I love Hulu. Yeah, I know, I’ve said it alot. I don’t bother with cable, I get all my content online. It’s a good place to be (and is cheaper than paying cable and Internet bills, IMHO).

Google Labs is always coming out with something cool and new (if ONLY they had the same stuff for my google apps paid account!) and now my favorite video site has a “labs” offering too.

So if you want to go check it out, you can play around in Hulu’s Lab too!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a rant. So, if you want kindness or technical assistance this is not the post for you (use the search box to find a less angsty post on the topic of your choice.)

If you like a good rant… you are in luck!

I have my roots in media. One of my most enjoyable, challenging and rewarding professional stints was as a reporter and later as a managing editor of a small newspaper. I ponder that time of my life fondly now (in my dotage) and wonder at the amount of energy I had to do all that way back when. Gee what I wouldn’t give for some… even just a little of that now!

Today, the written word is my favorite tool and past time and passion. I think it always will be.

But what I see in the media now absolutely curls my toes (and not in a good way!) There is no relationship between truth and what is written in the mainstream publications. Particular offenders are local newspapers and television newscasts.

Larger papers, assumed to be more reserved with stories more carefully crafted and with a team of fact-checkers on staff, are now slinging sensationalism too. It used to be that I avoided even looking at the “weekly” rags at the checkout line at the grocery store. I’ve NEVER purchased one (nor do I ever intend to). But today, even the local papers use those same reporting “techniques.”

If I had been the editor when some of the recent news stories were submitted, some reporting “heads” would have rolled. I would have benched them or fired them. Period. There’s not even a half-hearted attempt to get facts right in “news” stories…even to the point of the basics (who, what, where, when, how)… even THESE they get wrong.

As far as reporting voice and tone — it’s more like a Stephen King novel than a report. A reporter, people, is supposed to REPORT — hence the name. Capture the reader with your headline, sure, but tell the facts in an unbiased and well researched way in the body.

There, I said it.

A writer of FICTION gets to make it up and “fill in the blanks” between the missing bits of reality strung together for entertainment purposes. This type of writing is not reporting. See the difference?  If you have an opinion, it belongs on the OP/ED page — not on the front page.

If you must create stories (which isn’t a bad thing… at all… so long as you don’t try to pass it off as truth) — then write fiction. As a fiction writer, you can play free and easy with the facts as much as you like. It hurts no one. It’s not unethical or immoral then. Then, it’s properly seen as entertainment. Then it’s fun.

And if you are an news editor, and you are letting this half-baked crap be sent to the press you should be ashamed. Where are the Publishers, to fire the editors who don’t fire the reporters for this shameful work product?

Does life not have enough real drama? Must more be created by our “news” outlets? Are the traditional, once respectable, news venues so desperate to hang on financially that they have sold out their rightful role as the watchdog of our society just to sell a few more papers? Are the continuing education classes for journalists now being sponsored by The Enquirer?

How disgusting I find it all.

I hope that an expanded play list will be added to this great new resource for those iPhones and iPod Touch models availing themselves of the use of a wi-fi connection.

Hollywood Pocket is a website offering Quicktime movies that download and play beautifully straight from the website. The selection is rather small now, but I hope it will grow.

This resource is a great example of what could be done with the the wi-fi access of these pocket devices. Since I get most of my television shows from the Internet these days (through Hulu usually or straight from the TV websites), I’d love to see iPhone-friendly layouts for those.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to cruise to the latest episode of Bones or Life or Gossip Girl (yeah I watch it, so sue me), or a dozen other great options — all on my iPhone?

If the idea is to increase viewership, I’d hope that one of the executives realizes that there are some of us who would not only use the service, but would wax poetic about it if it were available.

In the meantime, check out Hollywood Pocket and see what (I hope) the future will hold.

Kentucky Governor, Steve Beshear --gives orders to swipe domain names

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s Office recently seized 141 domain names belonging to Internet gambling sites. Those names have been transferred, by court order, to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The DNS information was ordered to stay the same while the court case was being resolved.

