RareInk NBA Art Gallery

The NBA Has an Art Gallery? Really? Yes!

By: Ryan Anderson

As the NBA begins another season, the spotlight will focus on glamorous teams—like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat—and charismatic stars—like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant—but devoted NBA aficionados with a love for art can have their favorite stars and teams immortalized on their walls.

Yes, the NBA has an art gallery; since Oct. 23, 2012, RareInk.com has been the official art provider of the NBA.

The partnership began because, “We approached the NBA with the concept of doing cool, modern art of their players and teams and they liked the idea as there isn’t anyone currently offering fans cutting-edge art for their walls. My partner, Tim Muret, and I had previous sports industry experience having worked for The Upper Deck Company. And, as hardcore sports fans ourselves, we both felt that there wasn’t anyone out there offering sports art that we’d want to put in our living rooms or offices,” said RareInk co-founder Dave Sanders.

RareInk offers art in a plethora of different categories—like teams, players, logos, “vintage,” poster-theme, and “ultra-realism.”

The site contains “original works commissioned from leading artists across the globe,” but takes great pains to point out that “100% of our fine art prints and canvases, frames and packaging are produced in the U.S.A.”

How does the site chose their artists and match them with pieces?

“We spend a lot of my time researching artists, trying to find ones that we feel will bring something new and unique to sports.,” said Sanders. “Rather than looking for existing sports artists, we instead try to find artists that have a unique style that could then be applied to sports. Once we determine what players or teams we want to create art pieces for, we then discuss the piece and what style we think would work best. Certain players seem to lend themselves better to certain art styles. The image that will be used for the basis of the art piece also factors in. If there is a player image that has a lot of motion to it, then we try to pair that piece with an artist that may have a lot of feeling of motion in his work.”

Pieces range in price from $69-$199, and “All RareInk products are hand-numbered, limited editions and include the RareInk and NBA labels on the back to ensure authenticity.”

How good is the art, though? 

Art expert Dmitry Samarov, who graduated from a Chicago art school and continues to work as a writer and artist in the area, suggests the quality leaves much to be desired.

“Some of the logos aren’t bad as graphic design, but the rest isn’t much better than the stuff they sell by freeway on-ramps,” Samarov said.

Samarov has actually contributed some of his own sports art—to sites like “theclassical.org” and “chicagosidesports.com”—so he understands, “There’s a way to make sports art that’s not schlock.”

“But, it doesn’t seem like this officially-sanctioned stuff is the right place to look for it,” he suggested. “They churn things like this to cash in on the seemingly bottomless wallets of American sports fans.”

Josh Strang is one of those American sports fans, and—though he doesn’t have a bottomless wallet—he did dip into his wallet to purchase some of RareInk’s NBA artwork.

Strang, from Milwaukee, graduated college in May 2012, and he decorated his room in the house he shared with friends with some of the RareInk art.

“I’m a [Houston] Rockets fan, so I got a Rockets [logo] piece, and it looked pretty sweet,” he said.

Strang also has love for his hometown Bucks—“even though they suck,” he jokes.

He also purchased the Bucks logo art, because, “you gotta rep the home team.”

Overall, Strang said he was satisfied with the pieces, admiring the way they fit the aesthetic of his college home.

“They fit pretty good in my ‘man-cave,’” he concluded.

Ryan Moye, an avowed NBA aficionado from Washington, D.C., also purchased work from RareInk.

“The [Washington] Wizards are my team,” Moye explained. “So, I got some of their team art.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t all that impressed,” Moye said.

“I think I’ll just stick to Wizards shirts and hats, not art [in the future],” Moye said.

RareInk, based in Carlsbad, C.A., also outfits the website with social media—not a surprise, since NBA commissioner David Stern has gone to great lengths to classify his league as hip and urbane. The site invites visitors to follow RareInk on Pinterest, “like it” on Facebook, and “join the conversation” on Twitter.

Sanders said, “Social media has definitely helped us spread the word about our collection and web site. We try to post daily content such as artwork images on Facebook and Twitter each day which gives fans something to react to and encourages their participation. It’s exciting to have social media provide direct interaction with consumers and more of a 2-way form of communication versus only a few years ago where a brand like ours would have had to do more traditional advertising such as print ads without really having the chance to have dialogue with fans. It's a much more fluid and free-flowing way of marketing.”

That interactivity isn’t mere lip-service, either; users actually have input on the artwork, according to CEO Tim Muret, who said at the time the partnership with the NBA was announced, “Fans can shape the future of the RareInk collection by voting for their favorite players and moments to be featured as art pieces.”

