MS Concepts

This is just what the doctor ordered.

Those familiar with the Harry Potter books and films might recognise the first idea - called the Whereabouts Clock.

 

It shows you where people are, and its inventor Abigail Sellen thinks its best use is in the home.

Microsoft wants to build these "Harry Potter" maps so that you can keep track of where everybody is.  Does anyone else see a problem with this?  I know they offer a service in the UK that is similar to this, except you just phone in or use a GPS or something and you can find out where the person is.

 

This is extreme though.  I don't want someone, like my wife, knowing where I am at all times...

 

Check out the rest of the article for more insights into the future according to MS.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Microsoft, Future, Technology

Virgin Galactic

What won't Richard Branson do for money?

...officials from Virgin Galactic and from the State of New Mexico announced that they had reached an historic agreement which will see the building of a $200m spaceport in the southern part of the state on a 27 square mile area of state land.

Virgin Galactic[a]?  Now that can't be a good idea.  Didn't Richard try to fly around the world in a hot air balloon a few times?  Wait, was he successful?  I can't remember...

 

So why not build a spaceport and see if we can't throw a few millionaires into the air and watch them blow up like some fireworks on the 4th?  I think that's a fine idea. 

 

$200 million for a spaceport plus how many billion for a few spacecraft?  How much is a flight into space going to cost?  $10 million for an hours flight is my guess.  It just sounds like a bad idea all around. [ars technica]

 

 

Technorati Tags : Virgin, Galactic, Tourism

Google Music Search

What other [free] products could Google possibly supply us with?

Hot on the heels of yesterday's public confession of its new fascination with widgets, Internet un-portal Google has unveiled yet another new service: Google Music. Accessible from the main search page, Google Music provides information on albums, lyrics, and other artist-related information. When users enter the artist or song name as a search argument, a small box with the artists name and image (or icon of music notes) appears at the top of the results.

Music search?  Is that even worthy of a note?  I found this at ars technica (which has an amazing amount of extremely interesting articles lately it seems).

 

The thing that gets me is the lyrics part of their post.  It's not in the next paragraph:

Clicking on the link will take you to a Google Music page with links to artist information, album information, artist websites, photos, along with online discussions. There are also the inevitable "buy this album" links to places like the iTunes Music Store, Amazon, Wal-Mart, and other online merchants.

With the RIAA, ASCAP, and BMI announcing in the last few days that they will now be going after tableture and lyric sites, would it be smart for Google to offer up artist's lyrics in their search results?  I don't think so.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Google, Music, Search

Cracking the XBox 360

Now here's food for thought:  Do you think that any amount of security on a gaming system will stop crackers from reverse engineering it?

A group of crackers called Team PI Coder says it has discovered the basic workings of the console's file system.  The information has helped the group dig out the raw data from the console for 13 Xbox 360 games.

I'm going to go with "no" on that one.  What makes Microsoft think that their newest protection on the 360 is any different than the other systems to date?

A spokesman for Microsoft said there had been a series of improvements to the Xbox 360 that protect it against cracking.

He said that hardware on the system only allows Microsoft certified and signed programs to run on the console. This meant that copied games would not be recognised by the system and would not run.

Ahhhh!  So that's it!  Hardware based protection.  Maybe a bit like the last Xbox?  Oh, I'm sure it's improved, but when the challenge is there, there's a lot of engineers and reverse engineers that are going to be working on the problem to try to break the system.  Remember the last Xbox?  Yeah, the one that used a modchip to bypass the EEPROM (I think that was it)?  Well, it didn't last long, and neither will this one.

I'm not interested really, but it makes me mad that MS would have the balls to think that their system isn't breakable.  If it boils down to 1's and 0's, it's breakable.

Technorati Tags : Bypass, Security, Xbox, 360

The Trickiness of the RIAA, Etc

I know we all know that the Recording industry is much smarter than we thought.

 

Lately, the industry has found a creative twist in this game: They're deliberately mislabeling CDs, giving their artists pseudonyms, and sometimes even fake song titles, to throw off those who might swipe a record from a desk or mailroom and spread it over the Web.

