June 21, 2004
Trash, Me and You
Posted by nerdling | June 21, 2004 03:46 PM
Proving themselves to be the unreliable journalists I have long said, Pitchfork posted a retraction this afternoon, setting the record straight on a falsified story that appeared in Brent DiCrescenzo's review of the Beastie Boys' To the 5 Boroughs.
Despite the fact that I own two Beastie Boys albums, I've never been a big fan. (Both albums were the result of my rather tragic tastes between ages 14 and 16.) The past few weeks have done much to underwhelm even my mediocre regard for them, beginning with the news that To the 5 Boroughs was locked against any potential copying via digital rights management technology. I don't particularly care to be treated like a criminal preemptively, so that tidbit didn't do much to bolster my opinion of the B-Boys. Now I've found that the CD, when inserted into a computer, installs software without the knowledge or permission of the computer's owner. This seems more than just a little bit sketchy to me. {Via kottke.org}
The internet is all right, especially if you like Merge Radio.
Because of the heightened media awareness of the nonsensical policies of the RIAA, it's easy to get down on the music industry as a whole. I oppose the RIAA's tactics on every level but the largest chunk of my resistance is based solely on fact that they are struggling to reinforce an outdated business model which can no longer support the weight of its own infrastructure. My annoyance with them for suing people over MP3s is just an outgrowth of that frustration. Cheesy as it is, I love music and I would really like for the RIAA to stop fucking things up in a field I happen to care about.
So it warms my heart a bit when I hear about things like the Digital Rights Agency, a group dedicated to streamlining the distribution of digital media and turning out a viable business model for our increasingly complex technological advancements. Sure, they aren't the only answer, nor probably even the best one—but they've recognized one important fact: all our base are belong to us.
The music industry is dead. Long live the music industry!
Very rarely do I ever make it out of the house and into a movie theater. It is primarily an issue of money—why pay $10 to see one movie when I could rent two or three for the same amount?—and secondarily the fact that I don't like being crammed into a movie theater with lots of people. I have personal space issues and I don't particularly like anyone I don't know coming within a foot of my person for more than a brief moment. Movie theaters, theme parks and airports upset me most in this respect, as they are full of PSIs (Personal Space Invaders).
Last night I overcame my dislike of such situations and waded through the hordes of teenage fashion victims to see Dodgeball. I was really looking forward to the movie beforehand in anticipation of seeing Rip Torn, Gary Cole and Stephen Root share the screen, but I was completely unprepared for the amazing string of cameos. I won't spoil the surprises, but the cameos are nearly as good as watching grown men get pummeled with wrenches and red rubber balls.
For all you spaghetti cinephiles, have a Fistful-of-Leone. {Via Bitter Cinema}
