Michael Montez Online

There was a time, back in the early 80’s, when a revolution took over the country. It was a music revolution. It was MTV. MTV showed music videos from all over the world. It was the radio station of a generation. Now we have MTVM - aka Videos online. Please go and watch some awesome short movies set to music. When music television was about more than just bitches and ho’s, rims and whips, and 18-24 year olds discovering themselves in foolish ways.

MTVMusic.com

After weeks of wondering why the No On 8 Campaign has been playing games with schools, it was refreshing to see that they have a commercial that actually makes a statement about what the prop is REALLY about…Discrimination. Please enjoy the following commercial; please vote NO on Prop 8:

Hello apple iphone/ipod touch/Android app developers, please build the following apps:

1) Evite App - so I can say maybe faster

2) Linked-In App - so I can update my resume

3) Netflix App - so I can update my queue

4) Yelp! App (already built, but you can not log-in to your account to look at your bookmarks)

5) del.icio.us App - so I can look at some bookmarks on all digital devices (computer, phone, ipod)

So i have been using WordPress (WP) for about two years. I have not created my own Theme…until now. You are looking at the Montez 01BP WordPress Theme. I am still tweaking it and will later be releasing it to the WP community.

I would like your feedback before I release it.

Thank you.

I went to college, I paid attention in class, I took business classes, I don’t know why the market is dying. I understand the housing bubble, I understand the bailout. But I don’t understand how we got here. Enter NPR and This American Life, they will explain why we are where we are. I encourage you to listen to the following podcast (put it on your ipod, burn it to a cd, whatever it takes to listen). It is a wonderful explanation.

This American Life episode 365

Direct link to the MP3 file (right click to download)

Hi loyal readers,

There’s an effort to elect an unknown random person as President… and it’s someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=357563&altf=Njdibfm&altl=Npouf9

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Here is a video of Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world and one of the smartest investors in history. In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Warren stated that, related to taxes in the US, he has “never had it so good.” (min 41:15 of the video below)

This is not a post against Warren and his kind (his kind being the rich). This is a post about our economy and how we save it. If Warren Buffett says he wants to pay more taxes, I think we should let him. If Warren Buffett says the 95% of Americans should pay less taxes, I support that as well. If Warren Buffett, one of the smartest investors in the history of economics, supports Obama, I think we need to support Obama as well.

Please watch the video below, it’s long (55 min) but you can skip ahead to the 41:15 mark to see his support of Obama.

I’m pretty sure John McCain is going to win this election. His knowledge of scientific issues is equal to that of the common voter. For example:

John McCain’s recent statement on embryonic stem cell research was ambiguous in some ways, but clearly misleading in another: He equated human embryos with fetuses, and used language implying that farming fetuses for their tissues is a realistic possibility.

“I voted to ban the practice of ‘fetal farming,’ making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes,” McCain said in a statement Monday in response to questions posed by ScienceDebate2008, a nonpartisan science advocacy group.

More and more, John McCain reminds me of Monty Burns:

2008 Pontiac G5 GT - Titanium

A bit sexier than the bus (or the Toby van - thank you Toby for the use of your van in the interium).

Purchased: Sept. 1st 2008

Added tint: Sept. 13th 2008

Looking for Rims: Oct. 1st - any suggestions?

Setting goals and writing them down helps them to get done. Here are my goals for the week of Aug 25 - 31st.

• Walk/run 4 times this week (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs)
• Finish the SatPurush Project I have been working on for way too long
• Play in the Conway’s No Limit Hold ‘Em Tournament at Commerce Casino this week - sign up now
• Read 100 pages of Watchmen
• Read 100 pages of Super System 2 (need to work on my H.O.R.S.E. game)

Feel free to list some of you weekly goals for all the world (not really) to see.

Regular running slows the effects of aging, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine that has tracked 500 older runners for more than 20 years. Elderly runners have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as aging nonrunners to die early deaths, the research found.

