As part of the promotional blitz for The Simpsons Movie, there is a Simpsonize Me site (sponsored by Burger King) where you can upload a photo of yourself and have it transformed into a Simpsons version of yourself (tweaking is required). Megan created versions of both of us, which I think are pretty impressive.
The hit NBC series Heroes is full of characters that could be torn from the pages of a graphic novel. The odd thing is, except for artwork on the show and a series of online adaptations, there has never been a Heroes graphic novel.
That changes this fall, when DC Comics offers a hardcover collection based on a series of 43 comic-book vignettes that appeared on the Heroes website last season.
'The Simpsons Movie' Hometown Premiere Contest
Cast your vote for the Springfield video that best represents "Simpson Spirit" and is most-deserving of hosting the hometown premiere of The Simpsons Movie, which hits theaters July 27. Voting ends July 9 at 11:59 pm PT. Please note that to view this presentation, you need a broadband Internet connection and the latest Flash plug-in (version 8 or higher).The Springfield, Oregon video is pretty entertaining. Watch the credits, too.
I'm a fan of Eels (the band), and a recent Taco Bell commercial for "Fourth Meal" caught my attention because it uses music that sounds suspiciously like the song "Souljacker, Pt. 1" from the Eels album Souljacker.
First, listen to the song.
Marriage of Convenience: 7-Eleven, 'Simpsons'
After months of speculation, the convenience chain has revealed details of its "most massive and complex" monthlong promotion for the July 27 release of "The Simpsons Movie." Starting today, the marketer will remodel overnight a dozen stores in the U.S. and Canada into the Kwik-E-Marts of the cartoon family's fictional Springfield, USA hometown.
Big bats back dominant Lincecum
SAN FRANCISCO -- There were a lot of zeros in Sunday's game, mostly under the Diamondbacks' run column, but the biggest zero of all for starting pitcher Tim Lincecum was the one next to the number of walks issued.We saw this game today and it was exciting despite the fact Barry Bonds didn't hit any homers. Really, how often do you see a 13-0 game? Plus, after it was over, the All-Star lineup was announced.
It's been noted by some that the central guitar riff in Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is very similar to that of Boston's "More Than A Feeling." But there are actually a couple of other songs I've noticed that use a similar riff (though it took me a long time to make the connection). Play the file below (requires QuickTime) to hear them and tell me if I'm just crazy (or if there are others I'm unaware of.
Follow the linked image below to see some photos of our weekend visit to Half Moon Bay. As an added bonus, they're the first pictures of me with my new glasses.
 |
| Half Moon Bay |
The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ... unveiled the identity of their 2012 games ...
Designed by Wolff Olins at an expenditure of £400,000 (almost $800,000) the logo has been met with expected ambivalence, and, in some unavoidable cases, hatred — actually, so far, in 11,550 cases.
Regal Guest Response System Offered in 114 Theatres
Regal Entertainment Group theatres participating in the Guest Response System invite selected patrons to carry a paging device with them into the auditorium. One patron may participate for each of the theatre’s auditoriums and for each movie showtime. The Guest Response device is a hand-held pager with four buttons. Each button alerts local management of a different problem such as: sound, picture, piracy or other disturbance. When the patron pushes a button, a message goes to a pager worn by a manager which tells them the nature of the concern, and in which auditorium.I SO want to be a movie narc. Check out the list of participating theatres to see if one's near you (there are five in the Portland area). The HACIENDA CROSSINGS STADIUM 20 in Dublin is one we visit pretty regularly, although the IMAX crowds there are usually quite well-behaved.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Tom Wayne has amassed thousands of books in a warehouse during the 10 years he has run his used book store, Prospero's Books.In the future world of Fahrenheit 451, no one was allowed to have books because the government burned them. But in the true world of 2007, books are being burned simply because no one is reading them.
But when he wanted to thin out the collection, he found he couldn't even give away books to libraries or thrift shops; they said they were full.
"The Simpsons," the television cartoon satire that inspired cult-like loyalty among millions of viewers worldwide over its 18 years, is set in a never clearly defined but incredibly dysfunctional place called Springfield. That has led to a raging debate about which of the more than 30 U.S. towns named Springfield is the model.Wow, there's a real Shelbyville, Ill., not far off from the real Springfield, Ill. But what about North Haverbrook?
China's Tech Generation Finds a New Chairman to Venerate
Since the passing of Chairman Mao Zedong, a new chairman has come to represent the aims and aspirations of millions of Chinese youth -- the chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates.This is a very surreal story. And this quote is maybe the most surreal of all:
"Bill Gates deserves to win the Nobel Peace Prize," said the Chinese propaganda officer.
Everyone's heard the saying A&R guys have been kicking around for decades to describe the hottest up-and-comers: "the next Beatles." While this title has been liberally conferred upon many acts since the Beatles' prime, no artist has really been as big a hit or had as profound an influence on pop culture as the Fab Four. But U2 have come pretty damn close.I've never liked the oft-asked question 'Is so-and-so the next so-and-so?' Why can't the former just be themselves? Why does the latter need to be replaced? The more accurate question that headlines this interesting story is: "Are some of today's rockers modeling themselves after Bono's band of Irish lads?" There are certainly worse people to emulate.
So forget the Beatles — we're more interested in who's poised to become the next U2. Here are some notable candidates.
10 Biggest Apple Rumors (that never came true)
With Apple rumors getting spread further around than ever (and regular coverage from national news media), it’s important to remember that many (most?) tend to be either completely untrue or so premature they never come true. So here’s a look back at 10 of the worst offenders.This is my latest feature-length post for The Apple Blog. I wrote it before I left for Chicago and it published this week.
Will the third time be the charm with Disney's Muppet revival project?
Jim Hill walks us through the recent history of the Muppet Holding Company / Muppet Studios LLC. Which has blown through a trio of seasoned Disney VPs in the past three years. So now the question is: Does Lylle Breier really have what it takes to restore Jim Henson's once-beloved set of characters to their former glory?I've seen the Muppets sporadically over the last few years (I wasn't aware of the French language show, though) and wondered exactly what was going on (Pizza Hut commercials?). Thanks to another inside dish from Jim Hill, more fully understand the behind-the-scenes politics.
