Wednesday, May 24, 2006
MacBook Obsession!
Wow, it seems everyone that's into computers has some interest in Apple's new MacBook. Just check out MacBook Freak!
American Idol - Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks - Why Does She Get Top Billing?
I'm just interested. I may miss this -- or, maybe not. I wish it were like Rocketboom.com, where I can tune in at any time.
McPhee, Hicks vie for 'American Idol' crown
LYNN ELBER
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Katharine McPhee, the born-for-Broadway babe, and mop-topped manic dancer Taylor Hicks faced the music Wednesday on the season finale of "American Idol."
The choice for TV viewers was between the sultry McPhee, whose trained voice was shown to perfection Tuesday on the standard "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and the raw sound and footloose moves of Hicks, who made his mark on Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City."
It was Katharine vs. Taylor, McPheever vs. the Soul Patrol fans, with a recording contract and the fifth "Idol" title up for grabs.
Last season's victor, Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Okla., was scheduled to perform.
McPhee, 22, was the first Los Angeles native to make it big on "American Idol," with a shot at becoming the only winner outside the South or Midwest. With a singer-vocal coach mom behind her and a starlet's beauty, McPhee looked and sounded groomed for success.
Hicks, 29, of Birmingham, Ala., whose thatch of prematurely gray hair helped him stand out from the pack, had barely survived the first audition at which judge Simon Cowell warned he didn't have a chance of advancing in the contest.
They weren't as odd a finals pairing as Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, but close.
McPhee attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for a semester; Hicks has been a fixture on honky-tonk stages. McPhee skillfully played to the cameras, all calculated seduction; Hicks stomped across the set, wildly enough that Cowell compared him to a drunken dad at a wedding.
The finale closes out a relatively tame contest compared to seasons past, when jammed phone lines, technical glitches and annoyingly untalented singers drew complaints from fans. Last year, judge Paula Abdul denied an ex-competitor's claims of an affair in 2003.
This season's biggest jolt came when rocker Chris Daughtry of McLeansville, N.C., was voted out before the finale. Many observers had predicted he would win the contest after routinely drawing praise from the judges and online support.
Despite the lack of offstage drama, or because of it, this edition of "American Idol" was the most-watched yet. Compared to last year, the show was up 14 percent in total viewers with an average weekly audience of 30.3 million - impressive growth for an established program.
The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes routinely ranked as the top-rated TV shows, drawing 28 million or more viewers. The series also is seen via delayed broadcast or satellite delivery in more than 150 other countries.
McPhee, Hicks vie for 'American Idol' crown
LYNN ELBER
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Katharine McPhee, the born-for-Broadway babe, and mop-topped manic dancer Taylor Hicks faced the music Wednesday on the season finale of "American Idol."
The choice for TV viewers was between the sultry McPhee, whose trained voice was shown to perfection Tuesday on the standard "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and the raw sound and footloose moves of Hicks, who made his mark on Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City."
It was Katharine vs. Taylor, McPheever vs. the Soul Patrol fans, with a recording contract and the fifth "Idol" title up for grabs.
Last season's victor, Carrie Underwood of Checotah, Okla., was scheduled to perform.
McPhee, 22, was the first Los Angeles native to make it big on "American Idol," with a shot at becoming the only winner outside the South or Midwest. With a singer-vocal coach mom behind her and a starlet's beauty, McPhee looked and sounded groomed for success.
Hicks, 29, of Birmingham, Ala., whose thatch of prematurely gray hair helped him stand out from the pack, had barely survived the first audition at which judge Simon Cowell warned he didn't have a chance of advancing in the contest.
They weren't as odd a finals pairing as Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, but close.
McPhee attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for a semester; Hicks has been a fixture on honky-tonk stages. McPhee skillfully played to the cameras, all calculated seduction; Hicks stomped across the set, wildly enough that Cowell compared him to a drunken dad at a wedding.
The finale closes out a relatively tame contest compared to seasons past, when jammed phone lines, technical glitches and annoyingly untalented singers drew complaints from fans. Last year, judge Paula Abdul denied an ex-competitor's claims of an affair in 2003.
This season's biggest jolt came when rocker Chris Daughtry of McLeansville, N.C., was voted out before the finale. Many observers had predicted he would win the contest after routinely drawing praise from the judges and online support.
