RIAA Dumps Unsold Inventory to Settle Anti-Trust Case

This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by garcia · 2004-06-24 04:02 · Score: 5, Funny

They could use the Big Pun CDs as part of English class and how not to speak. Classics such as "Nigga Shit", "You Was Wrong", and "Off Wit His Head" are excellent examples of poor grammar. So it's obvious that the RIAA was thinking about our school children there.

The Spooky Scary soundtrack can be used to frighten children away from prison. "Listen to Martha screaming as she is tackled by larger more 'friendly' inmates!" Again, point for the RIAA.

114 copies of Meredith Brooks' "Blurring the Edges," which includes the Grammy-nominated song, "Bitch."

It was nominated for a Grammy so it must be good! The RIAA was doing them a favor obviously.

Farley's regional district, which covers 35 school districts, received 1,355 copies of Whitney Houston singing "The Star-Spangled Banner." The hit single, which Houston sang before the 1991 Super Bowl at the height of the Gulf War, was 5 percent of the district's cache.

Yes, let's promote a current drug abuser with a husband that likes to stay in prison. That's the sort of lesson we want to be teaching our children. "Look kids, you too can be a successful musician *and* be a crackhead!"

While these examples are a small part of the 115,000 total CDs I still have to say, "way to go RIAA, you are corrupting our children with crappy music in stores, radio, and now even in the classroom! Thanks!"

Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by ianpm · 2004-06-24 04:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

Is it just me, or does this remind anyone of the sort of thing that would happen in The Simpsons? I am amazed that the hard working people of America tolerate the kind of crap that RIAA pull. Great story though.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by snjoseph · 2004-06-24 04:19 · Score: 5, Funny
Oh snap, where's the Wu? Remember what Ol' Dirty said:
I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best.
Also, kids today need to learn about such topics as
- Shaolin
- Killer Beez (on a swarm!)
- The Brooklyn Zoo
- Dollar Dollar Bills
Shame on ya, RIAA! Shame on ya!
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:42 · Score: 3, Funny

Funny how the RIAA complains about file sharing since it is "giving works away" when they obviously have LOTS of crapola they can't even give away themselves.

I wonder if they'll sue the schools for not paying for the cds afterwards.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by dasmegabyte · 2004-06-24 04:46 · Score: 3, Insightful

I don't know how many times I axed you guys not to nitpick on the grammar tip, but I'm fiend to break my linguistic foot off in your ass if you don't cut it. The syntax of spoken English language is not set in stone, nor is it even agreed upon by the majority of speakers. The rules of usage are set by the users and are in constant flux. Furthermore, the stylistic approach to language taken by groups attempting to assert their identity through language should not be outcried as "how not to speak," as this is insulting and devisive. Remember: the British look down on our use of "elevator" and misspelling of "color" and "civilisation."

Big Pun is not an example of how NOT to speak. It is more an example of how TO speak, if you want to be respected in the future career path of successful emceeing. This is how dialectic speech should be taught -- use "You was wrong" in the rap game, and "you were wrong" in the world of business. In the world of politics, use "you were wrong, and that's why everybody on your side of the argument is a terrorist loving traitor." It's all about the best tool for the job.

--
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by devilspgd · 2004-06-24 04:49 · Score: 5, Funny

Go down to the RIAA's offices with a newspaper.

Say whatever you need to say to sit down with someone employeed by the RIAA. Lie a little if needed.

Roll up the newspaper, smack them over the head and say "No! Bad RIAA!"

Leave. Never buy another RIAA product again.

--
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, but teach a man to phish...
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by wwest4 · 2004-06-24 04:51 · Score: 4, Funny

+5 Insightful.

I've always tried to teach my kids that word is, indeed, bond. And that the correct term for an interracial person of black and white descent is "dalmatian." And finally, the ODB/BBJ creation theorem: God made Dirt, and Dirt bust y'ass.

Quite.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Warlok · 2004-06-24 05:10 · Score: 2, Interesting

Big Pun is not an example of how NOT to speak. It is more an example of how TO speak

IMHO, Big Pun is an example of the fractionalization of the American culture. With businesses, government agencies, and schools trying to promote homogenization and equality for all, culturally we're breaking into distinct groups with very little cross-over and intermingling. The fact that it continues to happen despite the efforts of teachers and government leaders tells me either a) this is nromal natural process (like tides) that can't be stopped, or b) it's an unnatural process that is more powerful than the people who want to stop it.

I'm not a sociologist, but I've seen them on TV.

--
...and you run and you run and you can't stop what's been done...
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by The+Ultimate+Fartkno · 2004-06-24 05:41 · Score: 4, Funny

> culturally we're breaking into distinct groups with very little cross-over and intermingling.

I used to think that way too until I talked to a Japanese kid on a skateboard wearing a Public Enemy shirt who talked about how much he loved Nine Inch Nails and John Coltrane.

Trust me. We're intermingling...
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 05:47 · Score: 3, Insightful

I don't know how many times I axed you guys not to nitpick on the grammar tip, but I'm fiend to break my linguistic foot off in your ass if you don't cut it. The syntax of spoken English language is not set in stone, nor is it even agreed upon by the majority of speakers. The rules of usage are set by the users and are in constant flux. Furthermore, the stylistic approach to language taken by groups attempting to assert their identity through language should not be outcried as "how not to speak," as this is insulting and devisive. Remember: the British look down on our use of "elevator" and misspelling of "color" and "civilisation."

Knowing how to speak properly and being too fscking lazy to learn how to speak properly are two entirely different topics.

If you're too lazy to learn to speak in an accepted manner, then odds are that you're going to be a troublesome employee when it comes to dress code and professional conduct as well.

It's the old adage... if you're not faithful in little things, why should I trust you with bigger things?
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by the+chao+goes+mu · 2004-06-24 06:10 · Score: 2, Funny

"By-- that; logic. This (is) a -- perfectly, reasonable... sentence:"

--
Boys from the City. Not yet caught by the Whirlwind of Progress. Feed soda pop to the thirsty pigs.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Tony-A · 2004-06-24 06:12 · Score: 2, Insightful

fractionalization of the American culture

Considering it's the pop-music scene, probably more the case that each generation of teenagers is seeking its identity, something unique to them. Pop music fits the bill nicely since it wasn't in existence last year. Doing better than last year's is a losing proposition, it has to find some way, any way, to be different. The cure of course is for the current generation's "in" crowd to decide that pop music isn't hip (however the current generation now spells it) any more. If they realize that they are being played for a sucker by the RIAA et al, just might happen.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by dasmegabyte · 2004-06-24 06:13 · Score: 2, Insightful

Oh, you mean like how a person who misspells the word "fuck" as a form of droll computational humor might be unfunny about other things as well? After all, you can apparently judge an entire personality based on a single detail.

Lighten up. I've met hundreds of people who speak one way in business or on the phone, and quite another in private. I don't know what the "odds are" that they could pull this off effectively, but I do know this: if you were to eliminate everybody in this company who was lax in speech or dress, you'd have nobody left. And we've been successful for 16 years. It may not be accepted to occasionallt tell a customer "Listen, that whole part of the program is screwed up, it's not going to be fixed overnight," or to tell the boss "there's not way that shit can work," but it's apparently quite effective.

--
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by RosebudLTD · 2004-06-24 06:14 · Score: 5, Insightful

It's all about the benjamens.

The RIAA is complaining about a loss of income, when one of us downloads a song for free, instead of paying for it.

The crap they handed out to the schools does NOT fall into that catagory. Who the hell would pay for any of that?

As someone else pointed out, getting rid of dead inventory like that was profitable (they no longer have to store it, and they get a tax write off).

So, once more, it's all about the benjamens.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by dasmegabyte · 2004-06-24 06:28 · Score: 4, Informative

It is. I can even pronounce it for you if you like. Using improper grammar or spelling to indicate accents or modes of speech is a common practice among writers, one that can often effectively convey meaning as well as pronunciation.

"If I write loike this, 'oo dyaspose I am emulightin'? Wot sort of spaitch dya 'ere when you ride it? Kinyou hair a nyoo accent I am cratin'?"

My linguistics and grammar prof hated this sort of thing, because it really is quite racist to think that other cultures use variant spellings of words due to the way they pronounce them. That hasn't stopped just about every writer in the twentieth century from doing so...heck, even Shakespearre used to play on mispronunciation and poor grammar.

--
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Simonetta · 2004-06-24 06:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

I still have to say, ?way to go RIAA, you are corrupting our children with crappy music in stores, radio, and now even in the classroom! Thanks!?

I still don't understand why the RIAA has so much political power when so much of the product that they sell is so clearly anti-social. Much rap and death-metal is clearly the results of disturbed individuals and a massively disfunctional culture.

I'm amazed that people who chose the appearance in public of gangster rappers and death-rockers complain that stangers are not inclined to assume that they are civilized human beings. They assume that this is prejudice and racism.

No, it's not. It's the result of a focused and unrelenting advertising campaign to sell rap music by portraying young males in hooded sweatshirts and other gangster fashions as the most violent and unpredictably disfunctional people on the planet.

And it has worked. Be a young male African-American with a backward baseball cap and go anywhere on earth. People will treat you like shit and just assume that you're a monster. It will take decades to reverse this new stereotype of hip-hop culture.

And what did young people of color get from all this negative stereotype casting? Nothing. A few individuals got big enough record contract advances to piss away on weird jewelery and pathetic SUVs. But nearly all the profits went to middle-aged white corporate executives, who would never let hip-hop individuals into their personal lives or social class environment.

Step'n Fetch'it is rolling in his grave.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Colazar · 2004-06-24 07:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

From experience, one can not have two different dialects of the same language and maintain seperation.
Actually this is untrue. People are very adept at code-switching, which is using the proper dialect at the proper time. The only time we tend to have problems is when we don't know the code to switch into (or don't quite understand what makes one appropriate over another).
Although, depending on what you mean by "pushed to speak form (the) heart," you might have a very good point. A very famous sociolinguist (whose name escapes me at the moment) would always ask his interview subjects to describe an incident where they almost died. Reliving the stress of that moment would often cause them to revert to their base dialect, which is what he was interested in analyzing. The amount of stress you have to put on someone to reliably get them to go into that dialect is pretty incredible, however.

