1)      Too much of anything is not good: We have taking one of our passions and put it on steroids. We have become so obsessed with sports that we are running out of things to talk about. Things that were once minor details in sports are becoming huge stores. Gone are the days that we only follow athletes on the court. With media constantly hounding players, twitter updates, and YouTube Videos, we are endlessly able to follow our favorite stars.  The media is constantly stalking player on and off the field/court hoping they will make a mistake so they can get the next big story. It is easy to say it’s not the media’s fault; the athlete was the one who made the mistake. This is true to a point, but the added pressure of the media always being around makes it hard for a modern day athlete to live a normal life. Sports media is becoming more about the soap opera lives of the players, rather than the sports they play.

2)      Ruining Hero’s: Do you remember when people use to look up to athlete as role models? Tiger Woods, need I say more? With the spotlight constantly on our favorite athletes it is almost guaranteed they will do something that will disappoint you. Now is this because society has lost all of its morals? Possible, but what young person does not make a bad decision every once in a while. The only difference is they are on national TV. I guarantee the same things were going on 20 years ago, except the public wasn’t aware of it, due to the lack of media coverage. Sports media, give us our hero’s back by letting them live their lives media free.

3)      Where are the Highlights? When was the last time ESPN showed a highlight real that was longer than 15 seconds? Sports media used to be about showing the game and how it unfolded. Now it has turned into a couple cool highlights with a 15 minute discussion and expert’s opinions afterward. Half of the time these experts are over analyzing the situation and giving bias opinions. Are these experts really that helpful? Most of the time they are saying things we already know and when it comes to predicting a winner of a game, they are all over the board. Look at Jay Bilas for example, he completely bashed VCU on national TV for making the NCAA tournament and now they are one game away from a championship. Please sports media, get back to showing what everyone wants to see: longer highlights that explain what actually happened. No one really cares about an expert’s opinion.

Although art auctions continue to fetch amounts off the charts for artists such as Dali, you don’t have to break the bank to get some quality artwork, and support a great website.

20×200 was started as a way to connect artists and buyers with ease and quality.  The site uses standard prices across differing artists and mediums.  There are specials, tutorials, and even a blog to keep you sifting through great “how-to’s” and learn more about the process of the artwork you’re buying.  All the artwork is new and updating, sometimes the artists even personalize their work.  The site is crisp, clean, and a joy to browse through – check out this tutorial as an example of the work they’re doing over at 20×200!

While there is a huge population of people who love using Twitter and Facebook to word-vomit their own personal musings or pains, there seems to be a refreshing change in the air.  Bragtopia is a new user-driven site that specializes in something that is novel in today’s increasingly self-centered society.

The unique vision of Bragtopia is to allow users to blog “about all sorts of different people at your college.”  Furthermore, the site says “people love receiving praise, so post about your friends above, and spread the cheer!”  While the name may conjure images of conceited “Braggers” living together in some sort of a commune, the concept is actually selfless and  has a purpose in making much of others.



Go ahead.  Brag about your friends.

Weezic is a cool new start-up that takes practicing your music to a whole new level. All you need to do is grab your instrument, print off your sheet music and be prepared to be accompanied by a full orchestra. This site actually gives you an mp3 of a full orchestra playing many classical works. This makes practice feel “real” and as a musician, can show you where your part fits in to the mix. You also have the option to upload your own version of the piece. This ads a whole new element of collaboration, and can give you a cool new take on a classic work.

Weezic has created a haven for classical music lovers. The sheet music makes it easy to play your favorite pieces, and the accompanyment makes it feel like you are right in the action. A very cool startup — I’m sure many will be singing their praises in the future.

check it out! http://weezic.com/en/

Ever been out to a restaurant with friends only to figure out that the bill made it impossible for you to pay because no one had the right change?  Or maybe you owed someone money from a night out the week before, but you might not see them for a while.  Enter Xipwire, the easiest way to transfer money between people simply by text.

The service provides a cool and innovative way to stay connected and responsible with both your money and friends.  It also provides many advantages in security over wire transfers, checks, and cash.  Here’s a great video to explain how it works: