NBC Is Run By Morons

I feel like I do nothing but pick on NBC. Then other times I feel like I HAVE NO CHOICE.

The latest foul up? Tonight's closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics was cut out so that we could get a preview of the "post-Jay Leno Show experiment" shows with the first one being The Marriage Ref. Created by Jerry Seinfeld, it's part of several of their new shows that they are launching to try to recover.

I know the business structure. Have a big event (like the Olympic Ceremonies) and have a new show premiere after. It's always done after the Super Bowl. Survivor. Undercover Boss. I get it. It makes sense.

HOWEVER -- in this instance, NBC "went to commercial" during the ceremonies, and then came back with the beginning of The Marriage Ref. No word of where the ceremonies went. I don't understand how that happens. NBC had been promoting the event with acts like Avril Lavigne and Nickelback - not great draws for anyone over 14 or with a brain cell.

So besides that no one really wants to watch these acts - how can NBC possibly promote a show and then NOT SHOW THEM PERFORM. What's worse, they don't announce that they're cutting out. And by the way, Marriage Ref, from the few minutes I watched, looked awful. It was like Chelsea Lately with bigger named celebrities. Forced jokes in ridiculous scenarios. NBC was desperate for a show and was hoping Seinfeld's name would get attention.

I'm seriously doubting everything NBC does. It's awful. I know I posted last time hoping that Comcast can fix them. But I really do. After Jay Leno disappears. Can't wait for his premiere tomorrow. That previous sentence was 100% sarcasm.

I miss you Conan.

Spying on Students - Webcam Privacy

A live feed of what I'm doing. You caught me.

Over the weekend, a story launched regarding high-school teachers accessing the built-in camera of students laptops. This was a big deal to me for two reasons: A) the morality/legality of spying on students and B) I grew up in the school district with which this situation has developed: Lower Merion. Had I attended public high school I would have gone to Lower Merion High School. Instead I attended the lovely Saint Joseph's Preparatory School.

So aside from my personal connection to the school district, this is a HUGE case that will set the tone for technology/privacy in schools for quite a while (until this technology is somehow enhanced even further, setting entirely new rules.)

Clearly, the school district messed up. They had good intentions - if a laptop was lost or stolen, they would be able to identify the user (supposedly) and then give the picture to police. While it sounds good, the school district should have informed the students and parents.

But THEN the issue is that they used it on a current student who they "suspected" was doing "inappropriate" things with a school-issued laptop. Does anyone wonder how they got this "suspicion" anyway? What exactly gave it away? Did they spy on him before hand? Apparently they "caught" him doing whatever it was (one can only imagine - but what do you expect from a teenager when there's so much smut easily available on the internet - and the SCHOOL PROVIDED A GATEWAY TO IT BY PROVIDING THE COMPUTER.)

I think LMSD should be concerned over how their laptops are being used - but could do so more effectively. Because they are school-issued, I wouldn't find it a problem for LMSD to have access to the computer remotely to access files/web history etc, but not the webcam. That's the most ridiculous part. It's like child pornography. I'm sure there is some creepy teacher who would love to see what one of their students is doing at all points in time - and that's NOT okay. That's when it crosses the border from ensuring the integrity of your machines to stalking. Catching this boy doing whatever "inappropriate" is child pornography, and the school district should be sued for that as well.

I would almost expect all school-issued (or computers issued by employers) would haves some sort of monitoring system. They need to make sure that their machines are being used for appropriate, related items. I would think it would be in some sort of contract between the supplier and the user. That just seems to make the most logical sense to me. The webcam doesn't make sense to me though. People use their computer all the time - they may have ridiculous outfits on or nothing on at all - and that's up to them in the privacy of their own home. Don't spy on how I look, spy on what I'm looking at - but tell me that you'll be doing it.

My other concern is that Lower Merion is pretty rich. Like, really rich. I bet almost 80% of the student base has access to a computer at home, and I would also go to say that over 50% have their own computer. Why do they need one from school? I haven't been keeping up with technological advancements in secondary education, but is it truly necessary for every student to have a school issued laptop? Can't the school district have laptops that they keep at school? Or get a computer on a need basis (although in this economy, who will say no to a tax-paid computer?)

In doing the math, Lower Merion School District has roughly 2,500 students in its two high schools. By issuing them a $999 MacBook (assuming it's the basic model) we are looking at a $2.49 million price tag. I'm sure that Apple has some sort of school distribution service that makes the machines cheaper, but I'm sure it was still a hefty price. THOSE ARE MY TAX DOLLARS AT WORK. AND THEY PROBABLY GET NEW COMPUTERS EVERY 3 YEARS. While I am pro-Apple products, is that what students need? Or could they "survive" off of the cheaper Dell/HP/Compaq etc ? They probably don't need the built-in camera anyway (which would have prevented this whole situation.)