--
He decided to just watch the government, and kind of scale it down to size, and run his life that way. --Laurie Anderson
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Slime-dogg · 2004-06-24 08:40 · Score: 2, Insightful

I judge people by their usage of grammar. I have a lower opinion of those who choose not to use the language in the way that it is supposed to be used. Your assertion that stylistic usage should be accepted as correct is pure bullshit. If you choose to speak the language in an incorrect manner, even if it is a matter of style, then you are still speaking the language in an incorrect manner. If I encounter you speaking incorrectly, I will think that you are an idiot.

Style has nothing to do with grammar. A language would not be defined as such, were that not true. The term "grammar" means "a set of rules that give structure to a language."

As it is, I believe the biggest issue is pronounciation, not grammar. If someone says "Gimme dat," it is a grammatically correct mispronounciation of "Give me that." Poor speakers are the source of such lovely phrases as "Axe me a question" and "Whaddup wid dat?"

Of course, I enjoy arguing for the sake of arguing, but I do have an opinion on this particular issue.

--
You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by dasmegabyte · 2004-06-24 09:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

You are more than welcome to look down your nose at anybody for any reason. You're only asserting a biological tendency towards competetive and classification.

However, I think it's important that you realize others will do this to you as well. And since the majority of people speak incorrectly, they're liable to look at you as though you have a stick up your ass for trying to enunciate speech flawlessly, and some might wonder why you don't spend this extra editorial energy coming up with better points.

After all, the term "grammar" means "a set of rules that give structure to a language" only because those are the words written in the dictionary. It could just as easily mean "a set of inexplicable, irrational and unfair restrictions on the open use of language imposed by elitists for the sole purpose of judging others who fail to recognize them."

--
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by monkeydo · 2004-06-24 09:23 · Score: 4, Interesting

According to the article the settlement state that, "Titles had to be on a Billboard chart for at least 26 weeks and had to peak in the top half of the chart." I can't think of many CD's fitting that description that aren't crapola.

--
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The only thing more annoying than a Libertarian is an (un|mis)informed Libertarian
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by AndyChrist · 2004-06-24 09:49 · Score: 2, Insightful

You know, those inexplicable, irrational, and unfair restrictions DO keep the language mutually intelligible.

Perhaps that's why it is now and has usually been the english spoken more by the wealthier segments of the english-speaking population that has been considered "proper." It's good for business to be able to understand each other.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Paladin144 · 2004-06-24 12:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

I judge people by their usage of grammar
I judge people by their name, Slime-dogg. And you, I'm said to say, have one too many Gs in your name. I'm afraid this certifies you as a complete and total moron.
Your assertion that stylistic usage should be accepted as correct is pure bullshit.
I also judge people based on the vulgar words they use. You are clearly an irredeemable, ignorant piece of street trash. Go back to your crappy apartment and pick fleas off yourself.
I am totally kidding of course. Unlike certain people, I do NOT judge people based on such purely superficial qualities. I try to go deeper, and judge them based on their personality and deeds.
Modern grammar and spelling conventions have an element of fascism in them. And, dare I say it, classism and racism. Isn't that what this is really about, dogg? You don't like the way black people talk.
Get over yourself.
There is no correct language. Language is about communication.
If you can't understand that, it's not because of my poor grammar. You have some personal issues to work out. I also suggest you google for some info on the history and evolution of the English language.
Oh no! The language police are coming to get me! I used "google" as a verb!!!

--
Electric Monkey Pants
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by Lemmy+Caution · 2004-06-24 14:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

Completely wrong. The world is far less fractionalized (um?) than it used to be, the US included. The cultural barriers between black Americans in the South, Chinese workers in California, even people in different classes in the same place, used to be far higher and less permeable than they are now. Black english used to be even less like "standard" english, when it was a pidgen, then later a criolle/patois used among slaves.

Mass media is removing many regional accents, as well. The bland part-western, part-Midwestern accent that developed when displaced Okies moved to Los Angeles is now the standard accent of American TV, and thus of much of the English speaking world.
Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! by upsidedown_duck · 2004-06-24 16:06 · Score: 2, Interesting

culturally we're breaking into distinct groups with very little cross-over and intermingling

Well, I think one difference now is that people more often choose to segregate themselves into a particular group rather than society making their choice for them. The various sub-cultures I see now are primarily delineated by fashion and language than law or fear, and relatively few people today believe that any particular human sub-species is better or worse than any other.

--
-- "Makes Little Debbie look like a pile of puke!" - Moe Szyslak

RIAA Criminally At Fault? by mfh · 2004-06-24 04:03 · Score: 5, Interesting

From the Article: Raunchy music wasn't what anyone in education or the Attorney General's Office had in mind when they announced that a windfall of music was coming to public schools and libraries from last year's $143 million anti-trust settlement with the recording industry.

Yes, but it's exactly what the RIAA had in mind, so couldn't the Attourney General charge the RIAA with the intentional corruption of youth? Gosh if the world was perfect, the RIAA would be charged criminally for trying to push explicit lyrics on children.

--
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.

Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by XMyth · 2004-06-24 04:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

If the world was perfect the RIAA wouldn't exist at all.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Ateryx · 2004-06-24 04:11 · Score: 4, Funny

Gosh if the world was perfect...
If you didn't know, Creed broke up... anything else is just details.

--
"The truth suffers from too much analysis"
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Troed · 2004-06-24 04:14 · Score: 5, Interesting

RIAA would be charged criminally for trying to push explicit lyrics on children

Are you by any chance a US citizen?

In the rest of the world we let the parents raise their children .. really .. what do you think happens to kids who listen to "explict lyrics"? I'm seriously curious.

--
it's in my head
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by mfh · 2004-06-24 04:20 · Score: 3, Insightful

> 2. Are you arguing for censorship?
No. I think that there should be age limits for certain types of media. If a company willingly gives explicit content to children, they are at fault, just as they would be at fault for providing smokes to minors or booze to minors.

My point is that the RIAA pushes the fervent agenda that children should be responsible, and not download or upload copyright protected material, but in the same course, they offer free explicit music to the school system because they are too cheap to pay a fine. My thoughts are that what's good for the goose is good for the gander, and the RIAA should be charged for corruption of innocents, or attempted corruption of innocents. (IANAL)

--
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

I think the gist of the parent was that the current administration is approaching social issues with a very fundamentalist-christian leaning; our attorney general has covered up the statue of Justice because you can see a boob, for example, or how the FCC just raised the fine for broadcast vulgarity by an order of magnitude to send a specific message to Howard Stern and his soundalikes in local markets. It's not so much about the poster being a nutjob who wants the gov't to raise children by legislation so much as it is a weary citizen attempting to make a giant corporate entity as prone to litigation as the little guy seems to be these days, to turn a corrupt government against it's corrupt corporate allies for a change. At least that's how I read it... but then I'm an AC so you can ignore me.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Alzheimers · 2004-06-24 04:29 · Score: 4, Informative

Actually, sounds more like Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. I would imagine it would come with penalties similar to buying Cigarettes or Beer for a 16 year old, which can be considered "Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor".

I can't find Washington State's law, but using Colorado as an example, contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a class 4 felony with 2 to 6 years in jail and a fine of $2,000 to $500,000. (Colo. Rev. Stat. 12-47-901, 12-47-903, 18-1-106, 18-6-701)

How many CDs was that again?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Izago909 · 2004-06-24 04:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

The courts are run by idiots. Taking a pay pay off in the form of products being pushed by a paticular industry is just dumb. You know Microsoft is just going to donate 5 year old computers, and you know the RIAA is going to hand off the CDs they couldn't sell at their yard sale. Maybe the courts shoud *gasp* take a settlement in the form of cash money. With original thinking like this, I'll shall never be elected to public office.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by cloudmaster · 2004-06-24 04:36 · Score: 3, Insightful

In the US children are raised by TV, though the internet is slowly replacing that parent. "Parenting" is suing whoever you can blame for corrupting your children. /Glad that I was raised in an area with poor TV reception ;)
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by gosand · 2004-06-24 04:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

Are you by any chance a US citizen? In the rest of the world we let the parents raise their children .. really .. what do you think happens to kids who listen to "explict lyrics"? I'm seriously curious.
I can't speak for the parent poster, but I was wondering the same thing. I am pretty sure that the comment was tongue-in-cheek, considering all the hoo-ha that went on over Janet Jacksons b--b. (sorry, don't want to fucking offend anyone). So the government can force radio hosts off of radio stations for using "obscene" language and references while the "beloved" Oprah is not held to the same standards. Yet the RIAA, the champions of good taste, are able to donate very questionable material to youth as part of a class-action settlement against them. It is all a ridiculous farce.
Some of us in the USA are quite aware of the idiocy that is going on in our society. I am personally embarassed that as a "free" society, we are so very far from it.

--

My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ShortSpecialBus · 2004-06-24 04:39 · Score: 2, Funny

That's mostly because those of us with juvenile senses of humor repeatedly say "It's a tit bit nipply out" enough to drive the country batty.

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//FIXME: Bad .sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Apreche · 2004-06-24 04:42 · Score: 5, Insightful

+10. That is the #1 problem in this country. Parents are not bringing up their children. They let public school and television do all the work. Instead of doing it themselves they just complain when pop culture and schools do a poor job.

Home schooling is no better either. What you get there are socially inept children who are coddled and shielded from the real world.

With college retention rates in the terrible state they are, it is obvious. Kids in the US are not being raised in a fashion which allows them to get by in the real world.

I think the #1 factor in this is that many families have both parents working, so nobody is home to raise the children. I'm no anti-woman type. It doesn't matter if the mom or the dad stays home, but it has to be one of the two. The other problem is of course, divorce. Divorce is happening because people who were raised poorly are getting married.

