Saturday, October 20, 2007

"RZA Wins Chess Competition!"


from pitchforkmedia.com

Wu-Tang Clan's love affair with chess is well documented, but for as much as they talk about the game of strategy, I personally always assumed it was more of a hobby than anything particularly serious. Silly me, because now Wu leader RZA is a certified Chess King, and he's got the 20-pound, gold-plated leather belt to prove it, according to a HHNLive.com report.

The report names RZA as the winner of the previously reported 1st Annual Chess Kings Invitational, which went down this past weekend in San Francisco. The Abbott's victim in the final round? One of his own: Wu affiliate Monk.

We obviously can't beat him, but we can still join RZA and the rest of the Clan for the release of their new album, 8 Diagrams, on December 4.

"Star-studded crowd show up for M.I.A. in NYC"

from nme.com

Star-studded crowd show up for M.I.A. in NYC

Beastie Boys and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are in the audience.


M.I.A. performed the second of two rousing shows at Terminal 5 last night in New York on the penultimate evening of the CMJ Music Marathon 2007.

In front of a stunning array of visuals, as well as many that resembled instructional dance DVD images, the singer made her way through a 90-minute set in the brand new 3,000 capacity venue which completed construction just days ago.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner & Brian Chase, Beastie Boys' Mike D & The Black Kids all watched among an audience filled with the most colorful-clothes this side of a Klaxons show.

The singer performed several tracks that were absent from her Summer tour including "Galang" which she mashed-up with Lil' Mama's "Lip Gloss", while "Bird Flu" saw M.I.A. invite the crowd to join her onstage, where the many metalic-clad kids danced up a storm.

"Bucky Done Gun", "Jimmy", and "10 Dollar" all made an appearance in the set, which closed with "Hustle", featuring Afrikan Boy.


**Enjoy the video for "Jimmy" below. This is my favorite track on her latest album "Kala". - Ace:)

"Urban word of the moment"

Train-spot-ter: noun

A person who can successfully identify obscure music a DJ plays. A hardcore trainspotter can take it a step further and identify the source of obscure samples.


ex;
Trainspotter: "That's track B off of the 1st pressing of So and So record"
Friend: "You're such a trainspotter"

"30 years ago: Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash"

30 years ago today, on October 20th, 1977, a plane carrying Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed near a forest in McComb, Mississippi, killing lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, Guitarist Steve Gaines, Vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. Other members of the band were injured seriously, but survived and went on to continue the band's legacy.

I think I'm gonna play me some Skynyrd today. What song is it I wanna hear? - Ace:)

"Happy Birthday Snoop Dogg"

1, 2, 3, and to tha fo...
 
Happy 36th Bizzle-Dizzle goin' out to Snoop Dogg. Born October, 20th 1971.

Westsiiiiiiiiiiide!! - Ace:)

"New biopic of Kurt Cobain in the works"

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A movie based on the life of tragic Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is being planned by Hollywood studio Universal, it was reported on Friday.

Daily Variety reported that the studio had acquired the rights to a biography of Cobain, who committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 27 near the height of the grunge-rock band's success.

Variety reported that Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, would serve as an executive producer on the film.

Cobain's death was the thinly veiled subject of Gus Van Sant's 2005 film "Last Days."

Friday, October 19, 2007

"Britney to pose for Playboy?"

from nowmagazine.co.uk

Hugh Hefner has revealed that he'd be more that happy to let Britney Spears pose for Playboy – despite reports he'd turned her down.

The 81-year-old hit back at the rumours claiming they were inaccurate - and says if Brit wants to pose in the men's mag, then all she has to do is sort out her personal life.

'All that stuff in the tabloids about my rejecting her, somebody else made up those stories,' he tells extratv.com.

'I have only heartfelt concern for her situation, and I hope her career gets back on track. If that happens we'd be happy to have her in the magazine.'

* Image created by me... - Ace:)

"Coppola criticises acting legends"

from news.bbc.co.uk

Coppola criticises acting legends



Film director Francis Ford Coppola has hit out at acting greats Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson, saying the trio lacked "passion".

The five-time Oscar-winner told GQ magazine they "all live off the fat of the land" and did not have ambition.

