Posts Tagged ‘Movies’

Back to school

Friday, January 14th, 2011

I’ve got that horrifying back to school feeling starting to tremble from the pit of my stomach with less than two days until vacation work begins. Not a moment after I shall be hurtling myself into the world of honours and this time I’ll be going it alone. Good riddance to the lacklustre Varsity College, hello independence. As usual I’m in two minds over the work experience. It’s really luck of the draw on what type of people you’ll be with and the company they’ll be working with so I’m holding thumbs and praying hard for a good two weeks.

This December holiday got off to a bang with interviews, camping and comedy and spun into reading excessively and rediscovering my PlayStation. For the few days of sunshine I managed to snag some beach time and ride to the top of good old Moses (The ever looming Moses Mabida Stadium). I watched more movies then I can remember and even managed to rediscover my tennis racket and play a game that my friend and I both forfeited at seven a piece.

These holidays have been simple, but pleasant. Society is constantly telling us that we’re missing something, that somebody somewhere is having more fun then us, and doing something better than us. Living with this ideology nagging at you ruins the beauty of life. If anything, this working/studying year should be about finding happiness in what you have instead of constantly searching for it.

Things we have learnt from movies

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

High FiveIt is always possible to park directly outside any building you are visiting.

A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you bump into will know all the steps.

Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.

It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts – your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

When a person is knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, they will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.

No one involved in a car chase, hijacking, explosion, volcanic eruption or alien invasion will ever go into shock.

Police Departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.

When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds, unless it’s the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.

An electric fence, powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight-year-old child.

Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at that precise moment you turn the television on.

iTunes 8

Monday, July 27th, 2009

iTunes 8Along with the new iPods, Apple recently launched a new version of iTunes, iTunes 8. The new version looks very similar to the old version, but has a few new features that we’ve all been waiting for.

The biggest addition to the program is HD (High Definition) viewing. You can now download and watch HD T.V. shows using iTunes. When you buy the show you will also get an iPod ready version with the best settings for your iPod.

Another important background addition is in the accessibility department. It is now screen reader friendly on both Mac and PC. A screen reader basically helps disabled people to use the computer. It uses audio and/or Braille outputs to help the user to understand what is on the screen. It also works for iTunes content so that anybody can now purchase and download from iTunes.

Genius is Apple’s new playlist creator. You choose a song and click on the genius button and iTunes will create a playlist of other songs in your library that, ‘go great together.’ The sidebar will find music on the iTunes Store that goes with the song, helping you to find new music that you may like. It’s a nice addition but nothing groundbreaking.

On the visual side Apple has added two new elements. They have a new Visualiser with 3D spheres, ribbons and lights that move to the beat and they have Grid View. Grid View is just another way to look through your music. Your library will be displayed using the cover art of the albums. It looks great if you have all your album artwork, but if you don’t, this new feature will be of no use to you.

Although iTunes has not changed much at first glance it has taken a huge step forward, a step into the next generation of entertainment. And along with it they’ve given us a few extra features that can be used or ignored at your discretion.

South Africa gets an iTunes store

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

iTunes Store“It’s finally here,” I shouted whilst hopping around the room. “It’s finally here!” South Africa finally has an iTunes store. We can finally get accounts and finally benefit when there are free items needing accounts. iTouch owners can finally legally upgrade their iTouch with just a few clicks.

The sad news is we only have an applications store at the moment. The main reason South Africa never had an iTunes store, is because the music and movie studios in our country are always haggling over copyright. But the first important step has been made. You can sign up and get applications, some are free and the highest price I have seen is under $10. With Vodacom still keeping very silent on a release date for the iPhone we can only hope that sometime soon music and movie stores will be added to iTunes too.

Jessica Simpson

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Jessica SimpsonJessica Simpson has taken the music, fashion, and beauty and entertainment industries by storm. A talented artist with universal appeal, she has become an international star and shows no signs of slowing down.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Jessica began her performing career by sharing the stage with famous gospel acts such as Kirk Franklin, God’s Property, and Ce Ce Winans.  With her unmistakable voice and unique pop sound, Jessica caught the eye of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mattola, and after joining a tour in support of the boy-band 98 Degrees, she quickly burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut release Sweet Kisses.  Her RIAA-certified double platinum debut featured Jessica’s massive breakthrough hit, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” which hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The title track to Irresistible, her 2001 follow-up, was a crossover smash, charting on the Hot 100 (#15), the Rhythmic Top 40 (#12), Top 40 Mainstream (#3) and Top 40 Tracks (#5).

But it was the success of her 4 times platinum album, In This Skin, which marked Jessica’s debut as a songwriter and further refined her ever-evolving voice as an artist. “Sweetest Sin,” the album’s first single to hit the Top 40, is a marked change from the giddy teen pop that launched her career.

Having made her mark in the music industry, it wasn’t long before Hollywood was knocking on her door.  In addition to a recurring role on That 70′s Show, Jessica’s MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica launched in 2003, and was a huge hit, making her a household name.  In 2005, Jessica made her film debut as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, and released a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made For Walkin’” for the movie’s soundtrack which topped the Billboard Hot Digital Tracks charts and was certified platinum.  Jessica’s just completed shooting her next film project, Employee of the Month for Lions Gate Films.
Jessica just finished recording her fifth solo album, “ A Public Affair” to be released August 29th on Epic Records. Simpson boasts songwriting credits on 10 out of the 13 slated tracks produced by the most sought-after producers in the business: Lester Mendez, Jimmy Jam &Terry Lewis, Cory Rooney, Scott Storch and Stargate. The album is a true reflection of her growth both personally and musically, showcasing her diverse range of artistic influences. There are up-tempo dance tracks, ballads, and a beautiful cover of “Let Him Fly” originally recorded by her personal favorite, Patty Griffith.

An enthusiastic philanthropist, Jessica serves as Operation Smile’s International Youth Ambassador.  She most recently joined the Operation Smile international medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya where she assisted the volunteer team with the medical evaluations of the more than 280 children who visited the remote region with the hopes of receiving life-changing corrective surgery for their facial deformities.

Jessica has been praised by fans and recognized by critics with three Teen Choice Awards for Breakout Artist, Love Song of the Year and Red Carpet Fashion Icon, and nominations for two American Music Awards including Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album and two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video.  She has also graced the covers of many high-profile magazines, such as Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Marie Claire and Elle.