I think we need a corporate records retention law to help avoid these sorts of situations. Besides intentional destruction of evidence, many corporations intentionally destroy email as quickly as possible, to make it difficult for anyone to find any evidence of wrongdoing in future civil or criminal litigation.
Unless you take said emails home on a thumb drive in your pocket...print them off & take them out the front door...send yourself a copy by webmail by using the hole in the firewall to that off-shore email account that you have or the webmail account you have for work purposes for the company who doesn't have their own email server(s). Then for some reason...the messages weren't lost at all...just that the lowly peon was smarter than everyone else & doing a CYA...just in case.
Guess that's the new face of loyalty. Making sure you do it to them...before they do it to you.
Sounds almost like the same stuff as happened about 4 years ago with "American" fries. When the Dixie Chicks won 5 grammys the other night...guess it goes to show that you shouldn't stand up for yourself as well.
George Carlin said it best...Not only are you not a member of "the" club...but your choice & free will were bought & sold many years ago. Means that once you're f***ed up the river...hard to get your rights back...if ever.
psychologists have done studies showing that people actually subconsciously like the ooohs and aahs and laughs and startles of their fellow popcorn munchers at a movie. yes, a site like slashdot won't admit to the fact, but people apparently have an enhanced emotional experience in a packed theatre... subconciously
consciously they won't admit that fact. they will complain about babies and cell phones, but that's what a lot of people do: whine and bitch and moan... and still go to the movies. people whine about greenhouse gases and global warming, but they still get in their cars every day too. people whine. and then forget about it. cest la vie
Am in my mid-40's & used to goto at least 2-3 movies a month off & on for several years. Now...I find nothing which interests me being released for me to waste my money & time going out to the cinema.
The babies/cell phones/teenagers are all things which I have brought to the attention of management at the cinema when they bother me/party. Usually...I'm told they have as much right to be jerks as I have being there as well. One of the best cinema experiences I've had recently was during the release of "The Passion of the Christ". The reason...the jerks who usually mess up the "experience" didn't goto the same showings I & my party went to.
look the experience of watching a first run movie at a giant screen surrounded by other people as emotionally enthralled as you. you've never seen it before. everyone else is anonymous to you, their reactions are real and honest. it's almost like church and you're a religious ecstatic: the presence of others and the overwhelming audio/ visual media greatly enhances your enjoyment
It used to be that way & whenever I attend the same type of movies they show on IFC...I do agree with you. Have found that people who enjoy these types of movies are not the same ones who attend the number one movie that week.
ok, now compare: you're going to sit, alone, in front of a 19 inch monitor, in your basement, with your computer whirring in the background, and watch lord of the rings
I do this as well...since I have a Tuner card on the PC. Plus...my favorite channels are TCM/IFC/FMC. For some reason...don't have to deal with the jerks at the cinema & I find the classics I love & others I discover just to wish cinemas good luck.
there is the separate issue of expectation of privacy.
Let's see about this...they sent the photos by e-mail or a "public" network. From having setup & run e-mail servers over the Net...sure...e-mail is private & has an expectation of privacy by sending the photos by this public network.
Folks who think this is true are living in a true fantasy world. E-Mail or any other medium used to send anything using PUBLIC CHANNELS (Cell/Internet) Is NOT Private!!! Someone CAN & Probably WILL intercept your communications!!! Encryption CAN BE BROKEN!!!
For instance...was on a ISP several years ago that used to read my e-mail. Knowing this...sent another ISP a message that I was considering switching to their service...due to my current ISP having lousy service. The next day & after that...my service got 1000% better...because they read my message.
Don't blame the court & the judges for showing more understanding than these kids refused to acknowledge or even understand. Short of using yourself or another person to deliver messages...any communications method IS NOT PRIVATE.
It was brought out that the company didn't want the same thing to happen this year & to make sure it didn't. With many contractors & other employees in there using any software they saw fit...it was common practice/knowledge that the licenses weren't current.
Maybe they were deserving bastards, but from your comment it sounds like they were at least making a good faith effort to comply. Why make a complaint to the BSA other than for spite?
The reason is that if you work for a company which has had this issue previously & knows it will & can happen again...it needs not only to be fined...but sued/prosecuted for being negligent for allowing it to happen more than once. Not only that...but the IT people & management who should be doing the job of tracking software licensing should be fired...at the very least.
As for spite...that may've been part of it...but it did feel great & couldn't have happened to better people.
If you're a business using Windows, budget for it and pay...
