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com OC Edition
McCain Smear or Scandal?
By Liza Porteus Viana (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:01:00 AM
Filed under: John McCain, 2008
PresidentJohn McCain took the
podium in Ohio Thursday to deny all
of the allegations included in a front-
page New York Times story, which
suggested he had an improper
relationship - both professionally and,
possibly, romantically - with a
lobbyist.
"I'm very disappointed in the article.
It's not true," McCain said with his
wife Cindy by his side. He stressed
his long service to this country as a
member of the U.S. military and as a
member of Congress. "At no time
have I ever done anything that would
betray the public trust.," he added,
saying his decisions as chairman of
the Senate Commerce Committee
were made "on the basis of what I
thought was in the best interest of the
American citizen."
His campaign Wednesday night
called the article a "hit and run smear
campaign."
The Times article quotes several
unnamed sources - "disillusioned"
former staffers of the presidential
hopeful - as a basis for the article
(which almost focuses more on
McCain's self-confidence issues, and
delves into his past involvement in
the Keating Five scandal). It does say
details of their story were
corroborated by others.
The article, which quotes a named
Bush Wraps Up African Tour
By Mark Impomeni (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:00:00 AM
Filed under: President Bush, Bush
AdministrationPresident Bush ended
his six-day, five-nation trip to Africa
today with a stop in Liberia, the war
ravaged West African nation with
traditionally strong ties to the United
States. The president was feted in a
luncheon served on the lawn of the
Executive Mansion by Liberian
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the
only elected female head of state on
the continent.
Liberia was founded by freed slaves
after the Civil War and has long
enjoyed a close kinship with
America. The capital of Liberia,
Monrovia, is named for former U.S.
President James Monroe. That
closeness was emphasized in 2003
when President Bush ordered Marines
into Liberia to help quell a brutal civil
war and chase out the country's
dictator, Charles Taylor. Taylor is
currently in exile and is facing human
20/02/08 - 21/02/08
former McCain adviser, suggests the
Arizona senator used his position as
committee chairman to improperly
favor telecommunications lobbyist
Vicki Iseman, and also suggests he
had a romantic relationship with her.
It even says staffers warned Iseman
and McCain to keep their distance
from each other.
McCain - who is renowned for
blasting special interests and
generally going out of his way to
avoid even the perception of
impropriety that may involve his role
as an elected official - disputed all
claims and said he was unaware of
the events that allegedly transpired
involving Iseman. He also answered
reporters' questions in his usual
straight-shooter style, and said the
article is just another way to take the
focus off the "big issues."
"I will focus my attention in this
campaign on the big issues and on the
challenges that face this country," he
said.
Cindy McCain also said she was
"very disappointed" in the Times,
adding that her husband would never
let his family - or the American
public - down in the ways the
newspaper suggests.
Times Executive Editor Bill Keller
issued a statement saying, "we think
the story speaks for itself."
Read about the heat the Times is
taking after the jump...But the big
cable news chatter this morning is
also focused on the Times and how
rights and war crimes charged before
the World Court at The Hague. On
his stop in Liberia, Bush assured
President Sirleaf that the United
States would help Liberia recover
from the wounds of that conflict.
"I want the people of Liberia to
know, Madame President, the United
States stands with you. We want to
help you recover from a terrible
period. We want you to build lives of
hope and peace, and under your
leadership, that's exactly what's
happening."
United States aid has indeed been
flowing into Liberia since the war's
end. Over $750 million has been
provided so far. Bush pledged still
more aid in the form of textbooks and
school equipment and supplies for the
nation's children.
The president now returns to
Washington having highlighted what
the Administration considers one of
its proudest foreign policy successes,
its Africa policy. The president looks
to leave office next year remembered
LibertyNewsprint.
appropriate it was to publish what
some are calling a "smear" article
about a presidential candidate based
on mostly unnamed sources.
Conservative blogs are calling it a
"hit job."
"It's something you would expect to
see in the National Enquirer," Steven
Schmidt, senior adviser to the
McCain campaign, told MSNBC this
morning. "It's impossible to fight
against unnamed sources and it
should never have been on the front-
page."
Schmidt said the release of the Times
story was precipitated by a New
Republic story due out today, which
apparently will focus on the Times'
"foot-dragging" of the McCain story.
The New Republic contacted the
McCain campaign last week in
relation to the Times story in
question.
"I think clearly, in the post Jayson
Blair, post Judith Miller, the Times
made a decision" to release the article
before any other news outlet could
write anything else about
"dysfunction" in its newsroom,
Schmidt said.
Normally, if there's actually a fire
where one sees smoke in a story like
this, news outlets will place the
article prominently on their front
page, above the fold. It will have a
hard-news headline and lede, leaving
no mistake as to what the contents
are. But the Times story reads more
like a feature piece. It's almost like
there was an attempt made to soften
as one of the country's best presidents
in terms of outreach and assistance
for Africa, if not the best.
There are still some trouble spots,
however. Hopes in Sudan never
materialized after the United States
sponsored a peace treaty between
warring factions in that country. The
resulting tragedy in Darfur has
become a global embarrassment and a
source of frustration for the
Administration. The outbreak of
violence in Kenya over the recent
disputed presidential election in
another troubling development.
Secretary of State Rice visited Kenya
the story a bit.
As a side note, many news
organizations do use unnamed
sources when they feel it's imperative
to the story but it's traditionally used
as a last resort (at least, that's how it's
supposed to happen and what they
teach you in journalism school).
Criticism has also been voiced about
the picture of Iseman used. Instead of
a picture of her in a business suit or
engaged in every day professional
activity, the Times splashed a picture
of her all dolled up in a gold-colored
dress at some sort of formal event.
Another issue that's been pointed out
repeatedly this morning is that
McCain's campaign provided the
Times with at least 12 examples
where the chairman took positions
adverse to Iseman's clients and her
public relations firm's clients, but
none of them were included in the
Times piece. "There is no evidence
John McCain ever breached the
public trust and that is the issue and
the only issue," McCain attorney
Robert Bennett told the 'Today' show.
McCain staffers also issued a 1,500-
word rebuttal document, as reported
by Politico, that includes other facts
they say were provided to the Times
but not included in the story.
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while in Africa with the president,
and helped cement a power-sharing
agreement between the rival factions
that looks to quell the unrest in one of
Africa's traditionally most stable
countries.
Still, the president's AIDS treatment
program has shown great success, and
the Millennium Challenge Account is
helping to build vital infrastructure
and encourage good governance
across the continent from Benin to
Tanzania. Africa's strides during the
Bush Administration will no doubt be
overshadowed by Iraq, Afghanistan,
and other more high-profile
Administration successes and
failures. But the president clearly
takes his Administration's efforts in
Africa very seriously, and will look to
focus more attention on the continent
as his term in office draws to a close.
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2 Politics * Technology *
The Worst You Can Say About: Hillary Clinton
By Tommy Christopher
(Political Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 9:36:00 AM
Filed under: Hillary Clinton,
Democrats, Featured Stories, 2008
PresidentAs the Frank Chance in the
"The Worst You Can Say About..."
series ( Jay Allbritton with John
McCain being Tinker, and Denise
Williams' Obama as Evers), I have
the task of analyzing and debunking,
or not, the frequently spurious
hyperbole stamped onto our
comments pages on a daily basis
about Hillary Clinton.
It is tempting to think of my source
material as an embarrassment of
riches, and it is an embarrassment,
but the sheer volume makes the job
more difficult, not less. Luckily, I
have at least until March 5 to get
through some of these.
I'd like to save the "Coke Classic", I-
Love-the-90's stuff for later, and
focus on the most interesting and hot-
off-the-presses Hilla-bile from these
pages. (I get paid by the hyphen)
To that end, here is one that's new to
me:
Hillary Clinton has a foul mouth.
"So the f*** what?" is my initial
reaction. Some of the coolest girls I
know cuss like truck drivers. Plus,
y'know, sometimes, "Hey, Fudge
You, you airhead!" just doesn't cut it.
Just ask Dick Cheney or George W.
Bush.
Somebody thinks people will care
about this, though, and I am writing
an article, so let's dissect this charge.
The commentator also alleges racist
and anti-semitic comments, which is
a serious matter. (By the way, note to
commentators: if you're quoting more
than 3 paragraphs, just post the link
and a thumbnail summary. Please.)
Clinton's 527 Help
By Greg McNeilly (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:52:00 AM
Filed under: Hillary Clinton,
Democrats, Ads, 2008 PresidentA
527 (the IRS designation for the
committee type) group has popped-up
with the announced intention of
persuading voters in Ohio, Texas and
Pennsylvania to vote for Hillary
Clinton. Today they are up on the air
in the Buckeye state with a :30 spot
titled "Blueprint."
Notable text, "If speeches could
create jobs, we wouldn't be facing a
recession..."
The group behind this and
presumably future spots is called
American Leadership Project (ALP).
Campaign laws prevent the group
from coordinating with the Clinton
The charge is based on a poorly-
sourced article by an extremely
dubious writer, Reinhold Aman, a
former felon and an authority on
cursing. From Wikipedia:In 1993,
Aman was sentenced to 27 months in
federal prison for mailing, after a
bitter divorce, two "prank" postcards
to his ex-wife and the allegedly
threatening 2-page pamphlet "Legal
Slimebags of Wisconsin" to many
Wisconsin lawyers and judges. The
postcards in question had pasted-up
headlines of news articles about bitter
ex-husbands killing their ex-wives.
Because of a judicial error and his
"good behavior" in prison, he actually
campaign (or any other for that
matter).
The current spot seems to more of the
"talker versus doer" theme. The ALP
mission statement notes "Our purpose
is to encourage audiences to look
beyond the campaign speeches and
political rhetoric to specific proposals
to address these core issues." An
approach, which, has obviously not
yet seen success anywhere.
Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic
reports ALP is attempting to raise $10
million in $100,000 increments.
ALP's slim staff is a host of Democrat
operatives including Jason Kinney, a
former speech-writer to ex-Governor
Gray Davis (D-CA); Roger Salazar, a
former Clinton White House adviser;
and ad maker for Congressman Chris
Van Hollen (D-MA) Mattis Goldman.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
served 15-1/2 months at Santa Rita,
Terminal Island, Lompoc, and Dublin
(now a Federal prison for women
only), and was released in February
of 1995. Aman talks about the
pamphlet here, amid a host of other
fascinating observations. Now, the
article lists as its primary source
something called "Alec Flegon's
Dictionary of English Sex Quotations
(London: Flegon Press, 1996)
Problem is, it doesn't exist, at least
not on Google or Google UK. Flegon
Press seems real enough, apparently a
vanity imprint, but getCited lists 5
publications from Flegon Press, all
from the 1960's and 70's, none with
that title. His obituary makes no
Clinton and her allies are smart to
attempt to turn their opponents
strength into a weakness. But in the
case of Obama's "rhetoric" it doesn't
work. The sub-text suggests that the
voter is simply being taken in
(insulting voters rarely proves
successful) and there is a tinge of that
Biden remark about Obama ("he's a
clean, articulate black man...")
implicit in this suggestion that he
simply a pretty-talker.
The bottom line, however, is they've
tried this message and it didn't work.
Turning-up the volume and doing
more of the same is what a campaign
does when it's caught without a
realistic feedback-loop and a effective
message.
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mention of the title, either, nor any
other non-Russian publication. Alec
Flegon did write a book called
"Eroticism in Russian Art", which
sounds like a lot of fun.
Now, when you lead off your article
by sourcing a book that doesn't exist,
that's game over for me. Just for sh*ts
and giggles, let's look at the rest.
The only other source cited for the
other offensive quotes is
Newsmax.com. Don't take my word
for it, check out Sourcewatch's
assessment of Newsmax's credibility.
For a breakdown on the credibility of
each "witness", check out this article
by Conwebwatch. The article does
include many legitimate sources for
the Clinton's denials.
These are popular and elaborate
techniques for this type of smear, a
sort of "circle jerk" of citation. The
chain of sources is weak, but in the
aggregate lends credibility, while
shielding each link from liability.
See, this is why you don't get your
news from emails or message boards.
Man, I hope these don't all take this
long to debunk. Like this one, from a
recent Political Machine post: For
those of us who follow politics, we
know at least some of them by first
name: Rudy, Barack, Dennis, Hitlery.
This one's easy. No tiny mustache, no
slaughter of millions of innocents,
and, to hear Hillary's opponents tell
it, no great shakes as a public
speaker. Hillary Clinton isn't the least
bit Hitlery. Plus, it's my
understanding that Hitler only had
one ball. Love her or hate her,
everyone agrees Hillary has a whole
bunch of 'em.
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Google May
Buy Balloon
Company
By Duncan Riley (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 4:07:34 PM
Google is considering working with,
or buying Space Data Corp, a
company that provides wireless
services via Balloon, according to the
Wall Street Journal.
Space Data Corp targets areas
without existing internet access, such
as rural areas and highways,
providing wireless and internet
services to truckers and rural folk.
The company currently launches 20
balloons a day, and a single balloon
can service an area equivalent to 40
cell phone towers.
The balloons cost $50, however the
transceivers attached to them cost
$1500, but parachute back to the
earth once the balloon is no longer in
service.
(via Gigaom)
C r u n c h N e t w o r k :
MobileCrunchMobile Gadgets and
Applications, Delivered Daily.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Will.i.am to Debut New Obama
Video
By Liza Porteus Viana (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 9:50:00 AM
Filed under: Democrats, Republicans,
Barack Obama, 2008 PresidentMove
over, Fergie. There's another Black
Eyed Pea in the spotlight now.
After the smash hit of his first song
and video, "Yes, We Can," Political
Machine has learned that the group's
Will.i.am has written another song
based on Barack Obama's Super
Tuesday celebratory speech, the
video for which is being filmed as we
speak in Los Angeles and New York.
Will.i.am admits to not being "big on
politics" (he did however, come out
in a big way for John Kerry in 2004),
but he, like many others, has been
moved by Obama and his speeches.
The first big inspiration for him was
actually the speech Obama gave after
coming in second in the New
Hampshire primary early last month.
Will was so moved that he made a
"Yes, We Can" video with other
celebs that's all over YouTube. The
second video is now in production.
Plus, Will and friends today
announced the launch of
HopeActChange.com, which aims to
influence people to stand up and
make a difference, whether that be by
voting, volunteering for a campaign,
or get involved in politics some other
way. The site is to serve as a
"community of people empowering
one another to create positive change
in the world."
The 'Hope' That is Huckabee
By Liza Porteus Viana (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 5:08:00 AM
Filed under: Republicans, Featured
Stories, Mike Huckabee, 2008
PresidentThis is not an endorsement,
but how can anyone dislike Mike
Huckabee?
All political affiliations aside, the
guy's got some guts. He can't seem to
win a primary these days and has
virtually been written off by most in
the media, and he's now preempting
reporters who always want to know
why the heck he's still in this race by
answering that question before it's
even asked, saying his continued
march is about principles and
convictions.
After losses in Wisconsin and
Washington last night, the former
Arkansas governor and ordained
minister told reporters: "Let me
assure you that if it were ego, my ego
doesn't enjoy getting these kinds of
evenings where we don't win the
