Quentin Tarantino’s ode to late-60’s Hollywood is loaded with stars
Quentin Tarantino is on the verge of releasing his ninth movie, “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood”. In a slight departure from his stark early 70s styled crime dramas, this time Tarantino will pay homage to the late- 60’s genre and his love for his hometown, Los Angeles.
The film takes place in 1969 Hollywood, amidst the chaotic events of that year, including the infamous Manson Murders. Much like The Altamont Free Concert, as chronicled in the film Gimme Shelter (with it’s high profile murder during the show), the gruesome, violent Manson murders are often cited as an historical moment marking the end of the free love 60’s and a pivot towards the darker times in the me decade of the 70’s.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, as an actor on a Western television series alongside Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Dalton’s stuntman. The two work and live closely together as they carry out their urban cinematic adventures. The characters and their friendship are said to be based on 70’s icon Burt Reynolds and his stuntman Hal Needham.
Dalton and Booth live next door to Sharon Tate, played by Golden Globe winner Margot Robbie. Other sixties icons help flesh out the milieu of the film including Bruce Lee, Steve McQueen, and celebrity hair stylist, Jay Sebring
Tarantino meticulously redressed Hollywood Boulevard, and other LA landmarks to thrust us back into sixties Hollywood. Los Angeles natives visiting the location sets got to experience a blast from the past, witnessing recreated historical exteriors as well as authentic movie posters, displays of old advertisements and vintage logos.
Tarantino recreated vintage storefronts including The Pussycat Theater, Vogue Theater, Peaches Records & Tapes, Larry Edmunds Cinema, and Theatre Bookshop.
Additional Tarantino alums in the cast include; Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern and Kurt Russell. By no accident, in a movie celebrating multiple Hollywood generations, he includes children of past costars, Maya Hawke (Uma Thurman’s daughter) and Rumer Willis (Bruce Willis’ daughter).
Academy Award winning cinematographer Robert Richardson also returns, after working alongside Tarantino in all his films since Kill Bill.
In 2016, Tarantino made news at the Jerusalem Cinematheque when inferred that he was considering retirement stating: “I’m planning on stopping at 10”. The chatty director made this proclamation while presenting a retrospective screening of his second film “Pulp Fiction”. The film that made Samuel L. Jackson a star and revived the career of John Travolta and also won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994, the legendary film festival’s top award.
The film is slated to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Dow swoons again on news; down 400 points in early trading
The South China Morning Post reported today that Chinese State Media has responded to the threats in Trump’s tweets from Sunday to raise Tariffs, as well as adding new tariffs on additional goods.
“Things that are unfavourable to us, no matter how you ask, we will not take any step back. Do not even think about it.”
After first blocking media mentions or screen shots of Trump’s twitter threats early Monday, Beijing responded with defiance and even attempted a bit of theatrics, “Do Not Even Think About It” was the “Dirty Harry-esque” headline in the Hong Kong news outlet’s article cited above.
In spite of the heated rhetoric and brinkmanship from both sides, the Chinese Government still plans to send an envoy to the talks, although no time frame was specified.
From the U.S. perspective, according to the Trump administration, the talks are progressing “too slowly” and a mechanism for holding China accountable to reduce intellectual property violations and open up its economy is as yet undefined.
The harsh stances on either side to date, however, do not rule out the possibility that both can claim “victory” after looking tough at home, after ultimately announcing some kind of agreement to end the tensions and the tariffs. While this may even be the likely outcome, the potential for higher tariff percentages and new levies on other goods (on both sides) are a serious possible reality going forward.
Quoting the ‘Peoples Daily’ from its WeChat public account: “Things that are unfavourable to us, no matter how you ask, we will not take any step back. Do not even think about it.”
“Tariff-Man” talks tuff when traders expect cream puffs
Photo / Adobe Stock – Lynxotic
Nasdaq futures down over 2%
Futures began to tumble when Trump announced he would raise tariffs on $200 Billion in Chinese goods and soon add a levy on $325 billion more. In the largest drop in Futures since January, traders appear to be reacting to the expectation of a positive resolution to the trade tensions, only to be surprised by the escalation by Trump.
….of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%. The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!
Brinksmanship? Or will both sides make good on threats?