Sanders added, “With the growth of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, we
feel there is a unique opportunity for product companies such as ours to give more “power” to their consumers or fans and have them help determine the direction of products. With a sports-based product, it’s a great fit because fans love to give their feedback and each has their favorite moment or player they want to see offered as art. Participation in the fan voting so far has been solid with some fans and team blogs even campaigning to get more people to vote for their team or player.”

Currently, fan voting determines many of RareInk’s monthly releases. For example, for the month of November, there are four different polls one can vote on, and each poll offers four different pieces of art. The ones that garner the most votes are added to the collection and can be purchased.

RareInk has dabbled in more than just the NBA, however; in 2011, they partnered with renowned rapper Ice Cube for an altruistic project. RareInk reproduced personally autographed artwork from Ice Cube, with a portion of the sales donated to the nonprofit Minority AIDS Project—a  Los Angeles County AIDS and HIV support service.

Many of the pieces were renderings of Ice Cube’s album covers and photos, such as two renditions of Ice Cube’s 1990 solo debut AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and a mural-styled piece depicting his 1992 hit single “It Was A Good Day.”

 In addition, two pieces consisted of Ice Cube’s actual paint-dipped hand prints.

At the time the project was announced, Ice Cube—a West Coast fixture who was born in L.A.—said, “Not only does RareInk create amazing pieces of art that bring my albums and songs to life but a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Minority AIDS Project, an organization I have worked with over the past two decades.”

Now, though, RareInk seems predominantly focused on the NBA. The site is dominated by NBA art, in all the various forms.

As Sanders concluded, “The cool thing about the NBA is there are always new storylines or stars emerging, so that helps determine what pieces we’ll do next.”

Steve McQueen Exhibit

 Steve McQueen eponymous exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago is emblematic of his oeuvre; it’s dominated by visual images—often short films—reflecting his personal fascinations.

The first station one encounters at the exhibit is “Static.” From 2009, it’s a continuous projection of slightly over seven minutes in which McQueen circles the Statue of Liberty in a helicopter. The resulting short film shows the iconic figure from rarely-seen angles, like from behind “Lady Liberty,” and loud helicopter noises assault the ears, then fade into ghostly silence. The result is a new, unique perspective of a familiar landmark.

One of McQueen’s earliest works, “Bear,” is another continuous projection short film.

In 1993, McQueen completed the soundless, black-and-white, video, and he’s “described it as one of the cornerstones of his career to date,” according to the guidebook that serves as a complement to the exhibition.

 It depicts two naked, African-American men—one of whom is McQueen—apparently in a fight. The two circle each other aggressively, like in a boxing match, and occasionally grapple with each other. But, they also embrace and leer at each other coquettishly. This work blurs the line between fighting and an amorous encounter, like individuals engaging in rough foreplay.

“Girls, Tricky,” from 2001, has traces of the many instances of artists documenting musicians, like, for example, Martin Scorsese’s filming “The Rolling Stone’s” for 2008’s “Shine a Light,” plus many others. Here, though, McQueen filmed musician “Tricky” (Adrian Thaws) rehearsing and recording the song “Girls.” The video lasts nearly fifteen minutes; at times, it’s brutal to watch—less singing than anguished caterwauling. It’s rough and abrasive, because Tricky is an artist really putting all of himself into the music. It’s true, honest, and sincere.

McQueen was quoted as explaining, “It’s a rare moment that you see an artist close up gearing himself up for such a vocal performance in such a visual way. In effect, a moment not for camera is caught.”

Though most of the works in the exhibition are visual images—either moving or still—“Queen and Country” is an oak cabinet containing a series of 160 facsimile postage sheets; it’s also the most overtly political work in the exhibit. Presented here for the first time outside of the U.K., it’s McQueen’s tribute to the British men and women who died in the Iraq War.

The photos of the deceased, as the guidebook explains, “were turned into facsimile sheets of perforated stamps . . .The sheets are housed in an oak cabinet with sliding vertical drawers and ordered chronologically by the subject’s date of death.”

From farther back, the oak cabinet looks like a casket, and the soldiers are merely planks that make up the whole, but they become individualized when one removes the sheets bearing their names and photos. That’s a poignant and reflective moment, and it’s a brilliant piece.

