I went to Lollapalooza (warning: link requires Flash) earlier this month up in Chicago. It was a great festival, and I’ve been meaning to write up some reviews of the shows, accompanied by some photos, but it’s coming up on a month after and it’s still not happening. So here’s one of my favorite shots from the concert. More may be forthcoming, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Wilcopalooza
As Ross pointed out in the comments to my last post, the RIAA has dropped the suit mentioned in my previous post. I’m sure it had everything to do with “an abundance of sensitivity”, and nothing at all to do with the deluge of bad press they were getting…
Anybody who’s been following the various copyright battles over the last few years is aware that the Recording Industry Ass. of America has been on a campaign of extortion litigation against alleged filesharers, where they contact you demanding that you settle for some thousands of dollars, with the threat of taking you to court if you don’t settle. It’s been working pretty well for them, since the cost of going to court to defend yourself would typically be higher than the amount they’re asking in settlement.
Well, it’s been working well if you believe that there’s no such thing as bad press. We’ve seen such gems as the RIAA pursuing a Snoop-Dogg loving grandmother, a 12-year-old girl, and suggesting that students drop out of college to pay their settlements. It’s like they’re actively aspiring to be moustache-twisting silent movie villains, cackling wildly as they evict the helpless heroine and her children from their home.
I think the latest one takes the cake though. When the defendant dies partway through the suit, what do you do? Why, go after the family, of course! To be fair, they magnanimously granted the family sixty whole days to grieve before they haul them in front of the court for the sins of the father. How gracious of them.
It’s unbelievable to me. Even if they’re not sensitive to the demands of common decency, you’d think they’d have some sensitivity to the fact that these cases make the entire recording industry look like a bunch of heartless, money-grubbing middle men. I know every time I see another one of these stories it makes me think twice about buying more CDs and continuing to pump money into the industry that may turn around and sue me for my troubles…
So earlier this week Nikon announced what looks to be another killer camera, the D80. For the “I’ve misplaced the manual and I need to know what this button does” preview, DPReview’s got your back as usual. For a more concise overview of the new camera and functionality, I’d look at Rob Galbraith’s take. For some commentary on what the camera means and how it fits into the market, Thom Hogan and Mike Johnston both have some pretty insightful articles up.
I’m not sure what I can add that isn’t already covered pretty well by those articles. I’m not looking at buying one since my needs are pretty well covered right now, but for an enthusiast-level camera this one should cover 95% of most people’s needs, including my own. Looks like another winner for Nikon.
By the way, sorry for yet another month+ between posts. Like I’ve said in the past, when things get busy the website’s pretty much the first thing to go. I’m hoping to post some more stuff over the next few days, including some photos and reviews from Lollapalooza last weekend.