Şirket Profili: Video gosterinimi sirasındaki yayınladığı reklamlar sayesinde para kazanan Hulu.com, legal bir şekilde televizyon programları ve filmler stream etmektedir.

Piyasa Durumu: Televizyon gün geçtikçe izleyici sayısı kaybetmekte. Insanlar televizyona yeteri kadar zaman ayıramıyorlar. Bu yuzden takip ettikleri dizileri programları kaçırıyorlar.

Ayrı olarak da insanlar istedikleri istedikleri zaman izlemek de istiyorlar. Bu da bilgisayarı çekici kılıyor. Insanlar youtube örneğinde gösterdikleri gibi videolara ve başka insanların hayatlarını izlemeye daha yatkınlaşıyorlar. P2P dosya paylaşılımı önüne geçilemeyecek bir büyüklükte. Torrent indirimlerinin büyük bir yoğunluğunun televizyon dizileri olduğunu fark eden yayın şirketleri internete yöneldi. Bütün büyük televizyon yayın şirketleri neredeyse bütün dizilerini internetten yayınlamaya başladı(Hatta Hollywood’da yazarların grevlerinin nedeni internetten yayınlanan bu dizilerden gelen gelirlerin yazarlara dağatılmamasıydı.).

Hulu.com’un Avantajları:

• Hulu.com NBC ve Fox Kanal gruplarıyla olan anlaşmalarından dolayı epey geniş bir video yelpazesine sahip. Yeni video ve filmlerin yanısıra eski klasikleşmiş televizyon dizileri de kullanıcıların karşısına çıkıyor.
• Videoların kaliteleri orjinal oldukları için en yüksek kalitede. Hatta bazı filmler ve diziler için High Definition çözünürlüğünde videolar da mevcut durumda.

En son durumu ve gelecek tahminleri:

• Nielsen Online şirketinin yaptığı internetin en çok video yayınlayan şirketi araştırmasında 80 milyon video yayınıyla(stream) ABC.com’u geçerek 9.sıraya yerleşti.
• Nisan ayındaki 67 milyondan, Mayıs ayında 80 milyona yükselerek %27’lik bir yükselme gösterdi. Bu iki ay içindeyse YouTube 200milyon izleyici kaybederek %2’lik bir gerileme kaydetti.
• Bazı matematiksel algoritmalar Hulu’nun gelecek sene içerisinde ayda sadece %10 büyürse 45 ile 90 milyon dolarlık bir gelir sağlayacagını soylesede Citi şirketi Hulu’nun 2009 yılında 500 milyon dolara kadar yakın bir gelir yaratacağını tahmin etmekte.

Gelir Modeli:

• Hulu.com her bin izleyici başına(CPM) 25 ile 30$ dolar alıyor. ABC kanalının internet sitesi olan ABC.com’un 45-65$’lık CPM’yle karşılastırıldığında ise bu çok düşük bir fiyat olduğuna inanıyorum. Ama eminim ki site daha da yaygınlaştığında bu fiyat da yükselerek şirketi daha da karlı ve cazip bir şirket haline getirecektir.

Ok, we know the title is kinda lame but in all honesty, in how good a match and final this was, no headline would have done them justice.  Gone were the days of talking about their dad. Gone was speculation about throwing matches.  All the talk was how good this match was and lived up to the hype.  NBC must be salivating with high ratings for both the mens and womans finals this weekend.

Congrats to Venus and congrats to both Serena and Venus for winning the doubles tourney as well.-Dr.FB

Cholesterol worries in grade school? Apparently, a group of doctors with a bit of clout are recommending that young kids be given cholesterol meds to help prevent heart-related issues.  (MSNBC via AP)

Taking a Peek in Bejing:  NBC is going to use the Olympic Games to do marketing research.  This one doesn't come as a surprise.

Wimbledon:  I don't know why, but this excited me.  I'm not really a big tennis fan, but every so often, something random grabs my eye.

There was also something somewhere stating that the orangutan population is decreasing at an alarming rate, that it could possibly be the first of the great apes to go extinct.  I can't remember where, though.  Google it and check it out for yourself.

When journalists are witnesses to breaking news what is their obligation to report that news? In an era when being first isn't even fast enough any more, should a web tool like Wikipedia wait until the pubic has had time to digest the news from more traditional sources? Guidelines for editing Wikipedia state that all entries must be verifiable by other published materials.

