Previously: N.A.S.A.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Streak is Ongoing
Toronto Raptor's star point guard Jose Calderon has yet to miss a free throw all season.In fact, Calderon's regular season streak reaches back to the end of last spring. He has made the first 83 free throws of this season + 3 from last season. His 86 consecutive free throws puts him 14 away from tying Michael Williams 1993 record. The only difference Williams is that did it between 2 seasons and his streak ended in November. Imagine how much deeper the pressure is on Calderon if he hasn't missed a free throw from October all the way to late January.
Imagine how focused the Spaniard is and how sweet his shooting stroke is.
Click here to read the article about Calderon and the streak over at NBA.com
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Super Obama World
Got some spare time? Instead of playing Super Mario play President Barack Obama as you travel across an Alaskan bridge to nowhere, collect American flags and fight against money-grubbing businessmen and pork-filled pigs.Quote of the Day
"I like time. Now is not like two minutes later. And it's never like before. Repetition doesn't exist."-Domenico Dolce
via Interview Magazine
Artist: Andrew Fladeboe
Artist Andrew Fladeboe put together photography project, The United States of America.
Definitely worth checking out.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Cool Kids - "Pennies"
"Pennies" is The Cool Kids first single off their upcoming LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles
Can't Find a Job?
Way back in the day when times got rough and money was low people would pack up the carriage and head out west on the Oregon Trail to find gold. Well, businesses are cutting jobs, nobody is hiring, and I was sure nobody was earning salary raises.But, apparently there are still some hot spots left in the United States. Yahoo and Hot Jobs put together a list of the 10 Great Cities for Salary Growth.
The Curious Case of Lil' Wayne
Read the article over at the Village Voice."And so Kanye's icy electro lament, 808s & Heartbreak, ranks as the first real post–Carter III rap album, a sideways bugout move that would've been unthinkable a year ago and still seems pretty bizarre today. If we're lucky, we'll get a few more of those."
-The Village Voices' Tom Breihan
Mystery Team
Or at least that's what I've read on the internet. Mystery Team was the big hit of last weeks Sundance Film Festival.
Unfortunately, this independently made movie hasn't been purchased by a studio distributor yet. Read about it over at /Film.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Milli Vanilli Style
My sister called it. It was way too cold for even the world's greatest cello player Yo-Yo Ma and his friends to play at the Inauguration Ceremony. They performed Ashlee Simpson style by having their song pre-recorded and then played over across the Mall and on television.Click here to read the article over at the New York Times.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
No Clint Eastwood?
Where's the love? The man, Clint Eastwood did not got nominated for his last acting role in Gran Torino. And the Academy did not nominate The Dark Knight or director Christopher Nolan for the higher categories. That's too bad.Here is the list of nominees for the 81st Academy Awards.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost / Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Frank Langella in Frost / Nixon
Sean Penn in Milk
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie in Changeling
Melissa Leo in Frozen River
Meryl Streep in Doubt
Kate Winslet in The Reader
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin in Milk
Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in Doubt
Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis in Doubt
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler
Best Director
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard for Frost / Nixon
Gus Van Sant for Milk
Stephen Daldry for The Reader
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
I still have to see The Reader, Frozen River, The Visitor and Changeling, but man I'm disappointed Gran Torino, The Dark Knight and Rachel Getting Married didn't receive more nominations.
To see the full list of nominees for categories like Cinematography, Screenplay, Art Direction, and the rest click here.
One cool thing coming out of these nominations was from the Foreign Film Category. Check out the trailer for the Palme D'Or nominated and Golden Globe winning Israeli film Waltz With Bashir.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inaugural Balls
Mr. and Mrs. President* went party hopping before spending their first night in their new home, the White House. They managed to make appearances at all of the 10 official Inaugural Balls. Impressive.
*I think that is the proper way of addressing them. I'll check my Associated Press stylebook later.
If you spend half as much time on the internet as I do you would notice that big time news websites like TIME, CNN, ESPN, and the NY Times change their headlines multiple times throughout the day. Because these news services have the luxury of constantly editing their headlines online you may sometimes see them switch through a few before choosing the one they would be happy to publish in say print. Last night some blogger caught one of the first drafts of CNN's headline. Apparently, that one didn't last very long.
