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May, 2005 Archives | Homepage
Assemblyman Doesn't Like Hockey Team's Evil Name New Jersey State Assemblyman Craig Stanley wants
to exorcise the demons from New Jersey's hockey team, the
New Jersey Devils. Stanley told KFMB he is horrified every time he hears someone say they're going to see the
Devils:
"I've always cringed when people say they're going to see the Devils," said Stanley. "The merchandise, the paraphernalia is based on the actual demonic devil. Personally, it causes a little bit of an issue with me."The Devil's mascot (pictured on right) is a seven foot tall devil with horns and a goatee. KFMB reports that the team isn't really named after the biblical devil but after a horrifying monster instead. However, the team's name, chosen in a 1982 fan contest, comes from the mythical Jersey Devil, not the Christian symbol of the antichrist, according to Weird N.J., a travel guide to the state's most offbeat attractions.Stanley plans to introduce a resolution to rename the team in the Assembly next month. If he gets his way, a new name for the team will be selected in a statewide competition. But Devil's owner Jeff Vanderbeek isn't about to be undeviled: "He's hellbent on keeping the Devils name," Stanley said. Posted on May 31, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | 
He's not a doctor, nor does he play one on TV. But that didn't stop "Dr." Tom Cruise from offering medical advice to Brooke Shields. Now, The Sunday Times reports on Brooke's reaction to Tom's comments that she should have just taken some vitamins to get over her severe postpartum depression, instead of using "mind-altering drugs" aka the prescription antidepressant Paxil. Let's just say that she was less than thrilled with his advice -- not to mention his catty comments that the new mom's career is going nowhere. And who could blame her?
Until Cruise took a swipe at her, she had been under the impression her career was going well. "Tom Cruise’s comments are irresponsible and dangerous," Shields said in London last week. "Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them."Brooke is now appearing in the musical Chicago in London, she has a new book out, her two-year-old daughter Rowan seems quite happy, and she hasn't physically attacked Oprah Winfrey lately. Sounds like her career is doing just fine to us. Posted on May 31, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Crazy Frog Bests Cold Play 
Crazy Frog, a mobile phone ringtone, is outselling Cold Play's
new single, "Speed of Sound," four-to-one in Britain. Crazy Frog is
the first ringtone-inspired tune to rise to the top of the British
music charts.
Crazy Frog Axel F is a combination of an impersonation of
a motor scooter and the Axel F theme song from Beverly Hills
Cop. The Guardian has an in-depth report about the origins of this particular ringtone, which has struck such a nerve with Britain's youth:
The ringtone was originally the idea of Daniel Malmedahl, a computer salesman from Gothenburg, whose impersonation of a two-stroke motor scooter reduced his friends to tears of laughter. It was posted on a website where it was discovered by another Swede, Erik Wernquist, a 3D graphics designer, who drew a cartoon to match the sound.Just in case the ringtone fad has passed you by and your cellphone still rings only with the tones that came with the phone, it's time to get with the program. A ringtone is a short audio or music clip played to signal an incoming call on a mobile phone. Different audio clips can be used to represent different callers. Sales of ringtones at anywhere from $1 - $3 a pop are booming, which is making some big corporations lots and lots of money. Oh yes, and if you don't have a cool ringtone on your cell, you aren't even in the game. Or, you're over 30. Posted on May 30, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Potty Parity Comes to New York The New York City Council unanimously passed the Potty Parity bill into law. The New York Daily News has the story on this important development. The law addresses the longstanding toilet inquality issue which has caused women so much suffering over the years. Under the new "affirmative action plan" for womens' toilets, new buildings in New York must provide two toilets for women for every one toilet installed for men. The current law, enacted in 1984, requires a 1-to-1 ratio. But men can "zoom in and zoom out," while women end up waiting in long lines, noted Councilwoman Madeline Provenzano (D-Bronx), chairwoman of the Housing and Buildings Committee. "This is a quantum leap into the 21st century," said Councilwoman Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), chief sponsor and architect of the bill.The bill was approved 50-1 at the council meeting. "If there was ever a bill I was afraid to be on the wrong side of, it would be this bill," noted wise Councilman Erik Martin-Dilan (D-Brooklyn). Councilman Martin-Dilan's district is 60% female. Rejoice this Memorial Day, for Potty Parity has at last been achieved. In New York, anyway. Posted on May 27, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Parents Group Mobilizing Against Paris Hilton's Spicy Burger Ad 
The Parents Television Council is not a Paris Hilton fan. Her new Carl's Jr. commercial has them frothing at the mouth and organizing a boycott of Carl's Jr. fast food restaurants because the unseemly nature of the ad. Her new commercial features La Paris seductively washing a Bentley then eating a Carl's Jr. hamburger. Along with washing the car, Paris also seductively washes herself, while she wears a skimpy black bathing suit and high heels.
