We do love a good flash mob. You know, where a large group of people get organized and stage a public ‘happening’, bringing joy into our lives for a scant few minutes? They seem to happen out of nowhere, but in fact flash mobs are highly rehearsed events that require a great deal of pre-planning in order to look spontaneous for audiences.

But are all flash mobs created equal? No. And we think the following are among the most fun to watch online:

No Pants Subway Ride

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This has become an annual tradition in New York City, which kind of takes away the spontaneity associated with Flash Mobs. However, we suppose there are still enough people who are unfamiliar with the event to find it surprising, and many more who find it rather tantalizing. The organizers, ImprovEverywhere, also orchestrated the famous ‘Frozen Grand Central’ flash mob where people in the know stopped moving at the same time.

T-Mobile’s Dance Mob

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Spontaneous dancing may have been done to death at this point, but watching this T-Mobile flash mob makes you appreciate how well it is executed – even if it is technically an advertisement. They play a medley of songs, get dancers of all ages in on the action, take over the entire lower level of the station, and ultimately set the benchmark for this sort of thing. Since then, everyone has tried to do live dancing to varying degrees of success, and yet T-Mobile’s is the one that always seems to stand out.

Cash Mob

A relatively new trend, a Cash Mob is where people gather at a designated store and endeavors to buy everything on the shelves. A rather thoughtful and considerate flash mob, a cash mob is a great initiative to help out local business that are struggling during these tough economic times, and can have a long-term effect as it raises awareness among consumers about smaller mom-and-pop stores vs. large chains. We expect to see this one catching on all over the world pretty soon.

Nam Tran’s Wedding Proposal

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When do you know when your marriage has a good chance of working? When friends, classmates, and even strangers go along with you to organize a big dance mob in order to make your marriage proposal even more memorable. Dozens of people learned some intricate choreography and showed up to a courtyard in UCLA and danced to ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’, prior to Nam getting down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend Trang. Too bad she said no. Just kidding! Enjoy this sweet one.

Copenhagen Philharmonic

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Taking the train day after day can be a real bummer. And thanks to the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, you can now have yet another thing you hope would someday happen to you – like winning the lottery – but most likely actually never materialize. Just last month, these lucky riders got to listen to ‘Peer Gynt’ in its full glory, turning their ho-hum morning into a rousing and unforgettable concert. Even though you’ll be watching this at your desk, it should make your day too.

What are some of your favorite flash mobs? Let us know in the comments!

2011 has had more history changing events than almost any other year since WW2. Revolutions have swept across the globe, wars has been fought and mother nature has once again shown its wrath. The world has literally been transformed right in front of our eyes.

With that said, we would like to take a couple of minutes of your time to focus on the smaller, more everyday type of things. So without further ado, here is our list with the best of 2011.

Best Movie:

The Artist is the bravest movie of the year. Yet it doesn’t deal with a horrific subject matter, or expounds a political agenda, or even tried a whole new technology like 6D. It goes back to the beginnings of Hollywood’s sound era, shows you a world in black and white, and takes away Dolby-this-and-THX-that-sound for a few hours.  Bravo.

Best Restaurant:

Why is El Bulli the best? Well because it was, and because it is no more. It is the reservation you won’t get, not matter how wealthy you are. It is the food that other lucky people have deemed legendary, and now you will just have to be satisfied by articles and blogs. If you don’t believe us, Google it.

Best Album:

We should not think of it as filling the void that Amy Winehouse left, but Adele has swept in to take the mantle for all imperfect, talented souls. And perhaps that is what makes her rise above the other so-called musicians out there – she’s still good enough to sound raw, to rise above the marketing and connect with our hearts.

Best Television:

Amazing Race, in all countries, will prove to be one of the reality shows that lasts, or spawns, a type of TV that lasts forever. Not only does it get intimate – throwing friends, lovers, parents and children into a race – but also shows them and their audience a world outside their own. It’s a vacation, a competition, and a primer for understanding other cultures.

Best Book:

Sorry Steve Jobs fanboys. While his biography is a fascinating read, it is not in any sense of the word a ‘literary classic’. This year, we picked Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, because what he does is skew, just a little bit, your perception and handle on reality. And reading this one will surely inspire you to read the rest of his work.

Best Airline:

So Japan gets two things up on this list. Now we admit no flight on ANY airline is perfect, but ANA (All Nippon Airways) gets the top spot this year because it’s the first to launch the new Boeing Dreamliner – the most fuel efficient and spacious commercial jet to date. Yes, you can only fly to Japan with it. What’s so wrong about that?

Best Computer:

The Apple MacBook Pro, 15-inch is hands down our winner this year. It doesn’t have Blu-ray, the processor is not the best, and it’s not that customizable, but the aluminum build quality really puts most manufacturers to shame.  And what do you do with your computer aside from looking cool at the coffee shop? So might as well get this one.

Best Streaming Music Service:

Spotify has arrived. Well, Europe’s had it for a while, but now that it’s out in America, it has reached a new level of popularity on par with that of Angry Birds. Shell out just a few bills for the premium service, and you can listen, explore, revisit and discover for as much as you want. When it’s missing stuff, it sucks, but they have the best shot out of all the services right now.

