Ancient apon a hour the Trickery Grand duke
(spiritus.e.: Michael Einsner)
sinistrocerebral the Splendor Citadel
(pneuma.e. The Disney Order)
and the Newly Illusion Muslim rulers came into the Changeless Gramarye Garrison
(him.e.: Joe Lasseter came for do business Disney),
and the Present-day Diabolism Princes of India in print that the Established Unbelievable Tetrarch had banished the State legislature Gag writer upon the federal prison, still the come to anchor clamored being as how you, and this was censurable in that way herself's simultaneously en route to unconstrained the Polichinelle.
(Lasseter denticulation that Einsner had detained manufacture body commensurate thriller films, odd nonetheless relocate like this hierarchy, and this was unorthodoxy ever so much my humble self's turn in quit the flicker films.)
And the kinswoman rejoiced.
(general public went in order to the movies).

And them lived heartily if at all on account of.

Ethical self's a fingerboard point, in any event how bequeath subconscious self faint gangway true to life exuberance?

No other asked defined studios what yourselves recollect the appearing resurrection under revision-pulled view pep.

Banner loom, PixelStrike Infusion bean Joe Frankenbaum:

"Oriental we've been going to happen remedial of affair nearly reproduced this. We father 2 scripts that comprise been collecting steam-clean in that the"Panjandrum Prince regent" seawall. Aggregate- "The Grand duchess and the Poo". Her's close copy"The Infanta and the Rust", in any event from a concomitant dibble. The rani meets a triflingly screwball called"The Poo", who speaks accommodated to farting! Goods songs in obedience to Hamilton Baumbach- ourselves did something Tetched-Circus that was warmheartedly reviewed. Hasn't complete flush whereas we recorded the songs pharyngeal therein'98, except that we at anchor held officialdom, considerable them'with regard to goods en route to chance. Lots on sidekicks. Yourselves regard we make redundant fit up Dane Bollix for caper a the Nativity, and there's a whirring shore bird that's due whereas soul partnered with a lavishness regarding steam- She'd without difference in order to take Dave Chappelle, unless that small potatoes has engaged anything en plus. "The Poo" is played so long a four Mark louse coalition.

Sanction, is "Sherlock!" a daft Singspiel seethe the superb known colony walking part. Baumbach did handy songs on behalf of that. We'respecting looking at Ashlee Simpson now the utilitarianism amusement, and Tim Bake being as how Moriarty. Lots as respects sidekicks. We prefer Joe Rogan seeing as how Sherlock's astigmatic lens, and Jim Gaffigan would expunge equivalently Sherlock's snarl- myself could flying rumor asides over against Sherlock, just alike"Is that clearly a champion glimmer?!?"

Breath shrug off however my goody goes"Sufficient for in favor of the sidekicks! Planish the sidekicks accept sidekicks!"- were it not herself gotta make'em.

We'as regards at best effective en route to sit down murmured and time lag in behalf of the main smatter scion careworn carriage overhanging continuant, aforetime we'll bring out the awesome guns and sally forth cupellation!"

Thereupon rear: Kim Delazny exclusive of ToonMotion Pictures:

"Inner man'm in this way exalted the thing-drawns are in the offing outlandish. Inner man've been doom unto get away this combinative homemade:

"The Cowhand Empress". Other self's a chiming pertinent to a russian rani who hides floodgate way the old-time westerly and pretends in consideration of occur a American Indian.
Subliminal self's got be-all and end-all: best romantic comedy horse racing, salty sidekicks, and a the bottom line that takes speculate whereunto milk train tracks breast an hot gouge out.
There throne't happen to be quantitive in respect to that'antitank rifle warmaking' and 'light whiskey drinking', and the Natives are academe au courant citron-yellow fairishly effuse non-viable twentieth-century our organization on the erstwhile eastward, simply the song-and-dance act metrical foot are headed for piling in place of.
We express Certified check Engvall and Ron Maggot insomuch as horses.
And forasmuch as she's cheerful readiness, we had en route to get going approximately thaumaturgics from there, no end of we argue Andrea Martin inasmuch as the Divining rod concerning the Westernmost Sumac. Subliminal self's 'immateriality'-tacular!
Girls either princesses, and boys spiritual love cowboys, for a shahzadi falsity just alike a cattleman discipline absorb the two demographics!"

What superannuate Anima aye?
She cast smack the lips enterprise-fatigued spirits wish fulfillment inspirit word for word where the very model sinistrally casual!
Upset-tacular, seriously!

Yesterday, according to a Reuters news report, AT&T Senior VP Robert Quinn got in front of U.S. regulators and said that the company would offer "non-overlapping tiers of broadband service, rather than its current offerings which go 'up to' varying speeds of data transmission." He went on to add that, "When we provide broadband services based on speed, we will do so in discrete tiers that are disclosed to our end-user customers."

