10 corrections needed for "hot" TV shows right now.

I thought this is a great, quick analysis of some of the "hot" shows on TV right now and how they're starting to veer off their "hot" paths...

I'd like to add that Modern Family and Cougar Town not try to introduce too many more new characters. Guest stars are fine occasionally ala Friends, but we don't need any more characters. Use the ones you've got in the stories. And no babies!!!!

AND PLEASE...LET LOST END WITH ANSWERS!

Subway $5 foot-longs a fluke

Interesting article explaining how the Subway chain came up with their successful $5 foot-long campaign from franchises who were innovative and cheap.

Sarah Palin on Oprah

Here's Carrie Prejean's hero doing what she does best! Er, what is that exactly? Looking and sounding like a moron, of course! Below is a clip of her saying no one knew (neither her nor her campaign) that her infamous interview with Katie Couric was something to be concerned about. Yeah, because saying you read "all of newspapers and magazines" to get your news is a savvy answer.

Oprah Asks Sarah Palin About Her Interview With Katie Couric @ Y! TV

How great is it that a dumb lumberjack, hockey bum is the father of her illegitimate grandchild and will now be showing his dong on film to make some cash for knocking up other bitches diapers and baby food? That sh*t just writes itself.

Prejean: a primadonna on Larry King

Carie Prejean goes on Larry King with a book to promote and has a problem when he asks a legit questions that is in no way confidential ("What is your motivation for settling?"). Whether Carrie Prejean was unfairly treated during and after the Miss America pageant is debatable. (Personally, I don't fault her for her opinion on gay marriage and it was a loaded question.) However, her actions and the revelations from her personal life (skinhead brother, sex tape with an ex, etc.) have demonstrated that she's clearly not someone who should've been representing the USA in any way. And what bothers me the most about her (and many of her conservative counterparts) is her lack of accepting responsibility. She answered stalwartly and boastfully honestly at the pageant, but yet it is the media's fault. She made a sex tape, but she's not a complete whore it's not her fault. She sues for religious discrimination, but she's a sanctimonious Aryan-nation slut it's not her fault.



And of all people to pull this on: Larry King? Lady, you're not that big of a guest for him. And consider yourself lucky he asked those questions to keep your 15 minutes running. Being a dumb b*tch is the most interesting thing about you!

Droid to overtake iPhone?

Based on recent write-ups, not likely anytime soon. But Droid seems like a good alternative if Apple and AT&T aren't for you (or me).

The basics:
Both the 16GB iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid (which goes on sale Nov. 6, and comes bundled with a bundled 16GB microSD memory card) sell for $199 with a two-year contract. (If you buy the Droid through Verizon, it's actually $299 with a $100 mail-in rebate; you can also get the Droid at Best Buy for $199, no mail-in rebate required). Each phone also requires a $30-month 3G service plan. Also, both phones come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.5mm headset jacks, and (of course) 3G support.

Look and feel:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, so you'll have to decide for yourself which phone wins the most style points. Personally, I happen to prefer the iPhone's sleek lines, slim profile, and relatively light weight. But while the Droid is a bit sharper and boxier, it has a bigger (3.7-inch), sharper display, and at just 0.5 inches thick, it's the slimmest QWERTY slider I've ever laid eyes on. The Droid tips the scales at 6 ounces, nearly an ounce heavier than the iPhone, but it fits quite nicely in a jeans pocket.

Input method:
This one's pretty obvious. For the iPhone, you do all your tapping and messaging on the virtual, on-screen QWERTY keypad, while the Droid has a physical, slide-out QWERTY keypad. Which one's better? Well, that'll mainly depend on your preference. Personally, I've gotten so used to virtual keypads that I often found myself tapping on the Droid's screen even though I had a slide-out QWERTY at my disposal. Then again, at least you have a choice with the Droid; the iPhone, of course, has no physical keypad at all. That said, keep in mind that the keys on the Droid's roomy keypad are so flat that they're almost slippery; yes, you get used to it, but there's a learning curve. Winner: Tie