The Parents Television Council said it is encouraging its more than 1 million members to voice their disapproval of the ad to Carl's Jr., a hamburger chain owned by Carpinteria, California-based CKE Restaurants Inc.SpongeBob SquarePants? Is that really the best defense to use with this crowd? Wasn't it some kind of similar kill-joy group that accused poor SpongeBob of unspeakable perversions? The longer, more racy version of the commercial has been so popular that the website SpicyParis.com crashed on Friday due to the overwhelming traffic. But it's back online now, so there's no need to panic. Posted on May 26, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati |  Well, apparently it's official. Tom Cruise is officially off his rocker, bigtime. He was so cute and likeable in Risky Business, Top Gun and even in Minority Report. We loved his marriage to Nicole Kidman. But somehow, after that divorce, it all went downhill. First, there was the giant Church of Scientology tent on the set of War of the Worlds, where cast and crew were welcome to get a massage. Then, he starts a PR blitz about his love life the likes of which no one has ever seen from the normally taciturn star. (Well, taciturn when the press asked him questions about his love life, anyway).
So then he announces to the world that he caught an episode of Dawson's Creek, was blown away by 26 year-old Katie Holmes, and asked her out on a date. The next thing we know, they're holed up at the Hotel Hassler in Rome, in a rose-strewn suite and canoodling in public. Then, he gives an interview with -- wait for it -- the most obnoxious presence on entertainment TV, Billy Bush of Access Hollywood. In that interview, he bags on poor, sad Brooke Shields for taking Paxil to combat her post-partum depression. He said she should have taken Scientology Vitamins instead of "mind-altering drugs" and then made a snide remark about how her career's going nowhere. What in the world did Brooke Shields ever do to him? But all of that was just the appetizer to the full meltdown on The Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday. "I can’t be cool. I can’t be laid-back," an exuberant Cruise told Oprah. "Something happened and I want to celebrate it." The New York Daily News shares: A starry-eyed Cruise got down on his knees and repeatedly jumped up on the couch like a Robin Williams comedy act, saying that his love for Holmes was "beyond cool."Before he dragged Katie onstage for an impromptu makeout session, he tried to get Oprah in a hammer lock, but she fended him off. (Apparently, all those workout sessions with Bob Greene have paid off.) We feel faint now. More as the story develops. Posted on May 25, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Learn to Dance with Napoleon Dynamite 
These dance lessons will make your wildest dreams come true.
For those of you who have been yearning to learn how to
obtain the sweet dance skills of Napoleon Dynamite, your prayers have been answered. You can learn awesome moves like the
Little Teapot spin, Pepto Bismol, Snappy Dresser, Pass it On
and Hail to the King. The video uses pink arrows to show you
the moves, and the video can be played in slow motion to make it easier. One caveat -- if you try these moves in front of someone who has never seen the hit indie film, Napoleon Dynamite they might.... freak out. But, Gosh! Who hasn't seen Napoleon Dynamite?
Posted on May 24, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati |  So, does Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith live up to the hype? You bet it does...and then some.