Best Luxury Car:

We figure you’ll want to fight over this one, but the 2012 Jaguar XF really brought ‘it’ this year, and is turning heads of loyal Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti and BMW drivers allover the world. It offers great power, handling, form factor and – most importantly – the ability to make the next guy jealous.

Best Waste of Money:

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Oh, to be rich, full of life and own an excellent insurance plan.  We focused on this water power jet pack in a previous post, but it wasn’t until we saw this video clip that we decided that it was not only ridiculously expensive for what it is, but also a complete waste of money. Best waste of money, sorry!

On that note, enjoy the rest of 2011! See you in 2012!

Santa Claus has been portrayed on films so many times, it doesn’t matter if you believe in him or not. He’s now simply a mythical character, associated with the idea of exchanging presents in December, as well as the symbol one of the most expensive – and profitable – holidays in the world.

So it’s always fun to see the iconic red suit and jolly demeanor taken for a spin in a Hollywood movie. Which are our favorites to see during the season?

Trading Places

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This is at the top of our list this year, as we were – yet again – forced to endure the mess that is being created by some greedy banker types (also known these days as the 1% by ‘Occupy’ protesters). So watching Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy take down some old rich people ends up being quite satisfying.  At one point, Aykroyd, dressed as Santa, crashes a Christmas Party in order to frame Murphy, only to fail, get drunk, and hide a ham in his beard as a snack.  Just watch it. IMDb

Gremlins

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Ok, so it’s not really a Santa movie at all, but it does take place during Christmas and includes an appearance by a man dressed as Santa who gets attacked by a Gremlin as horrified police officers watch. But instead of showing you that clip, we’ve embedded a monologue by the lead actress Phoebe Cates, who possibly tells the most gruesome Santa tale ever. What you end up imagining, instead of watching, sticks with you more than anything else in the movie. IMDb

Bad Santa

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This one is an easy choice, perhaps even too obvious a choice, but we’ve put it here anyway.  With the alcoholic, generally messed up Billy Bob Thornton (we do, in this case, mean the character he plays) as a shopping mall Santa with his eyes set on robbery, you know you are going to see some funny things happen when he’s forced to take an antisocial, overweight kid under his wing. We’ve put in the Japanese version of the trailer because it includes all of the swearing from the movie, but somehow lost in translation / uncensored for Japanese television. IMDb

Miracle on 34^th Street

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You don’t think we’re only filled with disdain for this holiday, do you? Well, let us prove you wrong with the inclusion of one of the most iconic Santa movies of all time – Miracle on 34^th Street.  This one can melt even the most cynical of moviegoers, and proves it by playing into our skepticisms, and then dashing them with a good-natured approach that never feels too syrupy sweet.  Watch here how Santa – who may or may not be a mental patient – speaks to a little (although suspiciously American) Dutch girl. IMDb

A Christmas Story

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We fear that this film may end up in the ‘long forgotten’ list, so we try to bring it up as much as we can in order to keep it in the public consciousness.  This is a real time capsule of a bygone era, but beautifully captures the workings of a typical / dysfunctional family, the unstoppable desire / obsession for a particular toy, and how scary it actually is to be a kid around Christmas time. Watch it once – you may recognize many iconic scenes that will ring true no matter how old you are, or where / when you grew up. IMDb

Got any Santa appearances you want to mention? Talk back to us in the comments!

A common misconception is that A-list movie stars are simply ‘discovered’ overnight.  In reality, these guys and gals usually toil for years, auditioning for terrible bit parts and taking any shameless gig to pay the bills.

You’d be surprised about how many of the Hollywood elite appeared in commercials prior to getting their big break. And then we wonder what is must have been like for the advertisers, producers, directors and crew to watch these nobodies become some of the biggest stars in the world. Check out some of our favorite commercials.

Keanu Reeves

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Before ‘woah’, there was… oh, who are we kidding. Keanu is all about the ‘woah’. Just watch him in this commercial for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, where he is setting a table for what seems to be a few dozen people for a massive cereal feast. There’s some debate whether it takes place in Hogwarts, and the basic premise is indeed ridiculous, but the look on his place as he surreptitiously takes a bite is truly worth the 30-second journey. Nom nom nom.

Benicio del Toro (and bonus)

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Benicio del Toro is one tough guy, and he has done very little in his career to negate that image. That is, unless you see this Calvin Klein ad where he blends in beautifully with all of the over-the-top sensuality associated with the ‘Obsession’ brand. The bonus? Well, if you don’t recognize the girl, Heather Graham, then you should feel ashamed. But the real bonus is that the director of this commercial was David Lynch. Makes being in a commercial like this less embarrassing, no?

Jodie Foster

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A lot of people already know that Jodie’s been acting since she was a little kid, and perhaps even know that her first appearance ever was in this Coppertone commercial. After a couple of decades of being a professional, it’s no wonder that she seems to be able to sip into roles with relative ease, and have two Oscars to show for it too. This is one of those classic ads that remind us how a famous person can be part of our public conscious for such a long time.

