New Blog at jfortune16.blog.com I’ve moved to a new blog! Please check me out  here at The Presidents Club 

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
- Psalm 105:4

There has been a lot on controversy over the newly released Miss USA Pageant promotional pictures that showcase all 51 contestants in a salutary photo series entitled “Waking Up in Las Vegas.”  You can see the pics here on the Miss USA official page. To be honest, after gazing upon the photos I wasn’t outraged or even shocked. I wasn’t disgusted nor was I offended.  If anything, I found myself somewhat ambivalent trying to make sense of the newfound creative direction.  After all half naked, over-sexualized women strategically arranged in sexually suggestive positions have become basic building block in constructing any successful advertising campaign. In my opinion, the salacious pictures are but further evidence of the seemingly inexorable march toward a hyper-sexualized female persona.

I‘ve never been a huge advocate of the Miss USA Pageant or any form of beauty contest for that matter; they just seem to be incredibly frivolous and portray the women as nothing more than beautifully constructed vacuous drones. Yet, I have always held the winner in high esteem for their yearlong commitment to humanitarian and community service efforts.  It was the 364 days Miss America spent aside from the actual pageant itself that made amends for the “physical-beauty-is everything- for- young-women” display of that one night.

Regardless of the fact that I think beauty pageants send the wrong message to our young women and men; I do think that Miss USA in the 364 days aside from the pageant serves as the quintessential female role model that our society so desperately needs.  I base that not upon her appearance but rather on her actions as reigning Miss USA. There is a peculiar dichotomy in the Miss USA Pageant when you examine what the winner stands for as opposed to how she gets there. On one hand you have a young women who is crowned Miss USA and heralded as a national treasure for her yearlong efforts in assisting those in need, encouraging and empowering young women, and bringing awareness to humanitarian efforts. She is not only held to the highest ethical and moral standards but ironically is also required to maintain a demure appearance. Now, on the other hand we’re using a beauty pageant primarily based on physical appearance to choose who that ideal role model should be.  It’s no wonder so many of our young girls feel like if they don’t have perfectly straight hair, perky breast, a flawless smile, and immaculate skin, then they don’t measure up.

I had the pleasure of attending one of my frat brother’s wedding a couple of weeks ago in Opelousas, Louisiana. On our drive we saw a billboard advertising a local computer repair shop. On one side of the billboard it had a busted monitor on the other side was the smoking computer. What was in the middle?  Well of course, it was a blonde haired, perky breast, swimsuit model. Even the small town do-it-yourself advertisers have no reservations in using an unwarranted hyper-sexualized female image.

And if you been online at all this week you have probably stumbled upon this ridiculousness.

Really? How has this become what we aspire for our young daughters? In the age of hyper-sexualized female celebrities like Beyonce, Brittany Spears, Hannah Montana and Ciara, the image of Miss USA has the ability to challenge the traditional notion of how women are to be portrayed. By all means, women should be proud to own their sexuality but when you have a nation of tween and teen girls watching it should be done with a bit of demureness. These promo pics are simply a step in the wrong direction.

Nike has always had an incredibly rich bank of sport metaphors and analogies that they could use to tell their brand story. Coupled with some of the most interesting and athletically gifted pro athletes on the planet they have become masters of strumming those emotional heartstrings of sports enthusiast.  Wieden’s latest Tiger Woods spot preceding his Master’s return is no exception.

At its core Nike has always been about the passionate pursuit of pushing the boundaries of human performance. In the realm of golf, Tiger Woods embodies ever aspect of this philosophy.  He is arguably one of the best players to have ever picked up a club and grace the greens at Augusta or anywhere for that matter.  Nike knows the value of endorsing an athlete that absolutely dominates at their respective sport, (Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Lance Armstrong) and knows how they can help transcend a brand from obscurity to prominence.  Golf has always been known to be an extremely hermetic industry with well-established brands; so If Nike wants to make ripples in the golf category they will need a man like Tiger leading the charge.

I’m a fan of Nike commercials. I’m a fan of the way they tell a story, illustrate metaphors, and inspire athletes.  I’m a fan of how they can make a simple television commercial feel like a thirty second film.  I don’t think this commercial is quit up to par (no pun intended) with the Nike standard but I do think it’s smart and incredibly strategic. The voice over use of Tiger’s deceased father, Earl Woods, in itself is an incredibly powerfully device. The whole world shared in “The Moment” when Tiger held his father after his historic Masters victory in 97’. We all shared in that heartwarming moment alongside Tiger and Earl.  We had become as invested in Earl as we were with Tiger.

