I want to thank everyone who participated in my first blog contest on The Definitive Dmbosstone, lots of people entered and I hope everybody had fun watching The Big Game last night. Congratulations to the Saints for taking down Peyton Manning and the Colts! It will surely be a long Mardi [...]]]>

The Prize: Firefly Vodka

I want to thank everyone who participated in my first blog contest on The Definitive Dmbosstone, lots of people entered and I hope everybody had fun watching The Big Game last night. Congratulations to the Saints for taking down Peyton Manning and the Colts! It will surely be a long Mardi Gras this year.

And now to the answers and the winner!

1. What will be the result of the Super Bowl XLIV Coin Toss?

2. Team to win the opening coin toss.

The New Orleans Saints called heads and won the coin toss:

3. The first 1st down in the game will happen on a Pass or Run play?

Pass Play (Manning pass deep right to D.Clark to IND 45 for 18 yards)

4. Team to score first in the game.

5. The first score of the game will be?

6. The first scoring play of the game will be?

Indianapolis Colts Field Goal (Stover 38 yard field goal)

7. Team to score the first Touchdown in the game.

Indianapolis Colts (Manning pass deep right to P.Garcon for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN)

8. Team to call the first timeout in the game.

Indianapolis Colts (Timeout #1 by IND at 01:55 left in 2Q)

9. Team to call the first coaches challenge in the game.

10. What will be the result of the first coaches challenge in the game?

New Orleans Saints,  Play Overturned (TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. Brees pass to L.Moore is incomplete. ATTEMPT FAILS. New Orleans challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was REVERSED.)

11. Will there be a score in the last 3min 30 seconds of the game?

Yes (Manning pass short left intended for R.Wayne INTERCEPTED by T.Porter at NO 26. T.Porter for 74 yards, TOUCHDOWN.)

12. Which quarter will the most points be scored in?

3rd Quarter (17)

13. Will there be a lead change in the second half?

Yes (Brees pass short right to P.Thomas for 16 yards, TOUCHDOWN.)

14. Who Will Win 2010 Super Bowl XLIV MVP?

Drew Brees

15. What will be the result of Drew Brees first pass attempt?

Pass Complete (Brees pass short left to P.Thomas to NO 31 for 6 yards)

16. Total TD Passes by Peyton Manning Over/Under 2.5

Under (1)

17. Player to score the first TD in the game.

Pierre Garcon (Manning pass deep right to P.Garcon for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN)

18. Total Passing Yards, which will be higher?

Peyton Manning Super Bowl XLIV (333)

19. Total Passing Yards, which will be higher?

Dan Marino Super Bowl XIX (318 Passing Yards, Drew Brees Super Bowl XLIV: 288)

20. How long will it take Carrie Underwood to sing the National Anthem?

Over 1 Minute and 42 Seconds

21. What will the TV Rating be?

*Over 42.9 Nielsen Rating (46.4)

22. Which Super Bowl commercial will have a higher rating on USA Today’s annual Ad Meter?

Other (Mars’ Snickers)

23. Which sideline reporter will be on TV first after the opening kick off.

Solomon Wilcots (First report at 7:10, Steve Tasker first report at 7:50)

24. What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?

Orange

25. What side of the ball will the Players that perform the Gatorade Shower be from?

Defensive (DE Jeff Charleston & DE Bobby McCray)

26. Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

Does Not Thank Anyone

27. How Many Times will CBS show Eli Manning on TV during the Game?

Under 2.5 (1)

28. How Many Times will CBS show Kim Kardashian on TV during the Game?

Under 2.5 (0)

29. How Many Times will CBS announcers fully mention Hurricane Katrina during the game?

Under 2.5

30. What color top will Kim Kardashian be wearing at the Super Bowl?

Black

31. How many times will Pete Townshend do his legendary windmill move?

Over 5.5

32. Will a member of the Who smash a guitar on stage during the half time show?

No

33. Who Will Win Super Bowl XLIV

New Orleans Saints

TIE-BREAKER: What will be the combined score of the game?

48

And the winner of this year’s challenge is…

Craig Leger of 4 Sport Boston!

He got 21 out of 33 right and will be seeing a bottle of Firefly coming his way- congrats!

The winner of the consolation prize drawing is…

Brad of A Jersey Kid!