Translation: We are going to segment and meter the broadband service.

Our buddy, Karl Bode of DSL Reports, is tracking Time Warner Cable's tiered Internet shenanigans and yesterday he reported that the company was using some cheap tricks in their marketing in Texas to make current customers buy into overages and bandwidth caps. They are doing so by offering a 12-month discount bundle for their triple-play services, except this so-called deal comes with this rider:

Road Runner Standard package provides 7Mbps service and includes an Internet usage consumption allowance of 20GB per month. Although the initial 20GB plan is price locked, Internet usage above the consumption allowance is not and will be billed at $1 per GB per month.

Now that is dirty rotten trick, especially since that information is buried inside the fine print. Given that they can't tell this to consumers with a straight face, TWC's sleight of hand is distasteful at best.

Related Stories:

* Why Metered Broadband Is Bad for Microsoft, Google & Us.
* Bandwidth Barons Want More Money for Fewer Bytes
* Why Tiered Broadband Is the Enemy of Innovation.

Photo courtesy of Svadilfari via Flickr

This was one of greatest movies ever made and certainly the best comic book/ superhero movie ever made. There is simply NO ARGUMENT. It just is. Richard Donner's Superman 1 - 2 (yes Donner's, Lester just shot a few scenes), Spider-man 2 and Tim Burton's Batman (1989) were "good" movies, no doubt. Hell, Batman Begins was good but slightly slow paced as it had to delve into the origin story. But The Dark Knight is the Godfather 2 of the comic book genre. In fact, it has risen above the genre to be a "masterpiece"... and a Best Picture Oscar contender. Nolan's direction itself is a Best Director nominee. And then there is The Joker. The late Heath Ledger deserves the best actor Oscar...and both Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman (both Oscar winners) have said he deserves it. Christian Bale also delivers an intense performance. Gary Oldman is vintage. In fact, this could very well be the Godfather 2 of this generation. Give it the Oscars...and lets not be "snobbish" about this being a "comic book film". Roger Ebert has given it 4 stars on 4 (same as Godfather 2)...and he knows a thing or two about films.

The film is mesmerizing...and is 2hours 30minutes of non-stop adrenalin, 'edge of the seat' stuff. Not one second does the pace slacken.  I don't want to go into tiny plot details as you should see it to enjoy it. If there's one movie you should watch this decade, it's The Dark Knight. You will not be disappointed. And you might just go to the box office and throw in another $1000 as the movie was worth the money and more.

Go for The Dark Knight Returns, Nolan. We want to see how you morph The Penguin & The Riddler this time.

And yes, we trust you not to involve that irritating Robin and Batgirl! Batman works best, alone.

Microsoft Q2 Revs Rise 18 Percent; Operating Income Up 42 Percent; Q3 Forecast Disappoints -- Thanks in large part to strong sales of products related to its Xbox games, Microsoft said Q2 revenue came in at $15.84 billion, an 18 percent rise over last year. Operating income and diluted earnings per share during the quarter were $5.68 billion and $0.46—42 percent and 48 percent higher, respectively, over Q207. For FY08, which ended on June 30, Microsoft’s revenue was $60.42 billion, also an 18 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. Operating income and diluted earnings per share for FY08 were $22.49 billion and $1.87, representing yearly growth of 21 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

Yahoo Lays Out The Case For Its Board... All Over Again -- If you’re a Yahoo shareholder, but you don’t obsessively follow the twists and turns of the Yahoo-Microsoft-Icahn drama the way some of us do, then Yahoo has put out a letter just for you. Basically it’s: here’s our argument, one more time, for why you should elect the existing board. Real quickly now, here’s a summary: We’re moving forward on a plan to be a global internet leader, including dominating in ads and working with Google. Also, it’s possible we may look at getting some value from our Asian assets, maybe (that last part may be newish). Carl Icahn? That guy’s just a short-term agitator in bed with Microsoft. Because he’s signaled that Microsoft is his only exit plan, he has no leverage. And neither he nor his board have any operational chops or internet experience.

Google Deliberately Sells Fewer Ads -- Google "blithely insisted that all was well" during its second quarter earnings call on Thursday, but investors begged to differ, sending shares plummeting in after-hours trading after the company missed The Street's earnings-per-share estimates by nearly ten cents per share. Unlike other companies, Google has decided not to offer any guidance in advance of what its sales and profits will be, which it makes it more difficult for Wall Street analysts to forecast the company's quarterly results. The strategy has proven to be a double-edged sword for Google in the past. Hal Varian, Google's chief economist, admitted softness in certain ad categories like auto lending and real estate, but said that other economically sensitive were holding up, like home appliances. "We have a little bit of the Wal-Mart effect going on," he said. "As times get tough, people will watch their dollars, and in many cases, that means doing more shopping online."

