Category Archives: Up Yours

Pantera Publicist Kicks E! In The Balls!

Jane Hoffman, Publicist for Pantera and Dimebag Darrell sent the following email to E! after a request to re-enact the horrible murder of Dimebag Darrell on an upcoming E! special. For that, E! gets our infamous UP YOURS! award!

Hi Beau. I¹m leaving John¹s comments in cause he¹s a nice guy and I know this was difficult for him to send on through. I¹m also blind copying a whole list of folks who will most likely copy a whole other list of folks until maybe this spreads like a good email should and end up on 100,000 websites to show the world what a collective bunch of tasteless morons you all are.

Dime¹s birthday is this coming Sunday and your timing couldn¹t be worse. Not that there is a good time. In fact, in honor of his birthday, I think I¹ll send this around to a few of our favorite music websites who will most likely print the whole damn thing word for word, including your phone number and email. For good measure, I¹m going to throw in the top 50 major daily music and some of the top TV writers in the country and why not, the weeklies as well.

I realize there is nothing anyone can do to stop E! from producing garbage like this below, as you¹ve built your audience on the backs of other people¹s private lives, creating some type of warped reality out of your garbage, which is merely excuses for programming on the cheap and at the expense of others.

I would like to request that you please read this out out loud to all the creative geniuses in the programming department that came up with this idea.

We have received your request to license footage on Dimebag Darrell Abbott for your upcoming production of, “25 Most Chilling Hollywood Murders.”

While we realize the average E! audience most likely has the IQ of an umbrella, they collectively are a smarter bunch than the lot of you. Your programming creativity falls somewhere to the bottom of the middle at best, and that¹s saying a lot.

I ask that you all please take a moment from your busy days and close your eyes. Live out the fantasy of playing your favorite instrument onstage. Your closest friends in the world surround you, either in the band or in your crew. From one side of the stage, a man approaches. Thinking he¹s a security guy or a drunk fan who¹s just a bit out a line, you continue to perform. Two seconds later, he lifts his arms, aims a rifle at your brother, your best friend, your buddy and blows his brains out, not three feet from where you are. In the nanosecond it takes you to comprehend the magnitude of what just happened, he does it again …and again …and again …and again …and again …and again before taking aim and murdering additional members of your extended family as well as fans that have come to see you play. Two of your crew are shot but survive, but of course, will never be the same gain.

Now imagine it¹s a few years later and you turn on the TV set. Just in case you may be having at least a five minute respite from that scene that plays over and over in your head, just in case …..you flip through the channels and there it is. Again. Only with some two bit actor who thinks this is his big Hollywood break.

And please, if you don¹t like that scenario, make believe it¹s your child who got his brains splattered all over a stage in Ohio. And then you turn on E! Oh, the magic of television!

In case none of this appears clear enough and you need a definitive answer to your request…no. The answer if no, and on behalf of everyone that was there that night and everyone that misses him every day, you can take that no and shove it up your collective asses.

And, for your second request, yes, you can quote me on that.

Sincerely,
Jane Hoffman

XMSR vs RIAA: The CEA Press Release

Press Release

ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May 17, 2006–

The following statement was issued today by Consumer Electronics Association (CEA(R)) Vice President of Government Affairs Michael Petricone regarding the lawsuit filed yesterday against XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. by a group of record labels:

“Here they go again. The record industry is returning to the courts in their non-stop efforts to stop new technology, neuter existing products, frustrate consumers and make illegal long-standing consumer home recording activities. Their new target is XM Satellite Radio, one of Americas top technology success stories of the new millennium. XMs only offense is providing legal and exciting programming options to millions of Americans, while opening new revenue and promotional opportunities for the recording industry.

“The lawsuit announced yesterday is a brazen effort by the labels to strong-arm more money from a successful technology industry startup. XM Radio already is the largest single payer of digital music broadcast royalties. More, the record labels receive royalties on every XM recording device sold as provided by Congress under the Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA).
“Through this lawsuit, the record industry is trying to block private, noncommercial recording off the radio–an activity which Americans have enjoyed for decades, has always been considered legal, and in this case has been expressly recognized by Congress, in the AHRA, as protected from lawsuit.

