Friday, August 31, 2007 |
I just simply can not stop laughing about this.... it's gotta be one of the funniest news stories in a long time! Ben S. was the first of many folks to submit to us this incredible story of Viacom's latest ridiculous claim of copyright infringement. As you're most likely aware by this point, Viacom is in the middle of a nasty $2 billion lawsuit with Google over what it alleges are videos that infringe on Viacom's copyright appearing on YouTube. Of course, in making those claims, Viacom has been known to be a bit too aggressive in taking down videos -- including some that clearly did not violate Viacom's copyright. This latest case, however, may be the most ridiculous. VH1 is a Viacom property that has a popular TV show called "Web Junk 2.0." It basically just takes the more popular/funny/stupid clips that show up on YouTube every week and shows them on TV along with some goofy commentary from the show's host. I'd always wondered if Viacom compensated the owners of those videos -- especially given the company's position about YouTube. It turns out that neither Viacom nor VH1 compensate the video owners, or even ask their permission. It just assumes that it can use them. Most turn out to be perfectly happy (not surprisingly) to get this sort of free publicity. One guy thought it was so cool that he recorded the clip of Web Junk that featured his own video and posted that on YouTube so he could blog about it. And, in an incredibly ironic move, Viacom sent a takedown notice to YouTube forcing it offline. Just to make it clear: Viacom used this guy's work without permission and put it on TV. The guy then takes Viacom's video of his video and puts it online... and Viacom freaks out claiming copyright infringement. Effectively, Viacom is claiming that it's infringement of Viacom's copyright to display an example of Viacom infringing on copyright. Labels: copyright, duh, funny, mafiaa, viacom (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Thursday, August 30, 2007 |
Labels: cadet maxim, quote, quotes (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Friday, August 24, 2007 |
(C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Thursday, August 16, 2007 |
It's about freaking time! Labels: mafiaa, mp3, p2p, riaa (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
This is why I stick with NetFlix.... There is a lot to be said about quality customer service and, sadly, it is rarely found anymore. Labels: customer service, movies, netflix (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 |
Verizon argues with fire chief that there was no fire Ok, Verizon has become very good at pulling the wool over their customers' eyes. Our bills had never been changed and there have never been unneeded fees as well as other things that just plain never happened. They get away with this a lot...... ..... but trying to cover up that there was a fire? Does anyone else think that thir ability to fool people has gone to their head? Labels: duh, fire, smokescreen, telco, verizon (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 |
I really can't give enough praise to Commerce Bank! If you are in a state that they are (PA, VA, DC, NY, CT, FL) then you really need to set up an account.... you'll be glad you did! Labels: banks, commerce bank, customer service, review, wow (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Saturday, August 11, 2007 | |
It's obvious that younger people are more involved in social networking but I don't think it's the issue of technology that most think it is. It was really the early 90's that interest in computers really started taking off. Granted, I was interested in the 80's but the 1990's brought computers into everyone's home. I was the last person in my group of friends to actually get a "real" computer and that happened in middle school. Is it possible that it has to do with emotional attachment and filling a void that was created by technology? The reason I left myspace a few months ago was simply because it is no longer what it was intended to be. People say it's a site to connect with people that you haven't seen in a while. When I first got my myspace account, that happened frequently but as time went on, it was obvious that it was drifting away from being that. Facebook, on the other hand, has a lot of ways to interact more but, more importantly, has important "social blocks" that help prevent it from becomming what myspace is now. For instance, there are no such things as "top friends" which means you don't have to pick favorites (which you are forced to do on myspace). You also have a lot more searching power on facebook but you are limited to who's profile you can actually view. You have to be a member of a network to see people's profiles in that network (unless they add you). You are able to search for anyone using very specific criteria but it blocks the ability to just randomly search for people and add them as your friends. Essentially, on facebook you have to know what you are looking for, where on mypsace you don't. So what is the big deal about whether you are able to search for someone based on random criteria? Well, in almost all cases those random searches are for the purpose of filling a void that isn't being met in real life. So many people are hiding behind their computers now and they are not experiencing what life is really about. Technology is an amazing tool that allows us to connect with and keep in touch with people around the globe but at the same time, it is taking the focus of what friendship and relationships are all about. Giving someone "a hug" online will never be able to take the place of giving someone a real-life hug. We try to push the experiences that technology can give us and we create "features" that pull us away from what life was meant to be. SMS messages, email, instant messages.... we are tied to this network 24 hours a day because it's now not only on our computers but it's on our phones and other mobile devices. We are now even ordering pizza online to avoid having to talk to someone on the phone... think about