Before you start waving the flag today, eyeball some bad news in the morning paper.
Two heavyweight champions have been in a classic battle that effects our access to information and entertainment.
Our privacy just got thrown into the middle of the ring:
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has ordered Google to turn over to Viacom its records of which users watched which videos on YouTube, the Web’s largest video site by far.
The order raised concerns among YouTube users and privacy advocates that the video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed. But Google and Viacom said they were hoping to come up with a way to protect the anonymity of the site’s visitors.
Full story here.
Summer Redstone Eric Schmidt
("The Night Feed" note: I worked at Viacom's MTV, VH1, & CBS. My Damn Channel works with Google & YouTube. We're represented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.)
Happy Independence Day.
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Nokia,
Dave Stewart,
Tero Ojanpero,
Mick Jagger,
My Damn Channel on 7/3/2008 5:04:09 AM by Rob Barnett
Respect and thanks to Dave Stewart for an inviation to an inspired dinner in Los Angeles with Nokia this week.
Dave is a fan of My Damn Channel and a Change Agent. He's a soulful musician and a visionary thinker in search of new ways to put music, entertainment, and ideas into your control.
Dave hosted dinner along with his latest partner in magic, Tero Ojanpera, Nokia's Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Communities.
Less than 30 Nokia dinner guests included musicians, producers, filmmakers, and smart humans dedicated to further empowering people to access information and entertainment through impressive technology.
Mick Jagger was there. I've been lucky enough to work with him and the Stones on a few projects since "Tattoo You." We spoke before dinner and I gave him the My Damn Channel shebang.
Here's Q&A with Dave & Tero on where this is all going.
Dave is on tour this summer as Dave Stewart and His 30-piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra. This man makes mincemeat of the mundane. He's also releasing a new album and a book. Info here.
More to follow.
Posted with tags
My Damn Channel,
You Suck at Photoshop,
Wainy Days on 7/1/2008 7:23:44 AM by Rob Barnett
Like millions of other humans, the pull of the west effect is mighty. The feeling starts in the chest. The head starts to spin. Ideas begin to bake. Aspiration. Inspiration. Resuscitation.
Half of our tiny staff is here in LA. Most of our artists are here right now.
My Damn Channel will be ONE this July 31.
We're about to close the first phase of DAMN and open up our second year stronger, smarter, better.
We never wanted to call the launch our 'beta.' That always sounds like an excuse when you see sites debut with an apology that they might suck less soon.
Our first year may end with over 30 million views. We've made over 250 original videos. We created 9 original video channels. 22 original series. Over 100 artists from music and comedy, from film and television.
Everyone is free from the typical red tape and molasses that grinds creative work down from lofty goals to the evil valley of compromise.
You get original videos the way the artists intended for you to see their work.
Our site's navigation organizes everything nto separate channel pages by artist. We're not thinking you have the time to search through thousands of little video boxes to find something good.
When we're in 'season' - our artists WORK every week. Regular episodes roll out like in the ole days o' teleeevision.
The ALL NEW version of YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP is being seen once every 2 seconds on da verld vide web. If you missed yesterday's premiere of the brand new WAINY DAYS, then stop reading this drivel and hit this.
There's less than 10 of us on payroll here. We're putting everything we can into making more of all this for you. Everytime you get one more person here to see My Damn Channel - the numbers build to a point where we continue to make enough coin to do MORE.
We've just signed a new major syndication deal to put our videos out to millions more.
We've just signed one of my favorite talents of all-time to create a brand new summer series. We'll put the news out soon after the holiday.
THANK YOU for putting your eyes here and helping build a better way to get you good shit. Keep us honest. Get in our face if we stray.
"Climb in - it's a town full a losers and we're pulling outta here to win."
Posted in
Big Fat Brain,
David Wain,
Donnie Hoyle,
Wainy Days,
You Suck at Photoshop with tags
Big Fat Brain,
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Donnie Hoyle,
You Suck at Photoshop,
Wainy Days,
David Wain,
Lee Majors,
Six Million on 6/26/2008 2:39:17 AM by Rob Barnett
In our never-ending quest to not suck....we're about to unleash the return of DONNIE HOYLE and YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP.
Unless there's a breakin, a leak, and sabotage,
set your timepiece for early FRIDAY morning,
the 27th of June, the year of our lord 2008.
Monday, 6/30 is the premiere of the second all-new WAINY DAYS.
Starring......uh.....David Wain....and LEE MAJORS (The Six Million Dollar Man) ! !
Posted with tags
Pearl Jam,
Eddie Vedder on 6/25/2008 2:56:06 AM by Rob Barnett
Many reasons - none of them worthy - kept me from ever seeing this band live before last night.
Pearl Jam is sonic art without artiface. Live Rock without cliches.