There was an outcry this week in a Press Release I received this week by Jim Waters of BIPPS — the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions:

For Immediate Release
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008

Contact: Jim Waters

270-782-2140

High-tech hijacking: Web site domain names seized, Internet freedom threatened

(Frankfort, Kentucky) – The Commonwealth of Kentucky has taken unprecedented legal action by seizing more than 140 Web site domain names belonging to online gambling sites.

Due to the dangerous and far-reaching implications of this high-tech hijacking, the Bluegrass Institute will hold an emergency summit in Frankfort on Monday, Oct. 6. Timing is critical as the next legal hearing on this issue takes place the following morning, Oct. 7, before the Franklin County Circuit Court.

The Bluegrass Institute urges anyone with an interest in protecting Internet freedom to join us in protest against this egregious action. While the primary focus in this legal matter is online poker, the ramifications extend much farther into the entire realm of online commerce.

This radical approach is disturbing for many reasons. Chief among them is the concept that domain names of Internet sites operating legally in their home nations can be seized by other nations for violation of local laws. This should be of concern to all Americans. If Kentucky is successful, a very dangerous precedent will be set.

The Bluegrass Institute will be joined by several other groups who stand in opposition to Kentucky’s actions. They include the Internet Commerce Association; Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association; Americans for Tax Reform; The Poker Players Alliance and many others who continue to join with this cause.

We will convene a panel discussion on a range of topics requiring immediate action. The meeting is open to the public and all participants will be available for media comment.

The summit will take place at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort (405 Wilkinson Blvd, Frankfort, KY 40601) at 1 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, Oct. 6. Please RSVP to Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute at 270-782-2140 or jwaters@bipps.org.

Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
400 E. Main Ave. Suite 306
Bowling Green, KY 42102
www.bipps.org

The court, on October 7th, decided to rule on the case next week, on October 15th. I anxiously await this historic ruling. I can only hope that (as a small Internet business entrepreneur), that my state fails miserably to make this action stick. I’m honestly appalled that they would even try. What a month to be a Kentuckian!

Learn more about this topic here:

DomainNameNews.com

NewsFeedResearcher.com

I have been listening to Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac Podcast for over a year now, but I’ve never shared that information. I find that when I’m looking for some “writerly” inspiration, it’s a perfect springboard.

The podcast is only a few minutes long – I keep about 6 months worth on my iPhone at all times. It’s not a daily offering, but it’s close to daily. It usually gives a couple of fantastic quotes, a biography of a writer and sometimes even a short poem.

If you would like something interesting to listen to on your way to work, or when standing in line waiting, check it out on iTunes. It’s supported through brief advertising statements at the beginning/end and is brought to us by American Public Media. (You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by visiting The Writer’s Almanac Website.)

Worthwhile way to spend a few minutes each day.

Best of Craigslist – amusing, but seldom rated “G” — it’s a wonderful place to waste some of your life and get a few chuckles (or nod in silent knowing — depending on your own life experiences.)

The writer’s strike resulted in “Black Monday” last week during which the major studios fired many of the best writers, producers, etc. in the entertainment industry. I don’t really watch public television, but I do purchase the shows I like, via iTunes, and the selection has been pretty slim and the episodes pretty strangely spaced and noticeably off since the strike ensued.

I don’t like it. I don’t like it because it messes with my fun, but primarily I don’t like it because this guarantees an abundance of default consumption of the stupidest stuff to ever hit the tube: Reality TV.

How does reality TV suck? Let me count the ways… (more…)

Ironically, after contemplating the cost of my decisions up to this point in my life today… I saw this video of a little guy willing to give anything for his dream.

(Today, my baby turned 10 years old, so I am a bit melancholy and feeling a bit older than usual. It’s one of those “I’m-old-and-I’ve-not-accomplished-enough” days.)

The video was too cute not to watch, and so sad it brought tears to my eyes. (Sometimes I think we pay too dearly for our dreams.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0G9vDKcdLg&feature=related

Nobel or stupid? Hard to say, isn’t it? Check it out for yourself.