Lucas has taken quite a bit of criticism over the years for the quality of the dialogue in the films. For Episode III, playwright Tom Stoppard gave an uncredited assist -- and it shows. It's a dark film that has a more linear plot than Episodes I and II: the film reveals the tragedy of how Anakin Skywalker succumbs to his fears and goes to the dark side, eventually becoming Darth Vader. Helping along on his dark journey is the incredibly talented Ian McDiarmid, who gleefully plays Chancellor Palpatine as if he were in one of Shakespeare's plays (Hamlet, perhaps, with him as Iago?) at the Old Vic on London. He skillfully plays on the young man's emotions and fears, gently and subtly nudging him down the wrong path. It's a powerful and terrifying performance and if Hayden Christensen weren't up to the task, the film wouldn't work. But he is up to the task, and has grown quite a bit as an actor since Episode I. Young men are impulsive and emotional (even those with Jedi training) and Christensen plays Anakin as teetering on a knife edge of destruction. As the film opens, Anakin and Obi Wan Kenobi are on a mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine from the General Grievous: in a lengthy masterpiece of non-stop action, they rescue the Chancellor. But the Republic is still at War, and Palpatine quickly takes Anakin under his wing, filling his head with dangerous ideas that will have tragic consequences. When Palpatine eventually makes his move, Anakin makes a choice that will change many lives. Lucas does an incredible job of tying up all the loose ends: how and why Anakin went to the dark side (the breathtakingly tragic moment of his transformation into Lord Vader is the most moving scene in any of the six films), why Luke and Leia were separated at birth, why Vader didn't seem to know he had any children in Episode IV: A New Hope, why Yoda went into exile and where Princess Leia got the idea for the double-bun hairstyle she favored. John Williams does a fantastic job with the musical score, incorporating many elements of the first three films. The cinematography is gorgeously dark, and the city of Coruscant is a marvel. Even the throwaway shots are full of technological sleight of hand and intricate details. Lucas brilliantly and gradually alters the look of the fighters, the interiors of the ships and the look of the clone soldiers so that by the end of the film, they are quite close to the familiar look of the original Star Wars, released in 1977. This is clearly the film event of the summer. Posted on May 23, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | U.S.: Just Say No to Space Billboards Reuters reports that the United States government has wisely taken a "Just Say No" policy when it comes to giant billboards in space. For instance, outsized billboards deployed by a space company into low Earth orbit could appear as large as the moon and be seen without a telescope, the FAA said. Big and bright advertisements might hinder astronomers.Just imagine a giant billboard in space containing an enormous Paris Hilton eating a moon-sized Carl's Jr. hamburger. Like this advertisement but much, much larger and in space. Of course, the United States does not own space so there is nothing to stop another country from selling Carl's Jr. a giant billboard in space. Posted on May 22, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | 
An unusual rock painting could be seen in the British Museum for just two or three days. The rock drawings show a primitive man pushing a shopping cart (see pic on right). The faux cave art was placed in the museum by
Banksy, a prankster who is well-known for his art spoofs.
The BBC reported that the British Museum's staff took the joke well.
A British Museum spokeswoman said they were "seeing the lighter side of it". She said it went unnoticed for one or two days but Banksy said three days.The British Museum isn't sure what to do with the piece now. Obviously it doesn't belong in the prehistoric art display. They have temporarily loaned the piece to Banksy so he can display at his art show called Outside Institute, which opened in London today. But they want it back afterwards. Posted on May 20, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | When Birds Attack 
Normally calm and well-mannered grackles suddenly began attacking people earlier this week in downtown Houston. The descriptions from people who experienced the attack said it reminded them of Alfred Hitchcock's film, The Birds. The Associated Press reported on some of the grackle-induced chaos.
"They were just going crazy," said constable Wilbert Jue, who works at the building. "They were attacking everybody that walked by."Some people fought back against the grackles. Another bird attacked a deputy county clerk.Yesterday, the Houston Chronicle reported that officials have figured out why the birds were attacking. Apparently, a little baby grackle had fallen out of his nest and the other birds were trying to protect it. Police have roped off the area until the baby bird can fly again. We are relieved there was a logical explanation. Posted on May 20, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Robot Doctors Are Here 
Apparently, England is miles ahead of the U.S. when it comes to technology and robots. And don't even get us started about Japan. Reuters reports that robot nurses named nicknamed "Sister Mary" and "Doctor Robbie" started work at a London hospital today.
