The 'Unbreakable' sequel, maybe

The Lame Show: Episode 36

The funnest episode yet of The Lame Show, in which Noah and I look back at the summer movie season with the person who saw them all—Ray.

Episode 36: Summer Movie Season Recap

Ray from 2PStart.com returns to recap the summer movie season with Noah and Eddie. If you don’t like the topic, don’t worry, we get off topic at least three times.

Lame List nominations are handed out for the death of Don LaFontaine, the green screening of John McCain, and the Clone Wars (that one doesn’t rhyme).

Picks for this episode are the precursor to The Dark Knight, Google’s new web browser and Junior Senior’s “new” album, Hey Hey My My Yo Yo.

New web site and feed for The Lame Show

Noah and I finally got around to making a new (and legitimate) web site and feed for our podcast, The Lame Show. And by Noah and I, I mean Noah.

The web site is still at the same location, but the feed is now located at feeds.feedburner.com/TheLameShow. If you've subscribed through iTunes you shouldn't have to change anything. But in the off-chance, here's a link to the latest two episodes, which you really shouldn't miss:


Episode 35: Seinfeld vs. Harry Potter

Warner Bros. gets the first Lame List nomination of this episode for bumping the release date of the next Harry Potter movie. Then it’s on to text messaging Obama’s running mate.

Episode 34: Not Very Cuil

Apple gets a Lame List nomination in this episode due to the NDA of its iPhone SDK, KWIM? And the (lack of) availability of the Wii Fit is lame enough to warrant multiple nominations.

WATCHMEN: 900,000 > 300,000

First it was 200K, then 250K, then 300k…now the NY Times reports that 900,000 more copies of WATCHMEN have been printed since the trailer debuted. Thus there will be about one million copies of WATCHMEN in print this year.

GAME OVER for TRON's first director

It's been a week now since that "TR2N" teaser trailer ran at Comic-Con. And Disneyana & sci-fi fans are desperate for additional information about this Summer 2010 release.

Guess who's the real power-behind-the-throne (The Master Control Program, if you will) on this particular Walt Disney Pictures production? Would you believe John Lasseter?

First 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' trailer

Adolescent wizard-in-training Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for another year of schooling and learns more about the dark past of the boy who grew up to become Lord Voldemort.

I'm glad to see (in the photos, not the trailer) that Luna Lovegood is returning.

Roger Ebert's Journal: The balcony is closed

I was surprised how depressed I felt all day on July 21, when Richard and I announced we were leaving the "Ebert and Roeper" program. To be sure, our departures were voluntary. We hadn't been fired. And because of my health troubles, I hadn't appeared on the show for two years. But I advised on co-hosts, suggested movies, stayed in close communication with Don DuPree, our beloved producer-director. The show remained in my life. Now, after 33 years, it was gone--taken in a "new direction." And I was fully realizing what a large empty space it left behind.

The Lame Show: Episode 33

Noah and I recorded this episode on July 12 and I only now got it online, but I don't think it's stale. In fact, there's definitely some fun stuff going on once we get into it.

Copyright and wrong

The folks behind Adium lead this week's Lame List nominations, followed by Wikipedia, for reasons obvious and not-so-obvious.

Picks for this episode are music albums: one a non-commercial release from Rhymefest (for legal reasons) and the other a slightly more commercial album from a little band called Coldplay.

Topics for discussion include: Microsoft ends sales of Windows XP, Apple begins the MobileMe service (poorly) and the App Store opens for business.

Episode 33.m4a (55:09)
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The Lame Show: Episode 32

Josh Pigford joined Noah and I on this episode of The Lame Show, recorded after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference concluded. It's actually a much funnier episode than you would think from that description.

What Would Developers Do?

Guest Josh Pigford from The Apple Blog drops by to discuss Apple's announcements at WWDC: the new iPhone, Snow Leopard, Steve Jobs' weight-loss program...

But first they make their Lame List nominations: The iPhone is coming to Mexico, so why isn't Noah excited about that? Can eBay actually get worse? What's the deal with bugs?

Picks this episode include the new B-52s album, a new way to play retro videogames and iPhone games that aren't just for the iPhone.