So they give out these promos to journalists, but they put sneaky names like Jack and the Bean Stalk on them, and no one can figure it out.  Why is it, then, that Madonna's last album was leaked onto the 'net a few weeks before its retail date?  What will they think of next?  Hey, I know, maybe they could mail CDs that are disguised as grilled cheese sandwiches.  When the hunger reviewer tries to eat it though, watch out!  You don't want to see a hungry journalist get tricked like that.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Music, Industry, Snafu

Pentagon Watches Peacemakers

Why would the US think that this was a good idea.

If you've marched against the Iraq war or flashed a peace sign during a rally, the Pentagon may be keeping an eye on you. The U.S. military has been building a secret database that suggests it is monitoring peace demonstrations and collecting information on Americans who oppose the Iraq war.

MTV has this article on the Pentagon, which, to me, is just about the most retarded thing I've ever heard.  How do they expect to keep an eye on half of the population of the US?  How many Americans now support the war in Iraq?  One?  Two maybe?  They seem to be coming around to what we have known for a long time.  The war in Iraq is just a bad idea.  Get out.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Pentagon, Watches, Protestors

To Flop or Not

Have you ever wondered if that movie you're filming in your backyard is going to be a huge hit in Hollywood?  Yeah, that's right, me too...

 The program looks at several factors, including the movie's rating, competition from other films at the time of release, strength of the cast, genre, special effects, whether it is a sequel and the number of theatres it opens in. It weighs all these factors using a neural network and predicts whether or not the movie will be a box-office hit. The predictions are sorted into nine categories, from "flop" (less than US$1 million) to "blockbuster" (over US$200 million).

ars technica has an article on this software that will predict whether a movie will be a success based on data provided before the movie comes out. 

 

Uh-huh.  Sure it will. 

 

So if I spend $1,000 on a movie it's not going to make me over $100 million?  Is it sure about that?  What if I spend $10 million?  Will it be a success?  What if I make a movie like The Blair Witch Project?  Will it think it's going to flop based on the fact that it cost barely anything to make, and it was a horror?  I think it's a stupid program that won't lead to anything we don't already know as human beings.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Movie, Prediction, Software

iPod Boxers

I've noticed this on a few sites already and just passed it off as really stupid, but I suppose it has some use to someone.

iBoxers are boxer shorts with a pocket built to hold an iPod or anything you please.Purchase a pair for $22, buy two and get three free iTunes downloads.

There's a point where Apple iPod "gadgets" are just unnecessary.  Really, you're running around your house like Tom Cruise, playing air guitar in your underwear, and you can't hold your iPod?  Nope.  Guess not.  So where do you put it?  Well, you put it in the pocket of your Boxer Shorts especially designed for just this situation.  Check out the picture at ubergizmo to see how stupid it really is.  At least the guy looks like he's having fun.

 

 

Technorati Tags : iPod, Gadgets

Apple Boombox?

Engadget has an interesting article on Apple's future.

In what would be quite a departure for Apple, AppleInsider is rumoring that the company’s iPod division is working up a foray into consumer electronics land next year, including products such as an iPod boombox.

A boombox?  That can't be right, can it?  Although, if you think about it, who wouldn't want to be able to hook up their shelf-sized stereo to their computer and load up 175,000 songs onto it.  Music for a lifetime.

 

What's next?  Maybe Apple could get into Stove Stereos.  I kind of need music while I'm cooking.  If only my microwave would sing to me instead of beep every time my TV dinner is done.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Apple, Boombox

 

Remove the XP Start Button

Has that little "Start" button in the taskbar ever bothered you enough to actually want to remove it?

 

Well the people at Channel9.MSDN.com have come up with a great solution.

Well, times move on and I wanted to shrink the size of my start button, so I edited the Windows string table to change "start" to an empty string. Since Windows doesn't allow null, empty, or zero-length strings (for some bizarre reason) I replaced it with a space.

I then reloaded explorer, by-passed the SFC dialog, and the start-button is now much smaller.

But the button had an unsightingly bulge to the right where the space was.

Since you can't have an empty string in the string table, I wondered what would happen if you deleted the string table entry, which I did. I then reloaded explorer.

Lo and behold, the start button was gone, entirely.

