http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 7 Jun 2006 11:04:55 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/07/110455.php Mr. Real Estate Luxist reports that a recent CNN/Money survey shows what luxury buyers desire in a luxury home. ...designer kitchens, entertainment rooms, and wet bars. More than 30% have wine cellars and 24% have theater seating. Outdoors, almost 40% of the homes have in-ground pools. Security systems were in place in 87% of homes and 67% had landscapers come in to care for the grounds.Heated floors, tennis courts and backyard putting greens were among some buyers' preferences, but were typically found more often among those who only owned one luxury home. Second home buyers did not seek these options as often as single luxury home buyers.For most locations, buyers expected to spend $1 million or more, and most selected Nordstrom as the top place to buy home furnishings, while others selected Neiman Marcus, Saks, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Talbot and Pottery Barn. Culture48910@blogcritics.org Wed, 7 Jun 2006 11:04:55 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/06/031124.php Mr. Real EstateLuxist reports that Martha Stewart has placed Turkey Hill Farm, her Westport, CT, estate home, on the market. Stewart is asking $8,995,000 for the 3,100 sq. ft. home, which sits on nearly four acres of lushly landscaped grounds. The home, which has three bedrooms and two baths, was originally built in 1805. Restored by Stewart herself, the home is near vintage. There's more. According to the New York Times:There are two greenhouses, a carriage house for guests, a "party barn" with a sleeping loft and a Japanese soaking tub, and a heated outdoor swimming pool. Ms. Stewart's gardens, with many varieties of fruit trees, rose-covered arches and "glorious peonies" are also included, said Susan Warburg, the listing broker. Ms. Stewart's home decorations are also part of the package, including the parlor floor with a dark green pattern that Ms. Stewart stenciled herself, Ms. Warburg said.If you're a fan of Stewart's work, the home is certainly a treasure that you will love.For more dirt on real estate, visit Property Maven. Culture48833@blogcritics.org Tue, 6 Jun 2006 03:11:24 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/06/04/221430.php Mr. Real EstateMillions of Internet searchers have seen Jenna Jameson on top, or at least had the opportunity to do so. But a recent poll shows more Google searchers have searched for Jameson than they have Britney Spears, Jeanette Walls over at MSNBC reports a recent poll showed. Spears has been the top Google search star for the last three straight years. What trend has lead to Spears falling to her knees in the world of Internet search?Some believe her foray into motherhood may have reduced her popularity, and therefore search numbers, while others speculate that Jameson's ability to combine popular elements with publicity have kept her on top. One example includes Jameson's upcoming co-host for Erotica LA, an annual adult film festival, is Dave Navarro of Red Hot Chilli Peppers-Jane's Addiction fame. Need another? Jameson also recently headlined a concert for rocker Kid Rock.The ironic twist about Jameson dominating Spears into Google search submission is that the two are actually friends, according to the South Africa Sunday Times.Jameson was given a special backstage pass to see Spears in concert in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 12. Two weeks later, she appeared at the opening of Spears's posh New York restaurant, Nyla.Apparently, Spears has had a thing for porn for quite sometime, say sources."Britney is a real fan and loves watching Jenna's videos. Jenna was really flattered, and she and Britney have become great pals."Perhaps Jenna Jameson is on top because that's how Britney Spears likes it. Jameson's husband said there's a "definite" attraction between Jameson and Spears. Has Britney been searching for tawdry footage of Jenna online a little too much, lately?Neither camp was available for comment at press time.There are rewards for being Internet's No. 1 searched for star. Forbes reports that Jameson's holding company, ClubJenna, earned nearly $30 million in 2005, alone. Sci/Tech48762@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 Jun 2006 22:14:30 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/26/120707.php Mr. Real EstateThe Florida Association of Realtors reported in a press release yesterday that statewide, Florida home sales decreased by 31 percent in comparison to homes sold in 2005, the year of the hottest real estate market on record. Florida home prices, however, increased, even with sales lower. The average was $249,700 last month, up from $221,100 at this time last year. Nationally, home sale prices were up 7.8 percent to a median price of $217,500.This comes at the same time the Federal Reserve is reporting that a key inflation gauge has posted the largest inflation increase during the last 13 months. AP reports:...core inflation, excluding energy and food, was up 2.1 percent in April compared to the same month a year ago. This was the fastest increase in