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A good overview of the exhibition. With some photos.

Flashing against a wall are the stark black-and-white images of ancient greed.

Inside a 4,000-year-old tomb in which a governor and his wife hoped to make the journey into the afterlife is calculated chaos wrought by robbers intent on stripping the burial site of its valuables.

In their frantic search for jewels and precious metals, looters had ransacked the small stone chamber, ripping apart wooden coffins, tossing objects deemed insignificant into heaps, and even tearing apart the two mummies, leaving the head of one on top of the governor’s coffin and the torso of the other propped in a corner. Then they set fire to the plundered pyramid.

But in one telling photograph, a jumbled pile of carved figures attests to an enduring presence, one that survived fires, robbers and thousands of years underground. In fact, what archaeologists in the joint 1915 Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition unearthed while digging in Deir el-Bersha, a necropolis in central Egypt, was a treasure of previously unseen proportions.

The discovery led to nearly a century of work to reassemble the final resting place of an official named Djehutynakht and his wife, and piece together not only the funerary practices of a great bygone civilization but reconstruct daily life in an unheralded time of peace, prosperity and artistic achievement.

The dramatic result is “The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC,” a comprehensive exhibit set to run through May 16, in the Gund Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston. On view in its entirety for the first time, the contents of the tomb include elaborately carved and painted coffins, with spells designed to ferry the couple safely into a higher plane, as well as representations of food, drink, clothing and servants meant to magically serve and sustain them in their new existence.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

At the occasion of the COP 15, Siemens presented the European Green City Index, a study on the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries in which it emerges that Copenhagen is the “greenest” major city in Europe, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, and Amsterdam.

The evaluation of the 30 cities’ achievements and objectives in the area of environmental and climate protection focuses on eight categories: CO2 emissions; energy; buildings; transportation; water; air quality; waste and land use; and environmental governance.

The eight categories are based on 30 individual indicators — 16 of which are quantitative (e.g. consumption of water and energy per capita, recycling rate, and use of public transportation) and 14 qualitative (e.g. CO₂ reduction targets, efficiency standards for buildings, and support for environmental protection measures). “As far as possible, the research is based on data from official sources, such as municipal statistics departments and city governments,” said Watson. The study also includes in-depth city portraits that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each urban center, while also highlighting initiatives and projects from which other cities can learn. “A key element of the study is the comparability of the results from each city — within both the individual categories and in the overall evaluation,” added Watson.

“Our analysis indicates that European cities are leaders in environmental performance. In particular, almost all of the 30 cities — which are home to a total of nearly 75 million inhabitants — average lower per capita CO₂ emissions than EU countries,” said James Watson, managing editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit and the editor of the study. The best city in this category, Oslo, emits only 2.5 tons of CO₂ per capita and per year, far less than the EU average of 8.5 tons. What’s more, almost all of the cities have already developed and partially implemented an environmental strategy. “All of the cities face formidable challenges, however. For example, renewable sources of energy currently account for only around seven percent of these cities’ energy supply, which is significantly under the target of 20 percent set by the EU for 2020,” said Watson. Furthermore, the average share of waste that is recycled is less than 20 percent, while one in four liters of water is wasted through leakage.

Scandinavian cities generally achieve high scores. Awareness of environmental protection in these cities has been strong for years, which is reflected in the cities’ ambitious climate targets. Copenhagen, for example, aims to be carbon free by 2025. In Scandinavian countries, GDP per capita income is above average, and these wealthy countries have invested substantially in environmental protection. So far, Eastern European cities generally rank lower. This is largely due to a comparatively low gross domestic product and historic burdens, including the lack of attention paid to environmental protection in previous decades. In particular, high energy consumption in buildings and outdated infrastructures reflect this. In the area of public transportation, however, Eastern European cities often score above average: Kiev, which is ranked 30th overall, is estimated to have the highest percentage of people using public transportation to commute.

