Dammit, Everyone Needs A Kindle! Seriously.

Esquire editor David Granger loves the Amazon Kindle. Sort of. The e-book reader gives him hope that Internet-shortened attention spans will lengthen enough to spark a renaissance in books and magazines. He's utterly delusional. Television has been distracting people from the written word long before the Internet came along. And while the Internet has been good for reading, it's mostly encourage the consumption of short-form writing. Print is a much better way to read long chunks of text — fewer distractions, easier on the eyes, portable from room to room, etc. — and to the extent the Kindle replicates these technological advantages, it is basically a crippled laptop. But Granger imagines an e-reader that advances beyond the "crude" Kindle.

He thinks better technology will do the trick:

... as electronic readers improve, as they add graphics and design and, eventually, color, even more people will opt for the more sustained, contemplative experiences more often. And all will be well with the world.

What he forgets: The Kindle has a built-in Web browser, though few people use it because the Web is not particularly attractive in black-and-white. If it adds color, won't people inevitably use it to read websites, and thus fewer books, just like they do on PCs?
There goes Granger's theory out the window.

We suspect he has another reason for touting the Kindle, though. Hearst, the owner of Esquire is working on its own e-reader. By paying the Kindle such a backhanded compliment — right idea, wrong device — Granger is carrying water for his publisher's business interests. And not for the first time. Hearst has invested in E Ink, a Cambridge startup whose low-power screen technology is used in both the Kindle and Hearst's planned reader. E Ink appeared on a splashy, Granger-praised Esquire cover last year. Perhaps this E Ink-stained wretch has even handled the product he envisions killing the Kindle? If so, it's too bad Granger won't tell his readers how much he loves that, too.

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I LOVE MY KINDLE. There, I said it. LS

In Praise of the Blind Items

I can't even attempt to pretend to be remotely in-the-know in order to come up with this stuff. However and thankfully, other sites can and do. Too juicy to not repeat. Seriously, this is "whoa nelly" level shit.

1) "Which sleazy reality star is going to have a cow when he finds out there's a sex tape of him floating around? In it, he's having a threesome with his very best friend." [NYDN]

2) "Which rocker threatened to bottle a rival for getting too randy with his girlfriend? The fella in question had to be held back by pals as he saw his enemy cosying up to his girl." [Mirror]

3) "This happened at an Oscar party, but it involves a television actor. His face may be familiar to you because he has appeared on several other television shows. He he is just now getting his big break, as he will likely be cast in a big role in a new show on the Fall 2009 schedule of a big network. (We say "likely" because casts frequently get shaken up before the shows hit the air). Anyway, the network is hopeful that both women and men will view him favorably as a macho yet approachable handsome leading man. Only problem is he has a past that he would probably like to keep in the past. Another actor who was at one of the Oscar parties told several people that back before our new leading man started making ends meet as an actor, he was making ends meet as a male escort. For men as well as for women. No, it's not Richard Gere." [BlindGossip]

4) "This celebrity couple was on the verge of divorce. He is a guy. She is a B list television actress with A list name recognition who would probably kill her child to get into movies. Well, she almost did kill her child which is why she almost got divorced. Apparently the way it happened was that our actress was doing lines of coke off a glass table in the living room. The only people home were the maid and a child of the actress. A young child who had been watching mommy do lines. Well, the phone rang and mommy went to go get something out of a bedroom while she was on the phone. Five minutes later, the maid found the child imitating mommy at the glass table. Yeah. Apparently the child didn't do it exactly right, because when the family doctor made a house call he couldn't see any damage except for the white powder on the face. While the doctor was there and all this commotion, the husband walked in. He freaked out. Not only because of his child, but also because his wife had told him that she had stopped snorting months earlier. He left with the child after packing up a few things. The marriage was supposed to be over so don't know what brought them back from the brink." [CDaN]

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The Girl Can't Help It

Far be it for me, or any of us, to judge HER but........why do women go back for more?
If he's ever going to change it's not going to be with her for the simple fact that she's taking him back. It's hot her problem to solve, it's his and sometimes people do not learn until there are consequences. Losing her is what this jerk deserves. LS Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.

