Can you believe it? I am updating from a phone. It makes me wish even more I had the old brown non-cordless (corded? That’s ridiculous.) phone from when I was growing up. We actually had to answer the phone “Wertz residence, so and so speaking.” I might just start doin that on my cell phone, you’ve been warned.
It was with great humor, a few months ago, that I received my first official ban from a government. It was for this iPhoto slideshow I made “for” a friend of mine three years ago:
I think I made it as a joke on how ubiquitous his name was on the Internet. It hasn’t kept him from getting any jobs at any rate (that I’m aware of).
Anyway, I noticed earlier this year, via YouTube, that the presence of Tina Turner had gotten the clip banned in Germany— copyright WMG, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell, and Warner Chappell, apparently. The Volcano Syzygy video I put up yesterday had an Aphex Twin clip in the background and it seems they move faster these days; I got an email within an hour letting me know the audio would be muted to the public.
I just re-uploaded it with me whamming on the old CTK-515 instead so, hey, at least the Copyright Cops tricked me into spending my time creatively. Now if only I could keep a beat on my smartphone drum pad…
Here’s another cool movie of the recent complex solar eruption.
For the post I put up the other day about it, I uploaded a video from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory that I couldn’t find on YouTube yet. This morning, I got this email from everyones’ friends in Mountain View:
Your video August 1 Coronal Mass Ejection might be eligible for the YouTube Partnership Program, which allows you to make money from playbacks of your video.
Making money from your video is easy. Here’s how it works: First sign into your YouTube account. Then, review and complete the steps outlined here…
…If your video is approved, we’ll start placing ads next to the video and pay you a share of the revenue as long as you meet the program requirements.
We look forward to adding your video to the YouTube Partnership Program.
Thanks and good luck!
The YouTube Team
First time I’ve had something get enough hits to trigger their automatic moneygrubber— it’s an odd feeling. Kind of makes me feel like I need a shower. Video’s ineligible anyway, I think, since it’s publicly (i.e., government) produced footage.
Keep your eyes peeled tonight and tomorrow for more aurora! The second, slower coronal mass ejection is still arriving and I noticed earlier tonight that the Space Weather Prediction Center has extended its geomagnetic storm watch through Friday. I’m heading to Eastern Washington this weekend and am hoping against hope the ionosphere is still willing to put on a show that far out.
Oh and, here’s what Monetitizing looks like, if you were wondering:
I’m surprisingly okay with the idea… but I take umbrage with the “app for that” line. It reminds me of a joke a generic lame coworker would make- the guy whose cubicle is covered with Dilberts and is still answering the phone with the Budweiser “what’s uppppp?”
Addendum: My mother upbraided me via email along the lines that the Democrats need all the help they can get and that I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth— and I couldn’t agree more, Mom. I like that they’re waving the flashiest thing they can find in front of idiots who would spite vote against Democrats because Obama didn’t make their mean neighbor’s dog into a unicorn that shits ice cream and babysits for free. It is astounding to think that it’s been less than two years since the 2008 election; less than two years for everybody to forget every reason not to vote for Republicans. I keep hoping there are two things that will Keep The Bums Out— Obama’s secret plan to win the war in Vietnam and the Republicans themselves and their Democrat-like ability to screw up royal. I was really interested to hear on my favorite news program today that pundits on both sides are rightly marking up the Petraeus Hail Mary as a political masterstroke.
Sam and Devin dot com 