"U.S. and Russian astronauts floated outside the international space station today for the installation of an external television camera and removal of a broken electrical monitor."
Now what would be really cool is if this were a live feed that anyone with a browser could access.
"The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off the eastern coast of Africa, the cruise line says."
Pretty scary to realize that their are a> still pirate on the high seas and b> that they'd go after a cruise ship rather than a cargo ship!
Amazing: "One plucky cat is waiting to go home. But no one knows where home is.
"The cat is resting up at an animal shelter in Washington state after leaping from a pickup, scampering through traffic, plunging 70 feet into the chilly Columbia River and swimming 600 feet to shore."
"Since the first international space station component launched in 1998, the space station has proven to be a construction marvel. See how this incredible engineering and science laboratory has been put to use over the last five years."
"When Emily the cat went missing a month ago, her owners looked for their wandering pet where she had ended up before - the local animal shelter.
"But this week they learned Emily sailed to France."
But can she find her way back?
"There's a new fad of students - mostly girls - wearing pajama bottoms to school, and so far administrators are not making a fuss about it."
I saw this firsthand at the local high school last Saturday morning. My daughter, a 6th grader, was there for a track meet and there were high school girls wandering around in pajama bottoms. Until I read this I figured it was a Saturday morning thing. I can't imagine being this casual in class back when I was in high school!
"New Orleans / 2005 Hurricane Katrina"
More satelite images.
Click the link to see satelite photos of New Orleans taken after Katrina went through. You can focus in on areas and then flip back and forth between before (Satellite) and after (Katrina). Devastating.
"As Hurricane Katrina tore across the Gulf Coast on Monday, the Web provided some of the most vivid, first-hand accounts of the storm's destructive path in the form of blogs, online photo galleries and discussion forums."
Once again, grassroots journalism is providing a wider perspective on current events than the major news outlets can.
CBS News | 'Vlogger' Cyber-Culls The News | August 22, 2005 17:00:05
"For those striving to stay on the cutting edge, blogging is so 'last year.' Now, it's all about 'vlogging.'"
Don't worry, I'm not about to sit in front of a camera for this stuff. I'm not even going to do audio, makes no sense to do so.
These types of stories are great to read whenever I start to wonder about my own mental health:
"We don't like to judge people, but James Fletcher appears to be quite a dangerous freak. The Ohio man, 49, was arrested last month after he allegedly tried to zap a female lifeguard with a stun gun. As he was attempting to do this, the below Broadview Heights Police report notes, Fletcher was wearing a blue string bikini, the top of which was stuffed with falsies."
"James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series and movies who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died Wednesday. He was 85."
A handful of trite phrases ran through my head ("Warp Speed", "He's been beamed up") but I'll leave those to people who are better at that sort of thing.
"Open the arenas, break out the skates and fire up the Zamboni.
So now the question is, do I care anymore? I honestly don't know.
"On Thursday 7 July 2005, a series of four bomb explosions struck London's public transport system during the morning rush hour. Three London Underground trains were hit in the central city within half an hour, and a double-decker London Bus was hit 30 minutes later. Early reports put the death toll at 37 people, and it rose to at least 50 on July 8. Up to 700 people were reported injured, including 22 in serious or critical condition."
Looking for up to date information on what happened and the after-math? There's no better place to go than Wikipedia, a Wiki based encyclopedia. If you haven't explored the power of community collaboration, this late breaking news page is a good place to start.
Flickr is another. Same type of concept but picture based.
"The body of rabid Pittsburgh Steelers fan James Henry Smith, who died Thursday, was laid out this week in what his family said was his favorite spot - a recliner with the Steelers on the television."
Bizarre.
"No wedding date has been set, Cruise said. 'We haven't discussed that - one step at a time.'"
Um, yeah, whatever, wouldn't want to rush now would we?
"A man who won a $220.3 million Powerball lottery jackpot - the second-largest single-ticket Powerball winning - plans to invest the money and become a billionaire."
Greedy bastard! ;-)
Ok, seriously though, his comments do sound like his head is on straight and I respect what he's trying to do. I'd do the same myself, or at least I'd like to believe I would.
"Some people seem to have all the luck. Just ask Donna Goeppert.
"Earlier this year, she won $1 million playing a Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket, then turned around and won another million-dollar jackpot last week."
Bitch. ;-)
"Basking in the jurors' decision to acquit his client of all counts, Michael Jackson's lawyer said Tuesday the singer will no longer share his bed with young boys."
He'll instead stay with the older ones that would rather receive payoffs.
"The body of an apparent stowaway was ripped in half during flight Tuesday and his leg crashed into a suburban neighborhood, where a homeowner found the severed limb in the middle of her lawn, authorities said."
Another good reason not to live in the landing path of an airport.
"Idaho man claims $220.3 million Powerball jackpot"
One ticket. One winner. Single man. Sigh.
This ringtone, The Crazy Frog - Axel F., is the most popular one in the UK. It has its own website and video! How odd is that?
And yet I keep watching the video...
"Virus authors are choosing not to create global epidemics--such as Melissa or Blaster--because that distracts them from their core business of creating and selling botnets, according to antivirus experts."
Frightening. I definitely advocate locking down your PC in general and not relying solely on antivirus software.
"In an online survey commissioned by security firm Akonix, a quarter of users admitted they see IM as the perfect vehicle for office gossip."
Yes, but you're still being more productive since you don't leave your desk like in the old days!
"A 1,500-pound camel picked an unfortunate place to take a breather."
Seriously, this woman didn't notice a 1500lb camel getting a little too close?
"Spectators cheered as entire Cambodian Midget Fighting League squared off against African Lion"
Amazing, it's like something out of ancient Rome.
UPDATE: Ok, I'm an idiot, it's a hoax. (I'm somewhat relieved, though.)
I feel sorry for her fiance.
"A 20-year-old Taiwanese woman had to have a mobile phone surgically removed from her back passage after a sex game went horribly wrong."
And it's got an "artist's rendering" of what the x-ray might ahve looked like. That's just too funny. Been many a time I've wanted to tell someone to stick their phone up their ass...
"Torri Hutchinson's cat might just have one less life to live."
10 miles on the Interstate? There're people that couldn't do that!
"It was Johnny Carson's last monologue and, predictably, it drew plenty of laughs.
"David Letterman paid tribute to Carson, who died Jan. 23, by delivering a 'Late Show' monologue Monday composed entirely of jokes the retired 'Tonight' show host had quietly sent him in his final months."
Now this one I remembered to watch. Helped that I'm a Letterman fan, of course. Anyway, good show, good tribute.
"Okay... we've been getting a lot of e-mails from readers concerned about this DVD lawsuit against MGM. There are apparently a lot of you now who are concerned that you may be getting ripped off by the studio when you buy their DVDs.
"Relax. You're not."
Lawsuit aside, this is a good explanation of the differences between the widescreen and the full screen versions of a movie.
"In tribute to Johnny Carson, {last night's} telecast of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" featured Jay Leno reflecting on the life of Johnny Carson with Ed McMahon, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart and Drew Carey. k.d. lang closed the show with a performance of 'Simple.'
"The following is a transcript of host Jay Leno's comments at the top of the show."
"Andrew Fischer, 20, of Omaha, who put his forehead for sale on eBay as advertising space, received $37,375 on Friday to advertise the snoring remedy, SnoreStop."
Wow! I commented on this a few weeks ago when he was advertising, never saw it going this high. Wonder how many imitators there will be? Even if they get half...
"Johnny Carson, host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" for nearly 30 years, died Sunday of emphysema."
{moment of silence}
A series of before, after and during satellite pictures of the tsunami that struck Christmas day. Thanks Vanessa for sending me the link! Quite sobering to view.
"Susan and Steven Manis say it was their fault their daughter was late for school so they shared her punishment - spending an hour with her in detention."
This would never happen in my house. We'd chalk it up to balancing out the times our daughter has made us late! ;-)
No need for me to post all the CES stuff, this website has the highlights. I'll post and comment on ones that I find particularly interesting, though.