primary elections. So it's got to be
something other than that, and it is.
It's about convictions, it's about
principles that I dearly, dearly believe
in."
Obama's message is the driver of the
site (which is an extension of Will's
personal blog, DipDive.com), but it
also includes links to all the major
presidential candidates' official Web
sites, as well as to Rock The Vote.
Video producers and
HopeActChange.com creators Jesse
Dylan and Mike Jurkovac talked to
me today in between shoots of the
follow-up video to "Yes, We Can"
about why they joined Will in his
effort to put Obama's themes of
change and hope into song and video.
Read about their interview after the
jump..."I'm someone who, some of
my heroes were Martin Luther King
and John F. Kennedy ... that speech
just completely sent chills down my
spine," Jurkovac said of Obama's
New Hampshire speech. And when
Will sent him the MP3 of the "Yes,
We Can" song in late January with a
note attached that said, "let's make
history," Jurkovac was in on the
video project.
"It was just a little bit like lightning
in a bottle," he said. Of the notable
faces and names participating in the
"Yes, We Can," video, Jurkovac said:
"All the people that were motivated
by it ... they were motivated by the
Obama campaign and the song took it
to a new place."
These guys don't consider
themselves political activists, per se,
but rather creative artists who see a
way to get what they view as a
powerful message out to the masses.
It's for the good of the Republican
Party that he stay in the race, he said
today.
Huckabee, who is in Texas today to
try to pick up conservative votes and
will visit the Alamo tomorrow, wants
to give as many voters as possible the
chance to vote for the candidate they
feel is most aligned with their own
beliefs - especially on hot-button
topics like abortion and gay marriage
- and who is someone other than John
McCain. Now don't be mistaken -
these voters aren't necessarily
disillusioned. They probably read and
listen to the news as much as anyone
else. But perhaps they sleep a little
better at night supporting Huckabee -
a candidate they think can turn
America around for the better
(obviously, everyone has a different
definition of 'better').
Huckabee die hards see him as David
going up against Goliath, or as Daniel
in the lion's den, and think he is the
one candidate who symbolizes hope
for America.
After the jump, a God-like Huckabee
video...
Case in point: One Wisconsin
Politics * Business *
"Will played me the song and I really
agreed with his vision," said Dylan
(son of Bob Dylan, by the way), who
added that Obama's New Hampshire
speech "pushed it over the edge" in
terms of who he would throw his own
support behind this election year.
He said of HopeActChange.com: "It's
basically a grassroots kind of place
for people to exchange ideas about
what's possible with Barack."
Will got the idea for the "Yes, We
Can" follow-up video by listening to
Obama supporters chant his name
during this Super Tuesday speech.
"He heard a song in that, so he's
turning the beat he heard into another
piece of content," Jurkovac said.
The group hopes to finish recording
the video today, then Will will take
the recording with him to Australia
over the weekend, when the tracks
will be cut. They hope to put the
finished product up on DipDive.com,
YouTube, and HopeActChange.com
by next week. The new video features
famous faces like Jessica Alba and
Ryan Phillippe.
"It's pretty rewarding - if you're a
filmmaker - being able to do
something that's motivating and
rewarding ... it's hitting a chord with
pretty much the rest of the world,"
Jurkovac said.
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supporter told the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel: "Personally, I'd like to see
Huckabee keep going if for no other
reason than to show the differences in
the messages between he and
McCain." That supporter's wife said
they will be disappointed if McCain
wins the nomination but will support
them like good Republicans. "We'll
plug our noses and we'll vote
Republican," she said.
Huckabee's campaign manager is
even saying his candidate could force
an all-out fight at the Republican
National Conventions this summer,
saying "we're in this game for the
long term." He's trying to raise $1.5
million by March 4, the next set of
big primary states, to stay
competitive. He has just about
$510,000 now.
Team Huckabee also posted a video
3
Analyst upgrades:
CSCO, GRMN
and CHIC
By Eric Buscemi
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:55:00 AM
Filed under: Analyst upgrades and
downgrades, Cisco Systems
(CSCO)MOST NOTEWORTHY:
Cisco Systems, Garmin and Charlotte
Russe were today's noteworthy
upgrades:
• Citigroup upgraded Cisco Systems
(NASDAQ:CSCO) to Buy from Hold
on valuation, as they find the stock
more attractive for long-term
investors following the recent
declines and believes earnings
expectations are now more
reasonable.
• Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) was
upgraded to Outperform from Neutral
at Baird citing strong growth
opportunities, stable market share and
valuation.
• Friedman Billings upgraded
Charlotte Russe (ASDAQ:CHIC) to
Outperform from Market Perform
citing valuation and checks that
indicate a continuation of positive
comp trends.
OTHER UPGRADES:
• JP Morgan raised Heineken
(HINKY) to Overweight from
Neutral.
• KeyBanc upgraded Brandywine
Realty Trust (NYSE:BDN) to Buy
from Hold.
• Transocean (NYSE:RIG) was
upgraded to Buy from Neutral at
Goldman Sachs.
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today that features a bright
metaphoric ray of sunlight shining
through the moving clouds, with a
God-like voice in the background
speaking of how Huckabee is the
"hope" of the future. "Where there are
pundits, they will cease, where there
are wagging tongues they will be still
...We have always been the long shot,
the dark horse, the David among
political giants." One almost expects
to see a baby Jesus float down from
the heavens.
In other Huckabee news, the guitar-
playing White House hopeful laughed
off complaints Tuesday from the
band Boston, which claims Huckabee
is ripping off its 1970's hit, "More
Than a Feeling" by playing it at
campaign events. A Boston member
has endorsed Huckabee and appears
with him at campaign events.
Huckabee said if anything, he's
helping the band sell more albums.
Seems like Boston's chief songwriter
Tom Scholz is more peeved over
Huckabee's political affiliation, given
that he apparently said the candidate
should stick to music recorded by "far
-right Republicans." Give me a break.
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4 Politics *
McCain Scandal Brewing?
By Tommy Christopher
(Political Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 1:01:00 PM
Filed under: John McCain, Breaking
News, Scandal, MediaThe New York
Times has posted an article, being
hotly reported on MSNBC, that might
have Republican presidential
candidate John McCain in hot water:
Early in Senator John McCain's first
run for the White House eight years
ago, waves of anxiety swept through
his small circle of advisers.
A female lobbyist had been turning
up with him at fund-raisers, in his
offices and aboard a client's corporate
jet. Convinced the relationship had
become romantic, some of his top
advisers intervened to protect the
candidate from himself - instructing
staff members to block the woman's
access, privately warning her away
and repeatedly confronting him,
several people involved in the
campaign said on the condition of
anonymity. The article goes on to say
that both McCain and lobbyist Vicki
Iseman deny any romantic
relationship, and describes McCain's
fall and redemption from the S&L
scandal. One on-the-record source,
John Weaver, acknowledges attempts
to separate the two, but attributes it to
concerns over the appearance of
unethical political conduct, not a
romantic relationship.
Update: Drudge had this in
December: Just weeks away from a
possible surprise victory in the
primaries, Republican presidential
candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz
has been waging a ferocious behind
the scenes battle with the NEW
YORK TIMES, the DRUDGE
REPORT has learned, and has hired
DC power lawyer Bob Bennett to
mount a bold defense against charges
of giving special treatment to a
lobbyist!
But the anonymous sources tell a
different story, later in the article:In
interviews, the two former associates
said they joined in a series of
confrontations with Mr. McCain,
warning him that he was risking his
campaign and career. Both said Mr.
McCain acknowledged behaving
inappropriately and pledged to keep
his distance from Ms. Iseman. The
two associates, who said they had
become disillusioned with the
senator, spoke independently of each
other and provided details that were
corroborated by others. A story like
this requires a lot of reading between
the lines, which puts it, in my view,
in dicey journalistic territory. To level
devastating, yet ambiguous,
allegations at a Presidential candidate
using anonymous sources doesn't
pass the journalistic test. If these two
sources observed specific behavior
that led them to conclude that a
romantic relationship existed, the
reporters should have either made
them describe it, or leave it out of the
story.
The only other explanation is that
The Times has more, but is holding it
back, perhaps to protect the famously
Your Click and Print Newspaper
well-liked-by-the-press McCain.
Either way, shame on them. If you
have a story, report the story. If not,
dig a little deeper.
What if these two anonymous
insiders had a "feeling" that McCain
had murdered someone? Would The
Times have printed that with no
corroboration, and nothing to
corroborate? I "have a feeling" the
Jets are going to win the Super Bowl,
should I call the New York Times
sports desk?
This story is already exploding all
over the internet, and will no doubt be
flogged to death, at least for a few
days. Hopefully, the story of the story
will get some attention, too.
Update: Also from Drudge's Dec. 20
report: The drama involves a woman
lobbyist who may have helped to
write key telecom legislation. The
woman in question has retained
counsel and strongly denies receiving
any special treatment from McCain.
Now, Drudge's story is even more
thinly sourced than The Times',
except, A. He's Matt Drudge, not the
New York Times, and B. the Times
story now partially corroborates
Drudge. If what Drudge says is true,
then double the shame on the Times
for holding the story.
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The Love
Affair is
Over
By Justin Paulette (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 11:27:00 PM
Filed under: John McCain
For several months (particularly since
the implosion of Giuliani's
campaign), the flagship of liberal
media bias New York Times has been
nearly cooing for McCain. Of course,
such affection was not due to any
actual affinity for McCain, but rather
lust for the internal chaos and
potential liberalization of the
Republican party which McCain
posed.
Now, upon McCain's ascension as the
GOP candidate, the Gray Lady's
Machiavellian tryst has come to an
end. McCain has just begun to take
aim at liberal Democrat candidates
Clinton and Obama, and in knee-jerk
response, the Times has taken aim at
McCain. Tommy Christopher covers
the matter below,
The substance is what one might
expect from the degraded "paper of
record." The Times' sinister article,
which McCain has called a "hit-and-
run smear campaign," more justly
belongs in a pouting teenager's blog
than a newspaper claiming
respectable circulation. Given the
near unbelievability that the Times
saw a story of ethical "risk" in such
miserably slim evidence, I concur
with Powerline's indignation at "the
absurdity of the paper's attempt to
cobble together an anti-McCain
story,"
This is the first salvo in an extended
war the Times (and other media
networks) will conduct against the
still-too-conservative McCain. The
Times proudly announced this article
as "part of a series of articles about
the life and careers of contenders for
the 2008 Republican and Democratic
presidential nominations." No doubt -
though I would bet good money
against Ms. Clinton or Mr. Obama
suffering any serious ethical scrutiny
from the fawning media Lady
Macbeth.
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Your Click and Print Newspaper
When Should Hillary Clinton Drop
Out?
By David Knowles (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:26:00 AM
Filed under: Hillary Clinton,
Democrats, Featured Stories
Given Hillary Clinton's string of
recent losses at the polls, her deficit
in the delegate count, word of super
delegate defections to her rival, and
her fast-shrinking leads in Texas,
Ohio and Pennsylvania, it's no
wonder that many people have started
to wonder whether or not the
Democratic race is over. Even
Hillary's most ardent supporters,
including her husband and James
Carville, seem to see the writing on
the wall.
Though anything is possible in
politics, conventional wisdom now
has a new assumption: Barack Obama
will win the nomination. Consider the
spate of recent press on the matter.
From the Kansas City Star comes a
story titled, "Odds against Cinton
grow longer and longer." Or
Thursday's Houston Chronicle piece,
"Road to redemption for Clintons:
Embrace Obama," the subhead of
which reads "The train's leaving--and
Analyst initiations: PRSP, MVO and BRLI
By Eric Buscemi
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:11:00 AM
Filed under: Analyst initiationsMOST
NOTEWORTHY: Properity
Bancshares, MV Oil Trust and Bio-
Reference Lab were today's
noteworthy initiations:
• B. Riley initiated Prosperity
Bancshares (NASDAQ:PRSP) with a
Buy rating and $32 target. The firm
thinks the company's lower risk
profile is supported by its
Hillary should be aboard." And from
the National Review comes Larry
Kudlow's blunt assessment, titled,
"It's Over." Salient bit:
Allow me a dose of hardened market
realism concerning Barack Obama's
landslide victory in Wisconsin. The
race is over. Hillary Clinton is over.
Her electability is over.
DailyKos guiding light Markos
Moulitsas has also written a Hillary
obit. The question for him isn't
whether the race is done, but how
long Hillary should continue running.
Now I know people will be calling
for her to quit the race, but I hope she
rides it out through Ohio and Texas. I
think Ohio needs a good dose of
infrastructure building, and this
primary will help make that happen.
Same with Texas... ...It would be
great if this thing went to
Pennsylvania for the same reason, but
I doubt it'll get that far. I'll call it right
now--baring a major gaffe or disaster,
Obama will win both Texas and
Ohio.
While Kos sees the silver lining to a
protracted race, others are not so sure
conservative management team and
by the relative strength of the Texas
economy and housing markets.
• Oppenheimer assumed MV Oil
Trust (NYSE:MVO) with a Perform
rating and believes the company's
distribution growth is priced into
shares.
• Bio-Reference Lab
(NASDAQ:BRLI) was initiated with
an Outperform rating at William
Blair. The firm believes the company
is well-positioned to benefit from
robust industry growth trends.
Politics * Business *
that Hillary hanging around is such a
good idea. 64% of the people
participating in MSNBC's online poll
preferred that Hillary make a quick
and graceful exit from the race.
One thing that most observers agree
upon is that a protracted war for
delegates threatens to tear the party
apart. To avoid this, Hillary must win
by an overwhelming margin in the
delegate count in Texas, Ohio and
Pennsylvania, the three big remaining
prizes to be able to demonstrate that
she won the race on the merits.
Barring that, she should pick a logical
time to concede prior to the
convention, so as to calm party jitters
about a messy and divisive Democrat
-Vs.-Democrat fight.
When should Hillary Clinton pull out
of the race?After Texas and
Ohio.Before the convention.Never,
she's going to win.Immediately, it's
over.Vote
Permalink | Email this | Linking
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OTHER INITIATIONS:
• Baird initiated Acorda Therapeutics
(NASDAQ:ACOR) with a Neutral
rating and $28 target.
• Citigroup started Mindray Medical
(NYSE:MR) with a Buy rating and
$45 target.
• Goldman Sachs initiated H&R
Block (NYSE:HRB) with a Neutral
rating and $20 target.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
5
Time for a
New Clinton
Theme Song
By Greg McNeilly (Political
Machine)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 11:24:00 AM
Filed under: Hillary Clinton, 2008
PresidentLast May, Hillary Clinton's
campaign engaged crowd-sourcing to
select her campaign's theme song.
In the early days of this everlasting
campaign cycle, it was a fluffy
distraction showing levity and an ease
of campaigning known to a well
established front-runner.
She or - her supporters - choose
Celine Dion's "You and I."
But times have changed.
Ten straight victories by Barack
Obama, the Teamsters are now ready
to join the SEIU and endorse him
bolstered by a new 14-point lead in a
Zogby survey. It's time for a new
campaign jingle.
Let's help the junior U.S. Senator
from New York pick a new theme.
Here's my list:
-- Crash by Dave Matthews Band
-- Disciplined Breakdown by
Collective Soul
-- Zero by Smashing Pumpkins
-- Communication Breakdown by Led
Zepplin
-- Spiderweb by No Doubt
-- Lost and Found by Trial and Error
by Steppenwolf
-- Crash and Burn by Simple Plan
-- Crash! Boom! Bang! by Roxette
-- Breakdown by Tom Petty
-- Freedom at Point Zero by Jefferson
Starship
-- Too Low for Zero by Elton John
And there is always "Crash" by either
Gwen Stefani or Aerosmith and
"Breakdown" by either Jack Johnson
or Alan Parsons.
What song would you pick?
Permalink | Email this | Linking
Blogs | Comments
6 Business * Social Net * Your Click and Print Newspaper