If you've seen Spider-Man 3, you will probably find this interview interesting. I think it explains why the film was a little more crammed than it should've been. But even with all the new characters and villains, I don't think it suffered as much as the Batman franchise from packing in too much: starting with Batman Returns (3 villains), continuing the trend with Batman Forever (2 villains, 1 sidekick) and ultimately wrecking with Batman and Robin (3 villains, 2 sidekicks)
Talking (Spider) Sense with 'Spider-Man 3' Director Sam Raimi
Primarily, it was a story that featured the Sandman. It was really about Peter, Mary Jane, Harry and that new character. When we were done, Avi Arad, my partner and president of Marvel at the time, came to me and said "Sam, you're not paying attention to the fans enough. You need to think about them. You've made two movies now with your favorite villains and now you're about to make another one with your favorite villains. The fans love Venom. He is the fan-favorite. All Spider-Man readers love Venom. Even though you came from '70s Spider-Man, this is what the kids are thinking about. Please incorporate Venom. Listen to the fans now."As much as I like the story of the black suit and Venom, I don't think he should've altered things based on Arad's perception of fan desires.
I'm currently attending the American Association of Museums Annual Meeting in Chicago. Internet access from the conference costs $10 per day. Internet access from the hotel I'm staying at costs $13 per day. This is why I haven't been online since Friday evening. I'm writing this from a cafe one block from the hotel that offers free wireless access.
So to recap: the two places that require a payment of hundreds of dollars to attend ask for an additional fee for Internet access. The one place that you don't have to pay a single cent to is giving it away for free. Hmmm.
See, this is the Spider-Man I got to enjoy watching as a kid. And nowadays people are complaining about Spider-Man 3 being not so great?
I was aware of certain similarities, but I had no idea there was this much blatant stealing.
Best. Episode. Ever.
OK, maybe I shouldn't oversell it, but I think this one was a ton of fun to record and hopefully will be just as fun to listen to. Ray joined Noah and I for what seemed like two hours, but somehow ended up shorter than the previous episode. 
Ray returns to the podcast after releasing his new album, Jessica and the Silver Eclipse. He, Noah and Eddie discuss Digg's HD DVD processing key debacle and the departure of PC Magazine's Editor over an Apple story before getting the juicy topic of Summer Movie Season 2007, where Eddie's comic book knowledge is summoned.Episode 16.m4a (55:51)
Only one thing is nominated to the Lame List, but Noah calls it "the best nomination I've ever heard in my life."
Picks of the Week include Pidgin & Adium, the Wii's Super Paper Mario, and Wil Wheaton's blog at TV Squad.
The truly burning questions are asked: Are Top Ten lists written by lazy authors? Can Galactus be easily explained? Should Wes Bentley's acting result in a ticket rebate? When isn't the Caddyshack theme funny?
Stockton chef Michael Midgley, a contestant on the second season of Bravo's Top Chef, appeared at the celebrity kitchen of Stockton's annual Asparagus Festival. I didn't get any good pictures, but I did record some video with our digital camera.
Here's the setup to this particular clip. While on the show, he had a wisdom tooth show up that needed to get pulled out. So the producers took him to a dentist in the Los Angeles area (which he had to pay for). So how cushy must that Los Angeles dentist visit have been?
100_0413.MOV (2:04, 13.1MB)
Megan's phone takes better pictures than mine (which is fitting, really) so here's a few:
This was taken just after we were given our tickets and moved from the standby line to the ticket-holder line.
We were warned by the staff to put away cell phones or we would be ejected. Megan managed to snap this one image right after we sat down. Note the screens at the right and left where we got to watch the prerecorded segments.
Megan took this one after the show was over and we no longer had any lines to wait in.
Why new iPods aren’t quite as good as old iPods
By adding new features to the iPod over time (notes, photos, videos, etc.), Apple has given owners of previous models plenty of reasons to lust after the latest and greatest models. But Apple hasn’t just been adding features to the iPod, it’s also been taking some away. I own a fifth generation (5G) iPod, and compared to my original second generation (2G) iPod, there’s a lot missing nowadays.This is my third feature-length article for The Apple Blog for April. I'm a little late posting it here because it published while we were in San Francisco. If it seems familiar, it's because it's basically an extended version of this old post from November 28, 2005. I struggled with the headline and don't think it accurately reflects the article (but it's attention-grabbing). And the comments are always, um, fun...
I had a couple of (relatively boring) hardware reviews in the latest edition of macCompanion:
Impact 3.5in SATA HDD Enclosure
Most modern Macs use SATA hard drives, which provide tremendous data transfer speed over regular ATA drives. But if you pull that drive out of your computer, it can be difficult to find a compatible enclosure to put it in. RadTech’s Impact line is one such enclosure, but there are some caveats.TruePower AC Adapter
The AC Adapters that Apple shipped with its G4 PowerBooks and white iBooks are stylish, useful and (generally) superior. But what about when they break down? A replacement adapter from Apple costs $80. Or what if you just want to have an extra adapter – one for your home and one for your work. FastMac has stepped up to meet those situations with its TruePower AC Adapter.
The arrow shows where we were sitting on Monday's show -- the back row of the first balcony. I'm just to the left raising my arms and Megan is on my left (your right). If you click on the image, you can watch a brief QuickTime movie with arm-raising action! 
Although we seem very far away from the view of the camera, we really had excellent seats and a great view of both the stage and a screen.
This is probably too late a post for most of you, but be sure to catch Late Night with Conan O'Brien tonight (Monday, April 30, 12:35). Megan and I were in the audience, though I doubt you'll be able to see us all the way in the back row of the first balcony level (loge?). Here are some crummy pictures from my cameraphone:
I promise a more detailed post is forthcoming.
But it is exactly that past, says director Jon Favreau (Elf), that makes Downey the only choice to play playboy millionaire and recovering alcoholic Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, the comic-book superhero who hits multiplexes next year.Nice mask. This one continues to look promising.
To say I left a Morrissey concert depressed might not surprise anyone, considering the singer's lyrics. But his witty remarks inbetween songs made me smile (wow, a reference to "Big Valley") and it was the crowd that ruined everything.
Recordnet.com: Morrissey show ends in frenzy
The iconic English singer cut his encore short Friday at the Bob Hope Theatre and rushed off stage mid-song after a fan tore open his shirt and nearly tackled him. It was the culmination of 90-minute concert that began as a rock spectacle and ended in a frenzy as fans surfed the crowd in hopes of touching the star.
