Embrace the Flux

Head Start for the Superstars?

// July 27th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Fashion

Not so long ago fashion in professional sports was visually straightforward. Every athlete conveyed a preordained style. All major leagues and associations had universal requirements with respect to uniform. Endorsements were minimal. The highest individuality an athlete embraced was, perhaps, the color of his headband.

Today, an athlete’s identity revolves around two factors: athletic ability and visual merit. Giant fashion-based corporations contract a large majority of athletes to wear their products. Teams are acquiring a greater sense of autonomy in the style and color of their uniforms. If you’re a Jordan, you can easily use your unmatched talent to propel a secondary career in the fashion world.

Tennis in the 21^st century might be the best example of a sport influenced by fashion. Among others, the top three players on tour—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray—have multi-million dollar contracts with a list of companies. Nike, Wilson, Babolat, Head, Kia Motors, Net Jets, Fred Perry, Royal Bank of Scotland, Gillette and Rolex—to name a few. For Christ’s sake, when was the last time you saw Federer deprived of his Nike-endorsed “RF” apparel?

You get the point. Sports and fashion have become intertwined. The question now remains: is it more daunting to play a superstar sporting your everyday Walmart tee, or a superstar advertising his own initials on a mass-produced Nike hat? The answer, we suspect, is obvious. But should we accept the obvious? What seems to follow is that fashion—something completely unrelated to athletic ability—is changing the course of sports. Unfair advantage? You tell us.

Google Voice: A Revolution in the Making?

// July 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Technology

Forty years ago, the idea that someone in Bangladesh could speak face-to-face with a friend visiting Argentina might be laughed at. Although the telephone was a frequented commodity in some cultures, our world had yet to understand the implications of a device that enabled international communication. Today, modernization has reached new heights. Satellites allow us to see and speak to a sibling overseas; Facebook informs us of a classmate’s frustration with his calculus final; even our phones know where we are at any moment in time—might as well take isolation out of the dictionary, right?

We recently stumbled upon Google’s latest and greatest “Google Voice,” service. Now, we at Embrace the Flux have always been Google supporters. They seem to really have a knack for the practical things—we’re thinking Gmail, Google Earth, maybe Google-411. But Google Voice is technological overkill. The service is currently in beta, and it uses VoIP to merge customers’ mobile phones, work phones, home phones—any type of phone you might use for whatever reason—together into one universal number. In short, Google Voice erases the possibility of “missing” a call. Wherever you may be, you can remain ceaselessly connected to the virtual world. That’s great, but what does Google Voice mean for old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation? Is this service really going to boost productivity across the world, or will it only push us further into the isolation of an already drone-like, virtual-communications syndrome. We’ll let you decide. Google Voice is rumored to hit cell phones sometime this month.

Moon: More than a Space Story

// July 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Movies

What does it mean to be human? Director Duncan Jones tackles this multifaceted question in his postmodern-sci-fi fusion Moon—selected for Sundance, Tribeca, and South by Southwest film festivals. Science might be able to physically account for the human condition, but can it perfectly recreate the human experience? A firm anti-stem cell proponent, Jones gives his audience the opportunity to understand what this question really means.

Actor Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a company astronaut working “solo” under a three year contract. He believes he knows who he is, but the film’s plot slowly reveals his true essence as mere clone of the original Sam Bell. Physically, he is one and the same—even his memories mirror those of the first Sam. But mentally, as his true nature grows clearer, Sam Bell becomes an entirely different person.

“GERTY” (voice by Kevin Spacey) is a self-aware computer and companion of Sam. Alluding to the late American biochemist Dr. Gerty Theresa Cori, GERTY is a computer with the primary purpose of “serving Sam Bell”—even if that means going against orders. Though clearly machine, GERTY has a very human personality. This cross-functional creature quite possibly reflects Duncan Jones’ feelings about stem cell research: recreating a human being is no different than trying to impose the human experience onto a machine. Like Sam Bell, GERTY ultimately takes a stand—acting in accord with his human virtue and not the will of a mega-corporation. The human experience, Duncan Jones preaches, is living and learning.

New Music on the… Racks?

// July 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Music

The music industry is often described as “slowly dying.” Yes, Limewire and programs of the like harness its exploitable digital aspect. We, however, feel “slowly adapting” is a more suitable label. And this adapting has recently discovered its focal point on the World Wide Web. Consider the following
four artists: Drake, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, and Wale. Originally, these musicians found solace on the Internet. Now they have huge followings everywhere. They feature each other within their songs and two of the four (Kid Cudi and Big Sean) belong to the same record label: G.O.O.D. Music. A pretty innovative bunch, there’s no doubt about that.

Aubrey ”Drake” Graham is 22 years old. He recently signed with Young Money and Universal Distributing. He’s worked with Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, and Jamie Foxx—just to name a few. Along with the others, Drake has countless mouth-dropping hits. Despite these facts, none of the mentioned artists have found it essential to quickly release an album. A common tribulation for the more “seasoned” entertainers, these musicians have proven that success in the music world is no longer album-dependent.

The industry is indeed becoming more net-based. Drake, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, and Wale are testament to that. In the years to come this sleepless world will only do more for similar new talent. Keep an eye out for Wiz Khalifa and Mike Posner. With their unique sound and style, these two might be the next young guns to hit the scene. Music is a universal language. Let’s embrace it wherever it may come from.

Kid Cudi’s first album will hit the racks late in August; Wale is due to follow sometime in November. We’ll keep you updated.