Aerobic exercise is good for you and allows you to live forever…duh.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”, on August 8, 2008. The three-hour show at Beijing’s iconic national stadium was set to see more than 15,000 performers showcase the nation’s ancient history and its rise as a modern power. (AFP PHOTO / Olivier Morin)

So the opening ceremony was amazing. Good luck to London, home of the 2012 games, you have  quite a show to try and top.

I have been watching the games on a 60″ LCD HD TV with full surround (thank you Jon) and I must admit that if you have the means, I highly recommend it. It’s the only way to watch live events.

Undated handout proof of one of Greyhound’s ads that the bus company recently pulled. The company made the move in response to the gruesome beheading murder on an eastbound Greyhound bus near Portage la Prairie, Man., which claimed the life of 22-year-old Tim McLean July 30, 2008.
Photograph by : Handout photo, Greyhound Lines, Inc.

When I was in college, they taught us a few things that stick with me. 1) You don’t want to be everything to everybody, 2) Nothing kills loyalty better than broken promises, and 3) shit happens only after the client says ‘YES’. After you spend months developing a great ad campaign for Greyhound, the client is ready to move with the ad, the presses are inked up, the pixels are getting pushed around by the web developers, and you are reworking the ad for TV and online video. Then some nut takes the head off some kid on one of your Greyhound buses.

Back to the drawing board because shit happens.

NASA’s Phoenix Lander has discovered water on Mars. We now have a place to go once we destroy this planet. If NASA wants to pay for itself, they should consider mining the water and selling it here on Earth.

“NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander quenched a longtime scientific thirst yesterday when it detected water in a soil sample—the first time liquid water has been touched or “tasted” on another planet.

The craft obtained water by heating an icy soil sample in its “bake and sniff” oven, called the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer. “TEGA” identifies substances by heating them and analyzing the resulting vapors.

“We have water,” said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for TEGA.

“We’ve now finally touched it and tasted it—and from my standpoint it tastes very fine.”"

So Obama’s recent trip to the Middle East did nothing for his ratings. Some people think that Obama would be a not-so-great leader during war-time, others think that Obama does not have enough experience in general. Is it possible that the alternate to George Bush may be more George Bush in an older package? How can this election be so close with only 100 days till the big vote? We, and I mean WE the educated and informed, know that anything is better than four more years of Bush. Unfortunately, WE is a smaller group than THEY.

So what can WE do to get Obama elected in a landslide (and after 2000, I prefer a landslide to a close call). Here is what I propose:

WE take the reverse approach. By that I mean, Obama, you say what you need to say to THEM to make THEM vote for you. We will know that you really mean the opposite. For example, if Obama says gay’s should not be allowed to marry, WE will know that he is for gay rights. If Obama says everyone should have a gun and be allowed to purchase fully-automatic weapons, WE will know that your are for gun control. If Obama says there should be troops in Iraq until the Middle East is peaceful, WE will know that you are ready to move them out and there will never be peace in the Middle East until strip clubs open over there. When Obama says there should be drilling in the La Brea Tar Pit because it’s black and liquid, WE will know that solar and wind power are on the way.

So we will tell THEM what they want to hear, but because WE are WE (and WE stay informed), WE will know what is really happening. I look forward to a comfortable November.

So it’s been a week with the itouch and I am still loving it. The best part (aside from having my music on my pocket again) is the apps store. Using these apps with the wi-fi is awesome. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Pandora - allows me to listen to my favorite music and also finds music similar to my favorite music. Streams from the Music Genome Project and friends can share music stations. All for free.
2. Wordpress - allows me to blog to several blogs from the device. I am writing this from my itouch. Images can be sent with the post.
3. Urbanspoon - start the app and it finds your location. Shake the device, and the screen spins like a slot machine. The reels include cities, food types, and price ( in dollar signs) and the result is a restaurant. You can read review, call for reservations, or map directions from your location.

Those are three of my favorite so far. Grab am iPhone or an iPod touch and try it yourself.

The location, a casino in Fresno, CA.

Life lesson: weed is not currency, yet.

