Leave LeBron alone

In case you live underneath a rock, LeBron James recently decided to join the Miami Heat, leaving a city that once called him its savior in chaos. He announced his decision during an hour-long ESPN special, which drew criticism from fans and members of the NBA.

The Heat now has a solid nucleus composed of James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, while the Cleveland Cavaliers were left with nothing.

For leaving his hometown and announcing his decision on national television, James is now one of the most hated players in the league—possibly even rivaling Kobe Bryant.

But, let’s take a look at this thing objectively.


Did he quit?

The King was described by Dan Gilbert, team owner of the Cavaliers, as a traitor and a quitter.

During the tail end of the Cavaliers 2009-2010 playoff run, LeBron was no longer himself. Fans watched him give up against the Boston Celtics as if he was already thinking of the next season with more than ten minutes in the fourth quarter left. It was unbecoming.

However, you still have to give him credit. He played for seven seasons for a team that never gave him ample support, even taking them to the finals during the 2007 season.

Before you call him a quitter, look at the stats. For his seasons in Cleveland, he averaged more than 27.8 points, seven assists, and seven boards. While in the playoffs, he averaged 29.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

Statistics don’t lie. The two-time MVP did try. If he was given more support, many believe that he could’ve won some hardware for Cleveland.

Take this into consideration: many teams cut players during the offseason and the teams don’t get any criticism for doing so; however, when players decide to go another direction, they can be branded as traitors?

That doesn’t make sense.

The Decision (business not personal)

This is where most basketball aficionados got ticked off—rightfully so. The one-hour special had a negative effect in the James brand. It was simply a bad idea.

The only question here is: who planned it? Reports say that it was LeBron James himself. But I find that hard-to-believe. These superstars have their own drivers and health advisors, and a marketing advisor is no less than a prerequisite for any NBA star.

As commissioner David Stern explained: “Had he asked my advice in advance, I might have suggested that he advise Cleveland at an earlier time than apparently he did that he was leaving, even without announcing where he was going, so we could have eliminated that. I would have advised him not to embark on what has become known as ‘The Decision.’”

Stern continued, “I think that the advice that he received on this was poor. His performance was fine. His honesty and his integrity shine through. But this decision was ill conceived, badly produced and poorly executed. Those who were interested in it were given our opinion prior to its airing.”

The only conclusion here is: somebody made money from the LeBron camp—one who did not have James’ best interests as heart. Whoever orchestrated this campaign should have foreseen this media nightmare. Any PR advisor should’ve seen this coming unless he/she had something to gain.

There was nothing wrong with James leaving Cleveland. It was just the manner that he left.

The decision was purely business and not personal. Miami presents a better opportunity for James, and taking a pay cut says that he’s not all about the money.


Say sorry, Bron

Yes, he left Cleveland. But, that’s how it is in the NBA. Players changing teams is nothing new. It just hurts more in this particular situation, but Cleveland didn’t do anything to make James stay either. Had they acquired big names, James’ decision could’ve been different.

The only thing left for LeBron to do now is to write a formal apology and a thank you note to the city of Cleveland and its basketball team (even to its owner Dan Gilbert). That would be the high road for the 25-year-old.

To Cleveland fans, being bitter about his decision is not going to change anything. Sure, you can ‘boo’ him when he visits Quicken Loans Arena twice or thrice a year, but is it really worth it? Look forward to your upcoming seasons. Worry about your team first, before wishing ill fate to LeBron. The team has so much cap space open and it can definitely get superstars in the years to come.

To Dan Gilbert, the open letter was too harsh. Your pain is understandable, but you should’ve thought about the consequences of that letter before you published it. If you had thanked LeBron and wished him good luck, you would have been an instant media favorite. Now, Stern has fined you $100,000 and you still have no superstar in your roster.

To the Miami Heat, you better make sure you get to the finals within the next three seasons. Anything less would be a severe disappointment.

2000s: The Creative Drain

What did the 80s give us?

Aside from bad hairdos and synthesized music, the decade gave us skinny jeans.

