Marc's 2nd Blog

Sorry Folks.

2010-02-08T10:57:00.001-08:00

I started a Facebook page and been using it as my new blog.

Hubble Ultra Deep Field - Watch this!

2009-08-21T11:46:00.001-07:00

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

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KISSONLINE.com > News > KISS SONIC BOOM

2009-08-18T14:01:00.001-07:00

KISSONLINE.com > News > KISS SONIC BOOM

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KISS

2009-08-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, CA & BENTONVILLE, AR (August 17, 2009) KISS and Walmart announced today that SONIC BOOM—the bands highly anticipated CD, and its first new material in 11 years—will be sold in the U.S. and Canada exclusively at Walmart and Sams Club retail locations beginning October 6. SONIC BOOM, produced by the bands Paul Stanley in Los Angeles, is the centerpiece of a three-disc set that also features a completely re-recorded greatest hits CD as well as a live DVD shot in Argentina during the bands recent, record-breaking KISS ALIVE 35 South American tour. The CD set will retail for $12, with pre-orders starting in September on Walmart.com.

KISS' Gene Simmons says, "SONIC BOOM" may be the best new record we've done since Destroyer! It is Rock And Roll Over meets Love Gun. The worlds biggest retailer had better get ready for the hottest band in the world and hire more cashiers before October 6th!

Stanley continues, "Through all of the albums that are considered our classics, we tried to always find ways to give our fans extras that went beyond just the music. Besides our making the best KISS album in decades, Walmart has made it possible for us to include a bonus CD with 15 of our most famous songs and an additional live DVD, shot during our recent concert in Buenos Aires. So in every sense, SONIC BOOM is the ultimate return to classic KISS form. You wanted the best, you got the best!"

In celebration of the albums release, KISS announced today a special KISS ALIVE 35 show at Detroit Rock City's legendary concert venue, Cobo Arena, on September 25. This historic structure, which is slated for closure, has hosted KISS concerts on numerous occasions, not the least of which was the series of shows that were recorded to become the KISS ALIVE! album. Tracks made famous on KISS ALIVE!—including "Rock and Roll All Nite", "Deuce", "Black Diamond", and "Hotter Than Hell"—are well represented on the greatest hits disc included with SONIC BOOM. The Detroit show, which will live another 35 years in KISStory, features opening act Buckcherry and goes on sale to the public at 5 pm EDT on August 21 at Ticketmaster.com.

Walmart, one of Americas largest music retailers, is finalizing its exciting plans now for its in-store and online destinations for KISS fans surrounding the launch of the new album and tour, and will host various KISS products in addition to their music in its stores this fall. More details on Walmart KISS activity, announcements regarding album pre-sales, sweepstakes and KISS appearances will be shared shortly.

Zombie Walk - San Diego

2009-07-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.sdzombiewalk.com/

Why everything sucks? - You gotta love Craig!

2009-07-22T13:32:00.001-07:00

Battery-powered TVs useless this storm season

2009-06-19T07:12:00.001-07:00

PRICE OF GOING DIGITAL

An option to convert portable analog sets to digital:

• Winegard DTV battery pack: $15, winegarddirect.com

• Venturer-brand converter box: Target, $50

• Six D-batteries: $10

• Passive antenna: $10-$20

Small or older portable TV sets that do not have an external antenna input will not be able to receive digital signals. A few options to replace your old set:

• Dynex 7-inch LCD portable analog/digital TV: $150, bestbuy.com

• Accurian 7-inch LCD portable analog/digital TV: $150, radioshack.com

• Haier 7-inch portable handheld LCD HDTV: $150, radioshack.com

• Coby portable 7’-inch widescreen LCD TV: $140, amazon.com

• iView portable 7-inch widescreen TFT LCD TV: $120, amazon.com

Other resources:

• DTV Help line : 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322).

• For more information and to find a local support center visit: www.dtv.gov

GREAT wallpaper site

2009-06-15T19:23:00.001-07:00

http://allwallpapersfree.blogspot.com/

Toy Story 3 Teaser Trailer

2009-05-30T21:41:00.001-07:00

Singer Yusuf Islam plays first U.S. show in 33 years

2009-05-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

By Dean Goodman Dean Goodman – Tue May 12, 4:46 am ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – With a wry nod to his problems with American immigration authorities, British folk singer Yusuf Islam performed his first U.S. concert in 33 years on Monday, treating 400 fans to classics from his youthful days when he was known as Cat Stevens.

The 60-year-old musician treated the invitation-only crowd to an hour-long set that included such hits as "Peace Train," "Wild World" and "Where Do the Children Play?" as well as a selection of tunes from his new album, "Roadsinger."

Looking professorial with his full gray beard, checkered shirt and sleeveless jacket, the bespectacled singer sprinkled his performance with lighthearted banter.

"I bet you thought we'd never make it," he said at the outset, later explaining that he was referring to his 2004 deportation from the United States after his name appeared on a "no-fly" watch list designed to weed out suspected terrorists.

Islam, who became a Muslim in 1977 and abandoned his pop star life, ran afoul of authorities who alleged he supports charities that ultimately funnel money to terrorist groups.

Islam denied the allegations and has frequently spoken out against terrorism. He has since returned to the United States on several occasions.

But he encountered bureaucratic difficulties on his current visit. An unspecified work-visa issue forced him to cancel a planned May 3 show in New York, leaving Los Angeles as his sole American date.

He has said he plans to perform a handful of shows around the world to promote "Roadsinger," only his second mainstream pop release in three decades. But no dates have been announced beyond the American pair. It was not known if the New York show would be rescheduled.

Islam last performed in the United States in early 1976, by which time he was becoming disenchanted with his pop career amid declining sales. After a London show in 1979, he focused solely on his family and faith.

He made a tentative return to the pop world in 2006 with the album "An Other Cup," and promoted it with an intimate London show that was filmed for a DVD.

Monday's show at the El Rey Theater, which was organized by the record label, was also filmed. Accompanied by a four-man band, Islam sang and played his acoustic guitar. A number of celebrities attended the show, including Irish actor Colin Farrell and singers Josh Groban, Chris Isaak, and Michelle Branch.

Many songs were greeted with standing ovations. During the two-song encore, they cheered the line "Look at me, I am old but I'm happy" from "Father and Son," and clapped along to "Peace Train."

All the Lego Star Wars Minifigs in History

2009-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

All the Lego Star Wars minifigs in history

Houston Rockets Playoff Intro '09

2009-05-01T06:02:00.001-07:00

FACT CHECK: Obama's job, deficit claims are iffy

2009-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Whoa! The liberal media saying Obama might not be telling the truth, amazing!! Calvin Woodward, you're my hero! (No sarcasm here) - Marc

By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer Calvin Woodward, Associated Press Writer – Thu Apr 30, 3:13 am ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama turned the page on 100 days in office with an iffy boast about job creation and claims of fiscal prudence that are hard to square with his spending.

Obama spoke with abundant confidence about his chances for achieving the big-ticket items on his agenda despite economic calamity:

_His assertion that his proposed budget "will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term" is an eyeball-roller for many economists, given the uncharted terrain of trillion-dollar deficits the government is negotiating.

_He promised vast savings from increased spending on preventive health care in the face of doubts that such an effort, however laudable it might be for public welfare, can pay for itself, let alone yield huge savings.

_He pitched a remedy for Social Security's long-term crisis that analysts say won't fix half the problem.

Obama held a prime-time news conference Wednesday and addressed citizens at an Arnold, Mo., high school, using both events to review progress at the 100-day mark and look ahead.

A look at some of his claims:

OBAMA: "We began by passing a Recovery Act that has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs." — from news conference.

THE FACTS: This assertion is dubious on several levels. For starters, the U.S. has lost more than 1.2 million jobs since Obama took office, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even if Obama's stimulus bill saved or created as many jobs as he says, that number is dwarfed by the number of recent job losses.

But Obama's number is murky, at best. The White House has not yet announced how it intends to count jobs created by the stimulus bill. Obama's number is based on a job-counting formula that his economists have developed but have not made public. Until that formula is announced — probably in the coming week or so — there's no way to assess its accuracy.

Whatever the formula, economists who study job creation say it will require some creative math. That's because Obama has lumped "jobs saved" in with "jobs created." Even economists for organizations that stand to benefit from the stimulus concede it probably is impossible to estimate saved jobs because that would require calculating a hypothetical: how many people would have lost their jobs without the stimulus.

___

OBAMA: "We must lay a new foundation for growth, a foundation that will strengthen our economy and help us compete in the 21st century. And that's exactly what this budget begins to do. It contains new investments in education that will equip our workers with the right skills and training; new investments in renewable energy that will create millions of jobs and new industries; new investments in health care that will cut costs for families and businesses, and new savings that will bring down our deficit." — news conference.

"I've personally asked the leadership in Congress to pass into law rules that follow the simple principle: You pay for what you spend, so that government acts the same way any responsible family does." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS: While the budget does set a roadmap for achieving the president's goals, it says nothing about how to pay for his health plan, expected to cost more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. And while the deficit, under the plan, would drop to $523 billion in 2014, it achieves it with unrealistic assumptions, such as projections that spending in Iraq and Afghanistan will amount to only $50 billion a year.

___

OBAMA: "Number one, we inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit. ... That wasn't me." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS:

Congress, under Democratic control in 2007 and 2008, held the purse strings that led to the deficit Obama inherited. A Republican president, George W. Bush, had a role too: He signed the legislation.

Obama supported the emergency financial bailout package in Bush's final months — a package Democratic leaders wanted to make bigger.

To be sure, Obama opposed the Iraq war, a drain on federal coffers for six years before he became president. But with one major exception, he voted in support of Iraq war spending.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated Obama's policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years, even accounting for his spending reduction goals. Now, the deficit is nearly quadrupling to $1.75 trillion.

___

OBAMA: "I think one basic principle that we know is that the more we do on the (disease) prevention side, the more we can obtain serious savings down the road. ... If we're making those investments, we will save huge amounts of money in the long term." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS: It sounds believable that preventing illness should be cheaper than treating it, and indeed that's the case with steps like preventing smoking and improving diet and exercise. But during the 2008 campaign, when Obama and other presidential candidates were touting a focus on preventive care, the New England Journal of Medicine cautioned that "sweeping statements about the cost-saving potential of prevention, however, are overreaching." It said that "although some preventive measures do save money, the vast majority reviewed in the health economics literature do not."