So, what prevents one parent from staying home? Money, duh. They need more money. The income of one person cannot support the family of 4 unless you have a really good job. The problem though, is not inflation or unemployment or anything, although those factors contribute. The problem is consumerism. People buy things for the sake of buying things. They buy things they don't need. *cough* SUVs *cough*. In general people are trying to live at a higher standard of living than they can afford.

Why don't they stop doing that and be more frugal/intelligent and raise their children properly? Corporations. Advertising. Consumerism. Big corporations are the root of all the trouble. This CD episode is simply a direct example of the larger problem. You can see it plain as day. Corporations trying to turn children into consumers. Consumers who will live above their means. Consumers who will allow their children to be raised the same way.

Google is the shining example of real Adam Smith capitalism at work. These megacorps need to change or leave in order to save our society.

Do you agree, or do you think I'm taking it too far? I actually think I may have... oh well. I'll submit anyway, no point in putting all that typing to waste.

--
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Jim_Maryland · 2004-06-24 04:43 · Score: 2, Informative
I'm a US citizen (with two kids) and often I find restrictions to be annoying. What I don't have a problem with and encourage is proper labeling of media.. Adequate labeling is important to me as a consumer. If I want to shelter my kids from hearing songs about subject, I'd like to have access to that information before purchase/use of the media.
1. Example: If my kid wants a CD for their birthday and it's an artist I am not familiar with, I'd be pretty upset to find lyrics about rape, killing, drugs, etc....
A simple label indicating explicit lyrics (and ideally they type of lyrics) helps me as a consumer in making an informed decision. Consider a rating system to be similar to that of Nutrition Facts on food products, you just want to know what your getting.

what do you think happens to kids who listen to "explict lyrics"?

This all depends on the kid listening to the music. For most children, they can handle it very well. For other children, the lyrics can have negative impacts on them. In the latter case, the music is probably not the only issue in the kids life, but you have to start somewhere. Unfortunately in a society where everyone is looking to blame someone else for a problem, product vendors are taking precautions against legal action.
1. As for an example, consider a kid who starts calling his Mom a "bitch" because he hears it on an album. I don't know about you, but if one of my kids started calling their Mother, my Wife, that, I'd be a little upset.
Basically consider what influences children and think about what you want them to take from the influence. Most people would probably prefer their kids to hang around the typical role model rather than a drug dealer (unless your trying to get them into a family business, j/k). The affects of music are one part of what influences children.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by dasmegabyte · 2004-06-24 04:49 · Score: 5, Insightful

Actually, if the world was perfect, the RIAA would exist, and its tireless efforts as a non-profit to guarantee that artists and record producers each get a fair cut of market value CD sales would be a credit to the music loving public.

--
Hey freaks: now you're ju
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by dthree · 2004-06-24 04:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Microsoft donate hardware, are you nuts? All they would have to do is hand each school district a few cds and a site license for windows and office and call it $2,000,000 in "donations". You're right, cash is it.

--
"I forgot my mantra."
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Dun+Malg · 2004-06-24 04:51 · Score: 4, Informative

Get this - Americans changed the English word TITBIT to TIDBID because the original was too obscene!!!
Nonsense. Both were considered proper spelling variations early on, and eventually "tidbit" became the accepted one.
c1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1885) III. 25 A tyd bit, i.e. a speciall morsell reserved to eat at last.
1701 Collier M. Aurel. (1726) 13 To be always loading the table, and eating of tid-bits.
As you can see from the above OED excerpts, the "tidbit" variation predates not only the american revolution, but much of the continents colonization as well.

--
If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Java+Pimp · 2004-06-24 05:08 · Score: 2, Informative

No, the only thing that came out of Tipper Gore's crusade 15 years ago was a VOLUNTARY labeling system by the RIAA. And what a blow that was... put an "explicit lyrics" label on a CD and watch those sales rise!

--
Ascalante: Your bride is over 3,000 years old.
Kull: She told me she was 19!
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Alzheimers · 2004-06-24 05:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

In this case, we're not commenting on the developmental implications of swear words in rap music, but the fact that the RIAA is *giving* children material that they otherwise would be legally protected (ha!) from.

You, I, and Penn & Teller can debate about the social consequences of age-restricted material until we're blue in the face. The bottom line is, right now it's illegal to provide such material to a minor. We should exploit the opportunity to either highlight the fallacy of such a law or to punish an organization for trying to skirt around it's other legal obligations.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by oconnorcjo · 2004-06-24 05:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

It is a parents job to raise thier kids but I would be really pissed off if the school system I was sending my kids to were playing puff daddy lyrics during lunch time. I also scorn the use of words like bitch/fuck/whore/cunt/racial slurs and various vulgar language used in some modern rap music. I see no conflict between a school system sueing a corporation for "trying to" corrupt children and parents being responsible for how thier children are rasised- that is why a school system would be sued by parents (if a school actually played the music the RIAA sent). It is within parents rights to allow thier kids to say "I am going to pop a cap in your head" but I expect our learning institutions to hold to a higher standard for the many parents that DON'T allow such nonsense.

--
I miss the Karma Whores.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by BandwidthHog · 2004-06-24 05:34 · Score: 2, Interesting

I generally agree with you, but I can't fault the corps *entirely* for the whole conspicuous consumerism thing, as they're just doing what they're supposed to, i.e. trying to sell as many widgets as possible. It's kinda like the informercial phenomenon... it's not that the producers of those things are evil magicians who can make otherwise intelligent people call in a credit card number, it's that our society turns out so many otherwise functional people who *do* call in credit card numbers.

At heart I suppose I'm (to some extent) of the Adam Smith persuasion, and that this rampant consumerism is a problem that needs to sort itself out "naturally" but I'm really starting to wonder if "the system" is capable of correcting this one, as where's the profit margin in instilling stronger critical thinking skills in our youth?

--

Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Ricdude · 2004-06-24 05:34 · Score: 5, Insightful

Don't forget their tireless efforts to normalize record player output levels and equalization curves. Thanks to these efforts, we don't have to change the settings on our 27 band stereo equalizers for every record we listen to.

The CD audio mastering profession, on the other hand, seems to be perfectly willing to sacrifice dynamic range for loudness, clipping be damned...

--
How's my programming? Call 1-800-DEV-NULL
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 05:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

Home schooling is no better either. What you get there are socially inept children who are coddled and shielded from the real world.

-1, Doesn't Know Jack About Home Schooling.

Before you run your mouth again, I'd suggest you find a local homeschooling group. Go to one of their meetings and watch the children interact with one another. For kicks, bring along some children of your own - borrow someone else's kids if you don't have any of your own. The point is to introduce strangers into this group of "socially inept children."

Then watch with amazement as the homeschooled children immediately and with no reservations make friends with these strange kids. Socially inept children don't walk up to other kids and say, "Hi, I'm Katie. What's your name? Do you want to go play on the slide with me?"

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by maxpublic · 2004-06-24 05:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

Home schooling is no better either. What you get there are socially inept children who are coddled and shielded from the real world.

And I'm sure you have cites to credible, empirical evidence for this statement, published in an accredited, peer-reviewed journal? No?

Imagine my surprise.

Max

--
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by maxpublic · 2004-06-24 05:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

In a free society you censor neither. The only time you intervene is when the *speech infringes on the rights of others*. And in this case you aren't engaged in censorship, but protecting the rights of those being infringed on.

In your example, it isn't the speech that's the problem, but the fact that some drunken asshole is standing on a street corner at 3 a.m. shouting obscenities when other people are trying to sleep, or simply want some peace and quiet on their own property. The same law would apply if this asshole were shouting chapters of the bible, singing a Johhny Cash song, or simply screaming. The content of the speech itself is irrelevant.

Max

--
My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by DrEldarion · 2004-06-24 05:50 · Score: 2, Interesting

Not really. There's nothing wrong with the RIAA in theory. It's just that in practice, things didn't go so well. If the RIAA cared more about the artists and consumers, it could be an excellent organization.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by lightspawn · 2004-06-24 05:53 · Score: 2, Informative

RIAA would be charged criminally for trying to push explicit lyrics on children

Are you by any chance a US citizen?

In the rest of the world we let the parents raise their children .. really .. what do you think happens to kids who listen to "explict lyrics"? I'm seriously curious.

I don't know how it works in the rest of the world, but here in the U.S. 80,000 minors were temporarily or permanently blinded after accidentally viewing nippular tissue in a televised wardrobe malfunction.

I have no direct evidence to support this, but it seems logical to me that if any children tried to listen to these CDs, their ears would fall off.

And if that's not criminal negligence on the RIAA's part, I don't know what is.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Jim_Maryland · 2004-06-24 06:00 · Score: 2, Insightful

OK, so calling Mom a "bitch" is only one example and yes they'll hear about it from a variety of sources. I am not blaming the vendors for the content, rather I use the labelling as a tool in understanding what my kids listen to.

Who do you blame now, or do you start to actually get to know your kid so that he doesn't think moms a bitch anymore?

Again, your assuming that I'm blaming the CD vendors and I'm not. Please see my responses to above posters who made the same wrong assumption.

BTW, I feel I have a great relationship with my kids, they do know many of the "words" (exposure from school/friends), and they understand what they mean (for the most part) and that I do not want them using them. The use of a rating system is basically a tool for parents to do their job.

Out of curiousity, do you have kids? If so, would you let them listen to all music without limitation? How about the same for movies? I'm thinking that you wouldn't let your kids watch everything that has been produced. If you do allow free access, are you really a responsible parent?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by M.+Silver · 2004-06-24 06:05 · Score: 4, Informative

So, what prevents one parent from staying home? Money, duh. They need more money. The income of one person cannot support the family of 4 unless you have a really good job.

This is often a myth... when you sit down and do the math, you find out that the second income is eaten up (and then some) by daycare, convenience foods and restaurants, and all the less obvious expenses that pile up when you're both working. Some of that's *so* "less obvious that even sitting down and doing the math doesn't tell you the real story.

