Pretty Outside, Broken Inside

You may have noticed that this site is now on a bona-fide blog platform…about a dozen-plus years late to the party, but hey, it finally happened. However, the transition has been a trainwreck behind the scenes. While things are clean-looking, (somewhat) searchable, and dialogue-enabled, the design, configuration, and content-migration did not go remotely as I’d hoped.
For one thing, most internal links within posts are broken, which requires hand-code fixes. Not only just for links to other site-content, but also to links to locally-hosted media files (audio/video/pictures). With 1,000+ posts over 17+ years, it’s a mind-numbing task, but I hope to have it complete within the next week or two. (As of today, all posts from 2006-present have been fixed). Continue reading “Pretty Outside, Broken Inside”

Madonna's File Share Screed Rebounds

On the collage beat, Madonna is getting whupped pretty nicely.
Seems about a week or so ago, Warner Music Group (corporate parent of Madonna’s Maverick Records) uploaded dummy “preview” versions of songs from her new album onto several popular music file sharing services. But instead of hearing the songs themselves, listeners got a tongue-lashing from pop music’s queen mother for participating in music piracy: “What the f*ck do you think you’re doing,” says Madonna (the rest of the dummy MP3 is silent).
What began as Madonna’s wry attempt to humiliate file sharers has since turned into a creative catalyst for several audio artists, who have remixed the quip as a reverse zinger. Warner Music might get some publicity mileage out of the sonic counterattack for Madonna’s new album, but methinks those most interested in the remix project aren’t big Madonna fans to begin with. Continue reading “Madonna's File Share Screed Rebounds”

Collage Files Restored, Expanded

The temporary hiatus of the media collage and Mbanna Kantako file archives turned into an unexpected server demise, but all affected files have now been restored. I took the opportunity to catch up on new additions to the Truthful Translations of Political Speech collage galleries: there are several new collages sprinkled throughout, both audio and video.
Not surprisingly, the majority of them have something to do with George W. Bush, who is now the subject of 30 translations. Choice bits from the latest batch include submissions from The Mentally Ill, Skidmark Bob, Muckrakor Media, and Warp Records. Continue reading “Collage Files Restored, Expanded”

Free Radio Networks Against War

Last weekend’s global anti-war protests were streamed live by various Independent Media Centers around the world, and voices for peace bypassed corporate media filters to give reports straight from the streets.
Many pirates picked up the various IMC feeds and rebroadcast them to their communities: the impromptu network had affiliates the U.S., U.K., Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, to name those we know of. All of the rebroadcasts took place on the FM dial. Could’ve been bigger – maybe next time.
Miscellaneous site news: a third gallery of media collage is now online. This one features works that use adverts as ammo and poke the eyes of consumer culture.

Collage Gallery Expanded

More MP3s are online now. The Truthful Translations of Political Speech gallery has been expanded (New Nixon, Bush I and II stuff) and a new gallery has been added: Celebrity Speech.
Notables skewered in the new section include Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, among many others. I especially like Rush Limbaugh’s tribute to fascism and Paul Harvey’s ode to his bong.
There will be more galleries to come in the coming weeks as the media collage section gets more fleshed out. Spread the joy of open source music far and wide!