Oh, quick sidenote: Bloglet was broken but is now fixed, so if you're reading this in your daily email that's why you received so much today.
"Bill Gates at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show"
This is a link to the video of his speech. Haven't watched it yet but will this evening. I hear it's worth watching for the Conan O'Brian bits.
"Comdex is dead, long live CES: Las Vegas will be packed this week with products ranging from humungous TVs to home entertainment servers, smart cars, portable music and video players, and wireless devices. The 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will draw more than 120,000 attendees and more than 2,400 exhibitors. Only the massive CeBIT show in Germany exceeds the sheer volume of attendees, exhibitors, and announcements expected at the 2005 CES show, which opens Thursday and runs through Sunday."
Bill Gates does his keynote tonight. Wish I could attend the show this year but not going to happen. I'll be watching for new product announcements, though, and will post those that I find interesting.
"'Law & Order' star Jerry Orbach has died of prostate cancer at 69, a representative of the show said Wednesday."
Very saddened to read this this morning. For 12 years I've been watching him as Detective Lennie Briscoe on 'Law & Order' and was looking forward to his role on their new spinoff this spring. I first remember seeing him in Dirty Dancing. IMDB lists quite a few things he's done.
We'll miss you, sir.
"Federal regulators are investigating the Hummer H2 after receiving three reports of wheels falling off the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday."
Wheels falling off? I'm glad I can't afford one! Then again, if a wheel falls off a Hummer I don't think it's the Hummer driver that's in danger, it's those around him.
"A man who won a record $315 million in the Powerball lottery was taken to jail on charges of drunken driving and carrying a pistol, authorities said.
"Jack Whittaker, 57, was arrested Tuesday night after his Hummer struck a concrete median on the West Virginia Turnpike near Beckley."
What a waste. If I'd won $315M freaking dollars I guarantee I wouldn't be drunk carrying cash and a gun while driving a Hummer. Well, I wouldn't be drunk anyway!
"A red-faced cowboy was found hanging from a fence with his pants down on the weekend, a victim of mixing too much alcohol with too much chain link."
Fortunately I've *never* found myself this bad off. ;-)
"A September study by the Online Publishers Association found that 18- to 34-year-olds are far more apt to log on to the Internet (46%) than watch TV (35%), read a book (7%), turn on a radio (3%), read a newspaper (also 3%) or flip through a magazine (less than 1%)."
At first blush I was saddened to see the drop in book reading, but then decided I was delighted it was made up by Internet browsing as opposed to TV. At least browsing is reading and interacting with others.
"Since the shooting in the Mosque, I've been haunted that I have not been able to tell you directly what I saw or explain the process by which the world came to see it as well. As you know, I'm not some war zone tourist with a camera who doesn't understand that ugly things happen in combat. I've spent most of the last five years covering global conflict. But I have never in my career been a 'gotcha' reporter -- hoping for people to commit wrongdoings so I can catch them at it.
"This week I've even been shocked to see myself painted as some kind of anti-war activist. Anyone who has seen my reporting on television or has read the dispatches on this website is fully aware of the lengths I've gone to play it straight down the middle -- not to become a tool of propaganda for the left or the right.
"But I find myself a lightning rod for controversy in reporting what I saw occur in front of me, camera rolling.
"It's time you to have the facts from me, in my own words, about what I saw -- without imposing on that Marine -- guilt or innocence or anything in between. I want you to read my account and make up your own minds about whether you think what I did was right or wrong. All the other armchair analysts don't mean a damn to me.
"Apparently there is no special exception for Santa - at least not for flu vaccines.
"Nick Pallotto, 62, who plays Santa Claus in malls, turned up at a flu clinic in Colorado Springs and was denied a shot because he wasn't 65 or suffering from a chronic health problem."
Oh come on! He's going to have tons of kids sitting on him for crying out loud!
"An actor playing a stressed-out soldier in a local stage production was arrested after he punched his leading lady in the face and then beat up the director backstage just before a scheduled performance, police said Monday."
That's taking Method Acting a little bit too far.
"Looking for a quick, healthy getaway? How about a high-speed ferry trip to Victoria, British Columbia, and a flu shot?
"Trying to capitalize on the flu shot shortage in the United States, Clipper Navigation is offering travelers aboard the Victoria Clipper a special rate of $105 per person for round-trip transportation and influenza vaccination."
Capitalism at its best.
"Sen. John McCain took on presidential challenger John Kerry's senior economic advisor at a mock debate Wednesday morning, defending the U.S. war in Iraq and jabbing at the Democrats' positions."
I would have liked to have heard this. McCain-Giuliani/2008!
"British entrepreneur Richard Branson said Monday that his Virgin company plans to launch commercial space flights over the next few years.
The Virgin transport, entertainment and communications group has signed an agreement with pioneering aviation designer Burt Rutan to build an aircraft based on Rutan's SpaceShipOne vessel, Branson said."
Time to start saving my pennies.
For anyone that missed it or is otherwise interested: "Read the transcript to the Bush-Kerry debate Sept. 30, 2004"
Stacked questions in last night's debate seem to indicate a bit of a bias on the part of the moderator.
I won't beat a dead horse, since this sort of analysis is all over the net, but I must say that I found the debate lacking on the part of both candidates. Tie.
"A boy who said on the Internet that he planned to bomb his high school was turned in by the 16-year-old daughter of a university police officer who heads a cyber crimes unit, authorities said."
The headline would make you think the Internet was being bombed or used to plot a bombing. Leave it to USA TODAY to use such a misleading headline.
Still, it's a good article and it shows that one person, no matter how young, can make a difference.
"A Florida man, who killed three puppies and was on his way to ridding himself of four more, got a little puppy justice this week:
"On Monday, Bradford was holding two puppies -- one in his arms and another in his left hand -- when the dog in his hand wiggled and put its paw on the trigger of the .38-caliber revolver. The gun then discharged, the sheriff's report said.
"The man went to the hospital and is being charged with felony animal cruelty. The puppy, who should be name "Dirty Harry", and three of his siblings are in an animal shelter waiting for adoption."
Serves him right. Too bad the puppy didn't aim for the guy's head.
"China executed four people, including employees of two of its Big Four state-owned banks, for fraud totaling $15 million, the state Xinhua news agency said Tuesday."
This is one way to avoid implementing a costly and cumbersome Sarbanes-Oxley strategy.
"A severe dust storm in the West Valley sparked a series of fiery crashes on Interstate 10 Wednesday night, injuring up to 30 people and forcing officers to close the highway throughout the evening as authorities worked to clear the sprawling wreckage."
You folks back East have snowstorms, we have sandstorms. Take a look at the pictures that are linked in the article, they look like something out of Iraq. The wind was so strong that the helicopters were having trouble airlifting injured people out. And still no rain...
"Procrastinating monkeys were turned into workaholics using a gene treatment to block a key brain compound, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday."
Oh dear god, don't tell my wife!
"The Golden State has outlawed big SUVs on many of its roads but doesn't seem to know it
Unless you drive one of the largest SUVs, such as the Chevy Suburban, the Cadillac Escalade, or the Ford Excursion, I'll bet you've watched them thundering down quiet residential lanes and wondered to yourself: Why is that monster allowed on this little street?
"Well, here's a surprising piece of news. It may not be."
Now that's amusing.
"Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire moors have taught themselves to roll 8ft (3m) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids - and raid villagers' valley gardens."
Too bad there's no video of this happening. Quite the mental picture, though!
"On June 29, 2004, at 12:28 p.m., I flew on Northwest Airlines flight #327 from Detroit to Los Angeles with my husband and our young son. Also on our flight were 14 Middle Eastern men between the ages of approximately 20 and 50 years old. What I experienced during that flight has caused me to question whether the United States of America can realistically uphold the civil liberties of every individual, even non-citizens, and protect its citizens from terrorist threats."
Downright frightening!