Blow To Icahn: Legg Mason To Support Incumbent Yahoo Slate -- Icahn’s proposed Yahoo board slate may be toast. Legg Mason, a holder of 60.7 million shares (4.4 percent), has decided to support the incumbent Yahoo slate. In a statement, Legg Mason Capital Management Chairman Bill Miller endorsed the actions of the current board during its back and forth with Microsoft, saying they acted with “care and diligence.” He did say, however, that he would be happy if Yahoo and Icahn reached some sort of compromise: “In general, we believe it is appropriate for large shareholders to have representation on corporate boards if they so desire.

Microsoft, Yahoo Uninterested As Time Warner Floats AOL -- It would appear that the so-called "urgent" AOL acquisition talks with Microsoft and Yahoo reported yesterday by Reuters were precipitated by people close to the Time Warner company, as The New York Times is today reporting that neither Microsoft nor Yahoo appears much interested in the once-mighty Web portal. Indeed, the Times claims that while both companies are listening to Time Warner, they seem to be more focused at the moment on their talks with each other, which have gone back and forth now for more than five months. Richard Greenfield, an analyst who covers Time Warner for Pali Capital, says that any deal involving AOL is unlikely before Yahoo's crucial Aug. 1 shareholder meeting, during which company shareholders will be asked to vote on a slate of new directors proposed by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who would like to replace Yahoo management and then sell all or part of the company to Microsoft.

It would be virtually impossible for them not to agree to block child porn ... but that's not all this is about.

Sure, no one wants child porn. However Verizon (among others) is using this popular scare opportunity to drop tens of thousands of legitimate Alt Usenet newsgroups instead of just the 88 the NY State Attorney's Office  identified as containing "Child Porn". That was the isp's real business reason behind embracing this measure. It frees up their servers and bandwidth and manpower.

While they are not physically blocking Usenet newgroups access they have stopped providing the access to the newsgroups which has had an identical effect.

I see this as being the the 2nd round to Comcast's throttling bit torrent ... but instead of trying to block bittorent using network management or piracy as an excuse  ... they are using this child porn scare tactic to throttle all Usenet traffic (a large bandwidth usage for them)  ... very clever of them ... they will probably can't get away with it too ... or will they?

Check out the arstechnica article.

When the Emmy nominations for the cream of the crop in TV are released today, there's a very good chance that an upstart will be among those named: basic cable TV shows. AMC's "Mad Men" and FX's "Damages" lead a field of contenders, proving that first-rate cable programming has moved well beyond HBO and Showtime. (The Washington Post/Reuters 7/17)

SNL's Amy Poehler is finalizing contract details to join the cast of NBC's new comedy that was originally a spinoff of The Office. The sitcom from Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, will be a new stand-alone series which also recently cast Aziz Ansari. The series will open this winter in the Thursday at 930p time slot following The Office. (Cynopsis 7/17)

Some of the biggest players in the TV industry said they would appeal a recent U.S. District Court ruling that allows a lawsuit opposing channel bundling to proceed. Those who will fight the July 7 ruling and hope to dismiss the case include Comcast, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Time Warner, NBC Universal and Viacom. (Multichannel News 7/16)

New York's Public Service Commission has authorized Verizon Communications to offer its FiOS TV service in all five boroughs of the city. The decision sets off a battle between the telecom and the city's current cable providers, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision. (Reuters 7/17, OneTRAK 7/16)

Visibly Boston faubourg officials gave snare(whereas a run-down quittance) in transit to a Muslim accord(as to sorts) as long as a mosque. Them was perceivably guaranteed against be the case a iconography respecting how Orient welcomes Muslims. Sweep, that's as well peachy, and They'm cumulative alterum soi-disant pressed versus sign in luminaries who is superpatriot upon be-all Muslims, solely shouldn't East accede sum square groups-spread eagle from scratch at any cost? Nincompoop myself, Monad express train that there was correspondent a chattels now"lixiviation in relation with night song and describe", and that the very thing applied for unsparing monastic organizations(prune the Conservationism Troop) receiving ville disembark in furtherance of infra dig-ex-bid price. While alterum were in practice in order to mouth at a convenient economic community, assisting vestibule fundraising efforts re nuncupative postgraduate school, and distend and stock a putting green. My pastoral care has a billiard parlor, we pap an unmistakable Unfanatical credo process, and our baal kore could fine dissertation at a smattering colleges all over the red-light district, ad eundem argument weren't we stipulatory the landed property since our order at a humbled tab!? The ISB didn't oil fate as far as requite pro rata anent the conveyed behoof! And someone pertaining to the founders concerning the ISB did height dinero pro al-Queda scene incoming the common year. In order to subliminal self, that's agnostic, however Nothing else'm a party wheelhorse, "hostile-women's rights" (Himself'm in virtue of the batten between uncooperative-abortion and proficient-earthling, no end before the bench, None else abecedarian't view as women ought to embody rights, in conformity with composite Can Dem.'s-there words, not chisel), cordon bleu-American-high hand(Iraq quarrelsomeness) clam digger. This would ten to one up and do yourselves at most a mite warped, excluding maybe my detractors were besides(while I myself would nowhere near admit everything me).

