Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

Who didn't see this coming?

Apple, AT&T sued over iPhone's visual voice mail

I smell a settlement.

The Vivendi-Activision merger is great news for gamers. Unfortunately the fallout is that, now, huge conglomerates NOT involved in the gaming industry are going to start buying up smaller gaming companies. The end result of those types of mergers could be bad for the games being produced, but surely not profits for the conglomerates. Gamers can only hope that other large media companies that have a video games division (like Vivendi) will get on the wagon before other conglomerates do.

3 good things to come out of the Merger:

#1 - The profits from Vivendi's "World of Warcraft" will equal better games for the consoles. It's an odd twist in that consoles drove PC games sales for much of the last 20 years.

#2 - EA Games now has a true rival in Activision Blizzard, and that can only be good for the industry. Let's be honest, EA has gotten very complacent with it's cash cows of yearly updated games, mostly in the sports arena.

#3 - What's not being talked about but what might be of most interest to this board, Guitar Hero now has unfettered access to the entire Universal Music catalog.

Rock on.

The Twins and Angels continue to talk about a Johan Santana trade. Many of the same players mentioned in the Miguel Cabrera sweepstakes – Howie Kendrick, Brandan Wood, Nick Adenhart, and possibly Jeff Mathis or Reggie Willits – would be included in a package for Santana.

It is believed that the Angels haven't talked with the Marlins since last night, and Miguel Cabrera is off their radar screen – at least for now.

Boston increased it's offer to include Jacoby Ellsbury (hmm, after Jacoby signed with Boras, they decide to deal him?) and the Yankees and Twins haven't talked at all so far Tuesday about Johan Santana.

How about a Santana for Torii Hunter trade?

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
How about a Santana for Torii Hunter trade?

A little more to your liking:

The Jays are kicking the tires on Erik Bedard, and they could include A.J. Burnett in a package for the Orioles' ace. Bedard is Canadian, and Burnett, who could opt out of his contract next winter, has family ties to the Baltimore area – something that is important to O's owner Peter Angelos.

The Orioles and Dodgers may be close on a deal that will send left-hander Erik Bedard to Los Angeles, a baseball source said. The O's are in need of a center fielder and a closer who can play at the major league level, and the Dodgers seem willing to part with outfielder Matt Kemp and reliever Jonathan Broxton, who could come in a close in lieu of Chris Ray, out for the year after Tommy John surgery. "They want Bedard bad," said the source.

From the Boston Globe; believe what you will…

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/thebuzz/

From the Globe's Gordon Edes(6:08 p.m.): "Angels GM Tony Reagins just told reporters that there was no truth to Angels being involved in Johan Santana negotiations. Said he never talked to Twins"


From ESPN's Jayson Stark (4:49 p.m.): "The Twins and Angels continue to talk about a Johan Santana trade. Many of the same players mentioned in the Miguel Cabrera sweepstakes – Howie Kendrick, Brandan Wood, Nick Adenhart, and possibly Jeff Mathis or Reggie Willits – would be included in a package for Santana."


From the Globe's Gordon Edes (4:39 p.m.): "The Newark Star Ledger just reported that the Yankees are out of the running for Johan Santana. One Sox source said he was skeptical that was the case. The Twins, meanwhile, have outrighted a player off their 40-man roster, the kind of move that often takes place before a trade, as they try to create roster space. The Commissioner, Peter Gammons, says a fifth player may be in the package that the Sox would give the Twins for Santana, minor league outfielder Ryan Kalish, but my Sox sources could not confirm that. The Sox people I'm talking to say they're still waiting."


From the Herald's Rob Bradford (4:01 p.m.): "According to a source familiar with the negotiations the Twins have told the Red Sox they want to complete the Johan Santana deal by the end of today."

Originally posted by saco:
"Angels GM Tony Reagins just told reporters that there was no truth to Angels being involved in Johan Santana negotiations. Said he never talked to Twins"

I love hearing that. That confirms they're talking (as opposed to "no comment" when you aren't talking but want someone to think you are). All that notwithstanding, I believe the Sox are in the best position to land him, I just hope it costs them a fortune.

Gammons just reported on ESPN radio that Detroit moved in and made a deal for Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis - 6 players (Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, catcher Mike Rabelo and three minor league prospects).

Miranda Kerr.

Which leader of a nation is this quip talking about?

And while liberals chafe at growing restrictions on individual freedoms, even religious conservatives protest that [the leader] has diverted resources to wasteful projects and replaced competent administrators with ideologues.

[This Leader's] tireless speechmaking, religious fervour and nationalism still inspire many poor [Countrymen]. But within the establishment, which is to say among the educated class elevated politically by [a war], doubts have spread as to whether the president's hardline populism could lead to a dangerous polarisation. With a combination of business interests and some senior conservatives increasingly ranged against him, the president may feel forced to rely on more repressive tactics.

