Awesome twitter interactions

Three (3) best friend filmmakers each have won Best Director Oscar, and more

These 3 best friends filmmakers have each won Best Directing Oscar Academy Awards. I thought what an amazing and statistically unlikely feat.

Alfonso Cuarón wins Best Director for Roma

Alfonso Cuarón Best Foreign Language Film for Roma

Alejandro G. Iñárritu Best Directing for Birdman

Alejandro G. Iñárritu Best Directing for The Revenant
-

Alfonso Cuaron Best Directing for Gravity

Guillermo del Toro Best Directing for The Shape of Water

Here is one of my favorite interviews of them together on the Charlie Rose show Dec 20, 2006. I remember re-watching this video from my apartment in Memphis over and over again back in 2006.
Films: Babel, Children of Men, Pans Labyrinth

In addition, two of them won Best Picture too:

Birdman, Alejandro G. Iñárritu

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro

My Top 10 Films of 2018

My Top 10 films of 2018 

1. Black Panther 

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse 

3. Avengers: Infinity War 

4. Incredibles 2 

5. A Quiet Place
6. Mission Impossible: Fallout
7. Ralph Breaks The Internet 

8. Green Book 

9. Deadpool II
10. Widows
11. A Star is Born

Others
12. Smallfoot, was good fun and had a good message but not preachy.
13. Blockers, was the funniest movie of the year
14. Game Night, was also very funny and well done.

TV Shows
Because I did not want to commit to entire seasons of shows, I only watched a few
1. Barry was a revelation for Bill Hader 

2. Atlanta was so multi-dimensional

One of the best explanations of Artificial Intelligence AI capabilities I've seen @ TED

Best Roundtable Ever: Big Hero 6, The Lego Movie & More: The Full Animation Roundtable

MARS: Inside SpaceX. A 2018 National Geographic Documentary

Michelle Obama's story of trying to get outside of White House similar from President from Scandal doing same

How Michelle Obama talks about leaving the white house, reminded me of this clip from Scandal where the President negotiates with his secret service on leaving the white house

Whatsapp founder Jan Koum talks about their Journey at Stanford

Reading vs. Watching

I have always wondered by people read books instead of watching an equivalent lesson online/youtube. I have realized that this is because in books, we can erase and re-write/ re-type. But with videos, people are forced to think on the spot and may say things that they do not mean or would not want to take back.

So I am practicing reading more. I still like watching video versions.

Watch YouTube Videos without the Ads

Do you watch a lot of YouTube on mobile but tired of all the annoying ads?

Download NewPipe and get the videos. It even has features to download both video and audio versions. Exactly what I need to get the videos on the go. You're welcome world.

Apple’s Secret iPhone Launch Team: The Event That Began It All

How To Play a Video Along With an External Audio Track Using VLC Player

How To Play a Video Along With an External Audio Track Using VLC Player


Let's say you have some video files and also have an audio track or music track, and you want to play both together using the same player, how can you do that?

1. Open VLC Player

2. "File" > "Advanced Open File..."
 
3. Under the "File" tab, put your main movie into the first spot

4. Put the audio file into the second spot called "Play another media synchronously"

5. Click "Open"


There, in 5 easy steps, now you can play a movie with an audio track simultaneously and synchronously.

By: @folarin, @folarino

This Prolific Artisan Makes Movie Props out of Paper That You Think Are just Real

Not to make light of the Kavanaugh hearing as I was very emotionally affected for the women shouting in the background, and the impassioned senators..."Mr. Chairman"


But it did remind me of this early IMF hearing in Mission Impossible Rogue Nation

Caught in Providence: The Breakfast Verdict

Watched this on a Sunday Morning and it was beautiful to watch

“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” — “Lagos” won 2 Emmys

So at the Creative Arts Emmys: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” — “Lagos” won 2 Emmys. 1. Outstanding Picture Editing (non-fiction) 2. Outstanding Sound Mixing (non-fiction) The show also won: Outstanding Informational Series or Special Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming


It's sad Anthony Bourdain is no longer with us...shout out to Lagos. Read what he wrote (with videos) in this quick read:
https://explorepartsunknown.com/destination/lagos/

The people that make movie trailers

I love the line that movie trailers are the only kinds of advertisement that people love to watch and actually actively seek out

My simple equation on exercise using simple economics

I want to give a simple equation on exercise using simple economics.