Despite the lack of offstage drama, or because of it, this edition of "American Idol" was the most-watched yet. Compared to last year, the show was up 14 percent in total viewers with an average weekly audience of 30.3 million - impressive growth for an established program.
The Tuesday and Wednesday episodes routinely ranked as the top-rated TV shows, drawing 28 million or more viewers. The series also is seen via delayed broadcast or satellite delivery in more than 150 other countries.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Is Lou Dobbs Racist? I Want To Know.
Look, everytime I'm tuned into CNN as I'm working and the time happens to change to where his show comes on, Lou Dobbs can't seem to help basing his show around immigration, boarder patrols and Latino-bashing
If you doubt me, stay tuned to this blog and I'll present transcripts and whatever else I can get on the Lou Dobbs show. I'm sick of this stuff.
Maybe the CNN producers watched the movie "Network" one too many times!
If you doubt me, stay tuned to this blog and I'll present transcripts and whatever else I can get on the Lou Dobbs show. I'm sick of this stuff.
Maybe the CNN producers watched the movie "Network" one too many times!
Massive Air Travel Problem On United Airlines and Other Companies
In light of CNN Ali Velshi's comments on air travel, I had to report my experience of last week. I had deplaned in Chicago's O'Hare Airport from Atlanta, where after waiting "stand-by, non-revenue" I did make that flight into the Windy City -- my home town.
But I wasn't going to Chicago, I was travellin back to my current home in Oakland, CA. My plan was to get on the 6:35 out to San Francisco. But I -- and many other -- discovered that flight and about 10 other flights were massively overbooked and because of a cancelled plane that came from Boston on the way to San Francisco, with one stop in Chicago. It never got out of Chicago.
As a results, a group of 30 passengers -- some revenue and others non-revenue standby like me -- ended up getting bumped from flight after flight. I ended up staying overnight at the O'Hare Hilton. (Here's a tip. If you find that you have to stay overnight in Chicago because of a flight overbooking problem, and you're travelling on United, go to their customer service desk near gate B-8 and look for a pink flyer in a plastic stand that presents an "800" number. Call that number to get a voucher code for the O'Hare Hilton. With the pink voucher, which you present at the hotel which itself is right accross the street from Terminal One, you can get a room for about $90 -- a $200 break of the regular rate.)
The next day, I went back to the terminal and saw many of the same people as one Monday. After trying four flights, I finally got on a specially-scheduled plane sent to San Francisco. United had placed this plane -- a 757 -- into service to releave the giant bottleneck that occured.
During this ordeal, I made a new friend, and saw some interesting interactions between United Airlines staffers at gate B-22. There was one woman working her butt off checking people in with no help for some time until two others came over; but they all were working on three -- not one but three -- flights at once.
This is terrible. I now long for the days when the airlines were subsidized and we could trust the airlines. Now, on the eve of what is going to be the largest travel period since after World War Two, we've got a broken system that may just crush under this new, great weight.
But I wasn't going to Chicago, I was travellin back to my current home in Oakland, CA. My plan was to get on the 6:35 out to San Francisco. But I -- and many other -- discovered that flight and about 10 other flights were massively overbooked and because of a cancelled plane that came from Boston on the way to San Francisco, with one stop in Chicago. It never got out of Chicago.
As a results, a group of 30 passengers -- some revenue and others non-revenue standby like me -- ended up getting bumped from flight after flight. I ended up staying overnight at the O'Hare Hilton. (Here's a tip. If you find that you have to stay overnight in Chicago because of a flight overbooking problem, and you're travelling on United, go to their customer service desk near gate B-8 and look for a pink flyer in a plastic stand that presents an "800" number. Call that number to get a voucher code for the O'Hare Hilton. With the pink voucher, which you present at the hotel which itself is right accross the street from Terminal One, you can get a room for about $90 -- a $200 break of the regular rate.)
The next day, I went back to the terminal and saw many of the same people as one Monday. After trying four flights, I finally got on a specially-scheduled plane sent to San Francisco. United had placed this plane -- a 757 -- into service to releave the giant bottleneck that occured.
During this ordeal, I made a new friend, and saw some interesting interactions between United Airlines staffers at gate B-22. There was one woman working her butt off checking people in with no help for some time until two others came over; but they all were working on three -- not one but three -- flights at once.