The 68-year-old maker of the Godfather trilogy said De Niro, one of his leading men, "never spends any money - he just puts it in his mattress".

He claimed Pacino always harboured ambitions to act in theatrical classics and added the actor once said: "Oh, I was raised next to a furnace in New York and I'm never going to go to Los Angeles."

The actor was Oscar-nominated for his peformances in the first two parts of The Godfather triology.

The film-maker compared the trio to younger actors, saying that they lack the conviction to get really stuck into a role.

"I don't feel that kind of passion to do a role and be great coming from these guys, because if it was there, they would do it.

"I mean, they're all in a position to do it," Coppola added. "I don't know what any of them want any more."

"Brilliant new TV show: "PUSHING DAISIES"

Just a heads up to all who may not be aware, or those who have heard - but have not yet seen it...

ABC TV's new show "Pushing Daisies" is brilliant!

Well written, beautiful sets, great camera work, fantastic cast.... Rather than rambling on forever, I've provided the extended preview video below courtesy of the fine folks over @ youtube.com. Check the show out and if you enjoy it spread the word! "Pushing Daisies" airs on Wednesdays @ 8:00pm EST. - Ace:)


"Photo of the day: 10/19/07”

Cool vintage print ad promoting Malcolm Mclaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team classic "Buffalo Gals". Without a doubt one of the most influential tracks in Hip-Hop history. Malcolm is quite underappreciated in the Hip-Hop world in my opinion. - Ace:)

**Bonus "Buffalo Gals" music video**

"Amy Winehouse Loves Puff"

from AP
 
British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse was arrested in Norway for marijuana possession and held overnight, a police official said Friday.

Winehouse and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were released at around 7 a.m. Friday after paying $715 each in fines, prosecutor Lars Morten Lothe said. A third person, also released, was fined $492, he said.

The three were arrested shortly after 6 p.m. at a hotel in Bergen in southwestern Norway, where Winehouse is on a European tour, after a tip to police.

"They were found with seven grams (about 1/4-ounce)of marijuana," Lothe said. "She's paid the fine, so this thing is over for us now."

Winehouse was to perform in Oslo Saturday, before heading to the Netherlands on Monday.

Winehouse made her U.S. debut this year with the acclaimed album "Back to Black," but her celebrity has been fueled by her tabloid image as well as her talent. She's spoken openly about her battles with drugs and her penchant for alcohol and marijuana, and her hit single "Rehab" is an autobiographical tale of her resistance to being pushed to go to rehab: "They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no."

"Man Breaks U.S. T-Shirt Record"

from foxnews.com

WASHINGTON — A Virginia man has broken the U.S. record for most T-shirts worn at one time but fell short of the Guinness World Record, MyFoxDC.com reported.

Nick Umbs, 28, donned 183 T-shirts between sizes small and 10XL, falling short of the Guinness World Record 224 shirts.

"Comcast blocks some forms of file sharing"

from ap.google.com - by PETER SVENSSON

AP Tests Comcast's File-Sharing Filter

An AP reporter attempted to download, using file-sharing program BitTorrent, a copy of the King James Bible from two computers in the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas, both of which were connected to the Internet through Comcast cable modems.

We picked the Bible for the test because it's not protected by copyright and the file is a convenient size.

In two out of three tries, the transfer was blocked. In the third, the transfer started only after a 10-minute delay. When we tried to upload files that were in demand by a wider number of BitTorrent users, those connections were also blocked.

Not all Comcast-connected computers appear to be affected, however. In a test with a third Comcast-connected computer in the Boston area, we were unable to test with the Bible, apparently due to an unrelated error. When we attempted to upload a more widely disseminated file, there was no evidence of blocking.

The Bible test was conducted with three other Internet connections. One was provided by Time Warner Inc.'s Time Warner Cable, and the other came from Cablevision Systems Corp. The third was the business-class connection to the AP's headquarters, provided by AT&T Inc. and Cogent Communications Group Inc.

No signs of interference with file-sharing were detected in those tests.

Further analysis of the transfer attempt from the Comcast-connected computer in the San Francisco area revealed that the failure was due to "reset" packets that the two computers received, carrying the return address of the other computer.

