Neighborhood Blogs

Neighborhood blogs seem to be a web-based vanguard of the meatspace phenomenon of young, affluent, tech-hip people who are populating the once industrial-decayed parts of Brooklyn. Seems to be a sort of mild spinoff of Gothamist, same idea, but more localized. Examples:

Ditmas Park Blog
Brooklyn Junction
The Gowanus Lounge

These are just the ones I've actually browsed; each has links to more.

The times are-a-changin'.

Ludlow

Well, I mangled a comment on Warren Ellis' blog, to my eternal...ah whatever. here is the pic. I think it's a nice companion piece to Trixie Bedlam's:



I am nearly done with the Turk. I guess when it hits th 20th century, I will try to resume the near-stillborn 20th century project. That thing needs some pizazz.

RIAA Case Roundup

- The RIAA (boo! hiss!) won a significant judgment in the case of the first file-sharer to take their case to court. Jammie Thompson was found liable by a jury for making downloaded music available for sharing, and was fined $9,250 for each of the 24 songs on which the plaintiff's attorneys focused the case. I am wishing I had known about RIAA radar, a great tool for evading paying these buggerers with my redundant dough.

I happen to be one of those people who buys more music as a result of downloading, due to my constant, insatiable need for new shiny things and my less rabid but still relevant attention to recording quality (my grado headphones are where these desires met). So this just pisses me off, because it means I could be punished for behavior which, in my case, often gets me contributing more to pocket lining than I otherwise would. So I will stick to grabbing non-riaa tunes and paying those hardworking people for their non-collusive efforts.

and a thought:
These kinds of lawsuits are a pathetic attempt by the industry to make up for the losses it incurred by being so far behind the market that the demand was met by quasi- or illegal providers (e.g., allofmp3.com).

Also, Ryan sent out a link to this (entirely relevant but completely Bizarro) Graphic Novel on Internet Piracy (from Underwire blog)

das quickie

OK:

- Jason Kottke found the most perfect procrastination tool I've yet seen on wikipedia. Particular fun off the bat is Reality Checkpoint, which Grant Morrison has surely used, somewhere.

- The RIAA (boo! hiss!) won a significant judgment in the case of the first file-sharer to take their case to court. Jammie Thompson was found liable by a jury for making downloaded music available for sharing, and was fined $9,250 for each of the 24 songs on which the plaintiff's attorneys focused the case. I am wishing I had known about RIAA radar, a great tool for evading paying these buggerers with my redundant dough.

I happen to be one of those people who buys more music as a result of downloading, due to my constant, insatiable need for new shiny things and my less rabid but still relevant attention to recording quality (my grado headphones are where these desires met). So this just pisses me off, because it means I could be punished for behavior which, in my case, often gets me contributing more to pocket lining than I otherwise would. So I will stick to grabbing non-riaa tunes and paying those hardworking people for their non-collusive efforts.

- SOON (tomorrow?) I will write something thoughtful about I Killed Adolf Hitler, by Jason. It is lovely.