I am officially retiring my blogger page -- please be sure to check out my MySpace blog:
The New & Improved - Lauren's Blog O' Goodies
Thanks!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
MySpace Blog
I've finally entered the world of MySpace -- it's pretty fun to find old friends, etc!
I have a blog on MySpace, which I update more frequently than this one.
So please feel free to check it out!
I have a blog on MySpace, which I update more frequently than this one.
So please feel free to check it out!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Happy New Year!
Wishing you a wonderful New Year!
Let the countdown to the new year begin!
2006 was a very tough year for me. However, unlike the majority of Americans, I'm expecting great things in 2007!
Let the countdown to the new year begin!
5-Word Review™ - Movies
Those who know me know that I am a movie buff and that I'm also to-the-point. So with these 2 facts in mind, I'd like to introduce "5-Word Review™ - Movies".
Below are the movies that I have seen within the last 3 months (I had seen V for Vendetta a while ago, but decided to include it because it's such a good movie).
Stay tuned for future variations of "5-Word Review™" (music, books, etc).
2046 - Not SciFi. Confusing. Long. Boring.
Buffalo Soldiers - Black comedy. Strange. Sad. Joaquin!
Caché - French. Guilt. Slow. Unfulfilling ending.
Capote - True to book. Hoffman rules.
Citizen Kane - Rosebud. Great cinematography. Somewhat overrated.
Citizen X - Rea is great. Sutherland too.
Click - Cute. Predictable. The Hoff! Fonzy!
Failure to Launch - Parker, McConaughey have no chemistry.
Little Miss Sunshine - Overrated. Okay but not funny.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Too long. First was better.
Slither - Good special effects. Funny. Gross.
Strangers with Candy - Not that funny. Many cameos.
Syriana - Serious. Great acting. Dr. Bashir!
Thank You For Smoking - Sharp. Satirical. JK Simmons rocks.
The Break-Up - Painful to watch. Not funny.
The DaVinci Code - Book was better. Hanks' mullet.
The Devil Wears Prada - Cute. Funny. Fashion cameos galore.
The Doors - Trippy. Over 2 hours long.
The Family Stone - Okay. Contrived scenarios and resolution.
The Lake House - Implausible. Endearing. Great chick flick.
The Rich Man's Wife - Extremely clichéd. Mmmm, Clive Owen.
The Sentinel - Why was Longoria in it?
The Third Man - Predictable but still a classic.
Thirteen - Clichéd look at teenage world.
V for Vendetta - Thought-provoking. Excellent music score.
Where the Truth Lies - Firth and Bacon. Threesomes! Lesbians!
Below are the movies that I have seen within the last 3 months (I had seen V for Vendetta a while ago, but decided to include it because it's such a good movie).
Stay tuned for future variations of "5-Word Review™" (music, books, etc).
2046 - Not SciFi. Confusing. Long. Boring.
Buffalo Soldiers - Black comedy. Strange. Sad. Joaquin!
Caché - French. Guilt. Slow. Unfulfilling ending.
Capote - True to book. Hoffman rules.
Citizen Kane - Rosebud. Great cinematography. Somewhat overrated.
Citizen X - Rea is great. Sutherland too.
Click - Cute. Predictable. The Hoff! Fonzy!
Failure to Launch - Parker, McConaughey have no chemistry.
Little Miss Sunshine - Overrated. Okay but not funny.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Too long. First was better.
Slither - Good special effects. Funny. Gross.
Strangers with Candy - Not that funny. Many cameos.
Syriana - Serious. Great acting. Dr. Bashir!
Thank You For Smoking - Sharp. Satirical. JK Simmons rocks.
The Break-Up - Painful to watch. Not funny.
The DaVinci Code - Book was better. Hanks' mullet.
The Devil Wears Prada - Cute. Funny. Fashion cameos galore.
The Doors - Trippy. Over 2 hours long.
The Family Stone - Okay. Contrived scenarios and resolution.