Complete results after the jump

The Big Game XLIV Prop Bet Challenge Results

Craig L. - 21

Elizabeth P. – 19

Kevin C. - 18

Steven Y. - 18

David B. - 18

Ben K. - 18

Patrick Pho (Me) - 18

Alice T. -  17

Tommy W. - 17

Cody C. - 17

Kern - 17

Amie S. - 17

Ivar A. - 17

Brad F. - 17

John F. - 17

Mike - 17

Greg R. - 16

Shine - 16

Theo G. - 16

Aaron K. - 16

Daniel S. - 16

Michele N. – 16

James P. - 16

Scott H. - 15

Anthony M. - 15

David N. -  15

Joe - 15

Neal H. - 14

Edward F. - 14

Don R. - 14

Stephanie R. - 14

Ray C. - 14

Rachel M. - 14

Ed M. - 14

Arkady S. - 14

Twayward - 14

Jacki Y. - 14

Mike C. - 13

Sean D. - 13

Frank L. - 13

Brett - 13

Carolyn B. - 13

Mike K. - 13

Diane T. - 13

Lindsay P. - 13

Wendi S. - 12

Clarence D. - 11

Nic L. - 11

Harold G. - 10

Even though I love to get snail mail, last week I received two “last issue” warnings for a couple of magazines I subscribe to. For both I ignored their request to re-up my subscription, even though one of them was a trade magazine that I got for free.

I used [...]]]>

Photo courtesy of Flickr user SerenityRose

Even though I love to get snail mail, last week I received two “last issue” warnings for a couple of magazines I subscribe to. For both I ignored their request to re-up my subscription, even though one of them was a trade magazine that I got for free.

I used to devour my magazines days after they came in the mail, but now with my life busier than ever periodicals take a back seat to blogs, websites, and podcasts. As I embrace new channels for absorbing information, I find myself suffering from information overload- and as a result I am cutting down on the blogs I read, the podcasts I listen to, and the magazines I read.

To me, magazines are the least convenient form of media. From the moment you receive it the information is already stale and it is a hassle to tote around. Unless I’m on a plane at take-off, it’s easier for me to whip out my Blackberry or iPod touch and catch up on my blogs. Magazines don’t travel as easily as my Blackberry, nor is it easier to multitask with, like a podcast. Printed media demands your absolute attention, even if you are working out it’s best to read a magazine when using a aerobic machine that requires little attention to operate.

My argument for magazines also goes hand in hand with newspapers, people find it easier to read the news online than to read a newspaper that was created the night before.

While people already argue about the future of newspapers, I wonder how the magazine industry is going to fare in comparison. Will it die out like newspapers or does it stand a chance to survive? Recently people had said that the iPad will help save printed media much like e-readers and how they are giving books entrance into the electronic playground.

The one thing magazines and papers still have an edge on is content. While newspapers have struggled with making revenue while giving their best stuff away for free, most magazines have still survived by refusing to post their latest works up as fast as papers. Thus in some cases you still need to pick-up the latest issue to read the latest articles.

So if magazines do have a little bit of an edge compared to newspapers- what’s the difference between the two in how they approached online media? Newspapers tried to charge for access but the glut of outlets that were giving their stuff away for free drove the entire industry to do the same. Magazines however managed to avoid that to an extent, while few online competitors existed to create a free content frenzy.

So maybe it was the way both established their online approaches that made the difference, but does that mean newspapers can’t make a comeback? The New York Times is about to see if they can change midstream- returning back to a fee based system.

So will it work for the Times? Is the New York Times brand with such loyal fans that they are willing to pay to read it?

I wouldn’t know. I don’t read the Times, I go on Google News instead.

Oscar Watch: Oscar Nominations Thoughts And Surprises

Below you’ll find a [...]]]>

Last year I ran a really badass Super Bowl The Big Game pool, where I took some of the craziest prop bets and put them onto a sheet- whoever got the most right wins! Well I think this year I want to take the fun online, for entertainment purposes only of course!

Below you’ll find a link where you can enter your picks for various proposition bets for The Big Game! Just pick ‘em and whoever gets the most right will win a 750ml bottle of  Firefly! There will also be an additional drawing for those that help spread the word about the challenge. The lucky winner of that drawing will receive a 375 ml bottle of Firefly.

A few rules:

1. One entry per person.
2. The person who correctly guesses the most prop bets will be declared the winner. Only prop bets that have action will count (i.e. if Kim Kardashian isn’t on camera at all then the Kardashian appearance bet is void.)
3. In the event of a tie after the tie-breaker, I will draw names out of a hat amongst those still tied.
4. There will be an additional drawing for those that help spread the word about my contest- each person who sends a tweet with this post and my twitter handle; or links back to this post on their blog will receive an entry. There is no limit to entries you can earn through this method.
5. If the winner is under 21 an alternate prize will be rewarded so I don’t go to jail.
6. The deadline for entries is Sunday February 7th at Noon.

All bets are closed now! Enjoy the game!

For my anti-Jersey Shore fans that stands for: Gym, Tanning, and Laundry. The three steps you need to take in order to look fresh at all times. Well I try to hit the gym but skin isn’t kissed by the fake UV rays of tanning beds, good thing I’m Asian and my skin [...]]]>

Do you GTL?

