The newspaper

i think it is sad that the newspaper is slowly falling away. i prefer to read out of the newspaper than online. i am online more but when i am online i don't usually check the news that often. i like to look through the news paper and find out what is going on. also, what is in the newspaper is usually more interesting because online they have every single that happening in the world and i'm not always interested in that. i also dont like when the paper tells me to go online to read the rest of the story. i hate that! it's like reading a really good book and finding out the last pages are missing. it's so frustrating! i would love to see the newspaper take another run but sadly, it's probably not going to happen.

Target

i love target. they have a bunch of cool nic-nacs. they have a good selection of things and interesting things to look at. i think one of the other reasons i love it is because they have a lot of red and i love the color red. interestingly, target sells more giftcards than anyother company. i find that surprising since you would think places like wal-mart, malls, or best buy would sell more because people go there a lot after the holidays.

Wal-mart

grrr! i hate wal-mart. it is a terrible place. i hate walking in it because it always feels dirty and the people there are just plain, well, weird. i always get a weird feeling that i cant explain when i walk inside. i hate the fact that they are killing american jobs by shipping the jobs overseas just so they can make money. also, they sell everything so low and people don't make enough money that they have to go there. it's sad that they do this. their stores are too big too. everythings all of the place and it stinks going there because you go to look at a couple things and end up having to walk everywhere and try to find it. i try to avoid going to walmart whenever i can.

Shopping Carts

I work at Kroger and am a bagger. i like the idea of shopping carts but they are no fun to push. it is hard work. for some reason, we are not allowed to use an automatic cart pusher so we do it by ourselves. it is also no fun to do when it is freezing cold out. the thing i hate the most is when people leave them far out in the lot or when they leave them in between cars instead of putting them in the corrals. i mean is it really that hard to walk 10 feet to put it in a corral. i dont think so. it's also no fun when people just keep handing them to you when you walk by and already are pushing about 9 or 10. it gets tough pushing them once you reach about 8 carts. hopefully people will figure out what to do with their carts but in the mean time we must live with what they do.

Warped Tour

I'm sitting here anxiously waiting for Friday to be here so i can find out the bands for this years warped tour. every year hundreds of people go out during the summer and go see many bands all day. it is a lot of fun and there are always cool things they have to do on the side. it's fun going to see your favorite band and being around a bunch of people that are all pushing to get closer. warped was started in 1995 and featured a lot of punk and ska bands. it has recently kept ska bands but has added a lot of hardcore bands. it was started by Vans, a extreme sports gear maker.

Bejeweled!

I have recently become addicted to Bejeweled. It is a puzzle game that you put 3, 4 or 5 jewels in a row and they all make different amount of points and special abilities. You can play it on popcap games our there is a facebook version. the facebook version allows you to compare and beat friends' scores. it's more addicting for the fact of just getting a high score rather than beating friends. i have found myself sitting here playing it longer than i had expected. it is a good time passing game.

Green Zone

I am so excited for this movie. I love Matt Damon and the makers of the Bourne movies are excellent as well. Matt damon seems to be taking on a lot of roles and he has been fulfilling them successfully. He is a very good action actor in my opinion. He is very good in the Bourne movies and i like that they use real action rather than green screen when shooting.

Twilight.. no thanks.

I hate Twilight. Everyone was talking about it a few weeks ago. i'm glad they've stopped. they were so annoying! i don't see how people can like it, especially guys. i guess it is aimed towards girls, but i don't see it being better than a lot of the movies that are for both genders, especially comedy's. also, Edward is NOT attractive at all. i don't see how people think he is. new movies that are coming out are going to be a lot better than this. people shouldn't waste their money on them.

Lego Advertisement

I like this advertisement because it sort of symbolizes what Lego stands for. They make toys that kids build things with and using this style of advertising can push there point across. this advertisement would catch peoples eyes. i think it is very cool and Also, every kid grew up with Lego's. It was one of the many things kids loved to play with. Every kid wanted to make the biggest random looking thing they could or recreate a real life object. They have expanded their horizons and now have different types of movie themed creations out.

Hot Wheels

Every kid loved having toy cars. To me Hot Wheels were the best. My brother and I had a huge collection and always played with them. We used to love going to the store and looking at all the new ones. The most expensive one that someone bought was $70,000. It is interesting how they make them. They use the blueprints for the real cars and then give the blueprints back to the car maker and then use their observations to make the actual car to 1/64 scale. Mattel, who owns Hot Wheels, bought the rights to Matchbox in 1996 and became the biggest Die cast car maker.