The pair have reunited almost three weeks after Brown, 19, allegedly battered the "Umbrella" singer on Feb. 8, a source tells PEOPLE.

"They're together again. They care for each other," says the source. The on-again couple are currently spending time together at one of Sean "Diddy" Combs's homes, on Miami Beach's Star Island.

Adds the source: "While Chris is reflective and saddened about what happened, he is really happy to be with the woman he loves."

In its latest issue, PEOPLE reports that Brown called Rihanna on her 21st birthday one week ago. "He called to wish her happy birthday," a source told the magazine. "They've reached out to each other. It's been mutual."

Brown was booked by LAPD for making criminal threats but the case has not yet been presented to the District Attorney, who will ultimately determine which charges, if any, will be prosecuted.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20262240,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

The Sweet Life?

I think the point of this classic movie is that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. For anyone who may have seen La Dolce Vita and thought "how absurd"........I think that was the whole point. I had never seen this flick but have always heard of it. Initially, I was under the impression that it would be like those classic panoramic "feel good" movies set in Europe of the late 50's - early 60's. Having it in my Blockbuster Online queue for quite a while before receiving it, I had time to read up on it. After doing so, I wasn't sure what the hell I was in for but I was seriously considering that it might not nearly live up to it's reputation. In fact, I feared that it would feel so dated and actually be a bit boring. My God, it's set in Italy *drool* but.... it's in b/w? The horror! Factor in that it was a Fellini movie and ..........jeez, what if I don't "get it"? Oh, the shame. After all, I consider 2001: A Space Odyssey to be one of my favorite films. I have a movie snob rep to protect!

Three hours of Italian (dad would have been so proud) with English subtitles and I just could not take my eyes off of this film. Told in an episodic form, you just never knew what was coming next and frankly, I was glued to it............as odd as it truly was.

Ahh, here's to La Dolce Vita! A look at how being oh-so-hip is oh so absurd.

Loved it!

Watch your back with the Housewives of the OC

Damn! Who watched the wrap up show ending season 4 of The Real Housewives of Orange County? These broads are BRUTAL. While I'm not completely convinced that there isn't something up with Gretchen's side of the story (who would describe this person who supposedly threatened to "out" her to Tamra as a "really good friend"??)I still have the feeling that Tamra really enjoyed hearing the worst about her and does not want to think otherwise, regardless of what is said. She almost had me convinced at her sincerity but, as usual, she tippy toed too far past the point of no return and it made me suspicious once again.

And what was up Vicki's nose? Even Tamra admitted she was behaving like an asshole at that party.........plotting to get Gretchen "naked wasted" whatever the hell that is supposed to be.
Nope, Vicki was defying all logic and refuting that anyone was plotting against her at all even while the main suspect was just admitting it. WTF?

I still love Vicki for her strong beliefs and work ethic but I wish she'd see a therapist about that auto-pilot instant jealousy thing she's got going with anyone she hasn't known forever. She's too good for that and it just makes her look like a loony tune.

Jeana is still my favorite. She's the most "real" of the whole crew. She knows she lives in a shallow environment and can still see reality the way most normal people would.

Poor Lynne. While I do not think she's blazing up a doobie left and right as the others have said, on camera (jeez!) I don't think she did herself any favors in the credibility department with her spiel about preferring that her daughter call her when she's too drunk to drive.......because "most kids are probably afraid and will just drive drunk anyway."

Get a clue, woman. It's not going to solve shit. Kids will do what they are going to do and giving them a thumbs up just means you're one more moronic enabling "cool mom" that society does not need.

God, I love this show. Now it's on to The Real Housewives of NYC! Meow!

I'm bored

Whenever in doubt, a good PS shot can't hurt the situation. In my humble (not really)opinion, this pic makes him look like the coolest MoFo on the planet. Of course, he is but this shot really makes this point pop, don't ya think?