VIDEO: Slow Snake Dance Technique by Serpentessa

Here is something you don't get a chance to see everyday! WATCH THE VIDEO

Galactic Cowboys reunite and more

Houston band Galactic Cowboys are reuniting for a few shows around Texas. I had the band's Space in Your Face album back in the day. Here are the upcoming dates and locations:

Thursday August 13th (confirmed) The Prophet Bar - BIG ROOM in Dallas
Friday August 14th (pending confirmed by Ben Huggins himself!) Stubb's in Austin
Saturday August 15th (confirmed) Warehouse Live in Houston
http://www.galacticcowboys.com/
(Thanks Matt!)

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TV producers don't need to eat at their desks

Randy Tatano says TV producers can actually leave their desk and eat lunch. It is a crazy thought right? READ MORE

VIDEO: Faking a TV story

If you work in TV news, then you know that sometimes crews go out on stories that might not make the the best television. The thing is...television deadlines are unforgiving. Something has to fill the slot in the newscast. This is why you might watch TV news and sometimes wonder why did they cover that?

Fil-Turd points us to a hilarious story where a reporter from WJW Fox8 in Cleveland made something out of a bear story with no bear video. He simply used a cutout of a bear. Oh...this is a classic.

WATCH IT

VIDEO: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visits Bonaroo

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is back and taking Bonaroo by storm for the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

WATCH BOTH VIDEOS

(Thanks Michael Penix)

Who wants to tryout to be a millionaire?

The syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire hosted by Today's Meredith Vieira is holding tryouts in Houston. READ MORE HERE

Houston is one of six cities where the show is searching for contestants.

KENS San Antonio weather guys getting audience hot

KENS Channel 5 weather guys get props from Jeanne Jakle of the San Antonio Express-News:

Kiss! To KENS weathermen Bill Taylor and Jared Silverman for being so easy on the eyes. Guys are always commenting on what a looker Jennifer Broome is, a female viewer reminded me, when "handsome" Taylor and "cute" Silverman are just as deserving of praise for making the searing S.A. forecasts more tolerable. READ THE REST

Here is Bill's bio and here is Jared's.

VHF band not so hot for TV stations in digital era

In the past, it was always good to have your TV station on the VHF band (channels 2-13 or so) because you knew that viewers could receive a good signal. Higher channels sometimes had problems getting to TV sets.

But according to this article in TVNewsDay, the digital era we just entered has turned all of that upside down:

When the FCC handed out digital channels, it had to limit the power of VHF stations to prevent interference among stations in the more tightly packed digital broadcast band. VHF signals do propagate well and so are more likely to interfere if power is not reined in.

VHF stations have other problems that attenuate what power they do have. Because of the long wavelengths of VHF signals, they have trouble penetrating homes and apartment buildings. What's more, many committed over-the-air viewers were sold UHF-only TV antennas or all-band antennas with small, lousy VHF elements.

It all explains why viewers are calling hotlines wondering what happened to their favorite stations and why broadcasters are looking for solutions.

Stations that have experienced significant loss of viewership since the switch to digital-only broadcasting on a VHF channel have been running to the FCC for help. Some want more power; others want to move back to their old temporary UHF assignment or find a permanent home in the UHF band. READ THE REST

Michael Jackson's death shakes up Internet

Looks like TMZ is poised to become an even bigger player in the Internet celeb world much to the chagrin of its competitors. Not only did TMZ beat everyone (and many mainstream outlets would not recognize that fact, instead choosing the LA Times as the source), but the site also plays smart when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Take a look at it's URL: http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/

Web editors thought of every combination of dead to put in the URL. That's to ensure Google and others bring in the traffic.

- News sites swamped following Michael Jackson's death
- TV misses out as gossip website TMZ reports Michael Jackson's death first
- The Day the Internet Almost Died
- Michael Jackson may be turning point for TMZ

RELATED
- Michael Jackson tops British music charts

The Insite gets his own day

Fox 26 KRIV reporter Isiah Carey, better known in the blog world as The Insite, got his very own day from the city of Houston this past week. Congrats Isiah.

- IT WAS OFFICIALLY ISIAH CAREY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON!
- THE ISIAH CAREY HAPPY HOUR FOR ISIAH CAREY DAY IN HOUSTON!

Sirius XM for the iPhone

Now you can listen to Sirius XM on your iPhone or iPod Touch thanks to a new application. READ MORE

Michael Jackson's doctor from Houston?

KHOU reporting by way of TMZ that the cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson when he went into cardiac arrest is from Houston. READ STORY

There always seems to be some Houston-area connection to these big stories.

New tell-all Aerosmith book coming soon

Before I can even get to Stephen Davis' (who wrote the best GNR bio ever) Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith, there is a new band biography coming out. And this one is written by Joey Kramer, Aerosmith's drummer!




I received an email about Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top which is Kramer's tell-all about his battle with addiction, severe depression and his journey to finding his way back to the top from the bottom. This book also supposedly contains stories about Aerosmith that have never been revealed:

In 1997, amid Aerosmith’s sold-out world tour and number one album release, word about Joey’s troubles was reported in the press. Despite the advice he had received to play it down, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey-who has been the drummer in Aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and is the first member of the band to release his own book-now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.

This is not just another rock ‘n’ roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told Aerosmith war stories that abound in the book, Hit Hard unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who after years of insane wildness became willing to accept help and finally kick a serious alcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead.

The book comes out June 30th. I will probably get a review copy, so once I get through it, you'll read my thoughts here. I have the review copy, I should stop blogging and start reading.