Isn't that a great solution?  If you read through the comments you'll get a better understanding of what you have to do, but it makes sense in the end.  I like the idea because sometimes I have so much crap on the taskbar that it would be nice to spread it around a bit.  Also, it just looks cleaner without that big bar there.

 

It's said that you need to have Visual Studio or some other resource editor, but I'm not sure which one other editor can be used, so if you know, leave me a comment.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Windows, Hacking

SmashMyXbox

These guys are just sick...

Don't watch the video if you are desperate for an Xbox 360. PS3 fans (who are convinced the PS3 is far superior, or have a dislike of Microsoft) may like this.

From channel9.msdn.com comes this exciting news.  Those idiots who did smashmyipod.com did another one called smashmyxbox.com.  They should be shot.

 

One thing that would have been a bit better is if they could have been in first, quickly paid for it, and then smashed it in front of a long line of 1000 people or so.  That might've been better.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Smash, Xbox, stupid

WiMAX a Go

It looks like we'll be getting WiMAX by mid 2006.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has quietly ratified the long-awaited 802.16e standard for mobile WiMAX, which is also known as 802.16-2005.

It's about time.  From the Wiki page for WiMAX:

The technology has been claimed to provide shared data rates up to 70 Mbit/s, which, according to WiMAX proponents, is enough bandwidth to simultaneously support more than 60 businesses with T1-type connectivity and well over a thousand homes at 1Mbit/s DSL-level connectivity.

This would be ideal for a smaller town, such as the one I live in with 100,000 people, where the need for wires is a thing of the past and there would then be more than two options for highspeed internet for the area.  The initial costs would be high, but with reasonable pricing it would pay for itself in the end.  Now where did I put that $500,000,000 I need to put a tower on the hill across the lake?

 

 

Technorati Tags : WiMAX

MS IE 7 More Secure

Apparently IE 7 will be more secure according to bloggers at the Redmond site.

Microsoft is changing Internet Explorer 7's security zones in a bid to create a more attack-resistant browser, according to public blog entry written by three developers at the software giant.

Yeah, right.  Sure...  Okay.  Security holes abound, I'm sure.  We all know that there are going to be major problems with this piece of software.  Look for a patch within 2 to 3 days, and then an IE 7 SP1 within two weeks.  It's the way it goes.  Some of this can be attributed to MS not testing their software enough, but I will give them a bit of credit and expect some of the security flaws to be unknown (or unknowable) before the software comes out.  Can't wait for it though!  I'll still use Firefox.  Original story.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Microsoft, Internet, Explorer, Security

 

 

Paris Hilton vs. SPCA

It's good to know that people realize Paris Hilton can't take care of that stupid mutt she drags around all day.

Paris Hilton is the world's worst dog owner, according to an online poll conducted by the magazines New York Dog and Hollywood Dog. "Our readers felt Ms. Hilton's dog-parenting skills left a lot to be desired," said joint editor Leslie Padgett. "First she loses Tinkerbell, then she ditches her dog for a cuter dog, then replaces that dog with a ferret, then a Kinkajou monkey, and then, I gather, a goat." The title of best dog owner went to Joss Stone, who narrowly edged out Ashley Olsen.

How anyone can subscribe to, and vote in a poll by, a magazine about dogs I'll never know, but this late breaking news is soothing, to say the least.  Why does Paris carry those dogs around anyway?  Does she like dogs or does she like the fact that millions of girls around the world are now carrying little runts around like a purse all because of her?  It's a tough job being famous for being famous.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Paris, Hilton, Dogs

Princeton Student Fined by RIAA

It seems the RIAA continues to delve into the retarded.

Delwin Olivan is an 18-year-old Princeton student who is being extorted by the RIAA to the tune of $5,000 as punishment for being caught promoting music by sharing it on the Internet. His fellow Princetonians have founded the Free Delwin group, which is fundraising to help pay off his settlement.

Boing Boing has a post about it, and they nicely point out how stupid it is.  Really, a kid sharing music online, a university student at that, and they want to fine him?  At least the artists affected will eventually see $0.0000001 cents each from the settlement.

 

 

Technorati Tags : RIAA, Music, Piracy

More Wiki Problems

Wikipedia seems to have problem after problem these days.

