American Chopper Lawsuit: Paul Teutul Sr. Sues Son Paul Jr.
December 28, 2009
"The father/son team behind the hit TV series American Chopper may be heading to court. Paul Teutul, Sr. has filed a lawsuit against son Paul Teutul, Jr. over who has control of Orange County Choppers, the family company made famous by the long-running reality show. Paul Tuetul, Sr. claims his son misappropriated assets and took part in 'competitive business activities' that damaged the company.
Through the Paul Teutel lawsuit, dad hopes to buy out his son's shares in Orange County Choppers. According to court documents, Paul Sr. sent a letter to his son saying that he was exercising his option to buy out his son's share in the company. According to Paul Sr., his son never complied."
Through the Paul Teutel lawsuit, dad hopes to buy out his son's shares in Orange County Choppers. According to court documents, Paul Sr. sent a letter to his son saying that he was exercising his option to buy out his son's share in the company. According to Paul Sr., his son never complied."
Things to Worry About for the Coming Year
"The north magnetic pole is moving at 37 miles-a-year toward Russia, which means they're stealing it. Or the Earth's core is fluxing. Actually, nobody really knows what's happening. I just hope it's not a prelude to a catastrophic magnetic shift."
Kindle Milestone: Amazon Sold More Kindle Books Than Physical Books On Xmas
December 27, 2009
"Amazon's Kindle hit an important and startling milestone yesterday: On Christmas, the company sold more Kindle books than physical books.
Yes, this is obviously the result of everyone who got a Kindle for Christmas (lots of folks) firing it up and ordering a bunch of eBooks on a day in which most physical-book readers weren't shopping. But it's still important and impressive.
The Kindle's economics are still lousy for Amazon: The company loses money on new releases and makes only a modest amount on older titles, thus losing an estimated $1 per Kindle book."
Yes, this is obviously the result of everyone who got a Kindle for Christmas (lots of folks) firing it up and ordering a bunch of eBooks on a day in which most physical-book readers weren't shopping. But it's still important and impressive.
The Kindle's economics are still lousy for Amazon: The company loses money on new releases and makes only a modest amount on older titles, thus losing an estimated $1 per Kindle book."
Privacy Win: Cellphone Search Without Warrant Declared Illegal
Is Your Kindle Spying On You? (Yes.)
"If you don't want other people to know what you read, you probably shouldn't own an ereader. And you really shouldn't get a constantly connected Kindle or Nook, at least according to the EFF's eye-opening guide to ebook privacy."
Comcast settles data discrimination lawsuit
December 26, 2009
"Comcast Corp. has agreed to pay up to $16 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the cable TV operator of delaying transfers of large movie and music files despite promises of unfettered Internet access.
Comcast, which is the nation's largest Internet service provider, did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, but said it wanted 'to put this matter behind us.'
The company said it no longer engages in the network-management practices in question."
Comcast, which is the nation's largest Internet service provider, did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, but said it wanted 'to put this matter behind us.'
The company said it no longer engages in the network-management practices in question."
God Hates "Lady" Gaga
December 24, 2009
College Is So Not Worth It
Incremental Costs
"The downward trajectory of Blu-ray player prices matches DVD almost to the dollar—actually, Blu-ray's cheaper. And that's not considering inflation, or that the best players do a whole lot more than Blu-ray. It's not what Blu-ray makers wanted.
Sony was firm for a long time on not dipping below an MSRP of $300 to battle cheap Chinese players, but already by the end of last year, the Chinese manufacturers were losing just as much money as the big guys like Samsung. The chart, using data from the Envisioneering Group in the WSJ article, shows the average price of players for each format in the years following their launch—DVD in 1997, Blu-ray in 2006."
Sony was firm for a long time on not dipping below an MSRP of $300 to battle cheap Chinese players, but already by the end of last year, the Chinese manufacturers were losing just as much money as the big guys like Samsung. The chart, using data from the Envisioneering Group in the WSJ article, shows the average price of players for each format in the years following their launch—DVD in 1997, Blu-ray in 2006."
An Eerie Video Tour of the World's Largest, Deadest Shopping Mall
December 23, 2009
You are probably heartily sick of crowded malls by this point in the year. "South China Mall, built in Dongguan and more than twice as large as Minnesota's Mall of America, was completed in 2005. Today, it sits almost completely empty. It is, by any account, the world's largest ghost mall."
PBS video here.
PBS video here.
A Graphic History of Newspaper Circulation Over the Last Two Decades | The Awl
"Every six months, the Audit Bureau of Circulations releases data about newspapers and how many people subscribe to them. And then everyone writes a story about how some newspapers declined some amount over the year previous. Well, that's no way to look at data! It's confusing—and it obscures larger trends. So we've taken chunks of data for the major newspapers, going back to 1990, and graphed it, so you can see what's actually happened to newspaper circulation."
Was it free speech, or hate speech?
"If you denigrate someone's race with a common slur, is that freedom of speech, or a crime?
A 14-year-old white youth who used a racial slur to taunt a 17-year-old African American girl was convicted of 'disorderly conduct' in a North Dakota district juvenile court, but now the North Dakota Supreme Court is considering whether the boy's Constitutional First Amendment rights to free speech were violated."
A 14-year-old white youth who used a racial slur to taunt a 17-year-old African American girl was convicted of 'disorderly conduct' in a North Dakota district juvenile court, but now the North Dakota Supreme Court is considering whether the boy's Constitutional First Amendment rights to free speech were violated."
For all my students who were unhappy with their grades....
