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2015 Nike Air HyperDunks - looks like we're finally going Back to the Future

I've been waiting a long time for a lot of shit from Back to the Future.  A hovering skate board.  A flying DeLorean that runs on trash.  Although if I had my druthers I'd opt for the sports almanac with the scores for the next 40 years of sports history to lock in my gambling addiction.  None of these seem to be popping up yet, but it looks like Marty McFly's auto lace-up sneakers are.  Nike filed a patent for these bad boys:

I'm dead serious by the way.  They looks amazingly similar to the originals too.  I guess sometimes life imitates art.

Check out Gadget Lab's article after the jump.

What up DAWG?

 

This is just ridiculous.  It requires no introduction.  I'm buying turntables tomorrow.  If this mother f*cker can do it......

Stay Motivated...

I'm definitely a dreamer.  I encourage everyone to be.  The older I get, the more I realize that most people who aren't successful, aren't victims of circumstance or just bad luck.  They either didn't do the right things, or were doing the right things and gave up.  They say things are the darkest right before dawn, and I think that's true.  Its easy to get discouraged, but if you really stick to it, I believe you will persevere.  Its hard when people more established or successful tell you its not going to happen though.  So I have a list of quotes here that proves otherwise.  Prominent successful businessmen of their time, making bold predictions, and in retrospect, looking quite foolish....

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” – Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Patent Office, 1899 - I'm pretty sure someone has invented something in the last 111 years.

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on its way out.” – Decca Recording Company, rejecting The Beatles, 1962 -  In the unlikely event you're not familiar with the Beatles, they put out 19 albums in 7 years, and have sold over 132 million albums.  They easily could have given up or broken up here.  Good thing Yoko wasn't around yet.

“So we went to Atari and said, “Hey we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.” And they said, “No”. So then we went to Hewlett Packard and they said, “Hey, we don’t need you; you haven’t even got through college yet.” – Apple Computer Co–Founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in he and Steve Wozniak’s personal computer.  - If you don't already own something Apple I don't know you, so just stop reading. 

“I’m just glad it will be Clark Gable falling on his face and not Gary Cooper” – Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in “Gone With the Wind” - If you adjust for inflation "Gone with the Wind" is the highest grossing movie of all time.  Movie tickets were $0.25 in 1939, and GWTW sold 202 million tickets, with a US population.  Avatar commanded as much as $16 per ticket, only selling 76 million, to a population of over 300 million.  Further evidence that Avatar sucked.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943 - I have five computers in my office right now.  If you count my iPad.

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” – Western Union, internal memo, 1876 - The telephone is already on its way out so this is beyond dated at this point.

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible.” – A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. Smith went on to found FedEx.  - Mr. Smith is worth over $2.1 billion now.  Good thing he didn't listen to his professor.

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try to find oil? You’re crazy.” – Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859 - I kinda wish they had listened to the drillers here.  I mean, Drake was obviously right, but we would have avoided this BP disaster.

Walk Across America

Ever wonder how long it takes to walk across the country?  One minute 54 seconds.  Okay, not really.  This guy didn't really walk across the country either.  I still think this is pretty amazing though.  These guys ended up using 2770 pictures (who knows how many they took) to make this video completely using stop gap images.  Think like a flip comic book, except with digital photography.  All using a Canon 5D Mark II SLR.  

Levi's sponsored the project so they get a little love at the end.  I think they deserve it.  If you're wondering how they made that happen, here's the story.  Its actually harder than I would have thought. 

Iranian Street Art? Damn Straight!

“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted” - Aldous Huxley

They say its easy to take things you have for granted.  We do it everyday.  Whether its a friend, lover, or a concept at simple as our freedom, anything gotten without struggle or truly earning it seems easily dismissed and taken for granted.  With the exception of those who have bravely fought for it, I think freedom is most taken for granted in this country.  The rights we quickly deem inalienable, the truths we fine self-evident, are neither of those things.  Especially in Iran where freedom of expression and individuality are institutionally stifled at any opportunity.  So while I've always been a fan of street art, I was even more excited when I stumbled on a site showing off IRANIAN street art.  Frankly I didn't know such a thing existed.  I felt obligated to share......  

Click the LINK for more, but sit down first, its a lot to go through....

summer's theme song

okay, this is MY theme song....  and this is totally to battle  has nothing to do with nikki's


remady - no superstar

i ain't no super star...

i am like you are....

don't need no diamonds or anything....

I DO MY OWN THING!

