Mike McGuff wins an Emmy

I am proud to announce that after two years of submitting and five nominations later, I have finally won a Lone Star EMMY!

This is from the 2008 Advanced Media Awards since I am a TV web dude now. Of course my wing man was Michael A. Carl as usual.

EVH, Sonic Youth, Motley Crue and more

Secrets of the Guitar Heroes: Eddie Van Halen

Sonic Youth Say “Goodbye 20th Century” In New Biography, Plus Photos

MÖTLEY CRÜE Keeping Lid On 'Crüe Fest' Production

JUDAS PRIEST On Q104.3 FM's 'Friday Night Rocks'; Video Available

Mission: Metallica Opens Up the Platinum Section, Posts New Video

Billy Corgan On The Reformation Of Smashing Pumpkins

Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers Launch New Project

Houston and radio TV ratings

The Chron has the scoop on the latest Houston TV ratings.

We also learned that Hot 95.7 KKHH is doing well too.

Handing out awards

Sorry I haven't had much time for the old blog in the last day or so. Thursday I was up at 7am and didn't stop until 1am.

The best thing I did all day was hand out the Elizabeth McGuff Citizenship Award at TH Rogers. That was the school she taught at before she passed away.

I want to thank principal David Muzyka for inviting me.

VIDEO: Phoenix Mars Lander

Russell Holliman shows us the video that all of the cable networks played as NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander made it's way to the Red Planet.

Hey, not only does the unit study Mars, it Twitters too.

AUDIO: The Big Puma song

MikeMcGuff.com Blog reader Chance McClain is always making news. First he writes the Yao Ming Song and now it is The Big Puma for Houston Astro Lance Berkman.

You can hear the song here. Heck, download if for free. Pass it around.

[via Ken Hoffman]

Gen X angst, email tips, Twitter, social networking and more

Ten Reasons Gen Xers Are Unhappy at Work

57 Habits of Highly Effective Gmail Users
5 Tips for E-mailing Busy People

New York Times future tech tour

Using Twitter
The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter

How the Top Social Networks got started

Don’t sacrifice your blog in the name of productivity

Tim Ferriss Revisited

Review: Dash Express GPS

My interview with Doug Pinnick of King's X

Usually I link to music news, but this time, I was able to generate some of my own. I was lucky enough to interview Doug Pinnick of King's X.

This longtime band has lived in Houston for quite sometime. The band released its new album XV last week.

GO READ MY INTERVIEW

Sirius + XM, instant girlfriends, cloud computing and more

Sirius, XM Merger to Happen by June 30?
A decision on the long-lingering proposal by Sirius Satellite Radio and direct competitor XM Satellite Radio to merge their businesses could come from the Federal Communications Commission by June 30.

Instant Message, Instant Girlfriend
Dude used the Internet as a means of communication with women he had already met offline in order to overcome social awkwardness and forge romantic relationships.

Cloud Computing: So You Don’t Have to Stand Still
It means obtaining computing resources — processing, storage, messaging, databases and so on — from someplace outside your own four walls, and paying only for what you use.

A Video Game Star and His Less-Than-Stellar Pay
His face still isn’t famous, but Mr. Hollick’s voice and gait have moved into the pop culture firmament recently as those of Niko Bellic, the sardonic, textured Balkan criminal at the heart of Grand Theft Auto IV.

On the Road Again? Tricks to Logging On
THE Internet may be more accessible than ever, but business travelers often need more than one way to log on to get their e-mail, send and receive files and search the Web for maps, restaurants and other information.

Google Co-founder Pushes TV "White Space" Plan
Larry Page was in Washington to promote proposal for a new generation of wireless devices.

You Can Call for I.T. Help Without Hiring a Whole Crew
One task many busy managers avoid is taking care of computers, networks and other technology. Installing software, setting up broadband connections and backing up servers can be time-consuming and complicated.

What the heck is Twitter?

I accidentally found this interview I did with treocast last year about Twitter. At this point, I wasn't even using Twitter yet! In fact, I wasn't even sold on it yet.

How things change.

VIDEO: Jeff Spicoli lives! And he's NOT Sean Penn

From an actual broadcast of Good Day LA on Fox 11 KTTV in Los Angeles, the real Jeff Spicoli is interviewed for a story. Whoa.

WATCH THE CLIP

Jillian Barberie has no comment on him, but what did Mr. Hand think?

(Thanks Ed!)

