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Sunday, December 18, 2016

Upcoming 2017 Movie Sequels



Here are some movie sequels coming in 2017:

John Wick 2

John Wick 2 - Keanu Reeves reprises his role as John Wick in John Wick 2: Chapter 2. John Wick comes out of retirement at the request of a former friend as they attempt to take control of the assassin organization of which they were both members of. John Wick 2 comes to theaters on Feb. 10.

IMDb page here

Image from John Wick 2 Movie Poster

Logan

Logan - In Logan, Hugh Jackman comes back as Wolverine for the last time. In the movie, we see his healing power start to diminish, and he is just trying to survive while other mutants are dying. Logan comes to theaters March 3.

IMDb page here

Image from Logan Movie Poster

Fast 8

Fast 8 - In Fast 8, the cast comes back together for another installment. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, and Helen Mirren come together for this movie. Fast 8 comes to theaters April 14.

IMDb page here

Fast 8 Movie image

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, there will undoubtedly be more action, more humor, and Chris Pratt finds out that his father is a planet (played by Kurt Russell). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out in theaters May 5, 2017.

IMDb page here

Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant - In Alien Covenant, Michael Fassbender reprises his role as David in Alien: Covenant where they discover an uncharted paradise created by David, the android survivor of the Prometheus mission. But the paradise is not what it seems. James Franco also joins the cast in this cast. Coming to theaters May 19, 2017.

IMDb page here

Alien: Covenant image


Split 

Split - In Split, three girls are kidnapped by a man with 24 different personalities. The girls must find a way to escape by befriending some of the personalities before the more dangerous personalities take over. This movie was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and stars James McAvoy as the lead star. Coming to theaters January 20, 2017.

Imdb page here.

Split movie poster


Sunday, November 20, 2016

Movie Review: Why Arrival (2016) Ending is Disappointing

Arrival Movie Poster

The movie, Arrival (2016) started out strong, but crawled across the finish line (in my opinion), and this review will tell you why. But first, know that the following contains spoilers about the movie.

First: Don't Get them Confused

Arrival (2016) stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. The Arrival (1996) stars Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Crouse. These are two separate movies that are unrelated, but easy to get them mixed up.

The Arrival (2016) Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Before Arrival (2016) even hit the theaters, the movie trailer aired on TV proudly boasted that it had 100% fresh rating on the movie review site, RottenTomatoes.com (link here). If you visit the movie page today November 11, 2016 -- it is now at 93%. Obviously, they saw that critics all gave the movie a fresh rating - which means the movie is good on Rotten Tomatoes website - but it has since being in theaters. Even so, a "fresh" rating in the 90th percentile is a relatively good rating for a movie.

Continue reading to find out my honest opinion on the movie.

Arrival (2016) Movie Synopsis & Review (Contains Spoilers)

Going into Arrival (2016), movie goers can assume pretty much one thing about the movie, it is about aliens and shows first contact between the human race and aliens.

Not much else is known from the trailer until you see the movie.

Amy Adams plays a linguist - Dr. Louise Banks - that has done prior work for the U.S. Military. When 12 UFO spaceships appear on Earth in seemingly random locations. They look like elongated beans that are elevated above the ground in a vertical manner. This changes later.

Colonel Weber, played by Forest Whitaker, seeks out Dr. Banks as a subject matter expert to decipher their language - which at the time is just a garbled audio recording.

Dr. Banks tells Colonel Weber that she would not be able to translate the audio file, as it is inadequate, and she would need to go to the site in person. The U.S. site of the UFO is in Montana. Col. Weber is not keen on this idea, but after scouting out his 2nd alternative person - another linguist - he comes back to Dr. Banks at her home in the middle of the night to fly her out to the UFO site.

On the helicopter ride over, she meets Ian Donnelly (played by Jeremy Renner), a scientist subject matter expert, who is skeptical about the importance of having a linguist along.

Col. Weber brings them both to the UFO site, where the military has set up a base camp within a short distance of the spacecraft. This is where Dr. Banks and Ian make countless trips to the spacecraft to interact with the aliens. The door to the bean spaceship opens from the bottom every 18 hours.

Once they enter from the bottom, gravity appears to be distorted, allowing them to walk on the side walls of the ship and enter a room at the top.

Once inside Dr. Banks, Ian, and a military film crew, have interactions with 2 aliens. In the beginning, when introducing themselves, Ian names the aliens "Abbott and Costello."

The aliens are only seen through some sort of white fog. They appear to swim there. They have 7 legs, and are called heptapods. They write circular symbols on a glass wall between Dr. Banks and Ian, and Dr. Banks begins the lengthy process to decipher their language. 

She eventually determines that their language does not take in the concept of time (past, present, future). They continue to make breakthroughs, to the point of where Dr. Banks is able to communicate with the aliens via the use of a monitor to display symbols to the two aliens - albeit they still have difficulty making the exact meaning of some words at such an early understanding of the alien language.

The important question that Col. Weber wants answered is: "Do you come in peace?"

Throughout the time Dr. Banks and Ian are working, there is a control center where video feeds are connected to the 11 other sites. At one point in the movie, they learn that China is communicating with the aliens via the game Mah Jong, where there is inherently a winner and a loser at the end of the game. The U.S. team finds that to be problematic, as they are hoping the aliens are peaceful, and there can be a "win-win" scenario that comes from interactions with the aliens.

At one point, China starts interpreting the word "weapon" and the phrase "Show us weapon." Immediately China shuts off their feed, and ends further information sharing with the other sites, resulting in a domino effect. Russia follows suit. The U.S. also decides to cut their feed after their communications gets to "give weapon." Dr. Banks on her limited knowledge of the language believes this could easily be a failure for the aliens to understand her earlier question about "Do they come in peace?"

Also, there is a growing unrest among protesters that believe we must show force to the aliens and eliminate them, because they can't be nice. The two-man military crew that was doing the filming are listening to this message, and decide to do something. They plant C4 in the alien chamber. Dr. Banks and Ian urgently go back a second time to ask the aliens a question, and there is less than 5 minutes on the C4 timer. The aliens knock on the glass to warn them, but Dr. Banks doesn't understand. The aliens quickly force Dr. Banks and Ian down the chamber and close the door before the C4 explodes. Costello is mortally wounded.