An often irreverent look at some of the week's other news, including Microsoft earnings, Gates donations, Hotmail Plus launches, Microsoft vs. phishing attacks, Windows CE vs. its first virus, and so much more.
"After 29 years of thinking about it, Stephen Hawking says he was wrong about black holes. The renowned Cambridge University physicist presented a paper Wednesday arguing that black holes, the celestial vortexes formed from collapsed stars, preserve traces of objects swallowed up and eventually could spit bits out 'in a mangled form.'"
"Hugs, kisses to the cheek, affectionate touching of the face, caressing of the back, grabbing of the arm, fingers to the neck, rubbing of the knees... John Kerry and John Edwards can't keep their hands off each other!"
Not that there's anything wong with that! Pictures and full article here.
"An often irreverent look at some of the week's other news..."
"Two tow truck drivers were arrested and accused of beating up a former star of Donald Trump's TV hit "The Apprentice" and her fiance, officials said."
When I read this I assume it was a 'fan' of the show that was giving Omarossa what so many felt she deserved. Imagine my surprise to learn that it was Katrina! Well, I was less surprised when I learned it wasn't show related.
"When Maggie Rogers spotted something bobbing in the water three miles into the Gulf of Mexico while on a scalloping trip with friends, she assumed it was a turtle, or a piece of sea kelp."
Now that's what I call an animal rescue!
"A 68-year-old cleaning woman stepped forward Friday to claim the $294 million Mega Millions jackpot, the second-largest jackpot ever to go to a single person in North America."
Always the older folks. Oh well, sounds like she's deserving.
"In a secret operation, the United States last month removed from Iraq nearly two tons of uranium and hundreds of highly radioactive items that could have been used in a so-called dirty bomb, the Energy Department disclosed Tuesday."
That seems smart to me. Find the stuff, move it out of harm's way, then disclose it. Wonder how many more secret clean up operations are going on.
"To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability. To describe this film as a piece of crap would be to run the risk of a discourse that would never again rise above the excremental. To describe it as an exercise in facile crowd-pleasing would be too obvious. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a sinister exercise in moral frivolity, crudely disguised as an exercise in seriousness. It is also a spectacle of abject political cowardice masking itself as a demonstration of "dissenting" bravery."
Rather than most knee-jerk reactions to the film, this reviewer actually makes his points in a logical manner, assumig one takes the time to read it through. Since I'd rather not put any money in Moore's pocket, I'm happy to learn that he doesn't have a problem with pirating. As such, I'm downloading the movie now and intend to form my own opinion.
"A Maricopa County Superior Court judge today gave preliminary approval to a settlement that would require Microsoft give voucher "refunds" to all consumers and businesses that purchased its application and operating system products between 1996 and 2002."
Looks like I'm going to have some money coming.
"At the top of the list of suspects is Abdulaziz Issa Abdul-Mohsin al-Moqrin, the top al-Qaida figure in Saudi Arabia, said one U.S. official, speaking with the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. A Saudi official said al-Moqrin also was the main suspect in the recent shootings of a German and an American in the kingdom." - Full Story
<rant>
Ok, if we know this is the guy then let's just kill him. Period. Fuck making a public example or bringing him on charges, just make him a private example to those that know him and have the same skewed view of the world. Send SpecOps in to take care of him, then let his friends come to his house looking for him and find his body hanging upside down from a rafter with his intestines spilling out on the floor. That ought to fucking do it.
</rant>
[UPDATE] Looks like they got the bastard. Death in a shootout was too kind.
"The Romney administration called Tuesday for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to resign while he runs for president, saying he's had an abysmal attendance record since launching his campaign last year and is not adequately representing his constituents."
Abysmal = 87% absence rate! Found via ScrappleFace, an amusing satire site. Be sure to read their take on this news, as it's hilarious. A sample:
"If you examine my 16-year record in the Senate, you'll see that I'm just as effective when I'm not there as I was when I was there," said Mr. Kerry."
"The price of admission to a movie theater may allow you to see first-run movies without commercial interruption, but the experience is by no means commercial-free -- and advertisers are preparing to bring even more commercials to the big screen."
More? MORE? I sat through 21 minutes of this crap recently while waiting for the Feature Presentation to begin, and paid $8.50 for the pleasure to boot! I'm better off waiting for the DVD.
"Humanity's closest relative the chimpanzee could be extinct in around 50 years because it is hunted for meat and threatened by deforestation and disease, researchers said on Tuesday."
"A dog can do something scientists thought only humans could do: figure out that an unfamiliar sound is the name of a strange object, researchers reported today."
"Digital video recorders (DVR) typically are seen as the ultimate threat to TV advertising, giving consumers unsurpassed control over what they choose to watch or not watch on their TV sets, including TV commercials. And while it is true that most DVR subscribers do fast-forward through TV commercials when watching programming in replay mode, new research indicates that the net effect of DVRs actually increases the likelihood that viewers will see a TV commercial not decrease it."
It goes against the natural thinking, but I've realized that it's right. I do stop on commericals that look interesting during fast forward. Hopefully this study gets back to the people at the networks who are freaking out over the DVR taking away their revenue stream.
"TiVo, the maker of a popular digital video recorder, plans to announce a new set of Internet-based services today that will further blur the line between programming delivered over traditional cable and satellite channels and content from the Internet. It is just one of a growing group of large and small companies that are looking at high-speed Internet to deliver video content to the living room."
What was I just saying? ;-) Now if they'd just license a version to run on a PC...
"Television recording technology company TiVo Inc. on Wednesday said it cut prices on its home networking services and set-top boxes sold at some stores, a major step in its subscriber growth plan."
It goes on to report that DirecTV sold its stake in TiVo. The stock has dropped accordingly, making it a great time to buy if you're a believer.
In any case, good moves on their part but they need to do more!
"The fabled lost city of Atlantis might lie in a salt marsh region off Spain's southern coast, according to research reported online by the archaeology journal Antiquity."
Interesting. Just in time for the launch of 'Stargate: Atlantis'! ;-)
"Porn-surfing bank supremo Michael Soden was caught with his browser down last week by the very same staff he outsourced to HP at the start of his reign at the Bank of Ireland."
Poetic justice, eh?
"Just when we thought we had a pure and simple hero, a millionaire athlete who gave up wealth and fame to become the ideal patriot, to make the ultimate sacrifice, his friends and family complicated everything. They turned Pat Tillman into a human being Monday, showing us what was really lost during that ambush in Afghanistan, insisting that we question every assumption we've made since he died an icon on April 22."
"What if the industry is wrong, and file sharing is not hurting record sales?"
Imagine, you're doing a Google Vanity Search on yourself and you run something like this:
"Authorities arrested the mother of a 17-year-old boy after her son saw his picture on a missing children's Web site and discovered that she was accused of abducting him from his father 14 years ago."
"Every breakup, besides the emotional issues, has material issues as well. Unfortunately you and your partner aren't the only thing that is 'split up' when you go your separate ways. All of your stuff is too, and not always equally. When you are getting married you register for things then sit back and wait for the blenders and toasters. However, when you split up, then you really need those things, and there is no easy way to get help. Of course, all your friends feel bad for you, most of them even say 'Do you need anything'? or 'Please let me know if I can help'. Now they can!
Seems logical, eh?
"For just $50, you can rent a girlfriend for a month. You'll never get to kiss her, give her flowers or even meet her, but at least she'll send you a few letters and maybe even scent them with perfume."
The latest eBay craze! Good way to make some extra money, I suppose. Here're some current auctions, but no guarantees that they'll work, given how eBay ages and deletes older auctions:
eBay Auction
eBay Auction
eBay Auction
eBay Auction
eBay Auction
and my favorite, probably because I could do this one myself: eBay Auction
Kodak gives film cameras heave-ho
"In another shift away from its film business and toward the future of digital technologies, Eastman Kodak (EK) said Tuesday it will stop selling traditional film cameras in the USA, Canada and Western Europe."
