the WGA the strike and presenting the newest Network…the internet
November 10th, 2007 § 2 Comments
So, we have a strike
in Tinseltown and the studios SHOULD be giving the writers their fair share of future revenues that WILL be generated from viewing their work on the internet. Or maybe the writers should just form another guild entirely that is digital only for the web. It strikes me that there will be more producers and actors and writers that will migrate their efforts on the internet once its been shown that a new TV show can produce some significant coin from their debut online. Since there are many more households with broadband now than ever before I wonder how many people would watch ‘American Idol’ or ‘Lost’ online FIRST given the chance? And then watch the repeats on TV. I wonder what the online viewing numbers must measure for the advertisers to allow the web to ‘go first’. It could be an interesting paradigm shift if it happens one day.
and the new Tex Avery of our time is…. John Kricfalusi
November 10th, 2007 § Leave a Comment
Brilliant is the only word for John. John is most famous for “Ren and Stimpy”. His style and humor most often makes me recall watching the master of exaggeration and grandfather of cartoons, Tex Avery. Tex made some unbelievable cartoons – some of which have been ‘banned’ today (like ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabana‘). Here is one of his best “Red-Hot Riding Hood“.
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Or this cartoon about a “King-Size Canary“
John has his own demo reel. John’s style is so much like that of the Avery style I think sometimes he really IS Tex Avery. I’d love to hire John to create a new series of cartoons for adults (non-porn), just very edgy. I think he’s the guy that can pull it off.
John’s demo reel can be viewed here.
$5.00 a gallon for gas, Oil will go over $ 100.00 a barrel and Google will hit 1000…
November 10th, 2007 § Leave a Comment
Thresholds and benchmarks. Since gasoline out here in California is swiftly approaching $4.00 a gallon, it won’t be long before it surpasses that point and creeps towards $ 5.00 a gallon. Prediction: by Summer 2008, we will see that price level or before. 
Oil will creep over $ 100 a barrel before years end and Google will see a $1000 per share price
. The event that will precipitate these benchmark price levels will be the further dependence on oil by not only the US but China and India coupled with natural catastrophes and worldwide demand by consumers which is not abating. The ‘excuse’ always given to us by the Oil co’s. is “its the spring and consumer demand is increasing” and then the next thing we hear is that its now ‘summer’ and demand for gasoline is more than ever (translation: pump up the price because we know people will be driving more because its summer). As for Google I’ll bet the price of the stock jumps big time once they bid on and win the Gov’t. 700 MGhz wireless spectrum auction and combine their Linux mobile OS phone manufacturing partners and their ‘free’ Google wireless mobile network. Think of the enormous shift of cash flow from some current mobile operators right over to the ‘free’ Google network filled with advertisements almost overnight. Why would I continue with Verizon or AT&T or Sprint or T-Mobile or Alltel or whomever if I could get the same or better service for free?
the iphone, wi-fi, jailbreak and no more cell phone bills
November 10th, 2007 § 5 Comments
my friend just bought an iphone off ebay for about 400.00. It came ‘unlocked’ or hacked. He can place any SIM card in it and use any carrier he wants. BUT what’s really interesting is that he no longer needs to use a mobile carrier to make his calls – he uses the iphone wifi capabilities and the software hack (jailbreak) and bingo – free calls. He even uses his regular cell number. Does it really work? Well, I’ve been talking with him for about 10 days now on it. Over the 405 freeway in his house and around town. So far it sounds like any other cell phone. No dead spots I can notice. After about 1 week of this he called his carrier Sprint and lowered his monthly cell minute commitment from 1500 minutes a month to 150. His cell bill dropped to next to nothing and now his calls are all free. Can this really be? Well so far its true. It really does work. 
APPLE knows this is going on and just released their newest version of the iphone software OS (v 1.1.2). Well, in about 20 mins. after the new version was made available it was hacked again for those iphone users and it seems this cat and mouse game will keep going on and on. APPLE says it sold about 1.55 million iphones and about 250,000 of those are unlocked. Next year there will be a new kid on the block and this new kids toy will be just about the only thing that could sway some of those 250,000 users a different way – a free cellular network through Google’s win of the FCC’s auction of 700-MHz wireless spectrum and several handset makers that will produce a linux based mobile handset with Google app’s loaded on it and ads. The handsets will cost money but the network (calls) 
will be free with ads. And perhaps there will be a pay (no-ad) version too. This type of scenario will really throw the whole cell phone business for a loop. And I believe it will happen shortly. In the meantime I want an unlocked’ iphone too!