Back then, these denims even had leg zippers for ultra-tight grip. And they were mostly worn by rockers. While I never wore a pair (and do not intend to), it is funny seeing 80s fashion being worn by today’s “in” generation. Even Ray-Ban wayfarers are back.

See 80s product placement here.

If you think about it, the 2000-2010 decade is a thief. The fashion is loosely based on different decades, several movie remakes, and even television shows are basing their themes from past generations.

The successful series “Glee” is actually an updated version of musical films of the 1930s and 1940s.

My 10-year-old cousin’s favorite band is Tears for Fears. While I have no idea what other 10-year-olds listen to, he says that his friends enjoy listening to the band as well.

And if you look at basketball, the NBA’s current champion (Los Angeles Lakers) is led by Kobe Bryant—who plays and talks a lot like number 23.

So, what did the 2000-2010 decade give us?

Well, aside from Hayden Kho scandals.

The dancing Tokyo Trooper

Months ago, an individual dressed in a storm trooper costume started dancing in the streets of Tokyo, Japan.

You’ll be surprised to know that the man beneath the plastic helmet is actually Danny Choo, son of fashion icon Jimmy Choo. You won’t be surprised to know, that this wasn’t the career path Danny always wanted.

Growing up in London, Danny was set to follow the footsteps of his father. But something was missing: passion. More than anything else, Danny Choo loved toys, figurines, Star Wars, electronics, and of course, dancing. That’s why he dumped the aspirations of the runway and made his own way to Tokyo.

In Tokyo, he created www.dannychoo.com, a site that features everything “geek cool,” including toys, figurines, and videos of him, dressed as a storm trooper, dancing to the beat of numerous disco hits. Believe it or not, the site is pretty successful—averaging 2.5million users a month.

When questioned about his son’s chosen career, Jimmy Choo said, “It’s something special.” The shoemaker never failed to express how proud he is of Danny.

When asked “Why do you do this?” Danny Choo, the self professed “king of geeks,” said “To make people happy and it also makes me happy at the same time.”

This type of story only happens “In a galaxy far, far away” (Well, actually it’s just in Tokyo).

Playing God

Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, has turned the story of evolution into one of the most ambitious computer games in history: Spore.

If you think about it, who would want to play a game that has no winner and no ending?

You can judge Will Wright for many things, but you can’t fault the man’s ability to design top-selling video games. In fact, The Sims is the best-selling video game in history. The graphics are mediocre, at best—but, the idea is radical, fresh, and most of all impossible. That’s exactly why game designers consider him a living god. And now, he wants to make you a god too.

Wright’s newest game is titled Spore (Doesn’t sound like much, does it?). At the beginning of the game, a comet crashes into the earth carrying organic material from outer space—this comet, as the game implies, bought life to earth.

Now, your job is to cattle this life form through its single-celled stage until it’s ready to crawl onto land. At this point, you get to decide where the eyes, the ears, the limbs, and the other appendages will be placed on your character—Let your imagination take control! After that, your creature learns to eat, reproduce, and eventually, communicate with other creature tribes. For the finale, you get to travel to outer space to meet other sentient beings.

My comment: you can't turn the story of evolution into a video game without wrestling some serious questions. Wright should be careful in treading the line between ‘great game’ and ‘religious blasphemy’... Right now, I'm thinking... great game!

The Sopranos taxi advertisement

This “mobile advertisement” (literally) drove around the streets of New York earlier this year. Last March, the taxi was auctioned off in the 6th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event, which took place in West Palm Beach, Florida. Proceeds were donated to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

Advertising is such a competitive industry nowadays, and you have to make use of all the advantages you can get. Quoting from one of my favorite movies, “Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention” (John Doe, Se7en, 1995).

Well, maybe Kevin Spacey was referring to something different, but the quote still fits.

Samuel L. Jackson in Titanic

Yes, it’s Samuel L. Jackson reprising the role of Leonardo DiCaprio (Jack Dawson) in the mother of all tear-jerker films: Titanic.

I must say, Jackson adds some much needed style and spunk to the role. Play the video, to see the great performance of the man who showed us Shaft, Jackie Brown, Mace Windu, and now Jack Dawson.

Props to the guys from minimovie.com!

