“I don’t consider “Bob”, at this stage, a career prosecutor”
– Attorney General William Barr
Attorney General calls published letter “Snitty” and refuses to acknowledge Mueller’s Reputation. When asked if he made a memorandum of his conversation he sheepishly replied “huh?” Before admitting after further questioning that “someone” had taken notes of the call.
“why should you have them?”
– Attorney General William Barr, when asked if congress could be allowed to have a copy of the notes from the call
Ad is an entertaining dramatization of their famous circular pizza box patent.
Still / Apple
The head of Apple’s food services team helped design a circular pizza box a few years ago. The next time you order a pizza at Apple’s Cupertino Campus – you’ll see one.
What makes it special, other than the circular shape and clean Apple-white aesthetic, are the holes that allow the steam to escape and insure that the pizza doesn’t get soggy. Looking as much like a UFO as the Campus looks like a Space-Ship is also somehow implied. The patent can be traced back to 2010.
https://youtu.be/G9TdA8d5aaU
The ad takes you through the adventure of invention, tracing the quirky, creative steps of these rag-tag designers.
Above all, it does an excellent job capturing the essence of the creative process, the near-neurosis of the design team, and all the hurdles life puts in front of invention.
Still / Apple
The spot also does an excellent job of showing how we could all use Apple products to scale those hurdles, much as our underdog heroes do. Finally we are along for the ride as these future design champs get the chance to make their big pitch.
Still / Apple
[ During the last shot as they board the elevator headed for the upper floors, I do wish they added an insert with someone pushing a circular elevator button (with the iconic Apple logo, of course), — Ed. ]
The teaser trailer starts with an aggressively contemporary drone shot of a city. Gotham City? The Batman / Joker origin story trailer propels us into a violent little world of classic cinema references.
And then, the tide turns, and we see gritty, dirty streets and an isolated protagonist writing his thoughts alone; we are in his thoughts, alone. The trailer creeps into Scorsese-like grime with the power of Taxi Driver’s lonely and dramatic tone. The world beats him down.
The music picks up and a version of “Smile” plays (a song that is based on the theme from Modern Times, a Charlie Chaplin movie). Again, we are channeled into another Scorsese movie, the black comedy “The King Of Comedy”. We see comedy clubs, Joker laughs in the audience, a late night host… Was that Robert Deniro? (The star of both Taxi Driver, and The King Of Comedy).
“I used to think my life was a tragedy… but now I realize: It’s a comedy.”
The Joker
Photo / Warner Brothers
The trailer ends with The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) revealing that he “used to think his life was a tragedy… But now I realize: It’s a comedy.” In Theaters October 4, 2019.
Unexpected Flower Explosion Leads to Traffic Jams for Instagram
photo / Monique Ly
After two years of unusually plentiful rain, even areas such as Ansa-Borrego Desert State Park, Death Valley and Lake Elsinore, CA are enjoying an exceptional phenomenon called the “Super Bloom”. This year’s model is bigger and better than 2017’s version, and it’s coming 8 years ahead of schedule since once in a decade is the historical norm.
Photo / Monique Ly
Our climate is changing, and often, especially lately, it’s alarming. But, occasionally, we are also privy to unique and exceptional displays of beauty, caused by an out-of-whack Mother Nature.
photo / Monique Ly
This is a super charge of flowers blooming due to increased rain that has ignited dormant desert seeds into a beautiful bouquet of primrose, desert Lillies, poppies, Sand Verbena, and Bigelow’s Monkeyflower.
Photo / Monique Ly
What was once a desert is now an array and an eruption of flowers, and the wildlife that feed on these flowers.
photo / Monique Ly
The SuperBloom 2019 has been spectacular to behold. But, in true 21st-century human fashion, the opportunity was nearly stomped out by the overzealous. Instagrammers and hikers from far and wide bombarded Walker Canyon (near Lake Elsinore, CA) with massive automotive and foot traffic.
photo / Monique Ly
Reports of selfie-sticks doubling as trekking poles, and people stumbling and falling through flower patches, became the norm. All for the glory of “the ‘gram”.
An event that started with affectionate terms like “Poppypalooza” and “Poppy Mania” quickly sprouted the hashtags #poppynightmares and #isitoveryet.
