Sky Sports News Switch To Paywall Pisses Off London and UK

Georgie Thompson of Sky Sports News 

UK based, British Sky Broadcasting-owned, Sky Sports News, in an effort to provide and pay for a planned 3D service via subscription revenues, has moved their free sports television service to a paywall today.

To be called "Sky Sports News HD," it is available on subscription services Sky, Virgin Media and Talk Talk TV. But for now, the free version's been shutoff, and, as one viewer put it on Twitter, "without even a goodbye."

The move has pissed off once-loyal viewers, who've taken to Twitter to express their outrage, thus making Sky Sports News one of the Top Trends on Twitter. Here's a sample of the Tweets:

proofspirit - Today is a dark day. Sky Sports News no longer available on Freeview. Might as well sell my TV. 3 minutes ago via Echofon

GManSizzle - RT @Arsenal_Away: Watching Sky Sports News till 6. Last time on Freeview, a most sad day indeed. RIP SSN channel 83 :'-(

andrewbrookes84 - At a bit of a loss without my morning fix of sky sports news

stephenackroyd - Sky Sports News HD looks a bit like an OTT, overly futuristic skin made by a 13 year old for Football Manager.

TheOfficialTom - Nooo sky sports have left freeview oopd I forgot about that
14 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

andyecfc - Love the new Sky Sports news.
15 minutes ago via web

DebbieAtherton = OMG what am I going to do now!!! Sky Sports News has gone from freeview!..not happy!...no I'm not paying for it either! 20 minutes ago via ÜberTwitter

stevelee23 - Bye bye sky sports news.... Very annoying.
21 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone

It's almost like the American reaction if none of our sports programs were free, and we had to pay to see what was happening.   The question is who will buy it?  With UK's current unemployment rate at almost 8 percent, it's hard to see the logic in installing a paywall and expecting consumers to give money to view sports when they have to save money for more important expenditures.

By the looks of the Twitter reactions, the business move could be a failure, Georgie Thompson or no Georgie Thompson.

Oakland Mayor's Race: A Poll's Being Conducted, But By Whom?

Don, are you out polling?

For some time candidates in the Oakland Mayor's Race, let alone Oaklanders, have not had a handle on who the real front-runner in the Oakland Mayor's Race was. And no wonder; no one had done a poll.

Well, as of this writing, that's changed. Someone's conducting a poll of Oaklanders, but what's n not known by this space is who's doing the poll. The only clue available that a poll is in the works is this Tweet:

davidcolburn - I've been polled twice on the Oakland mayor's race in past 48 hours. Is everyone getting calls, or am I just lucky?
about 6 hours ago via TweetCaster

The concern here is for the design of the poll. Does it mention each of the ten candidates for Mayor to determine awareness? Is it done by one of the candidates, or another group or organization? How many people are being contacted?

Whatever the case, a poll of the Oakland Mayor's Race is being conducted. A fair speculation is that it's by one of the candidates, and the bet here is it's the Don Perata for Mayor Campaign or some Oakland group.

More on this later in the week.

Oakland Mayor's Race: Joe Tuman's Yard Signs Missing

Joe Tuman 

When this blogger got an email from a person who was concerned that Joe Tuman's campaign was placing lawn signs where they should not be, and wanted to know where to file a complaint, it was discounted because there was no photo or video to go with the email.  No proof.

Instead, it seemed logical to connect the person who sent the email directly with the Joe Tuman campaign; they followed up with the complainer, copying this blogger in the process.

But what seemed to be a small issue's slowly turning into a bigger one. Here's the latest two Tweets from Joe Tuman's Twitter account:

Our Yard Signs seem to be disappearing....? Someone is not happy about Oakland changing for the better!

about 5 hours ago via Facebook

Are Yard Signs seem to be disappearing? Keep an eye out as someone is not happy about changing Oakland for the better.

And to be fair, here's the email sent that I wasn't going to post at first. Since the Tuman campaign's complaining about yard signs being taken down, it seems logical to post it, but without the complainer's name:

Where do I officially file a complaint, as Mr.Tuman is violating his signed oath, and other campaign laws, and is placing Campaign signs on public property, and on abandoned private property where I strongly believe he does not have owner's permission, blighting Oakland, months before the election.

I removed a sign of his on August 16 from a fenced-in abandoned business at 42nd Ave & Foothill. I hear there are many signs all over, especially District 4, 35th Ave, freeway ramps, etc.

Whatever's going on, someone's got it in for "Joe Tuman for Mayor" yard signs.  It's not all Tuman's fault; there are people who strongly back Joe's campaign and people who fear that a political unknown like Tuman could win the Oakland Mayor's Race.  

You know you've got a hotly contested political battle when yard signs become an issue.

Stay tuned.

True Blood fairy good? by Suzannah B. Troy

Warning if you have not seen the new episode yet don't read this!!!!

Sookie is a fairy?   My jaw dropped.  We are suppose to believe Bill loves her for her and not her fairy blood.  If  you believe that you believe in True Love.  If you are cynical and the writers have left the door open a crack because dudes or vamps that truly love you for you are not researching your family tree.... Please forgive me my cynicism back to the romance channel.

Stay calm -- we all love the romance between Sookie and Bill and in real life the actors have made it legal. Read my pre-show post...

