This posting can be considered a little out of date, but we wanted to share our experience at The Grand Prix of Edmonton last summer. It was another action packed Champ Car race set at the municipal airport in Edmonton, which made for an exceptionally fast and exciting race. Once again, we were there with the Face of Champ Car girls who all were competing in the world's ultimate sports model search.
Congratulations to all of the girls, especially to Alysha Csuti - Miss Grand Prix Edmonton, Natalia Lundrigan - 1st Runner Up and Whitney Macgregor - 2nd Runner Up.
We spent a week in Edmonton shooting the girls interacting with the drivers and competing in the event. Post production was considerable longer.
Some guys around here have been giving me some flack about my previous post How to ask a woman out. They asked me to go into further detail about the finer points of getting a date. Reluctantly, I agreed, although I have decided that my words of wisdom will come not come from me, but rather from videojug in the form of an educational tidbit that you should find at the very least, entertaining. After seeing the video, both my brother and sister managed to not only get dates, but they have each gotten hitched... no, not to each other. Watch and learn. I hope it works for you.
Note: If the girl of your dreams said yes when you asked her out, you are screwed now as you actually have to go out with her. What to do now? Fear not! Videojug seems to have the answers for everything you may need to know.
Given that today is Valentine's Day, the guys at the UNP office have asked that I share some pretty useful information with them. I thought why stop with them, hence I am have decided to blog this and share my knowledge with the world. What the hell!
Many people ask me how to ask women out. Let me start by going into incredible detail and giving away all of my secrets (most of which don't work) - wait - how can I teach someone to be funny? If you don't have it, you never will and if that is the case my only and best advise is to go out and buy a puppy. Take it with you everywhere you go and the little guy should do most of the hard work for you. If that doesn't work, start collecting cats because you are destined for a life of loneliness.
Alright, here is some info I pulled off a web site for you...
If you are attracted to anyone and thinking of going for a date, then don't wait for Valentine's Day. Go out with the lady once so that you two know each other better and on Valentine's day both can have more fun as the awkwardness of the first date will be over. But how to ask for a woman out for a date? Often, one gets nervous about asking for a date but the golden rule is just be yourself. Here are some tips to remember while asking a woman for a date:
→ Try to be natural. Don't put extra pressure on yourself. Girls like men who make them laugh. So, before asking for a date, build up a good rapport with her. Get into a conversation with her but don't go overboard to impress her. Instead pay her attention and respect.
→ Don't ask directly, "Will you go out with me?" These words tend to put extra pressure on the girl. The main purpose of a date is to know each other better. So, just ask her casually if she would like to go to a movie or have coffee. Try to know her preferences earlier so that it's easy to decide where to go. (Bloggers note: don't hire a private investigator or rifle through her trash. That's going a little overboard and if you find yourself doing that or wanting to that, you should probably not ask her out. Call your Mom and ask for help.)
→ If she says no, then don't take it too personally. You have to move on. If you already have a good rapport with her, then respect her decision and keep up the friendly relation.
Well, those little gems of advise should get you no where. Get yourself online and have a friend write a dating profile for you. If you don't have any friends, just steal one that someone else wrote. While you're at it, you might as well use a photo from the Sears cataloge of a good looking, non-threatening guy. Try and pick one that resembles you slightly otherwise you may have to do some explaining. Now start looking for a date.
This blog is a behind the scenes look at CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°" and the stories it covers. The entry for today - February 14th - Valentine's Day - is rather interesting. If you enjoy Anderson's style of journalism, you may be surprised at his blog entry, although he does have a nack at uncovering interesting stories. Give it a read, but be forewarned, it is not graffic, but it entitled, "You too can be a 40-year-old virgin". Happy Valentine's Day and may your love never lead you on a path to persue what Anderson's blog entry talks about.
*Update - we had a meeting here and came to the conclusion that if you have the bucks you should do it. The world could be a better place with rejuvenated v-----s everywhere.
Could it be true? Does someone other than my mother have affection for me? Probably not. Happy Valentine's Day to all those folks who still have functioning hearts and are capable of love. If this isn't you, rest assured there are people trying to help. The scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have revealed that "Broken Heart Syndrome" is REAL and POTENTIALLY DEADLY. I am afraid there is very little the medical field can do for you other than give you some happy pills. Until you reach that point, check out these guys.