That isn't the only debate here. The Wikipedia poster, identified in the Times article as a "junior-level employee" at Internet Broadcasting Services, a St. Paul, Minn. firm that provides Web services to a variety of companies including local NBC affiliates, has been fired. Was he fired for being quick on the draw? Was he fired for updating the online encyclopedia without confirming the facts or was he fired for not knowing that family members traveling abroad still might not have been notified? Or, was he fired for scooping NBC?

It may not have occurred to that poster that family members were in the dark. He may have deduced that if he knew of Russert's death, next of kin surely had been advised. The Times reports that he made the changes believing that the information was already in the public record.

Does his action justify his job loss? Would some form of punishment or discipline been more appropriate?

Journalists have long debated when it is appropriate to release the name(s) of murder victims, accident fatalities and other tragedies. Often newspaper articles report that the names were not released pending notification of family members. Some news organizations follow the rule that if the police release the victim's name then it is okay to print or broadcast it. One can assume, right or wrong, that the police -- or other law enforcement agency -- have notified the family.

But what is the ethical obligation of a newsroom of journalists who witness the sudden -- and newsworthy -- death of their colleague? As journalists they are trained to report the news. As colleagues and friends they are socialized to act as first responders, administering CPR, calling 911 and reaching out to the fallen's loved ones. How do we reconcile our personal and professional beliefs and practices?

I am reminded of an incident several years back when one of my colleagues at Knight-Ridder collapsed in the newsroom. An editor who recognized his symptoms as a likely seizure acted as the first responder and attended to my colleague while another called 911. Our colleague had no history of seizures so calls immediately were being made to family members and HR to obtain medical information that could be useful. Because our office building had numerous entrances, a few of us went downstairs to direct the EMS team. When they didn't arrive after several minutes, another call was made to 911. It was more than 20 minutes -- and several increasingly frantic phone calls later before the ambulance crew arrived.

This incident took place in the late 1980s-- long before Twitter, Wikipedia or even the Internet, but at a time when the District of Columbia's ambulance service was under fire for slow response time, going to the wrong address, getting lost or not showing up at all. Those of us involved in attending to our colleague (who would be fine) were unaware at the time that another colleague was doing what journalists do: reporting the news.

Amazed and angry at the slow EMS response, she took the story out of our newsroom to a wider audience when she telephoned a local television network affiliate that had been covering the ambulance story. A well-known television personality showed up unannounced in our newsroom the next day wanting to interview those of us who had made the 911 calls.

Our colleague who had needed the medical attention was adamant that he would not talk to the press, citing his privacy. Those of us who had been in the newsroom that day and witnessed the incident were supportive of his request for privacy. When the television reporter insisted that he would not leave our newsroom until he had his story, decisions had to be made. As journalists we realized that a story needed to be told about the poor response rate of the city's ambulance service. But as friends and colleagues we also respected the need for privacy.

A compromise was reached. One of the witnesses to the events in the newsroom agreed to be interviewed, but only about the response time for the EMS crew. There would be no discussion about the nature of our colleague's illness, nor would his name or any other identifying factors be revealed.

If that incident happened today, our decisions -- and our moral dilemma -- could be drastically different. The way we share information today and the tools that people use to receive news has completely changed. As new tools emerge, and the time it takes to exchange information lessens, journalists and anyone who participates in the conversation will have to examine what it means to be first.