Do you really want to know KFC’s secret recipe?

A new web video that exposes KFC’s cruel treatment of animals in their factory farm house is now downloadable through the internet (Play Video below article). What would Colonel Sanders say?

Kentucky Fried Chicken or Kentucky Fried Cruelty? We’ve all heard rumors about how our fast food gets prepared; we’ve heard about the Wendy’s customer that had a human thumb in his shake and the bionic chickens that came from… Well, that was KFC too. But this one takes the cake, because this new expose is backed by a well-known actress Pamela Andersen.

How I found the video. This is a great example of shrewd internet advertising. I was browsing through an ad website, when I saw a link in the side panel of the page. It showed Pamela Andersen with her bosom censored, which had a message overlay: want to see my new video? (Yes, it was very enticing). I clicked the link and to my surprise, it was a link to her official petition against KFC –which, although less interesting was also worth my time.

The petition exposes animal cruelty in the KFC slaughter house located in Moorefield, West Virginia. In the video, the chickens are so crippled that they can’t even walk. They are forced into tanks of scalding hot water where they are completely conscious –hence, they feel a tremendous amount of pain.

The petition titled Pam Andersen’s Kick the Bucket campaign will attempt to boycott KFC until they agree on better preparation procedures.

Now, this complaint may just become hot air –in the Philippines food preparation is maybe ten times worse and no one does a damn thing about it. But I think it is the responsibility of these big companies to ensure these types of problems don’t happen. They specialize in food; they should –by all means– do everything over the boat. After all, a better public image will always be met by better sales.

Other than that, I think Colonel Sanders is turning in his grave.

Judge blocks Harry Potter Encyclopedia

Last Monday in New York, a judge ruled against a website operator who wanted to make an online Harry Potter encyclopedia. U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson ruled that it would cause author J.K. Rowling “irreparable injury”.

The Judge ruled in favor of the author. In addition to blocking the proposal, Stephen Vander –the website operator– was also fined over $6,000. Rowling filed a case against Vander and his publisher RDR Books in 2007.

Vander and RDR argued that the book should not be blocked, because it was protected by the “fair use” doctrine, which allows commentary and critique of literary works. But Judge Patterson disagreed, saying that the publishers bridged copyright infringement, as well as a host of other accusations.

In a related press release, Rowling said “I took no pleasure at all in bringing legal action and am delighted that this issue has been resolved favorably,” the Brit author stated that she wants to create her own encyclopedia about the Harry Potter series.

Lets Play Mind Games

Yes, the era of thought-controlled video games has arrived.

During the late 70s, the Atari made Americans couch potatoes. This paved the way for a host of other video game consoles during the 90s: Nintendo, Sega, and PlayStation. The cardinal rule for game consoles is to top off its predecessors. And with the recent releases of the XBOX 360 and the PlayStation3, the possibilities for the video-gaming industry seem limitless. Case and point: the Emotiv EPOC headset.

The Emotiv EPOC headset is the world’s first Brain Computer Interface (BCI). It’s a component that will revolutionize contemporary video games. This headset detects and processes real time brain activity using a device that measures brain electricity. It picks up over 30 different expressions, emotions and actions.

With this type of technology, games can be thought-operated as opposed to finger-operated.

Think about it.

See the CNN article here.

Greasers and Socs

Last Saturday, I went to Metrowalk to look for DVDs. I haven’t updated my collection in a long time, so I was excited to see the new arrivals. Unfortunately, I was met by the same old titles and I thought I was going to be forced to settle.

Low and behold, as I shifted to the second DVD stand, I found one of my old favorites: The Outsiders. For those who are not familiar with the movie, it was released in 1982. The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola – Yes, the guy who bought us The Godfather.

The Outsiders is based on a novel by S.E. Hinton, which was first published in 1967. Hinton began writing the novel when she was 14 years old. The story highlights the tension between two groups: the greasers and the socials or “socs.”

The Socs are a click of rich teenagers. They have no reservations about “jumping” greasers whom they encounter in the streets. They listen to the Beatles, wear madras shirts and drive Mustangs.