This episode was jammed packed with so many sub-plots, mysterious creatures still unrevealed but pure trouble and a wicken.  There is too much to talk about but I just love the series...despite the violence and blood which I could do with out.

Love the teen vampire Jessica...

Tara finally gets closure...hallelujah.  A very good actor bites the dust though.

High on V scenes reminiscent of the first season minus the wild sex scenes...the ones from first season
with Sookie's brother and his than girlfriend mind-blowing...


I do like Sookie and Eric kissing, sorry...it was just a dream... I really like their kissing... but how the ending music about smelling a rat sums it up...darn.


Russell truly bad and what an actor although the entire cast is terrific.

Even the coming attractions were spectacular.

What a sexy soap opera with fangs...  I can't wait until the next episode.   Like the rest of you I wonder how will I make it until season 4 and message to Alan Ball, you better be working on season 5.  I also anticipate a killer cliff hanger to keep very hungry for  season 4...fangs away.....

p.s.  The show does get to the heart of the matter on issues like our first kiss, true love, sexual politics, gay politics and human nature the dark and light sides....

NFL Preseason : Patrick Willis Sack of Brett Favre Excites Twitter

Brett Favre - hated by some on Twitter

In NFL Preseason action The Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Brett Favre made his 2010 NFL Season debut in a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Naturally, the 49ers were only to happy to welcome Favre and did so on the second play of the Vikings offense. It was a play that saw Favre get clobbered, which in turn lit-up Twitter.

Favre's throw pass was a swing pass out of the backfield that gained 13 yards and a first down.  The 49ers, determined to stop Favre and The Vikings, loaded the middle of the Vikings offense with the objective of sacking Brett Favre on 3rd down; the plan worked, as a retreating Favre could not backpedal fast enough to escape the onrush Pat Willis. The 49ers star middle linebacker hit Favre straight on and drove him into the turf.

That was the end of any more game reps for Favre.

Now, such a play would seem to be routine, but when this blogger happened to look at the Twitter Top Trends about 20 minutes ago as of this writing, "Patrick Willis" was one of the top five.

Get a load of what the Twitter users said;

brittmce - Best moment of my day: seeing Patrick Willis drive friggin Brett Favre into the turf. #49ers

BeauBreton25 - RT: @RyanCowette: Patrick Willis is sooooo much fun to watch, wow- best defensive player in the NFL

Legendary559 - RT @JRSportBrief: Patrick Willis killed Favre. America loved that. #NFL #49ers

behindnumbers
driven into ground a bit, not blindsided RT @rodimusprime: So some of ya'll say Patrick Willis killed Brett others say it was uneventful

To this blogger it was uneventful. Obviously, the Vikings lacked an audible to counter the blitz, otherwise the scheme would not have worked. That's the NFL Preseason.

But it's still interesting to see the number of people on Twitter who were actually happy to see Brett Favre get pummeled.

True Blood vamping hour is almost here by Suzannah B. Troy

I will check back in at 10:00PM NYC time to express myself but gearing up here is some news.

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer  are now married. The New York Daily News has all the dish and here is the link rather than me regurgitate it for you.  It is a well written piece with a lovely photo.  Enjoy!
I am surprised Moyer is so much older, been married twice oops two previous relationships, I meant to write,  and has kids so that makes Anna a young step-mother.  Believe it or not I thought I saw him on the subway here (around the time of Season 1)  in NYC and he is short.  So is Anna and judging from the Rolling Stone Cover they fit perfectly.  Good luck and most important ehem, smile, is they will be back for Season 4 which you know I am longing for and can't wait for.  I want it to start when this season ends in September.

Here is a fun post from The New York Post:  Arlene is not comfortable being pregnant with evil baby.

Here is my post from yesterday which includes the season schedule.  Enjoy.  See you after tonight's episode....until them fangs away!

Heidi Montage Sex Tape Steve Hirsch Vivid by Suzannah B. Troy

TMZ my favorite gossip tv show has the video of Steve Hirsch being interviewed on the possibility of a Heidi Montag sex video.   Who Heidi Montag is does not interest me but  Steve Hirsch does.   For Heidi fans Steve Hirsch said the success of the tape is up to her.

Steve Hirsch does interest me because he has taken the porn world to a new frontier.  He is 2nd generation getting his intro to the industry from his father and his sister works for him so it is a family business that has seen radical changes and many by Hirsch himself pushing the envelope.  AVN is also a prime mover including creating the porn world's own version of the Oscars which is said to be a 100 times better than the Oscars and a lot more interesting.

Hollywood has always resembled porn and feed off it but the line between porn and mainstream film continues to blur.  I dream of making the ultimate date movie, an erotic, comedy, horror, murder film that women will love and will make both genders sizzle with sexuality but win an Oscar not an AVN.

For more on Steve Hirsch including a fascinating article from Forbes called "The Porn King" click on the links in this posting.   Even someone as square as Neil Cavuto from Fox News has chimed in on Steve Hirsch, here is a quote from conservative Cavuto: "His name is actually Steve Hirsch, and his company is Vivid Entertainment, and his dream of turning what was once a dirty, underground business into a mainstream, multibillion-dollar industry is now a full-fledged reality.  Whether you like what he does or not, no one can argue with his business savvy or success."

Thanks for tuning in....
Suzannah B. Troy