NBC Buys Weather Channel, For $3.5 Billion?- Two banks and media conglomerate NBC agreed in principal today to buy The Weather Channel, for $3.5 Billion.  Yes.  $3.5 Billion.  Terms of the widely expected deal were not disclosed, but sources familiar with the transaction said the price tag was accurate to the 3 and a half billion mark.   Privately held Landmark, which put The Weather Channel up for sale along with other businesses, originally had sought $5 billion for the business, which produces national, regional and local weather-related programming, sources previously said.  "This is premier media asset with a unique position across all three screens -- television, PC, and mobile -- and exciting growth prospects in each of them " said Michael Chae, Blackstone Group's senior managing director (Entertainment:  NBC Buys The Weather Channel). The transaction includes the Weather Channel Networks cable network and the Weather Channel's  website. The Weather Channel will continue to operate as an independent business managed by NBC Universal.  NBC Universal, which is part of General Electric Co, would add The Weather Channel to its other news and information assets, which include NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and their affiliated websitesThe Weather Channel is the third most distributed cable network and is viewable in more than 97 percent of cable television homes in the United States. Its website, www.weather.com, has nearly 40 million unique visitors per month.  Landmark launched The Weather Channel more than 25 years ago and built it into a television, Internet and mobile information business serving 120 million people monthly.  Well, what do you know?  The geniuses over at NBC paid $3.5 billion for a tv channel that has no dialogue, commercials or any kind of human presence, and a web site that's about as interesting as a room full of tax attorneys in late April.  All you get are a bunch of different views of the Earth from outer space, some queer music by Yani and other neo-weird types and local weather, on both.  For about $5 you can ride the elevator in a flea bag motel in NYC and get the same music and news on the weather from the elevator dude.  Wise up NBC.  The Weather Channel needs some sex, drugs and rock n roll, and maybe a little blood and guts for it to be a money maker.  About the only thing worse than The Weather Channel with no people is a music video network that doesn't play videos, and they have Tila Tequila.

The Olympic Trials in the United States' two most successful sports are complete, and the week was full of fantastic moments. There are few smiles like those of someone who has just become an Olympian, and fans saw dozens of those this week. I won't lie - more than a few tears trickled down my cheeks when watching the trials. A few disparate thoughts before I go to bed:

- Tyson Gay's fall in the semis of the 200m broke my heart. First, the manner in which he fell reminded me of when I fell running (very short, very terrible dalliance into the sport) and dislocated my knee (why I stopped.) I was very happy to hear it was not that serious. Secondly, I hate that he won't be running the 200 for the US. However, I do not think that the misfortune of one man is a reason to change an entire system that quite frankly, works just fine. There are two reasons why the trials for track work. One - the United States is loaded. We have tons of talent. Secondly, track (and swimming for that matter) is an objective sport - who is the fastest. No judges, no degree of difficulty, no petitions or lawsuits. If you run the fastest, you're in. I have no worries for the United States in track and field. We will do just fine, even with Tyson Gay only running 100m.

- Dara Torres was the cause for many of my tears this week. How could she not be? A 41-year-old mom who is swimming at her best? I tend to believe people, sometimes causing me to be gullible. Pat Forde doubts that Dara has come by her swimming renaissance fairly, and I am embarrassed to say that it never even occurred to me that she didn't.

- The broadcasts for both swimming and track were very good. The announcers were careful to explain qualifying procedures, back stories, athletes' accolades and the nuances of each event. The puff pieces were kept to a minimum, but still good. The broadcasts weren't perfect - the post-event interviews were always a little weird, but still, these broadcasts far outpaced gymnastics.

Now, we wait. Most Olympians have been decided, though some gymnastics team members are still up in the air. The Games kick off in a little more than a month. For now, we can just sit back and enjoy the hype.

NBC's "To Catch a Predator" has run with a simple idea and captured the attention of millions of television viewers.  Working hand in hand with internet watchdog group, Perverted Justice, the show follows as unassuming child molesters engage in graphic conversations with actors posing as young children and are lured into stings involving law enforcement officials.  Seeming to be a recipe for prime time success, "To Catch a Predator" ran into a nightmare when one of its newest targets, Louis William Conradt Jr., shot himself as police raided his home after he failed to show up to the house used in a Texas sting.  Though Conradt clearly engaged in elicit online conversations with someone he thought was a minor, his sister sued NBC for "steamrolling" authorities to arrest her brother and causing his tragic death:

The trial, in which a judge concluded that the network "crossed the line from responsible journalism to irresponsible and reckless intrusion into law enforcement" ended this week when NBC settled with Conradt's sister for a confidential sum.  As the case has produced many critics of the show, the incident poses some interesting questions...

Discussion Questions:   

1.  Was Chris Hansen and "To Catch a Predator" engaged in unethical journalism?

2.  If so, what makes certain types of journalism unethical?

3.  What do you think NBC should do to the popular show now that it has been forced to settle for what we can assume was millions of dollars?  In other words, should they continue to air the program?

I'm surprised. I thought that Wolf and Crush would be the winners, maybe because they are my favorites. Why does Hurricane have so many votes? Have I missed something about him? I had no idea he was so popular. Can someone give me some info on this? I'm really curious.