Have worked for a former business which fired me several years ago...because I refused to be screamed at by other employees & not taking the abuse. Was in a meeting where the IT manager talked about how they were fined $250,000 the year before for piracy. It was brought out that the company didn't want the same thing to happen this year & to make sure it didn't. With many contractors & other employees in there using any software they saw fit...it was common practice/knowledge that the licenses weren't current.
The afternoon I was fired...I went home started putting out the feelers for another job. Found a better paying job with better benefits & treatment 3 days later. Not only that...called BSA & filed a very lengthy report on exactly what I saw & dealt with. Never heard anything more about it from there.
As the BSA website years ago used to say...you never know who will turn you in. From what I understand...they get most of their referrals from people who have been screwed over by companies. The funniest thing about all of this...many companies have never understood that by treating their employees in a decent manner...the BSA may not have a job or a harder time doing their job.
The only thing I miss about the situation is not seeing my former manager & co-workers try to lie their way out of the situation...especially since the company was going through a merger at the time!!!
Ever hear of movies? They're kinda cool. You pay $7.50 or so, and get to watch a story uninterrupted by commercials.
I have an even simpler way to do this...get yourself a PVR*50 TV Tuner card & record the shows yourself when they're aired.
Not only do you have the show for your own use without paying anyone else for the "privilege" of having a pristine copy of the program. With the GBPVR program or others...you can set the program up to cut out most of the commercials. It's not 100% perfect.
After converting it to AVI format with AutoGordian Knot...you can use VirtualDubMod which comes with AutoGordian Knot to make sure all the commercials were indeed deleted by doing the edits yourself. The only thing you paid for was the cost of the TV Tuner card & whatever bandwidth you used to download the utilities.
If you choose to do this...stay away from XP Media Center. MS has put in code which catches broadcast flags not to let you convert the show from MS-DVR program to MPG. GBPVR does auto MPG recording by itself.
God attached a dimmer switch to the sun so he can punish us with increasing temperatures.
Can't be...since according to these same "scientists"...the universe is only 6000 years old & with their god creating the universe in 6 days...rather than the several years it took electrical engineers to create a dimmer switch for lights on earth. Plus...if the 10,000 years time frame is right...their rapture will happen a lot sooner than the 4,000 years or so we have left.
NOTE...will be too busy shaking hands in hell to get burned & running away from these same folks who believe this the earth is only 6000 years old.;)
If you had branded manufacturer XP disks you could have skipped the activation, but most users never receive these from the manufacturer. I can't recall ever seeing one from HP.
The problem with working in retail shops...people misplace them or either didn't know what they were...so threw them away. Have even had OEM discs cause problems like crazy...so usually ended up putting a retail copy on them & charging them thus.
You may ask...did I feel bad about this??? Of course I do...just as bad as I feel for Darwin Award winners.
Trust me, it takes far less time to just download a "third-party patch" to correct the problem, than trying to do things the "right" way.
Used to work at a computer store & a big part of my job was reinstalling Windows from viruses & such. Over 90% of the time...I had to call Microsoft to reactivate their copy of XP. Used to sit on hold at least 5 minutes & outside of US business hours...didn't even try. With that time I lost sitting on the phone waiting on Microsoft to get their stuff together meant that time I could've spent generating quite a bit of revenue waiting on their BS.
I totally agree with you about the patch...especially when Microsoft decides to end their XP activation service in 5 years or less.
Have had XM for over a year. Plus...if you have DirecTV...they're your music provider as well. Since I don't have Dish or Sirius...can't tell you about their service. What I can tell you is this...if you want to listen to their music & some of the uncensored comedy offerings on XM...you can for $7.95 a month for their web feed. That way...you don't have to buy their hardware & you can hear the same stuff I pay my $12.95 a month to hear.
Like Wolfman Jack & Casey Kasem...they're on there as well from their old broadcasts. Don't know of any over-the-air station which is playing the classics from the era when radio was great. Love hearing them in their glory days...but it does make me feel SO OLD.
Personally, I love my XM, and don't ever listen to local radio any more. More choice, less commercials...
Had it myself for over a year & I wouldn't trade it for any of the BS over-the-air stations anyplace in the US. I should know...was in "the business" for several years. Finally got out when the management wouldn't use industrial-quality vaseline anymore & got tired of being part of a VERY sub par product where the heavy-weight in the business is a fat gay druggie & owners who think the public are idiots. The prime example of this thinking is that contest in California with the Wii. Sure the announcers got fired...but management & the salespeople were the ones who made it happen. Didn't hear anything about the salespersons/managers getting fired. They were the ones that signed off on the deal for it to even go out on the air.