In economics, if you want to sell a product. You can either price it high or low.
In a perfect world, if you price high, you'll get a small number of buyers. If you price lower, you get a higher number of buyers.

Revenue = price * quantity

So if you want an exclusive spa, price higher, a smaller number of customers. If you want an affordable spa, price lower, more customers. In a perfect world, you end up with the same revenue - this is my point of this equation.

In exercise, the similar equation that I invented is

Body exercise = quality * time

If you run, the quality is high, but you would run a shorter distance in less time.
If you speed walk, quality is lower, but you can walk for miles for a longer time.

In a perfect world, you would do the same level of exercise.

Apple is now the world's first trillion-dollar company

Read this article for Apple's road to $1 trillion: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/apple-trillion-stock-market-valuation-1.4771428

Apple’s Secret iPhone Launch Team: How They Made the iPhone that changed it all

Apple’s Secret iPhone Launch Team: The Event That Began It All

Simon Sinek - Leaders don't even know what game they are in

The Thai cave rescue - best graphic (Holographic 3D) and description

We Used To have Boredom

"We Used To have Boredom. And boredom, for lack of a better word, is good"

The Best Movies Trailers

These trailers are so memorable to me. I love listening over and over again. Most are musical with the score timed well with editing. They all tell a good story. Some tell what seems like a complete story without giving away the plot (Force Awakens). I usually get a kick of inspiration when listening.

Elon Musk says when automation takes over most jobs we will need a Universal Basic Income...I agree and I go further

Elon Musk says when our society becomes very automated...When we make and allow robots and good artificial intelligence to do our menial labor for us (drive cars, do laundry, do dishes, make reservations in restaurants), and even do most of our 9-5 jobs, this would be good.

Elon Musk predicts that we would need a Universal Basic Income (UBI) because we would not have to do 9-5 anymore, but since our society will still likely be governed by money, we would need that UBI. Here's where I take it a bit further. That Universal Basic Income, sounds like some kind of welfare that the government is helping us with, I don't like the sound of that.

I see it as, humanity has worked very very hard in getting us to this point that it should just be called Universal Income - A good and substantial amount each month that will be more than enough to have a very good living.

Elon says there would be a downside. That it would be difficult for people to find meaning. A lot of us derive meaning or fulfillment from our jobs. The fact that we serve others and our community through our work give us a sense of duty and fulfillment at the end of the day.

He says that when most work become automated, how will we find meaning?

This is a very good point and I commend Elon for his insight, foresight, and wisdom here.

Now, let me comment on that:
Because of two factors:
1. People are incredibly resilient.
2. New technology does not just appear immediately...

New tech arrives gradually, we generally see it coming, it announces itself before it shows up. We as people would begin to adjust our lifestyle to this new world trend of almost complete automation. Then we would look for and find meaning in lots of different things. I do not think Elon needs to worry about that.

For example, Automation will not solve the human problem - that two people living in a house would eventually find conflict, that would need to be solved. There's enough meaning to be found in solving disagreements, conflict and imperfections in people relations. And that's just one example that AI cannot for the foreseeable future solve.

Jeff Bezos shares his management style and philosophy

Fundamentals of Wealth Management by Dow's grandson

Using videos to learn has been more useful and engaging for me, than books

Before today, I used to feel bad about...I prefer to watch videos to learn rather than reading books. When I would hear readers say, "I read a book a day", or "I read 2 books a week".

From today, I give myself permission not to feel bad anymore. Why? The vast majority of the things that I have learned in a lot of disciplines, skills, and softskills, has been through video. I have become a filmmaker by watching countless talks and listening to countless movies' director audio commentaries.

I became a visual effects artists by watching tutorials and putting the lessons into action


I learned presentation skills by watching so many TED talks and other talks like these


and of course this...


And I became informed in many fields through video.

Then of course people like Salman Khan of Khan Academy and Sebastian Thrun of Udacity said, "Wait...we naturally like to watch videos and movies. So, let's use videos to teach!" Over a few short years, those services became very valuable, Udacity becoming a billion dollar company.





