Tuesday, September 28, 2010

"The Social Network”: Mashable’s Complete Movie Review

On the surface, The Social Network is the story of Facebook — a website created in a Harvard dorm room in 2004 that has redefined how we connect and communicate in the 21st century. At its core, the film is much, much more than just the story of one website. It is both a micro and macro look at success, failure and the trappings of ego and greed.

The film is ostensibly based on real people and real events. That said, many of the proceedings and characters were invented for the screen. In the coming weeks, there will a flurry of discussion regarding just how accurate or inaccurate the film is with regard to Facebook’sfirst year. Ultimately, these differences and inaccuracies are irrelevant.

For better or for worse, the cinematic version of “the Facebook story” will be what becomes the lore surrounding the company, much as The Pirates of Silicon Valley has become the unofficial history of Microsoft and Apple for a generation of users. From a cinematic perspective, The Social Network is no more or less effective based on its factual accuracy. This is a fictional narrative, not a documentary.

The Beginning

The film opens with one of its strongest scenes, a five-minute interchange between a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and his girlfriend. Zuckerberg, brilliantly portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, speaks a mile a minute, quickly moving from one topic to the next, leaving his companion to exclaim, “Dating you is like dating a StairMaster.”

Throughout the course of the conversation, an acutely unaware Zuckerberg proceeds to insult his girlfriend, belittling her background, intellect and future life prospects. Having had enough, she ends the relationship and tells him off. The dialogue in this scene is a joy for Aaron Sorkin fans, reminiscent of the best interactions and moments on The West Wing or Sports Night. This scene, one of the most significant additions that Sorkin made to the script — which is loosely based on Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires — introduces the audience to Mark, a man who is clearly brilliant, but who is also deeply insecure, awkward and more than a bit antisocial.

It also sets up the motive behind the project that would become the precursor to Facebook, Facemash. With Facemash, a Hot or Not for female students at Harvard (and a post-breakup lashing-out against womankind), Mark brings down the university network, gets in some trouble from the administration and makes himself an outcast on campus. It also brings him to attention of twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, two good-looking, athletic and privileged twins.

The Winklevosses (both played by Armie Hammer) and their friend, Divya Narendra, are looking to build a social dating site for Harvard men. They want Mark to work on the code. He readily agrees.

The dating site spawns a much bigger idea in Mark’s head — and that idea is Facebook. Partnering with his best friend and financier Eduardo Saverin, played by Andrew Garfield, Mark builds The Facebook. What follows is an almost viral spread of user adoption and rapid growth and expansion.

To those of us who joined Facebook in those early days (I believe I joined in January 2005), the sequences demonstrating the takeoff of the service will resonate. One of the most interesting things about Facebook, a site that first built its allure and prestige based on its exclusivity (the need to have a *.edu e-mail address from a supported school and an invite from another user), was just how quickly it spread. Much like YouTube, which launched about a year later, Facebook went from not existing to being everywhere, seemingly overnight.

As Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg is brilliant. I fully expect to see his name on the shortlist for Best Actor nominees when award season ramps up. He manages to make Zuckerberg sympathetic but not pathetic — there’s actually a nuanced difference. The character could have easily been portrayed as a pathetic, socially inept genius. Eisenberg doesn’t do that. He manages to play a three-dimensional character, even though the last five minutes of the film are the only times we ever see a mournful side. His speech patterns, his eye movements, the way that he walks and moves his body — it’s truly one of the best performances of 2010.


For The Second Act & The Summation visit Mashable.com

Friday, September 24, 2010

Passion...Who Needs It? By Shaunice Hawkins















A practical, action-oriented exploration of passion and purpose, and steps you can take if your inner fire has burned itself out

Authored by Shaunice Hawkins

It's painful to come to the realization that
your passion has 'gone missing'.

Without a clear understanding of the factors involved and the changes that may have occurred in your life, you can't take action to regain what youve lost. Passion...Who Needs It? is not about finding your passion. To be honest, there are plenty of books on that subject. This book focuses on giving you a new perspective on passion, one that you can use in a practical, productive way. This book is designed to be an action-oriented exploration of who you are and how insights about yourself can help you get back on track to wherever you would like to go. Page by page, you'll delve deep into
your psyche so that you can:

» Name and identify feelings of grief, loss of purpose and helplessness
» Understand what you are feeling
» Learn strategies on how to renegotiate the sense of loss
» Turn the lack of direction into focus for the accomplishment of
more positive ambitions

You will also find equal measures of instruction, advice, coaching and motivation to help you reconnect with the idealistic, bright-eyed person you were when you first started out.

Get your copy HERE!

