Hello World, Marc Here:

From all of us at G-S-T, we wanted to wish all our readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Hope you all get to enjoy your holiday weekend…or at least one day off work.

So to get everyone in the spirit, here’s the official and much longer (add funnier too) trailer for the upcoming Family Guy Star Wars Spoof, “Something Something Something Dark Side” (Our thanks to ScreenRant for posting it).  May this video help in your decision to choose the ‘Light Side‘ or the ‘Dark Side‘…of the turkey!!

OK, it’s not really in tune with or even related to Thanksgiving but it’s funny and just wanted to give you all something to get you laughing (you’ll need all the help you can get to deal with the in-laws…or so I’ve heard).  Enjoy and take care eveyone!!

VIDEO INSIDE. The singer has avoided the dating scene since ex-boyfriend Chris Brown brutally assaulted her back in February. But she admits she’s itching for some action between the sheets – and some of her mum’s spicy beef stew – as the festive season approaches. When asked what she wants this Christmas, Rihanna responded: “Some great food and some great sex. “That’s not too much to ask, right? The sex might be a little difficult but definitely my mum is coming to cook me some food.
“My mum cooks this thing called Pepperpot, which is like a stew. Sounds strange but it’s really good. It’s spicy, which I love. “But we do the whole traditional tree thing, it’s just not a white Christmas.

“I might be in Barbados but I’m thinking about spending it with my grandparents in New York.”

Meanwhile, the star has defended X Factor judges over the criticism and pressure they pile on contestants. Rihanna – who will be performing on the show this Sunday – rejects calls on SIMON COWELL and co to tone down the ferocity of their comments, insisting the real world’s a far less forgiving place.

She added: “The show is huge – it reaches a lot of my fans. They called and asked us and we couldn’t possibly say no.

“The judges are very accurate when they say ‘that was great’ or ‘that was horrible’. They’re betting on these kids and they’re looking for a star.

“In this industry, if they can’t take the comments the judges are giving them then they won’t be prepared for this world. This world is much more intense and the comments can be a lot worse.

“Simon Cowell is nothing compared to what this industry can do to you.”

Rihanna’s new album Rated R was released yesterday.

Every so often I’ve updated the list of films that I have already seen with brief reviews.  Call it the complete-ist in me, but when I’m done with reviewing each of the films in the book, I’d like to have reviewed every single film in the book.

Anyhow, here’s another batch for you to read.

Enjoy!

Shichinin No Samurai AKA Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai is the first movie that I had the pleasure of seeing from the master director Akira Kurosawa, and it is also one of his most praised works. Without a wasted frame, the story takes place over the course of almost 3 hours. Kurosawa, as he does in each of his movies, explores more than just the action and injustice featured in the plot. He is a humanist first and foremost, training his lens on the interpersonal relationships of the characters, tracking growth across this epic. As good as this film is, I would have to say that Kurosawa has numerous films that are even better, check out Stray Dog, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and my personal favorite High and Low.

The Ladykillers (1955)

Existing as a special combination of dark humor, and slapstick farce, The Ladykillers is exceptionally funny and unsettling. Alec Guinness stars as the leader of a group of criminals staying at the home of a hardy, vivacious older lady under the guise of being musicians. The plan is simple, rob a bank, and utilizing the trusting nature of the kindly old lady, and the remoteness of her home to their advantage, get away with it. Easily my favorite of Alec Guinness’ films (thanks in part to the Star Wars prequels that is), The Ladykillers features a solid cast of great actors, including a very young Peter Sellers.

Bob Le Flambeur AKA Bob the Gambler (1955)

My introduction to the fantastic Jean-Pierre Melville, I was captivated immediately by the cool as ice gangster come gambler Bob. This film is filled with signature Melville-isms. Glorious post war street scenes in Paris. Trench-coats. Honor among thieves. And who could forget the caper. To talk too much about this film is to give too much away, and to do that is to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. Other classics by Melville: Le Cercle Rouge, Le Samourai, and the recently released in the U.S. Army of Shadows. All are fantastic, and deserve to be in this book! Incidentally, Bob le Flambeur was recently re-made into The Good Thief starring Nick Nolte and directed by Neil Jordan, and while I’m not generally a fan of re-makes, I really, really liked this film. Not quite as good as the original, but it was one of my favorite films of 2002.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

The ultimate in hardboiled private eye crime stories, Kiss Me Deadly is a full on assault on decency. Kiss Me Deadly proudly presents itself as a grimy PI story, littered with bodies and intrigue. If you even have a passing interest in film noir, this should be your first stop. Violent, misogynist, brutish, and glorious, Kiss Me Deadly begs to be watched and dares you to look away. I myself, loved it!