The European Green City Index is the third Siemens study to date in the Sustainable Urban Infrastructures series — after sustainability reports on London and Munich. “With this analysis we are once again underscoring our commitment to helping cities with their climate protection measures,” said Achatz. “After all, they play a key role, given that they are responsible for 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities today.” Siemens’ environmental portfolio makes it an ideal partner for the implementation of climate-friendly infrastructure solutions. In fiscal 2009, the company generated about €23 billion in revenue with the products and solutions of its environmental portfolio. That is approximately 30 percent of its total annual revenue.

A very giving Santa Claus seems to have already visited Italian race car driver Davide Vlasecchi this year. The 22-year old has been signed by iSport International for the remainder of the GP2 Asia series as well as for the full upcoming GP2 championship.

Valsecchi managed to take pole position and win the first race of the GP2 Asia series opening round in Abu Dhabi on October 31. This great performance was followed by the signing of a full season contract with iSport, of which th… (read more)

Ya teníamos tiempo de no visitar Nurburgring, así que para esta navidad les ofrecemos la vuelta completa del último récord de vuelta al infierno Verde, del Radical SR8LM en 6:48 minutos.

El video es obra de una compañía especialista en grabar video a bordo de coches de prueba y coches de carrera: ChaseCam, quienes han decidido difundirlo.

La verdad es que esta vuelta es perfecta. En Nurburgring no necesitas un coche que sea tan veloz en velocidad final, sino uno que vaya sobre rieles en las curvas y curvones del ring. Michael Vergers, el piloto que conduce el Radical de 460 caballos. Para rematar, Radical ostenta los dos primeros lugares de récords de vuelta al viejo Nurburgring. El primero del año 2005 y éste último de agosto del 2009.

Vía | World Car Fans

The 2011 Kia Sorento will arrive in dealerships across the United States in January with pricing to start at $20,790 for the base model equipped with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and manual transmission. On the other hand, the most expensive version will come with a price tag of $29,690 and features a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine and automatic transmission.

The car was officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show and is already produced at Kia’s manufacturing plant in West … (read more)

Snoring may be music to your ears but you have to admit that it isn’t for your sleeping partner. Snoring will cause your social relationship with your sleeping partner to deteriorate and is also a sign that you have a serious medical condition.

You may not know it but studies suggest that snoring is a sign that you will have a higher chance of having cardiovascular disease, suffer from stroke and diabetes. Snoring may not really sound to be a serious problem but you have to consider that it is.

Aside from affecting you socially, it will also affect your health. If you snore, the chances of you getting a good night’s sleep are very slim. When you start snoring, you will wake up from deep sleep and will try to move in your bed in order to stop it. You may not know it but you actually wake up when you snore.

This will cause you to feel lightheaded when you wake up in the morning, and you will also feel very tired. As you know, sleep is supposed to relax you and upon waking up, you should feel refreshed. If you don’t feel refreshed, you didn’t get enough sleep because of snoring.

Even if you sleep about 8 hours a day or more, it will not be enough and you will feel very unrefreshed when you wake up in the morning. However, you don’t have to suffer from this very common condition. All you need is a little discipline and you will find that snoring has a cure.

First of all, you need to know about the different causes of snoring in order for you to have an idea on what to do in order to stop it.

Snoring is caused by over relaxed throat muscles or has excess fat in your throat. One of the main causes of snoring is overeating before going to sleep. Eating causes your throat muscles to relax and therefore, will cause you to snore. Another cause of snoring is by drinking alcoholic beverages before you go to sleep. Drinking alcoholic beverages also causes your throat muscles to relax.

So, in order to stop snoring, you have to stop eating excessively before going to sleep and also stop drinking alcoholic beverages or stop drinking “night caps” before you go to sleep. Smoking before going to sleep also causes the throat muscles to relax therefore, it is wise to abstain yourself from smoking before you go to sleep in order to stop snoring.

