Martha Stewart, Artie Lange Suicide Attempt, Jeff Gluck, SGU and BSG

Today's edition looks at the cast of SURVIVOR announced, Artie Lange's sad story, the rediculous amount of money that a Kardashian gets per tweet, who Jillian Michaels called a monkey, STARGATE UNIVERSE season 2 news, and a few other things!  Have at!

• Martha Stewart Show for 1-8 Dedicated to Yoga
• CBS Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains Cast Announced
• Artie Lange in Rumored Suicide Attempt
• A Bit About Jeff Gluck, NASCAR Fan Power & Twitter
• Kardashian Twitter Lawsuit & Stupid Huge Tweet Fees
• NASCAR Bits & Pieces 2010 Predictions
• Biggest Loser Jillian Michaels Gets Some Heat
• NASCAR Promotes From Within
• NASCAR Media Group Finds New Business, Making Petty Movie
• Stargate Universe, Season 2 Confirmed
• EA Pulling Server Support for Some Online Games, Like NASCAR
• Netflix and Warner Bros. Add Delay to New Rentals [Consumer]
• Battlestar Galactica: The Plan Airs this Sunday on Syfy 1-10-10
• Dave Moody Reports Kenny Schrader in the Shootout!

 

Rotten Tomatoes Sold, JMS News, Dr Who Review, Bay Area High Speed Rail Noise, The Bachelor and More

Here's the latest on the new website I have, my last, latest and greatest effort to break the rules and keep you informed!

• RottenTomatoes Movie Site Has Been Sold  [Cinema Static]
• Rick Fox to Guest on Dollhouse  [Cinema Static]
• J. Michael Straczynski News, Forbidden Planet Update  [Cinema Static]
• Doctor Who: The End of Time – A Cinema Static Review  [Cinema Static]
• Biggest Loser: Bigger Concerns  [Cinema Static]
• NASCAR Reporters Cut As NASCAR Scene Cuts Staff [NASCAR]
• High Speed Rail Through Peninsula Is A Done Deal! [Thoughts]
• Burn Notice Gets a 4th Season  [Cinema Static]
• Bachelor Premieres and ABC's First Bachelor Scandal  [Cinema Static]
• New DVD & Blu-ray Releases for January 5th, 2010  [Cinema Static]
• Wordpress Alert: Wordpress 2.9.1 Is Out! [Computer]
  
• Stan Lee on Twitter
• Kim Raver Stays on at Grey's Anatomy  [Cinema Static]
• Anne-Marie Rhodes Is Leaving the Sprint Cup Girls Squad [NASCAR]
• Jimmie Johnson to be a Dad! [NASCAR]
  
• Caprica Premieres January 22, 2010  [Cinema Static]
• Amanda Tapping Showing Up in Stargate Universe – Again  [Cinema Static]
• Stargate Universe Returns When?  [Cinema Static]
• A Preview and New Logo for Series 5 Doctor Who – Matt Smith who?  [Cinema Static]
• Customizing Your Facebook Updates Per List [Computer]
  

Enjoy!

Time Capsule: Headlines From 6 Months (Jan) Ago

• Locally, Palo Alto (Palo Altans) don't want more housing in their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the city still enforces resident-only rules in some of their parks. Go figure.
• Tesla was going to move their HQ to San Jose, but the economy stopped them in their tracks. Oh... no pun intended there!
• CA OK'd a mandatory 2 unpaid days off a month for CA state employees.
• A low snowpack threatens to make 2009 the worst drought for CA. (That's what happens when you cultivate a desert folks!)
• For some reason, identities of anti-Prop 8 donors were trying to be kept secret. A judge blocked that ruling, quoting the laws intent to protect the public. (Now why would someone dumped funds and still remain unknown? Guess they should have thought of that one before they did it!)
• Ill governor Blagojevich was eviced from office... not a single lawmaker came to his defense. (Ya think!?)
• Obama declared that it's shameful that Wallstreet paid their people $18 billion in bonuses, that's BILLION, while still asking for bailout money. Obama says they need to show restraint, discipline and repsonsibility.
• Unemployment jumps to a 25 year high.
• Royal Caribbean's 2008 fourth quarter earnings drop 98%.

Time Capsule: Headlines from 6 Months Ago, Dec 08

Here are some local (Nor Cal Headlines)

• 7 arrested in L.A.-area protest of Propostion 8
• Carlsbad man arrested in fight over Prop. 8 signs
• Hundreds of Prop 8 protesters take to L.A. streets
• Schwarzenegger proposes 1.5 cents sales tax increase to close budget gap
• Craigslist to crack down on prostitution ads

And CNN Headlines from today, the 6th of November, 2008

• Emanuel accepts chief of staff offer, aide says
• CNNMoney: Dow falls in accelerated selloff
• Democrat Merkley takes Oregon Senate seat
• Rabid fox bites jogger, hangs onVideo
• WCVB: Zoo gorilla gets colonoscopy
• WNEM: Car slams into house, 2 dead
• At 90, Billy Graham remains 'America's pastor'
• Factors in the retail price of gas
• Real 'man cave' priced at $900k
• CNNMoney: Oil falls as demand woes resurface
• CNNMoney: Gas prices down 2.6 more cents
• CNNMoney: Gas falls to $2.45 a gallon
• DOW Down 435.44 after Obama elected.
• Dow tumbles below 9,000
• Fidelity to cut nearly 1,300 jobs

It's Your Head: Wear A Helmet

by Bruce Simmons

First I have to say that I rant because I care. I want to see people getting the best opportunities afforded to them whether it be with consumer knowledge to save money, save time, save being ripped off. At other times, I just want to vent so I can get someone thinking and maybe, just maybe, I help one person with my work. My ranting, if you will.