And a study released in December by the Congressional Budget Office found that increasing preventive care "could improve people's health but would probably generate either modest reductions in the overall costs of health care or increases in such spending within a 10-year budgetary time frame."

___

OBAMA: "You could cut (Social Security) benefits. You could raise the tax on everybody so everybody's payroll tax goes up a little bit. Or you can do what I think is probably the best solution, which is you can raise the cap on the payroll tax." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS: Obama's proposal would reduce the Social Security trust fund's deficit by less than half, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

That means he would still have to cut benefits, raise the payroll tax rate, raise the retirement age or some combination of these measures to deal with the program's long-term imbalance.

Workers currently pay 6.2 percent and their employers pay an equal rate — for a total of 12.4 percent — on annual wages of up to $106,800, after which no more payroll tax is collected.

Obama wants workers making more than $250,000 to pay payroll tax on their income over that amount. That would still protect workers making under $250,000 from an additional burden. But it would raise much less money than removing the cap completely.

___

OBAMA: "My hope is that working in a bipartisan fashion we are going to be able to get a health care reform bill on my desk before the end of the year that we'll start seeing in the kinds of investments that will make everybody healthier." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS: Obama has indeed expressed hope for a health care plan that has support from Democrats and Republicans. But his Democratic allies in Congress have just made that harder. The Democratic budget plan that Congress passed Wednesday gives Democrats the option of denying Republicans the normal right to block health care with a Senate filibuster. The filibuster tactic requires 60 votes to overcome, making it the GOP's main weapon to ensure a bipartisan outcome. The rules set by the budget mean that majority Democrats could potentially pass health care legislation without any Republican votes, sacrificing bipartisanship to achieve their goals.

Windows Movie Maker

2009-04-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Forum

13 BlackBerry apps for the social networker

2009-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Though the iPhone gets much of the attention when it comes to mobile apps, RIM recently launched its BlackBerry App World to compete with Apple. I've been using apps from that store (and a few other Twitter clients that can be downloaded online) that bring social networking to the social networker. Some are better than others, but they're all worth trying at least once. And they're all free!

Link

DoInk

2009-04-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

DoInk

Kinda hard to imagine

2009-04-15T06:31:00.002-07:00

That I haven't been blogging about American Idol or the new Star Trek movie or anything else. I have definitely put all of my blogging time into my new geocaching blog. Sorry. I'll try to post more often here. Don't hold your breath. And go to my geocaching blog.

Colbert gets a treadmill, not a room, on ISS

2009-04-15T06:31:00.001-07:00

They chose the eighth most popular response? What the ? I know Serenity had the most votes after Colbert's write-in votes. - Marc

NEW YORK — One small step for NASA, one giant running leap for Stephen Colbert.

NASA announced Tuesday that it won't name a room in the international space station after the comedian. Instead, it has named a treadmill after him.

NASA earlier held an online contest to name a room (or "node") at the international space station. With write-in votes, the name "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options: Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise and Venture.

On Tuesday's "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, astronaut Sunita Williams announced that NASA — which always maintained it had the right to choose an appropriate name — would not name the node after Colbert.

Instead, Node 3 will henceforth be called Tranquility, the eighth most popular response submitted by respondents in the poll. The node's name alludes to where Apollo 11 landed on the moon — the Sea of Tranquility.

NASA and Colbert compromised by naming a treadmill used for exercising in space after Colbert. NASA, itself an acronym (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), often names things so they spell out something fun. And that's what they did with the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT).

Sophisticated treadmills are crucial for living in space for long periods of time, as astronauts do on the space station; they help keep astronauts fit and their bones from losing strength. Williams ran a marathon on one while living at the space station in 2007, jogging in place to coincide with the Boston Marathon.

The COLBERT treadmill is a new version that will be operational in August, NASA spokesman Mike Curie said.

"We don't typically name U.S. space station hardware after living people and this is no exception," Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said, adding: "We have invited Stephen to Florida for the launch of COLBERT and to Houston to try out a version of the treadmill that astronauts train on."

Family Guy to have cast of Star Trek TNG Sunday 3-29

2009-03-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Family Guy to have cast of Star Trek TNG Sunday 3-29

I started a new blog recently -

2009-03-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

BadAnimals' Geocaching Blog

Check it out.

What's the best way to make sharp, detailed, flexible custom stencils?

2009-03-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to make sharp, detailed, flexible custom stencils?

SHRINKY DINKS

2009-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

SHRINKY DINKS

Looking for Shrinky Dink Jewelry making tips :)

Plastic - Homemade Shrinky Dinks (Weekly Unplugged Project)

Shrink Art Projects - some good ideas here!

How to make Shrinky Dinks with recycled #6 plastic

DIY Shrinky Dinks

2009-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

DIY Shrinky Dinks

Revealing the secret to rounding up rodeo bounty

2009-03-10T07:16:00.001-07:00

By KEN HOFFMAN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

March 9, 2009, 4:38PM

I have a basketball hoop on my garage. When I have nothing to do, I go outside and shoot free throws in my driveway. Thousands of free throws ... for free.

Yet once a year, I go to the carnival at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and pay $2 to shoot one hardly free throw. It’s stupid, I know. But I do it because I can make that shot.

I win!

Sure, I win a big stuffed animal that I wind up giving away to a kid on my way out of the carnival. But a win is a win.

I love the carnival games of skill. Yes, skill. Those days of squashed basketball hoops and 100-pound milk bottles are long gone. All of the games at the carnival are on the up and up. They’re fair. Difficult — that’s why you get a prize if you win — but fair.

Fair enough, so I figured I’d start at one end of the carnival and play every game — all 25 of them — until I won a prize. Helping me was Tony Fiori, marketing director for Ray Cammack Shows, the company that runs the whole carnival, from games to rides to cotton candy to cleanup, for the rodeo. Fiori has been with RCS for 25 years. He can win a stuffed animal with his eyes closed. He knows all the tricks and angles on each game.

Here’s the real scoop, though. There really aren’t any tricks of the trade.

You want to win a prize? Just throw the Ping-Pong balls and hope they land in the floating fish bowls. Good luck.

OK, here’s a tip from Fiori. Throw them nice and soft and aim for the fish bowls in the middle. Thanks, Tony.

You may have heard that the economy is a little shaky. Tickets for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo are down about 4 percent from last year. But business on the carnival midway is up 5 percent. Fiori said people are staying home instead of taking a spring vacation. And there’s one thing that is guaranteed recession-proof — a guy will always try to win a stuffed animal for his girlfriend. It’s caveman stuff.

This year, for the first time, rodeo guests don’t pay $2 or $3 directly to carnival workers at each booth to play a game. Instead you buy a Fun Pass card, any amount you want, and play until the scanner blinks broke. Then you can reload the card and continue trying to knock over milk bottles.

My first game was Whac-a-Mole . Surprisingly, this is Whac-a-Mole’s first appearance at the carnival. The rodeo version has a twist. You play against other people — high score wins a prize.

I had only one opponent. I beat a 9-year-old girl, 150 to 130. Take that, pow! (Don’t worry, Fiori made sure the girl won a prize, too.)

Next was the Basketball Toss — pretty much a free throw. The balls are pumped up pretty well and the rims are super tight and slightly smaller than regulation. But it’s a makeable shot. I swished it on my fifth try. Hey, it was windy.

I got a stuffed monkey’s head sticking out of a big yellow banana. It was the biggest prize I’d win all day.

“Here’s how it works,” Fiori said. “The bigger and better the prize, the tougher and harder the game. That’s only logical. The carnival really isn’t in the game business. We’re in the merchandise business. It’s a simple formula. For every $10 we take in, we give away $2.50 in prizes.” Here’s another way to look at it. About 8 million people visit a Ray Cammack carnival each year across the country. The company gives away 1 million prizes.

You know that game where you shoot a BB gun at a piece of paper with a red star on it? Knock out the red star completely, and you win an expensive bicycle. It’s the best prize on the midway.

It’s also the hardest prize to win. Again, only logical. And that’s where my carnival winning streak ended. You get between 100 and 108 BBs each time. That’s simply not enough BBs for me. It would take me until next rodeo to shoot out that star.

Between my fourth and fifth try, the booth attendant told me, “Rambo never wins.”

I have no idea what he meant. I’m Rambo?

Fiori’s tapped my shoulder and said, “What you do is keep going in a circle.”

I told him, “I know that, but how do I win at this game?”

He said there are marksmen in each city that wait all year for the carnival — just so they can win bicycles. It’s like early Christmas shopping for these Deadeye Dicks.

“We don’t bar anybody from playing, but we do post a limit on how many times a person can win a certain prize per day,” Fiori said. Yao Ming is welcome to shoot free throws for SpongeBob SquarePants toys. But he can win only two per day.

I didn’t win a bicycle. I didn’t win a stuffed turtle at the Milk Bottle Toss, either. I threw my best stuff at those milk bottles and never got all three to topple. I’d get two over and nudge the third, but it just wouldn’t fall.

I checked — all the milk bottles weighed the same, about three pounds.

Woody Allen tells a joke. When he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, a violent hurricane hit Coney Island and wiped out buildings, the entire boardwalk and all the rides and all the games. The only thing left standing — those three milk bottles.

I did win the Water Fun Gun game on my second try. I was Steady Eddie and keep a constant stream pointed at the target. I won a stuffed snake.

I didn’t win the Pool Hall game, either. They set up four balls on a pool table. You break them and then have to sink all four balls in a row, calling your shot, without scratching. The game, and the table, were on the level. I just stink at pool. I gave it six or seven tries and cut my losses.

Mini Basketball was a snap. It’s a game for children. I tossed it underhand, granny-style, and won a little stuffed dog.

I popped four balloons in a row in Balloon Bust, a children’s dart game. Fiori told me to throw the darts gently. I followed his advice. He said carnival workers practice these games in the morning. They know what they’re doing.

Here’s one game where a little trick is involved. You have to throw a Wiffle ball at a wood target and have the ball drop into a plastic clothes basket below. It’s called Bank-a-Ball. The target says “One In Wins” across the top.