CR-Z3dNYC: N.E.R.D performs at 3-D event in Times Square hosted by the Honda

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Philadelphia Collection 2010 and Omega Optical Signature Events Monday, September 27th

OMEGA OPTICAL & CELEBRITY FASHION STYLIST ANTHONY HENDERSON CORDIALLY INVITE YOU
To Join Us For Two Fashion Forward Shopping Events
Omega Optical at the Comcast Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Omega Optical offers a unique selection of high-end eyewear for men and women to enhance your vision and individual style. Omega Optical is extremely excited to be a part of Mayor Nutter’s First Citywide Initiative “The Philadelphia Collection 2010”. www.thephiladelphiacollection.org

On Saturday, September 25th 12-4pm Omega Optical Fitness and Fashionable Eyewear Event

On Monday, September 27th from 5-9pm Omega Optical & Celebrity Fashion Stylist Anthony Henderson presents our very own Fashion’s Night Out Event. This evening will highlight the latest fall eyewear trends and a fashion showcase emceed by Renowned Celebrity Stylist Anthony Henderson. Models provided by Cyndi Lane of ICONZ Model Agency and jewelry provided by Diva to Glam and Tr?s Belle. Guests will enjoy Zyr vodka cocktails and light fare provided by Eatible Delights. Our special invited guest in attendance for this event will be Mayor Michael A. Nutter of Philadelphia and confirmed guests, Lori Wilson of NBC10, Baba Taiye Renfrow of Distanté, located 1510 Sansom Street, James Glenn of Boyd, a Influential Fashion Sales Rep, Steve Jamison owner of Blue Shoes, located 18th & Sansom and MYLife 1180am with Micah Simms and his fashionable talented VJ’s, this is just to name a few of our special invited guests.

About Omega Optical
Omega Optical was founded in 2000 with a mission to provide high-quality optical products, exceptional customer care and exclusive designer eyewear to the Philadelphia region in a friendly and inviting environment. Steve M. Davis and Rebecca Cooper Jackson opened the first Omega Optical boutique in the Cheltenham Mall in the West Oak Lane area of Philadelphia with a vision to deliver premier eyewear to an underserved niche of the Philadelphia community. In 2009, Davis opened a second Omega Optical boutique in the remarkable Comcast Center, bringing top eyewear brands to Center City trendsetters.

About Anthony Henderson
Anthony Henderson is a Celebrity Wardrobe Stylist across the country and he has work with the likes of Sherry Lee Ralph, Eve, Taraji Henson and Sherri Sheppard. Anthony Henderson is also the Celebrity Fashion Stylist for our very own “Philadelphia Daily News”. AHFStylist@aol.com


Media Contacts:
Cori Moskow, Gloss PR
215.518.5526

Lashon Foster, Marketing Rep & Event Coordinator
267.257.0479

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The National Success Fair October 13th-14th 2010 Philadelphia


Tea Talk, Inc. presents "The Success Fair" a National Success Conference aimed to prepare our guest for success and provide opportunities for them to take their life, business, and career to the next level. The National Conference will begin it's tour in Philadelphia, PA. This two day dynamic event is titled "The Philadelphia Success Conference & Fair".

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Upcoming Social Media and Tech Events, CA, NYC and PA




September 15-17, 2010, San Francisco, CA: GSMI presents the Social Media Strategies Summit. We have researched the social media buzz to develop and present to you a top of the line marketing conference that you can’t afford to miss. With in depth case studies from the nuts and bolts to microblogging and sustaining online communities, you leave with a refreshed vision to take your marketing plan to the next level for 2010 and beyond. Please use the code “MikeSM” for a discount.


September 17, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA: Join us for a morning of networking and discussion on topics pertaining to how social media affects how you do business in the Pittsburgh region. Lauren Lawley Head, editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times, will moderate the discussion. Some of the topic questions include “How have you used social media to increase your business?”, “What is the biggest change your business has seen due to social media?”, How do you measure the ROI of your social media efforts?”, and “How much time do you devote each week to social media?” Join the discussion of live tweets on Twitter by following the hashtag #pghbiztu. We’ll also be broadcasting live on Ustream. Seating is limited, so register today here!

September 20-24, Los Angeles, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Milan: Coming this September to a city near you is the second 2010 edition of Social Media Week, which will be held simultaneously in Los Angeles, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Milan. Social Media Week is a co-curated, distributed conference featuring hundreds of free events taking place over the course of the week in interesting venues across each of the five cities. Topically framed around social media, events include panels, parties, product demos, meetups and more, put on by media, communication and technology companies around the globe. Social Media Week was held for the first time in February 2009 in New York City, and followed in February 2010 with an expansion to five more cities, adding London, Berlin, San Francisco, Toronto and São Paolo to the fold. The February 2010 event attracted more than 7,500 attendees across 200 events, nearly all of which were made available for free to attendees thanks to sponsorship from a number of global brands, including Meebo and PepsiCo. Learn more about the September 20-24 event at socialmediaweek.org.


September 21, 2010, New York, NY: NY Games Conference — A Day of Power Networking with Leaders in the Exploding Games and Connected Entertainment Industries! NY Games features a lively and fun debate on timely cutting-edge business topics and demos, as well unrivaled access to some of the most progressive companies in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and beyond. We invite you to join us at the event and take part in the discussion with executives, creators, investors, analysts, press and gamers who will be instrumental in shaping the future of this booming business. Mashable readers can receive 10% off registration with promo code MASH10.