*sniff*

The “new” media approach to self-publishing multimedia on the web is doing more in the political arena of late. This one, highly questionable presentation IMHO, has struck a cord on the web by using sex to sell the candidate. It’s produced by BarelyPolitical.com and is cute, albeit bothersome.

http://www.youtube.com/v/wKsoXHYICqU

And you thought Apple’s iPod had great fan-created multi-media stuff!

Kimberly Thomas-Catanzaro (a peer professional who specializes in bookkeeping) recently sent me a note on a new productivity product (currently in public beta) that I think would be quite a boon for most real estate folks.

I’m going to be testing it over the next few days myself as a way to keep up with expenses. (I’m always out — and usually driving — when I think “oh, I should record this before I forget it.”) I always have my cell phone and can’t drive and use my tablet at the same time — at least not very well or very safely. (more…)

Ok, as if it’s not cool enough to have found the Open Clip Art Library, I’ve found a search tool for it that’s not only useful, it’s actually FUN!

Check out this “sketch it and we will match it” search tool for the open source image library. Just pick the color you are seeking and draw a really quick sketch on the black box (this is easier if you have a Tablet PC) and watch it do an auto-magic search. Even if you are a lousy artist like me, you get cool results.

Take it for a spin, and then tip-toe over to the open source font library — if you have enough space left on your hard drive to become a collector. I’m feeling a new external hard drive purchase coming on!

After being extremely pleased with the results of using ChatterBug for my long distance, I’ve hit a brick wall. Last week, while I was still in Florida, the service went down. The company sent out an email offering an alternate 800 number to use to place calls.

This meant an additional step, but I was ok with that because 1.) I wasn’t using the service at the moment and 2.) Contacting me with a word-around is great customer service. Things happen, I get that. I’m ok with a temporary work around for snafus.

However, it’s now Tuesday and the service still isn’t working — and neither is the “work around” 800 number. They don’t even offer the opportunity to leave a message today either (I left one yesterday). Now, they have a recording saying that the service is down, that they have no idea when it will be restored and that I should continue to call back because they will update the recording as things change…

(more…)

I really enjoyed this spoof from the National Conference on Media Reform, and I wanted to share it with those of you who were unable to attend. I’m not really fond of our President, but I enjoyed THIS appearance…

Last night, I saw Geena Davis. Cool enough all by itself, but I found her to be an impressive speaker with an interesting message. I’ve never been much of a feminist — perhaps because I live in a time and in a country where I can do mostly what I want without worry.

But she made me think about a few things. About how women are portrayed to our children. As the mother of a 9-year-old, this rang a little more loudly than it may have otherwise. Her examples were matter-of-fact, entertaining, engaging and leave me still thinking about it this morning. For instance…She compared the cartoon “females” available to her growing up. Since we are approximately the same age, I can relate to all of them. One of the ones that stood out most was Smurfette. The ONE female in the 100 male-group of Smurfs. Initially ugly, and created by the enemy to bring down all the Smurfs (isn’t that nice?), Papa Smurf reworked her by plastic “smurfery” and she became a blond bombshell adored by all the boys. Hmmmm.

She talked about the “mysterious dead mother syndrome” wherein many films dealt with women by killing them off before the story started. Think The Rifleman, Bonanza, and even Nemo.

She mentioned that Loony-Tunes had one long-term woman. Granny. Davis explained, that she was the one who “owned Tweety bird and had to leave so the story could begin.” Interesting, I thought.

Then her other examples really hit home for me. She talked about Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie and Star Trek. Now, these first two shows were my childhood favorites — and as she pointed out they were about two powerful women who “sat on their powers for fear of pissing off their men.” I liked Star Trek too, and the only recurring female character there, Lt. Uhura (sp?) was “a glorified telephone secretary.”

On my own, I started thinking about the other women in Star Trek — all foils for Captain Kirk’s sexual foibles. Hmmmm.

