Friday, February 10, 2012

Jay-Z + Kanye West "Ni*#as in Paris"




Jay-Z and Kanye West finally released a video for the now double-platinum single, "Ni*#as in Paris," but unfortunately the video is for the majority part only a tough-to-watch kaleidoscope compilation of Watch the Throne tour footage.

Making this the third most interesting hip-hop video of the past week, behind:
(1) M.I.A.
(2) Drake

Michael Jordan "I'm Back"

Yesterday, Grantland shared the David Remnick 'Michael Jordan returning from retirement' New Yorker profile, "Back in Play" that was originally published in magazine back in May of 1995. For those not familiar, Remnick is a Pulitzer Award and National Magazine Award winner and has been the Editor-in-Chief of the New Yorker since 1998.

If you're looking for a good read this weekend I highly suggest "Back in Play" (and this).

"Jordan had long been a student of the career of Julius Erving — the purposeful flamboyance on the court, the studied grace when dealing with reporters and advertisers — and he did not want to end up as Erving had in his final years, reduced to ordinary standards of play. Jordan's art would know no senescence; our memories would remain pure."


"The Bulls have handed out hundreds of press passes for this game, and everyone's mandate is the same: Get Jordan — Jordan pictures, Jordan quotes. Both the Tribune and the Sun-Times published special pullout sections in the morning; (The Chicago Tribune would put out another special section after the game. With nearly 10 writers to cover the game, stories were spread thin. The on-site editor, Mary Urell, gathered her writers together early in the day and said, jokingly, "Okay, guys: One fact per story." It was almost that bad. "We had so many sidebars," remembers Melissa Isaacson, writing for the Tribune at the time. "It would be like, 'Okay, you'll do 'Michael's first half,' you'll do 'Michael's second half.' One year, he had a foot fungus, so someone would be writing about the foot fungus angle.") the local television stations have been broadcasting live from courtside since late afternoon. The press cannot afford to miss a Jordan sighting."

NBA All-Star Game Line-ups

The NBA announced last night the full Western and Eastern Conference line-ups for the 2012 All-Star Game taking place in Orlando, Sunday, Feb. 26. (Nike announced yesterday the company's 2012 All-Star game footwear releases, above ^). Not too many big surprises, but notable misses this year: Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Brandon Jennings, James Harden.

Western Conference
Starters
PG Chris Paul, Clippers
SG Kobe Bryant, Lakers
SF Kevin Durant, Thunder
PF Blake Griffin, Clippers
C Andrew Bynum, Lakers

Reserves
PF Kevin Love, Timberwolves
PF LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
C Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
PF Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
PG Tony Parker, Spurs
PG Russell Westbrook, Thunder
PG Steve Nash, Suns

Eastern Conference
Starters
PG Derrick Rose, Bulls
SG Dwyane Wade, Heat
SF LeBron James, Heat
SF Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
C Dwight Howard, Magic

Reserves
PF Chris Bosh, Heat
SF Luol Deng, Bulls
C Roy Hibbert, Pacers
SF Andre Iguodala, 76ers
SG Joe Johnson, Hawks
SF Paul Pierce, Celtics
PG Deron Williams, Nets

Murakami Ego (Self-Portrait)

Creative Review - "Murakami's altered ego"

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami recently opened a new exhibition in Doha, Qatar (location of the 2022 FIFA World Cup).


Check the Creative Review link above to see more of "Murakami Ego" which is scheduled to be open until June 24 at the Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall.

Will Ferrell NBA Pregame Introductions


Video above of Will Ferrell doing the NBA pregame player introductions for the Chicago Bulls @ New Orleans Hornets game two nights ago.

Sheridan Sports - "Will Ferrell rewrites the pregame introductions"

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Will Ferrell for Old Milwaukee Again


Will Ferrell was at it again for Old Milwaukee last night during the Super Bowl. This :52 ad only ran in North Platte, Nebraska, home of New England Patriot Danny Woodhead.



Zanesville Animal Massacare

Both GQ and Esquire Magazines posted and will publish in their March issues (great) #longread features on the October 19 Zanesville, Ohio release of exotic animals and suicide that led to the killing of 50+ animals in less than 24 hours.



"He and Red had taken only a few steps toward the barn when Kopchak saw something else, close by, just ahead of them on the other side of the fence. Just sitting there on the ground, facing their way. A fully grown male African lion.”
...
"Every human who interacts with an animal and then makes claims about what that interaction means to the animal—in backyards or zoos or even on the plains of Africa—is making a claim neither they nor anyone else can verify.”

- Chris Heath, GQ
“Soon after, electric warning signs began to flash beside I-70: CAUTION EXOTIC ANIMALS.”
...
Behind the house, by the fetid swimming pool, he found a mountain lion, sitting in the fading sun. He kept his shotgun pointed at the cat, and, he recalls, they came to an understanding: I won't bother you if you won't bother me. Blake went around the mountain lion and the rest of the house before he arrived back at his car.”
...
“Lawhorne clearly remembers her shoulder blades, like pyramids, pointing toward the night sky. She screamed in their faces, four feet away from them. They opened fire, the support officer pulling out his hand and falling back. That's when they turned with their lights and realized all the cages had been cut. The only thing between them and all those lions was air."
- Chris Jones, Esquire