They deliver experience true to rock's origins - honoring their influences - but incorporating an urgent command of the present tense.
The fans made as strong a first impression as the band. We stood on the floor for the entire show. Think they may have played 2:45!? But the entire crowd at Madison Square Garden stood - all night - every song - collaborating and contributing. The band played a song not yet released called "Unemployable," and at least a quarter of the room already knew the words.
If you were late teens or 20 when this band first arrived in 1990, then you're pushin' 40 now. Rock men made most of the crowd, but there were more hot girls than you'd guess if you haven't sipped this wine before.
Eddie oozes authenticity. Can't say enough about the respect he pays to the job of frontman. Sharing the mic, his wine, heart, ideas, and the power of the band.
Vedder spoke of vinyl, marijuana, George Carlin, The Who, The Ramones, New York, veterans, the election, and WAR.
He made a point early on that intense negotiation with the Garden lifted the normal curfew that ends shows at 11pm. They played at least 30 minutes past that. I realized 'negotation' meant the band made a decision to PAY to give more music. You RARELY if EVER see that.
He made a point later in the night that the band was not there with any record to promote - just there for the good time in the summer in New York. He told the crowd how much their commitment meant to him - at the lowest points in his life. Far more feeling than the standard 'thanks for comin' out tonight.'
Respect to Jeff Ament on bass, Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Mike McCready on lead guitar, Matt Cameron on drums. Boom Gaspar played hammond B3 and keyboards. 3 backup singers on key songs. C.J. Ramone (with the Ramones 89-96), guested on "I Believe in Miracles" during the 2d of 3 encores, giving Eddie Vedder a chance to right a rock wrong & put a Ramone onstage at Madison Square Garden.
Pearl Jam opened the first encore with The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" from Quadrophenia - as a warmup for the upcoming VH1 Rock Honors show for The Who taping in LA on 7/12 & airing on VH1 on 7/17.
I've sipped the wine and found a trusted place to return to for inspiration. Mega thanks to this band for carrying the torch - and to CAROLYN - and to HOLLY - for the connect.
Pearl Jam 2008-06-24 Madison Square Garden
Set 1 - Hard to Imagine, Save You, Why Go, All Night, Corduroy, Faithful, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Down, Unemployable, Given to Fly, Who You Are, Whipping, 1/2 Full, Even Flow, Present Tense, Daughter, Do the Evolution
Encore 1 - Love Reign O'er Me, W.M.A., Leash, Spin the Black Circle, Wasted Reprise, Porch
Encore 2 - No More, Crazy Mary, Comatose, I Belive in Miracles, Alive
Encore 3 - All Along the Watchtower, Indifference
Posted with tags
Pearl Jam on 6/24/2008 2:31:32 PM by Rob Barnett
One band on the favorite band list and on the never seen them live list - fixing that problem tonight thanks to two friends. HOLLY & CAROLYN!! will report back tmrw.
Posted with tags
George Carlin on 6/23/2008 5:09:57 AM by Rob Barnett
George Carlin left yesterday. Respect and appreciation. Carlin never stopped working. He made us more free:
"I think it is the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
"There is no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past."
"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist."
"By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth."
"Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit."
The X Files
Lost
Friends
Star Trek
The Sopranos
The Fugitive
Seinfeld
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Six Feet Under
Twin Peaks
Arrested Development
just a few of the biggest finales ever - that all have one thing in common:
they've got absolutely nothing to do with the Season Finale of Sn4tchbuck13r's Second Chance & the unfolding mystery about the return of Donnie Hoyle & YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP
Posted in
My Damn Channel with tags
My Damn Channel,
The Night Feed on 6/17/2008 2:00:15 PM by Rob Barnett
If you're a co-con, a regular to "The Night Feed," or a fan of Damn, we're sharing a brand new idea - before it's even half-baked - for your brains to help bake it better.
We're getting a ton of pitches for new channels, new web series every week.
We're doing an honest job getting through all of it & giving back answers a thousand times more quickly than yer typical old media response.
Problem is - we're saying NO - a lot more than we're saying YES.
Reason is - we started My Damn Channel with the idea that less could be more.
We never attempted to be the site with the most videos - we keep working to make sure that if we're putting care & coin behind something - we're doing it because we're giving you the better stuff - consistently.
WHAT IF we started giving more series a shot by creating a channel that featured the pilot episodes for potential new series on My Damn Channel.
We're not going after a "Funny or Die" approach - we're not opening up another "American Idol." But we would start a new way to give more creators a chance to reach millions.
We'd option your work for a chunk of months - after that - we'd either say YES to more & pony up -- or NO -- & you're free to move on.
More to say - but starting the earliest thinking here - for your comments in public, or private to: Rob@MyDamnChannel.com
