- No, no, no! This is NOT what I want to hear about American Karaoke, the single worst thing ever to happen to both television and music. Not that I have any respect for the musical endeavors of any of the people I’m about to mention, but I do realize that they have a significant amount of star power and thus an association with the biggest abortion in the history of music will benefit the world’s largest karaoke contest’s fading ratings and possibly keep the show on the air even as pompous windbag and shameless self-promoted Simon Cowell leaves to tend to his other crappy reality singing shows. One name being linked to AK is reality TV staple, Tony Romo dumpee and singer Jessica Simpson. Reports indicated that Simpson met with show producers about joining the show’s judging panel. “I’m not sure whether her people approached them, or if it was the other way around,” said a source close to the situation. The source added that Simpson is one of “dozens” of candidates who’ve been considered for a judging position for all of the aspiring karaoke singers of the world when AK (unfortunately) returns to the air in January 2011. That’s right, my campaign to kill the show apparently isn’t working fast enough and so executive producer Nigel Lythgoe is all but certain to return to the show for its tenth season. In assessing the outlook for the show’s next year, Lythgoe is on the record as saying he favors an entirely new slate of judges. Really? Because I’d favor no judges….and no contestants….and no host….and no audience. Why not view the departure of Cowell, who jumped ship to launch a U.S.-based version of his crap-tacular British series The X Factor, as the perfect opportunity to kill off this disaster. Simpson isn’t the only big name meeting with Karaoke producers, as both Justin Timberlake and Elton John met with producers a couple months ago. Stop trying to save what we all know needs to die and please, please stop murdering music with your show, American Karaoke. In short, just go away………
- That didn’t take long. A few months on the market and Apple’s iPad finally has its first lawsuits from angry users. The suit comes from three outraged iPad users who claim that because the iPad will shut itself off after remaining in direct sunlight for long enough, it fails to meet the promises Apple made about using the device as an e-book reader. This trip of bottom feeders has filed a federal class-action lawsuit in the Northern California district to "redress and end this pattern of unlawful conduct." Now, I’m the first guy to say that the iPad is overrated, overpriced and that I would never buy one, but I also understand that every significant product out on the market for any length of time is going to wind up with at least a few disgruntled users who are looking to score some easy cash without actually earning it, thus they sue in the hopes that rather than take the case to court and potentially lose big, the corporation will settle out of court and they’ll get paid. It’s the plot of more than one John Grisham legal thriller and I’m skeptical of these claims right off the bat. The core of the alleged problem is that when the iPad's operating temperature reaches a critical level, it will force itself to shut down and display a message warning the user to let the device cool down before trying use it again. It’s no different than the warning that iPhones and iPod Touches give before shutting down when they overheat. Often, this happens after the devices are left in direct sunlight. Because of this aspect of the device’s operating system, the plaintiffs allege that the iPad "does not live up to reasonable consumer's expectations created by Apple insofar as the iPad overheats so quickly under common weather conditions." The company, while not commenting on the lawsuit, does state in product specifications that the iPad's operating temperature is 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C). Using those guidelines, it would seem sensible that users could determine that leaving their iPad out in the hot sun would push its internal temperature over the maximum. Another point that seems to have the plaintiffs especially rankled is that Apple claims that "reading on the iPad is just like reading a book." Wrong, says the lawsuit. A real book can be used in "the sunlight or other normal environmental conditions" without shutting off, so the two are not the same. Well said, ass hats. The iPad is like many electronic devices in that it can become damaged and inoperable if left
- Welcome back to the party, Japan. After a long hiatus from the world of executing condemned killers, the Far East power hanged two convicted killers on Wednesday -- the first executions in the country since the Democratic Party of Japan took power last September. The two men executed were Kazuo Shinozawa, was put to death for killing six female clerks at a jewelry store in 2000 and setting the store on fire, and Hidenori Ogata, who was convicted of killing two people in 2003, the justice ministry said. They were Japan’s first executions in a year. The lack of executions was due in no small part to the fact that Justice Minister Keiko Chiba is a former member of a group of lawmakers opposed to capital punishment -- the Japan Parliamentary League Against the Death Penalty. Chiba spoke to reporters after Wednesday's execution and said that Japan needs a public discussion on whether to continue the practice of capital punishment. To further her quest, she has also asked for a review at the justice ministry. "Witnessing the enforcement with my own eyes made me think about death punishment deeply again," she said, adding that she had attended the executions. "Also, I felt the need of a fundamental discussion to review about death penalty." It’s a fair point, all joking aside, and the issue of capital punishment is a heavy one with which every nation must wrestle. Whether the taking of one life justifies the state-sponsored taking of another is a very significant question and there is not a country in the world that is unified on the issue. Amnesty International Japan is also part of the debate and the group said in a prepared statement that a review is welcome but first, the executions must cease. "We feel strong anger and disappointment over the executions today," the group said. "We highly accept [the ministry's] stance [of] setting up a study session. ... First of all, they must stop the executions." I wouldn’t expect that to happen, but I’m hoping it will because the debate over the issue would undoubtedly be a fascinating one that could raise some very salient and thought-provoking points………
- Here we go, yet another example of why morons should not be allowed to participate in sports like kickboxing. An unidentified resident of Middletown, Ohio was practicing his kickboxing skills Tuesday night when he missed his punching bag, stumbled and sent the punching bag bouncing off the gas meter for his house. The gas line started to leak and the level of natural gas in his home rose so high that the Middletown Fire Department evacuated the neighbors for a block around his home. Duke Energy shut off the gas supply line at the request of firefighters before going back into the home to asses the problem. Once the gas was turned off, residents were allowed back into their homes. Duke Energy installed a new gas meter, and the ass hatted homeowner was able to sleep in his own bed the same night. Nothing like being roused from your sleep, evacuated and dragged out into a muggy summer evening because some moron decided to set up his kickboxing equipment right next to the gas meter. I don’t know why this fool’s identity hasn’t been released publicly, but I can guarantee you that the neighbors either know who it is or are working feverishly to find out so they can exact some revenge for this fool ruining their evening and forcing them out of their homes for a few hours. Might be time for this idiot to find a new place to live, preferably one that has enough room to put his punching bag in a completely different room than anything associated with the house’s natural gas supply………
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