Facebook 3.0, 'Nuff Said

Well, I truly most have been off my game today because the much anticipated release of Facebook 3.0 for the iPhone & iPod Touch was released today around 5:50pm. I just checked for the update about 20 minutes ago and it was obviously ready for me to "fool around with."

The 3.0 update is complimentary (as is the app itself) to all iPhone and iPod Touch users who can access the AppStore (who can't right?). This update is not only about bug fixes and patches and so forth but we now have a completely new, user friendly interface as depicted in the photo above. Tons of new features and some are:

• Landscape Mode A big update for this app. Since the release of the iPhone 3G it seems that more and more apps have the landscape ability, which for me depending on which app it is can be a plus or minus. For those of you that don't know what "landscape mode" is, it is using the iPhone "horizontally." That's basically it.
• Complete Photo Management It was a pet-peeve of mine that before I could not make a photo my profile picture from my phone. That is now possible. You are now able to zoom into photos, before the photos were stationary. As well as "liking" posts, you can now "like" photos as well.
• News Feed The news feed is now almost identical to that of the actual Facebook website.
• Built in web-browser
• Call your friends via Facebook This is a very cool option. Not only can you call your friends if their phone numbers are listed on Facebook but you can also text them. Nice!
• For those users who have a 3GS, you can now upload video directly to Facebook. Sweet!

The general usability of the whole application is much nicer and faster as well. I have noticed very short loading times for photos, opening the app and navigating around the various pages. For anyone who owns and iPhone/iPod touch and has a Facebook account, this app is a must!

Just When You Thought It Was HORRIBLE!

I have to admit; every time that I am ready to give up on Hollywood... they drag me back in! Here's my list of this Summer's & early Fall's "gotta see from major productions":

Halloween 2, directed by Rob Zombie, Lions Gate, Release Date: August 28, 2009

Ok, Lions Gate isn't necessarily classified as "major" just yet but they have definitely made a mark from themselves. Taking on a lot of movies that other production companies wanted absolutely nothing to do with, such as great films like, American Psycho with Christina Bale, Monsters Ball with Halle Berry and Billy Bob, The Punisher, Fahrenheit 9/11, Open Water, The Haunting in Connecticut and the list goes on. We have to thank them for giving these films a chance because some of them are awesome films... such as Halloween and I am sure Halloween 2 will be no disappointment.

Rob Zombie has not only mastered the art of "re-imagining" but has given it a new face. That's what I loved most about the first, although the characters were familiar, I don't think any of us were prepared for the grueling story that was about to be told. The insight into Michael Myers childhood was up until then untold (or told badly), this version explains the fucked up guy in the white mask that we have all came to love and adore. If you're a horror movie buff, check this film out!

Gamer, directed by Mark Neveldine, Lions Gate, Release Date: September 4, 2009

Apparently I am just drawn to Lions Gate films. I had no idea this was a Lions Gate production until I looked it up! Another film that probably would not have been touched otherwise if not for Lions Gate. Bringing Gerard Butler into the picture (literally) is just a bonus. Let's not forget about Kyra Sedgwick... I love this woman. I had never seen her in anything, other than knowing she was Kevin Bacon's wife, until The Closer. Gamer is a high-powered action film that appears to be set in the future where gamers are in control of actual people. These people are for the most part I believe, prison inmates. From viewing the trailers and reading the synopsis, I know this is my kind of flick! I don't wanna go into too much detail because I'd like for you to come to your own conclusions, but this is a must see for me!

ZombieLand, directed by Ruben Fleischer, Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures, Release Date: October 9, 2009

The first non-Lions Gate film so far. Ok, it's a comedy and I strongly dislike comedies because most of them are not actually funny. But I love zombies. If this is anything like Shawn of the Dead, I am sure I won't be disappointed.

Set in a world over-run by zombies, ZombieLand follows a few characters in different towns who have all managed to survive. Their un-dying (no pun intended) will-to-live, bands them together in an effort to keep zombie teeth from crunching down on their nice, hot flesh. I'll definitely be checking this one out!

That's actually it, not a huge list, all of the other films that I want to see are by independent film studios... just not a lot going in Hollywood nowadays. But like I said, they surprise me every now and again. And honestly, the first 2 films are definitely under an independent film label, but Lions Gate is getting up there and as long as they keep up the good work, I'll keep supporting.

Thanks for reading and as always, please leave comments and suggestions.

"I hate you!!!"... but why?

Why hate? What does it accomplish? Does hating someone ever really make you feel better? Does it make you feel like that person is more sorry than they really are? Does it make you feel like you are punishing that person and they feel every minute of it?

Interestingly enough, I came to the conclusion some time ago, that hating someone really did me no good. That FIRE that was fueling within me was felt by me and me only. I was the one having trouble sleeping at night. I was the one who thought about how "I was wronged" all day, not them and 9 times out of 10... they had no idea how I even felt! I heard something today that rang true about this, I happened to catch a clip of Ghost of Mississippi. I didn't see the whole film, but one of the characters (Whoopi Goldberg) said something that rang true and made me remember to put out that fire, "When you hate, the only person that suffers is you. Most people don't know you hate them and the others don't care." I mean, how true is that?