Those packets tell the receiving computer to stop communicating with the sender. However, the traffic analyzer software running on each computer showed that neither computer actually sent the packets. That means they originated somewhere in between, with faked return addresses.

In tests analyzing the traffic received by a computer on Time Warner Cable that was trying to download a file from a large "swarm" of BitTorrent users, more than half of the reset packets received carried the return addresses of Comcast subscribers, even though Comcast's 12.4 million residential customers make up only about 20 percent of U.S. broadband subscribers. It was the only U.S. Internet service provider whose subscribers consistently appeared to send reset packets (which are occasionally generated legitimately).

Comcast subscriber Robb Topolski, who discovered the blocking earlier this year and traced it to reset packets, pointed out that a Canadian company called Sandvine Inc. sells equipment that promises to save bandwidth for Internet service providers by managing and redirecting file-sharing traffic.

BitTorrent Inc. President Ashwin Navin said that the interference method on Comcast's network is consistent with Sandvine's technology. Sandvine did not respond to a request for comment.

Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas would not confirm that the company uses Sandvine equipment.

"We rarely disclose our vendors or our processes for operating our network for competitive reasons and to protect against network abuse," he said.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

"Backstreet Boys Dancin' Bird!"



CLASSIC!!

"Zeppelin may make new material'"

from news.bbc.co.uk

Zeppelin 'may make new material'


Rock legends Led Zeppelin have said they may write new songs on the back of their London reunion gig next month.

The veteran rock band's guitarist Jimmy Page said he would be "really surprised if there wasn't".

"We're musicians - as we're playing we'll probably be coming up with all manner of things," he told Canadian newspaper The Winnipeg Sun.

"That will be fun. Let's do the O2 show, shall we? And then we'll speak to you afterwards," added the musician.

Classic track

The band's surviving members, who will reunite for one night only at the London venue on 26 November, announced earlier this week that they would make their entire back catalogue available online.

Page, along with singer Rober Plant and bassist John Paul Jones, will perform together for the first time in 19 years at the tribute concert for late Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun.

Led Zeppelin's last original studio album release was In Through The Out Door in 1979.

They scored a string of consecutive chart-topping albums from 1969-79, including the second and third parts of their eponymous trilogy and 1975's Physical Graffiti.

Their only UK single release came in 1997 when classic track Whole Lotta Love made number 21 in the charts.

"Apple to open up iPhone software"

from news.bbc.co.uk
 
Apple to open up iPhone software
 
Apple boss Steve Jobs has said that outside developers will now be allowed to make add-on software for the iPhone.

The move follows criticism that Apple was previously not allowing outsiders to make programs that would run easily on the popular mobile phone.

Last month Apple warned iPhone users not to hack into the gadget to install unauthorised programs.

Apple said that such moves would render the phones "permanently inoperable" when it releases software updates.

"George Lucas Plans 'Star Wars' TV Series"

from tv.msn.com 
 
George Lucas Plans 'Star Wars' TV Series

"The Skywalkers aren't in it, and it's about minor characters," Lucas told the Times on Tuesday.

Lucas wouldn't reveal details, but joked that the series would be about "the life of robots."

Lucas, 63, already has another television series in the works. Lucasfilm Animation has been working for months on the computer-animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."


**Am I the ONLY one who thinks he's done enough damage to the Star Wars legacy?? C'mon George, you don't need the damn money. Leave it alone already. - Ace:)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

"Photo of the day: 10/17/07"

Cool little find, huh? This is a scan of Ian Schrager's actual business card. Ian was the co-owner of the legendary Studio 54 Disco in NYC along with the late Steve Rubell. - Ace:)
 

"Happy Birthday Evil Knievel"

Happy Birthday to Evil Knievel! Born October 17th, 1938.

This guy was my hero back when I was 6 or 7 years old. I had a couple Evil T-Shirts that my dad got me from Sears, and the doll that came with the motorcycle that did stunts and stuff.