#AttentionResidents: the roads are really bad out there. Long waits for Central Avenue. We have called in more police services from surrounding cities to help. The freeway is not moving… https://t.co/KqEmMmc7lI
— City of Lake Elsinore (@CtyLakeElsinore) March 17, 2019
photo / Danny Leeds
The phenomenon caused an estimated 66,000 people to flood the small California town (doubling its usual 60,000 population in one weekend). The normally sleepy metropolis couldn’t handle the congestion, which forced Elsinore police to “close everything”.
photo / Monique Ly
Local residents began to yell at people directing traffic, an exploring dog was bitten by a rattlesnake, and the gridlock became a safety issue (one hit-and-run was reported). The canyon is known for steep hills and the hillsides aren’t meant to have hikers.
photo / Monique Ly
Reports of photo-shoots in areas designated off-limits to tourists, and hikers in heels were common. Reports of selfie-sticks doubling as trekking poles, and people stumbling and falling through flower patches, became the norm. All for the glory of “the ‘gram”.
The beauty, as captured in part by our photography crew above, remains, thankfully, and 2019 will likely be remembered as the year of the Great SuperBloom of Southern California.
Performance Upgrades Galore Released Ahead of Streaming TV Launch
Updated AirPods are out – AirPods 2 is the catchy name for this iteration. They’re now powered by an Apple designed H1 chip. This chip was designed specifically for the new AirPods. The H1 is built to deliver higher performance, faster connect times, and more talk time. And, the new AirPods will be available with a wireless charging case (which also works with older AirPod models).
Shortly after the AirPod 2s were announced, new versions of the iMac All-in-one desktop computer also hit the street. As shown in the graphic below, 5 new variants, two 21.5 inch and three 27 inch Macs, each with slightly different feature upgrades are now available. The computers also have a new set of chips that will deliver twice the graphical and computational power.
All five models have intel processors and AMD Radeon Pro GPU’s. Users can expect to see up to 50 percent improved performance working with Photoshop projects, or the ability to create up to two times the amount of virtual instruments in Logic Pro X, or view up to 16 simultaneous multi-cam streams compared to the previous seven in Final Cut Pro X.
The lower end models keep their 4K Retina display. The bigger models feature the usual 5K screen. The computers range from $1300-$5000+ depending on size, specs and optional upgrades.
Apple hasn’t changed the iMac‘s iconic aluminum chassis or glass screen. They’ll have the same screen sizes and resolution, same brightness and wide (P3) color gamut, and same ports (two Thunderbolt USB-C, four USB 3, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, and headphone jack).
iPad Air is back and iPad mini too, with pencil. Both with a spec bump. Although the items are not “financially important” in terms of Apple’s overall bottom line, they serve as introductory Apple products. Popular gift items that can acclimate new users into Apple culture.
These new versions of established products are welcome news as the specs and value have improved.
Hardcore aficionados however, will be anticipating major upgrade news, such as the refreshed Mac Pro (not upgraded since 2013!) or iPhone 11, possibly in June and October, respectively.
Although Vice had only a modest showing at the box office (#6 on opening weekend and 40m as of January with a domestic-only-release) the film produced the second highest number of Oscar nominations at 8.
Christian Bale, with his otherworldly portrayal of GW’s Veep, appears to be a strong contender for Best Actor . Sam Rockwell gets the nod as Best Supporting Actor nominee for his work as our 43rd Prez., George W. Bush.
“…thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role”
Christian Bale, accepting his Golden Globes Award for Best Actor
In the A.V. Club December 2018 interview below, Bale shares his thoughts on Cheney, the man, and his experience of portraying a person who is neither “all villain” or “all saint”, noting that all humans display some of each of those qualities.
“…(Cheney)…..is a fascinatingly contradictory character, incredibly strong minded, absolutely refusing to apologize or to have any regrets.”
In the four-plus minute clip, Bale explains some of the techniques and methods he employed in order to transform into the extreme and unique personage that was Dick Cheney as seen in VICE. Thoughts on the current political climate, and more are also shared.