Commercial radio listening is dropping like so many "buggy whip manufacturers 3 year outlook" and they know damned well that Satellite is taking a big chunk.
You better believe they know & they are terrified. Before satellite radio...over-the-air radio knew they were the only game in town. A little competition comes into play...they start bawling about "leveling the playing field". Also hear this BS from cable TV operators wanting satellite TV users to pay "a tax" that equals what cable operators have you pay for their franchise fee in your monthly cable bill. The only flaw in their "logic"...my satellite TV doesn't cross right-of-ways or don't have to get the crappy signal as it's degraded from equipment down the road.
I am worried that the media is now in the hands of so few people, but who would police this "fairness?
Having formerly worked for multi-station radio owner in the Western US...I have seen what happens first-hand when the local media is owned by very few of those who can afford to do so. In a city of 40,000...there are two owners with 10-12 radio stations for the area. Was not uncommon for me to be in meetings where it was common to find loopholes to take programming away from an owner with one station in the area these two owners were competing against.
As for "policing" fairness...you have to be kidding. There's been no policing of the media for at least 20 years. For instance...media owners have the "public good/use" of the airways as the last concern...if they even think about it at all. The only thing they worry about is keeping the FCC or other government agencies off their back. The public good is their last concern. Doesn't even hit the radar. When was the last time you heard of any station owner losing their license for not using the airways for the "public good"? The only time the FCC worries about what's on the air is when "idiots" don't know what the on/off switch is or how to switch channels.
This is why I listen to satellite radio/TV & have for years. Local media is only in it for money for the owners. Damn the public & whether or not they're being served.
Ours goes to 51. Yes, but you see -- that's one more, isn't it? Fifty-one is one more than fifty, that's what makes it so special. It's one more.
Of course...Spinal Tap had an amp with 11 on the volume knob...so they could play louder than any other band. That worked for them...until the next band came up with an amp with 12 on the volume knob.
Is this a sign of desperation? (Not bashing Sun here, just heard that the company is going through a tough time.)
Not at all. Sun's been doing this for years. Several years ago...Sun sent me Solaris 7 on several CD's. Microsoft has also been doing this for "test drive" versions of their server OS's.
Don't be surprised if the response is to no longer allow PC software decoders for media formats.
This was what the MPAA originally wanted for Windows Vista to be released. Only after Microsoft agreed to the BS in hardware & software was the MPAA going to back off of them.
With the market...or perceived market for media center PC's...the PC manufacturers are going to cry bloody murder for not allowing HD content on their PC's.
some of us are truly incapable of tuning out obnoxious banners and flash animations.
Even though I now have access through a cable modem...that wasn't always so. Anyone with a slow broadband connection or dial-up gets hit with Yahoo's BS ads. While I do have "acceptable" speed...compared to what I used to have...these "bells & whistles" show up in the connection speed on my system by taking a few more moments to load the page...IF it does load without having to reload it when it does stall out.
You are right about Google...those text-based ads cut down on the loading speed of the page.
I just want to say sorry from all us normal Christians.
No need to apologize for someone with theories like this. Since they refuse to believe or research anything outside their own narrow views...they are irrelevant.
As someone who got one of my degrees from a Liberal Arts University ran by a major US church group...not only do I know how to research whatever anyone tells me...am not afraid to tell someone when they're full of crap. Because I am willing to question & research what I do believe & am willing to back up with evidence...I no longer associate with these types of groups.
I agree with you completely with respect to capitalism as a model and am in no way against capitalism. However, in the US, while there are possibilities for many to achieve great economic prosperity, there is also the possibility of losing *everything* including health care coverage and the roof over your head and this in many cases drives desperation. I would argue further that endemic violence arises more from a sense of desperation than anything else and in more and more cultures exposed to banal media that glorifies prosperity above all else, a sense of artificial desperation drives violent acts and petty crime.
SOAPBOX
Here in the US...we're seeing this all of the time. The prime example would be in New Orleans during 2005. With the government using a "damn you" attitude to everyone who was poor...you have & are seeing the total chaos of a smaller society. Mark my words...this WILL happen all over this country. It's only a matter of time. Three other historical examples would be that of France in the late 18th Century...Russia in the early 20th Century & the Great Depression of the 1930's.