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Apparently based on a book, The Ten Commandments is an epic in every sense of the word. Colored in bright explosive candy hues, and featuring huge sets, as well as a cast that number in the thousands, The Ten Commandments is more spectacle than great movie. Certainly not a waste of time, but not my first choice when choosing something light to throw in.

Det Sjunde Inseglet AKA The Seventh Seal (1957)

A classic, and well-loved film by Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal stars an extremely young Max von Sydow as a knight who faces Death at a game of chess to decide his fate. This film is filled with themes that find their way into each of Bergman’s works, ranging from courage in the face of death, religion, and humanity. The Seventh Seal still holds up to this day, with luminous black and white photography that, thanks to Criterion’s Blu-ray edition, has never looked better.

Note: Don’t be fooled by the similarly themed, but much worse, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

Kumonosu Jo AKA Throne of Blood (1957)

Kurosawa’s retelling of Macbeth set in feudal Japan. Shakespeare has never looked better as it does in the stark black and white, twisting shadows and swirling mists as seen through Kurosawa’s camera. Toshiro Mifune doesn’t disappoint in the lead role, but the real stand out is Isuzu Yamada in the as Mifune’s opportunistic, poisonous wife. The plotting and scheming starts right from the get go, all the way up till the frenzied end of the film.

Touch of Evil (1958)

One of the many trouble spots on Orson Welles’ resume due to studio interference, and financing issues, still Touch of Evil remains as possibly the best B-Movie ever made. Iconic (and sometimes hilarious) performances by Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston (as a Mexican) and Welles himself as the crooked cop willing to do almost anything to ensure justice prevails (just so long as it’s his justice). The movie is almost as famous for its long tracking shot opening as it is for any of the performances, featuring a nearly 4 minute shot done in one take which travels around cars, actors, and buildings. The film The Player, payed homage to it by mentioning it a few times during a similarly complex shot in that film.

Vertigo (1958)

Flopping on its initial release, Vertigo didn’t gain the acclaim it deserved until much later after it was released on video. Vertigo visits themes present in each of Hitchcock’s other works, including the obsession with blondes, innocence tainted with corruption, and the schlub who get in over his head. Jimmy Stewart plays the schlub, Kim Novak plays the blonde, and gloriously technicolored San Francisco plays the innocence and the corruption. Vertigo has a twisty convoluted story with elements of surrealism, an interesting watch.

Mon Oncle AKA My Uncle (1958)

My favorite of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot films, Mon Oncle was also the first of them that I had seen. Tati, playing Hulot, is a master of visual comedy, and not in the same way as the Three Stooges, or even Buster Keaton. Tati is an artist whose work is appreciated the longer you watch. The plot of the movie is not so much important to the film as it is simply a guide to get our characters into interesting situations so we can watch them get out. If you liked this film, check out other films featuring the bumbling Mr. Hulot, including Trafic, Playtime, and Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

Les Quatre Cents Coups AKA The 400 Blows (1959)

My personal favorite of the French new wave movement was this small-scale film, personal piece from Francois Truffaut. Featuring the director’s alter ego, Antoine Doinel, The 400 Blows is the first in a series of movies, each about a different stage of life and the challenges that go along with them. The period from childhood to young adult is covered heart-breakingly here, following Antoine through the rough waters of his home life and his interaction with the outside world. Later chapters deal with finding love, getting married, having children, and growing old, but Les Quatres Cent Coups remains the directors most personal and his best.