"RealNetworks is expected to throw its hat into the digital song store ring later this week, releasing a download service based on technology similar to that used in Apple Computer's iTunes store, according to sources familiar with the plans."
Goody, yet another DRM solution further fragmenting the market! Lose the DRM, open up the market, give us value for our money and the DRM crap won't be missed!
"M&M's, the colorful button-shaped candies, are about to go off color for the first time in 60 years, but it remains to be seen whether their fans love or hate the change."
First pastel, now this. What's next, stripes?
"Joking with wounded soldiers and rattling off a `Top 10' list for the desert-weary, talk show host David Letterman dropped in Wednesday for a
Christmas Eve visit with U.S. troops in Baghdad."
Yet another reason that Letterman is better than Leno.
"The authorities in Shanghai are deploying 'phone pest' tactics to wage war on people illegally putting up posters and advertisements around the city."
I like it, although I doubt they'd ever do it here. NYC would be a good place to start, though.
"'American Idol' host and DJ Ryan Seacrest will replace radio icon Casey Kasem as host of the weekly pop countdown show, 'American Top 40'."
I note this only because it's one of those strange coincidence things. I haven't listened to the AT40 broadcast in years, but, for some odd reason, it came up in conversation with my friend Jerry last week. I asked if Casey Kasem was still doing it, Jerry said he was and I expressed amazement that Kasem was still going. Then, today, I spotted this. Funny how that happens sometimes.
"How do companies prevent employees from doing something that studies show 80-85 percent of employees do -- use their work computers for personal use?
"The short answer is 'they don't.'"
Good points in this article. One that I didn't see was the fact that it helps out balance those times when an employee is at home and does work on his own time.
"MP3 players became more expensive Friday after the Copyright Board of Canada gave the go-ahead on a new levy for digital audio recorders."
This one's for Todd: Canadians now have to pay more for MP3 players as of today, according to this article. Personally, I think it's ridiculous. What about all of the people that use these players for music that they legitimately purchased? Do they now have the right to go download unauthorized music since, in a sense, they've already paid for it?
Bad move, bad precedent.
"The killers kept bankers' hours.
"They showed up for work at the barley field at 9 a.m., trailed by backhoes and three buses filled with blindfolded men, women and children as young as 1.
"Every day, witnesses say, the routine was the same: The backhoes dug a trench. Fifty people were led to the edge of the hole and shot, one by one, in the head. The backhoes covered them with dirt, then dug another hole for the next group."
Awful, just freaking awful.
"A prank website set up to mock the trend for nonsense brand names has spectacularly backfired on its creators, after several of the spoof names have been registered for real."
"Microsoft Corp. confirmed Monday that it will enter the legal online music market. Never shying away from a market that involves technology that they can dominate, the Redmond, Wash., based company plans to offer their own version of a song-downloading service next year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal."
Yay! Competition is good for the consumer!
"A recycling group in Tucson called "Downtown Don't Waste It" has created an innovative project that harnesses the power of e-mail to connect people with things they want to throw away with others who would like to have those things. That way it doesn't wind up in the garbage. Through a simple Yahoo! Groups e-mail list, any member of the community can post a note about an item they'd like to give away, or an item they are seeking. The only rule: Every item posted must be free. The concept has found an eager audience. Nearly 800 people have joined the list since its inception in mid-March 2003."
Now that's a great idea!
"Sharman Networks, distributor of the popular Kazaa file-sharing software, previewed its first-ever set of print ads Monday that will run in major newspapers and Rolling Stone magazine beginning this week."
Reading the article, I think it's a good idea. They make a good point that content can be distributed via P2P yet still be paid for.
"Record labels are urging artists to put fewer tracks on albums because fans are put off by too many average songs, the Los Angeles Times has reported."
They have got to be kidding! Their solution to the problem of only one or two good songs on a CD, with the rest filler, is to lower the number of songs on the CD?!?!?!?!
"The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association on Wednesday morning threw in the towel and gave up fighting wireless local number portability."
Gosh, and only 12 days before it goes into effect. How nice of them.
TiVo.com | TiVo Press Releases
"Reaching one million subscriptions is a major milestone for our company," said Michael Ramsay, CEO of TiVo. "Thanks to the increased growth of both our standalone subscriptions and, especially, growth with DIRECTV, we have reached this milestone ahead of plan. We expect this momentum to continue and look forward to the biggest holiday season ever for TiVo."
It's all downhill from here! Well, not really, but I wish it were so. A lot more options are available this holiday season, so hopefully it really starts to take off. (Hopefully readers of this (Hi Kelly!) took advantage of Best Buy's $99 deal a few weeks back!)
"CBS is considering canceling or postponing its upcoming miniseries 'The Reagans' under mounting Republican criticism that the production inaccurately depicts the former president and his wife, Daily Variety reported Monday."
Good, since it seems to have been a work of complete fiction, done by those with no interest in accurate historical depictions.
"Wall Street is not the only one wooing Google. Microsoft is as well.
"Google, the highflying Silicon Valley Web search company, recently began holding meetings with bankers in preparation for its highly anticipated initial public offering as it was still engaged in meetings of another kind: exploring a merger with Microsoft.
"According to company executives and others briefed on the discussions, Microsoft - desperate to capture a slice of the popular and ad-generating search business - approached Google within the last two months to discuss the possibility of a takeover."
"Germans are screaming, moaning and panting for the latest nightlife craze -- porno karaoke."
Beats singing, if you ask me.
"In live television, things inevitably go wrong. And in the Internet age, TV missteps can take on lives of their own - as with the 'QVC Ladder Fall' video clip that has been making the rounds."
Think of it as "America's Funnies Home Videos" taken to the next level. You can find just about anything on the net, and some things, like this video (or the "Star Wars Kid", remember that one?) take on a life of their own.
Here is a site full of this type of video.
"Researchers at the University of Illinois say the so-called "5-Second Rule" isn't a myth. They say when you drop food on the floor, it's still safe to eat if you pick it up within five seconds."
Didn't I see this on Seinfeld once?
"Welcome, Windows users, to the world's best digital music jukebox, with a great music store inside - and it keeps getting better. Welcome to a music store with hundreds of thousands of songs which you can conveniently browse and search, and an inviting way to preview, buy and download music online quickly and easily. And welcome to the best friend an iPod ever had: iTunes."
That's great and all, but the iPod still doesn't support wma files, which is the format to which I ripped all of my CDs, for the best quality/size ratios available, at least in the Windows world. (And yes, I turned off all the copy protection crap before I ripped. I might not share, but I damn well want to take my music to whatever PC/portable I'm using, regardless of how many that is or how far down the line it is. Plus I intend to add an Auditron box to my stereo system and I don't want DRM to interfere.)
"Statement released Wednesday by Cubs fan Steve Bartman, who deflected a foul ball in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series."
This article is the statement that he released yesterday, when there was still a chance that the Cubs could make it. Today, though, we all know how that turned out.
Myself, I blame him for about 20% of game 6's loss, and Alex Gonzalez for 80%.
The Marlins are, of course, most appreciative, as seen in their free 3-month vacation offer to Steve. Yesterday I said this wasn't a great way to make one's 15 minutes of fame. Today I'm going to predict that it's going to last much longer than that.
My favorite commentary quote comes from the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "These being the Cubs, they couldn't just blow the lead -- they had to eradicate evidence that it ever existed."
"Meet Steve Bartman."
Seriously, this REALLY isn't the way to fame! I feel bad for this guy, he's going to be everywhere. If the Cubs don't win tonight it's going to be 1000% worse for him.
"The man some fans blame for Tuesday night's Cubs loss because he reached out and might have kept left fielder Moises Alou from catching a foul ball is a diehard Cubs fan who works for a consulting firm in the north suburbs and coaches youth baseball."
This is totally NOT the way to get one's 15 minutes of fame!
"Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers are proposing an elevator reaching 62,000 miles into the sky to launch payloads into space more cheaply than the shuttle can."