For more events visit Mashable.com

Exclusive Interviews with Chad, Shae, Pharrell & Christian Rich at BBC/Ice Cream Fashion's Night Out 2010

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Fashion's Night Out September 10th 2010 NYC & Globally




Via: BBC/Ice Cream Blog

This Friday at 4 pm, we will be releasing 2 Exclusive Tee Shirts at the Billionaire Boys Club New York Flagship Store, 456 West Broadway. Purchase either of these tees and receive a VIP pass to our FNO event. This pass will guarantee you access to our store later that evening for the N*E*R*D album preview and meet and greet with Pharrell.

The VIP pass also gives you 20% off the entire season 11 inventory, Friday night only… Limited quantities available so get there early.


Make sure you follow us on Twitter @BBCIceCream for chances to win BBC and Ice Cream prizes all night long @BBCIceCream






I had the opportunity to attend last years Fashion's Night Out in NYC. The city was a buzz everywhere. I covered the FNO event at BBC/Ice Cream's Flagship Store in SOHO. Champagne and Cupcakes greeted the attendees. Diggy Simmons, Kid Cudi, Dr. Steve Perry, Jadakiss, MTV, BET and a host of other VIP's were there. Pharrell manned the register and spoke to every customer that was there to either purchase the limited release or anything else their heart desired that night. I was able to ask Pharrell how he felt about the event.


First he gave The Streets Are Talking a shout out:

Pharrell: Yo! you are now listening to the sounds of the Streets Are Talking. I am the 900 Pound Gorilla P. Yeah!

Waheedah: How do you feel about BBC/Ice Cream's impact on Fashion's Night Out and the fashion industry?

Pharrell: I know we have been able to have our loyal soldiers go out and express themselves by wearing what it is we create. We are just happy and thankful to be able to have that type of influence.


Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream and Fashion's Night Out 2010

456 West Broadway New York NY 10012

View Website

212-777-2225

Facebook

Twitter

We are planning for the release of special items from our collections available only on September 10th. Pharrell Williams, the owner of the brand and some of his VIP friends will be on hand to greet our customers from 6PM until 11PM. Via: FashionsNightOut.com



ABOUT FASHION’S NIGHT OUT: Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) is an unprecedented global initiative created to celebrate fashion, restore consumer confidence, boost the industry’s economy, and put the fun back in shopping. For one night last September, in New York City and twelve other cities around the world, designers, celebrities, models, and fashion editors staged exciting, one-of-a-kind events in stores open after-hours to the public. Shoppers were able to see Sarah Jessica Parker singing standards with Oscar de la Renta, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen tending bar, as well as Michael Kors, Justin Timberlake, Kate Hudson, Rihanna and Gwen Stefani (just to name a few) at various stores throughout NYC supporting the industry. Retailers saw a surge of new shoppers and increased sales, while customers relished the street-party atmosphere.

FASHION’S NIGHT OUT 2010: FNO will return to New York City and launch in cities nationwide this year on Friday, September 10, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Last year, in NYC alone, more than 800 participating stores across the five boroughs feted thousands of shoppers who supported the fashion and retail industries—we expect this year’s event to be even bigger and better, with a lot of fun surprises!

FASHION’S NIGHT OUT ON A GLOBAL LEVEL: In the United States, FNO is a collaboration between American Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company, and the City of New York. Around the world, countries led by at least fifteen international Vogue editions, will once again participate in the festivities. Nations including Australia, Britain, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, and Turkey, each country will tailor its Fashion’s Night Out celebration to appeal to its unique retail environment.

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Inaugural Philadelphia Diversity and Leadership Conference Friday, September 10th 2010


The 2010 Philadelphia Diversity & Leadership Conference aims to providing a platform for dialogue on inclusion and diversity-related issues that impact our state. DiversityFIRST™, as this year's theme indicates, will provide participants the opportunity to share best practices and strategies to formulate integrated diversity initiatives that link business goals to workplace, marketplace and community diversity objectives.

DiversityFIRST™ will also recognize the contributions of numerous corporate, small-business, academic and community leaders who have championed the value of diversity as a business imperative in our state. Their leadership has fostered organizational change, instilled commitment, encouraged advocacy, and sparked innovation that have positively impacted the work environment and health of our communities.

Through a series of panel discussions, keynote addresses and interactive sessions, participants will explore corporate practices, leadership skills, communication strategies and outreach initiatives intended to leverage the benefits of diversity initiatives. The goal of the Philadelphia Diversity & Leadership Conference is to tap into and share the DiversityFIRST™ ethos.


Conference Highlights:

Most Powerful and Influential Women Breakfast


Multicultural Awards Luncheon
with Keynote Speaker Dr. Cornel West

For More Information and to Register Visit: http://www.padiversityconference.com/Philadelphia/index.htm