UBISOFT CENSORS RUSSIAN CUSTOMERS

Following yesterday's Assassin's Creed 2/DRM disaster, Ubisoft this morning deleted a discussion by their Russian customers in the Assassin's Creed General Discussion forum.  The first four pages of the thread are archived here:

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4

There seems to be a pattern of discrimination against Russian users by Ubisoft.

DIGG / REDDIT

INTERVIEW WITH AN EXTREME CRAPPER

chrysler5thavenue: why is it again that you crapped in bags?
crapper: Because I lived in a motel full of crack heads and only had a public bathroom and the door didn't lock
crapper: You can't defend yourself if you're shitting
chrysler5thavenue: did you also say you crapped into your cereal bowl?
crapper: No o_O
crapper: I only had one bowl
crapper: It was for FOOD
chrysler5thavenue: i thought you said you crapped into that bowl, then put the turds in a bag, and then washed the bowl & ate oatmeal out of it
crapper: Nooooo
crapper: Steamer I never used
crapper: I did that sometimes
chrysler5thavenue: you crapped into a steamer?
crapper: Until I figured out the correct way to shit in the bag without it touching me
crapper: Yeah
crapper: I never used it!
crapper: I had gotten it for broccoli
crapper: But the broccoli smelled weird
crapper: Chemicalish
crapper: It shouldn't smell like chemicals
chrysler5thavenue: did you steam your crap?
crapper: -.-
crapper: No
chrysler5thavenue: why do i remember you telling me you crapped into your breakfast bowl? i would've remembered if you told me you crapped into a steamer.
crapper: I just called the steamer a bowl
crapper: It's bowl shaped
crapper: And I didn't have a breakfast bowl
crapper: I had a small little campfire bowl thing
chrysler5thavenue: did you eat breakfast out of it?
crapper: I don't think I ever really ATE breakfast
crapper: I lived on ramen, pasta, etc
chrysler5thavenue: oatmeal
chrysler5thavenue: you ate oatmeal
crapper: Not for breakfast usually
chrysler5thavenue: you ate ramen for breakfast and oatmeal for dinner?
crapper: I didn't really eat breakfast
crapper: I ate later in the day
chrysler5thavenue: just because you're asleep in the morning when everyone eats breakfast doesn't mean you don't eat breakfast
crapper: I DID NOT SHIT IN THE BOWL I ATE OUT OF
crapper: Kthnx

RAT SHOOTING HOOPS

DIE ANTWOORD WERE COOL

but the new thing now is luvstep:

Check out the comments for the history of luvstep.

http://luvstep.com/
http://www.percussionlab.com/sets/praveen/lovestep_mix
http://percussionlab.com/sets/praveen/lovestep_mix_vol_2

CNN REQUESTED PERMISSION TO GO HOGWILD ON MY PC TODAY

Today I followed a link to a live video stream on CNN.com. To watch it, I had to give permission to have "Octoshape" installed on my computer.  Here's how Octoshape defines itself:

The Octoshape software utilizes a grid streaming technology. With grid streaming technology, parts of the video and audio stream you watch may be delivered to your personal computer system via the personal computer systems of other end users of the software, and the personal computer system on which you install the Software may also be used to deliver parts of the video and audio stream to other end users of the Software only while you are viewing the same respective stream.

This basically means that I'll download the stream at the same time upload the downloaded data to someone else that is requesting it.  That way CNN doesn't have to upload it to everyone that wants to see it.  The people that download the content will pass it on to other people.  It's similar to the concept behind bit torrent software.

Here's all it said about the licensing terms on that same informational page that was offered before installing the software:

By installing the Octoshape software you are granting permission for Octoshape, the website and other end users of the software to utilize and share the processor and bandwidth of your personal computer system for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between you and other end users of the software, including Octoshape and the website, and improving bandwidth efficiency in order to provide you the content.

I didn't install it because it didn't specify that my computer would only be used to serve the data that I had specifically requested and that I would have control of how much of their data my computer would serve.  It seemed like these terms are so broad as to allow them to use my computer as a server at will.  I was only willing to pass on the content of theirs that I knowingly downloaded and only using the same amount of bandwidth as I used to download it, no more.  I decided not to install it.

I told someone about this and they linked me to a list of criticisms of this software from Wikipedia:

Octoshape has been criticized ^[7] for its "ludicrous license terms". Octoshape's EULA, amongst other things, for protection against reverse engineering the Octoshape software prohibits the user utilizing the records that their firewall or anti-virus software may record .

Other points of criticism:

• Being closed source software prevents the internal functions of the software from being publicly examined for hidden functions and other security problems.

• Shifts the broadcaster's share of the cost of bandwidth to the listeners instead by running servers on the listeners' machines.

• Octoshape reserves the right to expand the scope of what its software does on listeners' computers. ^[8]

This seems to be a common problem with software provided by large media content providers like CNN. Having a large audience, they can afford to alienate technologically savvy visitors to take advantage of the vast majority who do not understand the technology.  Content providers that built their business on the internet are generally better about having fair and clear terms of service because their initial rise in popularity depends on acceptance by people who are more familiar with the internet.  Be on the lookout for mass media content providers trying to screw you over.

