The Scoop

the scoop

got rememberthemilk?

Accomplishing goals in our increasingly busy lives requires organization. For those naturally blessed with a keen mind and good memory, this requires little effort. The rest of us, however, could use a little bit of help. Remember The Milk (www.rememberthemilk.com) is a Web service that can assist you in managing your responsibilities, taking advantage of the electronic gadgets we use every day to keep you focused and on schedule.

You begin using Remember The Milk (RTM) by entering tasks. For each task entered, you can set its priority, due date and time you estimate to accomplish the goal. In addition, the Web site features Google Maps integration, so you can also set each task’s location. This is a neat way to see the physical relationship between your tasks and can help you plan adjust your travel plans accordingly. You can even tag your tasks with keywords, to further help you figure out how you are spending your time.

However, RTM’s key strength is that it can remind you of your upcoming tasks through the devices you use all the time. You can set up your account to send e-mail, AIM or SMS notices alerting you when a deadline is approaching. RTM provides you with the tools to integrate your tasks with Google Calendar, Gmail and Apple’s iCal as well as RSS readers. You can even add tasks to your RTM account via e-mail.

kid rock’s just kidding

Kid Rock wants fans to know it’s OK to illegally download his music.

And while they’re at it, they should steal cars, designer clothes and iPods, too. Well, maybe not.

The 37-year-old Detroit musician posted a “special announcement” on YouTube last week urging fans to “steal everything.” Kid Rock says in the video that he’s so rich, he can’t complain if fans steal a song or two off the Internet without paying him. In fact, he says, people should “level the playing field” by stealing anything they need from wealthy corporations. He mentions laptops, iPods, Toyota vehicles (“It’s a foreign car company, so who cares?”), gasoline and Tommy Hilfiger clothing as potential targets for the five-finger discount.

But the rap-rocker, who has resisted selling his music on iTunes and other online stores, tells The Associated Press he was just kidding.

“I was just trying to have some fun with it,” Kid Rock said before playing in Wednesday’s Buick Open Pro-Am, with friend and pro golfer John Daly, at Warwick Hills near Flint.

waiting for spore

Admirers of “The Sims” creator Will Wright are desperately counting down the days until Sept. 7, when his new game, the universe simulator “Spore,” finally arrives. Publisher Electronic Arts gave fans a taste of the game last week, and if the response is any indication, “Spore” is going to be a blockbuster.

new video games

In stores this week: For those about to rock, we salute Activision’s “Guitar Hero: On Tour” (DS) and MTV’s long-awaited Wii version of “Rock Band.” ... Atari tries to revive the “Alone in the Dark” horror series (Xbox 360, PlayStation 2), while Electronic Arts injects some black humor into “Battlefield: Bad Company” (360, PS3). ... 2K Sports returns to the tennis court with “Top Spin 3” (360, PS3, Wii, DS). ... Square Enix revisits the world of Ivalice in “Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift” (DS). ... Animals fight to be king of the jungle in Gamecock’s “Hail to the Chimp” (360, PS3). ... This week’s movie tie-ins are THQ’s “Wall-E” (most systems) and Konami’s “Hellboy: Science of Evil” (360, PS3, PSP).

meaningful dreaming

You wake up in a panic after having a terrible dream. But what does it mean? If you believe in dream interpretation, then the “Fortune-Telling Book of Dreams” (Chronicle Books, $9.95) is for you. As the title says, it’s like a dictionary filled with meanings behind everything you could dream about. For instance, if you dream of loving an accountant (yes, an accountant), that means you should prepare for an unhappy but financially positive union.

vmas move to la

The MTV Video Music Awards are going Hollywood. After broadcasting from Las Vegas last year, the awards will air live from Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on Sept. 7, MTV announced this week. MTV plans for the first time to enlist its Web-savvy, youthful audience to help decide the nominees.

The network intends to take over the movie studio’s lot and present the awards show from sound stages, rooftops and city streets. MTV and Paramount are corporate cousins within Viacom Inc.