Substance meets Style

While I consider myself every marketer's dream and the consumate consumer (you know that stupid crap they put by the register for you to buy on your way out?  they put that there for me), even I require substance before style.  At least and adequate amount of substance.  For that reason, I don't have a iPhone.  I love it, and I'm generally a whore for all things Apple, but I need a phone that makes and receives phone calls when I need it to.  I'm a businessman, I can't afford to miss calls.  That being said, Bloomberg is reporting that the iPhone WILL be on Verizon in January.  I would have been much more excited about this if the new iPhone didn't crap out if you held it the wrong way, but maybe they'll fix that by January......

B.M.F.

Bad Mother F*cker

"I paid a worker at New York's zoo to re-open it just for me and Robin. When we got to the gorilla cage there was 1 big silverback gorilla there just bullying all the other gorillas. They were so powerful but their eyes were like an innocent infant. I offered the attendant $10,000 to open the cage and let me smash that silverback's snotbox! He declined." -Mike Tyson

Which way are Asians Trending? Still love em? There's an app for that.

When I was in college Asian girls saw their biggest spike in popularity since GI's starting bringing them home from the war.  Since then their popularity has waned somewhat, but I know many of you still can't get enough.  Which I frankly still believe is the driving force for Thailand's thriving tourism industry.  For the enterprising who's tastes just aren't satisfied with our local talent, a new blackberry app is going to help you get your Mandarin on.  That's right, we got apps too!

The new Learn Chinese App from Blackberry will get you 

• More than 400 self-contained audio lessons to pick from!
• Within each lesson, you may pause at any time and resume later from that time onwards.
• Audio lessons contain a set of comprehensive Mandarin Chinese learning materials which come in several difficulty levels: Newbie, Elementary, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced.

Because the subtle differences in the language can make a BIG difference.

Marisa Miller - Hot or Not

Marisa Miller was on Lopez tonight last night.  For those of you who might not be familiar with Marisa Miller, well, she's pretty much the baddest bitch on the planet.  FHM Hottest, Maxim Hottest, Victoria's Secret Angel.  She's it.  So of COURSE I'm gonna stay up to watch her on Lopez. 

Well, I was at first massively disappointed.  It turns out Marisa Miller is decidedly average.  I mean, I was used to seeing this....

 

....and I was pretty upset when I saw her on Lopez.  Her face was just ok.  Skin wasn't amazing, features not perfect.  I'd always heard that she wasn't your average super model.  She works her ass off.  She always says if she didn't eat amazing and work out all the time she wouldn't look anything like this.  For a brief moment, my illusion was shattered.  My fantasy...gone.

Slowly my perspective began to shift though.  This is the everybody super model.  This is a chick who wasn't discovered at 14 peeling plantain's on some Brazilian street corner.  This is a bad ass bitch who really wanted something, and went out and got it.  Her work ethic, and amazing personality and outlook are responsible for her success.  Not some arbitrary genetic gifts.  Not random luck or chance.  She's a true role model.  As you watch the clip from last night remember...this could have been you...

So I love her again.  More than ever.  In fact I'm going to the gym right now.  Maybe you should too....

Do you trust your senses?

After watching this optical illusion you'll trust them a little less......

Apparently the Rumors are True....

Now I've always been a Magnum man myself, so I can understand DC teens wanting the upgrade, but front page news?  This is hilarious.  Although I must confess I didn't know what the examiner was until I saw this.  Hit the jump for the actual article.  People's responses are hilarious.  You'd never think the masses would be so sensitive about condoms.

Pac-Man Turns 30 - Google Rules

Pac-Man turns 30 today.  Which makes me feel old as shit because I'm turning 31 in July.  That means I'm older than Pacman.  FML.

Google has updated their homepage as an homage to everyone's first favorite video game.

Its much more than just an image though!  Give it a few seconds and you can actually play.  I don't think there are many people who don't know how much I'm in love with google, or that I'm pretty much ready to sign my soul over to them, but this even impressed me.

I'll close with my favorite Pac-Man quote ever.  I'm sure if my parents had any idea this quote would have summed up most of my college years they never would have let me spend all those hours playing Pac-Man at Pizza Hut.


"If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." - Marcus Brigstocke

F da police!

So this is two part blog about one thing.

An article in the Post had some great pictures about the riots in Greece right now that I wanted to share.  Way more if you click on the link...

These are great pictures of a terrible situation, and you should be upset seeing them.  

