New Office coming soon!!!

And I can't wait!

Chickens? Dead? Alive?

Looking for a reason to go down to Milwaukee this weekend? Want to see some dead chickens come back to life and terrorize a fast food restaurant? You do?
Well this weekend, you’re in luck!
The Times Cinema in Milwaukee will host an eggs-clusive U.S. premiere of the latest Troma film, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead on Friday night, with more shows all weekend.
Lloyd Kaufman, who also brought the world the B-movie classics “Toxic Avenger,” “Sgt. Kabukiman” and “Tromeo and Juliet,” will be at the premiere in person to introduce the film and participate in the Q/A session along with Poultrygeist star Kate Graham.
According to Lloyd’s MySpace page, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead is cinema’s first chicken-zombie horror-comedy… with musical numbers!
Really, can you pass something like that up?

The Times Cinema is located at 5906 West Vliet Street, in Milwaukee (I think it may actually be in the suburb of Wauwatosa).




For more info and directions go here.





For more info on Troma, check it out here.

AllofMP3-If it seems legit, you must acquit

Not like I was expecting another outcome, but the guy behind one of the most popular online music sites - allofmp3.com - was acquitted of copyright infringement charges in Russian court last week.

According to an article in Information Week, the court acquitted Denis Kvasov and his company MediaServices of the charges Wednesday.

Another site, p2pnet.net, reported that the IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry) botched their prosecution of Kvasov so badly, judge Yekaterina Sharapova reportedly said, “I want to draw particular attention to the sloppy job done by prosecutors in collecting and analyzing the facts."

The music site, which sold songs for as little as 10 cents a track, became the subject of international controversy after recording and publishing companies, as well as groups like the RIAA, said the site was selling tracks illegally and breached copyright law.

In fact, Russia was forced to go in and shut down the site to gain entry into the World Trade Organization. As of July 27, Russia had not been admitted to the WTO.

AllofMP3 maintained it was acting under Russian copyright law, which allowed Russian collection societies like the Russian Organization for Multimedia and Digital Systems (ROMS), to license music to companies without securing permission from the music’s copyright holder.

AllofMP3 paid ROMS a portion of each sale.

But music companies refused to collect from ROMS because it would have been an admission that they accepted the terms of Russian law.

The RIAA was reportedly "extremely disappointed" with the verdict, and the IFPI said it vowed to appeal the decision.

AllofMP3 vowed to reopen soon. More on that HERE.

emusic rules!

Raise your hands if you find the iTunes music store needlessly complicated. That many of you?
I am a big fan of everything Mac, but I can’t say I have ever been a big fan of the iTunes music store. In fact, while I have used it, I have only used it once.
Why? I think it stinks that songs cost $.99, I don’t like that tunes come with DRM, the files are not mp3s (playable on all devices) and I think it’s getting harder and harder to find new music on the service because it’s constantly buried by other, crappier music. Now, must of that is out of Apple’s control, but be that as it may, it still sucks.
And because I’m not a huge fan of iTunes, I’m put off by most online music services – from the legalized Napster to everyone else that has tried to sell music online.
But recently I was introduced to emusic, an online music store that sells mp3s by indie artists, and I was officially blown away.
The service differs greatly from the iTunes music store. Instead of paying per song, e-music sells download packages – the cheapest is 10 bucks a month for 30 songs. The songs are delivered in mp3 format, DRM free and are compatible with iTunes and your iPod (and, as far as I know, every other mp3 device).
And the selection is great. I picked up the new Stars release (not available on disc until mid September-I’ll have a review later this week) and an older release from the Plain White T’s, and I still have an album’s worth of songs to burn through this month.
I would highly recommend checking emusic out. They give away 25 free downloads with new membership, and it’s totally worth it!

http://www.emusic.com/

Happy Birthday CD!

The compact disc turns 25 this week. And while CDs have been the preferred format of sound recordings since 1988 when they first outsold records, it's hard to say whether or not they'll be around to see 30. It's strange to think that a metal disc, encased in plastic, that's read by a laser beam could be obsolete, but here we are.
So enjoy it while you can CD. Who knows if you'll get another chance at a milestone!

PHOTO: Pieter Kramer poses for photographers in Eindhoven, Netherlands on Monday Aug. 13, 2007. Kramer was a leading engineer on the team that developed the CD, which was launched 25 years ago this Friday, in a joint project by Royal Philips Electronics NV and Sony Inc. of Japan. Kramer is holding a show model of the Compact Disc player, which was introduced in August 1982. AP photo

New Computer Day!

It's new computer day! New Computer Day! I got a new computer at work. Woo Hoo.
Unfortunately, it's a Dell (I <3 Mac) but beggars can't be choosers. And, for a PC, it's pretty sweet.
It's a heck of a lot faster than my old computer, which I yelled at quite regularly. So, yes!!!
Finally, a day that's better than cookie day. It's new computer day!!!!!