this inflation gauge since a similar 2.1 percent increase for the 12 months ending in March 2005 and was above the Fed's comfort zone for inflation.While inflation and higher incomes are both believed to be driving prices higher, Realtors say the housing market is becoming more balanced, as buyers and sellers are more equally in number, unlike 2005, which was an overheated seller's market due to low housing inventories and a flood of buyers in the market due to low interest rates."The single-family existing-home market has eased its pace, but the market is returning to a more normal balance after a long run of record sales and low inventory," Beverly Pindling, president of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association and broker-partner of Orlando Real Estate Professionals, said. "With economists predicting the national housing market to be the third-best ever (below 2005 and 2004), by comparison this confirms...a very strong local market. Our condo market offers many homeownership opportunities priced under $200,000, which helps to meet the challenge of getting more people into their first home."The Tampa-Clearwater-St. Petersburg MSA reported that while sales numbers declined by nearly two-thousand in comparison to this time last year, the median home price increased from $183,000 to $225,500.Many buyers are being priced out of the housing market due to inflation, which is responsible for higher interest rates, averaging around 6.51 percent, up from 5.86 percent last year, and ever-increasing housing prices.Rising energy costs, a factor the Federal Reserve has no control over, are primarily to blame for the high inflation rate. Many experts believe that rising interest rates are more likely to plunge the economy into recession than they are to slow inflation, especially with Bernanke, known for creating inflation, as Fed chairman. Some say higher interest rates will increase the cost of goods even more, adding another burden to business costs, and inflationary pressures. Culture48350@blogcritics.org Fri, 26 May 2006 12:07:07 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/24/013112.php Mr. Real EstateTechnorati and AP finalized a deal this morning that will give bloggers direct access to more than 440 AP newspapers located around the country. Peter Hirshberg reports via the official Technorati blog:Several months ago we and The Associated Press began to talk about how citizen-generated media could enhance the AP in their mission to be "the essential global news network." Increasingly, what the blogosphere says about a news story becomes part of a more complete story, lending diverse perspectives and often expert commentary. The AP believed it was increasingly important to deliver the living blogosphere as a compliment to their core professional news product.Hirshberg says that the new "product" created by this joint venture between AP and Technorati will provide bloggers a voice from trusted newspapers across the nation. He also said it would provide many newspaper readers with their first experience with the blogosphere.Readers who visit an AP member website using AP Hosted Custom News will also see the "Five Most Blogged About" AP articles next to the article's text, provided by Technorati. When readers read the article, they will be able to see who is blogging about that article as a result of Technorati's blog search being integrated into the AP article.Currently, bloggers who share commentary about an AP article can get mentioned in the module by linking to the AP story's URL. Newsweek and the Washington Post, among other news publications also offer this feature. Technorati's new AP partnership takes that a step further."We're delighted to be working with the AP and thrilled that blogger voices will now be heard in several hundred local on-line news organizations across the USA," Hirshberg said.What will be the social outcome of this new business partnership? Hirshberg's response was not one uncommon for a blogger."I believe that this is a deep validation of the power of citizen media and how each person is gaining more power - power to have their opinions and thoughts heard, in a truly democratic process." Sci/Tech48200@blogcritics.org Wed, 24 May 2006 01:31:12 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/23/235616.php Mr. Real EstateBuilder Jerry Glaser got an extra special thank you after completing a unique mansion located just off of Keystone Rd. in Tarpon Springs, Fla. The St. Petersburg Times reports: Glaser's wealthy clients so admired his work on their $15.6-million, 26,000-square-foot estate near Tarpon Springs they bought a full-page color ad in Sunday's St. Petersburg Times.The super-sized Hallmark card cost the equivalent of a decent Winnebago: $49,452."Thank you Jerry Glaser of Glaser Custom Homes for all the hard work that you have put in our project for the last three years,'' the ad read. "Because of you, our dream home has become a reality. Thank you, The Baumgarts." The mansion, located in the highly-secluded millionaire enclave developed by former NBA basketball star Matt Geiger, is not quite as custom or as pricey as the mansion Donald Trump has on the