As I said, this case will be a big deal. I think it could change the landscape of how computers are used in the classroom (and by employers.) It will be interesting to see how things play out, but I can't believe how this was issue even came to the forefront - LMSD should have had a moral brain in their head and thought about how this technology could be used for "safety", there's also A LOT of potential for negative use. I hope it was worth it

NBC Drops The Ball Again

Last night, NBC failed to nationally televise one of the Winter Olympic events that EVERYONE wants to see: USA vs Canada in Men's Hockey. Instead, they passed it off to their sister station, MSNBC. Most cable outlets do not carry MSNBC in High Definition. HD helps enhance the quality of sporting events, most specifically hockey, because it allows more vision of the ice, creating a more pleasurable viewing experience.



The game was awesome, and quite possibly will be the best hockey game of the year (knock on wood.) It had everything exciting about hockey; great players, great plays, intense, drama ridden moments. Those moments where you are so nervous that the puck could trickle in at any point in time and change the entire face of the game.

It's events like this that make hockey great - and almost finally putting it back on the national map after a couple year hiatus from that crippling lock out.

The focus of this post isn't all about the game though - it's about how NBC execs yet again messed up a perfect ratings opportunity. Last night, my understanding of what was on National NBC consisted of: Ice Dancing, Men's Super Combined (consisting of Bode Miller's gold medal run,) probably Bobsled and either Curling or Speed Skating. The only event that warranted our attention was Bode Miller's run.

So the alternative to how NBC could have solved this problem? A) Show the hockey game on NBC and during the intermissions, show ice dance/bob sled whatever, then afterward, around 10PM, show the Super Combined. It would of boosted NBC's ratings without a doubt.

I know why NBC didn't broadcast it nationally. International Hockey has nearly zero commercials during the game, similar to soccer. This obviously inhibits NBC's advertising dollars. Although most games on MSNBC are "brought to you with limited commercial interruption" by X. They assumed people would rather watch Ice Dancing. Who would? There was such an outcry on Twitter that "NBC" was a higher trending topic than "Team USA" or "Team Canada." Most of the tweets were rants about how dumb NBC was for not having MSNBC HD available enough places while also not having it national. There's still some people without cable who couldn't of watched the game.

From NBC's perspective though, as the sole national broadcaster of NHL games (I'm not counting Versus) - wouldn't it make sense for them to broadcast a hockey game and try and boost the ratings for a sport they broadcast? It's only going to be another 2 weeks until the NHL is back on NBC, and I would think that they need to try to milk the sport as much as possible - even if that means losing $$$ right now, they may make more money - consistently - later down the line for their weekend/playoff games. I guess I'm just not a businessman and don't know what sports draw which ratings, but it doesn't make sense to me.

It's just become too easy to make fun of NBC these days. What a fall from grace for them. From being the original and having those legendary shows like Seinfeld and Cheers to be the idiots that approve of The Jay Leno Show and The Biggest Loser but cancel Southland and Conan O'Brien. Unbeleiveable. Good luck Comcast!

Tiger Speaks Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 11 AM the Tiger Woods scandal goes to an entire new level. After 3 months of settling down, he's coming "back" to make a statement at a press conference. There will be no questions, just a statement. Already everyone is going insane. TMZ is reporting that he'll show up in a Black SUV - WHO CARES WHAT CARE HE DRIVES.

The reality is that this story shouldn't be as big as it is. Infidelity is unfortunately all too common in our society, and just because the biggest athlete in the game isn't as innocent as we thought he was should not create this much panic.

Tiger doesn't owe us anything. He owes his wife, child, and family something. By something I mean more than half of his earnings, cause money can't fix a broken home. I mean an apology and a stern commitment to either better himself for his family or to remove himself from the situation as the mature thing to do. If he can't handle being married that's fine - but don't drag Elin through anymore - if she's willing to accept him back.

Whatever Tiger actually ends up saying tomorrow, it's going to cause a ruckus. He could announce he is coming back X date, and it'll be a big deal. He could say he's sorry, he's not sorry, he's this, he's that. It doesn't matter. We're so caught up in this debacle that we want ANYTHING. We're vultures waiting to feast on Tiger's scandal.

It's really getting sickening. Although I want to know what he has to say, I primarily want to know when he is coming back to the game - which is most important to me and the PGA Tour. While I don't think he should be rushed - he clearly has to figure out his family situation first - it's important for Tiger to get back to doing what Tiger does.

I hope tomorrow is a full admission. Let everything out. Get it out there. He's not allowing questions from reporters, so it'll make things more definite (PS - dumb or smart move by his PR team? I say smart given the amount of media presence that would be there - control the circus.) Let the news settle, come back to golf in X months. The selfish Tiger fanatic in my wants him to come back the week before the Masters to play in the Torrey Pines tournament, setting him up for the Masters and a potential big year for Tiger. But that's me being selfish.

What's still important though is getting Tiger's life together. If his family is too chaotic, there's a chance his golf will suffer, making the game and his life that much harder for him. I wish him the best, and a quick recovery back to the sport that made him famous.