Intel (INTC) to sell new, cheap

processors
By Brent Archer
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:36:00 AM
Filed under: Good news, Intel
(INTC), Options, Technical
AnalysisIntel Corp. (NASDAQ:
INTC) shares are trading higher this
morning after the company
announced that it will begin selling
processors designed for laptop
computers costing as little as $250
(WSJ subscription required). The new
processors are part of the company's
plan to create new markets. If you
think that the company won't fall by
too much in the coming months, then
now could be a good time to look at a
bullish hedged trade on INTC.
After hitting a one-year high of
$27.99 in December, the stock hit a
one-year low of $18.05 in January.
INTC opened this morning at $20.64.
So far today the stock has hit a low of
$20.56 and a high of $20.98. As of
11:00, INTC is trading at $20.55, up
17 cents(0.8%). The chart for INTC
looks bearish but improving slightly,
while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3
STARS (out of 5) hold rating.
For a bullish hedged play on this
stock, I would consider an April bull-
put credit spread below the $17.50
range. A bull-put credit spread is an
options position that combines the
purchase and sale of put options to
hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do
what you think but still leverage nice
returns. For this particular trade, we
will make an 8.7% return in just two
months as long as INTC is above
$17.50 at April expiration. Intel
would have to fall by more than 15%
before we would start to lose money.
Learn more about this type of trade
here.
Web 2.0 Marketplace
Listings for February
21st, 2008
INTC hasn't been below $18 at all in
the past year and has shown support By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)
around $20 recently. This trade could Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:09:39 AM
be risky if the US economy continues
to worsen, but even if that happens, The Web 2.0 Marketplace is a place
this position could be protected by the to list Web 2.0 and “New Media”
support the stock might find just websites for sale, job offers,
above $18, where it bottomed back in consulting services, Facebook
January. development services and more.
(more…)
Brent Archer is an options analyst ShareThis
and writer at Investors Observer.
DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns
and/or controls diversified portfolios
of long and short stock and option
positions that may include holdings in
companies he writes about. At
publication time, Brent controls a
bullish position in INTC.Permalink |
Email this | Comments

Why the $330 billion Serious Money: Gold &

auction-rate securities
market failed
By Peter Cohan
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:45:00 AM
Filed under: Bad news, Recession
As I posted last week, Auction rate
securities (ARSs) is a $330 billion
market for long-term bonds that are
supposed to pay lower rates because
their interest rates are set through
auctions. Municipalities who issued
ARSs are suffering because 1,000 of
these auctions failed and instead of
paying 3% interest rates, they have to
pay 20%. And if that wasn't bad
enough, the investment banks that
oversee these auctions are refusing to
let investors withdraw their money.
DealBreaker explains that the demand
for ARSs dried up sometime last
year, and evaporated completely in
2008. This shift was driven by a
March 2007 decision by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
that the heading "cash equivalents"
should be eliminated from balance
sheets and cash-flow statements. The
FASB recommended that cash-flow
statements should present only flow
related to cash. Items currently
classified as cash equivalents would
be classified in the same way as other
short-term investments.
Corporations responded to this by
moving out of the ARSs so that their
balance sheet cash positions would
not be reduced as a result of the
FASB decision. This meant that many
corporations no longer wanted to buy
ARSs. As corporate demand for
ARSs vanished, banks had to keep
more ARS inventory onto their own
books. Since banks need to maintain
a constant ratio of capital to assets,
they needed to increase their capital
commitment at the same time the
banks faced challenges from other
parts of the credit markets -- such as
Collateralized Debt Obligations
(CDOs). Last week they decided
against committing additional capital
to supporting the auction, and let
them fail.
Continue reading Why the $330
billion auction-rate securities market
failedPermalink | Email this |
Comments
platinum hit new highs
By Sheldon Liber
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:45:00 AM
Filed under: Freep't McMoRan
Copper (FCX), Serious Money,
Commodities, Anglo Amer ADR
(AAUK), Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks
for 2008
It was only yesterday that I
recommend readers examine Freeport
McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE:
FCX) and this morning we find Gold
& Platinum Prices Soar to New Highs Gold has been an historic hedge
to a new record high of $952.40 an against inflation, so why should now
ounce. be any different?This has ignited one
It seems investors the world over are of my 2008 picks Chasing Value:
rediscovering the precious metal after Anglo American (AAUK) is
years of neglect. How could you down...but! which has moved up
expect anything else with social sharply in the last week.
unrest and war on the front pages of I do not know where the ceiling is on
every newspaper, recession fears gold prices but it does not seem
looming, China and India growing historically high, and I still think
rapidly placing high demand on all AAUK and FCX belong on
commodities, and a head-in-the-sand everyones watch list.
administration just now lifting itself Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small
up to take a gander in the last few private investment company and the
months of its dubious leadership. principal for design and research at an
Despite recession fears there is also architecture & planning firm. He
the serious possibility of dramatic writes the columns Chasing Value
inflation in the next few years based and Serious Money. Disclosure: I
on deficit spending, the ever own shares of AAUK.
expanding federal government and Permalink | Email this | Comments
lack of concern for the value (buying
power) of the currency . It's pitiful.