So now to hear Earl posthumously asking a somber Tiger “Did you learn anything?” is absolutely heart wrenching. It shows the depth of how much this scandal has effective the troubled golfer and the disappointment he has had to face from the world and from his own family. Adweek ad critic Barbara Lippert said:

“It makes Tiger look like an angel,” she said. “It’s really powerfully allowing him wordlessly to rehabilitate himself. … He doesn’t have to face any pesky questions, he doesn’t have to sweat, he can just stand there and look into the camera and they’ll do it for him.”

Tigers’ silence, the decision to shoot the spot in black and white, and the disapproving voice of his father from the great beyond, all make for an incredibly creepy, yet dramatic statement.  It may not be the masterpiece we have seen from W+K in the past but it is certainly memorable and may just linger around like another famous black and white Nike spot.

It wasn’t the best football we’ve seen from the young Gunners but it was definitely a gutsy performance.  After being buried under a barrage of Barcelona shots in the first half we were fortunate enough  to escape the half level at 0-0 and not down 3-0. Barcelona played the game like you could only dream your club would, but the young gunners played tough and fought back. Best Champions League game I’ve seen in a long time!

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Who ever said that public transportation couldn’t be enjoyable! In fact who ever said that you couldn’t get across town, tour the city, and get a light workout all while riding (make that driving) the public transportation system!  Well, in New Zealand that’s just what they have done with the worlds first aerodynamic human propelled monorail system called the Shweeb.

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Shweeb is world’s first human powered monorail racetrack. Located in New Zealand, it allows you to race against your friends and get the heart-pumping workout in complete safety.

The Shweeb is essentially an aerodynamic transparent bullet that allows the rider to propel themselves on seven different pedaling gears at up to 30 mph. Although the Shweeb follows the constructed steel track it does allow the rider to adjust speed, swing out sided to side on a 60-degree angle, and adjust the bearing according to your height and body size.

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Currently the Shweeb is only being developed as an thrill seeking entertainment ride. Allowing riders to race around a pre-constructed looped course against each other or against the clock. But you can already see the implication a monorail system could have on transportation relief in downtown metropolitan cities. The Shweeb comes with some impressive advantages, its one hundred percent environmentally friendly, and incredibly practical for riders as at any given speed your using around half the energy of a road bike or mountain bike.  Perhaps the Shweeb is just the solution we need to help alleviate our nations obesity epidemic, environmental woes, and mundane early morning commutes!

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The world is still reeling from the news of Michael Jackson’s death, but San Francisco fans commemorated the Gloved One’s passing in a way that would make him proud: They gathered for an impromptu dance party.

The San Francisco Michael Jackson flash mob took place at the Ferry Building and lasted well into the night, according to attendees. That it happened at all is proof of how Michael Jackson was able to connect with his fans and inspire them in incredible ways.    - Trendhunter

For all of us who have unashamedly played the air violin to The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony wishing you could play it for real, this is for you.  Industrial designer and slight genius Carlos Mendez has created an electric violin he calls the Squidolin.  You can connect the Squidolin to your television set and it will walk you through a series of tutorials based on mastering violin fundamentals. Now don’t be confused, this is by no means a Guitar Hero Rockband-esque violin façade. Squidolin is crafted with real Maplewood and can be connected to an amplifier and played like the genuine thing. And once you figure out what your doing I’ve heard the sound is really quite beautiful. Oh, and the Squidolin gets its name from its squid inspired body design fitted into the violin motif. I wonder if there’s anything in the works for an electric stand-up bass in the future! Check him out at Crmendez.com I leave you with a little Joshua Bell playing “Avia Maria.” Feel free to air violin your heart out!

Its 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m hanging out with a friend of mine in downtown Richmond. The streets are filled with the sounds of jubilant Richmonites wrapping up a night on the town. Off in the distance we can hear the faint sound of a sobbing woman. As we anxiously await her appearance we wince as her weeping crescendoes  into a sorrowful and rhythmic coo. Finally, the aggrieved young lady sauntered her way into our vision with tears streaming down her face. Carefully bracing herself along the freestanding trees as she gingerly tried to baby step her way down the street. What at first resembled a professional athlete suffering from a pulled muscle quickly came into focus as a woman enduring the agonizing pain of a night balancing on 6-inch heels.

