Links of the Day

Millions Vie for Thousands of Jackson Tickets - 1.6 million fans registered to get around 8,750 pairs of tickets to Michael Jackson's memorial service that I believe is this Tuesday. This number included probably duplicates and programs designed to have some people registered many times. The memorial will be held at Staples Center arena.

Shatner Calls Munn A Whore - This is a good example why a fan of Olivia Munn. William Shatner is a bit of a dick and this interview as he promotes his new comic book series shows why Munn is so good to watch. What could have been a very strange and maybe angry moment was turned into an amusing moment with her skillful "anything goes" attitude. Most people would have deservedly been outraged; she just saw a moment to go for humor.

Video Game - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Twittbadges.com - If you’re like me and find TwitterCounter's limited options annoying, try this website which provides a plain badge to display your number of followers with control over the size of the box, the color, what is displayed and a little bit more.

TMNT: Turtles in Time Comparison - A video that shows the improvements made to the classic arcade game Turtles in Time which will soon be released for the XBox 360.


XBox 360 Laptop version 5 - Ben Heckendorn, video geek extraordinaire, has created another video system mod that creates a portable XBox 360 using a gutted Gateway 1775W laptop with 17 inch screen along with more bells and whistles.

Sarah Palin Resigns as Alaskan Governor

Sarah Palin, ex-Vice Presidential candidate, has resigned as Governor of Alaska as of June 25th. She decided to not re-run for Governor citing the bad press she gets, being "forced" to take stimulus dollars, and the various ethics violations she has been experiencing. Since not re-running she did not want to experience "lame-duck" status and resigned.

Let’s face it. Politicians do not give up title or power easily. Even when caught with their hands in the cookies in the jar they fight to retain it, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Here though she seems to have just thrown in the towel. Nor do they give it up just because of the fear of lame duck status. It’s something that almost all politicians go through and many seem to thrive in.

If someone else, be it Democrat and Republican has quit citing her reasons everyone would assume something seriously wrong is coming on the horizon. That here is something they are trying to get ahead of for whatever reason. However, this is Sarah Palin so this could be part of a rather broad and bizarre plan that only she knows (who is really a series of low expectations, not exactly confidence inducing or very Presidential).

The assumption is this is the first salvo of a Presidential run. Quitting doesn't seem like a very good start, especially giving weak excuses that come down to "people are mean to me!" If she can't handle bad press, false accusations, and occasional forced compromises, how is she going to handle the real pressures of the White House especially when the attacks are constant and on multiple fronts?

Another problem is NONE of the major news services were invited to this rather significant piece of news. Politicians love the power of the camera. The footage and discussions on the major networks are from reporters and video shot by local TV stations. CNN, Fox, ABC, NBC, etc were not informed of her resignation preventing a live broadcast of her speech. This prevented a massive audience from seeing her full speech and hear her perspective of events, something most politicians love to occur and make every effort to help facilitate (which is why usually these things occur for the noon or six o'clock news cycle). Instead this was done as under the radar as possible for someone in the spotlight as much as she is.

Even now her own spokesperson is blaming the press and saying people are trying to bring her down. See above about inability to handle attacks so how handle pressures of White House. Also though what attacks could she be referring to? The previous year? Really? She got it light compared to most and why now? Or to put it another way, what straw broke the camel’s back? Letterman? I don't think so. Makes you wonder though.

One last theory is money. She is beautiful and she is charming. People have said she could make a ton of money as a pundit or on television in some capacity and the money would be very good, more then she would make as a Senator or President with about the same amount of fame. Most talking heads are not required to know anything a given subject, just read a teleprompter and ask questions provided by your producer. Fox would probably happily give Palin an hour on their network five nights a week for instance.

In the end if this is the start of a Presidential campaign then as someone who would never vote for her, I give her and her advisors a hearty thank you for such an awful start.

Links of the Day

Abercrombie & Fitch Sued for Discrimination - In a sign that maybe more attention should be paid to hiring intelligent people over those fitting the "image" the company is looking for, Abercrombie is being sued for firing a women with a prosthetic arm. Apparently a store manager hired her and relaxed the dress policy for her. Corporate apparently sent someone to verify she followed company policy, which she technically wasn't so forced her to remove the cardigan she wears. Seeing the prosthetic arm, they forced her to work in the backroom (rather than just make an exception). Now she is seeking 25000 pounds ($41k) in damages. If this occurred in the states the damages being requested would be measured in millions. Either way, a few people deserve the bonehead award for not choosing the simple solution.

Neil Patrick Harris Hosts Emmy Awards - After hosting the TV Land Awards and Tony Awards to much acclaim (at least from the few that saw it and critics), the actor has signed on to host next year's Emmy Awards. As a fan who finds him hilarious on How I Met Your Mother, I find this very good news as he is the consummate host - funny when he is supposed to be and a guide when he isn't. Nor does it hurt that he is actually a fan of television and doesn't look down on it like many of these hosts of these awards shows seem to do.

Buffy vs. Edward Mashup - Amusing video that does a good job of showing the difference between Buffy and the first Twilight movie. One has a strong female protagonist and complicated story with a vampire (Buffy), the other has a weak willed women and wimp of a dude as the main thrust of the story. It’s a shame the current generation looks at Twilight as an example of anything other than bad storytelling and character creation.


Tron 2 Script Review - Click the link for a review from a diehard Tron fan of one of the drafts for the sequel to the movie that is supposedly going to be made. That rumor has been around for a while but nice to know a script actually exists. The short of it is it’s similar to the first movie (good guy must stop bad guy executive) with a bigger budget.