Black comic book art shows at university
The exhibition "Other Heroes: African-American comics, creators, characters and archetypes" focuses on topics such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and racial stereotypes.I'm noticing more comic book-focused news articles without 'POW!' or 'Holy INSERT-RELATED-WORD-HERE' headlines, so that's nice. The only thing I found odd about this story was that Denys Cowan was identified as "artist for 'Hardware'" since he last drew for it in 1994 (and the comic is no longer published).
George Lucas and Mark Hamill will reunite for "Robot Chicken: Star Wars," a 30-minute stop-motion animation special for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late-night programming block.Sometimes I love Robot Chicken and sometimes I hate it, but I can't argue with a full 30 minutes of stop-motion-animated focused on Star Wars. Plus the bonuses:
The voice cast also includes Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Robert Smigel, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone.Thanks to Nicole for the heads-up on this.
Ebert: We spend too much time hiding illness
I have received a lot of advice that I should not attend the festival. I'm told that paparazzi will take unflattering pictures, people will be unkind, etc.He's braver than I would be in that situation. Also nice to see Gattaca opening the Overlooked Film Festival.
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. As a journalist I can take it as well as dish it out.
First, what you probably already know (forgive the capitalization):
During tonight’s live broadcast of AMERICAN IDOL, it will be announced that FOX, AMERICAN IDOL and the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund have partnered on an historic television event - IDOL GIVES BACK - a two-night special raising awareness and funds for organizations that provide relief programs to help children and young people in extreme poverty in America and Africa.Now, what you likely don't know:
The special two-hour results show on Wednesday, April 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) will be a star-studded evening featuring world-renowned artists and celebrities, including Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Pink, Michael Bublé, Annie Lennox, Il Divo and popular Kazakhstan journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) among many others who will take the AMERICAN IDOL stage.
We are excited to announce that Bono will be making an appearance Wednesday night on behalf of ONE urging the millions of Americans watching the show to join us in the fight against extreme poverty. Bono will meet with the Idol contestants to talk with them about ONE and the difference your advocacy is making in the lives of the world's poorest people. The Idol contestants will also perform "American Prayer," a song written by Bono and Dave Stewart about the AIDS emergency in Africa.
'Kryptonite' discovered in mine
BBC NEWS
"Towards the end of my research I searched the web using the mineral's chemical formula - sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide - and was amazed to discover that same scientific name, written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film Superman Returns."
After a longer-than-anticipated break, Noah and I reconvened for another episode of our podcast. It's a little longer than normal because a lot happened in a month.
Eddie and Noah catch up on all the big stories that broke while they were on vacation: EMI to remove copy-protection from its digital music sales, Apple to delay Leopard until October. And now that CS3 is out, Eddie finally gets to disclose what happened at the Adobe NDA meeting he attended in January.Episode 15.m4a (1:03:27)
Nominated to the Lame List this episode are Apple and the Copyright Royalty Board, both for making things not happen.
Picks of the Week include nostalgic Nintendo and Namco games.
The truly burning questions are asked: Should computers have quarter slots? Does The Goonies II warrant a release on the Virtual Console? What is the worst analogy Eddie can make?
For Megan's upcoming birthday, we took a day trip to Santa Cruz and visited both the Boardwalk and the Mystery Spot. I've uploaded the photos and added captions.
 |
| Santa Cruz April 2007 |
As surprising as posts on craigslist can be, I never thought I'd see this:
Wanted: Glitter the Movie
Date: 2007-04-16, 11:25PM PDT
I'm looking for The Movie Glitter. This was my moms favorite movie & I have to have this movie for my mom.
A number of sites have picked up the story of there being a Spider-Man Broadway musical in the works, directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor, book by Taymor and Glen Berger, and music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge. They all lead back to superherohype.com, which got a casting breakdown from an anonymous user. But this same basic story appeared on Playbill.com back on July 8, 2004.
So is this real or an April (15th) Fools joke? The casting breakdown is kinda hilarious:
[ARACHNE] Female, 20-35 years old, any ethnicity. A beautiful, boastful young woman turned into a spider for her hubris and lack of respect for the gods. She subsequently appears to Peter Parker and the audience as in turn a powerful spider-woman who comes from another time to inspire Peter; an otherworldly lover; a bride; a terrifying (and sexy) dark goddess of vengeance; a dance partner in a charged and violent spiders dance of death; and, finally, a lonely, fragile young woman. Possesses an ethereal, unique, gorgeous singing voice. Strong Celtic, Balkan style, e.g., Sinead O'Connor. Outside the box ideas are welcomed. Could be someone from the music industry.
The Five Stages of Leopard Delay Grief
The process by which people deal with grief and tragedy is marked by five stages. And with Apple recently announcing the delay of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard until October, Mac users are currently going through those stages (some faster than others).
So maybe you heard the news about Universal Studios Florida Building 'Harry Potter Theme Park, which is something I thought would be incredibly fun (both to experience and design) while I was helping with An Evening at 'Haggwarts' last year. But did you know that Disney had tried to get the theme park rights for the franchise? And did you know they might actually be relieved they didn't? Jim Hill provides the details yet again:
WDI hopes that its "Living Character Initiative" will make up for losing "Harry Potter"
... according to the folks that I've spoken with who worked on the Disney version of this project ... J.K. allegedly wanted each & every guest who was experiencing the theme park version of Harry Potter's world to do so by first entering the Leaky Cauldron pub. Where -- by tapping on just the right brick ("Three up and two across ... ") -- they'd then gain access to Diagon Alley, that odd collection of Wizards-only shops & restaurants that's hidden away in the heart of London. From this area ... these folks were then supposed to have made their way to Platform 9 & 3/4 at King's Cross Station. Where -- after magically piercing the barrier that separates the Muggle world from the Wizard world -- guests would have then been able to board a full-sized version of the Hogwarts Express for a trip to Harry's alma mater.
Daring Fireball Linked List: April 2007
Hey, one of my posts on The Apple Blog got picked up by John Gruber! I was hoping he would take notice of my feature-length rant on the green button, but having my name on Daring Fireball (and not as a Jackass of the Week) is still a thrill. Speaking of which, this week's Jackass was brought to his attention by my very same post.