Lean in all the way to the yellow line, and aim for the “n” in “In.”

I won another stuffed dog.

My buddy Reg “Third Degree” Burns tagged along with me on the carnival midway. He loves the corn dogs at the Juicys booth between Reliant Stadium and the Astrodome. But mostly his job was lugging all my stuffed-toy booty.

My most humiliating moment was the Hi Striker game. That’s the carnival classic where you lift a huge, heavy sledgehammer, like the one Gallagher uses to smash watermelons, and hit a target, sending a light beam up to rate your strength. Top score is 150. My best was 110. I’m not good at manual labor, such as hammers. I mean, I can put up a picture, but swinging a sledgehammer is not my line of work.

Fiori hit 133. Some scrawny kid who looked like he weighed 120 pounds scored 138. It’s got to be technique. If it’s not, I need to start juicing.

I had to call for a ruling on the Beer Bottle Bust game. You have to break two glass bottles with baseballs. I shattered one, then plunked about five bottles apparently made from bullet-proof glass. They wouldn’t break.

Finally one bottle spun off its perch and tumbled to the floor, where it broke. I claimed that, while my fastball didn’t do the damage, it did cause the bottle to eventually shatter. Fiori ordered the barkeep to give me a prize. Probably to stop my whining.

I wound up winning prizes at most of the games.

By the time I was done, my arms and Third Degree’s arms were full of stuffed animals. I gave away all the prizes to kids as I left.

Fiori said stuffed animals are still are the most popular and winnable prizes at the carnival, but soon the carnival will offer expensive bounty like iPods and computers and cameras. But to claim a prize like that, you will have to accumulate points — lots of points — like at Dave and Buster’s or Chuck E. Cheese’s. There will be a ticketing system and redemption center at the carnival.

But until that day, the stuffed monkey I won at Basketball Toss remains my prize possession.

Flight of the Conchords

2009-03-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

http://conchordswiki.hbo.com/

Drum Set!!

2009-03-09T13:27:00.001-07:00

http://www.ronwinter.tv/drums.html

More free on-demand audio with Muziic

2009-03-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

by Matt Rosoff

I love covering music software because the pace of evolution is so fast. I guess everybody's looking for the next billion-dollar business (after iTunes) to help replace declining CD sales.

Last week, I blogged about Spotify, a free and legal music player that offers a massive library of music on demand. Unfortunately, Spotify's library has some big gaps because of legal disputes with rights-holders, and it's not available in the U.S.

A couple days later, software developer David Nelson contacted me about Muziic, a company he started with his dad--he's 15(!) and has gone from public high school to online private high school to pursue this project. After checking it out for a few days, I think it's got just as much of a chance of revolutionizing how we listen to music as Spotify does.

More here.

2009-01-28T20:49:00.001-08:00

Crayon Physics Deluxe

2009-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

Crayon Physics Deluxe is a 2D physics puzzle / sandbox game, in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings would be magically transformed into real physical objects. Solve puzzles with your artistic vision and creative use of physics.

So you scored a Wii! Now what?

2009-01-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on your new Wii! This is the third straight holiday season that the Wii has been a hot commodity. You're a lucky guy/gal/family.

Three years ago, Nintendo's future looked shaky. Their Gamecube was an also-ran next to sexier gaming platforms like the Playstation and Xbox. Nintendo was banking on being unchallenged in the handheld market, but Sony was gunning for them with the sleek new PSP. With so much of the game development for Nintendo's hardware being internal first-party stuff, it looked like the company was going the way of the Sega. Which was not a good thing.

Then the Wii came along and became a household word. Believe it or not, before the name had been rammed into our head by hearing it several hundred times, usually on mainstream media broadcasts, many of us thought the name was silly . "Wii?" we laughed, "Are they kidding? No one's going to take that seriously? Ha ha ha. So stupid. Wii?"

Those were the days. Who's laughing now? Hopefully you, jumping around your living room and looking silly playing Wii Sports. But before you go any further, there are some things you should know.

What to avoid?
There's a lot of trash on the Wii. A lot. Several metric tons of it. Basically, this is the absolute worst system for impulse buying. The gold Official Nintendo Seal on the back of every game was originally created to distinguish the good stuff from the junk. Now it's just a rubber stamp. The irony is that you're statistically more likely to end up with a stinker if you grabbed a random game with the Official Nintendo Seal on it. Pound for pound, your new Wii is probably the system with the greatest proportion of bad games on it.
(Even though I just used the word "statistically", I haven't gathered any data for this. I base this purely on my gut feel and the fact that I had to play all the way through Red Steel for a review.)

So four points to keep in mind:
1) There is no multiplatform game worth getting for the Wii instead of one of the other systems. None. Zilch. Zip. Nada. If you can, always opt for the PS3 or 360 before the Wii. Except maybe for Bully (see below).
2) For Pete's sake, don't fall for Wii Fit. It's terrible. Just go outside and jog or something.
3) If you don't know this already, avoid direct movie tie-ins like the plague. They are all bad.
4) Shooters don't work very well on the Wii. There are a few designed specifically for the Wii, but this simply isn't the console system for that kind of game.

What to get
Here's where it gets tricky. I'm going to divide everyone into two groups. Raise your hand if you know who this is:
Okay, everyone who raised your hand, you're in group B. Everyone who didn't raise your hand, you're in group A. Group A, keep reading. Group B, skip down to "But I'm already a gamer". By the way, Group A, that was Shigeru Miyamoto, the guy who pretty much invented your Wii. He's a pretty cool dude. Also, don't listen to the disparaging remarks those guys in Group B might make, particularly about your new Wii. A lot of them say mean things out of a sense of insecurity. Don't mind them.

Okay, two points really quickly:
1) Keep in mind the Wii isn't just a Wii. The entire catalog of Gamecube games is backwards compatible, meaning you have a library of hundreds of inexpensive games, many of which hold up very well. You can find cheap Gamecube games on eBay or at garage sales. Don't feel like you always have to shell out money for new releases.
2) Get Excite Truck.

Beyond that, it all depends on what you like. Here are five sure-fire recommendations, regardless of age, ethnic group, religion, nerdiness, and manual dexterity.

1) For a platformer, you can't beat Super Mario Galaxy for easy, laid-back, varied, colorful fun. It's one of those great irresistible Nintendo games. If you're looking for something that's not so kiddie-oriented, get over it. If you're still looking for something that's no so kiddie-oriented even after I've chided you, then download Lost Winds from the WiiWare section. It's short, sublime, and as beautiful a game as you can play on the Wii.

2) For a puzzle game, Boom Blox is pretty much the niftiest thing to take advantage of the Wii's controller. It's a bunch of physics-based (don't be scared of that word, which just means things fall over different ways every time) minigames with blocks, but there are also cute little animals to give it some personality and a level builder for anyone who might be inclined to actually create stuff. This is as nearly universal a videogame as has ever been made.

3) For maximum silliness, get WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Make sure you check that all those words are on the box you're getting, because otherwise you might end up with the wrong thing. Be sure to play with a friend, because if there's one thing sillier than looking silly, it's looking silly when there's no one there to see.

4) For an action game, get Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. It's simple to play and everyone loves (non-prequel) Star Wars. But here's a situation where the Gamecube backwards compatibility is a great help. For a slightly less goofy take on an action game that also happens to be Star Wars, the second game in the Rogue Squadron series is still great. Look for a copy of Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II. Again, make sure you get all those words right. You don't want to end up with the terrible third game in the series, which has soul-killing jumping puzzles on Dagobah.

5a) For an open-world-style Grand Theft Auto game, you'd normally be out of luck because the Wii can't do the fancy next-gen stuff generally required for the latest open-world games. But you're actually in luck, because there's Bully (the Wii version of Bully is a rare instance where the Wii version is preferable to the supposedly fancier Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions). Also, whereas the previous five recommendations (don't forget about Excite Truck!) are entirely kid-safe and family friendly, Bully might be about kids, but it's definitely not for kids.

5b) If you've got kids, for your open world game, you should probably get Animal Crossing for your open-world needs. It's not much of a game, but it's a great way to share a virtual space among members of your family. It's peppered with activities and the most violent thing you can do is chop down a tree. However, don't feel compelled to get Animal Crossing: City Folk, which is the recently released Wii version that adds almost nothing new. Instead, if you can find a cheaper copy of the original Animal Crossing for the Gamecube, you'll be good to go.

A lot of folks might try to push you into getting a Mario themed game, probably Super Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Those are both pretty good, but they're both for specific tastes. You can get around to that stuff later.

Okay, now I'm going to let those other guys who knew about Miyamoto back in. Some of the following stuff won't necessarily apply to you, but feel free to stick around in case you're interested in taking your Wii ownership to the next level. Also, don't tell those guys what I told you, especially the stuff about Super Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They wouldn't understand.

But I'm already a gamer!
Okay, first of all, don't panic. Rather than scramble around looking for the gift receipt, let me run a few titles by you that might make your Wii worth keeping, and that will even give your next-gen systems a run for their money.

1) Beach Spikers, for the Gamecube, is one of the best party games I've ever played. It's a volleyball game that has all the accessibility and all the challenge of the original Virtua Tennis, but with some really sweet volleyball twists. Anyone can play competitively after a few tries, and you can even manage some teamwork and devious shots with only a modicum of practice. It's not even terribly salacious; I don't think there's anything bigger than a B-cup in this game. Unfortunately, you'll need four Gamecube controllers. But this is easily a good enough reason to keep Gamecube controllers in the house.

2) Zack and Wiki is the Wii equivalent of those old Sierra adventure games. It's slightly kiddie, but only in look. The puzzles are insidious and gratifying. They're even better when you try to solve them with a friend. This is absolutely a game worthy of an old school PC adventure gamer. It's a wonderful brain tickler that will appeal to fans of Braid, King's Quest, Roberta Williams, Japanese stuff, and episodic games.

3) Pikmin 2 is every bit as good as that nifty Overlord game, which was similarly puzzle based and involved lots of followers swarming around at your feet. There's a Wii-specific Pikmin coming out later this year, but why wait when you can get a copy of this Gamecube game for peanuts? This is also a great variation on console-based real time strategy games, with its own style of resource management and combat.