Yes, I realized, she was right. There was a serious lack of female role models in TV when we were growing up. No wonder I was a tomboy and always “play acted” the male roles. Geena Davis did the same thing. (That’s comforting.)

What surprised me was that the disparity is still with us. Her not-for-profit www.SeeJane.org did the largest study ever done of G-rated movies and found that 3 out of 4 characters are male — even today! SeeJane is currently undertaking a study of TV shows and will be doing a study of PG-13 movies soon.

She ended by stating her goals:

• Work with the industry to close this gap and dramatically increase the number of female characters
• Create a public education/awareness campaign
• Reduce the gender stereotypes

She hopes in five years that reviewers will notice if there is only one woman in a movie and will make a note of the fact.

Davis ended the presentation with a few facts about our current political system. She said that we are 68th in the world for females in our government and that if we continue to add women at the current rate to public office, we will reach parity in 500 years. Davis said, “I think that’s too long.”

It was an excellent presentation. And I, for one, will now notice this when I see a movie.

technorati tags: Geena+Davis, SeeJane.org, See+Jane, Media+reform, women+in+media, NCMR2007

I’ll bet that, by now, you wish you had come to the conference. If you would like the “next best thing to being there” you may want to consider “tuning in” for streaming video…

If you are interested in seeing the evening’s conference event via streaming video, go here.

In addition you can get more information about the events, view photos and voice recordings by vising the main site: http://www.freepress.net/conference/.

You can also peek at a slew of photos from everyone at the conference posted at Flickr.

Enjoy! I’m headed to the conference center now to watch in person!

technorati tags: NCMR2007, , streaming+video, National, Conference, on, Media, Reform

I thoroughly enjoyed the session with the FCC commissioners. I genuinely related to these individuals in the panel presentation and Q&A format in the morning session. And I wasn’t alone. During one of the responses by Copps, I heard a female voice behind me say, “I love this guy, can we hang out with him?”

I couldn’t agree more. I’d love the opportunity to have lunch with these three individuals. Pro-public access, openly vocal about the problems with the current system — even the FCC itself — they are endearingly honest and openly frustrated… and yet they keep working.

(more…)

This morning, I picked up the news releases on the presentations last night by FCC Commissioners Michael J. Copps and Jonathan Adelstein.

Since these releases have the full body of the speeches that the two made at the National Conference on Media Reform event, I thought I’d share it with those of you who are interested, but were unable to attend the conference.

(more…)

When I returned from my blogging lunch (in comparison to a working lunch), I attended a speech by the Rev. Jesse Jackson. I’d just managed to wrap my mind around what I could do as a single person for this cause when he urged the audience to “light a match” explaining that in a room of darkness, a single match throws out alot of light.

I must agree…

In an effort to light my own match, I started working to gather more effective tools I need to explain the issues to my own “sphere of influence” when I return from Memphis.

During a later afternoon session on Net Neutrality, I had the opportunity to talk briefly with Tim Wu (probable author of the term “Net Neutrality”), professor of law at Stanford and proponent of Net Neutrality.

(more…)

This conference is one of the most diverse I’ve ever attended. People from all walks of life, of all ages, with a variety of agendas andinterests have converged in Memphis, Tennessee this weekend. I see what my sister described as “crunchy” folks — the granola crowd — when she accompanied me to my registration the night before the event. I’m not sure where I fit in her definition. I think I’m a bit “crunchy” from time to time myself.

I also see corporate suits (although these are in the minority) and everything in between. There are college students and retirees. There are concerned citizens and executive directors, some are here as activists, some have come to become educated on what’s at risk — there are women and men from all over.

This is also one of the most diverse groups from a technology standpoint. Some people are concerned most with the traditional media outlets, but there is an amazingly high percentage of wired participants. Wall outlets are in high demand. I’ve never attended a conference where so many members of the audience are “connected” during the presentations.

There are over 3000 people in attendance and “diversity” is certainly the best word to describe this conference on all levels.

technorati tags: Memphis, NCMR2007, National, Conference, Media, Reform