The classic film Godfather has been made into a video game and will be released in the fall. Director of the film, Francis Ford Coppola, wasn’t very pleased with the news.
“I knew nothing about it. They never asked me if I thought it was a good idea,” he told The New York Post. “I had absolutely nothing to do with the game and I disapprove. I think it’s a misuse of film.”
It is an ongoing trend that something successful is copied and repackaged for further financial gain. Coppola’s crusade in trying to keep his name off the project has been met with approval with filmgoers. They too believe the film should not be touched by the video game industry.
It is amazing how much people will fight and defend their choice of computer. PC owners as well as Mac owners, if moderately educated, can name a thousand reasons and hold many debates on why their computer is easier or better.
The battle between proponents of Macintosh and IBM PC computers has for many years resembled a religious war, and as in all religious wars, much of the rhetoric has been driven more by ignorance than knowledge.
Steer clear of PC bigots and Mac bigots who use jargon: “Only PCs support true pre-emptive multitasking and multiple processors.” “Only Macs have dual- channel SCSI for fast disk arrays.” These techie issues are irrelevant for most users; in any event both systems will offer all these features in the coming months.
So, how can we really know which is the best? The world may never know.
In Canada your number is who you are.
Canadian mobile phone companies have agreed to let customers who change service providers to keep their phone numbers
Almost every one, from Grandma to your three year old nephew, has a cell phone these days. Some chose to have cell phones rather than home phone lines. Most cell phone owners like to switch plans for better deals and other situations but they most forfeit their phone number.
As it now stands, customers who change mobile phone companies are forced to change numbers, discouraging many from shopping around.
But under the proposed changes, customers will be allowed to keep the same phone number when changing service providers within the same local service area.
Celebrities are looked at as public figures probably as much, if not more, as politicians. Blogs are now becoming an indestructible source for celebrities to voice their ideas, words and opinions.
Political commentator Arianna Huffington will launch a news and opinion Web site next month including blogs written by more than 200 celebrities and leaders such as retired journalist Walter Cronkite, writer David Mamet and billionaire Barry Diller, CEO of IAC InterActive Corp. California (AP)
The site will not edit or censor opinions. Participants will include “Seinfeld” creator Larry David, Viacom Inc. co-president Tom Freston, former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart, DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen, director Rob Reiner, cable talk show host Bill Maher and actor John Cusack.
The “No Late Fees” lawsuit has finally come to close.
Attorney General Bill Lockyer’s office announced this week that Blockbuster Inc. has settled over allegations that Blockbuster misled consumers in advertising its “No Late Fees” program.
Blockbuster’s lack of communication in its commercials and other advertising had its costumers believing they could keep the rental as long as they want, which is not the case. There are still due dates but costumers can keep the rental seven days after that due date without any fees. Once it reaches the eighth day Blockbuster charges the account or the costumer’s credit card the price of the rental. If the rental is returned within thirty days after the seven days is up, Blockbuster gives a ‘refund’ minus a $1.25 restocking fee. Costumers, who weren’t notified or given any details about the new policy, would find they owed money for something they thought would save them money.
Blockbuster is required to give refunds to all those who have been charged fees under the “No Late Fee” program.
The popular Playstation 2 will soon have a mini-me when Sony releases the PSP (Playstation Portable) on Thursday. This hand held devise will be able to play music, movies and of course play video games. The graphics and resolution are said to be outstanding and our hunger for small handheld forms of entertainment will be fueled—to those who can afford and are willing to spend more than $250 on the new technology.
After an extremely successful product launch in Japan, Sony is about to hit the United States with a miniature marvel of engineering that promises to revolutionize the way people amuse themselves while on airplanes, in waiting rooms, or simply walking down the street.
For more information and details on the PSP visit the official site.
For those of us not looking forward to the heartbreak and the financial gridlock of going through a divorce, there is now an easier way—the internet. More and more online sites are offering unhappy couples a way to rid themselves of each other in a cheaper and friendlier way.
An ever-growing array of dot-coms, computer-savvy lawyers and state court officials are encouraging unhappily married Americans to arrange their breakups online.
For fees ranging from $50 to $300 - a small fraction of what most lawyers charge even for an uncontested divorce - couples are being provided with the appropriate forms and varying degrees of help completing them.
Many clients may still have to appear in court, but - in theory, at least - they will have all required paperwork with them and will be able to represent themselves.
It will be interesting to see how the divorce rate will change with this new phenomenon.
Hunter S. Thompson, who was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 1998 film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” has killed himself.
Hunter Stockton Thompson, who coined the term “gonzo journalism” to describe the unique and furiously personal approach to reportage exemplified in his 1972 book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” died Sunday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Denver Post
Thompson was known for his unique form of journalism and drug use.
They had it coming. Dan Rather, Jeff Gannon and Eason Jordan are a few examples of the power of the blog. Katherine Q. Seelye of the New York Times summerizes:
In September, conservative bloggers exposed flaws in a report by Dan Rather; he subsequently announced that on March 9 he would step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News.” On Friday, after nearly two weeks of intensifying pressure on the Internet, Eason Jordan, the chief news executive at CNN, abruptly resigned after being besieged by the online community. Morever, last week liberal bloggers forced a sketchily credentialed White House reporter to quit his post.
These men have been greatly effected by the pseudo journalistic views that are found on the thousands of blog sites. The Internet will keep gaining more power in the voice of media as the stories keep surfacing because of its unique characteristics. Media is powerful in itself but what sets the internet apart from all others is its lack of control. A lack of control may seem to have negative connotations but in this case a form of chaos works for the positive. Television, radio and most newspapers are all controlled by a censoring agent of some type that tells them what is and what is not appropriate. They use bias to manipulate or reject a story to protect their personal cause. There are many factors of influence. What the internet and the blog sites offer is the entire spectrum of personal beliefs be it liberal or conservative, he said she said. Some news channels on television claim they are none biased but there’s really no why of knowing. More and more the general public is becoming aware of the corruptness of the media industries and don’t know who to trust. The internet, as a whole, can be classified as a none biased entity because it offers every possible angle; even though it’s written by thousands of different people. The reader has the ability to access every point of view. It’s the marketplace of ideas at its best in that it’s infinite. Readers are turning towards the internet blogs for news because they know its raw material they are reading. Matt Drudge got his following from the public’s desire for the truth even though it seems to be gossip. When Drudge talked to the National Press Club, which can be read on frontpagemag.com, he stated that ‘all truths begin as hearsay…and some of the best news stories start in gossip.’ The truth will surface regardless to who is reporting-journalism degree or not.
After weeks and weeks of the buyout war between Blockbuster and Hollywood video, Blockbuster is feeling the pressure. Movie Gallery is said to be in partnership with Hollywood video to become a better competitor against the Blockbuster gaint.
Blockbuster said the company known for “no more late fees” is “disappointed” that Hollywood might do the deal with Movie Gallery “without giving Blockbuster a fair opportunity to participate in the auction process.”
Blockbuster is still considering what its bid might be. If it breaks up the transaction, Blockbuster would have to pay a termination fee expected to be over $27 million.
It doesn’t seem that any of these companies will back down any time soon.