A Sabbatical

The MSR 360 will return later this...I dunno, summer, with more updates and improved criticism! In the meantime, stay safe.

Smiles,
Michael

A Welcome Exception to the Norm.

I hate entertainment "news" programs like Entertainment Tonight, Extra, and so on. I think they're shallow, way too flashy, and are contributing to the downfall of society by constantly promoting celebrities who, themselves, are shallow and way too flashy. Why does our society devote millions of dollars to tell America what kind of car what's-his-butt-in-the-latest-action-film drives? I even get extremely annoyed by legitimate news organizations telling us the latest about which celebs are divorcing, who's pregnant, etc.

I must say, however, that I've enjoyed hearing news about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. For all the celebrity that's tied to them, I'm glad to hear that they care so much about third-world concerns. Yeah, it's one thing to put on some concert and contribute a bunch of money to make yourself look better, but Jolie and Pitt seem to genuinely care.

In an upcoming interview with Anderson Cooper on our fellow '360' program, Jolie confirms that she gives one-third of her income to charity, joking, "Yeah, well, I had a stupid income for what I do." You might recall that, after the recent birth of her new baby girl in Namibia, Jolie and Pitt gave a generous donation to assist the needy in that country.

It's good to hear that there are celebrities who can keep some perspective. It's even better to see that celebrity news outlets are willing to report about it. Now let's work on less reports about what dress Julia Roberts wore to the Oscars.

For All HD Sports Fans

If you have an high-definition television and you love watching sports on it, I found a cool site that you may want to check out:

HDSportsGuide.com has listings for all the various domestic HD providers and what events they'll be showing as well as the latest HD sports news. As the site says, "If it's not in HD, it's not in this guide."

Now I need to buy an HD set...and digital cable...or satellite...so I can watch that stuff. :-\

Ad Some More News, Will Ya?

The Kansas City Star has just redesigned their paper, printing it on new presses. It results in a smaller overall size, brighter colors, sharper pictures and text, and a more contemporary overall look. It really looks great!

What I DON'T like is how many freaking ads there are! I don't read the actual paper much, usually getting my news online. When I was browsing through the new paper yesterday I couldn't help but notice that the ads were essentially swallowing up the actual articles. In two side-by-side pages, maybe one little L-shaped corner of one page would have an article. EVERYTHING else is ads.

Now I understand The Star is in business to make money, but come on, folks. Let's not go overboard.