Velvet Revolver, Motley Crue, Smashing Pumpkins, Foxboro Hot Tubs and more

Velvet Revolver Say No To Reality Show, Plan To Announce Lead Vocalist
It's certainly no secret that Velvet Revolver, having recently parted ways with Scott Weiland as their lead singer, are currently looking for a new voice.
- Velvet Revolver Sorum Newfound Love For Axl Rose
- MATT SORUM Reacts To The Wrath Of SCOTT WEILAND

MÖTLEY CRÜE: Audio Samples Of Entire New Album Available
Short audio samples of all 13 tracks that are set to appear on MÖTLEY CRÜE's forthcoming album, "Saints of Los Angeles", are available on Amazon.com.
- Tommy Lee Gets Animated
- NIKKI SIXX On SIXX: A.M. Debut: 'It Wasn't About Us; It Was About The Song, The Journey'
- NIKKI SIXX And Girlfriend KAT VON D On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

- SMASHING PUMPKINS Planning 20th Anniversary Shows
- JUDAS PRIEST Guitarist Says 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot' Documentary Is 'Definitely A Treasure'
- Weezer Give YouTube Celebs a Sixteenth Minute in “Pork and Beans” Video
- Foxboro Hot Tubs Go Back to the Garage at Tiny Austin Club Show
- FILTER Unveils New U.S. Tour
- POISON Drummer RIKKI ROCKETT Exonerated Of Mississippi Rape Charge

Comcast outages

For the last few weeks, my Comcast Houston cable modem keeps going in and out. The outage is quick, 5 minutes or so. It seems to happen mostly during the day. If I'm on a couple of hours it will happen 2 to 3 times.

Anyone else experience this?

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly's producer on camera

I've been showing lots of clips of the Bill O'Reilly meltdown from his Inside Edition days.

Don't think it's quite over yet. I received this email late last week:

I saw your link to the Bill O'Reilly video in which he flipped out on his Inside Edition producer. What most people don't know is that there was a second camera rolling that night that caught the producer's reaction to O'Reilly's screaming.

WATCH THE CLIP

More O'Reilly news:
- Comcast fires Barry Nolan over Bill O’Reilly protest
- Murdoch intervenes in Olbermann-O'Reilly row
- Media World: Bill O'Reilly's nasty war against General Electric

Heather Kovar and her dog blog

Heather Kovar is a Houstonian who now lives in New York City. She also works in TV, so I thought it was only fitting that I should link to her here! Go check out her blog.

PICS: Site that shows off offices and workspaces

One of the most private places in one's life could now be the office or workspace. So why not throw pics of your area on a site and expose yourself to the world?

A site called WhereWhatWeDoWeDo does just that. CHECK IT OUT

The funny thing is the first picture I clicked on happened to be a dude's picture from Fox 26 KRIV in Houston! Out of all the pictures, that's the one I first click on. Must be fate!

Here is a picture of my desk. Yes, I'm serious. Unfortunately they are not always there.

(Image from blink marketing and advertising)

KOG Media blog

Patrick Roberts writes a blog called KOG Media. The blog is a Christian perspective on popular movies, music and television. GO SEE IT

Big changes in Houston TV

I first posted here about KHOU Channel 11's Neil Frank retiring last year. Now it is officially happening.

But that's not the only big change coming to Houston television.

CW 39 KHCW is expanding its only newscast from 30 minutes to an hour.

Houston radio ratings

Houston's top 10 radio station ratings in March, by AQH share (Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-midnight).

Station/Owner/Format/Share
1. KMJQ-FM/Radio One/Urban AC/6.5
(tie) KODA-FM/Clear Channel/AC/6.5
3. KBXX-FM/Radio One/Rhythmic/5.9
4. KKBQ-FM/Cox Radio/Country/5.5
5. KTRH-AM/Clear Channel/News-Talk/4.6
6. KTBZ-FM/Clear Channel/Alternative/4.5
7. KLOL-FM/Clear Channel/Sp. Cont./4.3
8. KILT-FM/CBS Radio/Country/4.3
9. KLTN-FM/Univision/Reg. Mex./4.2
(tie) KRBE-FM/Cumulus/Top 40/4.2

[via RadioInk]

VIDEO: Charlie Rose interviews himself

A filmmaker edited episodes of PBS' Charlie Rose together to make it look like the late night host is interviewing himself. Weird effect.

WATCH IT

I love Charlie Rose, so yeah, I would watch him interviewing himself. Did you know he used to have a show in Dallas?

Mike McGuff gets an ego blast

Graeme Newell of 602 Communications is a big time TV and Internet consultant and one that I actually listen to. He gets it. And I've always thought this even before he featured my budding Internet kingdom!

That's right, Newell wrote about my social networking skills:

Mike McGuff is a web producer at KTRK in Houston and publishes a news blog all about the TV biz in the city. Mike is an active social networker with personal pages on Linked In, and Facebook. But his Twitter postings are some of the best I’ve seen. You see, Mike is a linking animal. His posts on Twitter:http://twitter.com/mikemcguff are some of my favorites, because they are a constant stream of some of the most interesting and bizarre links to be found on the web. Mike has 66 people who follow his posts and he has been building steadily.