December 22, 2009
Alma
The bottom line
50 things that changed our lives in the aughts
Nothing Says Christmas like "Killing in the Name"
"Christmas songs are normally sedate, soppy affairs crooned by the likes of Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis and Mariah Carey. But on Sunday, Britain added an explicit, anarchic new anthem to the Xmas canon: Rage Against the Machine's 1992 rap-metal hit 'Killing in the Name.' And even Sir Paul McCartney thinks it belongs there.
That X-rated track -- which features the lyric '**** you I won't do what you tell me' -- became the United Kingdom's No. 1 Christmas single on Sunday, outselling its closest rival, a saccharine number from a reality TV star, by 50,000 copies. So why did the British public put an obscenity-filled, almost 20-year-old rant at the top of the holiday pop chart? Like millions of TV viewers, they wanted to bring Simon Cowell down a notch or two."
That X-rated track -- which features the lyric '**** you I won't do what you tell me' -- became the United Kingdom's No. 1 Christmas single on Sunday, outselling its closest rival, a saccharine number from a reality TV star, by 50,000 copies. So why did the British public put an obscenity-filled, almost 20-year-old rant at the top of the holiday pop chart? Like millions of TV viewers, they wanted to bring Simon Cowell down a notch or two."
Google fined $14,300 a day in France over books
December 21, 2009
"A Paris court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s expansion into digital books breaks France's copyright laws, and a judge slapped the Internet search leader with a euro10,000-a-day fine until it stops showing literary snippets.
Besides being fined the equivalent of $14,300 for each day in violation, Google was ordered to pay euro300,000 ($430,000) in damages and interest to French publisher La Martiniere, which brought the case on behalf of a group of French publishers."
Besides being fined the equivalent of $14,300 for each day in violation, Google was ordered to pay euro300,000 ($430,000) in damages and interest to French publisher La Martiniere, which brought the case on behalf of a group of French publishers."
Friends (No Laugh Track Version)
December 20, 2009
All Your Long Tail, Brownie and Wassup Needs
December 19, 2009
One-Liners Of The Decade: "The short quips, phrases and exclamations that defined the '00s."
The Fourth-Most Used Search Term By Toddlers This Year? Porn. Porn!
"A new study shows the top 100 search terms kids used in 2009, and whoo boy are we all in trouble.
'Youtube' is the winner across all age groups, with Facebook and Google rounding out the top three. In the four hole, the teens and the tweens are both searching for 'sex,' which is just good life practice. But kids seven and under apparently prefer to skip the formalities and search for straight-up porn. That's more than Club Penguin, more than the Cartoon Network, and way more than Hannah Montana."
'Youtube' is the winner across all age groups, with Facebook and Google rounding out the top three. In the four hole, the teens and the tweens are both searching for 'sex,' which is just good life practice. But kids seven and under apparently prefer to skip the formalities and search for straight-up porn. That's more than Club Penguin, more than the Cartoon Network, and way more than Hannah Montana."
Who Says You Can’t Make Money on Youtube?
"I'm sure plenty of you have seen the amazing 'Ataque de Panico!' video from Fede Alvarez by now, but here's how it paid off.His $300 video landed him a $30 million contract with Ghost House Pictures."
Microsoft Thought Police
December 18, 2009
"Microsoft's attempts to clean up the web by censoring Twitter users have fallen flat. Only a day after the Zune HD's Twitter app appeared in the shops it was 'updated' because users were upset that it stopped them from swearing.
Twitter users moaned that it was automatically abbreviating explicit words in users' tweets. It didn't even give them the option of determining when or which words should be censored."
Twitter users moaned that it was automatically abbreviating explicit words in users' tweets. It didn't even give them the option of determining when or which words should be censored."
Mary and Joseph billboard upsets NZ Catholics
Colbert's Duet With Alicia Keys
December 17, 2009
Photoshop Of Horrors Hall Of Shame, 2000-2009
Have The Simpsons Jumped the Shark?
"Thursday marks the [Simpsons'] two-decade anniversary – an event that serves as a reminder not only of the show’s extraordinary staying power, but also the extent to which it’s disappeared from the cultural conversation. While 'The Family Guy' and 'South Park' have kicked up controversy – tackling subjects like Scientology and abortion – 'The Simpsons' seems to have aged from envelope-pushing misfit to grandfatherly institution. But as John Ortved argues in 'The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History,' an oral history of the show's tumultuous rise and creative demise, the 'Simpsons’' legacy continues to be felt everywhere from 'Wall-E' to Barack Obama’s speechwriting.
Salon spoke to Ortved over the phone about the show’s effect on television comedy, Marge’s recent Playboy cover, and whether it's finally time to pull the plug."
Salon spoke to Ortved over the phone about the show’s effect on television comedy, Marge’s recent Playboy cover, and whether it's finally time to pull the plug."
Wiseman Retrospective
"To celebrate the recent acquisition of 36 newly struck prints of films by Frederick Wiseman (American, b. 1930), The Museum of Modern Art presents a comprehensive retrospective of the director’s work, from January 20 through December 31, 2010.
Wiseman’s debut film, 'Titicut Follies', is a landmark of nonfiction cinema, exposing the horrifying conditions at a state prison hospital for the criminally insane. It is still the only ever to have been censored by a U.S. court for reasons other than national security or obscenity. His absurdist masterpiece 'Welfare' (1975) is a purgatorio of crippling bureaucracy that culminates in one man’s unforgettable monologue about "the whole rigmarole of forms—papers, papers, papers" (unsurprisingly, Wiseman would later adapt Welfare into an opera). 'Belfast, Maine', (1999) is his poignant study of a New England port town that has fallen on hard times—a portrait of lobstermen and factory workers, shop owners and city officials, doctors, judges, and teachers—and a profound meditation on American resiliency, faith, and industry."