For those of you who also found this annoying on MySpace

Ever seen those flash ads on MySpace where the young coed, usually in some sort of sleepwear, is trying to start a text message with you? If you have, or if you've ever seen a commercial on late night TV for a 1-900 chat line, then this video from Dawn Stacy is for you. Enjoy!!!!

Dawn Stacy in Myspace Spammer (Web Girl)

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Kanye West Versus 50 Cent

And in this corner...

Over the weekend, Rapper 50 Cent said he would give up the rap game if his new CD, set for release on Sept. 11, didn't outsell Kanye West's new disc which is set to be released on the same day.

Interesting. But who will win this epic battle? Well, lets take a look at the facts.

• Kanye West has a huge ego. He has made headlines for his antics at award shows where he threw obsenity-laced tantrums when he didn't win. But on the other hand, Kanye does have the talent to back up his high opinion of himself. His last two CDs, College Dropout and Late Registration have received great reviews and have sold well.
  
• 50 Cent also has a huge ego. Several reviews of his last CD, The Massacre said one of the things you had to get over to fully enjoy the disc was 50's egotistical rantings. 50 Cent has made some major waves in the entertainment world, including appearing as the lead in a movie based on his music, Get Rich or Die Trying, but some have said 50 has limited longterm appeal.
  
• Both have released interesting singles from their forthcoming CDs. Kanye West released Stronger and 50 Cent has released Amusement Park. Kanye's song is quite good. The music is catchy with an old-school vibe, lyrics are ... well they won't inspire like Jesus Walk, but they'll do. 50 Cent's single is, well, bad. A terrifyingly bland retread of Candy Shop from his last CD.
  

So who will win? My money is on Kanye's new CD. Stronger is a stronger single. And while there is some alure to 50's music, the constant delays by his record company to release the disc for sale (the disc's release has been delayed twice) suggests that it is not going to be good.

Not to mention, someone close to 50 Cent's label leaked the disc on the Internet more than 2 months ago, and early reviews and blog chatter suggests speculation on the disc's lack of quality might be correct.

So, tune in the week of Sept. 11 to see if 50 Cent will beat out Kanye West, or if music listeners will be cashing in their loose change.

Goodbye Youth!

I blog pretty often, and while I usually write about things that I like, I rarely talk about myself.
There's no real reason for that, it's just that I don't.
But tomorrow is a big day for me.
I turn 36.
This really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but it kind of is. Why? Because I am leaving the youthful 18-35 demographic group and entering more distinguished the 36-50/60-something demographic.
For some reason, I'm taking this a little hard. There's no pamphlet that comes with entering this group, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to react to it. Can I still watch MTV? Will my musical tastes remain relevant? Can I still Rock 'n' Roll all night and Par-te E-ver-ry Day?
I just don't know.
All I know is I remember hearing a comedian talking about the demographic group I'm entering, describing it as a group where 36-year-olds get lumped into the same category as old men who hike their pants up to their armpits.
Sh**.
Of course, I could go around saying 36 is the new 22, but that's bull and we all know it. 36 is 36 and I just have to deal with it.
Well, on my last night of relative youth, I'm not going to do anything spectacular. I'll probably have a beer, watch some TV and completely forget about getting older.
Hopefully tomorrow morning when I get out of bed, my joints won't crack too hard, I'll remember what day it is, and I won't have newfound need for Geritol Complete.

Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme!

Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme!
Apple Inc. introduced their new iMacs today, and they are sweet!
And I want one sooooo bad. Just look at that beautiful thing. The plastic case is gone and replaced with an aluminum one ... and Apple says they have more power.
Wow.
And, get this, the models are $200-$300 less than the last iMac. That is so cool.
I want one now!
Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme!

Huge Freaking Mad Mad Media News!!!!!!!

I can't tell you about it here. I'd love to, but you really have to watch today's Mad Mad Media Minute to find out more. But it's really, really big news!!
CLICK HERE!

So, you want to get paid for this?

Here’s something interesting. According to an AP article, a group of bloggers is trying to band together to form a labor union, hoping to “receive health insurance, conduct collective bargaining or even set professional standards.”
According to the article, “organizers hope a bloggers’ labor group will not only showcase the growing professionalism of the Web-based writers, but also the importance of their roles in candidates’ campaigns.”
Hmmm. That’s interesting. But...
Let’s face facts people. Most bloggers blog for the sheer enjoyment of blogging (here’s a sentence that wouldn’t have made any sense 10 years ago). Have you ever clicked the “next blog” link on the top of the page? While there are a handful of bloggers out there trying to shape the political landscape, or even trying to get paid to blog, most bloggers blog solely about crap they are interested in. From pottery to pot.
According to the article, 120,000 blogs are started everyday and there are at least 94 million blogs worldwide.
And the likelihood you could band all of these bloggers together to form a labor union, even a majority of them, is about as realistic as a fish-flavored soda winning the cola wars. Look. Blogs are pretty cool. Good blogs. And it’s great that bloggers are redefining niche marketing by offering plenty of choices for readers of all types, but it you want to earn a paycheck with benefits you’re probably going to have to do it the old fashioned way — get advertisers, get sponsors, win the lottery or get a haircut and get a real job.