It started as a joke and ended up as a shot heard round the Internet, with the joker quitting his job and Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, suffering a blow to its credibility.

A man in Nashville, Tenn., has admitted that, in trying to shock a colleague with a joke, he put false information into a Wikipedia entry about John Seigenthaler Sr., a former editor of The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville.

Brian Chase, 38, who until Friday was an operations manager at a small delivery company, told Seigenthaler he had written the material suggesting Seigenthaler had been involved in the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy.

How this is funny, I don't know, but the guy should get into a lot more trouble than just leaving his job and not using Wikipedia.  Falsely accusing someone of murder isn't a light accusation.

Wikipedia, while an exceptional idea, is proving not so exceptional in execution.

Technorati Tags : Wikipedia, Prankster

Beyonce to Wed

It looks like Beyonce will finally marry long-term boyfriend Jay-Z.

The sexy R&B star and her rapper boyfriend have begun planning their US summer wedding day - but are determined to keep the details a secret. A source close to the couple said: "It will be a small, intimate wedding with just close friends and family."

Ever since it was first rumoured that they were together I couldn't understand it.  Is this just Beyonce following in Whitney Houston's footsteps?  Could this be the good girl marrying the badboy singer (rapper)?

 

Next thing you know Beyonce will be the biggest coke-head and acting all strange on Oprah.  Just you watch.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Beyonce, Jay-Z, Wedding

Ashlee Simpson's Package

A Socialite's Life posts this picture and quotes Ashlee talking about anorexia. What I find interesting about this picture, though, is that it looks like she's packing a "package". What's she hiding in there?

 

Wireless iPods in 2006

Apparently we're going to get wireless iPods within the next year.

"PortalPlayer Inc. shares jumped in trading on Thursday after an analyst upgraded the stock, and speculated that the company may be involved in the release of wireless iPods in 2006.

Could this mean streaming applications / music / video?  The iPod could turn into the next multi-use personal portable computer.  This is really good news for those of us who are too lazy to plug in the iPod.

 

Seriously, though, it would be handy for connecting two iPods together so that we could share music with each other ;)

 

 

Technorati Tags : iPod, Wireless, Apple

To Neptune! Alice!

Here's something I could never understand.  Why spend all that money planning and taking trips to other planets?  What are we expecting to find there?  Signs of life from another time?  That's not likely, and even if it was, who cares.

A mission like the one being proposed could cost $3-4bn dollars and would probably need international partners.

BBC News is carrying this story on how researches are planning an eventual trip to Neptune.

"It would also take up the careers of the mission team," said Bernie Bienstock, a robotic systems project manger with aerospace company Boeing.   "It's probably like an 18-year mission but then there's all the lead time - another 10 years to do all the selling to Congress and Nasa, and do all the detailed engineering design.

So then, yeah, well worth it.  $4 billion and 18 years.  To find out that there's another big ball of rock floating in space 4.5 billion KM from here.  Science is sometimes totally under-rated.

 

 

Technorati Tags : NASA, Neptune, Stupid

Windows Live Local

Microsoft is launching Windows Live Local.

Microsoft has launched Windows Live Local, one of the first applications under it's new Windows Live brand. This web application is a rebranded Microsoft Virtual Earth, and provides features typical to other map sites, although it provides subtle usability tweaks typical to the Microsoft design ethos, which innovate while retaining known usage paradigms.

For a list of some new features, check out this site.  What the difference is between this and Google Maps or Google Earth is, I'll never know, and probably don't care to know.  I just know that if MS doesn't do something quick the internet may just soon be owned by Google (which in my opinion isn't such a bad thing).

 

 

Technorati Tags : Windows, Live, Local

Intel to Move Detection to Hardware

In a related story to the one directly below this one, ars technica also has an article about Intel wanting to move rootkit detection to the hardware level.

Intel doesn't like rootkits any more than you or I do, and the chip maker hopes to do something about them. The company has begun research on the possibility of hardware-level rootkit detection. Known as the OS Independent Run-time System Integrity Services project, the rootkit detections system would consist of a small chip on the PC's motherboard that would be dedicated to monitoring active processes.