Below, you can watch the Barack and Michelle's first dance as Mr. and Mrs. President as Beyonce performs Etta James' classic "At Last."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
1 billion dollars (USD)
Can you even fathom what big money like this looked like before you saw this?I posted what a million looked like a while ago, but, oh man, Italian artist Michael Marcorvici has put together 12 palettes holding 10,000,000 hundred dollars bills. I'm pretty sure the money is fake. I think. His site claims it is the most expensive piece of art ever. But, how do you get that sort of money. No way.
Presidential Approval Ratings
The WSJ put together a graph of the approval ratings for the last 11 Presidents.Interesting to see where Presidents' approval ratings began and ended during their respective terms.
I wonder where President Obama's will begin.
Change.
"I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
President Barack Hussein Obama
Monday, January 19, 2009
Picture of the Night
This is just like Minnesota. Except, the dude would have to be layered in snow pants and jackets. And there would be slush on the road.
The Informers
Coming out May 1, 2009.
Adapted from Bret Easton Ellis' series of short stories (author of American Psycho, Less Than Zero). This film is starring Billy Bob Thorton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, and the late Brad Renfro.
A Good Prank
Check out Director Brett Ratner (Money Talks, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, Rush Hour 3, X Men 3) prank actor Pierce Brosnan on the set of After the Sunset a movie they made together back in 2004.
Google's Top 25 People
The Curious Case of Forrest Gump
This is sort of funny. When I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in the theatre the people sitting next to me called out the similarities. Regardless, the narrator is right.
"If you see one version of Forrest Gump this year, make it the Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Final Approval Rating 22%
2 days more of Bush and then O-B-A-M-A.I know Keith Olbermann can be as over-the-top as Bill O'Reilly, but this clip is worth watching. 8 years in 8 minutes.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
We're a wealthy country
Each of the 50 United States has been renamed by a country that has similar GDP.What does your state resemble?
My Favorite Song of the Moment
"My Girl" was one of the first songs released off Animal Collective's soon to be released highly critically praised Merriweather Post Pavilion. The trippy band from Baltimore, Maryland has been genrealized as anything from freak folk to psychedelic to indie pop, but trust me depsite its weirdness it's worth the hype.
Money Origami
This made its rounds on the internet maybe a year ago, but I'm still blown away. Whoever makes these is a nasty folder. I'm trying to take a class that can teach me to turn my 5 dollar bill to a little pocket Lincoln gangster.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Joaquin "Ya'know what I mean"
As previously reported, Joaquin Phoenix has retired from his successful acting career to start making some music. Originally when I heard about this I assumed he was channeling Johnny Cash (and he might still be), but the Hollywood Reporter revealed today that Phoenix is rapping and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs is producing his album.Phoenix's Brother-in-law Casey Affleck (Ben's younger brother) is directing a documentary of Phoenix's rap career that will begin tonight at a Las Vegas club.
Interesting.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Las Vegas......
The New York Times is reporting that now is the time to visit Las Vegas.
.......When the prices are this good.
Make Your Own Obama Poster
Go over to obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/ to get your own personal picture uploaded Shepard Fairey-Barack Obama-HOPE style.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Positively Amazing
Definitely watch this video through. The octopuses at the end will blow your mind.
Queen of the Night
After 7 Golden Globe nominations and 5 Academy Award nominations Kate Winslet finally took home some gold and she did so in dominating fashion. Kate Winslet won both Best Supporting Actress - Drama for The Reader and Best Actress - Drama for Revolutionary Road.Hopefully this sweep won't hurt Winslet's chance of finally winning an Academy Award. She is the youngest person to have ever received 5 Academy Award Acting nominations. She has been nominated in the past for her roles in Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Little Children and she is only 33 years young.
Here are a list of the other big winners from last nights Golden Globes.
Best Motion Picture - Drama - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Motion Picutre - Musical/Comedy - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Actor - Drama - Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Supporting Actor - Drama - Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Best Director - Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire
Best Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire
If you're interested in watching some of the more entertaining moments of last nights Award show check out what Gawker posted this morning.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The MacBook Wheel
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Nike SB January Releases
Every month Nike Skateboarding release 5 or 6 exclusive shoes around the United States. The sneakers are always dope and will eventually become well sought after all over ebay. Because these are so cool I'm going to start posting the releases every month.
Peter Bjorn & John are back
Swedish rock band Peter Bjorn & John has just announced plans to release a new LP entitled Living Things March 31, 2009.Here is the first single.
Peter Bjorn & John - Nothing to Worry About
Monday, January 5, 2009
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