Known to our trade as a veteran of the commercialmaking industry, production house entrepreneur/executive producer Tom Mooney is also a Vietnam War veteran. And when his son, who’s a Marine, recently came home safe from a tour of duty overseas, the elder Mooney felt the need and burning desire to make an album, “#10 G.I.,” carrying a message to break the seemingly endless cycle of war so that all our servicemen and women can come home.
The first single–“Forget The Hate,” for which Mooney sings and plays guitar–and corresponding music video from that album have just been released, with all sales proceeds going to charities that support our troops and war veterans.
The song was 40 years in the making as Mooney had been noodling with the lyrics over the decades dating back to his time in the military. He finally brought it to full fruition recently given that today’s times call for its message.
The black-and-white video, directed by Alex Engel, has Mooney performing against a backdrop of historic images from war and politics. His raspy vocal rendition is a call for peace, showcasing those in the military service who sacrifice of themselves on assorted fronts, and in some cases sadly make the ultimate sacrifice. The album and video are designed to put the spotlight on our soldiers instead of the election year norm when politicians are front and center stage.
Mooney and Engel conceived of the video, which can be seen below and is posted on YouTube. More info can be accessed on Mooney’s Forget The Hate Facebook page. and here.
The performing ensemble on the album consists of vocalist/guitarist Mooney, Jay Folk on lead guitar, Phil Calico on bass guitar and Paul Ducker on saxophone. Calico and Mooney are album producers.
Dan Klein executive produced the video, which was shot on the Curious Pictures stage in NYC. The stage, talent, time and services that brought the music and video to fruition were all donated.
Mooney, perhaps best known in the ad biz as founder of the venerable production house Headquarters, now maintains ADDigital Productions. Klein is exec producer at ADDigital and Engel is on the company’s directorial roster.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More