Editor's Note: After this point in the movie, I feel that the movie loses the momentum and my interest as it becomes less plausible in my mind.

When the alien chamber is blown up, all of the alien ships change from a vertical posture to a horizontal one. There is essentially no way to get back in contact with the aliens -- or so we think. 

Dr. Banks Visits the Aliens from a Drop Pod

At the point of no contact, Dr. Banks now has a special connection with the aliens. When she walks out toward the spaceship, they send a pod to encapsulate her and bring her into their white foggy expanse. At this time, the aliens reveal that they need the human race in 3,000 years from that point, which is why they have put 12 spaceships on the Earth, and each spaceship gives 1/12 of the answer needed to solve the master problem. At this time, Abbott tells Dr. Banks that Costello is going through the Death Process after the C4 incident.

Time for Hallucinations


By this time, Dr. Banks is working on very little sleep, to the point of hallucinations. She is not only dreaming of the aliens, she sees one in the room with her as Ian is talking to her. This is somewhat explained in the movie that when a person learns a new language, it creates new neural pathways in your brain, but also "unlocks" a brand new concept in the movie -- one that makes the movie lose it's credence (in my opinion).

Big Spoiler...About Dr. Banks Flashbacks with her Daughter

Throughout the movie, even in the beginning, Dr. Banks has flashbacks of her daughter. We assume these are flashbacks. She loves her daughter so much, but we see sad memories as her daughter gets cancer and dies. At this point, can only assume these are flashbacks. But we later learn that these are not flashbacks, but actually events that take place in the future, which I refer to as "flash forwards."

This is where the new concept of new neural pathways come in. The movie hints that by learning the "universal language" of the heptapods, it allows humans to almost exist at any point on the timeline. This means that you can recall events that take place in the future. As Dr. Banks learns this language, she is seeing these memories, but she does not actually verbally discuss them out loud. However, at the most suspenseful moment in the movie, she makes a call to the Chinese ambassador to the number he gives her from his cellphone in a flash forward into the future. She calls him and says to him the dying words of his wife on her death bed, which convinces him that she does in fact know him.

This sets in motion a chain of events that brings all 12 of the alien sites together, which is needed for planet Earth to all be on the same page in peace and unity. They all live happily ever after. The end.

One More Thing about Dr. Banks Daugher

The father is Ian Donnelly. Throughout the movie, they are working side-by-side to "crack" the secret to the alien language. They grow close and fall in love by the end of the encounter. Later, in a flash forward, the daughter tells her mom that "Daddy was angry." Essentially, when he finds out his daughter has cancer, he leaves Dr. Banks and she is left to raise her daughter as a single parent. We don't find this out until the very end of the movie after the concept of flash forwards are introduced.

Lastly about Dr. Banks

Dr. Banks writes a book explaining Universal Language (seen as a flash forward), which I assume gives the entire human race the ability to see into the future.

Editor's Comments on the Resolution of the Movie

This was a movie about aliens - which intrigued me - however, the events that took place after the humans attempted to blow up the spacecraft, resulting in Costello dying, didn't seem plausible.

I think the aliens would have retaliated or left the planet completely. However, the fact that they can see the future might have allowed them to see that they need the humans, however destructive they are.

Next, the introduction of seeing the future is a new and different concept. While the movie really hinged on this in order to bring everything full circle, it left me feeling underwhelmed at how the movie wrapped up. It attempted to bring the sadness of Dr. Banks back into the picture, in addition to Ian leaving her, and it was sadness compounded with more sadness. The intrigue of the aliens was completed wiped out with a lot of sadness.

I hope you now understand why I felt that the ending of Arrival (2016) was disappointing. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the movie (below).

Monday, August 29, 2016

Beyoncé VMA Performance vs. Rudy Giuliani on Fox & Friends

Beyonce at 2016 MTV VMA Awards

BeyoncĂ© performed at the 2016 VMA Awards. She had controversial undertones in her performance, with dancers circling around her, and one by one fell to the ground as red lights pulsated beneath them. People analyzing this say that this performance represents police brutality in the U.S. However, the Black Lives Matter movement is making the race problem worse in America. The attack in Akron, Ohio is just one example of how it has gotten out of hand. Read about it here.

Rudy Giuliani on Fox & Friends

Rudy Giuliani was not amused on Fox & Friends. He said this of the video clip of the BeyoncĂ© performance:
"You're asking the wrong person...because I have fun uncles who were police officers, two cousins who were, one who died in the line of duty. I ran the largest and best police department in the world: The New York City Police Department, and I save more black lives than any of those people you saw on stage by reducing crime and particularly homicide by 75% of which, may four or five thousand were African-American young people who are alive today because of the policies I put in effect that weren't in effect for 35 years."
Read more about the Rudy Giuliani response in this eonline.com article.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Sweden News regarding Asylum Seekers and Old Bank Notes

Sweden flag

Asylum Seekers Leaving Sweden in Record Number

The Local se (Sweden's news website in English) has reported that a record amount of people seeking asylum have left Sweden this year. Approximately 10,665 people between January to August 2016, according to the Swedish migration authority. This was published in the Sydsvenskan here.

Why are so many asylum seekers leaving Sweden?

A new law starting June 1 created the following issues for asylum seekers:
  1. The introduction of photo ID border checks
  2. Temporary residence seeker permits issued
Answer: The new law has made it challenging for asylum seekers to stay in Sweden.

However, Techfugees, a nonprofit that is a tech community created in response to refugees, has helped refugees. Read about that here.

Skilled IT people coming to Sweden as refugees were looking for work, and tech companies have embraced the influx of professionals through Sync Accelerator - founded by Johan Engstrom of Stockholm.

Sweden Paying Asylum Seekers to Leave Country?

Townhall.com reports in this article that Sweden is paying migrants to leave the country, stating that "potential migrants are leaving Sweden...and offered monetary payouts to people who voluntarily returned to their home countries."

Millions of Swedish notes in Circulation Must be Turned in by end of August 2016


Ending in June 2016, Swedish 20's, 50's, and 100's were no longer recognized as currency in Sweden. Banks will allow them to be deposited into their bank accounts. After Aug. 31, only the central bank of Sweden in Riksbank will allow them to be exchanged, but will also be charged a fee. 41 million in bank notes of approximately 1.3 billion kronor are estimated to still be in circulation, which is about $155M in US currency.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Details on New Star Trek Discovery Television series on CBS in 2017

Star Trek: Discovery

New details released on the Star Trek TV show, called Star Trek: Discovery on CBS in 2017. Information about the show reveals that the lead character will be a woman that is a lieutenant commander, before the Original Star Trek series takes place, featuring Captain Kirk and Spock.

This EW article points out that this isn't the first time that Star Trek has has a leading lady on the show. Star Trek Voyager, airing from 1995 to 2001 had a female captain -- Kathryn Janeway.

The writer-producer Bryan Fuller talks about the role of this female lieutenant will be diverse, and very likely African American. He says that he spoke to the first black woman in space, Mae Jemison, to gain inspiration for casting this lead character in the new Star Trek: Discovery television series on CBS in 2017.

The COO of CBS expects Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 to get at least 15 million viewers for the television premiere event.

Star Trek Discovery Television Series to be Diverse in Many Ways

What will make this character interesting is that she is not the Captain, so she will have a different perspective than previous Star Trek television series.

In addition to this, Fuller has made it very clear that "absolutely we're having a gay character," noting that Bryan Fuller himself is openly gay. There will also be robots.

Whoopi Goldberg has gone on record to say that she would love to bring her Star Trek: The Next Generation character, Guinan, to the new Star Trek: Discovery television series.

Fun Fact: The new Star Trek television series will take place approximately 10 years before Captain Kirk's notable five-year mission.

Editor's note: One of my personal favorite Star Trek series was Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, featuring Captain Benjamin Sisco. I really enjoyed watching this series. Share in the comments section your favorite Star Trek series and why.

Monday, August 01, 2016

Google parent Alphabet and GlaxoSmithKline Partner to create Galvani Bioelectronics

Alphabet and GlaxoSmithKline partnership Galvani Bioelectronics graphic


Alphabet and GlaxoSmithKline Joint Venture: Galvani Bioelectronics


Search powerhouse Google parent Alphabet and pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline are partnering to create Galvani Bioelectronics. This joint venture will be located in the UK. GlaxoSmithKline will own 55% of Galvani Biolectronics, while Alphabet (Google's parent company), will own 45% of Galvani Bioelectronics. The tentative date that Galvani Bioelectronics will have electrical medical implant treatments ready for the regulatory agency to review, will be the year 2023.

Announcement from GlaxoSmithKline and Alphabet

On 01 August 2016, GlaxoSmithKline and Alphabet announced their new joint venture into electrical medical implants by creating Galvani Bioelectronics. The goal is to "harness" electrical signals in the body to treat chronic diseases. Bioelectronics is still relatively new in the medical field, and Alphabet and GlaxoSmithKline want to be on the forefront of new medical discoveries (although GlaxoSmithKline has been active in this field since 2012). "New" meaning that very little progress has been made in this field as far as developing practical medical treatments for the human body. Alphabet's company Verily has expertise in the miniaturization of low power electronics, which is why this is such a strategic partnership.

The main headquarters for this joint venture will be in Stevenage in the UK, and research will also be conducted at Verily's facility in San Francisco, CA.

Galvani Bioelectronics to Create Miniature Electrical Medical Implants

The joint venture between Alphabet and GlaxoSmithKline will produce miniature electrical medical implants to treat a wide array of diseases in the human body. Think of a TENS unit, only smaller, and inside the body. Galvani Bioelectronics will be funded with about $712M over the next seven years.

Fun Fact: The inspiration of the company name Galvani Bioelectronics is from Luigi Aloisio Galvani, who was an 18th century scientist that first explored this field of bioelectronics.

In Other News...

In other news, Tesla has announced that it is buying SolarCity for $2.6B being that they have similar synergy in the renewable energy industry.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Nintendo NX Rumors Not Favorable Among Video Game Enthusiasts

Depiction of Nintendo NX, according to rumors


The Nintendo NX is making headlines in video gaming news, with rumors and speculation around their new mobile console. The problem is, most people view the new Nintendo NX - judging by the rumors and pictures - that it will be essentially the same as the WiiU. The biggest of this news, which many people think negatively about, is that Nintendo is moving back to video game cartridges.

This TechInsider article calls the Nintendo WiiU a "tremendous flop" - which you can see below in the picture detailing video game hardware sales. The WiiU had only sold 10.73 million units through September 2015.

Published Sept. 2015

The Nintendo NX sounds very much like the Failing WiiU

The Nintendo NX is described by Eurogamer sources as a powerful, portable video game console with its own display screen and detachable controllers on both sides. As mentioned above, it will run on cartridges, rather than mini discs. It is supposed to have NVIDIA Tegra graphics, and have a docking station that allows it to be projected into a larger screen. However, it will be marketed as allowing you to take your video games on the go.

Does any of this sound different from the failing the WiiU yet?

WiiU Perception may impact Nintendo NX

One of the biggest problems among video game enthusiasts, is that they perceive that there are not enough big title games on the WiiU. The perception is that Nintendo titles are somewhat limited. Nintendo seems to have taken their own path in the video game industry, and while Xbox and Playstation release similar titles that crossover both consoles, Nintendo does not do this. Nintendo creates their own brand of games, but has trouble convincing serious gamers to buy their console. This perception has hurt Nintendo with recent consoles. However, Nintendo has found much success with releasing the Pokemon Go app on iPhone and smartphones.