Known for his chameleon like transformations from an American Psycho, (as Patrick Bateman, lead character in the black comedy horror film from the year 2000) to comic book Super Hero (Batman) into eccentric introverted hedge fund genius (as Michael Burry in The Big Short), Bale is no stranger to extreme onscreen transformations. With the unrecognizable girth and “charisma free” personality created to play Cheney in VICE, however, it appears that the bar has been raised almost impossibly high. Oscar prediction: C.B. will win Best Actor Award on February 24th at the 91st Academy Awards.
On the one hand, after more than a decade of growth and pure digital news models showing potential financial viablility, profitability remains elusive. On the other, a tsunami of artificial intelligence, software and hardware improvements over the last 2 years, in particular, have begun to reduce overheads, especially for those bulk production techniques such as employed by BuzzFeed.
While legacy publishers are showing some marginal improvement in subscription revenues, the business model for online media and content production continues to shift in search of a sustainable income mix. Cost of human contributions to content is an obvious issue.
“The restructuring we are undertaking will reduce our costs and improve our operating model so we can thrive and control our own destiny, without ever needing to raise funding again”
.@peretti email to staff: “Revenue growth by itself isn’t enough to be successful in the long run. The restructuring we are undertaking will reduce our costs and improve our operating model so we can thrive and control our own destiny, without ever needing to raise funding again” https://t.co/vvpCnMhPNF
Lowering overhead by cutting staff is the message sent as the primary explanation for the industry-wide layoffs. Digging just beneath the surface, however, is the not-so-gradual shift in technology that allow digital content production organizations to ramp up output while at the same time reducing costs.
Read: more work done by A.I., software and robots and fewer humans required. Result: Accelerated Digital Deflation.
The entire history of tech advances since the ubiquity of the personal computer has engendered digital deflation (ask anyone in the music industry). Meanwhile, advancements over the last couple of years are creating a massive acceleration of this trend, based on a shift toward automated production in all facets of content creation.
As a content creator the perspective seems amusingly bifurcated; improved tools for visual and verbal expression must be welcomed and adapted to, all while working in a monetization system that does not yet favor the individual creator.
Perhaps a headline: “Thousands of Humans Rendered Obsolete By Improved Robot Software” would seem less compassionate than merely indicating that they (the humans) stood in the way of reaching profitability?
In the long run, using more A.I., together with improved hardware and software tools to increase productivity in digital communication, will lead to lowered barriers to entry. And, for content creators and those 1000+ professionals just liberated, it might be best to consider all their options. One of the best may be to establish a free-lance future using the very technology that erased those jobs in the first place.
3 new Apple Memoji videos hit the street today, and, like previous Animoji clips are basically Karaoke Music Videos. Timed to coincide with the 2019 Grammy Awards, today’s batch feature heads crafted to look like the original artists themselves, as a way to emphasize the “me” in Memoji.
In previous “Animoji” video clips Apple used anonymous people that were carefully chosen to match pre-set characters, such as the Cat or Unicorn. Generally, the entire Animoji project appears to be a fringe benefit from the face ID security system, and as a gift from the Steve Jobs Pixar legacy. Ok, true or not, in any case, they look like Toy Story style characters.
It’s a mystery why the talking heads always sway from side to side. Perhaps this is meant to show off the head tracking response, for example, but by now one would think that’s a given.
Although extremely cute and more responsive and adaptable all the time, it looks like third-party apps will have to fill the void, if virtual actors with more range are to emerge.
It would be great to see a talking avatar that has more realism or at least a personality that goes beyond “cute” and “super cute”.
When this concept finally goes beyond fun, games and Karaoke, a wide variety of potential uses could become possible. Just ask Max Headroom.
All the angst over AI taking over service and manufacturing jobs notwithstanding, by now you’d think someone would have created an automated Megyn Kelly. The 69 million pay-out she received when she was fired could have recouped any prior outlay for research and development. And, hey, at least the animated anchor would have stayed on script.
In November of last year the world’s first AI news anchor started working in China. The Chinese-English speaking bot “…can read texts as naturally as a professional news anchor”, the state-run Xinhua news agency that created the bot, claimed in a statement. Judge for yourself:
If you know of any third party apps trying to graduate from cute when it comes to Memoji recording, please contact our video department. Here at Lynxotic News we could definitely use a few new spokes-bots.
