Your woman is quiet. You ask "How are you?" Reply: "Fine." which translates to "I am pissed with you and you should know why!"
She is seems upset. You ask "What's wrong?" Reply: "Nothing" which translate to "You are not getting any for three weeks, you insensitive bastard!"
She asks "Does this make me look fat?" If you answer yes, you are an insensitive asshole. If you answer no, you are a lying bastard.
And, then women say men "can't communicate".
Hell, Bill Ingval had the best example. His wife asked why he didn't fuck her the night before when she gave him a clear signal. She put her hand on his shoulder. A couple of weeks later she pushes his shoulder. She says "not tonight". She responds "Touch means go, shove means no."
Hint for you ladies: You can't communicate worth shit. If you want something act like it. If you don't want something, act like it. Save the pitiful ultra-nuanced, non-verbal communication for your girl friends and mother.
This is why I always advise people looking for a book on a computer topic to pick up two or three from different publishers and read a little bit of each one. That way they get a feel for the tone of the book and can choose the one that fits best with them.
In my experience there are usually only a few really clear stations in any given area, and even they tend to get overrun by static during the occasional storm. I suppose that might be avoided if you happen to live within sight of the transmission tower,at least for FM, but most people don't.
I have satellite radio. I lose signal, not static but complete signal loss, in heavy tree coverage, in parking garages, in areas with tall buildings, going up and down curving mountain roads, etc. And, the sound quality can be iffy, especially if it is a talk program, such as the news.
The reason that it matters is simple. Even if one does not like any or all of the choices, one still has a choice. Therefore, there is no monopoly. Your hypothetical group has a choice. Their preference for satellite over terrestrial radio does not constitute a monopoly if there is only one satellite radio provider especially when satellite radio is vastly smaller than terrestrial radio.
Like it or not, satellite radio is a niche market and even if there is only one company serving that niche market, that company does not have a monopoly because of the existence of the greater market to which the niche belongs.
Of course, the new combined company can be made to give up one of the licenses. And the FCC could free up some spectrum, assuming someone else ever wants to enter the market.
There are various attributes -- e.g. higher sound quality, access to the same channels from anywhere -- of satellite radio which are not found in terrestrial broadcasts. You may not consider these attributes important, but others may not find terrestrial radio to be even a suitable substitute, much less "interchangeable".
Apparently, you don't have satellite radio if you think the sound quality is higher. Access to the same channels from anywhere is only useful if you travel a great deal, which most of the population does not.
You mention "others may not find terrestrial radio to be even a suitable substitute". How many of them are there? How much of the population do they make up? Having been a trucker, I know they are a strong market for this kind of service, as are people who live in extremely rural locations. But, for most other people who travel for a living, satellite radio does not have much of a draw because one can rent a car with it, and one generally can't use it inside many, if not most, locations. So, please, enlighten me as to the size and make up of this group of "others".
Where are the alternative, metal, electronica, and bluegrass AM/FM stations?
So, go start one and make money off it.... if you can. How big is the market for bluegrass or metal in your area? Small market means small earnings through advertising.
Here in Tampa, we have WMNF 88.5, which plays all kinds of crap. But, they don't make any money and follow the public radio model. Begging drives to get money to pay for the programs. Oh, and did I mention they alienate half their potential audience by being somewhere left of Air America?
Your real complaint is that most of the people in your area don't have your tastes in music and so music you like doesn't get played on the radio because it wouldn't earn any money.
Yeah, because there is no such thing as CDs, DVDs, terrestrial radio, HD radio, etc. and people will be forced to pay what ever XM/Sirius wants to get any kind of music in their cars./sarcasm
because the tiny amount of mercury in thimerosol has been linked to autism or autism-like symptoms
No, it hasn't. Stupid people can't separate causation and correlation. Autism symptoms begin to present at the age that immunizations start, regardless of whether the child is immunized or not.
I see developers and vendors represented, but what about end-users?
