"You stay classy… Interwebs."
Have you seen the new DirecTV ad that uses tragically deceased child star Heather O’Rourke to hawk their product? When she died right before Poltergeist III came out, MGM went out of their way to be respectful in their marketing of the film. Apparently DirecTV doesn’t give a shit.
I’m not horribly offended or anything, but this is in poor taste, right?
AG and I are enjoying a nice weekend with my parents. They are visiting from Ohio and we’re all staying at the always-awesome Village Inns of Blowing Rock in, erm… Blowing Rock, NC. It’s our favorite place to stay when we come to the Boone / Blowing Rock area to visit.
They’ve just signed up with a new Wifi provider. It’s one of those deals where you have to log in with a password before you can get online. I chuckled this evening when I logged on and saw this screen.
I like how it’s redirecting me to “The Internet” OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!! How exciting! I’ve always wanted to check out this Internet I’ve heard to much about.
I’m not sure why this strikes me as funny, but it does. It reminds me of when I used to do desktop support at Kenan-Flagler back in the day. Every now and then we’d get a call from one of our users who would exclaim “I need the Internet installed on my machine.”
This usually meant that they needed Netscape installed (this was like 1996, mind you), but we always had a good, geeky laugh together as we pondered how much disk space you’d actually need to store the entire Internet on your computer.
Wow, that was really dorky, wasn’t it? I just read that back and am now regretting sharing that with all of you. Oh well. Too late. 
I just read about this service called Picwing that seems kinda neat. You can send me pictures and they show up on the blog. Peep the Picwing page I set up on the blizzog here for more info. Note that you can get back to it using the Picwing link over on the blog sidebar.
I read the other day that Rock Band will be making its way to the Wii later this year. All I have to say is that if I can’t play this song on it, I’m not buying it.
Much love to Fake Steve Jobs for bringing me to this new level of musical enlightenment. I honor the place where your video-finding skills and my lust for nasty, bad ass, yodel-your-friggin’-face-off Dutch rock become one.
Even though I make my living in web technology and spend a great deal of time online, I’m not what you’d call an online joiner. I belong to a few of the social networking sites so I can see what’s going on, but I don’t really spend a lot of time joining groups or friending people. And while I read a ton of blogs, I rarely comment on them. I just kinda like to soak things in and keep up with the latest dish.
That said, I did two things today that are out of character for this online wallflower, and both showed me firsthand the power of social networks and blogs to impact my every day life. First, I actually bought something from someone on Facebook. I’ll wait here while you make snide comments about the 32-year old guy who has a Facebook account….
…………
Anyway, I bought a Nintendo Wii a few weeks ago after playing with Joel B’s last month in Ohio. It rocks in many ways, not the least of which is that you can download older NES, Super NES, Sega, and Gamecube games through something called the Wii Virtual Console. The only problem is that you often need GameCube controllers to play these older games. I didn’t have a GameCube, so I wanted some controllers.
I found a nice guy on FaceBook from Chapel Hill selling his GameCube system, a game and 4 controllers for a reasonable price. I messaged him to set up the deal, and since I had the day off today I drove to my old stomping grounds in Tha Thrill and bought everything from him. Very cool. We’ll save the sad story of how I’ve been out of UNC for 10 years and how today was move-in day and how old that all made me feel for another time.
Since I was feeling old and lame on my way back to Greensboro from Chapel Hill, I decided to treat myself to a cool lunch. AG and I love sushi, but we haven’t really found a place that we truly dig in the G’boro area. There are some good ones, but none really as good as the places we used to eat in Raleigh, and definitely none as good as when I used to live in DC.
On a lark, I did a quick Google search on my Treo for “best sushi in Greensboro“. The #2 result was from Ed Cone, a local Greensboro writer, prolific blogger, and UNC fan to boot. Back when I used to have a full-on blogroll, Ed was in it. I still keep up with his blog from time to time via my Bloglines account, and have always enjoyed his work.
In Ed’s post he recommended Sushi Republic near UNC-G. I had remembered reading this post some time ago and wanting to try out Sushi Republic, but AG and I have never found our way down there. So I decided to go for it.