LOST - NO MORE QUESTIONS ?

Spoiler. Spoiler. Blah I get tired of saying it.

Okay so LOST just ended and it was so awesome I had to write about it immediately. Prepare for a typical scattered post as I try to gather my thoughts.

1) THE NUMBERS

So the numbers actually DO have a purpose - sort of. Somehow these specific numbers connect to each of the people remaining from 815 - EXCEPT KATE OR CLAIRE. It's possible Claire was removed because she is dead/infected/sick/pick your word. That doesn't explain no listing for Kate - unless she was crossed out. Maybe she's not a "candidate" she's just a random girl. Or maybe she was already dead. Maybe Jacob visited all of the survivors pre-crash, but we only see those few. In trying to focus on the story while observing the room, I could of swore I saw Rutherford (for Shannon or Boone) inscribed, so Jacob could had listed everyone originally. Why wasn't Kate on the list? Is this technically Jacob's list? Can they not die (putting more emphasis on Sayid - although Locke is dead.)

HOW DO THE NUMBERS CONNECT TO THE SWAN - "THE NUMBERS"

My concern is maybe that Smoke Locke isn't being totally truthful. Why would Jacob come all the way down here when he had the Cabin/Statue? Maybe it's Smokey's list. Clearly the pendulum could of been for either of them. The concept of Jacob's ladder also could apply here.

Also though, we've been dealing with Jacob for so long we assume he's the good superpower. He's also white in the light vs black literary device (so we think.)

2) SMOKEY/NEMESIS

My gut tells me that he's still trying to get into the Temple. He needs someone to get past the ash so he can get in there and kill everyone. Right now thats Sawyer - a broken man desperate for answers. That's how they can get off the island "together." Sawyer helps Smokey, Smokey either kills him or lets him go, and Smokey is free to rule the island (or worse.) He's playing the part of the liberator by talking to Richard as if he's been enslaved by Jacob without any real knowledge for of what's going on. I'm sure Jacob told Richard whatever Richard needed to know.

BUT Smokey cheated. He technically killed Jacob by pushing him into the fire. There's a chance Jacob may not of died by being stabbed from Ben. That's where that boy comes in - who JUST HAS TO BE AARON. HAS TO BE. Because Smokey cheated, Jacob can rise again, or some other power (maybe one of the candidates - also remember Lapedis is a candidate too) can become the new Jacob to put Smokey back in his place. Maybe it's Aaron - providing him more of a purpose. It's interesting that Smokey has something he's scared of - and that he doesn't just transform to take him out. Maybe a power higher than Jacob/Smokey. Maybe Aaron is a reincarnation of Jacob, which was the purpose of allowing him to be born.

TO NOTE: Alpert couldn't see the kid. Sawyer could. Alpert probably isn't a candidate.

But does the Island need a new Jacob? Was Smokey lying in saying this Island didn't need anything? Is that what we see in the "sideways" time line - a world where the island doesn't 'exist' ? It's definitely possible, but I have my doubts about Smokey.

3) INTERESTING SIDEWAYS TIME LINE NOTES

-Hurley's doing great - different

-Rose still has cancer but she's loving life
-How can Rose and Hurley be on the same plane if Hurley is her boss? Wouldn't Hurley notice?

-LOCKE IS WITH HELEN - that's a huge change, but he's still depressed as ever.

-Locke as a teacher and him saying "John Locke - Substitute" is an interesting - but definitely serves as a metaphor - for being Smokey's Substitute - and potentially could have been Jacob's as a candidate. The writers are too smart.

-Also of note for Locke is that Helen mentioned his father attending the wedding. Meaning that they probably are on better terms than they were on the original time line. Meaning that Locke was paralyzed by other means.

-BEN AS A EUROPEAN HISTORY TEACHER - interesting. If he was Egyptian history I would have died. What does this sideways time line have to do with his rivalry with Widmore - if that even exists with everything else going on)

-SIDE NOTE FOR BEN --> By Ben being off the Island, that means that the Island had been underwater PRE-Dharma. Here's why: Ben in 1977 was last seen at the Temple, being healed from Sayid shooting him. So, were the bomb to go off, it would have killed him and everyone else. Ethan from last episode is fine because he would have been evacuated on the sub. Ben was not on the sub - as far as we know of course.

-Did anyone else think that the kid that Locke grabbed was going to be Walt? Obviously they can't capture Walt in 2004 form, but that would of made the sideways time lines that much more unbelievable.

I can't figure out if the sideways time line is to prove anything outside of how their lives would have been without the island - but why did some people have different pre-island experiences? Why is Hurley not cursed? Kate may be innocent for whatever she did? There's a lot of questions still left to be answered.

I think I read where Damon & Carlton are working towards proving that the lives of everyone on the island was going to be linked regardless of the events of the island - but was it because of the island?