Parade of Lost Souls is a massive street party that celebrates Halloween. Held on Commercial Street in Vancouver, thousands of people take over the area and don disguises and costumes spicing up their dreaded and dismal lives for one night. FYI: Although the pirate costume was born out of necessity - arrrgh - a mean pirate I make! Images are here.
Made in 1982, Vincent is Tim Burton's first film that was actually released into theatres. Disney didn't put it on many screens and very few people actually saw it, nonetheless, this amazing stop motion short film should been seen by all. It served Burton well as his proverbial "foot in the door'... Hollywood style.
Based on a poem that Burton had written, Vincent is about a young boy and his fascination with Vincent Price - a storyline that is oddly similar to Burton's own life. Watch it here.
Burton's next film, Frankenweenie, is another dark and morbid tale... this time about a boy and his dog. There is an underlying theme not unlike that of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Think misunderstood monster. Hmmm... does that sound like Edward Scissorhands? If you ever have the opportunity, watch Frankenweenie. We used to have a copy of it on VHS. Vee Aiche what? Good luck.
While researching the previous post, I came across this. It looked interesting but no one in the office was in the mood to really find out what it was about, so you are left with the following which was taken off their website.
"Face life with a smile! Because facing life with a smile is always easier. Since its birth in 1971, the smiley brand which was created by Mr. Franklin Loufrani has traveled the years through joy and good mood. It lived through Peace & Love, accompanied the 1980's and 90's to the beat of House Music and became a universal statement: that of emoticons. Today 97% of young people recognize smiley as being the universal brand of joy and happiness! In addition to its beneficial action to our state of mind by a new stimulus, smiley was boldly transformed into a psycho-tonic fragrance resulting from advanced scientific researches.
To conclude this new mission, smiley developed an active scent, able to give their smile back to the most stubborn... Morose spirits breathe in deeply! This contagious good mood is on its way to conquer the world. No one knows who will be able to stop smiley in its exhilarating crusade! A smile for everyone! "
Nice. Makes me want to smile. I guess Mr. Franklin Loufrani has created a perfume of sorts that makes you want to smile. It's the same thing that Mr. Walt Disney did a while back with his Magical Kingdom. Maybe this stuff should be standard issue for all armies?
SMILE = HAPPY = PEACE = SEX = BABIES = MORE MISERABLE PEOPLE TO FEED = MAYBE NOT SUCH A GOOD THING.
Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes — a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis — as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message. It was a serious contribution to the electronic lexicon. :-)
Language experts say the smiley face and other emotional icons, known as emoticons, have given people a concise way in e-mail and other electronic messages of expressing sentiments that otherwise would be difficult to detect.
Emoticons reflect the likely original purpose of language — to enable people to express emotion, said Clifford Nass, a professor of communications at Stanford University. The emotion behind a written sentence may be hard to discern because emotion is often conveyed through tone of voice, he said. "What emoticons do is essentially provide a mechanism to transmit emotion when you don't have the voice," Nass said. In some ways, he added, they also give people "the ability not to think as hard about the words they're using."
On a personal note, it is policy here that anyone in the UNP offices caught using a smiley during office hours is susceptible to severe and dire consequences.
While on the subject of smiling faces... Have you ever wanted to know who invented the YELLOW SMILEY FACE.
Here at United Nathan Productions, we not only make products for television, but we feel proud to support other well made programs. After watching a couple of seasons of Hell's Kitchen, we developed a love/hate relationship with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. He can be a complete jerk - abusing his kitchen staff with slurries of fantastically colorful and outrageous comments, not to mention the plentiful and over the top cursing and incredibly original analogies border that on insulting. What great tv!
What most of Hell's Kitchen viewers aren't aware of, is that the show seems to have had its roots in Ramsay's UK show, The F Word. As Gordon Ramsey states, "The F is for FOOD." I must admit that this show, which lasted three seasons, is damn fine. It not only shows a much more human side of Chef Ramsay, but its content is much more varied and far more interesting.
Not a run of the mill cooking show, but something that reminds me of a variety show... a three ring circus if you will. There is so much going on here - the common theme being the F word. Encompassing all aspects of food, Ramsay ties it together as the show's host. He not only takes the viewer into the restaurant kitchen, but also into his personal kitchen as well as into his personal life where he teaches his children the origins of the food they eat. Novel concept, especially when he decides to raise turkeys in his back yard. Ramsay's own kids are assigned the task of taking care of the birds (all named after famous UK chefs) until their imminent death and subsequent fate as Christmas dinner. Too much to handle? Well, in the second season the family raises pigs, while in the third season, they nurture a number of cute lamb.
