VIKINGS VERSUS CUBA

Is it time for the vikings to return... Is Cuba the first stop? Related: My post, CASTRO PROPAGANDA TV.

KENNEDY CULTURE KILLED MARILYN MONROE

It is shocking to read about the FBI documents that link Robert F. Kennedy to Marilyn Monroe's death. [Via Pajamas Media.] For an understanding of the title of this post, read Ayn Rand's essay, Marilyn Monroe: Through Your Most Grievous Fault (August, 1962).

WATER FROM COLOGNE AND KIWIS FROM NZ

I want to send a farewell greeting to Jordan from New Zealand. He has been a regular visitor at Blue Chip Café. Please go to his blog and wish him a safe trip to Cologne. [Editor's comment: Check out the virtual Swedish embassy if you want to be on neutral ground. I have promised not to mentioned the war...]



I wonder if Morris would enjoy this cat perfume.

USA OUT OF IRAQ - MOVE ON TO IRAN

Only 1000 people demonstrated in Gothenburg against America's invasion of Iraq. [Editor's note: 1460 days since "Uncle Sam Tour" paid a visit to Iraq.] I didn't have time for a counter-demonstration this year. Here is a picture from 2005.



I "agree" with the demonstrators that USA should leave Iraq, but I add the following condition: USA should attack / invade / terminate the HQ of terrorism - Iran. Please participate in the EGO Poll (scroll down the page, right column).

The Iraq Talks

AUCTION ADS ON EBAY

Check out Auction Ads on eBay. Scroll down the page and look under the section called EGO Exchange (right column).

Related: My post, EBAY AND THE FUTURE OF ONLINE AUCTIONS.

SAVE INTERNET RADIO

I play (stream) Radio Dismuke at Blue Chip Café. The music is an important "ingredient" in the business concept. The "cool" music from the 1920's & 1930's has a soothing and relaxing impact on the atmosphere and our guests are giving positive feedback. Personally, I get in a cheerful mood by listening to this kind of music. Do you see any possible solution to this situation? How could we help Mr. Dismuke in his attempt to share his music collection with the listeners? How could you send a message to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in Washington, DC?

From Dismuke:

Your ability to enjoy the vintage 1920s and 1930s recordings on Radio Dismuke and other Internet radio stations along with your ability to enjoy the virtually unlimited variety of genres that can only be found on Internet radio is in grave jeopardy.

On March 2, the U.S. Copyright Office released the new royalty rates that all Internet radio stations are required to pay to SoundExchange in order to legally play copyright records and CDs. These royalties are paid on top of the royalties that stations already pay to other organizations such as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. AM and FM radio stations, by the way, are exempt from having to pay SoundExchange royalties for their over-the-air broadcasts.

The new royalty rates, pushed through by lawyers for the RIAA (the trade organization for the major record labels), if allowed to stand, will immediately kill off the emerging Internet radio industry. For even the most profitable and commercially viable Internet radio stations, the cost of these new royalty rates would be in excess of 125% of ALL total revenue that such stations currently bring in. (Dismuke.org)

Please read the following posts:

Retroactive Bankruptcy by Dismuke.
Morally Bankrupt Regulators by Gus Van Horn.
Say Goodbye to Webcasting by Mark Cuban.
RIAA Pushes Through Internet Radio Royalty Rates Designed To Kill Webcasts by Mike of TechDirt. [Via InstaPundit.]

Posts that contain RIAA per day for the last 30 days.

Get your own chart!

UPDATE 03/18/07:

Sign the petition! [Editor's note: My signature is # 24124.]



UPDATE 04/17/07:

In the news: Internet Radio on Life Support Again - PC World.

The next step in order to save internet radio, is the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

HUMAN INTERACTIVE PROOF

A few days ago I read a funny story in Metro. Robots have a hard time to see the difference between cats and dogs. Have you heard about "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart" (CAPTCHA)? I am thinking of installing Asirra (Animal Species Image Recognition for Restricting Access) on our company blog. I have had problems with plenty of spam comments.

Here is another video shot of Morris. Do you hear the purr sound?

MORRIS AND YOUTUBE

I took a video snapshot of Morris and then uploaded it to YouTube. Morris is hungry and had to munch on a plant. The ping sound is from my mobile phone. "You got SMS."

SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN DENMARK

The anarchists and vandals in Copenhagen have supporters in other countries. A consulate is raided in France and protesters are marching to the Danish embassy in Oslo. Read Gus Van Horn's post, Sneak Preview in Denmark. Do you think it will occur another BLACKOUT IN GOTHENBURG, Sweden, in the near future?

COX & FORKUM STORE

Check out Cox & Forkum store at CaféPress. Related: My post, NEW EGO PRODUCTS.