Capturing New York City – Behind the Timelapse by Michael Shainblum
video excerpt / Michael Shainblum
Every once in a while we come across a really exceptional clip that deserves a wider audience. Michael Shainblum’s Capturing New York City is one such clip.
Our western calendar year 2019 corresponds to the Chinese lunar year 4,716 and the lunar year begins on February 5, 2019. Across the USA we are also celebrating a “second” start to the New Year as these photos above show.
The Chinese Zodiac assigns an animal to each year (in the lunar year, more on this below) for 12 years, after which the cycle repeats. Just as a person born on July 30th is considered a “Leo” or lion in Western Astrology, a person born in the year of the Pig a.k.a. Boar carries characteristics assigned to their birth year animal, in this case the Pig.
The next year of the Pig begins on February 5th due to the difference between the Chinese lunar calendar year and the Western (Gregorian) New Year. The year of the Pig will end, for example, on January 24th, 2020, which will lead us to the year of the Rat.
The twelve animal signs are depicted above. Each is surrounded by the associated elements and the years over the last 100 that were linked to each animal sign. photo: Adobe Stock
The twelfth of the animal year signs (bottom right in the image above), the Pig is said to be lucky, of mild constitution and reflects the characteristics of carefree fun, wealth and good fortune. People born under this sign are said to be trusting, honest, brave, sincere and easygoing, but also may show signs of stubbornness, self-indulgence and be petulant, materialistic or even lazy!
Each Pig year has unique qualities and characteristics, partially due to the element that it is associated with. 2019 is an “Earth Pig” in the cycle of elements, as can also be seen in the graphic above.
Also known as the Female Brown Earth Pig, she will arrive in the 4,716th Chinese Year (!) and is said to portend a very lucky year. Colors for the year are yellow, gold, gray and brown so it can also be seen as a lucky golden (yellow) Pig!
Virility is also associated with the Pig, based, according to folk legend, on the huge litter of piglets that are almost always produced by an expecting sow. In China, couples trying to conceive often prominently display a portrait of a lucky golden pig above their bed in order to assist (spiritually) with the process.
It’s all a bit complicated for a Westerner, but the combination of the Pig designation for 2019 and the animal year of your birth allows you to consult a Chinese astrologer as to what this year of the Pig may hold in store for you personally.
Although many may see this as far-fetched hog wash, at least in some parts of Germany they share the positive view of the Pig. The saying for getting lucky is literally “having had a Pig” (“Wir haben schwein gehabt“) and lucky pig trinkets and stuffed animal toys abound at the turn of the year (every new year, not just in the year of the Pig).
Indeed, many cultures around the world view the Pig as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Here in the USA, for example, a piggy bank is an omnipresent reminder of the positive connection between the Pig and money. Naturally, we also use the negative connection as well, “greedy pig” being a typical epithet hurled at those thought to be taking more than their fair share.
Considering the virtually endless tumult around the world in the year 2018, it seems we could all use a little luck and good fortune!
It can also be said, justifiably so, that many positives were initiated during the year of the Dog. Hopefully, the 2019 Pig will carry that mantle forward and use her hard-working spirit to bring about more positive changes.
If you were born in the year of the Pig (1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007) you can help us all with your lucky, honest temperament to find prosperity, peace and cooperation in 2019!
Above you can also see the “Behind The Scenes” clip, released along side the video above, which shows in some detail all that’s involved in setting up a “Bullet-Time” rig, other than acquiring 32 iPhones !
Looking for a way to kick-start your day? If social media is any indicator, it appears many are turning to an unlikely source: a cool cocktail of celery juice.
Best known as a very low calorie, high fiber, stalk for chomping while dieting, the juice option for celery is catching on as a healthy, refreshing drink option.
Long known as a low-calorie vegetable, it is also high in vitamins such as Vitamin A, K and C as well as being a source of potassium and, of course, the aforementioned high dose of fiber (even in juice form, apparently).
Additionally, celery juice is said to be an anti-inflammatory agent and a contributor to gut health and ease of digestion. (And who doesn’t need that!).
Judging from numerous articles, books and posts on social media interest in the unusual beverage has had a spike in interest of late. Public figures and influencers attest to the many perceived benefits and confess to drinking a minimum daily dose, which many claim has lead to weight loss and improved feelings of well being and overall health.