And so, from today henceforth, I congratulate myself on the education that I have given myself beyond the classroom.

Mark Twain said, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education". I prefer the paraphrase, "I have never let my schooling get in the way of my education."

So if anyone tried to make you feel bad because you don't read books as much as you watch videos to learn, do not give them that permission anymore.

You might even be retaining more information. Or, each person is just different in the way that they learn. So, to each, their own.

Joe Rogan's Podcast - The PhD of podcasts

My favorites

Michael Jackson's Publicist on What He Was Really Like - Joe Rogan

How Bill Gates reads books

I stumbled on this short video of how Bill Gates reads books.
I am currently reading three books simultaneously. Bill Gates' tips are certainly very practical and useful for me.

Do I call or Do I text?

Title I originally chose:
"Which mode of communication to choose in today's overstuffed communication channels."

Better more uncomplicated Title:
"Do I call or text?"

Abstract
How do I talk to him or her?
Do I text?
Do I call?
Do I WhatsApp call?
Do I WhatsApp text?
Do I leave a WhatsApp voice note?
Do I skype?
Do I email?
How about Instagram direct message?
Let's not forget twitter direct message?
Did you really seriously forget facebook messenger ... message?

We have all been here and we are still here today in 2018.

I remember back in like 1997, communication channels were mostly 2 or 3:

Do I call? Do I text? Do I email?

The answer to the above 3 channels is pretty simple and straight-forward.

Remember, the way you choose to communicate should be approached like a business would. Necessary protocols/ respect should be followed. What do I mean? See "Text" below.

Text
Text should be used for short bursts of information dissemination, or notification.
For example,
"Hey, I will be at Starbucks in 15 minutes, okay?" or
"Remember to bring my bag please".

You can also use Text message to let someone know that you are about to call:
"Hey, can I call you in 15 mins", or
"When will you be free to talk"

When you use text messages to notify before a call, you would avoid conflict after "missed calls"
This way, you will not have plenty of missed calls. Some unintentional conflict can arise when Jack does not pick up Jill's phone call. Jill might feel like something is wrong. When in fact, Jack was probably just plainly doing some other thing or talking to someone else.

Call
For more long-form conversation. For conversations that require a more "call & response" or "live back and forth". Make a phone call for conversations that require immediate response. Or you have more to say than you can in text or would be inefficient to keep typing and typing. Calling might be a way to save time thereby will increase efficiency.

A text message is favorable to the recipient because they can read it as fast or slow as they want. They can also read it in loud environments; which is a disadvantage for calls and voice notes.

For folk like me that prefer recording voice notes, to achieve a win-win scenario, use Voice-to-Text on your smartphone to convert your voice to text messages. Apple and Google have this feature. It is the microphone icon on your smartphone keyboard.

Email
Is a letter that most likely will never be deleted. Permanent letter delivered electronically, which means instantaneous delivery.
It will be sent immediately, however, make sure you take your time to write it. Once gone, you cannot change it.

It is unlike this blog post. I can go back tomorrow and fix a mistake.

When you are writing an email, take your mind or memory back decades ago when you would write a letter on paper to a loved one, to be put into the mailbox, to be sent. We didn't used to hurry to write that paper letter, we took our time.

Apply the same 'carefulness' to email. Yes, I meant carefulness, not care. I chose this word on purpose.

Also, English & Grammar
You need 'tools' to allow your brilliant thoughts to be expressed properly. Make sure that English class that you are forced to take, take it seriously. It would help you to sound smart or wise, as you know you are smart or wise in your head.

Mobile Internet calling & text
There are a lot, wechat, WhatsApp, line, Viber.

For this one, I will focus on WhatsApp.
Why?
Except for WeChat which is extremely popular in China, Whatsapp is the most popular for the people that I know, and a billion others that I do not know.


Data communication is already cheaper than normal phone calls.
Check your WhatsApp data usage, it would be something like 50MB or less, per person. That is over the last many months or year. That is incredibly small especially since you have done a lot of WhatsApp calls, or written so many WhatsApp messages, and lots of WhatsApp video calls, and left so many voice notes.

I'm glad I mentioned all various WhatsApp modes of communications. Remember back in 2012/ 2013 when it was only WhatsApp text?



