In the Heart of the Sea

With the upcoming movie release of In the heart of the Sea, the harrowing (true) tale of the whaling ship Essex; which, in 1820, left Nantucket and was struck and sunk by a great white (Sperm) whale- the inspiration for Herman Melville's, Moby Dick; In the Heart of the Sea, is a Ron Howard directed film based on the book of the same name. 

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http://youtu.be/1lN2-6SQv2E

World of hurt

Answers are the solution. Not questions 

Without consciously going into a world political diatribe. I don't think the USA wants to be global policeman, but if nobody steps up, you'll end up with another Syria crisis, Ukraine or South China Sea debacle.

It Makes me think of the Steel Pulse album, Earth Crisis, released in 1984.

https://www.google.com/search?q=world+crisis&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#hl=en-us&q=earth+crisis+reggae

 

Tell Stories

This picture was taken shortly before I threw (said) phone into Boston harbor. While reaching into my pocket to get a picture of an incoming jet plane, I got a little excited and tossed the iPhone right into the water. But... Having lost another phone to the Atlantic Ocean, a few years ago, and witnessing it's zig-zagging descent into the abyss, I quickly reached into the water, (Zen Buddhist style) and SAVED THE PHONE from ultimate peril. It still works to this day, albeit, with a lil wavy screen scenario :)

New iTunes sucks

Back in the day... Apple was the go to music player, they were the easiest to import, export and generally user ease. Now they've ruined it. With the launch of the new iOS 8.4 of the iPhone, came another redesign . This redesign, is/was the worst update they've released. In addition to this new iMusic feature, which is mediocre at best (similar to Pandora or Soundcloud), there's this @Connect function which is a streaming (pay to use) music service. All this streaming bullshit, clogs up the formerly simple and streamlined menu bar.

 If I can even find specific music, which is virtually impossible now driving, playing the music is just as daunting, because the play button is shrunk to the size of a pen tip. I've yet to figure out why the designers didn't do their customers a 💩 and removed the SHUFFLE button... Given, it didn't work great to begin with, (usually repeating the same 10 songs) the shuffle button was easy to use and provided some variation http://www.cnet.com/news/itunes-users-hit-stumbling-blocks-with-arrival-of-apple-music/ Now I can barely find my music, and when i find it, I can't play it. Forget using in the car while driving.

Playlists?  Gimme a break; shuffle, the most important function in a music player was removed..

Happy left-handed day (belated)

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/living/national-left-handers-day-feat/

Latest marketing trend: Not pissing off your public.

With all the distractions and different forms of media and advertising these days, the hardest part in promotion (in my opinion), is not: enticing would be consumers; it's trying not to flat out piss them off. People are inundated with so many advertising "impressions" throughout the day, that most people don't even notice 90% of them, and the 10% that sneak through the consumer's blinders, better not alienate them, causing more harm than good.

Future sound- Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5, one of the best hip hop groups, of all time. I remember getting their debut album: Jurassic 5 (EP), at UMass ~1998, and being blown away by their melody and lyrics; completely refreshing. This was released in 2006, and is still as dope as the day it was recorded. They hit a home run.

"Either your here to teach or your here to be taught, If you dont plan to get away then you plan to get caught, I was born to win, Thats why i run dont walk, South central MC, What the fuck you thought"

Apples & Oranges

Exhibit A: Pennywise and Dollar Dumb

Alford Street Bridge, Boston, MA. Connecting Boston's Charlestown neighborhood to Everett. The new $56.1 million dollar bridge was constructed to replace an archaic span over the Mystic river. With little elevation change from the street level grade, this bridge is a lifeblood for hardworking commuters, not to mention, the ONLY street level crossing connecting Boston to Everett/Chelsea/E. Boston.

The $56.1 million dollar drawbridge to nowhere... With little else upstream besides 2 small yacht clubs and a state boat ramp, the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation (DOT) decides to replace the bridge and repair/replace aging drawbridge. Why would you rebuild a drawbridge and constrain travel for FIVE years (Yelp), when there is a (low height) fixed train bridge right upstream? I thought. Just build a 12 foot MHT (mean high tide) bridge like are built all up and down the Eastern Seaboard, for boat traffic. Then I look at google maps and I reveal the Pandora's box.

Not only is there a CSX train bridge just upstream of the Alford Street bridge, there is also a dam, the Amelia Earhart dam and another train bridge, operated by Mass Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). The Amelia Earhart Dam has THREE locks, the largest being 325 feet, long and 45 feet wide!?!? WTF, are they passing barges up the Mystic River?

Exhibit B: Form, function and fiscally responsible.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge carries traffic over the Penobscot River, Maine. In addition to being 1000% larger and more complex (than Exhibit A) it was finished in three years, from ground breaking to public traffic. Build in haste, but not compromising quality, or the community, the new bridge was fitted with a three story 420'(ft) observation deck, fitted in one of the two obelisk shaped (think Washington Monument) towers.

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge, the only bridge in the USA to have an observation tower, it's also the tallest (bridge) observation deck in the world. This is truly a marvel of engineering, design and expediency. Guess how much such a magnificent bridge cost? $100-$200 million? Nope, a mere $85 million, for one of Popular Science' 100 best innovations of the year 2006.

It seems a bit lopsided to think that Massachusetts spend $56.1 million dollars on a street level drawbridge to nowhere, while Maine built a world class bridge: twice the distance, over a deep ravine, (above 135' at MHT) and integrated observation tower, for only $85 million?!?! Crazy

Please stop the new Osphena® commercials

I just saw a new commercial for Osphena®, a new drug for women after menopause, who suffer from "painful sex". The narration of the potential side effects and Dr.'s warnings is HORRIFYING! Just thinking of the graphic commentary is making me cringe while writing this. I thought all the erectile disfunction, "ED" commercials were(are) a bit excessive and over the top, but those spots are timid in comparison.

If they can advertise this intimate, and inappropriate content, than why can't they show a guy (imitating) pooping a football out during a Super Bowl touchdown celebration?

Wu-Tang - The M.G.M.

Raekwon's birthday today.   Ghostface Killah and Raekwon trade verses.  Wu-Tang classic.