Sushi Republic was great, just as Ed advertised. Here’s the cool part. As I’m finishing up my meal and paying the bill, I look down the sushi bar and see none other than Ed Cone himself!
On my way out the door, I introduced myself to him, told him that I enjoyed his blog and that I was actually in Sushi Republic because of his post. I felt like somewhat of a stalker, but Ed was very nice and told me he was glad I had enjoyed my meal. Actually, in linking to Ed’s blog for my post I see that he has already blogged about our encounter this afternoon. Good times.
Anyway, I’m sure to some of you this is all fairly dorky, but I think it’s pretty cool. In many ways, spending time on the computer — and playing Wii - -can be very isolating and make it less likely that you’ll got out into the real world and actually meet new people and do new things. While I certainly go out and do things and meet people, I haven’t really used blogs or social networks as a catalyst for those experiences until today.
And this lifelong online wallflower is happy to report that those experiences were both good ones. It’s made me think more about getting involved with some of the great local blogging groups here in Greensboro. Who knows? Maybe I’ll make some new friends. It’s already netted me a new sushi joint. Thanks, Ed.
The blizzog joins many in mourning the loss of Wake Forest basketball coach Skip Prosser, who died today in his office of an apparent heart attack.
If you read anything about Coach Prosser you’ll find that he was a well-respected man who got into coaching the hard way: through the high school ranks. As opposed to many guys who start their careers as college assistants because they are former alums, Prosser put his time in as a very successful high school coach in Wheeling, West Virginia before working his way through the collegiate ranks. I’ve always thought that was pretty cool.
Wake Forest and the ACC have lost one of the good ones. Thoughts and prayers to Coach Prosser’s family and the extended Wake Forest family. This season won’t be the same without him.
CBS has had it rough lately. Katie Couric has been pounded in the ratings. Dan Rather is piling on every chance he gets. The Eye grossly misjudged the fanbase of Jericho, cancelling the show only to bring it back after pissed off fans sent tons of nuts to the studio headquarters.
If all this wasn’t bad enough, Bob Barker signed off for the final time last week from The Price is Right. Though Bob said it was the right time for him to retire, we’re not so sure that he’s ready to give up the spotlight just yet. With all this in mind, AG and I have an idea about how to do CBS a huge solid and save The CBS Evening News. Ready for this?
Bob Barker and Katie Couric should switch places.
Just like Meredith Viera has done for the syndicated Who Want’s To Be a Millionaire, Katie’s infectious sparkle and enthusiasm would be a great way to carry on the tradition at The Price is Right. We’ll get to see more of that personality that made her famous, a personality that has been all but washed away by the Serious Katie persona she dons each night for the news.
And Bob? Well it’s clear that the CBS news has two big problems: 1.) It’s boring, and 2.) People can’t get used to a woman reading the news for whatever reason. So what better person to replace Katie than someone who is a.) not a chick, and b.) the most beloved figure in TV history?
Bob could reverse that snoozer of a newscast by giving it a little game show magic. CBS could weave the day’s stories into a news-oriented version of The Price is Right. How do you decide which of the top stories gets read first? I think a little game of Plinko would be a fair way to do it. Or what about a segment to determine what the average price of a gallon of gas is in the country today? Perhaps a little Dice Game could help derive the answer. Contestants could bid on the current day’s cost of the Iraq war. As always, the person who was closest to the actual retail price without going over would win.
AG and I think this is the best option CBS has right now, and we can’t wait for them to implement our grand idea by hiring us as programming king and queen. Just imagine how much happier the news will be once Bob is hosting it. Bob will close the telecast with, “That’s all the news for tonight. Don’t forget to help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.” while The Price is Right theme song plays in the background.  And then the announcer says…
“The CBS Evening News, with Bob Barker. A Mark Goodsen television production.”
I like the sound of that.
For all the crap I gave CBS the other day about abusing “One Shining Moment”, I have to give them credit for paying tribute to Jason Ray in this year’s montage. Jason was a Carolina senior who portrayed Rameses, the North Carolina mascot. He died last week, three days after being struck by a car before the team’s NCAA tournament regional semi-final game in New Jersey.