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, China may be pulling out of the talks, which only raises the stakes. It’s entirely possible that both sides are talking tough in an attempt to gain an advantage and claim victory, if and when the talks resume. A sudden positive, “unexpected” reversal on both sides would likely spur a knee jerk market rally, for example, so volatility in the markets appears to be likely for the week ahead.
Needless to say, a trade war escalation would be a serious event for both sides. Although China may feel the negative effects of such an all out Tariff avalanche first, the potential downside for the U.S.A. is not clear and would be by no means insignificant.
Photo / South China Morning Post
With both sides broadcasting extreme positions, on the other hand, the talks may well halt, which would “require” Trump to make good on his threats (in order to save face). Stay Tuned.
Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic
Disney
Jon Favreau’s new reimagining of the Disney classic “The Lion King” is all the buzz. Recently, at CinemaCon, the press were floored by newly released footage from the faux-live-action, photo-realistic movie.
Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is the most recent reveal. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers the speech once again.
Similarly, Favreau recently reimagined “The Jungle Book” in pseudo real VFX style. Jungle Book won several awards for its visual effects, including the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 2017. The award winning team returned with Favreau for “The Lion King”.
Classics reimagined
Although Disney has been recreating some of their classic animated movies in hybrid CGI / live action form, technology for a full VFX treatment seems to be catching up with the ideas and nostalgia.
The “re-boot and reimagining” isn’t an uncommon concept in Hollywood. Warner Bros. is reworking a stand-alone Joker origin story prequel, to be released in the fall, for example. But Disney’s new visual interpretations stir excitement and nostalgia all at once. This looks like a fresh and exciting take and I’m looking forward to the full experience.
“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. ]
Tech Titans Race to “Give” Internet to Off-The-Grid Populations Across the Globe –
Bezos, Branson, Zuckerberg, Musk, Google, Softbank, Airbus are all vying to own the sky. There are also few companies without the marquee star power in the mix.
Something must be driving the world’s wealthiest into a race against each other to be the first to provide satellite internet access to the poorest and least connected on earth.
It’s all about the Zettabytes
For one, the numbers are staggering: an estimated 4 billion “customers” are not yet connected worldwide. “Unserved” and “Underserved” are the buzzwords, with the majority residing in Africa, India, and parts of South America.
In case you’re not Zetta-aware, a Zettabyte is one trillion Gigabytes, which is the approximate total amount of yearly internet traffic as of 2016.
Expectations for 2020 are in the 2.3 Zettabyte neighborhood (2.3 trillion Gigabytes). To handle the load, provide for the unserved and get to 5G speeds (expected to be the new norm), a major change is needed.
Low Earth Orbit micro-satellite constellations are what’s next. Not to be confused with Geosynchronous, a.k.a. Geostationary, which are fraught with latency issues. Instead, a LEO mesh network constellation can potentially achieve latency at 20-30 milliseconds vs. the 700 milliseconds typical with Geosynchronous systems. Smaller, cheaper satellites that can be launched in bunches (up to 30 per launch) are all the rage.
Speed targets are above 1 Gigabits p.s. (download and upload) and, to takeover for malfunctioning units, spare satellites will be deployed. Network downtime can be reduced to less than 2 minutes per year through this method.
The idea of an ultra-fast internet beamed to the entire earth population within a decade is a mind-blowing concept.
The power in controlling such a network would also be so vast, it’s no wonder those already at the pinnacle are ready to fight each other for the privilege of setting it up. And, of course, to reap the rewards.
“…a discussion about the potentially scary thought of any of these titans owning even more of the world’s tech infrastructure will be on deck in the near future, so stay tuned”
With virtually all the planet’s heavy hitters on board, the race to supply internet worldwide via LEO micro-satellite constellations will likely be decided at the political and governmental level. As much as we’d all enjoy watching a capitalist death-match, being at the mercy of a monopoly larger than any in history? Less enjoyable.
With so much to unpack in the breakdown of who’s-who, a discussion about the potentially scary thought that any of these titans could own even more of the world’s tech infrastructure will be on deck in the near future, so stay tuned.
Microsoft’s Bill Gates and communications mogul Craig McCaw project Teledesic was an early attempt at satellite internet networks, but failed, in the late 90’s / early 00’s.