As for capitalism...the way it is practiced in this country...I am VERY against it!!! If you look at Adam Smith & numerous others...the US does not have capitalism...but pure greed. You really want capitalism...you repeal every law which has made for an uneven playing surface. If the "Market" will adjust things...you don't need laws to screw others for you to get ahead. I have friends who still live in the former Soviet Union & they would much rather have that former system than what they have now.
I'd like to see less government in our lives with respect to...religiously motivated agendas.
As well as I would as well. Marx & Engel...as well as others...were right about religion. When you have a church...no matter what name it calls itself...which considers itself just another company...that is when religion has outlived it's usefulness. This is why churches & the clergy are banned after revolutions. The Churches are just controlling arms of those in power. Consider this...what if the Catholic Church had not become as dominant as it became during the Medieval era...while lives would've been governed by the education from the Classics??? On the other hand...if the church...no matter what name it goes by... does what Jesus or whatever person they believe in...I am all for giving them as much money as they need to help those...rather than enrich themselves in the name of God...no matter what you believe it is. Churches started schools for the poor...that's where the term "Sunday School" came from. I see churches as nothing but proxies for agendas...no matter what they cloak themselves in. SOAPBOX
Didn't want you to think that I was attacking you...but this topic is one which I have always had a very strong opinion about.
While I've noticed that this story is concerned about the amount of consoles being sold...what about Sony's predictions about the HD drive in these units? If the console is a failure...which it looks like maybe...does that also spell doom for another video format they've called the next/best thing?
Vonage was listed as "No hassle" but I found quite the contrary. You can only cancel over the phone, which runs from 9-5 EST Mon-Fri.
Didn't realize that Vonage was this bad...thought my former phone company was horrible. Will have to let my buddy who has a Vonage business account know about this.
On the other hand...never used Vonage...but I do have my VoIP through another company I originally used for long distance...Opex. Every time I call for anything...I get right through to an American speaking English & my business is done in no time flat. That was when I had them for long distance & their VoIP service is no different. Tried another long distance company before this...but talking to someone in India was not my cup of tea.
Even my Virgin Mobile service is less hassles than this...except for when you have to "top off"...then they bug the hell out of you to add money to your phone service. Ended up changing my email address & phone number on their website to keep them from bothering me about this. I know when I need to do this & I don't need their constant nagging. Almost ended up going with another service because of this "help" from them.
Is it Microsoft or Dell themselves that *require* you to purchase one of their PC's with an O/S?
Having formally worked for an OEM who ordered a PC on the employee plan...wanted an OS-less PC & asked for a credit for the cost of leaving Windows 98SE off of the PC. The salesperson & their supervisor said there was NO WAY this company would sell any PC without Windows.
Today...there are several companies who sell systems with Linux on them all ready. This would be the easiest way to go & not have to deal with the BS the OEM's keep pulling out of their a$$es.
This makes it illegal to throw them in the garbage when they do die.
Very true. According to the article...Wal-Mart is looking into having people bring them the old ones when they do "burn" out...like Office Max & others do for toner & print cartridges. At least this way...I get a free ream of recycled paper. Wonder if they'll give you a replacement bulb for 4 or 5 burned out bulbs?
A little word of caution about these bulbs...was getting dressed one morning & broke the bulb by not watching where my hand went. (Have a very low ceiling & it was one of those with the "U" shaped bulb...not the "curly" type.) As with any type of bulb like this...glass went EVERYWHERE. Had to lock up the cat & get the vacuum cleaner out & clean the whole room before letting her out.
Of course...love the news story of the "rocket scientists" filling up the burned out bulbs with gas & playing light saber with them. Wonder if they could use the "Force" where they ended up!!!;)
What the entertainment industry lacks currently is light stuff like pulp fiction, be it books, movies, or tv shows (I will admit that the day and age of the radio drama are probably gone, though they could be revived via the use of netcasts).
Very true...except for the Young Indiana Jones series which ran about 15 years ago on I believe ABC. Watched less than 1/2 hour of the pilot episode & never turned it on again.
On the other hand...Radio Spirts & several other companies...do have the radio shows from the 30's-50's that many stations do run. Used to download & produce them to put into the on-air PC when I was working at a radio station that used to run them 4 hours a week. In addition...if you have XM radio...channel 163 runs this stuff 24/7. For free shows that are downloadable...there is a website I have seen that lets you download all these as MP3's...as long as they are PD. Thought I had the link...but can't find it.