Links of the Day

13-story Building Tips Over - A new apartment building (empty) in Shanghai, China tipped completely over, killing one. The cause is being blamed on nearby flood prevention walls for the Dianpu River. I just think the images are cool.

Vanity Fair's "It Came from Wasilla" - A look at Sarah Palin and her failure as a Vice Presidential candidate through the prism of her past behavior. The short of it is she has proven to be very ambitious, extremely petty, lazy, vain, and only effective when someone else does the heavy lifting (and usually gets fired shortly thereafter). She has a knack for creating new friends and making enemies of old friends. Basically she is gorgeous but she glides along by personality alone.

John Hodgman Correspondents' Dinner Speech - Hilarious speech from a few weeks ago where he calls Obama the first nerd President. Worth watching with many funny moments and a game President.


Dumbest Moments in Business in 2009 (so far) - Click the link for a slideshow that summarizes the various acts of stupidity and poor planning that effected business so far this year.

The Onion: Taco Bell's Green Menu - Amusing skit from The Onion introducing Taco Bell's 100% unnatural menu that includes no ingredients from nature including the beef.

Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature

Links of the Day

Rachel Nichols as Scarlett Poster - Honestly only posting about it cause have a crush on the lovely Rachel Nichols and she looks outstanding in this poster for the upcoming G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra movie.

Franken Officially Wins Minnesota Senate Seat - After probably millions in legal bills and 8 months of waiting, Democrat Al Franken is now officially the Senator from Minnesota after the state Supreme Court ruled in his favor and the Republican governor signed the certificate of election. Starting tonight, Republicans will use the "filibuster proof" majority as proof that socialism, communism, and end times are coming.

Best Nude Scenes in Games - Rather strange looking versions of human nudity in video games. Sure some like it, I just find it bizarre especially a naked dude doing cartwheels.

Video Game - E3 2009 - X-Play

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 Trailer - Yep a new movie is coming, "The Squeakquel" that re-introduces the Chipettes to the next generation of fans.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Billy Mays Tribute - From G4's Attack of the Show, a small tribute to the late great pitchman Billy Mays.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Pirate Bay Dead? - The Pirate Bay has been sold for $7.7 million to a gaming company and plans to become a legit P2P service by introducing a decentralized way of not hosting torrent files. Long story short, the Pirate Bay as we know it will probably cease to exist by the end of August as the company tries to turn it into a money making enterprise which you can't do without first making moves to appease the RIAA and MPAA.

Watchman's Maximum Movie Mode - If didn't have a reason to get a Blu-ray player before you might now as the snippet of footage at the link above from an extra feature of Watchmen: Director's Cut shows information rich possibilities. I live commentaries and behind the scenes stuff (which it isn't just an butt kissing fest of the stars).

Links of the Day

Billy May, Pitchman, Dead at 50 - Sunday morning, famed pitchman and co-star of Discovery Channel's Pitchmen, was found dead by his wife. The autopsy report indicates he died due to heart failure, not a head injury as many news stories inferred. I watch his show and he seemed like a cool guy and pretty anyone that has stayed up late knows the face and loud happy voice. Condolences to his family. Image from here.

Oscar Rule Changes - Next year’s telecast of the Oscar's could have as high as 10 best movie nominees and zero best song due to rule changes. The song changes essentially requires the songs to be judged based on how they are used as a part of the movie rather then added as Oscar bait for the end credits. Considering how songs have been replaced with orchestration or older (cheaper) songs, it means that the possibilities are high that no one will get nominated.

Fall 2009 Premiere Dates - Click the link for a day by day breakdown for the premiere dates of the new fall season on the five major networks starting with the CW on September 8th.

Supreme Court rules in Favor of White Firefighters - In a surprise to no one, the Supreme Court rules 5-4 that white Connecticut firefighters were unfairly denied promotions. The promotions when it discovered that no minorities had passed the required exams. The Court said that it could not be proven that discrimination had occurred (nor was a case made on how the test was unfair to minorities). This is a rare recent case where I agree with the court. Tests shouldn't be re-written just to increase the odds of a certain group passing. While they should be written to be as neutral as possible, all should meet the same requirements.

Starcraft II Hands-On - It is starting to appear that Blizzard just might get the game out this year as Joystiq describes a hands-on session with the game and provides video. Probably the part I like best is a "spectator mode" that allows players to watch online matches and view stats, something that is difficult to do in the first game.

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon Dead

Michael Jackson Dead at 50
The legendary musician died Thursday night due to a cardiac arrest. The "King of Pop" had a career that most would only dream of having with 13 top 10 hits, multiple albums, the greatest selling album of all time with Thriller and more. He has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice as a solo artist and member of the Jackson 5. His later years were not marked by the quality of his work but by bizarre behavior. I always like him for his music and that is how I will remember him.


Farrah Fawcett Dead at 62
It seems these things come in threes. First Ed McMahon, then Farrah and shortly after Michael Jackson. It was supposed to be the day to remember her life but that has since been over shadowed by the King of Pop. In a way that is typical has her entire life was often in the shadow of other things whether Charlie’s Angels or her personal life. She wanted to become famous and on that she succeeded.

Ed McMahon Dead at 86
Ed was the perfect sidekick to the legendary Johnny Carson for thirty years bringing humor to generations in late night and helping influence late night television. This generation may remember him as a pitchman, but I would rather just remember him as one part of the greatest duo in television history.

Links of the Day

Olivia Munn, Playboy Cover Girl - The gorgeous and hilarious Olivia Munn is on the cover of Playboy. Amazingly enough she managed to do that by not being an A-list star nor appearing nude in the magazine (sadly) as she refused to do that.

