The Most Brilliant Thing to Happen to Music Since iTunes.

Illegal music-compiler/DJ “Girl Talk” is all the rage. He takes various artists clips and slaps them together in weird, wonderful, surprising concoctions that make every workout a totally entertaining experience. He’s fucking great.

In fact, I’d also say his label is fucking great. His label, Illegal Art, has just posted his new album “Feed the Animals” on its site for purchase. (He doesn’t get any of his samples approved by their artists… so they can’t sell the album legally)

Anyway, here’s the brilliance: there’s no set price.

Illegal Art lets you TYPE IN WHATEVER PRICE you feel like paying… and you get a high-quality download of the album. Pay $5 or more, and you also get the options of FLAC files, plus a one-file seamless mix of the album (good for homemade raves). And $10 or more includes all of the above + a packaged CD.

This seems like a really great way to sell music. Granted, some people won’t be able to pay much. But some will give more because maybe… just maybe… they got his last albums for free. And it’s good to support the artist.

Anyway, I applaud this not-so-greedy innovation. It acknowledges that some money is better than NO money… which is what he’d get if everyone just downloaded his music from Limewire.

Way to go. I hope we see more of this kind of $-for-Art exchange in the future.

Embarrassed to be the last to know.

Ok. Maybe not the LAST person to know… but yesterday when Steve Jobs made his live keynote speech and announced the arrival of the 3G iPhone, I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING. I’m the geek who made special lunch plans with JD back at BBDO so we could hit the “refresh” button over and over on Gizmodo to get keynote coverage during iPhone introduction.

I have let down my geek genes. I feel ill.

Anyway, I’ve been talking to people for probably 8 mos about the impending intro of the 3G iPhone. Everytime people asked why I haven’t bought an iPhone yet, I’ve always replied, “Because I’m waiting for the 3G version.” Then, they look at me cross-eyed and dismiss my dorky nonsense.

Well, here it is. I told ya so (I guess). 3G. Faster. Better. More functions.

And hallelujah (I couldn’t have predicted this part), CHEAPER! Woohoo!

I gotta say… I even kinda dig the ad for it. Not your typical Apple ad, but frankly, that’s a good thing. Time to branch out, Chiat. And it’s nice to see an ad with a message instead of just… colors and music. Ya know? It gives me a reason to care instead of just… colors and music.

Don’t Quit Your Dayjob.

It appears that the impending doom looming over the economy is affecting us dopey CWs and ADs everywhere. While agencies still have a desperate need for talent, money is tight. And though interviews are still happening (one CW has flown 5 times for interviews, and had several in-town… resulting in nothing), the answer is the same almost every time: the job is on hold.

I.E. “We thought we had the money to hire you, but actually… turns out we don’t. At least not right now.”

Basically, no matter how you feel about your job right now (and the general consensus is usually one of misery and ants-in-the-pants), make peace with STAYING PUT.

Unless something else great comes along, chances are you will have a hard time upgrading your job in this economy. Back in 2001-02, senior and mid-level creatives took pay cuts just so they could get work. Any work.

So what does that mean for mid-level and junior creatives? Well… sure, you come with a cheaper pricetag, but there’s a learning curve when hiring a fresh-faced junior. If an agency can pony up an extra few grand for a good deal on an experienced creative… they’ll do it. It’s just better for business.

Basically, your competition for open jobs aren’t just other people at your level. You’re also competing with people who are better/more experienced than you… who are desperate for a move or any job at all.

If you must leave your current job, avoid downgrading if you can. A good gig is always worth way more in the long run.

Sex & the City… the insanity.

So, years after the show went off the air, Sex & the City pulled in a whopping 55.7 MILLION DOLLARS.

Every female I know actually went to this film this weekend. I was one of them.

I went with my friends Cooper & Erin to a 3pm show on Saturday. We bought the tickets online in advance. Cooper was worried we’d get closed out because of strong ticket sales… and she was right. When we got to the theater (Kip’s Bay in Murray Hill) at 2:50pm for our 3:30 show, every screening was sold out thru 11pm.

The line upstairs in front of the theater was the kind of crowd you’d expect to see at an 8pm screening for an opening weekend of, say, a Star Wars or Harry Potter sequel. Masses of 20 and 30-something women in costume (dressed up like their favorite characters from the movie… Charlotte… Carrie… et al) and the line already had over 100 people in it. This blew my mind. I’d never seen an afternoon lineup like this before.