Whatsapp Text

Is essentially a better and more advanced form of regular phone text

Also, you can send photos and video
1. Easily & Easier
2. More conveniently
3. Using less $ per message/picture/video

than regular text and picture message text



Whatsapp voice call
When you want to have a phone call between people in different countries, do WhatsApp voice call instead of buying phone cards and stuff.

It's just cheaper. Not just that, it is more convenient. On your phone, scroll to your contact's name, press the dial button, done.

Now, 'WhatsApp voice call' does not entirely replace the regular 'call' button.
Depending on your geographical location, your telecommunications plan, and the mobile/technical relationships that you have with your contact, "To normal call, or to whatsapp call" decision could vary.

I would say, in countries where they pay the telecom providers per call, use WhatsApp call more.

In countries that more than often have "unlimited minutes" or close to that, you will regular call, than WhatsApp call.

Whatsapp voice notes
Voice notes are fantastic for recording and then sending a spoken voice message. They are great because you would not interrupt the recipient with a phone call. Phone calls can be uncomfortable because you are just barging in on someone unannounced. It would be like showing up at a person's house without telling them beforehand.
This is where voice notes are perfect. Leave a message by getting straight to the point. When the recipient plays it in their own time, they can respond the same way.
Here is David Pierce of the Wall Street Journal talking about that



Data strength
The strength of your 'mobile data' or your wifi could also be a determining factor.
If your data is not strong enough, you may hear delays and our weak signals.
When you hear yourself saying, "Sorry, that wasn't clear"
or
"Why are you not answering me immediately?"
It's not your friend, it's the data and the technical delay.

This is an area that regular phone calls still shines over calls over data, or...to get all technical, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol, which most just say Voice Over IP)

Whatsapp Video Call

Basic upgrade to Whatsapp voice calling. From audio to video.

With text, you only get written words.

With audio, you get intent, and voice inflections. 

With video, now you get facial expressions to get the full picture of the call.

Data usage: WhatsApp has done a fantastic job of keeping its data usage, even on video calls down to a bare minimum.

Skype

After text and regular calling, Skype became the godfather of internet calling. The OG VOIP. Originally on desktops and laptops only, years before the iPhone was invented.

Skype is used for both video and audio calling. It has a more official feeling to it so plenty of businesses and companies use Skype. It's also on mobile too. It's just much easier and straightforward to WhatsApp call or WhatsApp video call.
The one feature that Skype has over Whatsapp voice call is Skype can dial any phone number in the world (paid feature). But Whatsapp can only call people who have installed WhatsApp on their phones and only mobile devices. Skype can call both landlines (mostly businesses) and any other phone.

What's next for WhatsApp?

I predict that for WhatsApp groups, there would appear a call button that would be a single button for conference calling. So 5 people in a WhatsApp group could do a conference call with the push of a single button. Compare that to all 5-10 steps involved in doing a phone conference today, especially in a non-business environment i.e. with friends/family.
It would make a lot of sense for WhatsApp to do that next.

Joe Rogan & Kevin Smith Get Emotional Talking About Their Dogs Dying

Joe Rogan - Kevin Smith "Death Is Not to Be Feared"

Anthony Bourdain

CNN's Anthony Bourdain dead at 61

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/08/us/anthony-bourdain-obit/index.html


Anderson Cooper’s tribute to his friend Anthony Bourdain


My voice note to my friendly team after I heard the sad news

Microsoft just bought GitHub for $7.5 Billion

Good reads on this news


GitHub Is Microsoft’s $7.5 Billion Undo Button
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-06/github-is-microsoft-s-7-5-billion-undo-button


Microsoft’s GitHub acquisition celebrated by Linux Foundation
https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/8/17441096/microsoft-github-acquisition-reaction-linux-foundation

Microsoft + GitHub + LinkedIn = The Professional Graph

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2018/06/05/microsoft-github-linkedin-the-professional-graph/

Customer Service companies (Apple and Amazon)

Apple is the best customer service company in the world.

Amazon is the best customer-centric company in the world.

Apple is essentially a really great customer-service company disguised as a really great technology company.

Matrix Subway Fight commentary

Updates: The Matrix won 4 Oscars for: Film Editing, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing & Sound Editing.