Another cause of snoring is by being fat or by being overweight. Fatty tissues in your throat may develop if you are fat. Therefore, exercising is another way to stop snoring. These are some of the home remedies that you can try in order for you to stop that music you are making when you sleep.

Snoring can also be caused by your sleeping position. If you are still overweight but on the process of slimming down, try to sleep on your side. Studies have found that laying flat on your back when you sleep causes snoring. Try sleeping on your side.

If you stop snoring, you will be able to have a healthier body and also have a healthier relationship with your sleeping partner. Keep all these simple home remedies in mind and you will eventually stop snoring.

Archaeology Magazine’s Top Ten Discoveries of 2009

ARCHAEOLOGY’s annual list of the year’s most exciting discoveries–from North America’s earliest canals to evidence for chemical warfare at a Roman outpost in Syria–highlights sites, artifacts, and scientific studies we feel most enrich our knowledge of the past.

Archaeology is an incremental science, and “eureka” moments are rare. Often the most significant advances result from many years of research. For instance, we feature the work of archaeologists who have dug for four decades at a second-century B.C. Greek city in southern Russia. They were only recently able to identify a large structure at the site as the palace of King Mithradates VI, a legendary foe of Rome.

Two elite tombs excavated this year are on the list, one belonging to a Moche lord in Peru and the other to a family of Iron Age priestesses on Crete. Meanwhile, graves of exotic animals now emerging at the Predynastic Egyptian capital of Hierakonpolis show that the city’s rulers kept extensive menageries–the world’s first zoos.

We hope 2009’s remarkable finds inspire you to make your own connections with the past, and whet your appetite for the discoveries to come.

The Ancient Origins of Christmas Traditions, The Independent

The Christmas Tree: We might curse the fact that we’re still picking pine needles out of our toes come spring, but the idea of decorating your house with greenery at winter goes back thousands of years. King Tut may never have seen the multicoloured mess we put up with nowadays, but he would have had date palm leaves scattered around his royal abodes on the winter solstice.

Ancient Egyptian Games Online (Vincent Brown)

Vincent has gathered together a terrific selection of Ancient Egyptian Games that you can play online. Enjoy!

Top Ten Archaeology News Stories of the Decade (K. Kris Hirst )

Many of the stories I chose for the top ten overthrew long-prevailing theories concerning human evolution and human migrations around our big blue marble. Others include a startlingly complex civilization discovered in Peru and a slab of serpentine appears to present information about the ancient roots of language in Mesoamerica. A man who was pulled out of a melting glacier in the Alps provided an astoundingly clear window into life as it was lived 5,000 years ago. It’s truly been an amazing ten years.

The Biblical Story of Jesus in Egypt
(Jill Kamil)

Despite the biblical references to the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt: Take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt [Matt: 2:13], and Out of Egypt have I called my son [Matt: 2:15], outside of the Coptic communities around the world, the early years of Jesus are not as widely known as the Nativity, the Passion, and the Resurrection. Is it not time to stage a three-act play in Coptic churches that combines the Nativity with the Flight into Egypt? It should be borne in mind that, apart from Copts in Egypt and the Middle East as a whole, there are more than 500,000 in the United Sates, 100,000 or in Canada, 300,000- odd in Australia, and more than a million residing in Europe, Latin America, Africa and New Zealand.

Savour Every Santa

How to cook Christmas Dinner – in the style of European Prehistoric people! (Heritage Key, Jacqui Wood)

As an experimental archaeologist and independent researcher, I’ve spent the last 30 years investigating the eating habits of ancient civilisations – including their ancient Christmas dinners. Here are some tips and recipes for the perfect xmas dinner that I’ve collected along the way.

I use a technique that I’ve developed over the years to explore the practical aspects of the daily lives of prehistoric Europeans. The approach is based on the theory that the inherent skills and ingenuity of prehistoric European is still latent in the people of Europe today. But the skills of surviving in the northern European landscape have been forgotten because we no longer have a use for them in our modern-day society.

