Most subscribers to satellite and other digital radio services will know, all too well, what the infamous “PFFFFFF!” sound is. It’s the brief sound a digital radio makes in lieu of static on FM or AM… unequivocal warning that you’re about to be plunged into complete silence as your receiver loses track of the signal.

While it’s only coincidence that XM radio’s outage noise is akin to a flamboyantly gay male dismissing someone with derision, XM users have been led to wonder if their radios adopted the same attitude. They’ve heard that sound quite a lot over the past 24 hours, as they saw their service go in, and out, and in and out… andinandoutandinandoutandinandout repeatedly, if they got a signal at all.

The culprit? One of XM’s very expensive satellites mysteriously went offline for over 24 hours, depriving North America of not only half the XM signal, but of the 1,000+ ground repeaters that XM has which tune to that satellite in order to boost signal levels. The continent-wide signal is back to “normal service levels” now, and XM claims the problem was bad software, but this latest snafu has led many of its subscribers to question the robustness of the company’s infrastructure, which seems to be fraying at the seams after a mere six years of operation.

This has certainly not been a good month for XM!

If you subscribe to XM radio, and have been living uder a rock this past week, it’s time to get VERY pissed off.

Two and a half years ago, XM signed the “schock-jock” duo Opie & Anthony. Here’s the press release announcing the deal. Allow me to highlight the important parts:

Opie and Anthony are among the most popular and controversial duos in radio. Their irreverent wit made their afternoon radio show number one among male listeners between the ages of 18 and 49 in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Cleveland, and Buffalo, according to Arbitron. O & A have not been on the air since August 2002, and their large fan base has been waiting patiently for their return. The new show on XM will serve up their offbeat humor that has drawn millions of listeners and made them loyal fans.

“XM has been called ‘the HBO of satellite radio,’ and like HBO, we can provide O & A fans with a unique way to enjoy their edgy humor,” said Hugh Panero, President & CEO of XM Satellite Radio. “The O & A show is the latest example of the incredible range of programming available on XM.”

All right, we get it! Opie and Anthony are edgy and out there. They might say things could offend people! But it’s okay because it’s awesome uncensored satellite radio, right?

Well, fast forward to last Monday when OMG! Opie and Anthony offended… well, no one really. Someone brought onto their show the week before said a few rather offensive things, but as far as anyone can tell, no one really filed any formal complaints or made a big stink… that is, except for XM’s management:

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — XM Radio announced today that the company has suspended Gregg “Opie” Hughes and Anthony Cumia, hosts of “The Opie & Anthony Show” and ceased broadcast of the show for 30 days, effective immediately.

XM Radio deplored the comments aired on “The Opie & Anthony Show” last week. At the time, the company strongly expressed its views to Opie and Anthony, and they issued an immediate apology.

Comments made by Opie and Anthony on yesterday’s broadcast put into question whether they appreciate the seriousness of the matter. The management of XM Radio decided to suspend Opie and Anthony to make clear that our on-air talent must take seriously the responsibility that creative freedom requires of them.

I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly not clear what message XM is trying to send here. Why is it that suddenly now, after being brazenly offensive and irresponsible since 2004, should XM take offense all of a sudden? And why does it warrant a full 30 day suspension?

I appear to not be the only one with these questions. XM subscribers are sticking it to the company en masse, cancelling service, flooding customer service lines with complaints, and even smashing their radios in protest. And in an unprecedented move, even XM sponsors are pulling out in support of the suspended talent.

The speculation on why this is happening is at a fever pitch. Most cite the pending merger with Sirius as the reason why XM is suddenly trying to clean up their act. Others, expressing their denial, are positing the idea that this might all just be a publicity stunt.

Regardless of what’s really going on, it would seem that the rabid response from fans was sorely underestimated by the big wigs at XM. With cancellations, sponsors jumping ship, listeners rallying to block the proposed merger, and even the formation of a political action group, this is looking like XM may be negatively impacted well beyond the 30 days that Opie & Anthony are supposed to be off the air.

You can love or hate Opie and Anthony, but even if you completely detest their brand of “humor,” you surely can’t ignore the fact that XM is looking very hypocritical right about now. Once touting themselves as this great bastion of free speech and unrestricted expression, the company has done a complete 180 over the course of just a few short days, and there’s no telling what could be next. What if they decide that certain types of music are offensive? Will the “uncensored” XM Comedy channel fall victim next?

Corporate censorship of the airwaves beyond even what the FCC requires is threatening to sanitize the content of the airwaves to the point of blandness and excessive homogeny. This truly could be the death knell of free speech in public forums.

So recently, I began using a Mac. While my main desktop computer continues to be Microsoft based (for now anyway), my mobile computing needs for the forseeabe future will be handled by Apple.

Let me say that this is not a change that I took lightly. There are some issues that still concern me greatly about making this leap. Strangely, none of them have anything to do with technology. No, the problem is this general perception that Mac users, by and large, are self-important, pompous assholes. Sadly, the behavior of the more vocal Macsters ony serve to reinforce the stereotype. So my main concern was that here I’d be, out doing my usual travels, and people would see opening up my nice little notebook computer, only to cringe and run away when they see that little Apple Logo light up. Ultimately, the advantages of actually using the hardware seemed to outweigh the negatives. And besides, I can always cover up the logo… that’s what black electrical tape is for. 🙂

But anyway, this wasn’t meant to be a rant about annoying Mac users. As part of my efforts to get comfortable in my new computing environs, I was looking for wallpapers to customize my Mac desktop with… and I had the misfortune of coming across some rather interesting gems… such as:

Yes, the anime freaks love Macs, too. And they even threw in some Engrish as a bonus. My personal favorite is one that I dub iAnorexichan.

If you’re an otakun who faps to poorly rendered anime girls, then this site is for you. Enjoy.