Editorial Note: I do not own a WiiU, nor have I played any video games on the WiiU. I have owned and played games on the NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Gamecube console gaming systems. I have played video games on the Wii, but have not owned one.


Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Mercedes-Benz Unveils Clean Energy Electric Commercial Transport Truck

Mercedes-Benz electric truck prototype (July 2016)

Mercedes-Benz shows off Fully Electric Heavy Transport Truck Prototype

Mercedes-Benz unveiled the first fully electric heavy transport truck prototype on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany. This "clean energy" commercial truck has an admissible weight capacity of 29 US tons, and operates with considerable less noise attributed to having no internal combustion engine. The obvious benefit to an electric commercial truck is that it doesn't run on fossil fuel, which improves the air quality versus the current trucks on the road today.

Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck not Expected to roll out until 2020

Mercedes-Benz calls it the "Urban eTruck" with a maximum driving range of about 124 miles on one charge. Daimler points out on PRNewswire that these clean energy commercial trucks may not be available for commercial use until about 2020. Daimler says that this is due to the "cost-to-efficiency" ratio of building them and an expected decrease in cost to produce the batteries they will use.

Light Distribution Electric Truckers being Tested with Customer trials

Also, fully electric light distribution Daimler trucks are currently being tested with customer trials. This shows that Daimler is actively seeking to compete with Tesla - the car company that only offers electric vehicles - which recently revealed that they are working on an electric semi transport truck.


Mercedes-Benz Rescue Assist App

Mercedes-Benz has developed a "Rescue Assist App" which allows emergency responders to have access to rescue cards in their vehicles. The app gives responders access to rescue cards for all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and vans since 1990 and all smart models built since 1998. These rescue cards show first responders the safety components in the vehicles, such as the airbags, batteries, and the fuel lines. This app can operate without the need of internet, and is available free of charge.

Mercedes-Benz 2017 E-Class

Mercedes-Benz 2017 E-Class

Mercedes-Benz 2017 E-Class Commercial



Mercedes-Benz E-Class Confusion in "Controversial" TV Commercial

Mercedes-Benz did have a TV commercial that compared its 2017 E-Class to the F 015 "autonomous" concept car, but it did not stay on the air for very long before it was pulled. This is because viewers believed that the new E-Class is an autonomous car, when it is not. It has the self parking feature, and advanced driver-assist systems, but the E-Class is not self driving. The U.S. commercial that was pulled from the air can be watched below.


Saturday, June 18, 2016

Steven Spielberg doesn't Kill Original Indy in Indiana Jones 5

Steven Spielberg during the filming of Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones 5 Spoiler

Steven Spielberg said in an interview that he is not killing off Harrison Ford in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 movie, which was a direct jab at the J.J. Abrams produced Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, where Han Solo dies.

This is both a spoiler and a confirmation that Indiana Jones 5 movie does have a green light. The movie database, IMDB.com shows that Indiana Jones 5 is slated to be released on July 19, 2019. The IMDB page for Indiana Jones 5 (seen here) is obviously in early form, with only one star currently attached to it (Harrison Ford).

Will Shia LeBeouf be in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 movie with Harrison Ford?

That is unknown at this point. However, judging based on the storyline of the last movie, they may leave Shia LeBeouf out of this one altogether or they are in talks to get him involved in this project.

Read about the stolen storyline and how Shia LeBeouf was disappointed with his own performance in Indiana Jones 4 here.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Release Vinyl Records with Holograms on June 17, 2016

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Two LP Hologram Vinyl

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Vinyl disc with Holograms

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens vinyl release date was yesterday - June 17, 2016. What makes these records so special is that they have hand-etched holograms on side B of both discs. You can see the Millenium Falcon on Disc 1, side B, and a TIE fighter on Disc 2, side B. It is available for sale at disneymusic.shop.musictoday.com/store and on Amazon.com. The music is by John Williams, and captures the essence of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Description of Star Wars: The Force Awakens Two LP Hologram Vinyl

What makes the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2 LP vinyl so special?
What makes the holograms so special is that the grooves in the vinyl record records light, in the same manner that the vinyl record grooves produce sound.

Will the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2 LP vinyl go up in price?
Will the Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2 LP vinyl increase in value?
It could. This is a limited production, so if the supply does not meet the demand, it could very well make the price increase in the public marketplace. It currents sells $47.99 on Amazon.com, but it is currently "out of stock" - an indicator that it is selling very quickly. The Amazon.com sale of this also includes a digital .mp3 of all of the music tracks as well. If you want just the .mp3 music, it is $7.99.

Screenshot taken from Amazon.com on June 18, 2016
The product description on Amazon.com reads:
Walt Disney Records is proud to release a new hologram vinyl version of the original motion picture soundtrack for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. With score conducted and composed by five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams and liner notes by the film’s director, J.J. Abrams, the double LP features a 16-page booklet on 180 gram vinyl. This one-of-a-kind vinyl set, hand etched by Tristan Duke (Jack White’s Lazaretto) of Infinity Light Science, offers a 3D hologram experience featuring the Millennium Falcon on Disc 1/Side B and a TIE Fighter on Disc 2/Side B. For optimal viewing, use a direct light source or simply hold a mobile phone flashlight above the vinyl to view the holograms.

You can watch the video of the holograms here:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2 LP vinyl record set with holograms is very exciting to fans, and will be a nice edition to a Star Wars collection.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 over Memorial Day weekend in Piedmont Park


Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 logo

Free to the Public: Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 in Piedmont Park

If you want something free to do in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend, you should check out the Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 in Piedmont Park. If you want something for a sophisticated, cultured person, the Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 in Piedmont Park is the perfect event for you over Memorial Day weekend. This is one of the country's largest free public jazz festivals, and showcases both jazz legends, and also up-and-coming jazz artists.

The address of Piedmont Park is: 1342 Worchester Drive NE, Atlanta GA 30306.

