Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
Apple is back with its 15th version of the iPhone and it’s got the wow factor in a new ad called “WOW.” Take a look then scroll down for more info about the ad.
The song in the ad goes well with the wow theme. It’s called “Wow” by Team Salut & DÜKI TRAN. Be sure to give them a follow on Instagram… @TeamSalut and @DukiOfficial_, here’s the full track…
I thought it would be fun to watch the very first iPhone commercial from way back in 2007. Doesn’t seem like that long ago, does it? Here’s the commercial that started it all…
OK, back to present day… Apple has also put together a sizzle reel of the iPhone 15 showing off some of its best features. And yes, you can still say “hello” on this phone, too, plus a whole lot more.
The phone isn’t available yet but there are preorders going on. According to the Apple website, it will be available next Friday, September 22nd.
If you’re like me, up until a few days ago you had no idea who Everleigh was. My first introduction to her was from my 15-year-old niece who showed me the brand new “Like Taylor Swift” music video, written by and starring Everleigh LaBrant.
Wildest Dreams. The LaBrant family shot to fame on TikTok so that explains why I have no idea who they are. I’m sure they’d say they didn’t expect fame, even in their wildest dreams. But they found it and the latest offering from the family is this music video posted on the YouTube channel titled “Cole and EV,” which is dad and daughter. I guess that’s Cole appearing briefly in the music video, too.
You Need To Calm Down. I’ve seen online that reactions are split about the song and video. Some are encouraging Everleigh and some are wishing their ears had been sliced off before clicking ‘play.’ Look, what we all need to remember is that this is a project by a child, so why not just tell her it’s awesome and move on? Isn’t that what every parent tries to do with their kids? Think about the artwork you made when you were in elementary school. Was it good enough to be in a gallery? Was it even good enough to be on the refrigerator? No. No, it wasn’t. Sorry if that ruins your childhood memories 🥲.
To prove my point, Everleigh’s dad Cole said this was the best song he’d ever heard. That’s just a dad being a dad so everyone should just calm down.
Tolerate It. It’s also very easy to compare this song to “Friday” by Rebecca Black. Remember that one? Rebecca shot to fame because of it, but for all the wrong reasons. I’d argue that the lyrics were the worst part but just like Everleigh, Rebecca was just dipping her toes into music. We should’ve just tolerated it, I guess.
Long Story Short. Both of the songs “Friday” and “Like Taylor Swift” were clearly written by kids. But 10 years later, Rebecca has stuck it out and now she’s a legit artist. Just check out the music on her YouTube page. I’m actually really impressed! Perhaps Everleigh can make something of herself in professional music, too. Like Rebecca faced in the aftermath of “Friday,” it might takes years of therapy to undo what’s been done (backlash from people criticizing “Like Taylor Swift”), but the decision to put this song out there for everyone to hear can’t be taken back now. We can only hope that it helps Everleigh have tough skin, which is needed in any industry a person’s works.
I watched the Jets/ Bills game Monday night because I wanted to see Aaron Rodgers have a good start to the season. Plus, that game affected my fantasy football status and while fantasy football went well for me this week, I can’t say the same for Rodgers. I can’t believe he tore his achilles on the opening Jets drive. Crazy how that changes a lot for the Jets. I also saw a screen grab of a fantasy team that lost by less than a point because Rodgers got 0 fantasy points. Ouch.
NFL football in week 1 was mostly unremarkable. Most teams that lost, lost by a lot. The most nail-biter of a game had to be the Jets/ Bills game because even after Rodgers left with the injury, the Jets managed to secure a win! It’s not like they were playing the Titans either. This was the Buffalo freakin’ Bills.
So while J-E-T-S fans are not super pumped about Rodgers being gone for the season, at least they got a win and, for now, they’re undefeated.
College football week 2 was kind of forgettable, too. I still wonder if week 1 is going to be the best week of college football because of Coach Prime’s first win, and a few big upsets in the top 25. But, of course, when Alabama loses again will be another great college football weekend.
Legendary rock band The Rolling Stones have a video to go along with a new song called “Angry.” Who am I kidding, you already knew that, that’s why you’re reading this today! But as a refresher, here’s the video starring an actress you might recognize from HBO.
The Actress. The video definitely focuses on her more physical assets, to put it mildly, but up for the Mercedes-Benz ride-along is actress Sydney Sweeney. She’s most well-known for her role in HBO’s “Euphoria.” Here are few clips in a sizzle reel put together for her role…
Are you happy The Rolling Stones have new music? How do you feel about the music video?
I really like Gerard Butler and whenever he’s in a movie, I’m going to watch at least once. My favorite of his is Hunter Killer, an intense action movie that had me on the edge of my seat. The most recent movie I’ve seen starring Butler is Kandahar. I wanted to love it but just never quite got there. Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it yet…
You know when you watch a movie and pretty early on you are rooting for the protagonist? Maybe you can picture yourself in their situation, or it’s a classic tale of good vs. evil, or an underdog story. This movie wasn’t a classic tale as much as it was an overused theme in the past few years or decade. All the same elements of an “us vs. them” military movie but very few surprises. I’d even venture to say that Butler’s character isn’t even very likable. But one scene I liked a lot was all at night, with Gerard using night vision to outwit the enemy. Besides that, it was a predictable military guy who’s gone from home too long so his wife is divorcing him and he misses a child’s important event. Of course, when he’s about to go home another mission pops up that derails his plans of making it to his daughter’s school graduation. Saw that coming from a mile away.
I’ve seen this type of theme done right, though. Have you seen The Covenant yet? Fabulous movie with a similar good guy behind enemy lines theme. If you’re debating whether to watch one or the other, go with The Covenant. I was very impressed with Jake Gyllenhaal. Less predictable and just when you think the story is wrapping up, there’s a whole other part unraveling.
If you’ve seen Kandahar, chime in with your thoughts below.
Out of the Wilderness 