Except for the next one.  This last one is my FAVORITE:

I love this.  I love watching the cops take it from regular people.  Look at that kung-fu grip on his radio! This guy just shit his pants.  When I was younger I used to get in a lot of trouble.  I mean a lot.  I used to HATE the police.  If I got in a fight they would CSI on my ass and track me down in another state.  If a group of people broke into my parents house, damaged their property, and started a huge group brawl breaking someone's jaw (not a hypothetical) the police don't do shit.  They were willing to make sure the damage property was paid for, but not willing to file any charges.  I was always told that as I got older I would appreciate them.  The system.  The way it works to protect us.  Well, I don't.  I still hate them.  

As the great Lisa Simpson once said about the police when Marge was a cop:  
"Mom, I know your intentions are good, but aren't the police the protective force that maintains the status quo for the wealthy elite?  Don't you think we ought to attack the roots of social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?"


Man I love the Simpsons!

And the Oscar goes too.....

The Oscar is the most coveted award in Hollywood.  Some, like Martin Scorcese, deserved an Oscar for 30 years before getting one.  Others, like Cuba Gooding Jr., have one one fall in their lap for lack of competition before blowing it with movies like Snow Dogs and Boat Trip.  I'm a Cuba fan. who didn't love Jerry Maguire?  But come one.  Click the Snow Dogs link and tell me he shouldn't have known better.

Anyway, I digress.  The Oscar is the most concrete form of validation hollywood offers.  Keep in mind its offering this to the most vapid and insecure people on the planet.  So they're in high demand.  Studios will do anything to try and score a little gold statuette.  They're instant cash cows.  I'd rather walk into a Jenny Craig meeting with a donut than try and defend an Academy Award from these jackals.  Honestly I think Jennifer Aniston would take one over Brad Pitt.  Not that she has a shot at either.

Someone has finally dissected oscar winning films and put together the perfect formula to win an Oscar. This is not an actual movie (though they did an amazing job with it and have fooled quite a few people).

The Sixth Sense - Kiss My Ass M. Night Shyamalan

I'm generally a pretty hard person to impress.  

Niagara Falls?  Eh, its water falling off a cliff.  Big deal.

Olympic gold medal?  If I trained all my life I could probably do that too.  Yeah, I don't even have to specify an event.

LeBron James?  Win a title and we'll talk.

Even so, every so often, I see something that blows me away.  It truly makes me feel like a useless non-contributing zero.  Welcome to the Sixth Sense by Pranav Mistry.  Welcome to the future.  Take the time to watch this.  The real magic starts around 6'24"

If it's on the Jersey Shore....Its not coming through the door.

So I'm generally not a fan of dress codes. Specifically the dress shoe dress code. The enjoyment I get out of having someone more important make a bouncer let me in in sneakers pales in comparison to the aggravation I get arguing with some rope jockey who gets his jollies trying to explain why my Creative Recs don't match the standard he set with his Payless dress shoes with a 2" rubber heal. I do GET the dress code, but generally you need someone out front who can dress to make those calls. You'll see this more in NY or Miami where a fresh sneaker gets precedence over cheap loafers. Some really reach with the "No athletic wear, hats or work boots." By work boots they of course mean Tims. By Tims I of course mean Timberlands.

That being said I do realize the desire to keep the trash out, its just never been right. I have however finally seen a dress code I can get down with. Robert told me about this and I hunted it down immediately. A bar in New Orleans has finally gotten it right.

IF IT'S ON

no affliction

THE JERSEY SHORE

no ed hardy

ITS NOT COMING 

no christian audigier

THROUGH THE DOOR

no expections

I'm definitely making a sign like this for the shop and my house.  I'm adding Uggs and Birkenstocks to the list.  If you wear any of the above mentioned things, I'm sorry, you're an asshole.  You will literally wear anything people tell you to.  I'm happy the Jersey Shore came on if only to hold a mirror up to you. Yeah...that's you...dick.

I know Birks are comfortable.  I don't care.  You look terrible.  Take off your patagonia jacket, shave your legs and get a life.

Smile

Thanks to the two influences on this, my sister Q and her Michael Monday: http://quincyjones66.blogspot.com/, and Shadi for sending me the lyrics and putting me in the smile mood



Smile
tho'
your heart is aching,
Smile
Even though it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky- You'll get by,
If you
Smile through your fear and sorrow,
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through- For you.
Light up your face with gladness,
Hide ev'ry trace of sadness,
Altho' a tear may be ever so near,
That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile- What's the use of crying,
You'll find that life is still worthwhile,
If you just smile.