So will any of them actually buy an iPhone now?

Episode 32.m4a (52:34)
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Lyons and Mankiewicz To Replace Ebert and Roeper

During negotiations to extend Richard Roeper's contract for "At the Movies," Disney ABC Domestic Television abruptly ended the talks. Thus Roeper, followed by the show's co-founder, Roger Ebert, left the show. On Tuesday, Disney ABC announced that E! Entertainment critic Ben Lyons and Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz are take over hosting duties on a revamped At the Movies aimed at a younger demo.

This is a very disappointing surprise.

Hellboy and Hellboy on 'Hellboy'

In the latest CulturePulp comic, the comics version of Hellboy and the movie version of Hellboy team up to explain the history of Mike Mignola's graphic-novel series (and how it differs from the films).

Michael Turner 1971-2008

Michael Turner, a leading comic-book artist who was known for the highly stylized covers he created for major titles and for drawing shapely female characters with curves as commanding as their superpowers, has died. He was 37.

The saying 'you can't judge a book by its cover' was never more true than when Michael Turner provided the cover art. Rarely was the interior of a comic book as incredible as the covers he created. It's unfortunate that this obituary shows none of his work. Here's one fitting piece:

Save the Press

The Web is the future. And yet, because online advertising accounts for only about 10 percent of total ad revenue, newspapers are hemorrhaging money. In its present form, and even in best-case projections, the Web format will never generate enough money to keep viable reporting staffs afloat at some of the nation’s biggest papers.

Rolling Stone Review of 'The Dark Knight'

The haunting and visionary Dark Knight soars on the wings of untamed imagination. It's full of surprises you don't see coming. And just try to get it out of your dreams.

Following Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (and with Hellboy II coming up), it seems 2008 could be the best year ever for superhero movies.

Apple's plan to take over the world

I don't necessarily agree with this analysis/conjecture, but I did get a couple of good laughs, like from this:

That's the key to what Steve Jobs does all day: he sits around and asks questions like, "If Porsche made a media player, what would it be like?" That's it -- you are now qualified to replace Steve Jobs at Apple on days when he's away making trouble for Disney.

Beck Brings On 'Modern Guilt'

Modern Guilt, according to a press release, explores Beck and Danger Mouse's shared interest in psych-rock, folk, electronic minimalism and orchestration.

Peter Gabriel song from 'Wall•E'

"Down to Earth," one of two new songs by Peter Gabriel in this summer's Pixar film, Wall•E, is now available in the iTunes Store.

Just a Twist (and Tilt) of the Wrist

Manufacturers are increasingly embedding accelerometers and other sensors into the machines, which allow them to respond to movement without waiting for their humans to push a button. Game designers and other programmers are jumping to remake user interfaces so that users can direct gadgets with a nudge, a tilt or a shake.

To spoil or not to spoil? (Don't worry.)

Really, what's so difficult about adding a spoiler warning to a review? Ken Tucker, "critic at large" for Entertainment Weekly, is just indignant about the whole idea

The death and life of the American newspaper

Few believe that newspapers in their current printed form will survive. Newspaper companies are losing advertisers, readers, market value, and, in some cases, their sense of mission at a pace that would have been barely imaginable just four years ago.

The Lame Show: Episode 31

Recorded on Saturday, edited & posted on Sunday and blogged about Monday. Now that's more like it. Here's the fun Episode 31, wherein Ray, Noah and I debate summer movies.

Summer Wonders & Blunders

Ray from 2Pstart.com returns to debate the 2008 summer movie season with Eddie & Noah. You'll be SHOCKED to hear what they aren't looking forward to.

But first is the Lame List, featuring a summer movie that's already been released, a Nintendo accessory that isn't living up to its potential and perennial favorite Microsoft for Windows Se7en.

Picks for this episode include the 'Siskel & Ebert' of music podcasts, a music album that only Ray could recommend and the answer to the question 'Where does Eddie get his wonderful shirts?'

Speaking of which, do you want to buy a 'The Lame Show' T-Shirt? E-mail us at thelameshow@gmail.com

Episode 31.m4a (50:18)
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Roger Ebert admits: I loved 'Indy'

I read this post from Ebert's journal prior to seeing the movie and read his review after seeing the movie. I recommend reading them in that order and agree wholeheartedly with both.

