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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 22, 2013
April 22, 2013
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Computers, and other techno-geek-a-zoid crap:
If anyone in downtown Philadelphia Saturday night was wondering about that strangely familiar pattern of lights on the Cira Center, here's your answer: They were giant-sized versions of the classic Atari game Pong.
That's right, on the side of an office building.
The games played out via LED lights on the 83-thousand square-foot facade of the 437-foot-tall skyscraper, 29-story skyscraper, with players controlling the action from across the Schuylkill River. (pronounced "School-kill")
The stunt, to kick off the city's Tech Week, is the brainchild of Drexel game-design professor FRANK LEE. (Watch the game here.) Another set of games takes place Wednesday.
Editor's note: Wanna make it really impressive? Try this with Space Invaders. (Maiman)Grace notes from Vinny Marino:
NEIL DIAMOND gave Red Sox fans a big thrill on Saturday. He showed up at Fenway Park, on his own, to sing "Sweet Caroline," live. It's become a home game eighth-inning tradition since 2002, and having Neil there to sing in person was a real boost for the city of Boston after the bombings at the marathon. The make the day complete, the Red Sox beat the Royals, 4-to-3. (Marino)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
Whoops! Normally, you'd expect a network which let an F-bomb go by in the daytime house to be fined out the wazoo for the incident.
In a moment of passion before Saturday's Boston Red Sox game with the Kansas City Royals, Boston slugger DAVID ORTIZ --known to locals as "Big Papi"-- dropped the F-bomb during a passionate pre-game speech, saying "This is our bleeping city, and nobody's going to dictate our freedom!"
But none other than FCC chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI apparently decided to make an exception to the rule, and later Tweeted: "@FCC: David Ortiz spoke from the heart at today's Red Sox game. I stand with Big Papi and the people of Boston --Julius."
Case closed.Designer Update:
KE$HA is launching a new jewelry line. The Hollywood Reporter says she's teaming up with designer CHARLES ALBERT to create a collection that features the kind of thing you'd expect from Kesha: arrowheads, skulls, fossilized shark teeth and turquoise stones. Prices will range from $30 to $750. (Bartha)
Today in Earth Day Promotional Gimmicks...
The nature hair care brand Aveda is going to try to break a record today – for most money raised in charity haircuts. Styleite.com says Aveda's 24-hour "Global Cut-A-Thon" is going on today in cities all over the world, from Tokyo to London to Los Angeles to New York City. The goal: make the Guinness World Record bookby raising $5 million dollars for clean water. With hair cuts.
Editor's note: Don't think about it too hard. We're sure there's a connection somewhere. (Bartha)London tabloids:
Remember the leather-faced blonde known as "Tanning Mom?" Guess what: Her 15-minutes of fame aren't over!
Photographers for the UK's Daily Mail spotted the not-so-tan PATRICIA KRENTCIL going topless on the beaches of the New Jersey Shore and told reporters she's got big things coming down the pike. Apparently the media darling is making a movie about her rise to fame, working on a book and swears she's been offered lots of gigs to model in London, Paris and New York.
Meanwhile, TMZ got hold of an email sent to porn producer STEVE HIRSCH, who runs Vivid Entertainment, in which the overly-bronzed 45-year-old says, "I see you are trying to buy this sex tape from this Teen Mom. Well, if you REALLY want to make more MONIES, then I would agree to let you film me and all my hotness."
She goes on: "I am far MORE popular and WAY HOTTER than Farrah [Abraham]!" And there's more... "Men want a cougar and a real woman, not a teenybopper." (Lee /Maiman)
Editor's note: How about "NO"? -
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