Roller coasters

I absolutely love roller coasters. They are a lot of fun. I wish we had a theme park closer to us here in Indy. But, Kings Island is a lot of fun. I was shocked to learn that roller coasters have been around since the 17th century. I figured that it was something that was relatively new maybe around the early 19th century late 18th century. However, roller coasters give you that thrill that keeps you coming back. At first I was skeptical about going on them but after i went on one i just kept wanting to go again. They are a ton of fun and i can't wait to go back!

Concerts

I absolutely love going to concerts. I've lost count of how many i have gone to. It's the one time where i don't mind getting pushed around and being smashed around with a bunch of other people. They are a lot of fun. It's weird but i like the feeling after a concert. You are all sweaty, can't hear, and you want more. I try to go to as many as I can. Even if i have to travel. I prefer smaller venues to big shows at arenas and such. Outdoor concerts are fun too. I went to Bonnaroo last summer and i have to say it was a great experience. It's not all just about the music, it's also about being there. Concerts are fun and everyone can enjoy them.

Black Friday...

Don't get me wrong, i love getting big discounts. Black Friday shopping just isn't my thing. I like to sleep in after Thanksgiving and waiting outside in the cold with a gajillion other people just isn't fun for me. Just look at the picture, how can you want to do that! I'd rather do all my shopping online. It is so much easier. Being able to sleep in and stay at home and play video games is good enough for me. Black Friday shopping just isn't my thing. I'm not the biggest fan of running around Wal-Mart fighting with other people to get the last something.

Hot Box!

Oh Hot Box, how I love thee. Hot Box is for sure my favorite pizza. Not only is their pizza good but their breadsticks, called Stix, just have the different taste. It has a saltier taste that I really enjoy. I like how basic their design is. They give you cups that say "cup" on them. They are normally green but at random points they change the color up. Their napkins say "napkin" and sell shirts that say "shirt." I like that because it is so basic and it makes you think wow, how did someone else not think of that. They also have nicknames for all their different "specialty"
pizzas. Also, every week they have one of their "pies" half off and you have to give them the special password that when you say it makes you feel goofy saying it. It always gives me a good laugh. For me the pizza is just delicious and is better than any other pizza i have ever had.

The King

I absolutely love Burger Kings mascot. I think the commercials are funny and his outfit is extremely goofy. Heck, even playing the video games were fun even though they are weird and rather simple. I really like Burger Kings food too. I think it is a lot better than McDonald's. It may not be as cheap but the quality is so much better. Burger King even has Frozen Coke which goes great with the food. Their breakfast is also the best fast food breakfast in my opinion. Interestingly, they recently made their double cheeseburger a buck. Well, franchise owners were upset because they were losing money. They said that the burger made them a profit if it was $1.25 instead of just a buck. I think it is fair to have it priced at $1.25, that isn't too unreasonable for me. It has that great taste that makes it worth it.

Jason Bourne

Sticking with action heroes. The Jason Bourne series is starting to be another one of my favorite movies. I love the story line of the series. It really pulls you in and keeps you guessing. It is intense and full of action. I really like this series more than others because they actually do the stunts rather than green screen most of the crazy stunts. There were several books written before the movies. However, the newer movies are not based on the books. I think Matt Damon does a very good job and has become a very good action actor. He just looks like a person that would be in this sort of movie. I am anxious to see where they will go from here with the movies.

Bond, James Bond

I grew up watching all the James Bond movies. They've always been my favorite movies. Roger Moore and Sean Connery were my favorite Bond's. I really like Daniel Craig as James Bond in the newer ones. I think he fits the role very well. It seems like the perfect guy movie. It has all the action anyone would want and always has the attractive girls. People has always loved the James Bond series and will continue to love it. The first movie debuted in 1962 with Dr. No. It is the longest running film series with one main character in the English language. The movies always have something new and special that they show off and you won't find in another movie. I think it will continue to be very successful and will continue on for many many more years. Man, don't you wish we had his gadgets?!

Dan Mumford

Dan Mumford is an artist that has created several CD arts. He recently did one for Protest the Hero and has done different ones for A Day To Remember, The Devil Wears Prada, and Miss May I. A lot of people really like his work. To me there is a lot going on and i really like that. I like how it has a lot of lines and it can be very colorful.

I enjoy his work. I think it is some of the best work since Jacob Bannon who did art work for his band Converge. To me it isn't quite on the same level as Anime but it has the Anime feel to it.

Snuggie.. no thanks.