But what does this mean?  The hardware will detect a rootkit and pop up a warning.  So what?  You still need the proper tools to remove it.  This is a step in the right direction, but not enough to make it worth while.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Intel, Rootkit, Hardware

Sony DRM Snafu 1.2

From ars technica comes another story of Sony's headache with Rootkits.  And no, this is not the same one as last month.

On Tuesday, Sony informed the world that its other DRM software contained a security vulnerability as well. SunnComm's Media Max version 5 is the culprit, with its installation of a directory that could provide a means by which malware writers could hijack a PCs running Windows. The problem was discovered in late November by Information Security Partners, which shared it with the EFF and Sony.

So, if you own any of these CDs, you better get the patch that plugs the security hole...  Even though I'm guessing that it will do nothing at all.  Or better yet, it'll more than likely create another hole.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Sony, Rootkit, Again

Paris' Glasses

From A Socialite's Life comes the breaking news that Paris Hilton has a hickey, as seen below.

What is by far more disturbing than some dumb hickey is the ridiculous pair of glasses sitting on her face. Why is it that Hollyweird stars think that bigger is better? Reminds me of a picture I saw of one of the Olson twins not so long ago. Ugly, stupid, socially unacceptable, big glasses. The 1970's and Elton John would like the glasses back please.

 

Technorati Tags : Paris, Hilton, Sunglasses

Eminem Remarries

It looks like Eminem is about to re-marry his wife, ex-wife, wife, ex-wife...  What is she again?

 

According to Star magazine, and yes, there are a lot of reports on this from different sources, but it's just so much better when you take it from Star magazine, Eminem and Kim have reconciled and will be once again tying the knot.

"Em told me, 'I might as well marry her again. For some reason, we seem to be stuck with each other for life,'" the friend says. "It looks like they're getting remarried after the new year."

Sounds like a real winner.  Anyway, I have this strange feeling that Em's press hasn't been at the top of its game lately, and maybe he needs to be in the spotlight a little more.  Curtain Call?  I doubt it, there's still another $400 Million sitting in that head of yours Marshall.  Best just to squeeze it out while you can.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Eminem, Kim, Marry

Jessica's Infidelities

It appears Jessica Simpson didn't just cheat once, but many times.

 

From LiquidGeneration.com comes news that Jessica not only slept with Johnny Knoxville and Bam Magera, but also Adam Levine.  Adam Levine?  Who is Adam Levine?  He's that lead singer from Maroon 5.  You know, the one that sucks so bad (but my wife absolutely loves).  Yeah, that's him.

CaCee can't get past the fact that Jessica cheated," reports a Lowdown spy close to the situation. "She feels badly for Nick and is very vocal about missing him. She saw Jessica abuse him all along. Ever since 'Dukes of Hazzard,' Jessica hasn't been good to Nick, and no one saw this more clearly then CaCee."

CaCee just can't get past the fact that her life-long friend is famous and sleeping with other famous people.  What kind of friend is she?  And for that matter, what level of stupid is Jessica on anyway?  Bah!  Whatever.  Original Source: NYDaily News

Technorati Tags : Jessica, Simpson, Cheat

Slice Me Up a Line

When people do stupid things, they really do stupid things.  This woman, thinking she was in for the big score, was about to kill four men over some cocaine.

 

Little did she know, but the block of cocaine was actually a block of cheese.

Jessica Sandy Booth, 18, was arrested over the weekend and remains in jail with bond set at $1 million on four charges of attempted murder and four counts of soliciting a murder.

Do you know how screwed this girl is? 

According to police, Booth was in the Memphis home of the four intended victims last week when she mistook a block of queso fresco cheese for cocaine — inspiring the idea to hire someone to break into the home, take the drugs, and kill the men.

If you're that hard up for a high, why not just grab some Pam or a little glue and start sniffing?  I hear gasoline will do the trick too.  I just don't get stupid people sometimes.  I suppose, though, that looking at that block of cheese she probably saw a lot of dollar signs in her head. Original article here.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Stupid, People, News

Podcasting Has Been Crowned

When you're MTV you 'crown' the artist who made the biggest stink that year at the MTV Music awards.  When you're the New Oxford American Dictionary what do you do?

You proclaim a single word, "The Word of the Year!"