The Lame Show: Episode 30

I forgot to post a blog item about this when it happened, but Noah and I recorded another podcast episode back on May 17 (published May 24). We got some positive feedback about reversing the order of the show, so now it's permanently reversed for your listening pleasure.

The New Forward

Backward is now the new forward, so things kick off with The Lame List. NBC is the target of ire this episode, for differing reasons.

Then Eddie and Noah both go back 10 years for their fruity picks.

News items discussed include the sellout of WWDC, rumors of the next generation iPhone and how well Blu-ray players are selling (not!). Does it relate to gas prices? Will anyone give a penny a day so Eddie can get an iPhone? Will college students pay back their loans?

Episode 30.m4a (50:55)
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Apple and Eve

LOS ANGELES (Fortune) -- In Pixar Films' upcoming animation epic, "Wall-E," the title character is a cute but clunky robot whose centuries of solitude on an abandoned Earth is broken by the arrival of a svelte, futuristic robot named Eve - who is so white, gleaming, and well, pod-like, that she looks like she was born in Apple's design room. It turns out that she was - sort of ...

2P START! Live!

I had the opportunity to appear on the latest episode of the 2P START! podcast. I had a good time recording it and, judging by the comments, it was a welcome addition for the listeners. Enjoy 30 minutes and 16 seconds of fun!

m4a: Listen or Subscribe
mp3: Listen or Subscribe

Subscribe in iTunes

Free Dr. Pepper? Probably not until 2010

I'm catching up on a few news items I missed over the past few months and even though this one's a little old, it's probably never going to be too old, considering how long this album has been 'in the works.'

Free Dr Pepper For "Chinese Democracy"

Dr Pepper is offering everyone in the country a free soda if Axl Rose releases the album he has been recording for 17 years, "Chinese Democracy," anytime this year, according to a press release.

I like how you can predict when the album will be released and one of the choices is "the day after you die."

Professional movie critics disappearing

I don't typically link to company blogs, but I thought this post for Fandango was interesting:

Disappearing Movie Critics

The Interent has made film criticism the ultimate democracy, and overall, that's great. With sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and our own fan ratings and user reviews, consumers can quickly and easily find out the critical consensus, the word on the street, and how a movie played at preview screenings.

But it's still sad to see so many seasoned critics, with their unique writing styles and opinions, being lost in the shuffle.

I guess that's an industry I'm glad I didn't get into.

The 'real' crystal skulls

Real-life skull worship inspires new 'Indy' film

PALENQUE, Chiapas (AP) — There is a legend that the ancient Maya possessed 13 crystal skulls which, when united, hold the power of saving the Earth — a tale so strange and fantastic that it inspired the latest Indiana Jones movie.

I'm already liking the new movie's MacGuffin more than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Sankara Stones, which few (or zero) teams remembered correctly at last year's museum trivia night.

Childless men still children

Child-Man in the Promised Land

We can argue endlessly about whether “masculinity” is natural or constructed—whether men are innately promiscuous, restless, and slobby, or socialized to be that way—but there’s no denying the lesson of today’s media marketplace: give young men a choice between serious drama on the one hand, and Victoria’s Secret models, battling cyborgs, exploding toilets, and the NFL on the other, and it’s the models, cyborgs, toilets, and football by a mile. For whatever reason, adolescence appears to be the young man’s default state, proving what anthropologists have discovered in cultures everywhere: it is marriage and children that turn boys into men.

Clearly some publisher needs to create a video game combining models, cyborgs, toilets and football.

'Forum' review

The review is now online and it's a good one, indeed. But if you don't want a funny plot surprise ruined prior to seeing the show, don't read it yet!

Farcical 'Forum' tickles the ribs

San Joaquin Delta College's drama program is offering a colorful, cartoon-styled farce that's a tickle-your-ribs kind of funny. It's a production of Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart's 1962 musical comedy "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," with an emphasis on the comedy.

'Forum' preview article

It took me five days to find this article on The Record's web site. Hopefully I can find the review (which was published today) quicker than that. Victor took a great photo and it's too bad it's not in color on the site.