It seemed this man was on ABC every other day jumping over something. Although his son Robbie is still in 'the family business' if you will, no one will ever come close to Evil Knievel! Happy birthday bra. - Ace:)



*Also, big birthday shouts to Beavis & Butthead creator Mike Judge, Marshall 'Eminem' Mathers, George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), Norm MacDonald from SNL, Wyclef Jean, Margot Kidder, Rita Hayworth, Michael McKeon (Lenny on Laverne & Shirley/Spinal Tap), and everyone else born on this date!!

"One Bad Apple: Is the iPhone Toxic?"

from circuitassembly.com - by Chelsey Drysdale 
 
WASHINGTON, DC – Recent scientific tests have revealed that Apple's iPhone contains hazardous chemicals, says Greenpeace. According to the environmental organization, tests have uncovered two types of hazardous substances,which have already been eliminated by other mobile phone makers.
 
In May, after thousands participated in the Green my Apple campaign, Steve Jobs claimed, "Apple is ahead of, or will soon be ahead of, most of its competitors" on environmental issues, reports Greenpeace.
 
The organization says it watched closely when the iPhone was launched in June for any mention of its green features, but none was mentioned. As a result, Greenpeace that month bought an iPhone and sent it to its UK research laboratories. Analysis revealed the iPhone contains toxic brominated compounds (indicating the prescence of brominated flame retardants [BFRs]) and hazardous PVC, says Greenpeace. The findings are detailed in group's report, "Missed Call: The iPhone's Hazardous Chemicals."
 
An independent scientific laboratory tested 18 internal and external components of the iPhone and confirmed the presence of brominated compounds in half the samples, including in the phone's antenna, in which they made up 10% of the total weight of the flexible circuit board, says Greenpeace. A mixture of toxic phthalates was found to make up 1.5% of the plastic coating of the headphone cables, the group adds.
 
Dr. David Santillo, senior scientist at Greenpeace Research Laboratories, commented, "Two of the phthalate plasticisers found at high levels in the headphone cable are classified in Europe as 'toxic to reproduction, category 2' because of their long-recognized ability to interfere with sexual development in mammals. While they are not prohibited in mobile phones, these phthalates are banned from use in all toys or childcare articles sold in Europe. Apple should eliminate the use of these chemicals from its products range."
 
The disassembling also revealed the iPhone's battery was glued and soldered into the handset. This hinders battery replacement and makes separation for recycling, or appropriate disposal, more difficult, and therefore adds to the burden of electronic waste, Greenpeace believes.
 
The organization reports Nokia is PVC free, and Motorola and Sony Ericsson already have products on the market with BFR-free components. Apple's competitors have also identified extra toxic chemicals they intend to remove in the future – beyond current minimum legal requirements. Nokia and Sony Ericsson also have global takeback policies for phones and accept responsibility for reuse and recycling.
 
Apple does not have a global free takeback policy, so the eventual fate of the between four million and 10 million iPhones expected to be sold in its first year is uncertain, concludes Greenpeace.
 
 

"11 of my favorite movies"

I was looking through my DVD collection earlier today, and realized that I have kick-ass taste in flicks! Well, at least in MY mind I do.

Anyway, here are 11 of my favorite films from my DVD* collection, along with a film clip of each - if available. (courtesy of youtube.com)

*Except for 'Bugsy Malone' which is not available on DVD in the U.S. - Bastards!!!

Why 11? 'Cuz 11 is my lucky number.

This list was totally picked @ random. It's just a coincidence that so many of them were released in 1979.


"BUGSY MALONE" (1976) - Starring Scott Baio, Jodie Foster, etc.




"THE WARRIORS" (1979) - Starring Michael Beck, etc.




"OVER THE EDGE" (1979) - Starring Michael Eric Kramer, Matt Dillon, etc.




"HARDCORE" (1979) - Starring George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, etc.




"TIME AFTER TIME" (1979) - Starring Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, etc.




"GOING IN STYLE" (1979) - Starring George Burns, Art Carney, etc.




"JACKIE BROWN" (1997) - Starring Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, etc.




"ENEMY OF THE STATE" (1998) - Starring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, etc.




"PLEASANTVILLE" (1998) - Starring Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, etc.




"HIGH FIDELITY" (2000) - Starring John Cusack, Jack Black, etc.