As an example of The F Word's varied content, watch as food critic, Giles Coren, examines an alternative source of food... squirrel... yes, squirrels for food. Enjoy!
This is officially the 100th posting on the United Nathan Productions blog. We know that updates and postings around here have been slow and unpredictable, but things are hopefully going to get more regular. On that note, if you feel like you would like to contribute to this blog and you are creative, a good writer, and think that your additions will be an asset, get in touch with us.
There is nothing quite like a dozen or so gun shots to get you off the sofa at 9:30pm. What was a rather uneventful day in my little neighborhood, turned into quite a media frenzy when Vancouver police responded to a 911 call, finding a suspect out of control and wielding a chain. Two policemen were struck by the chain - one was hit in the head so badly that he was rushed to the hospital. Police were forced to fire upon the suspect, killing him.
A mere half a block away, myself and most of my neighbors made our way to the crime scene - Granville Street between West 15th and West 16th Avenues. Within moments, dozens of police cars and media vehicles were arriving. It was quite a scene. I managed to capture a little snippet of an official police statement with my camera phone. Apologies for the poor quality.
GNGB - Good Neighborhood Gone Bad... It started with my car getting broken into all the time and it has now progressed to the coppers shooting people. Not that the crazy bastard didn’t deserve it or was acting in a way that demanded the police use deadly force, but it just seems out of place for my nice South Granville neighborhood.
You may not want to hear this, but it was a little weird seeing the body lying there covered in a white sheet. Oddly, there didn't seem to be much, if any blood near the body.
I will update this when and if there is any new or interesting information. Until then, rest assurred that Vancouver is still a very safe place to live or visit. It's sunny here all the time too!
You know your Mom has everything she needs. The days of making bird houses out of popsicle sticks are over. No more ashtrays that you made in grade school that always turned out more phallic than useful. For Mother's Day, why not get your loving Mom a present that can benefit you as well? No, not a 52 inch flat screen tv, but rather a shirt that says it all. This is what I am getting my mom and I am wearing it to brunch on Sunday to show her how much I care. It's brilliant! Kind of like the gift that keeps giving. A billboard of sorts that tells the world how much you care - that you are sensitive and loving.
Not only will this Mother's Day gift make your Mom shed a tear or two, it could be beneficial to your social life as it is a perfect chic magnet that may even rival the effects of walking a puppy at the beach!
Also to note: Wear the shirt whenever you need your Mom to do something out of the ordinary for you: run an errand, lend you money, leave you alone, etc. You should also wear it when going over for dinner or dropping off your laundry.
By the way, if you think I am kidding, watch this - it is what is going through your mother's mind 90% of the time if you are single and jewish.
A number of months ago we posted information about a very intriguing film, 32 Hours 7 Minutes. Not only the title of the film, it is essentially the record time it took a bunch of adrenaline junkies to drive from Los Angeles to New York on October 15, 1983. Since our posting we have received emails asking when the film is going to be released. Keeping in mind that we at United Nathan Productions have nothing to do with the film. We are, however, just as interested as everyone else out there, so we contacted the filmmakers. Here is the response we received...
Hey Nathan,
Glad to see there are still interested parties out there. We are really pushing for a finished film and hope to be done in 2007. As for a release date, a lot of factors play into that (distribution, festivals, etc.) but I suspect that we will have some news this spring. Maybe even a new trailer.
I wish I could tell you more but I wouldn't want to ruin the film for you! Thanks again for the continued interest. We won't let you down.
Cory Welles Director, 32 Hours 7 Minutes
If that isn't enough information for you, check the film's website for an updated gallery of photos from the actual race. Don't forget to watch the trailer or sign up for the newsletter.
Why is it that when you are facing a deadline, time stands still? Nothing can be done to speed things up and it all comes down to how fast your computer is? Why isn't it faster and why is it taking so long??? In order to calm ourselves, we need only think back to the origins of personal computing. In the beginning, everything we now do with our pc's wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye. Think email, internet, digital photography, non-linear editing, big Hollywood movies with fancy special effects. Now it is easier to be a little more patient... although 37 hours is a long time to wait for this damn thing to render.