One major reason for this increase of riders on the celery juice bandwagon may be due to the influence of Anthony Williams, self-proclaimed pioneer of the celery juice movement, also known as the Medical Medium.
Here with my friend Anthony William, The Originator of the Celery Juice Movement. If you guys haven’t checked out his new book Liver Rescue, it’s a life changer! @medicalmediumhttps://t.co/zeUA7hTVb5
Williams is an author of four New York Times bestselling books with a strong celebrity following. On his site, he layouts the “miracles” of celery juices and how drinking sixteen ounces daily on an empty stomach can promote, heal and reverse many health related issues.
So, skeptic or true believer, likely little harm can come from a dip in the celery juice oasis. Any testimonials or comments welcome.
Reports indicate that Nike’s “Kaepernick” campaign was successful as both advertising (increasing sales) and as controversial social commentary. In this case, it appears to have had the intended effect.
The “Success has many Fathers” rule led, unavoidably, the next batch of socially aware commentary with a taste of controversy. A great new genre and, overall, a positive move and redefinition of advertising?
In the case of Gillette, it begs the question, why Gillette and why now? The previous Gillette campaign “Boston Made” was a stark departure from their staple of ads, oriented towards product shots and hawking of benefits, that go back decades. Why change now to new styles and directions?
A revolution in direct-to-consumer branding in the U.S.A., that’s why.
The huge and unexpected success of upstarts in the once impenetrable shaving supplies market by online “answer brands” like Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club was behind a drop in Gillette’s 70% of the market in 2008 to only 50% in 2017.
For more than a century Gillette and Schick were #1 and #2 in a huge men’s shaving industry which recently accounted for $2.8 billion in annual sales. Suddenly, the two main upstarts have grown to around 10% of that.
A bite of that magnitude, and one that is growing, was enough to awaken the sleeping giant. First, an attempt at rebranding as a kind of “local” start-up with the “Boston Made” campaign mentioned above, and now, with the “We Believe: The best men can be” ad, the giant is fighting back.
Problems of veracity with the Boston ads, and perhaps looking a little desperate with the newest socially aware salvo notwithstanding, we should all still applaud this story and others like it.
Having four or more choices and pricing options in a formerly closed market is a clear advantage for consumers. And, regardless of your take on the content or message in the “Believe” clip above, it’s still better and more interesting to see this than yet another animated imaginary blade cutting fake hairs on a cartoon chin “oh so close and easy”.
Even this video response from Égard Watch Company adds to the conversation and to the variety of opinions, not just on “what is a man?” but even more so: “what is an advertisement?”.
Ok, opportunistic? Sure. But at least new things are being tried and tested.
Be it Razor’s or a Mattress or any other product, with help from changes brought on by eCommerce, the wave of companies finding ways to capture even 10% of a previously stagnant market are a ray of hope and a healthy shot of competition.
“Even this video response from Égard Watch Company adds to the conversation and to the variety of opinions, not just on “what is a man?” but even more so: “what is an advertisement?”.”
Never mind that Harry’s was recently bought by Unilever (and was thereby swallowed up by Gillette’s main competitor since P&G owns Gillette), the wave of new companies across all categories, many of which were thought of as impossible to enter at any cost, is a win for us all and one of the most exciting trends to emerge as the internet begins it’s third decade.
So, hooray! and thanks to Nike (although, perhaps the extra $6 billion in sales are thanks enough). Here’s to hoping that more large companies will jump into the fray with more “crazy” campaigns to recapture relevance (and market share) from the new kids on the block.
Marie Kondo wants to help others find joy in the act of tidying up. The opportunity to reassess and bring more awareness to our personal belongings in a more mindful way is her unique approach to cleaning.
Best Known for her bestselling books, “ The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, “Spark Joy”, more recently Kondo is gaining fans for her Netflix show, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo”.
On a mission to inspire others and to “spark joy”, she’s aided by her expertise in tidying along with her organizational method called KonMarie.
Thoughts of tidying often conjure up an end result of little more than a somewhat cleaner and more tidy outward appearance. Marie Kondo’s special talent is to help illuminate many indirect personal benefits that can arise as a result of confronting your sub-conscious attachments to belongings.
