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How Musicians Make Money From DRM-free Music, Part VIIDCCCXCI

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On March 9, 2007

In DC, Distribution

Looking through Salon.com, I see that their (free) Song of the Day is now available as a podcast. I subscribe. The most recent 9 songs download onto my computer. I let them start playing as I work. I start digging a song. I look to see who the artist is – huh, something called Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Sounds very familiar – oh, they’re a local band. In fact, haven’t I seen something about a concert, lately? Indeed I have. Concert on the 29th? Tickets $15? Cool, I’ll take two.

That’s how a musician makes money. DRM-free music gives me a chance to see how I like an artist, and if it’s my thing, I’ll pay for something more.

DC Gun Ban Overturned

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On March 9, 2007

In DC, Law

This should make for some interesting posturing in the near future:

A federal appeals court overturned the District of Columbia’s long-standing handgun ban Friday, rejecting the city’s argument that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applied only to militias.

[ . . . ]

The court also ruled the D.C. requirement that registered firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled and under trigger lock was unconstitutional.

The Bush administration has endorsed individual gun-ownership rights, but the Supreme Court has never settled the issue.

If the dispute makes it to the high court, it would be the first case in nearly 70 years to address the Second Amendment’s scope.

There will be a whole lot of noise before anything useful or important gets said, I suspect.

DCist Exposed

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On March 8, 2007

In DC, Virginia

DCist.com is sponsoring a show of local photographers’ work, and it opens tomorrow.

DCist benefits handsomely from the work of some extremely talented locals, and it’s good to see some of them recognized. See the pool of winners and other contributors here. Hopefully, this will be an annual event. Go check it out.

Opens: March 9th at 6:30 p.m. at Warehouse Arts Complex. Beer and whatnot.

Runs through March 16th.

Photo by Hoffmann.

VA Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

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On March 1, 2007

In DC, Politics, Virginia

As I’ve noted before, I’m a huge fan of Kojo Nnamdi.  He hosts a daily show on American University’s 88.5 (WAMU(FM)), and is one of the best interviewers I’ve ever come across.  Every Friday, his show turns into the DC Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta,(as in Jonetta Rose-Barras, perhaps the only non-loon who ever had a column at the Washington Times) and I rarely miss it.  Even if I can’t tune in during the lunch hour, I can pick it up as a podcast.  If you’ve not heard it before, check it out.

A couple of Thursdays a month, he brings us the Virginia Politics Hour, which those of you outside of NoVA can listen to live online.  Today, for example, he has on Gov. Kaine to talk about the transportation bill, Sen. Russ Potts to talk about his career, and Rep. David Albo (probably just to hear himself talk).   Unfortunately, this show isn’t available as a podcast.  But if enough people drop them an email . . .

Update on Call Congress: Walter Reed Army Medical Center

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On February 20, 2007

In DC, Personal, Politics

Well, it looks like the Washington Post was actually useful for once: repair/renovation work has started on some of the buildings mentioned in the story.

Also? George Bush still doesn’t give a shit.

Sunday morning ride

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On February 11, 2007

In Cycling, DC, Virginia

One of the many things I love about living in DC is the abundance of easy recreation within minutes. This morning, a 15 minute drive took me to Wakefield Regional Park. Five minutes outside of the parking lot, I was in the middle of the woods all by myself, on a mountain bike trail system expertly maintained by the good folks at MORE. Some days, there is no better escape than putting myself in a position where the sole thoughts in my head involve getting through the space in front of me . . .

In going to get a link for this post, I came across the announcement of volunteer trail work dates in March. If you ever ride Wakefield, please try to make one or two of these days. Keeping a place like Wakefield in rideable shape takes an enormous amount of work, and I’d bet that less than 1% of riders pitch in to keep it going. Trail maintenance is a 100% volunteer powered effort – please add your bit to it, if you use it. Thanks.

Weekend Roundup

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On February 4, 2007

In DC, Distribution, Law, Policy, Politics, Tech

Because I’m just so far behind.

The most important discussion arising from the ridiculousness in Boston: 70s haircuts.

Your local news . . . from Bangalore! (Keep in mind that unless you live in a major metro area, you probably don’t get your “local” news from anywhere reasonably considered local.  So what difference does this really make?)