Mad Mad Product Review: Uverse by AT&T

Disclaimer: While writing an article on U-verse entering the Sheboygan market, I was invited to AT&T’s offices in Milwaukee to test drive its new product, U-verse. This is my review of the product, standing alone on its own. In an effort to remain unbiased and offer up full disclosure, I will tell you that I do not subscribe to Charter Cable, and this is not intended to be a point-by-point comparison of the two products. It is simply a review of U-verse, and U-verse alone.

Uverse: Coming to a television near you

Like many people, I spend a lot of time watching TV. Not as much as some people, but definitely more than others. Needless to say, I take television very seriously. So, when I was invited to check out U-verse - the IP television service offered by AT&T that recently became available in Sheboygan - firsthand at AT&T’s offices in Milwaukee, I jumped at the chance.
During the drive down to Milwaukee, I tried to imagine what the experience would be like. I thought about my experiences with cable and satellite products in the past (I have subscribed to Time Warner Cable and Dish Network) and I pondered what new technology AT&T would be peddling.
I arrived at AT&T with the expectation that U-verse would just be TV. And while on the surface it would really appear that way, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. The fact is, I was pretty much blown away by some of U-verse’s features.
Brian Van Hoof, director of U-verse, talked me through the product’s finer features.
“When you start talking about video, it’s probably one of the most personal things consumers have and use in their household,” Van Hoof said. “You have your gadgets and gizmos, but fundamentally, entertainment and television really surrounds a lot of people’s lives.”
To break it down to its simplest elements, U-verse is a television service, coupled with high-speed Internet. Just like cable, satellite or broadcast television, TV shows magically appear at your house. But instead of shows being broadcast to your set (via the airwaves or through cable) they arrive on your TV via the phone lines.
There is some technological stuff that makes this possible. If you care, go to the end of the review and read my brief “How It Works” summary.
U-verse offers a healthy dose of programming, much of which, by default, is comparable to the programming offered by cable and satellite systems. The top package (U400, $114 a month for TV and Internet) offers more than 320 channels, and you have access to 26 high definition (HD) channels, while the less-expensive U200 ($74 a month for TV and Internet) boasts 190 channels. But it’s the little extras that would make me consider U-verse.

Something to guide you

For one, the program guide is really cool. First, it gives you a clear and easy to read list of shows that are on — which is expandable to two weeks — and indicates which shows are being broadcast in HD, perfect for those of you who have ever recorded a show you thought was in HD only to find out you recorded it on the standard definition channel.
The guide also has a picture-in-picture function, whether or not your television has picture in picture.
Adding to the impressive feature, the guide is translucent. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but while you’re looking at the guide to see what else is on, you don’t miss a second of the action of the show you’re watching.
Nice, especially if you watching a boring football game that all of a sudden gets exciting while you’re trying to find out what time the next “MythBusters” is on. The program descriptions are also fully interactive.
For instance, lets say you’re looking up which “Law & Order” is on TNT. With the click of a button, you can get a description of the episode. With another click you can get a list of cast members. Then, and this is truly awesome, by clicking on an individual cast member’s name, you can see what other programs that actor/actress is going to be in for the next two weeks. It’s like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, only with Jerry Orbach.
This is a particularly useful function for those of us who have left a show at the commercial to go into another room, get on the Internet and surf to the Internet Movie Database to find out where else you’ve seen a particular cast member. I’m guilty of doing this about once a week.

To record or not record

Another nice feature is the digital video recorder (DVR) you have the option of getting. (It’s included in the U200, U300 and U400 plans.) What makes it so cool? Well first of all, you can record up to four programs at once. Yes, at once. Second, you can program it directly from the program guide. While those features are cool, they are nothing compared to this one:
Let’s say you’re at work. You look at the clock and realize you’re going to miss the latest episode of “Scott Baio is 45 and Single.” But there is no way you can get out of work in time to see it. What do you do? Before you had to suck it up. With U-verse you can get online, using your SBC-Yahoo account, and tell your DVR to record it. You can also program your DVR from your AT&T Wireless phone.
And, though it has nothing to do with the product itself, AT&TS marketing behind U-verse intrigues me. They have teams of door-to-door salesmen hitting neighborhoods where U-verse is becoming available, and meeting potential customers face to face. In Milwaukee, AT&T also uses ice cream trucks to get people’s attention, giving out ice cream and telling people about U-verse.
AT&T has also tried to make their product as easy to use as possible, from the easy-to-read menus and a comfortable, easy-to-understand remote control, to home installations that also serve as a educational forum for customers to learn how to use U-verse to its fullest in their home.
“If our customers don’t understand how to use it, and the power of it, then they’re going to think it’s just TV, then who cares?” said Van Hoof during the demo.