McQueen, a London-born artist who’s been honored with the prestigious Turner Prize, gained a foothold in the public consciousness in 2011 with his second feature film, “Shame,” starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. The two actors, and McQueen’s writing and direction of the film, received numerous critical accolades and awards nominations. Despite that new success, McQueen’s first gained renown for his artwork, and the collection on display here in Chicago from Oct. 21, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013, is a showcase of his work from the last 20 years.

art exhibit

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi is a Latin phrase that means earthy things are fleeting, and it also serves as the title of the Industry Of The Ordinary exhibit currently showing at the Chicago Cultural Center.

The phrase’s literal meaning is “Thus passes the glory of the world,” and it’s a slogan that was used in papal ceremonies for hundreds of years. A similar Latin phrase was also whispered into the ears of conquering Roman generals, but the point—whether it was for popes, generals, or works of art in Chicago—remains the same: to attenuate hubris and remind all that nothing lasts forever.

Artists Adam Brooks and Matthew Wilson make up the team behind Industry Of The Ordinary (IOTO), and, according the informative pamphlet from the exhibit, “Their work . . . often consists of public interactions and interventions in which boundaries are blurred between the artists and the public, and between art and life.”

It’s not typical art, in the classic sense of paintings on walls, but, rather, more in the vein of Marcel Duchamp’s shock art, John Cage’s annihilation of boundaries between sound and music, and Allan Kaprow performance art.

One station at the exhibit, “Affair,” has a photo of a nude couple sitting on a hotel room bed with masks hiding their faces. The couple was embroiled in an extramarital affair, and IOTO paid for their romantic night at a hotel in exchange for the portrait.

Another station, “Homeland Security,” appeared to be a critique of the infamous U.S. color-coded terrorism threat level system. Five fabricated ceramic weights, in colors corresponding with threat levels—red, orange, yellow, blue, and green—were placed on the wall vertically.

Chris Dankert, who was staring at that exhibit, said, “It felt like it was symbolizing the way the terror-threat level system became a weight on the nation’s collective psyche.”

“Phosphorous,” from 2004, presented photos of 16 glasses—four across and four vertically. In each glass was urine from the artist, after drinking a crate of beer. The liquid began yellow and grew nearly clear by the final glass.

IOTO also presented audio stations. One, from 2004, titled “The Beautiful Game,” played fans singing a famous soccer chant. Naturally, sports are an incredibly ephemeral enterprise, felicitously following the exhibit’s title. Vinny Abramo, a sports fan from New Jersey who was listening intently to the audio, reflected that notion, saying, “Being a sports fan, man, when you’re team wins, you’re on top of the world, and when you lose, you feel buried [under the world].”

The other audio recording was the public answering, asked by IOTO, “what they have faith in.” Perhaps pointedly, many of the things people professed faith in have proved faulty, or, at least, unreliable.

One of the most provocative stations at the exhibit was “Tender II.” From top to bottom, under glass, were a one-hundred dollar bill, a ten-dollar bill, and a one-dollar bill. But, the “bills” were made from, respectively, “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” the “Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” and the Bible. Two famous books and a vital document were all made into money. Brian Fu, who was gazing at the exhibit, thought it illustrated the way “Cash is the only real, true currency.”

Character	Actor
Tony Mendez	Ben Affleck
John Chambers	John Goodman
Lester Siegel	Alan Arkin
Jack O’Donnell	Bryan Cranston
Hamilton Jordan	Kyle Chandler
Directed by Ben Affleck. Runtime of 120 Minutes

Argo: 3.5 stars (out of Four)

Though Ben Affleck’s first two directorial efforts, “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town,” were terrific, “Argo” takes even another step into the stratosphere, as Affleck adroitly balances the delicate tonal shifts between funny, Hollywood satire and the dire situation in Iran.

When an infuriated mob storms the U.S. Embassy and takes Americans hostage in November 1979, six Americans escape and take refuge in the Canadian Ambassador’s residence, and CIA operative Tony Mendez must rescue the six before the Iranians realize they’re missing. After the CIA and State Department consider a plethora of hopeless options, Mendez decides to extricate the six hostages by using a movie shoot as cover.

Of course, this cockamamie scheme strains credulity and would sink the movie--except it did actually happen. Truth is more incredible than fiction yet again.

In order to sell the movie’s authenticity to the Iranians, Mendez enlists make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman), who won an Oscar for his work on “Planet of the Apes,” and Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin).