On the other hand, the greasers live care-free lives. Their hard-knock backgrounds make them rough and tough. They listen to Elvis Presley, wear James Dean-type attire and are tagged by society as juvenile delinquents.

The movie is told from the greaser’s perspective. Our main character – Pony Boy Curtis – is a greaser who gets mixed up in all sorts of trouble. The movie tag line was, “They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong.”

The movie has a list of Hollywood notables, including Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio and Tom Cruise.

If you haven’t watched it, you should. It’s a good film, as well as a good read.

“A Very Special Love” Experience

What are the typical elements of a Pinoy movie? A rich guy and a poor girl (Or vice-versa) are forced into an environment where they have to work in a harmonious relationship. In the process, they end up falling in love. This basic plot can be used to describe a ton of Pinoy movies, including Star Cinema’s latest film: A Very Special Love.

My girlfriend forced invited me to watch this movie last night.

Kidding aside, recent Pinoy movies have vastly improved in quality. A good example is Tribu, a Pinoy film that recently received international acclaim in France.

Producers and directors have made a strong effort to make dialogues more interesting. This, combined with better plot sequences and cinematography have allowed recent Pinoy movies to capture, not only the C-bracket, but the A and B as well.

Actors Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz worked well together in the “Secretary and Boss fall in love angle.” Laida (Geronimo) is thrown into a dynamic office environment that is headed by Miggy (Cruz). It seemed like this role was tailor made for Sarah Geronimo. Laida, much like Geronimo, is young, innocent and idealistic. Yes, I confess, I found her funny because the character felt real and natural.

Roel Santiago who played Miggy’s (Lloyd) brother also had a notable performance. He played the antagonist in the film.

Yes, of course the movie is overly sappy. If you find yourself watching this movie, be warned: expect a lot of shrieks and tears in the theater. Truth be told, I fell asleep for about 15 minutes and when I woke up, the whole audience was crying. Mind-blowing.

On the real, the film is above-average in Pinoy standards. Much better than what I expected.

Pinoy ako!

Mini Cooper Advertisement

This is a great advertisement by Mini Cooper. They placed a Mini Cooper illustration at the side of the train station entrance/exit. It gives the illusion that the Mini Cooper is spacious.

For more great ads, click here.

Ringing the Changes / Paano na ang Ligawan?

In the past decade, cell phones, once reserved for the rich and elite, are now ubiquitous in Africa and some parts of Asia. These devices allow developing countries to “leapfrog” older technologies. This results to better country prospects, or does it?

In the West, the cell phone is often used as a fashion accessory (Ahem… That also happens in the Philippines), but in the developing world it is a life line, a mobile office, an easier way to do business.

The cell phone revolution has taken the developing countries by storm. Statistics from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) indicate that in 2006, 70% of worldwide cell phone subscriptions came from developing countries.

Around half of the world’s population has a cell phone. Economists claim that these cell phones are being used in a way that can significantly reduce poverty and improve quality of life.

Why? Compared to contemporary communication technologies, the cell phone is much cheaper. Mobile networks only require cell phone towers - a cost that the private sector is more than willing to shell out (Click here for more information).

But, there are also trade-offs.

Youth are being raised in a society that is entirely dependent on wireless communication. This does not bode well for societies that are rich in tradition, like the Philippines.

I think Aristotle said it best, when he said “man is a social animal.” Perfect example: courtship or Ligawan. When I was a boy, I used to muster all my strength to approach my crushes. I had to come up with conversation topics on call. It was very spontaneous and nerve-racking. Ngayon, Ligawan sa text nalang. Wala ka nang kakaba-kaba.

Although the old way was less efficient, it had more character to it. Don’t you agree? Just goes to show, efficiency isn’t always the best alternative.

Bottom-line: the cell phone betters lives in ways that are good, bad and ambiguous.

Sources: Edition, CNN

Break Rules on Job Interviews

Are rules meant to be broken? Clichés like “think outside the box” or “be original” remind us that creativity is often rewarded in life. Yet, when it comes to job interviews, society encourages us to behave uniformly.

Think about it. Everything you’ve been told about interviews and applications revolve around one thing: being professional. Make your cover letter formal, wear conservative business attire and the immortal cliché: show them that you can work in a team environment!