AT&T (T): For low risk and high yield

By Steven Halpern
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:15:00 AM
Filed under: Newsletters, AT and T
(T), Stocks to Buy
"Given the uncertainties, our strategy
now is to focus on stocks with
minimal downside risk in a weak
economy, says Harry Domash who
has added AT&T (NYSE: T) to the
portfolio of his Winning Investing.
"Telecom giant AT&T is in a
recession resistant businesses and
pays a high dividend, which are the
characteristics we need for this
market. The stock provides and
estimated dividend yield of 4.2%
"SBC Communications adopted the
AT&T name when it bought long
distance carrier AT&T in 2005.
AT&T purchased BellSouth in 2006
and now provides landline Internet
and telephone services in 22 U.S.
states.
"With BellSouth, AT&T gained full
control of Cingular, the largest
wireless carrier in the U.S., and
changed its name to AT&T Mobility.
Wireless services account for most of
AT&T's growth. Last year AT&T
became the exclusive service provider
for Apple's new iPhone.
"In 2006, AT&T launched a fiber-
based network, called 'U-verse,'
which offers video and higher speed
Internet services.
"AT&T reported December quarter
(continuing) earnings of $0.71 per
share, up 16% vs. year-ago. Thanks
to its BellSouth purchase, revenues
rose 91% to $30.3 billion. The stock
is an addition to the 'Masstress
Stuffers' portion of our model
portfolio."
Each day, Steven Halpern's
TheStockAdvisors.com offers the
latest market commentary and
favorite investment ideas from the
nation's leading financial newsletter
advisors.Permalink | Email this |
Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper Business * Tech Gadgets * 7

401(k) participants get J.C. Penney (JCP) profit

permission from the
Supreme Court to sue
By Lita Epstein
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:30:00 AM
Filed under: Market matters, Personal
finance
In a landmark decision that will help
millions of workers who participate
in 401(k) plans at work, the Supreme
Court ruled yesterday that
participants could sue 401(k)
administrators if they believe the
administrators of their 401(k) did not
follow instructions and that lack of
action resulted in loss of funds. More
than 50 million workers invest their
retirement savings through 401(k)
funds and the total amount invested is
$2.7 trillion. I'm glad the Supreme
Court realized workers needed
protection from administrators who
don't follow instructions.
The case was brought by James
LaRue of Southlake, Texas. His suit
contends that he lost $150,000 in his
401(k) because the administrators of
his plan did not move his holdings
into safer investments as he
instructed. The Supreme Court had to
decide whether or not the Employee
(ERISA) allows individual account
holders to sue plan administrators for
breaching their fiduciary duties. The
law specifically allows recovery to
the "plan" rather than the individual.
Justice John Paul Stevens said in his
opinion for the court, "Fiduciary
misconduct need not threaten the
solvency of the entire plan to reduce
benefits below the amount that
participants would otherwise
receive."
Continue reading 401(k) participants
get permission from the Supreme
Court to sueRead | Permalink | Email
this | Comments
slips during fourth-quarter
but beats estimates
By Eliza Popescu
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:30:00 AM
Filed under: Earnings reports,
Forecasts, Marketing and
advertisingThe market is looking to
extend yesterday's rally, and shares of
department store retailer J.C. Penney
Inc. (NYSE: JCP) are also moving
higher. Today's price move comes in
reaction to estimate beating numbers,
despite posting a decline in fourth-
quarter.
For the quarter, the retailer said that The company did post a decline its
its profit slipped 10% to $430 fourth-quarter revenue which slipped
million, but the decline was smaller 4% to $6.39 billion, down from $6.66
than expected as the company's costs billion a year earlier. The drop in
control offset lower sales from the revenue came as the retailer had to
weak consumer spending face a weal consumer environment
environment. J.C. Penney posted brought by the U.S. housing market
quarterly earnings of $1.93 per share, slowdown, higher food and fuel
topping analysts' predictions for prices.
earnings of $1.77 per share. These Continue reading J.C. Penney (JCP)
numbers were down from $477 profit slips during fourth-quarter but
million, or $2.09 per share reported in beats estimatesPermalink | Email this
the same period a year ago, but in the | Comments
current market environment is being
viewed as a victory by Wall Street.

Analyst downgrades: TGT,

Retirement Income Security Act

Radiant Systems (RADS): NVTL and EMAG

Shares define bullish By Eric Buscemi
(BloggingStocks)
citing mixed Q4 results and guidance.
• Emageon (NASDAQ:EMAG) was
downgraded to Market Perform from
'pennant' Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:03:00 AM

Filed under: Analyst upgrades and

By Larry Schutts
(BloggingStocks)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:58:00 AM
Filed under: Earnings reports,
Analyst upgrades and downgrades,
Home Depot (HD), Exxon Mobil
(XOM), Kroger Co (KR), Technical
Analysis, Stocks to Buy
Radiant Systems (NASDAQ: RADS)
provides hardware systems and
software used to manage site
operations in a variety of retail
settings. Products include touch-
screen point-of-sale devices, self-
service kiosks, integrated back-office
systems and centralized data
management systems designed for
use in restaurants, cinemas,
convenience stores and general retail
locations. Customers include Exxon
Mobil (NYSE: XOM), Home Depot
(NYSE: HD) and Kroger (NYSE:
KR).
Investors were pleased last week,
when SunTrust offered a positive
assessment of the firm's prospects and
then the company issued a positive
quarterly summary. Management
reported Q4 EPS of 27 cents and
revenues of $70.3 million. Analysts
had been expecting 22 cents and
$68.9 million. The company also
guided Q1 EPS to 15-16 cents (16
cent consensus), Q1 revenues to $60-
$70 million ($63.61M consensus),
FY08 EPS to 84-86 cents (76 cent
consensus) and FY08 revenues to
$305-$308 million ($282.45M
consensus). Wedbush Morgan
subsequently reiterated its "buy"
rating on the shares.
Continue reading Radiant Systems
(RADS): Shares define bullish
'pennant'Permalink | Email this |
Comments
downgrades, Target Corp.
(TGT)MOST NOTEWORTHY:
Target, Novatel Wireless and
Emageon were today's noteworthy
downgrades:
• Citigroup downgraded shares of
Target (NYSE:TGT) to Sell from
Hold as they believe the company
could continue to face macro
headwinds, credit deterioration, and
merchandising pressures. They also
see increased risk with Target's credit
card portfolio.
• JMP Securities cut Novatel
Wireless (NASDAQ:NVTL) to
Market Perform from Outperform
Outperform at Friedman Billings
following its weak Q4 report and
guidance.
OTHER DOWNGRADES:
• Goldman downgraded Norsk Hydro
(NHYDY) to Neutral from Buy and
removed shares from their Pan-
Europe Buy List.
• Oppenheimer lowered SunTrust
Banks (NYSE:STI) to Underperform
from Perform.
• PetMed Express (NASDAQ:PETS)
was downgraded to Sell from Neutral
at Piper Jaffray.
Permalink | Email this | Comments

