two (the other being the extreme sports Chevy Sonic), especially the use of “Looks Like We Made It.”
Doritos – “Man’s Best Friend”
Doritos puts a lot of effort into their Super Bowl ads and they’ve really done a lot of user-generated stuff. This ad made me laugh. Plus, dogs > cats.
Chrysler – “Halftime in America”
This ad easily won the night for me. Not only do you have Clint Eastwood, one of the biggest American icons, but you have this message that could have very easily gotten super political and ended up being inspirational. Loved the timing (obviously, right at halftime but before Madonna). I didn’t think Chrysler could come up with an ad that would eclipse what they did last year with Eminem. Turns out I was wrong. Other people felt the same, including Chevy, who put out this very classy tweet:
@Chrysler Thanks for your trust in America. From the heart of Detroit to your homes, we feel the same way. spr.ly/proj
— Chevrolet (@chevrolet) February 6, 2012
To me, that was pretty cool. The ad highlight of the night to me.
Some other thoughts
- The highly-publicized “Matthew Broderick’s Day Off” ad for Honda really missed the mark for me.
- When it came to movie trailers, The Avengers won, in my opinion.
- The Coca-Cola polar bears are over.
- I really love Betty White, but she runs the risk of overexposure, in my opinion.
- The Hulu Plus ads are terrible.
- I saw a ton of hash tags in commercials. Some good. Some bad. Very few were on screen long enough to be noticed. Keep them on the whole time. #solongvampires
- The VW ad was funny, but that Star Wars end to it was totally lame.
- At the risk of being a “defensive fan boy,” I thought the Samsung Note ad was a good ad for an absolutely terrible product. Nice to see someone trying to take on Apple. Is a mini-tablet (or is that a giant phone?) with a stylus really the best product to attack with?
- Go Daddy is the worst.
- After a bunch of terrible halftime shows (all since the infamous “wardrobe malfunction”), Madonna set the bar for the next 10 years. All halftime shows should be measured against that.
What did you think?
A Post for 2012
I’ve spent the last 10 days on vacation. A much needed one. When you’re dealing with agencies on a large-scale project that requires virtually all of your time, it’s good to take a break when they do.
So I spent my Christmas vacation sleeping, catching up on movies and generally laying about while I wasn’t eating.
And man, did I ever eat. Three amazing dinners to celebrate my birthday — one at Trezo Vino, one at J. Gilbert and one at Blanc Burger. Great meals all, but my waistline is definitely worse for the wear.
My birthday and Christmas were terrific: I got everything I really wanted (except more storage for my computer…I’ll just buy that myself), including two new rad pair of sneakers and a new leather messenger bag for work (it makes me feel totally grown up).
And now, it’s officially 2012. Resolutions suck, but it’s a great time to start anew and set new goals for the year. So here are mine:
- I’m getting back onto Weight Watchers for real. We had some great success with it last year, but I stopped counting points and really lost my way. No more messing around. I’ve got 50 pounds to get to my goal weight. I’m aiming for getting there by the end of the year. Ideally, I’d like to be there by summer, but I want to be realistic too.
- I’ve got two big website launches this year. I want them both to go well.
- I want to find some sense of purpose for this site. Whether it’s WordPress or Tumblr or whatever…I want to post more and have more clarity in my posts.
- I obviously want to improve my work/life balance…whatever that might mean.
- I want to go on another adventure with Alli. It’s been too long since our Italian adventure. It’s time for another.
- Drink more water.
- I’d like to take another crack at reading 25 books this year. It’s been 5 years since I last did it. Look for an upcoming post with the books I intend to read this year.
- Keep being awesome.
Now that they’re written down, I have to stick to them, right? Isn’t that the point of stuff like this? What do you plan to do this year?
I Love Sneakers (and Other Birthday Musings)
My birthday this year (as well as the 34 birthdays prior) falls 2 days before Christmas. Most people, upon hearing that say, “Oh man, that’s gotta suck.”
I don’t see it that way. My family has always been amazing at keeping my birthday festivities separate from Christmas, which I truly appreciate. Plus, I get to open presents like 4 days in a row, which rocks.
This year, the celebration of my birthday was on a level that is just about unparalleled. My lovely wife Alli and I started the 22nd by using our Groupon to Trezo Vino, where we dined on amazing bruschetta and I had a terrific pasta dish – trofie with lump crab and prosciutto, bread crumbs and chili flakes. It was as delicious as it sounds.
We saw The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (if you like the books, I’m assuming you’ll like the movie, but man, is it ever brutal.
On my actual birthday, Alli and I woke up and had breakfast at my favorite place in Olathe, Old 56 Family Restaurant. Seriously, if you haven’t been there, go if only for the hash browns. We then headed to the movies again to see one of my favorites of the year, The Muppets. After the brutal nature of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it was fabulous for the second time. Seriously, it needs to win an Oscar for Best Song.
Had to run an errand, then after a quick nap and massage, we met my family for dinner at J. Gilbert for steak and family celebration. There, I was able to wear my new shoes from Alli and I got another pair from my folks.
The New Balances on the left are my new kicks from Alli. Old-mannish and retro-y, yet a little dressy…you know…because they’re leather. On the right, my new Muppet-inspired Kermit Adidas from my folks. They combine both my love of sneakers and my love of the Muppets. Plus, they are green. And they have the Kermit points around the tongue. So cool.
I also got a fancy new pen/stylus for my iPad and a bowtie from The Tie Bar from my brother and his family. Also awesome.
After dinner, we headed to another one of my favorite places, Christopher Elbow’s Glacé Artisan Ice Cream.
We topped it off by heading back to the movies to see the critically acclaimed silent movie, The Artist, which was completely charming in its simplicity.
