Bob the Sane's Moment of Clarity

Happy 2009, the International Year of Astronomy! 400 years ago this year, Galileo observed for the first time the four largest moons of Jupiter, saw the craters of the moon, and proved that little ole Earth is not in fact the center of the universe (much to the chagrin of the Church in Rome). Of course, there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding that whole trial thing. Galileo was a bit of a rabble rouser, and the Church chose not to turn him over to the Inquisition. Plus he was by no means the first, even among his contemporaries, to state that Earth was just another planet. The problem the pope had with him seemed more political than doctrinal.

Be that as it may, many exciting discoveries are coming our way this year, I feel. Already we are able to *directly* observe the atmospheres of the largest extra-solar planets, a feat unthinkable even 5 years ago. And with the final proof that Mars and Saturn’s moon Enceladus are brimming with water, the search for life elsewhere in our home system has gained steam. How cool is that??

International Year of Astronomy 2009

Unfortunately, sad news has also just arrived. Khan Noonien Singh, scourge of the Eugenics Wars and Capt. James T. Kirk’s personal devil (not to mention the engimatic Mr. Rourke), has passed away at the age of 88. Ricardo Montalban, whose chest musculature in his 60′s (which he so proudly displayed on the big screen) was enough to put much younger men to shame, has passed away at age 88.  Not even the fact of his genetically engineered intellect could allow him to survive…

I personally think he should be canonized by SOME church or other simply for having the patience of a saint in putting up with that midget freak Tattoo for several seasons of 70′s television.

Anyway, he built a deserved reputation as a classy individual and staunch activist of worthy causes.

Ricardo Montalban, TV’s Mr. Roarke, Trek‘s Khan, Dead at 88

Found on Recording Industry vs. The People:

RIAA withdraws subpoena and discontinues case in Austin, Texas, proceedings targeting Rhode Island students, in Arista Records v. Does 1-22

Once again the RIAA thugs have been dealt a blow in their illogical (and some say illegal) quest to sue the world.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe artists and musicians should be paid for their work just like anyone else. Everyone’s gotta eat, right? So why is it that the music makers themselves are against the RIAA’s legal onslaught (with the exception of Metallica who have become a joke in their own right)?

Could it perhaps be because the artists don’t see a single red cent from these proceedings? Could it also be because the RIAA is SUING THEIR OWN FANBASE??? What a way to make a living! Let’s SUE OUR OWN FANS!

And the RIAA wonders why record sales are in the tank.

Oh, wait, that’s not even true either. Online music sales continue to rise, more than making up for falling physical media sales.

Perhaps the problem is that 90% of all the music mass-produced by the RIAA member companies is SHITE?

Bite your tongue, Mr. the Sane!

What really gets me is the fact that the RIAA feels entitled to this filthy lucre. These people had NOTHING to do with the creation of this music. All they provided was a conduit to deliver this music to the masses. And this is a conduit which is rapidly becoming obsolete and irrelevant in the new world of instant digital content delivery. For these services of increasingly questionable value, the big record labels rape the artists of almost every dime their music garners them, and in most cases also divests the artist of any semblance of control over their own creativity and artistic work.

Why do you think so many musicians are now going independent? With the advent of digital delivery, they can completely cut out the labels. This of course threatens the very existence of these obnoxious thieving organizations. Their cash cows are mooing their last! Ye gods! What shall we DO???

Sue the customer. Yeah! Thereby *ensuring* their impending extinction.

I look forward to the day when I read in the financial papers that the big labels have officially gone belly up. Maybe they will go to congress, hat in hand, asking for a bailout as well?

At the start of 2009, having created this new blog site from the ashes of what used to be Big Bob’s House of Stupid (which, incidentally, will be seeing a rebirth once I install and tweak some photo gallery software), Our Hero decided to actually use the bloody thing.

Problem is, he had NO IDEA what the hell to say. So many options… I could use this as a place to vomit forth political commentary… or I could make a tech blog kinda thing, being that I’m an IT guy… I could try to make something vaguely humorous…

…

Or I could do all of the above and more, should the fancy strike me. Yeah, that’s right bitches. Uncle Bad Touch is in da houze! Ready to expound upon numerous topics both of great import and triviliality! Standing by to present to you, the gentle reader, the fermented product of my frothy imagination!

What’s that you say? I sure think highly of myself?

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YOU’RE still here reading, aren’t you? And nothing I’ve said yet is possessed of anything of value. So, yeah, I DO think highly of myself. Because, let’s not mince words here, I am in fact far more brilliant than 90% of the pathetic wastes of protoplasm that occupy the globe with me. And soon, you too will agree with me!

And if you don’t, I could care less! HA HA!

I’m only just getting started. Come back later.