Wiseman’s debut film, 'Titicut Follies', is a landmark of nonfiction cinema, exposing the horrifying conditions at a state prison hospital for the criminally insane. It is still the only ever to have been censored by a U.S. court for reasons other than national security or obscenity. His absurdist masterpiece 'Welfare' (1975) is a purgatorio of crippling bureaucracy that culminates in one man’s unforgettable monologue about "the whole rigmarole of forms—papers, papers, papers" (unsurprisingly, Wiseman would later adapt Welfare into an opera). 'Belfast, Maine', (1999) is his poignant study of a New England port town that has fallen on hard times—a portrait of lobstermen and factory workers, shop owners and city officials, doctors, judges, and teachers—and a profound meditation on American resiliency, faith, and industry."
Limiting TV increases calories burned: UVM study
"This may not come as a shock, but lots of TV watching puts you at greater risk for obesity.
A new study by researchers at the University of Vermont puts a scientific stamp on this common-sense presumption: Adults whose TV viewing time was cut in half burned more calories -- which in turn reduced their weight.
'Effects of Television Viewing Reduction on Energy Intake and Expenditure in Overweight and Obese Adults' appears in the Dec. 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The lead author is Jennifer J. Otten, who conducted the research with several colleagues at UVM. (Otten is now at the Stanford University medical school)."
A new study by researchers at the University of Vermont puts a scientific stamp on this common-sense presumption: Adults whose TV viewing time was cut in half burned more calories -- which in turn reduced their weight.
'Effects of Television Viewing Reduction on Energy Intake and Expenditure in Overweight and Obese Adults' appears in the Dec. 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The lead author is Jennifer J. Otten, who conducted the research with several colleagues at UVM. (Otten is now at the Stanford University medical school)."
Pixar's Up Trailer Recut (Gran Torino)
Record number of journalists killed in 2009
"The November massacre of 30 media workers in the Philippines made 2009 the deadliest year ever for journalists, according to a report by a press advocacy group.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says in a report to be released Thursday that at least 68 journalists were killed in 2009, a 60 percent increase over 2008, when 42 deaths were recorded.
'What stands out is that three quarters are killed deliberately for their work, and in 85 percent of these cases no one is brought to justice,' CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said in a telephone interview Wednesday. 'This has a poisonous effect on good journalism.'"
The Committee to Protect Journalists says in a report to be released Thursday that at least 68 journalists were killed in 2009, a 60 percent increase over 2008, when 42 deaths were recorded.
'What stands out is that three quarters are killed deliberately for their work, and in 85 percent of these cases no one is brought to justice,' CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said in a telephone interview Wednesday. 'This has a poisonous effect on good journalism.'"
Union attacks BBC over 'Should gay people be killed?' talkboard post
"The journalists' union has attacked the BBC over the World Service online talkboard discussion that asked if homosexuals should be executed, saying the post was 'overly sensationalist' and could encourage hatred of gay people.
After an emergency meeting of the World Service news and current affairs chapel of the National Union of Journalists late yesterday, the union issued a statement expressing concern about yesterday's talkboard post.
The post, which asked website users 'Should homosexuals face execution?, was designed to generate debate ahead of interactive programme Africa Have Your Say, which aired yesterday at 4pm and looked at proposed anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda."
After an emergency meeting of the World Service news and current affairs chapel of the National Union of Journalists late yesterday, the union issued a statement expressing concern about yesterday's talkboard post.
The post, which asked website users 'Should homosexuals face execution?, was designed to generate debate ahead of interactive programme Africa Have Your Say, which aired yesterday at 4pm and looked at proposed anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda."
Google.cn vs. Google.com
December 15, 2009
A comparison between Chinese Google and American Google.
Turn it down! House voting today to limit volume on TV ads
"Television viewers jarred by abrupt spikes in volume during commercial breaks might someday be able to give their mute buttons a rest.
Irritated with loud commercials, the California Democrat found it also was a common complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. So she drafted a bill aimed at preventing TV ads from playing noticeably louder than the programs they sponsor.
The House is scheduled to vote today on the bill. An identical measure has been introduced in the Senate. Even if they become law, will viewers notice much difference? Maybe, maybe not, some experts say.
Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, said Congress should have higher priorities than strident commercials.
"The idea that this is a problem that is so big that it requires legislative action is incredibly absurd," he said. "I don't think anyone's ears have ever been damaged by this.""
Irritated with loud commercials, the California Democrat found it also was a common complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. So she drafted a bill aimed at preventing TV ads from playing noticeably louder than the programs they sponsor.
The House is scheduled to vote today on the bill. An identical measure has been introduced in the Senate. Even if they become law, will viewers notice much difference? Maybe, maybe not, some experts say.
Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, said Congress should have higher priorities than strident commercials.
"The idea that this is a problem that is so big that it requires legislative action is incredibly absurd," he said. "I don't think anyone's ears have ever been damaged by this.""
The Dangers of TV
"The number of children killed or injured by falling television sets appears to have risen even as more consumers replace their clunky old TVs with lighter flat screens, studies suggest.
The reason for the rise isn't clear but could result from traditional TV sets becoming heavier and, an industry official suggests, households choosing a flat screen for their main TV and relegating old sets to rickety furniture in other rooms.
A team from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio reviewed data from 100 emergency rooms and estimated that about 14,700 furniture-related injuries occurred each year between 1990 and 2007 — almost half due to TV sets, the most common article involved in the accidents — and resulted in about 300 deaths."
The reason for the rise isn't clear but could result from traditional TV sets becoming heavier and, an industry official suggests, households choosing a flat screen for their main TV and relegating old sets to rickety furniture in other rooms.
A team from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio reviewed data from 100 emergency rooms and estimated that about 14,700 furniture-related injuries occurred each year between 1990 and 2007 — almost half due to TV sets, the most common article involved in the accidents — and resulted in about 300 deaths."