The Lake House - Implausible. Endearing. Great chick flick.
The Rich Man's Wife - Extremely clichéd. Mmmm, Clive Owen.
The Sentinel - Why was Longoria in it?
The Third Man - Predictable but still a classic.
Thirteen - Clichéd look at teenage world.
V for Vendetta - Thought-provoking. Excellent music score.
Where the Truth Lies - Firth and Bacon. Threesomes! Lesbians!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
James Brown Has Left The Building
In honor of our dearly departed Sex Machine, James Brown, enjoy the following video clips courtesy of YouTube.
The first clip is of Brown in his prime during Rocky IV.
The second clip -- not so much Brown's prime. An interview that is strange and hysterical.
R.I.F.H. James Brown (Rest in Funk! Heeeey!)
The first clip is of Brown in his prime during Rocky IV.
The second clip -- not so much Brown's prime. An interview that is strange and hysterical.
R.I.F.H. James Brown (Rest in Funk! Heeeey!)
Friday, December 22, 2006
Rest Assured, This Blog's For Real
Ads masked as blogs new online marketing ploy
Fri Dec 22, 7:40 AM ET
The curtain has been pulled on a deceptive new advertising tactic in which companies camouflage ads as product praise in online postings masquerading as independent blogs.
Several companies have been exposed for launching fake blogs -- known as "flogs" -- in a practice that coincides with an increase in the number of real bloggers secretly paid to endorse products.
Blogs, a term derived from "Web logs," are rampant on the Internet and are considered online journals in which people post personal opinions, musings, rants and more.
Online firm Technorati reported on Thursday it was tracking more than 63 suspicious blogs.
Wily marketers have infiltrated the blogging world, paying for favorable commentary on products.
However posting product commentary without alerting readers that bloggers were compensated for their opinions is unethical and potential illegal, according to US Federal Trade Commission rules.
Sony Computer Entertainment America, a subsidiary of Japan-based Sony, admitted last week that it created a bogus blog baptized "All I want for Christmas is a PlayStation Portable."
The blog was passed off as the work of an amateur hip-hop musician named "Charlie," who enthusiastically praised the PlayStation.
In a short message on the Charlie blog, Sony apologized for being "a little too clever."
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, came under fire in October for a blog portrayed as an online journal kept by a typical US couple, named Laura and Jim, as they traveled across the country in a motor home.
The couple's blog praised Wal-Mart for letting them park their hulking recreational vehicle overnight in store parking lots and told of encountering Wal-Mart workers nationwide that praised their jobs and their employer.
Business Week magazine revealed that the couple's cross-country trip was sponsored by Wal-Mart -- a fact unmentioned in the online postings.
Companies such as PayPerPost and ReviewMe, which link bloggers and advertisers, are fueling the phenomenon.
PayPerPost, a five-month-old pioneer in the practice, is true to its name regarding favorable online blog postings.
On ReviewMe, bloggers in any language can offer to post their thoughts on products for 500 dollars a review.
ReviewMe explains on its site that it cannot guarantee favorable reviews, but that most of the posted opinions are positive.
"We do not allow advertisers to require a positive review," the company said in a statement. "The vast majority of reviews are measurably positive, although many do contain constructive criticism."
Blog-for-hire publicity campaigns can be comprised of thousands of postings, according to a PayPerPost spokesman that wished not to be identified.
Fake "independent" blogs by companies or secretly manipulated by advertisers break US law by misleading consumers, according to federal regulators.
The FTC warned this month that "such connection must be fully disclosed" and that its staff "will determine on a case by case basis whether to recommend law enforcement actions to the commission."
Faced with the FTC threat, PayPerPost announced this week it would change it service agreement to require bloggers who were being paid to say so in their postings. Previously they had left it to the blogger's discretion.
Many PayPerPost competitors have yet to adopt such a rule, and the torrent of user-generated videos, images, and text flooding the Internet has aspiring advertisers navigating uncharted waters.