Why isn't there any representation for the average people that actually use the software? That is one of the biggest failings of OSS, it rarely takes the end-user into account.
Does Calabresi or his Time editors have the slightest idea how secret, illegal spying powers have been used, towards what ends they've been employed and with what motives? No, they have absolutely no idea.
Neither does Greenwald. His personal beliefs do not constitute evidence of anything.
Just this weekend, a new poll released by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University proves that exactly the opposite is true.
False. That poll does not prove that people care about domestic spying. It proves that people want to know what the government is doing.
From the beginning, pluralities in the vast majority of states -- 37 out of 50 -- believed the President "clearly" broke the law with his NSA spying.
From the poll:
Exact Question Wording: Based on what you know about the government wiretapping of certain phone calls... Is it clear that President Bush obeyed the law?... Is it clear that President Bush broke the law? Is it not clear?... Or, are you unfamiliar with the matter?
Obeyed Broke Not sure Weighted Average 31% 40% 22% Unweighted Average 32% 39% 22%
Misleading. While the poll results of 37 of 50 states may breakout as Greenwald states, less than half the population believe Bush broke the law, and the "Not sure" segment is over 2 times the difference between obeyed and broke.
I am guessing Greenwald went to the Michael Moore school of journalism
Ok, so the code base is growing exponentially. Big fucking deal. Last I checked the signal to noise ratio was so high, it was ridiculous. For every decent quality Open Source project, there are thousands of half-assed attempts to reinvent the wheel. And, you all know the projects I am talking about. The finished projects with a three page bug list and a last version that is over two years old because all the developers left after the "sexy" code was written.
That may be true, but I don't think that has happened with whales or cows. I haven't heard of it, and as someone else has pointed out, they are apparently descended from a common ancestor.
Apparently, you are a lying asshole. I say that because you have committed lies of omission.
System of claim 1 is the primary claim. All the rest are systems they claim as part of the patent. Your little cherry picking expedition proves you are a liar.
Maybe next time you won't try to lie about things by omitting important information, but I don't it.
From the Patent:
1. A system for electronically simulating participation by a user in a pre-recorded musical performance comprising:
a. a musical instrument, the musical instrument generating an instrument audio signal at an instrument audio output, the instrument audio signal varying in response to operation of the instrument by the user of the system;
b. a video source providing a source video signal at a source video output, the source video signal representing a video portion of the pre-recorded musical performance;
c. a video display responsive to the source video signal whereby the user can view the video portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the video display;
d. an audio source providing a source audio signal at a source audio output, the source audio signal representing an audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance, the audio portion including an instrument sound track containing pre-recorded musical sounds that would be generated by the musical instrument in the pre-recorded musical performance;
e. a system interface device having a first audio input electrically connected to the instrument audio output, a second audio input electrically connected to the source audio output, and a first interface audio output;
f. the system interface device including a source audio control circuit responsive to the instrument audio signal, whereby a characteristic of the source audio signal is controlled in response to operation of the musical instrument by the user to provide a controlled source audio signal at the first interface audio output; and
g. an audio playback transducer responsive to the controlled source audio signal such that the user can listen to the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the transducer, in synchronization with the video portion.
2. The system of claim 1 whereby the characteristic of the source audio signal controlled by the source audio control circuit is a source audio signal level.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the musical instrument is a guitar whereby variations in striking of strings on the guitar by the user produces changes in level of the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the audio playback transducer.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system interface device further comprises an instrument audio switch responsive to the instrument audio signal level to connect the controlled source audio signal to the interface audio output only when the instrument audio signal level reaches a pre-determined threshold generated by operation of the musical instrument.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a bypass switch operable when switched to a bypass position to connect the instrument audio signal to the audio transducer such that the user can listen to the instrument audio signal while operating the musical instrument and while viewing the video portion of the musical performance.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the system interface device is further operable to suppress the instrument audio track when the bypass switch is in the bypass position.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an audio mixer operably connected between the interface audio output and the audio transducer.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the audio mixer is further operably connected between the source audio output and the first audio input on the interface device.