4) De Blob might seem like just a weird platformer, but it's slightly more than just a platformer. It's got a lot in common with Jet Set Radio and Katamari Damacy. Don't pass this one up if you're interested in some cool level navigation, a spirited combination of music and visuals, and lots of exploration and replayability.

5) Personally, I think light gun games are a little goofy, mainly because I can instead play first person shooters with a mouse and keyboard. But if you want something like a shooter for your Wii, you're probably better off trying Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. It works very well with a straight-up Wiimote and even has a mild RPG system to encourage you to play. Plus it's great in co-op.

Webcam

2008-12-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

Free webcam chat rooms.
See and hear people live!

There's also stickam.

Webcam-o-maniac!

Tutorial: Create a Stop-Motion Animation Movie using Digital Camera or WebCam

2008-12-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

Blog that explain it simply... The reader comments are worth checking out too.

How do I Record-Film Stop Motion? Check out this site's other links too.

Cool Things to do with a webcam (or two)

Cyberlink MagicDirector

2008-12-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Cyberlink MagicDirector

App-a-Day

2008-12-03T18:37:00.001-08:00

App-a-Day

How to Retone a Photograph with GIMP

2008-11-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked at old, very subtly sepia-toned black and white photographs and wondered how you can get the same effect with your own photographs? It is easy and fun to copy black and white tones from one photograph to another with GIMP, the renowned free and open source image editor. Here's how.

How to Make a Portrait Style Photo in GIMP

2008-11-23T07:27:00.000-08:00

If you have a photo that isn't very interesting, then you can easily make it into a soft-focused, dreamy-looking portrait-style photo. Here's how to do it in The GIMP.

How to Make a Simple Animation in GIMP or Photoshop

2008-11-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to make a little animation without learning Flash or even getting it? Well, now you can!

All you need is a program that can control the layers. "The Gimp" is recommended because it's free and easy!

How to Animate Clay

2008-11-23T07:24:00.001-08:00

Clay animation is an obscure yet amazing art form. In the following ten steps, you will learn how to turn a ball of clay into a figure of your choice. Then you will animate the figure and create a short clay animation video of your own. This form of animation is most often called "Stop-motion animation" because that is what it is. You are animating something that can't move.

Girl's Digital Video Player - Sakar International

2008-11-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

Girl's Digital Video Player - Sakar International

57379 Digital Video Camera Owner’s Manual

2008-11-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

57379 Digital Video Camera
Owner’s Manual

Sakar Kidz Cam Digital Camera

2008-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sakar Kidz Cam Digital Camera

Youth Digital Camcorder w/ Preview Screen & Imaging Studio

2008-11-16T07:50:00.001-08:00

Youth Digital Camcorder w/ Preview Screen & Imaging Studio

Sakar Digital Video Camera

2008-11-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

Sakar Digital Video Camera

Kids Digital Video Camera

2008-11-15T23:35:00.000-08:00

Kids Digital Video Camera

Software Informer

2008-11-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

Software Informer ?

Adobe Digital Kids Club

2008-11-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

Kids Club

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

2008-11-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 12:02 am

2008-09-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

A little rain. And we still have power! I think the eye has reached Galveston.

Chron.com now reports 550,000 without power.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 10:47 pm

2008-09-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Still no rain. Still have power. Will we be lucky enough to not lose it?!

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 9:53 pm

2008-09-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Conditions about the same here. No rain yet. Still have power obviously.

Gusting to 38 mph.

I can see lightning off in the distance.

315,000 now without power.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 8:15 pm

2008-09-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Dark now and the winds have picked up.

Weather.com says it is gusting to 35 mph in my zip. If that is true, it is going to be a very long night. The trees are really whipping around. If the wind doubles or triples or if tornadoes pop up, it won't be pretty.

I expect to lose power by midnight. If I don't post for more than a couple of hours, you know that I lost power.

Also, they just announced that they wouldn't even try to start restoring power until the storm passes so we're looking at Sunday at the earliest. If we're lucky we'll have power back in a week.

164,000 folks are already without power.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 7:30 pm

2008-09-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Just stepped outside, I actually see some blue sky and the sun shining on the upper clouds.

No rain. Winds are about the same.

I fear though this is going to be a very costly storm and possibly very deadly.

I admit I am starting to get abit scared.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 5:39 pm

2008-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Not much to report, it is cloudy outside and the wind is steady, no rain yet.

Wind is gusting to 25 mph.

I took a little nap. I can foresee staying up through the night. I really don't want to be asleep when a tree comes crashing into the house.

I could take some video but there is nothing of interest to show you.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 3:56 pm

2008-09-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with stuff outside and I've showered.

It's hot, 91 with a feels like of 96.

Weather.com has the wind at NNE at 20 mph but I can tell that it is gusting at times much harder than that.

Did you see this? -

The latest Hurricane Local Statement from the Galveston National Weather Service office puts things in pretty stark perspective:

All neighborhoods... and possibly entire coastal communities... will be inundated during high tide. Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one or two story homes will face certain death. Many residences of average construction directly on the coast will be destroyed. Widespread and devastating personal property damage is likely elsewhere. Vehicles left behind will likely be swept away. Numerous roads will be swamped... some may be washed away by the water. Entire flood prone coastal communities will be cutoff. Water levels may exceed 9 feet for more than a mile inland. Coastal residents in multi-story facilities risk being cutoff. Conditions will be worsened by battering waves. Such waves will exacerbate property damage... with massive destruction of homes... including those of block construction. Damage from beach erosion could take years to repair.

Pretty rough stuff.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 1:28 pm

2008-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm done outside (finally).

It's cloudy now, no rain. 88 degrees, feels like 92. Winds from the NE at 12 mph gusting to 21 mph.

I don't want to lose power and that's probably a certainty.

This person is blogging about Ike too from NW Houston - Do I have to spell it out?

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 11:06 am

2008-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Still working outside.

84 degrees with a feels like of 90.

Wind from the NE at 15 mph gusting to 21 mph.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 10:05 am

2008-09-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Things are about the same, it is hot outside, 84 degrees with a feels like of 89. Wind is NE at 15 mph according to weather.com for my zip, 77040.

I've got the east side of the house picked up, put more water in the above ground pool.

I need to go move our patio table next and pick up in the backyard.

Hurricane Ike - NW Houston - 8:59 am

2008-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'll try to make updates when I can and as long as I have power and an internet connection.

Sunny, breezy and partly cloudy now.

I'm about to go pick up stuff in the yard and make other preparations.

Check out this excellent local blog that I stumbled on to...

2008-09-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Bayou City Girl

Cloning Star Wars: Nine Best Spoofs

2008-08-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is in theaters, with some critics carping that it is almost a parody of the original live-action films. Which led us to think: Are there better parodies of George Lucas' influential saga out there?

Yes the answer is, as Yoda himself might say. Herewith a list of the top nine Star Wars spoofs from film, television and other media.

1. Clerks, film, available on DVD. Perhaps the most eloquent Star Wars geek on record, director Kevin Smith crafted dialogue about the issue of contract labor on the second Death Star in Star Wars: Episode VI--Return of the Jedi. Collateral damage or deserving collaborators? The debate rages on.

2. Spaceballs, film, available on DVD. Mel Brooks aimed his blaster at the first Star Wars and other SF films. Spaceballs mimics famous scenes and characters in extreme and ridiculous ways, making fun of merchandising and the famous plot twists of the series. (This story continues below the image.)

3. "Stephen Colbert's Green Screen Challenge," featured on The Colbert Report. In 2006, Colbert filmed a segment of himself mimicking the lightsaber moves of disgraced high schooler Ghyslain Raza--the infamous YouTube "Star Wars kid"--then invited his fans to improve it. Creative fans placed Colbert in battles with Darth Maul, opening a door for George W. Bush and dancing in silhouette in an iPod ad parody. Lucasfilm itself eventually contributed an entry in which Colbert destroys all the droids from the opening of Revenge of the Sith. The winner turned Colbert into a video game.

4. Family Guy: Blue Harvest, available on DVD. The Fox animated show has managed to insert a Star Wars joke in almost every episode. But in 2007, it finally went one better, with an hourlong episode dedicated to the movie. A follow-up, based on Star Wars: Episode V--The Empire Strikes Back, is already on track for next season.

5. Troops, short film, available at TheForce.net. Animator Kevin Rubio's short film melds Fox's reality series Cops with Imperial stormtroopers on Tatooine. The film's deadpan accurate take on both franchises raises disturbing questions: What if Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and not the stormtroopers, had destroyed themselves? Setting a Jawa's head on fire was pretty sweet, too.

6. "Jedi Knights Sex Scandal," Chappelle's Show sketch. Comedian Dave Chappelle's sketch featured a 60 Minutes-style news crew investigating a sex scandal among the Jedi knights. Poor Darth Vader, shown in silhouette to protect his identity, admitted being molested. The piece was a knowing satire of both Lucas and the Catholic Church sex scandals.

7. The Star Wars Gangsta Rap. Internet animated music video, available on Atom.com. The first winner of the Audience Choice Award in the Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards, this video used the hip-hop idiom to retell the saga's story, changing up the rap and melody as needed. The animation is adorable, especially in the "Special Edition" enhanced version, and the tune is just catchy. Try not to sing, "I'm your father, I'm your father" in rhythm after you hear this.

8. "Star Wars Auditions," Saturday Night Live sketch, first aired Jan. 11, 1997. Kevin Spacey as Christopher Walken reading for the role of Han Solo. Darrell Hammond as Richard Dreyfuss in C-3PO's gold armor. Norm MacDonald as Burt Reynolds as Darth Vader and Ana Gasteyer as Barbra Streisand as Princess Leia. 'Nuff said.

9. Robot Chicken: Star Wars. TV special. A collection of Star Wars-themed sketches from the stop-motion-animated show featured Emperor Palpatine mocking Darth Vader after the destruction of the Death Star and Lucas riding a nerd through a convention crowd. And that's really Lucas' voice. --Fred Topel

SpaceWeather.com

2008-08-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.spaceweather.com/

News and information about meteor showers, solar flares,
 auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

Congrats Paul!