Results so far: The male gladiators have 149 votes counted and Hurricane is in the lead with 72% of them.  The female gladiators have 123 votes total. Phoenix is in the lead with 57% of the votes and Crush is next with 27%.

Related:
Grandma Got Run Over By Crush
Hellboy and Wolf
Scoop on American Gladiator Panther
Favorite Gladiator Polls 

Let's go straight to the competitors, again from those I thought were least funny to those who were funniest:

Stone & Stone:
They mainly did material they had already done. I didn't laugh at it this time; last time was pretty good. The audience seemed to like them, as did the judges and Fearne.

Heath Hyche:
Very high energy, I can give him that. I didn't know we had two prop comics in the competition, though. The audience seemed to like it, though the judges didn't. I didn't really care for it.

Papa CJ:
Relatively new to comedy, he did a lot of the same material he did at the tryouts. That's probably not a good sign, but the new stuff was pretty funny. He also has the confidence, even cockiness, that good stand-ups often have. Fearne should have given him a harder time about that!

Dan Cummins:
Pretty good and I laughed; some people posted a comment on my blog saying he steals material, and a lot of people were searching for him. I don't know if that bodes poorly. I like him when he's up there.

Eddie Pepitone:
There was a lot of yelling on his part, and some laughing and smiling on my part. Self-deprecating humor can work well in some of the sequences they do on the show when you make it through, and he is a master.

Bob Biggerstaff:
"The world's only push-up cummerbund." Very laugh-worthy, and they always need at least one "fat guy" comedian on the show.

Jackie Kashian:
She ended with "there's more to that" and I definitely would have been willing to hear more. I didn't laugh out loud, but I respected that finally, a white comedian could do a whole set making fun of their parents.

Iliza Shlesinger:
When she's on the stage telling jokes, I'm laughing. I don't think she did anything funny, though, in the interview beforehand or after with Fearne. She could be a fierce competitor in the house but maybe not a funny one.

John Evans:
I laughed, and I don't just think he's funny I liked him too.

Esther Ku:
I didn't know what my expectations here were. She has sort of a combination of the Asian family humor I liked from Dat Phan and "I'm a cute girl and I know it" I liked from Amy Schumer. She is definitely funny. Fearne gave her two thumbs up.

Marcus:
He didn't do any impressions! This is quite surprising, since they're his strong suit, but his set was pretty good which shows important range. I didn't laugh out loud but I respected it. Then he did his Walken on the way out! Fearne and the judges made the same conclusions as me.

Louis Ramey:
He did wall-to-wall jokes, with no relief, and most of them landed. Again, a couple times he repeated material from the tryouts, which seems a little strange, since he has so much experience and probably a huge repertoire.

Pete Lee:
He always makes fun of his own name! But at least it's in a different way, not a repeat of material. I laughed a lot during his set, really enjoyed it.

Mary Mack:
Hooray! Funny and fun. I liked her just as much here as I did in the tryouts. The judges say she took too long to get out the first joke, but I think it was worth the wait, just to establish her stage presence.

Sean Cullen:
Great set! A funny and well-sung song and some jokes beforehand that I don't even remember after the song. It really only had a couple of jokes in it, but they were good. He reminded me of an old-timey bard.

Jim Tavaré:
Great performance! I laughed the most of any and I think it's pretty amazing that he can do that with a Bass on stage in a tuxedo.

This weeks comics were more consistently good than last weeks, in my opinion.
I would have been happy if all the girls had moved on. As it is, only two did. I would have also liked to see 7 or 8 move through from this group rather than only 5. I don't know how they divided up the group into 16s, but they didn't do a great job!

Anyway, the comics they chose to move on, as you can see, I am much happier with than last week. Given the little I have seen, I think I will go with Jim Tavaré to win it all. That being said, whoever I usually predict to win goes home about 4th from the end. We'll see if my record continues.

This is the last time I can choose someone who should have gone forward, because the eliminations will be in 1s and 2s from here on out. I'll choose Mary Mack, because I have a crush on her.

All my last comic standing posts.

Paulano is back. Where was I? I took a week-long vacation with my family in Washington, D.C. And since my return home, I have spent the better part of the week obsessively checking usswim.org, swiminfo.com, and nbcolympics.com to get the latest Olympic swim trials results and video feeds. I've always been a bit of a results junkie, and the Internet is a first rate enabler.

