IPad Apocalypse

With such "historic" implementation of the latest, strangest piece of technology, Steve Jobs (aka God) has released the iPad. Just two months young, this little guy has already made quite an impact. Although a siting of the "Pad" is rare and far between

(almost like a celeb siting like Justin Bieber or Beyonce), it seems like there is some trouble brewing. After being constantly bombarded with the fear that the iPad will soon take over all forms of communication (newspapers, magazines, LIFE), it seems we have some constant technological collaboration to watch out for in the future. As Apple grows, more mediums of artforms, science and everything we can think of will slowly coexist on the same level taking away the concept of reading a hardcover classic or painting with chalk on the sidewalk. The iPad attempts to cover every spectrum of culture where the world is literally at our bleeding fingertips.

If it wasn't Apple, it would be someone else.

But ironically, Steve Jobs is calling the shots. The world is at a convergence and it's hard for me to say what will happen. We'll let Wired Magazine take care of that.

How the Tablet Will Change the World

Still, with all of its faults, its scary to think of one media conglomerate covering the way and exactly what we are reading. Is the future of electronic paper really ahead of us? Will Apple be able to out-do themselves or will there be some catastrophic Google takeover that ends in a bloody war of commerce, politics, and everyday life? We may never know.

Hell-O Gleeeeee!!

Welcome back, Glee! We’ve missed you! With so much hype and anticipation leading up to the second part of the famed Glee Season 1, the lead-off episode “Hell-O” left us with a lot to sing about. Although the 45 second recap of the Part 1could have taken over an hour, the show did a lot to prepare the audience for the amazing Part 2.

They lead off with main characters Finn and Rachel together, a relationship Finn barely realizes he’s a part of. Nonetheless, they become the power couple of the Glee club while Quinn and Puck are forced to fight things out on the side. Mr. Shue thought this would be a new beginning but his disaster called life keeps following him around like a dark rain cloud. Sue and Emma are both eager to get to Will. Back from Boca, Sue intends on a Cheerios challenge to destroy Glee Club while Emma and Will plan their first date. When things don’t go so well in that department, Will and Emma find themselves going in different directions; Will embraces his single life while Emma tries to define hers.

All of this drama centers on the recent fame of the Glee Club finally winning sectionals in Part 1. They come back ready to rule the school but end up with more slushy facials than last season. Their new quest: Regionals and McKinley’s biggest competition: Vocal Adrenaline. After the not-so-sudden F-rachel breakup, naive Rachel falls head over heels with Adrenaline senior star, Jesse St. James (Spring Awakening’s Jonathon Groff), and a duet of Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello” seals the deal. In an attempt to regain a balanced rivalry, Will meets up with Adrenaline coach Shelby Corcoran (Wicked/Rent’s Idina Menzel) and informs them of the star-crossed lovers in their two groups. Shelby has an effect on Will and liberates him into bachelorhood. The Glee Club, however, is not so easily swept away giving Rachel an ultimatum to drop Jesse or be replaced.

The most hilarious scene, however, is still in plot-worthy question. Director Brad Falchuk is always throwing in hilarious side stories that may or may not show up as leading story lines. In this instance, Finn accepts a date from cheerleader Brittany and cheerleader Santana. Unaware that the two are acting under the Sue’s scheming, Finn sits twirling his spaghetti across from gossiping Brittany and Santana. After sending back their clean plates---Brittany claims there was a mouse in hers---, Santana and Brittany gossip about Glee Club and Finn and share interesting insights. (Brittany, “Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?”)

Season 2 led off with a lot of expectation. Who would get together? Would the group succeed and win or fail as miserably as most of the group’s social lives? The promise of more music was definitely upheld in this first episode “Hell-O” but the incessant Hello theme was a little much. From the All American Rejects “Gives you Hell” to the Doors “Hello, I love you”, we definitely got the message.