The term 'podcast' been declared as Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.  The term is defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player".

It's sad, isn't it?  Of course, when you have a big winner on your hands, there must be a loser (or two).

Among the words that did not make it were two other terms popular in tech circles. One was lifehack, which refers to a more efficient way of completing a everyday task. The other was rootkit, defined as software installed on a computer by someone other than the owner, intended to conceal other programs or processes, files or system data.

Let's all say a prayer for the fallen...  Lifehack and Rootkit were good words.  They were used daily by the geeks of the world...  Geez that's just stupid. How about we crown the NOAD stupid?

Technorati Tags : Podcasting, Podcast

The End of Harry?

Could this really mean the end of Harry Potter?  I haven't ever read a Potter book, but I really do enjoy the movies.

 

J.K. Rowling is said to have said that the death of Harry Potter will be in the next book.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling is apparently desperate to kill off the boy wizard after living with him for too long reports Bang Showbiz.

Actor Jim Dale, the voice of Harry in the US audio books, says Rowling recently spoke with him, and confirmed "Book seven is the [absolute] final one. She's lived with Harry Potter so long she really wants to kill him off".

 

If it is true, I think there's going to be a lot of kids crying themselves to sleep at night.  Doesn't Rowling know that a lot of kids under the age of 8 read her books?  Does she think that it's a good idea to kill off Harry?  Can't he just get married at 17 and move away and live happily ever after?

 

When asked whether the young hero will reach adulthood, Rowling recently told press: "You have to wait and see whether he survives to be a grown-up".

Of course, people like me will be thrilled to see him killed.  Who wants a happily ever after anyway?  Hermione and Ron will end up having kids and then divorce because of irreconcilable differences...  You get the point.

 

Even actor Daniel Radcliffe is opening to the idea, telling press during the fourth film's promotions that "I do maintain there is a possibility he could be killed in the final book".

If I were Daniel I'd be a little mad at this news.  He's making a fortune being Harry Potter.  Why would he warm to the idea of not milking any more money out of the character?  If I were him I'd try to push J.K. Rowling into writing books until Harry's at least 40.  Radcliffe won't ever have to find a real job then. He can go on being the loveable Harry right into his geriatric diapers.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Harry, Potter, Killed

 

Intel Macs

Can you believe it?  First it's one month, then it's the next, then it's that first month again, then a different one...  When are they going to make up their minds?

 

Engadget had an article on their site today about the Intel iMacs now not showing up until June.  I think someone is just messing with us and Steve is going to release them next week, just in time for the Christmas rush.

 

As unlikely as that is, an earlier date than June would be appreciated.  Some of us are anxiously awaiting these new Macs.  If it keeps changing like this I might just have to go with the current iMac G5...

 

 

Technorati Tags : Intel, iMac, Apple

Indie Music Moving to Podcasts

Indie music is finally making its way to podcasting.  Not only is the Podsafe music network making a difference, but music labels are now making the move to help their artists instead of just stealing their profits.

 

From the BBC:

 

The Association of Independent Music is selling six-month worldwide licence deals for its members' music to be used on download radio programmes.

Other acts signed to AIM's 900 member labels who might be part of the deal include Bloc Party, Stereophonics, The White Stripes, The Strokes, Basement Jaxx, Paul Weller and Arctic Monkeys.

At least the labels are coming around to the fact that podcasting can bring money in for them, not hinder them.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Podsafe, Music, Podcast, Indie

iTunes and NBC

Apple announced today that it had come to an agreement with NBC to add some of their shows to iTunes.

 

Well thank goodness!  This is just one more reason for me to go out and get a video iPod.  The Office and Knight Rider?  K.I.T.T.?  Awesome!  It's innovations like this that make me believe that the big Networks maybe aren't so evil. 

Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a press release touted the progress Apple has made: "In our first two months we've sold more than three million videos, and have expanded our TV catalog from five shows to 16 shows."

From this businessweek article.  Although 16 shows isn't a lot, it's at least a start.  I'd like to see more networks get in on the action.  How about TLC or Discovery?  To have a chance to download the newest season of any of the programs from either network would be nice.

