Gawker
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the way we were
Remember when Amanda Congdon was rocketing to the top? Yeah, me neither. Videoblogging's forgotten stars.
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twitterati
The Twitterati Scrape Off a Blueprint Cleanse Stain
Feeling out of it? Then go read what media types like Amanda Congdon and Sarah Lacy are saying about themselves on Twitter. You'll feel better instantly! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by deathbychichi: On the RSS, the placement of the horizontal rules on the twitter posts is off. It makes it look... more » | Other threads
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twitterati
Twitter Spits on Cold Racists
The Twitterati did not have a good day. Professional web personality Amanda Congdon hates racists, crackpot visionary Jeff Jarvis still hates the media, but TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington is hated most of all! More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: Also, is it Los Angeles or Louisiana that is full of racists? 3 Responses | Other threads
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twitterati
A Vile Day for the Twitterati
Was it the sad news of Steve Jobs's ailments? Or just bad fish-oil capsules? Something was off in the Twittersphere today. More »
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By Owen ThomasComment by Alaska Miller: Why bother having a Twitter account? Just check this Valleywag feature constantly! 1 Responses | Other threads
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lawsuits
How daddy's money paid for Andrew Baron's Rocketboom
Here's a story far more interesting than anything you'll watch on YouTube: A prodigal scion of a wealthy family, pitted against his powerful father and an ambitious blonde. It's not a pilot for a new courtroom procedural — it's the tale of Andrew Baron's Rocketboom, an online-video startup held up, inexplicably, as an example of the potential of the medium. Sony's seven-figure deal to distribute Rocketboom is seen by some as evidence that the industry is growing up. But what it really tells us is that having access to a credit line backed by Daddy is as sure a recipe for success online as it was in the old Hollywood. The exciting plot twist: Baron's father was not always happy about the arrangement. We've only learned how daddy-dependent Rocketboom was because Fred Baron loaned his son's company a total of $810,300.40, and then took it to court in order to force repayment last year. If you think it's strange for a father to go after his own son's company in court, then you don't know the elder Baron. More »
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By Jackson WestComment by somerandomdude: I have to agree with Andrew, his dad Fred has done a lot of good. For example, has anyone... more » | Other threads
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great moments in journalism
Playboy wants top blogger to pose topless
The whole Xeni Jardin / Violet Blue thing continues to backfire on us. A female editor at Playboy.com alerted us to a "Who's the Web's hottest blogger"? contest they thought up after ogling last week's photos of the two cozied-up lady bloggers. The prize? Playboy will offer the winner a "topless or nude" photo shoot for their site. I fact-checked it with them, and let's be clear: Topless, nude, or forget it. The contestants are Jardin and Blue, plus Julie Alexandra, Veronica Belmont, Amanda Congdon, Brigitte Dale, Sarah Lacy, Sarah Austin and Natali Del Conte. I know what you're thinking: Good luck getting the winner to take it off. As a former Playboy reader (many of the articles are good) I wish they'd asked around first. It'd be easy to solicit nine very photogenic girlbloggers eager to claim the prize. Who'll be #1? Right now the obscure-but-well-shot Brigitte Dale is ahead, but I expect Veronica Belmont's Gadgetboy Army to mobilize today and sweep her to a decisive win — and a decisive NO. Sarah Austin sums up her cognitive dissonance: "Not sure how I feel about being in Playboy's popularity contest. Maybe I'd feel better if I was winning?"
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By Paul BoutinComment by Shadowlayer: @Robert Synnott: Manboobs = DO NOT WANT more » | Other threads
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bloggers
Vanity Fair displays new media acumen with "Blogopticon"
In a wonderful piece of linkbait, Vanity Fair produced an illustration featuring a number of popular "blogs" arranged in a cartesian graph from "Scurrolous" to "Earnest" on one axis and "Opinion" to "News" on another. While we're trying to grasp how the 'Wag ended up on the earnest side of the scale, more confusing is the inclusion of Salon and Slate. Apparently, if you're not printed on paper, you're a "blog" — even though both publications predate the term. But where the chart really gets things wrong is in using the disembodied head of Amanda Congdon to illustrate online video program Rocketboom. If the authors or illustrator actually watched the show or read many of the listed blogs, they'd know that Joanne Colan took over as host after a very nasty and public departure from the show by Congdon. Keep trying, guys, you're bound to figure out this Internet thing eventually!
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By Jackson WestComment by deathbychichi: You guys ought to at least be on the "scurrilous" side of the vertical axis. Jeez. more » | Other threads
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vlogs
Host Joanne Colan Leaves Rocketboom
According to a source at the Creative Artists Agency, host Joanne Colan is leaving Rocketboom, one of the Internet's first prominent news videoblogs. During her tenure, Colan never managed to transform the show (directed by creator Andrew Baron) from a quirky but inscrutable cult favorite into a mainstream online news source. (See for yourself below by watching today's weird episode.) Nor did she achieve the same web fame as her predecessor Amanda Congdon, who left a job with ABCNews.com last year. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by Barce: I still care about Rocketboom. INTERNETS 4 LIFE. more » | Other threads
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By Owen ThomasComment by ryaninmtv: Other the the ample rack space, nothing there. more » | Other threads
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comebacks
The triumphant nonreturn of Amanda Congdon
Thank goodness! Just a day after our missing-persons alert on former videoblogger Amanda Congdon, she turned up on her blog with a 794-word entry she's been working on for a month. Here's a version she could have fit in a Twitter: "I'm going daily on a new videoblog in 2008. I'm in pre-production for the new project now." More Amanda, coming to you live in less than 11 months!
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By Owen ThomasComment by Alaska Miller: @googoobaby: if only those bozos would stop ripping up the packaging to double check the item as actually inside more » | Other threads
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mysteries
Whatever happened to Amanda Congdon?
We are growing concerned. After her career as an ABC nonjournalist fizzled, the formerly famous, generously-racked host of Rocketboom has been absent from her own blog since November 27. An "under development "show with HBO has gone nowhere. On January 23, Congdon Twittered that she was "writing monster blog post reflecting on ABC and talking about what's next." Amanda, 28 days is more time than even Scoble puts into a post. Just press Publish, ok?
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By Owen ThomasComment by dalejo: Amanda is getting just what she deserves. I hope more of these web jokes go this way. more » | Other threads
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forecasts
Valleywag's 25 predictions for 2008
Valleywag is of course known for its dead-on accuracy, so our predictions for 2008 need no introduction. Inside, my 25 predictions (made without inside information) cover the futures of Facebook, Google, Digg, YouTube, Twitter, the Wall Street Journal, Apple, Yahoo, Gawker Media, AOL, Dell, LOLcats, the president, and more. More » -
andrew baron
Rocketboom creator takes on Calacanis
Jason Calacanis's human-powered search engine Mahalo is "fundamentally flawed," says videoblogger Andrew Baron. Well, we could have told you that: It's basically Yahoo's directory, 12 years too late. But Baron, best known for creating Rocketboom, trashed Calacanis's service not for its lack of originality, but for its lack of critical applause. "Mahalo is not a worthwhile product," Baron wrote, "I have never seen a single positive review of the site." What's got the guy so worked up? More »
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Comment by Longitude: I like how the dogs are so genetically f-ed with that their breathing is impacted, the fold in their skin... more » | Other threads
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videobloggers
Amanda Congdon bounces back with best video ever
Vlog hottie Amanda Congdon has posted her best video in months — maybe ever. The fact that it's an ad-libbed outtake that could never be featured on a major news network just goes to show that she was never meant for ABC. Maybe her rumored project with the relatively uncensored HBO will work out after all. Of course, I'm still laughing too hard to admit that I'm ignoring some key problems. More »
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By Tim FaulknerComment by intaglio: That's right outside Saybrook college, looking out at Trumbull college, at Yale University. The one with sunglasses, the first guy... more » | Other threads
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quotable
Anarchic headline-discussion site Fark's predictably juvenile — if completely on target — take on a videoblogger's departure from mainstream TV: "Amanda Congdon and her world-class breasts are gone from ABC.com" [Fark] -
videobloggers
Amanda Congdon's ABC rocket goes boom!
ABC has finally realized that popular, busty, vacuous Internet anchorwomen do not translate into popular, busty, vacuous television anchors. The network is severing its one-year relationship with Amanda Congdon, who shot to Internet fame hosting the videoblog Rocketboom. So what now? More »
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By Tim FaulknerComment by Trackback: And to think that some of us get flowers on our one-year anniversary with the MSM. Others are "parting company"... more » | Other threads
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clips
Internet People
From Amanda Congdon to Tay Zonday — virtually every inane, pop culture Internet video "star" of the last few years who have made YouTube indispensable to millions of... Internet People! Depicted in Flash animation in under three minutes by Dan Meth, music by Dan Meth and Micah Frank.
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By Tim FaulknerComment by einnocent: wow. the last few years of our lives summed up in a flash video. im ensaddened. more » | Other threads
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politics
ABC's Net videos redefine the selling of the president
Anyone naive enough to believe that online video would democratize, and thereby improve, political discussion in America has been deservedly disappointed. In the recent presidential debates, instead of submitting questions by email — last decade's fad — Internet users were asked to vlog in their queries to the candidates. The results, far from being unpredictable and populist, were as scripted as any TV show. More »
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By Tim FaulknerComment by sample032: @sample032: damn markup... < insert blog spam here > . more » | Other threads
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amanda congdon
Future of journalism now shilling American Express on a fake trolley
[UPDATE BELOW]What's up with the bubbly former host of Rocketboom, which was supposed to be the Internet's first huge news show before it leveled off? According to the London Times, Amanda Congdon's show for ABC News is "currently in the world's top 40,000 blogs," which puts it somewhere below great-soups-ive-eaten.blogspot.com. But Congdon has always been proud of her second career as a host for corporate stunt videos, and she recently starred in an American Express ad (shown below) shot in San Francisco. It's for a good cause, in a way: AmEx is giving away up to $5 million for a world-improving project to be selected by its customers. Metaphor-makers rejoice: The "cable car" carrying journotainer Amanda through the city in this video is a fake. Okay, okay, a "replica." More » -
amanda congdon
Amanda Congdon Wearing Media Hat Today
ABC and Dupont brand Amanda Congdon addresses some salient issues concerning the Virginia Tech tragedy:You know, when I first heard about the shooting on TV in my hotel room at NAB, I turned to Mario and said "why does this always seem to happen this week in April?" Turns out, at least according to this blogger, that the beginning of spring marks "school shooting season". [sic] Do we, the media, have a responsibility to tone down coverage of these horrific events so as not to motivate copycats?
Excellent question, Racky! (For a high school journalism class, at least.) But isn't that what new media is all about? Breaking the rules? Setting your own? It's confusing these days. More » -
vloggers
The new conference elite
The variety of stars at tech conferences used to be limited to bloggers, startup innovators, designers and programmers identifiable only after a glimpse at a name badge. But a new class of celeb is rising with more recognizable star power: videobloggers, often good-looking and engaging, practiced at being entertaining, and a prime target for conference-long entourages. Other techies love hooking up with a less nerdy brand of internet celeb. At this weekend's South by Southwest conference, star vloggers included Casey and Rudy from sci-fi show Galacticast and ABC News vlogger Amanda Congdon. The biggest star by far, though, was Ze Frank, host of the one-man "The Show," who cruised a few parties, hosted the annual Web Awards, and performed a Powerpoint stand-up routine at a Buzzfeed party. Prediction: "Fun" conferences (full of the geeks who do the actual work of Web 2.0) like SXSW will have more vlogger presence than "business" conferences like the upcoming suit-heavy Video on the Net. (photo by Scott Beale)
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By Nick DouglasComment by Spastic Colon: cv and delirious. it's been 14 years since Interactive was added. it's no longer a music conference. quit living in... more » | Other threads
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vlog hot
Vlog Hot: Newsbabes Heat 1
Many thanks to the bajillions of readers who sent in nominations for the Vlog Hot poll. Prepare for a veritable blizzard of democracy as the poll launches today with over 80 video bloggers competing in 14 gendered heats (plus semis and finals!) for the big giant prize of ... what exactly? Oh yes, a photo shoot or acrylic statuette. And if you deny both prizes, we will make the statuette of you without your consent and give it to your worst enemy for use in eldritch voodoo rites. After the jump, enjoy the first clash of titans with Newsbabes Heat 1. Warning: Contains Congdon. Multiple voting now enabled! More »
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By Chris MohneyComment by WasatchMan: So, just how many spammers are there in Germany, anyway? more » | Other threads
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scams
An open letter to our pals at Paltalk
We recently received a solicitation from video chat site Paltalk to see if we'd like to join in an interview with Amanda Congdon. Talk about a short memory. A few months back, Paltalk got in touch with Gawker for a chat with Congdon and Arianna Huffington. We cooperated, on the condition that we'd get to run a highlight clip on Gawker. Unfortunately (for us), things did not go as planned. More »
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By Chris MohneyComment by raincoaster: It's like sleeping with Paris and getting a note from her lawyer the next day that unlike the rest of... more » | Other threads
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awesome taserings
Amanda Congdon: The Ultimate In Taser Porn
Okay, we know we asked for Sean Delonas before, but this is much, much better. Ladies and gentlemen, from the people who brought you Journalist Gets Tased and Publicist Gets Tased, we are proud to direct you to Rack Gets Tased. This is pretty much how our dreams play out every night, so it's nice to see in real life.
More »
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By abalk2Comment by BillLumbergh: Still loving those tits...but man Amanda Rocketboom is starting to annoy the shit out of me... more » | Other threads
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rocketboom
Amanda Congdon and Andrew Baron duke it out
SCOTT KIDDER — Have you been watching Amanda's Congdon's much-hyped A/C on ABC? In her second episode for old media powerhouse Disney, she posts the question: "I wonder if citizen journalists will ever be taken seriously?" More »
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By skidderComment by Greasy Thumb Guzik: Citizen journalism taken seriously, yes it will happen. Amanda Congdon taken seriously, when Hell freezes over! She's just an idiot with a... more » | Other threads
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diggbait
The nine most surprisingly great business moves of 2006
NICK DOUGLAS — Good deals are obvious. Great deals are not. News Corp's $580-million purchase of MySpace was "Murdoch's Folly" no more when Google paid $900 million to power MySpace search. In that spirit, here are the top nine business moves from 2006 that don't make sense — at first. Below, the video that started Deal #1. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by rice: Didn't Apple start shipping Intel in 06? I am now just waiting for MacBookPros to pre-bundle Bootcamp *and* Vista.... more » | Other threads
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amanda congdon
Amanda Congdon's Webcasts Are Real, And They're Spectacular
It's here, it's here, the Amanda Congdon show is here! If you're willing to sit through a thirty-second Sheraton commercial and ignore the thousands of pop-unders ABC inflicts on you, you can catch The Rack in all its unfettered, Steely Dan-clad glory. We watched it with the sound muted so as not to be distracted while we were getting off, but the Times' Virginia Heffernan reviews the performance: More »
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By abalk2Comment by centernetworks: I have written my thoughts and comments including why I think this was a disgrace to women online here: http://www.centernetworks.com/amanda-congdon-video-disappo... more » | Other threads
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jason calacanis
Two minutes disdain: A parade of scoundrels
You can disdain the following jerks, sellouts, and creeps who made the world worse this weekend — but don't let anyone know you're really just jealous. More » -
rocketboom
Unboomed: Drew Baron on the loss of his Bunny
A marketing maven e-mails in from a Future of PR conference, where he's listening to Andrew Baron, the producer of online news show Rocketboom avoid mentioning his former host, the famously pretty Amanda Congdon, who quit this year, sparking an embarrassing public feud with Andrew. (The two have threatened each other with legal action over Amanda's disputed share of 49% of the show. Meanwhile, the chattering class has wondered which would suffer more from the breakup.) More » -
hewlett-packard
Loose Wires: Current Thong
- Phone fraud offender Hewlett-Packard takes another giant leap towards becoming even more of the class bully, this time with news that they actually conducted feasibility studies to figure out how to plant spies in news bureaus. To be continued tomorrow. Don't worry, by then we'll find out the government was involved in the conspiracy. [NY Times]
- Ex-Rocketboomer Amanda Congdon finds a new gig touring America. This time around the vlogger is honing her chops on the road to L.A. We just hope blogger Robert Scoble stops propositioning her. [Scobleizer]
- The Baltimore Sun got tired of writing about the ethics involved in snitching and gang violence so now they just interview bloggers like Sean Bonner of the Metroblogging network. We know how they feel. [Baltimore Sun]
- Google Co-Founder Larry Page and I have something in common. Unfortunately for me it isn't making wads of cash or being business-minded, but an affiliation with the University of Michigan, where Google just opened up a new AdWords office. [Michigan Daily]
- Al Gore's pet project Current TV finally launches their own public portal with Yahoo. That's an inconvenient truth for Google, which has Gore on its board and plays content-maker to Google Current, a semi-hourly show based on Google searches like thong girl. [Current TV]
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By Nick DouglasComment by BethyBoop: yes, i am a proud alum. class of '99! more » | Other threads
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andrew baron
Divorce Court: Rocketboom stars to go at it
Rocketboom founder Andrew Baron hasn't given up the fight with recently fired-or-quit news anchor Amanda Congdon over the 49% stake she claims to still hold in the popular video blog (earlier coverage here). In fact, a week ago (I know, we are so late to this), Drew said he's taking her to court. In his blog, Drew says: More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by baby4mommy: I used to watch Rocketboom everyday. After Amanda was fired/left I watched the first three new Rocketboom episodes. They were... more » | Other threads
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rocketboom
Sing-along: Don't you vlog me baby
The star has gone, the glamour's worn thin, and Rocketboom's former vlog host is already fading from memory after her public fight with her producer Andrew Baron (scroll through this page for background). In celebration of Amanda Congdon's rapidly ticking 14th minute of her 15 minutes of fame, Valleywag presents "Don't You Vlog Me, Baby." More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by irinaslutsky: you actually just made me relive 6th grade singing in my bathroom to myself in the mirror. SO. that was... more » | Other threads
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rocketboom
Midyear predictions: Rocketboom hooks up, Ballmer holes up, Wozniak shapes up
Just like Christmas in July, New Year predictions deserve a mid-year refresher — especially since Valleywag wasn't here for New Year's. Valleywag predicts that by the end of 2006: More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by ResearchZilla: and then sun ceo schwarts attempts to bring back the mullett... more » | Other threads
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rocketboom
Rocketboom's headed for a legal battle
Everyone's acting like Rocketboom's producer and ex-host have gone their separate ways, as if the fight is over. But it's just about to begin. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by Conrad: I'm not surprised Andrew thinks that this is a minor glitch - Amanda leaving could be the best thing to... more » | Other threads
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rocketboom
Who's better at Rocketboom, Amanda or Joanne?
It is unfair to pit a former host and current host of a show against one another in some kind of popularity contest, especially when the current host has nothing to do with the fight that ended with the former host's exit. More » -
amanda congdon
Holy media bubble! Amanda Congdon hits TIME Magazine, CNET, and MSNBC in one night
Sure, the former Rocketboom host is only interviewed in TIME's online version, not its print edition. But bloggers will forget that and make a big deal about this. And it is a big deal, since this was the third interview with Amanda Congdon published last night. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by openwag: enough about this fricken spat. All because he left the toilet seat up.. more » | Other threads
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wired
Remainders: Will Wired hire Amanda Congdon to play banjo?
- Om Malik, who believes companies don't do anything once, polls his readers: Who will Wired buy next? [GigaOM]
- Hey look, it's Six Apart co-founder Mena Trott playing the banjo and swearing! Ha! Ha! We Valley types sure know how to have fun! [Abazab]
- Reporting Time Warner's falling stock is always tougher when that stock is your retirement fund. [CNN Money]
- Mysterious social network company Socializer says it's been around since 2002 — and invites you to join its private beta. [Socializer]
- the front page at Ookles.com, which used to say "coming soon," is now an empty page. The site isn't stillborn, it's just prepping for public release, says the founder. [Ookles]
- The exec producer of VH1's "Best Week Ever" tells Rocketboom's ex-host, "Get to work - the clock is ticking and 90 days from now, it's going to be 'what the fuck happened to Amanda Congdon?'" [BuzzMachine]
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amanda congdon
UnBoomed: Amanda says Andy can't be her friend
Rocketboom's former host is still telling her side of the story to the media. It's all starting to look a little mean, since her former partner Andrew Baron offered an olive branch this morning on Rocketboom. More » -
andrew baron
Rocketboom wants Amanda Congdon back
The nation's hottest video blog is back, and it's snappy. Rocketboom interim host Joanne Colan (pictured here holding a symbol for triumph) displays the polish and ease that many viewers felt long-time host Amanda Congdon lacked. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by pobrien: I couldn't disagree more, where Amanda was tongue in cheek, she at least came across as genuine, interested, and having... more » | Other threads
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amanda congdon
Reader poll: Did Amanda Congdon's boobs make her famous?
It's been official policy at Valleywag to allude to Amanda Congdon's breasts without blaming them for her stardom. But every other blogger and reporter says that they're the reason Andrew Baron chose her to host his video blog, Rocketboom. More »
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By Nick DouglasComment by GreenLeaves: That is just plain sad: according to the results of this vote, 82% of Valleywag's readership are either male or... more » | Other threads
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Sun Jul 5
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