Actor/director Clint Eastwood is set to receive the first humanitarian award ever given by the MPAA. The reason given for the award is "decades… of decency and goodness of spirit in his movie making" which I”ll admit is true. Eastwood”s recent movies have been heartwarming and admittedly both decent and good, but should this award be going to someone more rewarding?
In the last 6 years Angelina Jolie has exemplified humanitarianism bringing millions of dollars, an international spotlight, and legislative attention as a UNHCR goodwill ambassador to the problem of refugees and displaced persons. Eastwood, the former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA is hardly in the same league.
BBC Article on Eastwood”s upcoming award and another to an Angelina Jolie fan site that I may or may not have spent two hours exploring.
Moose attack no excuse
In February 2005 a student at Penn State was the victim of an errant stuffed moose head that formerly hung on the wall above her. Since then she’s sued the university for a number of silly things. For more about the story and my reaction to it check out: Where our Legal System Breaks Down in the Opinions section on my website.
Found: bamboo bike
I recently came across this bamboo bike in front of a Japanese knick knack shop in Paris. Just thought I”d share. I”m still working out all the kinks in this format so I can”t post an example but you can see pictures “here”:http://www.elliott-herder.com/photo-index.html#BambooBike
Sleeping in is good for you
‘Huzzah! I may finally be vindicated for all those wasted morning hours I”ve spent sleeping in while others slaved at their breakfast meetings and morning classes. The BBC reported research in 1999 that correlates sleeping later in the day with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Another report released yesterday, also reported by the BBC, indicates that higher levels of cortisol may slow-down or even completely halt production of new neural connections. In other words, sleeping in may not only make you a happier person, but also a smarter one.
Colonization given a new lease on life
No this isn”t a comment on the reemergence of neo-colonial tendencies by American-based multinationals, it”s about a computer game. This isn”t any video game though, it”s my favorite and it has been for 11 years when I first installed it on my mom”s IBM x486. Colonization was developed by Sid Meier (now famous for the super-popular Civilization series) in 1994 as "an exercise in nation-building." The gameplay is unbeatable and it really is fun at all skill levels, from the lowly discoverer mode up to the completely impossible-to-win-you’re-going-to-die-in-two-turns viceroy. If the level of detail and care a game”s Wikipedia page shows is any indication of popularity, Colonization must be well-loved.
The only problem with the game that I”ve seen so far is that you can”t play it anymore. No operating system will support it anymore without sucking RAM like nobody”s business. The version I have now will technically run in OS X if it goes to Classic Mode, but it always end up crashing and Classic Mode is nothing but a chore. Besides the fact, Classic Mode”s days are numbered. Windows users are stuck running it out of DOS and from what I understand that”s no more of a picnic than Classic. So what shall I do? My favorite game of all-time is bound for the rubbish heap and it seems like there is nothing I can do about it. Enter FreeCol. Apparently there are a lot of people out there who liked the original Colonization and they rebuilt it from the ground up on an open-source platform.
Though the graphics, text, and menus of FreeCol are all different from the original, qualitatively the game play is exactly the same. In fact, it may be better because the new version offers multiplayer capability, allowing Colonization enthusiasts from all over the world to connect and develop the New World together, or against each other.
Amputee Cup hosted in Sierra Leone
Anyone who has taken the time to think about it, the horrendous potential of machete-wielding fighters in war-torn African countries could be enormous, and the resulting prevalence of amputees in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone is quite overwhelming. To celebrate the continued survival of those people who have lost a limb, Sierra Leone will be hosting the first African Amputee Football Cup, starting this afternoon. Competing teams will consist of 6 one-legged fielders and a one-armed goalkeeper. Check out this AP photo of amputees playing, very inspiring.
Billie the Vision and the Dancers
It”s time to talk about my new favorite band, Billie the Vision and the Dancers. I discovered them while cruising around Last.fm. Since then they have jumped to the top of every chart in my mind and I couldn’t possibly be happier. Combining the sounds of English indie-pop, American folk rock, and a bit of the catchiness of European dance music, this Swedish group is truly amazing.
According to the band”s Last.fm profile page, “Billie is not a person per se, but rather represents the inherent quality the band wants to encourage their listeners to find within themselves. Billie is about not being afraid of being naive, pretentious or corny, to be proud of what you are.”
If you”re like me and afraid to lay out cash for a new album that may really suck then you”ll love the best part about Billie and the Dancers, they”re free. Their record company, Love Will Pay the Bills, offers both of their albums for direct download through Last.fm or at their website. There really is no excuse not to try them out, and when you do I can guarantee you”ll like it.
See my previous post about Last.fm: Melodic match-making on Last.fm
English league dominates richest clubs
Deloitte”s Football Money League is an annual report of the highest grossing soccer clubs. Here are this year”s rankings for the top 10:
Interesting things to note about this year”s rankings are that Spain”s La Liga has the two top spots but no other presence at all. It”s also hard to ignore the over-representation of English Premiership teams with Manchester Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Melodic match making on Last.fm
I love the internet and if you’re reading this blog, you probably do too. My most recent web-obsession is music site Last.fm. Self-described as the herald of the social music revolution, the site brings purpose to the social networking phenomenon.
Simply download the AudioScrobbler and play your music as you normally would. If you’re using any of the mainstream mp3 players, AudioScrobbler will upload your listening history and as your profile gets more filled out, Last.fm will start making recommendations based on your own music profile. Not only that, but since it is a music-centered social networking site, there are thousands of people who can help you discover new music that is right up your alley.
I have always secretly envied all those people in the dorm during college who knew absolutely everything about the latest indie bands or underground music trends. It seemed like they got all their knowledge just by virtue of wearing thrift store t-shirts and women’s cut corduroys, but now I am just as knowledgeable. As I listen to my favorite bands (at the moment it”s Billie the Vision and the Dancers) I can just click on their name in the AudioScrobbler and it takes me to their artist profile page on Last.fm where I can talk about the band and find more artists like them.
Check out Last.fm and join the revolution.
More Jordan than Jordan?
From a marketing perspective and on the court, Miami Heat superstar Dwayne Wade is on track to be the ONE to take on Jordan’s throne. I’ve said it before about other promising up and comers, so don’t take my word for it, but watching Wade play you have to feel it.
Winning the NBA Finals MVP in 2006, this 3-time All Star’s basketball credentials are perfect, but what really makes you sit back and take note though is the rapidity with which he is moving far beyond Wade the basketball star to a marketing icon. In addition to gracing the cover of GQ last November, Wade is leading the Converse comeback under new Nike ownership as well as cross-branding with T-Mobile and Lincoln. Maybe he’s not making as much as Jordan did in sponsorships, but remember, he’s still 25.
Maybe it’s just my wanting to see a new king crowned in the NBA, but I think Dwayne Wade has what it takes. Check out all of Wade’s commercials