Friday, November 20, 2009

Oprah Winfrey moves on: Will you watch her next act?


There were a lot of things that made me feel old this year—Say Anything’s 20th anniversary? Are you sure?—but nothing quite hits me like the news that Oprah Winfrey will be quitting her talk show on Sept. 9, 2011. A little maudlin? Yes, I admit. First, it’s not like she’s actually retiring: By all accounts, she’s making the move in order to devote time to her network OWN, which might mean more Oprah in the end, not less. And second, even though the date has been set, it’s still almost two years hence, which leaves plenty of time for commemorative episodes, extra-special interviews, celebrity drop-ins, and free goodies for screaming audience members. (Did we mention Oprah’s brilliant negotiating skills? Can we also point out the marketing genius of announcing your farewell 22 months before it actually happens?)

Still, as Oprah prepares to sign off on the nice, round number of her 25th season, you can’t help but note that an era is passing. She’s been hosting that show for a quarter of a century. For most of my life, I could count on the fact that at 4 p.m. here in New York and New Jersey, no matter what else was going on, you could sit down and watch something amazing, fascinating, silly, ridiculous or any combination thereof. Whether you agreed with her or not, she had people talking from the start. So I’ll leave you with this link to Paul Simon’s song “Ten Years,” the theme to Oprah’s 10th season, and three questions: How do you feel about The Oprah Winfrey Show bidding adieu? Will you follow her to OWN? And — for real now, since she might have the time — would you vote for her for president?

'Twilight' Content Leaves Scammers Thirsting for Your (Digital) Blood


As per usual, malware purveyors are hopping on the latest fad in order to lure unsuspecting Web surfers into their dens of digital evil. And what are the kids talking about right now? Well, 'Twilight,' of course.

With the new installment of the teen vampire saga set to hit theaters Friday, Web searches for interviews with cast members, for bootleg copies of the film, and for other content related to 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' have sky-rocketed. Using this buzz to their advantage, makers of viruses, trojans, and spyware are embedding malicious code in fake movie files and video streams, and posting the nefarious results.

Phrases such as "Watch New Moon Full Movie," "streamviewer," and "Stephenie Meyer at 365Multimedia.com" are quite often used as bait to lure users to these sites. There, scare tactics like pop-ups warning of virus infection will try to get you to click a link that installs phony anti-virus software. Links to content on 365Multimedia.com should immediately trigger alarms since, as Yahoo! points out, the site doesn't actually host interviews or media; it simply serves up screen savers and desktop backgrounds (though the malicious links don't actually head to 365Multimedia.com, anyway).

The best way to protect yourself from such scams is to only visit trusted sites. If you're looking for interviews and they're hosted by a site that's not familiar to you (e.g., not YouTube, or Hulu, or, hey, AOL), then don't follow the link. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Neon Elmhurst Hospital Sign Burns Out Appropriately


It was simply a case of the right bulbs going out at the wrong time. But passers-by couldn't be blamed for thinking a smirking prankster, or something much darker, was responsible when they looked up at the neon sign for Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, N.Y., which then displayed the ominous phrase "I'm hurt."

When The New York Times showed Elmhurst spokesman Dario Centorcelli a photo of what a missing E and S had wrought, he seemed surprised. "Oh, God, are we going to get this fixed?" he wondered.

We can only hope the hospital stays more on top of the situation when patients come in hurt and in need of fixing.

Former teen idol Kirk Cameron is on a crusade to debunk evolution.

Top Ten Characteristics of Successful People

Typically, the final judgment of a person's successfulness in life rests in the hands of others.
While every person may see things differently, there are ten fundamental elements that
remain constant regardless of the goal in question, or its cultural context. Regardless of
whether you want a promotion, or need to boost business productivity, the expression of these
elements must be clear and direct.

1. Have a Sense of Obligation and Commitment to Others. When a promise is made, it is
absolutely vital to do everything possible to keep it. Individuals that maintain a high level of
truthfulness and honor their commitments are able to motivate others, as well as ensure that
their own work is done with a high level of quality.

2. A Will to Take the Initiative. When a successful person sees a task that needs to be done,
or a problem that needs to be solved, he/she does not hesitate to take useful action. That said,
in a group or team setting, a successful person also makes sure that planned actions will be
aligned with the highest good of the community or business.

3. Don't Be Afraid to Think of Unconventional Answers. When problems come up,
obvious answers may not work. It always helps to try to find ideas or concepts that are
original and creative. Typically, these ideas will solve the problem at hand, as well as enable
a higher level of functioning for everyone concerned.