Original post from Iconic Clips

Caring for one's mental state

Here are my overall general thoughts on mental health. Most people have mental health issues. Some people just hide them better than others.

The way we change the oil and fluids in cars periodically is the way people should care for their mental state.

Going to see a therapist should not just be for a cure, but should be for regular maintenance.

As a society, we have not yet embraced the removal of the stigma of going to see someone to heal oneself mentally. We haven't even embraced regular maintenance.

Sometimes when a friend or a family member knows someone who is caring for their mental state, they would often tend to treat them like they are less than, or treat them like they are ill. This reactional behavior is quite unfortunate.

Professionals are not the only ones that can do this...certain friends could be very sufficient, sometimes even more so.

Contrary to what may be intuitive, the people who have known you the longest may not the best to do this. Sometimes they are, sometimes not. It just depends on your situation. A big factor in finding the right person to heal and maintain one's mental state, is empathy.

Instead of giving advice,..., understand. Repeat what is said back in a different way to show understanding. Tell stories.

In Windows operating system, your Windows computer, there is a built-in application called Disk Defragmenter. Its purpose was to organize all files and folders properly and index them correctly in the computer to increase read & write speed to disk, and allows for easy searchability.

When last have we arranged those disorganized "files and folders" is our memories and minds?

To be clear, caring for one's mental health could be as mundane as visiting a friend at their home,  meeting for coffee and talking, a substantially timed phone/data call. Don't go to the movies, cos you can't have a conversation there.

Black Panther full film audio commentary by Folarin

Black Panther is out on digital
I recorded my first dvd/bluray commentary. It is fitting that I was inspired to do it on a movie that impacted me deeply. I had so much to say on any one moment in the film that I just had to choose one comment to say and move on to the next moment.
The movie was expertly tightly edited that there are no scenes longer they are.

Feel free to download it to your phone or computer. Press play at the same time the movie begins.

Black Panther audio commentary by Folarin

The Making Of Black Panther Soundtrack With Ludwig Göransson

Senegalese Drummer who played the Talking Drum For 'Black Panther'

Passion & Innovation, Creativity & Beauty: Africa

Creed - Grave scene - my commentary

My cover version of "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Disney's Mulan

My commentary on Creed - Long Take Fight Scene

Correction: "It's a very impartial camera"


After I made my commentary, I later discovered that Ryan Coogler made one for the New York Times. I was happy to see that we both said some of the same things.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/movies/ryan-coogler-narrates-a-scene-from-creed.html



Original clip posted by JackBauer137

Guillermo Del Toro knows how to reach his actors differently

How to get the most fulfilment out of life?

How to get the most fulfillment out of life?

Make and save more money than you spend.

Give more than you receive.

Help more than you receive help.

Teach more than you learn.

Exercise more than you eat.

Bless more than you curse.

Listen more than you speak.

It's not that hard to be happy. ©Folarin @folarin @folarino

But why was T'Challa in Black Panther the least interesting character?

T'Challa was not meant to shine as a character. Trust me Chadwick can do incredible charisma, just look at his James Brown. His character was meant to be a relaxed thinker and doer. Everything he did was through emotional intelligence. Never got overly emotional, never got angry to the point of losing himself. More importantly, a King or a Leader is supposed to allow his teammates to shine, pop and give them room and tools to succeed. He's meant to allow them the opportunity to succeed. Ryan Coogler (as a writer-director) and His other writers constructed T'Challa's laid back strength character on purpose. That is a version of what a true leader who was raised up to be a King should be.

Give

"It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35 NKJV

For any gift to me and my organization, in any amount, give at paypal.me/Folariin

My Academy Awards nominations & winner prediction for the 2018 Oscars, based on 2017 films

Oscar Noms prediction

By Omofolarin B. Osibodu

fosibodu@gmail.com

Hello people, I wrote this document 1 hour before the Academy Awards nominees were read. If you don't believe me, well as Naija's would say it, "That is your business". lol.

Disclaimer: This piece will be riddled with grammatical errors. Why? Because I want to pour it out of my head so quickly because the Oscar nominees will be announced live on youtube (Oscars channel) in less than 1 hour. Over time, I will make corrections.

I want to show that when you follow your ‘sport’ of choice literally all year long, you can make very accurate and well educated-guesses.