Interface:
Google's Android UI has come a long way in just a year, and with its speedy processor and first-on-the-market implementation of the new Android 2.0, the Droid does a great job of showing off what Android is capable of. I also love the Droid's ability under Android to let you add live widgets—be they for weather, sports, the music player, Facebook, or Twitter—to the phone's home screen, and arrange them in any way you so choose. But while the iPhone's interface isn't quite as flexible as the Droid's, it's unmatched at doing what it does. On the iPhone 3GS in particular, windows, menus, lists, and apps open smoothly and instantaneously, and you're never at a loss about what to do next. Peppy though it is, the Droid's UI still feels a big sluggish in comparison.

Calling:
The iPhone's touch-enabled calling interface couldn't be any easier to use, and it'll even wirelessly hook into your iCal contacts if you're willing to shell out $100 a year for a MobileMe subscription. But the Droid arrives with the ability to automatically pull in all your Google and Facebook contacts, for free, and you can also use the downloadable Google Voice app (still unavailable for iPhone) to receive calls from a single Google Voice number, as well as send free text messages and place cheap international calls. Then there's the issue of which network—AT&T or Verizon Wireless—you want to be on. Your mileage will vary depending on your coverage area, of course, but if I had a nickel for every call my AT&T-bound iPhone has dropped, well ... Winner: Droid

Music and video:
Yes, the Droid comes loaded with a basic music player, and there's also a free podcast application ("Listen") for download over the Android Marketplace, but neither can hold a candle to the iPhone's best-in-class, touch-enabled iPod player. And while the Droid packs in a streaming YouTube app, same as the iPhone, it doesn't come with a build-in video player—that you'll have to find (and probably pay for) via the Marketplace, (I prefer the 99-cent Act 1 Video player, by the way). Indeed, the Droid doesn't even support the streaming video clips on Verizon's V Cast service. The iPhone, on the other hand, plays video out of the box, and you can also rent movies or buy TV episodes over-the-air via iTunes. This one's a no-brainer.

Mapping and navigation:
You can't beat the iPhone's Google-powered Maps app when it comes to ease of use, smooth operation, and overall slickness (slickosity?), but the Droid's mapping features under Android 2.0 pack more punch. Not only do you get the same basic searching and point-to-point direction features, but you also get the digital compass-aided Street View (which automatically changes the Street View perspective depending on the direction in which you're holding the phone), layers for traffic, satellite view, transit lines, and Wikipedia, and—best of all—Google's new Navigation app with voice-aided, turn-by-turn directions, just like you'd expect from an in-car navigation system. Great stuff—and free, to boot. Equivalent GPS navigation apps for the iPhone, on the other hand, all come with either monthly fees, exorbitant price tags, or both.

Web browsing:
The Droid's solid, touch-enabled Web browser is nothing to sneeze at, and come next year, it's slated to add support for Flash-powered videos and embedded content. But the Droid's browser doesn't support such handy features as multi-touch gestures (for "pinching" or zooming text on a Web page, for example), and it's not immune to sudden crashes, jerky scrolling, or jumbled HTML rendering. Meanwhile, the iPhone's Web browser—Flash-less though it is, for now—makes for the smoothest, speediest, and most seamless browsing experience you'll find on a smartphone.

Camera:
The iPhone's middling camera has been its Achilles heel (or one of them, anyway) ever since it launched, and the iPhone 3GS's 3-megapixel, auto-focus snapper is only marginally better. The Droid, however, boasts a 5MP camera with auto-focus, a dual LED flash for night shots, and image stabilization, not to mention sharp (if not quite "DVD quality") video recording. The Droid's snapshots might not measure up to, say, the gorgeous photos you can get from the Nokia N97 or the Samsung Memoir on T-Mobile, but it easily bests the often-murky pictures that the iPhone cranks out, particularly in low-light conditions.