Although amazing in writing and character design, the episode would never exceed our expectations because of the hype built up over the four-month break. The promise of guest stars and dance-offs and the secret plots lines left us all wondering what we would see in the first episode and made us a little disappointed when we didn’t get everything right away. Still, we have to give creators Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy some credit. The potential for Part 2 is undeniable and we can’t wait to be blown away.

Love Sean Michael xoxo

What’s there to love about Love Sean Michael? He’s sweet, he’s suave, and he’s sweeping through Ithaca oh, so smooth.
Still young, Sean Stolar is the face of the pop/funk/electro cool that is Love Sean Michael. A heartbreaker from the tender age of six, Stolar has embraced his gift of a sweet, yet, suggestive serenade. He played piano and guitar from the get go and after dozens of bands, 17-year-old Stolar took over famed clubs like LA’s Viper Room, the Roxy, and CBGB. Following in the esteemed footsteps of his brother Julius of J and the Birds, Stolar paved his way through the NYC music scene.
Stolar traveled to Ithaca to attend Ithaca College and had to transition to the slower pace of upstate. You may recognize him from local groups such as Super Cola and White Hot.
Stolar sensed the need for change and set out to redefine the point of collaboration in the first place. Stolar hopes to resurrect the quality that’s been missing in the music industry.
“It’s important to produce something that I would want to hear,” Stolar says. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
The answer---Love Sean Michael, an 8-ish group of studio musicians blending the ease of city rhythms with an ultra-plush sophisticated funk. Stolar is featured on guitar, keyboard and vocals. The latest single “So Romantic” has a soft techno edge and a hook to make anyone smile.
With a lot of original music, Sean says he can’t help but cover the music he appreciates most. If you thought you knew Michael Jackson, you haven’t heard him like Stolar. He idolizes the greats in R&B, soul, and funk and claims Prince as his greatest discovery or “the rapport of his thunder.”
Stolar has also been staying true to form and remains independent from large labels and producers. Along with Dave Weingarten and Dan Timmons, Stolar has taken control of the band’s direction and written, recorded, and produced all of their projects. Pending the finish of LSM’s latest EP, Stolar is in the works of a greater umbrella corporation to house all of their budding ideas and projects. Love Sean Michael LLC will include a record label, publishing company, production company, merchandising and a fashion label which will be finalized in the next coming weeks.
This week, however, is something special. After a European tour with LSM this past summer, Stolar has found a innate sense to recognize high quality sound. Straight from Berlin and Rome respectively, Stolar is bringing in Acid Washed and Dam Funk for a show of international proportions. The trio of groups will make their American debut together and perform this Friday April 23rd at 10:00 p.m. at Castaways. While Acid Washed is a Parisian duo fusing ‘90s house and disco beats, Dam Funk or the “Ambassador of Boogie Funk” brings a synthesized, deep bass vibe straight from Cali. The two, combined with Love Sean Michael, hope to create more of an atmosphere than a concert showing off a softer side of Castaways that may be just the sweet, suave, smooth sound we’ve been missing.
“We really wanted to see a real show that’s different and refreshing,” Stolar said. “You have to go with what you believe in and be creative. That way, the results will always be magical.”
Look for more from Love Sean Michael at myspace.com/loveseanmichael and loveseanmichael.com.

A Turn for Independent Media

We may see the glass half full but we're still a little hurt by the hopelash.

Hopelash: Like a backlash, hopelash is a 180-degree reversal of everything Obama-related. Sufferers were once Obama's most passionate evangelists. Now they are his angriest critics. Sample sentence: "At least with Bush everyone knew he was an asshole. Now we've got the same wars, the same lawless prisons, the same Washington corruption, but everyone is cheering like Stepford wives. It's time for a full-on hopelash."


There was a lot of clapping during Naomi Klein’s presentation last night. An energized audience was lucky enough to hear the renowned, independent media journalist and kept the speech as interactive as her “make-a-change” agenda.