In effect, Mike and I have made a tacit deal. He agrees to keep his posts very short and scanable. He keeps me informed with links to great interesting content, and I agree to do the same. Mike and I don’t talk or email. But what is really powerful is that my network and Mike’s network are now joined. If Mike has some bit of information he needs, he can put out the word on Twitter, and tap into the resources of 66 different people. What’s even more powerful is that those 66 people all have their own networks that Mike can utilize with just a quick request to his Twitter friends.

The key is that Mike is a good social networking citizen. This means he gives as well as receives. Because his posts are valuable to his audience, they are more than happy to help out on those occasions when Mike may need information.

READ THE REST

Wow, I got mentioned in the same text as Leo Laporte and Barack Obama. That probably won't happen ever again!

Praying for Papers blog

Mike Koehler of Oklahoma is writing a blog called Praying for Papers. It is as it sounds:

This is a troubling time in the newspaper business. Every day we hear stories from papers that are laying off employees and struggling to stay afloat. Our idea at Praying for Papers is to encourage anyone who is touched by this shift in our industry to include it each day in their prayer life.

This includes:

* Praying for your brothers and sisters in the business who have lost their jobs or may be in danger of losing their jobs - as well as their families.
* Prayers for the leaders of our business to do the right thing in their decision-making, having them keep in mind what Christ would do.
* Praying for the people in our business who are far from God.
Many of us have been troubled by the cynicism of journalism and the heaviness that places on our hearts. Freedom in Christ, no matter job circumstances, can help a lot of people.

CHECK IT OUT

[via Lost Remote]

I'm on brightkite

Look me up on brightkite. I've been on for a couple of weeks an contributing pictures there.

102.1 The Edge in Dallas gets The Billy Madison Show

FMQB has the news on the new 102.1 The Edge Dallas morning show details:

Modern Rocker KDGE/Dallas finds its new morning show with The Billy Madison Show, debuting this Wednesday, May 21. Madison takes over from MD Ayo, who had been temporarily filling in since Lex & Terry moved to sister station KEGL earlier this year. Madison was previously at Top 40/Rhythmic KTBT/Tulsa. His producer, Derek Allgood, follows him to Dallas. Madison will also be joined by Vydra, who was previously a morning co-host at Modern Rock KKND/New Orleans, and had been holding down middays after the station flipped to Country. READ THE REST

Firefox 3, TweetWheel, Yoono, small wireless modem and more

Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 is out: GO GET IT
Dwight Silverman says if you are a Firefox user, you owe it to yourself to download and try this version. Even in its unfinished state, it beats the pants off FF2.

After Forays With ABC and HBO, a Video Blogger Returns to Video Blogging
“It’s weird,” Amanda Congdon says, looking off-camera, eyeing her own image reflected on the computer screen in her Los Angeles apartment. “It’s just weird when you come back.”

TweetWheel
Find out which of your Twitter friends know each other!

Yoono
Socialize your browser by bringing social networks, bookmarks, chat, photos and video
sharing into a single browser interface.

My Virtual Summer Job
With summer jobs in short supply, more young people are pursuing money-making opportunities in Web fantasy worlds.

Connecting to the Internet on the Go
David Pogue says the Sierra/Sprint Wireless Compass 597 is the new reigning champion in the competition for the smallest cellular modem in the country.

Billion-pixel panoramas — from your own camera
The Gigapan allows people to take pictures which are more than a gigapixel - or 1,000 megapixels - in size, effectively turning a single photograph into a panoramic experience, around which the viewer can navigate on a computer.

Houston radio vs Liberty City radio (Grand Theft Auto)

John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press asks why can't Houston radio be as good as the stations found in Grand Theft Auto IV.

I wonder if you can get XM in Liberty City?

Speaking of Houston radio, music whiz David Sadof talks about his hiring at 107.5 The Rocket KRQT which as we all know became 94.5 The Buzz KTBZ we know today. Check out his play list from 1994. The station was actually playing alternative music! Remember that stuff? Now songs of that time are just the mainstream in a way. Notice how that station mixed in older alternative stuff and some surprises. The Buzz of today rarely would do that outside of Don Jantzen's show.

The World's Sexiest Weather Girls - you vote

Asylum has compiled a list of the world's sexiest weather girls. You can even vote for your favorite.

(Thanks Marc!)

VIDEO: The Japanese Office

I had high hopes for Steve Carell's appearance on Saturday Night Live, but was pretty let down. The only sketch of his I thought was funny was the SNL Digital Short: Japanese Office. Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell together? Sort of:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull not a dud

Seems like early viewers of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull liked what they saw. Whip it, into shape.