I’m less than enamoured with the junior senator from New York. I don’t have any problems with Sen. Clinton’s electability, or “divisiveness” or any of the other ridiculous junior high tests people seem to like to talk about. It’s that I simply don’t think that she’s at all committed to anything but herself. Now, that can be said about many politicians, but it shouldn’t be the sole driving force behind all of their decisions. (Hell, even Dick Armey can say he was wrong on Iraq.) All that said, I’d become much more appreciative of her if she’s really serious about this.

Non-disclosure agreements for state legislators? Sounds like a pretty clear breach of Do No Evil, Google. And since I think Robert X. Cringley may well be onto something with his theory that Google’s planning to build datacenters in most states . . . well, we should all be on the lookout.

I’ve added a new link under Media, to the right. It’s Fora.tv, best summed up as a YouTube for thinking people. Check it out.

You’re Warned, WAMU

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On January 23, 2007

In DC, Distribution

Yes, I see things are afoot at your end of the dial, with WETA heading back to classical, and WGMS (now WXGG-FM) picking up some of your public radio programming. So I’m sure you’ll see this as an opportunity to reshuffle your own programming a bit. Fine, have at it. But there are two things you better not do:

  • Do not mess with Kojo Nnamdi (I am still shocked (and quite selfishly pleased) he hasn’t been snatched for a national show), and
  • Do not even dream of touching Ray Davis.

Okay, enough with the demands. Now to the requests:

  • Please find some space for Farai Cheideya. I don’t care what you do with Tavis.
  • Do not be tempted by Prairie Home Companion.

Note to DCRTV: I’d really like to link you for posts like this, but your site structure is atrocious. It’s a shame, considering how easy it is to fix that, and how valuable your content generally is.

2007 DC Area Cycling & Adventure Racing

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On January 22, 2007

In Cycling, DC, Personal, Virginia

Last year I waited entirely too long to actually take a look at all the regional and sport calendars or put some thought into what I really wanted to accomplish.

So over the past couple of weeks, I’ve put together calender to help me and a few friends figure out what we wanted to do this year. As I look at it, though, I realize that it might be useful to other people in the region. So I’m throwing it up here.

This listing is not at all comprehensive – it’s just a list of DC area cycling or amateur athletic events that I either want to participate in or go just go watch. If you’re in the DC area, I hope that you’ll give it a read and see if something catches your interest, either as a competitor or spectator. A fair number of the events listed book up pretty quickly, and lots of them seem to open for registration on January 22.

Just FYI, it’s a list that makes me seem far more ambitious or in shape than I really am. I won’t be a competitive threat to anyone in any of these events. Except, perhaps, for the Lanterne Rouge. I just aim to finish and have fun.

The calendar is broken down into events for which the date has been set, and events for which the date has yet to be announced. Also, if you’re reading this any day but January 22, 2007, please note that this information could be out of date.

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Saturday Afternoon

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On January 13, 2007

In Cycling, DC, Law, Personal, Politics, Travel

There’s been some light buzz about National Review contributor Rod Dreher’s recently broadcast NPR audio essay.  In short, the scales have fallen from his eyes.  I can’t say that I’m particularly moved by it, but it has generated some interesting analysis.

~

Bet you didn’t know that, in addition to the prying eyes of the FBI, the NSA, and the TSA, you’ve now got to contend with . . . the United States military:

The Pentagon has been using a little-known power to obtain banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage inside the United States, part of an aggressive expansion by the military into domestic intelligence gathering.

~

Oh, I really want to go here.  The New York Times, despite its other journalistic failings, has a reliably excellent travel section (I particularly like their 36 Hours in ____ feature).  How could they make it better?  Well, I might find a way to make myself available for an assignment or four . . .

~

I love the Gmap Pedometer.   The link is to my ride this afternoon.  It was, because of the trip (and feeling really awful after it), the first ride of the year.  Final road bike mileage for last year was 1,961 miles, which was a fair bit less than what I’d hoped.  I started to kick myself for not heading out for a long ride before the trip so I could at least claim at 2k, but then I decided I could count my mountain biking mileage towards the total (I don’t know what it is, but it’s certainly more than 39 miles . . .).   Goal for this year?  At least 6,500km.  I’d originally written – “At least 4,000 miles.”, but then, inspired by this thread at Slashdot, I’ve decided to at least try to get a better feel for a kilometer.  So now the Flight Deck is set to kilometers, instead of miles.

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