The daily hours of the festival are the following:
Friday, May 27, 2016: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday, May 28, 2016: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday, May 29, 2016: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

If you are a resident of Atlanta, then you know how bad traffic can get. Consider these options to get to the Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 in Piedmont Park

Other Transportation Options:
  • Bike Valet
  • MARTA
  • Parking Panda
  • Uber

Atlanta Jazz Festival 2016 in Piedmont Park schedule

From the Atlanta Jazz Festival website:

On Friday, May 27, 2016 the lineup on the Main Stage is as follows:
6 p.m. - DJ: KP The Great
7 p.m. - Next Collective
9 p.m. - JOI




Saturday, May 14, 2016

Impressive Diamond Crush by the Hydraulic Press Channel


Hydraulic Press Crushed a Diamond

Trending on YouTube is a video by the Hydraulic Press Channel where they crush a diamond with a hydraulic press. This video is rapidly approaching 1.5 million views. It is quite an impressive and valuable diamond, and they crush it in a matter of seconds. This YouTube Channel has many videos on various items that they are crushing, like a book - which has gotten almost 5 million views. The Hydraulic Press Channel has over 960,000 subscribers.

YouTube Video of Hydraulic Press Crush a Diamond


The video is recorded with a high speed camera that films at 40 x slow motion rate.

Before he crushes the diamond with the hydraulic press, he says, "They say that diamonds are forever, but for how long?" - which is a great line before the crush.

Then afterwards, he says, "Diamond lose. Press wins."

He was actually afraid that the diamond might fly away during the exercise, and that he would then have to go and search for it, but this was not the case. The diamond stayed in place and was crushed.

Where did the Hydraulic Press Channel get the Diamond?


Where did the diamond come from for the hydraulic press to crush?

The diamond came from the Brilliant Earth, who provided the diamond to crush.

Video of Hydraulic Press Crush a Diamond




Sunday, May 01, 2016

Fear the Walking Dead Season 2 is Going Where Robert Kirkman Said No in TWD with Nick


Nick covered in walker blood; photo credit: AMC
Fear the Walking Dead #FTWD is going to take this prime time soap opera where Robert Kirkman said just wasn't an option in The Walking Dead #TWD. Let me explain. Spoilers ahead regarding Season 2 episodes "Ouroboros" and "Blood in the Streets"


Explanation of how Fear the Walking Dead is Different from TWD

After the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead, titled "Start to Finish," Robert Kirkman was on the Talking Dead and someone asked, "Why don't they just cover themselves in walker guts and survive that way in the zombie apocalypse?"

Robert Kirkman's cryptic response was essentially because it just wouldn't work. Or that is what I understood from his response. Another question that he often downplays is "How did the virus get into everybody?" 

Nick's New High is Blending in with Zombies

Fastforward to now, watching Season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead. In episode 3 of Fear the Walking Dead, "Ouroboros," the cast is surrounded on a cliff by walkers, and Nick comes through covered in walker blood. The zombies don't attack him. He leads them away after killing one, and he realizes that he has tapped into another world. Blending in with the zombies is his new high.

As a viewer, I am observing that Fear the Walking Dead is exploring something that was not an everyday option for those living in The Walking Dead. Nick is tapping into his inner zombie, and enjoying every bit of it.

Episode Blood in the Streets Reveals that Nick is a Survivor in FTWD

At the beginning of the episode, "Blood in the Streets," we see Nick wash ashore. But why? It's very Terminator-like. He shows himself as a strong character here. He lures a walker into a tent and smears the blood all over himself, and goes back to that place that is his new high -- as one of the undead.

To me, I am starting to see that Nick is not only a key character, but he is also one that will survive for quite some time in this show.

By the end of the episode, we find out that Strand sent Nick to shore to go get Luis. They get into a zodiac boat and reunite with the Abigail by the end of the episode -- just in time to save the cast from a hostage situation on board. Unfortunately, the leader of the bad guys, Conner, has taken Travis and Alicia off the Abigail. Strand is rescued at the end of the episode, right before he dies at sea.

Lastly, we find out that the yacht named "Abigail" is named after Thomas Abigail, who Strand was dealing with (another con man). Many viewers were thinking that Abigail was the name of Strand's daughter or wife. Sorry, it's the last name of a man.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Jurassic World Sequel May be Called Jurassic Outpost, or not


On Friday, April 22, 2016 the Jurassic World Twitter account posted: "We have a new website coming soon!!! Layout and name inbound. We couldn't be more excited! #somethingiscoming"

With this post, the following picture was also posted.

Jurassic World sequel, Jurassic Outpost
If you examine the picture closely, the second word is hidden, but you can vaguely make out the "O" and a "u" and a "t" - the rest is obscured very well. The most logical word that would go here is "Outpost". This word also seems to fit with the fact that Jurassic Park and Jurassic World take place on an island called Isla Nublar. Being that this island is somewhat remote, it makes logical sense to call it an outpost.

If you go to the Jurassic World Twitter account now, it appears that this tweet has since been removed. The last tweet showing was from April 18, and it announces that JA Bayona is going to direct Jurassic World 2, with a theater release date of June 22, 2018.

Very recently, at the MTV Movie Awards, Chris Pratt won for "Best Action Performance" in Jurassic World.

Jurassic World wins for "best action performance"

Jurassic Outpost might not be the actual Movie Title

Back to the topic at hand. Jurassic World 2 may not have a Jurassic Outpost in the actual movie title. This could just be the new name for the compound in the movie. And they have built this outpost in an effort to take back the island, and take control from the dinosaurs.

Being the curious person that I am, I went to www.jurassicoutpost.com just to see what comes up. It is a picture of a T-Rex and below it reads: "THE OUTPOST IS COMING" and below that it says, "ARTWORK BY NATHAN DOUTHITT"

I do not believe this website is related to the Jurassic Park movies. Since they already have a website (JurassicWorld.com), they would most likely redirect people that try to go to the domain jurassicoutpost.com if they had bought that domain name.

Recurring Theme in the Jurassic World


This seems to be a common theme in all of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. The humans try to make money off of dangerous dinosaurs. Then dangerous dinosaurs break out of their compound, and start to eat people. Then, the movie ends with the hero barely escaping off of the island, and the dinosaurs have won...for now. When will the humans learn not to play God with dino DNA?

