The voters are idiots.
Chron.com Ousted Idol singer should have avoided Kelly Clarkson
Thursday, March 30, 2006
A few goodies for 'Zelda' die-hards
The next installment of Nintendo's flagship game series, "The Legend of Zelda," may not be on store shelves until this holiday season, but there was still some good news for "Zelda" fans this week.
Few game series have seen as devoted a fan-base as "Zelda." Never was that more apparent than this week, when game blogs were atwitter with announcements of two "Zelda"-related developments. First came news of a series of high-end resin figurines being created by First 4 Figures. The company says it has entered into a three-year agreement with Nintendo for rights to build the statues. Figures will portray characters from "Ocarina of Time," "Majora's Mask," and the upcoming "Twilight Princess." The company has already said it will build figures of, among others, Zelda, Link (in his regular, Dark and Young incarnations), Ganondorf and Skull Kid--though why anyone would want the face of the annoying Skull Kid staring at them all day long is beyond me. Products will apparently include individual characters, mixed media statues and dioramas; prices will range from $80 to upwards of $200. The company said previews will be on display at this year's E3 conference.
Also circulating this week is the trailer for a fan-made movie based on the storyline for "Ocarina of Time." Details about the production of the movie can be found on the fan site LegendofZeldaSeries.com. The movie will be live-action with some computer generated graphics, and the trailer shows characters including Zelda, Link, Gerudo warriors and what I'm guessing is Saria. Paired with stirring music, the trailer is more than a little exciting for anyone who's devoted countless hours to the series over the years. But I have to say, a few of the scenes with Link look a little Ren Faire to me. Here's hoping the final product looks good and makes us forget that the character we've come to revere is really just a yellow-haired kid in green tights.
A few goodies for 'Zelda' die-hards News.blog CNET News.com
Few game series have seen as devoted a fan-base as "Zelda." Never was that more apparent than this week, when game blogs were atwitter with announcements of two "Zelda"-related developments. First came news of a series of high-end resin figurines being created by First 4 Figures. The company says it has entered into a three-year agreement with Nintendo for rights to build the statues. Figures will portray characters from "Ocarina of Time," "Majora's Mask," and the upcoming "Twilight Princess." The company has already said it will build figures of, among others, Zelda, Link (in his regular, Dark and Young incarnations), Ganondorf and Skull Kid--though why anyone would want the face of the annoying Skull Kid staring at them all day long is beyond me. Products will apparently include individual characters, mixed media statues and dioramas; prices will range from $80 to upwards of $200. The company said previews will be on display at this year's E3 conference.
Also circulating this week is the trailer for a fan-made movie based on the storyline for "Ocarina of Time." Details about the production of the movie can be found on the fan site LegendofZeldaSeries.com. The movie will be live-action with some computer generated graphics, and the trailer shows characters including Zelda, Link, Gerudo warriors and what I'm guessing is Saria. Paired with stirring music, the trailer is more than a little exciting for anyone who's devoted countless hours to the series over the years. But I have to say, a few of the scenes with Link look a little Ren Faire to me. Here's hoping the final product looks good and makes us forget that the character we've come to revere is really just a yellow-haired kid in green tights.
A few goodies for 'Zelda' die-hards News.blog CNET News.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Anderson Returns To SG-1
Richard Dean Anderson, former star and executive producer of Stargate SG-1, returns to the series for its historic 200th original episode, SCI FI Channel announced. Production on the bicentennial episode begins April 5 in Vancouver, Canada. Anderson, who will be reprising the role of Gen. Jack O'Neill, will also make special guest appearances in a number of episodes of both SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis that will air in the upcoming new seasons, which are slated to premiere this summer.
Stargate SG-1's 200th episode, "200," will center on the SG-1 team as they serve as advisors on a television series that bears remarkable similarities to the goings-on at Stargate Command. As they pitch to the producer the many adventures that they have been involved with over the years, the team discovers that truth really is stranger than fiction, but that nothing is stranger than the machinations of Hollywood. In addition to Anderson, "200" will feature a guest appearance by fan favorite Willie Garson (Sex & the City).
Currently in production on its 10th original season (its fifth on SCI FI), Stargate SG-1 is now the longest-running SF series on American television, surpassing The X-Files and every iteration of Star Trek.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
Stargate SG-1's 200th episode, "200," will center on the SG-1 team as they serve as advisors on a television series that bears remarkable similarities to the goings-on at Stargate Command. As they pitch to the producer the many adventures that they have been involved with over the years, the team discovers that truth really is stranger than fiction, but that nothing is stranger than the machinations of Hollywood. In addition to Anderson, "200" will feature a guest appearance by fan favorite Willie Garson (Sex & the City).
Currently in production on its 10th original season (its fifth on SCI FI), Stargate SG-1 is now the longest-running SF series on American television, surpassing The X-Files and every iteration of Star Trek.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
11th Trek Movie Dead?
The latest British Dreamwatch magazine reported rumors that Paramount has dumped a proposed 11th Star Trek movie that would have been based on a script by Erik Jendresen, according to a report on the TrekWeb.com Web site. Dreamwatch cited as its source Doug Mirabello, a personal assistant to longtime Trek producer Rick Berman, who added that it'll be a long time before Paramount backs any future Trek films or TV shows.