When they finally let the line of several hundred giddy women into the theater (the theater attendants actually addressed the crowd as “Ladies!”. I joked, “hey, there’s one guy over here.”), two of them actually got trampled… carried away upstream as hundreds of screaming ADULT WOMEN pushed past them into the theater, scrambling up the stairs in their wannabe Manolos and grabbing seats so their friends could go back to the lobby, to get them all a round of Diet Cokes.

I can’t make fun of these gals. I was one of them.

Although, I didn’t dress up. I came in jeans and tee-shirt. I guess it could be Miranda on her day off… but who dresses up like that? Haha.

In the end, here’s my review of the movie: if you weren’t a fan, don’t see it. And if you think you’re kind of a fan, but don’t really have any sort of emotional connection to the main characters, don’t see it. In fact, if during all 7 seasons of SATC, you never once CRIED because “dammit. that fucking happened to me too,” DO NOT see this movie.

This movie exists only for us fans who needed to extend our relationships with our four favorite women. They sorta go over each character’s storyline in the opening credits… and it was actually well done… but for anyone who doesn’t truly consider themselves a fan, this is just a long, drawn out film about four women. And if you don’t care about them already, this film won’t make you like them. You have to go into it ALREADY loving them.

You have to already understand why Miranda reacts to things the way she does. Otherwise, she’s just some bitch.

You have to understand Carrie & Big’s epic relationship to know why/how things ended up the way they did.

And you definitely had to know how much shit Charlotte went through before finding happiness so you don’t hate her for being so perfect.

So, to the fans who still haven’t gone… mainly because some reviews panned the film… ignore the reviews. Seriously. If you adored the series, you’ll love the movie. Just go.

I’m Baaaaack.

Hey all,

Sorry about the craptacular lack of blogging the past couple months. I could make up an excuse, but you’d all see through it… mainly because we’re all in advertising, hence, professional liars.

But I’m back. And I’m ready to rant again.

Just got back from Mexico. Had a good time, despite the fact that 3 doctors wouldn’t let me dive after having pneumonia a few weeks beforehand. Apparently, they don’t want to be blamed when my lungs explode. Go figure.

One of my favorite parts about traveling abroad is checking out foreign supermarkets. I think they say a lot about other cultures. The style of packaging, the language they use, the flavors they like most, etc. Plus it’s just fun to make fun of people who aren’t like you.

So, here were my findings at the Chedraui in Cozumel:

Ok. I know the picture is sideways, but I was too lazy to rotate it. Cut me some slack. Anyway, the two most popular sweet flavors I found were chocolate (yes!) and strawberry (double yes!). This cereal is for grown-ups who realize they should probably eat like grown-ups, but think like 9 year olds. Yup. Chocolate All-Bran.

Just more evidence that chocolate and strawberry are big… and even Mexican kids require everything to be overdesigned, loud, “Extrema” and “Intenso.” Oh, and full of sugar.

I particularly liked the name of this product. I even bought a small package of them on a whim… simply so I could whip them out of my bag every so often and yell “SPONCH!” at Jason.

They were kinda weird. I threw them out after eating a couple.

American Parents: take comfort that little American girls aren’t the only little girls in the world taught to idolize noseless whores.

Just in case you had any doubts, check out one of the Oreo flavors available down there. Yeah. Chocolate and strawberry. So jealous. Even Nutri-Grain makes a bar that’s filled with strawberry in a chocolate crust. C’mon, America. Jump on the Mexican bandwagon.

I also thought their muffins were kinda interesting. Why top a muffin with cinnamon chips or blueberries when you can use Froot Loops, Corn Flakes, and Cocoa Krispies?

Besides having a 150-ft yogurt section, it appears Mexicans love yogurt in lots of stuff. Apparently, the addition of yogurt to Trix makes it healthier…or something.

This is the kind of Pepsi you drink while listening to your retro 2nd generation iPod, wearing all the latest fashions from 2002.

Enchilada-flavored apples. (Why?)

Kranky: the fool-proof candy for stupid parents. This must be the treat you give your kids when they get crabby. Right? But then… what do you give a kid who’s happy? Or melancholy?

So, basically, these are the items that stood out to me the most. Sure, there were chile & lime chips up the wazoo, about 50 different kinds of pork rinds, and enough odd things at the prepared foods counter to make you go cross-eyed… but I dunno. These were my faves. Oh, and I tried the strawberry Oreos… they weren’t very strawberry-y. A little disappointing.

Well, until my next shopping trip abroad!…….