North by Northwest (1959)

One of Hitchcock’s best, North by Northwest features Cary Grant, suave as ever, being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Just like in Hitchcock’s most famous works (of which this is one), the witty one-liners, suspense, and drama are heaped on generously. I can’t help but feel sad that a similarly themed, but better film featuring Cary Grant was left off this 1001 list. Charade, also featuring Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau, is one of my favorite movies ever! Check out both Charade AND North by Northwest as a double feature! You won’t be sorry.

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Now this is an example of a classic, well-loved film, with actors that I really love (Jack Lemmon I’m looking at you), a premise that is more than suitable, yet the finished product never really caught me. It’s sort of like Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. I never really saw what all the hype was about. That being said, I didn’t hate it either. It never made fun of me when I had braces, or turned me down for a date, my affections and this film have just always been mutually exclusive. Perhaps it deserves another watch…then again maybe I should just watch The Last Boyscout again.

A Bout De Souffle AKA Breathless (1959)

Jean-Luc Godard is nothing if not a sacred cow of French cinema, and while I have loved some of his other films (Le Mepris, Bande A Part, and Masculin Femenine), Breathless or A Bout De Souffle never really did it for me. I can still rationalize why it was so revolutionary (use of jump cuts, editing, non-actors, and subscription to the aesthetic of the French new wave style), and see it’s importance, but I prefer other examples of New Wave cinema. If you are interested in seeing a Godard film, try Masculin Feminine, it is just as revolutionary and a bit more accessible.

Psycho (1960)

A prime example of Hitchcock in his prime. Psycho was so good, and so affecting that some of its actors were type cast just on the strength of this one film (Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh), so much so that without a little research it’s hard to think of what other films either of them has been in. Psycho may not be as visually shocking and gory as horror films of today, but it still manages to hold up over time and be just as unsettling as it was back in its day. Hitchcock has always excelled at making the comfortable un-comfortable (motels, birds, tea, dreams, the list goes on…), and the subtle touches in this film work perfectly. Consider for a moment that Perkin’s Bates is an amateur taxidermist of birds, and then that Janet Leigh’s name is Marion Crane a type of bird, or the fact before the crime Marion is wearing a white bra and a white purse, while after it she is wearing a black bra and purse. His attention to detail, and knack for foreshadowing is demonstrated in full force in Psycho and remains one of his best films. Despite all the uproar over the Gus Van Sant remake, I thought it actually did some justice to the original film and if nothing else brought it a little more deserved attention.

Note: This film also has the distinction of being the first American film to ever show a toilet flushing on-screen.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Released the same year as Psycho, and dealing with similar subject matter, Peeping Tom wasn’t received with the same acclaim and attention that the former was. On the contrary, Peeping Tom was seen as subversive, perverted, and generally too shocking. The story revolves more around the killer than the victim in this one, whereas Psycho is presented more from the victim’s point of view. Either way, Peeping Tom is a fine film, one worth watching, however it is so similar to Psycho that I’m not sure it needs to be on the list of 1001 films.

The Apartment (1960)

As far as light-hearted, touching movies about someone recovering from a bout of depression, this one is my favorite. Billy Wilder directs Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon in a sweet touching comedy without losing any of his trademark cynicism or the pointedness of his dialogue. The Apartment is another chance for me to champion the somewhat maligned talents of Mr. Fred MacMurray as Lemmon’s boss. MacMurray plays a fantastic creep who really defines the term “heel”.

Spartacus (1960)

Containing almost none of the trademark elements that make up a Stanley Kubrick movie as we know it (Kubrick apparently dis-owned the film before it’s release), Spartacus remains an interesting movie that isn’t great. It is, however, another example of a film that enabled an up and coming filmmaker to gain his voice, and define himself later on in his career. If only for that reason, Spartacus is a great film, but luckily for the studio, it has some other things going for it. Kirk Douglas plays the title role of Spartacus, and despite all the lavish set production, and concentration on spectacle, brings some heart to the slave who defied Rome.

Jules Et Jim AKA Jules and Jim (1962)

One of director, Francois Truffaut’s most well thought of films, Jules and Jim may be the Lost In Translation, or Juno of its time. Viewed from a certain angle, the plot is a completely moving and emotional story that you believe, so much so, that you can see yourself and those around you in the roles that these characters embody. Viewed from another perspective, it can seem a little precious or purposefully manipulative. Depending on what is happening in your life (I’m mostly thinking about whether or not you are in a relationship, and if you are happy), this movie can preach the glory of love and the pain of rejection. On the flipside, if you have shaken free the angsty, teenager-esque feelings everyone has had in their youth, you may feel like you’re being talked down to.