We cut our household income in half when I quit to have a baby. And our standard of living hasn't changed (to our great surprise). Difference is, I have to cook and shop and all that instead of managing an AS/400 shop. Yeah, in a lot of ways *that's* a major sacrifice - at least I can still code at home on my *own* projects, so I don't feel at all like I'm completely falling behind on my career. Not everybody can do that. On the other hand, not every second income is 50% of the income, either, so a lot of wives (and the occasional husband) can stay home and actually *improve* the household bottom line.

--

Slashdot's token middle-aged housewife
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Jens_UK · 2004-06-24 06:07 · Score: 5, Informative

Here is a link to a story on research that indicates homeschool children are NOT socially inept.

--
Give life
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Tackhead · 2004-06-24 06:19 · Score: 5, Insightful

> +10. That is the #1 problem in this country. Parents are not bringing up their children. They let public school and television do all the work. Instead of doing it themselves they just complain when pop culture and schools do a poor job.
And while we're at it, on the subject of hip-hop...
Listening to hip-hop today (versus the hip-hop of the late 80s), I see a basic set of self-reinforcing memes. In no particular order: Education is acting "white" and is therefore a form of race treason. Race treason is an unpardonable sin; the purity of the race must be preserved. In the absence of education, crime is the only viable career choice. Respect is achieved through violence and intimidation. The purpose of life is to acquire money through force, fraud, or intimidation, and to spend the money purchasing whores. When whores are fucked, it's OK to shoot them. Kill all white people, because they're devils.
When I was a kid, we had a word for people who wanted to keep blacks and whites segregated, and to prevent blacks from succeeding in public school in order to keep them out of college, and to condemn them to lives of poverty, and on a dead-end track to murder or prison.
That word was "Klansman".
Today, that word is "Hip-Hop Recording Artist".
For double irony points, guess the race of the CEOs of the entertainment conglomerates that make the most money out of selling this memeset to blacks.
Big Pun in the public schools? If it weren't for the fact that Klan's too stupid to come up with anything this subtle, I'd call shenanigans.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by op00to · 2004-06-24 06:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

I heard about a guy who has a monkey. It was a very nice monkey. It wore a little hat. From this, I will now deduce that every man has a monkey, and that all monkeys are nice and wear little hats.

Seriously, anecdotes mean absolutely nothing. The GP said kids who don't go to school have sucky social skills. You said "NUH UH!"

Now, can we actually hear proof either way?
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by asdfghjklqwertyuiop · 2004-06-24 06:33 · Score: 2

Get stressed out when they start trying to censor PRIVATE speech.

They already have, courtesy John Ashcroft.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 06:51 · Score: 2, Informative

Google is your friend.

http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,58-1 7910,00.html
http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html
http://www.geocities.com/athens/oracle/4336/social .html
http://www.faqfarm.com/Parenting/Homeschooling/525

I know of no studies that show homeschooled kids are "socially inept" or otherwise have any social problems whatsoever. On the contrary, an awful lot of information exists that says otherwise.

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 07:01 · Score: 2, Informative

More:

Study Finds Home Schooled Children Better at Social Skills
Children Educated at Home Don't Become Social Misfits
Developmental Phases of Social Development
A Game of Socialization
Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization
Marvin Minsky Comment on Schooling
THE MYTH OF SOCIALIZATION AND THE VALUE OF PLAY
Questioning Socialization
Sociability of Students in a Home-based Charter School
Social Development or Socialization?
Social Skills and Homeschooling: Myths and Facts
SOCIALIZATION ISSUES
That Dreaded "S" Word

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by d34thm0nk3y · 2004-06-24 07:11 · Score: 2

In an unfree society, we would not be able to debate this. In an unfree society, you would be unable to go here and see naked breasts. In an unfree society, I would not be able to post this.

I beg to differ, even China is having a hard time keeping people off the internet and they are not exactly a bastion of freedom.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 07:15 · Score: 2, Interesting

You're talking about quality of education issues. The grandparent, and I, were talking about social skills.

There are some parents that simply shouldn't homeschool. They use homeschooling as an excuse to just keep the kids home, or otherwise don't do a very good job of it. These kids can end up not having the skills they need to function in the real world.

A bad thing? Sure. Isolated to homeschoolers? Far from it. Huge numbers of children graduate from the public school system lacking the same skills. Why? They had bad parents! If you look at successful adults vs unsuccessful adults, homeschooled or not, you'll usually find that parenting, or a lack thereof, contributed to that child's development more than anything else.

Now I will link you to the results of a study that show 74 percent of homeschooled adults aged 18 to 24 have taken college-level courses, compraed to 46 percent of the general U.S. population. Link. In other words, a large majority of homeschoolers are going on to college, compared to less than half of everyone else. This tells me these parents are doing a better job than the teachers you place your trust in.

To further solidify my "value of education" argument, I'll link you to this CBS News article that says, and I quote:

"Homeschoolers have been in the news in recent years, taking top honors at events such as the National Spelling Bee and National Geographic Bee."

Doesn't look like their education is lacking at all.

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by M.+Silver · 2004-06-24 07:45 · Score: 3, Informative

We had satellite (and gave it up because we weren't watching it; Netflix is a better use of the money), still have a cell phone (we'd probably lose the landline if the DSL wasn't on it), a company-provided pager (unfortunately), but no new car. My husband drives a 17-year-old beater to work (it's ugly, but it's a 1-ton truck and gets 25 mpg, so it's eminently practical), I drive a nine-year-old minivan that's still in excellent shape. We're putting money aside so when time comes to buy another (non-new, probably another program car), we'll pay cash again.

My hobby business made enough to buy a 29" TV (I think it was... ) a couple Christmases ago. And we do have high-speed DSL, with static IPs, for the Phoenyx, so that's an extra $40ish every month we don't have to spend but do.

And we regularly support nonprofits... tithing at our church, public broadcasting (TV/radio), food banks, etc.

On the other hand, I'm not dressing my preschooler at The Gap and Old Navy, so that makes a difference. He wears mostly secondhand stuff, in fact - makes more sense when they seldom wear clothes out. Heck, *I* wear the occasional secondhand find, though since I'm not working I don't need to overdress so my wardrobe's cheaper these days even new (another one of those hidden bennies).

It's all in where you want to spend it, I guess.

--

Slashdot's token middle-aged housewife
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 07:54 · Score: 2, Insightful

Screw social skills; these kids aren't taught anything of the real world, less their wee lil' minds be corrupted by the evil sinners that don't believe in jesus! Bah.

Ah, I see. The source of your hatred is not homeschoolers, it's Christians. Too bad.

So sit down and STFU.

This is an open forum. I can and will say whatever I darn well please.

Unlike you, I want my children to have a better life than I do: and this means raising them as normal people who are equipped to function in the real world.

Normal people like you? People who hate others simply because they believe in Jesus Christ? That's quite a healthy attitude to be teaching your children. I hope and pray they can see through your hatred, instead of being blindly led by it.

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by winwar · 2004-06-24 08:17 · Score: 2, Informative

Uh, nice listing of links. Hope you realize that most are worthless and not what people asked for.... Most are about as good for proof as slashdot posts (I said it, so it must be true...) Some reference some crappy studies (studies with inherent problems that make them less than useful for their intended purpose). Studies by think tanks are NOT scientific studies, they are opinion pieces.

This is about the only link that is worth anything:
http://learninfreedom.org/socialization .html

References Shyer's work. Seems decent. But without looking at it, who knows.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by Alexei · 2004-06-24 08:35 · Score: 2, Insightful

True, but the lawyers always make sure their half is in the form of cash.
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by bechthros · 2004-06-24 09:53 · Score: 2, Informative

Although I couldn't agree more about black racism,
I feel compelled to point out that what you are talking about is rap music and rappers, quite different from hip-hop music and MC's. Rap is exactly what you described. Hip-hop is the flip side to that coin, the kind that values intelligence, self-respect, and morals. If you're ready for the rebuttal to everything you just described, check out Jurassic 5, Kool Keith, Dialated Peoples, Prince Paul or Black Star. There's a lot out there that you apparently haven't heard - if you liked Public Enemy, don't lose heart, progressive and intelligent hip-hop exists, it's just deep deep underground.

Funny thing about sex and violence, we keep buying it.

--
They will never stop until somebody makes the
Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? by ryanwright · 2004-06-24 10:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

I don't usually reply to ACs, but you're an insightful one:

While learning about religious topics is well and good it is important that children can develop skills in all areas.

You're right. I would suggest that anyone who wants to keep their children home solely based on the religious aspect is wrong to do so. You can send your children to a public school and teach them religion in the evenings.

The parent poster hates Christians and homeschoolers because he was taught nothing but 8 hours of Bible reading every day. No wonder he's so bitter: He had bad parents who didn't do their job. I'd be bitter, too.

We are Christians. We teach religion. It encompasses maybe 5% of our children's total schooling. The other 95% is the same stuff they would learn at school, only at their pace, and they get to explore subjects that schools don't offer (my 7 year old is learning Latin. Latin!! She said she wanted to learn so we bought her a training program. She's been listening to the CDs regularly for a week now, all on her own with no prompting from us.)

--
-Ryan, with the unoriginal sig

I've thought long and hard about this... by P-Frank · 2004-06-24 04:03 · Score: 5, Funny

I think fire is the solution.

Re:I've thought long and hard about this... by RoboOp · 2004-06-24 04:20 · Score: 2, Insightful

I have a better idea.

Let the school librarians pick through this garbage the RIAA crapped upon them. Whatever is left is boxed up, then placed on the chest of the president of the RIAA.

If you think that is harsh, then how about forcing the RIAA executives to peddle this 'largess' on the street corners? They have to sell 3/4 of the CD's to individual customers, and until they do the RIAA is shutdown, and the offices padlocked.