Find out more about Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top

First production since Marvin Zindler's death

M.G. Perez who is a former TV news reporter with KXAN-TV Austin, KFMB-TV San Diego, KGO-TV San Francisco and WNBC-TV (and even started as a kid newscaster at Channel 39 in the late 1970s) emailed me about the latest production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

This is the first regional production of the show since Marvin Zindler's death almost two years ago. A performance will be dedicated to Zindler on July 18th and all his children will attend a special reception that night.

Every Texan’s guilty pleasure is burning up the stage at the Country Playhouse July 10-25, 2009. The hit musical makes a return with Miss Mona and her girls, the ornery investigative reporter Melvin P. Thorpe, Aggie boys looking for love and the Governor sidestepping his way through theTexas state capitol!

The classic show is inspired by the true story of the Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas and the Houston area newsman who eventually got it closed down for good. This is the Country Playhouse’s 20th Anniversary production of the musical written by Larry King and Peter Masterson with music and lyrics by Carol Hall.

While you may think you know the whole story, audiences will be treated to a telling of the tale which includes authentic details researched by the production team including interviews with former customers of the actual “lil’ ole bitty pissant country place” that once lay down an old
dirt road in central Texas.

Performances are July 10-25, 2009: Fri & Sat @ 8pm
Matinees: Sunday, July 12 & 19 @ 2pm
Thursdays, July 16 & 23 @ 7:30pm
TICKETS: $25 Adult/$23 Students/Seniors (65+)
www.countryplayhouse.org
Call 713-467-4497 for tickets

I will never forget the week of Marvin's death. What a sad time for KTRK and Houston. SEE MY BLOG COVERAGE FROM THAT TIME

RELATED
- Marvin Zindler, Going Back To The Chicken Ranch One Last Time

Chron.com gets a face lift

Man, I become a stay at home dad (still looking for freelance opps) and start missing stuff. Chron.com appears to have a face lift. Gone is the UT orange and in its place is a Baylor green! Does this mean Baylor University grads are running the paper like they used to? Profs at BU were always proud of that face when I was there.

There is a slogan that says "Where Houston lives."

RELATED
- Just a brief note to the Houston Chronicle

Farrah Fawcett from W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi

My mom actually went to high school with Farrah Fawcett. They both attended W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas in the 1960s. The school has a tribute to Fawcett on its Web site. I believe Farrah was a few years behind my mom in school.

The Charlie's Angels star was voted Most Beautiful by her class. SEE YEARBOOK PHOTO Farah was well liked and very nice according to my mom.

RELATED
Actress, style icon Farrah Fawcett dies

Tom Doerr named Fox 26 KRIV news director

UPDATE 2/19/2013
Tom Doerr, Fox 26 KRIV news director to WFLD Chicago

I told you that a news director candidate was interviewing at Fox 26 KRIV in Houston back in May. Now the station has hired Tom Doerr to lead the newsroom:

Tom Doerr today was named vice president and news director of Fox O&O KRIV Houston (DMA 10). Starting July 9, Doerr will be responsible for overseeing all editorial, business and administrative functions for KRIV News, reporting directly to D'Artagnan Bebel, the station's vice president and general manager. READ THE REST

Doerr previously worked as a news director at KTRK abc13 in Houston and KTVT/KTXA in Dallas.

RELATED
- Former Fox 26 news director lands at KPRC Channel 2 Houston
- Fox 26 KRIV news director out

TMZ reporting that Michael Jackson is dead

TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has died. FULL STORY

ABC stations protested over Obama healthcare special

I kept seeing the ABC healthcare Obama special protests getting organized on the Internet over the last few days. Here is the coverage of what I could find for Texas concerning KTRK in Houston and KVUE in Austin.

- Standing Up Against Obama Propaganda, In Houston
- Katy Tea Party Patriots Protest Obama Program In Front Of Channel 13 Studios
- Obama special stirs up protests at ABC13
- Picketers protest president's health proposals in North Austin

Nothing happen at WFAA in Dallas, KSAT in San Antonio and KXXV in Waco?

Houston radio ratings for May

Did your favorite Houston radio station hit the tops of the Arbitron radio rankings for May?

SEE THE RATINGS

Ferris Bueller deleted scenes you haven't seen

Yes I am a Ferris Bueller's Day Off junkie. I took a look at the comedy film's Wikipedia entry the other night and saw something new (yes I have looked at it before). Supposedly Ferris had a younger brother and sister in the unedited version of the film. There were also other scenes cut.

---------------------------------------
UPDATE JUNE 2020
Josh Gad reunties much of the Ferris Bueller cast on YouTube! They even talk about the missing siblings and how Ferris wore more outfits before Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck) picks him up. Matthew Broderick said in the interview that in a cut scene, Ferris was wearing a kimono at home. The original cut of the 80's film was 2 hours and 45 minutes. Would you love to see that version?
---------------------------------------

 None of these deleted scenes have supposedly appeared on DVD according to the entry. We know they exist because you can catch glimpses in the original theatrical trailer (embedded above)!

Come on Paramount, release them on an upcoming DVD! We know there will be more Bueller DVDs in the future as long as the studio can make some easy cash.

RELATED
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New Freddy Krueger from San Antonio?

Who knew the new Freddy Krueger in the upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street movie remake spent a lot of his life in San Antonio and was a child actor? Jeanne Jakle of the San Antonio Express-News reports that Jackie Earle Haley is in Chicago filming the latest version of the horror series:

He's excited about the role — although it's been “pretty tough” emoting under the heavy makeup. It takes three hours and 20 minutes to put it on each day, he revealed, and 50 minutes to take it off. READ THE REST

Haley was recently working as a commercial director in San Antonio before being cast as Rorschach in Watchmen according to IMDB.