100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top Scientists
December 14, 2009
Yeah, I know you're sick of lectures at this point, but ...thanks to the Internet, and our list of 100 incredible lectures, you’ve now got access to the cutting edge theories and projects that are changing the world.
Is the DVR Helping or Hurting Your Favorite Show?
December 13, 2009
"The huge year-end data packet that the Nielsen Company just popped in our inbox is an all-you-can-eat buffet for culture consumers who love to dine on top 10 lists. What was 2009’s most-watched regular series? The Wednesday edition of “American Idol,” of course. The single most-watched telecast? Super Bowl XLIII, natch. The program with the most occurrences of product placement? “The Jay Leno Show,” with 1,015 placements since its September debut. (Yowza.)
We could spend all day regurgitating this stuff, but we’d like to point your attention in particular to Nielsen’s list of the top 10 time-shifted prime time television programs. These aren’t the 10 most-recorded shows, per se, but the 10 shows whose ratings have benefited most from time-shifted viewings. The shows, and the percentage increases that their ratings have enjoyed from time-shifting, are:
1. “Battlestar Galactica” (59.4)
2. “Mad Men” (57.7)
3. “Damages” (56.3)
4. “Rescue Me” (53.2)
5.(tie) “True Blood” (46.9)
5.(tie) “Stargate Universe” (46.9)
7.(tie) “Sanctuary” (45.9)
7.(tie) “Heroes” (45.9)
9. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (45.5)
10.(tie) “10 Things I Hate About You” (44.9)
10.(tie) “Dollhouse” (44.9)
10.(tie) “Melrose Place” (44.9)"
We could spend all day regurgitating this stuff, but we’d like to point your attention in particular to Nielsen’s list of the top 10 time-shifted prime time television programs. These aren’t the 10 most-recorded shows, per se, but the 10 shows whose ratings have benefited most from time-shifted viewings. The shows, and the percentage increases that their ratings have enjoyed from time-shifting, are:
1. “Battlestar Galactica” (59.4)
2. “Mad Men” (57.7)
3. “Damages” (56.3)
4. “Rescue Me” (53.2)
5.(tie) “True Blood” (46.9)
5.(tie) “Stargate Universe” (46.9)
7.(tie) “Sanctuary” (45.9)
7.(tie) “Heroes” (45.9)
9. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (45.5)
10.(tie) “10 Things I Hate About You” (44.9)
10.(tie) “Dollhouse” (44.9)
10.(tie) “Melrose Place” (44.9)"
Women in Hollywood 2009 - At the Box Office but Not Directing - NYTimes.com
"Here’s a little history: Only three women have been nominated as directors by the academy in 81 years: Lina Wertmuller for “Seven Beauties” in 1976; Jane Campion for “The Piano” in 1993; and Sofia Coppola for “Lost in Translation” in 2003. None won. At a glance this year looks promising, with high-profile titles like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Hurt Locker,” Nora Ephron’s “Julie & Julia,” Lone Scherfig’s “Education” and Ms. Campion’s “Bright Star,” all of which have been too successful, critically and commercially, to dismiss.
Sounds good. Sounds like progress too. Yet the closer you look at the list of female filmmakers from this year, and the more you separate the breathless hype about the better-known “femme-driven pics,” to use a favorite Variety locution, the worse the numbers get. Of the almost 600 new movies that will be reviewed in The New York Times by the end of 2009, about 60 were directed by women, or 10 percent. Some are foreign directors, like Claire Denis (“35 Shots of Rum”) and Lucrecia Martel (“The Headless Woman”); others are documentary filmmakers, including Agnès Varda (“The Beaches of Agnès”) and Aviva Kempner (“Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg”). Many received modest releases; I bet you never heard about, much less saw, most of them."
Sounds good. Sounds like progress too. Yet the closer you look at the list of female filmmakers from this year, and the more you separate the breathless hype about the better-known “femme-driven pics,” to use a favorite Variety locution, the worse the numbers get. Of the almost 600 new movies that will be reviewed in The New York Times by the end of 2009, about 60 were directed by women, or 10 percent. Some are foreign directors, like Claire Denis (“35 Shots of Rum”) and Lucrecia Martel (“The Headless Woman”); others are documentary filmmakers, including Agnès Varda (“The Beaches of Agnès”) and Aviva Kempner (“Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg”). Many received modest releases; I bet you never heard about, much less saw, most of them."
7 of 10 American colleges censor speech
"Seven out of every 10 American colleges and universities censor speech with rules that violate the U.S Constitution, according to a new report from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
The organization's 2010 report on campus speech codes reveals, despite the U.S. Constitution's assurance of freedom of speech and a multitude of court precedents establishing that includes offensive speech, that:
The organization's 2010 report on campus speech codes reveals, despite the U.S. Constitution's assurance of freedom of speech and a multitude of court precedents establishing that includes offensive speech, that:
- At State University of New York at Brockport, e-mail with "offensive language or graphics" is banned "whether or not the receiver objects, since others may come in contact with it." Also banned is e-mail that might "inconvenience others."
- New York University bans "inappropriate jokes" as well as "insulting" or "teasing" when they are based on a legally protected status such as race or religion.
- At San Jose State, officials have banned "any form of activity, whether covert or overt, that creates a significantly uncomfortable … environment" for dorms. Included are "verbal remarks" and "publicly telling offensive jokes.""
Recycling
December 12, 2009
HBO’s ‘Flight Of The Concords’ TV Show Gets Canceled
HBO’s ‘Flight Of The Concords’ TV Show Gets Canceled | OnTheFlix: "HBO’s ‘Flight Of The Concords’ TV show gets canceled. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the co-creators of HBO’s “Flight of the Concords” TV show stated on their website today, that the show will not be returning for a third season.
