Rox

While you were sitting at home reading stories about the writers’ strike that were written by writers who won’t be striking, here is what we were sitting at home writing about:

• To CD or Not to CD – When did Jim’s fear of new technology end? Or has it?
• Your Helpful Pre-Writers Strike Primer – A good overview of the reasons behind the strike that will cause your favorite shows to begin disappearing from the airwaves in a matter of days.
• Happy 25th Anniversary to KFSR – 25 years? That can’t possibly be right. Jim, Tim and Kirk certainly don’t act as if they’re that old. And by “that old,” I mean 25.
• That’s What I Like: The Amazon Wish List – Just in time for the holidays and all of those end of the year birthdays. Have you updated your wish list lately?

While you were busy hanging on Steve Jobs’ every word . . . ok, so were we. But this is what else we were doing:

• The Advertising Conundrum – Kassia takes a look at the future of advertising and the difficulty they will have as consumers scattered across multiple platforms.
• Potpourri: Download Service Explosion, Miss South Carolina, iPhone Hacking – Jim jumps around to highlight a few newsworthy tidbits.
• At the Tone, the Time Lady Will Be Gone – But not forgotten. Ok, probably forgotten, as well.
• That’s What I Like: Somethingness – Mmmmm…more wine, please.
• NBC’s Bad Move – Another bad decision by a television network? Why, oh why, am I not surprised.
• iPod Touch: The Final Nail in Zune’s Coffin – Another one of Kirk’s predictions comes true. We should be keeping track of these.
• Apple Scruffs: New iPods & the Universal Dust-Up – Yes, I’ve already been told how my $100 Apple store credit is being spent. Who else wants an iPod for Christmas? I might as well start my list now.
• That’s What I Like: Debunking Urban Legends – What do you mean I’m not gonna get any money from Bill Gates! Seriously, I’m not?

While you were busy trying to fill one of the last two weeks of summer with too many activities, this is what we were doing:

• One of Those Late Summer, Living Is Easy Posts – Damn, I wish I was in San Diego!
• My Afternoon in Wal-Mart’s MP3 Download Hell – Kirk takes one for the team. One more reason to stay away from the nightmare that is Wal-Mart.
• Debunking the Great DVD Sniffing Dog Hoax – The latest adventures of Flo and Lucky – invasion of privacy is only the beginning.
• Active Eight – Tim praises the internet for its help in facilitating his numerous outdoor activities. The rest of us ‘Lopers are sitting on our couches or laying in our hammocks with our heads hung down in shame.

While you were busy asking anybody who would listen why Pujols stayed on the bench on Tuesday night, this is what we were doing:

• Changing The Economics of Publishing: The SharedBook Model – Hmmm…I see a number of bestsellers in Lopy’s future.
• Some Early Observations About The iPhone, Part 2 – In a hardhitting, two-part special report, Jim makes some things up about the iPhone. He now thinks he can write it off on his taxes.
• The Perfect iPod: An iPhone Without the Phone – Does the iPhone point the way for the next generation of iPods? Kirk takes a look at the possibilities.
• That’s What I Like: Peak Oil – Leave it to Tyson to find the bright side of the coming apocalypse.

While you were standing in line waiting to purchase your iPhone, here’s what we’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks:

• DRM for Books: Will Publishers Learn Anything from the Music Industry’s Mistakes? – Actually, when it comes to dragging old media into the age of new media, nobody learns from anyone’s mistakes.
• Harry Potter and The Search For “Harry Potter Spoilers” – Of course, before the month’s out, we will all be spoiled. Forever.
• Make and Craft: A Case Study For Entertainment Companies – And now we understand what’s behind Kassia’s recent interest in Finger Puppet Theater.
• The Scream, or They Do It So We Don’t Have To – Tim digs deep into the wonderfully expressive scream and we all feel better for it. Primal!
• Universal, iTunes, and The Problem with Consumers – Universal is hedging its bets by going month-to-month with iTunes. Is it a smart business move or more evidence that the music industry is clueless when it comes to what consumers want? Yes!
• AllOfMP3: The RIAA Wins the Battle, but Loses the War – Will the RIAA ever get it? I somehow doubt it. They’ve been not getting it for so long that even if they accidentally stumbled across it, they wouldn’t know what to do with it.
• That’s What I Like: Scrabble (or Making the Other Guy Cry for Mercy) – Welcome to Medialoper, Tory! Based on her first outing, I’d say she fits right in.

While you were flocking to Sacramento to see the whales (so many things wrong with that scenario), this is what we were doing:

• Customer Service Through Litigation: The RIAA Institutionalizes Its Business Model – A refresher course in how not to treat customers. Not that the RIAA will ever understand.
• Joost Invites From Medialoper – Joost gets Kirk’s stamp of approval. And believe me, those are not easy to come by.
• When Is FREE Video-on-Demand Not Free? – The answer – Always. Duh!
• An Ode To A Dinosaur: The Upfronts – I hate this time of year. One of the networks inevitably breaks my heart by canceling one of my favorite shows in favor of something that probably won’t last more than three episodes next fall. Yes, I’m talking to you FOX and CW!
• No Crying for The Death of Veronica Mars – Please see my previous comment on how this time of year sucks.
• That’s What I Like: Rare Book Clubs – I sure do wonder what these “books” are that Tyson’s always talking about. They sound interesting.