It's been widely rumored that Paramount was developing a new film based on Jendresen's script, which reportedly would be called Star Trek: The Beginning and would involve a new cast and crew from any previously seen.
Dreamwatch also reported that there are no plans to enlist Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart in any new movie projects, despite earlier reports to the contrary. "It's more likely that some executive had a casual conversation with him and brought up some hypotheticals, which he ran with when some reporter asked him about Star Trek," the magazine quoted Mirabello as saying. "[But] there's a chance that someone else at Paramount is planning something huge and keeping us out of the loop. From what I've heard, Patrick wouldn't do another Trek movie unless they paid him Professor X money," he added, referring to Stewart's salary for the X-Men movies.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
It's been widely rumored that Paramount was developing a new film based on Jendresen's script, which reportedly would be called Star Trek: The Beginning and would involve a new cast and crew from any previously seen.
Dreamwatch also reported that there are no plans to enlist Star Trek: The Next Generation star Patrick Stewart in any new movie projects, despite earlier reports to the contrary. "It's more likely that some executive had a casual conversation with him and brought up some hypotheticals, which he ran with when some reporter asked him about Star Trek," the magazine quoted Mirabello as saying. "[But] there's a chance that someone else at Paramount is planning something huge and keeping us out of the loop. From what I've heard, Patrick wouldn't do another Trek movie unless they paid him Professor X money," he added, referring to Stewart's salary for the X-Men movies.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
Trek Fans Can Date Online
Online dating is going where no one has gone before: to fans of Star Trek and other SF through the TrekPassions.com Web site, according to a report on MSNBC.com.
The site calls itself "a free personals site for science fiction lovers, including but not limited to Star Trek. Find others who share your passion for sci-fi. Meet people who read Asimov, Bova, Heinlein, Adams, Clarke and more." The site also offers chat and other services.
"These Star Trek people. I mean, you know, these are serious, devoted fans," said Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine, in an interview with MSNBC's Tucker Carlson.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
The site calls itself "a free personals site for science fiction lovers, including but not limited to Star Trek. Find others who share your passion for sci-fi. Meet people who read Asimov, Bova, Heinlein, Adams, Clarke and more." The site also offers chat and other services.
"These Star Trek people. I mean, you know, these are serious, devoted fans," said Joe Tracy, publisher of Online Dating Magazine, in an interview with MSNBC's Tucker Carlson.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
Forbidden Planet - 50-years-old
On its 50th anniversary, Forbidden Planet is considered a benchmark film that launched a thousand spaceships
By LOUIS B. PARKSCopyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
March 1956. Dwight Eisenhower was president. Psychoanalysis was topical. New technology meant fancy kitchen appliances or the Bomb. Space travel was science fiction. And most science-fiction films were cheap monster movies.
But not all. A half-century after its debut, Forbidden Planet is still a beloved science-fiction movie. It has a monster, of sorts, but this widescreen, big-budget production is into the excitement of exploration, humanity's self-destructive tendencies and wowing audiences with mind-expanding special effects.
True, those magnificent effects now look endearingly quaint. The stock characters and humor are heavy-handed. The social attitudes feel embarrassingly post-World War II. And the concepts have been endlessly copied.
But fans see Forbidden Planet as a teaser to science fiction glories to come.
"It's almost like a tool kit of SF films," says M. Keith Booker, author of Alternate Americas: Science Fiction Film and American Culture (Praeger, $49.95). "It has the high-tech space ship, it has the fancy robot, it has the mysterious monster. It served as a model for what SF could do."
Its foundation is a solid story based loosely on Shakespeare's The Tempest.
"You could respond to it on a very human basis," says Leslie Nielsen, who played a starship commander at age 29, decades before Airplane! made him a comedy star.
After 50 years, the film's core ideas about humanity's challenges and weaknesses remain relevant today.
"Science-fiction films were so involved with lots of screaming and 'Here comes another monster,' " says Anne Francis, the movie's leading — and only — lady. "We just wanted to make it serious."
It's the 23rd century. United Planets Cruiser C-57D visits a distant world colonized 20 years earlier. The crew, led by Commander Adams (Nielsen), finds one original colonist, Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), his naive daughter Altaira and a robot valet named Robbie who looks like the Michelin man with antennae.
An unknown force killed the other colonists, but Morbius has discovered the ancient artifacts of the Krell, an advanced alien civilization that somehow destroyed itself. Morbius is determined to keep the space crew away from his discoveries. And from Altaira. But he finally shows them the vast alien underworld. The spacemen's curiosity puts them in the same self-created danger that destroyed the earlier colonists and the Krell.
"Forbidden Planet could have been the pilot film for Star Trek," Nielsen says, adding with a laugh, "And maybe it was."
Francis, as the lonely and lovely Altaira, remains innocently fetching in her then-daring minidresses. Robbie the Robot, who gets co-star billing and is arguably the movie's most popular character, retains his goofy charm.
The film's central theme — that technology can serve us but also doom us — still resonates.