VIDEO: Old Houston news clips

Remember these?

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly temper dance remix

The Bill O'Reilly Inside Edition blow up won't die just yet. That's because people on TV and on the Internet won't let it.

I had to laugh at what I found on BoingBoing. Someone took the now famous clip and remixed it into a dance video! WATCH THIS HILARIOUS CLIP (*NSFW for language!!!!)

So what does Bill think about all of the attention? He's laughing about it. SEE THAT CLIP

RELATED
- VIDEO: Cussing TV anchors
- VIDEO: Colbert nails O'Reilly's freakout

(Image courtesy of TV Newser)

Texas boy steals dad's credit cards, hires hookers

This almost sounds like a movie treatment, rather than something from a news agency:

A 13 year old from Newark, Texas confessed to ordering an extra credit card from his father's existing credit card company, and took his friends on a $30,000 spending spree, culminating in playing "Halo" on an Xbox with a couple of hookers in a Texas motel.
[snip]
Police said they were alerted to the motel by a concerned delivery clerk, whom after delivering supplies of Dr Pepper, Fritos and Oreos had been asked by the kids where they could score some chicks and were willing to pay. They explained they had just made a big score at a "World of Warcraft" tournament and wanted to get some relaxation. On noting the boys age the delivery clerk informed the authorities. READ THE REST

According to the article, the boy wants to be a politician one day. He sounds like the real life Ferris Bueller in the making. Except Ferris wouldn't have been caught.

[Thanks Michael Penix]

Changes in Houston sports media

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle has been reporting on several changes in the Houston sports media.

One change comes to television. According to Barron, KRIV Channel 26 sports reporter and anchor Matt Sampsell, no longer works for the TV station. The article also notes three KRIV newsroom employees were released too.

Next Barron got the scoop on his own coworker. Chron sports writer, Jerome Solomon, is out at ESPN 97.5 KFNC The Ticket because of the paper's guidelines. According to the article, Chronicle employees can't read ads on the air which the radio station needs to make money.

Slacking off, sleep, breaking bad habits and more

Be smarter at work, slack off
In a world of too much work and too much multitasking, the best way to beat the competition may be to do less.

You Name It, and Exercise Helps It
Doctor says data show that regular moderate exercise increases your ability to battle the effects of disease.

Sleep deprivation is not a badge of honor
Forgoing sleep is like borrowing from a loan shark.

Best Ways To Break Unhealthy Habits
Keeping your defiant attitude in check and attacking a couple of bad habits at once may work better than you'd expect.

Sad news to report

I try to keep things fun for you on this blog, but real life gets in the way sometimes. One of my best friends in the world lost his baby on Monday. She had just turned one in April.

The cause was bacterial meningitis. She showed signs of trouble Sunday night, by Monday afternoon she had lost all brain function.

My friend wanted me to write something on the blog about this to let you know that learning CPR is important in these situations. When her breathing was shallow, he knew how to perform CPR as the ambulance was on its way and in some cases that could make a big difference.

Longtime readers of this blog know that I have lost both of my parents. That wasn't easy. I have no idea what this must be like. Hopefully you and I will never know. My friend's strength impresses me. We can all hope that if we face this tragedy, we handle it with the dignity and grace he has found inside.

The funeral is today. In her memory, I will not post for the rest of the week.

Please pray for his family.

Houston keeps getting more and more

Is Houston's economy really that strong? More and more businesses keep opening in the area.

Whole Foods to build store between Montrose and Waugh
Whole Foods Market plans to build a store between downtown and River Oaks as part of a 13-acre development that will include apartments and shops.

Baskin-Robbins plans yummy addition for Houston
Baskin-Robbins is planning to open more than 100 stores in the Houston area over the next several years.

Pearland Town Center to add 20 new shops
Twenty more retailers and restaurants are being added to the 1.2 million-square-foot Pearland Town Center mixed-use development set to open on July 30.

Rather see this than the alternative. It was kind of scary during the oil bust of the 80s. Abandoned properties + construction left unfinished = no fun.

Free Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin' Donuts

Just wanted to let you know that Dunkin' Donuts is offering Free Iced Coffee Day...today:

Dunkin' Donuts is celebrating Free Iced Coffee Day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. next Thursday, May 15. Customers can walk into any participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurant throughout the country and receive a free 16 oz. cup of Dunkin' Donuts' premium regular, Berry Berry Iced Coffee, which combines the seasonal tastes of blueberry and raspberry with Dunkin' Donuts' award-winning coffee, or many other delicious flavors.

The company anticipates giving away nearly 4 million cups of its award-winning iced coffee. READ THE REST

Click for more here.

[Thanks Tim Heller]

VIDEO: Cussing TV anchors

Just in case you couldn't get enough of an anchor dropping F-bombs as featured on that Bill O'Reilly post, here is more.