The pair allow doctors to visually examine and communicate with patients, whether they are in another part of the hospital or even another part of the world.After a trial period, some egghead will tabulate the results to see if the patients liked the robots and if they worked well or not. No word on how many patients required psychiatric treatment due to trauma sustained from waking in a hospital bed, only to find a robot "doctor" treating them, causing delusions of time travel to the future. Posted on May 19, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Earn Your Way to Being a Couch Potato Health experts in Britain think that British children are way too fat and watch too much TV. But one enterprising grad student thinks he has the solution. A special insole called Square-eyes that fits inside a child's shoe and tracks his exercise activity. This recorded activity can then be exchanged for sedentary hours watching the telly. It's a simple concept: you run, you get to lounge in front of the TV. One button on the shoe -- the brainchild of a student at west London's Brunel University -- records the amount of steps taken by the child over the day. Another transmits this information to a base station connected to the TV. It calculates the time earned and once it runs out, the TV automatically switches itself off.This sounds like it will work great -- until kids figure out how to hack the insole. So how far will little Sally or Tommy be willing to run in order to earn some good couch potato time? The shoe is not on the market yet, so parents will have to wait a bit longer before they can make kids "run for TV." Posted on May 18, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | We Can't Handle Britney's Truth 
Ok, we'd seen Nick and Jessica on Newlyweds. And that worked. But in Britney and Kevin: Chaotic's first hour, Britney herself wielded the digital recorder on just about everyone but herself. Frankly, the first fifteen minutes were boring. Then it got a little more interesting as Britney filmed paparazzi trying to get shots of her and she started to ask some of her assistants personal questions. Surely now she's going to talk about her beauty routine, exercise routine or practice some dance steps? Apparently not.
Britney has an appealing sweet side to her that does come through on the show. She doesn't seem spoiled or mean. Just unbelievably silly. But we think CNN's Tucker Carlson got it right. When asked what he thought about Britney after he interviewed her, he replied that he just couldn't get past how very young she seemed. In these home movies, she acts and sounds like she's about 14 years old (there were endless shot of her filming up her own nose, or making pig faces). There were some interesting clips of her getting ready to go on stage -- she is clearly completely fearless when it comes to performing -- and a total pro. When it gets really hard to watch is when he appears and by he we mean Britney's now-husband, then crush -- the absolutely ghastly and horrifically lazy Kevin Federline -- who takes longer to get ready in the morning than the world's most famous pop idol. He's taciturn. He's grumpy most of the time. He "doesn't believe in marriage" (no doubt that's what he told poor Shar Jackson). But most surprising of all -- he's a redneck with a horrible southern accent, which is really weird considering that he was born in Fresno, California. ("Payba-a-ack's a biatch, Britnaaaaaaay" he drawled when she filmed him in the shower.) A redneck, no good, two-timing, freeloading gigolo. Our heads are starting to hurt now. Tony, Britney's bodyguard took an instant dislike to the Foul Federline and wasn't shy about saying so on camera. The scenes from next week show the large Tony squashing K-Fed into the floor like a bug, which made us very happy. The most striking thing about the film is Britney's naïveté and immaturity. She is the opposite of her fearless stage personality. She appears vulnerable and desperate for anyone's affection. She also seems unaware that at the time these videos were shot Foul Federline's girlfriend Shar Jackson was at home in California, pregnant with K-Fed's second child. We wanted to stop the tape and yell "Britney what are you thinking? He's a snake!" But it's far too late for some sage dating advice -- and that's what made it hard to watch. Britney's continual burping and incessant exclamations of "Ya'll I'm such a dork!" weren't easy to bear, either. Ok, fine, it's a train wreck. We'll tune in next week -- but only to see the Foul Federline get squished by Tony. Posted on May 18, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | The Return of Gumby 
It's been 50 years since the little claymation figure named Gumby was introduced. Of late, Gumby hasn't been much in the spotlight. But with a 50 year anniversary and a new art exhibit, Gumby is ready for his comeback. Gumby has a game coming out this summer and
a DVD with episodes from the 1980s. And it's nice to hear that 83 year-old Gumby creator Art Clokey is still active, as well.
