Everybody’s saying “The Departed” is Martin Scorsese’s best picture since “Casino” — or even “GoodFellas.” And some of the (over-)praise has struck me as pretty condescending to Scorsese: “Good boy. You stick to your mobsters now, won’t you?” I’ll go out on a limb and say I think it’s his best picture since “The Aviator.”
While I doubt Tom Tancredo is doing this to help Dog the Bounty Hunter (Duane Chapman) as opposed to trying to further his xenophobic immigration platform, I’m all for the result:
U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo and 28 other members of Congress recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, asking her to deny the extradition of Duane “Dog” Chapman to Mexico.
“Thanks to Mr. Chapman, Luster is now serving a 124-year sentence,” said Tancredo. “It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded.”
knowhow writes “Tom Taylor took the risk of dropping out from high school just to play video games. The guy who is just 18 years old, was prompted to take this step; because of the reason that emerged from his love for gaming. After playing for six months on a full time basis the guy signed a contract for a staggering $250,000.” From the Article:”Now Tom taylor is known as Tsquared on the gaming circuit. He’s earning six figures and has product endorsements and a video game tutoring business. He’s one of about 100 professional gamers associated with Major League Gaming, a video gaming league founded in 2002. When they’re playing well, pros might bring home a few grand a month.”
I just received this by e-mail and thought it would be of interest:
The Common Sense Foundation today released a ground-breaking study of North Carolina’s death row population, titled “Death Row Injustices.” Working with Indigent Defense Services and lawyers who represented clients in capital cases prior to the creation of IDS in 2001, Common Sense found that at least 37 people currently on death row did not have counsel that would meet today’s standards for capital representation.
Moreover, of those who have been executed since 1976 (when the United States Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment), North Carolina has executed at least 16 people who did not have lawyers with those minimum qualifications necessary today.
The study calls for (1) immediate new trials for the 37 death row inmates identified; (2) a full investigation by the General Assembly to determine how many other death row inmates did not have qualified lawyers; and (3) a two-year moratorium on executions during which time an extensive review of capital punishment in our state should be conducted.
You can read the full report here.
AP - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traded quips with the host one moment and criticized U.S. foreign policy the next during an appearance Wednesday on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” that had the governor’s opponents crying foul because his Democratic rival wasn’t included.
E! Online - Usually actors use a late-night talk show to announce that
they’re engaged, or that their wives are pregnant, or that they’re
really, really sorry for having been caught with that hooker.
Chargers linebacker Steve Foley was charged
Wednesday with two counts of misdemeanor DUI stemming from his
Sept. 3 confrontation with an off-duty Coronado police officer that
resulted in Foley being shot three times.
Reuters - Local and cable TV news
staffers jumped into action Wednesday to cover the crash of a
small plane into an Upper East Side apartment building that
killed two people, including New York Yankees pitcher Cory
Lidle.
Reuters - Robert Wuhl has inked a
new three-year deal with HBO.
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360
Beginning today, Microsoft, along with partners Best Buy and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, begins a 20-day bus tour to educate parents on understanding the ESRB ratings scheme and implementing the parental controls built into the Xbox 360 and accompanying Xbox Live service. The project — sensationally titled “Safety is no game. Is your family set?” — is being spearheaded by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft Corp.’s Entertainment and Devices Division, who spoke with us briefly about the goals of the new initiative.
Bach was blunt that this campaign isn’t entirely unrelated to the business of selling video game consoles. Yes, there is the altruistic goal of edifying parents who feel confused or disenfranchised by an increasingly complex video game industry; but, if Microsoft can convince parents that Xbox 360 — versus, let’s say, Nintendo or PlayStation — ensures a gaming environment that parents are in control of, they’ll have earned a significant strategic victory.
With certain Miami lawyers making headlines … again … and politicians considering new ratings legislation, Microsoft’s campaign to educate the public on the existing ESRB ratings certainly appears to be a preemptive strike. But how successful can one industry player, not to mention a minority player in the console space, make on their own? Bach pointed out there is broad industry cooperation under the auspices of other organizations, like the ESA and ESRB, where Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft coordinate their efforts. But this tour is more about PR; Microsoft is looking to sell themselves as a responsible industry player.
When asked whether the motivations for the tour were in direct response to the increased legal threats facing the gaming industry, Bach reminded us that every legal challenge mounted thus far has been ruled unconstitutional. He did say he would be “naive” to not appreciate the political motivations of some politicians vilifying video games, but hoped instead that this tour may convince politicians that education, and not legislation, would be the most successful route to enabling parents.
Will Microsoft’s bus tour make a dent in the political battle to regulate video games? We’re guessing not. The scope of the problem is going to take far more than a 20-day bus tour slash media campaign, but the accompanying “presentations by Microsoft’s Bach to government officials and leaders in advocacy and business” may help considerably more.
The bus tour kicks off today in New York City at the Digital Life conference, and continues from there.
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AP - Doctor doctor, give us the news. But ABC is staying mum about the reported on-set scuffle between the actors portraying Dr. McDreamy and Dr. Burke on TV’s top-rated “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Reuters - California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger distanced himself from President George W. Bush
on national television on Wednesday, saying he was as far from
his fellow Republican as he was from winning an Academy Award
during his film career.