This news was originally reported on Cinema Blend.

Jurassic World 2 Plot Theory, Dinos on the Mainland

According to the article, "Jurassic World 2 moves off the Island, filming in the UK instead of Hawaii,"  article writer Chris Picard speculates that the filming setting is different, therefore the premise of the movie will be that the dinosaurs are now on the mainland. An early Jurassic Park 4 script was rumored to be doing this, however the article thinks that people are wanting to "weaponize" dinosaurs for combat (such as war).

In this scenario, then perhaps it would make sense that an outpost is needed. Outposts are generally a fortified structure or building on the edge of the wilderness.

The article discusses that the filming is taking place in the UK for Jurassic World 2, as opposed to in Hawaii -- which makes a great location to film islands, such as Isla Nublar (the typical setting of Jurassic Park movies).

That article was posted on Scified.com.

Jurassic Park already had a Dinosaur Research Outpost toy in production


On the JurassicPark.Wikia.com, they have a toy called the "Dinosaur Research Outpost" but to the untrained eye, it pretty much looks like a man up in a tree. Not much research going on there.

Dinosaur Research Outpost



Saturday, March 26, 2016

Ciuffi Rossi Growing Popular on YouTube, Make Official Music Video Biancastella

Marco and Alessio Bianchi, known as Ciuffi Rossi

Twins from Italy, known as Ciuffi Rossi, are growing quite popular on YouTube, getting close to 500,000 or more views on many YouTube covers of popular contemporary pop songs. Their real names are Marco and Alessio Bianchi, and they have already made an official video (Biancastella) with the Time Warner Italy music label.

6 Popular Ciuffi Rossi YouTube Covers to date:


  • The song, "Cheerleader" by OMI has over 566,000 views.
  • The song, "Drag Me Down" by One Direction has over 561,000 views.
  • The song, "Take Me to Church" by Hozier has over 434,000 views.
  • The song, "Love Me Like You" by Ellie Goulding has over 406,000 views.
  • The song, " All of Me" by John Legend has over 401,000 views.
  • The song, "Sugar" by Maroon 5 has over 349,000 views.


Ciuffi Rossi has been picked up by Warner Music Italy, and posted an official video, titled "Biancastella". Even though the video is in the language, Italian, I'd say it is a very catchy song. It has over 776,000 views on YouTube. The Ciuffi Rossi YouTube channel has over 285,000 subscribers, which is pretty impressive.


Biancastella by Ciuffi Rossi (translation into English)


We're just alike you and I Made of dreams and pure energy Two drops of water falling on their own On a night in late September Desire to take ideas to flight And turn them into moments of God I remember you talked to me for hours I told you as loudly as possible That you should do what you want Don't you give up, don't let go You are as strong as a storm Break out violently, so that no one can stop it Win over your insecurities, shine in the sky White star, the most beautiful You're like me, like us Never stop believing in dreams Rise up and shout your desires Make a sincere promise to yourself Don't you give up, don't let go You are as strong as a storm Win over your insecurities, shine in the sky White Star, the most beautiful The most beautiful, the most beautiful I'm like you, like us Made of dreams, of dreams, and of pure energy Two drops of water falling on their own on a night in late September

Monday, February 08, 2016

The Walking Dead Season 6 Finale introduces Negan and Maggie has a Miscarriage

Warning: There are Season 6 Spoilers below.

Negan Introduced When we Return to Walking Dead Season 6


In the Walking Dead, Season 6, Rick Grimes and company have been living among the Alexandrians. In the mid-season finale, a tower falls into the Alexandria wall, and zombie "walkers" start pouring into Alexandria. Shortly after, we see the beginnings of the character, Negan (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan). This would mean that the Saviors are there too - which are seen in the 2 minute sneak peak at the end of the mid-season finale. Fans of the Walking Dead comic know that the arrival of Negan means that Glenn's death could be soon upon us. Glenn recently survived a near-death event in the show, leaving viewers wondering if he actually survived after he fell into a mass of zombies.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan pictured next to his comic character Negan

Finale Minutes of Season 6 mid-season Finale

In the final minutes of the Season 6 mid-season finale, the still alive humans of Alexandria smear zombie walker guts all over themselves to blend in with the undead. They are walking among the undead, and her youngest son (Sam) can't keep quiet. He continues to say "Mom" in the worst possible moment of needing to be quiet in a dangerous situation.

Sam is the epitome of Alexandria's innocence, which is being defiled by zombies.

When the Walking Dead, Season 6 mid-season finale concludes, we see a 2 minute trailer of Abraham, Sasha, and Daryl driving a gas truck down a road and they are stopped by Negan's posse of bikers. They stake claim to all of their possessions, in the name of Negan. Watch that below:


Russian FOX Affiliate Drops Hint about Carl in Season 6

But a Russian FOX affiliate shows a preview shot of Carl from the second half of the Walking Dead, Season 6, and Carl has a bandage over his eye (below). Will Carl be shot in the eye by Negan? 
We can be sure that he wasn't shot in the eye by zombies.

Carl gets shot in his eye

The Walking Dead, Season 6 has already been completely filmed

Fun fact: For the fans of the show, Season 6 has already been completely filmed.

The Walking Dead, Season 6 returns to TV on Sunday, February 14, 2016. According to the cast, the finale of Season 6 was very hard to film. Actor Andrew Lincoln was up at night and couldn't sleep the night before. Actress Lauren Cohen describes it as the worst day on the set in her life. Andrew Lincoln didn't even want to go to work, and was late to the set that day.

One Last Thing: Maggie is Pregnant with Glenn's Baby, but something happens...

Answer this question: Did Maggie have a miscarriage? (answer below)

The Walking Dead, Season 6, Episode 15: Maggie has a Miscarriage


In Season 6, episode 15, it show a shower scene where the side of Maggie's stomach is bruised. Why? Because Maggie had a miscarriage.

Did Maggie have a miscarriage?