Klein’s introduction was internationally prestigious. Her book, The Shock Doctrine, has been translated into 25 languages including Arabic and Hebrew. Although it is targeted and mainly addresses corporate America, the book has the power to reach an international audience and what’s even better: it applies to them. Not only do American efforts of “diplomacy” affect our little town of Ithaca, but more so, do they affect far-world countries and nations most people can’t even pick out on a map.

Klein referenced the capitalistic side of American and foreign outreach programs especially in the private sector. Large private corporations are currently capitalizing (no pun intended) on the situation in Haiti lurking around waiting for large projects that they could invest and profit from. Even though the impoverished country is indebted heavily (from a French slave debt from the 1800’s), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loaded yet another giant loan that will most likely go unpaid. ---Klein noted that the IMF recently overturned the loan into a grant after protests and human rights groups and independent media organizations acted and noted this injustice.

Klein went on to speak of the importance of public versus the privatization of almost every sector of our economy: the military, education (higher education, health care, social security, etc.) She raised a very important question that relates to everyone around the world: Do we want to gamble our futures (i.e. social security for example) on the ups and downs of Wall Street? There is little trust in anything corporate because they mainstream the system to the basics and leave little room for personalization and special protections.

That’s where independent media comes in to really act as the needed 4th estate. The important thing I learned from the presentation is the power of independent media. To note from Klein’s introduction, the Park Center for Independent Media prides itself and their field on how they are able to lend a voice to those who need it. It seems the farther we get away from corporate mainstream, the truer and more accurate narrative will emerge (Isn’t that the point of journalism, we hope?). Klein empowered the people of Ithaca and has done so with the Shock Doctrine. She gave a realistic, yet still optimistic presentation that was supported with detailed research: no opinion, just the facts. It was hard to question what she was saying.

And so, with an Obama-like ease, Klein cut off her speech just in time for a standing ovation.


Please support the truth that comes with independent media! Where else will we get our information?

A Revolution is at hand

Can a British accent and a few salads cure the binding trap of obesity in one U.S. town? In the first hour preview of “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”, Brit’s renowned chef takes on Huntington, West Virginia gruesomely deemed the “unhealthiest city in America” based on the latest nationwide health statistics. With an Obama-like presence, Oliver sweeps into the quiet mountain town with optimism and naiveté only to be met by a loudmouth blockade of defeat.




From the beginning, Oliver should have understood the “Get Lost!” message clearly held by the Dawg aka local radio show host DJ Rod’s country morning show. "We don't want to sit around and eat lettuce all day. Who made you king?" Rod said to bright-eyed Oliver.

The welcome greeting only continues when Oliver heads over to Huntington Elementary in his main attempt to reform school cafeteria lunches. He meets the lovely lunch ladies (note to self: they don’t like to be called lunch ladies…) Oliver interrupts Paulie, Millie, Linda, Louella and feisty head cook, Alice, serving breakfast pizzas to 450 screaming kids.
While the idea of breakfast pizza may be atrociously foreign to Oliver, the ladies find things perfectly normal and go on with their day preparing frozen, processed delights and an unpleasantly familiar fluffy Potato Pearls concoction (mashed potatoes from a water-based goo substance).

Like a car wreck you can’t turn away from, Oliver watches in horror as most kids throw their lunches in the garbage, the only things missing are their adored chicken nuggets and BBQ sauces.

It all seems so simple but the politics of the school lunch program work out to be extremely confusing. Oliver meets with the head of the district’s school lunch program regulated by the USDA where french fries count as a vegetable and pizza contains two starches (crust and the rest of the pizza if that makes any sense). The strict rules and budge outlines make Jamie’s proposed food face-off impossible. His efforts to present fresh food on a budget versus the frozen food force behind Alice and her girls, makes the entire situation hopeless and just plain sad. During the testing day, the lunch ladies all laugh while Oliver scrambles to make more carbs out of thin air. Although cruel, these ladies will always make excellent villains we love to hate.