This is terrible. I now long for the days when the airlines were subsidized and we could trust the airlines. Now, on the eve of what is going to be the largest travel period since after World War Two, we've got a broken system that may just crush under this new, great weight.
Madonna's Controversial "Crucifiction" Opening Concert Act - Video
You've got to see it to believe it, but here's Madonna strapped to a giant, modern cross and singing one of her hits "Live to Tell" to open her Crucifiction Concert Tour show in LA.
The scene, which you can see below, has already upset some religious groups. But you know Madonna planned to do that all the time.
Article:
Madge's 'crucifiction' act upsets Church
Indo-Asian News Service
New York, May 23, 2006
Pop superstar Madonna has once again upset religious leaders when she sang a song while hanging form a giant mirrored cross as video screens showed images of third-world poverty.
According to People.com, the Church of England made a statement saying: "Why would someone with so much talent seem to feel the need to promote herself by offending so many people?"
Madonna performs during her concert at the Forum in Inglewood, California on Sunday, May 21, 2006.
David Muir of the Evangelical Alliance said: "Madonna's use of Christian imagery is an abuse and it is dangerous." He called for her to "drop it from the tour".
The scene, which you can see below, has already upset some religious groups. But you know Madonna planned to do that all the time.
Article:
Madge's 'crucifiction' act upsets Church
Indo-Asian News Service
New York, May 23, 2006
Pop superstar Madonna has once again upset religious leaders when she sang a song while hanging form a giant mirrored cross as video screens showed images of third-world poverty.
According to People.com, the Church of England made a statement saying: "Why would someone with so much talent seem to feel the need to promote herself by offending so many people?"
Madonna performs during her concert at the Forum in Inglewood, California on Sunday, May 21, 2006.
David Muir of the Evangelical Alliance said: "Madonna's use of Christian imagery is an abuse and it is dangerous." He called for her to "drop it from the tour".
With Larry Allen and Jonas Jennings, San Francisco 49ers O-Line Taking On An New Shape
My question is will the 49ers new scheme give Alex Smith a timed window to throw in, or will it cause him to throw without crisp, set footwork and receiver timing. In Oakland, Norv Turner didn't install the kind of precise option-route offense one would like to see in today's game. Was that him, or Al Davis? I'm less concerned with the size of the line than with the team's offensive design. We shall see.
From:
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/05/49ers-offensive-line230506.html
"In 2005, Mike Nolan tried to establish the San Francisco 49ers as a power running team. He lured massive tackle Jonas Jennings from Buffalo with a lucrative free agent contract and drafted two punishing offensive linemen in the first three rounds (David Baas-2nd, Adam Snyder-3rd).
However, Nolan's plan went off the rails early in the season when Jennings suffered a season-ending labrum injury and Jeremy Newberry's battered knees kept him out of most games and every practice. Reluctant to throw his freshly drafted rookies into the fire so soon, Nolan brought in veteran tackle Anthony Clement on the left side with disastrous results. Only when Snyder moved into the left tackle spot and Newberry withdrew himself from the rotation did the Niners have consistent success in the running game.
This year will be a different story. The left side is pretty much locked down with the return of Jennings and the addition of Larry Allen but competitions remain open at the other three spots.
At C, Newberry may never be healthy enough to practice again and Nolan has already stated that if he cannot practice, he will not play. That leaves the starting job to Eric Heitmann, who finished the season there last year and has been handling the duties this offseason.
At RG, Justin Smiley is the incumbent, but Baas will challenge hard for that spot in training camp. While Smiley is more of an athletic, technical guard, Baas is a punishing, powerful mauler who may be a better fit for the nasty attitude Nolan is trying to instill in the trenches.
And at RT, Adam Snyder is poised to unseat former first-rounder Kwame Harris. During his three seasons in the league, Harris has not distinguished himself, performing adequately in the running game but missing tons of assignments in pass protection.
However it plays out, the position battles in this year's camp will give the San Francisco 49ers a lot more depth along the line this season should the injury bug strike again."
From:
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/05/49ers-offensive-line230506.html
"In 2005, Mike Nolan tried to establish the San Francisco 49ers as a power running team. He lured massive tackle Jonas Jennings from Buffalo with a lucrative free agent contract and drafted two punishing offensive linemen in the first three rounds (David Baas-2nd, Adam Snyder-3rd).