AT&T Palm Centro gets reviewed

By Nilay Patel (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:33:00 AM
Filed under: Cellphones
Now that the GSM Palm Centro has
finally landed on AT&T, it's time to
check in with the reviewers to see if
the EDGE-only model is still worth
the $99 -- and for the most part, it
seems like it is. Everyone agrees with
us that the green keys are funky-
fresh, and old as it is, Palm's Garnet
OS is still functional and fast enough
to make using the thing relatively
pain-free, and it seems like the drop
from Sprint's EV-DO to AT&T's
EDGE isn't a major hit -- after all,
you're still using Blazer. All in all, it
looks like the Centro is basically the
same on AT&T as it is on Sprint: a
solid low-end smartphone at an
attractive price.
Read - TreoCentral: "There are more
powerful smartphones out there, but
few are as cheap, easy to use, and fun
as this little guy."
Read - MobileTechReview: "For
those who don't need everything... the
Centro is worth a look."
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Read - Laptop: "AT&T customers
looking for an easy-to-use smart
phone should be satisfied."
8 Tech Gadgets * Technology * Social Net *
Microsoft announces new
strategy to interoperability,
jumps on the "open" bandwagon
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:46:00 AM
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Someday in the distant future, your
grandkids will be hugging their
Microsoft Robot Friend, browsing the
Weboverse on Internet Explorer 29,
and going to a rock concert held by
Steve Ballmer's head, and they'll have
never known the evil, nasty Microsoft
we grew up with. Starting today,
Microsoft has dropped a bit of a
bombshell on the computing
community by jumping on the "open"
bandwagon and altering the way they
do business with third-party
developers. According to a wordy
New 3D camera chip design might put Adobe
on guard
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:09:00 AM
Filed under: Digital Cameras
You'd better watch your back Adobe,
because it looks like you've got
company in the 3D picture game.
Stanford University researchers have
recently hit upon a method of image
sensing which can judge the distance
of subjects within a shot. By using a 3
-megapixel sensor which is broken
into multiple, overlapping 16 x 16-
pixel squares (referred to as
NVIDIA's GeForce 9600 GT card is officially the new budget
hotness
By Paul Miller (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:49:00 AM
Filed under: Gaming
It's been a long time coming, but it
looks like the GPU industry finally
figured out the fact that most
consumers don't want to blow a
couple grand on an SLI setup, they
just want to play Crysis debt-free.
ASUS intros the MK241H display with built-in webcam
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:01:00 AM
Filed under: Displays
You know that the cats at ASUS can't
go too long without dropping some
shiny new piece of gadgetry on us,
and that's exactly what they're doing
press release issued by the company,
the Redmond giant will begin
embracing an open attitude by
publishing documentation for all of
its "high-volume product" APIs free
of charge, will detail patents it holds
and applications that cover its
protocols (to avoid nasty, Linux-like
mixups, we assume), and will provide
a "covenant not to sue open source
developers for development or non-
commercial distribution of
implementations of these protocols."
Sound like big news? They've got a
lot more to say on the matter -- hit the
read link and learn all about cuddly
new Microsoft.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
subarrays), a camera is capable of
capturing a variety of angles in one
frame. When the images taken by the
multi-aperture device are processed
The new GeForce 9600 GT from
NVIDIA is an answer to those
prayers, offering solid performance
ratings nearly in line with last-gen's
8800 GT, at a completely lovable
$199-and-under pricepoint. For now
the top of the performance charts is
still the 8800 Ultra -- as NVIDIA will
readily admit -- but the 9600 GT is
just the first of NVIDIA's GeForce 9
series, and while it's sure to be
this morning. If you've been in the
market for a decently-sized display as
of late, you might want to turn your
attention to the MK241H, a 24-inch
LCD monitor which features 1920 x
1200 (WUXGA) resolution, a 3000:1
contrast ratio, HDMI, D-SUB, and
DVD-D (HDSC) inputs, and tops it
all off with a built-in 1.3-megapixel
webcam. The company is also
Your Click and Print Newspaper
LiveVideo.com: Yahoo Live
Done Right
By Duncan Riley (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 7:16:48 PM
LiveVideo.com from MySpace
founder Brad Greenspan’s company
LiveUniverse is yet another live
streaming service, but it combines the
best of existing services with Yahoo
Live style functionality for a package
worth looking at.
LiveVideo.com offers the following
features:
• show archiving, so users can record
shows to be played back later
• embedding of live streams
• chat associated with the stream
• video conferencing Yahoo Live
style, in that users can add other
streaming users to their page and
interact with them
• Comment board/ profile page
by proprietary software, location
differences are measured from each
mini-lens, and then combined into a
photograph containing a depth map.
This procedure allows the same
image to appear at different angles,
provided the subject has depth to
begin with (i.e., isn't a flat surface).
Here's hoping this technology makes
it into consumer products pronto,
ASAP, and forthwith.
[Via Wired]
Read | Permalink | Email this |
Comments
followed by bigger, badder and more
expensive versions, it's refreshing to
making a 22-inch version of the
screen, the MK221H/S, which packs
similar to YouTube where users can
leave comments
• Photo gallery, no quite Flickr, but
allows users to share photos
LiveUniverse is pitching
LiveVideo.com as “the first fully
interactive, global, live streaming
platform;” it’s not, but it is a feature
rich offering that may well find
f a v o r . C r u n c h B a s e
InformationMogulusUstreamblogTVJ
ustin.TVLiveUniverseInformation
provided by CrunchBase
C r u n c h N e t w o r k :
MobileCrunchMobile Gadgets and
Applications, Delivered Daily.
Web 2.0 Invites for
February 21st, 2008
By Pete Cashmore (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:09:40 AM
New Web 2.0 services await; all you
need to do is grab your free invites
over at Mashable Invites!
(more…)
ShareThis
see the 9600 hitting the market first.
Read - GeForce 9600 GT
Read - PC Per GeForce 9600 GT
review
Read - HotHardware GeForce 9600
GT review
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in a 1680 x 1050 resolution, and a
contrast ratio of 5000:1. No word on
when these will be available, though
we suspect the wait won't be too long.
[Via Impress]
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Your Click and Print Newspaper
Asus delays U2E launch, wants
other products to ride its coattails
By Donald Melanson
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:29:00 AM
Filed under: Laptops
It looks like those in North America
eager to get their hands on Asus'
sleek new leather-bound U2E
ultraportable will have to wait a little
while longer, although it's not clear
exactly how long. There's apparently
no production delays or other
problems with the laptop, however,
with Asus instead rather frankly
fessing up that its holding back on the
LG's new LN840 PND hits the
FCC
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:41:00 AM
Filed under: GPS
Hot off the FCC presses, we present
the LG LN840 -- ostensibly a follow
up to the company's well received
LN740 PND. We don't know too
much about this puppy right now,
save for the fact that it features what
appears to be a 4-plus-inch
touchscreen, Bluetooth compatibility,
an SD card slot, and a mini-USB port
laptop simply so it can launch some
other products alongside it. In case
you missed it, the U2E (also known
as the U2) boasts an 11-inch LED-
backlit display, a Core Duo ULV
processor and a 32GB SSD drive, all
of which combine for some
expectedly strong battery life while
still maintaining some decent
performance -- and no doubt a lofty
price tag as well.
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(which incidentally also acts as the
power jack). The device sports some
PMP functionality like music and
photo playback -- but it doesn't seem
to do video. It's to be assumed that
this is a significant step up from
previous LG GPS units, though we
won't know till we see a more robust
spec list. Feel free to peruse the
multitudinous FCC report pages
yourself... if you dare.
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Samsung's YP-P2 gets firmware
v3.15, a handful of new features
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:54:00 AM
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable
Video
We don't want to get too granular on
these firmware updates, but it looks
like another YP-P2 re-up has imbued
the device with some interesting new
features. Apparently, version 3.15
adds three new games to your device,
the ability to record FM radio as an
Video proof of the renegade
satellite's destruction
By Joshua Topolsky
(Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:34:00 AM
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Sure, it's one thing to hear about that
satellite getting blown to bits, but
there's nothing like cold, hard video
evidence to really cement our belief
in the Navy's extreme skill at hitting
fast moving objects in space with
Tech Gadgets * 9
MP3, new repeat functions, control
over the speed of music playback
(which we think is totally boss), and
EmoTure 1.5, which has a handful of
improved features (or so we're told).
The whole shebang is available right
now for your downloading pleasure...
so go grab it.
[Thanks, Evan]
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huge missiles. Yes -- the video is
grainy and hard to make out, but if
you can't tell how bad we blew that
thing out of the sky... well maybe
you're not looking hard enough. See it
all go down (literally) after the break.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Video proof of the
renegade satellite's destruction
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10 Tech Gadgets * Technology *
iToilet case mod finally delivers
upon the concept's amazing
promise
By Paul Miller (Engadget)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:13:00 AM
Filed under: Desktops, Household
"iToilet" may very well be the lamest
running joke in all of Appledom -- at
least one badly done render shows up
for every Stevenote that goes by -- so
it's nice to see it finally deliver. Some
nerds found this here toilet sitting by
a street, and after some ill-advised
drilling and a few cans of spray paint
Skype: 100 Billion Free Phone
Minutes And Counting
By Erick Schonfeld
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 1:25:48 PM
Since launching four and half years
ago, Skype users have talked to each
other for 100 billion minutes, and that
is just counting free Skype-to-Skype
phone calls. Of course, many of those
calls would never have been made if
Skype didn’t exists, so you cannot
count the entire 100 billion minutes
as a loss for the phone companies.
But a significant chunk of that has got
to be eating away at phone company
profits.
Skype’s owner, eBay, is not
necessarily the winner here either.
While Skype has been a boon for
consumers, it’s eBay that is footing
they had a silver toilet complete with
Apple logo and computer internals.
Yeah, maybe not our idea of a fun
weekend, but for an Apple fanboy
this is the truest form of devotion.
There's video after the break.
Continue reading iToilet case mod
finally delivers upon the concept's
amazing promise
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the bill. Even at the reduced $3.1
billion acquisition price after the
write-down, eBay still ended up
paying roughly 3 cents a minute for
all of those calls. I think I pay less
with Verizon.CrunchBase
InformationSkypeInformation
provided by CrunchBase
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hardware.
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Geek Goes Chic: We’re
Partying With
PopSugar
By Michael Arrington
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 7:19:48 PM
Update: The first batch of 200 tickets
sold out almost immediately.
PopSugar readers get the next batch,
but more will be available soon. Also,
if you plan to attend, please add
yourself to the Facebook event here.
MySpace event page is here.
This is going to be our best party yet.
PopSugar is a (huge) blog all about
fashion, beauty, shopping and
celebrity news. TechCrunch is about
startups and the geeks that create
them. These two groups definitely
need to mingle.
So on April 10, in Hollywood of
course, we are putting on a huge party
with them. The theme - Geek Goes
Chic. Expect lots of startup geeks
commingling with, well, normal
people. Who are most likely
attractive. And can carry on a
conversation. What could could
possibly go wrong? See how
PopSuger is presenting it to their
readers here.
The party is being held at Vanguard
in Hollywood, which holds up to
1,500 people. Like our previous
events, there will be sponsors, hors
d’oeuvre and an open bar. Unlike our
previous parties, not all of the
sponsors will be startup and tech
related.
Event Details:
• Date: Thursday, April 10, 2008
• Time: 6:30 pm - midnight
• Venue: Vanguard, 6021 Hollywood
Boulevard, Hollywood (maps:
Google / Microsoft / Yahoo)
• Photo/Flickr Tag: PopCrunch2008
We’re releasing the tickets in stages -
the first 200 tickets are available now.
As usual, tickets are $10 to manage
the guest list, and proceeds will be
donated to charity. All ticket
purchases are non-transferable and
non-refundable. If you purchase
multiple tickets under your own
name, your guests will need to arrive
together with you at the event. Photo
IDs are required for event check-in;
no paper tickets necessary. Hope to
see you there!
Sponsor Opportunities
The Vanguard is a huge club with
outdoor patio and cabanas. The club
can hold over 1,500 people, and we
expect this to be the largest MeetUp
yet. The large-format venue is very
conducive to creative sponsorship
opportunities that can really showcase
innovations in new and interactive
media. Sponsorship packages are
available in all shapes and sizes–
dedicated entertainment rooms,
specialty cocktails, MeetUp
giveaways, demo tables, etc. Please
contact Jeanne Logozzo to learn more
about sponsorships.
There are a limited number of
sponsorship spots for companies to
take “center stage” during the
entertainment portion of the evening.
The venue has a built-in catwalk, a
stage/dance floor and the latest high-
tech production equipment.
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool
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hardware.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
AdSense For Video Comes Out of
Private Beta. Can We Kill the Pre-
Roll Now?
By Erick Schonfeld
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 8:28:25 AM
Nine months after launching its
closed beta of AdSense for video,
Google is finally opening up the
advertising program to any publisher
in the U.S. that serves one million or
more video streams per month.
(Perhaps the volume requirement is a
concession to advertisers who want
their ads shown only on mainstream
sites—and porn sites need not apply,
no matter how many videos they
stream).
The ads come in two formats: video
and text. Both appear as banners
along the bottom of the video. When
you click on the “InVideo” ad (isn’t
AdBrite already using that name?),
the video you are watching stops and
a new smaller window opens up that
plays a video commercial (you can
close it at anytime to resume the