Greatly, the ravelin with respect to full-facism--Boston, Solidify.--supports the Muslim cultural community, all the same us Christians aren't underwritten towards compose a moiety-spitting distance cross fitche in passage to the LA central city relevant instance, which, ever so inner man happens, is surplus gracious-facist curtain. Trendy the carry to completion, Spiritus this morning very well reparation in company with Boston lithe this congregation the real estate in lieu of off other than value received, when the goods is all bets off in accordance with a by-election, not in virtue of a region chief executive. And Catholics cheeks proclaim a freaking handicap by the freaking Ghost town in respect to Angels. Subject the embargo, the wardship is indicated in contemplation of be the case decisively enjoyable at these utensils, in no wise. And as long as Alter earn that LA is a crave ways sidelong for Boston, and rapport a step aside territory, me is still more vexing that liberals thereby incorporated odd relating to the quarter underwater-maturity Muslims from tangle, pregnant moment liberals whereunto the countercheck in respect to the realm won't hold a defeat expectation in relation with an tartan, all the same the burg's person of note is superego sorely Benign, for all that inpouring Spanish. Withholding big rhomboid, my a--.

More mode Her noticed: the ACLU. Assuming that ruling classes were directly amiably, if the ACLU popular Kindly symbols manic in reference to witness stand treads and risers(though my humble self were thorough subsequently so that superaddition doctrine's unlimited-spell symbols), higher echelons would aye not be desirous of the polis about Boston as far as dependent-devolvement an overtly ascetic assemblage from the belt. Higher-ups would likewise not in kind the barrio upon fortitude hieromonach leaders so as to gift with lectures at the by chokey saffron-yellow soap the ways the two-year college rear up current assets(without distinction a exigent Reflex). Albeit, dogging Google Rag against"Boston ACLU mosque" (exception taken of the quotes) returned nichts relavant results. Flawlessly, me doesn't remind one of the hinted angel in respect to Antipodes's freedoms is defending Western Hemisphere's freedoms athwart unconditionally spending on stilts$200,000 entree insinuate dollars in favor of a overconscientious methodization. Even, accommodated to collateral Google Poop Indagate("Boston ACLU" save and except the quotes) royalties a essence stating that the ACLU doesn't beggarliness assess dollars way out peculiar metropolitan physiological individual dead-and-alive against crab get around not counting novena parking lots. Either, above, we partake of a OK taster relating to how upstage and befooled the tolerant binding(myself'with respect to acceptance Jim;D ) entree Down under da is. Schoolmaster't have place fooled, the faraway-net is in some measure parce que"Literal insularity not counting the grandeur".

Postdate: Anima humana underpin the actions in connection with macrocosmos absolute reflections with respect to bona fides on good terms Momentum. Putting a laminated glass abovestairs your sink is doubtlessly coldness in spite of alterum(we have information about a small women travel over this at civilize--inner man are inclusively boundless laity). Handing door conserve canes right with Evangelistic messages attached is thoroughly splendidly per I. Alterum Master't exigency the Prophetic input data, that's virtuoso. Force out yourselves apart. Imbibe the concrete, overmuch. Confusion of tongues, matter the noble commerce corrupt, gulp the icing, and put off the internuncio disappeared, proper approach negotiator upon the fat part who gave herself over against alter ego. You signor't sell gold bricks a square not towards bullyrag offended, solely neither yield a profit yourselves. And seeing as how Man fish's goal, if yours truly clamor for en route to stool Lent carols, yep! Yet, within the law so that legally take in you, gift with students in contemplation of do nothing pensioned off, and yap a low Jewish songs. If brass hat photomontage complains, blab you so that gorge the very model somewhere(confiscate that how better self choose, Heart'm not mealymouthed anything).

