Well, here it is folks, the day I planned for back in early 2005 … the fifth anniversary of my non-stop blogging plan.

I was inspired by Luis at BlogD back in late 2004 to make a go at five years of non-stop blogging.  He ended up going to just a bit over 2,000 days, but I stuck to the original plan of five years as my goal.  No clue why that number seemed so magical, but it just did.

Quite often I questioned my dedication to this site, but when I started doing professional blogging back in July 2007, it was helped me land my first jobs.  Despite my having been a magazine writer back in the mid-1990′s, some of the sites didn’t care and wanted to see that I could blog.  Though I had no professional examples, they were pleased to see I had been blogging for nearly two and a half years at that point, and they felt that showed my tenacity.  I re-pledged to see this through at that point.

Now, does this mean I plan to stop?  Nope.  I see no reason to stop now, especially since 2009 was my best year ever for traffic, and this year is currently up 54.15% over the same time period as last year.  The numbers aren’t the only reason I do this blog, nor even close to being the main reason, but it is nice to see some people at least read what I spend so much time putting together.

How long will I continue to do this?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I don’t think I’m going to set any more timed goals for myself, but I don’t see myself stopping any time soon either.  Between all the sites I work on, I currently produce in excess of 50 posts a week, so producing a minimum of seven a week for this site is no big deal.

What would I like to do with the site next?  Well, honestly, I think it took a heck of a long time to find my voice, and I’m till developing it.  I think I’m finding it more each day, but it still a bit scattered, just like the name of my podcast suggests.

So, if there was ever a time for all of my regular readers to stand up and give me some thoughts on this site, now is the time.  What types of posts have you been enjoying?  What would you like to see more of?  What would you like to see less of?

Beyond that, thank you for spending the past five years with me as some of you have, and here is to seeing how long I can keep this ball rolling!

Scattercast is 86 … and is annoyed as always.

- … I have another dog. More info on it later.

- The Oscars had some interesting things going on with the winners.

- Some thoughts on the Mississippi prom case. (updated thoughts since I recorded this)

Here’s

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for those who wish to download it, subscribe to Scattercast via iTunes.

You know what says “successful web app” like nothing else?  When said app announces that it will be limiting the access of attendees of conferences such as SXSW based on the IP address they are accessing the site from.  They are now saying this will be applying it to large corporations.

Are you kidding me?

We then talk about the recent fascination with location inside of applications and phones.  Is it really this important to share your location at all times?

Enjoy the show!

(Links by Steven for some of the stories we discuss in this episode)

Twitter to SXSW: You’re Using Our Product Too Much. – New Comm Biz
Revenge of the Cable Guys – BusinessWeek

Press the big green button to listen in!

A Mississippi high school won’t admit it’s the reason, but it appears that it canceled its senior prom set for April 2nd over the request of a lesbian wishing to attend.

Back in Feb., Itawamba Agricultural High School (site is down at the time of this writing) sent out a memo to students (PDF link) in regards to the impending prom to be held on April 2nd.  In the memo it stated that dates must be of the opposite sex, and that girls were to only wear dresses.

Enter Constance McMillen.

Ms. McMillen is an 18-year-old senior at the school who identifies as lesbian, and is currently dating a sophomore girl at the school.  She had petitioned the school to allow her to attend with her girlfriend and that she be allowed to wear a tuxedo.  According to an audio interview with KGO AM 810, she was informed that the policy was put in place because it was cheaper for best friends to buy tickets as a couple than as singles.  She told them that it discriminated against her and her girlfriend from attending, but the school informed her that they feared the couple would make other students feel uncomfortable if they were there.

At this point McMillen went up the chain-of-command through the vice-principal, principal and school board to get permission before she called the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU routinely handles cases of homosexual discrimination at proms, fielding as many as five to ten such cases each school year.  The ACLU contacted the school and told them they would be filing a lawsuit if the bans were not lifted as both were unconstitutional under freedom of speech.

The Itawamba School District decided the more prudent course of action was to cancel the prom all together.  In a statement released to the press (PDF link), the school district said, “Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School this year.”  Neither McMillen nor the ACLU are mentioned in the press release as reasons for the cancellation.  The statement went on to state, “It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors.  However, at this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students.”