Now, however, stars appear to be aligned for at least one the the current crop of projects to succeed.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX intends to operate thousands of satellites with low orbiting efficiency. In 2018 the FCC approved a launch of 4,425 satellites (in March) and an additional 7518 (in November), bringing the total approved to 11,943. This group of satellites will comprise the initial Starlink internet constellation. A license application for 1 million earth-stations, to be used by customers, has already been submitted.
The first two Starlink satellites, Tintin A and Tintin B, were launched on February 22, 2018
In order to maintain the FCC’s conditional approval, SpaceX will have to launch at least 6,000 satellites by 2024.
Once that hurdle is crossed they could have 12,000 into space by 2025-2026.
And don’t forget Elon Musk already shot a Tesla Roadster in space via his Falcon Heavy rocket. It has twice the lift-capacity of a NASA Space-Shuttle and could be an ideal transport system for large satellite batches. The Falcon 9 would also be a good choice.
Perhaps SpaceX will get a boost since they avoided the list for possible break-up by the US government that was put forth by Senator Elizabeth Warren, AOC and others.
A betting man would think the satellite systems space race will be won by Elon Musk and SpaceX.
However, the game did appear to change recently when SpaceX’s former execs Rajeev Badyal and Mark Krebs joined Amazon’s “Project Kuiper’. (after allegedly being fired from SpaceX). Recently, in a tweet, Musk called Jeff Bezos a “copy cat” for jumping into the Satellite Internet fray. (note the emoji for the ‘cat’).
“CopyCat” Jeff Bezos has a substantial plan of his own. Project Kuiper is named after astronomer Gerard Kuiper. Kuiper was space theorist and visionary.
Some of his spot-on theories were:
Predicting that carbon dioxide would be found to be a major component to the atmosphere of Mars
That the rings of Saturn are composed of particles of ice
That the Moon’s surface would be “like crunchy snow” (well before Armstrong took his steps).
Bezos’ privately owned Blue Origin project should be a benefit in the new endeavor. Interestingly, Blue Origin is already in a separate, unrelated deal with TeleSat (see more below).
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s first attempt at housing their satellites in space to provide global broadband access. 784 satellites at 367 miles above us are planned along with 1,296 satellites at 379 miles upward and 1,156 satellites at an altitude of 391 miles
These satellites will offer the internet from Scotland through the south most tip of South America. Theoretically, this can cover 95 percent of the Earth’s population. The Earth’s population currently is around 7.7 billion people, half of which still need internet access.
Despite some recent public backlash, Amazon is still incredibly popular in the U.S. However, with so much competition from all sides, even the biggest beast may have an uphill climb.
OneWeb gets huge boost from “friends in high places”
Photo / OneWeb
OneWeb upped the ante on the non-geo stationary orbit concept (LEO), literally, with investments to date totaling $3.4 Billion , as of March.
In addition to AirBus, OneWeb is now also backed by Richard Branson, Coca-Cola and venture capital firm Softbank. Up to 5$ billion may be needed to get their 5G ready network up and running.
After inking the deal with AirBus, the first six satellites were built in France. Now, they are gearing up to continue in Florida. Oddly, the Florida facility is across the street (!) from Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Factory.
The first six of the initial 648 were successfully launched on February 27. More Satellites are expected to be launched during the year.
Additional launches for 648 micro-satellites to operate at 750 miles in altitude are planned. The company hopes the constellation will be fully operational by 2021.
Eventually the total number of satellites could rise to 1,972 for which it has acquired priority spectrum license rights. Plans for an additional 2000 have been filed with US regulators.
Google Keeps Searching
Photo / Loon
Alphabet Inc (Google’s parent company) has Loon. Using balloons to take antennas into the stratosphere, a much larger coverage area can be reached vs. a terrestrial tower. (such as a cell tower)
In January a partnership was announced with TeleSat (also partnered recently with Blue Origins, as outlined above) to take the software systems developed for its balloons and apply them to an LEO micro-satellite constellation.
https://youtu.be/MiEZfRh-h-s
Telesat currently envisions between 292 and 512 satellites in orbit and initial commercial services are planned to commence by 2022.
In July 2018 Google announced that Loon along with Wing, both initially founded as “X moonshot projects“, would henceforth be full independent companies within the Alphabet Corporate Umbrella. In addition to the TeleSat project, Loon plans to partner with mobile carriers across the globe. An example of this is the current deal with Telekom Kenya, which Loon is helping to extend its coverage to remote areas of the country.