50 years ago Arthur C. Clarke wrote about just such an idea. Hmm, perhaps we should look around and see what else sci-fi writers came up with back then and see if their ideas are becoming reality. Anyone have any examples?
Looks like someone came to their senses.
"Apple Computer is expected next week to expand its online music service to Windows-based computers. The Mac maker has scheduled an event for next Thursday at San Francisco's Moscone West convention hall. 'The year's biggest music story is about to get even bigger,' Apple said in an invitation to journalists."
MusicMatch, iTunes, eMusic, BuyMusic.com, it's all starting to heat up in time for the season. So far I think MusicMatch is the best (given eMusic's change in direction recently), but I'm looking forward to checking out iTunes.
"Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh announced during his radio program Friday that he is addicted to painkillers and is checking into a rehab center to 'break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me.'"
Points to him for being honest, although this is certainly going to hurt his credibility. Bad couple of weeks for him.
"Cell phone users should be allowed to change companies and keep their numbers even if they have outstanding bills or contracts with their current provider, regulators said Tuesday."
We're getting closer!
"Exquisite white tigers have been Roy Horns passion for almost 40 years. Then last week, one of the beasts brought him to the brink of death. A modern day Dr. Doolittle who called the cats his children, Horn spent vast amounts of time, energy and money on animals that have left millions of show-goers here in awe since 1966."
That's too bad, although it goes to show that a wild animal can never really be tamed. Even worse, I would imagine that a Friday night show (which is when the attack happened) would have a lot of children who are now traumatized by viewing the tragedy.
On a personal note, I guess I should have seen the show when I had the chance, as I doubt it will be back. Even if it is, it'll never be the same. Ah well, serves me right for not wanting to shell out the $$$ to see the show.
"This blog will serve as your personal guide to the campaign to re-elect President Bush, with breaking news, grassroots updates, and posts from campaign leadership."
Forget a campaign blog, I want to see a Presidential Blog! Now that would be interesting!
Donovan McNabb isn't a great quarterback, and the media do overrate him because he is black
"In his notorious ESPN comments last Sunday night, Rush Limbaugh said he never thought the Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb was 'that good of a quarterback.' If Limbaugh were a more astute analyst, he would have been even harsher and said, 'Donovan McNabb is barely a mediocre quarterback.' But other than that, Limbaugh pretty much spoke the truth. Limbaugh lost his job for saying in public what many football fans and analysts have been saying privately for the past couple of seasons."
Look at the stats in the article, folks. Limbaugh was indeed correct in what he said. Frankly, he shouldn't have resigned over it and he should have stuck to his guns. Perhaps, though, the painkiller pills issue is what really drove him to pull back.
"The US film industry has begun a major effort to curb internet movie piracy in response to fears that more films will begin being viewed illegally online as broadband access grows."
From reading the article, it sounds like the MPAA has learned from the RIAA's mistakes. Lowering prices, speeding up delivery schedules, all things to work *with* the consumer, not against.
"Moviegoers are mighty vexed about the latest assault on our viewing pleasure. Loud, tacky commercials -- celebrating everything from the life- enhancing properties of Coca-Cola, to Chrysler, M&Ms and Nike -- are getting shoved in our faces at movie theaters."
Vexed would be an understatement. Normally I go to Harkins Theatres, which has stuck to the basic formula of 3-4 previews, a chain trailer then the feature presentation. However, I recently went to an AMC and omigod could they have shown any more commercials? 24 minutes after the posted start time of the movie is when the movie actually started! It was ridiculous.
"Ah, kids today. Just when it seemed that every possible form of youthful rebellion had been tamed, absorbed, and turned into a jeans commercial, they find one sure to shock their Boomer parents: become conservatives."
I've seen this first hand, as my 10 year old daughter has grown addicted to listening to conservative talk radio.
"Chris Inglis took Wednesday off so he could hang around the house and play with his cat. After all, the cat had come back -- 10 years later."
One of my cats went missing 5 years ago, but she didn't have a chip so this'll never happen to me. All pets since have been chipped, though, to help better the odds.
I liked the mental picture of this guy's cat jumping in the car and going for rides, though. That's kinda cool!
"Be careful when offering an all-you-can-eat promotion. The consequences can be costly. Darden Restaurants Inc. (DRI) admitted as much late Wednesday as it lowered current-quarter earnings guidance and announced it had replaced the president of its Red Lobster chain after an endless crab promo went awry."
Dang, and I missed what was probably the last "all you can eat" crab special they'll offer.
"Less than a month after Universal Music Group said it would try to lure music buyers back to stores by placing $12.98 stickers on most of its compact discs, the company acknowledged yesterday that it would not specify a price, bowing to pressure from major retailers such as Best Buy."
So much for lower prices. Thanks Best Buy!
"Actor Ron McLarty, whose long struggle to publish a novel was greatly boosted by a plug from Stephen King, has agreed to a two-book deal with Viking Penguin."
Mental note, when I write my first novel, send it to Stephen King. ;-)
Here are some impressive satellite photos of Hurricane Isabel. Look how big it was!
"Imagine if the telephone company changed your service so that instead of a busy signal it delivers an advertisement instead. Would you be happy about that?"
That's basically what Verisign has gone and done on the Internet. Very annoying.
"In an effort to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ice cream cone, Dairy Queen operators throughout the United States will celebrate by offering customers a free 5 oz. vanilla ice cream cone (one per customer) on Monday, Sept. 22, 2003. As part of the celebration, Dairy Queen employees will be collecting donations for Children's Miracle Network, the DQ system's charity of choice. This one-day grassroots event will kick-off a year-long celebration of the ice cream cone that will run through September 2004."
Everybody loves ice cream, especially when it's free!
"Suzanne Somers was just about to pitch John Ritter a project that would have reunited the Three's Company roomies for the first time in two decades. 'It's a romantic comedy [called] The Dumbheads,' she tells me. 'It's a feature [film], and I wanted us to end up together in the end. I was going to play Dumb and he was going to play Dumber. It would have been great; it would have worked.'"
Oh please. She doesn't talk to him for years, suddenly now she was going to do a project with him? Talk about trying to ride the publicity wave!
"David Letterman had better start thinking up a top 10 list of baby names - he's about to become a father."
How cool would that be, to have David Letterman as your father?
CNN.com - Actor John Ritter dead at 54 - Sep. 12, 2003
"Actor and comedian John Ritter, who gained stardom in the sitcom "Three's Company," died Thursday night after collapsing on the set of his current TV series. He was 54."
This one hit me hard. I grew up watching Ritter on Three's Company. My daughter and I enjoy his new sitcom, 'Eight Simple Rules...'. Even more sobering to me is that he was only 54, which is just 20 years older than me.
Microsoft and the School District of Philadelphia Team Up To Build School of the Future
"Seven hundred students in the School District of Philadelphia will enter an innovative and groundbreaking learning environment when the doors of a $46 million, jointly developed demonstration school open in 2006. With this announcement today, the School District of Philadelphia and Microsoft Corp. intend to work together on the planning, design, development, construction and completion of a new high school that will embed technology from the ground up into the school's educational and operational structure. The estimated $46 million in project costs will be funded by the district's capital program."
Wow, wish I had technology like this when I was in school. Be interesting to see how well it runs, who supports it, and how they plan to refresh the technology down the line.
"The Final Settlement Hearing was held on May 22, 2003, and the Settlement was approved on June 13, 2003. An Order Regarding Claims was issued on July 2, 2003. The Final Judgment and Order was issued on July 9, 2003. Notices of appeal have been filed by persons whose objections to the Settlement were denied by the District Court. Counsel for the State Plaintiffs and Plaintiff Settlement Class are contesting those appeals. Until the appeals are resolved or denied, payments for valid claims and distribution of CDs under the Cy Pres Distribution Plan cannot go forward."
Basically a few people decided that the settlement wasn't good enough and filed appeals, thus stopping the refund process for the rest of us.