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry often credited Forbidden Planet for its influence on Star Trek, which debuted in 1966 and in turn had a huge impact on science-fiction movies.
"Roddenberry spoke with me about how he had lifted a number of things from Forbidden Planet," Francis says, "like the hologram and beam me up, Scottie."
While there were several serious and imaginative science-fiction films prior to Forbidden Planet, none had so convincingly detailed deep space travel and adventure.
"The '50s are famous for a proliferation of science-fiction movies, most of them intended to be cheap entertainment," Booker says. "Forbidden Planet had the highest budget (an estimated $1.9 million) to date of any science-fiction film. It has Technicolor and widescreen. It was a conscious effort to make a quality film. It had predecessors like The Day the Earth Stood Still, but Forbidden Planet is much more of an exploration of the artistic possibilities."
Like all science-fiction films, Forbidden Planet is a prisoner of its own time. Its future is a 1950s future, with vacuum tubes, post-war morality and an all-Anglo, all-male crew.
"With a blonde bombshell (Francis) in the picture, there could be no love affair between her and anybody who was not Caucasian," Nielsen says. "It would (have been) tough enough to even have her in the same room with a black man or a Chinese guy. Those things are all changed today."
Just as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, released one month earlier, played on America's fear of communism and forced conformity, Forbidden Planet played on the 1950s' conflicting views — love and fear — of technology.
Yet Forbidden Planet still works because it does what great science-fiction novels do: It allows imaginations to soar to a distant future, to a distant world, to an almost unimaginably vast civilization far removed from Earth and humanity. And it does it with wonderfully colorful special effects and a very un-'50s sense of optimism, joy and adventure.
Chron.com At 50, Forbidden Planet a benchmark in film
LEGO Star Wars II
In April 2005, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game Force-pushed its way onto store shelves everywhere to prove itself one of gaming's most pleasant surprises of the year -- and one of its biggest hits. Now at over 3.3 million copies sold worldwide (and still going strong), NPD Group's No. 13 bestseller of 2005 has delighted gamers young and old with its unique mix of tongue-in-cheek humor and interplanetary adventure. Hot off the game's amazing success, developer Traveller's Tales and its parent company TT Games have joined forces with LucasArts to release LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy for multiple platforms this fall. And with several notable improvements to an already stellar formula, there's a lot more to love about this sequel. Read more at the link below -
Star Wars: Gaming Improving a Surprise Hit -- LEGO Star Wars II
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Spaceys 06
The 4th Annual Spacey Awards
Canada's only sci-fi and fantasy television awards show. SPACE's annual celebration of genre entertainment.
In a sea of boring television award shows, the SPACEYS is the only one that avoids podiums and red carpets. Instead, we take the show around the globe to stalk find the winners, wherever they happen to be, and present them with our much coveted silver statuette!
SPACECAST Spaceys 06
Canada's only sci-fi and fantasy television awards show. SPACE's annual celebration of genre entertainment.
In a sea of boring television award shows, the SPACEYS is the only one that avoids podiums and red carpets. Instead, we take the show around the globe to stalk find the winners, wherever they happen to be, and present them with our much coveted silver statuette!
SPACECAST Spaceys 06
Location Earth Dog Tags
"Damn dude, you haven't blogged anything in over a week and this is what you decide to post first?!" :-D
Alien Abduction? UFO sightings? Return to tell the story! Cool new product a perfect unusual Christmas gift...
Alien Abduction? UFO sightings? Return to tell the story! Cool new product a perfect unusual Christmas gift...
Monday, March 20, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Doctor Who
Two-hour premiere tonight at 9/8C on the SciFi channel!
"Rose & The End of the World" - Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, and her life will never be the same again.
SCIFI.COM Doctor Who
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Auto Assault
Auto Assault is the ultimate in car combat, brought to you by NCsoft - the masters of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Head out onto the highways of a post-apocalyptic future in your high-powered, fully armed vehicle. Play as one of three warring races in this, the fastest, most destructive MMORPG ever!
You can sign up for the final beta event for the next 4 days or so.
Auto Assault
You can sign up for the final beta event for the next 4 days or so.
Auto Assault
Fillion Hangs On To Browncoat
Firefly/Serenity star Nathan Fillion told SCI FI Wire that he's not ready to hang up Capt. Mal Reynolds' brown coat and that he doesn't mind if he's speaking at conventions 20 years from now. "Did you ever see Galaxy Quest?" Fillion said. "When Tim Allen comes out and he cheers, well that's going to be me when I'm 60. I'll be this fat and balding guy who's trying to squeeze into his outfit and wears suspenders."
The Canadian native said not a day goes by without someone coming up to him to talk about the canceled series or the feature film. "It makes me feel really good when they say they like what we did and are appreciative of your work," Fillion said. He is now telling fans about his upcoming horror comedy SF movie Slither, which comes out March 31, a few days after his 35th birthday on March 27.
Fillion said that he has already attended a few SF&F conventions and hears stories from other actors. "I heard a story about Brent Spiner [Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation], and he was asked at conventions to make these vast computations that are impossible for even a computer, and he was in the position to have to tell them, 'Guys, I'm not a robot,'" Fillion said. "But they don't want to hear that. They don't want the reality. They want to continue the fantasy."