A substantial amount of time has passed since The Grand Prix of Denver, but I feel obligated to post these images from the race and the Miss Grand Prix Denver event.
One would think that after the incident at The San Jose Grand Prix, things couldn't get any more exciting on the track, but no... another interesting turn of events happened in Denver. On the last lap of the race, in an attempt to pass race leader Sebastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy's car collided with Bourdais' car and rendered both cars undrivable and unable to finish the race. In an pretty gutsy move, Bourdais ran across the track and confronted Tracy. Watch the action here.
With regards to the Miss Grand Prix, everyone did a fantastic job and congratulations to all of the finalists, especially winner, Lauren Gardner, 1st Runner Up, Kady Zinke and 2nd Runner Up, Carley Walker.
Also of note, shortly after this event, all of the Miss Grand Prix winners from Canada, USA and Australia went to Mexico City to compete for the Face of Champ Car. The world's largest grid girl contest is an international event, culminating in the choosing of one exceptional girl who will receive a promotional contract to promote the Champ Car World Series. Congratulations to the 2007 Face of Champ Car - Lauren Gardner - for a job well done.
Thanks to Lisa for continually harassing me about my negligence in posting images from San Jose Grand Prix.
The track in San Jose is actually the streets of the downtown core making for a really interesting and unique experience, so much so, that events transpired at this Champ Car race that were worthy of a boxing match. What you should realize is that tensions run high during the races and small mistakes can cause big effects. In this case, Paul Tracy collided with Alex Tagliani during the race and the result was not only that both cars were not able to finish the race, but a heated fist fight ensued in the pit area. Talk about excitement!!!
The race and the brawl aside, the Miss San Jose Grand Prix event was a blast and a hearty congratulations goes out to all of the finalists in addition to the winners - Jennifer Field, as well as 1st Runner Up - Ann McDonald and 2nd Runner Up, Megan Sellers. Enjoy photos from the race week here.
Although this posting is considerably out of date, I wanted to post the images from the Miss Grand Prix event at The Grand Prix of Edmonton which happened way back in July 2006. It was a great time, albeit incredibly hot - on race day I suffered the 40 degree celcius temperature trackside. I can't imagine how the drivers dealt with the heat. Nonetheless, everyone had a good time and congratulations to the new Miss Grand Prix Edmonton, Ashley Stewart, as well as 1st Runner Up - Natasha Boras and 2nd Runner Up, Christyna Chapman. Enjoy photos from the race week here.
After many requests, emails, letters and phone calls, the blog is back. I feel pretty good about it and will try not to let the lapse in posting happen again. So many people have asked, "Why?" Well, it is hard to say. There are many things that led to my BLOG FAILURE. Firstly, I got extremely busy and couldn't justify spending time on the blog when I had so many pressing things to do that were deadline dependent. You could also say that I got a little lazy. That coupled with chronic procrastination, led to a lack of postings. Apologies. During the next couple of days I will try to catch up a bit and as promised to all, the links below that are not functioning will be fixed. Welcome back!
Another city - another race - another Miss Grand Prix! Here we are in Edmonton for The West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix presented by The Brick. Yeehaa!!! The weather is fantastic, the girls are beautiful and the track is spectacular, offering a view of 80% of the track from anywhere in the grand stands plus speeds up to 320 kilometers per hour!!!
More posts later in the week, but until then why not take this opportunity to learn a little more about Champ Cars and racing?
Apologies once again for the lack of postings, but time is at a premium around here and as soon as we get home we are headed out the door again. This time Toronto lured us away for the Grand Prix of Toronto. The race can be summed up in a few words... hot, big and exciting. We can't forget the real reason for being there - The Miss Grand Prix of Toronto competition. The competition was stiff, however a well deserved congratulations goes out to Natalie Waples who is the 2006 Miss Grand Prix of Toronto. Diana Ciccone was the 1st Runner Up and Randall Lome received the 2nd Runner Up title.
Back from another exciting trip... this time to Cleveland, Ohio where I encountered every kind of weather imaginable. Luckily, the rain stopped by race day and it was sunny and clear for the 25th annual Grand Prix of Cleveland. It's a very unique race as it takes place on a fully functioning airport runway (closed for the race). The airport locale led to some fast racing and plenty of action and accidents on the track.