Attention seekers from fledgling music bands to major corporations have seen clever online content "go viral" -- lingo for being spread for free worldwide by people using e-mail and online links.
Both video-sharing website YouTube and teen-oriented social networking MySpace, for example, have become venues for companies to establish promotional pages.
Fri Dec 22, 7:40 AM ET
The curtain has been pulled on a deceptive new advertising tactic in which companies camouflage ads as product praise in online postings masquerading as independent blogs.
Several companies have been exposed for launching fake blogs -- known as "flogs" -- in a practice that coincides with an increase in the number of real bloggers secretly paid to endorse products.
Blogs, a term derived from "Web logs," are rampant on the Internet and are considered online journals in which people post personal opinions, musings, rants and more.
Online firm Technorati reported on Thursday it was tracking more than 63 suspicious blogs.
Wily marketers have infiltrated the blogging world, paying for favorable commentary on products.
However posting product commentary without alerting readers that bloggers were compensated for their opinions is unethical and potential illegal, according to US Federal Trade Commission rules.
Sony Computer Entertainment America, a subsidiary of Japan-based Sony, admitted last week that it created a bogus blog baptized "All I want for Christmas is a PlayStation Portable."
The blog was passed off as the work of an amateur hip-hop musician named "Charlie," who enthusiastically praised the PlayStation.
In a short message on the Charlie blog, Sony apologized for being "a little too clever."
The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, came under fire in October for a blog portrayed as an online journal kept by a typical US couple, named Laura and Jim, as they traveled across the country in a motor home.
The couple's blog praised Wal-Mart for letting them park their hulking recreational vehicle overnight in store parking lots and told of encountering Wal-Mart workers nationwide that praised their jobs and their employer.
Business Week magazine revealed that the couple's cross-country trip was sponsored by Wal-Mart -- a fact unmentioned in the online postings.
Companies such as PayPerPost and ReviewMe, which link bloggers and advertisers, are fueling the phenomenon.
PayPerPost, a five-month-old pioneer in the practice, is true to its name regarding favorable online blog postings.
On ReviewMe, bloggers in any language can offer to post their thoughts on products for 500 dollars a review.
ReviewMe explains on its site that it cannot guarantee favorable reviews, but that most of the posted opinions are positive.
"We do not allow advertisers to require a positive review," the company said in a statement. "The vast majority of reviews are measurably positive, although many do contain constructive criticism."
Blog-for-hire publicity campaigns can be comprised of thousands of postings, according to a PayPerPost spokesman that wished not to be identified.
Fake "independent" blogs by companies or secretly manipulated by advertisers break US law by misleading consumers, according to federal regulators.
The FTC warned this month that "such connection must be fully disclosed" and that its staff "will determine on a case by case basis whether to recommend law enforcement actions to the commission."
Faced with the FTC threat, PayPerPost announced this week it would change it service agreement to require bloggers who were being paid to say so in their postings. Previously they had left it to the blogger's discretion.
Many PayPerPost competitors have yet to adopt such a rule, and the torrent of user-generated videos, images, and text flooding the Internet has aspiring advertisers navigating uncharted waters.
Attention seekers from fledgling music bands to major corporations have seen clever online content "go viral" -- lingo for being spread for free worldwide by people using e-mail and online links.
Both video-sharing website YouTube and teen-oriented social networking MySpace, for example, have become venues for companies to establish promotional pages.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Who Needs Jewelry, When You Can Get This for Christmas?
WARNING: This video clip is not suitable for work (there is some cursing).
The Wire - F***
Click here to see one of the best 4 minutes of television ever (courtesy of HBO's The Wire).
WARNING: The above link takes you to a video clip that is not suitable for work (there is lots of cursing and some brief nudity).
A NCIS Death - For Real
I just discovered the other day that the actor who has played a new character on NCIS has died. Actor Michael Gilden apparently committed suicide on December 5.Gilden, who has had roles in Pulp Fiction, Charmed and CSI, had most recently played the love interest of Abby on NCIS.