2008-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Paul Stanley, the legendary co-founder and frontman for KISS, and his wife, Erin, are expecting their second child together, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.

Erin, 36, an attorney, is due this winter.

"Erin and I are thrilled and can't wait to meet our newest addition," Stanley, 56, said in a statement to PEOPLE. "We've been extremely blessed and we're excited to see what the future holds. I often joke that I've traded the Viper Room for the diaper room, and it looks like my tour's been extended!"

The couple, who married in 2005, live in Beverly Hills with their son Colin, who turns 2 in September, and Paul’s 14-year-old son, Evan, from a previous marriage.

News of the pregnancy comes as Stanley recently completed the European leg of The Kiss Alive/35 World Tour, which encompassed 30 sold-out shows in seven weeks.

Wire's Top 10 Brilliant But Canceled

2008-08-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

It's the sad fate of every science fiction fan to fall in love with amazing, creative television shows only to see them struggle in the ratings and eventually disappear into the land of repeats and DVD box sets ("Own the complete series for just $24.95!").

It happened just this spring for Jericho fans, who got a mini-reprieve of seven episodes thanks to a whole lot of nuts (the kind you eat, not the fans themselves), but they too would eventually see their show ride off into the sunset like so many others before it. For too many of these on-the-bubble shows, the bubble popped before the rest of the world caught on to the genius that went into them. Fortunately, they live on in the memories of fans, including those of us here at SCI FI Wire.

We now present a list of the top 10 brilliant-but-canceled SF&F shows, as determined by SCI FI Wire's news editor and contributors. For the purposes of this list, the selections were made based on quality network shows that were not renewed after their first season. Bonus fan points (and sympathy hugs) if you remember them all.

1. Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. Fox. Original run: September 2002 to August 2003. Number of episodes produced: 14

Joss Whedon's high-concept space western was a difficult sell to mainstream audiences, television critics and even its own network, but it inspired a group of dedicated fans (called Browncoats, after the show's rebel fighters), who are still active today (as evidenced by their booth at this year's Comic-Con). Through their active campaigning, the Browncoats got more than some fans do. The 2005 feature film Serenity brought back the characters, resolved the relationships and tied up loose narrative ends. And it continues to live on in comic books, novels and games. Still, we can only imagine where the crew would have gone, say, in season six or seven.

2. Wonderfalls, created by Bryan Fuller and Todd Holland. Fox. Original run: March 2004 to December 2004. Number of episodes produced: 14

Before Pushing Daisies on ABC, Bryan Fuller teamed up with Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) and Tim Minear (Angel, Firefly) to create this quirky series, about a cynical twentysomething souvenir-store clerk (Caroline Dhavernas) in Niagara Falls. When she begins hearing the voices of talking animal figures, she finds herself forced to actually care about helping others. The show expertly blended dry wit, unpredictable plots, a sharp cast and an unsentimental approach to sentimental material. Unfortunately, it got lost in a season of shows with similar concepts (like Joan of Arcadia, which lasted one season longer). Considering the network never really had any idea what it had, let alone how to properly promote it, the writing was probably on the wall from the beginning for this lost gem.

3. Now and Again, created by Glenn Gordon Caron. CBS. Original run: September 1999 to May 2000. Number of episodes produced: 22

Why CBS chose not to renew this inventive, funny, sad, well-cast, newfangled take on The Six Million Dollar Man is no mystery. Despite the intriguing concept of a man who is hit by a subway train and wakes up in a perfect, government-built body, the ratings for this show were not exactly stellar. Stars Eric Close (Without a Trace) and Dennis Haysbert (24) have since gone on to more high-profile gigs, but once upon a time they had great chemistry together as the restless, super-powered secret agent and his by-the-book handler.

4. Alien Nation, created by Kenneth Johnson. Fox. Original run: September 1989 to May 1990. Number of episodes: 22

The not-so-subtle pun in the title gives some indication of the allegorical themes at work in this series, based on the film of the same name. Picking up where the film left off, the show is set in a world where an alien slave ship has crashed on Earth and left its passengers stranded. Forced to assimilate into human society, they encounter the same kinds of struggles as any every other immigrant group throughout history. Except that they get drunk on sour milk and require three partners to procreate. Through the mixed-species partnership of a pair of police detectives--one human, one alien--the show explored issues of immigration, racism and cultural identity. Although it was canceled after one season due to budgetary pressures, Fox did bring it back in a series of five television movies.

5. Space: Above and Beyond, created by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Fox. Original run: September 1995 to June 1996. Number of episodes: 24

This futuristic war drama followed a squadron of marines known as the Wildcards aboard the USS Saratoga, the space-faring equivalent of an aircraft carrier. In addition to an alien threat and rebel AI mercenaries, the soldiers also faced conflicts closer to home, with the introduction of artificially bred humans and a potential government conspiracy. The show's dark tone, desaturated look, military backdrop and exploration of complex topics such as the moral ambiguity of war make this a predecessor of sorts to the more successful Battlestar Galactica. But back in 1995, the public wasn't quite ready for this kind of series, and the show failed to attract an audience wide enough to justify renewal.

6. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., created by Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse. Fox. Original run: August 1993 to May 1994. Number of episodes: 27

Clever writing, great production values and a brilliant turn in the title role by the one and only Bruce Campbell made this genre-bending SF-western-comedy a pleasure for those who were hip to its self-referential humor, witty dialogue and memorable performances. Unfortunately, that didn't include most of the viewing audience. Fox scheduled the show on Friday nights, a timeslot notorious for low ratings, with the exception of The X-Files, which just happened to premiere the same year. Seems that the network could only afford to take a chance on one low-rated show, and we all know how that turned out, so they're probably not regretting their decision (though they may be regretting that second movie right about now).

7. American Gothic, created by Shaun Cassidy. CBS. Original run: September 1995 to July 1996. Number of episodes: 22

Moody, atmospheric and sinister, this show from creator Cassidy and executive producer Sam Raimi was the epitome of subtle, character-driven horror. Featuring career-making performances by Gary Cole and Lucas Black, the series centered on a boy (Black) whose soul is desperately sought by the competing forces of good--represented by a small-town doctor and the ghost of the boy's dead sister--and evil--represented by Cole as the demonic Sheriff Buck. Notable veterans of this promising, terminated-before-its-time show also include Battlestar Galactica's David Eick and Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan (Traffic).

8. Jake 2.0, created by Silvio Horta. UPN. Original run: September 2003 to February 2003. Number of episodes produced: 16

NBC seems to have a hit on its hands with Chuck, but it's a safe bet that few of the show's viewers realize that the exact premise was already done in a little-seen show called Jake 2.0. Like its successor, Jake dealt with an affable, lovelorn geek (Ugly Betty's Christopher Gorham) who receives a computer upgrade to his brain (thanks to nanobots, in this case) and is recruited by the government as a spy. This was back in the early days of UPN, when the network was still trying to find its identity and looking for a breakout hit to complement Star Trek: Voyager. This didn't turn out to be it.

9. Nowhere Man, created by Lawrence Hertzog. UPN. Original run: August 1995 to May 1996. Number of episodes: 25

One of the most frustrating things that can happen when a show is yanked before its time is a denial of answers to a big, overarching mystery. That's what happened in the case of Nowhere Man, about a photographer (played by Bruce Greenwood) who takes a controversial picture in a South American war zone and suddenly finds his identity erased by a covert, possibly governmental, organization. Nowhere Man incorporated elements of The Fugitive and The Prisoner, but unlike those shows, it never got an epic final episode, leaving fans (dozens of them) to wonder forever (or for a few weeks, at least) about the significance of that fateful photograph.

10. Eerie, Indiana, created by Jose Rivera and Karl Schaefer. NBC. Original run: September 1991 to April 1992. Number of episodes: 19

Although it may not have featured big-name stars, this semi-anthology series engaged the few viewers it attracted with the story of a boy (Omri Kats) who moves to the titular town and becomes best friends with the only other normal kid on his block (Justin Shenkarow). Together, they investigate a series of strange phenomena in their neighborhood, including a Tupperware lady who seals her kids up in large tubs every night to keep them immortal and a pack of intelligent dogs who scheme to take over the world. The show's bizarre plots and offbeat tone helped keep it in the public consciousness, inspiring the creators to continue the storyline in a series of books. --Cindy White

What the ?

2008-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Social Security message

27 years ago today

2008-07-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

Harry Chapin, folk vocalist (Taxi), dies in car crash at 38

Whedon: Dr. Horrible A Rush

2008-07-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Joss Whedon told SCI FI Wire that he created Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, a loony Internet musical, in a "mad rush of joy and ridiculousness." The first of three parts debuts on the official Web site on July 15.

"Dude. Why would I do anything else?" Whedon said in an interview in Santa Monica, Calif., on July 14, part of the Television Critics' Association's summer press tour.

The quickie project was a counterweight to Whedon's other major project, the upcoming Fox TV series Dollhouse, he said.

"Dollhouse is something that has taken an enormous amount of crafting, and we're still in the process of working out what the show is while we're about to film the second episode," Whedon said.

By contrast, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog just fell out of us in a mad rush of joy and ridiculousness. And they're two completely different kinds of art that lead to the same thing, which is me having a happy. And the one helps the other. The fact that I could throw out Dr. Horrible as quickly as we did--and we did our best; I'm not saying that we tossed it off like it didn't matter: We worked our asses off--but the ability to do something that fast gives you the sort of patience to do the fine-tuning and the crafting on the other thing that you need to do."

Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) wrote the musical series during last year's writers' strike. Co-writers for the Internet feature are Whedon's brothers, Zack and Jed, and Jed's fiancee, Maurissa Tancharoen. The story centers on a low-rent supervillain (Neil Patrick Harris), the hero who keeps beating him up (Nathan Fillion) and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to (Felicia Day).

Act two goes live on July 17 and act three on July 19. All three parts will remain on the site until midnight July 20. After that, the series will be made available for paid download in some format and will ultimately end up on DVD, with extras. Whedon promised more information at Comic-Con International in San Diego in July.

Whedon was OK if the small project ends up as something bigger. "If something turns into something bigger than you intended it to, and it's not your ass, you're doing fine," he said.

Second season of Burn Notice starts tonight!