Big business puts porn in U.S. mainstream
"From the nasty spam that clogs your e-mail account to the XXX video rental stores that are mushrooming all over, the once-underground pornography industry is now very much above ground and impossible to avoid."
Good article, boils down to this: Porn has slowly worked its way into the mainstream.
Valley gas shortage: Pipeline break cuts supplies, raises prices
Everything you ever wanted to know about the gas shortage in Phoenix.
High-Tech Word of Mouth Maims Movies in a Flash
"Fatima Bholat stepped into the summer sunshine, fresh from the darkened theater where she'd just seen "The Hulk." It was opening day, and the 16-year-old high school junior had rushed out with her younger brother to see director Ang Lee's moody take on the big green superhero.
"Now she wanted to tell her friends all about it. She whipped out her silver-and-blue T-Mobile cell phone, pressed a button and did something that strikes terror into the hearts of studio executives:
"She tapped out a message telling her friends exactly what she thought of the movie — and the verdict was brutal."
Studios, in their effort to place blame on dropping ticket sales, have now focused on SMS messaging. Seems that people can find out that a movie sucks right away, before they see it, rather than after.
"MSBlast, the newest worm in the wild, is expected to reach Code Red proportions, attacks a known flaw in Windows XP and Windows 2000, and is out to teach Microsoft a lesson. Wouldn't a letter to Bill Gates have been much more constructive?"
Page contains links to stories about this outbreak.
"Executives from Apple Computer promised this week that users of the Windows version of the iTunes Music Store--due late this year--would receive "similar" rights to those enjoyed by Mac users." - I hope so, as those rights are part of iTunes' strengths.
"The parents of Ghyslain Raza, the Quebec teenager who became a celebrity this spring after classmates posted on the Internet a video of him mimicking a Star Wars character, allege that their son was so humiliated by the experience that he had to get psychiatric care." - Poor kid, sounds like he's had a rough time of it. I read somewhere that Lucas had offered him a walk-on part in Star Wars III; I hope that's true, the kid could use some positive energy, seems like.
"The continuing controversy over online file sharing sparks me to offer a few thoughts as an author and publisher. To be sure, I write and publish neither movies nor music, but books. But I think that some of the lessons of my experience still apply."
"READER MICHAELA STEPHENS says that if the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is right and that 60 million US folk are file sharing, it's going to take the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a mighty long time to get round to them all." - Looks like pretty good odds for people that only share a few files, as opposed to those with thousands on hand.
"The Pentagon office that proposed spying electronically on Americans to monitor potential terrorists has a new experiment. It is an online futures trading market, disclosed today by critics, in which anonymous speculators would bet on forecasting terrorist attacks, assassinations and coups." - Words fail me. Shortly after the public outcry, the plan was scrapped.
"Across the country, tech-savvy thirtysomethings are using the Internet to recruit crowds to gather in one place, perform a wacky stunt, and disappear 10 minutes later. They keep their activities secret -- even from participants -- until just minutes before the event takes place."
Find out when this will reach your city:
"Bob Hope, whose mastery of the comic monologue and the topical wisecrack carried him from vaudeville to Broadway musicals and then on to worldwide fame as a radio, film and television star of the first magnitude, died Sunday night in Toluca Lake, Calif., according to The Associated Press, which cited his long-time publicist, Ward Grant. Mr. Hope was 100."
"In need of a legal and scholarly review of the "F" word's history? Well, thanks to a Colorado public defender, we have one for you--and it's our pick for 2003's Legal Document of the Year."
"The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has now issued more than 911 subpoenas to Internet service providers across the United States, trying to get the names of people still offering music on file-sharing networks such as KaZaA and Grokster. Today, "Tech Live" brings you the RIAA Hit List, the user names of file traders targeted in the recording industry subpoenas." -
(Thanks Jesh) Are you on the list? Better check! If you're not, and you're a P2P user, you'd better take steps* to protect yourself.
*Steps to take can be anything from stopping the use of P2P on your machines to downloading the latest KaZaA Lite K++ client, which incorporates some new security measures to help maintain your privacy.
"Qwest Communications will offer satellite television services to its approximately 1 million customers in Phoenix and Tucson, through a marketing agreement with DirecTV, company officials said Monday." - I wonder what they're doing with their ChoiceTV offering, which they recently started promoting again here in Phoenix. I had that service at my last house and it was great! VDSL, providing voice lines, high speed Internet access and digital TV over my phone line. I'd still have it, except they didn't support TiVo to the extent that DirecTV does. Well, that and it wasn't available in my new area.
Looks like rates have officially bottomed out and are on the upswing again. I hope everyone managed to take advantage of the low rates! (If you missed out, it certainly wasn't from lack of information, since I talked about it quite a bit, as my wife is in the mortgage biz!) From the AZ Republic:
"SINCE 1981, Philadelphia has been the nation's fifth-largest city. But as of tomorrow, the City of Brotherly Love may be nudged from the Top 5 by, of all places, Phoenix.That is, of course, if you consider Phoenix an actual, you know, city. Phoenix is more of a loose accumulation of crummy vinyl-sided houses occupied by sun-burned retirees who happen to share a ZIP code. It is a bland spread of chemical-fertilized lawn in the middle of the desert, criss-crossed by smog-filled freeways and chilled with central air." - Man, if this is an example of 'Brotherly Love', I'm glad I don't live in Philadelphia! Talk about bitter, this guy goes on to detail every negative thing that has ever happened in Phoenix.
However, with one exception (we do have bus service on Sundays), everything he says is accurate. So, if you're thinking of moving to Arizona, heed this guy's warning, DON'T! We'll do just fine without you.
"Residents of Philadelphia haven't been this upset since inspectors from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission forced Pat's King of Steaks to change the grease in the french fry machine." - An Arizona Republic columnist responds: The Arizona Republic: Beer and whine only mix in Philly
"Pop princess Britney Spears has admitted that she had sex with former boyfriend Justin Timberlake despite once vowing to remain a virgin until she wed." - And we're supposed to be surprised by this?
"SHOCKED six-year-old Leah Lowland checked out a mystery bulge on her Incredible Hulk doll - and uncovered a giant green WILLY." - What, they expected a small one? He is The Hulk, after all! Ken should be so lucky!
Seriously though, looking at the pictures I find it amazing that this was released as a child's toy. Mental note, don't buy dolls made in Spain.
"On Wednesday, a crew hired to demolish a house across the street took her house down by mistake. All that remains is a low pile of plywood and tar paper. The crew even tore down Lopez's trees and shrubs, which she watered every day even though she wasn't living in the house." - Man, this really sucks. Can you imaging coming home to find a wrecking crew finishing up the demolition of your house?
"Phoenix may be only months from becoming the nation's fifth-largest city, muscling out Philadelphia. Mesa is bigger than Atlanta. And Gilbert is the fastest-growing town in America." - I wish the freeway and public transit systems were geared towards all this growth, but they're not. The freeways are bursting at the seams and, most days, I'm stuck in the middle of it!
"According to an analysis by the USA insurance company, Response Insurance of their national driving survey, people who use cell phones when driving are more likely to be distracted from the road even when they are not talking on a phone. The results indicate there may be a 'distracted-driver personality' type behind the wheel." - Hmm. I'm not sure if I buy this. Does it mean all cell phone users? Just the one's that would use the phone behind the wheel? Are there distracted people that just don't have cell phones? I'm a cell phone user, and I use it behind the wheel at times, typically with a hands free kit, but I don't consider myself a distracted individual.
"Mortgage rates rose sharply in the United States this week, a second straight gain that put the benchmark 30-year loan nearly one-quarter of a percentage point above its modern-day low reached three weeks ago." - I had a feeling that it was about to bottom out, looks like I was right. If you've been on the fence about re-fi'ing, I'd suggest you check into it and get locked now, as rates are on the rise for the foreseeable future.