When i think of a blanket, i do not think of the snuggie. To me it just doesn't do it. I think they look stupid. To me it is just a backwards robe. I just can't stand seeing them. They now sell them where i work, Kroger, and i hate seeing people buy them. It's a waste of money. I would rather have a blanket. Sure it doesn't have to arms but if I'm using a blanket I'm not using my hands. So for me the product doesn't do justice. I don't like how it feels when i touch it. It isn't comfortable for me either. I'm a regular blanket kind of guy.

Plant a Tree

I like this advertisement because we need to care for the world. People carelessly destroy things. They tear down trees which help us to live. If we keep cutting down trees we won't live too much longer. People just cut down the trees and don't plant another one. The big business just cut them down and make a mall or new offices on top of where the trees were. It is all about the money to them. They should respect what we have now. Companies need to be more green. Especially in Indiana, it turns out that Indiana is 49th in the United States in terms of being "Green." That is terrible. We need to find ways to be green.

3M Security Glass

I really like this advertisement. I was curious to learn more about this. I looked up and it turns out that 3M put real money inside and installed the glass on the street. They had people that passed by kick the glass. They had a security gaurd stand watch to make sure that no one broke the rules. No one penetrated the glass. Even a man that had a 30 foot head start and double foot kicked it couldn't break it. I'd say it's some pretty sturdy glass!

Hey Arnold!

Seriously, who didn't love Hey Arnold? It was everyone's favorite cartoon. People even still talk about it today. People are always quoting the line, "Stoop kids afraid to leave his stoop!" Looking information up on it, i found it interesting that it was based upon several cities. To me it seemed like maybe 2 cities combined into one but it was actually about 3 or 4. Hey Arnold is one of those shows that everyone loves. People will watch it today even. The DVDs are being slowly put out and the final 2 seasons are looking to be put out next year. Be on the lookout!

Jimmy Johns!

Jimmy Johns is delicious. I prefer it over subway anyday. They have their own chips that they make and are very tasty. They have their own distinctive crunch when you eat them. They are really fast at making their sandwiches and they don't overload it with toppings, like subway does. It was founded in 1983 when Jimmy John Liautaud took a deal with his dad to start a Hot Dog business and if it failed he would have to join the Army. He realized it would be too expensive to do hot dogs so he went with sandwiches. He made four different sandwiches and sold 25 cent Cokes. His business began to thrive and has now become a nationwide food chain.

Bose Headphones Advertisement

This is an advertisement for Bose headphones. They are said to be the best headphones on the market. They are always said to be great at blocking out sound from outside sources. I like this advertisement because it's a good example of how good the headphones are. Obviously, one would realize they were near a waterfall but it is showing that they are fantastic at blocking out sound. I own a pair of Bose headphones and they are really nice. They are better than most of the headphones i have used. After reading information about the headphones I see that over the years they have gotten better and better at canceling outside noises out. The headphones can be very expensive but the quality of the output is very good and worth the money. I think like most things the price will go down in a few years as well as the quality going up.

Youtube

Youtube is a large site that allows people to share videos with friends. Before youtube it was hard to share videos with friends. There weren't many sites out there that allowed you to share videos. However, youtube has a simple interface and is very easy to use. People post anything and everything on youtube. It has been criticized due to copyrighted material being uploaded. It is even being used by television companies now to broadcast shows. Also, concerts are now being streamed online to allow you to watch it as it unfolds. It is free to use. It was created in 2005 and is available in 14 languages.

Facebook

Facebook is the ultimate way of connecting with friends and family via the web. It allows you to be friends with anyone and easily share information with others. Facebook was created at Harvard when a group of students wanted to make it easy for classmates to connect. The creater, Mark Zuckerburg, also used it for his Art project at Harvard to help launch the site. The next semester he began making the website. It was originally called The Facebook. They dropped "The" in 2004 when they relocated to California. Facebook is now the biggest social networking site and will continue to grow bigger.

Monster Mini Golf

Monster mini golf is an indoor glow in the dark mini golf course. When i looked up how Monster Mini Golf was created it turns out a couple from Connecticut wanted to create something fun but scary at the same time. They came up with Monster mini golf. I was also interested in how minigolf was created. It turns out that in Scotland in 1867 the first minigolf club was created. It is interesting how long it has been around. England and America both added minigolf to their hotels for guests to have fun. It then turned into something that people loved to do. I love going minigolf. It's a lot of fun and i really get into it when i play it.

Altoids

Altoid mints are some of my favorite mints. As a kid I used to eat them all the time when I was in my Dad's car. The design of the package is what sets it apart from others. It comes in a tin can with a paper liner inside. It has that distinct style of opening the package that makes it different. To me, it is a lot of fun opening it and the excitement of when I open it is different than any others. After looking up information on the mints, I had never really realized that the mints were nearly 200 years old. It's amazing that they have been around so long. They also only had one variety, mints, until 2002 when they announced "Sours." It shows that companies can be successful with just one product.