You can’t tell from this screen capture because it’s so grainy, but this clip is not from the NCAA tournament at all. It’s from a game at the Smith Center earlier this season. I can’t think of another instance where CBS has used footage from outside the NCAA tournament for a 1SM montage, so they definitely went out of their way to pay Jason their respects.
By all accounts Jason Ray was a great kid with a bright future ahead of him, and he left us way before his time. I know the university is planning to honor him in several ways in the near future, and I think it’s cool that CBS was thoughtful enough to immortalize him in one of the 1SM montages.
Here’s the YouTube clip I took this from. The shot of Jason is at the 1:18 mark.
”One Shining Moment” is my favorite part of the NCAA Tournament telecast. It is the pumpkin pie after a delicious three-week Thanksgiving feast of great basketball. It is your reward from CBS for enduring countless hours of terrible analysis from Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg, horrid commentary from Billy Packer, 6,784 promos for The Masters, and the exact same commercial for
As I’ve said before, “One Shining Moment” is the best three minutes of the TV sports year, and CBS IS RUINING IT!!!! First, they used snippets of the song for a “How I Met Your Mother” commercial during the first weekend of this year’s tournament. “How I Met Your Mother”?!!! I enjoy the show, but using “One Shining Moment” to promote “How I Met Your Mother” is like cracking open a vintage bottle of wine to celebrate your mail being delivered. It’s crazy.
If that weren’t bad enough, CBS just played a brand new full-length “One Shining Moment” montage with clips from previouus NCAA tournaments. And they played it during the stupid Final Four preview show that no one watches. What a waste.
CBS, don’t you see that you’re overexposing one of your best assets? “One Shining Moment” is special. Literally special, as in exceptional, or rare. And by playing it over and over again you are turning into something ordinary, something expected, something played-out. You’re turning it into the “Black Eyed Peas”.
I know I shouldn’t expect restraint from the network that would broadcast “CSI: Topeka” if there was money in it. But in a time when everything unique and successful in entertainment is sequeled, trilogied, and spun-off into derivative, mindless garbage, I wish CBS would buck the trend and preserve the integrity of televised sports’ signature moment.
It’s called “One Shining Moment” for a reason.
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One Shining Moment
Like I didn’t watch the “Dancing With The Stars” season premiere. And like I don’t have an opinion or two…
Laila Ali scares the shit out of me. That is a big girl. She did a really good job though. The boxing clearly helps her footwork. I could see her going far in the competition.
I don’t think Billy Ray Cyrus is very long for this competition. His performance was terrible. Oh, and Keith Urban called. He wants his entire look back.
The judges saw something in Clyde Drexler that I clearly did not. I thought his performance was pretty poor. He looked like me dancing, and that’s never good.
You know that AG and I are rooting for Joey Fatone of *NYSNC fame. How much freaking money does this guy have? Did you see them interviewing him in his garage with like twenty cars in it? Good times. Joey has a good sense of humor and seems well-matched with his partner. I see him doing well.
Shandi Finnessey is apparently a former Miss USA. Didn’t you expect her to say, “I was Miss USA back before you had to be a coke whore to win.” in her bio? Guess that’s just me. Anyway, her perma-smile is pretty creepy, but not near as creepy as the grill on her partner. That dude is weird. He’s eerily intense. You could tell he was straining to hide his disappointment that their score was so low. I’m pretty sure he’s home right now watching Vision Quest and cutting himself. Or something.
AG cannot get over how weird Leeza Gibbons’ eyebrows look in some of the shots in her bio. Botox, anyone? Check it out next week. It’s really weird.
I like how they list Heather Mills’ occupation as “Chartiy Activist”. Is it the “I’m Screwing a Beatle Out of His Fortune” charity? I guess they couldn’t list her occupation as Golddigger. As much as I can’t stand her, it is still pretty cool to see her dance. I’m really scared that she’s going to fall, or that her leg is going to come flying off and decapitate someone in the audience.
I don’t have an Ian Ziering joke handy, but I’m sure my man Jigga can fill one in here. He actually did pretty well for his first week, but the competition will get harder as the weeks go on. It will be much harder than that time Steve Sanders ___________________________ [insert something cheezy from “90210”]. Seriously.
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