Originally posted by vansmack:
Which leader of a nation is this quip talking about?

If you said Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, give yourself a gold star.

If it sounded to you like it could have been George W. Bush, don't fret - it very well could have been.

any guess as to what the "big announcement" after the Hills finale is?

Originally posted by tigers scare me:
any guess as to what the "big announcement" after the Hills finale is?

Thank you for reminding me - don't forget to Tivo the Two Hour Hills special this Sunday: LC Looks Back.

Anyhow, as for the announcement, I bet it's that Speidi's future will be decided next season - the cliffhanger approach. But I secretly hope it's that "Britney - Canada Whore" becomes a full time player next season as Brody's girlfriend.

i'm going to be out and about on sunday so i'm hedging my bets that mtv will rerun the holy hell out of an LC movie…but i'm also dubious of my attention span of that whole scene.
i love the hills (in that perverse, 'i know i shouldn't' way) but i never saw laguna or whatever preceeded the hills.

my prediction for the anouncement is spence/heidi split. i think they've already acknowledged that there'll be another season because they're refering to the finale as season not series. but maybe i'm being too literal.

Originally posted by tigers scare me:
i'm going to be out and about on sunday so i'm hedging my bets that mtv will rerun the holy hell out of an LC movie…

It's on like 5 times on Sunday alone. I'm not about to miss the NFL for it, but I'm definitely going to see it. I'm also going to watch it on the Tivo so I can FF the boring parts - that's how much faith I have in it. that being said, I am looking forward to the scenes of STEE-PHEN and the early Jason stuff. Incredible theater there. But really, you never saw Laguna Beach? Maybe I have a soft spot for it because I grew up in it, but that some incredible TV.

You're probably correct on your guess as to the big announcement. Lets just hope it's in HD next season!

The most agonizing baseball moment since Bill Buckner's gaffe was Francisco Cabrera's series-winning single for Atlanta that killed Pittsburgh in the 1992 playoffs. Not only did the Pirates blow a ninth-inning lead, not only did Cabrera, a no-name, deliver the final blow, not only did comically slow Sid Bream somehow beat a Barry Bonds throw home, not only was it the Pirates' third straight October defeat … but Bonds signed with the Giants a couple of months later, banishing the Pirates to small-market hell. They haven't been heard from since. The franchise was effectively murdered by one play.

I still have the vision of my childhood hero, Andy Van Slyke, sitting in center field with his hat pulled down over his eyes, burned into my brain. He couldn't believe it - I couldn't believe it. It was the only night I ever paddled out in the dark to be left alone with the ocean (which is never a good idea). The sad part is, even Anaheim's 2002 World Series video builds up to the climactic moment by showing Barry Bonds tenure in Pittsburgh, ending with that scene. I have exorcised the demons with Anaheim, poor Andy came close as a coach with Detroit, but the fine fans in Pittsburgh are still haunted.

Originally posted by vansmack:

The most agonizing baseball moment since Bill Buckner's gaffe was Francisco Cabrera's series-winning single for Atlanta that killed Pittsburgh in the 1992 playoffs. Not only did the Pirates blow a ninth-inning lead, not only did Cabrera, a no-name, deliver the final blow, not only did comically slow Sid Bream somehow beat a Barry Bonds throw home, not only was it the Pirates' third straight October defeat … but Bonds signed with the Giants a couple of months later, banishing the Pirates to small-market hell. They haven't been heard from since. The franchise was effectively murdered by one play.

I still have the vision of my childhood hero, Andy Van Slyke, sitting in center field with his hat pulled down over his eyes, burned into my brain. He couldn't believe it - I couldn't believe it. It was the only night I ever paddled out in the dark to be left alone with the ocean (which is never a good idea). The sad part is, even Anaheim's 2002 World Series video builds up to the climactic moment by showing Barry Bonds tenure in Pittsburgh, ending with that scene. I have exorcised the demons with Anaheim, poor Andy came close as a coach with Detroit, but the fine fans in Pittsburgh are still haunted.

1. SID FUCKING BREAM WAS OUT BY A FUCKING MILE. OUTOUTOUT. i call this play 'when barry bonds threw sid bream out at the plate and the stupid ass ump called him safe'

2. stan belinda's walk of damon fucking barryhill is what really sunk everything here. belinda was great that year, and barryhill was comically bad, like .098 or something bad

3. andy van slyke was my baseball hero as a kid as well

4. the next day one of my friends knocked some kid out for wearing a braves hat. at least we had something to talk about for the next 3 years

oh and i actually blame the strike for sinking the pirates

i'll be driving back from NYC on sunday and then at the rock and shop on sunday night with my little monster dolls.

i'm going to be one tired pup.