Yes. Part of the theory is that Glenn and Maggie end up adopting Aenid in a manner as a result of this miscarriage. But, sadly, Maggie has a miscarriage.

Video below discusses this in more detail.



Tuesday, February 02, 2016

X-files Season 10, Episode 1 Changes Everything

X-files Variety Cover
Just so you know, there are 9 Seasons of X-files available to watch for free on Comcast On Demand (for now, anyways).

Warning: This Contains Spoilers of X-files Season 10


X-Files Season 10 Shows the Truth about Aliens and the Government Cover-up


And in the first episode of the new season 10, Mulder concedes that there just wasn't enough proof out there to prove that aliens exist, before seeing undeniable proof. Watching the first episode was more like a grand finale that the start of a new-mini season, because Mulder gets to see what he has been searching for during his career in the FBI. The premise of the new X-files mini-series is "Ok, we now have proof." Show's over folks, they've blown the whole mystery to the X-files. Aliens are now among us, and the Smoking man smokes cigarettes from his throat hole. Mulder finally sees an alien spaceship, build by a super secretive group of people that know aliens exist. The spaceship runs on energy free floating in the universe. Mulder sees the ship floating in the air. The government agents find out, and destroy this ship before the end of the episode.


    Things we find out from episode 1:
  • An alien saucer crash landed in Roswell, NM (pretty obvious one here)
  • The government has been using alien spaceships to abduct people and conduct tests on humans. The alien abductee in episode one has been abducted many times, and she said that her baby was taken out through her belly button, and this traumatic experience could not be forgotten. Her other memories were wiped clean.
  • Scully finds out that the woman was not lying about having alien DNA inside of her (put there by aliens), after running tests on her blood.
  • The government has been conducting tests on humans to make alien human hybrids.


Things we find out from episode 2:

  • The government is funding programs to take in homeless people and conduct tests on them
  • Mulder and Scully discuss their son, William (who would be 15 years old at this point)
  • They don't know if their son was experimented on. He was in a wreck and taken to the hospital.
  • There are many flashbacks of Mulder and Scully with their son in this episode
  • William was "abducted" from their house right in front of Mulder (in the final scene of episode 2)
  • In episode 2, experimenting on humans appears to be out of control. The government is funding projects everywhere Mulder and Scully go 
  • Ear piercing sounds are heard throughout this episode. First Mulder, and then the woman that kills her unborn son in her stomach, then Mulder hears it again.
  • A1 Janitoral services the same government funded eugenics facility
  • They track down Kyle, who has the ability to project ear piercing sounds wavelengths, and his sister Molly is telepathic.
  • Kyle kills people with his powers

    Things we find out from episode 3:

  • In episode 3, we see the first alien (it looks like a lizard, and kills a man by feasting on his throat)

  • Episode 3 has humor in it

  • Apparently the human lizard in the episode can transform back into human form at his own will
  • This episode has Mulder poking fun at previous X-files lore
  • Episode 3 plays on the werewolf tale. The lizard man changes back and forth from man to lizard

What is disappointing about X-Files Season 10?

The new season of X-files has lost much of the mystery it originally had. It seems forced. The government conspiracy abducting people is blatantly obvious. The experimenting on children is "in your face" and the show seems to have lost much of the charm that it once had. Children are disappearing right and left, in the name of science.
The conflict is "man vs. government" and the government is winning at every turn. Mulder and Scully have been off of the X-files.



Friday, January 29, 2016

Google Chrome crash, Safari Glitch

Google Chrome is cracked

Solutions to Google Chrome Crashing


Google Chrome looks cracked above, doesn't it? Well it is.

If you are experiencing Google Chrome crashes, you are not alone. The truth is out there.

The three most common fixes for when Google Chrome crashes is:

  1. Restart Google Chrome
  2. Restart your device
  3. Close the other tabs
  4. Disable problematic plugins (see screenshot on right)
  5. If all else fails, reset the settings (see screenshot below)

Apple iOS Safari browser Glitch Crash Boom!


On January 27, 2016 Safari browser, by Apple, kept crashing. It was even unavailable for some worldwide users on Wednesday. Everyone was wondering: "Why?"

There is a perfect good explanation for this, isn't there?

No. Apple has declined to comment as to the details of why their beloved browser has crashed. They will not even provide any hints as to why the Safari browser has failed millions of people worldwide.

Apple calls Safari problems a minor Glitch

This "glitch" - as Apple called it, lasted approximately 7 hours. Apple claimed that the problem was fixed about 10:45 p.m. Eastern standard time, but they did not say why the Safari glitch caused such an issue for users worldwide.

People in Apple's support forums believe that the Safari glitch was caused by the Safari's search suggestions box. They surmised that typing anything into the box caused the app to crash on the Apple iPhone. They temporary disabled this feature in the settings, but had to shut down the servers to do so.

Some people wonder if this Safari glitch had anything to do with the latest upgrade of the iOS system that took place earlier in the week.

How to Solve your Browser Problems

There is one way to solve your Google Chrome and Apple Safari problems: Don't use either.

There are other browsers that you can use, instead of Google Chrome and Apple Safari.

You could use Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox, as an alternative. Although one should point out that Mozilla Firefox uses more of your computer's resources to run than most other browsers. That doesn't mean that it isn't good, it just means, be mindful of your CPU working overtime to run your online browser.

Microsoft Edge Not Really Letting you Browse inPrivate

In 2010, Stanford analysts found that private perusing modes in Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer were powerless against neighborhood aggressors through various hacker attackers.

When you use inPrivate browsing, Internet Edge browser still creates data on the hard drive disk connected to your browsing activities. The cached files are still stored in the Temporary Internet files sub-directories.

The only thing it really does as advertised, is conceal a user's browser history from the user interface, and from the common tools.
Mozilla Firefox taking a bite out of Internet Explorer



Sunday, January 10, 2016

Drake Hotline Bling U.S. Russia Relations Dissertation by zanderzeth

Drake "Hotline Bling"

Hotline Bling by Drake gets one YouTube viewer into Deep Thinking


Hotline Bling by Drake on YouTube has brought many reactions from fans, but none as "interesting" as a dissertation on relations between the U.S. and Russia by user zanderzeth. This user has quite a creative imagination and must give him props for really thinking this through. Most people would not think that Hotline Bling is a deep song, but zanderzeth has proved these people to be wrong.