it.... we're using technology to pull us away from a technology that took us away from physical interaction. Yes, phones did that. Instead of having to go to your friend's house and have a conversation you could now talk to them even though they were across town. Now that technology is progressing, telephone calls are too personal for us. Maybe this has a lot to do with why the online pornography business is booming.... we don't want to have to deal with relationships anymore so we see millions and millions of people turning to pornography which attempts to give sexual satisfaction without the ties of a relationship -- or even a friendship. I am as guilty as the next person with all of this but I have slowly been realizing a lot of what I was stuck inside. The irony of the situation is that I lived in 3 different apartment complexes during the time I lived in Northern VA and out of all of that I met only one neighbor at only one of those. That's more than 2 years of living next door to hundreds of people and I met one. Now I live in the mountains where there are only 2 other houses visible from my house and in only a few months I know them both. Think about it -- where is technology at? It's in the cities... the higher the population is, the more technology is available. Where I live, I consider it a blessing that I can get a cable modem but in NoVA, you have countless options for getting faster internet connections and a lot less to do outside of the apartment or house. I love going to Shenandoah National Park because it helps me realize how much more there is outside of cyberspace. I realized how much I had been missing by being 100% embedded in technology and going to the park cuts me away from technology all together. To me, it is a blessing to not have cell phone coverage while I'm in the park -- it forces me to realize more about what the world is. What changed for the class of 2001? I think it's probably the generation that really started losing touch of the importance of spending time together and how important other people were to our lives. There is nothing wrong with the fact that more and more people are using social networks or using cell phones or any other kind of technology. I use technology all the time and it is a huge part of my life but I'm slowly realizing that it's not the use of technology, but the motive of using that technology, that is important. Labels: facebook, myspace, social networking, society, web 2.0 (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Friday, August 10, 2007 |
My vision is altered There's a blind wind running Through the trees My memories They deceive so cunningly With no reply With no reprieve I try to chase what I believe Into my mind Where I lie - that everything's fine But if I could... turn around And if I could... hear the sound And if I could... feel the ground falling beneath me I don't want to tell you goodbye But I don't want to tell you a lie This thing... This aching Tears my heart and Cuts me down to size I don't remember A time when things like this Weren't so amiss This abyss I can't believe I'm so naive to this. "If I Could" by The Echoing Green Labels: echoing green, lyrics (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Sunday, August 05, 2007 |
Something just hit me... The prefix for- means to come before. Isn't it ironic that give is the second part of forgive. Hmmmm... I guess that means that someone can't earn your forgiveness. (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
-- Cory Matthews, Boy Meets World 6-05 Labels: boy meets world, quotes, worth (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Saturday, August 04, 2007 |
(C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Free, free, set them free Free, free, set them free If you need somebody Call my name If you want someone You can do the same If you want to keep something precious You got to lock it up and throw away the key If you want to hold onto your possession Don't even think about me If you love somebody If you love someone If you love somebody If you love someone, set them free Set them free Set them free Set them free If it's a mirror you want Just look into my eyes Or a whipping boy Someone to despise Or a prisoner in the dark Tied up in chains you just can't see Or a beast in a gilded cage That's all some people ever want to be If you love somebody If you love someone If you love somebody If you love someone, set them free Set them free Set them free Set them free You can't control an independent heart Can't tear the one you love apart Forever conditioned to believe that we can't live We can't live here and be happy with less So many riches So many souls With everything we see that we want to possess If you need somebody Call my name If you want someone You can do the same If you want to keep something precious You got to lock it up and throw away the key You want to hold onto your possession Don't even think about me If you love somebody If you love someone If you love somebody If you love someone, set them free Set them free Set them free Set them free Set them free "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free" by Sting (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
Isn't it weird that a privilege could feel like a chore? Maybe it's me but this line isn't going anywhere, maybe if we looked hard enough, we could find a backdoor. (Find yourself a backdoor.) I see you in line, dragging your feet you have my sympathy. The day you were born, you were born free. That is your privilege. Isn't it strange that the man standing in front of me doesn't have a clue why he's waiting, or what he's waiting for? Maybe it's me, but I'm sick of wasting energy. Maybe if I look in my heart I could find a backdoor. (Find yourself a backdoor.) I see you in line, dragging your feet you have my sympathy. The day you were born, you were born free. That is your privilege. "Privilege" by Incubus (C)2003-2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved |
(C)2008, Bob K Mertz - Some Rights Reserved
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