"GHOST WORLD" (2001) - Starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, etc.



"Kim Kardashian Sextape V.2 Coming Soon"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

"Photo of the day: 10/16/07"

 
Again, a picture is worth a thousand words! - Ace:)

"Playing MP3's on Tivo"

from tech.yahoo.com - Adapted From: Tivo for Dummies:

Playing MP3s on TiVo


Before TiVo, MP3s only rocked from your computer or your MP3 player. Neither one boasted great sound. And neither hooked up easily with the stereo. Home Media Option, available for an additional fee, turns TiVo into your personal jukebox, making it easy to find the right tunes at the right times. You'll love finding just the right album for dinner.

TiVo sounds best, of course, when hooked up to your home stereo. TiVo lets you play songs the same way you display photos.

To play your favorite songs, follow these steps:

1. Choose Music & Photos.

Select Music & Photos from TiVo Central.

2. Choose your computer from the list.

Single-computer households see only one computer; on networks, choose the computer that published the music you want.

3. Navigate to the appropriate folder.

Push the Arrow buttons to move between folders. You can also press Select to open a folder.

4. Play the song or folder.

Press Play on a folder to play everything inside. Press Play on a single song to play that song, followed by the rest of the folder's songs.


Organizing a large MP3 or photo collection takes some work. Hopefully you've kept the songs for each artist or album in their own folder. (TiVo may tucker out if you've stuffed a few thousand folders into a single folder.)

5. Press Enter for options.

While playing a song, TiVo offers the same options as with slide shows. You can repeat playing the folder's songs. You can shuffle the songs when playing. Lastly, you can choose whether you want to include subfolders.

Here are a few more tips you'll want to keep in mind when playing MP3s on TiVo:

  • Stuck in the middle of a drum solo? To find out when a jam session will end, press Play. Up pops the familiar green Status Bar, pointing out the song's beginning, end, and your current location.
  • The remote's Volume controls the loudness; you can't turn it up or down from your computer.
  • Stuck at the top of a long list of files? Press the Jump to End (Advance) button, and TiVo jumps right to Zappa.

"Happy Birthday Suzanne Somers"

Happy 61st Birthday to Suzanne Somers aka Chrissy Snow of "Three's Company" & Thigh/Butt/Ankle Master Fame.

Born October 16th, 1946.

Hard to believe she's sixty one freakin' years old. It's not a secret chick's had work done, but DAMN. Perhaps she made a deal with The Prince of Darkness years ago. - Ace:)



"CD on 1 side - Vinyl record on the other"

Germany's Optimal Media has created one nifty item. The Two-in-one disc... It's one part compact disc, one part vinyl record. The CD side can contain at least 70 minutes of music, while the vinyl record side can hold around 3 minutes of music.

The first act to use this technology is a four-piece post-hardcore band from London, England - FIGHTSTAR who are signed to Institute/Gut Records. While I am not familiar with this group's chunes, I can say this should get them a fair amount of press.

It's doubtful that this new invention will appeal to the masses, but it's still quite cool in my opinion. Hey, at least in this day & age people are trying to come up with new ideas to create alternate sources of revenue.

I'd buy one! - Ace:)

*FYI: The image seen above is NOT what this new invention looks like. It's just an illustration I did for eye candy. One side is the CD side, flip the disc over - and whamm-o! It's a vinyl record.

Monday, October 15, 2007

"Photo of the day: 10/15/07"

Meow a trois

"RECYCLE: How to make a Vinyl Record Bowl"

Today is 'Blog Action Day'. The day us Bloggers are supposed to post about something related to the environment. That said, how about I share something I stumbled on over at allfreecrafts.com?

Why throw away those old vinyl record albums that are in horrible condition and cannot be sold for even 25 cents at a tag sale? Why not recycle them? Below is the step by step process on how to make a recycled vinyl record bowl.