In other words, you should do what everyone else is doing.

Did any body ever pay premium for typical or ordinary?

Tony Beshara, the author of Acing the Interview, has seen his share of unusual job application methods, ranging from funny to down right insane. And most of these unusual methods led to a contract.

"For a marketing job, the candidate bought a pair of baby shoes, wrapped one in a box along with her résumé and sent it directly to the hiring authority," Beshara remembers. "The box had a tag that said 'Let me get my foot in the door and you will be pleased.' When she went to the interview, she took the other shoe with her, which was a great way to start the interview."

Another applicant, who was hoping to get a sales position, sent his resume to the hiring manager with star tickets that fell out when you opened up the letter. On top of the letter, the applicant wrote, “Hire a star.”

There was also another case cited by Mark Stevens (A management expert). Stevens said, he once had an applicant that had great credentials, but the applicant failed the job interview. Stevens was disappointed to say the least.

The next day, Stevens received a package from the applicant. It contained a book on poetry and human loss – apparently, the applicant lost his mother during that week. In the book, the applicant asked Stevens for another interview. A couple of weeks later, the applicant was hired.

While these methods sound embarrassing and desperate, it allowed employers to separate these applicants from a pool of millions. In today’s competitive job market, you should capitalize on all opportunities to give yourself an edge over the other applicants.

Sources: Career Builder

The China Paradox c/o Hollywood

Have we met China? As far as pop culture and media are concerned, yes and no. The Olympics offers the perfect venue to change that.

What are the things that come to your mind when you think of China? Over 1.3 billion people? The world’s oldest civilization? The world’s tireless factory? Although all these things are true, China is so much more.

Media and pop culture have done a poor job of introducing us to China. Yes, news outlets and tv channels have made a noble effort to introduce us to China. But for most people (Those who don’t watch news, which composes most of us), their latest exposure to Chinese culture was this summer’s box-office hit Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu Panda is a story about a chubby bear (Voiced by Jack Black) who becomes a great warrior. The movie grossed over $200 million in the US alone.

Yet, like most American movies this summer, Kung Fu Panda does a poor job of introducing us to modern China. Think about it. Most American movies in the past few years have been set in pre-industrial China (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Mulan, etc.) Even the latest movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, is set in the 1940’s where an undead 2000-year-old emperor unleashes chaos with his terra-cotta soldiers. For the most part, pop-culture’s knowledge about China is outdated.

Contemporary China is a trickier topic. It’s vibrant and fascinating. For America, it’s a legit economic rival with a range of issues, including human rights and environmental concerns. For corporations, it’s a cheap place to make products. For capitalists, it’s a huge market that has a budding middle-class.

People haven’t quite figured out what China is; an authoritarian state? A panda who loves dumplings? A rival or a friend to America? What we do know is: China matters in a global scale and in the future China will matter more. For the meantime, what floats in our minds is fascination and fear. While young children all over the world collect Master Shifu Happy Meals from McDonald’s, parents worry about their employment opportunities getting stolen by much cheaper, yet equal in quality, Chinese labor.

With full coverage of the Olympics being handled by NBC, our perception of China will, hopefully, be updated. The Chinese government has promised freedom to broadcast the games, yet with certain limitations. For instance, Tiananmen Square, the site of 1989’s student democracy protests, is off limits to live tv – broadcasters can only show this site for 6 hours a day.

NBC promises to show full coverage of the Olympics, along with breaking news from China, whether good or bad. Rightfully so, since NBC has invested over $1 billion dollars for the rights to broadcast the China Olympics. But it’s not just a show.

The Olympics gives journalists a chance to update and correct an otherwise Hollywood-poisoned perception of China. This means that journalists should not only cover the games, but also China’s vitality, repression, economic growth and political stagnation. This will test Western broadcasters; whether they will be promoting openness or accepting censorship.

The bottom line: the global audience wants and needs to know more about this country. This can better their lives in ways that are bad, good and ambiguous. So hopefully, the broadcasters will not tell us to forget about China and look at the cute panda.

Sources: Time