--
"First you get the Linux, then you get the power, THEN you get the women"

Surprising how? by Craig+Maloney · 2004-06-24 04:05 · Score: 5, Insightful

This is surprising how? Not only can the RIAA pay their settlements, but they can also take a tax write-off on unsold product. It's a win-win for the RIAA, and a dubious victory for the lawsuit winners.

Re:Surprising how? by Ayaress · 2004-06-24 04:22 · Score: 3, Informative

Actually, at least in Michigan, the lawsuit winners don't get a dubious victory, they get jack squat. For example, many of the CDs are going to troops in Iraq, which isn't a bad thing, unless you were expecting some of the settlement.

The article only covers a small part of the CDs, but according to WNEM, the settlement CDs are also being placed in all the public non-emergency vehicles in the state (which would include the personal cars of most of the state politicians, refuse collection trucks, mosquito-sprayers, and so on), being given to state employees, and so on. Those people who were to actually benifit from the settlement get a big old goose egg.
Re:Surprising how? by Jonny+Ringo · 2004-06-24 04:24 · Score: 4, Funny

and a win for me, now I'm totally comforted with the fact Willenium will always be on hand and ready for me to check out.
Re:Surprising how? by The+Ultimate+Fartkno · 2004-06-24 04:38 · Score: 5, Funny

> many of the CDs are going to troops in Iraq

"CNN and the BBC is reporting that occupation troops, fuelled by a massive wave of enthusiasm and adrenaline, have retaken all cities that had been overrun by the Sadr militias. Citizens are rejoicing in the streets, shops are open for the first time in weeks, and a butterfly was seen landing on the head of a beautiful little girl in a wheelchair. When asked for a comment, General Tommy Franks said 'Never underestimate the power of the Wu-Tang Clan. And from now on, call me by my Shaolin name 'DefSquad'." When asked for clarification of his cryptic remarks, Franks shouted "36 Chambers be lookin' for ya, al-Zarqawi! Don't be a biatch!" Franks then left in a Humvee that had been freshly pimped by West Coast Customs."

The worst part.. by Sockpuppetofdoom · 2004-06-24 04:05 · Score: 5, Insightful

Is that this was one huge tax write off for the RIAA. They get to declare full retail price on these CD's on taxes, AND they clear out inventory

Re:The worst part.. by hackstraw · 2004-06-24 06:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

Redundant post, so I'll redundantly post my reply to the original.

Is that this was one huge tax write off for the RIAA. They get to declare full retail price on these CD's on taxes, AND they clear out inventory

Huh? What CDs? What inventory? The RIAA is just an industry trade association like the American Plastics Council, or the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. I don't think the plastics council nor the beef council have inventories of beef, plastic, or CDs.

When are people going to realize that the RIAA does not really exist? They are merely a bunch of lawyers that can't get a real job, so they create this thing called the RIAA and guess what? They get paid either way. For a lawsuit against them, for all of these bogus lawsuits against everybody, the lawyers (aka RIAA) will get paid win, lose, or draw.

If I get contaminated beef, who would I sue? Not the beef's trade association, it would be the store or the beef plant that made the bad product.

If I get caught stealing something from the store, the store does not take me to court, they report it to the "proper authorities", and the store people only show up as a witness. I would doubt that there would ever be a trade organization involved.

If I get caught "stealing" music (yes, go on a tangent about this, I dare you), some group of lawyers (RIAA) come after me. Why can't they just report it to the "proper authorities"? I mean, on every movie I have watched at home the fucking FBI says that they will practically kill me if I do anything that violates the copyright on the video. How difficult is it just to turn over the people? That is what everyone else does.
Re:The worst part.. by pavon · 2004-06-24 10:16 · Score: 2, Insightful

They can't turn you over to the authorities because file sharing is only a civil offense not a criminal one. The state will only procecute you if you have committed a criminal offense, so the record label's only recourse is to sue you in civil court. At least for now.

However, if you make money from copyright infringement then that is a criminal offense, and you the FBI does procecute people over that.

This is a good thing by lukewarmfusion · 2004-06-24 04:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

The RIAA has to be seeing these CDs and thinking, "If people aren't buying Willenium, what are we doing wrong?"

They try to spin this component of the settlement as a heroic act, giving back to the community. Now they won't be able to do even that.

April Fool's? by Raven42rac · 2004-06-24 04:06 · Score: 3, Insightful

I had to look at the calendar to make sure it was not April 1. What on earth are schools going to do with Big Pun, and Will Smith cds? Besides use them for coasters in Chemistry class? Even when the RIAA loses, they still win. They are like a cat that always lands on it's feet. So they have to "pay" by clearing out warehouse space and writing off the "losses", ouch.

--
I hate sigs.

Just be glad.. by Jareeedo · 2004-06-24 04:06 · Score: 5, Funny

..the kids didn't get a copy of Marthas next album..."Not Quite Spooky Sounds from Cellblock 11."

Public School by Mz6 · 2004-06-24 04:06 · Score: 5, Insightful

"The Secretary of State's Office this week set up a CD-swapping listserve for librarians and administrators, said Karen Goettling, with the state library system."

I've got to hand it to them... As much as we like to rip on public schools and all, atleast they were smart enough to set something like that up. Of course, it still doesn't really solve the headache of having to deal with the myriad of copies of each artist. Not to mention the explicit lyrics CDs the schools received that will have to be transfered out. This also offers a chance for the schools to trade CDs with the libraries and so on... creating a "P2P-like" network among the State. I'm also glad that they decided to include some of the older, classic music in there as well. However, that still doesn't make up for the overabundance of CDs that just scream "I didn't sell, just take me, particulary this statement from the article:

"Part of the settlement the recording industry made with states' attorneys general was that the giveaway CDs couldn't be junk, Larson said. Titles had to be on a Billboard chart for at least 26 weeks and had to peak in the top half of the chart."

Considering they have several Billboard charts this is very subjective. I'm guessing that they sent CDs based upon the Billboard chart subjective to their music genre. Because I know that Wilson Pickett, "In the Midnight Hour", Yanni, "In the Mirror", "Chicken Soup for Little Souls", or Martha Stewart's Halloween sounds haven't made it anywhere close to the Billboards TOP charts. Unless we were looking at a very large Top Billboard chart.

--
Hmmm.

At least you *could* install Windows... by EggMan2000 · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 4, Funny

Didn't Microsoft have a similar payout in one of its settlement cases? At least people can use software, nonoby, and I mean nobody can use 300 copies of a crap CD that didn't sell very well to begin with. What a rip-off!

They might as well have sent them 10,000 AOL CDs.

--
what? what I thought we were in the trust tree in the nest, were we not?

Re:At least you *could* install Windows... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:16 · Score: 3, Funny

nonoby, and I mean nobody
Well, you corrected yourself, so I guess I can't enter some kind of spelling flame here.
Re:At least you *could* install Windows... by DaHat · 2004-06-24 04:20 · Score: 2, Informative

They might as well have sent them 10,000 AOL CDs.

Don't forget, someone is already working on that

--
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
Re:At least you *could* install Windows... by Simonetta · 2004-06-24 07:17 · Score: 3, Informative

What Microsoft does is give a hundred PCs to the school district and two copies of Office. They wait until the teachers, kids, and administrators have loaded Office on all the PCs. Then they hit the school district with a huge lawsuit threatening to demand a hundred thousand dollars for every 'pirated' installation of the software. They 'settle' for a single payment of a million dollars or so. The original PCs are all taken as a tax write-off donation.
They've done this to Philadelphia and Portland Oregon that I know of and probably many other places as well.
A truly sleazy and degenerate company.

Raise your hand... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 2, Insightful

... if you're at all surprised by this.

Nobody? That's what I thought :)

Wow...what a bunch of scumbags... by FatSean · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 5, Interesting

An who in the gov't decided that shitty music that doesn't sell is an appropriate method of payment?!?!

Disgusted. I'm going to go steal some music off of the internet now.

--
Blar.

Hell yeah! by karniv0re · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 5, Funny

Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween is the shit! I blast that on my 15s while sippin' on 40s.

Be really honest with yourself: by burgburgburg · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 5, Funny

Can any of us really have enough copies of "Willenium"?

What with deranged strangers bursting into your home and smashing all of the copies they can get their hands on (before trying to induct you into their cult and sell you aluminum siding), there is always the danger that you will be without an actual copy of "Willenium" at a vital moment. I find absolutely nothing wrong with the RIAAs actions in this settlement. I just wish I could share in the windfall. I've personally purchased over 15,000 copies of "Willenium" since it's release. I'd buy 15,000 more when necessary.

Re:Be really honest with yourself: by OverlordQ · 2004-06-24 04:29 · Score: 2, Insightful

ROFL How the FUCK did this get modded insightful

--
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.

Recycling ideas... by mirko · 2004-06-24 04:07 · Score: 3, Funny

See the "creativity corner" at the bottom of this page.
This might keep them busy for a while ;)

--
Trolling using another account since 2005.

The RIAA by JustNiz · 2004-06-24 04:08 · Score: 4, Funny

..is why God invented handguns.

Re:The RIAA by BigGar' · 2004-06-24 04:27 · Score: 3, Funny

And invented them hundreds of years before the existance of the RIAA, to "Shake Out the Bugs", before they were really needed.

GOD really is all knowing.

--

Shop smart, Shop S-Mart.

is there an option? by kobaque · 2004-06-24 04:08 · Score: 2, Insightful

can the schools refuse/demand something else rather than the explict lyrics material? Isn't it illegal to sell it to minors? What is a school going to do with it?

--
I had a great sig.. then I lost my penmanship.

Martha Stewart's Spooky Scary Sounds by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:08 · Score: 2, Funny

"Now listen closely children as I am forced to toss Bertha's salad. Definitely NOT a good thing."

RIAA similar to Microsoft? by MacGoldstein · 2004-06-24 04:08 · Score: 5, Insightful

Is it just me, or does this sound scarily familiar to Microsoft's failed attempts to "settle" by giving free copies of Windows to schools? I hope that no more companies are allowed to "atone" for their sins by giving out freebies to further secure their footholds in the marketplace. Not that Will Smith was going to do much for that anyways, but its the principle of the matter.