However, Nolan's plan went off the rails early in the season when Jennings suffered a season-ending labrum injury and Jeremy Newberry's battered knees kept him out of most games and every practice. Reluctant to throw his freshly drafted rookies into the fire so soon, Nolan brought in veteran tackle Anthony Clement on the left side with disastrous results. Only when Snyder moved into the left tackle spot and Newberry withdrew himself from the rotation did the Niners have consistent success in the running game.
This year will be a different story. The left side is pretty much locked down with the return of Jennings and the addition of Larry Allen but competitions remain open at the other three spots.
At C, Newberry may never be healthy enough to practice again and Nolan has already stated that if he cannot practice, he will not play. That leaves the starting job to Eric Heitmann, who finished the season there last year and has been handling the duties this offseason.
At RG, Justin Smiley is the incumbent, but Baas will challenge hard for that spot in training camp. While Smiley is more of an athletic, technical guard, Baas is a punishing, powerful mauler who may be a better fit for the nasty attitude Nolan is trying to instill in the trenches.
And at RT, Adam Snyder is poised to unseat former first-rounder Kwame Harris. During his three seasons in the league, Harris has not distinguished himself, performing adequately in the running game but missing tons of assignments in pass protection.
However it plays out, the position battles in this year's camp will give the San Francisco 49ers a lot more depth along the line this season should the injury bug strike again."
Oakland Raiders Load Up On Free Agent Wide Receivers - 365Football.com
According to this great and funny article by Anthony Carroll, the Raiders have a large group of free agent wideouts in camp, all signed on May 5th.
"This offseason, Oakland has been busy stockpiling their frequent flyer miles, transporting every undrafted wide receiver under the sun from their couch to California.
Trip one: John Madsen - Utah
Standing 6-5, 220-pounds, it's not jaw dropping to see Madsen in a silver and black practice outfit. In 2005, he suffered a season-ending injury to his fibula with three games remaining in his collegiate career. As a result, the Utah Ute missed the NFL combine, further narrowing his chances to make his way into the NFL. Despite missing the final three games of his senior season, Madsen still hauled in 55 passes for 672 yards and six touchdowns. After receiving a call from the Raiders' front office, Madsen mentioned Warren Sapp and Randy Moss, saying, "I've idolized them since high school." It's now four years later, and the door has been cracked open to extend that admiration into affiliation.
Trip two: Rick Gatewood - Montana State
Gatewood, a Montana State graduate, was another one of the four undrafted wideouts signed by Oakland on May 5th. The 22-year-old Bobcat stands 5-11, 192 pounds in frame--relatively small for a Raiders' pass catcher. However, in 2004 and 2005, Gatewood posted surprisingly big numbers. As a junior and senior, he caught 131 balls for 1,759 yards and 13 touchdowns. Unlike Madsen, Gatewood participated in the March combine festivities, posting 40 times of 4.57 seconds and 4.55 seconds, while registering a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump.
Trip three: Will Buchanan - Southern California
Buchanan may have squeezed his 6-3, 185-pound frame into a sedan to make his short trip to Oakland. At USC, Buchanan took advantage of his distinguished last name, playing mostly as a defensive back, along with wide receiver. Overshadowed by star wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, Buchanan wasn't even momentarily glanced over by the USC coaching staff. At wide receiver, he caught no balls in 2005 and just four in 2004. Overall, the signing of the wideout-converted-cornerback is a bit questionable; but, then again, so was drafting a quarterback named Ronald Curry.
Trip four: Jayson Boyd - Texas at El Paso
For now, Jason Boyd will reunite with UTEP teammate Thomas Howard in Oakland. Measuring 6-4, 220-pounds, Boyd is an athletic prospect with deep-ball potential. At the pre-draft combine, Boyd ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.59 seconds and registered a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump. In 2002, he played as a member of Oregon State, catching just 10 passes for 169 yards and a single touchdown. Thereafter, he transferred to UTEP in 2004, catching an impressive 42 balls for 560 yards and five touchdowns. In his final season, Boyd was sidelined with groin and foot injuries for half of the 2005 season; he finished the year with just 12 receptions for 222 yards.