“The record companies cut a deal, embodied in legislation, which said digital audio recording devices are legal if they do not allow copies of copies. And, throughout their pursuit of the Grokster case, the labels insisted that they had no intention of threatening the sort of in-home, private, noncommercial recording enabled by the devices under question in this suit.
“The products at issue in this lawsuit do not allow redistribution over the Internet or to any other product. They simply allow consumers to time-shift music they are lawfully receiving through subscription fees – fees that support the royalty payments to the labels. No matter how hard the record labels try to stretch the truth, XM has zero resemblance to the old Napster or other peer-to-peer file sharing services. Continue reading XMSR vs RIAA: The CEA Press Release

Dear Gamer, Wal-Mart Hates You

Until today, I have had mixed feelings about digital delivery of computer games. On one hand, I support the underdog and believe digital delivery is the best way for games that would otherwise not make it into the publics hands to have a chance at success. On the other hand, I am concerned about the control that it gives larger companies like Electronic Arts and Microsoft to control the market.

Today, I have taken a side. For all the things wrong with digital delivery of software, there is a bigger issue that I simply can not stomach. That issue is named Wal-Mart. You see, I boycotted Wal-Mart music many years ago when I found out they were forcing artists to censor their work or risk Wal-Mart not selling their product. In a sense, this was censorship of Freedom of Speech that no government, corporation or individual should have the power to do. To this day, I have not bought a single CD from Wal-Mart, even if the album is completely untouched by the hand of censorship. I will drive miles out of my way to buy that CD somewhere else.

Today, I add Software and Games to my list of Wal-Mart boycotted items. You see, Wal-Marts far reaching hand of control and censorship has gripped the core of the gaming industry and I for one will not spend my hard earned money on Software of any kind at Wal-Mart ever again. I do not care if its the hottest game in the whole world and they accidentally put it out a week early. I will not buy any games from Wal-Mart ever again.

You are probably wondering where all of this “angst” comes from. Well, read this article on The Escapist about the amount of control Wal-Mart has on gaming.

“Publisher sales reps inform Wal-Mart buyers of games in development; the games subjects, titles, artwork and packaging are vetted and sometimes vetoed by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart tells a top-end publisher it wont carry a certain game, the publisher kills that game. In short, every triple-A game sold at retail in North America is managed start to finish, top to bottom, with the publishers gaze fixed squarely on Wal-Mart, and no other.”

Can you say OMGWTFLOLBBQ? Yea, me too…..

“Wal-Mart has shaped the field in other ways. Remember five years ago, when computer game boxes all got smaller? That was Wal-Mart.”

So instead of having a nice visual box to catch peoples attention, you wind up with a bunch of tiny boxes shoved sideways into a shelve space so small, you can not figure out what is actually being sold. Good Job Wal-Mart.

Dont stop here my friends. Read the Full Escapist Article on Wal-Marts Schtiking Of The Games Industry for yourself.

Oh yea…. If you have not figured it out, this particular News Topic is titled Up Yours!. Congratulations Wal-Mart. You are the proud recipient of a second big fat Up Yours!. Keep this up and you will catch Electronic Arts about as fast as I will make my next rank in Battlefield 2.

Sony/BMG Patching Music CDs

Now I am really pissed off. If you havent heard, Sony/BMG has started including software that can bypass all security systems on Windows in order to prevent you from making a legitimate copy of your legally bought music. While this is nothing new, it has allowed game cheaters to bypass cheat detection software completely.

http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/34

What does Sony/BMG do? In the grand fashion of Microsoft, they released a patch. Think about that for a minute. They released a patch for software embedded in music CDs. What the hell is this world coming to when you have to run a patch for a simple music CD? When are the idiots that are running the music industry going to learn the harder they push, the more they will alienate their customers and complicate matters. I really wish someone would hurry up and come up with an Internet based record label that understands how the music industry could thrive through digital music delivery. These idiots deserve to go out of business.