Saved by the Bell reunion taking shape

Jimmy Fallon is trying to stage a Saved by the Bell twenty year reunion on his show.  Recently Mark-Paul Gosselaar showed up on Late Night in character as Zack Morris. The idea is that Zack Morris is a real person and Mark-Paul Gosselaar is just a stage name since there was already a ZM in SAG.






Gosselaar Morris is up for a reunion as are Mr. Belding (portrayed by Dennis Haskins) and Slater (Extra's Mario López). The only reported holdout is Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen).  Something tells me Screech (Dustin Diamond), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies) and Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) won't turn this one down.

RELATED
- Mr. Belding (portrayed by Dennis Haskins) signs on
- Saved by the Bell: Remixed

Former KPRC 2 anchor sues for defamation

Lots of people have been asking me on an update concerning former KPRC Channel 2 anchor Wendy Corona.

Chris Vogel of the Houston Press offers us one and it comes from the court district. It seems Corona is suing KPRC for breach of contract and defamation. READ MORE

(Image courtesy of Houston Style Magazine)

"Is Houston a Sitting Duck for Terrorism?"

Two years ago KHOU Channel 11 ran an investigative piece on "Is Houston a Sitting Duck for Terrorism?"

Richard Connelly of Hair Balls has a follow up on that report for the Houston Press. Turns out the Department of Homeland Security did its own investigation. READ MORE

Brian “Boom Goes The Dynamite” Collins career over at Waco's KXXV?

I told you last year how “Boom Goes the Dynamite” guy (aka Brian Collins) landed a job at my old station KXXV Channel 25 in Waco. It now appears his time is up reports Busted Coverage. The Web site says it is running an exhaustive search to find him if/when he reappears at a new TV job. READ MORE

I have not talked to folks there to find out what happened. It will be my professional courtesy not to dig up news about the guy. He probably has had enough. Good luck to Collins and boom goes the dynamite.

Tehran tricks on Twitter

Someone put this into one of my comments, anyone know if this is true?:

If anyone is on twitter, set your location to Tehran and your time zone to GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut Iranians' access to the internet down. Cut & paste & pass it on.

Houston's Top Ten Female TV Reporters

Pete Vonder Haar at the Houston Press Hair Balls blog ranks Houston's Top Ten Female TV Reporters. This is a companion piece to last December's The Secret Lives of the Hottest News Guys on Houston Television.

GO SEE THE LIST

I guess the bikini shot of Jennifer Reyna from KPRC Channel 2 must be from her Rock 101 KLOL Miss Rockwear days.

Someone needs to make a list of Houston's hottest newspaper reporters. Let's see...Ken Hoffman, Dwight Silverman, Richard Connelly, David Barron...the list could go on and on.

2009 Texas Radio Hall of Fame Inductees

The list of the 2009 Texas Radio Hall of Fame Inductees has been released.

Here are some of the names:
Colonel St. James, Wash Allen, Pam Ivey, Lana Hughes, J.P. Pritchard, Dan Patrick, Larry Kane, Ed Brandon, Ken Charles, Cathy Forsythe, Dave Ward

Congrats.

http://www.texasradiohalloffame.com/

RELATED
- Ed Brandon announces retirement on the mikemcguff blog

Odd sodas seen in LA

I found these at a Bristol Farms store in California. The drinks are Moxie and Frostie. Don't think I have ever encountered these before.

MORE
- Moxie
- Frostie

Cool Photoshop contest galleries

Ever see one of those photos that just can't be real? Most likely it was from a Photoshop contest held on the Internet. The photo I included is one I did when I was trying to learn more about Photoshop in 1999.  Don't judge the following site based on that!

Here is where you can see the real stuff - worth1000.com.

Check out some of these interesting galleries:
- Impossible Celebrity Couples 3
- Celebrity Star Wars 5
- I Ain't Drinking That!

(Thanks Tom Abrahams)

Houston sports radio on the up

David Barron at the Chronicle is reporting that Houston sports radio stations are seeing gains in the ratings race:

Mild surprise No. 1: For the first time since August 2008, one of Houston’s four all-sports radio stations cracked the top-10 in morning drive among men ages 25-54, according to Arbitron.

Mild surprise No. 2: For the first time in the Arbitron portable people meter era, two all-sports stations are in the top-10 in morning drive for men 25-54.

Mild surprise No. 3: The top sports station ranked seventh in the demo last month, the best ranking since an eighth-place finish for the segment leader in October 2007.

By now, it’s no surprise that the aforementioned No. 7 station last month is KGOW (1560 AM). KILT (610 AM) checked in at No. 10 in the morning drive demo. READ THE REST

Texas Heat Music & Arts Fest

Saturday and Sunday :: July 4th & 5th Doors :: 12 Noon – 10pm
JONES PLAZA :: Downtown Houston – 600 Louisiana St.

The Rapture [dj set], 2020 Soundsystem, Drop The Lime, Hot Pink Delorean, RJD2, People Under The Stairs, Felix Cartal, Bird Peterson, DJ Mel Hot Pink Delorean

www.texasheatmusicfest.com

Stars' Dorkiest Looks

Is it dorky or is it just the stars' looks in the 80s? SEE FOR YOURSELF

PIC: Iron Man 2 film studio location

The above picture is a photo I took of where Iron Man 2 is reportedly being filmed currently. Makes sense since there is a large Marvel logo at the top of the building. The studio is in a building that appears to be normal office space in Manhattan Beach, California in the Los Angeles area. IGN has more:

Iron Man 2, now roughly halfway through production, is being shot at Raleigh Studios in the Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach. Marvel announced last year that they will shoot all of their upcoming projects -- including Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America, and The Avengers -- here. READ THE REST

There is even a sign out front that says office space is available in the building. Imagine working as a CPA in the same building where Robert Downey Jr is portraying Tony Stark and Iron Man. I know some women who probably couldn't handle being that close to Downey.