GAWKER.COM INADVERTENTLY OUTS SECRET CELEBRITY PARTY PAD

Today gawker.com published a post profiling a secret NYC party pad where celebrities hang out with strippers and smoke indoors, while saying "we're not mentioning [the owner's] full name, or the location, or running any pictures that might give away either, so as not to ruin perhaps the last refuge for New York debauchery in the era of smoking bans and wealthy neighbors who expect perfect quiet downtown."

Commenter exifhunter pointed out that the GPS coordinates  (+40° 43.64′ -73° 59.62′) in the embedded EXIF data on the iPhone photo of a pickle cabinet within the apartment that the author, Ravi Somaiya, published in the story, placed it at this location.   Commenter ModernMindOfM then gave the address of the location as "12 Great Jones St. The red door under the red awning at the base of the 6 story brick building. Acme Bakery resides in front."

A number of elite Gawker star commenters were awed by exifhunter's supernatural ability to read EXIF data:

@exifhunter: Dude, I want you on my side

Pretty amazing. Somewhere Joan Allen is using his guy to find Jason Bourne.

@exifhunter: I'm just going to offer to buy the movie rights to your life right now, no questions asked.

@MisterLumpyDough: @nirreskeya: @exifhunter: Holy crap. Can you people see me right now?

REDDIT / DIGG

Super Bowl XLIVeblog

Starts at 6pm EST on this page. Colts generally favored by 5.  Check here for spreads as low as 3.5 and up to 6.  Live streams of the game available at atdhe.net.  Anyone can take part in this by commenting in the liveblog window.

EDIT:  The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.

READ MORE »

LIVEBLOG: New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts AFC Playoff

Colts are favored by 8 and the Over/Under is 39.5 (via bodog.com).  We'll be liveblogging this Sunday at 3 pm!  Bookmark this page and join us right here at your internet liveblogging destination! 

EDIT:  The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.

READ MORE »

Is it OK to make Haiti jokes or is it better to wait for the dust to settle?

A Haitian man walks into a bar--it collapses.

I dumped my Haitian girlfriend the other day, she was crushed.

San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets AFC Divisional Playoff LIVEBLOG

EDIT: The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.

READ MORE »

ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LIVEBLOG

We'll be liveblogging the game today.  You can participate.  Hopefully you'll have a TV to watch along with.  Be here at 4:30pm.  If you don't know what liveblogging is, it'll blow your freaking mind.  Don't say you weren't warned!  LIVE-BLOGGING 2010!  F*** Yea!

EDIT:  The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.

READ MORE »

YOUTUBE COMMENTER PREDICTED JAY REATARD'S DEATH

This uncanny prediction of Jay Reatard's death can be found in the comments of this video of him urinating on a band member:

M.I.A. - THERE'S SPACE FOR OL DAT I SEE

New video from M.I.A. posted on her twitter.



unofficial MP3:  http://www.mediafire.com/?mw0fo1imwxg

EDIT:  The song is called "Odyssey" and the beats are by Rusko.

JAY REATARD DIES; EDITOR TAKES OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HIS MAGAZINE

Indie rock star Jay Reatard was found dead today around 3:30 a.m. at the age of 29.  No cause of death has been reported. 

In an attempt to promote his magazine's cover story on Reatard, the editor of Death + Taxes commented on BrooklynVegan.com saying:

I'm the editor of the Death+Taxes magazine. Jay Reatard is our current on-stands cover story and I had the opportunity to spend some time with him this fall.
He was a great talent and his passing is a big loss to the music world. We'll continue to celebrate Watch Me Fall as one of the best records of 2009 and remember him fondly.
He was honest and revealing in his cover story, and we appreciate the special access we were given to one of the great songwriters of our generation.
If you'd like to join us in remembering him, you can read the cover story here: http://www.deathandtaxesmagazine.com/?p=1445

The crass timing of the comment incensed several anonymous commenters who stated:

i love how the editor of Death+Taxes magazine just used this as a way to promote their publication. stay classy.

and:

To all the people either making jokes about his death or speculating on the cause go fuck yourself you are seriously the scum of the earth.

 Same goes for you Death & Taxes Editor, using this to promote your mag is disgusting.

We at chrysler5thavenue.blogspot.com find theeditor's of Death + Taxes statement to be tasteless and inappropriate.

UPDATE (7:21pm EST):  The R.I.P Jay Reatard bebo skin has surpassed 1000 downloads.

DIGG THIS STORY

THE SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS REGARDING HUMAN-INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE

Here is a graph posted by informationisbeautiful.net:

Here is a breakdown of the skeptics by their field:

The article further states:

In fact, when you adjust the PetitionProject’s odd categorisation – they filed ‘chemical engineers’ as chemists and physical engineers as ‘physicists’ – the total number of engineers who signed the petition, by our reckoning, jumps to 49%

Why so many engineers?

I think it's because engineers tend to work for the industries that are being challenged to change their practices to lessen their impact on climate change.  Their stance is based on politics, not science.