"One so-called 'net pirate' says the industry has got it all wrong and should not be trying to crack down on those who download music from the internet." - Since the overwhelming news today in the P2P arena is the RIAA announcement that they're going to go after individuals, I figured I'd highlight an article from the other side of the fence, a P2P user. He touches on a good point, that the recording industry doesn't want to cede control, and wants to keep people in the album model. I think that's exactly opposite of what they should do. They should give complete control to the consumer by switching to a "by the song" model and, simultaneously, release all of their back catalogs. This would bring back some of the lost consumers, such as the over 35 crowd (a rather large crowd) that currently represents only 10% of music purchases.
And it still bugs me when they trot out their "music sales are down 6%" argument. Everything is down! The late 90's were artificially inflated by the tech boom, so perhaps rather than music being "down" it's actually where it should be. Maybe it's down because new music isn't as good. Perhaps it's because of P2P. It could also be that people are taking more control over their entertainment dollar.
In other words, it could be just about anything and everything, and it's ridiculous to point to just one thing!
"A jury took less than an hour Thursday to convict a former nurse's aide of murder for hitting a homeless man with her car, driving home with his mangled body lodged in the windshield and leaving him to die in her garage." - I'll admit it; I have such little faith in our legal system as of late that I was surprised when this verdict, the correct one IMHO, came back so quickly. 'Course, they are in Texas, where they do seem to have a bit more common sense than some other states <cough>California</cough>.
"D&M Holdings Inc. on Tuesday said its new ReplayTV digital television recorder will not include controversial features such as automatically skipping commercials and sharing shows via the Internet." - I'm a diehard TiVo owner, firmly believing it is the better product, but I have always been jealous of the show sharing feature of the Replay units.
"A set of four glass ramps positioned in a square clearly show water travelling up each of them before it pours off the top, only to start again at the bottom of the next ramp." - This is pretty neat. I imagine it won't be long before we'll see these in Home Depot, next to all the other water features that are suddenly so popular.
"Digital video recorder maker TiVo hopes to make a buck out of its customers' viewing habits, selling the data it collects to broadcasters and advertisers." - I’m willing to put up with it provided it remains anonymous and shows overall stats. I know they’ve done this since the beginning, the only difference now is that they’re selling the data rather than releasing it for free, which they’ve done in the past in an FYI type of release. For example, last year they released that the most replayed moment of the Super Bowl was the Britney Spears Pepsi commercial.
Basically, I look at it as if I were a Neilson family, but far more accurate. If it keeps the shows that I like to watch on the air longer, great! If it keeps TiVo in business longer and allows them to innovate further, even better.
"Transport Minister John Anderson described the man as less than stable, and said the incident did not appear to be linked to terrorism." - um, hello, "did not appear to be linked to terrorism"??? Of course this was a terrorist act! Sure it may or may not be linked to organized terrorism, such as Al Quida, but it is still terrorism.
In any case, once the terrorist attacked the flight crew several passengers rose up and subdued him. That's exactly what needs to happen in these cases, citizens need to take personal responsibility and act! Good for them!
"Walk softly and don't let anyone beat you over the head with your own stick. The "Mini-DMCA" laws that are pending in several states and passed in others, appear to be garnering more headlines lately. I talked a bit about the topic earlier this year, but I think it's important to bring it up again."
Randy Nieland of Lockergnome takes a good luck at some of the pending "DMCA" laws that are working their way across the states. If you've only heard bits and pieces about this legislation, I suggest giving this a read.
And yes, I'm pretty much against them.
20030520 Lockergnome Tech Specialist (scroll about half way down)
"MANCHESTER, England -- Here's some good news that vegetarians can really sink their teeth into: Researchers have developed genetically engineered fruit trees that bear real meat!" - Amazing, yet kind of frightening at the same time.
"Forget the newspaper. MSN's U.K. division has created something new to do while on the john--surf the Internet. MSN U.K. has taken roaming (and communal hygiene) to a new level with the "iLoo", an Internet-enabled toilet that the software giant hopes will debut at various concerts in the U.K. this summer." - Um, hello, aren't the portable john lines long enough at these things as it is? Let alone when somebody stops to check their email!
* - Several words came to mind to finish off the title for this article; however none of them passed my "should my daughter see this" test. Sorry!
TV Guide - "Will & Grace's wiseacre maid Shelley Morrison was charged with misdemeanor theft Tuesday in connection with her shoplifting arrest last week. The 66-year-old who faces a maximum penalty of a year in the county jail allegedly stole $446 worth of costume jewelry from a Robinsons-May department store in Los Angeles. Prosecutors declined to file a more serious felony charge due to Morrison's clean record and a rumored promise from Megan Mullally that she'll flash 'em her rack."
"A cat was hungry and dirty but otherwise OK after hitching a 400-mile ride from Indianapolis to Sedalia on an 8-inch beam underneath a tractor-trailer." - This is amazing! I've heard of cats (and other animals) hitching rides inside trucks before, but to ride on a support strut just inches above the pavement at 65 miles an hour, wow! Poor thing must have been terrified. Leave it to a Siamese, though, to make it all the way without mishap.
"Days after Madonna took a sharp swipe at music file-sharers, the singer's web site was hacked Saturday (4/19) by an electronic interloper who posted MP3 files of every song from "American Life," the controversial performer's new album, which will be officially released Tuesday." - Very amusing, as a hacker fights Madonna with her own words.
"Shawn Fanning was the brains behind the popular Internet startup, but it was his uncle, John Fanning of Hull, who called the shots - and pocketed an estimated $1 million before the business went bankrupt." - An interesting tale of how one man destroyed any chance of the Napster software becoming successful without legal challenges.
"'Plugged In' is an Arizona Republic Web log featuring daily commentary from a diverse group of well-connected Arizonans tapped into the politics of our state. Bookmark this page for informed opinions on issues of interest to Arizonans." - They're advertising this pretty heavily, both in print and on the site, but its far from what we consider a blog to be. It's more like someone there said "hey, let's have a bunch of people write mini-columns, put them on one page, sort it by date and call it a blog!"
Interesting read on the war "behind the scenes", including pschological warfare, special ops and the CIA.
It's been the best-covered war in history. But the key to success was what we didn"t see: Special Forces, psyop, the air war - and the utterly inept Iraqi Army.
Gee, that didn't take long. Vultures.
NBC is developing a TV movie about the dramatic rescue of 19-year-old POW Jessica Lynch. The network hopes to have the pic on the air by next fall. - Yeah, whether it's good or not.
I'm hoping this is a positive thing for the subscribers, of which I am one.
Capping a decade-long quest to dominate satellite TV service in the U.S., News Corp. agreed Wednesday to pay $6.6 billion in stock and cash to grab virtual control of DirecTV's parent company, giving the cable industry a dreaded new adversary.
Click the picture to see how some of our troops are connecting with the Iraqi children:
I ripped it from the Jimmy Kimmel show. If anyone has the original, full news clip I'd love to get it from you.
Well, technically she does own the stuff now.
Ryder wants to auction stolen items
Actress Winona Ryder wants to hold a charity auction to sell the $5,500 worth of clothes and accessories that she stole from a posh department store but a judge on Monday was reluctant to buy into the plan. Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Elden Fox praised the 31-year-old actress for completing the community service part of her three-year-probation ahead of schedule but sparred with her lawyer, Mark Geragos, over whether she could dispose of the merchandise by holding a charity auction.
Habeas, the company that fights spam with poetry and the law, announced today it has filed lawsuits against five entities that have improperly used the Habeas trademark in an effort to get their email past spam filters. The first lawsuit is against Avalend, a financial services and mortgage refinancing company based in Massapequa, New York, and its sister company, Intermark Media. The second lawsuit is against Dale Heller, Stan Stuchinski (BigDogSecrets.com), and Clickbank, a division of Boise, Idaho-based Keynetics, Inc.
Copy protected CDs: artists can be the losers
Music companies which use copy protection may be denying the artists under contract to them legitimate play time on radio stations, if the happenings at one outfit are any indication.
This radio station, which recently received its regular bag of freebies from EMI, finds that it is unable to play any of the CDs it received - the copy protection on the discs gets in the way.