Cast faces comic challenges in Delta College's staging of 'Forum'

Last fall, Chris Hayhurst tackled the title role in San Joaquin Delta College's wildly zany production of Moliere's "Scapino." At the time, he described the part as perhaps the most physically demanding of his young career.

Free Comic Books this Saturday

Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores. Click below for more information.

Show Lame The

Noah and I reversed the order of the podcast this episode, in the hopes that those of you who haven't been able to make it to the end of the previous episodes will see what you're missing. Perhaps it'll become the new format for good! Let us know what you think by e-mailing thelameshow@gmail.com

Backwards

Everything is backwards in this episode! Instead of being near the end, the Lame List is first, highlighting 'the worst' newspaper tech columnist and Microsoft accidentally letting one of its beta products expire without explanation.

Picks of the Week immediately follow, featuring some casual work-delaying games and an audiobook of a classic novel made into a major motion picture last Christmas.

Finishing things up are some news topics, such as the Safari web browser for Windows and the iTunes Store becoming the No. 1 Music Retailer (above Wal-Mart).

Episode 29.m4a (52:31)
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Star Wars Muppet figures

Based on the classic 1980 episode of The Muppet Show and a later serial in Muppet Magazine (which I'm pretty sure I had), Star Wars Muppet figures are due out this summer exclusively at Disney theme parks.

Star Wars Muppets Coming Soon

Buffy meets Fray in July

On sale July 2, 2008, is Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #16, featuring the first meeting of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Fray the Future Slayer. You can catch an exclusive first look at myspace.com/comicbooks

The Lame Show: Episode 28

Noah and I are back for another episode of our podcast and I'd describe this latest one as 'back to basics.' No guests or listener questions (not that I dislike either of those), just the two of us sharing our frustrations with the wonders of modern technology.

Late to Leopard

Noah has returned from New York City, where he purchased Leopard from the city's famed Apple Store. Now that both he and Eddie have upgraded, they compare notes on the latest update to Mac OS X and iLife.

Another of Noah's New York purchases figures into the Lame List nominations, as does an application that doesn't play nice with the big cat.

Top picks for this episode include an excellent To Do list application and some music to listen to while you're doing those to's.

Episode 28-1.m4a (56:46)
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Update: A user error (mine) left the original version of this episode with some phantom audio. If you experienced that, please re-download the audio file.

WonderCon 2008 - Masquerade

I didn't get a great seat for this year's Masquerade, so the videos I took were not as good as last year's. But looking at last year's videos, I confirmed that this year's entries simply weren't as good. There were approximately 30 entries and only a handful were entertaining. I've only posted three (I think they all won awards).

I'm not too familiar with who all these people are, but anyone that's played a Zelda game probably knows them. It was still pretty funny to me. Oh, and it features the same kid who played Link last year.


Some costumes can be made, others have to be 'built'


If you know who these guys are, you'll probably love this as much as I did. If you don't, I'm sorry for you. And if you can't understand what they're saying due to the crowd noise, there's a better clip elsewhere on YouTube.

WonderCon 2008 - Wall•E

The Disney hour began with a look at the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The trailer was not yet finished at that time, so some centaurs were just people with long green stockings. It was mildly entertaining (certainly more than the Shutter segment) but I was more interested in the latter half of the hour, focusing on Pixar's upcoming film, Wall•E. Director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) presented a number of clips that were very entertaining. He also answered a few questions like 'If the movie has no dialogue, will John Ratzenberger be in it?' and 'Where will the Pizza Planet delivery truck be?'

Wall•E Director Andrew Stanton at WonderCon 2008

WonderCon 2008 - Return of The X-Files

One of the most well-attended sessions of Saturday, Feb. 23, was for the 20th Century Fox horror thriller Shutter. Why? Because you had to sit through that in order to see The X-Files stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, creator-director-writer-producer Chris Carter and writer-producer Frank Spotnitz. They had been shooting the second motion picture the previous night and flew in to make an appearance and talk with the fans. The excitement in Hall A could not have been much higher and the foursome didn't disappoint, providing a charming, funny and insightful Q&A segment.