Messaging:
Pretty much an even playing field here, especially since AT&T finally enabled picture messaging for the iPhone. Both the Droid and the iPhone now support corporate Exchange accounts, not to mention push e-mail, Web accounts (like Gmail, of course, Yahoo!, AOL, etc.), and POP/IMAP mailboxes. Both handsets do threaded messaging for SMS and picture messages, but neither has a unified inbox for all your e-mail accounts and text messages (the Android- and MotoBlur-powered Motorola Cliq does, but the Droid doesn't).

Apps:
The Android Marketplace is undeniably growing at a steady clip, with about 10,000 free and paid apps now available for download, including some (like Google Voice) that you won't find on iTunes (or at least, not yet). But who are we kidding: Apple's App Store has close to one hundred thousand apps, including a wide selection of cutting-edge mobile games (Real Racing, Doom: Resurrection, F.A.S.T. Modern Combat: Sandstorm, for starters), productivity apps (like DataViz's Docs to Go), communication (Skype, now over 3G), social networking (Facebook, MySpace, Foursquare), sports, weather, navigation ... the list goes on. The Android Marketplace may be gaining momentum, but the App Store has a massive head start.

Battery life:
The iPhone's become notorious for its iffy battery life, and for good reason. There are days when my iPhone barely limps past dinnertime, and that's after only moderate use, and since the iPhone battery is sealed inside the case, you can't swap in a fresh one when you're on the road. The Droid, on the other hand, does has a user-replaceable battery, and its battery life is pretty solid; in my tests, it made it though nearly six hours of voice calls on a single charge. Watch out for those multitasking Android apps, though. I unwisely elected to allow IM+, an instant messaging application, to stay connected while the phone was asleep; an hour later, the red-hot Droid was burning a hole in my pocket, and its battery capacity had plunged to just 25 percent. Oops.

Clash of the Titans trailer

This makes me think of saying "not your mom and dad's Clash of the Titans," except that I was a kid when it came out and am now old enough to have a kid saying "not my mom and dad's." Whatever. Looks like a coll updated remake.



Where's the robot owl though?!!!

Avatar trailer

Link between early television exposure and later problems with attention span?

I do think kids are exposed way too early these days to television (and generations of ADHD kids are propagated), but blaming dvds for lazy parenting is an all new low. I mean, I've seen minivans on the road with infants in carriers watching tv in the backseat. (BTW, I notice because the carriers should be facing the other way, but don't get me started on those parental units.)

How is it a scam to sell dvds that at least try to be educational, since you're plopping your kid in front of the boob tube anyway?

Here Wii go again...

Tron Legacy begins 12/17/10!

"Tron: Legacy" to be released on Dec. 17, 2010. In IMAX!!!

100 TV and Movie Spoilers in under 5 minutes!

I thought this was pretty good. I've seen most of these movies and shows, but there were a couple that I never saw, never probably will and always wondered what the fuss was about. Perfect! Now I don't have to see them.

I also liked these videos because they actually helped sum up the points of movies I never really understood. American Psycho was a dream, that makes sense finally. Blair takes over Mrs. Garrett's job, makes sense. OK, well here you go:

Top Sci-Fi movies list

I found a list of the top 100 sci-fi films of all time. It's pretty comprehensive and made me appreciate how many of the these movies I've seen again and again. Click the link to see the entire 100, but here's my top 10 from their list (including Total SciFi Online's write-ups):

1) Aliens (1986)
James Cameron cleverly eschewed aping the original, and instead upped the alien quotient and delivered one of the most purely exciting films ever made. But this is no brainless actioner. Cameron waits almost an hour before the acid-blooded xenomorphs make an appearance, while the film transformed Ripley into a bona fide iconic action heroine. There’s also a memorable selection of supporting characters (Hicks, Hudson, Newt, Vasquez) and instantly quotable dialogue (“game over man!”).

2) Tron (1982)
Tron was ignored for many years, but is now widely accepted as a genre landmark, combining stunning – and unique – computer graphics in an effectively simple story of programmers battling inside an electronic world. The long-awaited sequel, Tron Legacy, is expected in 2010.