Pixar Grants Girl's Dying Wish - A girl on her deathbed wanted to see Pixar's Up before dying but unable to get to the theatre to do so. When informed of her plight, the company flew an employee to her bed with a DVD copy of the movie for her to watch (but she couldn't as too much pain so had to go with descriptions instead). Seven hours later she died.

Georgia Theatre Burns - A 19th century theatre near the University of Georgia campus has essentially burned to the ground. The theatre, actually a bit of a dump, was the center of the Athens music scene that gave rise to REM, B-52s and the Indigo Girls. The assumption is they will rebuild but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't bother unless one of those bands stepped in to pay for it.

Starcraft Battle Report III - A new battle report that shows off the game play elements of the upcoming sequel to Starcraft.


God of War III Gameplay Footage - Thirteen minutes of God of War III for the PS3 that will be released next year. This game might just be enough to get me to finally get a PS3.

Video Games - E3 2009 - G4 Web Exclusive

Links of the Day - iPhone Edition

iPhone OS 3.0 Review - The new iPhone software update is now available for the masses. The result is an overall tweak to the performance that most will probably not notice (like me) but power users will (such as copy and paste and search). Click the link that breaks down the new features such as Spotlight search, stereo Bluetooth, auto fill, landscape keyboard and other tweaks.

Engadget iPhone 3GS Review - A software upgrade isn't the only thing in the works as the third generation iPhone is now available. The new 3GS has some new features that might make it worth signing over your soul for two more years with crappy AT&T service and unreliability. Overall the phone is a good purchase with greater speed and lots of bells and whistles that the regular 3G doesn't have like better camera, video recording, compass (great if use maps a lot), better smudge proof coating on glass, voice control. If you’re getting an iPhone for the first time, go ahead and pay the extra $100 for a 3GS, if you’re thinking of upgrading, well that is harder decision to make.

Gizmodo 3GS Review - Difference website, same product. A bit more glowing review to help in your decision.

AT&T Relaxes iPhone 3GS Subsidy Plans - Thanks to customer outcry (and a chance to sign people up for two more years), the company is offering early iPhone 3G buyers who bought that phone in the summer last year a chance to get the 3GS at $199 (16GB) or $299 (32GB), assuming you qualify (using whatever criteria AT&T feels like). Otherwise it’s either wait until the contract expires or pay $100 or more (again depending). For now I am going to take a wait and see approach.

Zicam Recall: Causes Loss of Sense of Smell - The FDA has finally caught up to what the internet and I knew several years ago, that Zicam is dangerous. From personal experience I can tell you that using Zicam caused me to lose my sense of smell for a day and online reports at the time confirmed that the state could be permanent for some users. Long story short, if anyone you know uses the stuff, make sure they throw it out ASAP and never buy it again. Remember, there is no cure for the common cold.

Links of the Day

Captain America Reborn - Probably to the surprise to anyone that reads comics, Steve Rogers as Captain America will return starting this summer. The character was killed in March of 2007 as part of a plot from his arch enemy the Red Skull. How he returns is the main question but so is what happens to his replacement, Bucky Barnes and Rogers' girlfriend Sharon Carter who fired the fatal bullets when while hypnotized by a Skull co-conspirator. I guess this is Marvel's response to DC's Blackest Night that sees the dead rise to destroy the DCUniverse and the Green Lantern Corps. If interested, a five page preview of Reborn is here and an interview with its editor Tom Brevoort is here.

Top 10 Game Trailers from E3 - Click the link to find all the trailers for the games that were teased at last week’s video game conference. My favorite was Metroid: The Other M.

Fox Fall Start Released - The network has released when it plans on debuting the new seasons of its new and returning shows starting on September 16th with Glee and on through to September 29 with Think You Can Dance. Click the link to find out when your favorites return.

Wanted 2 - It has been confirmed by Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov that Wanted 2 will start pre-production in July. The expectation is to start filming by end of the year. Despite Angelina Jolie's character taking a bullet in the head, she is expected to return along with James McAvoy.

24 Stop Motion Films - Click the link for a bunch of Lego recreations of movie scenes. Some use actually sounds and music from the movies and other don't (probably for copyright fears). Regardless the result is a lot of work and some entertainment for our amusement.

Apple's WWDC 2009

The keynote address for Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference for 2009 was held today. Usually Apple uses this as the means to promote its new line-up of hardware and software and they didn't disappoint. They have announced a new OS X upgrade called Snow Leopard, update to their line of MacBooks, and the new iPhone 3G S. The video of the keynote is here.

iPhone 3G S
- Third generation iPhone, launches June 19th.
- Price: 16GB $199, 32GB $299 | iPhone 3G (no S) 8gb $99
- Faster processor, 3 megapixel camera, auto focus, auto white balance, 30fps VGA video with audio recording.
- Includes voice control for basic functions like playing songs, making a phone call, etc, built-in digital compass so maps can orient to your direction
- Comparison chart here, Apple's guided tour here.

iPhone 3G 3.0 Software
- Software will be out June 17th.
- Includes cut and paste, landscape mode for keyboard, improved Safari, Autofill forms, and other tweaks.
- MMS support if supported by carrier.
- New Spotlight that allows search of content on the iPhone.
- iTunes now allows downloads of movies to the device.
- Tethering capability native to the OS, if supported by carrier (most will probably charge extra to use).
- Find iPhone feature - use MobileMe account to find iPhone or cause it to make a noise to look for it (if say lost in the house). Also can remote wipe data.

Macbooks
- updated 15'' ($1699 - $2299) and 17'' ($2499), new 13'' line ($1199 or $1499)
- unibody design, built in battery with longer life and SD card slot.
- Macbook Air also tweaked with new price range of $1499 or $1799.