The current trials have a number of great story lines:

• The Speedo LZR Racer is a great suit, but at this meet, does not live up fully to its hype.
• Michael Phelps is in terrific form, and his chances of surpassing Mark Spitz with 8 gold medals in Beijing look better than ever.
• It takes nothing less than a world record to beat Ryan Lochte.
• Aaron Peirsol delivers with two World Records in the 100 and 200 Back.
• A fun and fit Amanda Beard makes her fourth Olympics.
• Katie Hoff dominates with an American Record nearly every time she swims, and adds a WR in the 400 IM for good measure.
• Brendan Hansen falls to fourth in the 200 Breast, and fails to make the Olympic Team in that event.
• Natalie Coughlin gets a couple of World Records in the 100 Back, and has a good shot at 6 Olympic medals.
• Allison Schmitt comes almost out of nowhere to go 1:55 in the 200 Free. She's so new that her name is not even stubbed out in Wikipedia.
• Gary Hall still going sub 22 in the 50 Free at age 33, but misses making the Team by 25-hundreths.
• Jason Lezak going an impressive 47.58 in the 100 Free for a new American record.
• Garrett Weber-Gale going 21.47 in the 50 Free for an American record as well.
• Nathan Adrian's improbable path to making Team USA.
• Three Americans, Erik Vendt, Larsen Jensen, and Peter Vanderkaay go 3:43 in the 400 Free, signaling a possible resurgence in American Distance Swimming.

But by far the best story of these Olympic Trials is Dara Torres. For any one who has been paying attention, Dara started her comeback last year, at age 40, after a 7 year hiatus from swimming, during which time she gave birth to a daughter. In August of 2007, she stunned the swimming world by setting an American Record in the 50 Free. It was all in a day's work for Torres, who gave her post race interview while simultaneously bouncing her 18-month old on her hip. I love the clip. Check it out.

And now, at age 41, she swims within hundredths of her best time ever in the 100 Free, and captures first place at the US Olympic Trials. This will be Dara Torres's fifth Olympics, which is an historic first in swimming. She is also the oldest swimmer to ever make an Olympic swimming team, opening the possiblity for endorsement opportunities like Geritol and Medic-Alert.

Perhaps most amazing of all, is that the 100 is not even Torres's best event. In a few hours, she will take on the rest of the country in the finals of the Women's 50 Free. She is currently seeded first, and re-broke the American Record in that event last night. The first time she broke the American record in that event was over 25 years ago in January of 1983. At that time, Micheal Jordan was still in college at North Carolina, John Riggins was the Superbowl MVP and John McEnroe was the Wimbledon Champ. At the movies, those of us who were alive were watching WarGames, Mr. Mom, Flashdance, Trading Places, The Big Chill, Octopussy, and Risky Business.

Lest any of you suspect Torres of some sort of doping, it should be noted that she (along with Phelps and others) willingly participates in the most rigorous anti-doping testing program in the country, called Project Believe. The details of of the program, as well as a roster of the the participants are not entirely known, but it is run by USADA, who aren't exactly pushovers. Of course Torres will always have doubters, regardless of the tests she takes. They can take solace in the fact that her blood and urine samples will be around for a long time. If it is true that her methods are simply ahead of the current testing technology, she will be found out in due time. For the Record, Paulano believes her. The alternative is too low to even contemplate.

So congratulations to Dara, and our entire US Olympic Swimming Team.

If you are looking for gift items for your favorite swimmer, your favorite senior, or your favorite senior swimmer or Master's Swimmer, be sure to check out Kyle Design online.

Technorati: Swimming World, Swim Info, Dara Torres, Kyle Design, US Olympic Swimming Team, USADA, Project Believe, NBC, Olympics, Team USA, Micheal Jordan, John Riggins, John McEnroe, Speedo, LZR Racer, Micheal Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Katie Hoff, Natalie Coughlin, Aaron Peirsol, Amanda Beard, Mark Spitz, 1983 Movies, Allison Schmitt, Peter Vanderkaay, Gift ideas for swimmers, Pill Organizers, Mark Spitz, Gary Hall, ErikVendt, Larsen Jensen, Garrett Webber-Gale, Nathan Adrian, Geritol, Medic Alert, Christmas Ornament, Stamp Box, Business Card Case, Swimming World Records