So what do Firefly/Serenity fans ask Fillion? "I get questions like, 'When you put your hand on her shoulder, was that your idea?'" he said. "And then I ask, 'Did you like that?' And if they say 'yes,' then I say, 'Yes, it was my idea. Joss [Whedon, Serenity's writer and director,] fought me hard on it.'"
As for any future installments in the franchise, Fillion said: "The whys and wherefores of the entertainment industry are a mystery to me. ... I'm not sure. When Firefly was canceled, I was heartbroken. I wanted another crack. Serenity gave me another shot at it. I wanted Serenity to be a great movie, I really did. I can catch an old movie and say, 'I could have done that different. I could [do] that different.' And I'm very critical. ... But not with Serenity. I feel like every single person did great. We all knew that this was the shot, and this was our chance to get back."
Fillion added that it's not that he's so willing to give up Reynolds. "It's not that I'm ready to give it up," he said. "It's that I got everything I wanted. I wanted another crack. It filled a void. So when you get everything you want, how can you ask for more? ... For me it was sweet, sweet revenge, served cold."
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
The Canadian native said not a day goes by without someone coming up to him to talk about the canceled series or the feature film. "It makes me feel really good when they say they like what we did and are appreciative of your work," Fillion said. He is now telling fans about his upcoming horror comedy SF movie Slither, which comes out March 31, a few days after his 35th birthday on March 27.
Fillion said that he has already attended a few SF&F conventions and hears stories from other actors. "I heard a story about Brent Spiner [Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation], and he was asked at conventions to make these vast computations that are impossible for even a computer, and he was in the position to have to tell them, 'Guys, I'm not a robot,'" Fillion said. "But they don't want to hear that. They don't want the reality. They want to continue the fantasy."
So what do Firefly/Serenity fans ask Fillion? "I get questions like, 'When you put your hand on her shoulder, was that your idea?'" he said. "And then I ask, 'Did you like that?' And if they say 'yes,' then I say, 'Yes, it was my idea. Joss [Whedon, Serenity's writer and director,] fought me hard on it.'"
As for any future installments in the franchise, Fillion said: "The whys and wherefores of the entertainment industry are a mystery to me. ... I'm not sure. When Firefly was canceled, I was heartbroken. I wanted another crack. Serenity gave me another shot at it. I wanted Serenity to be a great movie, I really did. I can catch an old movie and say, 'I could have done that different. I could [do] that different.' And I'm very critical. ... But not with Serenity. I feel like every single person did great. We all knew that this was the shot, and this was our chance to get back."
Fillion added that it's not that he's so willing to give up Reynolds. "It's not that I'm ready to give it up," he said. "It's that I got everything I wanted. I wanted another crack. It filled a void. So when you get everything you want, how can you ask for more? ... For me it was sweet, sweet revenge, served cold."
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
GBA Afterburner
Gameboy Advance Afterburner internal backlight is the best gba light you can get! It works just like a backlight for a cellular phone lighting the whole surface of the screen evenly - like no external light can. Plus it also save space because it fits inside the GBA casing!
GAMEBOY-ADVANCE.net : GBA Afterburner
GAMEBOY-ADVANCE.net : GBA Afterburner
GBA ROM ISP Patches
Gameboy Advance GBA ROM IPS Patches ,EEPROM Patches that wil modify your gba game roms and add Trainers Cheats and Hacks to them. More advance patches will even add JAP to English translation!
GAMEBOY-ADVANCE.net :: GBA ROM ISP Patches
GAMEBOY-ADVANCE.net :: GBA ROM ISP Patches
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
American Idol Expands with New Pre-Show
American Idol is extending its reach even further, beginning Tuesday.
Starting Tuesday, Idol will put on an hour-long, live pre-show for all remaining episodes this season, to air on the TV Guide Channel. (The core show, American Idol, will now air twice a week on FOX until a final winner is selected May 24.)
Last week it was reported that the FOX Reality cable channel would debut a new series this Thursday, American Idol Extra, to offer a look onto "the backstage drama of what really happens" after contestants are voted off.
The pre-show, Idol Tonight, will be hosted by former Idol finalist Kimberly Caldwell and one-time Popstars contestant Rosanna Tavarez, and will feature appearances by ejected contestants and past "Idol" stars, plus interviews with vocal coaches, casting agents and industry movers and shakers.
Exclusive footage, including auditions, outtakes and post-performance confessions, will also appear, a show publicist tells the Associated Press.
American Idol Expands with New Pre-Show American Idol : People.com
Starting Tuesday, Idol will put on an hour-long, live pre-show for all remaining episodes this season, to air on the TV Guide Channel. (The core show, American Idol, will now air twice a week on FOX until a final winner is selected May 24.)
Last week it was reported that the FOX Reality cable channel would debut a new series this Thursday, American Idol Extra, to offer a look onto "the backstage drama of what really happens" after contestants are voted off.