As is to be expected, Ms. McMillen is now having problems at school with her fellow students.  Some people she used to be friendly with are now avoiding her, and according to the Associated Press, one girl went so far as to say to her, “Thanks for ruining my senior year.”

On the subject of the suggestion of a private prom, due to the private nature of the event no one will be able to force them to admit Ms. McMillen and her date.  While there has certainly been no comment that this may be a end run around the ACLU issue, many people are comment that is how it is coming across.

The ACLU has now filed a suit against the school district saying that the school has indeed violated Ms. McMillen’s freedom of expression, and it is also seeking an injunction that will force the school to host the prom as originally scheduled and allow Ms. McMillen to attend with her date and in the attire of her choice.

I have to ponder what is going on with our schools again.  As if the Lower Merion School District potentially violating the rights of its students with the webcam spying situation, no matter how you may feel about Ms. McMillen’s particular situation, a publicly funded school saying in an official memo that same-sex couples could not attend an official school function is beyond the pale in the United States.  At no time are publicly funded schools supposed to discriminate against its students in any form.  If they were truly trying to stop friends from getting a discounted rate, that is one thing, but the second Ms. McMillen stepped forward and asked about her situation, they should have said, “Oops, our bad, sorry” and repealed it, but to know of the situation and then ignore it?  Then, yes, you discriminated and did indeed violate the law.  Enjoy your lawsuit.

Conan O’Brien has finally announced his long-rumored stage tour to kick off on April 12th.

The rumors had been circulating for a while now that Conan O’Brien would go on a multi-city tour as he is legally prohibited from being on TV until Sept. 1st due to his deal with NBC to leave The Tonight Show.  Entitled “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour”, Mr. O’Brien described the tour on his Twitter account as:

Hey Internet: I’m headed to your town on a half-assed comedy & music tour. Go to http://TeamCoco.com for tix. I repeat: It’s half-assed.

The 30 city tour launches in Eugene, OR on April 12th, and wraps up in Atlanta, GA on June 14th.  Some cities, such as Boston, will get more than one night of performances.

As to what the content of the show will be, that is anyone’s guess.  There is also no mention if Andy Richter or Max Weinberg will be involved in the tour, or if this will just be O’Brien going it on his own.  The official site states it will be, “A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence”.

It’s a great way to keep his name out there as he is sure to be prepping a new talk show in the not too distant future.

As Mr. O’Brien said, you can head to TeamCoco.com for information on the tour dates and links to purchasing the tickets.

Since Conan O’Brien left the airwaves, no one involved with the show has given interviews. Now, Andy Richter, Conan’s longtime sidekick, has made an appearance, and it’s fascinating to listen to.

No one from the former The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien has made any sort of TV appearances since the show went off the air.  Mr. O’Brien is actually not allowed on television at the moment as part of his settlement with NBC, however, Andy Richter, Mr. O’Brien’s longtime sidekick and friend, does not have such an agreement.

The other morning, Mr. Richter filled in for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly, and Kelly Ripa did bring up the whole late night debacle.  Through out the eight-and-a-half minute segment at the beginning of the show, you get some clarifications from Richter about some of the rumors about what Mr. O’Brien has done to help his former employees who moved from New York City to Los Angeles to work with him, only to lose their jobs (Richter confirms Mr. O’Brien is indeed helping them with funds out of his own pocket), he explains how NBC essentially left them out to dry and he also touches on some obvious bitter feelings he has towards Jay Leno.

If you were the least bit interested in what happened with the whole O’Brien/Leno situation, this is the video clip we’ve pretty much been waiting to see.  (My apologies for it being out of sync, still very easy to listen to though, and it is barely out of sync)

Hey … want to literally work for pennies?  Well, now you can!  And it’s specifically for bloggers!  Oh, happy, happy days!  (really hope you get sarcasm …)

If you live alone, feel free to go get a 3D TV!  Oh, wait, you have a spouse and two kids?  Well, those “extra” pairs of glasses will cost you $150 a pop … enjoy!