This movie is especially timely, considering the current unrest in the Middle East. Scenes in “Argo” depicting Iranians spewing anti-American sentiments ring true, because anyone watching cable news right now often sees the same thing from citizens in numerous countries throughout the Middle East. As the hostage crisis drags on, “Argo” also shows footage of U.S. outrage against Iranians, which echoes the current state of America—where half the country is anti-immigration and some are borderline xenophobic.

Arkin and Goodman provide most of the movie’s comic relief, which Affleck effectively juxtaposes with the grave circumstances in Iran. Goodman slides perfectly into the part, like a grandfather settling into his favorite recliner. Arkin’s profane, grouchy geriatric recalls his highly similar, Oscar-winning portrayal of an X-rated grandfather in “Little Miss Sunshine”--mixed with echoes of Dustin Hoffman’s egomaniacal and cynical Hollywood producer in Barry Levinson’s brilliant political satire “Wag the Dog.”

Victor Garber, as Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, and “Breaking Bad’s” Bryan Cranston, as Affleck’s CIA boss Jack O’Donnell, also provide steady, authoritative performances.

That Affleck, in only his third directorial effort, can deftly switch from archived news footage back to the actual film—and from comedy to Iran’s edgy, death-could-be-behind-any-corner tension—is an amazing achievement.

Late in the film, Arkin and Goodman butcher the famous Karl Marx quote, “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce”--and it’s an apropos quotation. The 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the hostage situation at the embassy, was a tragedy. The fact that 33 years later, the U.S. has again made itself the object of virulent hatred throughout the Middle East—obviously, no lessons learned—can only be farce.

Keep Playing the Trumpet

When the NY Knicks honored Bill Bradley by retiring his jersey, Bradley told the crowd at Madison Square Garden a story. 

 Bradley began, “At a gathering after a Knicks game in Chicago, a man asked me a question, ‘Do you really like playing basketball?’”

 “Yes, yes I do,” Bradley told the man.

 The man replied, “I know what you mean. I used to play the trumpet and we were good. Some of the guys in my band wanted to tour. But I didn’t.” 

 The man told Bradley he was afraid the life was too insecure and opted for the safer route—law school—instead. 

 Bradley then said, “I asked him, ‘Do you like the law?’”

 “Yes, but not like playing the trumpet,” the man acknowledged.


 Hip-hop artist Fare Games wants to play his metaphorical trumpet as long as possible.

 Though he adores the fellow members of his band, T.G.K.O.D.—also known as “Top Guns”—Games elected to “go solo.”

 “I want to make this a career,” Games said. “The other guys aren’t that committed.”

 Of course, like the trumpet player Bill Bradley met who opted to pursue a career in law, Games also has a non-musical contingency plan—the financial world.

 Games professes a keen interest in the stock market, and he plans to enroll in Chicago’s Roosevelt University in the fall of 2013 to major in finance.

 Nevertheless, his first love remains music.

 “This summer, I had a single on iTunes, and I shot three videos, too,” Games summarized.

 One of those videos garnered nearly 500,000 views.

 In addition, “I just dropped a mixtape [on September 28],” Games said.

 “Arcade Games,” his third mixtape, had over 1,300 views as of October 4.

 Games, 21, said, “I’m trying to get it [the latest mixtape] posted in as many places as possible to catch someone’s eye with it.”

 Games is confident, because “I put my all into this project.”

 Games, born Rifaa Muhammad, grew up on Chicago’s south side in a dangerous neighborhood.

 “There were gangbangers and drug dealers around,” Games said.

 However, he says that environment benefited him, because “they are all aspects to draw from in my music.”

 While Games was raised in that grueling setting, he wasn’t really of that world, because his mother removed him from the neighborhood public school after he completed first grade.

 She placed him in private school, where he thrived and earned a scholarship to a private, Catholic high school. Of course, Games is used to being on his own and feeling a bit out of place, since he’s the youngest of seven children—and the only boy.

 Though the high school was comprised predominantly of white students, and Games initially felt tentative, he said joining the football team—he played linebacker—helped him assimilate.

 “Up to that point, I had no white friends,” Games explained. “But that helped me meet people.”

 Games, who drew the “Fare Games” moniker while playing basketball with his cousins in Michigan, said continuing to meet people is integral to success in the music industry.

 “This business is all about networking, meeting people every day, and getting in touch with the important people,” Games said.

Theater review

In “Freud’s Last Session,” the adamant atheist Sigmund Freud invites Christian author C.S. Lewis to his London study, where the two engage in a vigorous discussion about music, physical pain, war, religion, sex, and their fathers in which both men make salient points, but neither “wins” the argument.