2008-07-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

If you aren't watching this, you are missing something pretty entertaining! - Marc

Season 2 is as gorgeous as the first: Miami waters glistening, blue skies glowing, Gabrielle Anwar doing anything. But the drama jogs in place in its first two episodes, with spy Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) trapped working for the entity that burned him, headed by the purring Carla (Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer). Judging from the pacing, this little mystery will be drawn out, which is fine if the show regains more of its sexy, snappy humor. Right now, it's relying too much on Michael's chain-smoking mom (Sharon Gless) as hammy comic relief. —Gillian Flynn

Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2008-06-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

The Official Fan site

During the WGA strike Joss Whedon started writing a three part musical series for the internet. Each of the three episodes will be approximately ten minutes each.

Co-writers for the internet feature are Joss’ brothers Zack and Jed and Jed’s Fiancé Maurissa Tancharoen . The writing and shooting have been completed and the series is now in post-production.

“It’s the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.” says Whedon.

“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” will star Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible, Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, Felicia Day as Penny and a cast of dozens.”

cubeecraft

2008-06-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

Cubeecraft papercraft toys

These are cool, check them out!

LOL

2008-06-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

New DS game - IGN Review

Company site

Doctor Who: TARDIS Trip, 44 years in 4 minutes

2008-05-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Dalek Attack

2008-05-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Who game

and another one.

Fox Unveils New SF Strategy

2008-05-16T20:15:00.001-07:00

Fringe and Dollhouse, the two new genre shows that Fox will add to its schedule during the 2008-'09 season, will be the beneficiaries of an experimental strategy called "Remote-Free TV," the network announced during its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on May 15.

Fringe, the J.J. Abrams-produced series set to kick off with a two-hour premiere on Aug. 26, and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, which will debut in midseason, will both air with fewer commercials and fewer promotional spots for other Fox shows.

"It's a simple concept and potentially revolutionary," Fox entertainment chairman Peter Liguori said during the presentation. "We're going to have less commercials, less promotional time and less reason for viewers to use the remote. We're going to redefine the viewing experience."

Liguori added: "Some people might think this is a scary financial prospect. We really see it as an investment. We need to give viewers a new reason to come to broadcast TV.?

Additionally, Fox revealed that Fringe will be filmed in New York and announced that it will air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, following House, in the fall. In early 2009, it will follow the juggernaut American Idol.

Also on the fall schedule is the returning SF series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which will air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. When it premieres early next year, Dollhouse will take over the Terminator timeslot.

The network briefly mentioned Boldly Going Nowhere, an SF sitcom spoof that is in development by the team behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. No pilot has been filmed yet.

The network made no mention of Virtuality, an SF pilot that Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor (SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica) are developing. --Ian Spelling

CBS Slays Moonlight

2008-05-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

CBS has decided not to renew the freshman vampire drama Moonlight for a second season, Variety reported. Despite confidence among the show's cast and crew and a core audience of dedicated fans, declining ratings and creative upheaval behind the scenes did not impress CBS. The show has had five different show runners during its first year, and budgetary issues have been a source of conflict between the studio and the network.

The final episode, "Sonata," finds lovesick vampire Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) joining with his fellow vampires when they are threatened with exposure. It airs Friday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Rockets' McGrady undergoes surgery on shoulder, knee

2008-05-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Rockets guard Tracy McGrady on Tuesday underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and left knee with the removal of loose material from both.

McGrady is expected to need three months to be fully recovered. He can begin rehabilitation on both in the next week or two.

Rockets team physician Dr. Tom Clanton said no structural damage was found in the ligament or cartilage of McGrady’s left knee and that the loose bodies were in a non weight-bearing part of the knee.

Dr. Hussein Elkousy repaired a slight labrum tear in McGrady’s left shoulder while removing loose particles there.

Rockets guard Rafer Alston and forward Shane Battier are scheduled for arthroscopic surgeries on Friday, with Alston’s surgery to repair his right hamstring. Battier needs the removal of loose particles in his left ankle.

Rockets to build on Yao-Tracy foundation after latest playoff defeat

2008-05-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander did not hesitate before offering his typical direct, concise response.

The Rockets' loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday ended an eleventh-11th consecutive season before it could reach the playoffs second round of the playoffs. Alexander, as always, was taking the loss hard.

Asked then if the Rockets would continue to build around their foundation of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, veteran All-Stars who have never won a first-round series, Alexander was clear.

"Definitely,'' he said simply. "Definitely.''

When pressed further, he acknowledged that nothing in sports is definite. The plan, however, is.

"We're going to build on the Yao-Tracy foundation,'' Alexander said. "I want to say you never know in this league. We're never going to stand still. We never, never know. Obviously, we have two superstars. We want to build around them. I think if we had them both now, we would have won this series.''

As they often have in recent years, injuries defined and limited much of the Rockets' season. McGrady did not miss a game with the back issues that plagued his first three seasons, but he still missed 16 games, most with a left knee problem that flared up in the playoffs and could require minor surgery.

Yao missed the last 26 regular-season games with a stress fracture in his left foot. Rafer Alston, reliably durable in his first two seasons in Houston, went out with three injuries (a pulled hamstring, pulled groin and sprained ankle) in the last month, including his ankle injury in Friday's loss.

Alston indispensable

Still, the series seemed to reveal or underline several issues. Alston, whom the Rockets worked to replace last offseason, became indispensable, with the Rockets losing the three playoff games he missed or left with injuries. They will have four point guards under contract — Alston, Bobby Jackson, Aaron Brooks and Steve Francis.

The backups at the shooting guard/small forward positions have been undersized or unreliable, with Rick Adelman hesitant or unwilling to play Steve Novak or Luther Head and with Head struggling badly through a second consecutive playoff series.

Backup center Dikembe Mutombo, though a surprising success after Yao's injury, is 41, much more limited offensively than in his prime and again considering retirement.

The Rockets do have young players, particularly rookies Carl Landry and Brooks, whom they believe will grow, and they have always thought the team will be more effective running Adelman's offense in year 2.

"We have players who will continue to grow under coach Adelman," Morey said. "When building around Yao and Tracy, we'll either improve the players we have or have the ability to improve through free agency and trades."

Well over the salary cap, the Rockets can offer free agents all or part of their midlevel exception, expected to start at about $5.6 million per year. They also have a $2.4 million trade exception after the trade-deadline maneuvering. For the first time this decade, the roster is not swelled with bloated, long-term contracts.

With a first-round pick and signing Landry, a restricted free agent, the Rockets would exceed the luxury tax if they spend all the midlevel exception. But for the right player, Morey said, Alexander would permit that move, as he did last summer to sign Francis.

The free-agent market is unclear, with many coveted players such as Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Corey Maggette and Shawn Marion holding the right to opt out of contracts and become free agents, joining a deep group of restricted free agents. All would expect much more than midlevel contracts, but few teams have much spending room.

"It's going to be a very interesting offseason free agency-wise," Morey said. "This may be the first year there are more players than money. We will look closely at players that might fall into midlevel range and ones that are strategic fits for any amount up to full midlevel line."

Things to come?

Until then, the Rockets believe the accomplishments of the season are signs of hope greater than after many of the previous first-round losses.

"What we really had to overcome throughout the season, losing me for probably about a month of the season, losing Yao for the time we lost him, we really hung in there and had a magnificent year," McGrady said.

Morey said the season that just ended could be the start of something better.

"I'm just really proud of the team and the coaching staff for the incredible effort put in," he said. "We came up a little short, but the future looks bright."

As Alexander would say, "definitely," even if he has learned "you never know."

Time to take a look at roster

2008-05-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

COMMENTARY

Rockets need thorough review of team after another first round exit

By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

SALT LAKE CITY — Another embarrassing finish, another long offseason. Will the Rockets ever get it right?

They had legitimate excuses for failing again. Don't they always? Yes, they were short-handed. No Yao Ming, etc.

It's a bottom-line business, and the bottom line is that the Rockets didn't show up for start of the game that ended their season.

They were outworked by the Utah Jazz from the beginning, and there's no excuse for that.

Maybe they were going to lose anyway, but the way they went down should force general manager Daryl Morey to take a hard look at his roster.

The Rockets did the basic things as well as any team in the NBA while winning 22 in a row during the regular season. Those are the things that failed them Friday night.

Rebounding. Defense. Turnovers. They were out of the game almost before it began, falling behind by 19 in the first half. They don't have that many injuries. They don't have that much youth. They're not that small.

They rallied to get within four at halftime but had nothing left for the second half and were smoked 113-91 in Game 6 of a first-round series.

"We just didn't have enough answers for them," Rick Adelman said.

Tracy McGrady? He was magnificent with 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He scored 24 of those points in the first half, making play after play when no one else was doing a thing.

"He didn't have much help," Shane Battier said. "He kept us in the game. He was a one-man wrecking ball out there."

No matter what you think of the Rockets this morning, don't put this defeat on McGrady.

He did go scoreless in the third quarter and got his final 16 points after the thing had been decided.

By that time, the Jazz were running at least two defenders at him on every possession. Their defense was geared to stop one man because that's what the Rockets were down to.

The Rockets lost because they had nothing for the start of the game, and because Rafer Alston left in the first half with an ankle injury.

"We're a different ball club when he's not in our lineup," McGrady said.

They lost because Dikembe Mutombo drew two fouls in the opening three minutes of the game, because they were a step slow defensively and because they lost almost every individual match-up.

Mehmet Okur had his way with Luis Scola. Deron Williams beat up both Alston and Bobby Jackson. Carlos Boozer outplayed Chuck Hayes.

The Jazz got double-figure scoring from seven players. The Rockets had McGrady and little else.

"Their better players stepped up," Adelman said.

Adelman went up and down his bench looking for a combination that worked. He never found it.

The lack of offense that worried him before the series all turned out to be insurmountable. Players not named McGrady shot 33 percent from the field.

Here's the requisite excuse. No team should be expected to win without its center and point guard, but trailing by 19 in the first half and 26 in the second is inexcusable.

Perceptions can be cruel. Perceptions can be false. Which brings us to McGrady.

There'll be one national story line.

McGrady fails again.

His teams have been to the playoffs seven times and failed to get out of the first round seven times. The Rockets haven't advanced since 1997, but that's another story.

