The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple may be getting into the music video department fulltime, possibly releasing a video iPod later this year. Apple would probably price the music videos at around $1.99, perhaps giving a discount when the song is purchased too (my guess is that this discount will bring the combined price down to $1.98, the price they used before for a video/song combination). A video iPod is a great move on Apple's part. If Steve Jobs listens to me, he would also unveil a wireless Apple Store, where you can buy songs, games, and video for your Video iPod or iPod. In other Apple news, the company is still going ahead with the plan to switch over to Intel processors. Currently, developers have been able to boot both Windows and the Mac OS off of the same computer. Of course, you won't be able to run the Mac OS on a Windows Machine, but you will be able to run both on a Mac. If you've always wanted to buy a Mac and avoided doing it because you were afraid that one, small program would be incompatible, your time to buy a Mac is almost here. In my opinion, I can see people using Windows for the business side of programs, but using the Mac for anything creative. Of course, a time will come when everyone realizes that even the business side can be done more easily on Macs--and then "goodbye" to Windows. Or, probably not. Regardless, it will be very interesting to see how Apple handles the shift and whether or not Microsoft tries to stop Apple from running Windows on their machines.

I had a very busy weekend! On Saturday, I went to Griffith Park with my roommate so that we could see, up close, the Hollywood sign. After about a 10 mile hike, I headed off to the subway to get to Jon and Reyna's. After a delicious Spaghetti dinner, I went to bed early, possibly suffering from sunstroke after the afternoon hike. [cpg_album_rand:27,6] On Sunday, Aunt Marsha and Uncle Ron took me to the Orange County Fair, after debating whether it was wise if Jon, Marsha, and I redid their kitchen (we decided not to try to do it in one day). The Orange County Fair was really fun! I saw elephants, artwork, flowers, gifts galore, and had a lot of good food. We also saw the Peking Acrobats, which were simply amazing. That night, I got to see Dishwalla, Gin Blossoms, and Tears for Fears. If you know anything about me, you know that was a good concert for me. After the concert, we went for a quick Ferris Wheel ride before heading home. I've been so lucky to have family out here, thank you all! Now, off to bed so that I won't fall asleep while working for The Mouse tomorrow. [cpg_album_rand:28,6]

Once again, it's time for Music Fridays. This week's suggestions are Carbon Leaf (The Boxer), The Stereo (Rewind+Record Album), and Toby Lightman (Real Love). Again, I hope you enjoy these artists and songs as much as I do. I absolutely love "The Stereo," I think they're one of the best bands out there.

Every now and then, you come across something on the web that shows just how creative some people can be. Giant Steps is a fantastic example. It combines video and audio in a way that, I think, is almost as classical as the music itself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

It's almost that time of year when the best films get released. I'm looking forward to walking through the snow with Emily en route to the local theater, getting some Chinese food, and watching a film we're both excited about. I'm curious to know which films you are most excited about this winter season. Personally, I'm most excited about The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Rent, although I'm sure there are some films that I'm forgetting. Let me know what you think by posting a comment or participating in the poll to the right.

The new Harry Potter book is being released on July 16th. If you haven't at least read one Harry Potter book, something is wrong with you (or, you listened to the new Pope who thinks that Harry is bad for children). I hope that some of you will be waiting outside your local bookstore on the night of the 15th, waiting to get your hands on the most exciting novel of the year. I will be buying it this weekend as well. I'll let you know what I think of it as soon as I finish it (which will hopefully be a couple days).

It's a good time to be at ABC. "Desperate Housewives" received 15 nominations, while "Lost," the absolute best show on television other than "House," received 12. Hugh Laurie, star of "House," received a nomination for best actor. Over all, it was a good year for TV. My favorite shows received the nominations that they should have, for once. Good luck to the "Lost" cast and "House." If you're interested in watching either show, "House" is on FOX on Tuesdays at 9:00pm while "Lost" is on ABC on Wednesdays at 10:00pm. The "Lost" Season One DVD will be released September 6th, so keep an eye out for it.

The BBC is reporting that all 4 bombers were British-born and that all 4 are most likely now dead. It appears that they were suicide bombers and might have had help from someone that is experienced with bombs. I want to pose a question to everyone. As suicide bombers have increased over the last decade, the only solution thus far has been to tighten security. Britain, notorious for their police and security measures, missed all 4 bombers. No one is faulting their security because that wasn't the problem. The problem is that it is almost impossible to stop suicide bombers. Now for the question, how can we help the situation if they can't be stopped? Well, the answer, as I hope some of you thought, is quite simple. Instead of dealing with the problem head on, we have to first deal with its roots. The roots of this problem don't lie necessarily with Bush's government (although he doesn't help), but rather with people who are so easily manipulated into thinking that they have nothing better to live for. The solution, in my opinion, is to aid these countries and try to bring them out of the third world and into the first. That needs to start happening now. And it doesn't start with Iraqi Wars, but rather a collective effort by businesses, governments, and the people. We need to work together to fight poverty, violence, and the other sources of this type of culture. Of course, this comes from a person who lives in a country where handguns are legal. There's a real smart idea...now off of my soapbox.

While I do hate Bush, I sometimes fear that he might be better than those around him. On the one hand, you have the power and money hungry Dick Cheney. While a few steps away from death, Cheney's beliefs and ideas scare me profoundly. On the other hand, there's Karl Rove--a man who always seems to have some trick up his sleeve. Well, now it appears that Rove might have let one trick play out too far--he might be the man who leaked Valeria Plame's identity, putting her life in real danger. Bush said that he would immediately fire anyone that was involved in the leaking of this CIA agent's identity. There is no doubt that Rove was involved with the press. He might not have leaked her name specifically, but he was involved. Now, does that mean Bush will fire the man he says was the driving force behind his re-election? No, of course not. Afterall, your re-election is definitely worth a lot more than a woman's life, right Mr. President?

Sorry for the lack of podcasts lately, but I'ved decided to re-do things. I will now do one podcast per week, covering the most important topics. Try this week's by clicking on the link above. Please let me know if you want me to keep doing it this way. I hope you enjoy it better!