NSFW WARNING! Keep your speakers low if you are around sensitive coworkers. After all, not all of you work in newsrooms where this is just another word.

First up, Sue Simmons of WNBC Channel 4 in New York ad-libbed something extra into her nightly tease - then apologized for it during the 11pm newscast. WATCH THE VIDEO

Can't get enough? Let's take a look at the greatest hits of the top ten angry on-camera meltdowns just to remind us each to show some restraint next time things don't go as planned during our day. WATCH THE VIDEO

[Thanks Ed]

KPRC anchor Ron Stone passes away

Longtime KPRC Channel 2 Houston anchor Ron Stone has passed away KPRC reports:

Ron Stone, who anchored the news on KPRC TV for 20 years and was a Houston broadcasting legend, passed away from cancer on Tuesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.Stone, who turned 72 on April 6, spent more than 30 years on the air in Houston.He was a daily fixture for KPRC viewers from 1972 until he retired in 1992 and formed a production company. Prior to that, Stone worked at KHOU TV for 10 years. READ THE REST

I have known about his condition for about a week or so, but did not post it. I am sure the Stone family needed privacy during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

RELATED
- WATCH: Ron Stone covers the 80s in 'So Long Urban Cowboy'
- What is KPRC 2's Ron Stone without Doug Johnson?
- VIDEO: KPRC 40 Years - A Houston Essay with Ron Stone
- WATCH: Ron Stone's last KPRC 2 newscast
- VIDEO: KPRC 2's Ron Stone and Doug Johnson sure had on air chemistry
- VIDEO: Classic Houston TV hosts talk about golden age

250 geysers of soda chain reaction

Remember those two dudes who mixed Diet Coke with Mentos? They are back, this time mixing the two to create a domino effect of geysers.

Fritz & Stephen, the mad scientists from EepyBird, take it even further - with over 250 geysers of soda. And this time they're linked together in one giant chain reaction! A clever mechanism harnesses the power of one geyser of Diet Coke to drop the Mentos into the next bottle. So just like dominos, all they have to do is start the first one, and the rest is Diet Coke & Mentos history!

WATCH THE VIDEO

(Thanks Brian!)

VIDEO: Bill O'Reilly's temper flares on old Inside Edition clip

Way before Fox News, Bill O'Reilly worked at Inside Edition (and ABC News). I showed you these clips before around this time last year.

But we hadn't seen anything yet.

Here is the Bill O'Reilly Inside Edition meltdown clip that keeps being pulled from YouTube and resurfacing. NSFW kids. Uncle Bill drops some F-bombs in this one.

WATCH THE VIDEO

If it gets pulled, watch it here.

Jimmy Fallon NBC's new 'Late Night' Host in 2009

NBC announced that Jimmy Fallon will replace Conan O'Brien and become the new 'Late Night' Host in 2009:

NBC's plan is to have O'Brien move west to take over for Jay Leno at the "Tonight" show next year. After a break to refurbish the Rockefeller Center studio where O'Brien now works, the 33-year-old Fallon will take over.

The Fallon transition is being managed by Lorne Michaels, who famously picked O'Brien out of obscurity to fill Letterman's old slot at NBC, then stuck with him despite savage early reviews.

Fallon, who left "SNL" in 2004 for a lukewarm movie career, should have an easier time of it, he said.

"You're never really certain of these things, but I just think he's built for it," Michaels said. "You've just seen that he's really funny, he's smart and he has a really, really good work ethic." READ THE REST

(Image courtesy Flick user infacinatorinc)

PIC: Passback practice football

It's called the Passback.

It's a half shaped football that can be bounced against the wall to return a spiral to you.

Didn't know this existed.

When I was at Reliant Stadium on Friday a Houston Texans staffer showed it off to me.

http://www.passback.net/

50 Most Memorable Movie Cars

With Speed Racer out, movie cars are a hot topic right now. Go see the 50 Most Memorable Movie Cars from Rotten Tomatoes.

SEE THE LIST

[Thanks Brian!]

Houston Police Recruiting blog

Wow. I found a Houston Police Recruiting blog on blogger! You can actually fill out an application right from the blog.

GO SEE IT

VIDEO: Real Life Facebook

Actors show us what Facebook would be like in the real world.

WATCH THE VIDEO

It makes me feel strange. This is from the sketch comedy group, Idiots of Ants, from BBC3's television show, The Wall.

(Thanks Ario)

Jim Pinkerton is back on Fox News Watch

Every Saturday it is interesting to see how many people come to this blog looking for my post on how Eric Burns of Fox News Watch was fired. You'd think with such interest, Fox News would bring Burns back.

