Copyright Infringement Case against Veoh Dropped

I'm sure you're familiar with Veoh...you know, upload video for the world to see...get sued for copyright infringement. Well, the owner of some porn videos sued Veoh for copyright infringement for videos posted on the site. Veoh argued that it complied with the "safe harbor" provisions of the DMCA, and the judge agreed. Like YouTube, Google, and many others, when an ISP complies with the DMCA, there's a 'safe harbor' for them to avoid liability for infringing videos found on their systems. If you're an ISP, that's good news. If you're a copyright owner, it's not.

Let's get practical- how is an ISP supposed to police millions of videos for copyright infringement? It's not and that's why the DMCA extends some protections.

Fire Roasted Pepper and Carrot Puree

I stumbled onto a versatile use for carrots. Let me start by saying that I love carrots and I probably have them to thank for my 20/10 eyesight (that and my mom's genes). I've loved them since I was a kid, and always look for ways to incorporate them into a meal. On this one, I discovered a few uses from a single recipe.

I wanted to make a crostini topped with shrimp and somehow incorporate carrots. I thought of doing something like a gremolata, but that just didn't seem to fit (and I didn't want a true gremolata). I then thought of doing a spread and it popped into my head to go with a puree. I wanted the carrots to have some bang and decided to roast a red pepper to add.

Here's what you do:

Boil 1 large carrot (sliced into 3/4 inch slices) for about 20 minutes. Cool and set aside.
Heat 4 garlic cloves, skins on, in a pan until fragrant. DON'T BURN them. Cool, peel and dice.
Slice your red pepper lengthwise and de-seed it. lay it on foil skin side up and put it in your broiler on hi until the skin turns black and puffy. Remove, cool, and peel off skin.
Wash a fistfull of fresh basil.
Drop everything in a processor and add 2 glugs of olive oil. Process it into a smooth mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste- mix again. Don't burn the crostini!

Uses: 1) spread on a crostini; 2) ravioli filling; or 3) something to start a food fight with (watch the eyes, it has peppers).



Brock

Future Sounds on Little Radio

Don't forget to tune in every Tuesday from 10AM-Noon so you can enjoy Future Sounds picks from none other than our Headmaster, Larry Little.

Little Radio.

Copyright "Fair Use" May be Stronger...But Wait

How does it happen? A lady posts a 30 second clip of her kid dancing to Prince. She posts it on YouTube. Universal Music stumbles across it and issues a "take down notice" to YouTube based on the Digital Millenium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). This may be a precursor to a lawsuit. Maybe not. But either way, the video gets taken down.

This lady's different. She sues.

Her first complaint gets shot down. But the EFF steps in to assist and the judge refuses to dismiss her lawsuit. She claims that Universal abused the DMCA by failing to factor in whether her use was "fair" under copyright law. The Judge agreed to let the case proceed (despite the fact that she may still lose).

The judge's ruling could help reduce the number of take down notices sent by copyright owners to sites like YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, etc., but we'll see.

Midnight Snack - The European Sandwich

I couldn't tell you if this is really "European," but I can tell you that it's a damn good sandwich. It's the kind you want to eat at 11:59PM, just before you think about going to bed or watching another hour of Mad Men on DVD.

Here's what you need:

Sourdough bread
Pickle
Brie
Salami
Red onion
Parmesan (real, not the green shaker)
Fresh basil
Gorgonzola or goat cheese (Trader Joes has a nice assortment)
Olive oil
Cracked pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Here's what you do:

Toast your bread. When it's done, spread some brie on it. Add pickles, salami, red onion, basil, gorgonzola or goat cheese. Grate Parmesan over it all. Crack a little black pepper over it, and add a dash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

On this one, you'll probably figure out that you like more of this, less of that, etc., etc. You can also add different types of salami (dry, genoa, hot, etc.). Just be careful not to overpower the beauty of this one with meat. It's meant to be a symphony of flavor, not a meat lover's meal.

Sweet dreams

Brock

Asian-Infused Shrimp Watermelon Salad

I love food. From a good piece of toast to Paella, food moves me. Simple or complex, hot or cold, savory or sweet. I sample it all. I try it all. I make it all. Some of it's disgusting, but most of it's not. I don't mind taking a chance to hit the mark.

This Asian-infused shrimp watermelon salad is a great blend of flavors and textures, and is a perfect meal for a hot day. A swift mix of cool and spice. Here's what you do:

Lay out a bed of spinach on a plate (or not if you don't like spinach- it's not an essential ingredient to this dish).

Skin, de-seed and slice into matchstick slivers 1 cucumber. For this one, I used regular, but Japanese or hothouse varieties work well. Set aside.

Chop into 1/2 in cubes a handful of watermelon for each plate. Set aside.

Take uncooked shrimp and squeeze lime all over them. Let em sit in the juice for about 10 minutes. Drain the juice and return the shrimps to your bowl. Generously salt, pepper, and cayenne those bad boys. Stir it up real nice to spread the flavor. Now dump about 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (or flour or Panko) into your bowl and stir again.

Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet. Place the shrimp in one at a time. Cook about 3 minutes and flip. You should see a nice crust form. Don't overcook them. Opaque doesn't mean white. The best cooked shrimp is still a bit translucent. Drain them as they cook and set aside.

Cook Somen noodles according to instructions. Drain and douse with ice water. Don't let the noodles stay in water or they'll turn to mush. After the noodles are cold and well drained, swirl them on top of your spinach.

Add the cucumber and watermelon to your plate. Now add the shrimp on top. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and oh, slice up a red pepper for added heat.

Now for your "dressing"- Take about 1/4 of rice vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir to dissolve. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of Hon Dashi (I like the pellet type, but you can use powder too. The one on this link looks like a whole meal kit, but I buy the dashi pellets at my local 99 Ranch Market.) Add a few drops or a quick splash of sesame oil. Mix it all up like you would a dressing and pour it over your salad.

You probably want to make the dressing first, chop everything, then cook your noodles, then assemble it all - in that order.

Good eatin'

Brock