Snow Leopard
- Update to OS X that builds on previous Leopard update.
- Price: $29 single or $49 for family pack.
- Tweaks existing features such as better icon previews, improved Finder, faster installs that recovers space after, dock clutter reduction called Expose, and more.
- Added Exchange 2007 support for Mail.
- Change to 64bit architecture (which will be a problem for older software).

Links of the Day

Colbert Report in Iraq - Stephen Colbert is reporting to Iraq for a week of shows that start airing tonight. To kick off the event, he got a military style haircut to show solidarity with the troops. Below is a brief cameo he made for a high school graduation commencement speech from their principle that shows off the new style.


E3 Press Conferences - The video game celebration is over but fortunately Gamespot has including all three press conferences in their entirely from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony for our enjoyment.

Conan's Super Mario Set - Amusing response from Conan O'Brien at the observation that the background of his set looked like it was inspired by Super Mario Bros.


Oprah Plus Health Equals Bad Advice - In a rather gutsy move, Newsweek actually took a chance and attacked Oprah Winifrey regarding her guests their advice about health care. Oprah's has made a career of trying to sell people simple solutions to complicated problems, not necessary in anyone's best interest. For example, The Secret, which basically says good things, will happen if you wish for it long enough while glossing over that if was the case then bad things must happen for the same reason. Or Suzanne Somers phobia of old age that includes a crap load of plastic surgery and endless supply of shots and pills (about 80 a day). All this sold to her willing audience who go out and blindly follow it (being on her show is a guaranteed burst to the bottom line). Her claim is her audience researches her advice, as if that absolves her of not bothering to do more then give lip service to the opposing viewpoint. The end result is Oprah uses her reputation to sell nonsense and clearly doesn't care. Take her shows advice at your own risk should be the spoken warning.

Links of the Day

David Carradine Dead at 72 - "Kung Fu" actor David Carradine died today in his Bangkok hotel from a possible suicide. The details are not known. The actor rose to fame playing a Buddhist monk in Kung Fu and later for his role in the Kill Bill movies. Condolences to his family. His life in pictures here.

1 vs. 100 May Change Video Games - Microsoft is getting ready to release a new game that is going to very closely follow its TV counterpart with scheduled "show times", seasons, and specific times of play. Only difference is thousands will be able to play during those times either as the 1 or the 100 in a competition for XBox Live freebies as questions is generated on the spot with a real host voicing the virtual host to make it more authentic. The goal is to create a primetime lineup of games for subscribers. The concept as a whole is pretty intriguing and if it works could result in a whole new spectrum of gaming.

Avengers Assemble Logos - Marvel has solidified its plans for the movies that will introduce the major characters for the Avengers Assemble plans that will culminate in The Avengers film in 2012. Marvel is basically taking its unified universe concept that drives comics to the movie screen.

Harry Potter 6 TV Spots - Click the link and scroll down a little bit to find 7 TV spots for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince that is coming out in July. The film is looking good.

Dick Cheney Admits No Iraq Ties to 9/11 - Cheney spent many years using the lie that Saddamn helped fund the 9/11 attacks as a means to sell the Iraq war to his right wing followers and other cowards. Now, he finally admits it is not true. It is just a shame that it took 4000+ American lives and trillion dollars to tell the truth to those that should have known better to begin with. This is why power should always, without exception, be questioned. Blind loyalty helps no one.

Links of the Day - E3 Edition

E3 has entered its second day so figured I would post links to the new information that has come out. I mostly skipped the XBox 360 stuff due in part to laziness and also just zero interest in their games.

PSP Go Officially Announced
Sony revealed the game industries work kept secret of a new system that is about the size of an iPhone when closed. It will rely on downloadable content, from games, music, videos, and TV to provide the entertainment. The price will be $250 and available in North America on October 1st. Tech Specs, Hands-On


God of War III Dated - The PS3 exclusive game is now scheduled to be released in March 2010 and is looking pretty darn sweep.

Final Fantasy XIV Announced - Essentially a sequel to FF11, it is a new MMORPG that will be a Playstation 3 exclusive. No details beyond that but click the link to view the teaser trailer.

Final Fantasy VII on PSN - Speaking of, Final Fantasy VII, the classic RPG from the Playstation era is now available for download from the Playstation network for $9.99. With a size of 1.32GB it might take a little while to download.

Nintendo Keynote - Click the link for a live blog of the keynote that introduced plans for Metroid: The Other M, New Super Mario Bros Wii (4 players at once), Super Mario Galaxy (90% new levels, 10% from first game with new goals), Mario and Luigi 3, Golden Sun DS and more.

Links of the Day

How Regular Movies Become IMAX Films - An interesting article from Gizmodo that gives an overview on how a film is converted to the oversized 70mm standard used for IMAX projection.

Last Titanic Survivor Died - Millvina Dean died Sunday at the age of 97. She was the last living survivor of the Titanic was an infant when the ship hit an iceberg on April 14th, 1912.

BBC Streaming TV in America? - Gizmodo is reporting that Google may offer a way for American's to watch BBC programming without the filter of BBC America which doesn't really show their best programming. No specific details announced but cross your fingers that it happens.

Batman: Arkam Asylum Dated - The North America release of the game has been set for August 25th and August 28th in Europe. Also, the PS3 exclusive content that allows you to play as the Joker will be free. For additional screenshots, click here.