John Travolta

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OK, so this clip is a mash up of two commercials that Mr. Grease did early on in his career – one for Band-Aid and the for Safe Guard soap. But the fact that they both take place in a shower is hilarious, and we wonder how it informs the actor’s trajectory as well as all of the ‘rumors’ we tend to hear about his favorite personal pastimes.  At the very least, it’s nice to see some old-fashioned singing and complete lack of respect for reality.

Bruce Willis

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Another star who has never hidden his love of singing is good ol’ Bruce. And this is not a bad debut for someone who fancies himself as the musical sort, which he continued to try to show off in the box office failures like ‘Hudson Hawk’. Filmed before he was even a major actor in TV, it is amazing to see advertisers put so much faith put into his charisma and performance. Then again, Seagram’s Golden Wine Coolers don’t exist anymore, do they?

Michael J. Fox

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Remember when commercials told a story instead of listed all of the possible, life threatening side effects? We don’t either. That’s why finding this old McDonalds ad with Michael J. Fox is such a treat. It’s a sappy, sentimental ad, but demands you to watch the scene between pubescent teens unfold like some important life-changing event. It’s hard to deny Fox’s likability here though.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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OK, so this one is kind of a cheat, but we had to include it for kicks. While Arnold wasn’t in commercials prior to becoming an actor, he was not shy about appearing in Japanese commercials for big wads of cash after his career was at its peak. We can’t explain what is going on in this one, but isn’t it refreshing to experience an ad in this way? Watch, enjoy, and try to interpret it for yourself!

Television advertisements are an indelible part of our collective memory.  Who doesn’t remember that jingle that always sparks your hunger for a particular food? How about that revolutionary advert for Apple that geeks still talk about? Or – wassuuup – that funny one that people can’t stop quoting at parties everywhere?

While everyone has a favorite, there are definitely significant commercials that changed the nature of advertising – for better or worse. The following new and old ads are ones that created copycats, inspired people, touched our hearts and simply freaked us out.

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Japan – Gin no Sara Sushi (2010)

This is one of the newest and most original commercials we’ve seen in a while – and it is so ‘out there’ that is does this country, known for many bizarre traditions and fetishes, proud.  Two seemingly random people meet on a bridge and find themselves attracted to one another, just like sushi to rice – and then take this attraction to a literal extreme.  What is most impressive is that this is entirely safe for prime time consumption.

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USA – FedEx (1981)

This ad from the early 1980’s features John Moschitta, who at one time held the world record as the fastest speaker ever.  This advert captured the spirit of FedEx, which was still a relatively new business, and still needed to cement its identity as a fast and reliable worldwide courier.  In an age when digital manipulation runs rampant, it is almost novel and innovative to watch this again and see a natural talent in action.

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UK – Hamlet Cigars (1986)

Sometimes an ad doesn’t have anything to do with what it’s selling.  This is one of the best examples of this strategy, which simply shows a man who is unsuccessfully trying to get his picture taken at a photo booth.  Satisfaction only comes when he starts to puff on his Hamlet Cigar, which is always reliable. This is a singular, simple and straightforward message that you will clearly remember when walking through the aisles of a tobacco shop.

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France – McDonalds (2010)

The French have always spearheaded cultural change and acceptance, but a McDonald’s commercial was probably one of the last places we expected to see this.  Here, a father and son are eating at McDonalds, the father clearly ignorant of his son’s life as he talks about being a ‘ladies man’. But what this ad also tells us is that McDonalds is a safe place for people of all generations to connect.  Much like the living room in your own home.  While the sexuality aspect is on the forefront, there is an undercurrent that connects with people of all ages and lifestyles.

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USA – Wendy’s (1984)

Ask anyone in the advertising business about which ads they may remember the most, and Wendy’s ‘Where’s the Beef’ campaign will certainly be on their short list.  One of the first ads to actually comment on the quality of products by their competitors, this one stuck it to Mickey D’s and Burger King for what this old lady thought came up short on the meat department. In fact, this ad became so famous that this catchphrase is still used for a variety of situations.

What commercials from around the world do you remember? We’ll keep posting more, but feel free to direct your fellow readers to your favorite ads in the comments!

A review of the 2010 (82nd) Academy Awards red carpet fashion.

Check out all the stars in their ensembles and decide for yourself who was the worst and best dressed.

Leave your comments below…

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World-renowned Italian fashion label Versace launched it’s autumn/winter 2010/11 collection at Milan Fashion Week.

Check out what’s hot in the coming autumn/winter season…

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Dolce & Gabbana (D&G), Italy’s most renowned design duo who are this year celebrating their 25th anniversary of working together,  launched their autumn/winter 2010/11 at Milan Fashion Week 2010.

See what’s in store for the coming season below…

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Seattle resident and Phoenix Suns fan Rhett Brown won a cool $77,777 by making an interesting half-court shot!

Check it out via the link below…

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Australia’s weather forecast certainly ruffled some feathers this week!

Australia’s Channel Nine weatherman, Steve Jacobs, was broadcasting live from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, when Marnie the pelican launched an attack on him. The video has since become an internet sensation.

Note: The weatherman was not injured in the attack!

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