Tag: Tom Cruise

Fashions, Phones And Our Modern Life

Getting sunglasses is different than getting fashionably acceptable sunglasses.

I went for another eye exam today. As far as I can tell these multifocal contact lenses never really act as prescribed. You’ve got to tweak the prescription by trial-and-error.

As long as I was at the mall Helaine and Stef suggested I get sunglasses. Glare has been a problem lately. I should wear sunglasses as a matter of course anyway to protect my sight.

Getting sunglasses is different than getting fashionably acceptable sunglasses.

Stefanie has been installed as our family fashionista. I maintain my status as prime candidate to be cast on “What Not To Wear.” As long as we both understand that paradigm we get along fine.

The plan was to go to H&M, try a few pairs on and send photos from the iPhone to Stef for her approval.

I don’t want to sound old, but this is a crazy advantage (or burden) of our modern era. It’s as if Stef is there with me… well it would have been if there had been cell service at the sunglass rack at H&M. Buried deep within the store the answer to “Can you hear me now,” would have been no!

I was in a jam. Whatever I like is by definition the wrong thing!

Two young girls were walking by. “Excuse me girls,” I said in my best “I don’t want to sound like a sexual predator” voice, “could I ask a favor?”

They were fashionably dressed and willing to help. I’d struck gold at the mall!

They gave thumbs down to a pair of wraparounds. They approved the aviator glasses I did buy for $6.

“You look like Tom Cruise,” one said.

In the abstract that’s fine, but I’m guessing he’s old enough to be their father!

On Being Pre-Friended

We’ve been hearing for years about being data tracked in everything we do. Here’s an example of it being used. Facebook has enough knowledge of me to reasonably assume I know Rachel.

I was just on Facebook. The website sent me a note. Would I like to “friend” Rachel Blumenthal? They had pre-friended us.

I said, “yes.” Why not? I used to work with her. I like her.

I was bothered by the whole process. This has nothing to do with Rachel.

We’ve been hearing for years about being data tracked in everything we do. Here’s an example of it being used. Facebook has enough knowledge of me to reasonably assume I know Rachel.

It didn’t have to ask either of us. In court this would be circumstantial evidence. It could easily be wrong. With the number of matches Facebook makes it has to be wrong from time-to-time. It’s just the law of large numbers working against the system.

If Facebook can make this inference think what a really motivated operator can derive. All I can think of is that awful Tom Cruise movie about pre-crime, “Minority Report.”

You should not be judged or valued by what you do before you do it.

War of the Worlds Weirdness

There’s a big article splashed on the New York Times front page concerning Tom Cruise and what has been perceived as strange behavior. I didn’t see the behavior – I don’t know.

There’s talk about how this might affect the filming of Mission Impossible III and the opening of War Of The Worlds in a few weeks.

Is everything OK? Are there problems? Officially everyone says it’s OK, but I was struck by this quote from the Times article:

The two studios have already curtailed the normal promotional press junket ahead of the June 29 release of “War of the Worlds,” limiting it to what Mr. Levy called a smaller number of “preselected interview sessions.” He said the decision had nothing to do with Mr. Cruise but was made because there had been enough promotion already.

Enough promotion already? Please! Let me put this down with, “left to spend more time with his family,” or “pursue other career opportunities,” or “settled without admitting guilt.”

Something doesn’t smell right… and with this much Hollywood money at stake, something’s surely gone wrong. After all, these are people would greenlight Hitler’s new screenplay if it promised to open big.