Despite their plethora of disagreements and nearly polar opposite worldviews, both men have a clear mutual respect for each other—a mutual respect that extends to the play’s director, Tyler Marchant, and the audience. The play is an honest discussion of major issues, and neither side is belittled for their views.

The play does not take sides, giving both positions equal time—which is a rarity in today’s hyper-partisan world where not only do I have to be right and you wrong, but you’re an unalloyed idiot for your beliefs.

Mike Nussbaum, who has directed and acted in Chicago Theatres for over 50 years, plays Freud with intelligence and wit, but also with an acute awareness of his mortality—he knows the end is near. The play takes place Sept. 3, 1939, when Freud was 83 and suffering excruciating pain from oral cancer. On multiple occasions, Freud breaks down from sudden, intolerable agony, blunting his conversational momentum.

Though he adamantly disagrees with Lewis, especially regarding Lewis’s conversion to Christianity, Freud admires the young author’s intelligence and views him as a worthy opponent for debate.

Freud invited Lewis to his study “for one reason:” to find out why someone (Lewis) “with such intellect would become a Christian.”

Lewis, played by Coburn Goss, is initially reticent and unsure of himself in Freud’s presence; after all, Freud’s more than twice his age, one of the world’s leading intellectuals, and he pokes at Lewis for being late to the meeting. But, he quickly settles in to debate Freud as an equal, not as a student or a patient, and gains confidence in himself and his arguments.

 Lewis demonstrates his respect for Freud when he refuses to leave the elder man alone--even as they both believe they’re about to be bombed—and when he compassionately assists Freud with his mouth and jaw pain.

The entire play consists of just the two men talking; they’re the only actors on the stage, and the only times the conversation halts is when Freud breaks down in pain, when the men tune into the radio for updates on the burgeoning war, or when they hear airplanes flying ominously overhead.

Their discourse is like an exceedingly high-level tennis match; both men hit the occasional winner, which the other chivalrously acknowledges, but neither even wins the match. This play has too much respect for both men, their philosophies, and the audience to do that. The idea is by no means to prove anyone correct, but to provide a thoughtful discussion about tender issues, and it’s highly effective.

At one point, Freud explains, “I enjoy provoking discussions,” and this play—with all the discourse about big ideas—is sure to accomplish Freud’s aim.

“Freud’s Last Session” plays at the Mercury Theater—located at 3745 N. Southport Ave.—and the last performance is November 11. 

Art preview story

Ryan Anderson
                   

                             Former Taxi Driver’s Artwork to be Displayed at Blackstone 

 Dmitry Samarov, a former Chicago taxi driver who wrote the popular “Chicago Hack” blog and authored the book, “Hack: Stories from a Chicago Cab,” will be showcasing his art at the Blackstone branch of the Chicago Public Library beginning October 1.

 The art, titled “View from a Cab,” depicts images from Samarov’s time as a taxi driver in Chicago, which lasted from 2003 until he resigned his post in June 2012.

 Regarding the drawings in this showcase, Samarov wrote, “The gouache paintings of cabs were done on site at the O'Hare Airport Taxi Staging Area and the Yellow Cab garage, while the Sumi ink pieces were done from memory as illustrations” for his book and blog.

 In his description for the show, Samarov wrote, “It is my hope that you'll see something you know or recognize in them from your own experience as well.”

 Brenda Sawyer, who runs the “Friends of the Blackstone Library” group, set up the showing.

 In an e-mail, Sawyer said Samarov’s art is “very honest,” and there’s “no glossing things over, just straightforward, honest observation.”

 Furthermore, she praised him as “an observer of human nature [who] records what he sees [with] no add-ons.”

 Samarov’s artwork was also recently featured at the Rainbo Club, where it has been showcased multiple times over the last five years.

 Melina Ausikitis, who programs the art at the Rainbo Club, said via phone that she enjoys Samarov’s art because his “subjects are about everyday life,” and “are a window into his soul.”

 “It’s been a real pleasure to see his work change over the years,” Ausikitis said.

 Samarov graduated from art school in 1993, and he said, “Art’s my first love,” even though writing—on his blog and in the book—has brought him more renown thus far.

 “I relate to the world by drawing and painting,” Samarov said.

 He also says his dream would be to drop the writing aspect and subsist only on his artwork.

 Samarov is currently putting that artistic talent to use illustrating a children’s book, but most of his pieces are related to his time driving a cab in Chicago.