original video you were watching).
The text ad is also a banner with a
regular contextual AdSense ad
triggered by tags in the video or
words on the page around it. When
Microsoft Sings a New
Tune—Wants to Play Nice With
Open-Source
By Erick Schonfeld
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 8:58:34 AM
Wow, Ray Ozzie is really changing
the culture at Microsoft. Or maybe
it’s just been beaten down by anti-
trust regulators in the EU. After years
in denial, Redmond has finally
decided to stop trying to fight open-
source software. In a series of moves
announced today aimed at making its
products more interoperable with
other software and the Web in
general, Microsoft is releasing 30,000
pages of documentation for Windows
(both desktop and server products)
that were previously available to
partners only through a trade secret
license. It is making available new
licenses to a large number of its
software patents “on reasonable and
non-discriminatory terms, at low
royalty rates.” And the company is
making the following pledge to open-
source developers:
Microsoft is providing a covenant not
to sue open source developers for
development or non-commercial
you click on that, it takes you to the
advertiser’s Website. The InVideo
ads are charged on a CPM (per-
impression) basis, while the text ads
are charged on a CPC (per click)
basis. You can see demos here and in
the two screen grabs below).
In addition to partner sites that are
accepted into the AdSense video
program, you also will be seeing
these ads on YouTube videos,
including those in the YouTube
Partner program. And, as we’ve
previously reported, these YouTube
videos, with the accompanying ads,
can be placed on any Website by
publishers who don’t have videos of
their own or would like to supplement
what they have. In that scenario, the
ad revenues get split three ways
between the publisher site, the
YouTube partner, and Google.
Thankfully, Google is staying away
from pre-roll and post-roll video ads,
distribution of implementations of
these protocols. These developers
will be able to use the documentation
for free to develop products.
Companies that engage in
commercial distribution of these
protocol implementations will be able
to obtain a patent license from
Microsoft, as will enterprises that
obtain these implementations from a
distributor that does not have such a
patent license.
While Microsoft is not open-sourcing
its own software, it is taking dramatic
steps to play nice with the open-
source community. This is a complete
180-degree turn from its stance of the
past. The broad set of interoperability
principles it is announcing today will
apply to the following products:
Windows Vista (including the .NET
Framework), Windows Server 2008,
the video ad format that still seems to
dominate because it is most similar to
what advertisers are used to buying
on TV. Well, the Web is not TV. And
Google realizes that. These formats
are much less intrusive and more
contextually relevant. Although
overlays are nothing new (see
VideoEgg, ScanScout, AdBrite,
Blinkx, Cast.Tv, etc), Google’s heft
in online advertising could easily
make it the standard. I am still not a
big fan of the text ads, though,
because they send you away from the
video in mid-stream, which does not
provide the best viewing experience.
But at least Google leaves it up to the
viewers to decide for themselves
whether or not they want to interrupt
their videos by clicking on an ad.
Anyway, either format is preferable
to a pre-roll, which hopefully will
now be taken out back and shot.
C r u n c h B a s e
InformationYouTubeVideoEggAdBri
teScanScoutCastTVBlinkxInformatio
n provided by CrunchBase
C r u n c h N e t w o r k :
MobileCrunchMobile Gadgets and
Applications, Delivered Daily.
SQL Server 2008, Office 2007,
Exchange Server 2007, and Office
SharePoint Server 2007. The four
principles it is declaring are:
(1) ensuring open connections
(2) promoting data portability
(3) enhancing support for industry
standards
(4) fostering more open engagement
with customers and the industry,
including open source communities.
It will release documentation for all
APIs of the products above, will lay
out how it supports industry
standards, will create new APIs for
Microsoft Office to make it easier for
developers to create plug-ins for
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and
will launch an Open Source
Interoperability Initiative to promote
interoperability between open-source
and Microsoft products.
Microosft has set up a Website with
more information here.
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool
over the sexiest new gadgets and
hardware.
Technology * 11
NewsClipper Brings All
The News Video from
Around the Web to One
Place
By Erick Schonfeld
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 2:36:26 PM
Why isn’t there a Google News for
video? That is what Onar Vikingstad,
a 27-year-old Norwegian Web
developer with a day job at Apple,
asked himself before he created
NewsClipper. The site is a side
project of his that brings together
news video clips from the Websites
of ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, ESPN,
Fox News, NBC, and MSNBC. He
explains:
What I wanted to create with
NewsClipper was a site that
consolidates all news clips from the
major TV news networks in one
location. No more having to run
around to different carefully managed
and controlled individual websites.
Basically it lets you view the latest
news clips from the major TV
networks in one location, without
having to go to their slow sites
overloaded with ads.
The site is dead simple. There is a list
of video clips in a pane on the left
which can be sorted by “most recent”
or “most viewed.” You can create a
playlist and sort by network or
category (such as Politics,
International, Domestic, Business,
Technology, Sports, Weather, etc.).
There is no search, but that is coming
soon, as are viewer ratings and
commenting features. Click on a link
and the video starts playing in the
middle pane. NewsClipper uses the
open-source Flowplayer. The player
offers full-screen viewing and—here
is the controversial part—the ability
to embed any video on any other site.
If you go to CNN.com, for instance, it
does not allow you to embed any of
its videos. You can e-mail a link, but
that is it. With NewsClipper, not only
can you watch videos from CNN, but
you can use the embed code from its
player to put them on your blog or
MySpace page as well. (See this
Obama speech video from CNN, for
instance below). I am not sure if this
is a copyright violation or not, but it
is similar to what Veoh does with its
Veoh TV downloadable client
software. Vikingstad argues:
Technically, the video content/stream
itself is coming from the TV network.
I am just embedding it. So in a way
you could say I’m embedding videos
that are not proclaimed to be
embeddable.
Technically, he my be correct. he is
not hosting the videos. It is streamed
from CNN’s servers. But the fact that
he is stripping out the ads will not
endear him to the lawyers at the TV
networks. It is a really nice site,
though. Check it out before it gets
taken down.
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool
over the sexiest new gadgets and
hardware.
12 Technology * Social Net *
News Corp.-Yahoo Discussion Go
On. And On.
By Michael Arrington
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:56:18 AM
News Corp. has essentially planted
four or five deal guys at Yahoo HQ,
working directly with Yahoo business
development to try to find a deal to
combine MySpace and Yahoo that
both sides can swallow. The News
Corp. team is led by Jack Kennedy,
Fox Interactive Media’s EVP
Strategy and Corporate Development,
says a source with knowledge of the
discussions. According to another
source, the team was as Yahoo again
on Wednesday, and has been there
most of the last two weeks.
We reported on what the bid might
look like on February 12:
According to our source, the deal
structure would spin off Fox
Interactive Media (the primary asset
is MySpace, but IGN, Scout Media,
iLike Launches Artist News
Stream - Users Triple since
Last July To 22 Million
By Michael Arrington
(TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:14:53 AM
San Francisco/Seattle based music
service iLike launched a “news feed”
for favorite artists this week. Users
can now see exactly what their
favorite artists are up to - when they
go on tour, release new songs or
videos, etc, the news is presented to
them in the feed.
Users can select their favorite artiest
via the iLike website or on their
social network applications. Or the
service decides what you like based
on your playing habits on iTunes
(they have an iTunes plugin - if you
listen to a song ten times, it thinks
you like the artist).
The news feed for favorite artists can
be viewed via the iTunes plugin, the
website, the social network
applications, or via a new iPhone app
(just go to iLike on an iPhone and log
in).
The company continues to dominate
the Facebook music scene. Their U2
page on Facebook has 1.9 million
fans. Compare that to just 168,000
friends on the MySpace U2 page, and
933,000 on Last.fm. The fact that a
previously unreleased U2 song was
first heard on iLike didn’t hurt those
numbers, either.
In July 2007 iLike had 4.5 million
users of its Facebook application.
Today they have 14 million. But
more than half of their new members
FEEDBURNER:
continued from page 12
indeed alive and well. They pinged
their blog readership today with an
update as to exactly what they’ve
been up to since their last missive
back in November.
Though they didn’t mention us
specifically, we couldn’t help but feel
responsible for their reply as to
“Where are you guys?” Quite
honestly, we feel a lot better now that
Photobucket, Fox Sports,
AmericanIdol.com, Flektor, Ksolo;
plus investments in Hulu, Simply
Hired and Snocap are also assets of
FIM) into Yahoo, along with a big
cash injection from News Corp. and
an unnamed private equity fund. The
total investment would be valued at
around $15 billion.
Yahoo would be valued at
somewhere around $50 billion before
the transaction, north of Microsoft’s
$44.6 billion bid. That would leave
News Corp., plus the private equity
group, with more than 20% of the
combined entity. They’d be the
largest single stockholder and
effectively in control of the combined
Yahoo/FIM entity and their nearly
150 billion monthly page views
(which would be second only to
today are coming from their
iLike.com site and other social
networks - OpenSocial gave them
access to Bebo, Hi5 and soon
MySpace. On their website alone they
see 3.5 million worldwide monthly
visitors, which isn’t bad considering
most users interact with iLike via
their iTunes plugin, or on Facebook
and other social networks. Last.fm,
which was acquired last year for $280
million, has 4.7 million.CrunchBase
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by CrunchBase
C r u n c h N e t w o r k :
CrunchBoardbecause it’s time for you
to find a new Job2.0
we know what they’ve been up to.
What they’ve been up to is essentially
re-coding the system to fit a more
“Googley way of life,” which is their
way of inferring that their databases
and code routines are now going to be
written as per Google standards,
instead of the lowly best practices
FEEDBURNER: page 13
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Google).
As far as we know the potential deal
structure hasn’t changed, and they are
still hung up on how to make the
merger work without getting Google
involved to take on search marketing.
The team was expecting Microsoft to
up its bid last week, forcing the
Yahoo board to make a move. But
Microsoft is taking things directly to
shareholders, a time consuming
move. That gives News Corp. more
time to get their deal to pencil out.
FeedBurner:
It’s possible that at the end of this
ordeal we’ll see a Yahoo/MySpace
combined company, with News Corp.
Alive and
as the biggest shareholder. But to do
that these guys need to pull the
trigger on a bid. It’s time to make a
Well
move, or fly back to LA. By Mark 'Rizzn' Hopkins
Crunch Network: CrunchGeardrool (Mashable!)
over the sexiest new gadgets and
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:10:12 AM
hardware. FeedBurner and all their kin are
FEEDBURNER: page 12
Zd`rravstvuite: Google May Be
Buying Ukrainian Portal Bigmir)net
For $100 Million
By Duncan Riley (TechCrunch)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:30:33 AM
Another day, another Google
acquisition rumor, and this one comes
from within the borders of the former According to Quintura, Bigmir)net
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. was launched in September 2000 with
According to local press reports, reported revenues of $15 million in
Google may have acquired Ukrainian 2006 and raised $11 million in a
Portal Bigmir)net for $100 million. previous part IPO.
Bigmir)net is a Ukrainian version of C r u n c h N e t w o r k :
Mail.ru, a site Google is said to have CrunchBoardbecause it’s time for you
be interested in last year (but missed to find a new Job2.0
out on) that ended up with a $1
billion valuation.
Contest: Graphing Social
Patterns West App Night
By Tamar Weinberg
(Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 6:00:35 AM
As we announced earlier this month,
the O’Reilly Graphing Social Patterns
West conference will be held on
March 3 and 4th at the San Diego
Marriott Hotel and Marina in San
Diego, CA. This two-day conference
presents a behind-the-scenes look at
the business and technology of social
networking platforms.
Some of the speakers include Justin
Smith of Inside Facebook, who will
be presenting on viral application
design, in addition to marketer
Andrew Chen and Stanford lecturer
BJ Fogg.
Developers: Get 50% Off
Registration
AppNite features 10 awesome For details please visit:
developers presenting their http://en.oreilly.com/gspwest2008/pu
applications for 5 minutes. The best blic/schedule/detail/2659
apps, as chosen by the audience will We will be raffling off two tickets
receive prizes. However, all next week, and we still are offering
developers who apply to enter 30% off registrations through
AppNite will get a discount code Mashable, so just register with
good for a 50% discount on the discount code “gspw08mash”.
normal registration price. ShareThis
The deadline for submissions is
3/1/08, midnight, PST.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Google AdSense Opens More for
YouTube Videos
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 10:22:01 PM
Google took a while to introduce
AdSense options for its YouTube
acquisition over a year ago, but when
it finally did come out with AdSense
for YouTube clips, it worked with a
select group of advertisers and
publishers. Now, Google is finally
rolling out a fuller, more inclusive
AdSense service for use with videos,
which should eventually be found
here, though the site doesn’t seem to
be available to the public just yet.
As NewTeeVee notes, Google has
already signed some video
advertising companies to work on this
larger platform, including YuMe and
Tremor Media. There are also a slew
of video networks that have also
signed on to be a part of this fuller
AdSense network, including
ExpertVillage, MyDamnChannel, and
Revver to name a few. What’s that
mean for the competitive methods for
the likes of Revver and its new parent
FEEDBURNER:
continued from page 12
regular programmers like you and I
typically use. The benefit to this,
FeedBurner says, is three fold.
Fold One: Integration with Google
[read: you get money]
Essentially, being able to
communicate on a programmatic
level with other Google systems
means direct lines of contact with
Google Reader, Blogger, and
everyone’s favorite, AdSense:
“Only a fraction of our publishers
have had the opportunity to
participate in the FeedBurner Ad