Now these weren’t, my eyes are begging to water tears, these were tears of extreme pain. Excorticating, torturous, six inch, cute at all cost, pain is beauty, pain! It was as if every step she took was on a bed of needles and each one hurt exponentially more than the previous.

And even though it was completely her decision to bring upon herself such torture I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic for the young women. That of course was until I realized that the real victim in this situation was her boyfriend who had been hopelessly trying to understand the conundrum of the female psyche. Sympathetic in his attempt to comfort her pain, confused in his attempts to understand the situation, frustrated in the fact that she won’t take the heels off, and annoyed in her persistence in taking baby steps, he did his best not to explode with frustration!

Of course, as a guy I arrived at the ingeniously simple solution of channeling your inner Tom Sawyer, and just going barefoot. After all, at this point who really cares if your still balancing on 6 inch stilts! But my friend quickly intervened, and informed me that

“A lady should never discard her heels, if you chose to wear them than you should wear them, no matter what! “

Now, I’m sure that’s probably an unwritten rule widely accepted among the classy and sophisticated women around the world but to the relief of husbands and boyfriends everywhere there is hope that this situation will soon become a distant memory thanks to two little companies by the name of Afterheel and Rollasole.  The concept is simple, their an emergency pair of ballet style flats that are capable of being rolled up into a small container that can be tucked inside of a women’s purse.  Made specifically for those occasions when women need to slip out of their heels after a long night of dancing.

Now, here is the genius, even if you ladies forget to bring your emergency stash of flats both companies have started testing vending machines that sell the shoes within select London nightclubs. So far both companies are reporting that the vending machines  have been widely accepted and that they potentially my be looking to expand the offering across the UK. Fellas, it seems for now we will have to envy our English counterparts until the two companies graciously make their way to the states. But just think one day a vending machine, a pair of flats, and eight bucks may save us all from ever having to enduring the Stiletto fury ever again!

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Despite last nights loss I’m confident the Lakers will roll their way into the NBA finals yet again!  There’s been a lot of talk lately about who has the momentum and who has all the confidence in this series. Well, I’ m not sure how big a role momentum, confidence, or home court advantage will matter in the presents of  Kobe’s Unstoppableness!  The latest installment of the Most Valuable Puppet series is a tribute to Kobe’s “Unstoppableness”  and perhaps a little Nike foreshadowing for the inevitable… Another Lakers Championship!

Just a couple of pics from the big day! Trust me this is just .00342 % of the total amount of pics we took this weekend. I’ll have the entire collection posted to my flicker account in a couple of days. ( Look for them on the side panel —-> )

In three hours I will walk across the stage and graduate from the VCU Brandcenter!

“Sustainability of this product is not superimposed, but in the very essence of it. The second life cycle creates new value for everybody involved, the sign maker, the producer, the retailer and the customer.” – Aleksi Hautamäki

Well it seems even Nike is starting to set the stage for the two MVP’s to meet in the finals. With the Cavaliers’ cake walk to the eastern conference finals and Kobe’s clear dominance in the west  I’m starting to think this might actually have the makings of  a “1980′s Lakers X Celtics”  type  rivalry. Either way, I’m sure we will all be “Witnesses ” to more of the Lebron and Kobe Most Valuable Puppets!

more about “Onwards – Directed by James Jarvis an…“, posted with vodpod

A friend sent me this video from designer and illustrator James Jarvis called “Onward”. Its a beautiful illustration of the sense of discovery, persistence, and therapy we get from a good run. It reminded me of a short piece I had written sometime ago while waiting in the Richmond Airport, just thought I’d post it.

Runners run because it is their therapy.

it is thier insanity.

it is their release.

They run because they are slaves to its will, submitting to its call for it governs their hearts.

For it is not a matter of will but of necessity .

It is a matter of their sanity.

They run for the hope of liberating their mind, and yet like a prisoner they relinquish their will and become subserviant to the call.

They run because they fend for the feeling of mid-mile exhaustion.

It summons for them like the nightingale does the morning.

Softly, yet persistently it calls.

And they answer to its call because they must for runners are but a paradox.