I noticed that some kind of film production has been going on at the shopping center next door at a restaurant called Lido di Manhattan Ristorante and Bar. Could it be a scene where Stark (Downey) wines and dines someone? Or actually this restaurant shoot might not have anything to do with Iron Man 2 at all. I tried to catch a glimpse but just saw a lot of equipment.

(Image courtesy of Mike McGuff)

Houston and Dallas newspaper Web sites get D grades

Douglas A. McIntyre at 247wallst.com rated the top newspaper web sites in the US. He was not kind when it came to the Web sites for the Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News. Both sites got graded in the D range and that was not for 'Darn good' either.

Some of the remarks for the Houston Chronicle:

This site is a bit of a mess and is as good an example of what not to do with a newspaper site as any in this survey. The navigation across the homepage includes twenty five tabs some of which are labeled poorly enough so that it is hard for the reader to understand what they are. The front page really does not have a headline per se. The stories at the top of the page are features which don’t appear to be chosen to compel the reader to go further into the website. Some of the stories near the top of the page are from the Associated Press, an indication that the editors don’t feel that they have enough compelling content of their own. READ THE REST

Some of the remarks for the Dallas Morning News:

Dallasnews.com looks like it was put together by The Mad Hatter. Poorly designed traffic and weather sections often sit at the top of the homepage. There are some headlines that have no explanations. Others are explained too much so that reading the story would be redundant. The visitor cannot expect any consistency as he moves around the site. The first few stories are followed by blogs and a photo section where the content seems to have been picked at random. READ THE REST

Chron.com received a D+ the DMN got a D-.

(via Banjo Jones)

RELATED
- Chron.com "as good an example of what not to do with a newspaper site as any"

Former Texas TV folks in Los Angeles

When you flip on television news in Los Angeles, you can see some former Texas reporters and anchors on the air.

Megan Henderson of KTLA Channel 5's morning news is a familiar face to North Texans because she just left KDFW Fox 4's Good Day earlier this year. From the reports, it sounds like here old Dallas show hasn't held up since her departure.

 I can totally understand. Megan is very good on the air. If I lived in a city where Megan worked, I'd wake up early to watch the news too! Looks like I will have to tell my wife I am developing a new crush.

 Of course it doesn't hurt that she sits next to Asha Blake who I used to watch on ABC's World News Now.

Ed Laskos used to work at KPRC Channel 2 in Houston. Now he is a reporter at Fox 11 KTTV here in LA. Ed has his own style which I really like.

He was good at KPRC when it was the tabloid News 2 Houston and he is still good on the West Coast.

Of course if you go way back, KPRC consumer reporter Gayle Anderson left Houston for LA to go to KTLA.   Am I missing anyone else?

VIDEO: Switch to Digital TV as it happened in Houston

Richard Connelly of The Houston Press posted the last analog moments of some Houston TV stations. WATCH IT

Boring, boring, boring.

At least WFAA made something interesting out of it in Dallas. WATCH

New TV business model

Veteran television station manager lays out the business future he thinks would allow broadcasting to survive. READ IT

Big media backed Web video = FAIL

I predicted this would end up happening. Sure I am not the only one.

Houston's Gallant Knight rides again

When we were headed to my goodbye party last Friday, I noticed a former club on Bissonnet is reopening as the old Gallant Knight. Chris Gray of the Houston Press noticed too:

Beloved West U R&B dive the Gallant Knight, which closed in 2006 after more than 20 years, reopens June 19 at 2511 Bissonnet, not far from its old Holcombe location. Faye Robinson & the Midtown Players do the (re)opening-night honors. READ THE REST

The question is, will star Sammy Relford return?

Lead singer disease

This is a great list. Sean Nelson of MSN Music compiled a list of the band front people who have Lead Singer Disease aka LSD (some are also probably on that too). Wouldn't you know it, most of my favorite singers made the list. Guess you need LSD to be great.

SEE THE LIST

Motley Crue's former manager described Vince Neil as having LSD but he was not on the list.

(Thanks Michael Penix)

Most Overvalued and Undervalued Housing Markets

See if your city made the most overvalued or undervalued housing market list. Houston sure made one of them. SEE THE LIST

(Thanks Brian!)

I'm a celebrity get me on Twitter

The Hollywood sign has inspired me to research if we know supposed celebrity Twitter accounts are really the celeb they claim to be! Forget the election in Tehran, this is the important stuff.

The good news is that Twitter is taking care of us:

Twitter this week responded to mounting complaints from irate celebrities with the launch of a beta version of Verified Account, a feature aimed at keeping celebrities accounts legit--or, in the case of MC Hammer, too legit.

Now said celebrities (a rather loosely defined category, seeing as how that Mashable guy is considered one) can sport a Verified Account button on their blog. READ THE REST

Before Twitter addressed this issue, http://valebrity.com/ did.  Either way, we know that this is really Al Roker attacking Speidi!

(Thanks Sonia!)

KENS 5 anchors getting called out

Jeanne Jakle of the San Antonio Express News is writing about the main KENS 5 newsteam in San Antonio. Seems that Jakle and others believe that Chris Marrou and Sarah Lucero are a little snarky on air. The latest incident surrounded the much publicized grandma Tasering incident in Travis County:

While other news shows wondered gravely about the severity of the treatment of a woman of that age over a traffic incident, Marrou employed an amused tone from the get-go. "A feisty grandma in Austin — dare we say one tough grandma — has met her match: a deputy's Taser" was how he introduced the story and video on Tuesday's 6 p.m. news.

