MittelMitte

Activities participated in this past weekend (in sequential order)

• installed floating shelf
• saw Gregor Samsa in concert. Words can't describe how "innovative" this post-rock rock(?) band's performance truly was. I didn't even know what post-rock was. There were scotch tape and keyboards involved.
• realized Hellogoodbye is coming to NYC.
• visited CP's Conservatory Gardens (picture on the right is from The English Garden's Burnett Fountain depicting Dickon and Mary from the book "The Secret Garden". Sick.)
• watched Kinsey (1 out of 4 Stars- Peter Sarsgaard's nude scene has something to do with that rating)
• watched CYE S5E8 - considered by many the best episode of Season 5, and, the top 5 of all time. Not sure if I agree with that, but still good overall (at least better than the rest of season 5). As expected of TV, the episode was filled with negative and inaccurate depictions of orthodox Jews. e.g.

• Single orthodox-Jewish women do not cover their hair (even according to Maimonides- it would only be a hair-braid- not a full-on snood).
• Most hair-covered women would not wear pants (sorry Danni).
  
• The idea of burying a porcelain plate in the ground after being used for milk & meat has no source [that I am aware of- please inform].
• Orthodox Jews don't all button the top buttons of their shirts [in the deli].
• Orthodox Jews don't phlegm when they speak.
  

ThomasHawk reports...

Microsoft Corp. and Cable Television Laboratories Inc. (CableLabs(R)) today announced they have reached an agreement that will allow Microsoft and PC manufacturers to bring to market digital-cable-ready Windows(R) Media Center-based PCs in the holiday 2006 time frame.

Too bad TimeWarnerCable NYC still cant get their act together and support Cablecards or Dual-Tuner Boxes!
Looking forward to this...

UPDATE: i guess they do support cablecard

It looks like the rumors have finally come true... again. [source: CNN]

The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged "Arrested Development" is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes.

I love this show. We all do. I just somehow feel that this entire "we are about to get cancelled, if only our loyal, yet small, fanbase could save us" schtick is getting old. It's the show that cried wolf, in a sense. Think about it, for a second. The show is always on the verge of being cancelled, yet Season 2's DVD sales were ranked #1 at Amazon.com this past month. We must believe the FOX execs are really that dumb.

I would like to suggest that the creators of the show, with FOX's knowledge, have purposely publicized the show's (alleged instability, in a effort to create a "buzz" around it.

more links...

• The O.P. - grassroots effort that sent FOX execs thousands of fake bananas.
• Save Our Bluths- Save Our Bluths is a grass-roots campaign by fans of the Emmy-award winning comedy Arrested Development with two goals: to urge Fox to renew Arrested for a third season, and to introduce the innovative comedy to new viewers.
• Michael Cera - publicity shots
• I'm Oscar - Fox run site.
• Interview with Mitchel Hurwitz - Hurwitz also mentioned in passing that the show created an Asian version of the showÂ’s puppet character, Franklin, but they didn'’t end up using it. Personally, I think they should donate it to the city of Portland.

This stuff writes itself...

• Talan was in the car with PH when her Bentley crashed. read it here. (source: Rueters)
• Talan is preparing a pop album. his website. (source: BigE/MTV.com)

  I'm supposed to be [discreet] about it, so I can't tell you what label I'm with, but it's a really big label push

  
  
• Talan's EBay store lists 5 items. 3 articles of women's clothing and 2 autographed photos.
• Jason is "taking acting classes, living w. castmate Stephen in LA and still dating LC [she took him back?!]" (source: BigE/USWeekly)

In unrelated news, if any of your spouses asks you to see Shop Girl, ... don't do it!

Newly released Visual Studio 2005 Express (Lite) Edition is now free for one year.

Better than going to those stoopid tech events.

Download it here...

check out LINQ while you are at it... (with download / cool video of Anders Hejlsberg)

For those of you who missed the opening week of NBA B-Ball, please stop reading.

For everyone else, i assume you are as excited as i am regarding Kobe Bryant's 2005-06 season. He is healthier than ever, and playing like the league/team-leader he is. His shooting percentage is way-up (only took 6 threes in the pre-season), is getting along well with Master-of-Zen-with-beer-belly Coach Phil Jackson, and is desperately hoping his pathetic teamates can learn the triangle offense.

A few notes/observations from last nite's game:

• Kobe is god (see here).
• Kobe's team-mates suck.
• The Lakers will never win a Championship with the current lineup. (Not that i care about the team's success.) Get rid of Lamar Odom. He hoggs the ball. He tries to do too much. He dribbles too much. Shoots too much. Pushes too much. He pushes off. So- big deal- he's 6'11" and can dribble between his legs. Who can't? Bottom line- he's the square trying to fit in this triangle (couldn't help).
• Laron Profit is latest of Professional Posers the league has produced. First there was Scotty "i-thought-i-could-win-a-title-alone" Pippen (copying MJ's style), then, there was Ron "left-arm-band" Harper (you thought of the tongue wag?), then Harper again (sad), and now Profit (pathetic). Get a life.