Over on the stage, a new Miss Grand Prix of Cleveland was appointed. Congratulations to Skylar Starks. Also of note and congratulations to them as well, are 1st Runner Up, Jessica Gidley and 2nd Runner Up, Ashley Deihl. All of the finalists did a fantastic job and wowed the crowds. A surprise to everyone, including 2005 Miss Grand Prix of Cleveland, Sarah Blanton, was when her boyfriend appeared on stage and proposed to her. He is now officially her fiance.
We're off again to spend some time with the wonderful girls who are competing in the "Miss Grand Prix of Cleveland" event. The actual race course is pretty unique as it is a 2 mile road course that incorporates airport runways and give fans views of the entire track from anywhere in the grandstands.
Please don't get mad, but posting may slow down while on this job.
As a visitor to Houston, Texas I was amazed at the heat and humidity throughout my stay. The trip was good, but I am not a fan of weather so sticky that is uncomfortable, so I was looking forward to returning home. As we approached the George Bush Intercontinental Airport the sky seemed to quickly take on a rather dark and ominous shade of grey. Moments later we were in a torrential downpour and surrounded by a breathtaking show of fork lightning.
Pulling up the terminal, it was hard not to notice the tremendously long line of planes not going anywhere. The airport was closed to all air traffic – no planes in or out. I was able to check in and sit at the gate, but there was no plane for me to get on to. As the crowd of similarly stranded traveler’s grew, I pulled out my digital camera and with sheer luck, was able to catch a stunning movie of two lightning strikes hitting the runway. The detail is amazing and you can even see the bolt of electricity travel back upward for a bit.
It turns out that one of the lightning strikes caused a power outage in part of the airport which meant further delays. Eventually I boarded my plane, although it was five and a half hours late which caused me to miss my connecting light, forcing me to overnight in Phoenix...which, by the way, was 40 degrees celsius by the time my plane lifted off the runway en route to my Vancouver home.
Dean Reorda works in film. He loves his job. They feed him all day long. Dean is an electric and a musician. Beautiful Handbasket is one of his latest songs inspired by working on set.
Pjotro loves music, dancing and engineering, and has combined all three of his loves to form the musical suit. Although this was created as a viral marketing champaign for Nokia, we don't mind because it is a pretty cool site. You become the choreographer as you make Pjotro dance in his musical suit. Try it.
It's no secret that hairy men are more intelligent than the hairless variety... or that last year men and women spent $8 billion removing their excess body hair. Body grooming is a sensitive issue which is why Phillips/ Norelco has come out with the BODYGROOM. We were so impressed by their website that we ran out to the store and bought one right away... to shave our office chimp. Wow. The thing is pretty impressive. If you don't want to cough up the cash for one of these bad boys, perhaps you should be looking into doing something productive with your extra hair? And for a little human hair removal history, go here.
The terrifically unique Adidas adicolor campaign has come to an end with the release of the last spot by Saiman Chow for the color black. Be wared, this black and white stop motion piece about a little panda is a little twisted. The film series celebrates color, customization and personal expression. Each director was given a blank canvas to create a short film based on their emotional and creative response to a given color - red, blue, yellow, green, pink, black or white. The seven directors are Roman Coppola & Andy Bruntel, Neill Blomkamp,PSYOP, TRONIC, Saiman Chow, Charlie White, and HAPPY.
→ BLACK, Once you go black, you never go back. → RED, a brief history of red by Roman Coppola & Andy Bruntel. → YELLOW, yellow is different by Neill Blomkamp. → BLUE, not the blue you that you used to know. → PINK, supremely unique with a super cute teddy bear. → WHITE, featuring Jenna Jameson. → GREEN, with the Finkel's and the Gladstone's.
Well, it is the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year. 6/6/6. Crazy. What's going to happen today? Is the devil coming? Will bad things happen? Cross your fingers and hopefully we'll make it through the day. In the mean time, check out a humourous look at the end of the world or read about the world's most expensive phone number at £1.5 million!!!!
The number 666 has some interesting history. Former U.S. president Ronald Wilson Reagan had six letters in his first, middle, and last name. He also live in house number 666 when he lived in California until Nancy Reagan changed it to 668. The anti-impotence drug Viagra has a molecular weight of 666.7g/mol. In 1999, Intel marketed their Pentium 666 Mhz chip as 667 Mhz, conveniently rounding up.
Serious apologies from us at United Nathan Productions. There are no excuses. We can say say that it has been rather hectic around here and we couldn't find the time to blog or we