"Gumby and Friends: The First 50 Years" attracted fans of all ages at Saturday's opening at the historic Lynn House Gallery in Antioch, about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco. Creator Art Clokey, now 83, signed Gumby figurines at the two-story exhibit, which featured photographs, toys and other memorabilia.The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will begin a six-month long exhibition in mid-June featuring Gumby and his creator, Clokey. Hey, we like Gumby! Posted on May 17, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Britney and Kevin: Chaotic Expected to Overload Tivos Everywhere Tonight 
At last it's here: the debut of Chaotic, the behind the scenes look at the elegant style and timeless love of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. The show, which is expected to overload Tivos everywhere, airs tonight on UPN at 9:00 pm Eastern time. Fox News (via The New York Post) has the scoop:
A raw, personal journey. That's how a very high level production insider describes Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, the new six-part UPN reality series based on home videos shot by Britney Spears and her new husband, singer/dancer Kevin Federline. Says the insider, "She lives in a world where everybody thinks they know her, but they don't."Oh please, you know you'll at least tune in once. Posted on May 17, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Teen Finds Blogging Really Boring Not all teens like blogging. In fact, the ABQ Journal (no doubt so named because no one can quickly type "Albuquerque" into a browser window without horrific typos) has found a teen named Patrick Lester that does not like blogging one bit. Patrick shares his thought about blogging. But don't call him a blogger. "The allure of posting online messages, pictures and journals is too much for some to resist. The intrigue of talking to electronic friends you've never seen before is just plain addictive for some. What did Snazylarry45 have for dinner last night? And did he get that job at Dairy Queen? Obviously this is deep stuff. Who could help but be captivated?"So much sarcasm and from someone so young. What's really the matter Patrick --will no one link to your blog? "I think it's ridiculous. Hundreds of students at every school are on MySpace, for reasons I can't begin to fathom. I've seen them in action, looking at everyone's pictures and what they've written. Mostly it looks like a silly attempt to see how good-looking your schoolmates are."No blog is good enough for Patrick! Patrick, dear, before MySpace.com there were (and still are) actual print relics called Class Yearbooks that are full of pictures of one's classmates. And that really isn't a nice thing to say about someone's poor dead Aunt. Ok, the Corn Pops blog could use a bit of punching up. "People think technology is a big social opportunity. I've been told at least twice, even by own sister (13, I might add), that I don't have a social life because I don't instant message. If anyone thinks staring at a computer screen for three hours reading someone's account of brushing a dog constitutes a social life, he's just wrong. It sounds more like online stalking to me."Patrick, your sister is trying to help you. "Instead of pouring your soul into a computer, tell your problems to a live friend -— in person. You may think it's great that you were so drunk on Saturday, you couldn't think straight, but that's the kind of thing you tell a doctor, not post on the Internet. Your guinea pig's heart may be failing, but honestly, who really cares?"Teens are doing what they have always done: talk to other teens. Only the method of the communication has changed -- from all-night phone calls to all-night Instant Messages. Patrick does make a good point that people need face to face communication. But in today's teen world, the precursor to that live interaction may be endless trivial Instant Messages. By intentionally excluding himself from today's teen network he is missing some opportunities to meet people at school that he could later talk to in the real word. People are blogging about the little things that mean something to them -- the Corn Pops, the guinea pig and the intricacies of dog grooming -- none of which may matter to a stranger. But they matter to the blogger and his friends. And if Patrick feels the current blogs aren't up to snuff, why not take the excellent advice of his sister: take those excellent blogging skills of his, raise the standard of teen blogging and join the community. Posted on May 17, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Massive Star Wars Sick Out Threatens U.S. Economy The New York Post just had to blab to employers that all those people who'll be calling in sick Thursday with a case of the "Sith Flu" are really at the premiere of the hotly-anticipated new Star Wars film. Never big on the understatement, the Post warns that the anticipated absenteeism could cost the U.S. economy millions of dollars and implies that the film opening could throw us into a deep recession. Employers are expected to see a dramatic spike in absenteeism as workers play hooky to see Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, when it opens May 19, according to a new report.Just imagine the scene at offices nationwide Thursday....scores of empty cubicles, office managers scowling and thumbing rolodexes for the number of a good temp agency. "There is a lot of anticipation to see the final movie," said John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "With opening day falling on a Thursday, instead of the traditional Friday premiere, we are looking at two days of Star Wars' -- induced absenteeism."We'd do a longer report on the impending financial doom of the U.S. economy because of the immaturity and irresponsibility of the American worker, but we have to go order our Star Wars tickets online. Posted on May 16, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Would You Buy A Hamburger From This Woman?  