Retired

While you were paying attention to the NBA for the first time since last year’s playoffs, here’s what we were looking at:

• Helpful Advice On Adding Value To Downloadable Media – Pay attention to what consumers did with and about their music prior to digitalization, and give them the opportunity to be able to do the same things with downloads.
• My Problem With The Pew High-Tech Survey – On the other hand, the years don’t seem to be as long as they used to seem.
• Newspaper Freak-Out: Publishers and Journalists Need Remedial Training In New Media – Except that they’d rather pretend like it’s going away in a few years.
• Politics In Second Life: Camping On a Nude Beach Waiting For Something Interesting To Happen – Our man in Second Life, Ronin Kurosawa, is finding out that maybe there could be more going on.
• Rhino What I Like – What I like about those Rhino reissues is when Tim makes burns copies for me of the ones that I wouldn’t have purchased anyway.
• Medialoper’s Coverage of The News of India From Pasadena: May 11, 2007 – Most people are aghast at that guy who wants to outsource the coverage of Pasadena’s City Council, but we think that it’s a great idea.

With all that was going on this week – NBA playoffs, Britney’s 15 minute lip-synching performances and Paris Hilton being sent to jail (Hee!) – you may have missed a few things. That’s ok, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what we were paying attention to:

• How To Save Network Television – Some great ideas that the networks should try. Let’s see if they do.
• Why Even Bother Trying New Shows on FOX? – I’m very unhappy. Fillion rules and FOX sucks.
• Jaman Brings The Film Festival To Your Computer – Leave it to the independents to get a movie download service right.
• The Heroes Online Comics: A Web Extra Done Right – For someone who didn’t even like the show in the beginning, Jim sure has jumped on the bandwagon.
• What Would Ninja Do? – We’re waiting for the time that Ask a Ninja replaces Dear Abby in some of the finer publications.

While you were busy canceling yet another good TV show before it has a chance to find an audience, here’s what we were looking at:

• Looking At Bud.TV – Bud.tv is definitely for the dudes who actually call each other “bud” with no sense of irony.
• Why an Amazon DRM-Free Music Store Would Be a Game-Changer – Will it happen? Some of the more skeptical ‘Lopers aren’t holding their breath.
• MySpace Takes the Social Out of Social News – Kirk gives us a detailed analysis of the flaws of the MySpace News site. Like, for example, the fact that no one really cares.
• Furries and Griefers on the Campaign Trail: Presidential Politics In Second Life – Our latest correspondent, Ronin Kurosawa, gives us the first of what he promises to be a series of reports on the 2008 Presidential campaign in Second Life.
• Sleep: That’s What I Really Like – ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

With all of the events this week taking up brain space, here are a few things that you may have missed:

• Imus: Not So Much About The Free Speech – I can’t think of a single snarky thing to say.
• Why The Larry Sanders Best-of DVD Misses The Point – Release it now. Everywhere. Forever. Hmmm…where have I heard that before?
• Second Life Vice: Linden Lab Is in Denial About Its Gambling Problem – Will the Feds shut down Second Life? Get your bets in now.
• Why Sony’s Latest DRM Fiasco Is Probably A Good Thing – What did you expect for $19.95? To actually be able to see the movie?
• That’s What I Like: Fantasy Baseball – Draft day may be Jim’s favorite day but this ‘Loper just tries to get through it without smacking him.

While you were busy collecting your winnings on your office’s Anna Nicole’s Baby Daddy pool, here’s what we were looking at:

• Sam Zell vs. The Future – We’d like to put $2,000,000,000 on the future. please.
• Of Microsoft and Marketing, Or Why the Vista “Wow!” Campaign is Actually a “Doh!” – Once again Microsoft misses the mark. Honestly, who is ever going to get excited about a new version of Windows anyways?
• The Joy of The Last Season of The Sopranos – Who doesn’t love the Sopranos? Any bets on which characters will make it all the way to end? I don’t want to spoil anyone, but I’m pretty sure that mean Livia is going to be one of the first ones to go!
• More Thoughts From The Real World – People in the real world like YouTube, Netflix and free wireless internet. Now if we can just make the corporate world understand.
• A Rediscovery Leads to a New Favorite – It’s like the Long Tail of our music collection!