Slashdot Mirror
I think we need a corporate records retention law to help avoid these sorts of situations. Besides intentional destruction of evidence, many corporations intentionally destroy email as quickly as possible, to make it difficult for anyone to find any evidence of wrongdoing in future civil or criminal litigation.
Unless you take said emails home on a thumb drive in your pocket...print them off & take them out the front door...send yourself a copy by webmail by using the hole in the firewall to that off-shore email account that you have or the webmail account you have for work purposes for the company who doesn't have their own email server(s). Then for some reason...the messages weren't lost at all...just that the lowly peon was smarter than everyone else & doing a CYA...just in case.
Guess that's the new face of loyalty. Making sure you do it to them...before they do it to you.
Sounds almost like the same stuff as happened about 4 years ago with "American" fries. When the Dixie Chicks won 5 grammys the other night...guess it goes to show that you shouldn't stand up for yourself as well.
George Carlin said it best...Not only are you not a member of "the" club...but your choice & free will were bought & sold many years ago. Means that once you're f***ed up the river...hard to get your rights back...if ever.
psychologists have done studies showing that people actually subconsciously like the ooohs and aahs and laughs and startles of their fellow popcorn munchers at a movie. yes, a site like slashdot won't admit to the fact, but people apparently have an enhanced emotional experience in a packed theatre... subconciously consciously they won't admit that fact. they will complain about babies and cell phones, but that's what a lot of people do: whine and bitch and moan... and still go to the movies. people whine about greenhouse gases and global warming, but they still get in their cars every day too. people whine. and then forget about it. cest la vie
Am in my mid-40's & used to goto at least 2-3 movies a month off & on for several years. Now...I find nothing which interests me being released for me to waste my money & time going out to the cinema.
The babies/cell phones/teenagers are all things which I have brought to the attention of management at the cinema when they bother me/party. Usually...I'm told they have as much right to be jerks as I have being there as well. One of the best cinema experiences I've had recently was during the release of "The Passion of the Christ". The reason...the jerks who usually mess up the "experience" didn't goto the same showings I & my party went to.
look the experience of watching a first run movie at a giant screen surrounded by other people as emotionally enthralled as you. you've never seen it before. everyone else is anonymous to you, their reactions are real and honest. it's almost like church and you're a religious ecstatic: the presence of others and the overwhelming audio/ visual media greatly enhances your enjoyment
It used to be that way & whenever I attend the same type of movies they show on IFC...I do agree with you. Have found that people who enjoy these types of movies are not the same ones who attend the number one movie that week.
ok, now compare: you're going to sit, alone, in front of a 19 inch monitor, in your basement, with your computer whirring in the background, and watch lord of the rings
I do this as well...since I have a Tuner card on the PC. Plus...my favorite channels are TCM/IFC/FMC. For some reason...don't have to deal with the jerks at the cinema & I find the classics I love & others I discover just to wish cinemas good luck.
Didn't know Sony was allowing porn to be released on their format. If so...they have certainly won this format war.
there is the separate issue of expectation of privacy.
Let's see about this...they sent the photos by e-mail or a "public" network. From having setup & run e-mail servers over the Net...sure...e-mail is private & has an expectation of privacy by sending the photos by this public network.
Folks who think this is true are living in a true fantasy world. E-Mail or any other medium used to send anything using PUBLIC CHANNELS (Cell/Internet) Is NOT Private!!! Someone CAN & Probably WILL intercept your communications!!! Encryption CAN BE BROKEN!!!
For instance...was on a ISP several years ago that used to read my e-mail. Knowing this...sent another ISP a message that I was considering switching to their service...due to my current ISP having lousy service. The next day & after that...my service got 1000% better...because they read my message.
Don't blame the court & the judges for showing more understanding than these kids refused to acknowledge or even understand. Short of using yourself or another person to deliver messages...any communications method IS NOT PRIVATE.
It was brought out that the company didn't want the same thing to happen this year & to make sure it didn't. With many contractors & other employees in there using any software they saw fit...it was common practice/knowledge that the licenses weren't current. Maybe they were deserving bastards, but from your comment it sounds like they were at least making a good faith effort to comply. Why make a complaint to the BSA other than for spite?
The reason is that if you work for a company which has had this issue previously & knows it will & can happen again...it needs not only to be fined...but sued/prosecuted for being negligent for allowing it to happen more than once. Not only that...but the IT people & management who should be doing the job of tracking software licensing should be fired...at the very least.
As for spite...that may've been part of it...but it did feel great & couldn't have happened to better people.