"Getting wild," he remarked later after the woman reacted to the Taser. At the end, Lucero chimed in: "She looks like she's all of 4-feet-7." Laughter ensued.

At least one viewer was not amused. "They laughed and smirked at her as if she was an animal being prodded on a farm," the e-mailer wrote. "This incident was so hilarious to them; it shows how smug and insensitive they have become after all these years on television."

Informed of the comments, Lucero indicated their reactions to the story weren't meant to be insensitive. Instead, the humor "was innocently brought on by the unexpected feistiness of the grandma," she responded in an e-mail. "If I remember the video, she was a very petite lady and stood up to a male police officer twice her size. I'm sorry if the viewer saw it any other way." READ THE REST

Are the anchors trying to copy bloggers in the snark department?

La La land is a trip

We landed in Los Angeles yesterday and the first thing I saw were a bunch of Lakers shirts. Fair enough. Then I see a middle-aged man, who appeared to really take care of himself, with a man purse. Later at the hotel, I am dragging luggage in and I hear a guy trying to seduce a girl in a tiny bikini in the hot tub - which is in the middle of the small courtyard.

Look, this place is the entertainment capital for a reason. Now for the darker side - there was plenty of news footage last night and this morning of the Lakers fans going wild near the Staples Center.

If ever in Los Angeles and are looking for cheap food, try Rubios, we love this place. It is labeled as Beach-Mexican food.

James loved the travel and was pretty good on the plane. There were some tense moments with a little crying, but overall he did a good job for three hours. Both of us watched abc 7 KABC and remarked how similar things are to abc 13 KTRK. Except KABC uses the voice guy that I think Channel 11 KHOU still uses which is kind of funny for a former TV geek.

I'll shut up now and enjoy the 70 degree weather - sure better than 97!

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

Steve Johnson of Time writes a flattering story about Twitter. It is a good overall look at the microblogging service.

I even learned this:

In Twitter's case, the users have been redesigning the tool itself. The convention of grouping a topic or event by the "hashtag" — #hackedu or #inauguration — was spontaneously invented by the Twitter user base (as was the convention of replying to another user with the @ symbol). READ THE REST

He did not mention the rate at which people sign up and then never use the service. At least not that I remember.

MORE TWITTER NEWS

Digital TV switch has unintended consequences

Sounds like TV viewers are picking up distant TV signals since the big analog TV shutoff:

Besides the Toronto viewer who picked up WWL, a friend of Harper's in Waco, Tex., some 90 miles south of Dallas, was able to receive WFAA's digital signal Friday. Harper attributes some of that to WFAA's power boost and new circularly polarized antenna.

"He was picking up WFAA crystal clear, and he hadn't seen its digital prior, nor its analog signal," he says.

Since WWL is the "nightlight" station for the New Orleans market and continues to broadcast analog signals, it's possible that the station's new viewer in Toronto is still receiving the signal, if the atmospheric conditions are right. READ THE REST

The flip side is that in some markets, the intended audience cannot always pick up the new digital signal. On an unrelated note, I think Craig Harper of Belo (the person in the above story) went to Baylor. Seems I remember his name being floated around.

RELATED
Hush hush, sweet analog

UH developing iPhone apps

Wow. UH teams are developing iPhone applications:

What can’t the iPhone do? Now, thanks to a University of Houston professor, it can even count how many calories you’ve burned in a given day. A new, free download called Walk n’ Play is available from Apple’s “App Store” that allows users to have fun while burning calories. The game lets players keep track of their physical activity through their iPhones and already has 3,000 users to date.

Walk n’ Play was designed by a team of researchers from UH’s Computational Physiology Lab led by Ioannis Pavlidis, Eckhard Pfeiffer Professor of Computer Science and the lab’s director. Co-developers include post-doctoral researcher Pradeep Buddharaju and doctoral student Yuichi Fujiki. Ergun Akleman from Texas A&M University designed the cartoon characters of the game.

Debuting in March and now released in an updated, improved version today, Walk n’ Play allows players to compete in real time against another iPhone user or against a simulator and watch the calories burn off as they go about their everyday walking.

“You just keep the phone attached to your waistband or carry in your pocket as you normally would, and it records every little motion you do – from walking to climbing stairs – and translates it into calories burned,” Pavlidis said. “The game operates on a 24-hour cycle and tallies everything up daily.”

Searching keywords on TV programs, then blogging it

I have blogged about SnapStream in the past because it is a Houston-based company that is pushing the boundaries in my opinion. Heck, the company powers one of my favorite shows The Soup with Joel McHale on E!.

The company's latest project focuses on searching for keywords in TV shows. Here is some of what the company sent me about what it calls TV Trends:

It allows users to analyze what’s being talked about on television by searching word frequency within national news programs (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN & MSNBC, all recorded daily by SnapStream Servers). The search results are then displayed as a graph, which can be embedded into research papers, blog posts, or websites.

Using multiple SnapStream Servers to record and then search national TV news programs, TV Trends allows users to track what’s being said on television. TV Trends updates a “Hot” and “Cold” quick list daily which lets you see what’s being talked about more or less frequently than in previous days. The hot trends are those words/phrases that are appearing more frequently than in previously collected data; the cold trends are those words/ phrases appearing distinctly less often.

So let's search for mentions of Houston, Dallas and Austin. Here are the results from TV Trends:



I can see journalists and bloggers using this.