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You forgot:
I can kill/blow up/destroy it for fun and/or profit.
Apparently, very damned difficult.
Your woman is quiet. You ask "How are you?" Reply: "Fine." which translates to "I am pissed with you and you should know why!"
She is seems upset. You ask "What's wrong?" Reply: "Nothing" which translate to "You are not getting any for three weeks, you insensitive bastard!"
She asks "Does this make me look fat?" If you answer yes, you are an insensitive asshole. If you answer no, you are a lying bastard.
And, then women say men "can't communicate".
Hell, Bill Ingval had the best example. His wife asked why he didn't fuck her the night before when she gave him a clear signal. She put her hand on his shoulder. A couple of weeks later she pushes his shoulder. She says "not tonight". She responds "Touch means go, shove means no."
Hint for you ladies: You can't communicate worth shit. If you want something act like it. If you don't want something, act like it. Save the pitiful ultra-nuanced, non-verbal communication for your girl friends and mother.
You forgot the copper wire in the walls.
Different strokes for different folks.
This is why I always advise people looking for a book on a computer topic to pick up two or three from different publishers and read a little bit of each one. That way they get a feel for the tone of the book and can choose the one that fits best with them.
OK, dumbass, news flash for you. There are satellite radio receivers that connect to OEM car radios without the need for FM rebroadcast.
Now please STFU and stop being a dumbass.
I have satellite radio. I lose signal, not static but complete signal loss, in heavy tree coverage, in parking garages, in areas with tall buildings, going up and down curving mountain roads, etc. And, the sound quality can be iffy, especially if it is a talk program, such as the news.
The reason that it matters is simple. Even if one does not like any or all of the choices, one still has a choice. Therefore, there is no monopoly. Your hypothetical group has a choice. Their preference for satellite over terrestrial radio does not constitute a monopoly if there is only one satellite radio provider especially when satellite radio is vastly smaller than terrestrial radio.
Like it or not, satellite radio is a niche market and even if there is only one company serving that niche market, that company does not have a monopoly because of the existence of the greater market to which the niche belongs.
Terrestrial radio has almost 100% of the market everywhere. Even in cars sold with satellite radio, an FM/AM radio is installed.
Your logic is faulty.
Of course, the new combined company can be made to give up one of the licenses. And the FCC could free up some spectrum, assuming someone else ever wants to enter the market.
It is only odd if MS had a hand in it. However, if it was just a dumbass doing the counting, then it is not odd at all.
Apparently, you don't have satellite radio if you think the sound quality is higher.
Access to the same channels from anywhere is only useful if you travel a great deal, which most of the population does not.
You mention "others may not find terrestrial radio to be even a suitable substitute". How many of them are there? How much of the population do they make up? Having been a trucker, I know they are a strong market for this kind of service, as are people who live in extremely rural locations. But, for most other people who travel for a living, satellite radio does not have much of a draw because one can rent a car with it, and one generally can't use it inside many, if not most, locations. So, please, enlighten me as to the size and make up of this group of "others".
So, go start one and make money off it.... if you can. How big is the market for bluegrass or metal in your area? Small market means small earnings through advertising.
Here in Tampa, we have WMNF 88.5, which plays all kinds of crap. But, they don't make any money and follow the public radio model. Begging drives to get money to pay for the programs. Oh, and did I mention they alienate half their potential audience by being somewhere left of Air America?
Your real complaint is that most of the people in your area don't have your tastes in music and so music you like doesn't get played on the radio because it wouldn't earn any money.
I am kind of curious, where did you get that "grand and a half every year" price?
My current six months cost me a whopping US$56.00
Yeah, because there is no such thing as CDs, DVDs, terrestrial radio, HD radio, etc. and people will be forced to pay what ever XM/Sirius wants to get any kind of music in their cars. /sarcasm
Ok, so where are the links to them? Show me the proof. And, show me definitive proof was a reaction to thimerosal and not something else.