If you're a business using Windows, budget for it and pay...
Have worked for a former business which fired me several years ago...because I refused to be screamed at by other employees & not taking the abuse. Was in a meeting where the IT manager talked about how they were fined $250,000 the year before for piracy. It was brought out that the company didn't want the same thing to happen this year & to make sure it didn't. With many contractors & other employees in there using any software they saw fit...it was common practice/knowledge that the licenses weren't current.
The afternoon I was fired...I went home started putting out the feelers for another job. Found a better paying job with better benefits & treatment 3 days later. Not only that...called BSA & filed a very lengthy report on exactly what I saw & dealt with. Never heard anything more about it from there.
As the BSA website years ago used to say...you never know who will turn you in. From what I understand...they get most of their referrals from people who have been screwed over by companies. The funniest thing about all of this...many companies have never understood that by treating their employees in a decent manner...the BSA may not have a job or a harder time doing their job.
The only thing I miss about the situation is not seeing my former manager & co-workers try to lie their way out of the situation...especially since the company was going through a merger at the time!!!
Ever hear of movies? They're kinda cool. You pay $7.50 or so, and get to watch a story uninterrupted by commercials.
I have an even simpler way to do this...get yourself a PVR*50 TV Tuner card & record the shows yourself when they're aired.
Not only do you have the show for your own use without paying anyone else for the "privilege" of having a pristine copy of the program. With the GBPVR program or others...you can set the program up to cut out most of the commercials. It's not 100% perfect.
After converting it to AVI format with AutoGordian Knot...you can use VirtualDubMod which comes with AutoGordian Knot to make sure all the commercials were indeed deleted by doing the edits yourself. The only thing you paid for was the cost of the TV Tuner card & whatever bandwidth you used to download the utilities.
If you choose to do this...stay away from XP Media Center. MS has put in code which catches broadcast flags not to let you convert the show from MS-DVR program to MPG. GBPVR does auto MPG recording by itself.
God attached a dimmer switch to the sun so he can punish us with increasing temperatures.
Can't be...since according to these same "scientists"...the universe is only 6000 years old & with their god creating the universe in 6 days...rather than the several years it took electrical engineers to create a dimmer switch for lights on earth. Plus...if the 10,000 years time frame is right...their rapture will happen a lot sooner than the 4,000 years or so we have left.
NOTE...will be too busy shaking hands in hell to get burned & running away from these same folks who believe this the earth is only 6000 years old.;)
If you had branded manufacturer XP disks you could have skipped the activation, but most users never receive these from the manufacturer. I can't recall ever seeing one from HP.
The problem with working in retail shops...people misplace them or either didn't know what they were...so threw them away. Have even had OEM discs cause problems like crazy...so usually ended up putting a retail copy on them & charging them thus.
You may ask...did I feel bad about this??? Of course I do...just as bad as I feel for Darwin Award winners.
Trust me, it takes far less time to just download a "third-party patch" to correct the problem, than trying to do things the "right" way.
Used to work at a computer store & a big part of my job was reinstalling Windows from viruses & such. Over 90% of the time...I had to call Microsoft to reactivate their copy of XP. Used to sit on hold at least 5 minutes & outside of US business hours...didn't even try. With that time I lost sitting on the phone waiting on Microsoft to get their stuff together meant that time I could've spent generating quite a bit of revenue waiting on their BS.
I totally agree with you about the patch...especially when Microsoft decides to end their XP activation service in 5 years or less.
Have had XM for over a year. Plus...if you have DirecTV...they're your music provider as well. Since I don't have Dish or Sirius...can't tell you about their service. What I can tell you is this...if you want to listen to their music & some of the uncensored comedy offerings on XM...you can for $7.95 a month for their web feed. That way...you don't have to buy their hardware & you can hear the same stuff I pay my $12.95 a month to hear.
Like Wolfman Jack & Casey Kasem...they're on there as well from their old broadcasts. Don't know of any over-the-air station which is playing the classics from the era when radio was great. Love hearing them in their glory days...but it does make me feel SO OLD.
Personally, I love my XM, and don't ever listen to local radio any more. More choice, less commercials...
Had it myself for over a year & I wouldn't trade it for any of the BS over-the-air stations anyplace in the US. I should know...was in "the business" for several years. Finally got out when the management wouldn't use industrial-quality vaseline anymore & got tired of being part of a VERY sub par product where the heavy-weight in the business is a fat gay druggie & owners who think the public are idiots. The prime example of this thinking is that contest in California with the Wii. Sure the announcers got fired...but management & the salespeople were the ones who made it happen. Didn't hear anything about the salespersons/managers getting fired. They were the ones that signed off on the deal for it to even go out on the air.