While you were trying to figure out how you could get yourself one of those machine gun legs, here’s what we’ve been looking at:

• Creator Of Frivolous Lawsuits Files Lawsuit Against Other Frivolous Lawsuit Filers – There oughta be a lawsuit!
• Examining NBC Universal and News Corp’s So-Called YouTube Killer – Will their content override YouTube’s ubiquity?
• One Positive Step For MySpace – Now if they can do something about that terrible terrible UI.
• Buffy’s Back! – The Season 8 comic books are off to a rip-roaring start.
• That’s What I Like: The Glory of War – Tyson takes a look at a Fresno-based online war historian.
• DuroSport Strikes Again: Second Life Store a Health Hazard – Our understanding is that on the weekend that this store opened, Second Life started having some huge huge issues. Coincidence?
• DuroSport and Star Trek: A Match Made in Hell – Apparently, a lot of Trekkers couldn’t handle our harsh criticism of this new service, and chose to lash out in the comments section, pretending that the whole thing was some kind of lame joke. If so . . .
• DuroSport and Star Trek: The Party’s Over – . . . the joke was clearly on DuroSport, because the service was terminated by Star Trek after only a single day.
• Why “Vote For The Worst” Just Might Work – It’s not that I hate American Idol, per se, it’s just that I am so very very over it.
• Hell Feezes Over: A Major Record Label Does The Right Thing – All about EMI’s decision to let Apple sell DRM-free music, and how the fact that a major label did the right thing almost made Kirk’s head explode.
• Steve Jobs’ DRM Double Standard – Of course, apparently what’s good for the musical goose isn’t so good for the video gander. Or some such twisted, labored metaphor.
• Sometimes My Arms Bend Back: A Personal History of Twin Peaks – While I’ve watched the first season of Twin Peaks at least a half-dozen times (I kept having to show it to people, as if to say, look at this!!), I’ve only ever watched the second season once, during that initial run. I remember really really loving the epic battle of good v. not-so-good that they were setting up, as well as the epic friendship between Dale Cooper & Harry Truman. I remember being disappointed by the ending, though. In any event, I can hardly wait to watch it again, and find out how it holds up after watching all of the shows its influenced.

While you were busy watching your brackets get blown all to hell — again! why does this happen every year? — here’s what we were looking at:

• NPR Starts A War – I actually feel sorry for the RIAA. Because the planet on which they live is obviously not a world where people actually enjoy music, which is sad, because music is one of those things that makes life worth living. Maybe someday, the RIAA will actually figure that out. Until then, however, they’ll continue to try to take the enjoyment of music away from the rest of us. Hmm. Forget that part about feeling sorry for them.
• Emmys’ Essay Experiment – “Dear Emmy, I’m the next Pussycat Doll, and I think that our show should totally be nominated? After all, where else can girls like me get all empowers and stuff? I think Our show shows men who pay tons of money to stare at our perfectly builded bodies that we don’t need them? And that’s a message that totally needs to get out there?”
• After the New Media Flood Comes the Niche – Actually, I don’t mind shopping at Fry’s. But is kind of difficult to find stuff in iTunes. For example, they a Hold Steady at live at Lollapalooza show there for months before I accidentally discovered it. That ain’t right.
• AppleTV: Bigger Disappointment Than Deal? – Dear Apple, all I want is a set-top box that gives me everything. In HD. Please let me know when you’ve finished it. Love, Jim.
• “You havin’ a laugh?” – The New Yorker Cartoons – This week, Tim discusses an ongoing treasure trove of humour that somehow never gets old.

While you were busy attending SXSW, adopting yet another third-world infant or preparing for your amateur night of green beer swilling, this is what we were doing:

• The Release Window is Closing, But Not Fast Enough – So that’s why we haven’t been to the movies in months. I knew there had to be a reason. Stupid commercials!
• HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, and The Problem With Wal-Mart – Consumers aren’t lining up for HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. We already have shelves and shelves full of DVDs. We don’t need anymore. So the question is, why aren’t the studios and technology companies focusing elsewhere, like inexpensive burnable digital downloads?
• Twitter Hits the Tipping Point – Its called Twitter? Seriously? What genius came up with that name?
• Why I’m Not Worried About The TWoP Buyout – This could be good. More content, more snark. Besides, it’s not like there’s any potential for a conflict of interest. Except for that part where there is.
• A Robot Is As Good As Ten Mothers – Robots come to Kirk’s rescue after an exhausting trip to SXSW. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Wait a second, he was at SXSW while I was at fracking work. So you know what? I don’t feel sorry for him at all!

While you were busy packing up for SXSW, here’s what we were looking at:

• Could Microsoft or Apple Be the Future of EMI? – The question is, of course, would being bought by actual technology companies mean the end of technophobia in the music industry? And is Sony’s purchase of Columbia Records an object lesson in either direction?
• The 2008 Presidential Campaign: The Best Reality TV Show Ever? – Possibly, though probably not.
• Publishing, Search, and Consumers — The Weird Triangle – Will the publishing industry embrace the book search technology that might just bring them more customers?
• Austin Or Bust – As I write this, Kirk & Kassia are hanging out in Austin. And I’m not. I hate when people have more fun than I do.
• Juan In A Million – A little-known California State Law passed in the wake of the rolling blackouts caused by Enron requires native Californians like your ‘Lopers to hate everything about Texas. With Juan exception.