This will be the third time in four years the Rockets lost in the first round. This is the second time in four years they were blown out in the deciding game. Is it all on McGrady?

Of course not.

"It is what it is," McGrady said. "Out of the seven years, I've probably been favored one time. I'm eager to get out (of the first round). That's for damn sure. I'm not going to let it hold me back."

McGrady's scoring average has gone up in the playoffs in six of the seven years he has made it. His career scoring average is seven points a game higher than the regular season.

That said, stats mean nothing. Star players are judged only by the bottom line, and the bottom line hasn't been kind to McGrady. No one is going to stop and read the fine print.

You're tired of reading about it by now, aren't you? You just want results.

Amid the disappointment, the Rockets would like you to know they're also proud.

They're proud of what they accomplished in a season in which the parts were constantly changed.

To lose McGrady for a time and Yao for a longer time and to still win 55 games speaks volumes about the character and professionalism of the group.

"We have a bright future," McGrady said. "We were out there competing with three rookies, with an undersized team, with a 41-year-old playing center. I'm proud of what we accomplished."

Listen to Richard Justice weekdays from 10 a.m.-noon on 1560 AM.

SF Series Likely This Fall

2008-05-02T22:36:00.001-07:00

As the TV networks prepare for scaled-back upfront presentations to advertisers in New York next month, Variety speculated on which SF&F series will make the fall schedule, including Joss Whedon's Dollhouse and J.J. Abrams' Fringe on Fox.

Dollhouse, starring Whedon's former Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member Eliza Dushku, already has an episodic order, as does Fringe, which has a series commitment, the trade paper reported.

Fox is also reportedly fond of the SF spoof comedy Boldly Going Nowhere, but a pilot won't be shot until long after the upfront.

Hot projects at CBS are said to include the psychic drama The Mentalist and Jerry Bruckheimer's SF series 11th Hour, which is already hiring staff writers.

At ABC, David E. Kelley's reboot of the U.K. time-travel drama Life on Mars is a contender for a 2008-'09 slot.

Rockets lose Game 6 to end their season

2008-05-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

But that's OK, I still love my Rockets. It was an incredible season and they played very well without Yao.

I'm looking forward to next year.

Go Rockets!!!

NES casemod

2008-04-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

This awesome NES casemod manages to squeeze a fully-functional Nintendo 8-bit console into the body of one of the system’s own game cartridges.

SNES9X 1.43 WiiMote Edition 0.1.1a - Snes Emulator for Nintendo Wii

2008-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

RobertFC has released an unnoficial version of the Snes Emulator for the Wii With Wiimote Support

Version 0.1.1a [20080419]
+[Robert] (www.friendcodes.com)
- Added wiimote support. Classic controller, multiple controllers, and remapping will come later.

Download and Give Feedback and Compatability Reports Via Comments

For users of Engadget theres been a ton of releases today for the Wii Homebrew Scene

Heres whats been released along with the posted item;

New Snes emu with Classic Controller Support
New Genesis /Sega CD Emu for Wii
New Master System /Game Gear Emu for Wii
New PC Engine Emu for Wii
Rin Gameboy Channel for Wii
Emuloader for Wii
Wii Paint

All at Wii News (DCEmu Wii Site) - http://wii-news.dcemu.co.uk/

Nintendo Wii gets SNES Emulator

2008-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

RobertFC has recently rolled out an unnoficial version of the SNES Emulator for the Wii, complete with Wiimote support that many people will certainly appreciate. Support for the classic controller, multiple controllers and remapping will be made available at a later period of time. Guess it is time to start waving those Wiimotes around - I wonder whether Super Mario Kart will be as fun as Mario Kart Wii with the Wiimote?

From Ubergizmo.com

2008-04-20T20:27:00.001-07:00

ROCKETS-JAZZ PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Utah leads series, 1-0

Game 1 - Sat.	Uta 93, Hou 82
Game 2 - Mon.	@ Houston	8:30PM	TNT
Game 3 - Thu.	@ Utah	9:30PM	TNT
Game 4 - Apr. 26	@ Utah	9:30PM	ESPN
*Game 5 Apr. 29**	@ Houston	TBD
Game 6 * May 2	@ Utah	TBD
*Game 7 May 4**	@ Houston	TBD

* = If necessary | Home games in bold

TRACKMANIA NATIONS FOREVER - FULL GAME, FREE AND FOR ALL

2008-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

TrackMania Nations Forever is now available as a free download!
TrackMania Nations Forever offers a new complete "Forever" version of the Stadium environment, a complete solo mode and 65 brand new, progressively difficult tracks...

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2008-04-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

Charlton Heston Has Passed

2008-04-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Charlton Heston--the Oscar winner best known to SF fans for starring in the original Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and The Omega Man--has died, the Associated Press reported. He was 84.

Heston died April 5 at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., with his wife, Lydia, at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers told the AP. He declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.

Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

The actor, a Medal of Freedom winner who was also known for championing conservative causes, lent his strong presence to some of the most acclaimed and successful films of the last century. Ben-Hur, in which he played the title role, won 11 Academy Awards. Heston's other hits included The Ten Commandments and Earthquake.

Planet of the Apes, released in 1968, marked his first science fiction role and was a huge hit. He had a cameo role in Tim Burton's 2001 remake of the film.

1971's The Omega Man was the second major feature-film version of Richard Matheson's post-apocalyptic novel I Am Legend; Heston played the role of Robert Neville, the last survivor of a viral epidemic that wiped out humanity.

Soylent Green, released in 1973, starred Heston as a homicide detective in a dystopian future New York ravaged by environmental disasters. It was notable for marking the final performance of Edward G. Robinson and for Heston's final line, "Soylent Green is people!", which became a catch phrase.

In his later years, Heston appeared in several smaller SF and genre movies.

Williams Joins Whedon's Dollhouse

2008-04-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Olivia Williams (X-Men: The Last Stand) has been added to the cast of Fox's highly anticipated Dollhouse, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, Variety reported.

Williams will play the beautiful but ruthless woman in charge of the venue where drones are programmed to perform various missions in the real world. Eliza Dushku stars as Echo, one of the "dolls" who starts to become self-aware.

April Fool's Joke? I hope so - GBAtemp.net acquired by CNET Networks

2008-03-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

If true, this sucks. - Marc

OK, I'm thinking that I got pranked for about 30 minutes.

Dear members, GBAtemp is now over five years old and is continuously growing in both size and popularity in ways we would never have expected in the past. As you can imagine, keeping such a popular website running smoothly and without hiccups is both an expensive and tedious task.

Up until now the sites hosting has been funded by the staff and more recently our affiliates whom we thank very much. Unfortunately we have reached a point in our GBAtemp's life where it's impossible to keep the site running by ourselves; we don't have the time or funds to keep this community online 24/7 -- a huge task for such a small group of staff members who have day jobs to attend to.

You may have heard rumours in the past few weeks or months that GBAtemp was considering an offer from an interested party. These rumours are true. Today we become an official CNET Networks channel partner and the site becomes full property of GameSpot.

As you may have noticed, we have recently been experiencing a lot of down-time, this is completely due to the transferral of the site to a CNET Networks owned server and this move is nearing completion.

This is no reason to be alarmed; the community here at GBAtemp you know and love will remain, the site will remain basically the same but a few small changes here and there will need to be made to fall in line with CNET Networks partner site policies.

Please understand that this move is the best move to insure we keep GBAtemp alive. We are simply not able to keep on maintaining a site of this size by ourselves, nor fund it, so with help from our good new friends at CNET Networks and GameSpot a large weight has been lifted from our shoulders.

You will notice a few new staff members have joined the site today; Ryan, Adam, Liam, Peter and Ian. Please welcome them aboard. I'm certain they'll do a great job and have already moderated forums very well at both CNET and GameSpot.

Now I'd like to fill you in on a small few changes that must be made in order for us to continue, some aren't ideal but we will soon be making more new changes that should please everyone.

- Adverts on the portal - This helps us to fund the site. Adverts will NOT be placed inside threads, as to keep the community happy -- discussion will go uninterrupted.

- 'Testing Area' to close - By request of CNET Networks we are unfortunately having to close the 'Testing Area' sub-forum. This is out of our hands.

- Censoring - Profanities will be censored out in discussion to make the forum more family-friendly. Posts will be more heavily moderated in order to insure no illegal discussion takes place.

- Latest ROM Information and News under discussion with CNET Networks - We are trying our best to keep GBA, Nintendo DS and Wii "scene" release information on the site, we are currently under negotiation with CNET Networks and will let you know its fate as soon as we do.

Some changes will take immediate effect, others will be gradual, and more will be made in the future. As has always been the case with GBAtemp, we are always striving to be the best Nintendo console related discussion forums and will stop at nothing to insure that continues to be the case.

So to wrap up, GBAtemp is now the property of CNET Networks, Inc and their partner site; GameSpot. Big changes are underway with more to come in the future.

Thanks for your co-operation and loyalty,
Thanks from all the GBAtemp Staff - new & old,

Signed,
- The GBAtemp Forum team,
- CNET Networks, Inc.

Sorry, been busy, I'll get around to posting again soon.

2008-03-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

2008-03-16T22:19:00.001-07:00

2008-03-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tracy McGrady, alone on the midcourt "R," leaned over, hands on knees, unable to muster or simply unwilling to expend the energy needed to move any longer.

So he stood motionless as the Toyota Center crowd rose around him in roaring salute.

He and the Rockets had been pushed hard, tested as they rarely have been in their winning streak, before surging through the fourth quarter to an 89-80 win over the Charlotte Bobcats that took the Rockets winning streak to 21 games, the second-longest in NBA history.

By the time they left the floor with their 14th consecutive home win, they were headed to Sunday’s showdown with the Lakers tied with Los Angeles for first place in the Western Conference.

The latest win was one of the most difficult.

From McGrady needing to carry the Rockets offense with 30 points to rookie Mike Harris providing a vital lift off the bench to Dikembe Mutombo slamming the door with two blocked shots in the last minute, the Rockets needed all they could find to outlast Charlotte.

Luis Scola added 13 points with Shane Battier and Harris, less than a week into a 10-day contract, each getting 12 points.

