A banner ad on Facebook caught our eye the other day. It was a dashing picture of the great Nick Nolte (no, not that picture) with the header “Let’s Get Nick.” The first click brought us to the website where a larger image of the disembodied noggin of Nolte grinned at us from the screen, daring us to click further. What we found was one of the more innovative Kickstarter campaigns we’ve seen recently.

Austin, TX filmmakers Derek Sieg and Jeremy Goldstein are trying to fund their new project, Hot Air. They’ve found themselves in the familiar catch-22 of trying to raise money for a movie without an actor attached and trying to attract an actor to do a movie that has no funding. What they’ve decided to do is raise $65,000 (the minimum SAG rate for an actor of Nolte’s caliber) to get Nolte on board in the hope that will open some doors to get the project funded. They see Nolte as”the perfect guy for the part” and, after reading the description, we’re inclined to agree.

Here’s the synopsis:

“HOT AIR is the story of an aging lothario – a personal injury attorney by day and hard-partying restaurateur by night – who has been “borrowing” money from one business to pay for the other and then some.  We meet him just as his bad habits have caught up to him, and he’s facing serious criminal charges that would put him in jail for the rest of his life.  He sees only one way out: To fake his own death.   And because this man is such a narcissist, he sees it fit to attend his own funeral.  He waits for the last attendees to leave the gravesite, so that he can get a closer look.  Just then, a young man approaches with a large bouquet of flowers.  He doesn’t recognize the young man, but soon finds out that this is the son he never knew he had.  Will he stay in town to connect with his son and risk his future?  Or will he flee for the border and turn his back on being a father?”

Here’s to a pair of filmmakers bypassing the traditional route and getting things done in a fresh, innovative way. And having good taste in actors to boot. So far, they’ve raised about $30,000 with their grassroots campaign. Visit their Kickstarter page and kick in a few ducats.

Not all Irish people have a sense of humor, apparently. Days before boatloads of drunken louts — Irish and non-Irish alike — don plastic green derby hats and hideous white sweaters pay their respects to St. Patrick, a small group of watchdogs have decided to manufacture knee-jerk outrage over a dumb sneaker. Nike rolled out their Black And Tan model last week and were immediately backed into apologizing because of folks like Ciaran Staunton, president of the Irish Lobby For Immigration Reform, who honestly claimed that news of the sneaker left him “speechless.” Other folks claim it’s the equivalent of “calling a sneaker the Taliban or the Nazi.” C’mon.

We don’t know what’s worse, people who are so easily offended by things as trivial as a sneaker or an ice cream flavor or how quick companies like Nike or Ben And Jerry’s are to cater to their overreactions. How ’bout next time one of these groups makes a mountain out of a molehill and threatens a boycott, the company releases a statement that says, “Lighten up. Get over yourselves. We’re keeping it and we’re not sorry about it.” That’d probably gain them more support than they would’ve lost if these crackpots’ gripes ever gained any real traction. Then again, it might get ‘em tossed in the paddy wagon.

Great editorial by Michael Ellsberg in the Sunday Times on the valuable contributions dropouts have made to our society. We’re not talking about that chinstrap derelict skimming the till at your local filling station. We’re talking about Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Jobs, Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Mark Zuckerberg. The list goes on and on. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more successful roll call of names than that and there ain’t a college degree in the bunch. Today, it seems like the term “diploma mill” is more accurate than ever when it comes to college. You don’t get a lot of bang for your buck. And if you look at the number of people with master’s degrees slinging lattes and working at Barnes and Noble to pay off their massive loans, you may get to thinking that the whole thing may be some kind of Ponzi scheme. Maybe Alvy Singer was right when he said, “Everything our parents said was good is bad: sunshine, red meat, college.”

What the editorial is really getting at, though, is that being a young entrepreneur often clashes with, or has no use for, formal education. And that when we’re looking at ways to create new jobs and industries in this country we ought to look further than just trying to get everyone to go to college. Maybe we ought to take a look at how to prop up the next generation of innovators who, though they may be acting up and flunking out now, may be onto something bigger. He closes the piece with the following: “If I were betting on the engines of future job creation, I wouldn’t put my money on college students cramming for tests and writing papers with properly formatted M.L.A.-style citations in order to bolster their résumés for careers in traditional professions and middle-management jobs in large corporate and government bureaucracies. I’d put my money on the kids who are dropping out of college to start new businesses. If we want to get out of the jobs mess we’re in, we should hope that more will follow in their footsteps.” We’re with ya.

]]> http://www.darbyobrien.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=821 0 http://www.darbyobrien.com/wordpress/?p=817 http://www.darbyobrien.com/wordpress/?p=817#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:15:29 +0000 Joe http://www.darbyobrien.com/wordpress/?p=817 Click here to view the embedded video.

Last Thursday’s New York Times piece about the closing of New Jersey’s legendary Ronnie I’s Clifton Music really hit home around here. As the article states, it’s not just the closing of yet another great record store, it’s also the end of an era. Before his death in 2008, shop owner Ronnie Italiano, described as a “beverage delivery man turned doo-wop dynamo”, was a guiding light in the world of doo-wop. He ran the store, put out over 150 CDs and compilations and formed the United in Group Harmony Association, an organization that became the “community square” for fans and put on monthly doo-wop shows.Ronnie I’s widow, Sandra, struggled to keep the lights on the past few years, finally giving up the ghost and selling the space to an eyeglass peddler.

We’ve predicted a doo-wop comeback for as long as we’ve been making predictions. But, not unlike the pipe smoking renaissance we’re still waiting on, it’s sadly failed to materialize. Other kinds of music — jazz, folk, blues, classic rock, surf rock, lounge music, you name it — have managed to gain some kind of retro cool mystique that’s carried over to new generations. Unfortunately, most doo-wop fans are as old as the bands they still trot out occasionally — maybe with one original member — on the summer fair or cruise ship circuit. Mention doo-wop to most people under 50 and they picture Danny Aiello, shirtless under a v-neck sweater, eating spaghetti in a wise guy joint. Lame-o. It’s a damn shame, though. ‘Cause it is some sweet, sweet music.

One of The Gut’s favorite dining spots, Waffle House is pulling out all the stops this Valentine’s Day.

If you ask us, Randy Travis uncorked major comeback potential when he was caught boozed up in a Baptist church parking lot in the wee hours of Monday morning. He had a great run in the 80s but softened up under glossy overproduction when he went totally mainstream. None of the country greats who are still with us — Hag, Possum, The Redheaded Stranger — have made any secret of their respective battles with the bottle. So can your apologies, Trav, and belly up to the bar and be somebody.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The American economy has seen a few rough winters. So it makes sense that a strong sign of resurgence comes in the form of L.L. Bean’s sturdy duck boot. Most news in the business pages these days involves layoffs, plants closing, more jobs sent overseas. It was heartening to see the Boston Globe’s recent piece about the runaway popularity of L.L. Bean’s classic boot. Sales have increased from 150,000 pairs four years ago to about 400,000 this year. Next year, the projected number is 500,000. They’ve added 125 full-time employees to keep up with the demand. And these employees aren’t cranking these kickers out in a sweatshop in China. They’re working at L.L. Bean headquarters in Maine, getting paid a living wage to make a solid product. The iconic retro appeal of the boots goes beyond the fact that they look cool. They’re also made in the U.S.A and come with a lifetime guarantee. That’s something you don’t see too often anymore. We’re tired of hearing companies complain that the only way to stay in business is to jump ship and go cheapo. It’s still possible to make a quality product in the U.S.A. and have it succeed. Let’s hear the blowhard political candidates talk about that.