Category: Defies a category!

Viewers Could Pay for Skipping Ads
Television viewers could face paying for channels they now receive free if digital video recorders kill commercials, said Jamie Kellner, chairman of Turner Broadcasting System.
The wider use of systems like TiVo and ReplayTV, which allow viewers to easily skip through ads, would force a change in how broadcast and basic cable TV is supported, Kellner said Friday.
“Don’t think for a moment there’s a free lunch involved in this,” Kellner told the Television Critics Association. Viewers could end up paying about $250 a year above any cable or satellite fees, he said, based on his own rough calculation.
Kellner had been asked to expand on remarks to CableWorld magazine in which he said viewers who skip commercials are “stealing” programming.
His comment was misinterpreted and not serious, Kellner said. But he said he was concerned about the impact new technology could have on TV, just as the music industry has been affected by Napster and other inventions.
A recent survey showed that about 70 percent of DVR users skip past commercials, Kellner said. Although only about 1 percent of TV homes have the devices, their use could proliferate if they are routinely included in set-top cable boxes and satellite systems.

No Stone Required
Here’s a bird story.

I Have No Explanation For This
Legodeath: A Museum Of Horrors.

“The Doors” Reunite For First Concert In 30 Years
The surviving members of The DOORS have announced plans for their first concert since disbandeding in 1973, September 6th, at the CALIFORNIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY.
Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and health willing, John Densmore, will be joined by The CULT’s Ian Astbury on vocals, as well as other guest vocalists and musicians yet to be announced.
With the exception of the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1972, and last year’s VH1 STORYTELLERS special, this show is nearly 30 years to the day of The DOOR’s last concert, on September 2nd, 1972.
The bandmates plan to tour the U.S. and Europe in spring 2003, before entering a studio to record an album of new material.

Do you want some of Matt Damon’s sperm? Apparently you’re not the only one.
Some American women are so crazy about Hollywood hunk Matt Damon, they are demanding look-alike sperm donors to father their children.
The Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting star – who has a hit in his new movie The Bourne Identity – has become a favorite of hopeful single mothers at a Boston sperm bank (coupled moms usually request a donor who looks like the daddy-to-be).
John Rizza, director of New England Cryogenics, the region’s only photo-matching sperm bank, tells the Boston Herald, “[Matt’s] at the top of the list. I think it’s a combination of things. What I hear most often is that he has charisma, he’s gorgeous, they like the sound of his voice. He has that boyish charm.” Rizza says most of his donors are Boston college students; he’s still waiting for the actor’s contribution.

I’ve Always Wanted To Know That
Have you ever wondered how your remote control works?

I Only Watch Them For The Music
Don’t be scared by “Porn Music Radio.” It’s really just a superb collection of soul-soothing funk tunes.

How well do you know Swedish furniture?
The IKEA Game tests your knowledge of the store’s strangely-named products.

Pets.com Sock Puppet Lands New Gig
It wasn’t his first job choice, but at least the Pets.com sock puppet hasn’t joined the high-tech unemployment line.
One of the most recognizable icons of the dot-com era has a new agent and has inked a new deal for a California financing company.
The puppet is now represented by Hakan & Associates, Inc., the same company orchestrating the comeback of Taco Bell mascot Gidgey the Famous Chihuahua. It’s just signed on as the mascot for 1-800-Bar None, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based company that provides car financing for people with bad credit.
The sock puppet has been out of work since online pet store Pets.com was forced to shut down for lack of funds in November 2000. Hakan Enterprises, Inc. bought the rights to the icon in 2001 for $125,000 during the Pets.com liquidation.
“It is not often that a company will adopt the mascot of a defunct company,” said Christina Duffney of The Direct Marketing Association. “Such a company runs the risk of being associated with a business that wasn’t a success.”
Duffney said the sock puppet may be a different case since it generated a lot of attention on its own and many consumers did not associate it with Pets.com. That could work in 1-800-Bar None’s favor, she said.
“It will be interesting to see how the business uses the puppet and if they succeed in associating the puppet with the company,” she said.
The sock puppet will be featured in a series of television ads for 1-800-Bar None beginning in July.
Jim Crouse, chief executive of 1-800-Bar None, said he hopes the sock puppet will send the company’s message ó everyone deserves a second chance ó “cleverly and with a touch of humor.”

Funny Stuff!
Hey look, it’s pocket Arnold!