The Olympics used to barely register on my radar in my younger years, but in the last couple of times that they’ve come around I’ve been glued to the TV. Even for the…lesser sports…like badminton. But in my more recent appreciation of the Olympics I’ve learned one important thing: Michael Phelps is a master.

And he’s back.

The most decorated Olympian of all time, toting a hefty haul of 23 medals—including 19 golds—this aquatic machine came out of retirement for Rio and appears to be picking up right where he left off. He picked up that 19^th gold medal on Sunday night in the 4×100 meters freestyle relay, proving you can dance with the devil’s lettuce, retire, do some Subway commercials, and come right back to absolutely dominating.

The man is simply a Wizard in the Water. The Beast of the Backstroke. The Master of the Medley.

I’ve watched The Sandlot too many times.

Phelps’ return has been one of the biggest stories of the Rio ’16 games so far, and for good reason. Not many athletes can walk away from a sport and return in seemingly the same form (see: Woods, Tiger). It’s a bit of a reclamation tale for Michael Phelps, who saw his public image star fall after a couple of out-of-the-water incidents.

And he’s certainly doing a brilliant job of making people forget about them.

“The Baltimore Bullet” hits the water again tonight, going for the gold in the 200 meter butterfly, and I, for one, will make sure I’m watching.

Four years ago—seems like eons ago—I griped about the even more distant past of MTV’s glory days. Gone were the music videos and barrier-breaking cartoons and programming; unceremoniously by campy reality and dating shows. Many kids of the 90’s saw their childhoods evaporate with a changing network. Well, 90’s kids: Rejoice!

Yesterday, on the 35^th anniversary of the network, MTV launched MTV Classic, which will feature many of the shows that made the network such a giant with millennials. The new channel isn’t necessarily new, but instead a rebranding of VH1 Classic. From original music-focused programs such TRL and Unplugged to Beavis and Butt-head, MTV Classic will run the nostalgia gauntlet.

And nostalgia is selling these days.

Pokemon Go. Record collections. Mom jeans. Things really do come full-circle. If we start seeing Tomagotchis on keychains we might have a problem.

While this is a much welcome announcement from MTV—especially from this blogger—it’s par for the course in terms of television networks. Nick at Nite and TV Land have been doing it for decades with success. It’s no surprise they’re all under the Viacom umbrella, which appears to be existing on our longing for days past.

So enjoy, fellow 90’s kids!

So the RNC was a circus, and the DNC is off to the same, tumultuous start. One convention that seems to be going swimmingly? NSA Influence 2016, of course! The convention wraps up today, so make sure to swing by and visit Russell at PR/PR’s booth.

While the conventions of our two major political parties got underway, so were negotiations in the sale of another once-great online mainstay. On Monday morning it was announced that Yahoo had been purchased by Verizon for $4.83 billion. In 2000, Yahoo reached its peak value: $125 billion.

Talk about cratering.

Yahoo, one of the original online heavy-hitters and extremely popular search engine, is yet another example of a longstanding internet outlet that failed to adapt. Google and Facebook outpaced Yahoo in innovation, ingenuity and engagement.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: adapt or die.

It’s unknown how Verizon plans to utilize Yahoo going forward, or what will become of embattled CEO Marissa Mayer. Verizon may attempt an all-out rebrand, ala Justin Timberlake’s purchase of Myspace in 2011. Historically, the internet has not been a kind place for rebrands or reboots, but maybe a Verizon-led Yahoo is able to buck that trend.

Like a public relations tumbleweed, we continue our 2016 desert summer tour this week! Starting at the Lady and the Champs conference in Las Vegas, PR/PR rolls into Phoenix on Friday, excited to attend NSA Influence 2016!

PR/PR has remained a proud sponsor of the National Speakers Association for over a decade now, and the summer convention is one we eagerly and excitedly await all year long.

Russell will be manning the booth, per usual—I’m staked with the task of holding down central operations here in Orlando. He will also be attending Cigar PEG events, as should be as well! Online registration is still open through today, and will be open in-person at the convention. Check out Russell’s feature interview on the Cigar PEG’s podcast.

So stop by the booth, stop by for a cigar and a frosty beverage at one of the Cigar PEG events, and say hello! And it’s never too early to begin planning for next year, so pencil 2017’s Lady and the Champs conference in to your summer plans.

If you’ve seen what appears to be random twentysomethings wandering aimlessly through your neighborhood, eyes glued to their phones, you’re witnessing a cultural high watermark. No, they’re not all locked into a rapid-fire text conversation, nor are they all watching a show before Facebook inevitably spoils it.

They’re hunting Pokemon. That’s right. It’s 2016, and (nearly) everyone you know is meandering through the streets to collect imaginary, videogame monsters. What a time to be alive.

Unless you’re locked in a doomsday bunker (as of late, I wouldn’t blame you) you’ve heard about Pokemon GO, and seen the throngs of people walking around and seeking them out. Pokemon GO was released last Friday, the newest incarnation of Nintendo’s generation-defining game from the 90’s. The massive initial response has proven that when you mix childhood nostalgia with smartphones you can make billions—and get people to inadvertently exercise!

Since its release, Pokemon GO has added more than $7 billion to Nintendo’s value, and some reports show the videogame already having more users than the dating app Tinder, and with those users spending more time playing daily than using WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram. Talk about an immediate impact.

Being a GPS-based game that requires players to physically “hunt” Pokemon outside, many businesses are seeing a secondary boost as a result of the increased foot traffic. Certain spots or waypoints are marked as “Pokestops” where players can acquire a variety of in-game items, and some forward-thinking restaurants and cafes have begun promoting their proximity to these stops—and reaping the rewards of players flocking to their businesses.

There have been strange stories, too, such as the girl on the hunt who instead discovered a dead body, or the four teenagers that spent time by a Pokestop for the purposes of an armed robbery. It underscores that if you decide to go Poke hunting, you must remain aware of your surroundings at all times!

The biggest challenge for Pokemon GO will be to overcome the fad threshold. Many smartphone-based apps and games have become instant megahits, just to see daily users drop off over time. Nintendo needs to harness this enthusiasm and continue to update and add to the game to keep users engaged with new content to keep this upward trend going. But enough about the future—for now you should download it, get outside, keep aware of what’s around you, and happy hunting.