4) Illana

She had to pick up those ashes for a reason. There must be some connection. Maybe they can reincarnate Jacob. Maybe it's to prove it to Dogen. I can't be sure, but there's definitely a connection. We still don't know how she knows about Jacob/Island/Temple or any of that.

PS REALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR JIN AND SUN TO GET BACK TOGETHER SO THAT CAN STOP BEING A STORYLINE.

Overall though this episode was the best of the season. I'm back on board the LOST train and will have a long 7 days until next week's episode.

Are the Winter Olympics Better than Summer?

Okay, I know the answer is no. But let me explain why I thought that anyway. Besides just trying to get you to read my posts.

I typically don't pay any attention to the Winter Olympics. It is like the ugly twin of the Summer Olympics. Part of that is because the lack of varying events and participating countries. All the events involve ice or snow. There's only 15 events total. I think Summer has something like double that. It's lead to NBC losing about $200 million on advertising - something I LOVE. (I used to really like NBC, but after the Conan situation, I'm finding any reason possible to laugh at them. They're still okay.)

Regardless, I'm really enjoying this Winter Olympics. I'm not sure why. I don't feel particularly invested in Apolo Ohno or Shaun White (or any of the American athletes.) It's great to just see these events. The race the other night with Ohno getting Silver because of the Koreans falling was very exciting - reminiscent of that unforgettable Phelps finish in 2008. Maybe it wasn't as serious or dramatic, but it was dramatic.

I feel like the Winter Olympics (and Summer too) are events that are only interesting every four years. No one cares what Phelps is doing now (in the water, not at frat parties) and won't care until 2012. He still competes in swim meets, but they don't garner any attention whatsoever. I like watching the snowboarders, but if it was an annual event, I know my attention (and the country's) would wane. Same thing with the World Cup - I love it for the month that it happens, but Soccer isn't on my radar for the other 84 months in between.

One of the other captivating things is the way NBC broadcasts the Olympics - they've done a relatively remarkable job over the past few Olympiad. The addition of viewing events in High Definition has made watching it that much more interesting. It sounds cheesy, but seeing the picture so clearly makes it hard not to watch. The fly-overs they show of the Vancouver mountains are absolutely breath-taking. My only complaint with NBC is not enough information about when events are happening on what channel. When NBC is broadcasting events on Sci-Fi channel, I wouldn't have any clue unless the the national NBC shares that with us.

The Olympics are different than the professional sports leagues we are used to. The athletes we know make millions upon millions and are pampered. Most of the athletes in the Olympics aren't any sort of celebrity - just someone representing their country. Sure, they are great at what they do, but they don't have any status as a superstar. As much attention as Bode Miller/Apolo Ohno/Shaun White may get, people like the US Curler's are nobodies. Who is on our Bobsled team? Nobody knows, and I love it. It's like college sports on a "professional" level - people living out their passion. That is what life is all about.

I plan on watching as much Olympic coverage as possible until I get sick of it - it's a special event that really captures a sense of athletic, non-violent patriotism that is rarely found anywhere else.

Google isn't Buzzing

Yesterday GoogleBuzz came into my life, and 24 hours later I'm ready to say goodbye. Unceremoniously.

If you asked me a month ago I would have said Google is primed to take over the world. I even mentioned it in my post yesterday regarding their great Super Bowl ad - that was before I played with Buzz and really had time to think about the company. Now, I really think that Google still has that potential - but Google is too all over the place to succeed right now.

My problem with GoogleBuzz is the fact that I don't REALLY use GMail. I have a GMail account, but all my mail goes to my BlackBerry/Mail Client. Whenever I actually log on GMail, it's a mess because it doesn't seem to sync up. So given that alone, I NEVER want to go to the GMail site. But to use Buzz I would have to see it every day. Plus everything that's "Buzzed" is already sent to my e-mail (aka Blackberry/Mail) - making my GMail even more cluttered than before.

The Internet is creating TOO many outlets for us to sign up for. I could probably think of 20 things I've signed up for in the past five years where I have to connect with "friends". Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, AIM, Skype, BBM (okay so not an Internet, but same deal,) Foursquare, Xbox/PSN/Wii, Netflix, any type of message board, etc. I think I proved my point. So my question is why would I want to add GMail/G-Chat do that ever-growing list?

I understand their intended goal - to clear the clutter. I'm just not sure that it quite accomplishes that task. Maybe it's because I've organized my TweetDeck well enough that I feel like I've already done it for Twitter, I'm alright with my Facebook (although the new layout is a struggle,) and I'm able to talk to my contacts on AIM/BBM. I feel relatively organized and less cluttered than usual. If anything, by getting e-mails on everything my "G-Friends" are "buzzing" about, it really clutters my inbox.

I think Google's goal is to somewhat brainwash us into using everything Google. Google Mail. Google Chat. Google Buzz. Google Reader. Google Cereal. Okay so that last one was a joke, but if they had it, we would probably eat it up - pun intended.