FYI: I have not tried this, so proceed @ your own risk! - Ace:)



Recycled Record
Supplies Needed
:


  • old vinyl record album
  • large ovenproof bowl
  • oven
  • oven gloves


  • Record Album Bowl
    Instructions:


    1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

    2. Place the record on top of a large bowl turned upside down and carefully place in the oven.

    3. Heat for about five minutes, or until record begins to soften and melt. Wearing oven gloves, quickly remove from the oven. Flip the bowl the right way up and press the record into it so that it takes on the bowl shape. You'll find that the sides will curl in a fluted design, similar to the bowl in our picture.

    5. While the record is hot and pliable, you can adjust the shape to your liking. If necessary, reheat for a short time to make adjustments.

    **Check out this cool tutorial video**

    "Forecast: Sex and Marriage With Robots by 2050"

    from foxnews.com - by Charles Q. Choi

    Humans could marry robots within the century. And consummate those vows.

    "My forecast is that around 2050, the state of Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction to legalize marriages with robots," artificial intelligence researcher David Levy at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands told LiveScience.

    Levy recently completed his Ph.D. work on the subject of human-robot relationships, covering many of the privileges and practices that generally come with marriage as well as outside of it.

    At first, sex with robots might be considered geeky, "but once you have a story like 'I had sex with a robot, and it was great!' appear someplace like Cosmo magazine, I'd expect many people to jump on the bandwagon," Levy said.

    Pygmalion to Roomba

    The idea of romance between humanity and our artistic and/or mechanical creations dates back to ancient times, with the Greek myth of the sculptor Pygmalion falling in love with the ivory statue he made named Galatea, to which the goddess Venus eventually granted life.

    This notion persists in modern times. Not only has science fiction explored this idea, but 40 years ago, scientists noticed that students at times became unusually attracted to ELIZA, a computer program designed to ask questions and mimic a psychotherapist.

    "There's a trend of robots becoming more human-like in appearance and coming more in contact with humans," Levy said. "At first robots were used impersonally, in factories where they helped build automobiles, for instance. Then they were used in offices to deliver mail, or to show visitors around museums, or in homes as vacuum cleaners, such as with the Roomba. Now you have robot toys, like Sony's Aibo robot dog, or Tickle Me Elmos, or digital pets like Tamagotchis."

    In his thesis, "Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners," Levy conjectures that robots will become so human-like in appearance, function and personality that many people will fall in love with them, have sex with them and even marry them.

    "It may sound a little weird, but it isn't," Levy said. "Love and sex with robots are inevitable."

    Sex in 5 years

    Levy argues that psychologists have identified roughly a dozen basic reasons why people fall in love, "and almost all of them could apply to human-robot relationships. For instance, one thing that prompts people to fall in love are similarities in personality and knowledge, and all of this is programmable. Another reason people are more likely to fall in love is if they know the other person likes them, and that's programmable too."

    In 2006, Henrik Christensen, founder of the European Robotics Research Network, predicted that people will be having sex with robots within five years, and Levy thinks that's quite likely.

    There are companies that already sell realistic sex dolls, "and it's just a matter of adding some electronics to them to add some vibration," he said, or endowing the robots with a few audio responses. "That's fairly primitive in terms of robotics, but the technology is already there."

    As software becomes more advanced and the relationship between humans and robots becomes more personal, marriage could result.

    "One hundred years ago, interracial marriage and same-sex marriages were illegal in the United States. Interracial marriage has been legal now for 50 years, and same-sex marriage is legal in some parts of the states," Levy said. "There has been this trend in marriage where each partner gets to make their own choice of who they want to be with."

    "The question is not if this will happen, but when," Levy said. "I am convinced the answer is much earlier than you think."

    When and where it'll happen

    Levy predicts Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction to legalize human-robot marriage.

    "Massachusetts is more liberal than most other jurisdictions in the United States and has been at the forefront of same-sex marriage," Levy said. "There's also a lot of high-tech research there at places like MIT."

    Although roboticist Ronald Arkin at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta does not think human-robot marriages will be legal anywhere by 2050, "anything's possible. And just because it's not legal doesn't mean people won't try it," he told LiveScience.

    "Humans are very unusual creatures," Arkin said. "If you ask me if every human will want to marry a robot, my answer is probably not. But will there be a subset of people? There are people ready right now to marry sex toys."