4. Be Able to Logically Assess Creative Thoughts. Not every creative idea is an ideal tool
for solving a given problem. Therefore, it is very important to be able to assess the idea for
fitness prior to committing time, labor, and money into developing it.

5. Have, or Develop the Skills Required to Bring Creative Ideas to Their Fullest
Potential
. Education and experience are vital when it comes to ensuring that a creative idea
manifests into something that will advance your goals, as well as those of society. This is
one of the main reasons why college graduates have a higher rate of success than high school
dropouts. When natural abilities are honed with a solid education, there is no limit to what
can be achieved.

6. Organize Activities and Tools in Order to Prevent Obstacles to Success. Once you
commit to a project or task, it is necessary to create a plan for achieving your objective. This
includes making sure that you have all of the tools and materials on hand. Regardless of
whether you need to rearrange your desk, or create a filing system, it should be done before
you start working toward the actual goal.

7. Develop and Maintain Priorities That Bring the Most Benefit to All. Through history,
leaders and individuals are judged by whether or not they have created a beneficial effect.
Unfortunately, this cannot always be known until action is taken, and the effects weighed by
society. For example, when we look back on the lifetime of individuals like Gandhi or Harriet
Tubman, we see individuals that were able to achieve their goals. Since these goals are
considered valuable to society, these Individuals are considered highly successful. On the
other hand, individuals like Hitler were just as capable of achieving goals. Nevertheless, the
negative impact on society makes Hitler a failure.

8. Build and Maintain Good Relationships With Individuals of Diverse Personality
Types.
When you are able to work with others despite personal differences, everyone will
have a better chance of working for the highest good. Today, the most successful people in
the world are able to network with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds in a way
that ensures high levels of productivity and positive outcomes.

9. Remain Firm and Clear Without Being Aggressive. Remaining calm and precise will
do far more to advance a goal than losing control of your emotions. Regardless of whether a
person has a habit of using threatening behavior, or emotional ploys, these actions are
considered a sign of weakness. While these actions may have an effect in the short term, they
will only backfire in the long run. In every case, composure and a willingness to look for
mutually satisfying answers will gain respect and ensure that everyone works to achieve the
goal.

10. Be Ready and Willing to Win. Almost everyone has to start at an entry level job, or in a
company where there may not be much opportunity for advancement. At the beginner level,
you will always be well served by keeping focused on advancing your career. This means
actively looking for advancement opportunities, as well as developing skills and experience
that will help you move to the next level. Once you see an opportunity, it is vital to step
forward and claim it for yourself.

Oprah Announces Show's End in 2011


The end of Oprah Winfrey's 20+ year television reign will end in 2011 -- or will it simply just take over the cable world on Winfrey's own network?

In a statement released Thursday afternoon by Harpo, Inc. -- Winfrey's production company behind her massive empire -- the company announced that the talk show queen will tell her audience and the world of her show's end on Friday. "The sun will set on the "Oprah" show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011," the statement published by WIVB.com says of Winfrey's impending bombshell.

For weeks, rumors of a change in Oprah's show -- namely buzz that Winfrey would be taking her show off of syndicated public television and onto her own cable network -- grew at a frenzied pace. There had been little communication from Oprah or Harpo until this bombshell announcement.

The statement written by Harpo president Tim Bennett says that Winfrey "has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history," adding that her announcement "will mark an historic television moment that we will all be talking about for years to come."

Bennett vaguely alluded to Winfrey's future plans in his statement, saying that "if you think the last quarter century has been something, then 'don't touch that dial' as together we plan to make history in the next 20 months...and beyond."

In a report earlier this month, Deadline Hollywood Daily blogger Nikki Finke reported that Winfrey would be taking her show to her cable network OWN (The Oprah Winfrey Network) and that there was a good deal of behind-the-scenes tension between Winfrey, CBS and Discovery Communications over the decision. Finke's reporting seems to be dead-on, as the Nov. 5 post stated: "in several weeks, Oprah will tell the public that she's ending her syndicated Chicago-based daytime talk show when her current deal runs out and moving it to OWN headquarters in Los Angeles probably as soon as mid-2011."

TMZ is reporting that Winfrey's protege Dr. Oz may have something to do with the announcement, or at least the timing of it. According to the Web site, Winfrey hopes that once she's off of ABC, the 'Oz' show will then take over in her time slot.