Techniques for Project

I have officially decided that my final project is going to be a showcase of my top spots in San Francisco. These spots include restaurants, bars, clubs, venues, shops, and whatever else. I think this can be a really great interactive project, because I can incorporate links to various places' websites, as well as other user reviews. The idea for my project is inspired by sites like Yelp.com, which features user reviews and user-sent pictures of various places in the city.

I would definitely love to make the site as visually stunning as possible, but due to my elementary comprehension and familiarity with website-building, it may be hard to accomplish. I really like the Jottit site tool, because it provides a hands-free service for html-retarded web junkies like myself. I would love to have a pleasing color scheme for my site, that will maintain itself throughout all of the pages and links. My plan is to have a base list of restaurants, bars, clubs, etc, and then within each of those categories would be a list, with my own reviews and pictures, as well as links to their respective sites or to their Yelp reviews. I think that building this idea upon a wiki site would be the best way for me to put this together. I would love to somehow incorporate some animation or at least some background music into the site, to attract like-minded people to it. Everything is obviously still very up-in-the-air at this point, but hopefully I will be able to better comprehend how to use all of these tools by the time the project is due.

Interactive Hyperfiction LATE

If you click here, you will get to experience my elementary-level interactive hyperfiction. It is truly exhilarating for all of about one minute. So click away and enjoy!!

Again, the link...http://jottit.com/3dw4z/

More Starbucks. More court hearings. More drama. More photo ops. Just another week in Britney. It seems as though no matter what happens these days, nothing that happens in her life can really shock us anymore. I feel as though recounting the events that have happened since my last update would be like reading old news that no one cares about at this point. So she went to court and acted like a brat, and she booked herself the other night in a Van Nuys jail, wearing a pink wig that looks a lot like the one my friend was wearing at Lovefest (see post below) on her drive there. Maybe Britney thought she was going to a party? Her label has pushed the release of her fifth studio album Blackout to October 30th, instead of in November, mostly because many of the songs have already been leaked on the Internet...and reviews have not been stellar. Like I have said over and over again, if she wants to make an actual comeback and not a laughable one, she needs to move the hell out of L.A. and get herself back on track, much like...and I never imagined I would say this...much like Lindsay Lohan. Lilo has come back to LA after spending the last couple months at a rehab center in Utah. The paparazzi have caught her doing exciting things...like getting in and out of cars and entering and exiting offices and hotels. Really riveting stuff....

Speaking of albums available online, Radiohead should get an award for the hype they created with their surprise album release, which they made available for digital download from their website for any price you want. This is old news now too, since it was last week, but it is still worth talking about because they really gave the finger to the music business and record labels in general. The album is brilliant, and it comes following a massive tour OVER A YEAR AGO, during which they played their new songs. With the earlier-than-everyone-expected release of In Rainbows, let's hope that Radiohead decide to go on tour soon. Maybe Goldenvoice will get them to headline Coachella again! That would sell me another weekend pass to the annual desert spectacular.

In the meantime, here's a video of Daft Punk live at London's Wireless Festival this past summer. I saw them in Berkeley in July, and before that at Coachella 2006. Blogging about Radiohead and Coachella made me think of Daft Punk. Their live album, appropiately titled "ALIVE" comes out in November, and I cannot wait! If only they would release a live DVD...anyway, here you go...

As of Late...Lovefest...and Video...and more Brit....

OK, well I posted a video that I made using Eyespot in the post below this one. It's a collage of pics and footage that I have taken at parties I've had and at this year's Coachella Festival in the Indio desert. I love music and I love to party and go out, so I thought a mix of all these things set to a rad song (by my current faves, Justice) would be the perfect vid from me.

As for the topics of this blog, Britney won't stop. I said before that I was going to stop ranting about her, and now the news she made this week is bigger than all the previous weeks. She finally had her kids taken away! We all saw it coming, and thank god, because this girl has put her party life ahead of her kids, and the entire world knows that. She craves the media attention...anything for a photo op, Brit.

Soooo...moving on from the Trainwreck City, I thought I would comment on this past weekend, which was Lovefest weekend here in San Francisco. This year was my third Lovefest, but it was an entirely different experience because I was actually working at it for my radio station. I was thrilled to be at Lovefest again, only it was not such a party for me because I had to really WORK. My station was there (the only station there!) with 2 tents and a scissor lift to raise our talent over the crowds. The promotions team (my peeps) were handing out swag and taking pictures, and our DJs were broadcasting live from the event. My job was to help promote and to set up the broadcast for the official Lovefest Afterparty which was held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, right in front of the Civic Center Plaza. Even though I was working, I did get a chance to scurry around and enjoy the wild event, with all the great DJs spinning and crazy people everywhere. The picture above is me (in my work attire) with a friend who found me there. As you can see, she clearly got in the Lovefest spirit (and was partying hard just like everyone else there).

It is definitely a unique experience to be completely sober for 12 hours and working an event where EVERYBODY around you is PARTYING HAAAAARRRRRRD. Luckily, 2am rolled around and we were done unpacking everything at the station, so I went back with my free wristband pass to the Afterparty to enjoy the rest of it until 4am. I found a coworker milling around promoting an event that she is putting on, so I helped her hand out fliers for awhile and then finally made it home (late late late late). I don't regret not getting to really party at Lovefest, but at least I was there and I got to see the best DJs in the world for free...Sasha, Ferry Corsten, Sandra Collins. These are DJs that I have loved and admired since I was 14 years old! International Superstar DJs! My favorite thing to do is to go out and see the best DJs spin the best electronic music on the planet, and that is what Lovefest is all about. I can't wait until next year!

Party Party Party with Eyespot..

Random Clip in honor of the Season Premiere tonight...

Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough...

A lot has happened in celebrity news since my last post. And I recognize that this post is late, which is entirely my own mistake. Anyway, I was really hoping to blog about something or someone OTHER than Britney, but lo and behold, she has managed to be the headliner of the moment once again. I'm now convinced that she is no longer human, but rather somewhat of a sponge-type creature who soaks up paparazzi attention and doesn't rinse out the scandals well. Luckily, she took a break from LA this past weekend and went to Atlanta (why?) to get away for a bit. She came back with a new brunette weave, which looks just as bad as the blonde one. Last week, after I had announced in my last post that Brit was dropped by her management and ditched by her lawyer, a judge ordered her to complete parenting classes and take random drug tests, calling her a "habitual...user of controlled substances". That's not good Britney! But what does she do right after the court ruling??? She goes out and parties, ya'll! Because that is what you should do after being officially labeled a drug user! Britney then had ANOTHER court case regarding her fender bender in August (with paparazzi video proof of Brit not even acknowledging the Mercedes that she hit while parking). That case revealed that Britney was never even registered with a California driver's license! How can this even be possible??? I guess famous people really are above the law...especially really insane and uncontrollable famous people. On top of all of this, and definitely at the perfect time, a former bodyguard of Britney's decided to tell the world what he saw her do under her employment. And it is not surprising news at all.

And you know there is just more more more to say, and her new single is called "Gimme More"...but I don't know if there can even be any more from her. I will end this nonsense with Britney's former security guard Tony Barretto speaking about how out of control she is on "The Today Show".

Going Beyond Below The Belt

Movie stars are talented, highly respected and largely professionally trained actors. Tabloid stars are punchlines and grab onto whatever shtick they can to maintain fame. Modern day celebrity obsession has made tabloid stars more newsworthy than real movie stars. And we love it. We do. Admit it. It's constant material and entertainment. It makes for a perfect hour-long pop culture radio show (The Scoop @ Noon, on KSFS The State). Hollywood is out of control, and we cannot get enough.

So, what is the 'scoop' as of today?? Brit seems to hit rock bottom on a daily basis. She has been dropped by her latest manager because she is 'unmanageable', her expensive divorce lawyer quit, and now reports are saying that she WILL lose custody of her (as Sarah Silverman refers to them) "adorable little mistakes", Sean and Jayden. How can things get worse for the fallen pop tart? Sure, there was her lackluster performance last weekend at the VMAs, which many of us watched online over and over again, because we can't take our eyes away from the trainwreck in front of us. It's like it was so bad that it's totally awesome. Brit croon's "gimme more" in her new slow-charting single, and we actually do want just that...MORE britney! She knows she screwed up, and she knows she's a media joke. But she won't listen to anybody! Brit, your lawyer quit your case because you're out of your mind and your management dropped you because you're, once again, out of your damn mind! Based on what we the public see in the media and read on the gossip blogs, you should absolutely lose custody of your lil' K-Feds. When Kevin looks like a Greek God compared to you, you are in trouble. And it's been like this for almost a year now. Ever since she split with Kevin and started making the rounds on the Hollywood party scene, with Paris and her legion of whores. Who would have thought that innocent teenage TRL Britney would become America's hooker trash, living on fast food and Red Bull, and firing people around her left and right because they can't keep her happy. She is completely off the deep end! But you know what is hilarious...I'll still get her album. Millions of people will. It is the nature of the tabloid star. She has kept herself in the press nearly every day for so long now, how can people not be interested in her new album? She finally has something to show for her over-exposure and constant late night trips to Carl's Jr. And you have to admit, "Gimme More" is not that bad.

