Cablevision sells VOOM to EchoStar

What a drag. VOOM was trying to bring more HDTV to the public, which is a good thing. Still, at only 26,000 subscribers (ouch!) the move was obvious.

Residents swing at change

It's not change that these people are afraid of, it's the seeming finality of it all.

On a personal note, I lived on the Shenandoah golf course for fifteen of my first eighteen years. Shenandoah is a community that formed me (such as I am). My dad is a golfer and my brother and I watched him from our breakfast room picture window as he played the second fairway. I learned how to play on that course and was taught the basics of the sport at the Summer Kid's clinic held by Shenandoah Country Club. Even though I was against the rules, I learned how to ride my bike on the golf cart path. Many friends from childhood - Scott, Jeff, Patrick, Craig, Kendrick, Trey, Kendall, Mike and Brian to name a few - lived with their parents on the golf course and felt as I did as if the course was just an extended part of the back yard. Even our church rectory was headquartered on Shenandoah Avenue for a couple of years, with a chapel that was a closed-in garage, and neighbors attending mass every morning because it was within walking distance. (Sunday mass was actually held in the auditorium of Shenandoah Elementary School...yes, a public school!)

It may seem strange to say that a golf course was the glue that held the neighborhood together, especially one where membership was private, but it's a true statement. The disappearance of that course will render that area just another aging neighborhood.

Heresy case pressed against Kerry, others

The thinking of the plaintiffs must be, if he's still acting like a candidate, we'll push forward.

Manhunt for Amber Alert Kidnap Suspect

Tahnkfully, the 11-year old has been found, alive and safe. Now let's go get this toothless redneck pedophile!

Woman accused of holding sex-and-drug parties for teenage boys

For years I've railed on about "cool mom". Never did I imagine this, but you can see the concept taken to extremes. Anything to not be seen as uptight, right?

Apple, LSU sponsor Nemeaux Xserve cluster

If the BCS had run on a Mac - specifically this system - we'd have none of this co-champion BS.

Woman Gives Birth to 16.7 Pound Baby

Here's the answer to the question on everyone's minds:

"'Obviously the baby was born by Caesarean section,' hospital director Rita Leal said."

This woman has give birth to a three year old!

Woman Makes Groping Allegations Against Bill Cosby

Cos says we shouldn't call women "ho's'". Treating them like one is another matter, possibly.

No judgment call from your humble blogger at this time, just disappointment if not total shock.

Some might say if the charges are true, this woman should consider herself lucky. After all, not many get the honor of being felt up by America's favorite TV dad.

33.5M Tune in for 'American Idol' Debut

Yes, that's an amazing number. Remember, however, that one of the top-rated TV shows of all time is the episode of The Beverly Hillbillies where Granny thought a kangaroo was a giant jackrabbit. Millions of people bought a copy of Vanilla Ice's first album and continue to style their hair like Ice did fifteen years ago - as if that was EVER cool! I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Hell, we've all bought things of dubious quality. So wallow in it today, deny it later and we'll all understand.

Missing Child Abduction Amber Alert Florida 11 Year-Old Boy Kidnapped

Every time I hear an amber alert, I wonder what kind of monsters roam the Earth. I think no sentence can be called justice because of the enormity of the crime committed. Who can put a price on the loss of innocence or the psychological trauma a child goes through for being violated.



This is 11 year-old Adam Kirkkirt, a resident of Marion County, Florida. Seems this child had a daddy who went to prison and met this scumbag:



From the Ameber alert: "Adam may be in the company of Frederick Fretz Jr., and is believed to be in danger. The child was last seen in the 10000 block of Southwest 180th Ave in Dunellon, Florida.

"The child and abductor may be travelling in a white 1993 Chevy Lumina with a temporary tag taped in the left side of the back window.

"Fretz, a known sex offender in Arizona and Pennsylvania, has been roommates with Adam's father, Ivert Kirkirt, who met Fretz in jail in September or October, the sheriff's office said. Fretz would often take the boy to and from school, officials said.