Facebook Pulls Out…All The Stops
Animation from Teledesic showing a complete satellite constellation with full coverage of the earth
Although perhaps founded with the best intentions, Facebook’s “FreeBasics” project somehow always appeared to involve tailoring its approach in order to serve its own interests.
After allowing only Facebook-sanctioned services and data to FreeBasics users it came with little surprise that a public backlash emerged.
In February of 2016, Free Basics was banned in India for unlawfully prioritizing certain sites over others. However, Free Basics is still up and running in over sixty countries. Facebook also still has a vast influence in Africa.
Facebook estimates that its efforts to increase internet connectivity worldwide, over 100 million new users are now online.
LeoSat: All Biz at the High End
Photo / Thales Alenia Space
Focusing on speed, full earth coverage, direct sat-to-sat optical links without the need for terrestrial stations, LeoSat is positioned to be a serious and unique entrant into the satellite wars.
Designed for large business and government customers, LeoSat already has over 1$ billion in pre-booked orders from enterprise level clients. In March, a new contract with Saudi Arabian communications firm SkyBand was announced.
Based in Washington D.C., LeoSat has set 2022 as its target date for between 78-108 satellites to reach orbit. As with some other competitors above, an initial launch of 2 satellites is planned for 2019.
Using its unique high throughput satellite system (HTS) an optical laser-based backbone will be implemented in space. The backbone will be comprised of 118 LEO satellites in an MPLS network, each with a direct laser based optical link to the others.
This will achieve a projected speed of 1.5 times current land-based fiber-optic networks at 1.6 to 5.2 Gigabits p.s., all without terrestrial touch-points in a globally interlinked constellation.
Without a hyper-famous heavy hitter, LeoSat is still not to be overlooked. More than just an a company with an Apt brand name, LeoSat has a solid list of accomplishments and a serious plan to compete in its chosen niche.
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.
Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren recently made a point, and then proved that point with the “help” of Facebook. The Massachusetts Senator posted an ad calling for the “break up” of tech giants Facebook, Google and Amazon. The video advertisement was removed by Facebook. Their reasoning for the removal was that the ad was in breach of Facebook’s advertising and copyright policy (the Facebook logo was used in the ad). The removal was reversed by Facebook based on a stated policy of wanting to allow a “robust debate”. The ad wasn’t expensive. It was only $100, but proved in the end to make an invaluable point.
The ensuing bru-ha-ha was worth many times the original sum by bringing more attention and focus to the very issue the ad was meant to highlight:
Curious why I think FB has too much power? Let's start with their ability to shut down a debate over whether FB has too much power. Thanks for restoring my posts. But I want a social media marketplace that isn't dominated by a single censor. #BreakUpBigTechhttps://t.co/UPS6dozOxn
The Democrat Senator served as Barack Obama’s Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She’s also an aggressive opponent of “big banks” and unlawful practices committed by Wall Street. Warren’s argument was contextualized by antitrust law violations by Microsoft in the 90’s. Warren also explained how these laws lead to the opportunity for websites and tech companies to flourish. Yet, these (aforementioned) tech giants aren’t playing by the rules.
Opposing Monopolists: a rising trend among Democrats
Warren acknowledged the invaluable place that these companies play in our lives, during her speech at SXSW. She also affirmed that they need to be “broken up” in order to promote innovation.
“Facebook, Amazon, and Google. We all use them. But in their rise to power, they’ve bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit, and tilted the playing field in their favor.
It’s time to break up these big companies so they don’t have so much power over everyone else.
Presidential Candidate Elizabeth Warren
The Senator isn’t the only high profile Democrat taking big tech companies to task, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a voice of opposition in the recent Amazon HQ to Queens deal.
Google was fined 1.7 billion dollars (1.5 Billion Euros) for online advertising antitrust violations. This is the third fine from European authorities since 2017. The fines, along with those against other big tech firms, have established the European Union as the most consequential oversight body in policing internet tech firms that are seen as having too much power.
Europe is a leader in taking a stronger approach to reigning in firms such as Amazon, Facebook and Google (Alphabet). A broad consensus holds that these huge tech behemoths represent a danger to fair competition.
“Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anticompetitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites, this is illegal under E.U. antitrust rules.”
Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s top antitrust watchdog
A variety of infractions have been committed by Google in the past couple years. They were fined for misusing their Android ownership to undercut rivals. Google was also fined for attaching an increased amount of text ads to third party companies who used the Google search bar.