 Samarov said driving a cab in Chicago had a profoundly positive effect on his artwork, because the job was “great for people watching.”

 “You’re not quite a person as a cabdriver; you’re part of the scenery,” Samarov expounded. “It’s like you’re not there.”

 The Blackstone is located at 4904 S. Lake Park Ave., and Samarov’s 14 illustrations will appear in one of the reading rooms there through the end of October.

“The Mindy Project” proves a felicitous title for the new Fox sitcom starring Mindy Kaling, for the word “project” evokes thoughts of under construction, and, in the pilot, Mindy herself is very much a work in progress—as is the show. We hear so much about the vaunted “male gaze,” but this show is definitely shot from the “female gaze.” It’s Kaling’s voice through-and-through--for better or worse. Those who enjoy her humor—Kaling is a bestselling author, a supporting actress on NBC’s popular “The Office,” a prolific tweeter, and an Emmy-nominated writer and producer—will likely be charmed by her authentic lead performance. Those who don’t “get” her humor won’t suddenly be enchanted by this show. In the pilot, Mindy is a lovelorn ob-gyn juggling her career while trying to find her perfect guy and do nothing short of changing her entire life. She vows to lose weight, cease having casual sex with a dreamy but roguish British doctor in her office--Jeremy Reed (played by Ed Weeks)—and generally grow up. The show, which premieres September 25 at 8:30 p.m. CDT, begins with Mindy’s voiceover narration--which recurs frequently throughout the episode—describing her life up until that point. She confesses her obsession with romantic comedies, explains her path to becoming a doctor, and recounts falling madly in love only to be dumped. Heartbroken and bitter, she attends the wedding of the man who left her, where she drinks too much and gives an uncomfortable toast. Her drunken ride through the neighborhood on a bicycle ends with her at the bottom of a pool, where she is castigated by a comely female doll telling her to “pull it together.” She breaks down in tears, is arrested, then bailed out by her best friend, Gwen Grandy (played by Anna Camp), who tells her, “Your life is not a romantic comedy.” Throughout the pilot, Mindy is torn between turning over a new leaf and remaining in stasis. She goes on a date with Ed Helms, of “Hangover” movie fame, but bails to deliver the baby of an uninsured woman who doesn’t speak English—who she first refused to treat because, “I have to do things that move my life forward.” In her attempt at reform, she repeatedly rebuffs the advances of Reed, who she has long been “friends with benefits” with, only to fall back into his arms at the end—so much for progress! The pilot is filled with pop-culture references, not only to romantic comedies, but also to Siri, Michael Fassbender, Jon Stewart, and much more. Mindy also verbally spars with another doctor, Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), and banters with her staff, Betsy Punch (Zoe Jarman) and Shauna Dicanio (Amanda Setton). “Mindy” jams a great deal of exposition into 22 minutes, but should settle into a less break-neck pace as the weeks go by. Females are more likely to empathize with Mindy’s travails, while males might find themselves bewildered by Mindy’s quirkiness and her repeated failure to follow through on making life changes.

pitch for movie

I would be remised if I did not lead with my antipathy towards horror movies. I am a movie-buff; I love movies. I see everything. There is only one genre that I find little to no redemptive value in; and that is the horror genre. Of course, much of this is a matter of semantics. Certain films may be classified in the “horror” category that I do enjoy. It all depends on one’s definition of “horror.” I suppose my disdain is not for the suspenseful films. For example, pictures like “The Shining,” “Jaws,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Sixth Sense,” etc, are absolutely brilliant. I love and appreciate those. Could they be classified as “horror”? Perhaps? Classifying movies by genre is a ridiculously subjective process. (I once had a guy argue to me that "Jaws" was a sports movie. I was incredulous, and asked, "what sport?" To which he replied, "Fishing.") Anyway,the movies I loathe are the wretched, cheesy, gore-filled, blood-infested, slashing, grotesque, b-movies. (In the interest of full-disclosure, I must also add that I have never comprehended why people would attend a movie and pay money to be frightened. I live my life in fear of everything, from the imminently threatening, to the extraordinarily improbable. I try to avoid terror at all costs. If I want to be horrified, I’ll just leave my house in the morning and go through my day. That’s scary enough for me, and it’s free. Why the hell would I pay to be scared?) But, anyway, I digress.