Cleo De 5 A 7 AKA Cleo from 5 to 7

Taking place, as the title suggests, from 5 to 7, we get a slice of the life of Cleo played out before us. Sometimes we, along with Cleo herself, are a voyeurs into the lives of people around her, and other times we are focused on her as she roams around Paris. By and large Cleo lives a carefree, spoiled life, yet we still sympathize with her when times are hard, and cheer for her when they are good. This is a small film in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t impacting and beautiful.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I have to admit.  I didn’t like Lawrence of Arabia that much.  Perhaps I was too young to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of Lean’s desert panorama camerawork, or just maybe it was the epic length that decided it for me.  One way or another, I didn’t appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to think I should. 

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Overly reliant on gimmicks and quick editing techniques, The Manchurian Candidate doesn’t flesh out the story nearly…wait, no that was the terrible re-make that came out in 2004.  The original 1962 version, is just as taught, and well executed today as it was at its release.  While the story between the two versions remained virtually the same, the consistent building of tension and anxiety, combined with the pitch perfect acting of Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra (yes…Frank Sinatra), and the devilish turn of Angela Lansbury as the Queen of Hearts, makes for a fantastic film.

Lolita (1962)

It took me forever to finally see Lolita.  I have known the basic story (older man, younger girl) but had just never gotten around to seeing it.  And while I’ve been told that the book is much better, I thought the film was pretty good.  Not great, mind you, but definitely solid.  The shocking and controversial nature of the relationship was toned down a bit for the screen, and maybe as a result doesn’t seem all that shocking in today’s day and age.  Memorable turns by Peter Sellers, and Shelley Winters, not to mention it’s an early film of Stanley Kubrick.

The Birds (1963)

Despite being one of Hitchcock’s most popular, I actually think that The Birds is one of his most over-rated.  I think I owe it to myself to give this one another look someday, but right now I feel that it was too heavily based on the gimmick that had to rely on special effects.  Though it is not necessarily the fault of the movie, but the special effects seemed particularly dated and old fashioned.  Worth a watch, but not my favorite by a long shot.

8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is, by most accounts, a master of cinema.  One, that I have always had a little trouble getting fired up over.  It’s not that I don’t like his films once I’ve seen them, the problem comes in when it comes to motivating myself to see them.  I couldn’t tell you why, but his films consistently get pushed off when they come up on my Netflix Queue or when I see the one or two I have on my shelf.  I shouldn’t feel this way, considering I really loved the moving poetry, and soul baring passion in 8 1/2, yet it still happens.  One very definite reason to watch this film is the man-crushable Marcello Mastroianni, swaggering through as the alter-ego of Fellini himself.  Dealing with all the reservations with women, making movies, childhood, and the future that the director very famously dealt with himself, Mastroianni embodies a certain cool, yet believable character that begs to be watched.  Combined with imagery that leaves the audience wanting more, 8 1/2 is a fantastic film.

Well, that’s it for this time.  Thanks for reading!

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The South African government has pledged to give life-prolonging antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to 900,000 HIV-infected people by March next year. But many of those who currently need the medicines to stay alive arent getting them. At some state clinics and hospitals, there are drug shortages and insufficient training for nursing staff. Staff nurses are overworked and have difficulty finding the time necessary to teach patients how to take the pills properly. This scenario is leading to serious illness and in some cases, say health professionals, to death…. From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: classrooms. The blog is also related to: education department.

Indonesian transportation officials say at least nine people were killed and more than 230 were rescued Sunday after a ferry sank in rough waters near Sumatra island… From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: sea temp. For a different topic see soup recipes. The blog is also related to: sea water temperatures.

Acid Jazz Records will celebrate their 21st anniversary in some style at a venue just a hundred yards from the east London label’s legendary and late lamented Blue Note club in Hoxton Square.