Best Picture

1. Dunkirk - Will probably Win
2. The Shape of Water - I want to Win
3. I, Tonya
4. Molly's Game
5. Planet of the Apes
6. The Post
7. 3 billboards outside ebbing Missouri
8. Battle of the Sexes
9. Get Out
10. Lady Bird
11. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Director (normally only 5 but here are my 8 picks and why
To me, the Best DIrector is the one that made the best picture, however, the Academy, sometimes, likes to split it if it likes 2 best pictures.
1. Guillermo Del Toro - Winner & I want to Win
2. Christopher Nolan - could Win. He is due for his Oscar.
Guillermo too is due for his Oscar, he had been at the top of his craft for 25 years.
They both seriously deserve it the most. So if either wins, I'll be fine with it
3. Matt Reeves - This came out too early in 2017. Peeps have forgotten. However, still wonderful job, don't worry it will take best visual effects.
4. Aaron Sorkin - top writer in both films and especially TV, period. Well, him and David E. Kelly. Aaron writes the dialogue and writes the stage directions for actors to follow, in his script anyway. So, in that sense, he is directing. This time Aaron actually Directed, for real, for the first time, and he did great! Won't win though.
5.The Post - I mean if Spielberg makes a serious film about investigative journalism (like Spotlight), with Streep and Hanks as leads. That's just Oscar bait. The Man has already won like 2 Best Directors. He's a billionaire. He doesn't' need another Oscar. He knows he is still the greatest even as he still makes top marks as a well-aged grandpa. Actually, his work is not the best anymore. The younger ones have overtaken him.

Let's give it to someone else could use the encouragement and exposure, especially one who hasn't won, or one who actually deserves it for doing something very very difficult.

Which brings me to...
6. I, Tonya's Craig Gillespie
and
7. Greta Gerwig, long time actress, first time director, filmed a mother-daughter story about a mother that loves the daughter, but doesn't like her. Ooohhh. That would be tough for both Mom and Daughter...esp daughter.
Also, Can we give Greta the damn Oscar for being as fantastic as Aaron Sorkin as first timers, but Greta, even more so, cos she wasn't known as a writer (she has written though).

8. Get Out,
I mean where to begin. First-time film director. Did horror by avoiding cheap scares and instead, going to somewhere even more substantial: our subconscious. Using that as a metaphor and an allegory for the continued pervasiveness of racial injustice, and racial inequality. Doing all that, while being the highest grossing film of any first time director...ever. Thank you Blumhouse pictures.
Let's give it up for, Black Man and 2nd half of comedy-central's' Key & Peele, Jordan Peele!

I would be sooooo happy, if the stutuette goes to a director of African descent for the first time in Oscar history. I would be very satisfied indeed.


Best Actor
Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out
Daniel Day-Lewis – give him his 3rd, as he flies high into the miraculous pearly gates as he retires from being the greatest actor, ever, from a standpoint of the intensity of creating and literally turning and transforming himself into another character
Andy Serkis – Planet of the Apes just watch it and tell me this long time performance capture artist doesn't deserve this Oscar?
Idris Elba – Molly’s Game. He was in a positon of male lead. But he was secondary to the main story. However, Idris’ style, bravado and handsomeness, will trick us into wanting to give him.
Hugh Jackman – haven’t seen The Greatest Showman yet, but Hugh Jackman has never put out a half-hearted performance.
James Franco – this ‘stoner’ is an extremely hard worker, who has invested time and education (just read the education section of his Wikipedia entry), and efforts into being an artist, and painter and writer, director, etc. He hides behinds that great smile of his, but he is extremely hard working and takes his craft very seriously. That's why he won the Golden Globe. Lets give the Oscar to
Andy Serkis to prove that actors behind performance capture are just as legit as actors wearing makeup.
Let’s give it to Hugh Jackman who has long so deserved it.
Gary Oldman – didn't see the film. But the man deserves the Oscar just purely based on the actor with most range (range to pull of very very different characters), um, ever!!!!
He is the very definition of a character actor


Best Actress
Jessica Chastain
Margot Robbie…Done and Done…
Sally Hawkins ---oh wait…Done and Done and Done. The Oscar is hers. Period;. Why? She plays a mute who emots emotions through her carefully and wonderfully trained ASL hands, and her emotions. My God, I wept.
No body else is a contender. Not even the always ‘properly highly rated’  Meryl Streep.

