In anticipation of the upcoming release of Half-Life 2, Valve Software has made Half-Life (one of the finest games of all time) available for free, via their new Steam client, a “broadband delivery platform” for simply distributing games and their updates. Also included is Counter-Strike, the most popular multiplayer game online, and Opposing Force, the Half-Life expansion pack with an alternate but parallel storyline to Half-Life.

You can download the Steam client from their site, which will soon be distributing exclusive media and updates for Half-Life 2. (Did I mention that Half-Life 2 may very well revolutionize the videogame industry, and I’m nearly peeing my pants in anticipation?)

Inspired by the recent wave of Disney attractions adapted into full-length films, here’s an exclusive look at the next three movies in the series.

Someone should make a moblogging site where users can post celebrity sighting photos from their phone or PDA, along with a brief description of where they’re posting from.

The closest I could find was this NYC-specific SMS group, which seems to be focused on text messages instead of photoblogging.

July 9, 2003: Joe pointed me to TextAmerica, a site that allows anyone to create a mobile photoblog (“mophos” or “moblogs”), so I created a new one for Celeb Sightings. Anyone can post to it by e-mailing their photos to [email protected] from their mobile phone. Get to it, people!

August 12, 2003: Buzznet.com has a celebrity moblogging page that people are actively using. Lyle Lovett, Janet Jackson, Jay Leno, and Randy Newman are some of the current highlights.

From Alan Murray’s Capitol Reports column:

“The highlight of last night’s party was a spoof video by Rep. Mary Bono, wife of the late Sonny Bono, and Billy Tauzin, House Commerce Committee chairman, who said they were ‘auditioning’ for Hilary’s job. They sang an Eminem-style song called ‘Piracy, Bad.’ Tauzin said he liked to download Sonny and Cher songs; Bono said, ‘I like the royalties.'”

If anyone knows where to find a copy of this duet, please send it along. I have to hear it. I added the lyrics below.

July 30, 2003: The transcript of the entire video is online at the video production studio’s website.

Continue reading “Piracy, Bad” →

We left the hospital at 2am, and got the call at 6am. She’s gone, and I’m heartbroken.

She was born Evelyn, but everyone called her Peggy. I called her Grandma. (1924-2003.)

Update: This is the eulogy that I wrote for her funeral yesterday.

Continue reading “Grandma” →