The heartwarming story comes when Oliver meets with the Edwards family, a group of three obese boys, one young girl on her way to her mother’s giant state and a small-ish deep fryer that causes all the problems. When Oliver enters the small home, he finds that the people and the food they consume is cramping up the space. In order to free up the clutter, Oliver and Mrs. Edwards cooks up and lays out the weekly diet for the family, which includes a fridge dedicated to frozen pizzas, giant hot dogs, and Mom’s best breakfast: deep-fried donuts dipped in chocolate, a daily requirement of course.
The family shares a tender moment at the ceremonial burial of the dearly loved deep fryer and they seem to put their refined taste buds on the backburner. Jamie helps 12-year-old, Justin, stir up his passion for culinary arts and break a healthy piece of bread with the family at the end of the day.

The earth shattering morning of the hour comes even before the lunch ladies awake. The local paper prints a front-page article inciting Oliver of bad mouthing the Americans, specifically the Huntington’s. "They are all anemic with information. Like, when you meet these people, they are not stupid. They are not ignorant. It's just they have never had food from scratch in their life." The slanted angle brings Oliver to tears and the lunch ladies fuming in their hairnets. He feels genuinely obligated to publicly apologize to the entire Huntington Elementary school staff and when most refuse to accept (the chip on Alice’s shoulder prohibiting), Oliver pushes on the best he can.

With the processed v. fresh food face-off on the brink, Oliver and Alice go head to head with a cafeteria full of fat first graders spitting out lettuce and yogurt at every possible chance. If you can imagine, the worst is yet to come as previews of giant waste buckets (what can only be the ingredients of their beloved chicken nuggets) and sad, stout people bawling fog up our TV screens.

Out of all the ABC sob reality shows, this one feels the most relevant, necessary, and even striking to our nation’s situation. While everyone needs a home (“Extreme Home Makeover”) and most families need discipline advice for their children (“Super Nanny”), it’s Oliver who triumphs as the critical hero this country could actually use.

With the hype of the show, Oliver hopes to get viewers to sign a nationwide petition against unhealthy eating habits mainly targeting schools. As CDC statistics state, if the obesity rate continues to rise over the next five years, 40% of Americans will be not only overweight, but life-threateningly obese. A scary thought but even scarier how frustrating the hour episode was to watch. When you see the cultural divide in certain areas across the country (especially from a New Yorker’s perspective), it’s hard to separate the sushi bars from the organic fruit markets. When in reality, the majority of Americans cling to their deep fryer and rely on processed food with the same faded brown color of pizza or wings washing out their plates night after night.
Will Oliver be able to get through to a dying community? With only so much time before an apocalypse, Huntington’s end may come a bit sooner and their preparation and prevention is now or never. A revolution is at hand.

The fate of ABC: Black is the new Grey's

While Grey's has certainly died off for many viewers over the years what with the random outbreak of Burke (Isaiah Washington) and then the quick and sudden death of dear George (T.R. Knight) as a result, it's no wonder our next favorite character would go as well. Beloved Izze (Katherine Heigl) who we watched take over TV as everyone's best friend, who we cried with when Denny died; she made the show worth watching. After months of hiatus, both Izze and Katherine, were goners. In real life, Katherine started the most adorable family and took over the silver screen on low-rating but always cute, romantic comedies. (Nothing can top "Knocked Up").

So where will this newly brunette diva go from here?

Honestly, at this point, all she can do is UP. With the dying heartbeat of Grey's, I think we can all agree it's only a matter of time before Meredith is the last one standing.

And on that note, who else is ABC letting go? Rumors confirmed Rob Lowe was moving on from his loving family on "Brothers and Sisters". one of the few dozen who probably still adhere to the show and one of the few (at least in my house) who HATE Robert's character, it's still a twisted fate. As character wife to skinny Calista Flockhart, we're wondering if she will evaporate into thin air once she's left alone. No word on just how Robert's character will be taking the leap but there's only so many episodes left....

So, with the end of Ugly Betty, almost-president Robert McCallister, and much-love Katherine Heigl, where will ABC go from here?

