August 22, 2006 >>>

Maybe it was Sweeps Week?

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from CNN.com:

Porn broadcast stuns news viewers

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Sweden's state broadcaster SVT on Monday faced ridicule for mistakenly showing a porn movie in the background of a news broadcast over the weekend.

Viewers of a 5-minute news update at midnight Saturday could see explicit scenes from a Czech porn movie on a TV screen behind news anchor Peter Dahlgren.

The monitor -- one of many on the wall of a control room visible behind the studio -- normally shows other news channels during broadcasts.

But staffers who earlier in the evening had watched a sports event on cable channel Canal Plus -- which often shows X-rated films after midnight -- had forgotten to switch it back, said news director Per Yng.


Imagine if that happened on The Situation Room... I think poor Wolf Blitzer would have a heart attack ;)

posted by on August 22, 2006 at 12:33 PM

August 15, 2006 >>>

Vindication!

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as seen on Slate today:

SUVs for Hippies? Hummer courts the tofu set.
By Seth Stevenson

While the vehicles have grown less imposing over time, the brand's reputation hasn't quite kept pace. According to Hummer spokeswoman Dayna Hart, there was a sense among Hummer's marketing brain trust that the brand felt "expensive, too big, and out of reach" for many consumers. What's more, recent Hummer ads have been a little lofty: They've featured cool visuals of the trucks romping through dramatic landscapes but have lacked everyday scenes of people enjoying their Hummers.

Enter this new H3 ad, which tries to make the brand feel a bit less intimidating. It shows an ordinary dude (and not, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger) going to a Hummer dealership, making a purchase, and driving out in a new truck. Which may seem basic, but showing the transaction (and portraying it as lightning-quick and painless—the guy points at a Hummer on the showroom floor, and a moment later he's the proud owner) helps make the H3 seem more like a realistic option and less like a blingtastic pipe dream. And the text that appears at the end of the ad touts the truck's 20-miles-per-gallon performance and its $29,500 price tag, which further drags the brand back toward the sphere of affordability and normalcy.

Hart says the spot aims to make the H3 a more "approachable vehicle that will appeal to introverts, extroverts, vegans, and carnivores." She's right that we wouldn't expect a tofu eater to buy a Hummer. But at the same time, the spot reinforces the central, classic stereotype about Hummer drivers: They buy big cars because they have small … egos.


Read More

posted by on August 15, 2006 at 5:25 PM

August 09, 2006 >>>

Movin' on up...again.

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I just found out that my roommate wants to move out on his own after our lease is up next month. So I am going to make a list of the positives b/c anyone who knows me understands that I'm not a live-aloner and am finding my already heading towards danger panic zone #1.

  • I gave up almost all my furniture when I moved to Denver, so my living room will only be populated by a TV on a dressed and an overstuffed chair.
  • I have the opportunity to find somewhere with a balcony - a major necessity.
  • Maybe I'll have an apartment and the kitchen will actually be big enough to fit glasses and pots in the cupboards.
  • I can take baths as much as I want.
  • Naked time
  • My kitchen, my way.
That's all I got, I'm stressed out. It'll be fine. I will be 26 month. On the other hand the new Animaniacs DVD is #1 on my gift wish list. *sigh*

posted by on August 09, 2006 at 8:03 PM

August 06, 2006 >>>

Kolaches!

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My sister bought me these kolaches yesterday as a thank you gift. I thought I'd post a picture of them since we've discussed our collective love of kolaches on the show before, and I think some of our listeners might not understand what this Czech delicacy is all about. And also because this weekend is Czech Fest in Nebraska's Czech Capital. Bon Appetit!

Update: according to the newspaper, there is a kolache-eating contest at Czech Fest. Why was I not informed? I'd better start practicing for next year ;)

posted by on August 06, 2006 at 7:50 AM