Why do we keep a "torch" lit for  these people who are so obviously not worthy of us? I don't say that in the sense that we are inherently better than each other, but that when someone wrongs us, we determine how we deal with it, not them. As we grow and continue to learn, we realize that we must get ahold of our emotions, deal with our problems without involving others and not causing ourselves undue heartbreak. It is a hard lesson because we are all only human, it's something I strive for everyday but find that the embers within me continue to spark....

The Closer - Season Finale

If you're a Closer fan, don't forget that tonight is the summer season finale! I'm actually not too excited because I'm always sad to see this show go away. I kinda wish it could be like a soap opera and just run ALL YEAR LONG! I know that's asking too much but hey, what's a boy to do? Check out a preview of the finale below. See ya!

Snow Leopard

As you can probably tell by my new clean background, I am EXTREMELY excited about the updated release of Apple's already awesome operating system. I just love the names that Apple comes up with, they are transitioning from Leopard to Snow Leopard. So simple, but yet so... sexy.

The packaging is even sexy. There are some places I'd like to take that Snow Leopard. So anyway, it releases on the 28th of this month, it is retailing for $29 for customers who are upgrading from Leopard and is only $9.95 for customers who purchased an Apple desktop/laptop from the online store after June. That's awesome! I just happen to be one of those customers by the way.

Microsoft can peddle their free release of Windows 7 all they want, I wouldn't touch a PC with a 10 foot pole, not after my transition to a MAC.

Getting out of your own way....

I had a really interesting discussion with a friend tonight about, "getting out of your own way."

This is a really important question that I think we all need to ask ourselves concerning different aspects of our lives:

Why do I not exercise everyday when I know I'm supposed to?

Why do I gorge myself on food that is so obviously bad for me?

What keeps me from obtaining that happy ending that I so desire?

They're not really easy questions when you actually sit down to think about them because it involves questioning and incriminating yourself... something we never want to do. To incriminate ourselves is to place blame on ourselves and why the hell would we ever want to do that? Why would we want to realize that even though our eye is on the prize, we are the reasons that our reach is never far enough.

I look at myself and my own past experiences and struggle with the things that have "theoretically" caused me to be the way I am but at the end of the day; who is to blame? At this point, certainly not the ex, not my parents, not the friends that never answer the phone and not Corporate America. Most of those things can no longer be "blamed", they can no longer be considered because all there is now is me and my own bullshit.

We need to take ourselves off that pedestal that we hold ourselves so high up on and take a step back onto the concrete of reality. You can argue with me that everything is peachy keen with your existence but I know differently. I know that deep inside all of us that we search everyday for more and for one reason or another never find it. The most common denominator in it all is "I." I am the reason that I fail. I am the reason that I am sad. I am the reason that I'm overweight. I am the reason people find me abrasive and rude. I am the reason why people disrespect me.

Michael Moore... how I love thee.

Ok, so a friend pointed out to me the other day that EVERYONE has an agenda. How true. But it doesn't make me love Michael Moore any less. If only for the pure fact that he'll put the shit out there. I quite frankly don't care that he's gettin' paid to put the dirty laundry out, actually, I'm glad he's getting paid for it.

I've seen quite a few Michael Moore films and each one leaves me feeling... a little disturbed quite frankly. His films are just like the Bible, you can scan through and pick out the parts that you find most relevant for you OR you can go through the whole thing and make a conclusion for yourself. I won't be going to see this in theaters but I will definitely be patiently await the DVD release.

The Book That Shall Remain Nameless

So, I downloaded a new app for my phone today, NPR. I like to get my news through several different sources so this was not unusual for me. The unusual thing is, built into the app is also live streaming for NPR talk radio. I had never listened to NPR before so I decided to give it a go.

There was an author on there promoting her book I am assuming (even though the book was released over a year ago) and right off the bat I found the conversation disturbing.

They were discussing how alcoholism is on the rise in London and how people travel to Prague just to get drunk because alcohol is apparently pretty expensive in London. It wasn't the topic of conversation that disturbed me but the disapproval that the author had for the behavior. I'm thinking to myself based on her point of view, "Ok, they're just getting around to being drunks and we've been drunks here FOREVER." Although we realize that is not the case. (Excuse the following because I have not read the book and have no need to read it but based off the points of discussion from the author, the topic was obviously a promotional tool to sell her book and for that reason, I care not to read it).

This is a problem that I have with general America. For some reason, we tend to think that "our shit don't stink." When the fact of the matter is, we got some pretty bad funk going on over here which is evident in more ways than one.

I just found some of the things she said unbelievable! For instance, she said something along the lines that "these guys get so drunk that they forget their hotel room numbers, can't find their way home" (not an exact quote but pretty close). Do you realize that this is going on everyday in America? Do you realize that college campuses are riddled with these types of people everyday? There are just under 2000 alcohol related deaths on college campuses every year and that number continues to climb. Let's not leave out the average American drinker who pummels down way too many drinks and gets in the car and drives home. As recent as 2008, it was reported that there were 85,000 alcohol related deaths in America alone. Whose shit don't stink?

Whatever. My point is, when do we stop condemning others when we are to be condemned for the same behaviors? I must apologize because my jab is not necessarily directed at this author but at the sense of "superiority" that we Americans have come to adopt. Enough already, get off of your high horse and shut the hell up!