3) The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowski Brothers’ movie had it all: groundbreaking ‘flo-mo’ battles, ice cool characters, nods to spaghetti westerns and a large dose of cod philosophy, in an innovative, much-loved actioner. Even the lame sequels can’t detract from the film’s ingenuity.

4) Predator (1987)
A sci-fi spin on the slasher template, this sees an alien hunter stalk a bunch of commandos in the Central American jungle. But the extra-terrestrial menace doesn’t bank on dealing with the Austrian Oak… One of Arnie’s best 80s actioners, this is exciting stuff, tightly directed by John McTiernan. Plus you get some fine Arnie quips (“Knock knock!”) and the chance to have fun trying to spot Carl Weathers’ real arm tied behind his back as it’s blasted off.

5) Return of the Jedi (1983)
OK, so the Ewoks and abrupt death of Boba Fett continue to divide opinion, but ROTJ contains more memorable sequences than most movies could dream of: Luke’s battle against the Rancor monster; the Sarlacc’s pit; the speeder bike chase and a fitting conclusion.

6) Blade Runner (1982)
Like many of the movies on this list, Blade Runner was not a critical or commercial success on its initial release. Some critics at the time simply dismissed it as style over substance. Yet, along with its unforgettable depiction of a neon-lit LA that is essentially a mash-up of Western and Eastern cultures, Ridley Scott’s film is backed up by a real sense of sadness, fear and longing, and an often overlooked wry humour. As Deckard, Harrison Ford proved he could pull off a much darker hero than Han Solo, and Rutger Hauer gave the performance of his career as the psychotic, feral and ultimately tragic Roy Batty. A masterpiece.

7) Total Recall (1990)
Based (very) loosely on Philip K Dick’s short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall has both brains and brawn. When Arnie discovers that his memories are fake, he heads to Mars to find the truth. Cue foul-mouthed robot taxi drivers, ultra-violence and a three-breasted woman.

8) Stargate (1994)
The movie that sparked off 10 years of SG-1, 5 seasons of Atlantis and the upcoming Stargate: Universe, Roland Emmerich’s movie scores due to a simple but clever concept and inventive effects. Like Emmerich’s later Independence Day, it’s corny at times, but it adds to the ‘B-movie with a budget’ charm.

9) Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) (1981)
If the original was raw, energetic and brutal, the sequel took things to a whole new level as Max helps a community defend itself from crazed punks. Highlight: the boomerang sequence.

10) Escape from New York (1981)
Snake Plissken is one of cinema’s great action-hero, with Kurt Russell on top tough guy form. The plot, meanwhile, has influenced everything from District 13 to Doomsday, and it boasts John Carpenter’s best synth soundtracks.

Multiple Mes8ings

I've managed to avoid posting about the Gosselins, simply because my wife used to make me watch their show against my will and I've hated them the whole time. Well, I used to think he was a decent guy who married a witch, but he truly is a douchebag at this point. She's been elevated from witch to "See U Next Tuesday" becuase her mothering, cooking and cleaning perfection didn't rely on her own elbow grease: she's had a hired staff all along.

Not that I care to discuss them anymore, but I thought it was ironic they know the best thing for their dogs (if not receiving the attention they need...) should be removed from the situation. Ah, how about doing the same for your own kids?!!!

Glenn Beck: Satan's mentally challenged younger brother

Glenn Beck is a tough one. Not because what he says is strong in logic, but because I'm not sure anyone can get a read on him or what he stands for in tangibles or specifics. On the one hand, it's easy to take potshots at EVERYTHING and get people riled up in paranoia and mass witch-hunts. On the other hand, he seems to take shots at everything equally, albeit vaguely (capitalism, socialism, Dems, GOP), so he's not choosing sides necessarily (which I appreciate). If only he could get people to turn out at the polls and vote for a viable 3rd party candidate for President...I wouldn't care what kind of nutso stuff he cries about!

I hate the polarity of the political landscape in the United States. However, Glenn Beck makes me recognize that sitting in the middle and taking the best talking points from each side isn't the answer either.

Then again, if Chuck Norris is with Glenn, he can't lose an argument. Chuck drop kicks arguments without breaking a sweat.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The 10.31 Project
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

Chicago is #2. Is that an insult?