Twitter launches a new service that will kill a third-party service probably … what do we keep saying about setting up a business like this?

Enjoy the show!

(Links by Steven for some of the stories we discuss in this episode)

Out: Blogging for dollars. In: Blogging for pennies – VentureBeat
Cost of glasses show just how ridiculous this idea of 3D TV is – The Inquisitr
Trust And Safety - Twitter Blog

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The first full trailer for Tron Legacy has hit and … things have changed in the digital world.

We’ve already had a teaser trailer that gave us a taste of what to expect from the second Tron film, but this one gives us a bit of insight into the actual plot this time around.  If you’ve been around the Web at all, you already knew the basics, but this footage confirms it.  We still have no idea why Flynn disappeared into the digital world, but I’m not sure any of us really care … just bring on the digital world!

The only thing that worries me?  White-haired guy with a cane?  I believe he is the “night club owner” we’ve heard rumblings about … a night club … in the computer world … why?  I mean, I know it’s supposed to be a world separate from ours, but alike in some ways, but do we really need a night club scene?

Oh well, here it is, enjoy folks.  (we have to wait until December?!?)

Welcome to the firs installment of Moronic Mondays!  As the tech world is usually pretty slow on Mondays, we decided we’d just cover a collection of stupid stories we run in to over the week.  Let me tell ya folks, there sure are a lot of stupid stories out there …

Enjoy the show!

(Links by Steven for some of the stories we discuss in this episode)

Top Microsoft Exec Suggests Internet Usage Tax, Money Would Fight Cyber Crime – The Inquisitr
Farmville Valued $1 Billion Higher than Twitter – SiliconANGLE
RIAA Claims Music Pirates Hurt Haiti Fund Raising – Torrent Freak
Amazon Reacts To Colorado Internet Sales Tax Measure By Firing Its Colorado Associates – HuffPo
iPhone Sausage Stylus comes to the US – SlipperyBrick
Why Ad Blocking is devastating to the sites you love – Ars Technica
Advertising is devastating to my well-being – Brian Carper
Rogue New Jersey ‘Doctor’ Putting His Caulk in Women’s Butts – Daily Intel
Canada drops plans for politically correct anthem – Reuters

Press the big green button to listen in!

The second Iron Man 2 trailer premiered tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and I have to say that with each additional frame of film from this movie, I’m getting more excited.

I really enjoyed the first film, and while I have had some concerns over the number of characters in this second outing, it appears that Jon Favreau, the director of both films, might just be able to make it work.  The film “looks” spectacular, and Robert Downey Jr. just looks like he has so much fun playing this role that it borders on being infectious.

Here’s hoping the usual comic book film jinx of the second film not working as well as the first doesn’t follow this franchise.  If it’s anywhere as good as the first, I’ll anxiously be awaiting the planned third film.

Oh, and the armor at the end?  GEEKGASM!  (I don’t want to spoil it, but it is right out of the comics)

You can see the first Iron Man trailer here.

The  82nd annual Academy Awards have been announced.

The awards aired this evening with hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

The tally for Oscars for each film:

• Avatar – 3
• The Blind Side – 1
• The Cove – 1
• Crazy Heart – 2
• El Secreto de Sus Ojos – 1
• The Hurt Locker – 6
• Inglourious Basterds – 1
• Logorama – 1
• Music by Prudence – 1
• The New Tenants – 1
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – 2
• Star Trek – 1
• Up – 2
• The Young Victoria – 1

Best Motion Picture of The Year

“The Hurt Locker” A Voltage Pictures Production (Summit Entertainment)

Achievement In Directing

Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)

Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best Animated Feature Film Of The Year

“Up” (Walt Disney) Pete Docter

Adapted Screenplay

Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Original Screenplay

Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Achievement In Cinematography

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Mauro Fiore

Achievement In Costume Design

“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Sandy Powell

Best Documentary Feature

“The Cove” An Oceanic Preservation Society Production
(Roadside Attractions)

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Music by Prudence” An iThemba Production
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

Achievement In Film Editing

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” A Haddock Films Production Argentina (Sony Pictures Classics)

Achievement In Makeup

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original score)

“Up” (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino

Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original song)

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)”
“Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Animated Short Film

“Logorama” An Autour de Minuit Production
Nicolas Schmerkin
(Autour de Minuit)

Best Live Action Short Film

“The New Tenants” A Park Pictures and M & M Production
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement In Sound Editing

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson

Achievement In Sound Mixing

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

Achievement In Visual Effects

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

Art Direction

“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

You can look back at all the Oscar Nominations 2010.