For my anti-Jersey Shore fans that stands for: Gym, Tanning, and Laundry. The three steps you need to take in order to look fresh at all times. Well I try to hit the gym but skin isn’t kissed by the fake UV rays of tanning beds, good thing I’m Asian and my skin is naturally tanner than yours. When it comes to my laundry well- I’m staring right now at a pile of clothes I should take care of.

The idea of GTL also includes regular hair cuts, we know that Guidos love their new hair cuts. A ritual I actually partake in.

Now I don’t get a new haircut every week but I make it a habit to get one at the top of each month so my hair doesn’t grow into a weird cowlicky fro.

You really don’t want to see it- I’m doing society a favor.

This past weekend I stop by the Hair Cuttery, the place where I’ve been getting my monthly cut ever since I moved into Arlington.

As I am getting my hair washed I a lady across the room turned to me and says, “Oh my god this place has the best product!”

I chuckled at her testimonial and went along getting my hair did.

Hair Cuttery's biggest fan

A few minutes later though I spied her walking to the register literally with her arms full of bottles of shampoo and “product.” She really must love Hair Cuttery and what they sell. As she walked by me she stopped and started to put bottles of product in front of me and the guy sitting next to me.

She began to sell the guy on some magical bottle of shampoo that she loves and the guy listened kindly and replied, “you must have stock in this,” to which she answered, “oh no I don’t work here or anything- I just love this place and the products!”

Wadia, the woman cutting my hair, explained that she was a regular and they absolutely adore her. To which she went on to explain how much they love the regulars. The woman looked energized as she conversed with the staff at the register and eventually made her exit.

After my haircut was done I paid for my cut and after I gave her a tip she replied, “thank you- and it was great meeting you,” as if it was the first time we’ve met.

Problem is she’s definitely cut my hair once or twice before, and for a regular who comes in the same time every month I didn’t make the same lasting impression as the woman who evangelizes for their store. While she is a store regular they can’t forget- I am a store regular that flies below the radar.

I wonder why- is it because I don’t have a regular stylist? Maybe it’s because I walk in and just get the business done- I get a cut, I don’t chatter that much, and I never buy any product.

What do you think makes certain loyal customers stand out above others?

4 Sport Boston: Around The Diamond: Pitchers & Catchers

GoGameFace: Oscar Watch: The Race Is On For Best Picture

Tech week. We’re all gonna die.

The words of one of my actresses in regards to this week: Hell Week.

Call it what you want, Tech Week, Production Week, Hell Week. I like Hell Week- because it is truly hell. Back in October I experienced it for the first time as [...]]]>

This won't be an easy show...

Tech week. We’re all gonna die.

The words of one of my actresses in regards to this week: Hell Week.

Call it what you want, Tech Week, Production Week, Hell Week. I like Hell Week- because it is truly hell. Back in October I experienced it for the first time as a stage manager and it didn’t go so well. I learned lots of lessons and came into this week ready to take on the work everything will go just as planned.

Ya that didn’t happen.

The work has been long, hard, stressful, and slow.

While I would want to freak out about my progress I will not. As much as I want to get mad at myself about the way the week is progressing and blame myself I should not.

I planned and prepared as much as I could to try and have the week go smoothly. But sometimes all the preparation in the world can’t help from certain things to go wrong or certain things to slow you down. It becomes frustrating to try and keep everything under control but to see things get out of hand on stage, off stage, everywhere.

I am very proud of myself in how calm I’ve been taking all of this- during Rocky I was the opposite of calm. This week I’m learning a new lesson: as much as I want to be in control of Hell Week, I am not.

During hell week everything comes together from actors to props to lights. There’s too many cooks running around trying to finish their part of the meal, and while I’ve done a good job managing everyone’s time and keeping things somewhat organized- I can’t make certain things go faster or prevent random acts of god from occurring.

That’s why it’s Hell Week- you think you can keep it under control but you realize you are in hell. However there is one thing I can control that is essential to the show.

Not freak out.

If the stage manager is calm and collected, then cast and crew will also be calm, confident that everything will come together. Right now the cast and crew is looking to me for inspirational leadership. I am lucky to be surrounded by people that know what they are doing, all they need to do now is to come together and if they see me working hard, confident in the end result I know they will pull it together and by theatre magic, have everything ready by Friday.

So if you don’t hear from me til well into next week- that’s because I’m in hell, and somehow enjoying it.

P.S. I hope you can come out and support the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve spent putting up Amadeus- it opens up Friday (after hell week.)

James Cameron might [...]]]>

This year I am honored to be taking Oscar Watch to GoGameFace.com where I will be writing regular reviews and posts during the awards season. This post was originally posted over at GoGameFace, tune in there as I once again embark on my annual journey to watch all the Oscar nominated films.

