Usdin.net!

People who embed video windows that automatically play the video when you hit their blog. The fact that it’s not just the little bloggers, but the big ones (Consumerist in the second link) is scary.

See, I don’t mind if you want to put a video window in – just don’t let it autoplay. For one – it causes your blog to take forever to load. Two – if it’s in a post 4 days old and “below the fold”, a minute later audio from it starts playing from it from seemingly nowhere. Third – not everyone wants to watch the video in the first place – at least give them the choice!

If you can’t figure out how to make it NOT auto play – just put a link to the video in. It’s much simpler and more considerate.

Please note – these are not the only offenders, just the two most recent ones I noticed. There was at least one other one I saw over the weekend that had a Family Guy clip on their blog, but I can’t find it now. It seems like people love to just paste the code for the videos into their blogs willy nilly with nary a thought to what will actually happen. Or maybe they don’t give a crap. It’s the blogging equivalent of stepping into someone’s living room and having them blare their TV at you within 5 seconds of your arrival.

–*Rob

First – episode #6 is up and available for download. Ok it’s been up for almost a week, but you really should check it out if you haven’t – it’s a supersize episode with some extra goodness.

Second – The Jersey Jamcast has been featured in Episode #21 of the Podshow Music Rewind – a podcast that reviews notable podcasts that feature music from the PodSafe Music Network! My segment on Hey Tiger was excerpted. Thanks to Marcus and the folks at the Podsafe Music Network for featuring the show!

–*Rob

Per this post over at the EFF, it looks like the RIAA has taken its final step off the deep end.

Yes, that’s right – they say that ripping a CD to your PC and/or your MP3 player is not fair use.

So my question is – when are they going to sue every single company that makes an MP3 player. Because they all are facilitating theft.

These guys are way out of touch.

–*Rob

Per this ABC news story…..

Looks like the FCC is looking into payola at hundreds of radio stations nationwide. This should be no surprise but I’m left wondering this:

Where were you guys?

Now I’m no fan of the FCC – lately it seems like all they’ve served to do is scare broadcasters on the issue of obscenity – so much so that the Rolling Stones had to censor the songs they sang at the Super Bowl – songs that radio has been playing just fine for thirty years… So I was a little surprised and kind of happy that they finally came around on this. Radio is in the state it’s in because of the record labels. They continue to push a lot of junk at radio stations and radio keeps on playing it – but now we know why.

I mean what Program Director in his right mind could refuse a trip to Hawaii (to see an A-list perfomer, of course)? Or a home theater system (to watch an artist’s latest music video on)? I mean – this is just the cost of business right?

Wrong. Artists need to stand on their own merits. For years it’s all been about the hype machine, the marketing, the promotions. But now – it’s all coming down.

See, it’s not just the terrestrial Radio industry that is facing extinction – it’s the entire corporate structure of the music business. Even radio’s last gasp for air – HD Radio – probably isn’t going to keep them alive. With Satellite radio coming at them from one direction, MP3 players and podcasting from another, indie band sites like MySpace, Garage Band, and CD Baby from still another – the rules are changing. They are being rewritten.

No – terrestrial radio will never go away, it’ll still be around at least for the near future because it’s the easiest way to get content and people are used to it. It’s also amazingly good in emergencies. But as a new generation of people grows up with all these other choices, its audience will continue to shrink. The music business – which has so heavily relief on radio and so fervently gone after the core of its buying market with lawsuits – is going to be in for a big wakeup call.

Are they ready? Doubtful.

–*Rob

Yes – it’s Darwin Day. Let us take the time to acknowledge the father of scientific origin. Let us thumb our noses at Intelligent Design and hope that it does not get taught as part of the science program of any school.

Most of all, let us ponder where we are taking our world and what next steps evolution could take. Who knows – eventually we too could be extinct.

–*Rob

In her own words.

Now – don’t get me wrong – I can understand if there are rules of conduct that maybe she might want to follow them. But – it appears she wansn’t informed of anything. At the same time – it would show a great deal more strength of character in our leaders – if they had let her stay and showed her shirt. It would show that this is a nation of many opinions, and just because they might not agree – would not mean they could quash what she said.

Moreover – why would they arrest her. Why not just escort her off the premises? Or were they just trying to make an example out of an already well known protestor?

Bush pulls this crap at any public appearance. This needs to stop.

–*Rob

Cross Posted at BlueJersey.net