The co-creators, Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement and James Bobin made the following statement on their website: “We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a third season,” they wrote. “We’re very proud of the two seasons we made, and we like the way the show ended.” "
The co-creators, Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement and James Bobin made the following statement on their website: “We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a third season,” they wrote. “We’re very proud of the two seasons we made, and we like the way the show ended.” "
The Internet is a Man with Large Thumbs
December 10, 2009
CBS cancels 'As the World Turns'
"CBS is canceling the soap opera As the World Turns after more than a half-century on the air.
CBS says the final episode will air next September, in its 54th year. Daytime dramas have been in a long-term ratings decline, and CBS ended the daytime soap Guiding Light earlier this year."
CBS says the final episode will air next September, in its 54th year. Daytime dramas have been in a long-term ratings decline, and CBS ended the daytime soap Guiding Light earlier this year."
Full List - The Top 10 Everything of 2009 - TIME
Cigarette pack warnings make stressed smokers light up
"Cigarette pack warnings that remind smokers of the fatal consequences of their habit may actually make them smoke more as a way to cope with the inevitability of death.
A small study by psychologists from the United States, Switzerland and Germany showed that warnings unrelated to death, such as 'smoking makes you unattractive' or 'smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage', were more effective in changing smokers' attitudes towards their habit."
A small study by psychologists from the United States, Switzerland and Germany showed that warnings unrelated to death, such as 'smoking makes you unattractive' or 'smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage', were more effective in changing smokers' attitudes towards their habit."
A Day in the Internet
Sirius: Is Howard Stern Going To Walk?
December 09, 2009
"Is the Howard Stern era at Sirius XM about to come to an end?
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at that possibility today, noting that Stern said on the air last month that he doesn’t think he will re-sign with the satellite radio monopoly when his current contract expires. Stern signed a five-year deal with Sirius in late 2004, actually joining the company in January 2006."
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at that possibility today, noting that Stern said on the air last month that he doesn’t think he will re-sign with the satellite radio monopoly when his current contract expires. Stern signed a five-year deal with Sirius in late 2004, actually joining the company in January 2006."
China closes file-sharing sites in crackdown
"China has closed one of the country's largest file-sharing sites in what it says is a fight against copyright infringement, but could be seen as another measure aimed at controlling what content the country's Web users can find online.
The file-sharing site BTCHINA — a major source of overseas movies, television shows and games in the country — has been closed since Friday, and another site, VeryCD.com, was down Wednesday. A report in the Southern Metropolis Daily said other file sharing sites would be closed in the coming days."
Thanks to Claudia for this.
The file-sharing site BTCHINA — a major source of overseas movies, television shows and games in the country — has been closed since Friday, and another site, VeryCD.com, was down Wednesday. A report in the Southern Metropolis Daily said other file sharing sites would be closed in the coming days."
Thanks to Claudia for this.
The American Diet: 34 Gigabytes a Day
"A report published Wednesday by the University of California, San Diego, calculates that American households collectively consumed 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008. The paper — entitled “How Much Information?” — explores all forms of American communication and consumption and hopes to create a census of the information we consume."
MTV's "Jersey Shore" gains protesters, loses ads
"The ruckus over MTV's 'Jersey Shore' is getting as intense as the hot-headed dramatics on the show.
The controversial new reality series chronicling a spirited group of self-described 'guidos' living in a New Jersey beach house has drawn protests of increasing volume. Now it appears that calls for a boycott are having an impact.
The Italian-American group UNICO (which also protested HBO's 'The Sopranos') has asked members to complain to MTV's advertisers. In the past couple of days, two advertisers on the show -- Domino's Pizza and American Family Insurance -- have pulled out of the series."
The controversial new reality series chronicling a spirited group of self-described 'guidos' living in a New Jersey beach house has drawn protests of increasing volume. Now it appears that calls for a boycott are having an impact.
The Italian-American group UNICO (which also protested HBO's 'The Sopranos') has asked members to complain to MTV's advertisers. In the past couple of days, two advertisers on the show -- Domino's Pizza and American Family Insurance -- have pulled out of the series."
Alicia Keys first to put album on Facebook for free with new software
Brazil looks to ban video games
December 07, 2009
"Brazilian Sen. Valdir Raupp has authored a bill that would make it a crime to make, import, or distribute 'offensive' video games.:
The goal of the bill is to 'curb the manufacture, distribution, importation, distribution, trading, and custody, [and] storage of, the video games that affect the customs, traditions of the people, their worship, creeds, religions and symbols.'"
The goal of the bill is to 'curb the manufacture, distribution, importation, distribution, trading, and custody, [and] storage of, the video games that affect the customs, traditions of the people, their worship, creeds, religions and symbols.'"
Rejoice! Cellphones Are Safe Again (Until They Aren't)
"Executed by the Danish Cancer Society ad published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the final report details brain cancer rates in Scandinavian countries over the past 30 years. The result? The researchers did not find 'any clear change in the long-term time trends in the incidence of brain tumours.' There was a slow increase in glioma diagnosis since the 1970s, they note, but the increase could be explained by factors outside of cellphone use. Time to use some minutes!"
You've Got Freedom: AOL ends ties with Time Warner
"AOL is shaking loose from Time Warner Inc. and heading into the next decade the way it began this one, as an independent company. Unlike the 1990s, though, when AOL got rich selling dial-up Internet access, it starts the 2010s as an underdog, trying to beef up its Web sites and grab more advertising revenue."
Yahoo Issues Takedown Notice for Spying Price List
December 06, 2009
"Yahoo isn’t happy that a detailed menu of the spying services it provides law enforcement agencies has leaked onto the web.
