The Outsidr

Wow, it’s been a while huh? Just testing the iPhone’s WordPress app… Nothing to see here…

Categories don’t seem to be working but it’s pretty smooth aside from that.

By now you must have read about the widely-covered TechCrunch / Last.fm fiasco. To recap very, very quickly: TechCrunch posted what turned out to be a completely unsubstantiated rumor that Last.fm had handed sensitive user data over to the RIAA, Last.fm said it was completely false several times, Ars Technica revealed that not even the RIAA knew what TechCrunch was talking about and then Last.fm clarified the situation one last time in a blog post entitled, “Techcrunch are full of shit”. Zoinks.

To be fair, I can definitely empathize with Erick Schonfeld’s situation. I am a tech blogger and I know what kind of pressure bloggers can be under to be the first to cover an exclusive scoop. At the same time, when dealing with a sensitive topic that essentially accuses a company of violating the trust of its users, one must exercise some restraint. Schonfled did the right thing by reaching out for comment and Last.fm did the wrong thing by responding with PResque bullshit: “To our knowledge, no data has been made available to RIAA.”

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Marijuana has dangerous and harmful side effects. Smoke it, children, and you will be throwing your life away. Just look at this picture of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. He had all the potential in the world going into the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. But he smokes weed. With the world watching and the pressure on, only a drug-free, straight and narrow golden boy could rise to the task and crush the competition. Phelps was destined for failure…

Oh wait — he became the greatest Olympic champion of all time.

I’m not a smoker but I most certainly support the legalization of marijuana, especially in this day and age. Economic crisis, a staggering unemployment rate, bailouts, recession – now would be the perfect time. Just think of all the jobs that would be created, businesses spawned and tax revenue collected. The health implications? Please. Lung cancer is the best health-related argument against marijuana and our government clearly does not care if its citizens are dying of it, in droves, as long as there is plenty of tax money flowing back to papa.

With Obama under the microscope it will never happen of course, but it’s a shame. Make marijuana legal, control and monitor it as with cigarettes and alcohol, regulate pricing, charge a 50%, 75% or even 100% tax and then swim in gold a la Scrooge McDuck — or Michael Phelps, as it were.

[Image source: News of the World]

Barack Hussein Obama is your 44th President. The inauguration was fantastic, Obama’s speech was outstanding and now we begin to see if Obama can deliver. I am uncharacteristically optimistic.

“Your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

A poignent quote and part of a message to leaders of hostile nations. Now, however, it is time to see what Barack Obama can build.

Am I the only one sick of seeing all of this Jim Goldman-bashing? He’s part of mainstream media, he got a story wrong and he tried to cover his ass. How is this something new? Maybe the fact that bloggers have no accountability is what draws so many to this story. Or perhaps it’s the fact that most of the bloggers covering Goldman’s bungle reported his initial claim as gospel and discounted Gizmodo’s scoop as a result…

Whatever the case, enough. Stop. Please. I’m a big fan of several of the blogs currently trying to cover their own asses by running several Goldman-bashing stories, sometimes reaching into the double-digits. Please keep me as a fan and get over it.