Marie’s unconventional and heart-warming approach is refreshing and helpful in comparison to how most people view cleaning (example: as a dreaded chore).
Take the clothes in your hands and see what you feel. If they make you feel happy and motivated, keep them. On the contrary, if they make you feel guilty or bring you unhappy emotions, let them go. By letting go, you can make space for clothes that make you happy and support you.
Her methods are systematic and start by organizing items based on categories (versus by location). There are five categories that are in a specific order: clothing, books, paper, komono (which encompasses kitchen, bathroom and garage), and lastly, sentimental/emotional items.
As can be seen in her Netflix Show, when first coming into any clients home, Kondo first greets the home, allowing the residents to give thanks to the home for shelter and protection, and as a formal way of communicating the beginning of the tidying process.
Under her system, each category requires you to accumulate all the items together (e.g. gathering clothing from all rooms and creating a large pile) in order to pick up and touch each individual item.
The very act of collecting all belongings within each category forces one to confront the possessions and, in some cases, take a hard look at any excessive materialism.
Only items that spark joy, creating a warm and positive feeling (“holding a puppy feeling”) should be kept and items no longer wanted or needed, are to be thanked and and then let go.
By choosing to keep only items that spark joy and letting go of unnecessary items a cathartic refocus can occur, leading to understanding of what is most important and, ultimately, learning to cherish what you have, in order to achieve greater happiness in life.
High quality aerial photography produced using unmanned, remote-controlled Drones is becoming more commonplace. With this proliferation, and with a simultaneous massive improvement in camera quality, a new wave of spectacular visual renderings of the world’s most beautiful cities are appearing online.
Some of these also use special effect techniques such as time-lapse and “hyper-lapse”. Similar to time-lapse, hyper-lapse adds movement while maintaining a stable image throughout. Once only possible through laborious software processing, the effects can now be produced “in-camera”, through the use of gyroscopic stabilizers rendering an effect that adds an otherworldly dimension to the “trip”, creating a true feast for the eye.
Using these effects, adding music and a bit of editing, the stunning aerial views created can evoke an experience as if mind-altering substances had been ingested!
Here are a few of the best examples we found on YouTube:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong has possibly the world’s most beautiful skyline, especially at night. This video, titled “Escape” by Francis So takes the Hyper-lapse genre to the next level with an integrated story and a great variety of locations in and around HK
Frank H. – New Entertainment Pictures has put together a breathtakingly detailed day in the life of this beloved metropolis. Traversing a typically cloudy, almost “sleepy London-Town” on a journey from Dawn to Dusk, practically all the most amazing landmarks can be seen as if from the view of a floating spirit guide.
ITALY!
In many ways the most amazing of our clip selections, this is an incredible look at some of Italy’s most photogenic landmarks, all from the perspective of a mind-altered space alien. The rich highly saturated photography heightens the effects and creates a sensual tableau that, truly, must be seen to be appreciated.
Producer / Director Adam Shomsky Included the following location notes:
Berlin
With a musical accompaniment that evokes “Falco’s Amadeus meets Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (spring)” creating an eerily fitting aural backdrop, TimeLapseWorlds has created an impressive visual mix of some of Berlin’s classic locations, including;
“The Memory Church” (in German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, but mostly just known as Gedächtniskirche ). Famous for being bombed in 1943, the church was rebuilt between 1959-1963 but the original spire was retained and serves as a reminder of the horrors of war.
The “Friedensengel”(peace angel) known also as The Berlin Victory Column) which appeared in the 1987 Wim Wenders‘ Wings of Desire (1987) Portrayed as a meeting place for angels.
TheBrandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor). This iconic landmark split the east and west sectors during the cold war and remains at the heart of Berlin, in body and spirit.
Perhaps, after such a mind blowing “trip” a calmer look from a drone at peace with the world is a fitting final journey:
Frank H / New Entertainment Pictures has produced a soothing, dreamy portrait of the Berlin. Using various slow-motion effects and a confident, calm approach, this view from a drone is portrays the city in a decidedly different light, but the result is no less satisfying.
The clips in this preview are but a tiny foretaste of what may soon be possible in creative photography and visual special effects. Stay Tuned.