The internet search leader bundled its ad platform within the third party custom search engines. This practice undercut Microsoft, Yahoo, and other digital advertising companies.
European authorities have been more aggressive with tech companies, demanding improved privacy, transparency, and even copyright regulations. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has fined Google over 3 billion dollars since 2017. Alphabet/Google owes a total of 8.2 Euros (9.3 billion dollars). Google hasn’t paid the fines yet, and plans to appeal. Google stock is up 17 percent in 2019.
In the U.S., Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democratic candidate for President in 2020 said that Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple should be broken up due to various antitrust issues.
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.
Convention Center Project gets green light for first phase
Photo / The Boring Company
It looks as if Elon Musk is inching closer to realizing his express tunnel transit system. Projects are already at various stages of development in Los Angeles and Chicago with Musks’ Boring Company. But, it looks like Las Vegas is all-in on a Musk tunnel transit proposal. It received initial approval Tuesday after the board directors for the LVCVA voted in favor of the project.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have been long looking for an alternative way to transport convention visitors. LVCVA CEO Steve Hill thinks that underground is the way to go. He also called it “innovative” and “an attraction in and of itself”.
The tunnel will initially be approximately one mile long, with a focus on moving convention goers to and from the convention halls. The visitors will be rocketed at an estimated 150 mph in Musk’s Model X, Model 3, and a new “High-occupancy AEV” that will use a modified Tesla Model X chassis and will carry up to 16 passengers, with both standing and sitting options. A 15 minute walk will be replaced by a 1 minute ride.
The transport system will be free to convention visitors. If approved by city officials the project should be ready in time for the CES 2021 Technology Show, the largest trade show of the year which attracted over 180,000 visitors in 2019.
Graphic / The Boring Company
Three Design Options are being considered, which will offer convenient access from five potential station locations placed in close proximity to key LVCC destinations and nearby transportation connections.
-The Boring Company
Projected additional destinations are also indicated by The Boring Company:
“Future expansions to augment LVCC Loop can include service extensions to McCarran International Airport, hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, downtown Las Vegas, Las Vegas Stadium, and, in the long term, Los Angeles”
Musk approached Los Angeles with a similar opportunity last year, showcasing its “Hawthorne Tunnel” test. Plans for The Boring Company’s “Dugout Loop” project is still in the works. This project would connect passengers from Dodger Stadium to parts of Hollywood.
A similar project in Chicago (connecting parts of the city to O’Hare Airport) appears to have stalled indefinitely.
City officials throughout the United States have shown skepticism and opposition towards companies and corporations making promises to revitalize decaying parts of major cities. These endeavors are normally determinative with tax breaks for the corporations, and tax payers paying the bill. Musk’s The Boring Company plans to build the Las Vegas tunnel without a taxpayer contribution. Estimated costs are 35-55 million dollars.
Former Trump “Fixer” Michael Cohen testifies before Oversight Committee
photo D. Leeds / CBS
Michael Cohen (President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer) sat before a House Of Representatives committee on Wednesday. Cohen has also been referred to as Trump’s “fixer”. Today he served as an informer, and allowed us access behind the Trump scenes.
In an opening statement, Cohen minced no words, he characterized his former high profile client as “…a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.’ He also proclaimed “Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great.”
“…a Racist. He is a Conman. He is a Cheat.’
Cohen arrived willing to talk, and was poised. He provided detailed documents, and even provided checks signed by President Trump. One of the most stunning documents was a manipulated record of President Trump’s assets. According to Cohen, this document was used to rank higher on a Forbes magazine net worth list. This same document was also used as a bid to buy the Buffalo NFL team the Bills. The document was orchestrated using inflated property value, by the square foot. On aside, he also explained how he coordinated rigging online polls for Trump.
photo D. Leeds / CBS
Mr. Cohen also explained how they secured a $130,000 hush money pay-off to Stephanie Clifford aka Stormy Daniels. Clifford signed a Non Disclosure Deal to keep an affair with President Trump private. Cohen also explained how the “Catch & Kill” technique works. Former lawyer, Cohen explained how he used the “Catch & Kill” maneuver to secure an exclusive “life story rights agreement” with Karen McDougal and then shelving the story. Cohen also explained how Trump hid his reimbursed payments. Cohen also took the opportunity to apologize to First Lady Melania Trump earlier in the hearing. Later, Cohen even recollected an incident where President Trump put Cohen on the phone to lie to The First Lady.