Twitter

A new networking site, Twitter, is up and coming site that hopes to keep friends and families together. It allows you to send updates via cell phone, web, or on your Xbox 360 console. In the Iranian Presidential Election, Iran was controlling what was going in and out of the media. The only way people could keep up with what was really happening was via Twitter. The government can control what goes in and out but they couldn't keep twitter out. Twitter requires a cell phone connection and Iran could not block out the cell phone signal. Therefore everyone could be kept up to date on what was really going on instead of the lies Iran was feeding everyone.

Xbox Natal

The Xbox Natal is a controller free gaming experience. It recognizes all the points on your body and uses it in the game you are playing. It is similar to the Nintendo Wii, except it does not require any controllers, just your body. Once again games are being taken to the next level. This is using your body as part of the game. It is also another way for people to lose weight. 18% of kids 12 to 19 years old are over weight. Could this be something to keep kids from being overweight? In a survey 97% of people aged 12 to 19 played video games. So as you can see, a lot of kids play video games and a good amount are also obese. Lets hope this helps to solve America's obesity problem. It is not necessarily going to solve the problem but it can help since it keeps people active.

Assassins Creed 2

Yet another video game, Assassins Creed 2, is another highly anticipated game. The graphics have yet again set the standards high. The sequel starts a completely new storyline in Renaissance Italy. The game has been noted for their "parkour" style gameplay. You can climb on top of nearly evey building. This is different than older games when you had to go through loading screens and levels were very short. Now games can be played through with minimal loading screens and cutscenes done in real time. A good question is what else can they do to video games? The graphics are becoming more and more life like with each release. Will there someday be a way that you are actually in the game?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is one of the biggest games to release to date. It had higher expectations and anticipation than the first game. The graphics have become extremely detailed and the story begins with where the the first one left off. As you can see from the picture above, the graphics have indeed improved. At the time when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, in 2007, the graphics were considered very good and to be the best of all games. After many advances the graphics have yet again been improved.

Modern Warfare 2 is a step up for video games and once again, sets the bar for new video games. The graphic technology is always improving since the side scrollers of the NES to the complex games like Call of Duty, who knows what graphics technology will be in the next few years and even in 20 years.

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft's Surface is like a coffee table with a computer in it. You can use your finger to drag pictures around or play music on it. If you own a Zune you can set it on it and it will stream the music to it wirelessly. I think this is really interesting. I think this has potential to be very successful. It is a good way to show people at a party pictures of say a trip you just went on. I looked up some information on it and it had been in development since 2001. Microsoft had said that they got some of their idea from the movie "Minority Report." It has been used in tv shows such as "CSI: Miami" and at Disneyland. I think this type of technology will be very prominent in the coming years.

Penguins

Searching around the web I found a game by digital chocolate called Penguin Catapult. In the game you fight polar bears trying to fight them away from the penguins homes. The game was launched on the iPhone. It is very interesting but I think it is very generic like most games for the iPhone. Most games are designed the same way and don’t have a very lasting value. There needs to be something done to keep your attention on that game. For instance being able to play with friends or upgrades to the software or in the game. A review said that it is just a straight port to the iPhone but has no noticeable upgrades. A lot of the games for iPhone are like this. They seem to just be fun for a little bit and then you never play it again. Once you beat it you usually just stop playing. If there was more to do after you beat the game it could keep someone’s attention longer.

Digital Candy

The digital candy gum is very interesting. It is made up of different types of computer peripherals such as a mouse, a CD Rom, keyboard, a camera, and a Nintendo DS game system. The design is very interesting, capturing the attention of nerds and geeks. It catches your attention because gum packages are usually in rectangle shaped containers. The technology products can easily catch your attention and make you think, “whoa, what is that?” if someone were carrying this around, you would wonder what they were carrying. I think it is very cool. I like it because the containers are different and you don’t see things like this everyday. It is always cool seeing things in different or odd packages because you don’t necessarily see them in different packages. Especially gum, because they are usually in foil, paper, or plastic containers that are easily accessible from your pocket. It is more interesting to see products in different packages because it catches your eye.

G2

This is one of my favorite drinks. The other types of G2 are really watery and seem bland but this one is very good. The taste isn't too watered down and is very good. I have always liked the designs that gatorade comes up with. The lightning bolt is one of the coolest logos out there, i think. The design of the website is cool too. I like all the little black dots. It's cool how it still has the picture in the background. The little blocks of color are cool as well, each one leads to the other flavor of G2. The color of the Lemon-Lime G2 is neat too.