Network to date. We would like to
offer this capability to an order of
magnitude more publishers, and full
integration into Google architecture
will make this not just a possibility
but a likelihood.”
They indicate in the post (and the
comments following up on the post)
Google Health Pilot Goes
Live Today?
By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 6:13:20 AM
As reported by the Associated Press,
Google will announce the pilot
project of its Google Health service
later today. Google will start by
storing medical records of a couple
thousand people, namely 1500 -
10000 patients from the Cleveland
Clinic who volunteered to participate
in the program.
Health profiles of individual patients
will not be open to the general public
and they will be protected by
passwords, but this won’t stop web
privacy skeptics (including us) to
raise concerns about Google owning
data on just about every aspect of our
lives. Remember our article titled
“My Soul, and 10 Other Things that
Google Owns?” Well, time to add
medical records to the list.
company Live Universe? As we’ve
seen from the company’s other video
network and YouTube rival
LiveVideo, the marketing strategy of
Greenspan is often to take a YouTube
feature and make it better or more
usable.
In the end, that shouldn’t make much
of a difference for participating in the
video version of AdSense: Google
has an extensive network for
advertisers and publishers to tall take
advantage of, and nearly every site
out there seems to have no problem
signing on for text ads that appear in
one’s sidebars. After tweaking its
that while they don’t have any
specific dates in mind as to when
they’ll be increasing the ability for
folks to join the FAN, expect to hear
more on this “within the next couple
of months.”
Fold Two: More Better
In what has to be the most innuendo-
laden allusion to future feature
development since my last phone call
with Brad Hunstable (no offense
Brad, but you’re the master of off-the
-record comments), they mention
they’re working on URL configurable
feeds, better email integration, and
’stuff’:
…and other stuff. And by “stuff,” we
mean “things.”
Fold Three: Scalability
As any user of Twitter (or for a more
Googley example, Jaiku) can tell you,
scalability is everything. Being built
Google declined to comment on the
project, so consider all this very
unofficial. However, AP got the info
directly from Cleveland Clinic, a not-
for-profit medical center which is
obviously less worried about
spreading this kind of info than
Google.
Similar projects include AOL’s
Revolution Health as well as
Microsoft’s HealthVault. But, as we
learned so many times in the past,
when Google digs its hands into
something, it’s a whole different ball
game.
ShareThis
monetization efforts for YouTube a
few times in the past year, it looks
like Google is finally comfortable
with a method of advertising that just
about everybody will sign on board to
participate.
And perhaps Google’s even had time
to sit back and observe the video
advertising methods of others in the
industry, including VideoEgg? Earlier
this week, VideoEgg announced a
new method for its video
advertisements, which aren’t
revolutionary in execution but are
quite novel in terms of how the ads
are bought and measured. Shifting to
an engagement method of charging
for interactive video ads, VideoEgg is
experimenting with a type of metric
that is being considered in various
ways across other online advertising
campaigns. This is evident in the type
of behavioral advertising we’re
seeing emerge with widget ads and
other forms of online advertising.
ShareThis
on the Google standards means you
can take advantage of their godlike
abilities to scale past the point which
is reasonable. Perhaps the systems of
FeedBurner were previously held
together with duct tape, or perhaps
they were just good. Either way, they
handle an amazing amount of data,
and didn’t ever seem to be
particularly broken due to scaling
issues, in my experience. I could be
lucky, or just plain right.
Either way, as a result of their move
to the Google standard, that particular
point will be moot, as their scalability
will be limitless, and as infallible as
most other Google services.
ShareThis
SendMe Mobile Signs Indie
Online Music Alliance
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 9:32:45 PM
Just weeks after signing a deal with
Universal Music Group, SendMe
Mobile has announced a partnership
with the Independent Online
Distribution Alliance (IODA). The
deal between SendMe Mobile and
IODA allow the mobile media
company to deliver IODA’s entire
mobile catalog of independent music
through its network. That gives an
even greater expanse for SendMe,
and it’s generally good for the mobile
market.
Music can be used for a couple of
different purposes on the web, but the
mobile industry has really been able
to apply music to hand-helds in an
interestingly personalized manner. I
often find myself spending far more
time selecting the perfect ringtones
Social Net * 13
Plugg Conference: 20
Startups Announced
+ 25% Discount
By Tamar Weinberg
(Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 6:05:37 AM
The one-day European Plugg
Conference focusing on startup Web
2.0 & Mobile 2.0 companies
(previously introduced here) is
coming March 19th to Brussels. The
twenty startups announced by Plugg
are as follows:
1. 123people
2. Alenty
3. Assetbar
4. Business IT Online (which we
covered here)
5. Caleido / Wuala
6. Cellity
7. Floobs
8. HumanGrid
9. Mobiya
10. MyOwnDB (also covered here)
11. Nugg.ad (covered here)
12. Radionomy
13. Refresh Mobile - Mippin
14. Sportme
15. Trampoline Systems
16. Trutap
17. TVtrip
18. Viewdle
19. Workhound
20. Zilok
We still have a coupon for 25% off
your registration price with the code
“MASHABLE”. This means the early
-bird price will go from 400€ to 300€,
and even if you register after
February 23rd, the code will still
lower the price from 500 € to 400€.
ShareThis
for all my friends and family
members than merely laying out a
playlist for my social networking
profile.
Now as the mobile media platform is
quickly being exploited for monetary
purposes, the standing hope here is
that a distribution deal such as the
one laid out between SendMe Mobile
and IODA will become increasingly
beneficial to the artists. And as deals
such as this one become more
common place, this will eventually
become an easier feat to achieve.
ShareThis
14 Social Net * TV *
AOL Is Really, For Real American Idol: Top 12 Girls
Ending Netscape Navigator Perform
By Kristen Nicole (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 11:18:06 PM
At the end of 2007, AOL announced
the end of Netscape Navigator. While
the browser would still be around for
those that still had a desire to use it,
AOL would no longer be providing
support for the once omnipresent
browser of choice through most of the
1990s.
But then, at the turn of the year, we
heard from AOL that it would be
extending support for Netscape for a
little while longer, and even threw in
a small update for Netscape 9, in
order to help transition users to other
browsers. AOL’s alternative browser
of choice? Firefox, reports Ars
Technica. The open-source browser
has gained a lot of steam in the past
few years, and AOL has turned much
of its browser-centric attention to
integrating with the Firefox browser
as much as possible, which certainly
Box.net Now Uses Scribd’s
iPaper for Previews
By Stan Schroeder (Mashable!)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:37:06 AM
Popular online file hosting/sharing
service box.net has embraced
Scribd’s iPaper format, which will
now be used for previews of
powerpoints, word files, excel
spreadsheets, and PDFs on box.net
without saving them to your
computer. You know what this
means? No more waiting 15 seconds
for Acrobat to load every time you
click on a PDF file. Sorry, Adobe, but
this thing just works better.
Scribd has introduced iPaper several
days ago, and we love it: it’s a nice,
Cashmere Mafia: Dog Eat Dog
By Kristin Sample (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:42:00 AM
Filed under: OpEd, TV Squad Polls,
Episode Reviews(S01E07) "Good
night, Jason." --Mia
And I think that's the last we'll see of
the Chinese brain surgeon. What a
catch he was though. Smart (well,
obviously). Sweet. Attractive. Sleepy.
Okay, that last one didn't go over too
well. How could anyone, tired from
neurosurgery or not, fall asleep on
Lucy Liu's abs? She looked
downright hot in that lingerie. It
reminded me of the Desperate
Housewives episode when Brie went
to Rex's motel room and whipped off
her fur coat to reveal a red lace bra
and panties. (Of course that was
Marcia Cross's body before the
twins.) Then Brie ruined the sexy
mood by obsessing about a burrito
about to fall and stain the motel
carpet.
makes my life easier as a Firefox
user.
Yes, I was once a young teen
knowing of nothing but the Netscape
browser, but my, how times have
changed. So folks, you now have
until March 1st to enjoy Netscape
Navigator as a fully-supported
browser option, after which I suggest
you move it along to Firefox. It’s
really real this time. Really.
ShareThis
simple way to share documents
online. Box.net - through its online
storage platform OpenBox - already
offers users the ability to access their
files on box.net through third party
services.
You can check out how the new
iPaper functionality works in this
example (just click “preview”.)
ShareThis
More on last night's Cashmere Mafia
(and no more on Desperate
Housewives, I promise) after the
jump...
Continue reading Cashmere Mafia:
Dog Eat Dog
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper
By Jason Hughes (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 3:29:00 PM
Filed under: American Idol,
Reviewcaps, Contestants,
Performances, Episode
Reviews(S07E12) I have to say
tonight's show was a mixed bag for
me. There were a lot of surprises for
me with the girls' performances, some
good and some bad. I went into the
show with a few clear favorites and a
few that I didn't have high hopes for
and it all got turned around on me.
There wasn't as much of a "Wow!"
factor with any of the girls and twelve weakest singers we're going to
actually none of them earned the have the most amazing Top 12 we've
patented DOUBLEPLAY, but that's ever seen. If that happens, I guarantee
not to say there weren't some great you the ratings questions about Idol
performances. being down this year will disappear
as those ratings shoot right through
I give Idol a lot of crap, and most of it the roof.
is pretty well deserved, but one thing Continue reading American Idol: Top
they've been hyping is absolutely 12 Girls Perform
true. This Top 24 has the deepest pool
of talent, and if we (that means you Permalink | Email this | | Comments
and me) can truly get rid of the
Reality show casting calls
By Keith McDuffee (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM
Filed under: Other Reality Shows,
CastingA day hasn't gone by where
we haven't received some sort of tip
or email asking us, the TV Squad,
how to get on [insert reality show
here]. Unfortunately no, Simon
Cowell does not work for us, and
Donald Trump isn't my BFF, so we
really can't help all that much.
The folks at RealityWanted.com
often send us a list of new and
existing reality shows that are looking This time we have MTV's Spring
Break, The Real World, Wife Swap,
for new, er, talent, and they've given
us permission to make mention of Splitsville and several new shows.
Continue reading Reality show
them here. We'll try to make this a
regular feature as often as we get a
new list.
casting calls
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
Judge Alex loses in court
By Allison Waldman (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:22:00 AM
Filed under: Daytime, Celebrities,
Game ShowBy a vote of 8-1, the
highest court in the land has ruled
against Alex Ferrer, Judge Alex.
Now, we're not talking the Emmy
judges, ruling against the TV show.
This is the real legal business, not the
Let's Make A Deal-justice of the sort
Judge Alex is all about. The U.S.
Supreme Court has ruled against him.
Ferrer, star of the syndicated court
show Judge Alex, a former police
officer and Florida judge, had brought
Continue reading Judge Alex loses in
a case before the high court involving court
a dispute over commissions he
supposedly owed to a former Permalink | Email this | | Comments
associate, Arnold Preston.
Your Click and Print Newspaper
CBS gives thumbs up for more
reality shows
By Allison Waldman (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:37:00 AM
Filed under: Other Reality Shows,
Pickups and RenewalsOnce upon a
time, in the 1960's, the TV landscape
was rife with westerns. In the 1970s,
it was detective shows. Nowadays,
the same can be said for reality
shows, and it seems there's no end in
sight to the genre. Today, CBS
reported two new reality programs in
development. Splitsville, which was
previously announced, is now going
into production. The marital-based
series, which comic Jamie Kennedy is
executive producing, is not about
happy unions. It sounds more like
Divorce Court meets Let's Make A
Deal, with divorcing husbands and
wives battling over their belongings
Jesse L. Martin leaving Law and
Order
By Bob Sassone (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:00:00 AM
Filed under: Law and Order,
Celebrities
Bad news for fans of both Jesse L.
Martin and Law and Order: the star is
leaving the NBC show.
Reports say that Martin will film one
more episode of the NBC show
before leaving. He had originally
signed to do 13 episodes this season
but the writers strike interrupted those
plans. He will be written off the
show, but there's no word yet on
exactly what that means (quitting the
force, getting killed off, abducted by
aliens, whatever).
And if you're thinking about
auditioning for a role on the show,
you're out of luck: they've already
America's Next Top Model: Welcome to Top Model Prep (season premiere)
By JJ Hawkins (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 4:15:00 PM
Filed under: OpEd, America's Next
Top Model, Episode Reviews
(S10E01) It seems like only yesterday
I was making fun of the "corpse
Project Runway: Reunion
By Annie Wu (TV Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:21:00 AM
Filed under: OpEd, Project Runway,
Episode Reviews(S04E12) I swear, if
I hear Tim Gunn say that this group is
the most talented season yet one more
time, I will jump up and scream,
"Lies! All lies!" and then flip over a
table to kick-start my violent
rampage. Sure, there are some super-
talented individuals, as always, but I
still don't believe that this is
anywhere near the strongest group of
designers yet.
Watching this Reunion didn't manage
to convince me that this was the most
exciting season either.
in a series of competitive challenges.
Hmm...can't wait to root for those
people!
Continue reading CBS gives thumbs
up for more reality shows
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
found a replacement.
Continue reading Jesse L. Martin
leaving Law and Order
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
bride" Jenah's slightly crooked teeth,
and Victoria's all too annoying
superiority complex during cycle 9 of
America's Next Top Model.
While I'll miss the crazy group of
girls we had last year, I'm absolutely
thrilled that I've got a whole new
%Gallery-16576%
Continue reading Project Runway:
Reunion
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
TV * 15
Big Brother 9: Eviction #2 and
HOH #2
By Jackie Schnoop (TV Squad) Oh, lots of controversy, but little sex.
I'm not saying it's not happening in
Submitted at 2/20/2008 3:55:00 PM
Filed under: OpEd, Big Brother (US),
the house -- just not happening
tonight on the show.
Episode Reviews
(S09E05) Have you been watching But if you're not here just for the sex