So I finally bought a new iPod. Toby had an extra one lying around that was brand new. I was planning on getting the new iPhone, but AT&T pissed me off (more on that later).

So I’ve got my new touch, set it up on the network, load some music, and then my computer (my dell notebook) dies. So now I have access to the Internet via iTouch only. So far, so good.

I’ve downloaded some apps from the apps store. Including this one that allows me to post to my blog from the touch. I can even write a post and, if I am away from a wifi commection, it will post once I get connected.

Looks like my next purchase will be a new imac instead of a PowerBook.

Great movie. I want to see it again.Great action, good story.

I had the opportunity to see this film at 12:01am Friday morning. I don’t like to see films with other people, especially with block-buster films like this one, but I also didn’t want anyone to slip and revel some spoilers. So I bought my ticket and hoped for the best.

Despite a few Jokers (no pun intended) during the previews, everyone was quiet during the drama, gasping during the gasps, and cheering during those moments that required cheering. I really made the whole experience worth while.

The movie - that is one good movie. I want to see it again, this time in IMAX. But I think I’ll “wait” until Wednesday or Tuesday.

So yeah, I’ve been busy. I left TDP, got a new job, and pretty much stay home and chill out. But what am I doing during the chill. I’m watching HULU. One of my favorite shows (recently added to HULU) is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Matt, you are going to love this show. Brian, you will really enjoy it too. You need to register to watch the show due to it’s “Mature Content” label, but it is well worth it.

Friday was my las day at TDP. It’s been a great 2+ years, but I feel I have given all I can give. One thing I will miss about TDP are the people. When I started there, we were 16 strong. When I left we were 40+ in the US office. In the beginning, we had to do everything, but for some reason we didn’t mind. I don’t know what happened, but it’s not the same. So like most of my relationships, it is over.

But back to the people. As normal, we had a going away happy hour at The Whaler. Aidan and I were both leaving this week. Aidan may be the best singer in the world. I think we should have a Aidan Vs. Toby karaoke death match.

So it’s my last week here at TDP, let the countdown begin. When I arrived at the office today I noticed a smell that was not me (this time). Sort of a rotten egg smell, the kind that smells like eggs area rotting.

About ten minutes ago, our IT manager came up to tell us that there is a “situation” in the battery room and if the fire alarm were to go off, we need to get the hell out of the building ASAP. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Now you might be thinking, a battery can destroy a building. Yes and no. A single battery is very harmless. But we are in one of the largest server facilities on the west coast. We have a cluster of about 2000 car batteries located in one room. That’s a lot of acid.

So if you see that a building burned to the ground and your internet service is suddenly very slow, that was my building.

View Larger Map

UPDATE: They evacuated and then shut down the building at 11:15 am and we were sent home. Here is a slideshow of the time between evac and leaving. Enjoy the show and the song.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I wanted to point out two movies you might “enjoy”. These movies will get you thinking about this war we are currently involved in. Please take the time to put these in your netflix queue or you can watch online.

No End in Sight
“The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, NO END IN SIGHT is a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003…”

Alive Day
“In a war that has left more than 25,000 wounded, ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ looks at a new generation of veterans. Executive Producer James Gandolfini interviews ten Soldiers and Marines who reveal their feelings on their future…”

For all you out there who push 50+ hours a week, please take a state mandated 15 min break and read this article from Fortune magazine. I will now tease you with a few pull quotes:

“Consider that for most industries, the U.S. can’t hope to be the low-cost producer in a global economy. With innovation now our main competitive strength, creativity is crucial for anyone who wants to move up.”

“But it’s really, really hard, if not impossible, for the human brain to come up with fresh new ideas when its owner is overworked, overtired, and stressed out.”

“On the organizational level, what you get is, everyone is so focused on running flat-out to meet current goals that the whole company is unable to step back and think.”

Put this article in your bookmarks and read it on the plane or during your next vacation.

I have decided to leave my position at The Design People, Inc. I will be freelancing as well as job hunting.

