Desperate TV Networks

I actually started watching Desperate Housewives because of that special they showed summarizing the season and I must say that it is a worthwhile show. Plus, it features the beauty you see above this. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but the king for me is still 24, which I have to watch tomorrow because my VCR decided it didn't want to record it. Anyway, I thought the title was fitting because major networks are starting to feel the heat from cable television and are appealing to genres. The article is a bit biased to disagree with their tactics, but I just think the names of the shows are horrible. "Criminal Minds" sounds just like CSI: Criminal Intent and "Ghost Whisperer" just sounds really stupid. It seems to be a trend for tv networks to produce more of what's popular, like with what happened to Survivor and the birth of reality television. Out of the gazillion reality shows I've only seen two or three that were worthwhile because they weren't based off fabricated drama but rather around interesting stuff (like The Contender). I'm surprised at how many new shows are coming out because I think America needs to detach itself from the boob tube. Go outisde people! Stop watching so much bloody television.

There's actually some real news for nerds today. I reccomend reading this great commentary on Google's move to allow customizeable home pages. Basically, it allows them to get closer to users, which gives them all sorts of powers. As a coincidental followup to the hacker stuff yesterday, a huge security breach has hit a few of the biggest banks in the nation. I wouldn't be surprised if the number of accounts affected ended up reaching close to a million. Apple may be poised to start buying chips from Intel instead of IBM, which would mean lower prices to help them compete because of Intel's marketing subsidies. This would be quite a surprising move, but Apple made a less suprising move today in deciding to support podcasts in its next iteration of iTunes. They may sue their fans but at least they know how to support a trend. In an effort to make BitTorrent more accepted, the creators are developing an advertising-supported search engine for torrents for legal content, and I think it's an awesome idea. And I'm not being sarcastic in case you've had damage to your prefrontal cortex. Sorry, it's hard to transition really random articles. Lastly, I wanted to mention a neat Google Maps hack that tells you where the cheapest gas in your area in. It needs some more work, but it's a great start.

There's not much movie stuff so this should go pretty quickly. The big news is that it has been confirmed that Sin City 2 (tentative title) will include at least A Dame to Kill and is already underway! Maybe they didn't win the Palme d'Or this year but there's always next year or whenever it comes out. If you're so Sin City obsessed that you want to see some pictures of Mickey Rourke at Cannes then click here. If you love exclusive clips, then you'll like this short clip from War of the Worlds that builds up a suspenseful scene in the movie. Michael Madsen loves to open his mouth and thankfully he revealed that the upcoming Tarantino flick Inglorious Bastards will feature Tim Roth (Pumpkin from Pulp Fiction), Adam Sandler, and Eddie Murphy (the latter two need no introduction). Those are some big names and I can't wait to see what Tarantino, who's legendary for reviving downhill actors, does with them. If you want more information on Fantastic Four you can see an interview with half of the superhero group over here. And lastly, Time magazine put up a list of the supposed 100 best films of all time. I don't think I agree with some of their choices, but I'm glad they included City of God and Pulp Fiction.

Now to end with some Monday Madness:

The following all begin with 'In your lifetime, have you....'

1. ...ridden on a rollercoaster?
Yes, many times actually. ;) I was scared for a while but then I just reached a point in my life where I was like, "I don't care if I die" (old, old stage) and I just started riding the crazy coasters and loved it.
2. ...performed (in any area of the arts) onstage?
Yes, but in all fairness it was like in elementary school.
3. ...planted a garden?
No, I don't think I have much of a green thumb and I hate pulling weeds.
4. ...ever had to reformat your hard drive due to a virus/spyware?
Yes, but the computer was not able to be saved. It was ok though because it really sucked anyway and was really old.
5. ...written a book? A poem? A song?
I've written a novelette and several poems, but I think it'd be too presumptuous for me to share the poems. I think the novelette came out well though it's a bit dated.
6. ...sang karaoke?
I have, indeed, at this place called U2 in Houston.
7. ...been interviewed by a local tv station/newspaper?
I have been for a newspaper for Economics Challenge, but I don't think they even ended up quoting me.
8. ...witnessed a tornado/earthquake/hurricane first-hand?
Nope, none of the above.
9. ...participated in a photo scavenger hunt?
Yes! Just a few months ago in fact and I even posted one of the pictures. See the rest for yourself.
10. ...traveled to another country?
I have been to India and Canada, and I think I like India better just because at least there I blend in! Not that there aren't Indians in Canada, but they're just different from Indians elsewhere somehow. I've been at airports in a few other countries as well for stops on the way.