Axe to Fall

I love this album design. This is the design for the new Converge album, "Axe to Fall." It has a very tough look to it. The colors go very well together in this piece. I like how it looks splattered. The faces are interesting too because one is a skull, face, and then a skull again. It has a very "metal" feel to it. I don't think you would see this type of art on an album for a rock or country album. The pioneers of mathcore have once again created a masterpiece of a cover. All of their album covers seem to be very well done. I give this one another thumbs up!

Last.FM

You can click the picture for a better view. I like the design of the website, last.fm. At the top you can go to your page and view your listening stats or the page has a list of recommendations for you. It shows concerts in your local area or bands that are similar to the ones you have been listening to. It also shows you what new songs you have listened to and at the bottom of the page has a section that shows what your friends are listening to. I think the design flows well and the color works great. There isn't one area that grabs your eye right off the bat. Usually i wouldn't like that but here I do because it allows you to look around and find out new things everywhere you read.

Frankenberry

Frankenberry is my favorite Halloween cereal. I like how the color is relatively the same and consistent throughout the box. Frankenstein is also my favorite Halloween character, so i like how he is placed on this picture. The picture gives away what cereal it is but i think that the name of the cereal could be bigger or placed elsewhere. This design is very well done and works well. I think they could keep this design and still work well.

Cherry Coke

Not only is cherry coke delicious but this is one of my favorite Coke logo's ever. I love the tough look it has. The jagged letters add to the tough effect as well. I like the colors that it uses. It is very different from the other coke product logo's. The look of it just makes you feel like this is different. I think this works better than the current Cherry Coke logo. I just like how this one looks and seems like it flows together better.

Bonnaroo

The Bonnaroo logo is very interesting. I like the design of the words and how they overlap each other. The O’s are very interesting too. To me, the O’s overlapping represent it being an event that happens over and over, it is continuous. The hand with the world in it is a very interesting design too. I believe the design is very well done and unique. The color is very well done and emphasizes everything that should be. I don’t see any flaws with this design. It is not too over done or under done. It is just right.

Death Metal logos

I'm not necessarily critiquing the album art or music but I am critiquing the design. I do not care for the crazy designs of their logos. It makes it very hard to read and make out what it is saying. Some of the names are very hard to make out and others are not so bad. If I designed a logo like that I would make it easier to read. It might catch the attention of someone but I think they might pass by if they can’t make it out. If they can’t make out the logo quick enough they might just walk by because they can’t read it. The design is interesting. I believe they chose designs like these so people know what kind of music it is. Most of the bands in Death Metal are the same. So if someone saw it they would realize that it is someone they might want to check out.

GlassJAw

I chose one of my favorite bands, GlassJAw, logo. I love the simplicity of it. The “GJ” as they call it is very simple but very genius. They sell a lot of different style shirts with the “GJ” on it but change the colors. I think that bands that go for elaborate designs can go overboard sometimes. The designers get too into the design and create something really cool but might not catch the attention or the name of the artist might not catch the viewer quick enough. If you go for a simple design someone will realize what it is quicker. The design of the “GJ” is very good. If you saw it you could realize who it was and it isn’t so elaborate that you have someone sitting there looking at it trying to figure out what it is. Also, sticking with the same design throughout releases is good because people will notice who it is right off the bat. Rather than the person walking by, seeing it, and then coming back. If they see the same design they might not walk by and ignore what they saw.

In the Unlikely Event

I chose my favorite bands new album cover. The album is entitled "In the Unlikely Event" by The Fall of Troy. I like the design of the cover. I like the darkness of it. If you saw the album in the store it could be misleading because it makes them seem as if they are a heavier band than they are. If I saw this album it would grab my attention because it makes you wonder, it grabs your attention and makes you feel like there is something different about it. After listening to the album I can see how it would make you feel like something is different. They have really changed their style from their other albums. I love the design of how it is dark and the sky is eerie. The overall design if very good and well done. I like how the girl is placed in the center of the picture. For me my attention is caught in the background rather than the girl or the name.

Mini Ad

I like this ad because the trees would catch the attention of the driver. It also makes it look like the car is really moving. I think it is really cool how they designed the billboard. I think the red color also catches the drivers attention. I think this billboard is very well designed. If it was put someplace that is heavily traveled then I believe that it could help Mini sell vehicles because people see the ad and may pay more attention to them. I believe this ad does better than some because there are not a lot of words and it is pretty self explanatory on what they are trying to accomplish or say.