How is This Humanly Possible?

When I first watched this advertisement I thought "How does this guy do this?? It's truly mind-boggling!"

For the launch of their Economy Comfort Product KLM put a man sitting on air in Manchester Airport. The man is Ramana, a magician from the Netherlands. He looks to be comfortably sitting on air and reading a newspaper while passersby look in awe at the magician. The mechanism used is a chair installed inside the clothing which holds him up the way he is.

Maybe It's Time to Let it Go

So Nike released a new commercial featuring Tiger Woods, on the eve of his return to golf.

This commercial is wrong on a few levels. First off, the voice over used is of Tiger's deceased father. The actual clip of his father talking was at the time, directed at his wife, not his son. However, Nike decided to take this clip and splice it together for this commercial.

Also, it's slightly ironic that his father is saying these words to Woods, as he himself was unfaithful.

Isn't it time for Nike to move on? I sure think so. Let Tiger return to golf without bringing up his past indiscretions. I think it's time to bury the subject and let the dust settle. By rehashing the matter, the public doesn't have the chance to forget about the scandal and begin to move forward.

Why Bother if You're Just Going to Censor?

The controversial best-seller, Ann Coulter is scheduled to give a talk at the University of Ottawa . But even before she stepped inside the campus, the school's provost warned her of Canada's tradition of "restraint, respect and consideration." Judging by some of her interviews, Coulter's talk should be, in a word, interesting. Here's one of her interviews on The Today Show:



National Post reports that University of Ottawa Academic Vice President and Provost Francois Houle e-mailed Coulter:

"Our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or "free speech") in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States. I therefore encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here."

He continued, "Promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges."

In response to Houle's e-mail, Coulter wrote that she was "hoping for a fruit basket" from the university -- "not a threat to prosecute."

Coulter, while known primarily for her barbs aimed at the Middle East, has been critical of Canada. In the following video she remarks that Canadians "are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent."


So my question is, why ask Coulter to speak in the first place if you are just going to censor her speech? I can understand why the University of Ottawa would want to invite a speaker that would expand horizons and cultivate discussions, but there are so many other people they can choose to come talk to the students.

I feel Coulter has the right to express her opinion and speak her mind even if I don't agree with what she says, but why bother spending the money on a speaker of you are just going to the censor them?

Graphic Design Art Auction and Festival

Today I attended Red River College Graphic Design students' Art Auction and Festival at The Forks Market. Instead of using computers, the students used traditional mediums such as painting, sketching, and even using a pen. It was inspiring to see the work of the students in the faculty.

Over the course of today and yesterday, the students created their works of art right in front of the public's eyes.



As well, Steve Vogelsang, former CKY television personality and current RRC Creative Communications instructor was the auctioneer of the event.

My favourite piece of work was of four wine glasses that were colored according to the seasons - fall, summer, winter and spring. I tried to bid on the work, but I was quickly outbid! Everyone was so generous and it was really nice to see as proceeds from the event were split between Winnipeg Harvest and the graphic design program. Congratulations to everyone who helped out with the event and in the Graphic Design program - it was a great turn out!

He's Baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

For those of you a little sick of watching Seinfeld reruns (I'm not sure anyone could really be sick of Seinfeld)... but if you are, Jerry Seinfeld is making appearances again because of his new show The Marriage Ref. Personally, I've watched the show twice, and I could take it or leave it. However, what I do appreciate, is now Jerry Seinfeld is making appearances on the late night talk shows circuit. Here is a clip of Seinfeld doing stand-up on the Late Show with David Letterman. Priceless!

Uh Oh! Talk about Inappropriate!

So this is what happens when teachers decide to throw all professionalism out the window and forget the rules.

How else do you explain the lap dance that two teachers performed in front of approximately 100 students at a pep rally at Churchill High School in Winnipeg?

Teachers are supposed to be setting the example for kids, and this is definitely not setting the bar too high. The two teachers in the video were sent home without pay and The Winnipeg School Division is investigating the situation. What do you think? Do you think this whole situation has been blown out of proportion or do you the think the joke went a little too far and the teachers shouldn't be suspended?

Here is the cell phone video that one of the students captured of the incident:

The Tonight Show will return with a Bang!

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno will be returning to NBC right after the Olympics, on March 1, 2010. The show is coming back in full force and the all-star line-up reflects it:

Monday, March 1 - Guests include Jamie Foxx, the Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and a musical performance by Brad Paisley

Tuesday, March 2 - Guests include Sarah Palin, the Olympic snowboarder Shaun White

Wednesday, March 3 - "Jaywalk All-Stars" with the cast of "Jersey Shore," Chelsea Handler, speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and a musical performance by Avril Lavigne

Thursday, March 4 - Guests include Matthew McConaughey and Jason Reitman

Friday, March 5 - Guests include Morgan Freeman and Meredith Vieira

Monday, March 8 - Guests include Simon Cowell

Tuesday, March 9 - Guests include Christoph Waltz, the animal expert Dave Salmoni and a musical performance by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Wednesday, March 10 - Guests include Kristen Stewart and Guy Fieri

Thursday, March 11 - Guests include Dana Carvey and Kim Kardashian, with a musical performance by Colbie Caillat

Friday, March 12 - Guests include Dakota Fanning and Judd Apatow

Viewers Taking it a Little Too Far

Viewers everywhere have fallen in love with James Cameron's new film, Avatar (2009) and to be honest, I don't blame them. Rarely does a film live up to its expectations after you've heard such hype about it. However, I will give Cameron a lot of credit, his movie is a truly a spectacle and a film you get completely involved in. I was captivated by the world of Pandora and the Na'vi characters.