Links of the Day - Mostly MTV Awards

GI Joe Clip - From the MTV Movie Awards, a scene from the movie that shows the Eiffel Tower under attack.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Harry Potter 6 Clip - A scene from the movie, introduced by the cast, that shows the first time Harry uses the memory pot (Pensieve) to explore the history of Tom Riddle aka Voldemort.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Eminem Freaks Over Bruno - It is unclear how much was planned and how much wasn't, but one thing is clear - Eminem was not a willing participant as "Bruno" lands head down, ass in the face of the rapper in a kind of sitting 69. The result was he and his entourage left the awards. Trust me, Eminem wasn't a willing participant as he is homophobic and doesn't really have a sense of humor. Which is good for Bruno as it was his reaction that made this an instant classic.


PSP Go Confirmed - The next version of the PSP has been confirmed, complete with "interview" with the lovely Veronica Belmont (always willing to sell geek cred to a product). The new device, release date and price unknown, will be UMD-less, have 3.8 inch screen, 43% lighter, 16GB flash memory, Bluetooth, memory stick micro slot, Playstation Network support and more. Full details should be released Tuesday at Sony's E3 press conference.

GM Filing for Bankruptcy - Well the inevitable has occurred, the company has no choice but to file for bankruptcy as efforts to cut costs have failed, especially since sales have not turned around. The result is the government will become a 60% stake stockholder in the company due to a $30 billion bailout. The exact ripple effect is unknown as it is highly likely that as jobs are cut, plants are closed, production slashed, and so forth their suppliers and business partners will also cut jobs or close completely. The end result is hundreds of thousands of jobs could be lost probably completely reversing the small recovery the economy was taking.

Links of the Day

Wikipedia Bans Scientology - The website has decided to block all IP addresses associated with the business due to its constant efforts to try and edit any articles that might paint the organization in a bad light. Scientology has had a long war with the internet as it’s tried to have anything "bad" removed from the website using lawyers, harassment, and threats. The church has made it clear that free speech is not a concept they think should apply only to them.

Fan Made Green Lantern Trailer - A new fan made trailer for Green Lantern with Nathan Fillion (Firefly) in the Hal Jordan role. The trailer adapts footage from multiple movies to pull off the trailer that looks pretty damn good.


G.I. Joe Clip - Click the link for a clip in the upcoming movie that shows off some of the action and especially the lovely Sienna Miller as the Baroness. From what little I have seen its look like it might be a fun popcorn flick.

Toy Story 3 Teaser - A cute little teaser trailer for the movie that is coming out next year in 3-D that shows that the entire cast is returning. The trailer is also attached to Up that is in theatres starting today.

The Tonight Show Changes Hands - After tonight, Jay Leno moves to Primetime and Conan O'Brien takes over the Tonight Show, a late night institution that is about 40 years old (I think). Overall this should be an improvement over Leno's rather boring comedy that only an old fart would love. Of course this means that NBC's primetime fortunes are only going to get worse.

Torchwood: Children of Earth Trailer - The new season of Torchwood, a UK based TV show, starts this July. The season is really more of a mini-series of about 5 or so episodes regarding one main plot of all children on Earth somehow being taken over by aliens.

Links of the Day - Courts Edition

Obama Picks Sotomayor for Supreme Court - In an effort to seat the first Hispanic on the court, Obama picked Sonia Sotomayor has his candidate for the high court. As expected, the GOP objects to the choice saying she allows personal views to dictate her rulings, ironic considering Antonin Scalia does that all the time (see below). I don't know enough about her to know if this good pick but what little I have read suggests her only outstanding trait as a judge is she is a Hispanic as her rulings have not been particularly ground breaking or compelling. Before it’s all over, we will know more then we probably want to about the woman so hopefully that first impression is incorrect.

Supreme Court Reverse Michigan v Jackson - The court overturned the 86 ruling that authorities had to stop questioning defendants once they ask for a lawyer. Now police can pretty much tear into defendants as long as they want until a lawyer is actually on the scene. Scalia's argument for the ruling, "there is little if any chance that a defendant will be badgered into waiving his right to have counsel present during interrogation". Basically it’s the "trust me!" defense, the same used for the Patriot Act (which lead to warrantless wiretapping of Americans), questing defendants (which lead to a need for the Miranda rights), torture and so forth. It would be a rather long list if tried to named abuse of rules by authorities, bosses and pretty much anyone. Once again, Scalia allowed his personal views to dictate his rulings.

Caifornia Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8 - In a surprise to no one that knows even a little about the law, the court upheld that Prop 8 CA constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage. On the bright side the 18000 currently legally married remain legal. Considering a Supreme Courts job is to weigh in on the constitutionality of the law, a legally passed amendment by definition is constitutional. At this point the only way to reverse the decision (cause the Supreme Court isn't) would be for another constitutional amendment.

Beware CircuitCity.com - While the stores are defunct, the website will live on due to recent purchase by Systemmax. However, I don't recommend ever ordering anything from the site as their return policy is very rigid. For example, the site can refuse a refund or replace a product at any time. They also refuse to accept return on any Compag, IBM, HP, Toshiba, Epson and other computer vendors. Basically, you by something from them, whether it works or not, you’re stuck with it.

Mike Tyson's Daughter Dies - The once boxing king's four year old daughter died today accidently hanging herself on a treadmill cord at home last night. What makes it tragic beyond the death of a child for me is the Tyson was about to regain some of his fame with a new documentary and summer movie, now tarnished by this loss. Condolences to the family.

Heroes Recreates SNL's Jizz in My Pants - Using some creative editing from Heroes over the last few seasons, a new video for the amusing song from SNL.

Links of the Day

The Voice of Mickey Mouse Dies - Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse since 1977, died last Sunday from diabetes at the age of 62. He was married to the voice of Minnie Mouse, Russi Taylor. Below is an interview with the two.