RELATED
VIDEO: Rakesh Agrawal of Snapstream on BarCampHouston3 TV

Hetfield on Mustaine and more, Faith No More back, Bret Michaels injury photo, blur and more

- METALLICA's JAMES HETFIELD Explains Why DAVE MUSTAINE 'Had To Go'

- FAITH NO MORE Kicks Off Reunion Tour; Setlist Revealed, Video Available

- BRET MICHAELS Injury Photos Released

- Axl Rose's 'Mood Swings'
- Steven Adler Says He Despised 'Chinese Democracy'
- GN'R Guitarist To Join Lita Ford On Tour
- SLASH Comments On Mother's Passing

- Ratt To Begin Recording This Month

- David Lee Roth 'DLR Band' Available On iTunes For First Time

- Smashing Pumpkins Hire Teen Drummer?

- Clueless MÖTLEY CRÜE Singer Gets Booed In Denmark
- Motley Crue Adds Second Stage For 'Crue Fest 2'

- Chris Martin Won't Go Solo Unless Single

- Blur Post Rehearsal Footage Online

- MARILYN MANSON's 'Disturbing' BBC Interview; Audio Available

- Stone Temple Pilots Working With Don Was

107.5 KGLK Houston PD leaves

First Dean and Rog hit 107.5, then the station becomes 107.5 KGLK The Eagle and now the program director is gone FMQB reports:

Ed Scarborough exits the PD post at Classic Hits KGLK/Houston due to budget concerns. Johnny Chiang, Cox-Houston OM and PD for Country KKBQ and Classic Country KTHT, adds PD responsibilities at KGLK. READ THE REST

10 cars that seem to last forever

Here is a list of 10 cars that seem to last forever according to Eric Mack of Vehix.com:

With the economy in the tank and more folks looking for these used diamonds in the rough, we compiled the following list of 'forever cars' from research, reviews from places like Edmunds and Consumer Reports, fun little anecdotes, and even our own personal experience. It's far from scientific, but neither is picking a used car. In fact it's still relatively a crap shoot, and no model carries an absolute guarantee of everlasting life, but here's a few that seem to beat the odds more than others. SEE THE LIST

I had a Mazda B series truck for almost 10 years that ran fine with a few hiccups. Let me add that to the list.

(Thanks Brian!)

Radio & Records is no more

More media closures. Radio & Records gets turned off:

Given the consolidation of the radio and music industries, Nielsen Business Media has determined that the best way to leverage its assets and resources in support of these industries is to consolidate its music brands.

Consequently, we have decided to consolidate R&R magazine and RadioandRecords.com into Billboard magazine and Billboard.biz and to expand their coverage of the radio industry. In particular, the R&R airplay charts, which are powered by Nielsen BDS and which have become a key tracker of industry performance, will now appear in the pages of Billboard magazine and on Billboard.biz. READ THE REST

Dallas Cowboys unveil 1080p video screen

We all know that Jerry Jones wants to make sure the Dallas Cowboy's new stadium is bigger and better than everything else in Texas. That's why the stadium will have one of the largest HD video screens in the world.  The price tag was $40 million:

The video screen is a four-sided HD video board hanging 110ft above midfield and stretching from one 20-yard line to the opposite 20-yard line. Each side of the 600-ton Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision System is about 60yds long and 72ft tall. In addition, each sideline board has about 10.5 million LEDs that the draw the images fans will see. And no matter where they sit, Mitsubishi Electric's 20mm pixel pitch technology ensures bright, clear images from any angle. READ THE REST

Don Mahoney's Kiddie Troupers

If you have been in Houston a while, then you no doubt have run across Don Mahoney and Jeanna Clare on television at one point. William Michael Smith of The Houston Press fills us in on the duo's history:

Television came to Houston on January 1, 1949, when KLEE (channel 2) went on the air. LOM hasn't been able to locate information on exactly what date Mahoney began his shows, but by July 1950, when hotelier Albert Lee sold KLEE to the Hobby family's Houston Post/KPRC group, Don Mahoney and His Sears Kiddie Troupers had a regular slot at 5:30 p.m.

Later the show was altered to Don Mahoney and Jeanna Clare and Their Kiddie Troupers. Think Roy Rogers and Dale Evans hosting a talent show for kids. The show ran for almost 30 years, although it moved from KPRC to Channel 39 at some point and eventually made its way onto cable access in the '80s. READ THE REST

I actually ran across the two in their later years on Houston public access.

http://donmahoneyandjeannaclare.com

VIDEO: Reporter gets soaked during live shot

KOMU 8 reporter Brandon Lewis will not let anything stop him from delivering a story during a live shot. He makes it through without any video to cover him while a sprinkler system is spraying him.






Wet KOMU 8 Live Shot from KOMU News on Vimeo.



(Thanks Sid !)

Moving on from abc 13

I figure you have to go out on top, right? After winning my second Emmy for abc13.com and two of my web sections winning 1st and 2nd place in the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Awards 2009, I have left Channel 13 KTRK in Houston.

What a great run at Houston's number 1 TV station. I learned a lot, accomplished a bunch and worked with some great folks. These were the fastest 8 years of my life! It was surreal putting in my two weeks, that's for sure. You do become a family and it was tough to say goodbye to everyone.

Monday was my emotional last day.  Thanks to Norma Ferguson and Julie Griffin for the big send off that afternoon and the entire web department the Thursday before!

What's next?  This blog will still be around - probably with some big improvements. I am going to stay at home with James for a while as a Mr. Mom.  Tuesday totally kicked my ass honestly.  I love him, but taking care of a 7 month old is tiring!  He's breaking me in, but I will love every minute.

