TVSquad

Inspired by the success of social networking sites like MySpace, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is planning to launch a similar site aimed at women ages 25 to 45. The new network is set to launch in the latter half of 2007, though that could change.  Rather than exist as a separate site, the new network, which will allow women to share recipes, pictures, and household tips with one another and various experts, will be integrated into Stewart's main Web site. Now that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. owns MySpace I'm hoping the competition might eventually lead to some kind of apocalyptic battle between these two media giants, a la King Kong vs Godzilla.

Today TiVo launched Guru Guide, a new service where editors, critics, and experts from various magazines create lists of shows about a certain topic. For example, a person from Automobile Magazine may suggest shows having to do with cars or auto racing. The service, which is not available to subscribers who got TiVo through DirecTV, will allow one to record all the shows on one of the lists, or to pick which ones they want. Right now, the lists can only be obtained through TiVo's Web site, but the company says they'll be added to the television command screen in the next few months. The idea, basically, is to utilize the single focus of magazines to create "networks." As a TiVo user, I guess I'm mildly interested in this, as it may inform me of shows I haven't heard of and might like. I couldn't imagine letting some stranger from Star Magazine choose all my shows for me, though. What do you guys think?

Well, maybe. Rick Ross over at Cult News is reporting that Jim Belushi's new book, Real Men Don't Apologize, may borrow from the teachings of a controversial guru named Justin Sterling (real name, Arthur ''Artie'' Kasarjian). Sterling runs an expensive seminar where the main focus is that gender roles have become confused, with women becoming more masculine and men becoming more feminine. Personally, I thought this theory was a load of horse hockey until last night when I inexplicably gave birth to a baby girl. Apparently Sterling was really onto something.

Anyway, naysayers dismiss Sterling as being misogynistic, and teaching that a woman's only goal in a relationship is to garner power and resources. Men, on the other hand, marry for love. Again, I say that's a load of bull, and only describes four out of my last six relationships (but I kid). Anyway, the most interesting (or terrifying) thing to come from this is that apparently these seminars end with the men stripping naked as part of a ritual and being videotaped. I'm guessing there may be some correlation between Sterling's hatred of women and his desire to videotape naked men, but I'll let you suss that one out yourselves.