 

 

Technorati Tags : iTunes, NBC, video, Knight, Rider

Mariah Loves You

Mariah Carey wants to wish you a Merry Christmas. Now, really, how vain do you have to be to take a picture like this for a Christmas card? The sad state of Mariah. At least she's smiling in this picture. I've seen some lately where she doesn't look so good. I sometimes I wish I was a Diva so that I could act simply ridiculous and be adored by millions.

Technorati Tags : Mariah, Carey, Merry, Christmas

No Kong!

Ahhhh MAN! I really didn't want to hear this. Two reviews on King Kong, both of them say it's oustanding. Jami Bernard's article isn't much different than Jack Mathews... Both of them rave about the movie.

Jami Bernard:"King Kong" is also scary. And funny. It's everything people have ever wanted from the movies - action, romance, surprise, plus every monster menace you can buy for a budget north of $200 million. In addition to a roaring, snorting Kong, there's a stampede and deadly pileup of prehistoric dinosaurs, plus spiders and creepy-crawlies of every degree of bloodthirsty.In short, it's brilliant.

Jack Mathews:Its color, soundtrack and physical landscape are spectacular and its computer-assisted effects deliver a Kong so realistic you can smell his breath in the back row of the balcony.

Did you read that? Spectacular? Brilliant? NO! Now I really want to see it. Sure, critics can be wrong, but if everyone's saying it's brilliant, there's no getting away from seeing it. And what happened to me saying I was going to stop reading reviews, watching previews, or knowing absolutely anything about movies before I watch them? I don't want it to be ruined. And now, I suppose, it is. Grrrr...

 

Technorati Tags : King, Kong, Movie

Love, Angel, Music, Gwen

Apparently Gwen Stefani is now considering holding off on doing a second solo album. Earlier reports said that she was planning on having a second album by the end of the year, but I guess it's just not going to happen. Now, Gwen's not my favourite artist or anything, but my kids both love her. Even though they're only 5 and 6 years old, they still always ask for "the tick tock" song. It's a bit of a shame that she's not going to release a new album in the near future, really. Even if my kids aren't getting tired of the same songs over and over, I sure am.

"I have a really good record that I could put out," Stefani told the Chronicle. "I had a fantasy about it, but I'm not doing it. I decided it's more important that I take a nap." Stefani explained that she's been going nonstop for years and is feeling "burnt."

C'mon Gwen, give us something new so I don't go crazy! Without a little variety in life it's just not enjoyable. And, no, it wouldn't be easier for me to convince my kids to like other music, they like Gwen!

Technorati Tags : Gwen, Stefani, New, Album

Jennifer's Rack

It's funny that being a celebrity brings strange behaviour (see Ben post below), but it also brings with it a total lack of privacy. We've all been there. See a famous person and gawk for a while. If they catch you they just turn away. It's commonplace for them. Well, there's a limit to everything and taking the Hubble into a tree and trying to catch Jennifer Aniston's breasts on celluloid is just wrong creepy. For someone to do something like that just goes to show that the strip clubs aren't doing the business they could. Get a life or a hooker, a spouse, or an imagination... loser.

Technorati Tags : Jennifer, Aniston, Papparazi

Oscarette?

When does feminism go too far? Could it be when they want to change the "Oscar" statue? I once was studying for a Calculus exam and commented to my friend, Rose, that "I'll put the seat down for you as soon as you put it up for me!" And it's true. There's equality, and there's taking the ridiculous to new levels. Well, these ladies are heading in that direction. Defamer.

Technorati Tags : Oscar, Women's, Rights

Ben's Bagel

Isn't it strange how celebrities can get away with murder? Ben Stiller shows up at a restaurant with his own food and asks the water to cook it. Mind you, it was only a bagel, but still! Could you imagine bringing in a box of Honeycombs and telling a server that you need a bowl of cereal with Peruvian sliced bananas (do they have bananas in Peru?) in a pink bowl, with low-fat chocolate milk? I imagine you'd get your ass thrown out on the street and then laughed at. Actually, that could possibly be in the wrong order. Stupid celebrities. Original post.