James Cameron might be holding a lot of awards come Spring.

I’m not watching the NFL playoffs this year.

For me football season ended in Week 16 where I competed in four fantasy football championships; after that I kept watching football up until New England rolled over against the Ravens (I live in DC but I’m a Bostonian by birth.) Instead of trying to extend my fantasy football season with playoff leagues I move on to a different season: awards season.

The film awards season traditionally starts with the Golden Globes in January and lasts until late February/early March with the Academy Awards. In between various guilds and critic societies hold awards ceremonies of their own, each recognizing the best in film for the past year. It’s a perfect fit in between fantasy football and fantasy baseball. Last year when I finished fantasy football I decided to take my fantasy sports skills to a different game: Oscar Prognostication. My co-workers and I participate in an annual Oscar pool and I decided to watch as many Oscar films as I could to best prepare me to win it all.

Preparing to pick the Oscars is much like running a fantasy football team: reading trade publications and blogs looking for insider information, analyzing at past history and future trends, and if you are a hardcore player: watching the “players” in action in order to scout out the talent. In the end you pick who you think is the best and hope that it all pans out. I’m amazed they haven’t created a fantasy Oscar game yet, maybe I should do that before Yahoo! beats me to it.

Once again I start another journey to dominate in the Oscar pool. I’m reading all the blogs and watching all the films so I can be best prepared to win my league er pool. Now it’s mid-January and all of the critics societies across the nation have picked their choices for best films and actors. I watch these races as a sort of Oscar-film combine, watching to see who are the early leaders. The Golden Globes were presented this past weekend, the first of many awards to come. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences won’t present the Oscar nominees until February 2nd, so The Golden Globes sets the tone of what to expect this season:

• The March Of The Blue People Continues: Avatar has been considered the best picture favorite even before it was released. Best director and best picture (Drama) wins for James Cameron’s epic keeps the momentum going full steam ahead. Will it last all the way to Oscar Sunday?
• Up Should Get Best Picture Nomination: This year the slate for best picture expands from 5 to 10, which means more outstanding features like Pixar’s Up should get into the slate. Animated features rarely get nominated for best picture and quite a few were disappointed that Wall-E didn’t get a nod last year.
• Don’t Forget About The Basterds: Inglourious Basterds was released back in August, while most award contenders are released late in the year in order to stay fresh in the Academy’s minds. Robert Downey Jr.’s win for best lead actor (comedy of musical) is a prime example of this (the film was released this past Christmas.) I almost forgot about Christoph Waltz’s dazzling performance til he won best supporting actor.
• Jeff Bridges Takes Early Lead For Best Actor: The slate for best actor is packed with amazing performances. The critics societies have recognized the likes of George Clooney (Up In The Air), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), and Colin Firth (A Single Man.) However Jeff Bridges performance in Crazy Heart won over the HFPA and earned him a Golden Globe for best lead actor (drama.) In a tight race with many deserving candidates Bridges’ certainly gets a boost with this win.

So it should be another exciting awards season this year and like a good NFL playoff game, I won’t be missing a single moment- or in this case a single film.

She doesn’t know who I am.

But that’s ok.

She’s a blogger and a teacher up in Canada who recently received some bad news: her boyfriend was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. It is the kind of news that breaks your heart, I have had loved ones in my life [...]]]>

I don’t know who Brandy is.

She doesn’t know who I am.

But that’s ok.

She’s a blogger and a teacher up in Canada who recently received some bad news: her boyfriend was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. It is the kind of news that breaks your heart, I have had loved ones in my life die from cancer and it is a very tough ordeal to go through.

Some people try and find solace through support groups, lectures, or just living out every day as it’s your last. However Brandy took a somewhat different approach.

She reached out to The Internet.

She e-mailed a dozen of her favorite bloggers with a plea. The plea networked it’s way into my Google Reader, plastered all over the front page. I will admit that it was an odd plea, not for money, not for sympathy, but a plea for support and a prayer. When most people encounter a situation like this they often turn to God or religion, instead this woman turned to the her friends and the group she interacts with the most: the online community.

And the online community answered her call. A fund raiser was started and Queen of the DC blog scene LiLu came up with an idea to show Brandy that her Internet community had her back:

Bloggers from around the country pitched in, and I was more than happy to lend my services for the DC portion. I’m in the crowd in front of the White House at the end of the video.

Last week I wrote a story about strangers coming together to help somebody and when I was asked to help somebody I don’t know and may never know I didn’t hesitate to act.

Because somebody out there needed help, needed support- and that was reason enough for me.

Update (1/21/10): Click the logo above to make a donation to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in Brandy’s name, bloggers around The Internet have already raised over $2,100. Another fine example of the other across great distances coming together in one united effort.