I hope NBC's coverage of this event got big ratings, because tennis is an amazing sport that needs more exposure in the United States.  The top pros make the sport look so easy; however, it's anything but.  First of all, it's physically demanding.  A tennis player has to be able to change directions on a dime, read and react in (literally) a split-second, and deal with the elements.  Then there's the technique involved with hitting a tennis ball.  Much like golf, where even the slightest hitch in a swing can cause the ball to drift tens of yards off target, the technique in tennis is vital to a player's success.  Footwork, balance and weight shifting, hip and shoulder rotation, arm angle, wrist snaps, non-dominant hand movement, and follow-through, plus ball speed judgment and spin assessment all have to be considered...and that's just to hit a simple forehand, never mind an overhead smash or a serve!  Also like golf, tennis is mentally challenging as well.  During a match, it's just you and your opponent.  No coaches to advise you, so assistants offering aid.  It's just player(s) vs. player(s).

Something funny happened to me watching the post-match trophy presentation.  I actually felt bad for Roger Federer.  It was weird because, being a huge Pete Sampras fan, I want his records to stand.  But Federer impressed me today with his grace in defeat.  He took it hard, as evidenced by his post-match interview with John McEnroe, but displayed at tremendous amount of poise and heart.  Coming back from two sets down only to lose a heart-breaking fifth set 9-7 in a place where he's won five years in a row could not have been easy, and he accepted that Nadal narrowly beat him with class and style.  I think today may have even turned me into (dare I say it) a Federer fan.  Tennis players get a lot of criticism for being supposedly stoic and machine-like (Bill Simmons, for example) and not sticking around for a long time.  Not today, though.  Federer is going to win more Grand Slam titles before he's done, eclipsing Sampras' record of 14, and will go down as the greatest player ever.  And now, officially, Federer has a rival in Nadal, who'll challenge Federer and push him to succeed even more than he already has, much like Agassi did to Sampras.  Contrary to what the Sports Guy says, players like Sampras and Federer ARE good for tennis.  They give us a reason to watch.  Like we do with Tiger, we tune to see if they'll rewrite the history books.  The way I see it, tennis players' supposed lack of longevity (which is due in no small part to the physical demands of the sport) should be all the more reason we tune it to witness amazing athletes like Sampras, Agassi, Federer, and Nadal.  Federer didn't make history today; it was Nadal's turn.  But Roger's close, and that gives tennis fans--hopefully sports fans, in general--reason to watch the upcoming hardcourt season and the US Open later this summer.

Tennis is a fast-paced, elegant, captivating display of athleticism and mental fortitude, and there is hardly a better example of that display than today's final. The match undoubtedly is an "instant classic," so I hope ESPN Classic replays it soon and hope people tune in.  And if you don't have that channel, check out the highlights and/or read up on the marathon between the world's top two players.  I promise that it'll be worth it.

• Contact NBC
• Contact GE

In the meantime, here's a couple of previews:

The Beijing Zoo is primitive with many animals in glass enclosures and cages.  Visitors throw food and there are no moats so the animals often come right up to the fences.   There are some very interesting antelope and a great collection of bugs and butterflies.  There is also something I have never seen in a zoo before.  Dogs!!  In the children’s zoo there are different breeds of dogs.  They are big and little and the kids can walk them.

I have come to the zoo to see the pandas.  They are smaller than I expected and adorable. Ever since I met Suzanne Braden in Denver I have been more interested in them.  Suzanne runs a non-profit organization called Pandas International (http://www.pandasinternational.org) and she is a force.  For years she has been raising money for the panda breeding facility in Wolong that is working to insure the survival of the species.  There are only 1600 left in the world and their habitat in Wolong took a terrible hit from the earthquake.

The pandas are a hugely popular attraction and people photograph them with cameras and cell phones even behind the glass.   My NBC colleague, Mark Mullen, had a chance to visit Wolong a couple of times.  The most recent experience was after the earthquake and his stories of hope and heartbreak appeared on Today and Nightly News with Brian Williams (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#25212574)  He did a great stand up.  He reported by a cute little bear and then he patted his head.  Sublime!!               

Here's links to what I think are the best videos from America's Got Talent. I may have missed a couple, but I'll update it as I find ones I've missed.