See the entire post over on my new publication site, Bicycle Helmet Safety at Bruce's Place of Thoughts.

Is Piracy No Longer Piracy, Or Just An Excuse?

Articles around the web have been published talking about the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie leak where an uncut rough draft of the movie made its way onto the internet.

The articles question the premise of piracy and that despite the social issues, the bottom line is that it is illegal to make available, download and view copyrighted content without paying for it.

Despite the letter of the law, there's an amazing perceived gray area to the issue.

Read more after the break over on my new "Thoughts" page. (This link takes you away from Blogger.)

Time Capsule - Headlines from 6 Months Ago (Oct 08)

These are headlines from early October of 2008

• Market Confidence Plunges
• Bailout Package Sparks a Worldwide sell-off
• Bank of America Reports 68% Profit Drop
• EBay To Trim 1,600 Jobs
• Dow Dips Below 10,000
• Rescue Plan Woes Contribute to Sell-Off
• European Governments Go Their Own Way on Crisis
• Fed to Provide As Much As $900 Billion In Loans to Banks
• Oil Prices Fall as Financial Turmoil Heats up Worldwide
• Iceland Going Broke?
• All 5 Stock Market Measures drop

A chilling Headline from that week:

• N. Korea to Restart (Nuclear) Facility.

I have to wonder as I put this together in October, what things will be like when this post goes to print from it's timed posting.

The day before I wrote this, I was in the dentist office getting a tooth filling and I watched the DOW drop 200 points while I was in the Dentist chair. (He's got TV's hanging over the chairs.) My filling represents a 200 point drop in the stock market.

A New Term

I was chatting with someone today and called them "Snarky Dark"

They always have something pessimistic and sarcastic to say on their comments on blogs...

I like it.. Snarky Dark.  Dark Snark.

What's Comcast Up To?

So I got a notice in my mailbox that says I need to contact Comcast before April 6th and let them know how many TV's I have that are not on cable boxes.

They say that for me to continue to get a sub-range of channels, I need a box on these TV's.  No extra charge they say.  Once they found me in their database...  (for some reason my only phone # didn't come up with the 3rd party they've contracted with to carry out these communications) I've got my adaptors coming.

Now all I have to do is once I receive them, hook them up, have Comcast initialize them once connected, and away I go.

My normally suspicious nature makes me a basket case when things like this happen.  Why?  I remember some years ago when my "cable provider" distributed a "survey" asking what channels we, the subscribers like.

Afterward, it seemed that the channels that were upvoted by many people, were then put on their own additional entertainment tiers and we were then charged more for our "favored" channels.  That's why I'm nervous. 

I'm waiting for this extra information to bite us in the back side later on down the road.  Bookmark this post and wait.  I'm a gambling man.

Travel and Your Passwords

How often do you change passwords? Once in a while? Sometimes? Never?

In theory, one should change their passwords every 6 months to a year. In practice many never change their passwords because it's just too much trouble, but changing your passwords is one proactive method for protecting your online accounts, financial data and other personal information.


Concerns When You Travel
When you travel, public computers are a great sand trap for keylogger software and spyware. A multitude of users have access to the computer and you never know who's been on it last.

But you're probably thinking that these computers have password controlled access and you have to be a hotel guest to use it. Sure, but web bots can find these systems, or a disreputable user might have a network drive out on the internet that he can access his malware from and install it. For the general user, it seems insurmountable to break a login screen. To the professional, it can be a matter of minutes with the right software.


Travel Security Tips
When you know you're going to travel, change your passwords before hitting the road to online accounts you know you'll be accessing. Change them back when you get home.

If you end up using an account you weren't planning to while you're on the road, change them to something new when you get home.

When you're done using a public machine LOG OFF properly. Don't just close the window with the X in the upper right corner.


What Kind of Passwords to create / use?
When creating passwords, try using a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and or symbols with a minimum of 6 characters.

You want to make it as complicated as possible to break while still being able to remember it.

One common piece of advice is don't use things that are related to you: Birthdays, anniversaries, initials, etc..

I create sentences to make my passwords. Today is Monday the 31st or TiMt31st. Ok, that's too many t's, but you get the idea.

It's up to you to create some simple first defense to your sensitive information because if you don't, you only have yourself to blame if someone happens across your unprotected account, and I don't want you regretting any lack of action on your part and saying, I should have listened to Bruce.

It's your financial information online or on your computer. Protect it accordingly.

image: freedigitalphotos.net