The label, founded by Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson back in 1988, became a buzz word in itself and provided a welcome antidote to the bleeps of acid house that swept all asunder in late ’80s clubland. Artists like Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, Galliano, Terry Callier, Paul Weller, JTQ, Corduroy, A Man Called Adam and a whole host of others found a natural home at the indie label that pushed back the musical boundaries

The birthday party, hosted by Eddie Piller features dj sets from some of the best dj’s associated with the label’s long and varied history, including Chris Bangs, Ali B, Snowboy, Dean Rudland and Andy Lewis playing a mix of Jazz, Soul, Beats, Funk and Northern + a hip shaking live set of soul, jazz and funk from The Filthy Six.

Expect a spectacular one-off!

Salvete  Omnes!  I’m actually alive!!!!!!!!!!!! xD home sick- but alive!!!!! So I decided I should post, Okay so most of you have probably noticed club penguins start up screen:

And for most of you when you see something like this you immediatly think: Something big involving ninjas is happening, to the ninja hideout. Well good that’s what you should think.  There is a video telling you about the game but it is  laggy on my cmptr and my cmptr isnt exactly old so cp needs to  use some lower tech stuff I think. So at the ninja hideout you need to buy a  Amulet which some of us helped gold smith and click the stone fire inscription and a huge door will appear go inside and you will find the still under construction fire Dojo!!!!!

But it loads slowly…….. … Anyways what I know about it is that  it will have four players a game  and is member only!

Mom got me some fire Card jitsu cards the other day so I went upstairs and typed in the code but look!

I e-mailed cp and  Emma said that it would be ready soon. Every time I e-mail club penguin Emma responds….. Odd……. lol

This has been Zumaboy’s CP cheats.

~Zumaboy

Once in a while you hear a song that makes you nostalgic. Well this one does. Took me back to the inter hostel singing competitions. Don’t know where this song will be inserted in the movie. I would like it to be a stage performance by the college band.  Let me live, at least for a moment. This is to the society which takes the childhood away.

सारी उम्र हम,
मर मर के जी लिए,
एक पल तो अब हमें,
जीने दो…जीने दो – ३

Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na

Give Me Some Sunshine,
Give Me Some Rain,
Give Me Another Chance,
I Wanna Grow Up Once Again.  – 2

कन्धों को किताबों के बोझ ने झुकाया,
रिश्वत देना तो खुद पापा ने सिखाया,
99% Marks लाओगे तो घड़ी वरना छड़ी,

लिख लिख कर पड़ा हथेली पर,
Alpha, Beta, Gamma का छाला,
Concentrated H₂SO₄ ने पूरा,
पूरा बचपन जला डाला,

बचपन तो गया,
जवानी भी गयी,
एक पल तो अब हमें,
जीने दो जीने  दो – २

सारी उम्र हम,
मर मर के जी लिए,
एक पल तो अब हमें,
जीने दो…जीने दो,

Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na

Give Me Some Sunshine,
Give Me Some Rain,
Give Me Another Chance,
I Wanna Grow Up Once Again.  – 2

Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na

Am facut un mix cu niste melodii luate sau primite saptamana aceasta
Am pus mai multe stilur: electro, house si dance
Sper sa va placa… nu am stat sa aleg melodiile, le-am mixat cum “au venit”.

LISTEN > http://www.220.ro/3NKasDJygv/2doR-Play-Some-Music

Om nog even een voorbeeld te geven waarom schoonheid objectief benaderbaar is.

Hieronder volgt een link met het artikel Science gives beauty some of its mystery back – for now.

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/071222_beauty.htm

Het artikel mag je zelf doorlezen; ik ga er verder ook niet op reageren. Waar het mij voor nu even om gaat zijn de foto’s vrijwel bovenaan de pagina. Als je naar deze foto’s kijkt zie je twee vrijwel identieke vrouwen. Stel nu dat je moest kiezen welke van de twee je knapper vindt, welke kies je dan?