Merryl Streep
I have said it once, and I will say it again, let’s just create a separate “One Best Actress goes to Merryl Streep” while

"The Other Best Actress goes to...'insert name here'...hahahaha

Okay, fine. Emma Stone – great job but she won't win.

Frances McDormand – great but she won't win.

Oscars like Dramatic acting, not so much comedic acting. They are both difficult, in fact some have said its easier to make

Best Supporting Actor
Richard Jenkins – Shape of Water. This man’s true heart comes through in every performance. He makes me cry for joy and just pure heart.
Michael Stuhlbarg – This guy is always great, by the way. Theatre actors are just simply the best when they transition into film
Michael Shannon – Shape of Water. I mean ‘wow’
Sebastian Stan – I,Tonya. This Winter Soldier is unrecognizable in this role (that's a compliment)

Best Supporting Actress

Original Screenplay
Get Out
I, Tonya


Adapted Screenplay
Molly’s Game – Done.

Animated Feature
Coco – no other contenders. Obviously gonna win. It is Pixar, well now Disney-Pixar.
Despicable Me 3 – personally I preferred. However, I haven’t finished watching Coco.

Orginal Score
Alexandre Desplat – Shape of Water – Winner
Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk – first runner up

Apple's customer service keeps blowing my mind

@Apple @Applestore Anytime I go to an apple store to get something done, the customer service reps do something to go above and beyond to make me happy as a customer.

My first smartphone was an iPhone. I bought it 6 months after it was released in 2007 to take advantage of the $200 drop in price. Back then the earphones would wear out quickly. Whenever I would walk into an Apple retail store to complain about it, they would just take it and swap it out for a new one. Keep in mind that just a few feet away, they were selling that new earpiece for $50 on the shelf.

One time, some liquid dropped onto my black MacBook and my hard drive was destroyed. I took it to the apple store and while diagnosing, the genius said it seems some water poured inside of the keyboard, but, (he quietly whispered), "we'll take care of this for ya, don't worry". He replaced it with a new hard drive, no extra charge...at all.

Yesterday, I had plugged my MacBook Air into a socket that I found out later had a surge, and so the adapter was destroyed. I went over to the apple store, made an appointment in person (cos doing it online at home was gonna be a few days wait). I wondered about the mall for about 2-3 hours (kept busy in the mall). I got text messages letting me know when it was my turn. Came back. When the technician diagnosed it, he confirmed that it was indeed the adapter that was broken. They gave me two choices:
1. Buy the adapter with a 3-month warranty for $60
2. Buy the adapter with a 1-year warranty for $90

I went for the first option because I knew it would be brand new anyway and my previous new adapter had lasted for 4 years.

When he came back with the adapter and his iPad for me to sign, he told me that he did me a favor, NO EXTRA CHARGE!
He gave me the adapter FOR FREE!

I know you've heard that "there is no such thing as a free lunch."

But it seems as though Apple is giving away "free lunches?!"

Apple keeps buying my customer loyalty back each time I go to their store or engage with them on Twitter, via email or on the phone.

They understand that when I am wowed, I would take to social media and share my experience. They get that I'll tell my friends and family about it and convince them to buy a Mac...which I did...about 5 of them.

In fact, on a past job application to Apple, a question was, "Why do you want to work at the Apple Retail Store?
1. I love Apple products and am excited to sell them.
2. I already convert friends and family to Mac. It just makes sense to work for Apple.
3. I am an Apple fan and use them regularly.
4. I spend all of my time on my Mac

(Choose 1)

I couldn't decide between 1, 2, 3 or 4 and I could only select one!!!

Can you say that about any other company?

When Steve Jobs died, I cried. Why? I never met him. He's not a family member. Not even a friend of a friend.

Yet, through his products, I could feel the love, the care, and the obsession to make our lives a little bit better, a little bit more beautiful and a little bit happier through his technology. And that is something we don't always get, even from family or friends.

Thanks, Steve

Folarin

Tayo Oviosu speaking about Paga at Stanford SIEPR