Running only to satisfy the insatiable craving of that of which they cherish… the need to run.

Running is therapy.

There is no doubt that the emergence of Youtube has given people an outlet to express themselves  and a stage in-which to display their creations. Recently it seems You-tube has given birth to the next evolution of audio video musical collaboration. One in-which the artist or creators don’t even have to be aware of what song their playing. In fact they don’t even have to be aware that their apart of the collaboration. The concept is simple, gather a bunch of video clips from you-tube and arrange them in a way that sounds somewhat like music. I’ll be honest, most of them are horrible attempts at emulating some of the more successful viral mash-ups but every-other day it seems a fairly decent one pops up. Here are a few of my favorites so far! Enjoy.

Thanks to the big homies, Kris and Akil, for putting me on to the  sounds of Francis And The Lights! His style is a little hard to describe but he has been referred to as a mixture between Phil Collins and Prince.  Definitely an unique flavor and vibe but  worth getting into. If your not up on his music yet you should definitely go download his album for free from his website: Francisandthelights.com Strawberries is definitely one of my favorites! Be sure to peep his music video and check my man’s foot work!

The 2009 playlist lin-up for the Austin City Limits festival as been released! Chances are I won’t be able to make it out to the three day shindig October 2nd-4th but I thought I would give it a post! If you didn’t get a chance to make it out to SXSW this year the ACL music festival is just as good.  There is three days worth of music, eight different stages and 130 bands ready to rock out. Some good people to look out for include: John Legend, Passion Pit, Mos Def,Girl Talk, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern lights, Beastie Boys, and the Rebirth Brass Band!

My wish list: Common, Francis and the Lights, N*E*R*D, Lupe, Estelle, Adele, and The hypnotic Brass Ensemble!

For millions of basketball fans across the United States mid-April signifies more than just the arrival of spring but rather it means were knee deep in the NBA playoffs. It’s just the beginning of the exhilarating journey of 40 games cram packed into 40 days. Its one of those times when closet sports junkies can celebrate the fact that sports have completely ransacked every aspect of their lives.  So from a media standpoint its no surprise that the ESPN home page has become one of the hottest and most sought after pieces of digital retail space. What you probably didn’t expect to see is an ingeniously placed Mac ad.

The placement appears to be just a other rich media banner ad along the top of the screen but as you click on the ad the two jocular characters engage in their normal PC bashing dialogue. Eventually, expanding their message to take-over the skyscrapers on the side of the page as well!

Now, if you backtrack and refresh the page to play the ad again you will discover that the skyscraper ads on the side of the page are actually fake. Their simplify used as a ploy to complete the apple take over effect. If your fast enough you can click on one of the skyscraper ads before the original banner ad expands and the link will simply takes you to the apple website.

Ok, so the copy isn’t anything phenomenal and the concept of expanding the rich media outside of its seemingly impenetrable boundaries isn’t necessarily groundbreaking but, the ad does seems to have a magnetic quality in the way it flawlessly interacts within the page. But I think the media planners really missed a prime opportunity to fully engage their target, the sports fan. The context in which they placed their ad, the ESPN homepage, should have played a much more significant role in their message. The media concept should have built on the strategic insight that these sports fans are looking for more than just scores; they’re looking for a simple outlet to become sports experts. So the question should have been how can Apple utilize this desire and enrich their experience on a Mac?

Instead of simply “wowing” fans with a cool media trick why not show them how a Mac can give them more of what they love most, sports information. For example, since this is play-off time why not tailor the message to highlight all the Apple exclusive widgets that are available on a Mac. Show all the PC users how a Mac can allow you to download or create sports specific widgets to enhance your sports viewing experience.

After all this is an Apple commercial and for faithful Mac users this level of intuitive consumer engagement is almost expected. If Apple could have crafted a message to coincide with the content on the ESPN homepage and then enhanced the content within the ad, I think they could have made believers out of both the PC and MAC faithful.

Here you can see the beginning of the ad with the top banner and fake side skyscrapers.

This is when the ad starts to expand through-out the page.

Finally, here is the completion of the ad with the new Mac ads reveled.

I just picked this pic up from some of my frat brothers who attended our annual “Kingdom Conference”  this past weekend back at Texas Tech! Check out our national blog at MOGFRAT.blogspot.com or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/mogfrat.