Technorati Tags : Ben, Stiller, Restaurant

Anna @ Live 8

Pretend you're a fat pig who used to be in Playboy. Well, you're just crazy enough to marry a man 32x your own age, then he dies, you get money, you lose it, you get it, you lose it... I forget whether she has any now or not, but then you lose some weight and you look like this: That's right. Not only were you a freak before you lost all that weight, but now you're a freak, and a scary Meth-head. Look at her! Man, what a train wreck. It's just a shame her reality show isn't still on. Or is it? Ah, whatever... Who cares. Original Post.

Technorati Tags : Anna, Nicole, Smith, Freakshow

Oh, to be Famous

If you were a famous actor or musician, would this be the picture you wanted posted all over the internet? No matter how famous you've become, you have to know that if you take a picture like this it's going to end up on the internet and you're going to have to answer for it.Okay, I know it's AJ from the Backstreet Boys (because the JPG was named backstreetAJ.jpg), and that means pretty much nothing, but it still matters, doesn't it? I suppose because you're a Backstreet Boy you'd want to have publicity like this. What other kind of attention are they getting? Many thanks to A Socialite's Life for finding things like this for us to ridicule.

Technorati Tags : Backstreet, Boys, AJ

Adrienne!

What will they think of next? Another Rocky movie? Brilliant. Another Rocky movie with Sylvester Stallone? Brilliant * 2. Did you catch the sarcasm there? I hope so. I ran across this article from thestar.com and was just about floored. In the back of my head I am sure I heard this through other sources a few weeks ago, but I probably just dismissed it as stupid people saying stupid things. If only I'd pay attention to people when they're actually saying something that I'll laugh at.The new Rocky movie, currently titled Rocky Balboa, will feature Sylvester Stallone as a geriatric patient who beats up the orderlies in the old folks home after they refuse to give him the bowl of Ben & Jerry's that he's worked so hard to get. Adrianne, his wife, is long dead, yet he still screams out her name every time the male orderlies pass his room without a bowl in their hand.Okay, so that's not really going to happen. Here's the plotline from IMDB:

Rocky comes out of retirement to go in the ring once again this time he is taking on an old foe in the shape of Clubber Lang.

And that's about all the information they'll give. Good thing they're not letting the Sylvester out of the bag. We don't want them to ruin the ending for us. Who wins? I forget. Is it the Russian guy? Apollo? Hrrrmm.. I just can't figure it out. This guy, who should know better when he announces a new Rocky movie, should stop his whining.

Enough with the Rocky jokes already, complains Joe Roth, who heads Revolution Studios, which along with Sony Pictures and its new banner, MGM, is producing the new Rocky picture. "You can't turn on television without someone making fun of it," he said. "Jokes like, `Who's he going to fight, Alan Alda?' ... It's very easy to be cynical."

Well of course people are going to make jokes. I see a very small crowd who will actually love this movie. These are those boxing guys who just can't get enough. Half of them think they're Rocky and the other half wish they were. The rest of the viewing public might just go see it because the notion of sending a 60 year old man into the ring to fight the current heavy-weight champion is pretty priceless.In better Stallone news -- he also announced this:

Stallone, 59, has also revealed that he will reprise his role as former Vietnam vet and one-man army John J. Rambo in Rambo IV, which is scheduled to begin production sometime in the spring.

A new Rocky movie and a new Rambo movie in the same year?!?! Could we be so lucky?

Technorati Tags : New, Rocky, Movie

Rick Springfield back on 'General Hospital' - after 23 years

All of you hardcore, diehard, Eighties chicks will be happy to know that Rick Springfield will be returning to General Hospital. Really, was / is he that wonderful? I suppose I can see the sex appeal in the Eighties he may have been good looking... No, wait, I really don't think so. His singing career was such a hit. All you swooning ladies, hoping for a chance to touch his arm during his concerts. Jessie's Girl. Yikes! If you listen to the radio it still gets played a few times a day. Man, I don't miss the Eighties at all. <sigh> I don't think I'll ever get it.

Springfield made his first appearance Friday and is set to be in about a dozen episodes of the soap. He'll save the singing for his tour dates in Japan this month and in the U.S. next year.

Oh great! A full on revival! A tour and everything. I wonder if I should book my flight and hotel now for his next appearance. You just never know how fast these things'll sell out.

Technorati Tags : Rick, Springfield, General, Hospital