Commercial radio listening is dropping like so many "buggy whip manufacturers 3 year outlook" and they know damned well that Satellite is taking a big chunk.
You better believe they know & they are terrified. Before satellite radio...over-the-air radio knew they were the only game in town. A little competition comes into play...they start bawling about "leveling the playing field". Also hear this BS from cable TV operators wanting satellite TV users to pay "a tax" that equals what cable operators have you pay for their franchise fee in your monthly cable bill. The only flaw in their "logic"...my satellite TV doesn't cross right-of-ways or don't have to get the crappy signal as it's degraded from equipment down the road.
I am worried that the media is now in the hands of so few people, but who would police this "fairness?
Having formerly worked for multi-station radio owner in the Western US...I have seen what happens first-hand when the local media is owned by very few of those who can afford to do so. In a city of 40,000...there are two owners with 10-12 radio stations for the area. Was not uncommon for me to be in meetings where it was common to find loopholes to take programming away from an owner with one station in the area these two owners were competing against.
As for "policing" fairness...you have to be kidding. There's been no policing of the media for at least 20 years. For instance...media owners have the "public good/use" of the airways as the last concern...if they even think about it at all. The only thing they worry about is keeping the FCC or other government agencies off their back. The public good is their last concern. Doesn't even hit the radar. When was the last time you heard of any station owner losing their license for not using the airways for the "public good"? The only time the FCC worries about what's on the air is when "idiots" don't know what the on/off switch is or how to switch channels.
This is why I listen to satellite radio/TV & have for years. Local media is only in it for money for the owners. Damn the public & whether or not they're being served.
Ours goes to 51. Yes, but you see -- that's one more, isn't it? Fifty-one is one more than fifty, that's what makes it so special. It's one more.
Of course...Spinal Tap had an amp with 11 on the volume knob...so they could play louder than any other band. That worked for them...until the next band came up with an amp with 12 on the volume knob.
Is this a sign of desperation? (Not bashing Sun here, just heard that the company is going through a tough time.)
Not at all. Sun's been doing this for years. Several years ago...Sun sent me Solaris 7 on several CD's. Microsoft has also been doing this for "test drive" versions of their server OS's.
Just ordered my copy...so it is legit.
Don't be surprised if the response is to no longer allow PC software decoders for media formats.
This was what the MPAA originally wanted for Windows Vista to be released. Only after Microsoft agreed to the BS in hardware & software was the MPAA going to back off of them.
With the market...or perceived market for media center PC's...the PC manufacturers are going to cry bloody murder for not allowing HD content on their PC's.
some of us are truly incapable of tuning out obnoxious banners and flash animations.
Even though I now have access through a cable modem...that wasn't always so. Anyone with a slow broadband connection or dial-up gets hit with Yahoo's BS ads. While I do have "acceptable" speed...compared to what I used to have...these "bells & whistles" show up in the connection speed on my system by taking a few more moments to load the page...IF it does load without having to reload it when it does stall out.
You are right about Google...those text-based ads cut down on the loading speed of the page.
I just want to say sorry from all us normal Christians.
No need to apologize for someone with theories like this. Since they refuse to believe or research anything outside their own narrow views...they are irrelevant.
As someone who got one of my degrees from a Liberal Arts University ran by a major US church group...not only do I know how to research whatever anyone tells me...am not afraid to tell someone when they're full of crap. Because I am willing to question & research what I do believe & am willing to back up with evidence...I no longer associate with these types of groups.
I agree with you completely with respect to capitalism as a model and am in no way against capitalism. However, in the US, while there are possibilities for many to achieve great economic prosperity, there is also the possibility of losing *everything* including health care coverage and the roof over your head and this in many cases drives desperation. I would argue further that endemic violence arises more from a sense of desperation than anything else and in more and more cultures exposed to banal media that glorifies prosperity above all else, a sense of artificial desperation drives violent acts and petty crime.
SOAPBOX
Here in the US...we're seeing this all of the time. The prime example would be in New Orleans during 2005. With the government using a "damn you" attitude to everyone who was poor...you have & are seeing the total chaos of a smaller society. Mark my words...this WILL happen all over this country. It's only a matter of time. Three other historical examples would be that of France in the late 18th Century...Russia in the early 20th Century & the Great Depression of the 1930's.