During my researches I have discovered that these skills are very easily acquired – particularly if one is not impeded by any training in the skill to be researched. It has to be approached purely by logic. It is essential, though, not to single out any particular skill, but to attempt to do all the required jobs that a prehistoric settlement would have to do to survive.

Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

MISSISSIPPI STATE — Partygoers who tend to overindulge in the holiday spirits may need to learn the fine art of dawdling to decrease the effect of alcohol on their system.

Dawdling is characterized by mixing with other guests and friends, and maybe having a dance before heading to the bar at holiday festivities. “If you do pick up an alcoholic drink, pick up something to eat too. The food slows the alcohol absorption into the blood stream. It is always a good idea to eat and rest before a party so that the body is physically prepared to metabolize alcohol. If you drink alcohol, it is wise to drink in moderation,” said Barbara McLaurin, nutrition education specialist with Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

Moderation — one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men — is based on the gender differences in metabolism and body weight. “It takes at least one hour for the body to metabolize one drink. Drinks are measured by the amount of pure alcohol in them. A 12-ounce can of beer, one shot and one six-ounce glass of wine all contain one-half ounce of pure alcohol,” McLaurin said. Even drinking in moderation increases the risk of a car crash if an individual gets behind the wheel. After only one drink, there are observable effects — bad driving habits are more pronounced according to the National Safety Council. Visual acuity, coordination and judgement are also limited after one drink.

Alcohol consumed above a moderate level can raise the risk of motor vehicle crashes, high blood pressure, stroke, violence, suicide and certain types of cancer. “Even one drink a day raises the risk of breast cancer, which can affect both men and women,” McLaurin said.

Alcohol also lacks any nutritional value. Heavy drinkers are at risk for alcohol calories to become substitute calories for those found in nutritious foods. “Alcohol adds calories without the benefit of vitamins and minerals. It does not aid in avoiding winter holiday season weight gain,” McLaurin said.

“It is a myth that alcohol wards off a cold or warms up the body in cold weather. Actually, it does the opposite. It impedes the immune system in fighting the cold, and makes the body cooler. Alcohol increases the heat loss from the body,” McLaurin said. Some people should refrain from drinking any alcohol. These people include pregnant mothers or women who may become pregnant, and individuals who plan to drive or operate any machinery or vehicle that requires coordination or skill. Also, people taking over-the-counter drugs or prescription medication should steer clear. The medicine can react with alcohol and cause adverse effects. Children and people of any age who cannot restrict their alcohol intake are in danger even if drinking in moderation.

Half of the traffic fatalities during Christmas and New Year’s last year were alcohol related.

By Chantel Lott

Merry Christmas, one and all. The rotund gentleman above may not be singing, but neither is he hawking a Coke, and we’ll take that as a sufficient act of saintliness. Regular Scatterers may recall that the jigsaw puzzle pictured was begun and completed over the Thanksgiving weekend by the Large Smelly Boys. We showed a close-up of the old gent’s face a while back and promised that if you were good, we’d show the whole puzzle. Well, our secret operatives inside The Google have been keeping a sharp eye on you and have reported that on the whole you’re a pretty sterling lot, so here’s the picture. Congratulations: Well done!

Now quietly shut down your computers and join your friends and families for a cup of good cheer. Art Scatter World Headquarters is closed for the holiday.

Seguimos con los cambios en Blog de Blogs y tras presentar el Blog Infantil, ahora le tocan los cambios a Highmotor y hoy estrenamos un nuevo diseño para poder seguir conectados desde cualquier medio a la actualidad de Highmotor. Ahora contamos con varios canales para seguir todas las noticias del motor, pruebas, reportajes o curiosidades que publicamos desde aquí.