Trip five: Burl Toler - California
The 23-year-old Golden Bear last played in 2004, when he caught just eight balls for 78 yards. However, in 2003, the 6-2, 190-pounder filled in nicely for the team's 2002 leading ball-catcher, grabbing 48 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns. Reflecting back upon his walk-on performance at California, Toller commented, "My dad said I should never give up; good things can still happen. Making the team was a testament to what my dad had been telling me." Obviously, that advice has stuck with him years later; he is now battling his way towards an NFL career.
Along with seventh-round draft choice, Kevin McMahan, Oakland's receiving corps includes Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, Ronald Curry, Alvis Whitted, Johnnie Morant, and Carlos Francis.
Rest assured, a handful of the above names won't make it into Week One of the regular season.
But, then again, a bit of friendly competition amongst colleagues never hurts.
In fact, it only helps."
Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
"This offseason, Oakland has been busy stockpiling their frequent flyer miles, transporting every undrafted wide receiver under the sun from their couch to California.
Trip one: John Madsen - Utah
Standing 6-5, 220-pounds, it's not jaw dropping to see Madsen in a silver and black practice outfit. In 2005, he suffered a season-ending injury to his fibula with three games remaining in his collegiate career. As a result, the Utah Ute missed the NFL combine, further narrowing his chances to make his way into the NFL. Despite missing the final three games of his senior season, Madsen still hauled in 55 passes for 672 yards and six touchdowns. After receiving a call from the Raiders' front office, Madsen mentioned Warren Sapp and Randy Moss, saying, "I've idolized them since high school." It's now four years later, and the door has been cracked open to extend that admiration into affiliation.
Trip two: Rick Gatewood - Montana State
Gatewood, a Montana State graduate, was another one of the four undrafted wideouts signed by Oakland on May 5th. The 22-year-old Bobcat stands 5-11, 192 pounds in frame--relatively small for a Raiders' pass catcher. However, in 2004 and 2005, Gatewood posted surprisingly big numbers. As a junior and senior, he caught 131 balls for 1,759 yards and 13 touchdowns. Unlike Madsen, Gatewood participated in the March combine festivities, posting 40 times of 4.57 seconds and 4.55 seconds, while registering a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump.
Trip three: Will Buchanan - Southern California
Buchanan may have squeezed his 6-3, 185-pound frame into a sedan to make his short trip to Oakland. At USC, Buchanan took advantage of his distinguished last name, playing mostly as a defensive back, along with wide receiver. Overshadowed by star wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, Buchanan wasn't even momentarily glanced over by the USC coaching staff. At wide receiver, he caught no balls in 2005 and just four in 2004. Overall, the signing of the wideout-converted-cornerback is a bit questionable; but, then again, so was drafting a quarterback named Ronald Curry.
Trip four: Jayson Boyd - Texas at El Paso
For now, Jason Boyd will reunite with UTEP teammate Thomas Howard in Oakland. Measuring 6-4, 220-pounds, Boyd is an athletic prospect with deep-ball potential. At the pre-draft combine, Boyd ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.59 seconds and registered a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump. In 2002, he played as a member of Oregon State, catching just 10 passes for 169 yards and a single touchdown. Thereafter, he transferred to UTEP in 2004, catching an impressive 42 balls for 560 yards and five touchdowns. In his final season, Boyd was sidelined with groin and foot injuries for half of the 2005 season; he finished the year with just 12 receptions for 222 yards.
Trip five: Burl Toler - California
The 23-year-old Golden Bear last played in 2004, when he caught just eight balls for 78 yards. However, in 2003, the 6-2, 190-pounder filled in nicely for the team's 2002 leading ball-catcher, grabbing 48 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns. Reflecting back upon his walk-on performance at California, Toller commented, "My dad said I should never give up; good things can still happen. Making the team was a testament to what my dad had been telling me." Obviously, that advice has stuck with him years later; he is now battling his way towards an NFL career.
Along with seventh-round draft choice, Kevin McMahan, Oakland's receiving corps includes Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, Ronald Curry, Alvis Whitted, Johnnie Morant, and Carlos Francis.
Rest assured, a handful of the above names won't make it into Week One of the regular season.
But, then again, a bit of friendly competition amongst colleagues never hurts.
In fact, it only helps."
Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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