All in all, my 35th birthday was freaking awesome. Family, movies, food, delicious food and rad sneakers. Yeah. I’d say it rocked.
Merry Christmas!
Why The Muppets Should Win an Oscar
Consider this the beginning of my official letter-writing campaign to get at least one Oscar for The Muppets, one of my favorite movies of the year.
I looked forward to Jason Segel and James Bobin’s take on my favorite Jim Henson characters for a while and when it finally reached the screen, it was everything I’d hoped for and more. It had the feel of one of the classic Muppet movies and yet, it felt updated for today’s audience.
One of my favorite parts of the movie was the terrific soundtrack that was overseen by music supervisor, Bret McKenzie, aka Rhymenocerous, aka one half of Flight of the Conchords.
McKenzie was responsible for the opening number, “Life’s a Happy Song” and the pivotal “Man or Muppet” song:
My favorite musical moment of the movie, however, comes early on in the plot, when Gary and Walter are trying to convince Kermit to get the gang back together and put on a show. Kermit sings this very sweet, heartfelt tune in the hallway of his office called “Pictures in My Head,” written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, and Chen Neeman (produced by McKenzie).
That song represents what I think a lot of people love about the Muppets. Sure they are nostalgic and a little corny, but they are also a beloved part of pop culture and American society. Jim Henson’s creations have always been a favorite of mine and I’m so glad that their movie delighted so many people this year.
My hope is that the Academy Awards this year will acknowledge the great songwriting of McKenzie and his team and at least nominate one song for an Oscar. I’d prefer if it was “Pictures in My Head”, but honestly, the whole soundtrack is great and I’d be happy with just one song being recognized. I truly can’t think of a reason why they shouldn’t be nominated. Randy Newman’s been nominated time and time again. Why can’t The Muppets?
Clever songwriting at pivotal times during the film…what are the actual requirements for a song to be nominated for “Best Song”? Whatever they are, I am unaware of any reason why The Muppets don’t qualify or are not deserving.
I encourage you to tweet #muppetsbestsongoscar if you agree with what I’m saying. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to inspire some voters online.
Happiness and Sadness
Last week was pretty big if you’re an Apple fanboy like me.
Happiness
It started off with the announcement I’ve been waiting for for several years — my hometown carrier, Sprint, will now carry the iPhone as an option. The Kansas City Star actually ran a story where my excitement about the device coming to Sprint was the lead.
To say that I’m excited is an understatement. I’ve been wanting an iPhone since the device came out, but my loyalty to my friends who work for our hometown company has outweighed that desire. Plus, since I’m a part of Sprint’s Advantage Plan, my monthly is pretty cheap. With family members also on Sprint in other cities, those free mobile-to-mobile minutes add up. Combine that with unlimited texting and data plans included (vs. a hefty increase on other carriers…I mean, SERIOUSLY, who would pay $20/month for unlimited texting?) and I haven’t been able to make the switch.
Now, I can. The iPhone 4S is scheduled to replace my crappy HTC Hero as soon as is humanly possible. I can’t wait.
Sadness
I’m not an engineer and I rarely design things anymore and yet, Steve Jobs passing still made me really sad.
Whether you are an Apple fanboy like me or not, his impact on the world is pretty remarkable. Not only was he responsible for bring the iPhone to fruition, he:
- revolutionized the music industry, proving that people will pay for their music if you make it easy.
- brought joy to the lives of both kids and adults through his contributions to entertainment through his leadership at Pixar.
- proved that small details matter when it comes to design and that people like simple things that just work.
I’m not going to go on and on about his influence in my life…frankly, I just loved his products and respected the diligence and attention to detail that he put into everything that he did. He was just a man after all. He had flaws. He wasn’t perfect. But he was an exceptional guy.
I lost my Uncle Larry to pancreatic cancer in 2006. It’s a horrible, nearly unbeatable form of the disease. It sucks. My heart goes out to his family. Instead of being sad, I’m going to try and just make something amazing. I think that’s what both Steve and my Uncle Larry would appreciate.
Learning to Play Guitar
For as long as I can remember, my dad has been an amazing guitar player. I never took much of an interest as a kid because I was wrapped up in my own stuff – sports, school, girls, etc.
I come from a very musical family. My mom and dad were in a folk band in college called The North Door Singers (Google them). They sing at church. My brother sang at our wedding and could always carry a tune.
I’ve never had that confidence. I sang when I was a kid in church choirs and at campfires and I even tried playing the piano for like two weeks. But performing music never really stuck on me like it did with the rest of my family. That didn’t keep me from loving music. Not even a little.
My family, God bless them, has always said, “But you have a great voice! You should sing.” NO.
OK, maybe.
For the past several weeks, Jake and I have been learning how to play guitar from my Dad. Each Wednesday, my mom cooks us dinner and we meet at their house for a few hours to learn new chords, progressions and lately, songs.
Last week we learned our first real song — an original that was written by our friends out in Wyoming (also known as the Cowboy-version of the Osmonds) for my niece. The three of us learned the song and played it for her and the rest of our family last weekend.
This week, I got to bring a song that I wanted to learn — “Poison & Wine” by The Civil Wars (which you may be familiar with if you pay attention here). And last night, I went home and I sang it to my wife. I didn’t sing it well, but I sang it.
I sent a text to my dad today that read:
I am terrified of singing. Having a guitar in front of me as a shield helps.
It’s the truth.
I still don’t think I can sing. People may pooh pooh that thought, but if you’ve ever heard anyone else in my family sing, you’d understand my trepidation. But ever since I started learning how to play guitar, I’m not as scared to actually do it as I once was. Having that shield/security blanket sure helps because if I think I sound bad, I can just play louder.
Regardless of that, Wednesday nights have been this wonderful combination of family and learning something new and it’s a lot of fun.
Special thanks to Alli who snapped the photo in this post.