I am also looking for web freelancing/consulting. I have folks wanting me to build them web sites and that is really cool. In addition, I am looking to consult businesses on how the Web, blogs and social media can help them.  I've done it for a big TV station, I can do it for others too.

Wish me luck.

(Image courtesy of Flickr user Mike McGuff )

Vanity URLs for your Facebook account

Get ready to dump the database generated number that serves as your Facebook account URL currently:

Starting on Friday, June 12th, at 11:01pm, you'll be able to choose a username for your Facebook account to easily direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile. http://www.facebook.com/username/

That means I can stop typing in http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=692063124 to get to my account...awesome.  WABC in New York has the scoop. Wow and just imagine, a few years ago I was writing tech articles for that and other ABC sites. Sniff, sniff...the good old days.

(Thanks Will-E)

VIDEO: Brett Michaels gets hit/knocked down at Tony Awards

First of all, why is Poison playing the Tony Awards? It makes no sense. Guess that is why lead singer and Rock of Love star, Brett Michaels, almost got his head taken off by a set piece. Poison and Tony don't go together - it is unnatural, this is the result.

WATCH THE VIDEO | zoomed in version

Michaels suffered a broken nose and needed three stitches for a cut lip as a result of this performance. Who ever thought The Tonys would be his most dangerous gig?

iPhone 3.0 news

It's June, must mean a new iPhone is coming out soon. Here is some news on iPhone 3.0:

- Apple's iPhone 3.0 brings cheap thrills, and more AT&T chills
- iPhone OS 3.0 revisited
- Will the New iPhone Save Old Media?
- 3 Things Apple Is Doing Right With The iPhone 3GS Roll-Out
- 5 Things The iPhone 3GS Is Still Missing
- iPhone Fans Angry With AT&T
- Why isn't Apple using the better battery?
- Apple iPhone 3G S - 32GB - black (AT&T) specs
- Where’s Steve Jobs?

Dallas area man builds 50,000-gallon backyard pool

A 50,000 gallon backyard pool sounds fun, but the $200,000 price tag does not:

"From this remote, I can turn on everything about the pool," he said.
If you're thinking, "His pool has a remote control?" -- yes, it's true. The remote controls the pool's functions.
The pool has a 15-person grotto with an underwater bench and a table for sitting and enjoying music. It has a waterfall, fountains, a bridge shower, a 260-foot lazy river, underwater bar stools, fog machines, a hot-tub cabana and special lighting to give it that Vegas effect. READ MORE

Click through for the video, you will be impressed at this dude's staycation spot.

We bought James a plastic pool from Academy. It fills up with water from the garden hose in minutes. Sometimes things drop down from the tree and float in the pool when no one is there. We heat it by putting the pool in the sun. Beat that.

(Thanks Mr Murdoch!)

Houston's Dessert Gallery moves

I just got an email this morning that said the Dessert Gallery in Houston has moved down the street from it's Kirby location to the corner of Kirby and Richmond. Must be in one of the shopping centers at that intersection. Probably a better location than behind Cafe Express.

Former KENS 5 reporter dating LA mayor

It's no secret that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa likes to date television reporters. Now the mayor has added a former KENS 5 San Antonio reporter to that list.

The LA Times and multiple media outlets such as CNN have linked former Miss USA and current KTLA Channel 5 reporter Lu Parker and Villaraigosa together. Parker left KENS 5 and San Antonio for LA.

Maybe Parker will tweet about it - www.twitter.com/LuParker.  Check out her photos at http://www.luparker.com/.

I actually sat behind Villaraigosa's ex-wife (they were still married at the time) at a taping of the George Lopez Show. That's the only personal thing I can add to this since I have never dated a TV reporter while married. I've also never been a mayor.  Nor did I date a mayor when I was a TV reporter.  

- L.A. mayor is dating local newscaster
- LA Mayor dating Lu Parker
- VILLARAIGOSA IS DATING LOCAL NEWSCASTER

Dallas-Fort Worth TV news stations now sharing video

The Fort Worth Star Telegram's Barry Shlachter reports on the Local News Service agreement some of the Dallas stations now practice (Fox’s KFDW/Channel 4, NBC’s KXAS/Channel 5 and Tribune Co.-owned KDAF/Channel 33).

No surprise the state of the economy and its effect on advertising has led to these type of arrangements around the country:

So far there has been little detectable public response.

"It is so new, there has been no negative or positive reaction," Saunders said. "You have to remember, the viewer sees the video quickly."

Sometimes, the LNS footage is woven into a report containing more material shot by a crew dedicated to one station and voiced over by one of its reporters.

"Knowing the managers at the stations and the quality of their journalistic backgrounds, they going to be very strict about how they’re going to cover things under the new setup," said UNT’s Slocum. READ THE REST

I have said before that I don't necessarily think this is such a bad idea. Why should every station send a camera for a ribbon cutting or press conference? At this point stations should be focusing on enterprise reporting.

As noted in the article the Star-Telegram and The Dallas Morning News, began swapping coverage of pro sports and theater and music reviews earlier this year.

RELATED
- TV stations are becoming buddies and sharing

Ever wonder where TV jobs disappear to?

Here is an example of TV technology replacing people.

Houston TV reporter Leticia Juarez lands at 39 KIAH

I told you how Leticia Juarez left Channel 11 KHOU back in March. Now she has landed a reporter job at Channel 39 KIAH.