market for $125 million in Palm Beach, but it does provide its current owners with similar amenities and was a fraction of the price. What did Glaser include in this highly-customized estate home? Inside a wing of the eight-bedroom, 14-bathroom house, Glaser built a cobblestone "piazza" fronted by shops that include a working ice cream parlor and 1930s-style movie house gleaming with 4 pounds of gold leaf trim.The 30-foot ceiling over the piazza is illuminated by dimmer lights that simulate the passing of the day. The Baumgarts' swimming pool is a facsimile of the lazy river ride at a theme park in Orlando. The 5,000-square-foot guest house surpasses in size most people's full-time pads.Glaser was so thorough in the building of this elaborate estate home that he even hired one of the contractors who helped build Oprah Winfrey's home to build the movie theater. I give this home an E, for Exquisite, and seven stars on a five-star scale.Jerry Glaser thought of everything and more when he built this home, and he fully deserved the extra-special thank you note that he received for building it. Although it's possible that he might have enjoyed a Winnebago more. Culture48166@blogcritics.org Tue, 23 May 2006 23:56:16 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/17/163109.php Mr. Real EstateInman News reports that a devalued dollar has provided a number of buyers with more buying power in the Sunshine State, and that foreign buyers are particularly drawn to Florida luxury homes, considering that Florida gives foreign buyers more for their money than their native lands do.The National Association of Realtors estimated in a report last year that perhaps 15 percent of all homes sold in Florida from May 2004 to May 2005 were purchased by foreign buyers - and real estate professionals say this influx of international buyers continues to leave its mark on the luxury market.The median sales price of homes purchased by foreign buyers in Florida was $299,000, which was 52.4 percent higher than the state's overall single-family median sales price of $196,200 during the survey period for the Realtor group's Profile of International Home Buyers in Florida report.And about 22 percent of foreign buyers are purchasing homes priced at over $500,000. The report is based on a survey of 986 respondents who closed 1,844 home sales transactions to non-U.S. residents from May 2004 to May 2005.The U.S. dollar has lost significant worth against the euro, British pound and Canadian dollar in the past five years. One U.S. dollar could buy about $1.60 in Canadian dollars in January 2002, for example, compared to a current value of about $1 U.S. dollar for every $1.11 in Canadian currency.One U.S. dollar bought almost 1.2 euros in 2002 and is now worth a fraction of the euro. The British pound is worth nearly twice as much as the U.S. dollar, and has hovered around this level for the past couple of years.The exchange rates have not been as favorable for Latin American buyers, though other factors such as political or financial instability in their home countries have played a role for those buyers.The devalued dollar has also caused solid items, such as gold and real estate, to become more solid investments over the years.Foreign buyers have favored South Florida locations previously, such as Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and Naples, but higher prices in those locations have caused many foreign buyers to buy elsewhere, such as in the Orlando and Tampa areas.Baby boomers are the largest population segment making up foreign buyers buying in Florida, and foreign buyers make up a large segment of the second home market. Most foreign buyers find homes and condos using the Internet, according to the report. Developers and brokers who understand the mindset of foreign buyers are likely to find a new segment to market their projects and properties to.Information from Inman News was used for this report. Inman News requires a subscription for some content to be viewed. Culture47870@blogcritics.org Wed, 17 May 2006 16:31:09 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/12/045350.php Mr. Real EstateYahoo and Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. announced a new program designed to attract more home-buyers and sellers today. AP reported that the program, Online Seller Advantage, will allow a code to be placed on "For Sale" signs that will be linked to details about the property on the Yahoo website. But that's not all, according to AP: Prudential agents can send daily e-mail alerts to home sellers with real-time updates on the number of people who have viewed their property online and the latest selling prices for nearby homes. The idea is to help sellers price their homes more competitively. As part of the program, a Yahoo sign can be attached to "For Sale" lawn signs in front of homes being sold by Prudential. The unique ID number on it will help prospective buyers learn more without having to search through pages of listings.This gives Prudential an online advantage, at least initially, until Yahoo allows the program to become available to other real estate brokerage firms, as well as Realtor website service