--
Help a college student

Re:RIAA similar to Microsoft? by mackman · 2004-06-24 04:33 · Score: 5, Funny

Good point. I bet when SCO gets slammed by the SEC they'll settle by donating "100 million dollars worth of Linux licenses" to the US government.

i wonder if they duped... by mr_tommy · 2004-06-24 04:09 · Score: 2, Informative

I wonder if they had duplicates of the same CD there.... like... this story!

Duplicate story by malfunct · 2004-06-24 04:09 · Score: 2, Informative

This is pretty much a duplicate of the story last week, except in the story last week the RIAA had an excuse. They said that thier automatic allocation program had a bug and that they were fixing the issue. They also said there would be some sort of make good/exchange program in the works to help fix the problem.

It still might be a tax write off and a way to get rid of dead inventory, but they have an excuse. *smile*

--

"You can now flame me, I am full of love,"

They could have gone with plan B... by Ackmo · 2004-06-24 04:09 · Score: 3, Funny

...which was to just pay cash. But in pennies.

Easy Answer! by midifarm · 2004-06-24 04:10 · Score: 2, Interesting

EBay!!!

Peace

Plenty of great ideas by SkyWalk423 · 2004-06-24 04:10 · Score: 5, Funny

...folks aren't quite sure what to do with the odd collection...

What do you mean?? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for schoolkids to conduct important research on compact disc aerodynamics and durability! Take them up to the roof and see how far they'll fly. See what the old magnifying-glass-in-the-sun trick does to them. Or you could lay them all down data-side up on a grass hill, turn on the hose and make a kickass Slip N' Slide!

What to do? by PudKaplan · 2004-06-24 04:11 · Score: 4, Funny

What are they going to do with these CD's? The answer is obvious! Rip 'em and put 'em on KaZaA!!

--
My Quadra 950 can beat up your honor student.

Why do the RIAA get to choose the value? by bennomatic · 2004-06-24 04:11 · Score: 5, Insightful

You'd think if these CDs were unsold inventory, the value of them is what consumers were willing to pay: $0.00. Or at most what they are going for on the used CD market. Or even fairer, somewhere between production costs and the used price.

The point is, just because the RIAA says these CDs are worth $17.00 doesn't mean they can be used as currency. I mean, isn't that sort of artificial valuation what got them in trouble in the first place?

I've decided that one pound of my crap is worth a couple of thousand dollars. When next month rolls around, I think I'll give a pile to my landlady and tell her to keep the change.

--
The CB App. What's your 20?

Re:Why do the RIAA get to choose the value? by eric2hill · 2004-06-24 04:26 · Score: 3, Insightful

If I had mod points, you would get them.

You're EXACTLY right here. All of the lawsuits being thrown around by the RIAA are predicated on the fact that they would have made a sale in the full amount of the CD (i.e. not on clearance at Wal-Mart) if the swapper hadn't downloaded the songs. Music does NOT equal legal tender, especially since I'm only paying for the right to listen to the song, not the right to own the CD.

--
LOAD "SIG",8,1
LOADING...
READY.
RUN
Re:Why do the RIAA get to choose the value? by morcheeba · 2004-06-24 05:12 · Score: 2, Funny

I've decided that one pound of my crap is worth a couple of thousand dollars.

Don't sell yourself short!! A guy got $52,000 for 30 grams of his crap - about the price of gold. Don't settle for anything less than $28,000.

--
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets

When exactly ... by burgburgburg · 2004-06-24 04:11 · Score: 4, Funny

isn't it the solution? To any of lifes many problems?

Oops. I hope my parole officer doesn't read this post.

Re:When exactly ... by wrf3 · 2004-06-24 04:14 · Score: 5, Funny

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
-- Robert Frost

I think the kids should burn by psyberjedi · 2004-06-24 04:14 · Score: 2, Insightful

as many copies of those cds as possible and sell them for a dollar each. Turn 115,000 cds into thousands and maybe even millions of real US $$$ for the school district. Then put up a monument to RIAA for assisting in the birth of WA-School E. Wabbit Music Store.

I am not offended by profane lyrics, but why give hundreds of copies of cds rather than a financial donation they could actually put toward... um, MUSIC!!!!

I know, my apologies for using logic and expecting some reasonability and rationality from an organization worried about from where Big Pun's next meal is coming, and whether Justin Timberlake 's entourage is properly pimpin'.

Thanks RIAA for reestablishing my distaste for the corporate world.

--
He who confuses his religion with his science knows neither.

Re:I think the kids should burn by YetAnotherName · 2004-06-24 07:51 · Score: 2, Funny

And I hope most people will read your entire comment instead of just the subject line!

What do you expect? by crow · 2004-06-24 04:16 · Score: 2, Insightful

So if you had to give someone $500 worth of your stuff, wouldn't you pick a bunch of stuff you didn't want to begin with? (Well, assuming you don't care about the recipient.)

Won't somone make them stop! by yoshi_mon · 2004-06-24 04:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

While I didn't RTFA in true /. style I have got to guess that the RIAA valued each one of these CD's at full markup price rather than what they actually cost to make.

So in addition to the fact that they get to clean out their warehouses to make room for new crap they are distorting the economics by valueing each of these CDs higher than what anyone would have paid for them.

In reality these things would have sat around until it became cheaper to sell them off for next to nothing. Instead they are getting full value, granted for a lost court case, for something that never had that much value to begin with. They win again...

--

Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!

Artist royalties? by crow · 2004-06-24 04:19 · Score: 5, Insightful

So if the RIAA is giving away CDs instead of a cash payment, shouldn't the artists receive the royalties on those CDs as if they were sold at the stated value?

Of course, if they're excess inventory, the point is probably moot as the royalties wouldn't have covered the recording and promotional expenses yet, so it's not real money yet.

Re:Artist royalties? by curator_thew · 2004-06-24 04:44 · Score: 3, Interesting

"Of course, if they're excess inventory"

You've probably come across a nice technicality: the recording contracts with the artists probably state that certain forms of offloading unsold inventory don't result in royalties, and so this "dumping" is a nice break for them: not only do they avoid paying hard cash, but they avoid paying royalties (which they may have been liable for it they dumped off the stock at $1/each), and avoid wastage (i.e. if they dumped the stock into an incinerator for no gain, and an overall loss [taking into account costs of production]).

Very saavy move by the RIAA, which only goes to show how commercially slick and smart they are in business terms, as opposed to the schools who were have been completely shafted because they probably assumed they were going to get some useful music out of the deal.

Boy, I hope ... by burgburgburg · 2004-06-24 04:20 · Score: 5, Funny

Robert Frost's parole officer doesn't read that.

Sell the CDs. by darkmeridian · 2004-06-24 04:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

No, that is not exactly what RIAA had in mind. The school districts do not *have* to expose children to these CDs. The RIAA intended no such thing; they were just grudgingly complying with a court settlement. What use could the district have for those CDs? Well, they could sell them on eBay and then use the profits for books, couldn't they?

--
A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/

Re:Sell the CDs. by mini+me · 2004-06-24 04:37 · Score: 3, Insightful

If the RIAA can't sell those CDs, how do you expect anyone else to? Just look at the titles. Trust me, they won't be going anywhere.
Re:Sell the CDs. by bahwi · 2004-06-24 04:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

Yup. They sell $143M worth of CDs(I'm sure at full retail price too!) for about $5M, maybe....

And who learns the lesson? The state hopefully, don't trust the RIAA. But I agree, just sell the damn things.

Although, considering the RIAA couldn't sell them, it could be difficult, but I'm sure at pennies a CD they could be sold pretty easily.
Re:Sell the CDs. by Blondie-Wan · 2004-06-24 05:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

I have a hunch it'd be more accurate to say it's certain individual RIAA member labels doing this. The article does say there's some good stuff in appropriate quantities in the selection as well. I'm guessing the various labels affected by the settlement were each asked to contribute something, and some of them submitted actual desirable material, while others looked at it as a convenient means to dump whatever they had lying around while fulfilling their legal obligation.

Scary Sounds by eggfellow · 2004-06-24 04:22 · Score: 2, Funny

from the article:

Included in the shipment: 84 copies of an album by rhythm-and-blues artist Samantha Mumba, 69 by Lenny Kravitz and 48 copies of "Scary Sounds for Halloween" from Martha Stewart.

from Martha Stewart's "Scary Sounds for Halloween" CD, track 1:

"Ms. Stewart, SEC on line 1..."

Re:Deal with the RIAA by iamacat · 2004-06-24 04:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

Do you think RIAA has CDs worth listening to? Maybe this was the cream of the crop. Seriously, why didn't the settlement let schools and libraries specify which titles they want?

Just like Nintendo, just like America by UnrefinedLayman · 2004-06-24 04:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

This is just like the Nintendo case a long time ago. Nintendo was puttin' the squeeze on the little guy, in a blatantly illegal manner, and the remedy was that they were forced to provide coupons for their own products to the consumers.

See, their punishment was that they received more sales. Which is kind of what has happened here. The RIAA's punishment is to clear out old inventories as a part of a tax writeoff. The old "You've been bad, here's a dumptruck full of money" punishment.

That's the American way. Of course, if I stiff someone out of thousands of dollars (or even steal one dollar from thousands of people), it's off to ol' pound-you-in-the-ass prison for me. Maybe I just need to wear a tie, smile, and not pay taxes while I do it.

Re:Just like Nintendo, just like America by Zed2K · 2004-06-24 04:33 · Score: 2, Informative

Except the RIAA was told by the courts that it couldn't just dump crap onto the schools.