Thank god for saviors in the newbie shows like hilarious "Cougar Town" and "Modern Family". These quick wit writers and producers should put their comedy up against their dramas and give "Good Morning America" something to be proud of.

Just Red Box it!

Over 17,000 locations! (22,000 projected for December 2009) How is that humanly possible?

For fear that the Box will destroy DVD sales, 20th Century Fox, Universal, and Warner Brothers have all refused to introduce new releases to Red Box locations until after 28 days after the first in-store release. But the times are changing fast. In 2007, RedBox represented the 5th largest DVD rental company and who knows where they are now...

Some criticize that Red Box is out to get us:
• DVD sales are cannibalized
• Customers will want lower rental prices from other outlets
• The perceived value of movies will be harmed
• Redbox’s sale of discs into the aftermarket conflicts with other retail channels

They even go as far to suggest Red Box "could lead to the loss of 9,280 jobs, $35.4 million in contributions to health and welfare funds being cut, and a reduction of $30 million in tax revenue."

Should we trust CEO, Mitch Lowe, or is this $1 deal too good to be true? Red Box should be a sign to the American economy that we are cheap! The cheaper the product, the more money you will make! It only makes sense. Finding ways to make anything more affordable should be a best-practice model/strategy for all media conglomerates. With newspapers and magazines fading, even Rupert Murdoch recognizes a change in the quality of the news product. As a society, we are media consumers, clearly crazed video-renters, and the better quality at the best price will win out.

Twilight Release!

Ok, now I really must admit (like everyone else) how resistant I was to this whole "Twilight" movement. I watched "True Blood", great. My mom told me she heard through the grapevine that this Mormon lady wrote this great love story. I didn't buy into it. It took a trip to Austria, a little boredom, and an empty study abroad apartment with the whole book series to start reading. My roommates were well-educated vampiristas encouraging my re-education with "Twilight". "You'll see things in a whole new way" they would say. Yeah, sure. Uh huh.

But my cardboard Ikea furniture sucked me in and I sat for hours flipping the pages as fast as I could. It only took a week or so to be completely devoured by the whole fantasy of Edward and Bella.

So all of that led me to where I am now, reflecting on November 20th 12p.m. The night that broke records with over $26 million in that night alone. My local college theater took on 15 showings, mine 12:07, where home-made t-shirts and an overwhelming amount of estrogen took over. My fellow obsessor, Brandi, pushed me out of the door 2 hours early only to drive to a packed parking lot and half-crowded theater.

I thought we were early.

Nonetheless, I found myself cheering as soon as that golden full moon hit the chattery theater. The first time we saw Jacob's perfect tanned six-pack when he took off his shirt to wipe the blood off of Bella's face....





HEAVEN.

Fight it as you might but I just think it's impossible. "Twilight" will always win.

Trailer!

Holiday Movie Preview 2009

As we edge closer to the holiday season, everything slowly starts to develop the air of winter magic. The shiny green plastic sparkles on the fake trees and last year’s unsold Christmas cards take over the shelves. Perhaps it is not these commercial commodities that we look forward to during this time, but something entirely different.

Always a year in advance, the theaters burst with only the most unbelievable, hard-hitting blockbusters that are built up with loud, suspenseful trailers.

“COMING TO THEATERS NEAR YOU…next holiday season….”

The audience groans with the pain of waiting 365 days for the film. We leave the theater roused by these highly anticipated flicks, the images, the sounds, that one creepy line burned into your memory.

For decades, Hollywood has prioritized their big hits and Oscar worthy projects to premiere right in the middle of the holiday season. Why the timed release? For some reason, each film is like unwrapping that perfect present you expected to receive but surprised to finally witness right in front of you.
This year is no exception, promising to give us exactly what we’ve been waiting for.

Holiday and Family

Out of the two actual Christmas themed movies, the holiday season starts off rather early on November 6th with the 3D animated update of The Christmas Story. With the expertise of its cousin The Polar Express, writer and director Robert Zemeckis expects to produce another digital classic just in time for Santa Claus. Will Jim Carrey’s Scrooge beat out the Grinch?