My Underdog Favorite to Win America’s Got Talent - Jessica Price - A little raw, but impressive
Video of David Militello on America’s Got Talent - Really cute and hard to deny such a cute personality
Video of Beyond Belief and Derrick Barry as Britney Spears on America’s Got Talent - Not my thing, but others really liked them
Best America’s Got Talent Audition - Video of Eli Mattson - I think this is probably the judges current favorite. Definitely a strong favorite with an amazing singing talent. I see him similar to Cas Haley
Videos of Miss PussyKat, Lil’ Countrie and Page 1ne, Ozzman from America’s Got Talent - Pretty unique I'd say
Video of Russian Bar Trio on America’s Got Talent - The most jaw dropping talent I've seen on the show ever.
4 Year Old Kaitlyn Maher - America’s Got Talent 2008 NYC Auditions - Cute and really quite amazing for a 4 year old
A Bunch of America’s Got Talent Videos - Amazing talent. Good luck narrowing down this field.

Which ones are your favorites?

Click here to see the video: Wolf Answers the Phone

Here's a little Wolf trivia:  "Hollywood Yates is starring in a hilarious new movie called Fancypants, the story of a professional wrestler  who's afraid of conflict in real life.  Hollywood is playing a character called 'The Darkness' - the hot new wrestler who's taking the league by storm.  Will he fight the undefeated "Leo the Blue Lion"?  Fancypants wraps shooting last week of June.  Look for it in 2009."

Click here to view a clip of Wolf on the runway at the 2008 Country Weekly Fashion Show. He dances, he howls, he does his thing. Click here to view an interview with him. 

Related:
Grandma Got Run Over By Crush
Hellboy and Wolf
Scoop on American Gladiator Panther

The mens tour is riddled with leadership problems. Management has allowed a betting scandal, much worse than Spygate can ever be, manifest itself and threaten the integrity of the sport. Then they decided to stir up controversy by shifting the schedule, creating lawsuits from tournaments dropped in status, and a revolt by players that led to the world's Top 3 players positioning for spots on the board of governors to represent the players and prevent renewing the commissioner's contract.

Meanwhile, Andy Roddick and James Blake, the two most prominent US players, have failed to live up to expectations. Both making a habit of early exits in Grand Slam tournaments. It all adds up to chaos.

The tour needs to find a strong leader with a plan immediately. A la Roger Goodell, the betting scandal must be addressed swiftly and sternly. It appears gambling outposts can provide solid evidence of match fixing. Penalty for a first offense is a one year ban and a million dollar fine, second offense is lifetime banishment. That will help clean the sport up quickly.

Next, address this scheduling issue with the players and tournaments. FInally, the sport needs a new image and a new marketing plan. Casual sports fans in the US hardly know Rafael Nadal, yet he is one of the cornerstones to this era of tennis. Perhaps the greatest clay court player ever, and currently second to only Roger Federer on all other surfaces, on the brink of surpassing him. Nadal speaks multiple languages, including English, is young and extremely marketable. Federer is already an all-time great. He appears in a few advertisements, notably the Gillette series with Tiger Woods (and now Derek Jeter) and has a lucrative deal with Nike. Yet, I don't feel the American public knows Roger Federer. Not like they knew Sampras and Agassi, or McEnroe and Connors. Yes, neither Federer nor Nadal are American, but its turning into one of the better rivals in modern tennis, the sports must take advantage.

I can't remember one time either man has been interviewed on radio or TV in the US. Networks and tour officials need to make this a year round effort, not just a one month push leading into the US Open. Tennis is a year round sport. ESPN should have these players on during the French and Wimbledon. Show us more McEnroe as well to stir the pot and draw attention to tennis.

Tennis is a great way to appeal to the upper class. Nadal and Federer should appear in commercials for luxury items and travel companies. Digital media fits tennis to a tee, given the simultaneous, densely packed action at tennis tournaments, and the international appeal. ESPN and NBC streamed Wimbledon matches - albeit at a cost. More than the matches, use viral marketing to get their names out, reach out to tennis players.

On the women's side, I watched the Williams' sisters Wimbledon final this morning, then wondered why they did not follow the path of Tiger Woods. Individual sport, father that pushed them from an early age, one of the first notable African-Americans to make a dent in a predominantly white sport, great human interest story, polarizing character, unbelieveable talent. Unfortunately, off the court issues cost the sisters a few years of dominance on the court in the middle of the decade. Still, why have they not transformed women's tennis the way Tiger has golf?

