May
16
Competition Thrives at ibeatyou
Filed Under Contests, Entertainment, Internet, Social Networking, Talent | Leave a Comment
Here’s a creative one. ibeatyou, or IBY for short, is a website focused on attracting those with a competitive edge. The platform is setup so people can start their own competition, and compete with others from across the world. You can choose to keep your competitions private if you aren’t willing to let the whole world see.
After my brief exploration of the site, I found competitions taking place such as a staring contest, a dance battle, scariest face, and signing contests. By no means is the site limited to these types of competitions, but that’s what makes up the majority. Some competitions are able to get quite a few views, while others are barely noticed.
I’m not sure how well a site like this can do, but it is a bit more on the creative side. There are so many social networking type sites popping up everyday, it’s almost hit or miss when it comes to popularity. With that said, if you are a bit curious, check out ibeatyou and see what kind of competitions are a grabbing people’s attention. The least bit you can do is gather some ideas of what’s popular and what’s not.
May
14
Music Feature: Eject
Filed Under Entertainment, Music, Videos | Leave a Comment
All week I’ve been listening to “Caring Again” by Eject, a Los Angeles California based indie rock band. To just say that Eject is another indie rock band would be pretty far from the truth. The band is led by Andy Blunda, a musician who has had quite of experience to help him create the solid sounds Eject has to offer. Blunda was a touring musician with the Texas band Fastball.
The sounds of Eject have been compared to bands such as the Cure, Pink Floyd, Ride, The Smiths, and even U2. Making the comparisons are one thing, but understand the uniqueness of the band as a whole is another. All of the band members collaborate with one another to produce some really good sounding and enjoyable rock songs.
Visit Eject at MySpace to learn more about the band and listen to a few tracks.
In the meantime, here’s the video for the Eject song “Caring Again”.
May
14
CBS Announces New Fall Shows
Filed Under Entertainment, Sitcoms, Television, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
After ranting for a few moments a few days ago about their inability to fix technical problems with their programming, CBS has announced their fall lineup for television this fall. There really aren’t any big surprises here for those who follow how television programs work. Although there may be a few programs that sound a tiny bit interesting to watch, I’m afraid to watch anything new. All the networks barely give the shows a chance to succeed. And even the shows that do seem promising get yanked off the network anyway unfortunately.
For those curious as to what the CBS fall lineup will look like, I’ll share with you what I know. The New Adventures of Old Christine will return, and will air Wednesdays at 8PM. A new comedy about divorce titled Project Gary will follow. The Unit, and Rules of Engagement will make a mid-season return. The list of canceled programs include Jericho, Kid Nation, Viva Laughlin, Welcome to the Captain, Shark, Moonlight, and Cane. I’m not shocked to see those programs on the chopping block actually. Well, I was a fan of the show Jericho, and was extremely disappointed to see the show canceled once again. But that certainly came as no surprise, considering the weak ratings.
Fans of Without a Trace will have to watch their show on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays. A new sci-fi drama called Eleventh Hour will be in the old Without a Trace time slot. Eleventh Hour is the only show I seem to have a small interest in. It’s been reported that the show, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is the largest TV deal ever made during development. It’s taking a whopping four million bucks to produce the first show, and CBS has ordered 13 episodes. I heard that X-Files fans might take interest in this show, and well, I’m an X-Files fan.
There are some other new ones for CBS, including one titled Mythological X, featuring Elizabeth Reaser. Reaser examines past relationships after some psychic told her she has already dated her future husband. This one seems really dull to me. More announced for other networks on the way soon.
May
12
Showcase Your Talents, Claim Your Fame
Filed Under Culture, Entertainment, Internet, Music, Recreation, Reviews, Social Networking, Talent | Leave a Comment
I’m excited about a fairly new social networking site that instantly grabbed my attention when I first heard about it on CNN a little while back. Taltopia, a Los Angeles based media distribution and social networking company, launched back in March of 2007. The goal of Taltopia is to provide a platform for people to showcase their talent. Actors, singers, musicians, comedians, artists, models and more are all welcome to participate. If you have the talent, all you have to do is upload your media such as audio, video, or photos, and start being seen.
Not sure of your talents? No problem! You can join the Taltopia critic crowd and begin offering your opinions on those showcasing their stuff. Fans and critics vote for their favorites, giving them that extra edge they seek. Those with talents who get a higher amount of votes get featured on the front page of the website, offering even more exposure for those wanting to claim their fame.
I think sites like this are a fantastic opportunity to gain that extra bit of exposure one needs to get noticed. Those who wish to share their talent have plenty of avenues to explore, but there is always room for additional opportunities. Everyone knows there are talent agencies and talent agents all over the place, but it really comes down to networking and connecting with the right people at the right time. The coolest thing is that Taltopia is a FREE service for everyone. Visitors can register for free and simply create their own profile.
Let’s face it, it seems like everyone is trying to be some sort of celebrity these days. Everyday aspiring talent is searching for casting calls, looking for gigs, and trying to create additional self promotion. And even those who don’t seek celebrity status find alternative ways to participate, like voting for others. Look at the explosive amount of people who vote for their favorites on hit television shows like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars. And those are only just a couple popular shows where you viewers can vote. Growing communities of individuals who strive for fame, fortune, and participation have all come together, and I think a website like Taltopia makes it even more exciting for everyone.
May
12
CBS Rant
Filed Under Babble, Entertainment, Television | Leave a Comment
I’ll officially call this a rant, even though I don’t rant all that much. I really don’t watch an extreme amount of television, but it seems like most of the programs I do watch just happen to be on CBS. I watched the finale of Survivor Micronesia last night. At one point during the program the audio would cut out. The odd thing is just the dialog would become almost completely reduced, while the background music would continue to be heard just fine.
It’s very annoying. I wouldn’t say if this was a random problem on CBS, but it doesn’t appear to be. I’ve been experiencing this very same problem with audio on CBS for a while now. A few weeks back during the CBS show Ghost Whisperer, the dialog audio went in and out for almost the whole program. I was ready to flip out, but of course I kept my cool.
Now I don’t have any fancy setup, just a basic tv with digital cable through Time Warner. I know the problem is not on my end, as I have heard from quite a few others who experience the exact thing I do. You would think, just perhaps, that CBS would be able to figure out a basic audio glitch that has been occurring almost a year, or maybe even longer. Crazy.