Alright, I am going to bed. Enough rambling tonight….

Foo Fighters New Album SUCKS!

I bought the new Foo Fighters – In Your Honor (2 Disc) Album the other day and decided to rip a few songs for the station. The first thing that pops up when I put the CD in my computer is a licensing agreement. Hell no I wont agree to this crap. I hit cancel and it ejects the cd. Crap.

Now I put it back in and do a cancel task instead. The agreement goes away and I proceed to use Audio Grabber to create the mp3s for the station. All done. I listen to them and they are all scrambled. What the hell? I do a google search and it seems a lot of people are having problems with CDs from EMI. I found a site that tells you how to get around this DRM crap. It offers up a suggestion to use the program called ISOBuster. I download it, install it and rip away. Once again, the songs are scrambled. CRAP!

I try a third program I already had called Exact Audio Copy (EAC). You guessed it. Songs were scrambled and useless. I have now wasted 3 hours trying to rip these songs so my listeners can enjoy the album.

You know what? Screw EMI and shame on your Dave Grohl for allowing this crap to be put on your album. Not only am I going to go find the songs on P2P, but I am not going to add any songs from the Foo Fighters to the station. I refuse to pay the Foo Fighters one red cent for their music for allowing something so stupid to be put on their album and cause legitimate users so much hassle. You know what? DRM does not work. Sure you stopped me from ripping it, but someone else already has gotten around it and posted the songs to the P2P programs. You cant stop them, but you sure as hell pissed off a legitimate customer and a legal Internet Radio Station who would have helped promote your music and pay you royalties.

Good Job, Jerks……! Thanks for wasting my evening. I could have been ranking up in Battlefield 2 instead…..!

Bite me Monday: Week 2

This is my new weekly rant. I am stealing this idea from famed sports radio talk show host “Papa Joe Chevalier”. He used to have a segment where callers called in and gave “Bite-mes” and “Bite-me nots” to various sport related people. Please feel free to add your “Bite-me” or “Bite-me Not” in the comments portion of this news.

As for my Bite-mes for this week:

Continue reading Bite me Monday: Week 2

Who can bite me?? EA can!!!

When BF2 was announced as official I was apprehensive at first. After some thinking I decided I would give EA another chance after the BFV mistake. Feeling an impending budget constraint in my household I decided to order BF2 early. At this point EA was claiming to have the game out I think in April. On Jan 17, 2005 I talked my wife into letting me preorder BF2 so I wouldnt be stuck in the cold if I didnt have money when the game came out. I wanted to make sure Id have the game when it was released. Click in the article to read how EA has made sure I am continually unhappy with them. Continue reading Who can bite me?? EA can!!!

You want explicit content?

The website ni9e has posted the entirety of the classic N.W.A. album “Straight Outa Compton” on their website for you to download and listen to. The kicker is that they have edited it down to include just the profanity. Each song also includes an “Explicit Content Ratio” or ECR just for kicks. Almost too funny for words.

Discovered via BoingBoing

Bad Move Apple

According to this article on Information Week, a judge ruled that the three sites being sued by Apple over the leak of the MiniMac must reveal their sources.

This is the part that ticks me off the most.

“Apple maintains that Californias Shield Law, which protects journalists from being forced to reveal sources, should not apply to Internet sites. In addition, the firm stated in court filings that free speech protections likewise should not apply to the three Internet sites.”

Apple is arguing that the one place in the whole world that you have the most rights to free speech should not be protected by the Right Of Free Speech. All I can say is Up Yours Apple!

Big Five Music Labels At It Again!

When will they get it? I have so many expletives that I want to throw at the music industry. Its enough to make me want to shut down the radio station because I pay for licensed Internet broadcasting, putting money in their pockets.

If you havent heard, they are already considering forcing the price of legal Internet singles downloads up to $1.25-$2.49. Morons! Give it a chance to take hold before you push everyone away. Youve already done everything you can to price gauge Internet Radio Broadcasters, now this! All I have to say is Karma. They will get what is coming to them.

If you want more information, go here.