En la parte superior del blog podéis ver los enlaces a nuestros canales de Facebook, Twitter y nuestro feed para aquellos que quieran estar subscritos a nuestras noticias y no perderse nada de lo que pasa en Highmotor. Pero las novedades no acaban ahí, además de ponernos seguir por estos nuevos canales también os traemos una nueva funcionalidad para mejorar los contenidos que ofrecemos, se trata de nuestro canal de Youtube, en donde subimos vídeos de nuestras pruebas, lanzamientos y todos aquellos vídeos de interés.

Entre las novedades del diseño tenemos la nueva sección de noticias destacadas desde donde podréis tener a un click y agrupadas aquellas noticias o pruebas que son importantes en Highmotor. Como siempre seguimos trabajando por ofrecer nuevos contenidos y dentro de ese empeño, se encuentran secciones nuevas como Coches con Historia, con las que pretendemos acercaros a los modelos más míticos y desconocidos que han marcado historia.

Y para 2010 seguiremos con las novedades, seguirán las pruebas y os traeremos nuevos modelos para que los disfrutéis y como siempre toda la actualidad del motor seguirá aquí, en Highmotor.

Enlaces | Facebook (hazte seguidor), Twitter (no te pierdas ninguna novedad), Youtube (subscríbete a nuestro canal) y nuestro feed (para recibir las noticias por correo o en tu lector RSS).

Filed under: Health, Fitness

‘Tis the season for shovelling snow, but how can you avoid those common back-related ailments? We asked fitness expert Kathleen Trotter to share a tip from her newsletter to explain how you can activate your core and take the pressure off your back.

Shoveling Snow and Low Back Problems
Many people hurt their backs shoveling snow if their core is not strong, the flexion and rotation required in snow shoveling can put unwanted pressure on the spine. Many people do crunches to get a strong core. Unfortunately, what causes low back pain it is not simply a muscle strength issue; it is a muscle recruitment issue. Often people have a hard time turning on the neural connection to their deep core muscles. What this means is to help eliminate low back pain, the brain connection to the deep core muscles needs to be “woken up”. Try the exercise bellow to “wake up” your deep abdominals. Hopefully, once your stabilizing core muscles are working, you will not hurt your back shoveling this winter.

More tips for saving your back, after the jump…

Continue reading Shovel Snow Without Hurting Your Back

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Filed under: Morning Scoop

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Merry Christmas! Make sure it’s a safe and happy one by avoiding these common Christmas hazards.

Here’s some holiday spirit inspiration — this man in Australia is a real-life Santa for giving everything he has to others.

Looks like the three wise men were really onto something — studies show that myrrh helps lower your cholesterol.

Having trouble with that Christmas cracker? Apparently, the secret is to pull down.

Looking for a fun way to get active this Christmas Day? This is the most fun winter workout of them all.

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SRX611/Smart SCARA & CAST/Robokids table-top Robot

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If you’re female, how do you feel about buying a car from the dealer? Chances are, you don’t want to go alone. Maybe it’s not in your head that women are treated differently when buying a car from a dealer.

According to a recent poll by NBC/Universal, around a quarter of women believe they aren’t taken seriously at the car dealership. In general, I share that opinion.

In their article, “Women Are Deeply Involved in Car Buying, So How About Respect from Dealers,” BNET mentioned a study of 200 Chicago car dealerships that revealed women often get higher price quotes than men do! Isn’t it strange women receive less respect even though they’re driving auto sales more than men these days?

It’s no wonder that women turn to other avenues for car buying. “Many dealerships still have a long way to go in meeting women’s expectations … For this reason many woman are deciding to break the traditional car buying mold and are finding success in connecting with others on the Internet to find their next vehicle of choice,” said Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified.com.

Leasetrader.com, an online lease transfer marketplace, reports that, according to feedback they’ve received, avoiding the dealer sales environment is the leading reason women use the online car marketplace.

If you’re female, please share how you feel about buying a car at a dealership. Can you put your finger on what makes you uncomfortable? Do you avoid buying from a dealer? Do you feel that car dealers need training in how to better serve female car buyers?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

A Man’s World at the Car Dealership?