As for capitalism...the way it is practiced in this country...I am VERY against it!!! If you look at Adam Smith & numerous others...the US does not have capitalism...but pure greed. You really want capitalism...you repeal every law which has made for an uneven playing surface. If the "Market" will adjust things...you don't need laws to screw others for you to get ahead. I have friends who still live in the former Soviet Union & they would much rather have that former system than what they have now.
I'd like to see less government in our lives with respect to...religiously motivated agendas.
As well as I would as well. Marx & Engel...as well as others...were right about religion. When you have a church...no matter what name it calls itself...which considers itself just another company...that is when religion has outlived it's usefulness. This is why churches & the clergy are banned after revolutions. The Churches are just controlling arms of those in power. Consider this...what if the Catholic Church had not become as dominant as it became during the Medieval era...while lives would've been governed by the education from the Classics??? On the other hand...if the church...no matter what name it goes by... does what Jesus or whatever person they believe in...I am all for giving them as much money as they need to help those...rather than enrich themselves in the name of God...no matter what you believe it is. Churches started schools for the poor...that's where the term "Sunday School" came from. I see churches as nothing but proxies for agendas...no matter what they cloak themselves in.
SOAPBOX
Didn't want you to think that I was attacking you...but this topic is one which I have always had a very strong opinion about.
While I've noticed that this story is concerned about the amount of consoles being sold...what about Sony's predictions about the HD drive in these units? If the console is a failure...which it looks like maybe...does that also spell doom for another video format they've called the next/best thing?
Vonage was listed as "No hassle" but I found quite the contrary. You can only cancel over the phone, which runs from 9-5 EST Mon-Fri.
Didn't realize that Vonage was this bad...thought my former phone company was horrible. Will have to let my buddy who has a Vonage business account know about this.
On the other hand...never used Vonage...but I do have my VoIP through another company I originally used for long distance...Opex. Every time I call for anything...I get right through to an American speaking English & my business is done in no time flat. That was when I had them for long distance & their VoIP service is no different. Tried another long distance company before this...but talking to someone in India was not my cup of tea.
Even my Virgin Mobile service is less hassles than this...except for when you have to "top off"...then they bug the hell out of you to add money to your phone service. Ended up changing my email address & phone number on their website to keep them from bothering me about this. I know when I need to do this & I don't need their constant nagging. Almost ended up going with another service because of this "help" from them.
Is it Microsoft or Dell themselves that *require* you to purchase one of their PC's with an O/S?
Having formally worked for an OEM who ordered a PC on the employee plan...wanted an OS-less PC & asked for a credit for the cost of leaving Windows 98SE off of the PC. The salesperson & their supervisor said there was NO WAY this company would sell any PC without Windows.
Today...there are several companies who sell systems with Linux on them all ready. This would be the easiest way to go & not have to deal with the BS the OEM's keep pulling out of their a$$es.
This makes it illegal to throw them in the garbage when they do die.
Very true. According to the article...Wal-Mart is looking into having people bring them the old ones when they do "burn" out...like Office Max & others do for toner & print cartridges. At least this way...I get a free ream of recycled paper. Wonder if they'll give you a replacement bulb for 4 or 5 burned out bulbs?
A little word of caution about these bulbs...was getting dressed one morning & broke the bulb by not watching where my hand went. (Have a very low ceiling & it was one of those with the "U" shaped bulb...not the "curly" type.) As with any type of bulb like this...glass went EVERYWHERE. Had to lock up the cat & get the vacuum cleaner out & clean the whole room before letting her out.
Of course...love the news story of the "rocket scientists" filling up the burned out bulbs with gas & playing light saber with them. Wonder if they could use the "Force" where they ended up!!!;)
What the entertainment industry lacks currently is light stuff like pulp fiction, be it books, movies, or tv shows (I will admit that the day and age of the radio drama are probably gone, though they could be revived via the use of netcasts).
Very true...except for the Young Indiana Jones series which ran about 15 years ago on I believe ABC. Watched less than 1/2 hour of the pilot episode & never turned it on again.
On the other hand...Radio Spirts & several other companies...do have the radio shows from the 30's-50's that many stations do run. Used to download & produce them to put into the on-air PC when I was working at a radio station that used to run them 4 hours a week. In addition...if you have XM radio...channel 163 runs this stuff 24/7. For free shows that are downloadable...there is a website I have seen that lets you download all these as MP3's...as long as they are PD. Thought I had the link...but can't find it.