I'm not saying that Google Buzz sucks. I just think it needs some fine-tuning. If it came out 3-4 years ago - before Twitter, before Facebook blew up, they would of been onto something. By implementing it now, it feels more like an RSS feed of your friend updates - which are the same as Twitter, without the 140 character limit. I'm just not sure it's necessary.

Google really still has so much potential but needs better execution. Google Wave seems to be a flop - nobody can figure out how the hell to use it, and they don't have enough friends to create Waves with. I recently just bought my own web domain from Google, but can't figure out how to set that up either - although most of that is probably because I'm not very HTML savvy. Google has all these great things that no one really knows how to use. They recently announced a plan to launch it's own ISP. They've talked about Google Voice for a bit - something else that at least I know I can't personally figure out. AdWords. There's a bunch out there.

I used to really like Google, and most of the time I still do, but I really think there are times when they hide behind the "don't be evil" mantra to reveal that they actually are "evil" in terms of trying to take over everyone else. There's definitely a "war" brewing between Google and Facebook. Everyone is afraid of Google. Apple, Blackberry, and Facebook all have tried to implement using Bing rather than Google because Google is threatening to take over their respective mediums - why support the 'enemy'. Suddenly Microsoft isn't the big bad 5,000-pound gorilla anymore. Who would of ever seen that coming?

Google can still do it. They can fix Buzz. I've heard great things about Wave, but no one I personally know either knows about it or can use it. Maybe because of Buzz we will start to see a transition to using their website as the home base for all our browsing/social needs. They just need to re-calibrate their vision to be more cohesive and work with us instead of rolling out new programs every few months.

LOST --> STILL NOT FOUND

SPOILER LOST SPOILER LOST. You're warned. I'll keep this one short cause I have other things to worry about this week (probably healthy to be honest)

THIS WAS THE WORST EPISODE IN 3 YEARS. IT MADE ME WANT TO SCREAM, HENCE THE CAPITALS.

Now that we've gotten past that moment, seriously, wasn't that episode awful? The name of the episode is "What Kate Does"--- what is Kate doing exactly?? Drive Claire to the Hospital? I'm pretty sure people were expecting everything BUT that. Seriously. She kills someone. Gets away. Jack saves her. I don't know, something more pro-active than being a chauffeur.

Is the "Does" part reflect to following Sawyer? Another non-active step to allow us see Sawyer drag out the loss of the only girl he ever loved - right? Or does/did he love Kate too? Hmmmm. Way too dragged out. Way too emotional. He had his moment in the last two episodes to be sad and then mad and then more sad. There's bigger things at stake here.

This Temple nonsense is straight-up bizarre. It's taken three years for us to get here, and I think everyone was expecting something other than this Dogan figure. He's mysterious, seems to be some sort of ninja, and very short with words (when he actually speaks English.) Of course, this sticks to the concept of Lost, that they reveal as little as possible to make people go nuts. It's working, but at a more frustrating level than usual. Given that it's THE FINAL SEASON TELEVISION EVENT SHA-BANG, I was hoping for more.

SOME NEW THOUGHTS/REACTIONS

Was totally spot on about Sayid. Going to revise it a bit though: By drowning in the dark water, he is becoming essentially a disciple of Smokey. He doesn't know it. He had to die to be reborn. It's almost the concept of being like a zombie or ghost in human form. Sayid will quickly lose his memory (as Ben did when he was saved - in CLEAR-JACOB-APPROVED water) and live for Smokey - ideally, killing everyone inside the Temple.

What doesn't totally make sense is how Claire has been infected. Unless Christian/Smokey killed her when she chased after him, there must be another way to infect. Why wouldn't Smokey do this to everyone though? So did Claire die? Does Smokey have another outlet to infect? OR Is she even infected at all, or is Dogan BS-ing. Is Claire crazy like Rousseau (love the cyclical nature of the show - Rousseau is just like Claire in every way. Claire still being operated on by Ethan. Kate still being there for her birth. Smart guys write this show.)

This all has to be taken with a grain of salt because I personally don't know if I/we can trust Dogan/Templies because of their mysteriousness. Sure, Ben said that it was the safest place on the Island, and they should be very pro-Jacob, thus pro-life/saving Sayid/not lying to Losties, but something doesn't make sense. Or it's just Lost and I'm tired of it.

I'm looking forward to next week's episode - the way ABC promotes it, it seems like its going to be a 4 episode season. Way to milk it ABC.

Super Bowl Ads - The Good, The Bad, The Brutal

I should mention, this post is sort of a cop-out. I had to write a paper on the ads, but thought it would make a good post too. I edited it pretty heavily though to make it more fun - because I love you.

Tim Tebow – Celebrate Life

This was clearly the most hyped ad of the night.