Hey Apple! Fix the green button already!
Sometimes it zooms, sometimes it maximizes and sometimes it just does wacky stuff that no one can really explain. The green button in all OS X windows has been a nuisance since the public betas and it's (long past) time Apple fixed it.
Retailers explore movie download options
When movies shifted from videocassettes to DVD, retailers simply cleared the tapes off the shelves to make room for discs. That's not so easy now that movies appear poised to follow music onto the Internet.It'll be interesting to see if the traditional music and movie retailers will be able to stay in that business within the next decade.
"Wal-Mart's typical customer isn't your leading-edge technocrat that's likely to download and store a movie on his computer," Hargreaves said.No, that's not me. Just some other Hargreaves who knows what he's talking about. I also liked the ending quote (not by a Hargreaves, though).
"One day," he said, "my kids will laugh at me for driving to a store and picking up a piece of plastic with content on it and putting it in a machine to play."
More movies to be offered in 3-D
A growing number of blockbuster, live-action films and animated movies are expected to be offered in in-your-face 3-D in the next few years, as thousands of theaters are outfitted with the special projectors and screens needed to show the films.I just discovered today that "Meet the Robinsons" is being shown in Digital 3-D right here in Stockton, making a 45-minute trip to Dublin unnecessary.
There's trouble brewing in Cerealia, a land eternally bathed in morning sunlight. The king and his wizard advisor have disappeared and a shadow of evil has fallen over the land. Perhaps because he's the wisest or ablest or perhaps because he's the most noble soul in Cerealia, the old sailor named Cap'n Crunch has stepped up to lead the fight against Count Chocula's forces of darkness. What follows is the most important battle of their lives as well as the most important meal of the day.This online comic tells an epic story using breakfast cereal mascots. It gets dark, probably comparable to a PG-13 rating, but it's fun to see how serious the characters are made out and there's a definite nostalgia factor for those that know or remember the older mascots (I researched them for the museum once but don't remember why).
Arts and Entertainment / Museum in the Sacramento area
Megan and I tried snowboarding at South Lake Tahoe for the fourth time (although I consider it my third try). Here's some action video!
Since this is the month of Buffy, what better way to keep it rolling than with an exclusive DH.com interview with Buffy creator and writer for the new series, Joss Whedon.If you haven't read Buffy Season 8 #1 yet, don't read this interview, as it will spoil at least one surprise.
Every other week when Megan and I watch LOST we crack up watching this hilarious ad. So I've finally recorded it and posted it to YouTube so those in the non-Sacramento area can enjoy it.
It reminds me of Harrison Ford's appearance in the Star Wars Holiday Special: he's there, but you can tell he really doesn't want to be. And you've just gotta love the airquotes.
I'm enthused about 3-D movies and have seen quite a few in the last few years because I live within 40 minutes of both an IMAX theater and a digital theater. Probably the best one I saw was "Monster House," which was crystal clear and did not distract from the movie at all. "The Polar Express" was in IMAX 3-D and although it suited the movie very well I found it very blurry in parts. Maybe it was because it was the type of IMAX screen that is curved like a planetarium. I also found the 3-D portions of "Superman Returns" to be a little too blurry and distracting for my taste. It was also in IMAX but in on a flat screen. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was the last movie I saw in 3-D and it was beautifully clear and really fitting for the film. It was preceded by the old Pixar short "Knick Knack" in 3-D. But during his Q&A at WonderCon, Brad Bird said Pixar is not currently planning on releasing its past or future films in 3-D. I'm looking forward to seeing the just-released "Meet the Robinsons" and, of course, the upcoming U2 concert film:
Sit well back: this is a 3-D invasion
As if the newly knighted Bono were not already larger than life, the U2 singer is poised to become the first rock star to leap out of the silver screen as Hollywood prepares to unleash a flood of 3-D movies.
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition Returns May 29
When Warner Home Video's The Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition was released last November, consumer receptivity was completely unprecedented, resulting in WHV selling its total supply of collections in one month.So that's why I don't have one yet! ;)
The re-released Superman UCE will include the corrected discs for Superman III and Superman: The Movie, which were missing bonus content upon their release last fall.So in this instance, it was better to wait. Well, at least for one of the discs.
Flaming Lips bringing "Yoshimi" to life as musical
The Flaming Lips are known for their outlandish stage shows, which can involve fake blood, mock UFOs, giant bubbles and scores of people jumping around in animal costumes. Now, the group is hoping to bring that sensibility to Broadway with a musical based on its 2002 album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots."
The project will be directed by Des McAnuff, who of late has directed hit productions such as "Jersey Boys," "700 Sundays" and "Urinetown."
I think therefore I am, I think
Two neuroscientists working in Australia have ... found that, when asking people to choose to move either their left or right hands, it was possible to influence their choice by electronically stimulating certain parts of their brains. So, for example, the scientists could force the subjects always to choose to move their left hands. But despite their choice being electronically directed, these patients continued to report that they were freely choosing which hand to move.
The double sunset that Luke Skywalker gazed upon in the film Star Wars might not be a fantasy. Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have observed that planetary systems -- dusty disks of asteroids, comets and possibly planets -- are at least as abundant in twin-star systems as they are in single-star systems like our own.
Because oil floats on water, despite the massive heat (163 degrees Celsius) the goldfish simply stay away from the surface and all is well. They eat the crumbs of croquettes and other fried foods that fall to the bottom, and can live in there for years as they happily clean away, ignorant to the fact that certain death awaits any potential escapees.Via kottke.org
Teen's kidnapper gets 20 years
San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Cinda Fox sentenced Tuy on Monday on a handful of felony convictions related to the kidnapping. Onesavanh, who was convicted of fewer felonies, is expected to receive a nine-year sentence next week for her part in the kidnappingThe criminal trial of 19-year-old Khampong Onesavanh is the one I would've served as a juror on if I had made it through the jury selection process. The defense attorney said her friends and family call her 'Penny.' There were 13 charges against her, so I'm curious exactly how many 'fewer' is: 12? 5?
Announcing a new stamp pane from the U.S. Postal Service, featuring 15 stamps in celebration of the Star Wars 30th Anniversary. Available at your Post Office May 26.Although they are from a 'long time ago," these are 41-cent stamps, making them ready for the future.