"If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of this Amber Alert Child, Adam, please contact the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 352-732-9111 or the Missing Children Information Clearinghouse at 1-888-FL MISSING (1-888-356-4774) Internet: www.fdle.state.fl.us"

Can the boy's father be charged with accessory to this?

CBS May Use Multi-Anchor Format

Here's an anchor team for ya:

The business of politics

Calhoun the lawyer said to me once, "I find it hard to believe that Jim Bernhard is a committed Democrat. Doesn't he believe in the principles of the free-market economy?" Now, thanks to this article, we know that Bernhard wasn't even a Democrat until 2002. That tells me that Jim is buying influence more than anything.

Actually, Bernhard may be smarter than the rest of us. He knows that the Democrats are the party most likely to throw roadblocks in the way of a big corporation. With Tim Barfield handling the GOP side, who are automaticaly predisposed towards a pro-business climate, Bernhard can moderate the Democrats to keep them from over-taxing, over-litigating and over-regulating his burgeoning empire. Also, being the money man is good for Bernhard because his deep pockets are needed by Democrat politicians.

TV night

This is my TV schedule for tonight...TiVo, work your magic:

6:00 PM - 60 Minutes (CBS)
7:00 PM - The Simpsons (FOX)
7:30 PM - Arrested Development (FOX)
8:00 PM - Desperate Housewives (ABC)
9:00 PM - Boston Legal (ABC)

I ususlly watch NBC's Law and Order:CI and Crossing Jordan and CBS's Cold Case as they air and watch the others on TiVo later. But NBC has the Golen Globes on tonight and I don't do that (two words: Pia Zadora.)

Here's a plotline for ABC: I move in to the Desperate neighborhood and each week I break it off in a different desperadess (except for that red haired bitch. Evil.) Yeah, I'd gladly go through a reattachment outpatient procedure for these broads:

NY Times on the state of Saturday Night Live

Since the venerable NYTimes wants to charge me $2.50 to look at this article, IO thought I'd share this version posted on somebody's message board. It details why SNL sucks.

Lorne's so-called philosophy of "going young" totally contradicts his modus operandi from the "old days". He has said on numerous occasions that the standard which he used to produce the show was "would this be something I would watch?" That's why the first five years and the Carvey-Hartman-Lovitz-Miller era is better tha the Ebersol era: it was comedy by adults for adults of sophisticated tastes. Like alternative music was to the radio, SNL was the TV of choice for smart white 18-49 year olds (the most underserved audience because of the word "smart".) According to Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad's Saturday Night, when Lorne was talking to Brandon Tartikoff about staying on past 1980, he said something like "I'm tired of doing comedy for kids."

I shouldn't critcize "go young" too much. It's a generational thing: baby boomers always wanted to be cool and not turn into their parents. So a clueless Michaels allows an uncool youth element to creep into the show. He's the TV equivalent of "Cool Mom." We know, of course, that Cool Mom and Rad Dad never did their kids any favors.

Who puts the ‘suck’ in ‘success’?

MSNBC chronicles the Top 10 most overrated stars. Lorne Michaels is more of an industry figure, but he's on there thanks to the overrated nature of SNL these days. Last night's show was a good example; SNL is now a show by thirtysomethings for teenagers. The rerun at 4:00 AM was from 1977 with Eric Idle as host. Of course, it was perfomed by the original cast (and crew, it should be said, since not one writer from the old days remains with the show, not even the erstwhile Jim Downey.) Simply, there's no comparison between then and now. The old show still seemed fresh, wild and wickedly biting.

As for the rest of this list, it's typical: Whoopi, Affl;eck, Danza, etc. Shatner sits on the top of this tinseltown tree of the talentless, and rightfully so. Still, his portrayal of Denny Crain on Boston Legal is masterful and he deserved the Emmy he received for it.