Read it below:

Here is what Drake's song Hotline Bling really means... Tensions between the United States (and its allies) and Russia have been steadily rising over the past several years. Although once close allies with the west, Russia's recent actions of strained the relationship between it and much of the western world. In "Hotline Bling", Drake provides an elegant metaphorical recap of the circumstances that have led to the current relationship between the two powers, from the days of their initial alliance through the tensions of the Cold War into the present-day strained but civil relationship: You used to call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love Call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love And I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing In this opening, Drake harkens back to the Second World War, the beginning of the relationship between the USA and the USSR. The "late night when you need my love" refers to the darkness of the later years of WWII, when Nazi Germany's expansion and atrocities reached their most severe states. The 'love' needed here was the mutual support and cooperation between the USSR and USA in order to defend themselves and end the threat of Nazi expansion. The phrase " I know when that hotline bling that can only mean one thing" is first introduced here. This same phrase will be used throughout the song, changing in meaning and context at each new use to reflect the gradual changes in attitudes of the two superpowers towards one another. The precise meanings are deliberately unexplained by Drake; we are left to interpret meaning of the phrase as it changes from chorus to chorus. This mirrors the uncertainty that both the USA and USSR would experience when attempting to understand the intentions of the other country. In this first chorus, the phrase is used to refer to the anticipated call that each leader would receive to notify them of the surrender of Nazi forces. Ever since I left the city, You got a reputation for yourself now Everybody knows and I feel left out Girl you got me down, you got me stressed out 'Cause ever since I left the city, you started wearing less and goin' out more Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor Hangin' with some girls I've never seen before


Beginning of Drake Hotline Bling is the Cold War between United States and Russia

This verse discusses the beginnings of the tensions between the two countries that would come to be known as the Cold War. The "city" being left is a metaphor for the dissolution of the alliance between the USA and USSR after the end of WWII. The "reputation for yourself" that Drake speaks of is the combination of profound social and political differences found between the two countries, one a capitalist democracy and the other a single-party Marxist-Lenninist state. Drake bluntly discusses the "stress" that this separation causes, especially when the USSR begins "Hangin' with some girls I've never seen before "; a thinly-veiled reference to the signing of the Warsaw Pact between the USSR and other communist states of eastern Europe. You used to call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love Call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love And I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing In this first repetition of the chorus, tensions between the two powers had reached one of their highest points, with the Cuban Missile Crisis. Drake's use of the "hotline bling" phrase refers to the potential command of either of the two countries to launch nuclear missiles. Such a blinging of the hotline could only "mean one thing": the mutually-assured destruction of a full-scale nuclear war. Ever since I left the city, you, you, you You and me we just don't get along You make me feel like I did you wrong Going places where you don't belong Ever since I left the city, you, you got exactly what you asked for Running out of pages in your passport Hanging with some girls I've never seen before Here, Drake imples that the two nations are now very openly engaged in non-violent conflict, that they "just don't get along". In the later years of the Cold War, the USA and Soviet Union were involved in several proxy wars; wars in which the two sides were not in direct conflict, but rather supported opposing sides in wars between other nations. "Going places where you don't belong" is Drake's allusion to the delivery of soldiers, supplies and other support to the parties engaged in these conflicts, particularly the Vietnam War. This was followed by a period of many changing alliances for both counties, as new accords were reached and diplomats from both countries began to visit many nations in earnest, hoping to secure further alliances and limit any advantage that either side could gain. This period is represent in Drake's words as "Running out of pages in your passport . Hanging with some girls I've never seen before" You used to call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love Call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love And I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing This chorus marks a fundamental change in the Cold War, as tensions began to ease and both parties sought to increase global stability. Under the new leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union implemented many sweeping reforms and entered talks with the United States in order to decrease tensions. Here, the one thing that the "hotline bling" can mean is yet another call between one world leader to another, slowly improving international relations. Eventually, due to the weakening bonds between the countries comprising the Soviet Union, the hotline would bling a final time to inform President George H.W. Bush of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War. These days, all I do is Wonder if you bendin' over backwards for someone else Wonder if you're rollin' up a backwoods for someone else Doing things I taught you, gettin' nasty for someone else You don't need no one else You don't need nobody else, no Why you never alone Why you always touching road Used to always stay at home, be a good girl You was in a zone, yeah You should just be yourself Right now, you're someone else In the final verse, seemingly directed at Russia (formerly the largest and most influential country in the Soviet Union) Drake reflects upon the current rising tensions between the USA and Russia. Drake "Wonder[s] if you [Russia] bendin' over backwards for someone else", seemingly questioning whether or not Russia is currently forging any new alliances in secret. Drake assures Russia that "You don't need no one else. You don't need nobody else, no" indicating that he believes that Russia should seek to maintain its current diplomatic relations, rather than seek alliances with other countries or acquire new territory through the use of military force. Drake tells Russia that it "Used to always stay at home, be a good girl . You was in a zone, yeah. ". These beautiful lyrics represent the years between the end of the Cold War and Vladimir Putin's rise to power in which Russia enjoyed a relatively prosperous economy and stable diplomatic relations with the western world. Drake tells Russia "You should just be yourself", encouraging the Nation reestablish the national identity and policies of those years. You used to call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love Call me on my cell phone Late night when you need my love And I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing I know when that hotline bling That can only mean one thing In a final repetition of the chorus, Drake expresses concern that the hotline will bling once again in response to any sudden military action taken by Russia that could once again plunge two of the most powerful nations into conflict. Ever since I left the city Drake concludes with a simple, yet poignant, lamentation of the loss of the original spirit of cooperation between the two powers. Drakes words evoke a deep and tragic yearning for the kindred relationship that may never be again.