And now, for only the second time in its 256-year-history, the U.S. Postal Service invites you to vote for your favorite stamp. Choose one of 15 iconic images: Darth Vader, Yoda, Luke Skywaker, Princess Leia and others.
Microsoft Sends Secret Dossier on Reporter, to Reporter
While reporting a story on Microsoft's video blogging initiative – something called Channel 9 – the dossier that Microsoft and its outside public relations agency Waggener Edstrom keeps on me accidentally ended up in my email inboxMaybe that's what I would've ended up doing at Waggener Edstrom.
The logo is not actually new this month, it's existed since at least August 2006. But only this year is it being introduced to more than 5,600 locations worldwide and is slated for a complete rollout by the end of 2007.
I have to agree with Brand New that the new logo isn't worth the effort:
Dreary Queen
More than once the 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' adage applies to the logos we review on this site. But I think this one takes the crown for the least broken with the worst fixin'. Dairy Queen's ellipse is one of the most highly recognizable marks, it is (was) unique, memorable and impactful. Despite this equity, Dairy Queen considered it was time to change and make the wrong moves in all the wrong placesIn the press release describing the logo change, DQ's chief brand officer said "Our original DQ logo is one of the most revered in the quick service restaurant industry." Yeah, so why wreck that?
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games Announce LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME
In LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME, TT Games brings the world of DC Comics' Caped Crusader to life in an entirely new way. Players can explore a richly interactive LEGO Gotham City as Batman and Robin, capturing infamous villains - and even take control of the villains themselves.Yes, I am excited. Of course, I don't currently have what would be considered in 2008 a next-generation or current generation platform. Are they trying to make me want to buy a new videogame system?
"We're sure our fans will be excited to know that we have the same fantastic team at Traveller's Tales responsible for LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II working on LEGO BATMAN," said Tom Stone, Director of TT Games Publishing.
Google brought Blogger.com out of its beta status a little while ago, but I've been neglecting to "upgrade" my account.
Last week when I tried to upload the image to Tax Fun I discovered that my EarthLink account space was full (all 10MB!). So because Google is offering free hosting space I took the plunge and have set up shop here at hargreae.blogspot.com (I really could not think of a better domain prefix).
One great result of this change is that the Blogger toolbar at the top of the page will now successfully search this blog! Which means I was actually able to search and find this relevant post from November 2004.
I'm sure you've noticed some other changes to the sidebar, text, etc. Some of these are under my control and some aren't, but let me know what you do or don't like in the comments.
This episode is a little shorter than normal, but we still had fun.
The Apple TV is now shipping, offering Eddie another chance to question its value. And Viacom is suing YouTube, leaving Mexican residents like Noah without a chance to illegally watch The Daily Show.Episode 14.m4a (37:46)
Nominated to the Lame List this episode are shutdownday.org (which we clearly did not heed) and some creepy commercials featuring a zombie popcorn-maker.
Picks of the Week include a new take on the portals of old and notes from a free Cascadia.
The truly burning questions are asked: If Google owns YouTube, why does the latter's search suck? Should the TV version of This American Life have an international audience? Does Jamba Juice use pig hoofs?
Watch Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro and Claire Danes in the exclusive trailer for "STARDUST," based on the fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman.Typically it's more fun to see trailers first in the theatre, but I know a lot of folks don't go to the theaters as often as I (1-3X a month?). I was aware of this film being made, but was unaware of the list of stars involved.
I saw this a while ago while preparing our tax return:
Dang, I received no Ottoman Turkish Empire Settlement payments during the last fiscal year. Now, on the other hand, Beverage Container Recycling Income...
Online anonymity lets users gets nasty
the Internet — and the anonymity it affords — has given a public stage to people's basest thoughts, ones that in earlier eras likely never would have traveled past the watercooler, the kitchen table or the next barstool.
Sales can't buy love for some top bands
Chris St. Peter, 26, of New York, witnessed this hatred years ago at a concert in Boston, where Nickelback was opening for another band in front of an indie-rock crowd.It's only terrible if the batteries are unused.
"They threw batteries at them, which is terrible but also really funny," St. Peter said. "Nickelback represented everything I think they hated."
Morrissey to embark on US jaunt
The 40-date trek will hit theaters all over the US starting with an April 27 gig in Stockton, CA
The most ambitious prank in history
During the second quarter of Super Bowl XLI, a team of elite, highly-trained pranksters quietly distributed 2,350 packets to the lower east section of Dolphin Stadium. These "Party Packs" contained a six-inch light-up necklace, along with official-looking instructions. By wearing the necklace lights during the halftime show, Super Bowl fans believed they would be spelling out the word "PRINCE."
But they weren't. They were spelling a secret message that was broadcast to 93.1 million people around the globe.
Cryptographer Solves Psychic Challenge
In January, James Randi secured a mystery item in a specially designated locker in his Florida office, and challenged clairvoyants everywhere to use their remote viewing skills to divine its nature and claim a million dollar prize.Cryptography was a topic of the now-playing Zodiac film and I found it interesting though (wait for it) cryptic.
The post office is wrapping mail collection boxes in some 200 cities nationwide in a special covering to look like R2-D2.An amusing video is available at uspsjedimaster.com
Producer Ballard finishing Annie Lennox album
Grammy-winning songwriter-producer Glen Ballard is putting the final touches on Annie Lennox's first album in four years, which will be released in the fourth quarter.Although I would prefer it be produced by Marius de Vries (1992's Diva), I think the best songs on Aerosmith's Nine Lives album were the ones produced by Ballard.
BART passengers to see mini movies out train windows
SideTrack Technologies, INC and CBS Outdoor have installed a series of high-tech posters resembling a filmstrip mounted on the tunnel's wall. As trains zip by the posters at 35 miles per hour, many passengers will see what appears to be an animated advertisement playing before their eyes.