Obama Signs Credit Card Bill - The President has signed into the law the bill that curbs some of credit card companies more questionable choices in an attempt to pad their bottom line with little effort on their part.

1st Use of Assisted Suicide Law - For the first time, Washington's new suicide law has been used by a 66 year old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The question wasn't would she die, just when and in how much pain and misery. I think more laws of this nature should be passed as people should have the right to choose how they die. It isn't just an issue of life...but of quality of life. The act of breathing should not be the only qualifier in these decisions.

Poison Ivy in Batman: Arkham Asylum - This game just gets better and better looking. Now the fear is it may not live up to its hype but until then, enjoy the introduction to Poison Ivy.


Right-winger Waterboards, Realizes the Obvious - What is it with these right wingers and inability to recognize reality without themselves first experiencing it? They are against any healthcare reform because their insurance is just fine. They think the poor are just whiners as they try to figure out which house to spend their weekend in. They are removed from reality while claiming they understand things. And technically that is possible. This practice continues with waterboarding. Intelligent people can come to the conclusion that the illusion of drowning as water is poured down your throat and nose is a form of torture but as right-winger radio host Mancow Muller illustrates, it is only direct experience that leads to the obvious conclusion. Before then he thought getting dumped in water was like laying in a bathtub. What?!? At least he is willing to put action were his mouth was and re-evaluate his conclusions, which is better than some (that coward Hannity).


Special Comment on Cheney - Keith Olbermann aired another commentary on Dick Cheney and his continued fear mongering as he tries to secure his legacy. His speech yesterday on national security, less than an hour after the Presidents was more of the same. He basically spent the entire time claiming that no responsibility for his actions and blaming others for the bad press that has come out over the last few months about the Bush Administration. When not doing that he kept invoking 9/11 as a protective cloak and trying to continue to strike fear. Essentially he was speaking to the Boss Rush audience. The GOP continues to die and it couldn't happen to a worse party. Hopefully whatever emerges from the carcass will do better.

Links of the Day

CW 2009-2010 TV Schedule - The last network has finally revealed its schedule. Cancellations include Everybody Hates Chris, Privileged, and sadly Reaper. Renewals for Smallville, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, and 90210. New shows are the usual sexy people without money problems get themselves in trouble while having lots of sex that the network likes called Beautiful Life, Melrose Place, and Vampire diaries. The only major movie is to switch Smallville to the day shows go to die - Friday. Rather odd considering the effort that went into renewing the program. The main thing is Supernatural gets to finish its five year run so I am happy.

Ghostbuster 3 Coming Soon? - It appears a revival of the franchise is in full swing that started off with a video game. Now Dan Aykroyd is saying that the film could start filming this winter with the entire original cast returning to hand off the Ghostbusters job to a new generation. Dan mentioned Alyssa Milano and Eliza Dushku as two people he wouldn't mind putting on the jumpsuit for the movie. Long story short, people are interested but nothing is greelit just yet.

V Teaser Trailer - ABC has released a trailer for their next season show "V" that indicates that at least some of the elements of the original series will be retained such as the lizard insides that the human looking shell is hiding.


Consumerist Tests the Snuggie - Meg Marco (who turns out to be pretty cute) and Ben Popken help test the snuggie. The end result is the thicker hospital gown is cheaply made, causes lots of static and sheds lint like a cat in the middle of summer. At least your butt will be easily exposed when going to the bathroom just like a hospital gown.


Terminator Salvation Reviews - Basically this movie is getting savaged by online critics such as IO9 and AICN. They are actually angry with how bad the movie is, probably due to their disappointment. The problems seem to be numerous, from poorly acted lines, to poorly written lines, bad stage direction (but good action scenes), huge logic holes (why would Skynet bother to build human interfaces into their components), and just a complete failure to give the movie any urgency and concern for any of the characters. Essentially, if you’re going, cut your brain off and just enjoy the action and try not to think about it too much.

Links of the Day

CBS 2009-2010 TV Schedule - The number one network has revealed their schedule for next season and their model is to stick with what works by cancelling some cop shows with other cop shows. The network has cancelled Eleventh Hour, The Unit and Without A Trace. Renewals include Amazing Race, the CSIs, Criminal Minds, Numbers, and How I Met Your Mother. Several news shows are in the works. One is NCIS: LA, which follows a unit as they use their undercover skills to take down various criminal and terrorists organizations. Accidentally On Purpose stars Jenna Elfman as an annoying woman (she always plays those) that is preggers after a one night stand. The Good Wife is a legal drama following Julianna Margulies' character becoming a defense attorney again after her husband's sex scandal lands him in jail. Decent cast, could be good if the show doesn't become to full of itself. Three Rivers covers the drama of dealing with organ donation from getting it, to delivering it to putting them in. Considering I find people's refusal to donate to always be an incredibly boring (and stupid) every time it is used, I don't think I could tolerate entire episodes of it. Schedule wise, the biggest change is The Mentalist is moved to Thursday after CSI essentially becoming the new "Must See TV" in TV land. More info at the link above.

Credit Card Bill Passes Congress - While it’s not the usury laws we still need, at least it is a step in the right direction as Congress, in a rare display of bipartisanship, passed the bill designed to curb card companies gouging. Sadly it just makes it more difficult to get screwed, not actually stop the screwing. New rules include ban on rate hikes for bills less than 60 days late, force payments applied on highest rated debt first rather than last, and require 45 day notice for rate increases (rather just doing it and you being surprised on your next bill). Credit card companies say that the changes would force them to charge higher rates (cause 30% isn't enough apparently) and maybe restart annual fees (which would be cheaper then 30% interest rates). Whatever. I have faith the companies will devise new ways to screw consumers considering that most of their gains wasn't based on borrow/payback business arrangement but a series of random nickel and diming schemes that are pure profit and nothing else.