The ad ended up being nothing. I didn’t know what it was about until I saw Tim, which was with very little time left. Even his presence didn’t help me understand the focus of the ad – except that I already knew the background of the story. I think they tried hard to make some humor out of it by having Tim tackle his mom, but that ad had it’s steam taken away by that Snickers ad that came before it, which featured Betty White being tackled repeatedly. It really stole Tebows thunder.

The ad was talked about almost a month prior to the event. The publicity alone should have made the ad worth the $2+ million that was spent. It will be interesting to see the statistics regarding how many visitors went to the website because of the ad. Overall though, it was a let down in regards to the controversy surrounding the ad, but should not have been pulled by CBS, contrary to other activists groups. At the same time, I’m not exactly sure it conveyed the message that Focus on the Family was trying to achieve in those 30 seconds.

Google – Parisian Love

Wow. Google hit a home run – and as far as I was concerned, the only definite home run of the night. I know a lot of people agree with me on this as well. The ad is able to convey a romantic boy-girl story that at the same time demonstrates the growing and massive power of Google. The best part was that they kept the focus on the Google web site the entire time to truly show Google’s capabilities. It was simple, primitive, and didn’t require any corny or sexual humor to deliver it’s message. I was really blown away by this ad and believe that Google is a huge threat to take over a lot of technological-based industries in the years to come. This is the first in many upcoming ads from Google.

Bud Light – Paradise

I personally thought this ad was funny. It took the concept a very popular show in Lost – without directly referencing the show, and provided a sense of humor that made me laugh. I personally am a LostLost friends were EXTREMELY offended and seriously thought ABC should file a lawsuit against Budweiser. I wasn't that pissed to be honest. fan and was able to enjoy the joke, but some of my

Vizio – Beyonce/Forge

This ad was futuristic, chaotic, and crazy. However it captured the capabilities of what the Vizio televisions claim to be capable of. Based off what I saw – the television looks quite capable and the ad made it look cool. Televisions are starting to evolve with the Internet, but in order to not be replaced by laptops and tablets, they need to make a statement and keep themselves relevant and in the spotlight. I think this ad accomplished that goal, however they may struggle in a few decades from now unless there are drastic changes.

Late Show – Leno, Oprah, and Letterman

I can’t figure this ad out. After all the nonsense that NBC has gone through to get Leno back onto The Tonight Show, why allow him to air with his previous and future direct competitor in Letterman? I understand that the last Super Bowl CBS hosted there was a Letterman and Oprah bit, but I do not see why NBC would allow this. It’s like giving in to your competition – which holds the number one spot in late night television.

Maybe NBC didn’t know about the ad. Maybe it was not a breach in Leno’s contract. Maybe NBC saw it as an opportunity to keep Leno in the spotlight following an incredibly messy situation with Conan O’Brien. I personally don’t agree with how that worked. NBC continues to prove that the executives are incompetent. I really really really don't want to like NBC for anything other than The Office, 30 Rock, and Brian Williams.

NFL – Lift Off

This ad was great, but not perfect. It summarized the intensity and excitement that the NFL has from its fans, and thanked the fans for their continued dedication and never ending passion for the sport. They used one of the leagues better-known (and better image) players in Reggie Bush in a great display of athletic prowess before going into a montage of different fans. The choice of music was excellent as well - who doesn't love that song from Where The Wild Things Are?

Budweiser – Clydesdale Race

The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales seem to be a staple in NFL advertising, representing a classy, All-American image to separate itself from its party twin, Bud Light. After taking a few year hiatus from the Super Bowl, the Clydesdales were back, and I COULDN'T of been happier. They were able to demonstrate a fun, cute, display of America’s favorite football horse. I really like how the Clydesdale series of ads are simple, and typically don’t relate to the product at all. Budweiser has established the connection between the Clydesdales and their beer. Therefore, they can create fun advertisements that do not need product placement within them.

Doritos - Casket

I thought this ad was just so tacky. Doritos had 4 ads in the first half (because owner Pepsi was spending their brand's $$$ on social media - ACTUALLY SMARTER) and only one of them was funny (the little kid slapping his Momma's date.) But the Casket ad was trying to make a joke out of death and really missed the mark. I'm sure they could of come up with something better. The other Dorito ad with the dog and the dog collar was weird as well.

I find it interesting how the landscape of Super Bowl ads have changed. Now they can be re-viewed over and over again on the Internet. It makes the $2.5 million spent per ad worth so much more than it previously was. It's great for companies and the media. Now if only they could make consistantly better ads.

Super Bowl = Football or Party. I can't tell.

I think the Super Bowl has become too big. MOST people don't watch it for the game - they watch it for the commercials. The only reason I like commercials is because it gives me time to go to the bathroom or accomplish quick tasks during my life.

I'm sure MOST people aren't even watching the game. It's really just a reason to party. I personally was planning on watching the game, but it definitely took a backseat to hanging out with my friends, the food, and alcoholic beverages.