Iranian official lashes out at Hollywood movie "300" for insulting Persian civilization
Javad Shamqadri, an art advisor to President Mahmoud�Ahmadinejad, accused the new movie of being "part of a comprehensive U.S. psychological war aimed at Iranian culture"
Disney tried to make a 'Beauty and the Beast' movie in 1954
In a 1965 interview with columnist Peter Bart, Disney actually said that he'd "never again" allow WDFA to make an animated film that was based on a well-known children's classic or fairy tale.There are plans for a live action, martial arts 'Snow White' movie
Walt Disney Pictures is looking to put a martial arts spin on the studio's animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with the studio's 2008 release, Snow and the Seven. This live action feature (Which the studio hopes to shoot on-location in China) is set in the 1880s, when an reluctant English princess suddenly finds herself in need of protection while traveling overseas. And who then comes to her aid? Seven Shaolin monks.John Lasseter helped 'fix' Meet The Robinsons
So we gave him a lot of notes, some really strong notes. We were very honest with him about the movie, but then I gave it back to him. I said, Steve, make the movie you want to make. Tell your story.The Frog Princess will feature the first-ever African-American Disney Princess
Randy Newman and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band played "Down in New Orleans" (i.e. one of the many songs that Newman has written for The Frog Princess)And those are just a few of the interesting gems Jim Hill reveals about Disney's past, present and future.
Noah and I didn't have much to talk when this episode started, but managed to do so for more than 50 minutes. We enjoyed it and hope you will too.
Amazon has brought its Unbox service to TiVo and Eddie is pretty happy about it (except for 3-5 complaints). Noah's experience in Mexico brings a new perspective to a discussion on piracy. And Apple is taken to task for doing ... well, nothing, basically.Episode 13.m4a (54:10)
Noah's Pick of the Week is congregate, but misspelled. The Apple Blog is the subject of both Lame List nominations, but for two completely different reasons (one far better than the other).
The truly burning questions are asked: How many terabytes would be needed to store every movie ever made? How much should a good review cost? Do we need another Resident Evil or Mummy movie?
Now that I'm finished posting video clips from the Masquerade, this post will contain clips from other portions of WonderCon.
First up is a short clip of the Namco booth — an unexpected and fun presence on the show floor. I've re-posted this video clip because the previous one was missing its audio.
In this 38-second clip, director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) talks about how his upcoming Pixar film, Ratatouille, fits in the summer.
Jeph Loeb, who is currently co-executive producer for NBC's Heroes, answers a question about writing for ABC's Lost.
Brad Bird is joined by Ratatouille's voice, comedian Patton Oswalt, who made the Q&A quite funny.
More Brad Bird and Patton Oswalt. The comedian is the funny one.
I videotaped a few things while at WonderCon 2007 yesterday (mostly Masquerade contestants) and am in the process of uploading them to YouTube (so keep checking back on this post). There were a lot of great entries, but this one truly deserved (and won) First Place.
The runner-up for the Lucasfilm award was this pair of Jedi, one who is very young ... and gets blindfolded!
From the Spider-Man family of characters: Electro and the Black Cat
Sailor Moon dancing to the ever-popular music from Edward Scissorhands
In the fun vein of mixing up characters who don't really belong together: Defending Alice from the Queen of Hearts is ... Young Link and, uh, some anime guy ...
Earlier in the day, I saw someone dressed as Willy Wonka (the Johnny Depp version) enter the women's restroom. That knowledge came in handy during the following Masquerade entry:
Watching that previous clip will help prepare you for this one, where the LEGO Star Wars characters accepted their first place trophy:
Monty Python nerds at a comic convention? Shock! They won Best Recreation for this entry:
But I think the real winner should've been this House of Flying Daggers entry, which had exquisite costumes and choreography:
A funny entry from Raven and Starfire (based on the Cartoon Network Teen Titans series)
World of Warcraft. LOL
This guy made a good Halo costume (Master Chief?) but somebody played the wrong music
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Superman Returns to stop Lex Luthor and female accomplice. Funny, but not really on purpose.
While the judges were deciding the winners of the Masquerade, we were subjected to "entertainment" from Mr. Lobo and the crew from Cinema Insomnia. The least awful portion of that interminable time is the following thumbwrestling battle featuring one of the hecklers from the group sitting behind us.
The March 2007 macCompanion is now available and I have one review in this issue:
The Apple Blog
In their experiments, the robots were set loose in an area containing two types of objects – one classified as “food” and another designated “poison.” The “poison” object was marked with a skull and crossbones, a common designation that has existed since the 19th century. But the “food” object was marked with the logo of Apple Inc.
Noah and I had to break our biweekly podcast schedule this time, but the post-Superbowl, pre-Oscars episode is now available. We don't actually talk about the Superbowl or the Oscars, but we do talk about some funny, lame stuff. It's actually shorter than I thought it would be, but probably one of my favorite episodes.
A Mexico Moment from Noah kicks off this episode after which Eddie relates some disturbing news from his brief time spent in the jury pool.Episode 12.m4a (35:53)
Steve Jobs' "Thoughts on Music" and the resulting reactions from all corners are the focus of this episode, but there's still time to question the necessity of Kidz Bop. Picks of the Week are an album to "Love" and an instructional music video by an experimental Manchester three-piece.
The truly burning questions are asked: Is the most deluded CEO from Warner Music, Macrovision or Real Networks? Are haircut videos worth uploading to YouTube? How do you say B.S. in Spanish?
What Happened to Jeffrey Sebelia?
New York Magazine
On Project Runway, he was as gifted as he was catty, clawing and shredding his way to victory. So far, his fashion career hasn't followed the script.
Viewers Fast-Forwarding Past Ads? Not Always
New York Times
It turns out that a lot of people with digital video recorders are not fast-forwarding and time-shifting as much as advertisers feared. According to new data released yesterday by the Nielsen Company, people who own digital video recorders, or DVRs, still watch, on average, two-thirds of the ads.Roughly, that average would mean that DVR owners either watch one-third, two-thirds or three-thirds of the ads (and a small amount in the no-thirds range). I probably fall more in the one-third range, but that should still tell advertisers 'Hey, we TiVo users WILL watch your ad if it's eye-catching.'
After nearly a week of 'Call back after 5 p.m. tomorrow to check your status,' I got the message to report for jury duty. While in the waiting room, I got to watch an informational video that explained how juries work and what they do. The best part was when they showed the verdict being delivered and everybody (plaintiff, defendant, lawyers, etc.) was happy.