In other words, show me the science behind your statement or shut up.
No, it hasn't. Stupid people can't separate causation and correlation. Autism symptoms begin to present at the age that immunizations start, regardless of whether the child is immunized or not.
I see developers and vendors represented, but what about end-users?
Why isn't there any representation for the average people that actually use the software? That is one of the biggest failings of OSS, it rarely takes the end-user into account.
From the poll:
Misleading. While the poll results of 37 of 50 states may breakout as Greenwald states, less than half the population believe Bush broke the law, and the "Not sure" segment is over 2 times the difference between obeyed and broke.
I am guessing Greenwald went to the Michael Moore school of journalism
No, no. Those are not your tax dollars coming to arrest you. They are my tax dollars.
Why is it when I read your comment, I heard it spoken in an effete British accent.
Ok, so the code base is growing exponentially. Big fucking deal. Last I checked the signal to noise ratio was so high, it was ridiculous. For every decent quality Open Source project, there are thousands of half-assed attempts to reinvent the wheel. And, you all know the projects I am talking about. The finished projects with a three page bug list and a last version that is over two years old because all the developers left after the "sexy" code was written.
That may be true, but I don't think that has happened with whales or cows. I haven't heard of it, and as someone else has pointed out, they are apparently descended from a common ancestor.
HA HA! /nelson
If I recall correctly, classification is done more by appearance and behavior than by genetic testing.
Nonsense. That is why there are people. To make and feed cows with no legs and a huge tail.
Apparently, you are a lying asshole. I say that because you have committed lies of omission.
System of claim 1 is the primary claim. All the rest are systems they claim as part of the patent. Your little cherry picking expedition proves you are a liar.
Maybe next time you won't try to lie about things by omitting important information, but I don't it.
From the Patent:
1. A system for electronically simulating participation by a user in a pre-recorded musical performance comprising:
a. a musical instrument, the musical instrument generating an instrument audio signal at an instrument audio output, the instrument audio signal varying in response to operation of the instrument by the user of the system;
b. a video source providing a source video signal at a source video output, the source video signal representing a video portion of the pre-recorded musical performance;
c. a video display responsive to the source video signal whereby the user can view the video portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the video display;
d. an audio source providing a source audio signal at a source audio output, the source audio signal representing an audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance, the audio portion including an instrument sound track containing pre-recorded musical sounds that would be generated by the musical instrument in the pre-recorded musical performance;
e. a system interface device having a first audio input electrically connected to the instrument audio output, a second audio input electrically connected to the source audio output, and a first interface audio output;
f. the system interface device including a source audio control circuit responsive to the instrument audio signal, whereby a characteristic of the source audio signal is controlled in response to operation of the musical instrument by the user to provide a controlled source audio signal at the first interface audio output; and
g. an audio playback transducer responsive to the controlled source audio signal such that the user can listen to the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the transducer, in synchronization with the video portion.
2. The system of claim 1 whereby the characteristic of the source audio signal controlled by the source audio control circuit is a source audio signal level.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the musical instrument is a guitar whereby variations in striking of strings on the guitar by the user produces changes in level of the audio portion of the pre-recorded musical performance on the audio playback transducer.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system interface device further comprises an instrument audio switch responsive to the instrument audio signal level to connect the controlled source audio signal to the interface audio output only when the instrument audio signal level reaches a pre-determined threshold generated by operation of the musical instrument.
5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a bypass switch operable when switched to a bypass position to connect the instrument audio signal to the audio transducer such that the user can listen to the instrument audio signal while operating the musical instrument and while viewing the video portion of the musical performance.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the system interface device is further operable to suppress the instrument audio track when the bypass switch is in the bypass position.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an audio mixer operably connected between the interface audio output and the audio transducer.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the audio mixer is further operably connected between the source audio output and the first audio input on the interface device.
9. The system of claim 8 fu