My biggest problem with the Super Bowl is how the game isn't the biggest event going on Super Bowl week. There's so many parties and events building up to the game, but the game isn't even really the focus. It's, again, just another reason to party. The game feels to be more out of necessity than want. Which is really too bad, because this was one of the better games in recent memory.

I wasn't really feeling the ads from last night. I saw most of them live and then watched most of them again this morning, and it really didn't connect with me. I think that's another problem with the Super Bowl; because EVERYONE watches it, it's hard to market it to everyone. We've become so narrow in our advertisements that an event like the Super Bowl goes against popular thought. Very few events get the attention that the Super Bowl does, so it makes it hard to create an ad that all 100 million will enjoy. And then to have the ads be dissected for the next week, it's not the norm at all.

I really enjoyed the Super Bowl last night - the game was great and I was with great company. That's what it is supposed to be about. Unfortunately though, the event is bigger than the game.

P.S. So happy the Saints won, what a great situation for Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, and the entire city of New Orleans. This win made the city relevant again.

LOST - Season Premiere Reactions/Theories/Hopes/Dreams

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T CARE OR DON'T WANT TO KNOW SPOILERS

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What happened last night? There was so much going on so fast, it's hard for me to wrap my head around any of it, let alone ALL of it.

My current thoughts/theories:
1) The original "Others" were a servant of Jacob. Protectors of the island and thankful for his blessing. Only a select few were chosen to live behind the Temple wall. Ben was determined not worthy of ever seeing Jacob/Temple because he had to be healed by Jacob as a child to live.

What this does NOT answer is how the Smoke Monster was affiliated with the Temple for Rousseau's team. Ben was never actually in the Temple when he was "judged." Flocke cut him of before he could get to the real Temple.

2) Sayid - two potential plots here

Sayid is either the Smoke Monster or Jacob. I'm leaning towards the Monster, mainly because: The water Sayid was submerged in was dark. They said that it used to be light. By Smokey using Sayid's body, he is already inside the Temple, as the others try to protect it wish ash. Smokey went into the body of Jacob to talk to Hurley, which took Sayid to the Temple, so now Smokey is inside.

The Jacob that Hurley saw also could legitimately be Jacob, and Jacob could be using Sayid's body or had the healing power to save Sayid.

Both these ideas break my typical stance that these two entities can only inhabit people who have died prior to coming to the island. But anything is possible. Just like Kevin Garnett.

Not to read too much into color good/versus - but Sayid's shirt is black.

3) The Alternate Timeline

I think what we're seeing right now is the "What if they never crashed" and the "They did detonate the bomb but their job isn't finished," also known as the "whatever happened, happened" timelines.

It's still very complex coming out of the Time Traveling season. Faraday had too many thoughts and not enough clearly decisive visions for us to figure it out.

WHAT I AM THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW (SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN 2 MINUTES): The Island in 2004 is underwater because of the detonation. The 1977 Losties only thought about how detonation corrected THEIR timeline, but not how it would affect everyone else. The detonation may have sort of inverted the electromagnatism that kept the island visible/afloat whatever. Dharma died in 1977. The island died. But because they were ALREADY on the island, the Losties have to finish what they started in terms of the Jacob/Smokey conflict.

This also ran through my head though - Partially because I'm a huge Pirates of the Carribean nut - but in the concept of the island being underwater doesn't mean it's gone. In the third Pirates there's an alternate universe - for the dead - on the 'other side' of the water. Could be a similar circumstance here. Doubtful. The only reason that could work is the ABC/Disney connection. Longshot.

It is very interesting to note the differences between the original Losties in Season 1 vs the Reset Timeline. Hurley is lucky. Charlie believes he was meant to die. Shannon is happy with a man. Kate is still a fugitive, but apparently she didn't kill her father. Jack believes that nothing is irreversible. Locke believes his condition is. Lots of interesting changes in moods/attitudes/situations. Is it because the island doesn't exist anymore?

This also provides us with the theory that these people are still MEANT to come together. Locke and Jack. Sawyer and Kate. Somehow the alternate timelines come together.

4) Smoke Monster/Flocke "Going Home"

It's either the Temple or off the island. I doubt it's to "The rest of the world" to destroy everyone. Maybe like a mythical heaven or underworld. But first he will probably like to seek revenge on everyone on the Island who has held him prisoner - mainly on the Temple.

5) Christian's Coffin

Where is it? The Island didn't 'steal' it. Is there a chance that it never was on the plane originally? His body was never found in season 1. Yet in Season 6 Locke's dead body is found.

That's what I've got right now. I'm sure between now and next Tuesday I'll have entirely new theories. Maybe another post. This show sucks my life away.

I Really Love The Beanpot and College Sports

I originally passed on going to the opening round of the Beanpot last night - Between work 9-5 and then class 6-? (usually about a hour and a half but could of gone until 9) I figured I would of been too busy/tired. Class got out at 6:45, and BU's game was planned to start at 8. So with no ticket I went down to the Garden.