The X-Files 2 Panel at WonderCon Pt. 1


The X-Files 2 Panel at WonderCon Pt. 2


The X-Files 2 Panel at WonderCon Pt. 3


The X-Files 2 Panel at WonderCon Pt. 4

WonderCon 2008 part 1

A month's gone by since WonderCon 2008 took place in San Francisco and I've finally had the chance to upload some of the video I took to my YouTube Channel.

The first session I attended (did not record) was the 10,000 B.C. Q&A with director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow) and stars Steven Strait and Camilla Belle. Emmerich has a strong (German? Austrian?) accent, so he sounds a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The funniest part was when an audience member asked how historically accurate the film was and Emmerich, referring to the extended clip just shown answered "As you can see, It's nawt a dockumentaree" (imagine it in the 'It's not a tumor' voice). I've since seen the film and can assure you it's more a comedy (not on purpose).

The real reason I attended that session was just to have a decent seat (mission not accomplished) for the following Get Smart session featuring stars Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and director Peter Segal. In case you don't know, Steve Carell is a huge star, especially among this crowd, but also a genuinely funny person. Although both he and Anne were a bit taken aback by the audience, they had a really great Q&A, which naturally drifted into talk about The Office.

Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway at WonderCon Part 1


Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway at WonderCon Part 2


Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway at WonderCon Part 3

The Lame Show: Episode 27

Things are a little different for this episode because I upgraded to a new version of iWeb and it decided to change the layout of the site and files, probably breaking links, etc.

Invaded by a PC 'mindset'

PC guy Chris Gauthier visits The Lame Show to discuss with Noah and Eddie the supposed 'Mac Mindset' of superiority, iPhones being hacked around the world and the superiority of the Amazon MP3 store over the iTunes store. He also details a Linux-based home media centre.

Their top picks this episode include the most well-written movie of 2007, a newly-released animation effort and a way to learn new languages via an online social network.

Lame List nominations include both Apple and Microsoft, plus a subpar projector.

Episode 27.m4a (1:04:10)
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The Black Crowes attack Maxim mag review

The Black Crowes are lashing out at Maxim magazine for reviewing the band's new album — apparently without actually hearing it first.

New Guitar Hero gives sweet emotion to Aerosmith fans

Activision Inc on Friday unveiled a new "Guitar Hero" video game focusing on the rock band Aerosmith, taking the billion-dollar franchise in a new direction.

I'd prefer it be focused on U2, but I'll settle for near-perfection.

THX Trailers

The Story of "Deep Note"

The famous THX crescendo, Deep Note, is like no other audio mark in the world. But where did it come from?

Too bad they left out the Simpsons version.

(Via Coudal)

The Lame Show: Episode 26

Games & Phones, Hold the Apple

Tim from 2P START! visits to discuss the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360, LG Voyager and Microsoft's $44B offer to purchase Yahoo!

Lame List nominations include certain aspects of the aforementioned Voyager, the new American Gladiators and the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Picks of the Week include a music podcast, a movie on DVD and a movie in 3D.

Episode 26.m4a (59:29)
The Lame Show on iTunes

Sawyer's Nickname Generator

Ever wonder what Sawyer would call you if you were stranded on the island with him? Visit Sawyer's Nickname Generator and be mildly unimpressed. Unfortunately, the generator doesn't seem to be as up to the task as Sawyer (or, more accurately, his writers). For instance, my nickname was "Huckleberry Pinhead." I guess the pinhead part is because I'm kinda smart and the huckleberry because I'm a willing helper...? Sawyer's nicknames are usually one word, like Freckles, Hoss or Chewbacca. Huckleberry Pinhead?

Good Day Sacramento

I appeared on Good Day Sacramento yesterday to promote the opening of the museum's current special exhibition Port of Stockton: Diamond of the Delta.

I don't have my own recording of it, because it was supposed to air during the 7 a.m. block, not the 8 a.m. block, and TiVo thought maybe I'd want to see the 8 a.m. airing of Charmed. Thankfully, CBS13 has a video library online where you can watch segments. So I had the opportunity to actually watch and see what the viewers saw.