Shortly after Threat Level reported this week that Yahoo had blocked the FOIA release of its law enforcement and intelligence price list, someone provided a copy of the company’s spying guide to the whistleblower site Cryptome.
The 17-page guide describes Yahoo’s data retention policies and the surveillance capabilities it can provide law enforcement, with a pricing list for these services. Cryptome also published lawful data-interception guides for Cox Communications, SBC, Cingular, Nextel, GTE and other telecoms and service providers."
Shortly after Threat Level reported this week that Yahoo had blocked the FOIA release of its law enforcement and intelligence price list, someone provided a copy of the company’s spying guide to the whistleblower site Cryptome.
The 17-page guide describes Yahoo’s data retention policies and the surveillance capabilities it can provide law enforcement, with a pricing list for these services. Cryptome also published lawful data-interception guides for Cox Communications, SBC, Cingular, Nextel, GTE and other telecoms and service providers."
Comcast eats NBC: every media mega-merger needs a cautionary infographic
December 04, 2009
Things That Made Me Laugh This Week, Pt. 2
Things That Made Me Laugh This Week, Pt. 1
Every Extra Minute Would Have Taken a Week Off Her Sentence....
"A woman is potentially facing three years in jail for recording three minutes of New Moon, the sequel to Twilight. Three years. In Jail. Over Twilight.
Samantha Tumpach claims that she should not face the harsh punishment intended for bootleggers, because all she was doing is recording family members signing 'Happy Birthday' to her sister in the theater. Any footage of the movie screen was completely accidental, according to Tumpach."
Samantha Tumpach claims that she should not face the harsh punishment intended for bootleggers, because all she was doing is recording family members signing 'Happy Birthday' to her sister in the theater. Any footage of the movie screen was completely accidental, according to Tumpach."
All Your Internet Are Belong to Google
December 03, 2009
"Remember that rumor a while back that Google was going to build its own version of the Internet? It turns out that the idea might not be so far-fetched after all.
Last month, Google (Google) revealed that it was working on its own protocol that could perhaps one day replace HTTP, dubbed SPDY. Today, Google announced that it’s going after another fundamental piece of the Internet: DNS.":
Last month, Google (Google) revealed that it was working on its own protocol that could perhaps one day replace HTTP, dubbed SPDY. Today, Google announced that it’s going after another fundamental piece of the Internet: DNS.":
Our research has shown that speed matters to Internet users, so over the past several months our engineers have been working to make improvements to our public DNS resolver to make users’ web-surfing experiences faster, safer and more reliable.As people begin to use Google Public DNS, we plan to share what we learn with the broader web community and other DNS providers, to improve the browsing experience for Internet users globally. The goal of Google Public DNS is to benefit users worldwide while also helping the tens of thousands of DNS resolvers improve their services, ultimately making the web faster for everyone.”
Point, Shoot, Retouch and Label?
"Valerie Boyer is 47, a member of the French parliament and a divorced mother of three. She is tall, fashionable and, dare we say it, slim.
But she has also created a small furor here and abroad with her latest proposal: a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertising be labeled as retouched.
Some think such a law would destroy photographic art; some think it might help reduce anorexia; some say the idea is aimed at the wrong target, given that nearly every advertising photograph is retouched. Others believe such a label might sensitize people to the fakery involved in most of the advertising images with which they’re bludgeoned."
There's a great video accompanying this too.
Thanks to Danielle for this.
But she has also created a small furor here and abroad with her latest proposal: a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertising be labeled as retouched.
Some think such a law would destroy photographic art; some think it might help reduce anorexia; some say the idea is aimed at the wrong target, given that nearly every advertising photograph is retouched. Others believe such a label might sensitize people to the fakery involved in most of the advertising images with which they’re bludgeoned."
There's a great video accompanying this too.
Thanks to Danielle for this.
Tiger in Taiwan
Top 10 most-watched shows of the decade
"A list of the most-watched TV episodes of the decade reads like an exercise in nostalgia. Only one telecast aired after 2006. With the increasingly fractured TV universe, we probably won't see a list quite like this again."
TV Profits
Newsweek published this chart of TV profits this week.My $62.47 Royalty Statement: How Major Labels Cook the Books with Digital Downloads
"Tim Quirk was the singer of punk-pop outfit Too Much Joy, signed by Warner Bros. in 1990. Now he's an executive at an online music service, giving him insight on digital sales data and just how labels fudge their numbers.:
I got something in the mail last week I'd been wanting for years: a Too Much Joy royalty statement from Warner Brothers that finally included our digital earnings. Though our catalog has been out of print physically since the late-1990s, the three albums we released on Giant/WB have been available digitally for about five years. Yet the royalty statements I received every six months kept insisting we had zero income, and our unrecouped balance ($395,277.18!)* stubbornly remained the same.
...So I was naively excited when I opened the envelope. And my answer was right there on the first page. In five years, our three albums earned us a grand total of… $62.47.
Susan Boyle, Top Seller, Shakes Up CD Trends
"For most of Susan Boyle’s fans, buying her new album last week meant getting a shrink-wrapped CD, not a download.
Ms. Boyle’s album, “I Dreamed a Dream” (Syco/Columbia), sold 701,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the biggest opening-week sales for any album this year, eclipsing superstars like Eminem and U2, and the best for a debut artist since Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” in 1993.
Only 6 percent of the sales for “I Dreamed a Dream” were digital downloads, far below the industry’s overall ratio of physical to digital sales. As recently as three years ago CDs — which are more profitable for record labels than downloads are — accounted for 94 percent of the market. But by the middle of this year that share had slipped to about 77 percent. The previous week’s No. 1 release, John Mayer’s “Battle Studies” (Columbia), sold a notable 45 percent of its opening-week 286,000 copies digitally."