No, I haven’t had too much eggnog. You can give someone a dog without actually giving them the dog!

Pets Alive, a no-kill animal shelter in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, has been rescuing animals for more than 35 years. Their GiveADog program allows you to give the carefree gift of saving a dog’s life without any of the feedings or walks.

Here’s how GiveADog works: After your gift is made, each recipient receives a thank you card in the mail, and they get to choose a dog from among many waiting to be rescued. Once the choice is made, the gift recipient receives a certificate announcing that they have saved the dog. But it doesn’t end there.

Gift recipients also get an account at GiveADog.org to follow the progress of their chosen dog. Perks include regular progress emails, a personal Web page showing the status of the saved dog, pictures and videos of the dog and the ability to communicate with Pets Alive staff about the dog. Gift recipients also find out when the dog has been adopted into a permanent home!

The minimum donation for gifting a dog is $39.95. Find out more at GiveADog.org.

(Image via Pets Alive)

Post from: Blisstree

Give a Dog Minus the Actual Dog

Meysam Movahedi’s latest concept certainly isn’t the first revolutionary tweak to the tried-and-true power outlet, but it’s easily one of our favorites. Put simply, the Rambler Socket is an in-wall box that contains 1.5 meters of extra cabling along with a traditional AC outlet. Granted, you’ll need a pretty deep wall to make something like this work (in theory, of course), but the result is nothing short of brilliant. If your AC cord is long enough, you simply plug it into the socket per usual; if you need a little extra length, the built-in extension cord pulls out with a gentle tug. Once you’re done, you simply tug on it the cable once more and watch as it recoils back within the wall. GE, or someone — can we get a contract to this guy, pronto?

Rambler Socket tucks a recoiling extension cable, pinch of genius within your AC outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new survey by Vital Juice found that 80% of women’s New Year’s resolutions are “do-overs” from previous resolutions.

Vital Juice is a free daily email publication on fitness, nutrition, beauty and wellness. According to Vital Juice’s 2010 New Year’s Resolutions Study, 85% of women plan on making New Year’s resolutions on January 1. Of the women planning on making resolutions, 78% claim to have gotten better at keeping resolutions as they got older.

What are women resolving to do (or not do) for 2010?

• 45% said they will have more sex
• 63% will cut back on stressing
• 85% said they intend to exercise more
• 42% said they intend to get more sleep
• 29% will drink less alcohol
• 45% said they will diet more
• 70% will cut back on complaining
• 47% will eat less

Fines for breaking resolutions?

Most women indicated they’d stick with their New Year’s resolutions if they had to pay for breaking them. For 43% of women, less than $100 would keep them in line.

Support for keeping resolutions

While 21% of women claimed they don’t tell anyone about their resolutions, 28% of the women seek support with significant others, and 25% look to close friends for support. Only 14% look to family members for support in keeping New Year’s resolutions.

Mobile phones or sex?

When asked whether they’d give up their mobile phones or sex for a month, 48% said they’d rather give up sex! And 86% of respondents would give up Facebook before sex. Sounds like Facebook isn’t as addictive as some might think…

The Vital Juice survey was conducted online from late November to early December 2009. Most respondents (98%) were female.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Popular Women’s Resolutions for 2010

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Ford

Thanks to some embargo breaking that’s already occurred, we’ve known for a week that the 2011 Ford Mustang GT would pack a brand new 5.0-liter V8 producing 412 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. We thought those tidbits might hold over the internet ’till the official embargo date lifts early next week, but we were wrong and therefore are still awake at 1:30 AM on Christmas morning writing this post. Thanks to Jalopnik via MustangHeaven via BurlappCars, we have the first images of the 2011 Mustang GT and its new 5.0-liter V8.