It was a potential waste of time, but I wanted to try to go scalp a seat anyway. Somehow there were still seats available. I am SO glad I went.

The Beanpot may only be a local Boston event, but it means so much to the four schools. It's a rare (although annual) opportunity for the schools to play at the TD Garden and for the fans of each school to come cheer on their school against others. Usually, the home team has the dominance, but at the Beanpot, it's literally one side yelling against another. It brings so much more energy than a pro hockey game.

Last night for the BU game, the Northeastern crowd, who was surprisingly well-supported, were seated right next to BU. That corner of the arena was LOUD. Energetic, thrilling, it was a great atmosphere. The Pro game doesn't have that energy anymore because the passionate fans can't afford the games and are more spread out than having an official "student section." Most of the pro games are attended by corporate/business types.

The BC-Harvard game was a snoozer. 6-0 BC. But BU-NU put on a great game and matched by great fans. The Beanpot tournament has been better than any pro-hockey game I've attended.

College sports in general are so much more fun because of the passion of the students. The atmosphere for a typical college hockey game can only be matched in the pros when its the playoffs (based off of my experiences at Boston & Philly regular season/playoff games.) Same for basketball, football, etc. Maybe it's just that the college kids are more drunk than the adults at a pro game, but it makes for an exciting, communal event (not the alcohol, the cheering.)

One of the things I like the best is the level of competition. The ages are relatively the same (18-24ish) as opposed to in the pros, where players can be competing against anyone aged 18-40+. The difference in age/experience/body type can really determine how successful a player is. In college it's more even. Plus, the college system only allows for 5 years, after that, they move on. It keeps for new and exciting players to come along every year.

Of course I should mention that that this really applies for the top-NCAA schools. The atmosphere at a Temple football game sucks. Totally different story at Penn State. BU's basketball isn't quite the same as at North Carolina. Maybe that's part of it. No one is going to be excited at a Florida Panthers game - but no one goes. Go to a Red Wings game and they MIGHT be more enthused. I doubt it though - not during a regular season.

So now that next week's championship game will be BU and BC, the biggest college hockey rivalry, I'm expecting an even better atmosphere matched by just as great of a hockey game. I really want to soak it all in seeing as this will be my last Beanpot as a student. Should be an exciting game!

More Than Just A Game

It's really nice when the top two teams in the NFL actually make it to the Super Bowl. This year we have that luxury, and they both happen to be REALLY good.

What's really great is that the Saints are here. I don't want to talk too much about the Katrina devastation, but the Saints provided that incredible positive energy that the city needed in 2006. When they first came back to the Superdome in 2006 while U2 and Green Day were playing a cover of "The Saints are Coming", it was one of the best moments in sports that I can remember - on the same level as the 2001 World Series. The city and team bonded as one to overcome and make a statement regarding their city.



When people are struck by tragedy and shock, they need something familiar and welcoming to keep their spirits high. Unfortunately it feels like that happens all too often. Sports fits that mold to give a sense of calm in a time of crisis in a communal fashion. Everyone is in it together. It's a reminder of all that is good, fun, and innocent. It's times like these when I really love sports. Watching those videos I linked gives me goosebumps and makes me feel great. (And then there's the George W. Bush First Pitch - another figure giving Americans a feeling of normalcy after tragedy)

Sure, there's A LOT of problems wrong with sports. Players are paid WAY too much. Most players are selfish pre-madonnas. It's corrupt. The Oakland Raiders. I can keep going. That's not my point however. My point is that there's so many moments where sports go beyond a game and really can change someone's mood.

Think about how Michael Phelps captured EVERYONE'S ATTENTION in Summer 2008. It went just beyond the Olympic Games - Phelps had become a national hero (until he had too much fun at a college party - even that hasn't stopped him really) and if swimming was more popular/frequent, he would be on the same level as Tiger Woods (pre-November 2009.)



My personal story was the 2003 ALCS between the Red Sox and the Yankees. It was October 2003, and my dog had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and we would have to put him down very soon. I remember sitting on my sofa with him on his last night - Game 3. Honestly it was one of the saddest nights ever. The only thing that kept me sane was the Red Sox continuing to play. It didn't end well (I hate Aaron Boone) but I really believe it helped me in the grieving process.

Other Moments that Go Beyond the Game:
Brett Favre after his father passed away
Tiger Woods' first Major victory after his father passed away
Mario Lemieux' comeback from cancer
Lance Armstrong. Everything about him. Except Sharyl Crow.
1980 Miracle On Ice
The 2004 Red Sox - Everything that they meant to New England - really well captured in this commercial.
The 1998 Home Run Chase. Even if it they were juicing. The country was swept away.

I could keep going, but that's just a few. My point is to some people, sports really is a safe-haven, and sometimes it really does provide all the security and entertainment we need. It brings people together to share and enjoy moments - together. It's a beautiful thing.