Bring your kids to the movies November 25th when two releases of animated features hit the screens. The highly anticipated Disney film, The Princess and the Frog, introduces the newest princess, Tiana, whose story shows the New Orleans French Quarter during the jazz age of the 1930s. See if you can recognize the voices of John Goodman, Terrence Howard, and even Oprah in this Disney classic in the making.

That same night gives the kids options with the debut of Fantastic Mr. Fox. The animated adventure of the beloved Roald Dahl classic includes an unexpected cast of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson.

For the adults, look out December 4th for Everybody’s Fine. Robert DeNiro gives his Best Actor Award Performance from the Hollywood Film Festival as a widower reconnecting with his family. Drew Barrymore, and Kate Beckinsale add to the intrigue making this Christmas themed flick a must-see.

Books on Screen

It must seem as if the literary community is either failing miserably or thriving based on the success of countless film adaptations of many books. This year we are lucky enough to read on screen The Blind Side on November 20th. Based on the book by Michael Lewis, the film shows the true story of Michael Oher and his evolution from poverty to NFL fame. Will this be just another Remember the Titans or will Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw be able to draw us in?

The Academy is looking out for The Lovely Bones starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Susan Sarandon. Coming from the New York Times bestseller by Alice Sebold, this compelling mystery hits theaters November 11th. Playing the deceased main character, Susie Salmon, Saoirse Ronan tries for the second time after Atonement to be recognized with another Academy nomination.

Saoirse might not have realized her competition could lay with none other than…Mariah Carey? The Grand Jury and Audience awards winner at the Sundance Film Festival, Precious will premiere the first weekend in December. The drama is based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire written by Geoffery Fletcher and directed by Lee Daniels. Remember Mo’Nique long ago from “Moesha” or “The Parkers”? Ever thought she would star in any award-winning production? Me neither but we’ll see how that one turns out.


The Holidays are filled with…Action?

I can’t figure the previews of The Box yet but I hope that’s exactly the point of the horror/sci-fi/thriller film coming out November 6th. Romantic comedy alumni, CameronDiaz and James Marsden star in the film directed by Richard Kelly, the director of Donnie Darko. Will that be a clue? I hope not.

Apparently the end of the world is near or at least that’s what Roland Emmerich, director of 2012, is trying to tell us in his film coming out November 13th. John Cusack, Amanda Peet and President Danny Glover reaffirm our Christmas joy as they experience the apocalypse in the fast-paced action adventure.



Film Festivals can also look out for Avatar December 18th as one of the first digital 3D movies transforming American cinema today. We never thought Titanic’s James Cameron would go on to serve the gamer’s niche in this sci-fi/adventure film but maybe he knows something about Academy Awards that we don’t.

The Ultimate Present

If there is any reason to look forward to the holiday season, Twilight Saga: New Moon is one of them. Adolescent girls are celebrating early on November 20th with the second part of the hit vampire book series. It’s very difficult for sequels to surpass their originators but they do call it a saga for a reason.
Christmas day is here and it’s time to cozy up George Clooney and laugh with Jason Bateman. The comedy about a traveling businessman covers all the basics: truth, love, and what to do when you get somewhere... "Up in the Air".

Perhaps the most deserving of the claim ‘highly anticipated’, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus may lead us away from Christmas festivities to see the last performance of Heath Ledger since his passing in 2008. Although never finishing the film, Ledger’s leading character, Tony, was transformed by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. The fantasy adventure follows a traveling theater company with an unexpected show.

Whatever this year’s holiday festivities have to offer, the movies will definitely bring people together. Through action or animation, drama or darkness, the winter magic continues to take us to a new world as we munch on over-buttered, over-salted popcorn. Regardless of the nutritional value, the emotional one is priceless. Forget the Hollywood push to look forward to the next year. Stay in the moment and you won’t miss a scene.