Zoals ik gisteren schreef: Beauty zit niet in the eyes of the beholder: the eyes of the beholder worden beinvloed door andere factoren. Jij ziet oprecht een persoon anders wanneer je het karakter en het gedrag erbij kent. Status en macht bijvoorbeeld maken een man aantrekkelijk, en ‘er goed verzorgd uitzien’ en liefdevol een vrouw aantrekkelijk(er). Het feit echter dat een factor een persoon aantrekkelijk of minder aantrekkelijk maakt, wil niet zeggen dat diegene dan niet een bepaalde ‘basiswaarde’ aan schoonheid heeft.

Bij bovenstaand onderzoek kunnen karakter, status, verzorgdheid van uiterlijk of haar liefde geen rol spelen, want je kent de vrouw verder niet. Ook smaak kan geen invloed hebben op het bezichtigen van de foto’s want de vrouwen zien er vrijwel identiek uit en je moet enkel tussen deze twee kiezen. Rest dus het enige verschil aanwezig is een puur objectief beeld van het uiterlijk van de vrouw in kwestie.

Ik weet, iedereen kiest dezelfde foto (als ze moesten kiezen). Wanneer dus 100% van de mensen dezelfde kiest (zowel man als vrouw), dan kun je niet meer zeggen dat beauty in the eyes of the beholder zit.

Ik zou zeggen, probeer het uit; Je moet kiezen tussen foto A of B, welke kies je dan?

If you were the folks at Twitter and you are talking about offering commercial level services that are going to eventually generate the mythical revenue that everyone is yapping about wouldn’t hate to hear about enterprise unrest among the ranks? The issue of Twitter account squatting is nothing new. There has also been little mention of it in the news as of late. I actually made the mistake to think that maybe Twitter took control and really started to crack down on the practice.

Apparently not. AdAge is reporting that Twitter is in the process of ticking off more than a few of the hands that might feed them in the future. Of course, Twitter may now be in the position to tell anyone, paying now or possibly later, for their services that they will just have to wait until Twitter is good and ready. While the argument exists that they are truly that powerful it would be a shame that if they used that power as an excuse to ignore the needs of corporate clients.

AdAge reports

On Twitter’s @Hyundai page, there is a collection of 140-character blasts in English and Korean about oysters, cellphones and the Yankees. Clicking on a profile photo reveals a collage of scantily clad ladies bearing cleavage and more, and a caption saying, “Have a Lustful Day.”

This kind of stuff leaves the folks at Hyundai Motor America less than thrilled

After having contacted the social-media site’s headquarters repeatedly to evict the squatter without success, the frustrated automaker has gone so far as to contemplate legal action. “They simply haven’t responded to requests,” said Chris Hosford, VP-corporate communications at Hyundai Motor America. “Our brand name is extremely important to us. … We’re very disappointed that Twitter has shown no interest in protecting brand names.” Unable to use the handle, the company has resorted to sending out official company tweets from @HyundaiNews.

Ughh. The L word. No not that one you sick person but L for “legal”. Last thing any start up needs is the fun and games of legal issues to get in the way of putting together a better service and offering.

The article talks in greater detail about how celebrities have been afforded special badges but the corporate side of the ledger (you remember, the one that could make money) is left to fend for themselves for now. Twitter’s policies are there but there is no guarantee of remedy in a timely fashion so some companies are left to get creative. Of course, one could argue that a big brand being late to the game and not securing these names years ago is on the company. There are two sides to every coin, after all.

So what is Twitter doing, if anything?

Twitter’s head of commercial products, Anamitra Banerji, said, “We understand brands’ frustration when it comes to account verification. We are working on ways to make the process easier and faster …. Given the volume of requests we receive, sometimes it might take a little while to close requests but we are trying to improve that too.” The social-media service, he said, is “[working] with business owners extensively to ensure that they own their trademarks/brand names on Twitter as our terms of service doesn’t allow name-squatting or impersonation.”

Ahh yes. The old volume of requests complaint. That one might have worked when Twitter was the little start up that could but the recent influx of investment takes the air right out of that argument. HIRE SOME PEOPLE, TWITTER!

So it’s interesting to see that not everyone is bent out of shape on this issue

Not all marketers are ruffled, though. Pfizer doesn’t own the handle @Pfizer, and a mystery tweeter is regularity tweeting updates about the company. Ray Kerins, VP-worldwide communications at Pfizer, told Ad Age that the company isn’t planning to take any action. “We are obviously watching any site that discusses our company or our products,” Mr. Kerins said. “We’re going to continue to watch. These social communities are actually very self-policing.”