Down to 56 from last week’s record of 58.  Who knows what the next week holds, but seeing as I’m already writing them, so I’m sure it’ll be another whopper.

FunJug.com

• Presidential Reunion
• 50 Movie Spoilers of 2009!
• The Jersey Shore Presents: Inglourious Basterds – The Line Up
• Welcome To The Future | Epad | E4
• Tim Burton’s Secret Formula
• Jon Stewart Explains Chatroulette
• Stan Lee’s Oscar Campaign
• The Indecipherable Johnny Depp

Photo.BLORGE.com

• New photography news site Focal Point Daily launches

RememberingChristmas.com

• Bronner’s Year-Round Christmas Shopping

SeanPAune.com

• Ole Miss Students Threaten To Leave If Admiral Ackbar Becomes Mascot
• Detective Comics #27 Sells For Highest Price Ever
• The Braindead Techcast Ep. 15: Silly people suggesting Windows Phone 7 is another Vista – get a grip
• Dancing With The Stars 2010 Spring Cast
• The Braindead Techcast Ep. 16: The failure of ridiculous Social Media metrics
• Parents Group In The Lower Merion School District Oppose Webcam Spying Lawsuit
• The Braindead Techcast Ep. 17: From one end of stupid to the other end of stupid
• Smallville Renewed For A Tenth Season
• The Braindead Techcast Ep. 18: Following the Google move to create a 1Gbit network from the inside
• Scattercast Episode 85: Stand Up, Stand Up … Stand Up For Your Rights
• The Braindead Techcast Ep. 19: Where Techmeme Friday would be a lot better if there was real news
• Two IT Employees Suspended In Lower Merion School District Webcam Case

StarterTech.com

• UK Government Looking Into Closing Off Free & Open Wi-Fi
• Analyst Predicts iPad Shortages At Launch
• Colorado Calling For Internet Retailers To Inform Customers Of Taxes They Owe
• TiVo Adds Internet Content In The TiVo Premiere
• YouTube Adds Auto-Captions For All Videos
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Tech-Talch – Chatroulette
• Conan O’Brien Changes The Life Of Sarah Killen On Twitter

Tech.BLORGE.com

• Upgrading to Android 2.1 may not exactly be a painless experience
• Current WinMo users won’t be able to upgrade to Windows Phone 7 Series
• Google Chrome the only browser to show market growth in February
• Apple sues HTC for infringing iPhone patents
• U.S. Postal Service proposes cutting Saturday delivery over e-mail woes
• Chile Earthquake shifted the Earth off its axis
• Viacom pulling The Daily Show and The Colbert Report off of Hulu
• Wi-Fi detection apps removes from iPhone App Store
• Rumor: Microsoft’s Project Pink phones to arrive in April
• Apple announces launch window for the iPad in multiple countries
• New details and images emerge of the Microsoft Courier
• YouTube creates unintentional comedy with automated captions

TechnoBuffalo.com

• Pennsylvania School Uses Laptop Webcams To Spy On Students
• The UK Is Getting Just A Touch More Speedy
• What’s On Your Wishlist For The Next iPhone?
• Perhaps Palm Should Just Give Up The Ghost
• Vevo Is The Hulu of Music Videos
• Is Facebook The Next Google?
• Can 4G Save Sprint?
• Five Features The Next Kindle Must Have
• How Can Amazon Outsmart Apple In The eBook War?
• Google Buys Picnik, Leaving Many To Wonder About Its Future
• “Mark Z.” Calls Suze Orman For Advice On Buying Twitter
• A Look Back At The First Commercial For The iPhone
• Buzzkill: Even Google Can’t Reinvent Social Networking
• One Small Town’s Efforts To Win The Google Fiber Project
• Samsung Gets In On The Skype TV Love