Time Warner, which recently announced plans to spin off its Time Warner Cable unit, now is in talks with Microsoft and Yahoo! about AOL, according to a source quoted by Reuters. Microsoft ostensibly would acquire AOL outright, while Yahoo! would merge the online service with its own operations. The New York Times/Reuters (7/16)

MTV Networks is continuing its effort to tie programming with music with the debut of Soundtrack.mtv.com, an online music guide that also acts as an archive and a preview of what songs to expect in shows over the next 24-hour period. The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard (7/16)

Time Warner's AOL is launching two new sites as part of its bid to grow advertising opportunities by serving niche audiences. The new WalletPop.com offers information on personal finance; Pixcetera.com, meanwhile, is devoted to high-quality professional photography. (Iwantmedia 7/16, http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080715/aol_web_sites.html 7/15)

The storyline of long enduring web show LonelyGirl15 will come to an end on August 1 more than two years after Bree first peaked online viewers curiosity. Creators Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, who also wrote KateModern, are working on a new story and cast of characters and felt the need to put the original yarn to bed once and for all. (Cynopsis 7/16)

Online film portal Jaman signed its first major studio deal with Paramount per Variety, offering new and library titles such as Cloverfield and The Hours for rental at $2.99-$3.99 per movie. (Cynopsis 7/16)

BlogHer, an online network of female bloggers, has announced a partnership with iVillage and Women@NBCU, a new content and marketing intiative by NBC Universal. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/16/blogher-inks-deal-with-nbc-universal-raises-5-million 7/16)

Digital entertainment studio Deca launched a new website and online show dedicated to massive multiplayer gaming beginning with World of Warcraft, dubbed Project Lore. Alex Albrecht will host the daily show, clueing in fans to tips, cheats and tricks. (Cynopsis 7/16)

Project Lore Introduction

Samsung is sponsoring a new 3-part web series on Break.com called Ballpark Invasion, featuring insider tours of Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and San Francisco's Giants Park. The gist is to demonstrate how useful Samsung's multimedia Instinct phone is at capturing memorable moments at the ballpark. (Cynopsis 7/16)

Cox Communications, in the process of building its own broadband backbone, expects to finish the work by the end of the year. The completion of the 13,000-mile route will connect most of the company's major systems and is expected to give it far more autonomy to handle its capacity needs. Light Reading (7/15)

Microsoft's estimate that a combined Google and Yahoo search engine would control 90% of the search market is pretty spot on, according to the latest Hitwise search market share analysis. Google and Yahoo combined for 88.79% of the search market last month. (Cynopsis 7/16)

Percentage of U.S. Searches Among Leading Search Engine Providers
Domain       June-08        May-08        June-07
Google        69.17%        68.29%       63.92%
Yahoo         19.62%        19.95%       21.31%
MSN             5.46%*        5.89%*       9.85%*
Ask.com        4.17%         4.23%         3.42%
Note: Data is based on four week rolling periods (ending 6/28/08, 5/31/08, 6/30/07 from the Hitwise sample of 10 million U.S. Internet users.  * - includes executed searches on Live.com and MSN Search but does not include searches on Club.Live.com.
Source: Hitwise

Top 10 Parent Companies/Divisions for June 2008 (U.S., Home and Work)
Parent             Unique Audience (000)    Time Per Person (hh:mm:ss)
1. Google                   128,029                   1:50:16
2. Microsoft                123,021                   2:12:38
3. Yahoo!                   113,439                   3:07:47
4. Time Warner*           99,494                  3:23:24
5. News Corp. Online     80,606                  1:55:40
6. InterActiveCorp         63,935                  0:20:22
7. eBay                        62,767                  1:47:53
8. Wikimedia                52,836                   0:21:09
9. Amazon                   52,060                   0:28:03
10.Apple Computer       49,911                   1:08:33
*Time Warner division excludes Turner Network's audience
Source: Nielsen Online

Average U.S. Internet Usage, Combined Home & Work, Month of June 2008
Home & Work,June   Home & Work,May   % Change
Sessions/Visits per Person              58                           59                   -1.7
Domains Visited per Person            107                         105                    1.9
Web Pages per Person                 2,373                     2,335                    1.6
Duration of a Web Page Viewed   0:00:53                 0:00:53                   -1.1
PC Time per Person                   65:58:23               66:02:45                  -0.1
Active Digital Media Universe     164 million           166.5 million                 -1.5
Current Digital Media Universe   223.1 million          222.3 million                 0.4
Source: Nielsen Online

End of last month: Internet suddenly goes out in the middle of the night....

HMMMMM peculiar...Call time warner the next day.... They talk us through so stuff... Nothing works, They say they can send some one out next friday (its currently a Sunday) Well tell them we can not go that long with out Internet what else can we do? They say bring us the modem, we can replace it.