The pre-show, Idol Tonight, will be hosted by former Idol finalist Kimberly Caldwell and one-time Popstars contestant Rosanna Tavarez, and will feature appearances by ejected contestants and past "Idol" stars, plus interviews with vocal coaches, casting agents and industry movers and shakers.
Exclusive footage, including auditions, outtakes and post-performance confessions, will also appear, a show publicist tells the Associated Press.
American Idol Expands with New Pre-Show American Idol : People.com
Monday, March 13, 2006
Wonder Script Almost Done
Writer/director Joss Whedon told SCI FI Wire that he's probably going to turn in his script for the feature-film version of Wonder Woman sometime this coming week, and added that it will feature all of the expected gadgets and costume gimmicks from the DC Comics franchise. Whedon spoke in an interview at the star-studded Los Angeles premiere of Slither, which stars Whedon's Serenity star Nathan Fillion.
"I'm probably going to turn it in in a few days," Whedon said of his Wonder Woman script. "It's coming along. ... There will be all of the expected stuff. Of course there will be the bracelets; there will be the invisible jet, the lasso, all of that."
Whedon likened the character to another one of his creations, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, adding: "It's about girls maturing, a rite of passage, that kind of thing."
Whedon said it's too early to speculate on casting for the project. He will be turning the script in to Warner Brothers and hopes to begin production later this year.
Asked about further installments of Serenity, Whedon shrugged his shoulders.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
"I'm probably going to turn it in in a few days," Whedon said of his Wonder Woman script. "It's coming along. ... There will be all of the expected stuff. Of course there will be the bracelets; there will be the invisible jet, the lasso, all of that."
Whedon likened the character to another one of his creations, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, adding: "It's about girls maturing, a rite of passage, that kind of thing."
Whedon said it's too early to speculate on casting for the project. He will be turning the script in to Warner Brothers and hopes to begin production later this year.
Asked about further installments of Serenity, Whedon shrugged his shoulders.
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel
Friday, March 10, 2006
Crap!
HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady could miss up to five weeks with another back injury.
The 6-foot-8 McGrady has been sidelined with back problems three different times this season and missed a total of 15 games. The Rockets are 2-13 without McGrady, their leading scorer.
McGrady was examined on Friday in Los Angeles by renowned back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins. His latest injury is not a recurrence of the chronic problems that have bothered him since November, Watkins said, but the result of a fall McGrady took in the Rockets' 102-84 win over Portland on March 5.
McGrady scored 18 points, then left the game late in the third quarter.
He sat out the Rockets' 93-87 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, then left in the third quarter of Wednesday's 103-99 victory over Indiana when his back started hurting again.
McGrady scored 15 points, but said after the game he wasn't optimistic about a quick return.
"It's frustrating," McGrady said. "I've been dealing with it all season. It's the same old issue I've been dealing with."
The Rockets said McGrady's condition will be closely monitored over the weekend by the team's medical staff at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston.
The Rockets are three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They've won four in a row and 10 of their last 13, but their next eight opponents have winning records, starting with Sunday's game at San Antonio.
Ailing back could sideline McGrady for five weeks - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
The 6-foot-8 McGrady has been sidelined with back problems three different times this season and missed a total of 15 games. The Rockets are 2-13 without McGrady, their leading scorer.
McGrady was examined on Friday in Los Angeles by renowned back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins. His latest injury is not a recurrence of the chronic problems that have bothered him since November, Watkins said, but the result of a fall McGrady took in the Rockets' 102-84 win over Portland on March 5.
McGrady scored 18 points, then left the game late in the third quarter.
He sat out the Rockets' 93-87 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, then left in the third quarter of Wednesday's 103-99 victory over Indiana when his back started hurting again.
McGrady scored 15 points, but said after the game he wasn't optimistic about a quick return.
"It's frustrating," McGrady said. "I've been dealing with it all season. It's the same old issue I've been dealing with."
The Rockets said McGrady's condition will be closely monitored over the weekend by the team's medical staff at Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston.
The Rockets are three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They've won four in a row and 10 of their last 13, but their next eight opponents have winning records, starting with Sunday's game at San Antonio.
Ailing back could sideline McGrady for five weeks - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Angel Reunion (of sorts)
Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel: "Alias star Amy Acker will reunite with former Angel castmate Alexis Denisof and his real-life wife, former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Alyson Hannigan, on Hannigan's current CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, in that show's upcoming season finale this spring."
Water on Saturn moon could support life
Scientists have found evidence that cold, Yellowstone-like geysers of water are issuing from a moon of Saturn called Enceladus, apparently fueled by liquid reservoirs that may lie just tens of yards beneath the moon's icy surface.
The surprising discovery, detailed in Friday's issue of the journal Science, could shoot Enceladus to the top of the list in the search for life elsewhere in our solar system. Scientists described it as the most important discovery in planetary science in a quarter-century.
Water on Saturn moon could support life - Space News - MSNBC.com
The surprising discovery, detailed in Friday's issue of the journal Science, could shoot Enceladus to the top of the list in the search for life elsewhere in our solar system. Scientists described it as the most important discovery in planetary science in a quarter-century.
