Top Websites Blocked By Businesses in 2010

Huffington Post - Cyberslacking can be a real drag on companies. The solution for many firms seems to be to simply block the websites on which they believe their employees will waste the most time. Studies have shown social media to be a major time sink, as well online games and personal email. Take a look at the slideshow below to see if your favorite sites are among the most blocked by companies. Which sites do you see that you think shouldn't have made this list? 

10. Ebay, 9. Meebo, 8. Ad.Yieldmanager, 7. Orkut, 6. Hotmail.com 5. Twitter, 4. ad.doubleclick.net, 3. Youtube, 2. Myspace, 1. Facebook

Not that I think this study is completely wrong, for the most part its about what I expected to see, couple of spammy pop-up servers, and your usual social network sites (though I wonder how long Myspace will need to be on this list, I assumed only perverts and convicted felons hung out there these days, just figured a company wouldn't hire you if you were the kind of person that liked Myspace).

A couple of exceptions though, what the hell are Meebo and Orkut? And what are they protecting us from exactly?  Orkut I've figured out is a google social network that is apparently only popular in Brazil? Is that right?  Good thing they blocked that, I've got a ton of people in Sao Paulo I've been trying to catch up with...

Meebo is even more puzzling. I guess it's a type of instant messenger, though after 2 minutes of google searching I'm still not sure (that's my limit, if I can't figure something out through google in 2 minutes then its probably not worth knowing).  I'm not quite sure what office admins are worried about here as I thought only 13-17 year olds used instant messenging programs...the rest of us gainfully employed people have smart phones.

How did a porn site or two not make this list? Do companies block these or is it some sort societal assumption that workers won't get their freak on during office hours?

By the way, the Number One time waster in my office, by far, ESPN.  Know why this isn't blocked? Because all the male bosses wouldn't be able to get through their day with out a sports article or too.

Jay-Z and Will Smith To Remake Broadway Hit, Annie

USA Today - It's official: Jay-Z is teaming with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, along with some other folks, to form a joint venture to develop and produce movies.Their first project will be a "re-imagination of the classic Broadway musical Annie ,as a vehicle for Willow Smith," according to an announcement by Overbrook Entertainment, the Smith's company.  Willow Smith, who probably isn't all that familiar with a hard-knock life, is already signed to Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation, which produced her first hit single titled Whip My Hair. Jay-Z previously sampled the classic Annie song It's the Hard Knock Life in his chart-busting single Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).

Nepotism, not just for white people anymore.  The fact that I didn't even know Will Smith had a daughter, yet news that she'd be starring in this film didn't even make me blink.  My mind just kinda said "oh, that figures" and moved right along.

I'm more curious about how drastic this "re-imagination" is going to be.  Is it going to be all urban, like this time Annie is named Aniequa or Anniesha, and instead of leaving behind a life in the foster home she's dreaming of leaving behind life in a crack den in inner-city Baltimore for a life growing up with a rich rapper father figure?

Does anyone know if they've contacted mini-me and Dr. Evil to reprise their duet for the soundtrack to this film?

By the way, Will, I change the channel every time that "Whip My Hair" song comes on...I guess the apple does fall far from the tree every now and then.  I'm going to continue to pretend I don't know she's your daughter as not to tarnish my memory of you.

Walgreens Selling Their Own Brand of Beer

Walgreen Co. has quietly rolled out a private label brew. The product, Big Flats 1901, will carry a suggested retail price of $2.99 for a six-pack of cans and $11.49 for a 24-pack, the company said...“In just the first few weeks of sales consumer feedback has been very positive, as beer drinkers across the U.S. are thrilled to have such a quality brew at a value price,” Kathleen Burns, senior marketing manager at Novato, Calif.-based Winery Exchange said in a statement.

Brilliant move by Walgreens. I can't help but wish, however, that Kathleen Burns hadn't beat around the bush and had come right out and stated what their real plan is:

"In just the first few weeks of sales consumer feedback has been very positive, vagabonds and indigents across the US are thrilled to have quality swill for a price affordable on a dumpster diving budget"

 What better way to take advantage of a prolonged recession than by offering a dirt cheap beer to the alcohol businesses best customers, homeless drunks.  Sure Keystone and Natty-Light are cheap enough during regular times, but times are tough right now.  With more and more foreclosures each day the competition for recyclable cans is tougher than ever, $13 for a 30-rack of beer is just too rich for most bums blood...alcohol that is.  

Your Grandparents are Still Paying for AOL

PC Mag - Today, AOL has just 4 million subscribers. But here is the kicker—those people are still paying. AOL.com, of course, is free. It used to be a pay service, but has been free for years. You can access the AOL.com, read all of its content, and check your aol.com e-mail without paying a dime. If you already pay for an account, however, AOL will continue to bill you. And evidently, that makes AOL a LOT of money. What's more, Auletta estimates that these subscriber revenues generate 80% of the AOL's profit. How much is that? In the third quarter of last year these suspect subs generated about $244 million! All because AOL subscribers don't know they don't have to pay anymore.

This can't be. I'm not mad that they may be scamming old people and idiots alike, thats common practice and I don't have time to look down disapprovingly on every company or person that scams old people for financial gain, it would be exhausting.

My issue is that I haven't received one of those fancy CD-Rom discs in years, despite the fact that the business is still running. I honestly just figured AOL was just AOL.com now, didn't realize they still provided service.  I used to check the mail every day waiting to see if a new version of AOL had come out.  I'd run into the house and install that shit and then troll around chat rooms acting superior to everyone who hadn't upgraded yet (yea I was living in fast times back then). The only thing that sucked was I usually had to re-download all my punters. If you're reading this AOL send me a goddamn disc, you're missing out on a potential customer.

Man Stands Down Water Cannon In Egypt (video inside)

Is this the kind of technology we're up against over there in the Arab world? A school bus fitted with a water cannon and citizens armed with rocks?  Remind me again why we haven't just colonized the Middle East as of yet?  

The police at UMass used to bring out heavier artillery any time the Redsox were in the playoffs, using gas and bean bag guns, and that didn't stop the students from flipping cars and tearing down light posts.  I fail to see what is so impressive about standing up to a Super-Soaker.  Inner-city kids play with open fire hydrants for fun in the summer.  How is what this guy is doing any different?