The hearing was the first comprised of a Democrat led House, with Rep. Elijah Cummings presiding. Cummings also stated “The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over. They’re over,”
“The days of this committee protecting the president at all costs are over. They’re over,”
Republican congress members were hostile, and aggressive. Ranking member Jim Jordan attacked Cohen’s credibility.
Cohen pleaded guilty last November for lying to congress, in their first meeting. His lies were allegedly done on behalf of the President, and to protect the Trump Organization.
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.
Amazon scrapped plans for its contentious HQ2 project in Queens, New York, following backlash from local lawmakers and unions. The cancellation came after much fanfare, and a sweepstakes like fervor from city and state officials (including Governor Cuomo, and Mayor de Blasio) who made clear they were in favor of the deal. The agreement to lure Amazon with government incentives became a subject of great debate due to a climate of high cost of living, lack of affordable housing and rapid gentrification.
The 2.8 billion dollars in incentives offered to Amazon came with promises to jumpstart the Queens waterfront, and also included a helicopter pad for CEO Jeff Bezos. The Amazon/Queens location deal came under fire and skepticism for largely being brokered behind closed doors. This lead local community leaders to petition door to door for it to be blocked.
“….. a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among the chorus of local politicians and advocates taking the debate to the public. In a statement, Amazon applauded Governor Cuomo, and Mayor de Blasio for their cooperation. Amazon also took the opportunity to state that (unnamed) “state and local politicians” “oppose our presence”.
Representative Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her clear opposition and stance, indicating that she may be among the politicians referred to in the statement:
Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon’s corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world. https://t.co/nyvm5vtH9k
Funny thing about consensus vs. contrary views – they are often identical if you believe what you read. “Wall of worry” and “Slope of Hope”: it’s all irrelevant if you are wearing blinders and have no mooring, or any basis for what the facts are.
Add to all that the fact that most opinions are paid advertisements, mainly for sell-side firms, and it’s tough to wade through the B.S. As per usual, according to a survey from CNBC, the S&P 500 will reach 3000 by the end of 2019.
According to my own non-scientific survey this is the 20th consecutive year that such surveys predict a gain in the market. A prediction for the coming or current year is almost always positive. The negative predictions are saved for “next year” (in other words later in 2020 as seen from in early 2019). Then, of course, the predictions change, and turn positive, just before the year turns.
Such nonsense goes even deeper while pundits and hacks will cite “pervasive pessimism” in the face of almost total bullishness to claim to have a “contrary” view while in reality herding like Spanish bulls in springtime.
“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future”
Yogi Berra
Using actual data such as the Put-Call Ratio, VIX, AAII Sentiment Survey, or, for example, levels of margin debt and mutual fund money flows, can at least give a picture of the state against which one intends to be contrary.
Then, once in a while, in full-on Black Swan fashion, the prevailing “wisdom” blows up and everyone declares shock that such a thing could happen. A recent example of this was the disastrous collapse of the “short vol” trade in February of 2018.
A one-eyed man in the land of the blind can see a bit more than the rest. A first step is to be aware of the hype and see past the herd. In the last 100 years, Bull markets have tended to last longer than Bear markets (which move faster) and that alone leads to a bias toward a false idea that investing in stocks can lead to a steady, constant gain profile.
To sum up our outlook for 2019 in terms of end of year projections, the word “grim” comes to mind. Bear Markets follow Bull Markets, Raising Rates pop bubbles, the 2008 excess was never dealt with, and on and on and on. Clearly, the most bullish possible prediction anyone looking at facts could possibly make is that the next down phase in the market might come a bit later (2020 anyone?) rather than sooner.
Naturally, that is exactly what the “pessimistic” pundits are predicting. Far from pessimistic in reality, this is the most wildly optimistic, bullish possible take on the current juncture imaginable. Perfect for the true contrarian outlook which points toward a real Bear Market, sooner rather than later.
This is not to say that it looks like all gloom and doom for the coming year(s). There are exciting changes afoot, particularly in media and digital communication, and, as with all times of great change, the aftermath of the coming storm points toward a cleansing and realignment of world economies and cultures. Bring it on…….
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.