companies that already have partnerships with Yahoo. Nearly 80 percent of home buyers look for homes online before getting out to view them, so this program may not be much different than the MLS-IDX solution currently offered by the National Association of Realtors on that stand-point. However, it will certainly move listing follow-up from actual phone calls to automatic e-mails, making it easier for agents to follow up with prospective buyers online and in a more automated form.The program will initially be available in 47 states and Washington, D.C. The program will eventually become available in Arkansas, South Dakota and West Virginia.Online real estate services continue to grow, as public demand increases and more Americans and citizens from around the world continue to buy homes and condos to live in, or as vacation homes or investments. Google, Yahoo!'s chief rival in search, has not yet announced any similar partnerships or programs, but Google Real Estate is currently available in beta form. Sci/Tech47627@blogcritics.org Fri, 12 May 2006 04:53:50 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/08/103138.php Mr. Real EstateDonald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and Apprentice winner, Bill Rancic, will be in Tampa this week to "reveal the secrets to becoming super-rich," according to the St. Petersburg Times. There's more.Among the tips to be shared at this "once-in-a-lifetime'' financial conference: how to buy real estate "for 31 percent to 57 percent below value"; how to retire in two to five years with an additional "$9,100 per month''; and the "21 moneymaking secrets millionaires are using.''The event is being billed as a Celebrity Conference, but the headliners are the actual celebrities at the event. Other speakers, most of who are unknown among celebrities, include James Smith, Wayne Gray, and Robert Bluhm.Cost of entry is $149 unless you register prior to the event. It is free for those who pre-register, but where to pre-register for the event isn't mentioned. Free copies of Rancic's book, You're Hired -- How to Succeed in Business and Life, will be distributed to those attending the event.Some have speculated that being born to wealthy parents and marrying rich are ways to attain wealth, but speculators didn't note that these methods will be discussed at the conference as they are not the methods commonly used by the wealthy, or others who reach millionaire status. Culture47434@blogcritics.org Mon, 8 May 2006 10:31:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/03/110242.php Mr. Real EstateIrreverent and cute, it's hard to resist getting sucked in by The Bastards of the Blogs, and it's tempting to collect all seven Bastards, or however many Bastards the Bastards select as blogging bastards. The question remains, though, out of the current seven Bastards, which Bastard is the biggest Bastard of them all?Just days ago the Bastards introduced their seventh Bastard. Is she a liberal or a conservative? Neither! She's a Bastard, you bastards! While Arianna Huffington is surely an attractive addition to the blogging Bastards, she is certainly not the biggest Bastard of them all. Stay tuned; they're releasing the back of her card today sometime. Adam Curry, famous for big hair and his MTV VJ days and known to some as The Podfather, is certainly a fitting addition to the Bastards, but he is not the biggest Bastard of them all, unless you're giving him additional points for his big hair.Microsoft geek-blogger Robert Scoble's Bastard card says, "It's all about RSS, and tablet PCs, and Microsoft, and great software, unless I don't agree with you..."Scoble's blog is so widely read that being geek has become more pimp than the latest Snoop album. Definitely too cool to be the biggest Bastard of them all. Besides, would the biggest Bastard ever surf on a rainbow-colored shell? I think not.Kos, of The Daily Kos, is definitely a Bastard. The quote on his card says it all. "We're in it for the money, er, because we want to change how politics works for the liberal fringe elements..."What a Bastard! While I am truly a conservative, I do have some liberal friends, and no liberal I know, who is a true liberal, of course, does anything for the money. Only a liberal Bastard would blog for the money! Kos could easily be the biggest Bastard of them all, if not, at least, in the top three biggest Bastards of them all.Wil Wheaton is also a Bastard, although we're still not sure why. Michelle Malkin, whose card reads, "Facts, facts, facts -- I don't need no stinkin' facts! The talkin' points come down and I get to bloggin'...Karl Rove's my daddy!" shows that she is certainly one of the biggest Bastards of them all, but with President George W. Bush's approval rating still at an all-time low for a second-term president, she may want to start writing some better talking points.Dave Winer is likely the biggest Bastard so far, not because he certainly qualifies as one of blogging's inventors, but because he keeps reminding us of it.Stay tuned. There will likely be more Bastards to come. We here at Blogcritics are Bastards in our own right. Sci/Tech47106@blogcritics.org Wed, 3 May 2006 11:02:42 EDT