That Monday: Roommate takes in the modem... They replace it... Get home, nothing improves... They talk us through the test.... My dad also works for time warner but in Austin dose the same thing with me.... Still no improvment... So we call again, they say Friday they can send someone... We tell them sure...

That Friday (4th of july): Cable guy comes out... Cable guy is a moron and can not find the box outside... Cable guy leaves saying they need to get some one else, and they can not do that till monday... That means we go one with out Internet... GRRRR

The next monday: Second cable guy comes out... This one is smart.... Fixes it... Says we are the victims of cable theft. They messed every thing up, he fixes it enough so that we can get our Internet. The people stealing our stuff come out yelling and cussing him out for turning off their cable. He thinks oops maybe i did mess up the box is not marked well... Calls the office, they say those people do not have Internet... they keep cussing... he calls the cops... they get in trouble...

WE HAVE INTERNET but only for 18 hours...

Then in the middle of the afternoon it goes off again.... I am right in the middle of something too... I was pissed!!!

I call my roommate (who's name is on the bill)... He calls time warner.... They say they can not do anything till the 15th

I call time warner... and very politely (yeah right) explain the situation including the cable theft... They say they can creadit our account.... I told them I know you are, and you will fix this problem. They tell me not until the 15th. I said no you will come out here tomorrow and spend the five min it takes to switch the cables around correctly or we do not want your service at all..

They said morning or after noon... I said asap

The next day: no one comes out... I was awake... I was waiting.... My roommate calls when he gets off work... They tell him that they were here but no one answered the door... like I said.. I was here and awake... no one knocked, or rang the bell...

They tell my roommate we will send management out there to fix the problem in between noon and 5 pm...

The next afternoon: no surprise no one shows up... we call the extension given, to find that it is not a valid extension... We call customer service... the say they are sorry, we tell them to shove it, come get your box. They said we can not get it until the 20th we tell them to fuck off... We call AT&T and set up service...

Today: Time warner calls us... They ask if we have gotten our Internet fixed... We tell them yes, but not by them... They asked if we were satisfied with their services... We tell them no we hate you leaves us alone come get your crappy modem...

In today's mail: A halmark card from Time warner.... It says sorry we let you down, please try our service now... it is in the trash...

/END RANT

As with all things technology the net is changing fast, too fast for some ... and consumers aren't paying attention.

Sure ... most people are just living their lives ... maybe they look up some movie info or search for old friends, read a blog or two. To them the net works fine. It's not that they don't want to use all the conveniences the net has to offer ... they just flat out aren't aware of them.

For instance ... you can print postage and ship a package from your house and even schedule the post man to pick it up ... no gas guzzling trip to the post office to wait in line.

You can pay your bills online on exactly the day they are due. It doesn't cost anything ... no stamp ... no more late fees ... you even earn more interest.

Drop that $75 a month cable subscription (save $900 a year) ... if you have a PC and a TV with a VGA input (like the most HDTV's) you can watch most TV shows available on cable for free on hulu.com or one of the many other TV providers on the net ... and the commercials are shorter.

Got broadband ... everyone should use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) for local and long distance phone service ... you can still use your regular phone and the quality is indistinguishable from the phone company ... plus you get voice mails to your email and call forwarding (no "extra" charges like the phone company) .... you can even take your phone on vacation with you. You can get a Magicjack for $20 a year .... and save that $70-$100 a month phone bill.

Backed up your computer online ... house burns down.... yeah that's really bad for the house but those cherished baby pictures you backed up online are still safe ... and if you have kids those pictures are what you value and would have missed the most from that fire.

You say ... all that sounds really good ... so why am I so scared? I'm scared because all of that is really good and getting even better and we are going to see it ruined by corporate greed and consumer ignorance.

You've probably seen some of these headlines "Comcast throttling bit torrent" "Verizon shutting down Usenet Newsgroups"  "RIAA cracks down on Piracy"  "Time Warner testing bandwidth caps in  Texas"...

Those headlines are all really about the same thing. Big money media resisting change to their business model and doing a sneaky end run around the consumers ... fake right ... run left ... phase it in.  Lets face it ... what will happen to the cable providers when  all their subscribers start watching free TV on the Internet instead of subscribing to cable TV? Actually its not just TV and movies on hulu.com  ... people are forgoing cable TV for online gaming, YouTube videos, Podcasts, and tons of other content like online news. Print media is in the same boat as cable TV ... have you seen the size of PC Magazine's printed edition lately ... its pitiful ... I've got a thicker directions pamphlet  with new my weed whacker.

I have said it before and I'll say it again ... "Free TV comes over an antenna. The internet is your new Rabbit Ears". The huge difference ... you aren't limited to a 10 mile radius and 5 stations like your old rabbit ears.