To infinity and beyond

During my product test, Van Hoof stopped short of talking about AT&T’s future plans for U-verse, but he jokingly hinted that the product would get even more interactive.
“We’re really trying to give customers the ability to access information and content wherever they are,” Van Hoof said. “That’s where you can really see where we’re starting to blend the Internet and television together. That’s really what we’re trying to accomplish."
It will be interesting to see how this already impressive product evolves as more and more people welcome it into their homes.

For more information on U-verse or to see if it is in your area, visit uverse.att.com.


How it works
U-verse travels over AT&T’s network of fiber optic phone lines. To optimize quality, U-verse sets up all of its channels and receivers as individual IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, so when you tell the receiver you want to watch a certain show, it will go to that IP address and get it for you. With cable and broadcast all of the channels are beamed to you at once, and your television or cable box dictates what you are watching. Because the only signal that’s coming in to the residential gateway (the box) is just the single stream, using only the bandwidth the show needs, U-verse gives the viewer the ability to have more options. In addition, the residential gateway that operates at the brain of the operation also serves as the home’s WiFi router and home networking device for Internet usage.
Did you get all of that? Good.

iTunes no better than AllofMP3?

According to rapper Eminem, yep. The rapper, famous for his in-your-face lyrics and shocking vulgarity, and his publishing company — Eight Mile Style — filed a lawsuit against iTunes this week, alleging the music download service owned by Apple was selling his music without permission.
According to an AP article, Eight Mile Style administrator Joel Martin says the suit involves 70 to 80 songs in which the music publisher owns copyrights or ownership interest in copyrights.
The company seeks more than $75,000 for copyright infringement, unfair competition and a violation of the Michigan consumer protection act. It also asks for damages of up to $150,000 for each time a song is downloaded, the article said.
Here’s how it boils down. Eminem is claiming he didn’t give his record company, Universal (and Interscope) permission to sell his songs as downloads. Martin told AP Universal Music distributes the songs through the Interscope recording company and Apple offers them for download.
“Apple is not accounting to us. They are accounting to Universal (Music),” Martin said to AP.
So, here’s my question: How is this Apple’s problem?
The fact of the matter is, while Apple may or may not have gone to Eminem and his company personally to ask for permission to sell his music, they got permission from somewhere — a company that probably had the right to do it.
Apple isn’t dumb. Unlike the rogue MP3 services from overseas companies that hid behind antiquated laws that allowed individual collection societies to broker music distribution deals for artists and record labels without their involvement/permission, Apple has to get permission. Otherwise they could be opening themselves up to more than 3 billion individual lawsuits.
So how did Eminem’s music fall through the cracks? My guess is a communication error on one of the companies that represent Slim Shady.
Music downloads are $0.99 on iTunes. Of that, Apple gets 29 cents and the artist receives about nine cents. The rest of the money is divided up for the performing rights companies (both the artist's and companies like ASCAP or BMI), the record labels (parent and sub labels) and assorted lawyers, techies and so on.
That’s a lot of hands in the pie.
Now, when it comes to the music publishing companies (the nice people who give permission to use music for performances, downloads, sync rights and so on that go out in the world and make sure the musician gets paid for the use of their song on the radio, in commercials, by cover bands, in clubs and so on) that is usually split between the artist’s company (in this case Eight Mile Style) and a larger company with the experience and resources to get the job done like BMI or ASCAP. Since I have no knowledge of Eminem’s actual publishing deal, I can’t comment on what went wrong in this case.
But I can say that in just about every case there is more than one company that can claim the right to give permission to allow the music to be sold via iTunes and other legal download services. How much of a right is dictated by the individual contract, though Eminem’s attorney said the artist did not give the record companies permission to allow his music to be downloaded.
Eminem’s beef should be with the publishing companies and his record company for failing to protect his music and live up to their end of the contract, not iTunes. While Eminem has sued iTunes in the past (for using his song in a commercial, which ended with a settlement agreement), iTunes appears to have covered its bases.
Unfortunately, even established and profitable artists such as Eminem aren’t immune to a major label’s buffoonery and the communications errors attributed to the quest for profits. The fact remains that no artist is.