Links of the Day

NBC 2009-2010 Schedule - NBC officially announced its schedule which includes Leno on at 10pm for the foreseeable future. Cancellation include American Gladiators (which should have stuck with summers), Kath and Kim, Knight Rider, My Name is Earl and Medium (moving to CBS). Renewals include the Law and Orders, The Office, Southland, Chuck and others. The schedule, overall, seems to be designed to make it easy for NBC to get run over by the other networks. New shows include kind of a mimic of How I Met Your Mother only it uses a questionnaire as the starting point for the episodes. Their high concept show, Day One, follows a group after a global catastrophe that will probably suffer the usually problem of holding to much back thinking it would be needed for future seasons. Since ER is done, NBC is dipping into the medical well with Mercy (follows nurses instead) and Trauma (follows paramedics). Likely the first casualty of the season will be Parenthood, an attempt to be like Brothers and Sisters with a fantastic cast that instead will simply remind people of their own problems rather than allow them to escape from them.

ABC 2009-2010 TV Schedule - Their turn to show and tell. Cancellations include According to Jim, Samantha Who, and According to Jim. Renewals for Better off Ted, Scrubs, Castles, Ugly Betty and more. Following the formula of why fix what isn't broke, few shows get moved around, in most cases the new programs are being slotted to fill in the cancelled programming. Multiple new shows in the works. Cougar Town with Courtney Cox as hot single mom looking for love, likely an earlier casualty, The Deep End which is a law drama that follows four young lawyers (apparently after done doing all the boring grunt work that doesn't involve trials). Eastwick, based on the novel that the movie was based on follows the adventures of three hot witches. Execution will be key but something tells me it will not last long. Day One follows what happens after humanity experiences their individual near future and cast members attempt to avoid (or not) that future. Big concept and another where hiding too many cards just in case could be disastrous. Kelsey Grammer returns to TV in Hank as a once rich powerful guy now out of work and nearly broke. Fan of the very gorgeous Melinda McGraw so will try it out. Honestly though it sounds like another variation of his previous characters and probably will not last long. V returns to television with a re-imaging of the TV series as aliens that attempt to conquer the world not with violence but promises of a better future. The problem is the price...humanity is their food source. The original series was entertaining but suffered from crappy budget and writers running out of ideas. Hopefully this one will focus on the political intrigue and fight for control and less the personal conflicts of the individual heroes. Either way I will watch, if only for the very gorgeous Morena Baccarin (short hair not doing her any favors). For a sneak peak, click here for a few clips.

NBC's Not So Hitmaker - Ben Silverman was hired two years ago to turn around NBC and the result is a network firmly entrenched in 4th that has no abandoned the 10pm in a quest to simply save money. As the upfront schedule shows, turnaround is not even close to coming as the upcoming slates of programs are weak at best. At the link, an article that covers the last two years of excuses as NBC's planned rising star is probably one season away from losing his job.

Huge Lego Corellian Corvette - Click the link for a gallery of images of a fan made 12 foot long, complete detailed interiors of the Corellian Corvette. He has also created the world's largest Millennium Falcon from Lego.

Links of the Day

Fox 2009-2010 Schedule Announced - Fox is returning a bunch of series including House, Bones, 24, Fringe, and Dollhouse but cancelled Terminator, Prison Break and others. New shows include "Brothers", Family Guy spinoff The Cleveland Show, Glee, and the Human Target (commercial here) among others. The schedule is getting a little re-arrangement, notable Lie to Me being paired with House on Monday, and Bones and Fringe working together on an already very competitive night. Full details at the link.

Video Game Wallpapers - Click the link for a look at wallpaper inspired by video games, most notably the 8-bit and 16-bit era.

Astro Boy Teaser Trailer - A movie based on the '60 era manga from Japan is coming in August and unlike Speed Racer (which I still think was very entertaining); this one will go the computer animated route. The result looks like an interesting film. Too early to make a final call on watchability.


Starcraft Terran Marine - Amusing video that mixes Starcraft 2 teaser trailer with first Starcraft game footage.


Batman: Arkham Asylum Game Play Footage - Click the link for a demo of an example of the game play for the upcoming game for the next gen consoles. It does look like a lot of fun and also a game I would absolutely suck at.

Links of the Day

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Links of the Day

8-Bit Fatalities - An amusing homage to the NES days that shows famous Nintendo and arcade characters killing their enemies in various gruesome ways.

How Legos Were Made in the 80s - Click the link to see how they bricks where made more than 20 years ago. Click here to see how it has changed.

Zach Interviews Natalie Portman - A funny "interview" with the gorgeous and very game Natalie Portman and her dog as many awkward pauses occur.

Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

Extended Terminator 4 Trailer - A four minute long internet only trailer for the upcoming movie. Click the link for the HD version for apple or just enjoy the YouTube embed below.


Blizzard Universe, Lego Style - Click the link for a gallery of Blizzard properties such as Starcraft and Warcraft re-created with Legos.

Links of the Day

Kindle DX Announced - Amazon has announced a new version based on the Kindle 2 platform. It’s essentially the same thing but a larger device for a larger 9.7'' screen, more memory (but no SD slot), native PDF support (regular Kindle doesn't have that), auto landscape/portrait rotation (like iPhone does), and keyboard takes up less room. It still lacks color and backlight, costs $489 (about hundred more than regular version), and seems aimed for school books and newspaper readers. Still a pass for me.