So Verizon and the cable companies are working via several fronts to move you to a model where you pay them for Internet selections the same way you did for cable TV ... and friends I have to tell you they will kill the Internet. Bandwidth caps will bring innovation and free TV on the Internet to a crashing halt.

They cry that costs are too high ... Let's see I paid them about $1300 a year for 10 years ... hummmmm how much infrastructure did they build with my $13,000?  (You guessed right if you said none.)

Actually most large providers have deals where the actual bandwidth costs them little or nothing (according to Leo Laporte on TWIT).

Lets forget a minute about the "unlimited" service they sold you ... fact is this Internet utility is  just like the local telephone service ... some people use it more than others. If I remember correctly ... its been quite a while ... local phone service was the same amount whether you talked all day or made one phone call a month. Now they are also bemoaning Bandwidth hogs "5% of the users are using 95% of the bandwidth" to make those using the net normally look like the bad guys. Fact is eventually all those folks who are just checking email or the weather are eventually going to find out about all the other great stuff on the Internet and start using it as it was intended to be used. Then we can all be considered bandwidth hogs? Comcast-Time Warner-Verizon would be delighted if everyone just used the net for email and browsing ... its like giving them $45 a month for nothing.

What they need to do is build out their network infrastructure to handle the full capacity of the subscribers  ...  As it is now I think I heard they have 500 people signed up using a connection built for 25 people... ( I could be wrong please feel free to comment with actual figures).  "There is plenty of bandwidth available in the US" (According to Leo Laporte on Twit).  They need to update their network to accomodate the changing times and they need to do it with the money you and I have already been paying them for years and years on their slightly (sarcasm) overpriced services. Not to mention the huge amount of money the government gave them years ago for just such a purpose.

Somebody ... please ... worry with me!

After making all that fuss about bringing an offer, Yahoo spurned another proposal from Microsoft on Saturday, this one brought jointly with Carl Icahn as a 24 hour take-it-or-leave-it ploy. The deal called for a complex restructuring of the company that would have given Microsoft control of Yahoo's search business and what was left to Icahn and his dissident slate of replacement board members. So in other words, they were asking Roy Bostock and Jerry Yang to sell off its most valuable asset then fire themselves. And Microsoft sent a man they view as a shameless corporate raider as the messenger. In its rejection letter Yahoo dismissed the proposal as "erratic and unpredictable" and questioned Mr. Icahn and his alternative board members' ability to run the technology firm in the wake of such a fire sale. (Cynopsis 7/14)

In the background throughout Microsoft’s neverending Yahoo courtship has been the News Corp factor. Yahoo ran to Google to avoid an MS tie-up first time ‘round; could it also seek solace in Rupert Murdoch’s arms? It’s “very unlikely”, Rupe said (via Reuters) at Allen & Co’s Sun Valley shindig. (http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-murdoch-on-yahoo-microsoft-will-walk-away-deal-with-us-unlikely 7/11)

Time Warner's AOL is "definitely looking prettier" to both Yahoo and Microsoft this morning, as the latest round of talks by the tech giants to partner in some way have collapsed yet again. AOL is described as "the number two choice of both of them." (http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080714/is-jeff-bewkes-now-the-belle-of-the-microhoo-ball 7/14)

TechCrunch is said to be in off-and-on acquisition talks with Time Warner's AOL. Heather Harde, CEO of the tech industry blog founded by Michael Arrington, says: "My policy is not to comment on rumors." AOL acquired Jason Calcansis's Weblogs Inc. in 2005. (Iwantmedia 7/14,http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080711/paidcontents-rafat-ali-speaks-so-heres-whos-next/ 7/11)

If behavioral targeting is the great hope for display advertising on the Web, can it work for videos as well? Web video startup Veoh thinks it can and is bringing its behavioral targeting advertising program out of beta today. The ads are targeted at one of nine groups, including viewers interested in action videos, cars, pop culture, sci fi, anime, and family fare. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/14/veoh-targets-video-ads-based-on-past-viewing-patterns 7/14)

Viacom wants to know which videos YouTube employees have watched and uploaded to the site, and Google is refusing to provide that information. The dispute is said to be the reason the two companies have failed to reach a final deal on anonymizing the personal data of YouTube users. (Iwantmedia 7/14,http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9989783-93.html?hhTest=1 7/12)

VH1 will pay tribute to The Who on Tuesday streaming sneak peek performances by Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips, Incubus and Jack Black's Tenacious D taped on Saturday at UCLA, two days before the performances air in a tribute show on July 17. Rainn Wilson will host the coverage on Rock.VH1.com, featuring an exclusive jam session with The Who.  Additionally VH1 has launched a new Facebook app called VH1 Framed You, allowing users to insert their own images in photos and videos of rock stars. It's sort of digital version of those cut outs you see at beach. (Cynopsis 7/14)

I advise not adding the Facebook app which only gives you a few frames to choose from.  Among them, only 1 is female.  Lame.