You can read more about some of the engine’s details that have already leaked here, but let’s just take a look see at what we’ve got. Kudos to Ford for leaving the engine’s tippy top unadorned and we also dig those 5.0 badges on the engine and fenders. Nostalgia FTW – OMG! An old fat guy with a sack of stuff just crawled out of my fire place! I think he’s a burglar. Gotta go hide the silver, Merry Christmas!

[Source: BurlappCars via MustangHeaven via Jalopnik]

2011 Ford Mustang GT and 5.0-liter V8 unwrapped early originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is too hilarious. The Heavy fits Left 4 Dead 2’s SI charger role perfectly, Then the trolling Pyro as the jockey (but i think it would’ve been better if it was the spy).

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The new “artists” are curators of other people’s created content, if sites such as Tumblr, Ffffound, WeHeartIt and newcomer Awsm.fm are any kind of zeitgeist.

Awsm.fm is a digital multimedia scrapbooking app that regards copyright issues with a gleeful abandon, allowing users to pick images and group them with text, tags and uploaded songs. But, licensing aside, the app does allow users to display their lovely and deeply sensitive tastes in pop music and evocative photography.

Sponsor

The Awsm.fm user interface borrows liberally and haphazardly from a few sites we know and love, notably Vimeo. It’s a very new product and is still buggy with a UX that’s less than intuitive and occasionally frustrating.

Although there is an attempt to attribute the uploaded songs by incorporating existing track information and letting users edit the artist and track title, there is no standardized way to link back to the music creator or ensure any work on the site is licensed for this kind of sharing. Images do link back to their original source, which may but will not always satisfy the copyright holder.

Here’s an example of an Awsm.fm post, featuring an image, some text, a few tags, a comment box and a song I uploaded:

You can check out this profile page to see more Awsm.fm posts we created.

As I’ve written in the past, users have been given more and more tools for grabbing, spreading and remixing content over the past 10 years since Napster’s birth. Most of those tools have been free or nearly so, and many of them border on piracy or explicitly enable it.

The founder of Awsm.fm, who introduced himself to us as “Wan,” wrote that he is “sad by the lost of imeem, muxtape” and “frustrated at not being able to listen to lala.com.” A self-proclaimed indie music fan and programmer, Wan has created a tool that does something to help distribute independent music to listeners but nothing to help independent musicians track and profit from their music.

However, as legendary rock music producer Steve Albini wrote in a comment on the above-linked post, “Internet file sharing is profoundly beneficial to bands in that it serves to promote them to a worldwide audience at no cost… I saw it in action myself last year when my band conducted hugely profitable tours of both South America and Eastern Europe, including places like Croatia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey, where our music has virtually no formal distribution. People came to our shows, knew our music and bought anything we had to sell them. They were familiar with us because the Internet allowed them to hear our music for free, and they developed a taste for it.”

While independent musicians may receive some ancillary benefit from users’ getting to hear and distribute their music free of charge, other copyright-holding songwriters hold opinions very different from Albini’s. We read about lawsuits over this kind of issue every year, and as a musician myself, I certainly wouldn’t want a stranger scattering my songs to the four winds without my being able to track and monetize those listens, likes, shares and web traffic. There is, after all, something to be said for putting Ramen on the table of every starving artist.

Note: For demo purposes, I’ve uploaded images that belong to me and close friends and music from bands I support and/or went to college with. Because I’m using their content and they deserve the plug, check out Chris Merritt if you’re into indie-type pop rock and Year Long Disaster if you’re of a more head-banging persuasion.

For revenue, the site seems to plan on sponsored posts and advertising. If Wan has any idea about the cost of hosting and playing copyrighted music, he might consult imeem (sold at a huge loss because licensing fees were overwhelming the company) or Pandora (just now beginning to see profitability as a possibility), he must have some radically profitable alternatives up his sleeve.

What do our musician/music startup friends have to say about Awsm.fm? Is it, as the name would imply, simply and clearly awesome – both for users and for the musicians they want to promote or share? Or is it just more 2.0 content theft? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Discuss

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