Vader Loves Babies Too

This morning I participated in the March of Dimes "March For Babies" in Kansas City. It's a great fundraiser for one of our ad agency's clients. It was amazing to see so many people gathered in downtown Kansas City. The Power & Light District was hopping. With so many people there helping to raise money I shouldn't have been surprised that there would be celebrity appearances. But I was amazed to find that Lord Vader had sent a few Imperial representatives to walk a mile in full uniform. Apparently he has a soft spot after all.

And word must have gotten out about supernatural activity in the area because the Ghostbusters were also in attendance.

Word to your Mother Nature

Last night was a rough one here in Kansas City. Mama Nature showed us some of what she's all about come springtime in the midwest. They can't say it was a tornado, but sustained winds of over 80mph and what sounded like an impromptu monster truck rally in my backyard made for a pretty startling 2AM wake-up call. Along one of my favorite bike routes just north of our house, subdivisions were torn up pretty bad. I'll have more photos coming as folks here in KC wake up and survey the damage. Thankfully, no major damage to report at the Kail house.

George Lucas = Licensing Jedi

Mr. Lucas has to have a giant vault that he takes a daily swim in Scrooge McDuck-style. The man has gotten more cash from one film idea than I can wrap my little Jawa-sized brain around. And the hits keep coming...

Now, coming to a galaxy of possibility near you, no home-theater system is complete without this piece of galactic video awesomeness. What's next? Rocket boosters sold separately.

Rock and Republicity

Like the Oakland Raiders in football, the "bad boys" in the cycling game have emerged. The new Rock Racing Team is sponsored by the high-end fashion brand Rock and Republic and is quickly developing a rockstar image. After hiring a number of riders returning from doping suspensions many in the cycling community are distancing themselves from the controversy. In a strange way, I actually think Rock Racing is great for the sport. The coolness factor cannot be denied and I think that their whole approach has been new and different in a sport whose primary operation has remained virtually unchanged for decades. That, and team director Michael Ball has promised custom jerseys for almost every race, giving the team a hip and fresh look in the peloton. This ain't your average lycra. And I'm hoping, in 18 days, 10 hours and 31 minutes (according to Rock Racing's website) I'll be able to get my hands on some of my very own Rock Gear.

Seen here sporting custom jerseys for the recent Tour de Georgia.

Mika My Day

My brother and his wife currently live in Melbourne, AUS. It's fun to talk with them because you gain some perspective from the other side of the globe. In one such conversation this week, he and I were talking about pop sensation Mika. Just today I came across some amazing visuals created for one of Mika's live shows by Paris-based animation house Naked Cie. Beautiful work. Apparently Mika is huge everywhere but here in the States so I hadn't had very many opportunities to hear his vocal stylings or see his kick-ass white pants. But all that has changed now. Warning: This song will stick in your head instantly and cause you to inadvertently go skipping down the street.

Credit to motionographer for the original post.

Mika Relax (Live NRJ Music Awards 2008)
by Ambroise_biz

?uestlove

Ahmir Khalib Thompson is a guy I've been a fan of for a while. You may or may not know him by his professional name ?uestlove (Questlove) but if you follow the hip hop music scene you are most likely familiar with his image. He has one of the sickest internal metronomes I've ever known. The man lays down the beats in the band The Roots and is rock-steady. So, in honor of The Roots' new album release "Rising Down" I pay tribute to a master of the sticks and cans, ?uestlove. Who are your favorite bombastic beat-makers?

Re-Kicking It Off

It's time to get back to the blogging. I've been away for FAR too long, and for that I apologize. :)

I have come to realize that I am cutting edge at almost nothing. I don't have inside scoops or exclusives on pop culture, music or film. But what I DO have is a viewpoint. So, the best that I can hope for is to take stock of the world around me and begin to share my own Kail perspective. It will be odd. It could be mildly interesting, but mostly it's just a chance to put some good karma out there - doing it with style.