Archive for the 'news and things' Category

NAPCAR: NASCAR loses 20% of it’s TV Audience


I was really surprised to see this article at That’s Racin that quotes ESPN officials as wondering where the ratings have gone for NASCAR. Based on the overnights from the last race in California and all of the other races in the chase, NASCAR has lost 20% or more of it’s audience, and it’s a [...]

Spike TVs More Ads Campaign Ends Quietly


Well, it seems that the programming people over at Spike TV woke up and realized that doubling the amount of ads is just not a very good idea. After experimenting with a new format that turned an hour long show into something like an hour and 15 to an hour and 25 minutes (without adding [...]

9/11 and all that it means to the West


No fancy graphics or amusing pictures for this one. Each year as we arrive at September 11th, those of us in the Western world look back at the terrorist acts on that day in 2001 that have forever changed the way we look at our lives. Just like the old “where were you when JFK [...]

Internet Freedom is a Right Down with ACTA


The title is what I consider to be the chant of the ignorant, the greedy, the people I nicely refer to as “generation Diss”, who disrespect anyone and everything that doesn’t give them all they want for free. ACTA is a trade agreement and treaty between many nations (most except the usual suspects), which seeks [...]

Are Birthers The Mouth Breathers of American Politics?


Let me start out by saying I am not a Democrat (or a Republican for that matter). I don’t have a horse in the race, and I don’t care the outcome so much. I should also point out that while I am not a big supporter of Obama, I would say that he has done [...]

Larry King Calls It Quits, But Slowly


As I mentioned back in April, it was getting clear that it was time for Larry King to Retire. While I am sure that my blog entry made not a wit of difference to the old guy, I think that time and reality have finally caught up to Mr King. He announced this week that [...]

Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, Rue Mcclanahan – RIP


It is said that bad things happen in threes, and this week’s RIP list pretty much sums that up. Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, and Rue Mcclanahan all passed away in the last few days, kicking in many memories of 60s, 70s, and 80s culture. Dennis Hopper is probably best known for his role in Easy [...]

Republic Sex Scandal Ignored For Whitehouse Tweet Ban


One of the amazing things about the internet is how fast news spreads. The other things that is amazing about the internet is just how slanted major media sources can be. Once again, Matt Drudge and his Drudge Report site lead the way with ignorance and hateful attacks. This is a site now solely dedicated [...]

LimeWire Probably Doomed After Court Decision


Illegal file sharing fans are in a funk the last little while following the Grokster decision and rulings against major player The Pirate Bay, and now they have more to be concerned about. In a decision handed down in US Federal Court this week, Judge Wood ruled Lime Group, parent of LimeWire software maker Lime [...]

Should Larry King Retire from CNN?


There has been much discussion the last year or so about the ratings decline at CNN. Since Lou Dobbs left, the numbers if anything have gotten worse, perhaps making Lou seem like the only smart one in the bunch. Christiane Amanpour wisely signed on to ABC to host This Week, and likely to do more [...]

Cheating Scandals: Tiger Woods Leads by Example?


A recent rash of celebrity sex scandals has made me wonder how all of this has come about. Is there more cheating going on in Hollywood, or has scandal become so fashionable that nobody tries to avoid it anymore? Actually, I think the real answer is money and the 15 minutes of fame. Tiger Woods’ [...]

Conservative Media Sour Grapes as Healthcare Bill Passes


The conservative media and the Republican Party that often seems to run it are having a very, very bad day today. The US House of Representatives passed President Obama’s health care legislation by a good margin last night (7 votes over), and so the law will likely hit the President’s desk soon and become the [...]

Are You the Dope Paying For Everyone Else?


One of the interesting subtexts of the “FREE!” revolution is in order for musicians, artists, whoever to make a living, income still has to be generated. Since musicians are no longer suppose to sell their music on shiny plastic discs, and because of infinite distribution, the question comes up: How does a musician make money? [...]

NAPCAR: The NASCAR Collapse Continues


Well, two races into the 2010 season, and NASCAR, aka NAPCAR, is already showing some serious signs of crumbling at it’s foundations. The sheer volume of empty seats in California this past weekend, even noted on the NASCAR.COM site, shows that things are not all good and going to plan. Over the winter, all sorts [...]

Captain Phil Harris, F/V Cornelia Marie, RIP


As a long time fan of the Deadliest Catch, since the time before the show existed as was just part of the a Dangerous Jobs series, it saddens me to report that Captain Phil Harris, the gruff but loving master of the F/V Cornelia Marie passed away on February 9th, as a result of complications [...]