More info: First impressions | Size comparison | Hands-On video

Bank of America Needs $33.9 Billion - This is on top of the $45 billion from the US taxpayers via TARP. The bank that pretty much is the creator of every crappy act that banks engage in to screw the customer (that other companies quickly copy) is now asking for more help. This is an easy call...let the company fail. Their business practices are so foul they simple don't deserve to exist.

Family Guy Movie Planned - Still in the early stages, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has indicated that fox wants to make a theatrical movie of the cartoon series. Currently it is in the pre-script stage as the Guy team works on the series.

Old Dr. Pepper Recipe Found - While they are not sure if it is the first recipe for the soda or a tonic, they do believe it is from the same Waco, Texas drugstore that first created the fantastic soft drink. The ledger containing the recipe was found by Bill Waters in an antiques store. The hope is to get around $75,000 at auction.

The Hunt for Gollum - Made for only $5,000 a decent movie based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Click the link for the film, trailers and behind the scenes stuff.

Links of the Day

Dom Deluise Dead at 75 - Sad day in the comedy world as comedian Dom DeLuise, probably after a year plus long fight with cancer. Dom was in multiple movies and TV programs over the years including The Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit II, An American Tail, and many others. "I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much," Burt Reynolds says.


AIG Bonuses 3x Bigger - Remember those bonuses that AIG claimed were critical to the company (and mostly going to the division that necessitated the bailout)? Yeah turns out that $120 million was off just a bit. The real value was $454 million. Yep, nothing like corporate America to let you fail forward once you get at a certain executive level.

Wolverine Sequel in the Works - After a healthy world wide opening weekend of around $160 million, Hugh Jackman is ready to move ahead on a sequel. Right now it’s in the idea phrase with Jackman indicating he wouldn't mind doing a story on Logan's Samurai background from the comics.

Auto Tune the News - Funny video that uses new click and Kanye West's favorite music tool to make it seem if footage from news programs is "singing" along with some creative additions.

Links of the Day

NBC Upfronts - The last place channel has announced most of its schedule as the goal is to cut costs and no worry about viewers. The result is only a few new shows and emphasis on reality. Cancelled shows include Life, Knight Rider, and Kath & Kim. On the bubble and undecided is Chuck (but prospects are good), Medium (ditto), and Law & Order (50/50, costs being the issue). Now that NBC has ceded the 10pm slot to the competition (it should just follow the Fox model and let the individual stations use 10pm how they see fit), the new shows include Parenthood (yep based on the movie about an oversized family a la Brothers and Sisters), Trauma (think ER only following paramedics), Mercy (Grey's Anatomy from the nurse's perspective), Day One (consequences of everyone one earth seeing their future) and two comedies.

Olympic Cover-Up - Turns out the Beijing Opening Ceremony was going to have a dance from a single girl but an accident involving the floor opening too quickly and prematurely resulted in her getting paralyzed from the waist down. Which the Chinese government quickly covered up as to avoid any bad press. The end result is the girl can't dance and is being used as a figurehead for whatever propaganda they need. Considering the Chinese consider the handicap as nothing more than a drain on resources, she has a tough life ahead of her.

Lego Star Wars Minifigs Gallery - Click the link to view a gallery of all the Lego Star Wars figures created in the last 10 or so years. Pretty cool what they put together for those tiny figures.

Digital Camera Recommendations - A nice tool that helps you choose a digital camera based on basic criteria like use, size, and price. If you’re like me who only wants it to work, it’s a useful way to get pointed in the right direction of a purchase. Still do your research, mainly because not all cameras are reflected in the choices and not sure what criteria are used in making the recommendations.

Denise Richards' Fun Bags - An amusing video with a willing Richards that highlight her "fun bags". Yep, she is fake but still gorgeous and with a sense of humor too.

Denise Richards' Funbags from Denise Richards

Links of the Day

Credit Card Legislation - A new bill "Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights" has passed the House that might help relieve some of the more harsh credit card practices. Sadly it does not go so far as re-enable usury laws so 30% interest rates are probably going to remain the norm. However, it does offer protection such as banning universal default (late on a different bill increases your CC interest rate), APR can only increase in certain circumstances such as promo rate expired or index increases, bans double cycle billing, and other things. Sad this is something that Republicans never did for their 8 years in power and Democrats are doing it in the first few months.

CEO Perks as Pay Falls - As expected, while CEO's are getting less, they have made it up with perks, bonuses etc. Quite literally too as pay went down 7% but perks increased 7%. Why shareholders put up with this I will never understand as with few exceptions (Apple and Jobs) CEOs are rarely a driving force in a company’s success. Most seem easily replaced with almost little effort, proving how irrelevant they are to day to day operations. It’s also why companies continue to endure problems as the perk system rewards short term improvements rather than long term planning. In effect, including getting "fired" a CEO will make more money improving a company for a year but killing it in the long term then they would building it over the years. Basically it is a system in real need of reform and now is a good time as any to do it.

2009 TV Lands Award Intro - Neil Patrick Harris hosted the awards and met a heck of a reel on why he should probably be in the running for Emmy or Oscar host as he brings a depth of skill, intelligence and humor as the intro shows.


New G.I. Joe Trailer - A new trailer for the movie coming out in August hit the web and the result is a movie that might actually be worth watching.


Condoleeza Rice Admits to Torture? - In an exchange with Stanford students, former Secretary of State Rice might have admitted to breaking the law. The argument, of course, comes down to how you define torture. The Bush administration went through some massive hoops to define it differently than it has been for the last 100 years. So if go by their definition, then she did nothing right. If go by conventional wisdom, she did.