The new Army Navy video for “My Thin Sides” is up for YOUR viewing pleasure! Starring the hilarious Paul Scheer from MTV’s “Human Giant” and directed by “Drunk History” hall-of-famer, Jeremy Konner. Let’s karaoke!

Kevin Powell is a former cast member from the first season of MTV’s The Real World. Now he’s running for Congress in the 10th district (Brooklyn) of New York. I don’t think being on The Real World is any sort of credential but he does have a BA in Political Science. At least he was on the show before it went completely downhill and turned to crap.

He is up against Ed Towns, a 13-year incumbent, so we probably won’t see him in office anytime soon. Powell thinks “civic engagement should be a part of our values as much as MTV and Xbox.” He is trying to get more young people involved and what better way than making a tape of his speeches mixed with music from Tupac, 50 Cent and Kanye West?

Privacy Advocates? Win! Viacom, parent company of MTV and BET, recently sued Google, owner of YouTube, for copyright infringement, demanding that Google submit users’ information so they can be tracked down and beheaded for watching Linkin Park and Hanna Montana videos for free. Google’s response: PISS OFF.

From BBC:

Viacom ‘backs off’ YouTube demand
Google
Google bought YouTube in 2006

Viacom has “backed off” from demands to divulge the viewing habits of every user who has ever watched a video on YouTube, the website has claimed.

Google had been ordered to provide personal details of millions of YouTube users to help Viacom prepare its case on alleged copyright infringement.

Google, owners of YouTube, will now hand over the database but without data that could identify users.

Viacom has a $1bn (£497m) copyright infringement lawsuit against Google.

A class action by other organisations including the English Premier League has also agreed to the new terms.

“We are pleased to report that Viacom, MTV and other litigants have backed off their original demand for all users’ viewing histories and we will not be providing that information,” said a statement on the YouTube blog.

The decision will be welcomed by privacy activists, many of whom expressed concern over a US judge’s order for Google to provide the data in early July.

Continuing battle

YouTube, which was bought by Google in 2006, is in battle with Viacom, which owns MTV and Paramount Pictures, over alleged copyright infringement.

Viacom alleges clips from its programmes have been viewed on YouTube without its consent.

When it initiated legal action in March 2007, it said it had identified about 160,000 unauthorised clips of its programmes on the website, which had been viewed more than 1.5 billion times.

Following the launch of its billion-dollar lawsuit, YouTube introduced filtering tools in an effort to prevent content that infringes copyright from appearing on the site.

Viacom had said it wanted the log data to “compare the attractiveness of allegedly infringing video with that of non-infringing videos”.

But privacy activists argued in response that the original order “threatens to expose deeply private information” and was in breach of a 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, which was passed after the rental habits of a Supreme Court nominee were publicised.

The new ruling means that Google will still have to hand over the data logs but in an “anonymized form”, meaning YouTube can swap user logins and IP addresses with other random signifiers

An earlier Viacom request that Google be forced to hand over the source code of YouTube has already been denied by a US court on the grounds it is a “trade secret”.

Despite Tuesday’s agreement, the companies are yet to agree the process of information disclosure regarding viewing of YouTube clips by employees of YouTube and Google. This is expected to be settled in the coming weeks.

The cases are expected to come to trial in 2009 or 2010.

Shwayze is a new, laid-back Malibu group. Shwayze and Cisco Adler (Whitestarr) have teamed up to record an album with some super catchy melodies, hip-hop style and acoustic guitars. Cisco produced the album and co-wrote the songs and the duo definitely hit the jackpot with their new single of the summer, “Buzzin.” They were named the “Artist To Watch In 2008″ by the Los Angeles Times and MTV will soon air a Shwayze reality show in July. The show will document the pair and their entourage as they put out their debut. You can also see Shwayze all summer at Warped Tour!

See some hilarious Shwayze bloopers and interview with Synthesis’ Video Matt at Warped Tour & subscribe to our YouTube page while you’re at it!

Check back on our Synthesis Sweepstakes page soon for a chance to win some Shwayze beach gear!

While his brother Jimmy is busy quitting their band and enjoying the smoke-filled bullshit air of Chico, Brighten frontman and sex god Justin Richards is in NYC rocking MTV’s TRL with his homie A Rocket to the Moon. ULTIMATE FAME! That shit airs tomorrow at 3 PM so don’t blow it.

(from www.rushisaband.com)

When I was stuck in Olympia WA last week, the saving grace of our stay was our gracious host Kirk Leonnard and his girlfriend Amy, and their guest room devoted to their Xbox 360, and more specifically, Rock Band. It was there that Kirty South and I found solace, singing and plucking our depression away to the likes of the Beastie Boys, The Marshall Tucker Band and Black Sabbath. We also discussed woman-repellent music including Canadian arena rock champions, Rush. Oh! If only we had access to the tracks that will be made available tomorrow. We would have driven poor Amy completely bonkers.

From B|W|R Public Relations:

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today additional Rush tracks will be available at the Rock Band™ Music Store catalog of downloadable content. On July 8th, air drummers and guitarists will rejoice when direct from the Rush Masters Vault the exclusive Rock Band versions of “Closer To The Heart” and “Working Man (Vault Edition)” (featuring never released alternative guitar solo) are made available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft). Rush now have 5 songs available for Rock Band including cover versions of “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Working Man,” almost a full-set by prog rock standards!

Also available are two amazing tracks from six-time Grammy® winning, multi-platinum funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Snow ((Hey Oh))” and “Tell Me Baby” from their critically acclaimed ninth studio double album Stadium Arcadium will be available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace).

Release date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace)
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (PLAYSTATION®Store)

Tracks:
From the RUSH Masters Vault:
“Closer To The Heart”
” Man (Vault Edition)”

Hot Chili Peppers
” ((Hey Oh))”
“Tell Me Baby”

(All tracks utilize the original master recordings)

Price: 1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace) per track
Locations: LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Network

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **