Ever since Apple acquired music streaming service Lala in early December of last year, speculation has been flying surrounding exactly how Steve Jobs and company would incorporate the new assets into its wildly popular iTunes music service.

Early signs pointed to the cloud, and how Lala’s unique “upload your own music collection” feature could be leveraged to make users’ tunes centrally located online and available from theoretically anywhere. Recent reports from CNet back up that idea with a few new potential details: Apple is supposedly talking with the top four major labels about offering a free streaming music service to consumers.

According to sources, Apple executives have discussed a cloud-based service where users could upload their music libraries to Apple servers. That music could then be streamed anywhere, to any Internet-connected device — potentially at no additional cost to consumers. The streaming service is being positioned as a “value add” that would boost further download sales instead of cannibalizing them.

What’s still up in the air is the legal repercussions of launching such a streaming service without renegotiating terms or reaching specific agreements with the labels. A similar precedent-setting case filed by EMI against streaming-music service MP3tunes won’t be decided until later this year, leaving the legal area very gray should Apple decide to move forward without officially renegotiating licensing agreements.

Still, it has apparently approached the labels ostensibly to obtain its blessing. Whether that blessing is given, and whether or not Apple has the clout to go ahead with the service without it, remains to be seen. We may find out more next Wednesday at Apple’s special event, which is shaping up to be truly action-packed.

Would you want to send your music into the cloud?

Watch the second trailer for Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2:

An unemployed porno addict, sitting in his parents’ basement, playing video games, eating Lucky Charms out of the box with one hand while he lazily scratches his balls with the other. A dread-lock having, patchouli oil smelling, tie-die wearing, Phish listening, hula-hoop twirling space cadet. A burger flipping, acne having, socially inept, friendless loser… These are the common stereotypes associated with the term ‘pothead’. In a recent piece we published on pot farms, a debate erupted in the comments section, with some arguing that if you smoke pot, you’ll be poor, gay, and “washing dishes until you’re dead.”

Where these stereotypes originated remains a mystery to us. In reality, they couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only have 42% of Americans admitted to trying pot, but pot smokers have gone on to become some of the most successful people in our society. We’re not talking about Willie Nelson and Snoop. These guys are on the Forbes 500, they’re leading the free world, and they prove that all existing pothead stereotypes are nothing more than myths.

Sir Richard Branson

While the ‘Sir’ in front of this guy’s name puts him in some very elite company, it doesn’t automatically get him on this list. What does earn him a spot is the fact that he’s the 236th richest person in the world, founder of the Virgin empire, which encompasses everything from airlines to record stores to cell phones, and made his entire multi-billion dollar fortune from absolutely nothing. Not only does this man smoke weed, he gets high with his 21-year-old son. He has publicly stated that there’s nothing wrong with smoking pot, has petitioned for the legalization of pot, and even said that if it were legal, he’d sell it.

Rick Steves

Your name doesn’t become synonymous with ‘European Travel’ by accident. You can’t just take a bong hit, lay back in your bean bag and toss off a few ‘graphs on how awesome the Louvre is. And yet here’s Rick Steves, author of 27 top selling European travel guides, host of his own TV show and radio show, and a very outspoken pothead. He’s a member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and credits pot for turning him into a better travel writer by opening his mind to new things.

Aaron Sorkin

In fairness to tokers around the world, Sorkin is a bit more of a ‘drug addict’ than he is ‘pothead’. He started dabbling with weed and coke back in the late ’80s, has been in and out of rehab numerous times, and was arrested for possession of marijuana, mushrooms and crack in 2001. So yeah, he loves to smoke weed… but he also loves to freebase. Not cool, Aaron! However, the man’s drug problems have done little to hinder his success in Hollywood. His work on The West Wing, both as writer and producer, earned him multiple Emmy Awards, and countless nominations for other awards.

Michael Phelps

Mr. “Has More Olympic Gold Medals Than Anyone In History” made headlines this week when photos of him and a bong surfaced. Since the scandal, Phelps has given a few interviews decrying his “bad judgment,” promising it was a dumb mistake that never happened before and won’t happen again… but we know that’s bullsh*t. Phelps was hitting that bong like a pro, not daintily toking some little amateur joint. With this in mind, we’re going to go ahead and assume this wasn’t Phelps’s first time. It might be his last, but it definitely wasn’t his first. This means that you can become the most world class athlete of all time and be a pot smoker at the same time. Stereotype shattered.

Barack Obama

Almost every American President before Barry, from Washington to Clinton to Bush, has had a pot addled past. Clinton purportedly tried and failed to smoke a joint, Bush was a boozer, but messed with coke and pot from time to time, Washington even grew marijuana on his farm. But as far as we know, none have admitted to smoking as much pot as Obama. He wrote extensively about his stoner past in his book Dreams of My Father, and in a 2007 interview stated “When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” Anyone who wonders what kind of future a pothead can have should take a hard look at Barack Obama. Not only can you grow up to be ridiculously smart, you can grow up to be President.

Michael Bloomberg

The Mayor of New York’s last name is associated with ‘business’ and ’success’, not ‘failure’ and ‘the munchies’. But if you’re one of those idiots who believes a pothead could never amount to anything, you’d have never guessed this was the way Bloomberg would turn out. Did he smoke pot when he was younger? In his own words “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it!”

read more here to view the rest of the 10 Successful Potheads on the Planet

And I don’t mean flashy in any kind of bad way. This car is of a cab-backwards style, which is new for the modern Lamborghini. It’s got a narrow body and complex aesthetics mixed with a combination of soft and angular surfaces.

It’s not quite “green,” but it’s does have that sort of environmental friendliness in mind with it’s downsisedness. And hows it look so hot roddy and light? That fabulous tail on the back, the classic headlight graphics, and those very thin OLEDs embedded between the surfaces. Eccentricities on top of mystery. Two big exhausts as eyes and diffuser as a mouth.

+ Does this car look familiar to anyone?

*NOTE from Chris Burns: originally I’d had this car marked “Madura”, when in fact it is called the Ankonian. It is totally my mistake, as the designer, Tanevski, has created two similar yet totally amazing in their own ways cars both branded with Lamborghini. The REAL Madura you will be able to see soon or RIGHT NOW depending on when you read this. Just click on Slavche Tanevski’s name to view all of his magical creations! For now though, feel free to take another look at the text, as it’s been given a re-vamp.

Designer: Slavche Tanevski

source

Oktrend, the official blog of OkCupid, published an extensive report today that gives the rundown on the four biggest myths with regard to profile pics. Here’s the points we found most interesting:

Myth One: It’s Better to Smile
Apparently, women who smile in profile pics are less popular than women who just make flirty faces directly into the camera, questioning the credence of all those old adages about smiling and umbrellas and being fully dressed. (Just lay off the duckface, ladies, seriously.) Men, on the other hand have big pull with the ladies when they look away from the camera sans grin. So basically girls look for aloof gents in the digital realm as well. Who woulda thunk it?

Myth Two: Phone and Webcam Photos Are Uber Creepy

Apparently, these super low-res shots are not off-putting. In fact, the infamous “MySpace Shot” (you know you have a few of those) is extremely popular with dudes. (Posing with an animal is apparently dating suicide — so put Mr. Fluffkins away.)

Myth Three: Leave Something to the Imagination

One would think that sleazy shirtless shots would dissuade women from getting to know a guy– digitally. Not so. Only the presence of a furry creature in the frame (aside from the dude) gets the ladies going more. Drinking in pictures is apparently a no-go. No word on whether chicks like guys who pose drunk and shirtless. (My own personal preference.)

Newsflash: Guys like boobs. Apparently women who show some skin get more initial play, however those who pose whilst doing something interesting actually get drawn into conversation. So I guess that means the web is kind of like real life, making this finding not that much of a shocker.

Myth Four: Let Them See Your Pretty Face

Apparently, you don’t need to show your face in order to get hits — I mean, hit on. Which I totally understand; I once fell for a guy because of his rad boat shoes. But, seriously, this finding is actually intriguing, seeing as how we’re taught that the eyes are the window to the soul and all that.

Interesting note on the way in which the research was conducted. OkCupid qualified profile success for women by amount of messages received, while a man’s success was tabulated by counting how many women a guy had a conversation with out of women he reached out to. That’s right, classic courtship rules appear to be holding strong in the 21st century, with men acting as the pursuers and women waiting to be pursued. Personally, I found that a lot more shocking (and saddening) than the fact that guys dig skin and girls like muscle.

check the whole story here…

IRISH WOMEN
First Date: You both get blind drunk and have sex.
Second Date: You both get blind drunk and have sex.
20th Anniversary: You both get blind drunk and have sex.

ITALIAN WOMEN
First Date: You take her to a play and an expensive restaurant.
Second Date: You meet her parents and her Mom makes spaghetti and
meatballs.
Third Date: You have sex, she wants to marry you and insists on a
3-carat ring.

5th Anniversary: You already have 5 kids together and hate the thought
of having sex.
6th Anniversary: You find yourself a girlfriend.

JEWISH WOMEN
First Date: You get great head
Second Date: You get dynamite head
Third Date: You tell her you’ll marry her and never get head again.

CHINESE WOMEN
First date: You get to buy her an expensive dinner, but nothing happens.
Second date: You buy her an even more expensive dinner. Nothing happens
again.
Third date: You don’t even get to the third date and you already
realized nothing is going to happen.

INDIAN WOMEN
First date: Meet her parents.
Second date: Set the date of the wedding.
Third date: Wedding night.

BLACK WOMEN
First Date: You get to buy her a real expensive dinner.
Second Date: You get to buy her and her girlfriends a real expensive
dinner.
Third Date: You get to pay her rent.
Tenth Date: She’s pregnant by someone other than you.

MEXICAN WOMEN
First Date: You buy her an expensive dinner, get drunk on Tequila, and
have sex in the back of her car.
Second Date: She’s pregnant.
Third Date: She moves in. One week later ~ her mother, father, his
girlfriend, her two sisters, her brother, all of their kids, her
grandma, her father’s girlfriend’s mother, her two cousins, her sister’s
boyfriend
and his three kids move in and you live on rice and beans for the rest
of your life in your home that used to be nice, but now looks like a
home along the Rio Grande.

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE IRISH WOMEN?

I’m the founder and designer of OGO,
coming to a theatre near you!

You can see our H-O-T members here:

Amateur or pro-looking pics…means little to me.
Is your portfolio compelling?
Does it force me to come back?
That’s how I judge the strength of a port.
Most important however: how hot are your models?!

B*