Water on Saturn moon could support life - Space News - MSNBC.com
American Idol 5 - 4 more leave tonight
Doin' it live again tonight. I miss you Becky. :-)
I missed the first 18 minutes or so, recorded it.
Well I nailed Kinnik and Will, they are gone. Who will be the other two? I had guessed Melissa and Bucky or Kevin.
Paris is safe, Katharine is safe (oh my!). Kellie is safe. Mandisa is safe (get a last name!). Lisa is safe (yes!). Ayla and Melissa left. We'll find out soon.
It was Ayla (Mmm)! I'm surprised. Randy thought it would be Melissa too. She's trying hard not ball. Poor her. :-(
Guys now. Taylor is safe. Ace is safe. Chris I know is safe. Kevin made the top 12. Elliott is safe. The GD twins are in the audience. Why aren't they in jail? I hate them.
Gedeon and Bucky left. Damn, missed it again. So did Simon. It was Gedeon.
OK, so it is down to 12. One at a time now 'til May.
I missed the first 18 minutes or so, recorded it.
Well I nailed Kinnik and Will, they are gone. Who will be the other two? I had guessed Melissa and Bucky or Kevin.
Paris is safe, Katharine is safe (oh my!). Kellie is safe. Mandisa is safe (get a last name!). Lisa is safe (yes!). Ayla and Melissa left. We'll find out soon.
It was Ayla (Mmm)! I'm surprised. Randy thought it would be Melissa too. She's trying hard not ball. Poor her. :-(
Guys now. Taylor is safe. Ace is safe. Chris I know is safe. Kevin made the top 12. Elliott is safe. The GD twins are in the audience. Why aren't they in jail? I hate them.
Gedeon and Bucky left. Damn, missed it again. So did Simon. It was Gedeon.
OK, so it is down to 12. One at a time now 'til May.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars
I bought this game at the 99 Cent Only store the other day. Game Spot gives it a 9.1
I haven't loaded it yet.
Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars for PC Review - PC Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars Review
I haven't loaded it yet.
Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars for PC Review - PC Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars Review
Create your favourite website, automatically
A new tool offers to create websites on any subject, allowing web surfers to sit back, relax and watch a virtual space automatically fill up with relevant news stories, blog posts, maps and photos.
The website asks its users to come up with any subject they are interested in, such as a TV show, sports team or news topic, and to submit links to their five favourite news articles, blogs or photos on that subject. Working only from this data, the site then automatically creates a webpage on that topic, known as a Boxxet. The name derives from “box set”, which refers to a complete set CDs or DVDs from the same band or TV show.
The site’s algorithm starts by reading through the web pages submitted by the user. It calculates the frequency of unique words and which words these unique words are likely to be adjacent to. It also notes the number of images and which news organisation or blogger created those pages.
It uses this data to filter its index of web pages and RSS feeds, depositing anything highly relevant in the Boxxet. The Boxxet is constantly updated as new stories appear, and the type of information is also modified by ratings provided by new visitors to the site.
It tool will first be available by invitation only, opening to the general public by the end of April 2006.
New Scientist Create your favourite website, automatically - Breaking News
The website asks its users to come up with any subject they are interested in, such as a TV show, sports team or news topic, and to submit links to their five favourite news articles, blogs or photos on that subject. Working only from this data, the site then automatically creates a webpage on that topic, known as a Boxxet. The name derives from “box set”, which refers to a complete set CDs or DVDs from the same band or TV show.
The site’s algorithm starts by reading through the web pages submitted by the user. It calculates the frequency of unique words and which words these unique words are likely to be adjacent to. It also notes the number of images and which news organisation or blogger created those pages.
It uses this data to filter its index of web pages and RSS feeds, depositing anything highly relevant in the Boxxet. The Boxxet is constantly updated as new stories appear, and the type of information is also modified by ratings provided by new visitors to the site.
It tool will first be available by invitation only, opening to the general public by the end of April 2006.
New Scientist Create your favourite website, automatically - Breaking News
Google plays peek-a-boo with web page creator
The newest web-based application from Google is a web page creator that was briefly available earlier today. Called Google Page Creator, the new application requires a Google account and allows users with no knowledge of HTML to create web pages via an AJAX-based WYSIWYG editor. The pages will then be stored by Google, accessible at http://googleaccount.googlepages.com. The initial release supports only the creation of individual web pages, but Google plans to support creating and managing entire websites at some point in the future.
Google Pages comes with 100MB of space and an easy-to-use interface for uploading files. It appears to be positioned mostly at those who want to put up simple webpages. It offers a handful of templates to choose from, but also gives people a large degree of control over the look and feel of pages. That sounds promising, but will also probably result in a bunch of web pages that look like the worst of late-1990s GeoCities.
Google plays peek-a-boo with web page creator
Google Pages comes with 100MB of space and an easy-to-use interface for uploading files. It appears to be positioned mostly at those who want to put up simple webpages. It offers a handful of templates to choose from, but also gives people a large degree of control over the look and feel of pages. That sounds promising, but will also probably result in a bunch of web pages that look like the worst of late-1990s GeoCities.
