I guess this needs a little explanation. I had posted just the video here, but people are asking me what it meant.

I collect the Google Doodles, those little graphic pieces they use to celebrate various holidays and anniversaries. I know, there is a page you can go to and see them all, but I still save them. Most are just JPEG pictures and are easy to copy. Lately, though they have been using some more complex and interactive methods.

I think the first one I saw (that was more then just a jpeg) was the Pac-Man game where you could actually play the game. Well, since every game is different, it doesn’t make much sense to record it. I wish I could save the program that plays the game, but there’d probably be some problems with doing that.

The next one was the Les Paul commemorative where you could pluck the strings on a Google-logo and the sounds would play. I did capture a few seconds of my plucking, but again, there’s little point in that; the code that makes it work would be more satisfying.

So, the recent Freddie Mercury animation was a no-brainer. The only interaction was the click to play. Other than that, it was the same experience every time and therefore save-able.

I wasn’t a big fan of Queen. I remember liking their songs when I heard them on the radio, but didn’t know much more about them. I don’t think I even knew Freddie Mercury was gay until he was near death.

I saved the video because my son liked it and I thought it would be nice to preserve. Watching it, I’m sure I don’t get the significance of much of it. I did go to YouTube and watch a bunch of videos about Queen and Freddie Mercury. I started to see bits and pieces of them that were in the Google piece.

So that’s why it’s here. No other message. Just the enjoyment and admiration of the Google Doodle meme.

MySpace hasn’t been ‘cool’ for a while now. Not that long ago, though, it was the place to be to make friends and keep in touch with them.

I started a MySpace account when I was doing my podcast. As a way to find and keep in touch with musicians, it was without equal. Show dates, band info, it was all there at your fingertips.

There were other places for musicians, but with it’s popularity and ability to showcase songs in a way that made them easy to play, but hard to download, unless you wanted them to be, it was a dream come true.

Every band, no matter how big or small, had a MySpace page.

But gradually, bands have been trying other things. Twitter. Facebook. Sonicbids. Reverbnation. Pretty soon MySpace was just one in the list of obligatory links every band shared.

Today, I logged into my account on MySpace and checked my mail. Out of 22 messages, all from bands, eight of them said “This profile no longer exists.”

Some of these were bands I knew well and get regular emails from. One I know I am friends with on Facebook, is working on a new album in the studio and is promoting their music aggressively. Has MySpace become that irrelevant, that this band has given up one it?

I know I don’t check it often, but these were the latest messages on MS I had. It looks like either an exodus from MySpace has begun, or MySpace picked now to clean house and kill off a lot of accounts.

If that’s the way it’s going to be, they might as well close shop and let Facebook win.

Visit this site: Stuff and Mutterings

I guarantee, it’s all good (well, except for the ones he says are bad) and not the same old, same old you’ve been hearing on the radio since Halloween.

Here’s the Shonen Knife video:

Shonen Knife has been a guilty pleasure of mine for many years. I was elated when Robby became affiliated with them and has been promoting them in the US. We went and saw them play in Buffalo a few months back and got to meet them after the show.