Fox 26 KRIV has layoffs

David Barron has the news about more Fox 26 KRIV layoffs:

The sad litany of media layoffs continues. KRIV (Channel 26) this week cut eight full-time positions, including a sports producer and two photographers... READ THE REST

What free root beer float night was like at a Sonic

Michael Penix went to free root beer float night at Sonic and sent us this report:

So, I’m reading your blog, LMAO about the free Sonic root beer floats last night…

On the way home last night, [my wife] mentioned free root beer floats, there’s a Sonic right by our house. Okay, sure, we’ll stop…no problem.

Pure chaos! People were honking and screaming in the parking lot. Every stall was taken/people couldn't back out of their spots because the drive thru was backed up to Shadow Creek Parkway. All for a free root beer float? Wow! I wish I’d taken a picture. Of course I went to another entrance and immediately pulled into a spot...outta there in less than three minutes.

Palm Pre, Mark Cuban on Net video, Xbox and Windows 7

Palm Pre reviews: closest rival to iPhone
Reviews have surfaced today for the Palm Pre that suggest the device is the closest rival to the iPhone but has drawbacks that may limit its scope.
- Palm Pre gets thumbs up in media reviews
- Palm Pre: The reviews are in

Mark Cuban on why Internet video has been so disappointing
Outspoken on, well, just about everything, he famously called the Internet “dead and boring.”

Xbox Chief's Next Play
Device to get a new 3D video camera that will let people play games with the movement of their bodies. The product, expected to be released next year, is a big gamble that Microsoft can outdo the Nintendo Wii's motion-sensing wand, which has won new gaming converts.
- Video game industry in flux (thanks Will-E)

- Windows 7 gets a firm release date
- Decoding the Hype on Gadgets

Berryhill location in West U closed

Going to hit Berryhill for dinner in Houston's West U area on Westpark near Buffalo Speedway and to our surprise, the location was closed!

There was also a sign on the door for employees to seek employment at another Berryhill location.

http://www.berryhillbajagrill.com/

GM's worst cars

Now that you own part of the company, let's look at General Motor's past. These are not the shining moments either:

Over its history General Motors has made its share of bad products. Some were poorly built, some were badly executed, others suffered from lousy timing. Here’s a look at some of GM’s biggest misses over the years. READ THE REST

(Thanks Brian!)

San Antonio Express-News gets bragging rights

Hearst must be jumping for joy in San Antonio:

Among the nation's newspapers, the San Antonio Express-News and its Web site, mySanAntonio.com, rank second in local readership, according to a new report by The Media Audit. The Times-Picayune's nola.com in New Orleans took the top spot based on “the percentage of adults within a metro area who have visited a daily newspaper in the past 30 days,” according a news release from The Media Audit.

While mySA.com tied nola.com with a 50.4 percent rating, The Media Audit found the Times-Picayune's combined Web site audience and print readership was 85.8 percent, edging out the Express-News' 80.6 percent. READ THE REST

You might remember how the Express-News had a shared site with KENS Channel 5. That ended early this year.

Free root beer float tonight at Sonic.

Free root beer float tonight at Sonic. From 8pm to midnight. CLICK HERE

RELATED
Save the date!

[Thanks Will-E]

10% Of Twitter Users Account For 90% Of Twitter Activity

The news that 10% of Twitter users account for 90% of the activity on the service is not really a surprising statistic the more I think about it:

We think it also points to a large number of bored-user and spam accounts on the microblogging service. During the All Things D conference last week, Walt Mossberg said more than half of all Twitter users return to the site less than once a month. Likewise, the HBR report says half of Twitter users tweet less than once every 74 days and that among Twitter users, "the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one." READ MORE

MORE NEWS ON TWITTER

Cutting the cable TV cord, going Web TV

I actually have a friend who is already enjoying the price cuts and options of turning off  cable/satellite TV and getting programming over the Internet:

In what's shaping up as the home-entertainment equivalent of severing a landline phone service, more people are joining the ranks of "cord cutters" by forgoing cable subscriptions that can run $60 or more a month.

Instead, they're turning to free over-the-air high-definition television channels and video-game consoles, such as Playstation 3 and XBox 360. They're also watching Internet-connected TV sets, paying a basic high-speed Internet fee of about $45, as well as set-top boxes from companies like Netflix Inc. Some are also using media browsers that they can download free and run on PCs, providing access to TV shows, movies and other content directly from the Web. READ THE REST

What happened to The Facts of Life cast?

Haven't you been sitting there wondering what happened to the actresses who played Tootie, Natalie, Blair, Joe and the rest on The Facts of Life? SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM

Dean and Rog on The New 107.5 The Eagle KGLK

As I have blogged about, Dean and Rog debuted on The New 107.5 The Eagle KGLK. That's the new station I predicted:

Classic Hits KHTC (107.5 K-Hits)/Houston becomes KGLK (The New 107.5 The Eagle). Morning duo Dean and Rog, formerly of Classic Rock KKRW/Houston, have joined the station as well, with their sidekick Suzi Hanks also taking over 10 a.m.-noon. READ MORE

Meanwhile, David Barron of the Houston Chronicle showed more of his email interview with Dean and Rog. READ THAT HERE

Houston gets a Sony demo

If you are a video photog in Houston:

Sony is hosting a hands on demonstration of XDCAM EX and XDCAM cameras as well as related workflows on Saturday, June 27 at KHOU-TV in Houston. Two sessions will be offered with the first beginning at 10 a.m. and the second at 1 p.m. A lunch will also be served from noon to 1 p.m.

Gear demonstrated will include the PMWEX1, PMWEX3, PDWF355 and PDW700 products as well as the new Sony HDCA702 ASI adaptor and Sony digital wireless audio products. Final Cut Pro and Avid workflows will also be discussed. READ THE REST