I'm always on the lookout for great slogans and the jury waiting room had a great one on a poster. Jury Duty: Somebody Has To Do It
Top 5ive Gadgets You Shouldn't Buy
It's fun to be the first on the block to own the newest gadget. If nothing else, you get serious bragging rights. But when it comes to actually using that product, many early adopters discover that some kinks still need to be worked out.I agree with all '5ive' picks, but "Draft N" Wireless Routers are the least expensive of the lot and will probably gain value over time, as opposed to the cheaper G routers.
I have to say, thank God someone is finally paying attention to Cherry Coke! Crazy fact: Coca-Cola spent only $100,000 on the brand over six years and zero dollars on it last year. That is a serious effort to get people not to drink Cherry Coke, and I'm sorry Coca-Cola, but your plan did not work on me. I guzzle the stuff by the can.Upon tearing open a new 12-pack of Cherry Coke, I was surprised to discover the cans have a new design. I like the previous design quite well, as it was 10x better than the awful, awful (awful) "grunge-ified red-and-black American designs during the '90s." What is news, however, is that the new can's designer is Jay-Z! Surprising. Overall, I like it, which is more than I can say about most redesigns these days. More branding details are here: Cherry Coke Gets Fresh Jay-Z Remix
NOBODY ASKED ME, BUT……
By Anthony Bourdain
I actually WATCH Food Network now and again, more often than not drawn in by the progressive horrors on screen. I find myself riveted by its awfulness, like watching a multi-car accident in slow motion.I actually don't agree with him overall about the Food Network, but I'm not a cook (not sure if that says something about me or the Food Network). Mainly, he's just too funny for this guest post to be passed up. Case in point:
I would likely be arrested if I suggested on television that any children watching [Sandra Lee] should promptly go to a wooded area with a gun and harm themselves. What’s the difference between that and Sandra suggesting we fill our mouths with Ritz Crackers, jam a can of Cheez Wiz in after and press hard? None that I can see.I would especially like to see his dream Iron Chef America match-ups become reality, especially “Mikey” from Top Chef vs. Sandra Lee.
On the walk over to Moscone South to pick up my badge, I passed by the blocks-long keynote line. There were quite a few media crews there trying to gather footage, so it was a little tricky to walk around without getting in the middle of somebody's shoot. Some of the crews would set up their cameras across the street, so you might just see the reporter speaking to air. They generally seek out the craziest-looking people in the line (it is a visual medium, after all) and it reminded me a little of WonderCon (which was held in the same location last year) because news crews covering that convention typically focus on the people in costume. It generally gives a vibe of "Hey, look at these geeks/freaks!" which is a little annoying considering how much money gets poured into the area due to these conventions.
There is a separate line for those with media badges and if you read my recap from 2005, you might remember that they usually put up a 'Media Enter Here' sign and then after you wait in line for an hour or so someone would come by and say 'Oh, actually, you need to go over there.' This year they skipped putting up a sign, and I was told by a door guard to go 'wait over there with the rest of them.' There was no line, per se, just a loose group of people glomming around. Most people don't like to be at the end of a line, and instead prefer to hover near the side of a line and then slowly, casually work their way into the middle. Classy.
There are always quite a few Asian journalists and this year was no exception. I was standing near a group of them and noticed the one in front of me writing out questions in advance, including one that went something like 'You've chosen Cingular as your exclusive partner. Any plans to expand to other carriers?' Hmmmm, how did he know?
The press mob was generally lined up at the door on the far right of 12 doors. Suddenly the press surged ... toward the far left doors. And after about 10 people went through, they shut the doors. Then we were all told to back up. Which didn't happen until someone said we needed to back up because we were actually going to be let in the far right doors. And another 10 people went through those doors until they shut them. And after another few minutes they decided to mix it up again and open some doors in-between, which the rest of us went through. You can see it from this picture.
We went up one escalator and then waited at the bottom of another, which is where you saw me in the photo from part 1. What you might find surprising is that the person who took that photo (Daring Fireball's John Gruber) was actually standing "behind" me in line before we were let in through the doors. We waited at the bottom of that escalator for about an hour while media VIPs (Newsweek, the New York Times, etc.) ascended. It wasn't until about 8:50 a.m. that we were allowed up and into the giant hall.
This is the first year the keynote has been held here and it probably moved here because of the larger size of the hall. It was a good choice because I'm sure less people that waited in line since the early morning were turned away. I can't imagine waiting outside in line for hours in the cold and then be told 'Sorry, not enough room!'
There were giant video screens located about halfway back, and having had some experience at Comic-Con with this type of setup, I chose to hang back right behind one of these rather than move forward 10 or so rows where I wouldn't really be close enough to get a good view of Steve Jobs on the stage.
After settling in, I got out my laptop and cell phone to get an Internet connection via T-Mobile's data service and begin relaying the keynote news to The Apple Blog via iChat. Unfortunately, I still had no signal on my phone. This seemed odd to me because plenty of other media were talking on their cell phones. But I had no solution and no way to communicate with my editor. Although folks set up wireless computer-to-computer networks in the hall, there is no Internet access available.
So I sat back and enjoyed the music playing, which was quite good: Coldplay, Beck, Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley, Sheryl Crow and James Brown. At 9:08 there was an announcement to silence all cell phones (not a problem for me...) and at 9:14 the lights went down, Steve came out and announced "We're gonna make some history together today."
I took copious notes during the keynote up until some point during the 90-minute iPhone introduction when I was just too overwhelmed by it all. I caught back up during the interminable speeches by the CEOs of Google and Yahoo.
I wrote up my full-fledged keynote recap for macCompanion ("A Keynote for the history books), and it's on page 12 of the February issue. But here's a few random things recollected from my notes that didn't make it into that:
The iPod ads that are currently un-missable on TV were premiered, which is not particularly remarkable. But Steve noted that they featured music by "an up-and-coming British pop group" (Flathead by The Fratellis) and whoever is finding these songs is doing a great job.
Someone sitting a couple of seats away from me was noting whenever Steve said "Boom!" and it happened so often I lost count.
The Bluetooth headset accessory shown for the iPhone was black. This seemed odd to me, considering that one of the defining (and to-date unchanged) characteristics of the iPod is the white color of the earbuds.
