I'm Taking Over, kiddies.

I just have so much to say and how can I possibly deprive all 2 of you from my wisdom?

I'm off in search of fascinating info to share with you all. I won't be long, I promise!

Cheers!

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.

source link

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?

Now This Is Some Old Jewelry

[I LOVE reading stuff like this. Enjoy. LS]


This undated photo made available by the Israeli Antiquities Authority on Monday, Nov. 10, 2008 shows what archaeologists say is a 2,000-year-old gold earring discovered beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem’s old city.


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JERUSALEM - A luxurious gold, pearl and emerald earring provides a new visual clue about the life of the elite in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.

And its discovery was a true eureka moment for excavators.

The piece was found beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. It dates to the Roman period just after the time of Jesus, said Doron Ben-Ami, who directed the dig.

The earring was uncovered in a destroyed Byzantine structure built centuries after the piece was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.

Archaeologists came upon the earring in a corner while excavating the ruins of the building under a parking lot. "Suddenly one of the excavators came up shouting ’Eureka!’" said Ben-Ami.

The find is eye-catching: A large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.

"It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem," Ben-Ami said. "Such a precious item, it couldn’t be one of just ordinary people."

Archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who was not involved in the dig, said the find was truly amazing, less because of its Roman origins than for its precious nature.

"Jewelry is hardly preserved in archaeological context in Jerusalem," he said, because precious metals were often sold or melted down during the many historic takeovers of the city.

"It adds to the visual history of Jerusalem," Gibson added, saying it brings attention to the life of women in antiquity.

Ben-Ami the piece’s placement in the destroyed building protected it from looters and kept it preserved. Its location also showed that it must be older than the house itself.

The Israel Antiquities Authority said the earring appeared to have been made using a technique similar to that depicted in portraits from Roman-era Egypt. Experts were able to date the earring by comparing it to similar finds in Europe.

In a statement released Monday, the Antiquities Authority said the earring was "astonishingly well-preserved." Finds from the Roman period are rare in Jerusalem, Ben-Ami said, because the city was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.

Though Gibson dates the piece slightly later than the antiquities authority, to sometime between the second and fourth centuries A.D., he said its quality and beauty were impressive.

And Ben-Ami said he expects more small, luxury items to turn up in future excavations.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/middle_east/view.bg?articleid=1131391&srvc=rss

Score One For Man's Best Friend

By Jessica Scarpati

An observer who had only watched the tallies come in from Bristol and Plymouth counties on Tuesday night could’ve been certain dog racing would survive.

Southeastern Massachusetts was the biggest stronghold to keep dog racing intact, voting by wide margins in opposition of Question 3, which makes dog racing illegal by January 2010.

But it was the remaining 299 cities and towns in the state that decided the fate of the state’s two dog tracks — some communities vehemently so, such as 97 percent of voters in New Marlborough, a town of about 1,200 in Berkshire County, who voted to end dog racing.

Ultimately, 56 percent of voters across the state voted to end the sport, effectively shutting down tracks in Raynham and Revere.

According to one expert, the voting breakdown suggests the tracks secured their support from their stakeholders — those who would suffer from its losses — or those who felt a solidarity with its blue-collar roots.

“People from a different class, who would be professional or higher-level income, are not likely participants in dog tracks,” said Michael Kryzanek, a political science professor at Bridgewater State College.

“I think there’s also probably a greater appreciation of the economic impact of the dog track (in this region) than there might be in other communities,” he said.

Thinner margins — but still supportive of racing — prevailed in blue-collar communities around Revere’s Wonderland Greyhound Park, such as Everett, Lynn and Saugus.

But every other region — Greater Boston, the Cape and the Islands, the North Shore, MetroWest, Central Massachusetts and the Berkshires — all came down on the side of the racing opponents.

“They worked harder and they were more aggressive,” Kryzanek said of the Committee to Protect Dogs, the group behind the ballot initiative. “Give them credit — they wanted it more.”

http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x852774481/Well-to-do-voters-killed-dog-racing

More From Demi & Bruce

Demi and sister to Rumer and Scout........Tallulah Belle Willis.

What? Did I say anything? I'm not saying a word.....

My Only Problem With Waking Up So Early....

is the fact that I'm guaranteed to be bored that much earlier in the day.

I'm pretty sure that's the ADD talking but there ya go. Slap me hard.