Wow, now there is either great confidence in the ability of people to keep the street clean or a level of naiveté that will end up badly when the next brand firestorm comes up for Pfizer and the fake account is at the center of it. Maybe the folks who make Viagra are suffering from one of those side effects than impair judgment. Just a thought.

What’s your experience with getting Twitter to help in these situations? Should Twitter care? Happy Monday Pilgrims, let’s hear it!

Social Media Monitoring in Just 60-Seconds. Guaranteed!

just watched 500 Days Of Summer. wowy. i loves it =D to be honest, i didn’t want it to end, but, i guess everything has to end at some point. at least, all the good things do, the bad things kinda just die down for a while…

now i wanna spend the night watching chick-flicks and rom-coms. how gay. i want some maltesars as well… and a cuppa tea…

wowy i feel blue tonight… sad sad times. this is exactly the reason why I shouldn’t think. I make a much better air head! right now, im snuggled up in bed actually physically completely sat down under my covers, its cosy, its kinda like a tent. what makes this realy realy crazy awesome is that I have my lava lamp on so everything around me is kinda glowing red.

wowy i just had the creepiest thought, now i dont wanna come out from under these covers… ill say what I thought, but then you’re probably all gonna think im totally ridiculous or something. basically, i though that their could be all these crazy ass monsters waiting around my bed waiting until i come out so they can kill me or torture me or something. :S one thing that realy doesnt help this is the fact the lights outside of under here actually change because, you know, the lava moves.

buuuuurrrrrrggggghhhhhhh. damnit its only half nine. also, note to self, water plant tomorrow. itll die otherwise, and i dont wanna lose it. it always cheers me up in the morning.

one of my Guinnea Pigs slept most of today, and by lunch time when I hadnt seen her move, i started to get realy worried she was dead or something, apparently shes ok though =D

oh yeah, another thing, WELL DONE KEV!!!! super stoked and mega proud of ya for passing =D

wow taylor swifts songs seem so depressing now… they used to make me so happy :S

either way, i love her. <3

im off now.

blog ya later.

xo.

“Some People!” I say to myself sometimes, usually after someone has jostled me. Those people are total Dweebs. The ‘Some People’ people that is, not ’some’ people but people who by their abnormal social behaviour (perhaps they’re rude or have deliberately made something more difficult than it had to be) have been classed as their own group of ‘Some People’. Who are these ‘Some People’ and why are they such absolute nut bustin’ Nerds!?

Sometimes I put the word “Well…” in front of this phrase which makes me feel even more annoyed and make the ‘Some People’ probably feel even more ashamed (I hope :O)

While U2 are remembering The Unforgettable Fire on its 25th anniversary, a bunch of our @U2 staff spent some time last month remembering a different album: The Joshua Tree. It was part of a staff meetup that coincided with U2’s concert in Las Vegas. We met in Las Vegas the night before the concert and paid a visit to Fremont St., site of the video for “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” We saw the concert itself on October 23rd. The day after the concert, we made a pilgrimage out into the California desert to see the real Joshua Tree itself (which fell over back in 2000) and Zabriskie Point, site of the cover photo from The Joshua Tree.

It took a couple weeks, but our best photos and videos are now online, and you’re welcome to share in what we saw during a terrific weekend in the great southwest.

@U2 at Fremont Street, Las Vegas

Flickr: 10 photos
YouTube video: 23 seconds

U2 concert, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas

Flickr: 12 photos
YouTube: “Until the End of the World” (HD video)

@U2 at Zabriskie Point, California

Flickr: 36 photos
YouTube: Video collage set to “In God’s Country”

@U2 at the Joshua Tree site, California

Flickr: 41 photos
YouTube: Video collage set to “Where the Streets Have No Name”

We’ll also embed this last video below. The text moves a bit quickly at the beginning. Enjoy!

07/09/09

- Viviene

I made this myself:

Go Pick on someone you own IQ (or lack of)!

Appologies to stonewall (the company with their logo on the origional poster).