Would you buy a hamburger from this woman? Carl's Jr. is banking on it. Next week, burger lovers can tune in watch Paris Hilton in a skimpy black bathing suit, washing her custom Bentley and then taking a break for a full-fat, greasy Carl's Jr. hamburger. Playing in the background will be a rock version of the song "I Love Paris in the Springtime." She'll also say--shock of shocks--"That's hot." Of course it is a hamburger garnished with barbecue sauce and jalapeno peppers. ABC News has the breaking story:
"We're working on trying to make Paris Hilton famous," joked Andrew Puzder, president and chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc., which owns the two fast food chains. Puzder said his company's ad agency suggested using Hilton. "She's very appealing to our demographic," which he described as young, hungry guys.If the commerical isn't hot enough for you, Carl's Jr. is also offering a longer verson of the commercial which is much racier. Our informal poll of random males indicates that Carl's Jr. is going to be selling a lot of jalepeno barbecue burgers. Posted on May 14, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Pelosi Shoe Drama Has Fairytale Ending 
At last, the searing drama of Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's missing pink shoe has come to an end. And what an end it was! Freshman Representative Dave Reichert (R-Washington) dropped to one knee during a press conference, flourished an elegant pink slingback and proclaimed, "I'm proud to be here, and proud to present you with your shoe!" "That is my shoe!" Ms. Pelosi, exclaimed to laughter. "Thank you so much. ... A moment of community on Capitol Hill. ... You are such a gentleman," said Pelosi who was clearly overwhelmed by his gallantry.
But how did the ever-so-gallant Congressman Reichart recover the As he and hundreds of other lawmakers and staffers raced down the Capitol's marble steps during Wednesday's stampede to safety, a shoe, an expensive woman's pump, suddenly flew in front of him which he handily caught. "I started to look for a woman in a pink suit who might be missing a shoe," he said. But, alas, no damsel in distress was in view. He kept the mysterious and elegant shoe close to his heart as he headed back to his office after the all-clear had been sounded. But where was the mystery woman? Later that day, his wife emailed him that she had read online that it was a powerful Democrat who had lost her footwear during the melee. Reichert replied to his wife, "I have a shoe, are you serious?'" Mr. Reichert recalled. Determined to reunite the shoe with its owner, Congressman Reichert appeared at the press conference to return the errant slingback.. Now that's what I call a happy ending. Although they never did bother to tell us who designed the shoe. Posted on May 13, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Who You Gonna Call?  Business Week has a new story about a hot new
growth industry. You're probably thinking hybrid cars, blogs or iPods. But Business Week says the new growth industry is Ghostbusting. Yes, you heard it right.
Between 15 to 20 ghost seekers show up for nightly San Antonio tours, which run an hour and a half and cost $10 for adults, reports Martin Leal, Alamo City Paranormal's owner. A favorite part of the tour, Leal says, is when the tourists get to play around with the ghost detectors for 20 minutes or so. Leal says revenues, which have been flattish for years, grew 21% in 2004. He's now trying to take his association of a dozen local companies charging for ghost-hunting services, called the American Alliance of Professional Ghost Hunters, nationwide.But there's a tragic side to this story. Apparently the CEO of the company that makes the bestselling ghost detector is a non-believer. On the bright side, he is more open-minded on the subject of aliens from other worlds visiting us. Considered the Jaguar of ghost detectors is AlphaLab's TriField Natural EM Meter, selling for around $300 and measuring magnetic, radio-wave, and electric-field changes. The company, which sells about 200 such detectors a year, is considering making a detector that can draw an image based on the changes in the electromagnetic field it's detecting, says CEO David Lee, who has a Ph.D. in physics. Lee says he doesn't believe in ghosts but is undecided on the existence of UFOs.We hear that in some quarters the term Ghostbusting is considered offensive. The politically correct term now is Ghosthunting. Posted on May 13, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | The Replicators Are Coming  The Independent reports on the invention of
robots that can reproduce themselves:
It has been the dream -- and nightmare -- of science fiction writers for decades. Now a team of engineers has conjured up a robot that can reproduce itself.Oh, no! We've seen this before...on Stargate SG-1. This article is talking about those horrible Replicators that took over Stargate Command, eating all the technology in site and replicating like crazy! They're unstoppable! They've wiped out entire civilizations! Why can't they invent something useful for a change? They need to put a woman in charge of this kind of research, clearly. I just want Rosie, the Robot Maid from The Jetsons. Now she was a robot worth having. And she didn't have any evil plans for world domination. As far as we know, anyway. Posted on May 13, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | The Bed Bugs Are Biting An MSNBC.com Even upscale hotels are not immune to litigation, and bug specialists say the pests can thrive even in a spotlessly clean room. In 2003, a Mexican businessmen sued the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel in New York after he and a companion allegedly suffered numerous bedbug bites to their torsos, arms and necks while staying at the property, which overlooks Central Park.One woman unknowingly brought home some of the bed bugs after a business trip; her home became infested in no time. And all we can say is "Ewwwww." Posted on May 12, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Pelosi Shoe Update The Washington Post doggedly pursues the story of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) shoe drama yesterday during the scare on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Post reports that: Pelosi was literally lifted out of her pinkish high heels by Capitol Police in a hallway outside the House chamber. One shoe was later found; the other remains missing.Pinkish??? Either a heel is pink or it's beige or perhaps off-white. We expected more details from the newspaper that broke the Watergate story and brought down an entire administration. It's all most disappointing. And, on another subject, who would abscond with one pinkish high heel, anyway? Posted on May 12, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Everything Bad Is Good for You? Just when you thought you had reached your limit of having yet another expert tell you that everything you do is bad for you, along comes a new book that pooh-poohs all the experts. Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson is here to make you feel better about all your bad habits. A New Yorker article explains Johnson's theory. As Johnson points out, television is very different now from what it was thirty years ago. It's harder. A typical episode of Starsky and Hutch, in the nineteen-seventies, followed an essentially linear path: two characters, engaged in a single story line, moving toward a decisive conclusion. To watch an episode of Dallas today is to be stunned by its glacial pace-by the arduous attempts to establish social relationships, by the excruciating simplicity of the plotline, by how obvious it was. A single episode of The Sopranos, by contrast, might follow five narrative threads, involving a dozen characters who weave in and out of the plot. Modern television also requires the viewer to do a lot of what Johnson calls "filling in," as in a Seinfeld episode that subtly parodies the Kennedy assassination conspiracists, or a typical Simpsons episode, which may contain numerous allusions to politics or cinema or pop culture.But it's not just watching TV that's gotten harder. Games are harder, too. Twenty years ago, games like Tetris or Pac-Man were simple exercises in motor coordination and pattern recognition. Today's games belong to another realm. Johnson points out that one of the "walk-throughs" for "Grand Theft Auto III"-that is, the informal guides that break down the games and help players navigate their complexities-is fifty-three thousand words long, about the length of his book. The contemporary video game involves a fully realized imaginary world, dense with detail and levels of complexity.So, let's see if we've got this straight. Playing computer games and watching TV are more difficult than the activities pursued by those who lived before TV was invented. We're smarter than people of 100 years ago whose entertainment might have consisted of playing easy games like chess, reading Plato in the original Greek and enjoying Shakespeare's plays. Got it. Posted on May 12, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Panic in D.C. Was Just False Alarm Everyone freaked out this morning as U.S. Senators and House Representatives were rushed out of their offices in response to an emergency situation in the Capitol. Luckily, it turned out to be just another directionally-challenged small aircraft pilot. This time, it really was a student driver. Or aviator, if you prefer. This is ridiculous. How can so many small planes get near the White House? Can't they put one of those warning beacons like they have near Area 51? You know, the ones that start an ominous loud beeping if your plane wanders into the airspace over the top-secret base in Nevada? CNN reported that the secret service pulled House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi right out of her shoes, trying to get her to safety. Of course, no one bothers to report on what kind of shoes she was lifted out of. Manolo Blahnik? Stuart Weitzman? Did she get the shoes back? Did she run her hose? This is just sloppy journalism. Posted on May 11, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | Good Morning Blogosphere Dr. Bombay probably doesn't think so, but it's clear that the Web needs more blogs. So here's another one. Pleasant Morning Buzz will feature commentary about current events and items of interest to Posted on May 11, 2005 Permalink | Digg this | Blogs linking to this post: Google | Technorati | |
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