Did I miss something here??? by rwrife · 2004-06-24 04:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

I don't think I fully understand the point of the settlement.....didn't WA accuse the RIAA of selling music at really high prices?? First off why would the RIAA settle this lawsuit, I think they were in the right on this one....if I want to make a music CD and sell it for $100,000,000 a copy and you're dumb enough to buy it, that's your problem, not mine! It really pisses me off when consumers claimed they were ripped off because the prices were too high (eg Microsoft Windows lawsuits)....nobody, and I mean nobody, is forcing you to buy anything and there is absolutely no need to buy those products, most things are either for entertainment or to increase your productivity and if you want to have fun and be lazy then you're going to have to pay for it. So if you don't like the price of something and want to not only send a message to the company selling the item, but the whole industry, then don't buy those types of products....that'll force the company(s) to lower their prices. And what WA attorney would even say "give me a warehouse full of old CDs and we'll call it even"...how does that even remotely benefit anybody, especially the consumers that were supposedly ripped off?!?!?!

A Martha Stewart Halloween? by HarveyBirdman · 2004-06-24 04:27 · Score: 2, Funny

Actually, I'd like to hear that.

"Remember, moms, after you've returned from the English countryside with your hand picked wild pumpkins, only use platnium carving knives (available online from buymarthascrap.com) for maximum effect. Now, of course you're thriving hives out behind the pool house have led to a bumper crop of natural beeswax candles this year, so..."

There was a rumor that Stewart cut an album with Snoop Dogg or Dogg Pound or Mighty Dogg or one of those Dogg people. It's a concept album where Whatever Dogg plays Satan and Stewart is his little demoness bitch. It's called "Fook Dat Beyatch Upp!" and it's sung entirely in Aramaic with instrumental arrangements by Yani.

Maybe that one is in the collection. Or maybe it's something that floating into my brain last week when I hit my head.

--
--- Ban humanity.

one word : FRAUD by swschrad · 2004-06-24 04:29 · Score: 3, Funny

and three more, CONTEMPT OF COURT. RIAA officials should be jailed for this bullshit until they come up with educationally significant materials, like the full catalog of classic recordings. this is like being required to post a deposit at the clerk of court's office and doing so by taking their pants down.

--
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?

Use them in science class by amelagar · 2004-06-24 04:30 · Score: 2, Interesting

They can use them in science class, for example to build a CD Spectroscope.

Damn by Spansule · 2004-06-24 04:32 · Score: 2, Funny

All of those CD's are already in my collection. :(

Better off with blanks by drgonjo · 2004-06-24 04:34 · Score: 2, Insightful

Despite the clear and overwhelming artistic content of Willenium I contest the schools would have been better served with 100,000 blank CDs. Then educators could scour the P2Ps for music with actual educational value and burn them. This is the auditory equivalent of donating your stick pre-internet stack of Hustlers to the local kindergarten.

Precedent by IGnatius+T+Foobar · 2004-06-24 04:37 · Score: 5, Insightful

This should be viewed as a precedent. The next time RIAA sues file-swappers, they should be paid in any old junk those folks happen to have around. Dead car on blocks? Value: $10,000. Couple of old 486's lying around? Value: $2,000 each. Spoiled potato salad in the back of the fridge? You get the idea...

--
Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!

Re:Precedent by greenegg77 · 2004-06-24 07:02 · Score: 2, Funny

I don't know about the potato salad thing. Last time I tried to take it out of the fridge, it kicked my ass, sued me for discrimination and negligence, and made me give it a couple of juicy tomatoes. Now it makes me pay protection on the milk. Man, I hate that potato salad.

--
--- This .sig for sale - $500 OBO.

If my friends ever get an RIAA suit... by Dave21212 · 2004-06-24 04:37 · Score: 2, Funny

If my friends ever get an RIAA suit I'll just suggest they settle, then pay in "Dave Recites Computer Code" CDs valued at $1000 each. That's 150 per violation at the full price, or only 2 if they drop it down.

--
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."--Benjamin Franklin

Would the RIAA accept junk for their settlements? by therblig · 2004-06-24 04:39 · Score: 2, Funny

So, if I were sued by the RIAA, could I give them $3000 worth of "merchandise" as payment instead of giving that stuff to Goodwill? For starters, I think my old underwear is worth $1 a pair.

--

I struggled for days and days and all I got was this lousy sig.

Happened here in South Carolina by JLSigman · 2004-06-24 04:42 · Score: 3, Interesting

The public library system got a bunch of CDs dumped on them, but the district attorney said that they're not allowed to put out the ones by Eminem or other profane artists. So not even adults could borrow them. God forbid we be allowed to decide for ourselves... (and down here in the South, they decide that God does forbid quite a bit of free-thinking)

--
-jls
Techno-pagan

Not the RIAA. A group of labels != the RIAA by jschottm · 2004-06-24 04:43 · Score: 3, Insightful

The lawsuit in question involved suing a number of specific labels, as well as a few retailers. Scroll down for a list of defendants If you want to get riled up about this, do so by all means, but target the correct group. You don't like it when the RIAA accuses all file-swappers of being criminals, so make yourselves look better than them by not doing the same thing.

Despite the /. groupthink, not everything you don't like in the recording industry comes from the RIAA.

Mod Funny doesn't help Karma by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 04:47 · Score: 4, Informative

Due to changes in the moderating system, Funny doesn't help Karma. But modding a funny comment as Insightful is a way of skirting the issue and rewarding those that amuse.

*grumbles* by DataDragon · 2004-06-24 04:51 · Score: 5, Insightful

"Let them eat cake." You know, its one thing to lose a lawsuit, its another thing to say you'll make up for it by helping out the public interest that are normally have hard times finding appropriate funds during recessions or have to consider the logistics of their operation sometimes before inventory, or attaining their desired goals of education. This act could have been a reasonable one, there are a tremendous number of very enlightening recordings such as historical e-books, instructional materials, etc. that would have done well to improve the RIAA's claim recipients (whom, I might add, weren't the lawyers settings the case.) The "poor recording artists" that RIAA claims to protect the interest of who could have benefitted from this are countless. Instead, they've used the educational system as a junkyard, snubbed their noses at the recording artists whom the value of their contribution could have been recognized and appreciated. And because they are being used as a junkyard, the task of sorting through all these inappropriate CDs and disposing of them are left in the hands of people who have enough troubles already. Its like giving beggars video game tokens or something, and they'll probably be snapped at by the RIAA for being ingrates.

It must be good stuff, it was on the Billboard! by Kurt+Gray · 2004-06-24 04:51 · Score: 5, Funny

Quote the article "Part of the settlement the recording industry made with states' attorneys general was that the giveaway CDs couldn't be junk, Larson said. Titles had to be on a Billboard chart for at least 26 weeks and had to peak in the top half of the chart."

I don't know about the rest of you but I've always regarded the Billboard chart as the height of quality control. I personally was skeptical about such musical masterworks as "Rock Me Amadeus" and the timeless classic "Macarena" until I saw their prominent standings on the Billboard chart. My only hope is that the RIAA will be forced to also release the gold master special edition box sets of Vanilla Ice's "Cool As Ice" which can only be truly appreciated in 22 channel surround sound.

Re:It must be good stuff, it was on the Billboard! by Ralph+Wiggam · 2004-06-24 05:33 · Score: 4, Interesting

In 22 channel surround you might be able to hear some way that Ice Ice Baby's beat is different from Under Pressure's. That video clip of Vanilla Ice explaining how his song is nothing like Under Pressure is one of the funniest things MTV has ever shown. For those of you who havn't seen it, Vanilla Ice says "Their version goes like this...ding-ding-ding-dinga-ding-ding...and my version goes like this...ding-ding-ding-dinga-ding-ding". I've probably seen that clip a dozen times and I have yet to tell any difference between his two renditions.

-B
Re:It must be good stuff, it was on the Billboard! by SlamMan · 2004-06-24 06:50 · Score: 2, Informative

Ah, but you see, his was ding-ding-ding-dinga-ding-ding-tish. Its the hi hat sound at the end that makes it a totally different work, and not derivative at all, he says.

I've seen the Behind the Music, too. Funny stuff.

--
Mod point free since 2001
Re:It must be good stuff, it was on the Billboard! by Naffer · 2004-06-24 08:26 · Score: 4, Informative

Somewhere on MTV's website they have a realonevideo of the actual clip. I was only able to find an mp3 of the interview and have mirrored it here: Be kind to my webspace

an experiment by freddyfred89 · 2004-06-24 04:53 · Score: 2, Interesting

Sam Barros of PowerLabs has some tentative results regarding the point at which CDs explode due to excessive rotational velocity.

Why not bring those CDs down to the wood shop and gather additional observations on the ability of CDs to handle speed? Its surely more amusing than building a bread box. And, with 115,241 observations, I'm pretty sure the central limit theorem will give you a more reliable sample estimate of the true failure point.

I wonder if your shop teach has the cojones ...

Ideas by EvanED · 2004-06-24 04:58 · Score: 2, Funny

All the district needs to do is Google for "What to do with AOL CDs". For instance, this site.

Dose this mean... by Cytlid · 2004-06-24 05:01 · Score: 4, Funny

... that if I get sued by the RIAA I can settle out of court and pay them with MP3s?

--
FLR

Huh? by ThisIsFred · 2004-06-24 05:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

OK, I've got some questions, and maybe you've got the answers:

* Why is a public school system involved with a settlement about monopoly pricing? That has nothing to do with consumers!

* Since when is donation at the discretion of the "guilty" party an acceptable remedy for price fixing, even if the donated items were in BillBoard's Top 10?

I really don't get it. I think the RIAA is the head of a cartel, but if the gov't was accepting this as a remedy, then they really deserved to get cow dung as a settlement. Just like with the tobacco company settlements, it was done "in the name of...", but it was mainly about the transfer of wealth to someone other than the [allegedly] represented parties. Well, this time it backfired. This is why it's better to indirectly set up the market to fix the issue instead of trying to do it directly. In other words, if you can't fix it, then get the hell out of the way. The RIAA is powerful because they've got a big, fat revenue stream from people who do buy legal copies of the music. That's the problem, and there isn't a way to fix it as long as people think a $20 CD is a good deal. And since the RIAA is so powerful in the US, they can bury a tax in the cost of CD-Rs. It'd be nice if the tax was listed separately on a CD-R package, like the phone company did with the USF tax.