However, Cameron's completely immersive spectacle may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

A user named Mike wrote on the film's fan website Na'viblue that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.

"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

This idea of fans taking a movie so seriously and to heart is nothing new. These days, the rule of fandom is anything worth doing, is worth overdoing, often to a terrifying degree. Just take a look at what's going on in 'Hometree', Wisconsin...

Who Dat?

In honour of the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl! Congrats Who Dat Nation! Who knew a doggy would be such a huge fan? :)

A Serious Man

I recently went to go see the Coen Brothers' new film, A Serious Man. I didn't know much about the film before I went, but my brother saw it previously and was dying to see it again. First off, I must say, I can't imagine the film is as funny if you're not Jewish. My mom, brother and I were the only ones laughing at parts because the Coen Brothers hit it right on the button. The Coen Brothers grew up in a Jewish home in Minnesota and use their personal experience to create the setting for the film.

A Serious Man opens with a dimly lit folktale prologue about a dybbuk — the dislocated soul of a dead person who curses a home into which he’s been invited — and a thrust dagger that might permanently seal the fate of the Gopnik clan.

From this, the Coens cosmically deliver us into the 1967 world of Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg, sweaty and strangely resembling Joaquin Phoenix).

Larry is is a brilliant but tormented physics university professor up for tenure, who suffers through a number of endurance tests. His life is suddenly coming apart in all directions and he can't understand it since he considers himself a good person.

Larry learns, out of the blue, that his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) wants a divorce with a gett (a Jewish ritual divorce so she can have a rabbi perform the ceremony when she remarries) to marry of all people, the film's ironically called serious person, an overbearing recent widower named Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed).



As Larry's tsuris (woes) intensifies, with even more incidents thrown into the mix like a fender-bender, and having to pay for his wife's new interest's funeral, we catch him consulting with his high-priced divorce attorney (Adam Arkin) and with three learned rabbis to help him understand why things have gone awry.

The young rabbi speaks in metaphorical clichés. An older rabbi offers gnomic stories including a hilariously pointless one told in flashback about a dentist who discovers a message written in Hebrew on the back of a Gentile's teeth. The last rabbi, an ancient figure from the European past, is too deep in thought to give him an audience, though he later turns up in a comic and extremely moving scene with Danny after his bar mitzvah.

Eventually, Larry, who always tried to be a serious person, live up to expectations and be a good person who helps others, finds there are no such things as definite answers to the meaning of life. After all, no one said it would be easy to find out what God wants us to do.

At first, the film is slightly frustrating because it leaves a lot of open-ended questions. However the film makes you think, and stays with you a few days after your first viewing. A Serious Man is definitely not your average blockbuster - but something new and refreshing! Check out the trailer:

Is the Right Messaging Coming Through?

Happy holidays everyone - I hope everyone had a great break and is enjoying the new year!

So over the holidays, I noticed the Microsoft Windows 7 commercials on television. You know the ones where the person has a flashback of themselves thinking up a concept, informing Windows of their idea and... boom- it becomes a reality. If you don't know what I'm talking about here's one of the commercials:



The whole concept for the set of commercials is -"I'm a PC and Windows 7 was my idea". This statement suggests that the consumer feels as though the new innovations Microsoft is making to their system was his/her idea that he/she passed along to the company and the company listened.

When I first saw the commercial, I thought it was slightly humourous that when the guy has the flashback he is a much more attractive version of himself. However, after I saw a few other versions of this commercial, I wondered if it was humourous at all.

With these ads, Microsoft is telling users that they realize Vista was a bomb, they’ve listened to their suggestions and complaints, and used them in the design for Windows 7. As such, Windows 7 is the idea of the people.

I understand that they are trying to highlight the ideas of "regular people", however why include reenactments where people are a better looking version of themselves? Are the commercials suggesting that these people are delusional? That they have low self-esteem? Perhaps these commercials are suggesting that we all want to have, or do have, an image of ourselves that is slightly better than what others see.



At first the commercials seemed funny to me, but after seeing a few, I didn't understand why they incorporated the reenactment, and didn't just focus solely on their program being the idea of the people. Because if Microsoft is trying to say people like you and me helped to create Windows 7, why not have everyday, regular people talking about it?

Besides, the people in the commercials are fairly attractive to begin with, so why make them look like completely different? I feel by bringing in this switch of actors in such a short amount of time, it is more likely to cause confusion and a chance that the viewer will miss the main messaging of the commercial.