    The main benefit of human-robot marriage could be to make people who otherwise could not get married happier, "people who find it hard to form relationships, because they are extremely shy, or have psychological problems, or are just plain ugly or have unpleasant personalities," Levy said. "Of course, such people who completely give up the idea of forming relationships with other people are going to be few and far between, but they will be out there."

    Ethical questions

    The possibility of sex with robots could prove a mixed bag for humanity. For instance, robot sex could provide an outlet for criminal sexual urges.

    "If you have pedophiles and you let them use a robotic child, will that reduce the incidence of them abusing real children, or will it increase it?" Arkin asked. "I don't think anyone has the answers for that yet — that's where future research needs to be done."

    Keeping a robot for sex could reduce human prostitution and the problems that come with it.

    However, "in a marriage or other relationship, one partner could be jealous or consider it infidelity if the other used a robot," Levy said. "But who knows, maybe some other relationships could welcome a robot. Instead of a woman saying, 'Darling, not tonight, I have a headache,' you could get 'Darling, I have a headache, why not use your robot?'"

    Arkin noted that "if we allow robots to become a part of everyday life and bond with them, we'll have to ask questions about what's going to happen to our social fabric. How will they change humanity and civilization? I don't have any answers, but I think it's something we need to study. There's a real potential for intimacy here, where humans become psychologically and emotionally attached to these devices in ways we wouldn't to a vibrator."

    Levy is currently writing a paper on the ethical treatment of robots. When it comes to sex and love with robots, "the ethical issues on how to treat them are something we'll have to consider very seriously, and they're very complicated issues," Levy said.

    Levy successfully defended his thesis Oct. 11.

    "Happy Birthday Keyshia Cole"

    Happy 26th Birthday wishes going out to R&B artist Keyshia Cole.

    In a world filled with two-bit, cookie cutter, manufactured artists this girl's the real deal. Home girl can SANG!

    Her latest album "Just Like You" was released late last month, and has spawned a monster hit with "Let It Go" (an homage to Mtume's 80's anthem "Juicy Fruit", although most young folk will only recognize it as a Biggie "Juicy" sample)

    Most of the album is solid as well, with the Bryan-Michael Cox-produced "Was It Worth It" being my favorite track (next to "Let It Go" that is)

    Good stuff. Peep the video for "Let It Go" below. - Ace:)

    "I Love Lucy makes it's debut: 10/15/51"

    51 years ago today (October 15th, 1951) "I Love Lucy" debuted on CBS Television. This was the first sitcom ever to be filmed using three cameras in front of a live audience.

    The series ran until June 24th, 1957 with a total of 181 episodes shot.

    "I Love Lucy" is an American treasure!

    Enjoy the clip brought to us yet again by the fine folks at Youtube. - Ace:)

    "Robert Deniro's actual Taxi Driver's License"

    To prepare for the classic Martin Scorsese directed film "Taxi Driver", Robert Deniro actually obtained an actual Taxicab Driver's License. In fact, not only did he get licensed to drive NYC taxis, he actually picked up fares in Manhattan to prepare for the role of deranged Vietnam Veteran Travis Bickle.

    The image seen above is a scan of the actual license, which was donated to The Harry Ransom Center by Mr. Deniro along with other numerous items of film-related material in 2006.

    Pretty damn cool I'd say!

    Now enjoy the original theatrical trailer of "Taxi Driver" brought to you by the fine folks at Youtube.com! - Ace:)

    Sunday, October 14, 2007

    "Nas' new album is called N!gga"

    Nas Reveals Controversial Title Of New LP At NYC Gig

    Album's name will pose challenges for retailers, media.


    NEW YORK
    — The N-word it is.

    On Friday night at New York's Roseland Ballroom, Nas announced the title of his next album: He said it will be called "Nigga" and released in December. A source close to the project confirmed the name on Saturday.

    Nas has said he'd planned to use that title for his last LP before he changed it to Hip-Hop Is Dead. If the December date holds firm, Nas will have a very busy winter. On November 6 he's releasing his Greatest Hits LP. A video for one of the two new songs on the project, "Surviving the Times," will be shot soon. Last week, super producer Jermaine Dupri — who has already completed tracks for Jay-Z's American Gangster — told MTV News he would love to be involved in Nas' upcoming new LP.