Ms. Boyle’s album, “I Dreamed a Dream” (Syco/Columbia), sold 701,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the biggest opening-week sales for any album this year, eclipsing superstars like Eminem and U2, and the best for a debut artist since Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” in 1993.
Only 6 percent of the sales for “I Dreamed a Dream” were digital downloads, far below the industry’s overall ratio of physical to digital sales. As recently as three years ago CDs — which are more profitable for record labels than downloads are — accounted for 94 percent of the market. But by the middle of this year that share had slipped to about 77 percent. The previous week’s No. 1 release, John Mayer’s “Battle Studies” (Columbia), sold a notable 45 percent of its opening-week 286,000 copies digitally."
Movement under way in California to ban divorce
"In a movement that seems ripped from the pages of Comedy Channel writers, John Marcotte wants to put a measure on the ballot next year to ban divorce in California.
The effort is meant to be a satirical statement after California voters outlawed gay marriage in 2008, largely on the argument that a ban is needed to protect the sanctity of traditional marriage. If that's the case, then Marcotte reasons voters should have no problem banning divorce.
'Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more,' the 38-year-old married father of two said."
The effort is meant to be a satirical statement after California voters outlawed gay marriage in 2008, largely on the argument that a ban is needed to protect the sanctity of traditional marriage. If that's the case, then Marcotte reasons voters should have no problem banning divorce.
'Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more,' the 38-year-old married father of two said."
Comcast, NBC deal will face tough antitrust review
"Comcast Corp. will likely have to accept substantial conditions if the cable TV provider wants to win regulatory approval for control of NBC Universal's broadcast network, cable channels and movie studios.
Although federal regulators probably won't block a deal outright on anticompetitive grounds, they could prohibit Comcast, for instance, from denying rival subscription-TV services such as DirecTV access to NBC channels and other popular programming.
Under a deal expected to be announced Thursday, Comcast would control the Peacock network and about two dozen cable channels such as Bravo, CNBC and SyFy along with the cable lines to roughly a quarter of all U.S. households that pay for TV."
Although federal regulators probably won't block a deal outright on anticompetitive grounds, they could prohibit Comcast, for instance, from denying rival subscription-TV services such as DirecTV access to NBC channels and other popular programming.
Under a deal expected to be announced Thursday, Comcast would control the Peacock network and about two dozen cable channels such as Bravo, CNBC and SyFy along with the cable lines to roughly a quarter of all U.S. households that pay for TV."
Attention Whore of the Month: PETA
December 02, 2009
It has to be admitted that there have been a lot of attention whores vying for the title this month or so, what with people gatecrashing the White House, and non-boy-bearing balloons. But PETA has distinguished itself with their second blatant attempt at getting media attention: "The Catholic League is upset about this PETA ad featuring Joanna Krupa, some adorable puppies who don’t even notice her, and a strategically placed crucifix. The President of the organization told Fox 411 [via Dlisted], “The fact is that cats and dogs are a lot safer in pet stores than they are in the hands of PETA employees. Moreover, pet stores don’t rip off Christian iconography and engage in cheap irreligious claims. PETA is a fraud.”"
PETA's last shot was their Thanksgiving video, which managed to get them a fair amount of notice around the interwebs. The fact that NBC (probably quite rightly) refused to air it allowed PETA to claim censorship. But the Catholic Church is just too easy a target.
More European Racism: Italian Town Dreams of a White (No Foreigners) Christmas
Italian Town Dreams of a White (No Foreigners) Christmas - TIME: "Italy's influential Northern League Party has stood out over the past decade for its particular knack in finding new (and not-so-new) ways of offending people based on country of origin and color of skin. In 2003, Umberto Bossi, founder of the party, which once espoused separatism, told an interviewer that police should open fire on the boatloads of undocumented Africans arriving on Italian shores, calling the would-be immigrants 'bingo-bongos.' Other Northern League pols have proposed everything from separate trains for immigrants to banning the building of new mosques and even prohibiting the serving of kebabs and other non-Italian food in city centers.
The latest swipe by the Northern League attempts some kind of holiday spirit. The league-led city council in Coccaglio, a small town east of Milan, has launched a two-month sweep — from Oct. 25 to Dec. 25 — to ferret out foreigners without proper residency permits. It has been dubbed Natale Bianco, or "White Christmas." "
The latest swipe by the Northern League attempts some kind of holiday spirit. The league-led city council in Coccaglio, a small town east of Milan, has launched a two-month sweep — from Oct. 25 to Dec. 25 — to ferret out foreigners without proper residency permits. It has been dubbed Natale Bianco, or "White Christmas." "
Reach Out and Watch Someone
"Sprint Nextel provided law enforcement agencies with customer location data more than 8 million times between September 2008 and October 2009, according to a company manager who disclosed the statistic at a non-public interception and wiretapping conference in October.
The manager also revealed the existence of a previously undisclosed web portal that Sprint provides law enforcement to conduct automated “pings” to track users. Through the website, authorized agents can type in a mobile phone number and obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the phone."
The manager also revealed the existence of a previously undisclosed web portal that Sprint provides law enforcement to conduct automated “pings” to track users. Through the website, authorized agents can type in a mobile phone number and obtain global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the phone."
Google: Zeitgeist 2009
December 01, 2009
Whether it's a fresh season of a TV show or a new policy out of Washington, something new is always entering the national spotlight. This graph captures the fastest rising query for each quarter of 2009, visualized over the entire year. To find the fastest rising query for each quarter, we looked at the most popular searches conducted every three months and ranked them based on how much their popularity increased compared to the previous quarter. Note how some queries maintain a moderate level of search volume over an extended period of time, whereas others peak sharply and suddenly.Windows Patch Causing Black Screen of Death
15 Toys NOT To Buy Your Kids This Christmas
November 30, 2009
"There are so many options out there, please do not buy your children these boring, inappropriate, or crazypants toys. Please."