As I've posted before, I stopped watching the show once Burns, Neal Gabler and Jim Pinkerton left. I became strictly a Howie Kurtz Reliable Sources watcher for my weekly media criticism discussion.

Luckily for Fox News, my DVR was still recording the show. Last weekend, I was pleased to see Jim Pinkerton return from his trip with the Huckabee campaign. That could get me watching again full-time.

Now just bring back Burns and Gabler and all will be well again.

PICS: Krista wins the Houston Texans cheerleader vote

The big project I've been working on all week has come to an end. Krista is the big winner of the you pick the next Houston Texans cheerleader vote.

I was at Reliant Stadium for the big announcement Friday afternoon.

See pictures from Krista's win and performance with the cheerleaders
From before the vote was announced, the exciting moment and the post performance, I took plenty of images of Krista and the finalists from the big event.

Watch video of Krista in her Texans cheerleader uniform
I caught up with Krista, in her new uniform, and talked to her about the win.

PIC: Funny Houston sign

Oh to be young again. It looks like someone in Houston had fun with a closed donut shop's sign on San Felipe near River Oaks. A mikemcguff.com blog reader spied this and sent it to me.

This is one thing advertised at a donut shop I have no interest in. Give me a glazed instead.

The Weather Channel's internal storm

The Smoking Gun has details about some behind the scenes drama that happened around the green screens of The Weather Channel.

(Thanks Shea)

Behind the scenes of the new Bruno movie

Sacha Baron Cohen has moved on from Ali G and Borat, now he is in character as Bruno for his next movie.

Bruno is the gay, Austrian TV reporter that works very hard to make those being interviewed uncomfortable. So no different than Cohen's other characters.

thebrunomovie.com, which I don't think is official, chronicles the making of the movies through user submitted videos and pictures of Cohen dressed as Bruno in the field doing his thing.

I can't imagine the movie studio would approve of this behind the scenes action. Kind of ruins the joke, but for Cohen fans is great.

VIDEO: Houston Texans cheerleader finalist interviews

I've been driving across the Houston-area and interviewing the three Houston Texans cheerleader finalists. Believe me, I am not complaining. It's great work if you can get it.

And now I have finally edited all the video together. These interviews give us a better of idea of just who these girls are.

GO WATCH THE VIDEOS

Google Maps does a lot more now

Google Maps now embraces user generated content on its maps:

View local photos and YouTube videos
Discover popular searches and places of interest
Browse user-created maps or design your own

SEE MORE

{via Steve Rubel}

Dominique Sachse will stay at KPRC Channel 2 in Houston

The news is in, KPRC Local 2 anchor Dominique Sachse isn't going anywhere:

Dominique Sachse has signed a new seven-year contract with KPRC (Channel 2), but not before considering other job opportunities that may have included a shot at the Big Apple.

Sacshe said Tuesday night that her agent "shopped me around" to stations outside Houston but that she elected to remain with the NBC affiliate, where she has worked since 1993. READ THE REST

David Barron of The Houston Chronicle also has news on former KPRC general manager Steve Wasserman and meteorologist Eric Braate which we talked about around here last week.

(Image courtesy of dominiquesachse.tv)

VIDEO: Shots fired at KTVT reporter while on air

Live on CBS 11 KTVT in Dallas Fort Worth, a reporter was doing a live shot for the news when someone started shooting at a tow truck behind her.

WATCH HERE

BaskinRobbins on Twitter

Wow. I'm being followed by BaskinRobbins on Twitter!

I learned that Mint Chocolate Chip is one of the chain's most popular flavors. No surprise there.

Call me fat blog

This guy feels that publicly showing off his fat on his blog will help him lose weight. Maybe. Or is it another joke site?

(Thanks Serenasays)

PIC: Banned Poison album cover

When Poison's released Open Up and Say...Ahh! in 1988 they slapped a wild picture on the album cover.

Well, that got pulled from store shelves and you ended up with this version. In this case, I think the censored version actually works better.

I spied this original version at a CD store in Waco believe it or not. I had never actually seen this cover, only heard about it.

Man tries to cash $360 billion check at Fort Worth bank

Sure he walked in to a Fort Worth bank with a $360 billion check...what's the big deal?

The 21-year-old North Texas man was arrested last week for trying to cash a $360 billion check, saying he wanted to start a record business, authorities said. Tellers at the Fort Worth bank were immediately suspicious — perhaps the 10 zeros on a personal check tipped them off, according to investigators. READ THE REST

He wanted to start a record company. Those are losing so much money, you need that much to start one up! The funniest part is the image of the check on the click through.

(Thanks Michael Penix)

Vote for the cheerleader

Since I screwed up the link for a few hours yesterday, here is the Houston Texans cheerleader voting section I built.

GO SEE IT

I added more pictures and video, plus the finalists were nice enough to write a new blog post.