Because of my position on this, I really could not invent a horror flick. But, I could pitch a suspenseful, unsettling, subtly frightening film. The picture would be a sort-of a mixture between “Stranger than Fiction,” “Secret Window,” (though that movie was awful) and “Being John Malkovich,” but highly dramatic. Let me explain. It would be rather meta-physical. Okay, the main character (Jack) begins hearing a voice, and, with the voice, a person (Bob). And, this mystery fellow feeds Jack lines, dialogue, pithy phrases to say at opportune times in Jack’s life. It’s like having a great screenwriter really writing dialogue for Jack in his actual life. Jack’s like a character in a movie; he always has the clever, witty, smart thing to say in every situation (given to him by Bob, of course). At first, Jack loves it, because he is enjoying tremendous success. He gets promoted at his job, because he’s always dispensing witticisms in meetings, impressing his bosses, and earning the admiration and love of everyone in the office. Furthermore, he’s now adroitly picking up women, because he always has the perfect comment to make the adorables swoon. And, just as he is wondering if his life can possibly improve, and realizing it likely cannot, things then turn.

Bob starts feeding him insidious, evil, demented lines. He becomes a depraved, degenerative, offensive maniac. Everything crumbles. His life falls apart. All the gains he made evaporate, and he continues to lose ground. He cannot control himself. Soon, it is not simply dialogue, Bob is making him do things, evil actions--murderous actions. The suspense is derived from not knowing what he will do, or be made to do, next. How much worse can it become? Further, as he becomes increasingly unstable, the viewer is forced to ponder if Bob ever existed at all. Is poor Jack afflicted afflicted by some disorder, a personality defect--paranoid schizophrenia, perhaps? Does he possess multiple personalities? Is the whole thing made up entirely? Is it all a charade orchestrated by an odious madman? Or, is Bob real?

Where is the answer, and how will it all be revealed? How will it turn out? The viewer shall be left guessing until the end in this suspenseful, horrifying, psychological thriller.

Coincidence?

Not sure how to explain this latest bit of research--it appears that Bing users are much more inclined to be "click-happy" than those on Google. Evidentally, people from Bing clicked on ads 50% more than those on google. This research was in July. Now, it's an amazing 75% higher through Bing. While only a snapshot overview, it measures "the proensity for people to click on an ad at asite after arriving there from a search engine via an organic search (i.e., not a paid search ad)."

Even though Google continues to dominate the search-market with about 84% of all traffic, the smaller search engines do better with clicks. It seems inexplicable right now. Obviously, more research will need to be done to ascertain what, if any, meaning can be gleaned from this data.

Report: Bing Searchers Still More Click-Happy Than Google Searchers When It Comes To Ads

Report: Bing Searchers Still More Click-Happy Than Google Searchers When It Comes To Ads

Posted using ShareThis

use case project

I used one of my favorite sites, Espn.com, as my use-case. It is full of information, but that can make it overwhelming, too. So, I decided it would be an excellent choice.

The first of five tasks I asked my friend to complete was to find the profile page for my favorite coach, the head man of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, Larry Brown. My friend clicked the “NBA” button on the top nav bar, then clicked “teams” on the top nav bar, then scrolled down and clicked on the “Charlotte Bobcats.” these three steps went quickly and without much trouble. He did run into some trouble on the team site page, but finally clicked on “roster” on the top nav bar. Then, he went to the bottom and clicked “Larry Brown.” So, that went pretty well, overall.

The second thing I had him find was the page for my other favorite coach, Steve Spurrier. He’s the head football coach at the University of South Carolina. So, my friend clicked “college football” on the top nav, then “teams” on the top nav, then clicked “South Carolina” which was under SEC. Again, upon reaching the team page, things bogged down a bit. He then went to “roster” on the top nav bar, but that was incorrect. So, he had to go back to the team page. He searched and searched for quite awhile, before finally going to a recap of the last game, hoping there might be something about the coach in there, and that he could link to his name. This was, I thought, a pretty savvy move. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. So, finally, having exhausted all options, he just used the search function, typing in the coach’s name, and that worked.

The third thing I had him do was see if one of my favorite columnists (Jeff MacGregor) on espn.com had a new column up for the week. He clicked on “Commentary” on the top nav. On this page, there was a spot where you could search for a particular columnist, either by last name, or by sport. I mentioned that this guy was a general columnist, not covering any specific sport, so he used the last name option, which goes by letter. So, he did “M,” but, for some reason, Macgregor failed to pop up. So, he had to break down and utilize the search function, typing in the name, which was successful.