Aww... all right. Go ahead...
Aww... all right. Go ahead...
Jay Leno losing his audience to DVR machines
"With one-third of American TV households now equipped with DVRs like TiVo, the 10 p.m. hour is emerging as a popular time for people to catch up on what they missed earlier in the evening, or earlier in the week.
Here's some math: NBC has lost an average of 1.8 household ratings points at the 10 p.m. hour compared to fall 2008, according to the Nielsen Co. At the same time, DVR usage — which is also measured by Nielsen — is up by 1.4 points in that hour."
Here's some math: NBC has lost an average of 1.8 household ratings points at the 10 p.m. hour compared to fall 2008, according to the Nielsen Co. At the same time, DVR usage — which is also measured by Nielsen — is up by 1.4 points in that hour."
Porn causes tsunamis and earthquakes
November 29, 2009
"The Indonesian Minister of Communication and Information (who must be very smart to have a title like that) has determined that recent natural disasters in his country are a consequence of the ubiquity of pornographic DVDs. His logic is something like this: 1) it is a fact that one can easily buy porn in local markets, and 2) it is a fact that the Padang earthquake killed over a thousand people and that the Aceh tsunami devastated an entire region, therefore 3) it is a fact that the two are causally related. Well, point 3 is a little shaky, but 1 and 2 are so strong it must make up for the absence of a causal relationship. Right? Right?"
Nintendo Boasts 9 Million Player Advantage Among Female Console Gamers
November 28, 2009
Switzerland to vote on plan to ban minarets
November 27, 2009
"On Sunday Swiss voters will have their say on a controversial proposal to impose a constitutional ban on the building of minarets.
The proposal is backed by conservative Christian groups and by the biggest party in Switzerland's parliament, the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), which says allowing minarets would lead to the Islamisation of the country.
There are an estimated 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, most from the former Yugoslavia or Turkey. Islam is the country's most widespread religion after Christianity, but although there are Muslim prayer rooms, proper mosques with minarets are few and far between.
There are just four across Switzerland, and in recent years, all applications to build minarets have been turned down."
Update: The measure passed, with 57.5% of the vote.
The proposal is backed by conservative Christian groups and by the biggest party in Switzerland's parliament, the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), which says allowing minarets would lead to the Islamisation of the country.
There are an estimated 400,000 Muslims in Switzerland, most from the former Yugoslavia or Turkey. Islam is the country's most widespread religion after Christianity, but although there are Muslim prayer rooms, proper mosques with minarets are few and far between.
There are just four across Switzerland, and in recent years, all applications to build minarets have been turned down."
Update: The measure passed, with 57.5% of the vote.
Broadcasting Double Standard
November 26, 2009
"When CBS' 'The Early Show' played a clip Wednesday morning of Adam Lambert's controversial performance at the American Music Awards, I gasped and clutched my (imaginary) pearls.It wasn't his 'erotic' moves, as the segment put it, that shocked -- no, no, it was the fact that the network blurred out the rocker's kiss with a male band member. It's understandable that the show censored footage of Lambert repeatedly shoving a dancer's face in his crotch -- but a kiss, really? CBS left little room to debate whether or not this was the result of a homophobic double-standard: Just ten seconds earlier, the network had played a clip of the infamous Britney-Madonna kiss from the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards -- completely uncensored."
And here is a short guide to controversial TV music moments from the WSJ.
And here is a short guide to controversial TV music moments from the WSJ.
The Decapitator
"The Decapitator is a UK artist who beheads street advertisements. Recently, the Decapitator was in the news for brutally chopping off Shakira's pretty head. Here's a collection of some of his finer work."Man marries a videogame
November 25, 2009
"In another sign that the world is about to collapse, multiple blogs are reporting that a fan of the Nintendo DS dating sim Love Plus (you know, the really creepy one) liked his virtual lady so much that he decided to marry her. For real.:
Apparently, a Japanese gamer known as 'Sal9000' was officially wed to Nene Anegasaki, one of the game's three virtual girlfriends, in what must have been the weirdest ceremony in the history of ceremonies. We can only assume that Ms. Pac-Man was the maid of honor."
Apparently, a Japanese gamer known as 'Sal9000' was officially wed to Nene Anegasaki, one of the game's three virtual girlfriends, in what must have been the weirdest ceremony in the history of ceremonies. We can only assume that Ms. Pac-Man was the maid of honor."
James Wolcott on Reality Television
Jimmy Fallon Does Neil Young Singing Fresh Prince
Hypodermic Theory: OK, So Sometimes Media Effects Are Direct...
November 24, 2009
"As many as four youngsters were targeted in Calabasas by at least a dozen middle-school students after a Facebook group urged them to beat up redheads, authorities said.
The students who participated in the attack may have been motivated by a Facebook message telling them that Friday was "Kick a Ginger Day," according to Lt. Richard Erickson. "Ginger" is a label given to people with red hair, freckles and fair skin.
The students who participated in the attack may have been motivated by a Facebook message telling them that Friday was "Kick a Ginger Day," according to Lt. Richard Erickson. "Ginger" is a label given to people with red hair, freckles and fair skin.
Whitmore confirmed that all four victims in the investigation have red hair.
The Facebook message may have been inspired by an episode of the television show "South Park." An episode in 2005 focused on prejudice against "gingers" after one of the characters said people with red hair, light skin and freckles have no souls and suffered from a disease called "Gingervitis."
Investigators have not made any arrests and don't consider the attacks to be hate crimes."