Gilden leaves behind his wife, Meredith Eaton, who is also an actor (most recently on House and Boston Legal).
R.I.P. Michael Gilden.
Have You Cheesepodded Lately?
Photolurking, blog streaking and cheesepodding: The new Internet addictions
Tue Dec 19, 1:31 PM ET
The Internet has given birth to a quirky range of modern addictions and maladies, the British weekly New Scientist says in its Christmas issue published this Saturday.
They include these:
- EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.
- BLOG STREAKING: "Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody's sake would be best kept private."
- CRACKBERRY: "The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother's funeral." (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).
- GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as "snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates."
- CYBERCHONDRIA: "A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer."
- PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you've never met.
- WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you're an addict: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Are-You-a-Wikipediholic-Test)).
- CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song "so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter." Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s.
Tue Dec 19, 1:31 PM ET
The Internet has given birth to a quirky range of modern addictions and maladies, the British weekly New Scientist says in its Christmas issue published this Saturday.
They include these:
- EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.
- BLOG STREAKING: "Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody's sake would be best kept private."
- CRACKBERRY: "The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother's funeral." (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).
- GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as "snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates."
- CYBERCHONDRIA: "A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer."
- PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you've never met.
- WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you're an addict: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Are-You-a-Wikipediholic-Test)).
- CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song "so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter." Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Donald Trump, Tell Us How You Really Feel About Rosie O'Donnell
Not one to let the holiday spirit get in the way of his feelings.....Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Donald Trump!
I Gave In -- The Video iPod
I'm probably one of the last people to do so, but I finally gave in and bought a video iPod (80 GB).I had been using my Rio Karma mp3 player for the last 2 years and it suited me just fine. Besides, I like rooting for the underdog -- Apple didn't need my money, they had everyone else's!
Well, my friends, the time has come. I've joined the dark side and forked over my hard-earned money to Apple. I must say, I am loving my new video iPod.
The iPod itself is great - thin, compact, cool circular control panel. I also like the functionality of the iTunes software (miles above Rio software). Yes, Apple does go a bit overboard in trying to sell you "extras" via iTunes, but I've been able to resist the temptation so far (except for Sudoku -- I just had to buy that!).
This new gadget will be especially useful for me as my work travel kicks up again after the holidays. Who wants to do work in the airport with their wireless laptop, when they can watch a movie instead?!!
I did a bit of research on DVD to iPod converters and would highly recommend MadZ iPod Video Converter. This program costs $24.95 but you can test it out before you purchase it. You get 4 free full DVD conversions as a trial (no need to enter any credit card information to get the free trial). The software is very easy to use and it also converts to PSP format.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Not The Type of 'Hit & Run' You'd Expect
Store manager assaulted with potatoesWed Dec 13, 4:50 PM ET
A grocery store manager was struck in the head with a 10-pound sack of potatoes by a customer angry about having to wait in line, police say. Police in Liberty, near Youngstown in northeast Ohio, say a 59-year-old woman from Youngstown is suspected in the attack.
Scott Renzenbrink, 45, told police a clerk having problems with a customer called him to the register. The customer told him she was upset about the wait and struck the manager in the back of head with the potatoes when he was walking away after the conversation, according to police.
A witness followed the woman out to the parking lot and took down her license plate number. Renzenbrink, who was not seriously hurt in the attack last Thursday, identified the woman by a Bureau of Motor Vehicles photo. He may file assault charges.
The Internet....Not Just for Porn Anymore
Man in Germany stops Brazil robbery via Internet
Wed Dec 13, 9:38 AM ET
A Brazilian businessman traveling in Germany watched by live video as a burglar robbed his house on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.
He alerted the police, who rushed to the house and arrested the robber as he was trying on his clothes.
The businessman, Joao Pedro Wettlauser, was in Cologne this weekend when he received an alert on his cell phone from the security system in his beach house in Guaruja in Sao Paulo state, police said on Tuesday.