I also just got back from my first “Free Weekend” in Vegas. Toby, Jung, and I were chilling for a few days. I had a few great sessions at the craps table, vow (once again) to never play cash poker games, and finished 5th and 1st in two poker tournaments.

Here’s the original Peanut Butter Jelly Time link:
http://audiomuffin.com/ohno/

Here is Eva’s interpretation of the same song:

So I have made some suggestions for you about your free $600, you may be asking me what am I doing with my $600. I will be replacing my eyeglasses. Yes, that is a $600 task when you get quality frames, quality lenses (with extras), and don’t have vision insurance.

The Lenses
I have a really messed up set of eyes. Doctors have referred to them as “shaped as a football”. Translation, strong prescription equals thick lenses. This hampered my ability to look cool as I was wearing “coke-bottles” on my face and a sturdy frame to support them. However, modern science (vs. old science I guess) has created the Hi Index and Polycarbonate lens which allows for thinner and lighter glasses; at a price.

If you are not a glasses wearer, you may not appreciate the “feature” that is Anti-Reflection Coating. Imagine seeing a reflection (in the lenses) of you blinking. Every look through a window and see your shape in a ghostly shape - no anti-reflection coating on that window. On the plus side, sometimes you can see behind you when danger is approaching.

The third and final fun feature on my new glasses will be Transitions III coating. This will turn my eye wear from glasses to shades in a matter of seconds.

The Frames
This is where you can go from expensive glasses to over-priced glasses. Sure the cheap plastic frame will get you through the days and nights with no regrets. But when you are looking for design, well, then you are talking about cash. I won’t go into why things that are well designed cost more than things that are not, I’ll save that for another post. So here are some frames I have been looking at:

http://oakley.com/pd/5183/17181
http://oakley.com/pd/5613/18813
http://oakley.com/pd/5185/17187

I’ll look at more frames when I visit my eye care professional. No, it’s not a Lens Crafters.

So a lot of us are getting $600 of “free” money from our good uncle Sam. It’s an attempt to stimulate the economy. But how can we spend this mini-fortune in a responsbile manner that truly stmiluates the economy of these United States of America? Here are my suggestions:

• Eat Locals - If you are eating out, go to Joe’s Pizza instead of Pizza Hut. When you buy from small shops, you are paying for employees and taxes and other things you use in your area. When you buy from Pizza Hut, you are giving your money to YUM Brands and paying for lawyers, multi-national marketing campaigns and new ways to make sure no one in the store actually makes a living wage. Same thing goes for grocers. If you have a Jons or something in your hood, try shopping there. Also consider buying your veggies from a farmers market rather than Pavilions.
• Service Me - Consider spending your green-backs on services rather than products. I know we all want the new iPhone, but don’t use your free money for that, instead, hire a gardener to come to the house once a week. Or have the plumber come out and fix that which is broken. Get your car detailed (or tuned up), buy a new suit and have it tailored, get something custom made (cloths, art, etc). Use your money to stay at a nice hotel and eat really good food. The point is this, don’t spend your free cash at Wal-mart (or Best Buy), spend it at Mama’s Massage and Nails.

Free money is great, but the point of this check is to stimulate the economy. The best way to do that is to spend it with small companies who hire employees and pay taxes. Giving $600 to MegaCorp isn’t going to stimulate anything except a stockholder.

That’s how long it took me to download a song from iTunes today. I was watching Step Into Liquid this evening and an old 90’s song was used early in the movie. I totally forgot about this song so I fired up the notebook and started searching for the song. The song is Touched by V.A.S.T. I totally forgot about this song but to hear it again brought back some killer memories of when I was at Cal State Fullerton and working late on ad projects.

So I headed over to iTunes to buy the song. I don’t buy music or steal music much anymore. When I did, it took me a long time to download a single song, about 5 min per megabyte. Today, it took 15 seconds for a 4 minute song. I call this progress.

I like the song but the video kinda sucks. If you want to remake the video, give me a call, I have some ideas.