I'm really not the best person to talk about it, but I was the only one available due to scheduling issues. Also, keep in mind that while it's going on, I generally have no idea what viewers are seeing on the screen nor when I'm being spoken to over-the-air versus behind-the-scenes. Oh, and my earpiece kept cutting out, so on at least one occasion my silence is due to my trying to piece together the question. I know, excuses, excuses...

Port of Stockton Historical Exhibit On Display

How to succeed in business

A computer shop's sales pitch: 'We remove Vista'

"Of all the signs we put up there the last two years, at least, we probably got the most response out of that one. A lot of people coming in."

(Via The Raw Feed)

Trees review

If you take the 'explain purpose, list pros & cons, give final verdict' format of electronics reviews and apply it to naturally existing creations, you end up with this funny piece:

Trees Reviewed

Trees. It seems like you see them everywhere these days. But are trees viable in the long-term, or just another flash-in-the-pan fad for the under-30 crowd?

Netscape pronounced dead

The Browser That Started it All Dies a Quiet Death

It birthed the web as we know it. But tomorrow, February 1, marks the demise of Netscape Navigator, the first commercial web browser.

In my opinion, Netscape Navigator died when it became the bloated monstrosity known as Netscape Communicator and users actually tried to downgrade from version 4 back to 3. But that image above does make me shed a tear of nostalgia.

Stockton featured on 60 Minutes

House Of Cards: The Mortgage Mess

In the last six months, Americans have seen their investments shrink, their property values plummet, and the country edge closer towards a recession. At the heart of the problem is something called the subprime mortgage crisis, which began last summer and continues to ricochet through the economy.

And as correspondent Steve Kroft reports, it started in places like Stockton, Calif.

It's always great to ask people 'Did you see my city on 60 Minutes last night?! They said we're ground zero for the current financial crisis and a microcosm of everything that went wrong!'

Hellboy II trailer and stills

Check out the trailer and movie stills for the upcoming motion picture Hellboy II: The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and starring Ron Perlman. The film is set for release on July 11, 2008. Although I'm unfamiliar with the story, it looks like the character of Johann Kraus (my favorite) will be in the movie.

Sonic is Pilate?

Being involved in community theatre is generally a lot of work with little reward. But there are some perks. Juliet Heller, who performed a stellar Marian in The Music Man, invited her fellow castmates to see her in a preview performance of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Willows Theatre in Concord. And provided we brought a program from a show we performed in, we received free admission. That's a $27 savings, folks.

It was a great production and although I didn't know any of the other actors, I read in the program biographies that Pontius Pilate was played by Ryan Drummond, who has a lot of stage and screen credits, but is "most widely known as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog for Sega Gaming Corp. from 1998-2004."

The Lame Show: Episode 25

Predictions Wrong, Right, Left

Noah and Eddie see how successful and unsuccessful their Macworld Expo predictions turned out. And make their feelings known regarding the new products announced. Did one of them make the Lame List?

Picks of the Week include an avocado CD and a super DVD.

The burning questions are asked: Could a woman pick up a guy using a MacBook Air? Are optical discs really going away? When will we see wireless electricity? Whatever happened to flannel?

Episode 25.m4a (55:45)
The Lame Show on iTunes

umscranble

If you can successfully unscramble the words below, you'll win a prize:

tmshyueir - dsneoc aym

Free over-the-air TV to change

The Unavoidable Update

In February 2009, most TV stations will quit broadcasting analog TV signals over the air, and older sets will go blank. Remarkably, half of the country does not realize a changeover is coming.

I also get the feeling that many people do not understand what's going to happen or why, in regards to over-the-air TV. If you're one of those people, read this article and feel informed. But come February 2009, don't say you weren't warned.

Macworld 2008 recap

I've posted a summary of my Macworld 2008 trip at The Apple Blog. Hopefully it'll be the first of many more articles to come.

Reflections on another Tuesday at Macworld

This is the fifth year I’ve attended Macworld Expo on the day of the keynote, and it definitely wasn’t as exciting as 2007. But after last year’s introduction of the long-rumored iPhone, how could it be?

Of course, another big difference is that I didn’t get into the keynote this year. There’s always a disconnect between those who attend the keynote and those who don’t.