any of the commercials for Big and how marvelously hot looking the
Brother 9 lately? My goodness, houseguests are, read on past the
they're all about sex and the hotness jump.
of the hamsters. Now, I know that sex Continue reading Big Brother 9:
tends to be a big draw, but tonight's Eviction #2 and HOH #2
episode (unlike last night's episode)
really didn't have much sex to it all. Permalink | Email this | | Comments
cycle 10.
%Gallery-16564%
Continue reading America's Next Top
Model: Welcome to Top Model Prep
(season premiere)
group of people to poke fun at with
Permalink | Email this | | Comments
Big shock - Lost uses fictional
phones
By Allison Waldman (TV
Squad)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:02:00 AM
Filed under: Other Sci-
Fi/Supernatural Shows, LostLost is
perhaps the ultimate in TV fiction.
The storytelling is the stuff of vivid
imaginations and it's gotten millions
watching and wondering and tuning
in for more. Of course, in the midst of Well, guess what, it's no more of a
all that fantasy, some things we've reality than Mr. Spock's tricorder on
taken as fact, like most of the Star Trek!
technology. For instance, I don't Continue reading Big shock - Lost
know about you, but I believed those uses fictional phones
satellite phones they've been using
since Naomi parachuted onto the Permalink | Email this | | Comments
island last season were the real thing.
16 Movies
Leo DiCaprio to Bring
'Akira' to the Big
Screen
By Elisabeth Rappe
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:02:00 AM
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals,
Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes
and Sequels
Varietyreports that Warner Bros has
reclaimed the rights to Katsuhiro
Otomo's six-volume graphic novel
Akira after a spirited bidding war,
and is planning to adapt the book into
two live action films. The project is
being put on the fast track, with the
first film due to be released in
summer 2009. Ruairi Robinson is set
to direct a script by Gary Whitta, and
Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way
will produce with Andrew Lazar's
Mad Chance (with a chance DiCaprio
could star). The project was brought
in by executive vice president Greg
Silverman, who also supervised 300
and Batman Begins -- clearly, he has
recognized that graphic novels equal
box office gold.
The studio is hyping this as a cross
between Blade Runner and City of
God which is pretty amusing to me,
and I only know the bare details of
the story. Every sci-fi film is sold as a
cross between something and Blade
Runner. The setting has been changed
from a post-apocalyptic New Toyko
to a New Manhattan, which is not
surprising, and probably not too
disappointing. But what is bound to
worry fans (besides the implication
RvB's After Images: Skidoo (1968)
By Richard von Busack
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 12:02:00 AM
Filed under: Comedy, Music &
Musicals, After Image
Let's imagine Tony Soprano in one of
his 3 am near-comas. Rich food and
stress is keeping him awake, as the
rest of his family sleeps soundly in
their Jersey mini-mansion. Having
just loaded an extra-extra large hot
fudge sundae into his gut, he's half-
awake on the sofa, watching
television. This is a scene that
happened repeatedly during The
that it is about neo-noir street gangs)
is that this will be Robinson's feature
debut, having helmed only
commercials and short films thus far.
Is he up to the task? Sometimes
having a newcomer for this sort of
property is ideal, other times it
suggests the newbie is just there as a
studio puppet.
And is it possible to compress six
novels into two films? I have never
read the graphic and have seen very
little of the 1988 anime, so you'll
have to tell me. All I know is, it has
absolutely nothing in common with
Blade Runner.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sopranos, when Tony would
sometimes see an old movie that
would cut him to the quick, or else
plant a seed of doubt in him, tipping
him off to some unsuspected
treachery in his world. Tonight's
screening is a weird, weird film from
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Cinematical Seven: Bad
Ideas for Board Game
Movies
By Scott Weinberg
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 2:02:00 PM
Filed under: Cinematical Seven,
Games and Game Movies
Earlier today, Cinematical game-
master Erik Davis informed us that
Hasbro and Universal were teaming
up to make movies out of games like
Battleship, Candy Land, Ouija, and a
few others. Now, I actually think that
something like Battleship and/or
Candy Land could actually make for
some pretty good flicks, provided you
hire some good filmmakers, of
course. But then I got to thinking
about all the BAD movies that could
probably be made out of the old-
school board games. And so I give
you...
Roland Emmerich's Hungry Hungry
Hippos -- An expedition to find the
fabled White Marbles of Maui
unleashes a quartet of stunningly
1968...so damned weird that the next
day, Tony wouldn't be sure if he
didn't doze off during it, adding plot
details from his own dream-life.
Skidoo by Otto Preminger--a
resounding, loathed failure in its time
--has a cult, like almost all failures
ravenous and pastel-colored
hippopotami who devour everything
in their path. Able to re-attach their
heads with only a parents' assistance,
the Hippos seem completely
unstoppable ... until one overzealous
kid evens the playing field with a
well-placed hammer.
Wes Craven's Operation -- John
Smith had been admitted to General
Hospital for only a routine
appendectomy. But when he
awakens, his penis is missing, his
nose has been replaced by a light
bulb, his body is covered with
massive wounds, and three eight-year
-olds are pulling tiny plastic toys out
of his neck with an electric tweezers.
Rated NC-17.
Continue reading Cinematical Seven:
Bad Ideas for Board Game
MoviesPermalink | Email this |
Comments
do. It includes the first appearance by
the reliable character actor and acting
teacher Austin Pendleton. Also
making her debut was the famed
pioneer African-American model and
Warhol star Donyale Luna
(memorable from this photograph
you've seen in every beauty salon, in
which Luna's leanness and sinew is
visually contrasted with a line of
elephants). Unique casting
compliments a really one-of-a-kind
musical/satire that shows how beyond
"good" and "bad" some films are.
Continue reading RvB's After
Images: Skidoo (1968)Read |
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper
Oscar Predictions: The
Borgnine Factor
By James Rocchi (Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 1:02:00 PM
Filed under: Awards, Oscar Watch,
Trophy Hysteric
It's hard to get a statistical breakdown
of the Academy's membership, but
over the years I've formed a mental
picture of the Academy's average
member. He's male; he's been in show
business for decades, usually as an
actor; he's wealthy enough to be
"liberal"; he's white. He sees the
nominated films at home, on
screeners, possibly while enjoying a
sandwich, instead of in the theater.
And he's more inclined to go for a
glossy feel-good movie over a
grimmer one, or for a sweeping, old-
fashioned Hollywood period epic
over a gritty drama about actual
present day concerns. (See also
Forrest Gump vs. Pulp Fiction;
David Fincher Jumps Into a 'Black Hole'
By Monika Bartyzel
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:32:00 AM
Filed under: Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi
& Fantasy, Deals, Scripts,
Comic/Superhero/GeekEvery once in
a while a director gets attached to a
project and you know it was meant to
be. It's like butter and bread. Peanut
butter and jelly. David Fincher and
sexual plagues. Stay with me here --
The Hollywood Reporter says that
Fincher has signed on to direct a
horror romance called Black Hole for
Gladiator vs. Traffic.)
In short, Ernest Borgnine.
So, when I try to handicap Oscar
picks, I ask: WWEBD? This is often
a very different set of films from
what I'd like to see win, and the
Virtual Borgnine process isn't
foolproof (last year, VB went 5/6; in
2006, VB tanked with a record of 3/6,
somewhat damaged by my
overlooking when Borgnine -- the
real one, not the virtual one --
publicly stated he wouldn't see
Brokeback Mountain). But, mostly,
it's an exercise in looking into the
thought process behind the
maddening nature of the Oscars. All
quotes are, as ever, rough intimations
of the Borgnine thought process ...
Continue reading Oscar Predictions:
The Borgnine FactorPermalink |
Email this | Comments
Paramount/MTV Films -- based on
Charlie Burns' graphic novel.
Set in the suburbs of the mid-'70s, the
film focuses on a group of teens who
fall victim to a creepy, sexually
transmitted disease called "the teen
plague" or "the Bug." Instead of that
other upcoming picture where
everyone goes sexually wild, this
disease causes the teens to mutate,
become outcasts, and flee to the
woods outside of town.
I can't stop imagining the tingling
Review: The
Counterfeiters
By Christopher Campbell
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 3:04:00 AM
Filed under: Drama, Foreign
Language, New Releases, Sony
Classics, Theatrical Reviews, Oscar
Watch, Cinematical Indie
One of the most interesting stories to
come out of World War II is that of
Operation Bernhard. Considered the
biggest counterfeiting scheme in
history, it involved a secret plot by
the Nazis to flood England and the
United States with enough forged
currency that their respective
economies would be significantly
weakened. Obviously the plan failed,
though by the end of the War the
Germans, employing the forced labor
of select concentration camp
prisoners with applicable skills, had
produced more than 130 million in
tension and close, zooming camera
shots from Fight Club, or the look
and tone of Zodiac. While Hole could
Movies 17
fake notes, a minor amount of which
managed to make their way into
circulation.
This incredible story provides the
backdrop for Stefan Ruzowitzky's
The Counterfeiters, an Austrian film
nominated for this year's foreign-
language Academy Award. Like most
movies based on a true story, though,
this one is hardly 100% historically
accurate and therefore isn't so much
about the facts of the Operation as it
is about themes of morality and
"survivor's guilt" as they relate to the
Holocaust. And as usual, some of the
names and details have been changed
to protect the sanctity of narrative
complacency.
Continue reading Review: The
CounterfeitersPermalink | Email this |
Comments
be just your everyday horror film, I
have a feeling this could be a fun and
an absolutely sweet-to-watch film.
The adaptation is also being penned
by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman, in
case you needed even more of a
reason to be interested. Now I just
have to stop imagining all of the
possibilities that could come from
these three and just wait and see...
Then again, patience isn't my strong
suit.Read | Permalink | Email this |
Comments
18 Movies
Fincher Signs On to Direct 'Akira' to Star Leo DiCaprio
Sexual Horror Flick 'Black and Joseph Gordon Levitt
Hole'
By Scott Weinberg
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/20/2008 1:32:00 PM
Filed under: Horror, Romance,
ParamountAny time I hear news
about a new project from director
David Fincher, I get a little excited.
Barring his debut, the studio-
monkeyed Alien 3, Fincher has had a
remarkably impressive run as a flick
helmer: Seven, The Game, Fight
Club, Panic Room and Zodiac, with
The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button on the way. So even though he
already has a few projects in
development, Mr. Fincher has signed
on to direct an adaptation of Charles
Burns' graphic novel Black Hole.
Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, who
last collaborated on Beowulf, will
bang out the screenplay for MTV
Films and Paramount Pictures.
The Hollywood Reporter offers this
as a plot synopsis: "The story follows
'Miss Pettigrew' Clips Hit the
a group of high school students
whose lives are altered drastically
Disney Unveils 2009 Schedule: Net
By Monika Bartyzel
'Hannah Montana' and 'Prince (Cinematical)
of Persia" Join Summer Battle
By Elisabeth Rappe
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:02:00 AM
Filed under: Disney, Fandom, 20th
Century Fox, Family Films
The Montana madness continues!
Now that the writer's strike is
resolved, Variety reports that Disney
is the latest studio to revamp their
schedule and stake out some prime
release dates.
Among their 2009 and 2010 releases
will be The Hannah Montana Movie,
to be released on May 1st, 2009 and
pitted against 20th Century Fox's X-
Men Origins: Wolverine.
Wolverine versus Hannah Montana.
I'm laughing just thinking about it. I
want someone to make a comic book
cover of this right now. (Seriously. I
will frame it.) My money is on
Wolverine to actually win that battle,
but who knows what incredible
powers Montana may possess.
when they come in contact with a
sexually transmitted disease called
the "teen plague" or "the bug." But if
you head on over to the publisher's
site, you'll find a much more
thorough breakdown. To me it sounds
like John Hughes meets (early) David
Cronenberg ... and obviously that'd be
just fine by me. Here's hoping
Fincher makes Black Hole his very
next project.Read | Permalink | Email
this | Comments
All sarcasm aside, I imagine this will
actually be a very good move by
Disney. Moms and daughters can go
watch Hannah Montana, while their
fathers and brothers go see
Wolverine. The whole family wins!
Continue reading Disney Unveils
2009 Schedule: 'Hannah Montana'
and 'Prince of Persia" Join Summer
BattlePermalink | Email this |
Comments
Your Click and Print Newspaper
By Elisabeth Rappe
(Cinematical)
Submitted at 2/21/2008 1:32:00 AM
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy,
Casting, Warner Brothers,
R u m o r M o n g e r ,
Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes
and SequelsHours after Warner Bros
and Leo DiCaprio grabbed Akira, we
have the lead casting courtesy of Ain't
It Cool News.
If your first thought upon hearing that
DiCaprio was producing was "I bet
he stars in it, too," well, you would be
right. DiCaprio will reportedly be me whether this is casting perfection
playing the lead character, Kaneda. or a complete disaster. Both are fine
young actors, so I can't imagine it is
Set to star opposite him as Tetsuo is the latter, but I know how bitter a pill
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is well on
it can be to see a beloved character
his way to the A-List these days -- miscast. I'd also like to hear who else
and will probably be the next a geek
you would like to see added to the
hero in the Christian Bale mold after roster.
G.I. Joe.
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Again, I'm completely unfamiliar
with the book, so you'll have to tell
Submitted at 2/21/2008 2:32:00 AM up a whole slew of clips and goodies
Filed under: Comedy, Trailers and
Clips
on YouTube. Above you can see a
brief featurette, and then after the
jump, a bunch of short clips from the
A year ago, one of my favorite film. If these are any indication of the
actresses, Frances McDormand, was the feature on a whole, I can't wait to
cast as the lead in Miss Pettigrew see it. Unsurprisingly, it looks like
Lives for a Day -- a film about a McDormand has done a wonderful
governess in the '30s who has to job, and Amy Adams really seems to
sneak her way into a new job after be holding her own -- and proving
getting a notoriously bad reputation. that Junebug wasn't a fluke.
In April, Amy Adams signed on to Continue reading 'Miss Pettigrew'
play Delysia, the American star she Clips Hit the NetPermalink | Email
works for. Now that the film is less this | Comments
than a month away from release
(March 7), Focus Features has thrown