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christopher

SOPA-proponent Dodd under attack by Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales

Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America and former U.S. Senator, made a few comments recently that have made him extremely unpopular in the Web world.

According to VentureBeat, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales called for the MPAA to fire Dodd, saying that Dodd's statements undermine the MPAA and make the organization seem corrupt.

During last week's major online protest against SOPA and PIPA--the two antipiracy bills pending in the Senate and Congress--Dodd told Fox News, "Those who count on quote 'Hollywood' for support need to understand that this industry is watching … Read more

MPAA picks ex-senator Dodd as next chief

Former Senator Christopher Dodd, who chose not to run for reelection last year after controversies including an ethics probe and the taking of preferential mortgages from Countrywide's CEO, will be the new head of the Motion Picture Association of America.

The MPAA said today that Dodd, who had served in the Senate since 1981, would become its new chairman and chief executive officer as of March 17.

As head of the movie studios' influential lobby arm, Dodd succeeds Jack Valenti, the late former Lyndon Johnson aide who took the job in 1966, and former Democratic Congressman Dan Glickman. Bob … Read more

Congressman quits after shirtless-photo flap

This is a story with whose protagonist, I feel sure, many men will sympathize.

Especially if those men are politicians or NFL quarterbacks.

I refer, with sad, troubled eyes, to the demise of Christopher Lee, a Republican congressional representative from New York.

The 46-year-old Lee announced his resignation on his Web site after he allegedly sent a photograph of his rather fetching upper half (rather than his better half) to a woman he encountered on Craigslist.

It seems, according to Gawker, that the congressman was in need, as are so many male politicians, of female company.

So he reportedly scoured … Read more

ZipcarU shares rides with even more college and university students

When you think of environmentally friendly transportation on college and university campuses, you usually think of bicycles. But in cold winter weather, or when going off campus for errands or hauling more than the average backpack around, a Zipcar fits the bill.

For $8 per hour or $66 per day, and an annual fee, 1.7 million students, faculty, and staff have 24-hour access to Zipcars. The company now has ride-share programs on more than 225 campuses.

"We know that college students quickly embrace the concept of car sharing. This is the same generation that buys music by the … Read more

The 404 Yuletide Mini-sode: Where we hate manure (podcast)

The 404 is away on vacation, but that doesn't mean you won't get your fix during the break! We're starting off with one of our favorite movies of all time: Back to the Future! Russ Frushtick from MTV's Multiplayer blog

joins us as we take a look back at all three movies in the series.

We'll stump each other with trivia from the DVD extras, discuss some mistakes in the movie, our favorite moments, our first time watching it, and why we collectively hate the third film. Also, be sure to check out the slide … Read more

Great Scott! 'Back to the Future' game debut trailer

Though it's not as blasphemous as talk of Justin Bieber supposedly playing Marty McFly in some ill-conceived "Back to the Future" remake, the fully licensed video game does seem like a promising extension to the classic story of Marty and Doc Brown.

Developer Telltale Games (Sam & Max, Tales of Monkey Island) plans to episodically release five chapters of Back to the Future: The Game, the first of which is titled "It's About Time." Not much regarding the game's actual gameplay has been disclosed, but the debut trailer does hint that Marty will … Read more

Trial starts for cop in YouTube cyclist-tackling clip

At the same time YouTube has helped law enforcement from all over the world nab criminals, the video-sharing site has also helped authorities weed out cops who use excessive force.

Perhaps one of the better-known cases involves Patrick Pogan, a former New York City police officer who was seen in a much-watched YouTube video body-slamming a bicyclist in 2008. Pogan is accused of assault and filing a false police report and his trial got underway on Monday, according to a story in The New York Times.

The 24-year-old Pogan, who has resigned from NYPD, faces up to four years in … Read more

The 404 406: Where we're finally getting a price drop

The Sony PlayStation is finally getting a price drop, but some dummy retailers in Europe are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade console set. In other news, a Twitter user is offering his followers a line to God, Starbucks says OK to freeloaders, and we also debate the most prolific technology of our time! You'll never guess what Wilson has up his sleeve...

In case you haven't heard, our economy is in a little bit of hot water right now, and while most companies like Sony are slashing prices to keep up with the competition, the geniuses at Microsoft EU are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade from ?129.99 to ?159.99. Furthermore, the five Xbox Live Arcade games will no longer be included in the bundle. The company's excuse is that it is to "counteract the poor pound-to-euro currency exchange rate." Who allowed this to happen at Microsoft? At least fix the failure rate before you increase the price!

In other news, Starbucks is opening its doors to Wi-Fi freeloaders. We reported in the past that several cafes in New York are banning cell phones and laptops, cutting off Wi-Fi access to discourage freeloaders from just hanging out and surfing the Web for free. Starbucks has always been an easy place to gain paid access to the Internet, and it will continue to provide a welcoming environment for customers to enjoy their $68 cups of flavored coffee.

Many more stories to get to today, including a Twitter account that gives followers a direct line to God and a hilarious poem from our buddy CHRISTOPHER WALKEN!

EPISODE 406 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoRead more

The 404 287: Where our mouths are agape with a mixture of pleasure, longing, and duck meat

Jeff, Justin and Wilson start the show off right today with a SNL Christopher Walken reference. Always a great way to start the day. Getting into actual stories, we chat about ways to actually sleep. Tip #1: Sleep when you are tired. iTunes launches an indie music store. Gore Verbinski decides to make a video game based on Clue. And yes, people stalk their exes online.

EPISODE 287 Download today's podcastRead more

The 404 287: Where our mouths are agape with a mixture of pleasure, longing, and duck meat

Jeff, Justin, and Wilson start the show off right today with a SNL Christopher Walken reference. Always a great way to start the day. Getting into actual stories, we chat about ways to actually sleep. Tip No. 1: Sleep when you are tired. iTunes launches an indie music store. Gore Verbinski decides to make a video game based on "Clue." And yes, people stalk their exes online.

EPISODE 287 Download today's podcastRead more