You Write The Caption

Posted Mar 31, 2006 by Janine Dorsey

Updated Mar 31, 2006 at 10:17 AM

Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!! You write the caption.

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The It Bag

Posted Mar 31, 2006 by Jaymi Curley

Updated Mar 31, 2006 at 09:50 AM

The very latest accessory to be generating some serious Hollywood heat is the Muse bag from Yves Saint Laurent.  The oversize white leather satchel has been seen on more starlet arms than Wilmer Valderama. The bag, however, is better looking and more useful. Want one? Be prepared to sacrifice a mortgage payment; the Muse bag runs between $1095-$1295. Or, if you can be satisfied with a temporary taste of glamour , check out the Bag, Borrow, or Steal site to carry it for just a little cash. But, for those of us with no shame whatsoever, copies abound around the net for about $200 bucks. As for poor little country mouse me, I will just have to make do with the bullseye version from Tar-jzay.

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Mother’s Day. You Need All The Help You Can Get

Posted Mar 30, 2006 by Kevin Walker

Updated Mar 30, 2006 at 06:23 PM

Just kidding. Maybe. Anyway, with Mother’s Day fast approaching, author Iris Krasnow offers some insight with I Am My Mother’s Daughter: Making Peace With Mom Before It’s Too Late, which again is one of those books that pretty much says it all with the title. That’s also sort of a scary title, too, isn’t it? Especially that last phrase. The book is set for an April 17 release.

On a sadder (but hopeful) note, Hope Edelman writes about getting over the devastation of losing your mother - and how it can help you become a better mother - in http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060532459/qid=1143756682/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-6917643-4523131?s=books&v=glance&n=283155. Edelman interviews a variety of women about the loss of their mothers, and ends up offering some moving stories and tips with how to deal with being a mother without having a mother of your own.

Sorry there’s nothing more cheerful. I can’t just make these books up, you know. Otherwise I’d put one right here called “Mothers and Daughters Rock On: How You, Too, Can Have A Great Mother’s Day With Your Mom, And Even Grandma If She’s Up For It.” Or something like that.

In another and possibly very boring vein - except for the people who love this sort of thing - New York University professor Thomas Bender offers A Nation Among Nations, which takes a look at America’s place in world history. Actually, I’m joking about the boring part. From what I gathered skimming, it looks like Bender has a relatively fresh take, arguing that American history should be viewed as part of the whole international scene and “the larger history of conflicts over nationalism and freedom and the proper balance of central and local authority.” Yum.

Finally, for you bird lovers out there, Princeton University Press has released a very, very, very comprehensive field guide called Parrots of the World: An Identification Guide. It’s exactly what it sounds like, with pictures and easy-to-read guides for how to tell a South American macaw from an Australian cockatoos.

Happy reading.

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GDC Wrapup

Posted Mar 30, 2006 by Wes Phillips

Updated Mar 31, 2006 at 06:34 PM

Another Game Developer’s Conference has come and gone, and really all we have are tidbits about the new systems by Nintendo and Sony.

GDC, held in California every year, is all about the technical side of the gaming industry. But there are nuggets of info that you as the consumer can glean from every GDC. Here are a few:

If you are a fan of cheap, Nintendo’s new system, code-named Revolution, is going to be up your alley. The hardware specs were leaked Wednesday and they aren’t going to break anyone’s bank.

The best thing about Revolution, which also happens to be the best thing Xbox 360 right now, is the ability to download old titles. In
fact, you’ll even be able to download old Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 games.

Revolution won’t come with a big hard drive, but it will allow you to use pretty much any storage device you already own. Since it has USB ports, you’ll be able to use your current thumb drive to store content.

If you are a fan of expensive, Sony’s PlayStation 3 will be happy to extinguish the hole being burned in your pocket. While Sony seems to be waiting until May’s Electronic Entertainment Expo to go all out, they did announce an solid online plan at GDC.

A lot of their plan is modeled after Microsoft’s plan with Xbox Live. It involves a central persona across all games, just like your Xbox
Gamertag, except Sony says its PlayStation Network Platform will be free.

Gamespy, which has been doing free online matchmaking on the PC platform for years, is working with Sony on the project. But it’s easier said than done. It took Microsoft years to iron out all the
bugs of the Live service and Sony can’t realistically offer that kind of quality experience out of the gate.

But if the games look good ...

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The Problem With Tuesday

Posted Mar 29, 2006 by Alex Vila

Updated Mar 29, 2006 at 06:19 PM

Last night, I ran into a problem.  It seems that in Tampa Bay, not much goes down on Tuesday nights.  Unless you’re content with drinking at a nearly-empty local pub (which can be nice if you’re in the mood for it, but not exactly what I was looking for), it seems that Tuesdays are null and void around here.  Where are the ladies’ nights and the sink-or-swim parties on Tuesdays?  Granted, I know of a few karaoke nights in North Tampa, but what if I’m in the mood to shake it all over the dance floor? Nothing.

It would be nice if there was at least one nightclub popping off on Tuesdays.  I know it’s not a night when everyone can make it out to party, but if The Castle can pull in a crowd on Mondays and Green Iguana can bring people in on Wednesdays, then it seems there shouldn’t be any trouble attracting people on Tuesdays, too.

My boyfriend and I ended up playing darts and pool over at Planet 9Ball last night.  It was nice, but my point is that I can play pool any other night. 

Sink or swim nights, on the other hand, are irreplaceable.

By the way, if you know of any Tuesday night hot spots, let me know about them by posting a comment below.

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