--
Fred

"A fool and his freedom are soon parted"
-RMS

It's been done... by phayes · 2004-06-24 05:09 · Score: 2, Funny

Your idea has already been taken.

In 1961 Piero Manzoni sold his own excrement in cans for more than it's weight in gold. If you want more info, google the old turd...

--
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue

Winds of change... by carlos_benj · 2004-06-24 05:09 · Score: 2, Funny

Why this could revolutionize the economy and charitable contributions. We can return to something closer to the agrarian barter system where wheat could be traded for eggs. Only this is even better!

Let's say the government decides to extract taxes from the populace... hypothetically of course, since everyone needs groceries, we can pay in groceries! But wait, the best part is that we can allow the groceries to pass through our distribution system and allow our bodies to extract all that we can from them and only have to give the government that portion of the groceries that we couldn't find a use for (I was going to say that portion we couldn't move, but the context was all wrong).

Hey! Maybe we could buy music that way too! Hmmm. Nah, doesn't make sense to trade like items.

--

As a matter of fact, I am a lawyer. But I play an actor on TV.

Settlements suck by bigbigbison · 2004-06-24 05:12 · Score: 3, Interesting

Class-action lawsuit settlements are one of the biggest scams out there. Friends, family and I have been in 3 or 4 of these over the years and every time and in every settlement I've heard of the cunsomers get crap like coupons -- to buy more products from the people who screwed the consumers to begin with!

The only people that profit are *gasp* the lawyers.

--
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players

It could've be much worse by pherris · 2004-06-24 05:12 · Score: 3, Funny

They could've given them this (windows media player required, sorry).

--
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST

Junk in My Garage by Esion+Modnar · 2004-06-24 05:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

So it's like I get sued, and then tell them I have no money, but I can settle by letting them have all the junk in my garage, and that's even including that accessory bit thingy which goes with I-know-not-what.

That RIAA settlement is worse than nothing. It's a slap in the face.

--

They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...

An idea from my childhood... by Black+Art · 2004-06-24 05:21 · Score: 4, Insightful

The courts did not think that the RIAA would be this sleezy. Hopefully they will learn from this and give them *NO* slack in the future. Since they never defined what was to be donated, they got all that worthless junk that goes into the cutout bins. I am surprised that they did not send a few John Ashcroft or orin Hatch albums along to increase the pain level. (Or maybe that was too much even for them.)

As for what to do with all these worthless crappy CDs...

Remember the old "Star Trek disc guns" they sold back in the 70s? They need to make a few that shoot CDs hard and fast. Then line up the RIAA lawyers and executives and have a little target practice.

Of course, they were never very accurate. But they provided plenty of ammo.

--
"Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."

Re:An idea from my childhood... by winwar · 2004-06-24 08:35 · Score: 2, Funny

"The courts did not think that the RIAA would be this sleezy."

Huh? An arm of the government run by people with law degrees and members of the bar did not think other lawyers would be sleazy?

Now that's a good one.

Is it really news anymore... by phearlez · 2004-06-24 05:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

... when a class action suit results in a settlement/judgement which is a joke for the plantiffs? The only people who ever get anything worth having out of these things are the lawyers.

When defendants can just clean out their storage locker and use unwanted crap to "pay off" their debts these verdicts aren't even going to serve as a punitive measure and preventative for scofflaw companies.

I can imagine one CEO to another - "Hah, we were going to have to charge off all those crap CDs when we discarded them anyway, all we did was change a description in the budget!"

--
Bad management trumps ideology - Show the world you want better leadership. http://www.timefornewmanagement.com

what to do with 117,600 useless CDs... by 0WaitState · 2004-06-24 05:41 · Score: 3, Funny

What to do will 100,000-plus useless CDs?

Send them to AOL!

--

Remain calm! All is well!

BAD article. BAD BAD article by real+gumby · 2004-06-24 05:45 · Score: 2, Funny

I only had to read the first paragraph and now I have that goddamned "Mr Bojangles" tune running through my head AND I CAN'T GET RID OF IT!!!

Inventory by NickRipley · 2004-06-24 06:00 · Score: 2, Funny

The RIAA does not have an inventory. They are not a record label. These CD's had to come from RCA, Warner or Sony. (And from the sounds of it, possibly all of the big seven labels put some releases in.)

"Hey, Bill, this is Kathy with the RIAA. We're settling that suit... can we get 10,000 copies of Willenium? How about a few hundred thousand one song cd's of Whitney Houston singing the National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl? Great, I'll send a truck."

--
http://cassettefetish.com

Legal Remedies by sampson7 · 2004-06-24 06:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

This type of settlement is common place in large class action law suits. Which is fine.

But the parties are bound by the settlement they enter into. And is sounds from the article, that RIAA has breached its obligations under the settlement agreement (especially with the notched/promo CDs).

Somewhere in the settlement agreement there should be a clause specifying what happens if one party or the other does not live up to the terms of the settlement agreement.

It's time to dust off that clause, and head over to see your local friendly judge (preferably one with a child in the school system). With a little legal wrangling, the children of American regain their right to listen to really, really, crappy music.

they should do this, exactly by mnemonic_ · 2004-06-24 06:13 · Score: 3, Funny

Fourteen tons of tritonal explosive coupled with plastique, electronically fused. Zirconium fragments and easily-made napalm, with multiple thermite grenades attached for maximum incendiary effect.

Plague of Consumer Culture by MooseByte · 2004-06-24 06:24 · Score: 4, Insightful

"Do you agree, or do you think I'm taking it too far?"

I agree fully on the Consumerism rant. I know people who need both their incomes to cover their mortgage. But then again that was a choice. I have plenty of friends and relatives who say they have no choice. But if asked they're forced to concede that no, nobody is forcing them at gunpoint to live in a 5-bedroom cul-de-sac lot. Or a 3-bedroom home in coastal California.

The problem is that Americans have a VERY skewed perspective of what is a need vs. what is a luxury. Then the "needed luxuries" lock people into a lifestyle that prevents one of them from being able to stay home and focus on raising their own kids for the first several critical years.

Also those "needed luxuries" lock them into jobs and careers they may hate. What a wasted life.

Great saying: "There are two ways to be rich - Make more, or want less."

And before someone starts pissing and moaning about how "I just don't know what it's like", I recently had to live in a 1-bedroom apartment for a few years with my kids because that's all we could afford. We've since rebounded, and yes that extreme was a challenge for us. But you know what? We're still here and we're a tight family. And we had fun. Parks, trails, community swimming pools, all kinds of essentially free stuff. How about flying a kite? Books from the library? And actually doing those things WITH them?

I also know a couple who job-share, so they both get to have a hand in raising their kids. They don't have a huge house, live in an upscale community, or own a big SUV hauling a rarely-used power boat, yet mysteriously they're very happy. And they have great kids. Go figure.

This Settlement Crap Won't End... by Nom+du+Keyboard · 2004-06-24 07:18 · Score: 5, Insightful

This settlement crap won't end until it is required that the lawyers be paid in kind (CD's, vouchers, weird rebate certificates, tiny discounts on future airline travel, Windows upgrades, etc.) that the winning plaintiffs are paid with.

--
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."

Great Example by bluepinstripe · 2004-06-24 07:19 · Score: 3, Funny

I think the RIAA has provided a great example of how to settle a lawsuit. If I'm ever sued by the RIAA, I will offer to settle with them for a cash equivalent in my fecal matter, valued at $15.99 per ounce.

Re:This stuff is useful, look for yourself! $$$$$$ by Nom+du+Keyboard · 2004-06-24 07:20 · Score: 2, Informative

I still don't understand why the RIAA has so much political power when so much of the product that they sell is so clearly anti-social.

Money.

They have it, and they know how to use it.

--
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."

1800 CD's of mostly junk by mschuyler · 2004-06-24 07:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

I work in a library that just received 1800 CD's, 30 to 40 copies of each CD (we have nine branches), and mostly junk, and even lots of remaindered stuff. These guys obviously just cleaned out their warehouses of dead wood. The AG of WA state is running around saying what a great win-win deal this is. Nonsense. I won't claim every single title is bad, but it's mostly junk. Lots and lots of junk.

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How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.

This is good. by SomeOtherGuy · 2004-06-24 08:08 · Score: 2, Interesting

I think this is a good precedent. If I ever get sued by the RIAA for my occasional "sample" of music before purchase, then I at least know that I can pay my fines by sending them back all of the crap CD's that I had purchased before I had the internet to screen the CD's.

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(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.

Tabacco by Anonymous Coward · 2004-06-24 09:14 · Score: 2, Insightful

If I ever get sued I can't pay with pocket lint or any old thing laying around my house, why do large organization get to? Would it have been acceptable if the tabacco industry had paid in cigarettes when they were sued by the states?
*cough* *cough* Here you go just suck on one of these.

No, No, No by Furd · 2004-06-24 09:30 · Score: 2, Interesting

Other sources (MSNBC) have already pointed out that the motives ascribed to the record companies in this article are just not there. Rather, it was a screw-up in their allocation scheme

But when the first shipments began arriving last week, some librarians suspected that the companies -- the Bertelsmann Music Group, EMI Music Distribution, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment -- were dumping CDs that had been gathering dust in warehouses when they received hundreds of copies of some titles for which there is little or no demand.

The good news is that the mystery has been solved and the source of the overabundance has been determined to be nothing more sinister than a computer-programming glitch that will soon be fixed, law enforcement officials say.

The bad news is that libraries that were among the first to receive their free CDs are now going to have to figure out what to do with all the duplicates.

So, nothing to see here. Just keep moving. [via BoingBoing and my weblog]

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RIAA Dumps Unsold Inventory to Settle Anti-Trust Case

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