The Lame Show: Episode 24

This episode is the longest the show's been in a while, but that's because it's chock full of stuff.

Macworld Predictions & Mail

One of the most (seemingly) useless kitchen items ever is featured in the SkyMall Selection. Then a listener's submitted audio question about photo albums is discussed.

With Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote just around the corner, Eddie and Noah round up the rumors to see which seem likely or impossible. Plus they make their own crazy predictions.

Another gadget web site and a wireless ISP are added to the Lame List. Picks of the Week include a Transformers album you probably don't know about and a DVD set you should get.

Episode 24.m4a (1:17:50)
The Lame Show on iTunes

Literally

The word 'literally' is supposed to mean 'in a literal, not exaggerated sense,' but in recent years has been used for effect specifically in a non-literal context. For example: Instead of saying 'it was so hot outside you could fry an egg on the sidewalk,' someone will say 'it was so hot outside you could literally fry an egg on the sidewalk' to that someone I might say 'I am literally going to punch you in the face.' Guess which one of those two sentences used the word correctly?

Finally, someone is documenting all the improper uses of the word at Literally, A Web Log

Zoo Station (and Dalton Brothers) at Slim's

Zoo Station (The Complete U2 Experience!) commemorated the 20th Anniversary of The Joshua Tree Saturday night by performing the entire album live (in order) Saturday night to a sell-out crowd at Slim's. It was actually more fun than I expected, and that was just the first half of their show. During the second half they ran through a set of hits including "Elevation," "Out of Control/Blitzkrieg Bop," "The Fly," "Pride," and "Bad."

The opening act was Culann's Hounds, which blend traditional Irish music with punk rock. They were much more fun than I imagined. Because I certainly never imagined "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor" in the same set as "I Wanna Be Sedated." And never have I seen a button accordion rocked so hard. Or rocked at all.

But prior to Culann's Hounds performance was a set by The Dalton Brothers and I'm glad I didn't miss it. For a brief history: during the Joshua Tree Tour, U2 donned wigs and costumes and opened up some of their own shows as a country/western act called The Dalton Brothers, consisting of Luke, Duke, Betty and Alton Dalton (YouTube Video).

So Zoo Station did the same, for apparently this one show, and it was way more entertaining than I figured a band pretending to be U2 pretending to be a country/western band could be (expectations exceeded on three levels). Not only did they perform some country/western tunes like "King of the Road" and "Lucille" they also performed some songs U2 wrote for legends Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash ("Mystery Girl" and "The Wanderer," respectively).

A long evening, but totally worth it.

Stockton at the center of housing crash

City of debt shows US housing woe

The city of Stockton in California is at the centre of the mortgage crisis now sweeping America.

Because, with house prices tumbling, more people in Stockton face the repossession of their homes than anywhere else in the US.

But Stockton is also a place where you can really get a feel for the staggering amounts of money banks loaned during the boom - with few or no questions asked.

The most illuminating article I've read about this crisis has been written by the BBC (that's why center is spelled centre).

Vanity Fair covers Indy 4

Keys to the Kingdom

Between them, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have made 13 of the 100 top-grossing movies of all time. Yet they struggled for more than a decade with the upcoming fourth installment of their billion-dollar Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Annie Leibovitz gets exclusive access to the set, while Lucas, Spielberg, and their star, Harrison Ford, tell Jim Windolf about the long standoff over the plot, why critics and fans will be upset, and how they’ve updated Indy.

I had to skip a few paragraphs. Watch for the spoiler warnings.

The Lame Show: Episode 23

This was recorded post-Christmas, pre-New Year's, but I wasn't able to edit it together until now.

Christmas Cheers & Jeers

While Noah takes an episode off for Christmas/New Year's vacation, Ray from 2PStart.com steps in to help Eddie share some Holiday Cheers and Jeers.

But before they share their most and least favorite Christmas gifts, there is some news to discuss: the rumored arrival of movie rentals on the iTunes store; the closure of Wal-Mart's video download store; games on the iPod.

And don't forget the SkyMall Selection ... this one's got wheels.

Episode 23.m4a (36:48)
The Lame Show on iTunes