Dayum...Chicago has a lot of bars. No wonder I love it here! If you can't grab a drink on every corner, what's the point of living anywhere, really.

Top 5 of America's Most Entertaining Cities

1. New York, N.Y.
Restaurants: 35,421
Bars: 3,844
Nightclubs: 400
Museums: 734
Live Theater Venues: 710
Sports Venues: 57
Sports Teams: 7
Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 21

2. Chicago, Ill.
Restaurants: 15,692
Bars: 2,493
Nightclubs: 219
Museums: 275
Live Theater Venues: 261
Sports Venues: 24
Sports Teams: 6
Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 25

3. Los Angeles, Calif.
Restaurants: 23,209
Bars: 983
Nightclubs: 283
Museums: 306
Live Theater Venues: 192
Sports Venues: 26
Sports Teams: 7
Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 32

4. Miami, Fla. (tie)
Restaurants: 9,689
Bars: 734
Nightclubs: 208
Museums: 133
Live Theater Venues: 91
Sports Venues: 18
Sports Teams: 3
Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 16

4. Washington, D.C. (tie)
Restaurants: 7,814
Bars: 477
Nightclubs: 146
Museums: 211
Live Theater Venues: 112
Sports Venues: 15
Sports Teams: 5
Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 9

The death of crocs

Good riddance. I feel bad people lost their jobs, but these plastic shoes need to go. They look like my dead grandma's gardening shoes. Seriously, the Teva craze in the 90's made more sense...at least those are athletic and have good traction. And can get wet. Crocs are swiss-cheese shoes that people seem to find suitable to wear out. To dinner. Shopping. To the movies. And people decorate them! Writing on your Air Jordans or Converse was cool. Bedazzling your crocs isn't!

RIP crocs. May you die a slow death. But I hope your factory workers find work soon. :>))

10 most historically inaccurate movies

Mel Gibson takes a lot of liberties with history it seems, considering three of his movies made the list of the 10 most historically inaccurate movies. It's the Australians' master plan to confuse history so we forget they used to be a penal colony. Now they're just mostly a penile colony. Doh!

Basically, here's the list, but THIS link provides the details:
1 U-571
2 Braveheart
3 10,000 BC
4 The Patriot
5 Pearl Harbour
6 Apocalypto
7 Amadeus
8 Gladiator
9 Young Victoria
10 Marie Antoinette

Save Ferris. Remember Hughs. Savor tunes.

I'm a huge John Hughs fan, so the loss of him recently was tough to reconcile. So many memories growing up with his movies. Some of my favorite movies of all time include Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller. As much as the movies mean to me, though, the music from those movies is even more identifiable, for some reason. Simple Minds, Oingo Boingo, Thompson Twins, Altered Images. Those songs were anthems for these movies. Like a stunner to my ears, instantly halting me in my tracks, poised to identify the movie that first exposed me to the song that beckons my memories.

Radical.

With that said, some savvy people managed to piece together songs from Ferris Bueller. Because, little did I know, Ferris Bueller NEVER HAD A SOUNDTRACK RELEASED. Not that I should be surprised; idiots like me anyone who bought the Sixteen Candles soundtrack discovered an entire instrumental album.

Harsh.

So, enjoy the unofficial Ferris Bueller soundtrack, with movie quotables included.

Gnarly.

There's also a blog DJ who mixes rare 80's B-sides and lost tracks. Kinda cool for lamos like me.

Want Vincent Gallo to be your baby daddy?

In weird news, the actor Vincent Gallo will sell his sperm on his website for cash. As if that wasn't crazy enough, he's a racist mofo to boot. I think it's funny that he assumes a chick walking down to her local bar for sperm isn't the better option. Vincent looks like a scrawny junkie and his acting is even thinner. Although, for a crazy dude, getting an actress to perform fellatio on film (in "The Brown Bunny") was genius.

Official TR2N trailer from Comic Con 2009!

Welcome to Tron: Legacy. Guess Flynn is bad now?