    Nas headlined the last stop of the Sneaker Pimps Tour on Friday, where newcomers such as Mista Mal as well as legends EPMD and Slick Rick had sets. Even Jeru Da Damaja showed up and rocked the mic.

    Nas kept fans antsy by not going on until well after 1 a.m., but they left visibly — and audibly — pleased.

    He opened with "Hip-Hop Is Dead," then went into his catalog for records such as "One Love" and "Hate Me Now." God's Son ended with "Made You Look," during which he surprised the fans by jumping into the crowd. Once among the people, he began jumping up and down and inciting the people to jump with him. One of Nas' security guards dove into the audience after him, pulling him back to the stage, where he stood none the worse for wear.

    "He touched my hand and gave me positive energy," one woman said as the house lights came on.

    Besides phat rhymes, spectators saw some of the most exclusive kicks you can hope to get, as sneakers from all over the world were displayed. There was also a pit for professional skaters who sailed up and down ramps. Still, most of the skaters had to put their boards down when the acts came on, especially Nas.

    I'm sure Al Sharpton's gonna have a field day with this! - Ace:)

    ***Now enjoy the video for Nas' first single ever off 1992's "Zebrahead" Soundtrack***

    "Alicia Keys on the cover of the latest Ebony Magazine"

















    Ms. Alicia Keys graces the cover of the current November issue of Ebony Magazine.
    There is an in depth interview and a few photos which I've posted for all to view.

    Also, check out the video below of the actual Ebony Magazine photo shoot!

    This is all part of her media campaign to promote her upcoming album "As I Am" which drops on 11/13/07. - Ace:)





    "The Salt-N-Pepa Show: VH1 Debut: 10/15"

    from VH1.com

    Episode 1: Pushin' It

    Can Grammy Award-winning rap duo Salt-N-Pepa work together again? Better yet, can they be in the same room without killing each other? Watch as Cheryl "Salt" Wray and Sandy "Pepa" Denton try resolve their long-simmering differences and reclaim their friendship. Can they reconcile their provocative stage personas with Salt's new-found spirituality? When Pepa crosses the line at a rehearsal, Salt takes charge and persuades Pepa to perform at her church. Can Pepa do her thing without offending the congregation?

    The Salt-N-Pepa Show Debuts October 15th @ 10:00PM on VH1.

    And by the way, did Pepa have some work done? Not sayin' she doesn't look good or anything, I'm juss sayin'. She didn't look like that even a year ago. Anyways, check the video trailer below. - Ace:)

    "Photo of the day: 10/14/07"

    Cher & The God of Thunder circa 1979'ish.

    "Portishead Close To Finally Finishing 3rd LP"

    from filter-mag.com
     
    The long waited third Portishead LP is finally closer to being finished.  According to a blog posted by Geoff Barrow, the album, which has been ten years in the making, is currently in the mixing stage. 

    While no other details have been announced, Portishead are the curators for this year's (All Tomorrow's Parties sponsored) Nightmare Before Christmas Festival going down in Minehead, England on December 7-9.  The band will also perform among the likes of Thurston Moore, Black Mountain, Silver Apples, Aphex Twin and a slew of others.
     
     

    "Charlize Theron is the sexiest woman alive"

    Esquire Magazine has named 32 year old actress Charlize Theron 2007's 'Sexiest Woman Alive'. The issue will be on newsstands October 16th.

    Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, and Jessica Biel are all former 'Sexiest Woman..' title holders. - Ace:)

    "Happy Birthday Thomas Dolby"


    SCIENCE!

    Happy 49th Birthday to Mr. Thomas Morgan Robertson, aka Thomas Dolby. Born in London, England on October 14th, 1958.

    The man was (and still remains) ahead of his time.

    While his most known song is without a doubt "She Blinded Me With Science", my personal favorite Dolby track is "I Scare Myself" from his 1984 release "The Flat Earth". - Ace:)

    Be sure to visit Mr. Dolby's website @ ThomasDolby.com, and enjoy a fine live performance of "I Scare Myself", courtesy of the fine folks @ Youtube.