As much as I'd like to believe it's not the case in 2008, it could partially relate to gender. I'm not convinced. Tennis has not received the media coverage it deserves, nor has it pushed for it. The Williams' sisters matches should have received tremendous hype this week, considering the are the only US link to the tournament right now, and they were both playing dominant tennis. Nothing, slicence.

Part of the problem, the game has changed signifcantly and many fans left. The days of tremendous volleys succumbed to the 145-mph serve thanks to technology advances, all but exttinguishing prolonged rallies. Tennis became unwatchable. And more fans have left without the appeal of a US rivalry, and none have come back. Eventually the standards board has to push back, though the sports has become less serve oriented in the past year or two.

Tennis needs to re-create its image and re-connect with its fan base. A weekend at Wimbledon featuring an all Williams women's final and Nadal-Federer on the men's side should generate the same buzz as Tiger in the final round of a major. While it will register on the sports landscape, it will not be nearly where it should.

I can't effin wait!

Concerns were raised over the potential impact of the "social experiment" on the children's attachment to their caregivers, noting that prolonged separation can lead to feelings of anxiety, distress, and if prolonged, to a lack of trust.

Two episodes of The Family Anatomy Podcast concern childhood fears and separation anxiety. You can find them here and here.

You can read more here.

Subscribe to the Family Anatomy podcast at http://feeds.feedburner.com/familyanatomy.

Hellboy 2 - The Golden Army está a caminho, e um comercial inusitado surgiu na tv americana. Chuck, da série nerd homônima (que aliás, é excelente, eu recomendo!), joga video game com o gigante vermelho, enquanto os dois conversam como velhos amigos. Confira:

Dica do Igor. :)

- postado por Isabela

La Sexta emitirá en breve (todavía no se ha anunciado fecha concreta de estreno) la comedia 30 Rock, comedia de la cadena NBC que en España se estrenó bajo el título Rockefeller Plaza en la cadena de pago Paramount Comedy.

La serie cuya máxima protagonista es la humorista Tina Fey (escribe, produce e interpreta) se centra precisamente en las desaveniencias que tiene el personaje de Fey, una guionista de televisión llamada Liz con su nuevo jefe (al que da vida Alec Baldwin).

Baldwin encarna a Jack Donaghy, directivo de una cadena televisiva que fichará a una nueva estrella a la que da vida Tracey Jordan y que provocará un conflicto con la actual estrella de la cadena, a la que da vida Jane Krakowski y que es además la mejor amiga de Liz.

Lo cierto es que como ya hemos dicho en Paramount la serie ya se ha emitido por lo que llega un poco tarde a La Sexta. De todos modos es una alegría el que la emitan en abierto aunque no sepamos todavía en que franja se verá.

En cuanto a su emisión en Estados Unidos, 30 Rock estrenará su tercera temporada en Octubre además se espera que este año reciba varias nominaciones a los premios Emmy.

New Survey

"The guest list for the funeral mass for “Meet the Press” anchor Tim Russert was an “A list” of politicians and media mentionables.  Real reporters mixed with the television personalities and the network executives who control their lives.  It was a black day for journalism in NBC:  Russert’s death released one of the last brakes slowing NBC’s descent into political activism and journalistic irrelevance.

NBC was once the proud home of real journalists.  People such as Chet Huntley and David Brinkley brought its standards to -- and above -- the level prevalent in most news organizations.  But now, it’s an asylum for people such as Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann.

Matthews has made himself a caricature of the liberal news anchor.  In one memorable moment of the primary season he said he felt, “…this thrill going up my leg…” while listening to an Obama speech.

Were that not bad enough, NBC’s leadership -- NBC-Universal CEO Jeffrey Zucker and NBC News President Steve Capus -- are pushing the network off into liberal la-la land.  Russert, who tried hard to be fair to liberals and conservatives alike, was in a shrinking minority.  Except for Russert, the moderates have been marginalized in favor of hyperventilating liberals such as MSNBC dolt-laureate Keith Olbermann." Read the rest @ "The War Inside NBC"

And if you have been wondering about GE....They have lost 36% of shareholder stock...