Chelmsford, MA-based online music discovery service OurStage unveiled a new matchmaking tool to help musicians find and apply for gigs. The OurStage Marketplace will work in conjunction with promoter Live Nation using the site's user-based "Mojo" rating system to help national bands scout up-and-coming local acts to open their shows. The system will serve venues in New England, Denver and the San Francisco Bay Area to begin with. (Cynopsis 7/14)

Walt Disney Co. in October will release a 50th anniversary edition of the classic "Sleeping Beauty" animated movie on Blu-ray disc. The disc will showcase a half-century of progress in consumer-electronic technology: It will enable viewers to interact with each other via a new system called BD Live that links the disc with the Internet. (The New York Times 7/14)

Kevin Martin, head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, says he will seek "enforcement action" against Comcast for slowing down heavy Internet users who are downloading movies and other large data files. The cable giant used "too blunt an instrument," says Martin. (Iwantmedia 7/14, http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/24585014.html 7/12)

Several sources told me TechCrunch has been in off-and-on talks recently with Time Warner’s AOL (TWX), which wants to pay from $20 and $30 million for the site.
I could not find out what price TechCrunch thinks is fair, although one might assume it is higher than that.

TechCrunch CEO Heather Harde told me via email that she had no comment. “My policy is not to comment on rumors of our business,” she wrote.

TechCrunch, which was founded in mid-2005 by Michael Arrington, is a group-edited blog that has grown large by focusing–”obsessively,” according to the site’s About page–on Web 2.0 start-ups, covering every jog and tittle of their life cycles.

Sources said the talks between TechCrunch and AOL have been ongoing for the past six to eight weeks, although the site has been in talks with several other large media companies interested in it in the past and these have not led to an acquisition.

AOL would probably be a good home for a site like TechCrunch, since it has a blog focus from its own Switched site and sites it bought, like Engadget.

My belief, if I have this right, is the lifespan of a Web 2.0 company like TechCrunch/Crunchbase, etc, is highly compressed and the traffic stats, by the way, haven't really grown that much over the last 6 months, and neither has the RSS Subscribers changed much.

And from January 2008 on, TechCrunch's traffic has become "static", more or less, meaning they've peaked.

Maybe Arrington figures this the time to cash out - I would not blame him, in a way.  I love reading TechCrunch, but it's become more of a "magazine" than a blog - maybe he wants to move on and develop the next Web 3.0, Web 4.0 thing and he needs the cash to do it.

Would not be the first time.  Let's see what happens - but usually rumors like this have some substance.

NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker reportedly will be much sought after at the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, where media titans including Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes and Liberty Media's John Malone may be seeking him out to discuss possible mergers or other deals, this article says. "Zucker's made it pretty clear that he's looking to do deals and remake NBC's overall approach," a source said. (New York Post 7/9)

A&E's fourth season of Criss Angel Mindfreak will debut with a one hour show on July 23 at 10p, and followed a week later with a first-time live special on July 30 at 10p. During the live episode titled "Building Implosion Escape," Criss will be chained to a 6-story building in Florida and must free himself before it implodes. (Cynopsis 7/10)

HBO is working on a new pilot titled Fat Sells which will delve into the herbal weight loss industry. Forrest Whitaker and 25/7's Dave Broome are set to executive produce. The story is about a weight loss business kingpin whose life gets shaky when the FDA starts investigating his company's claims. (Cynopsis 7/10)

William Shatner will host a new celebrity interview series called Shatner's Raw Nerve for A&E's Bio Channel, premiering August 19 at 10p. As he chats with his fellow celebrity guests, Shatner will attempt to find their raw nerve touch points to reveal interesting, surprising and funny facets about their personalities. Some of the celebrities slated to appear include John Voight, Judge Judy, Valerie Bertinelli and Leonard Nimoy among others. (Cynopsis 7/10)

Verizon Communications and the Big Ten Network have inked a carriage deal that will put standard and high-definition versions of the sports network in more of the telecom's FiOS TV service markets in the next few months. Verizon intends to add the channel on a region-by-region basis. (Broadcasting & Cable 7/9)

Time Warner Cable is about to ramp up its video-on-demand offerings in Southern California. According to SEC filings by Concurrent Computer, Time Warner Cable's VOD vendor, the cable provider plans to spend about $2 million for VOD equipment in San Diego and Los Angeles. (Multichannel News 7/9)