Born-Again Barbarella

NEW YORK - It wasn’t religion that broke up his marriage to Jane Fonda, Ted Turner declares in a new memoir.

He says he was "upset" when he discovered his wife’s "conversion," but "it wasn’t because she had become Christian," the 69-year-old Turner writes in "Call Me Ted," which comes out next week. The Associated Press obtained an early copy.

He was upset because Fonda didn’t talk to him about it.

Turner’s 433-page book, co-authored with former Turner Broadcasting executive Bill Burke, reviews his loquacious, multi-pronged rise as yachtsman, baseball team owner, cable visionary and philanthropist.

The book includes commentary from fellow America’s Cup racers, business moguls such as Bill Gates and former Time Warner chairman Gerald Levin, friends such as former President Carter, family members and Fonda, his wife for 10 years.

Fonda wrote at length about her marriage to Turner in her memoir "My Life So Far," and Turner adds a similar take without referring to the infidelities alleged against him by the Academy Award-winning actress. The two say they remain good friends.

He remembers their impulsive courtship, beginning in 1990 with his learning of her divorce from activist Tom Hayden and immediately calling her, a virtual stranger, for a date. She declined. He persisted. Six months later she accepted. They married in 1991.

They cared deeply about each other but spent so much time apart that they had "trouble communicating" even when together; not even couples therapy could save the marriage, with Fonda’s faith cited at the time as a possible cause for their divorce. Turner remembered going back to their Montana ranch for the first time after their split and seeing that Fonda had taken all her belongings.

"Our closets faced each other’s, and when I saw her empty space I sat down on the floor between them and cried," writes Turner, who had two previous wives.

The son of a demanding advertising magnate who killed himself when Turner was in his mid-20s, he acknowledges his own disturbing mood swings and writes that in the 1980s he was told he was bipolar and placed on lithium. After a couple of years, feeling little change, he tried a new psychiatrist, who reversed the earlier diagnosis and canceled the prescription.

Turner also looks back on his unlikely friendship with Fidel Castro (they hunted together, then argued about politics over rum and cigars) and his reconciliation with former rival Rupert Murdoch over a mutual concern about the environment. He defends his highly criticized decision to colorize such Hollywood classics as "Casablanca," reiterating previous comments that he was making old films more accessible to young audiences.

He looks back proudly on building his cable empire, including the founding of CNN, and sadly on his eventual departure from Time Warner, which bought out his Turner Broadcasting Systems in 1996. He still insists he was "fired" by Levin in the wake of Time Warner’s 2000 merger with AOL, and Levin, allowed to offer his side, still denies it (They no longer speak, Levin adds, regretfully).

In his hopefully titled conclusion, "Onward and Upward," Turner says he has "very few regrets," vows to live long and well enough to fill a second book and wonders what should be inscribed on his tombstone.

As a young celebrity, he wanted "You Can’t Interview Me Here." In middle age, he liked "Here Lies Ted Turner. He Never Owned a Broadcast Network."

As an older man and published author: "I Have Nothing More to Say."

© Copyright 2008 Associated Press.

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/view.bg?articleid=1130903&srvc=rss

Oh, Oprah...Say It Ain't So

The chief executive of Oprah Winfrey's business partner in her Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN, cable channel said today he expects the Queen of Daytime Talk to retire her nationally syndicated Chicago-based TV show in 2011, but Winfrey's spokeswoman insisted that's not yet set in stone.

OWN is a 50-50 multi-platform venture between Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications that's set to launch next year.

"The expectation is that after [the 2010-11 season] her show will go off of … syndication, and she will come to OWN," David Zaslav, Discovery's president and CEO, said in a call with analysts. "We're talking now about what that presence would be and what programming she would be involved in directly. But this is her Chapter Two, and building the OWN brand online and on-air is something that she and I, we're working [on] together and it's a core mission for her."

Winfrey's current contract with CBS Television Distribution to do "The Oprah Winfrey Show" does in fact expire in 2011 after her 25th season on national TV. But Lisa Halliday, chief spokeswoman for Winfrey's Harpo Productions, cast Zaslav's remark as premature. "She has not made a final decision as to whether she will continue her show in syndication beyond that," Halliday said in a statement.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-081107oprah-show,0,3715962.story

Blackberry Addict

How in the hell did I ever get by without this thing?
I want to buy it flowers and take it to the movies.