The fourth thing I asked him to do was find the latest video episode of “Mayne Street.” As he went to click on the “video” button, a selection of shows immediately came up as he hovered over the button, one of which was indeed “Mayne Street.” Obviously, this was one of the better functions of the site. It made this task very easy. He clicked on “Mayne Street” and the show’s page came up, complete with all the episodes and other stuff. Excellent.

Finally, I had him look up when my favorite sporting event, the Kentucky Derby, will be held this year. Obviously, everyone knows it’s famously always “The First Saturday in May,” so it would be easy to figure out. Alas, that is not the point. The point was to have him look it up through the site. He hovered over the “all sports” button on the top nav, which made a whole plethora of sports appear, and he clicked horse racing. Then, he clicked the “calendars” button on the top nav bar. However, there was no way to go to next May. The calendar only went through 2009. This was very disappointing and unthinkable. Talk about a major glitch. They really need to rectify that.

Obviously, the site was varied. The best thing they did was the ease with which one could find the video of “Mayne Street” episodes. The worst was the fact that their calendar for horse racing events only went through the current year. That was pathetic. The other three tasks were in the middle, ranging from fairly easy to accomplish, to arduous, difficult, onerous, and considerably more time-consuming

Google Checkout Now Deals In Holiday Savings

Google Checkout Now Deals In Holiday Savings

Posted using ShareThis

Google gets into holiday shopping

I am always out there on Black Friday, amongst the masses. It's become a bit of an annual event. I have yet to engage in Cyber Monday, and maybe I should. It's evidentally quite the enormous deal. Microsoft beat Google to the punch, which is rare, by launcing Bing Cashback. However, Google has now counterpunched. They set up a special "Checkout Deals" page "where you can get discounts on products purchased using Mountain View’s Internet payment system"

"Savings range from $5 to $20 and involve hundreds of participating stores, including Buy.com, Petco and Toys”R”Us."

This is another intelligent move by Google. They always seem to get it right. Even when they are late to the party, they still adroitly jump in, and promptly do it better than anyone else. No wonder they are so good.

Plato

Plato’s Forms Gets Seed Money To Open Dialogue Between Bloggers And Companies

Posted using ShareThis

plato's Forums

An idea so smart, I cannot believe nobody had invented it yet--Plato's Forums. This new technology will function as a direct way for companies and journalists to communicate with each other. It will cut out the middle man, like PR firms, and allow for that interaction. This will, ideally, lead to better communication and less miscommunication. It's a great way for companies to get their message out, and a fabulous way for journalists to easily get in touch with companiies they are writing about. The planned launch is the Spring of 2010. It could really revolutionize this industry, and be a win-win situation.

A Big Google Chrome Extensions Push Is Imminent (Pictures)

A Big Google Chrome Extensions Push Is Imminent (Pictures)

Posted using ShareThis

changes on Google Chrome

Evidentally, changes are afoot on google Chrome--and very soon. The author of the techcrunch piece hypothesizes that Google is on the precipice of unleashing "extension support to rival that of Firefox."

"Based on what I’m reading, developers will be able to add icons to the Chrome toolbar (likely what the image above represents), add temporary icons inside the Chrome address bar (think: RSS icon), allow users to customize the extensions, and developers will apparently even be able to implement their own versions of 'standard browser pages such as the New Tab page.'"

Furthermore, Gmail Checker "will use badging, tagging a number to the icon to let you know how many unread items you have."

"The key for all of this though appears to be to show developers just how easy it is to make your own extension for Chrome. That’s what many of the images below represent, an easy “hello world” extension that can apparently be built in just a few steps. With speed no longer its strong suit, extensions are perhaps the last great feature Firefox has a stranglehold over. If Google gets it way, that could soon change."

Obviously, if these changes come to fruition, it could mean yet another shake-up in the bruising browser battle, which has already been heated, competitive, and tumultous. Stay tuned, b/c it ought to be interesting.

Happy 5th Birthday, Firefox!

Happy 5th Birthday, Firefox!

Posted using ShareThis

Celebrating another momentous anniversary

November 9th--ring any bells? Well, for those in the computer world, it sure does. On that date, 2004, Firefox came into existence. there is a nice little summary of their evolution on techcrunch. The author loves the browser, and he traces the developments that led to its creation, starting with the rise of the Mozilla browser. Then he details its demise and the elevation of Internet Explorer, concluding with the advent of Firefox. It's compelling history,and interesting to note how much many internet-related things change so very much in such a relatively short period of time. It's also a good luck at the competition amongst the browsers, and an ode to Firefox, a reminded that competition drives innovation in the tech world. And, often, we benefit.