Jay Inslee’s “Save Internet radio” bill April 30, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Music.add a comment
My representative, ladies and gentlemen! Fighting to keep Net radio alive.
In March, the [Copyright Royalty Board] drastically increased royalty rates for webcasters – starting retroactively at $0.0008 per song in 2006 and climbing to $0.0019 per song in 2010. Though it costs only fractions of a penny per song, the change amounts to a 300 percent cost increase for the largest webcasters and up to a 1200 percent increase for smaller operations.
…The Inslee-Manzullo Internet Radio Equality Act, H.R. 2060, would provide royalty parity for Internet radio providers. It would vacate the CRB’s March 2 decision and apply the same royalty rate-setting standard to commercial Internet radio, as well as satellite radio, cable radio and jukeboxes. A transition rate of 7.5 percent of revenue would be set through 2010.
Check out SaveNetRadio.org
Your page views are sad to me. Maybe you like sad things? Look here! April 26, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Advertising, Google, Webmastery.2 comments
When I checked the MapStats page for the Redeemer Arts and Music blog, this Google ad appeared in the sidebar:
Yes, I’m dying to see the “Saddest Thing on Internet”. Please Internet, make me sad!
Cubicle redecoration April 23, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Miscellany.add a comment
I’m all Zen and stuff now.
My short story “Moshe’s Lament” April 23, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Miscellany.add a comment
In honor of International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, I’m posting my short story “Moshe’s Lament” on the Web. I read the story during the Great Vigil of Easter at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore.
Listen to the audio of the reading here
(You can read and listen to a couple of other swell creative Vigil presentations at the Redeemer Arts and Music blog.)
RIP, Don Ho April 17, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Music.add a comment
When I was eight years old and stationed in the Philippines, “Tiny Bubbles” was huge. We boys wanted to be cool and casual like Don Ho. (We also wanted to be lightning fast and deadly like Bruce Lee. Kids want to be lots of stuff, not all of it consistent.)
Funny how 76 used to seem unbelievably ancient to me. Now that it’s only 36 years away from my age now, it seems a little close for comfort.
The God Delusion will probably just leave me lying awake at night seething, but I’ll give it a shot April 12, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Books.3 comments
KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM – MATERIALS ON HOLD
An item you have placed on hold is now available for you. Emailed replies to this notice are not read by staff.
Please pick up your item(s) on or before the date shown with the PICKUP AT location(s) below.AUTHOR: Westerfeld, Scott.
TITLE: The last days : a novel
CALL NO: Y WESTERFELD
BARCODE: 2051763577
LOCATION: Kenmore Teen Fiction
PICKUP BY: 04-19-07AUTHOR: Dawkins, Richard,
TITLE: The God delusion
CALL NO: 211.8 DAW
BARCODE: 2052448087
LOCATION: Kingsgate Nonfiction
PICKUP BY: 04-19-07
Paschal status messages April 9, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Google.add a comment
Two of the folks from my church are on Google Talk.
Tonya’s status message is Christos Anesti!
Hunter’s status message is Alithos Anesti!
Which is funny if you know the history of our (Episcopal) church. For almost a decade we hosted a Greek Orthodox congregation, and it kinda rubbed off on us.
Good Friday April 6, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Miscellany.add a comment
At this liturgy, the first thing to strike our senses is the unfamiliar barrenness of the worship space. There is nothing to distract our attention from the Cross and the saving events we commemorate. It is a time of great solemnity. However, the profundity of the liturgy should not be confused with mourning. We are not conducting a “funeral for Jesus”. Instead, with awe, we contemplate the deep redemptive love of God and its meaning for ourselves and the World.
(Link)
EMI goes DRM free, and the 99 cent iTunes song begins to disappear April 2, 2007
Posted by Wade Rockett in Technology.add a comment
“Apple said iTunes would make individual tracks available from EMI artists at twice the sound quality of existing downloads, with their DRM removed, at a price of $1.29, 1.29 euros and 99 pence.”
I’m glad that EMI decided to sell digital music without DRM. No, seriously. It’s awesome.
But on the other hand:
Imagine if every car was built with an onboard computer that prevented you from driving it on certain streets. The auto manufacturers claim that while it may seem restrictive, this onboard computer is actually a feature that makes the whole car manufacturing and owning experience better for everyone.
Consumers become dissatisfied. They think to themselves, I own the damn car, I should be able to decide what streets to drive it on.
So then one of the car companies–let’s say Ford–announces that you can now buy a car that does not have the onboard computer built in. Plus, it’s faster than the old type of car. And it costs more.
Consumers might rightly ask, “Since it doesn’t cost you extra to not put the onboard computer in a car, why am I paying more?”
To which Ford might reply, “You’re paying for the extra speed and functionality.”
“But that’s functionality that ought to be part of the car to begin with. You sabotaged it, and now you’re selling it back to me like it’s an extra.”
“Okay, then you’re just paying for the extra speed.”
“I never asked for a faster car. Just one that drives where I want it to go.”
“Look, do you want a car that drives on every street or don’t you?”
My guess is that this is the end result of a lot of backroom dealing, where EMI would only agree to sell its music without DRM if Apple agreed to sacrifice its policy that every song on the iTunes Music Store would cost 99 cents, no more, no less.
Now that there’s a leak in the 99 cent dam, how long before every song is $1.29?
An even bigger cliffhanger: Will EMI take a step further and stop suing file-sharing music fans through the RIAA?
UPDATE: Boing Boing has some more info. The price of DRM-free albums and music videos will not go up, and you can replace your old DRM’d tunes with shiny new ones by paying the difference!