There is so much going on in tabloid-land. The never-ending feud between Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag of MTV's "The Hills" is a press magnet. Yah, the spoiled blonde chics from Southern California who have a show about getting lattes, shopping, going to nightclubs, and fighting about pretty douchebag boys. It's MTV's highest-rated show! No surprise there. It's such an easy target, but at the same time, I still can't stop watching. It's television escapism at its finest. I'm just waiting for Whitney to finally tell one of the other girls to grow up. We can only hope. Anyway, Lauren launched a new clothing line on the same day as her arch nemesis and former-BFF Heidi's 21st birthday, on which Heidi debuted her new single (yes, music) at LAX nightclub at the Luxor is Las Vegas (the nightclub where Britney hosted its initial launch party!). God, this stuff is good. Lauren's clothes are a bore and overpriced, while Heidi even being allowed to have a pop star career is hilarious. But she's probably better than the Britster right now. Want more? Look below...
Heidi performs her new single "Higher" at LAX, Las Vegas


Oh, and pretty boy 19-year old Zac Efron landed back in LA after his European press tour. He reunited with his 'girlfriend' (co-star in Disney's sugar-coated "High School Musical") Vanessa Hudgens, who experienced a media storm over her released nude photos, that she publicly apologized for. I bet they had a lot to talk about at their McDonald's date...I give these kids 2 years, then they'll be on the Lindsay Lohan bandwagon, partying late night at Hollywood clubs and snorting cocaine with Paris and the like. And we will be watching it all.

Paparazzi Pages Prevail

Pretty much the only blogs I actively check quite frequently are celebrity/gossip blogs. I know they seem meaningless and superficial, but that is also why they are so entertaining. Some of the bloggers who write these blogs are hilarious personalities themselves, and alot of the fun of seeing new pics and videos of famous people is reading what the bloggers have to say about them. Blogs such as Perez Hilton, TheSuperficial, Just Jared, What Would Tyler Durden Do, and X17 Online are my favorites, besides the commercial site TMZ. It is pure entertainment and these sites are all about people's personal lives rather than their actual work. Their lives are way more fun to watch than some of their work. Everyone knows their work. Without these kinds of blogs and the media attention, some popular stars today would not be so popular.

Perez Hilton scrutinizes many celebrities in a hilarious and often cruel way. He trashes on people like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, while he gives high praises to other people that he personally loves, such as Amy Winehouse and other musicians. He gives no mercy to famous people, and will not hesitate to call them out, which makes for a fun read. With constant new pictures and videos, his site is really interactive and thousands of readers post comments every day. He writes in a very casual style, but he still writes in proper form (alphabetizing and punctuation). TheSuperficial and What Would Tyler Durden Do are blogs by straight guys who like to post pictures of mostly female celebrities and comment on them from a male point of view. They also include other interesting tabloid stories about other famous people, but mostly it's them commenting either favorably or negatively on Hollywood stars that catch their eyes. Just Jared is somewhat of the same, but is instead written by a gay male, who admires female celebrities and likes to post pics and stories about male celebrities that he likes (such as young Zac Efron). These blogs are written fairly casually, and often include links to their sources. One of my favorite celebrity blogs is a strictly paparazzi site called X17 Online. X17 is an actual paparazzi agency, and they upload all of their pictures and unedited video footage immediately, so you can see what celebrities are doing every day. It is definitely overload, but they can capture a story fast and post it first with footage to back it.

I know that the whole celebrity gossip blog phenomonon is petty and meaningless, but it is now a huge part of pop culture and it makes for great material to talk about on entertainment shows. I am doing another radio show this semester for KSFS every Tuesday at 12pm called "The Scoop @ Noon", where my co-host and I talk about what we find on the gossip blogs and we play alot of the music that is associated with them (such as Britney's new song or Kanye West's latest after he threw a tantrum backstage at the VMAs). Anyway, I think I will probably end up blogging alot about the stuff I find on these sites and my take on everything, because it's fun and it does not involve me personally!

And now, here is Britney's trainwreck performance that has had the world talking all week long...