Noooooo!
Microsoft says to take aim at Google
Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - News), the world's No. 1 software maker, on Wednesday said it is taking aim at privately held Google (News - Websites)Inc., the Web-search company that's so popular its name is used as a verb.
Today's modern day version of Hanoi Jane?
March 31 — NBC, MSNBC and National Geographic on Monday said they had terminated their relationship with Peter Arnett after the journalist told state-run Iraqi TV that the U.S.-led coalition’s initial war plan had failed and that reports from Baghdad about civilian casualties had helped antiwar protesters undermine the Bush administration’s strategy.
I probably quoted more of the article than I should have, but man, look at all the details, they certainly support his story. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, but $800 into $3.5M in two weeks? Wow!
NEW YORK -- Federal investigators have arrested an enigmatic Wall Street wiz on insider-trading charges -- and incredibly, he claims to be a time-traveler from the year 2256!
"We don't believe this guy's story -- he's either a lunatic or a pathological liar," says an SEC insider.
"But the fact is, with an initial investment of only $800, in two weeks' time he had a portfolio valued at over $350 million. Every trade he made capitalized on unexpected business developments, which simply can't be pure luck.
...
The past year of nose-diving stock prices has left most investors crying in their beer. So when Carlssin made a flurry of 126 high-risk trades and came out the winner every time, it raised the eyebrows of Wall Street watchdogs.
...
When investigators hauled Carlssin in for questioning, they got more than they bargained for: A mind-boggling four-hour confession.
Carlssin declared that he had traveled back in time from over 200 years in the future, when it is common knowledge that our era experienced one of the worst stock plunges in history. Yet anyone armed with knowledge of the handful of stocks destined to go through the roof could make a fortune.
"It was just too tempting to resist," Carlssin allegedly said in his videotaped confession. "I had planned to make it look natural, you know, lose a little here and there so it doesn't look too perfect. But I just got caught in the moment."
In a bid for leniency, Carlssin has reportedly offered to divulge "historical facts" such as the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and a cure for AIDS.
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Officials are quite confident the "time-traveler's" claims are bogus. Yet the SEC source admits, "No one can find any record of any Andrew Carlssin existing anywhere before December 2002."
That's just plain weird. They couldn't come up with a better game than this?
Teen killed by shovel in odd game with car
WINNIPEG - A 14-year-old boy died almost instantly after he was struck in the head during a bizarre game involving a stolen car and a shovel, Winnipeg police say.
I would have no problem paying for a reasonable price for online music if I could download the songs I want, in the format I want, to use when/where I want and with no hassle. All my terms, as the consumer, not on the terms of the bloated companies desperate to keep their profit margin high. Haven't they heard of cost cutting measures as a form of keeping up profits, rather than trying to screw their customers?
Internet file-sharing bigger than record business
Free peer-to-peer music file-sharing has become larger than the multibillion-dollar recording industry, with a growth trend that has become "fundamentally unstoppable," a state Senate committee exploring Internet piracy has been warned.
The free downloading habit among 61 million Americans and millions more worldwide is "cemented," with only 9 percent of U.S. downloaders believing they are doing anything wrong, media analyst Eric Garland told California lawmakers Thursday.
Instead of fighting the trend, which he called a losing battle, Garland said the entertainment industry should embrace digital distribution rather than file lawsuits that only make more people aware of free downloads.
But industry representatives largely rejected the advice, instead promoting legal challenges and education, including a new anti-file-sharing movie clip that will appear soon in movie theaters.
The Second Gulf War has already produced its first great work of oratory, a battlefield speech that could stand, in an unassuming way, alongside Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Churchill's inspiring wartime rhetoric.
Continue reading "Rimbaud meets Rambo on the eve of battle" »
No one likes cleaning bathrooms, but most people like their bathrooms to be clean. When several people share a bathroom, a free rider game may manifest in which some attempt to free ride off the efforts of others.
In Iraq, America is cleaning one of the world's dirtiest bathrooms. Unfortunately, few are helping us, and some are even attempting to charge America for the privilege of cleaning up. America's strength makes her particularly vulnerable to free rider exploitation. Without our help, there is no hope of removing infectious dictators, so unlike lesser nations like France, we can't do nothing and rely on others to do the work. Furthermore, because our military strength gave us the ability to remove Saddam by ourselves, other nations knew their assistance wasn't necessary for our success.
PCWorld.com - LA Police Build Wireless LANs
Believing that heightened homeland security requirements demand higher-bandwidth communications systems for public safety agencies, the Los Angeles Police Department plans to install 27 wireless local area networks (WLANs) at police stations throughout the city in the next three months, according to Roger Ham, deputy chief for communications at the LAPD.
22/3
4:30pm (day3)
half an hour ago the oil filled trenches were put on fire. First watching Al-jazeera they said that these were the places that got hit by bombs from an air raid a few miniutes earlier bit when I went up to the roof to take a look I saw that there were too many of them, we heard only three explosions. I took pictures of the nearest. My cousine came and told me he saw police cars standing by one and setting it on fire. Now you can see the columns of smoke all over the city.
I'm not sure that I like this. What do you think?
Yahoo! News - Cisco Acquiring Linksys Group for $500M
Jumping into the competitive home networking market, Cisco Systems Inc. said Thursday it was buying The Linksys Group Inc. in $500 million stock deal that would make it the leader in that burgeoning segment of the industry.
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft at midlife: Bill Gates' view of the future
When his conversation occasionally strays from technology these days, Bill Gates sounds like any middle-age working dad.
The 47-year-old Microsoft chairman has a good idea about when he'll be retiring, he enjoys driving his daughter to school, and he has a home-improvement project he wants to get to one of these days.
Like the guy hasn't been through enough already, eh? Did you know that, just days after his probation ended, it was deemed "cruel and unusual punishment" to prohibit a person's access to the Internet?
Wired News: Mitnick Amused By Website Hacks
The world's best-known computer hacker suffered the indignity of having someone break into his new security consulting company's website. But Kevin Mitnick shrugged it off as "quite amusing," not serious enough for him to call the FBI.
In one of the more revealing parts of the Utah study, researchers noticed that participants ``reported they have observed other drivers driving erratically while using a cell phone, but rarely, if ever, thought that their own driving was impaired when they used the cell phone. A consequence of using a cell phone is that it may make drivers insensitive to their own impaired driving behavior.''
Now this is an interesting twist, Kazaa is fighting fire with fire. 'Bout time one of these companies fought back.
News: Kazaa swaps suits with Hollywood, labels
Sharman Networks, owner of the popular Kazaa file-swapping software, has launched a legal counterstrike against the major record labels and Hollywood studios, asserting that they have “obscenely” abused their copyright powers.
Their own mother? What the hell?
CNN.com - Police: Dismemberment had 'Sopranos' inspiration - Jan. 27, 2003
Two young men killed their mother and tried to cover their tracks by chopping off her head and hands the way they saw it done on "The Sopranos," authorities said Monday.
Hmm, the ad campaign says that gas guzzling SUVs support terrorism, by needing more fuel. Wouldn't that mean that our military supports terrorism, given the vast amounts of fuel it takes to fly jet fighters, move tanks and drive HumVees?
TV ads say SUV owners support terrorism
Ratcheting up the debate over sport utility vehicles, new television commercials suggest that people who buy the vehicles are supporting terrorists. The commercials are so provocative that some television stations are refusing to run them.
I find this amusing to no end!
Rooster with steel spikes kills handler
A cockfight has turned deadly in the Philippines for a handler. Police say a rooster, about to be set loose for a bout in a crowded arena, attacked its handler with razor-sharp steel spikes strapped to its legs.
Wired News: A Gizmo Wiz and His Scooter
Phillip Torrone, an engineer who once installed high-speed Internet access and enough gadgetry in his car to make it illegal in the state of New York, can now be spotted tooling around Minneapolis on a cell phone-enabled scooter.