Google plays peek-a-boo with web page creator
American Idol 5 - 8 guys left
All me tonight doing it live again! I miss you Becky O'Donohue.
Gedeon McKinney - This guy can sing. I don't want him to win it all.
Chris Daughtry - I like this guy. I'd put him in the top 4 or so.
Kevin Covais - Tommy? Is that you? :-) This guy can sing but I don't think he'll get much further.
Bucky Covington - Just don't care for this guy, don't know why. Sorry dude.
Will Makar - He's gone. Was pretty average. Buy vote for him anyway since he is from this area.
Taylor Hicks - Taylor, this guy's a nut. I like him. LOL. And the audience goes nuts. It'll be interesting to see how far he goes. He can go far, won't break my heart.
Elliott Yamin - Hmm. I'm not liking this. What will the judges say? The audience didn't clap much. Randy liked it. Hmm. Paula likes it. Hmmm. Simon? Wrong song. I agree.
Ace Young - Wait, what the ? This sucks. See what the judges say. Randy liked it. Paula liked it. Simon kinda liked it. I still didn't.
Before Ace sings, I'll make my predicition that Will is gone. Bucky or Kevin is gone.
Gedeon McKinney - This guy can sing. I don't want him to win it all.
Chris Daughtry - I like this guy. I'd put him in the top 4 or so.
Kevin Covais - Tommy? Is that you? :-) This guy can sing but I don't think he'll get much further.
Bucky Covington - Just don't care for this guy, don't know why. Sorry dude.
Will Makar - He's gone. Was pretty average. Buy vote for him anyway since he is from this area.
Taylor Hicks - Taylor, this guy's a nut. I like him. LOL. And the audience goes nuts. It'll be interesting to see how far he goes. He can go far, won't break my heart.
Elliott Yamin - Hmm. I'm not liking this. What will the judges say? The audience didn't clap much. Randy liked it. Hmm. Paula likes it. Hmmm. Simon? Wrong song. I agree.
Ace Young - Wait, what the ? This sucks. See what the judges say. Randy liked it. Paula liked it. Simon kinda liked it. I still didn't.
Before Ace sings, I'll make my predicition that Will is gone. Bucky or Kevin is gone.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Haven't seen Firefly yet?
Well then shame on you!!
There are 8 episodes on this Friday on the SciFi channel.
10:00 AM
FIREFLY
SERENITY - PT 1
11:00 AM
FIREFLY
SERENITY - PT 2
12:00 PM
FIREFLY
THE TRAIN JOB
01:00 PM
FIREFLY
BUSHWHACKED
02:00 PM
FIREFLY
SHINDIG
03:00 PM
FIREFLY
SAFE
04:00 PM
FIREFLY
OUR MRS. REYNOLDS
05:00 PM
FIREFLY
JAYNESTOWN
06:00 PM
FIREFLY
OUT OF GAS
Those are all EST.
SCIFI.COM Schedulebot
There are 8 episodes on this Friday on the SciFi channel.
10:00 AM
FIREFLY
SERENITY - PT 1
11:00 AM
FIREFLY
SERENITY - PT 2
12:00 PM
FIREFLY
THE TRAIN JOB
01:00 PM
FIREFLY
BUSHWHACKED
02:00 PM
FIREFLY
SHINDIG
03:00 PM
FIREFLY
SAFE
04:00 PM
FIREFLY
OUR MRS. REYNOLDS
05:00 PM
FIREFLY
JAYNESTOWN
06:00 PM
FIREFLY
OUT OF GAS
Those are all EST.
SCIFI.COM Schedulebot
American Idol 5 - 8 girls left
All me tonight doing it live! I miss you Becky O'Donohue.
Paris Bennett - She did OK, she sang Miami Sound Machine's Conga. I think she was the early favorite. I definitely do not want her to win. But I'll take her in the top 12.
Lisa Tucker - I don't know this song that she is singing. It won't break my heart if she wins it all.
Melissa McGhee - Uh oh, singing a Heart song - What about love? - she'd better do it well. Of course, she's no Ann Wilson. But, she did it well and she's got that different smoky voice.
Kinnik Sky - Is it just me or does she look like the Predator? I don't know this song either. She can sing but I am bored. The judges are ragging her. I didn't think it was that bad. C'mon!
Katharine McPhee - Oh my. Mmm. She's singing an Aretha Franklin song, Freedom. She did it well. If she wins it all, it won't break my heart. Mmmm.
Ayla Brown - Oh my. I don't know the song. I liked it. Mmmm. Oh my.
Mandisa - What the hell? What is your last name? She can sing. I don't want her to win it all. She can go to the next round though. The judges loved her.
Kellie Pickler - Mmmmm. She's belting it out. I don't know. It was OK.
Kinnik is gone. Not sure who the other will be yet. Maybe Melissa?
Paris Bennett - She did OK, she sang Miami Sound Machine's Conga. I think she was the early favorite. I definitely do not want her to win. But I'll take her in the top 12.
Lisa Tucker - I don't know this song that she is singing. It won't break my heart if she wins it all.