I'm not finished yet. There will be more new stuff tomorrow on the section.

VIDEO: SexyAttack Houston

Chester Soria of Houstonist points out an interesting flash mob moment in Houston. It's called SexyAttack:

So far, they've SexyAttacked both the River Oaks and disco Kroger's, the Menil (our personal favorite), Rudyard's, the UH library, and a couple other locations that are now much sexier as a result. READ THE REST

The video of this sexy session appears to be from inside the River Oaks Kroger. The yogurt area to be exact. I've been there many times. It's funny to watch the performance and of course the shoppers and employees walking by. The best is when you can hear a woman off camera ask, "How am I supposed to get my yogurt?" That's all she can think of when there are guys and girls gyrating on the floor of a grocery store?

My friends and I used to do performance art with camera in tow as teens. Instead of viral fame all it got us was kicked out of The Galleria in Houston. Different time I guess. Or is it? Here is video of the group getting busted at the Montrose Kroger.

I like this sort of disruption. It's harmless and I guarantee you brightens someone's day who is lucky enough to witness it.

Houstonist says Sexy Attack is somehow connected to the Performance Art Lab at UH.

Site for college students to sell stuff

If college students only want to buy stuff online from other college students, then Bubblevine is for them:

Local entrepreneur Monica Yoo, sister of serial entrepreneur and Natuba founder Richard Yoo, has just launched her first venture, Bubblevine, a marketplace for college students within a school commuinity to buy and sell stuff to fellow students in a safe and comfortable environment: campus.
[snip]
Bubblevine is free for students and only for students (you need a college email address to join). The intent is to develop a micro-local marketplace on campus so non-students are excluded from buying or selling items. READ THE REST

To see a list of participating universities, click here.

Dallas County reviewing inmate's cases, some going free

60 Minutes reports on how Dallas County is reviewing many of its inmates cases because the former DA, Henry Wade and his team, really, really liked to prosecute:

The investigation of the Wade legacy picked up speed last year when Craig Watkins became the district attorney in Dallas-the first black D.A. in the history of Texas. His office is now spending $400,000 a year looking back at old cases.

"We have a responsibility to go back and right the wrongs of the past and free the innocent," Watkins tells Pelley.

"You know, some people say that you're wasting time and money that you're looking back at these old cases when you're sitting in the middle of the city that has the highest crime rate in the nation," Pelley remarks.

"You know, I disagree with that," Watkins says. "The job of the district attorney is to seek justice. And when justice has failed, then we have to fix it." READ THE REST

You pick the Houston Texans cheerleader

I told you I would be declared the best Houston TV web producer. Why? Because I unleash cheerleader content like no one's business.

This week we're letting you choose the next Houston Texans cheerleader. That's right, you are voting to fill the 35th spot on the team. That's the only one still empty.

I've been building this web section for days. I even broke my no Flash animation rule. In my opinion, Flash doesn't belong on TV news sites. But this is a fun section so why not. I flashed it up like a dancer using jazz hands.

GO MEET THE THREE CHEERLEADER FINALISTS AND VOTE

Keep going back because I am having the finalists blog. Plus I'm going to their homes, their work and shooting web only video interviews in a personal setting. Those videos should be up when I edit them. So new content goes up each day if you are interested.

Facebook, Apple, AT&T, your brain and more

Status: Looking for Work on Facebook
Social-networking sites are becoming, for some users, platforms from which to network for job leads, to forge professional contacts or even to announce to friends that you are out of work.

Steve Jobs Stakes Out the TV Den
Apple announced deals with 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, among others, to sell movies for download on iTunes on the same day they are released on DVD.

Time Warner Refocusing With Move to Spin Off Cable
Time Warner said it would completely spin off its cable company, essentially shedding the pipes that have underpinned much of the company’s fortune.

AT&T Launches TV Service on New Phones, Rivaling Verizon
AT&T Inc. is launching its new video service for cell phones Sunday on two phones, and will charge $15 per month for 10 channels.

iDo
With online polling, brides-to-be are turning to a new type of wedding planner -- a few hundred of their closest friends.

Exercise Your Brain, or Else You’ll ... Uh ...
Decaying brains, or the fear thereof, have inspired a mini-industry of brain health products — not just supplements like coenzyme Q10, ginseng and bacopa, but computer-based fitter-brain products as well.

Speed limits to rise in Dallas

The Newspaper.com has the fast news about speed limits going up in Dallas:

In Dallas, the North Texas Tollway Authority plans to increase the maximum speed limit on large stretches of the Bush Turnpike and Dallas North Tollway from 60 to 70 MPH. A series of investigative reports by WFAA-TV over the past six months had revealed that the authority violated state laws requiring that speed limits be set according to recognized engineering safety standards. The authority never conducted any such studies.

