YouTube

If, indeed, YouTube plans to automatically screen uploaded content, we should all be worried. I have not seen the process they are using to identify content, but unless they have hired a massive army of (ironically imperfect) human censor-monkeys, I do not trust that First Amendment (free speech) and Fair Use content will be saved.

How can you parody or remix a work when your infringement filter is automated?

How can you express your opinion about a contemporary and important social issue when mentioning its name or showing short clips of it (too often, i'm guessing) will get you automatically removed?

Even worse, who else will know this is happening?

Who is creating these filters?

What broad strokes are the plaintiffs requiring Google detect?

I won't believe it 'till I see it on this one --- automatic removal runs counter to our legal system, in just the same way that conviction might precede trial or proof of wrong-doing. Once again, we are creating an advantaged-disadvantaged situation between the "media conglomerate producer" and the "average content consumer".

I would hope Google has the foresight to realize this before moving forward. To all the greedy companies out there who might claim that YouTube-esque exposure has done irreparable damage to their revenue, reputation or viewership, I'd like to see exactly how this has affected:

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

-taken verbatim from the US Code TITLE 17 > CHAPTER 1 > § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use

The Modern PC Survival Guide

I think everyone has their own list of favorite programs and tools that they install first-thing on a fresh (Windows) desktop. Here are my essential open source or freeware tools:

7-zip : for compression and zip files

bitpim: for interfacing with my mobile phone

Exact Audio Copy: for all CD ripping purposes

Eclipse: for all serious or complicated software development and compilation

ffdshow: codecs for audio and video, rolled almost daily

FileZilla: for all FTP needs

Firefox: duh.

foobar2000: great audio player for many formats, supports high quality kernel streaming

MediaPlayerClassic: no hassle media player, no install needed, comes through in a pinch

NotePad++: best text editor i've used in Windows. Used for scripting, html, php, text.

VLC: when you absolutely, positively, need to play a media file, this will do it, no questions asked.

WAMP: Apache HTTP server, MySQL database, PHP5 install bundle, webdev in a box.

Wireshark: For all your network packet needs.

All of which are American dreams

I've been doing some reading and everyone should take a minute to thank their local library: The ALA is one of the coolest, consumer-rights advocacy groups out there!

They've challenged (in court) the proposed broadcast flag recommended to the FCC, fought COPA in its various forms (mandatory censorship) and have opposed the PATRIOT Act and suggested major revisions to the DMCA!

While their interests are probably more accurately expressed as advocating free speech and free access to public information, they have championed the same causes as many technologically literate copyright reformers.

This is the kind of watchdog group I'm glad to have looking out for me.

Deep Red & Black

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070716/full/070716-13.html

Looks like some researchers have finally "solved" checkers and mapped the winning strategies.

Pan's Labyrinth

I just finished watching Pan's Labyrinth, and I have to say, it's one of the best movies I've seen in a while...it just oozes style and dark fantasy. I like the position of the main character, Ofelia, who is struggling to keep her fairy-tale world alive while being thrust into the ominous world around her. Ironically, she seems more at home in her scary fantasies than in her own bedroom.

But back to the style --- it's just amazing. You have to see some of these costumes and effects to believe them. There's just something undeniably refreshing and kick-ass about this movie. Take the faun, for example. You're never quite sure if he's a good guy or a bad guy, as he interacts with Ofelia. He has deliciously evil posturing and says really sketchy things, but some of his actions turn out to be quite helpful.

Two more notes: you can tell this is a foreign film, just by the way they choose to show grotesque moments...haha. It's definitely not based on hollywood. Also, I have to admit, this reminded me of American McGee's: Alice, another awesome "twisted" fairy-tale story (although it's a computer game). Both are awesomely stylish and entertaining, if you can dig the themes. Also reminds me of the movie The Cell for some reason.

(Walk me out in the) Morning Dew

I need to work on my zen-like calm. Listening to the Grateful Dead helps, esp. their mellow numbers.

There's no place like 127.0.0.1

The housing search is complete! We are now the proud renters of a 3 bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bathroom and 2-car garage townhome in Mountain View! I will be the last to move in, but I know it will be sooner than expected.

Looking forward to awesome cafes!

I'm out in California apartment-hunting this week. This means I'm also checking out local cafes and restaurants, and I have to say, I'm very excited! There are some real gems here -- like Neto's Cafe in Mountain View.

This is a fresh mint leaf - lemon and sugar smoothie that I ordered, and it's so refreshing, minty and lip-puckering, i'm sure it'll become an instant classic.

The Delicate Art of Sake Bombing

I had dinner tonight in a downtown Palo Alto sushi joint called Miyake's, which while not being my first sushi experience, nor even my first Miyake's, was quite entertaining!

Let me explain the difference between East Coast and West Coast sake bombing (or what I've observed so far of it): The East Coast style involves delicately balancing your sake on a pair of chopsticks suspended on top of your beer, while the West Coast style involves delicately balancing yourself on top of your chair (standing) while holding the sake inside of the beer glass. In the East, you bang on the tables and yell "Sake Sake Sake Bomb!", while in the West, it becomes a participatory game between you and your waiters:

Waitor: Sake
You: BOMB!
Watier: Sake!
You: BOMB!
...
and then you drink.

At West-Coast Miyake's, as soon as someone yelled Sake Bomb! the lights dimmed, disco lights came up, and dance music started playing -- someone even turned on a fog machine.

So which is better?

The East Coast version, obviously :-P It requires more skill to balance your sake on chopsticks, the table-banging incorporates the chant into the actual drinking event, and no one breaks their neck. Those West Coast sake bomb cowboys are just crazy ;)

---

On another note, the Palo Alto restaurant also had special rolls for many of the companies in the area: You could order Microsoft, Cisco, HP, IBM, Apple, Google and Sun rolls, to name a few. Yes, Neil tried a Cisco, and I tried a Google.