Melissa McGhee - Uh oh, singing a Heart song - What about love? - she'd better do it well. Of course, she's no Ann Wilson. But, she did it well and she's got that different smoky voice.
Kinnik Sky - Is it just me or does she look like the Predator? I don't know this song either. She can sing but I am bored. The judges are ragging her. I didn't think it was that bad. C'mon!
Katharine McPhee - Oh my. Mmm. She's singing an Aretha Franklin song, Freedom. She did it well. If she wins it all, it won't break my heart. Mmmm.
Ayla Brown - Oh my. I don't know the song. I liked it. Mmmm. Oh my.
Mandisa - What the hell? What is your last name? She can sing. I don't want her to win it all. She can go to the next round though. The judges loved her.
Kellie Pickler - Mmmmm. She's belting it out. I don't know. It was OK.
Kinnik is gone. Not sure who the other will be yet. Maybe Melissa?
Monday, March 06, 2006
Plantraco's RTF Butterfly
Pretty cool.
The Dream of an R/C airplane that can be piloted in the living room has been realized.
Plantraco's RTF Butterfly - Fly in your Livingroom!
The Dream of an R/C airplane that can be piloted in the living room has been realized.
Plantraco's RTF Butterfly - Fly in your Livingroom!
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Pimp My Cubicle
March 6, 2006 issue - For only $14.95, you can turn your own drab office space into "dazzling digs." That's the promise of a soon-to-be-released kit, Pimp My Cubicle. With a title spun off the popular MTV show "Pimp My Ride," the kit will be released March 14, providing office workers with gold pushpins, a mini disco ball, a dollar-sign paperweight, leopard-print fringe and an adhesive gold keyboard key—"to give you a little start on your bling."
"It's an attempt to have some fun with a common experience: life in a cubicle," says creator Turk Regan, explaining that the cult-classic movie "Office Space" and the NBC series "The Office" have made people more willing to have fun with the idea of work. "[Work] is a big part of our life, but we gloss over the tensions it creates," he says. The demographics? "From MySpace.com to the Toyota Scion, Generation Me desires self-expression and personalization," says Anita Fraizer, industry analyst for sales and marketing-research firm NPD Group. Pimp My Cubicle, mostly geared to twentysomething males, may benefit from an "exploding" home-decor industry, she says. "Cubicle dwellers are one of the great untapped markets," Regan says. "Talk about niche marketing."
Cubicle Culture: It's a Bling Thing - Newsweek Periscope - MSNBC.com
Friday, March 03, 2006
DVD Sales Push Serenity Over The Top
First time I have ever been to this site, it looks like a good one.
Newsarama is reporting that the combined sales of theater tickets and DVD sales has turned Serenity out of the red and into the black.
The total production costs for the Joss Whedon film was $39 million with a rumored advertising cost at approximately another $10 million making the total out of Universal's pocket at around $49 million. The total U.S. theater box office take was a disappointing $25 million with international theatrical sales fairing little better at $13 million leaving Universal in the red for a whopping $28 million when taking into account that studios receive around 55% of total ticket sales.
DVD Sales Push Serenity Over The Top - Slice of SciFi
Newsarama is reporting that the combined sales of theater tickets and DVD sales has turned Serenity out of the red and into the black.
The total production costs for the Joss Whedon film was $39 million with a rumored advertising cost at approximately another $10 million making the total out of Universal's pocket at around $49 million. The total U.S. theater box office take was a disappointing $25 million with international theatrical sales fairing little better at $13 million leaving Universal in the red for a whopping $28 million when taking into account that studios receive around 55% of total ticket sales.
DVD Sales Push Serenity Over The Top - Slice of SciFi
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Where are you?
I'm usually pretty prolific when it comes to this blog. I often post several things a day.
I have only posted 3 items in the past week.
I know I have several things sitting in the draft section, 8 to be exact.
I haven't posted any American Idol stuff this week. I did just get through watching the girls and the last 30 minutes of the guys. I didn't get to see the 'voted off' show tonight.
I have several e-mails from the past two weeks that I need to reply to.
I have been super busy at work. And I have been busy doing computer stuff for a friend and for my mother-in-law in the evenings, which has been a nightmare. Her computer finally bought the dust and she'll have to get a new one. The good part is that the HD is still OK so the data is all there, I'll just have to re-install all her programs on the new computer and import the data.
I'm ready for things to slow down but I don't see a break in sight for days. I hope you guys aren't as busy as I am.
As John Lennon said - "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
I have only posted 3 items in the past week.
I know I have several things sitting in the draft section, 8 to be exact.
I haven't posted any American Idol stuff this week. I did just get through watching the girls and the last 30 minutes of the guys. I didn't get to see the 'voted off' show tonight.
I have several e-mails from the past two weeks that I need to reply to.
I have been super busy at work. And I have been busy doing computer stuff for a friend and for my mother-in-law in the evenings, which has been a nightmare. Her computer finally bought the dust and she'll have to get a new one. The good part is that the HD is still OK so the data is all there, I'll just have to re-install all her programs on the new computer and import the data.
I'm ready for things to slow down but I don't see a break in sight for days. I hope you guys aren't as busy as I am.
As John Lennon said - "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
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