Near the end of the keynote, Steve's remote stopped working and would not advance the slides. He ended up stalling by telling a nostalgic story of when he and Woz pranked the students watching TV at Berkeley. A widely reprinted photo of Steve in a strange body position was taken during the recounting of this story.
The keynote ended at 11 a.m. and there was a standing ovation, the first of the few keynotes I've attended. John Mayer returned to perform a pair of songs and explained that because Apple made people's lives fun they are "the exact opposite of terrorism."
To Be Continued in Part 3: But when do I get to eat lunch?
The Gaming World of 2025
Glen Heimstra, the founder of futurist.com, author of "Turning The Future Into Revenue" and visiting scholar at the Human Interface Technology Lab at the University of Washington predicts what video games will be like 25, 50 and 200 years from now.
Fifty years from now, the difference between real life and virtual life will probably be indistinguishable; it will be possible to be confused. And certainly that would be true 100 years from now.Hmm, by my math, 2025 is only 18 years from now. Anyway, does anyone else remember in the early '90s when virtual reality was poised to be the next big thing? There were even kiosks in suburban malls where you could pay a couple of bucks to put on the bulky helmet and goggles and look like an idiot. Nowadays, people wear the bluetooth headsets and if you don't notice and think they're talking to you, you're the one that looks like an idiot.
In a move that’s captured widespread attention, Archie Comic Publications reimagines one of its hallmark titles, and two of its most beloved characters, for a new generation in Betty & Veronica Double Digest #151.
In this historic issue, Archie and the gang get an extreme makeover by writer Melanie J. Morgan and artist Steven Butler, shedding their traditional, cartoony countenance for a new, more realistic look at teenaged life in Riverdale.
The cast of "Lost" attended the December 2006 U2 concert in Hawaii. You'll need to scroll down to IMG_2736 to see them.
I've detailed my experiences searching for a good case for my U2 iPod at The Apple Blog:
The best (and worst) case for a U2 iPod with video
If you own an iPod, you know you need to purchase and use a case in order to keep from getting it smudged and scratched. But if you own a U2 iPod, you don’t want to cover up its unique style with a case. When I purchased a 5th Generation iPod U2 Special Edition, I had a difficult time finding a case that met both of those needs, but I did end up with a great one (eventually).
It's been a full month since I attended the 2007 Macworld Expo in San Francisco: plenty of time for everyone else to have forgotten about it and about darn time for me to recount my experience with unnecessary detail.
Although the week of Macworld officially begins on Monday, the only activities occurring are Conference Sessions and on-site registration. The real activity begins on Tuesday, when the keynote is held in the morning, followed by the opening of the Exhibit Hall. While my media registration gives me access to the 9 a.m. keynote, preventing me from having to wait in line all night, the media registration opens at 7:30 a.m. This pretty much requires spending Monday night in San Francisco.
But the real fun began on Sunday night when I was preparing for my Monday evening drive to San Francisco; going over the information I had received regarding my registration. The registration confirmation e-mamil from mid-November noted "U.S. attendees who register on or before December 11, 2006 will be mailed their BADGE cards in mid December." and another, later e-mail noted "If you registered prior to December 11, 2006 your media badge will be mailed to you in advance." Seems pretty clear to me. So where was my media badge? I did not recall it being mailed to me, but that didn't preclude me from turning my home inside-out looking. The search was fruitless, and I desparately e-mailed IDG World Expo (Macworld's organizers) and promptly received a reply that "Everyone has to pick up their badges on site." OK, I was safe. But it was the first sign that not all the information I had been given was actually true.
Hotel space goes fast in San Francisco during Macworld so it's best to book as early as possible. I booked a hotel room for Monday night back in November after my registration had been accepted. As with a previous year, I booked a room from a block reserved for listeners of Your Mac Life, which resulted in a nice price discount. This year's Your Mac Life hotel was the Pickwick, which is only about 2-1/2 blocks from the Moscone Center. When you're going to be spending all day standing and walking, you don't want to start it off walking many blocks from a far-off hotel. The Pickwick offers complimentary high-speed Internet access, but when the entire hotel (and city) is filled with Mac geeks, shared Internet connections are brought to a crawl. When I launched iChat, my AOL Instant Messenger Buddy List drew in slow motion. I think it took a full minute to list which of my Buddies were Available. Also keeping me a little cut off was my phone, which was getting no signal. I assumed that was due to my location in an upper floor of an old hotel in the middle of a big city. It's tough just to get good radio reception in downtown San Francisco. I was planning on using my cell phone as a wireless modem for my laptop to live-blog the keynote, but this lack of signal prevented me from testing that out. So I just plugged it in to make sure I would have plenty of charge for the next day.
At 9:47 p.m. the night still felt early to me, but it was quite the opposite for others. I received a message from someone on the local network in the hotel that if I was interested I could join a group meeting at the Apple store at 4 a.m. to get in line for the keynote. Moments like that make the media registration extremely valuable and are what prompted me to desperately tear apart my home looking for the media badge.
I'm no stranger to waiting in lines. I went to Disneyland and Disneyworld in the 1980s (before FastPass would make its debut); I waited outside the Beaverton G.I. Joe's in the early morning with Noah to purchase tickets for Aerosmith's "Get A Grip" tour; I've attended WizardWorld, WonderCon and the San Diego International Comic-Con, waiting in lines for autographs or to see early film footage; and at Paramount's Great America, Megan and I waited in line for nearly 2 hours to ride "Stealth," possibly the longest line I've ever waited in (and yes, it was worth it). But I do not think I would relish sitting unsheltered in San Francisco at 5 a.m. See how much fun Google employees had doing it: Macworld keynote campout. So I was one of the lucky ones. I got lots of sleep, checked out of the Pickwick and walked a few blocks to pick up my media badge (without incident).
To Be Continued in Part 2: Welcome to the crush
Until then, play "Where's Eddie?" in this photo
Viacom moves on without YouTube
Some content creators find it galling that other companies are reaping the financial reward of their work and not sharing in that money.That paragraph succinctly sums up my response to those who argue how stupid it is for TV companies to not put their content on YouTube or other video-sharing sites. For instance, if NBC is paying actors to create a comedy sketch and then paying technicians to produce and air it, why should Google get to make money from it when someone records it and uploads it to YouTube?
Breakfast of the Gods
'Stardust' trailer
Star Wars USB Flash Drives