He logged on to his laptop and via the Internet saw live images of the burglar at work. He then phoned his wife, who was not at the house but called the local police.
"She told us the details about the thief and where in the house he was as we surrounded the house," police officer Americo Rodrigues told Reuters.
The burglar used a ladder to break into the house. When the police entered, he had a pile of goods such as the stereo system in the kitchen ready to be taken away, Rodrigues said.
"He was surprised when realized he was being seen by cameras connected to the Internet," Rodrigues said.
Wed Dec 13, 9:38 AM ET
A Brazilian businessman traveling in Germany watched by live video as a burglar robbed his house on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.
He alerted the police, who rushed to the house and arrested the robber as he was trying on his clothes.
The businessman, Joao Pedro Wettlauser, was in Cologne this weekend when he received an alert on his cell phone from the security system in his beach house in Guaruja in Sao Paulo state, police said on Tuesday.
He logged on to his laptop and via the Internet saw live images of the burglar at work. He then phoned his wife, who was not at the house but called the local police.
"She told us the details about the thief and where in the house he was as we surrounded the house," police officer Americo Rodrigues told Reuters.
The burglar used a ladder to break into the house. When the police entered, he had a pile of goods such as the stereo system in the kitchen ready to be taken away, Rodrigues said.
"He was surprised when realized he was being seen by cameras connected to the Internet," Rodrigues said.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I've Been a Dead-Beat Blogger
I know, I know -- I'm not so good at this blogging thing. I promise that starting next week, I will be much better. I have 2 weeks off from work (yipee), so I will be catching up on TV, movies and blogging.
Until then, enjoy this Family Guy clip, courtesy of YouTube. Note the shout-out to one of my hometown's claim to fame, the Wu-Tang Clan.
Until then, enjoy this Family Guy clip, courtesy of YouTube. Note the shout-out to one of my hometown's claim to fame, the Wu-Tang Clan.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Alanis Morissette - Walk Away
There are no words to describe this 1991 music video from Alanis Morissette.
Except ......... legen -- wait for it ...... dary!
Note the fabulous appearance by Matt LeBlanc. With LeBlanc's stellar acting abilities, I just can't understand how Joey tanked!
Except ......... legen -- wait for it ...... dary!
Note the fabulous appearance by Matt LeBlanc. With LeBlanc's stellar acting abilities, I just can't understand how Joey tanked!
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Funny Website - Overheard In The Office
Just added this website to my Favorites:
Overheard In The Office
This website allows you to read, rate and post funny quotes overheard in the office. Here's a sampling:
It's times like these that I miss working in the office (I work from home)!
Overheard In The Office
This website allows you to read, rate and post funny quotes overheard in the office. Here's a sampling:
Client on phone: May I talk to Mr. Lockwood, please?
Receptionist: I'm sorry, but Mr. Lockwood doesn't work here anymore. Would you like to leave a message?
Company president: I love the photo [of a blonde girl on the beach] you used on this brochure. It's perfect. But can you keep the same photo and just make her black instead?
Female coworker #1: So what do you think about Henry? Coworker #2: He's an odd egg, but a good egg -- at least when he's not licking people.
It's times like these that I miss working in the office (I work from home)!
NCIS - It's All Relative
The theme of last night's NCIS episode, Twisted Sister, was family:* McGee's sister, Sara, was accused of murdering her sailor ex-boyfriend.
* Sara was played by actress Troian Avery Bellisario, who is the daughter of NCIS executive producer Donald P. Bellisario. A slight case of nepotism there, but I think that she did a great job in the role.
NCIS continues to be a strong show, with a good blend of mystery, drama and humor. When Kate was killed off of the show last year, I was undecided on my feelings of Ziva being added to the cast. But I think that her character is finally settling into the show and everything seems to be working -- the show's ratings are a good indicator of this.Enjoy this NCIS gag reel, courtesy of YouTube.
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