Pump and Dump

This is an oldie but a goodie. As far as I'm aware, no one has verified the authenticity of this....but its AWESOME

THIS APPEARED ON CRAIG'S LIST

What am I doing wrong?

Okay, I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm a beautiful (spectacularly beautiful) 25 year old girl. I'm articulate and classy. I'm not from New York. I'm looking to get married to a guy who makes at least half a million a year. I know how that sounds, but keep in mind that a million a year is middle class in New York City, so I don't think I'm overreaching at all.

Are there any guys who make 500K or more on this board? Any wives? Could you send me some tips? I dated a business man who makes average around 200 - 250. But that's where I seem to hit a roadblock. 250,000 won't get me to central park west. I know a woman in my yoga class who was married to an investment banker and lives in Tribeca, and she's not as pretty as I am, nor is she a great genius. So what is she doing right? How do I get to her level?

Here are my questions specifically:

- Where do you single rich men hang out? Give me specifics- bars, restaurants, gyms

-What are you looking for in a mate? Be honest guys, you won't hurt my feelings

-Is there an age range I should be targeting (I'm 25)?

- Why are some of the women living lavish lifestyles on the upper east side so plain? I've seen really 'plain jane' boring types who have nothing to offer married to incredibly wealthy guys. I've seen drop dead gorgeous girls in singles bars in the east village. What's the story there?

- Jobs I should look out for? Everyone knows - lawyer, investment banker, doctor. How much do those guys really make? And where do they hang out? Where do the hedge fund guys hang out?

- How you decide marriage vs. just a girlfriend? I am looking for MARRIAGE ONLY

Please hold your insults - I'm putting myself out there in an honest way. Most beautiful women are superficial; at least I'm being up front about it. I wouldn't be searching for these kind of guys if I wasn't able to match them - in looks, culture, sophistication, and keeping a nice home and hearth.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 432279810


THE ANSWER
Dear Pers-431649184:

I read your posting with great interest and have thought meaningfully about your dilemma. I offer the following analysis of your predicament. Firstly, I'm not wasting your time, I qualify as a guy who fits your bill; that is I make more than $500K per year. That said here's how I see it.

Your offer, from the prospective of a guy like me, is plain and simple a crappy business deal. Here's why. Cutting through all the B.S., what you
suggest is a simple trade: you bring your looks to the party and I bring my money. Fine, simple. But here's the rub, your looks will fade and my
money will likely continue into perpetuity...in fact, it is very likely that my income increases but it is an absolute certainty that you won't
be getting any more beautiful!

So, in economic terms you are a depreciating asset and I am an earning asset. Not only are you a depreciating asset, your depreciation
accelerates! Let me explain, you're 25 now and will likely stay pretty hot for the next 5 years, but less so each year. Then the fade begins in earnest. By 35 stick a fork in you!

So in Wall Street terms, we would call you a trading position, not a buy and hold...hence the rub...marriage. It doesn't make good business sense
to "buy you" (which is what you're asking) so I'd rather lease. In case you think I'm being cruel, I would say the following. If my money were to go away, so would you, so when your beauty fades I need an out. It's as simple as that. So a deal that makes sense is dating, not marriage.

Separately, I was taught early in my career about efficient markets. So, I wonder why a girl as "articulate, classy and spectacularly beautiful"
as you has been unable to find your sugar daddy. I find it hard to believe that if you are as gorgeous as you say you are that the $500K hasn't found you, if not only for a tryout.

By the way, you could always find a way to make your own money and then we wouldn't need to have this difficult conversation.

With all that said, I must say you're going about it the right way. Classic "pump and dump." I hope this is helpful, and if you want to enter into some sort of
lease, let me know.

OK Go - this too shall pass

This took four months to make....and people say I don't have a life....

Everything is Amazing, and Nobody is Happy

Backstory:

So I was browsing a photo blog a friend turned me onto jjjjound.com, that has just amazing pictures all the time (even though he updates like every two weeks), and I saw a t shirt that says "everything is amazing and nobody is happy". Being immediately floored by the profoundly brilliance of it, I decided to investigate. So I found it for sale online for $56, which I thought was ridiculous anyway, but was even more offended when I discovered whoever made the shirt stole it from Louis CK! So, if you need the shirt (and I do), don't buy it online. Go to a screen printer and have them make you on. It'll be cheaper. No, I'm not trying to get business here, go to the mall. This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. So start getting excited:

If you love that, and you will, buy the complete Lucky Louie series. And by complete series I mean first season. Because some dick at HBO would rather watch vampires than hilarious vulgar comedy.