Continuum More Casual

2008-03-14T22:37:00.001-07:00

Former Stargate SG-1 star Ben Browder told SCI FI Wire that Stargate: Continuum, the second of two straight-to-DVD spinoff movies, will be accessible to the casual fan. In that it differs from the first film, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, which wraps up the Ori storyline of SG-1 and ties up the series' various bits of mythology.

"I think Ark of Truth is more tied to the last couple years of the series," Browder said in an interview. "Continuum is more stand-alone. That's probably the most concise way of saying it."

Few details have been released about Continuum, though cast and crew are known to have flown to the arctic for some location shooting.

By contrast, Ark of Truth deals with much of the SG-1 storylines, and writer/director Robert C. Cooper wanted to satisfy the fans, Browder said.

"They were thinking of the fans when they did Ark of Truth, it's so dense with the mythology of the show, and it's wrapping up storylines," Browder said. "The producers of Stargate are very appreciative of their audience, and they're aware of the audience. And Cooper's been with the show from the very beginning. He probably ... knows the audience quite well."

Can a newcomer drop into Stargate late? "Look, you can drop into the third season of something without knowing all the backstory and go, 'Wow, this is really interesting. I like this,'" Browder said. " And, yeah, look, Ark is riddled with Stargate mythology, and there's no question about that. I would imagine a reasonably intelligent, discerning audience member would be able to follow the story, though."

If not, look for Continuum, which is expected to be released in July. Ark of Truth is in stores now.

SF&F TV Shows On The Bubble

2008-03-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood Reporter has handicapped the SF&F TV shows currently "on the bubble" for renewal or cancellation.

For starters, the trade paper was confident that Fox would renew Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, in part because the finale's ratings performance last week was solid and because a fourth Terminator movie comes out in 2009, offering promotional opportunities.

NBC's Knight Rider, meanwhile, performed well for NBC as a two-hour movie, and sources told the trade paper that the network is in talks with a show runner, suggesting that a regular series order is likely.

As for CBS' vampire drama Moonlight, the trade paper reported that CBS is playing wait-and-see. The network will watch to see if fans return once the show comes back from its strike-induced hiatus.

CBS' Jericho has only two episodes left in its short second season, and the network is expected to make a decision quickly so that producers can use one of two endings: A series finale or a season-ending cliffhanger. CBS notes that the show gains from DVR viewership and online viewing, but after its performance the past two weeks, most doubt that the show will get another reprieve.

The CW's Reaper has reportedly lost its way creatively after a strong pilot, leaving its future in doubt.

Effing Liberals

2008-03-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Congress endorses higher taxes in budget proposals

WASHINGTON — Democrats in both House and Senate pressed ahead with budget plans that would saddle millions of Americans with higher tax bills in three years by allowing some or all of President Bush's reductions to die after he leaves office.

All three major presidential candidates interrupted their campaigns to cast votes on the budget plan, which is nonbinding but highlights the difficult choices on taxes and spending facing the next president and Congress. Binding votes on the expiring Bush tax cuts will be left to his successor and the Congress that's elected in November.

The candidates also wanted a chance to vote for a one-year ban on pork-barrel projects, though that late-night Senate effort seemed doomed to defeat. The practice of inserting "earmarked" spending into legislation is seen as a birthright by lawmakers in both parties — and a right under the power of the purse awarded to Congress by the Founding Fathers.

As for the $3 trillion federal budget plans, the House version would provide generous increases to domestic programs but bring the government's ledger back into the black by letting all of Bush's tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 as scheduled. That five-year plan passed the House on a 212-207 vote, with Republicans unanimously opposing it over what they argued was $683 billion in tax increases.

In the Senate, John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, voted to extend the full roster of tax cuts, which he opposed seven years ago as being tilted in favor of the wealthy. Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois both voted against them.

Clinton and Obama did vote for $340 billion in tax cuts over five years for middle- and higher-income taxpayers, investors and people inheriting businesses and big estates.

But they joined with Democrats and a couple of maverick Republicans in rejecting, 52-47, an additional $376 billion in extensions of income tax rate cuts, more generous estate tax cuts and relief from the alternative minimum tax.

Republicans hope to use the votes as fodder for the heated presidential campaign and for congressional races. Lawmakers in both parties also were put on record for when the tax cuts actually expire in three years.

Said Republican Rep. Jim McCrery of Louisiana, "Democrats are quietly but very assuredly paving the way for a massive, economy-choking, tax increase."

Democrats said the plans would reverse years of deficits that have piled up during Bush's tenure. They said he squandered trillions of dollars in projected surpluses that were projected when he took office.

'American Idol': Chris Sligh on Top 12 Week

2008-03-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

'American Idol': Chris Sligh on Top 12 Week

Hulu

2008-03-12T22:13:00.001-07:00

Hulu's ambitious and never-ending mission is to help you find and enjoy the world's premium content when, where and how you want it. We hope to provide you with the web's most comprehensive selection from more than 50 content providers including FOX, NBC, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and more to deliver premium programming across all genres and formats, television shows, feature films, and clips. Watch full-length episodes of current primetime TV shows such as The Simpsons and The Office the morning after they air, classics like Miami Vice and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and clips from Saturday Night Live, Nip/Tuck, and others. Hulu also offers full-length feature films like The Usual Suspects, Ice Age, Three Amigos!, and The Big Lebowski as well as clips from films such as Napoleon Dynamite, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Devil Wears Prada and many more. Hulu is free and ad-supported — available anytime in the U.S.

I think you probably want to check this one out!!

HOW SWEET IT IS

2008-03-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Rockets win 20th straight game

It wasn't easy, but the Rockets won their 20th straight game, becoming only the third team in NBA history to reach that level.

I'm loving it!

liketelevision ...only better

2008-02-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

http://tesla.liketelevision.com/

Despite Yao's injury, Rockets' season far from lost

2008-02-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

YAO Ming kept pausing to gather his emotions, as if he didn't want us to know how much he was hurting or how much he cared. The thing is, we knew.

"It's very disappointing," he kept saying.

Sometimes a city is lucky enough to have a professional athlete who's a role model in every sense of the word.

That's what Yao Ming has been during these six seasons with the Rockets.

It's hard to imagine anyone in sports caring more, working harder or being more admired by his teammates and coaches. Yao also was smart and funny, a people person in every sense of the word.

Those things are among the many reasons Tuesday was so difficult for everyone who cares about the Rockets. Yao's season-ending injury isn't just about basketball.

The Rockets will be competitive and interesting because general manager Daryl Morey has done a tremendous job of building a solid roster around the two superstars.

That 94-69 victory over Washington was built on heart and pride and professionalism, and those are things that can carry a franchise through the low times.

"It gets back to the same thing — the respect you have for each other," coach Rick Adelman said. "This team has really been building. Losing Yao is shocking, but we can continue to win. We're not stepping away."

Take two steps back and look at the Rockets without Yao. Luis Scola and Carl Landry have emerged as impact players and will split time at power forward and center.

Shane Battier is playing the best basketball of his career. Rafer Alston and Bobby Jackson are a nice tandem at point guard.

And there's Dikembe Mutombo, 41. After riding the bench much of the season, he stepped back into the starting lineup and set a tone from the beginning with his shot-blocking and rebounding.

"Just watch how he affected the game on the defensive end," Adelman said.

In the end, the Rockets will go only as far as Tracy McGrady takes them, but anyone that thinks this season is over is dead wrong.

"This team has responded all year long and hopefully, will do it again," Adelman said. "We have enough people to go out and win games. Our challenge is still the same."

Nothing could've been done

Tuesday was about something else. When Adelman informed his players of Yao's injury, there was stunned silence.

That silence had nothing to do with the Rockets suddenly being less capable of beating San Antonio or Phoenix. It was because the other players know how much all of this means to Yao.

There are those morning runs and the weightlifting sessions and the jump-rope drills and then those endless sessions with Carroll Dawson to refine a hook shot and protect the ball and all the rest.

One of the first things Yao asked Dr. Tom Clanton was if there was something he could have done to prevent the injury that ended his season.

"No," he was told.

After all the heartbreak the past few years, the Rockets just knew they were going to write a different ending this time. They'd been expertly assembled and smartly coached.

They're smart and unselfish and capable of playing with any NBA team.

That's what makes Yao's injury so incomprehensibly disappointing. It's not just the crushing disappointment of losing him for the remainder of this season.

It's more questions about his durability. He has missed an average of 29 games the past three seasons.

Now just when acquiring Jackson seemed to be a perfect addition, just when people around the country were beginning to believe in the Rockets, they'll be forced to play the remainder of this season without Yao's 22 points and 11 rebounds.

He did more than those numbers indicate. He anchored the defense. Every player knew they had help behind them. He also set a tone with the way he practiced and how hard he worked. He's what we'd like every professional athlete to be.

When Yao was injured last season, coach Jeff Van Gundy pulled McGrady aside and said: "This will be your finest hour."

In T-Mac's capable hands

The Rockets went 20-12 without Yao, and it indeed was McGrady's finest hour. Now they're forced to try again.

"We're more equipped, more prepared this time," Alston said.

As for Yao, he admitted that he was discouraged by missing significant time for a third straight season.

"Maybe I'm an unlucky guy," he said.

He also said he believed the Rockets would do fine without him and that he would dedicate himself to being prepared for the Olympics and next season.

Not that anyone expected otherwise.

What the ? Paramount, you suck!

2008-02-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Paramount on Feb. 13 pushed its highly anticipated Star Trek movie to May 8, 2009, from an original Christmas 2008 release, to take advantage of the summer box-office season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Star Trek is moving to summer because its has so much box-office potential," Paramount spokesman Michael Vollman told the trade paper. "It does not need any script tweaks. They're two-thirds of the way through shooting, and we would have delivered a great movie at Christmas."

Trek is one of several films the studio has shuffled to new dates now that the writers' strike has ended. Trek's shift is reportedly unrelated to script or cast considerations.

Replacing Trek on Paramount's holiday 2008 schedule is the Brad Pitt-Cate Blanchett fantasy film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which moves to Dec. 19 from Nov. 26.

Case 39, meanwhile, moves to April 10, 2009, from Aug. 22 of this year. And Nowhereland, an Eddie Murphy fantasy comedy previously set for Sept. 26, now will bow June 12, 2009.