The artificially low speed limits turned the 22.5 miles of toll road into a bonanza for the cities in their path, including Dallas, Frisco, Garland, Irving and Plano. With just four miles of toll road under its jurisdiction, Irving police issued $375,000 worth of tickets in a year. Garland with only two miles of road generated $400,000 in revenue, WFAA reported. READ THE REST

Roger Waters in Houston

Former Pink Floyd bassist and singer, Roger Waters, played Houston Sunday night making it one of his four US shows. Houston was lucky (he played The Woodlands Pavilion for those keeping score).

What a phenomenal concert. Waters and his band played many Pink Floyd hits and the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. Yes, the entire album. I counted at least 11 musicians/singers on stage to pull that off.

The sound was amazing, the interactive stage show show was out of this world and the fact that you are watching a rock legend doesn't hurt things either. It had to be my second best concert ever coming in behind the Rolling Stones. It's hard to beat them when they roll a stage into the middle of the venue.

The images I have here are of the pig. You might have heard a previous version of this inflatable prop flew off from Waters' Coachella set only to be recovered in pieces. Well, here is proof that Roger has a backup pig or can pick up the phone and get another one delivered quickly.

If you ever have a chance to see Roger Waters in concert, save up your money and buy a ticket. It is worth it.

- Houston Press review
- Chron review
- Roger’s Pig Takes Off Again

The best TV web producer in Houston

After this week, I, Mike McGuff, will be known as the best TV web producer in Houston. And you can cut and paste that all the way to the bank.

Why?

Cheerleaders. You thought I was finished with the cheerleader thing, but I must tell you my friends, we are just beginning a new chapter.

Stay tuned to the MikeMcGuff.com Blog for more.

The 25 best and worst metal bands

These two lists will have you shaking your head in agreement at times and yelling at the computer screen the next.

The 25 Best Hair Metal Bands

The 25 Worst Hair Metal Bands

(Thanks Brian)

VIDEO: Social networking wars

The folks at Current.com emailed me about a hilarious animated depiction of what an epic battle between Facebook, Myspace, Friendster and SecondLife would look like in the latest SuperNews episode,“Social Networking Wars.” Featuring warriors that appear as anthropomorphic versions of their brand icons, “Social Networking Wars” unleashes the evil lure that is social networking! A skanky-looking girl just sent you a friend request…are you gonna accept? Bobby just super poked you…are you going to poke back? Shelly’s pissed that she’s not in your top 20 friends anymore…you better send her a virtual hug. Oh, wait, wrong social network.

I never signed up for Friendster. Now I look like a visionary.

Houston's King's X frontman Doug Pinnic featured on Black Sugar Transmission track

KING'S X Frontman Featured On BLACK SUGAR TRANSMISSION Track; Audio Available
KING'S X frontman Doug Pinnick has recorded a guest appearance on the track "Runnin' Like a Dog" from BLACK SUGAR TRANSMISSION, the Brooklyn, New York-based project led by singer/songwriter Andee Hinds.

http://myspace.com/BlackSugarTransmission

A look at summer movies 2008

All the big movies coming out summer 2008.

Wes' Weather World blog

I've noticed a surge in traffic on the MikeMcGuff.com Blog from Raleigh-Durham. What's the source? Wes's Weather World blog of course.

The blog is written by former KPRC Channel 2 meteorologist Wes Hohenstein. When he left Houston, it made big news for this blog. I had just started this sucker and was overwhelmed by visitor's looking for their Wes news! READ MY FULL INTERVIEW WITH WES

Well, Wes was kind enough to add my blog to his favorites section. Thanks Wes! That explains the jump in North Carolina traffic.

Now if I can just get The Chief to add my blog to his blog roll. Heck, I built his weather blog and I still can't even get on it! Maybe I can get him to predict lottery numbers for me though.

(Image courtesy of KPRC)

Twitter fever cured by texting

It's tough keeping track of Twitter applications. Reminds me of all the erectile dysfunction products advertised on Fox News. Know of any good Twitter apps? Comment them below for me.

Our favorite Twitter apps...
A ton of Twitter applications in list form, just for you.

GroupTweet
GroupTweet - Group message broadcasting for Twitter

TwitterSnooze
Hit the snooze button on your "verbose" Twitter friends with TwitterSnooze. Great, now I lose all of my followers for a day.

A twit pans Twitter
Mr. Crap's take on HouStoned's Twitter thoughts.

The Real Twitter Usage Numbers
Speculation about Twitter’s new round of financing is leading everyone to speculate on Twitter’s actual penetration into the “mainstream,” or lack thereof.

The 35 best TV shows - ever

The New York Post has come up with a tough list to write - the 35 best TV shows on television...ever.

GO SEE IT

(Thanks Brian!)