After all, ads simply cheapen the model for the end viewer.
Television won't go away, but at the end of the day, commercials just make it cheaper, but charging $.25 for each show would make the networks rich as hell. So either way, commercials will be here, and so will pay TV.
There just needs to be a way to pay for your TV and have no commercials, but that won't happen either, because ads are so pervasive.
Even if you pay for a magazine or television with almost complete exclusivity for commercials, then they will still attempt to slip a few in, BECAUSE THE TEMPTATION IS THERE TO TURN A FEW EXTRA BUCKS because now it is more of a tempting target. Cosmo or something similar? You pay $5 an issue and it is ALL ADVERTISING.
Strangely, I have noticed mostly men complaining about the commercials, although that is defenitely not a hard and fast rule. It just appears that women like to kind of shop in their heads when they are watching... after all, not to stereotype, but most women that aren't totally into compiling or racing cars seem to like shopping.
The best thing to do is tape or Tivo it out, but if that doesn't work, then learn to totally ignore it. I work in TV, and the advertising force is the same size as the production force. I guess no one should be surprised by this.
Cuba is hated by the US because it appears to demonstrate that small-scale Communism can in fact work fairly well, and need not neccessarily be brutal and repressive to function. Cuba is a success story that the US would very much like to just erase.
Riiiiight. That explains why they are still to this very day trying to swim or float over in all sorts of little boats. You have words that say that Cuba is great.
I have the refugees, the people still trying to flee Cuba, and the whole history of almost starting WWIII as your answer to the claims of Cuban superiority.
If Cuba is such a prosperous, free, and open society why is it that they cannot leave the country and come visit the USA?
But hey! Why would anyone even want to see the rest of the world if Cuba is as great as you say it is?
Yeah, "killing" and "benign," in the SAME FUCKING PARAGRAPH. Can anyone recognize a Troll around here anymore?
He killed thousands of people and not millions like, Pol-Pot, Stalin, Hitler, Mao.
Yeah, let's all make commemorative mugs for "People who love Pinochet!" He resisted the urge to kill millions! He only killed thousands! What a nice guy! Someone present him with the key to the city!
People, this is a troll. It defies logic and offends to get you to respond. Learn it. Mod it down. I have no points today.
Someone really needs to lose all of their mod points forever if they give points for the parent. Also, they need to reread their humanity handbook when the words Pinochet and relatively benign come up in the same sentence.
I've been thinking about how we are hating each other more virulently recently, and I think it comes down to the fact that we are tribal.
What I mean by that is that human beings simply don't have all the mental capability to keep up personal relationships with more than a tribe-sized group of people... my idea is somewhere between ten to twelve persons. What I mean is this... it is very natural for you to be tight with ten to twelve people and then the rest you just don't heve the time for. I think it is in human nature, and it leads to the "screw the rest of those guys" attitude in general. That general trend *really* manifests itself if something appears as a threat.
Anyway, it feels right to me. I am not a social scientist.
Now teaching to hate is a totally different matter. That is really complex. Does anyone feel like the cold war was better? When you didn't have an open border, and you were in a struggle with a non-aggressive nuke, non-integrated group into your society? I mean, at least the Soviets actually sat down with us to talk. They sure as hell weren't going to attempt an attack on a Tuesday morning and risk the whole world.
It appears that the whole Arab-Israeli mess will boil over in a guaranted less than ten years into world war. They are making too much of an effort towards it by teaching their children to hate. Both sides are trying to drag their friends into it, egging each of their bigger brothers for weapons and someone to back them up. Both sides believe they are a superior race, and we know what happens when you start thinking that.
I personally don't like what the Israelis are doing right now, I think that using tanks against people throwing rocks is insane and terrorist in nature. However, the fact that the Palestinians are attacking elderly people on holidays in restaurants is by its very definition terrorism. Sitting back on a helicopter and gunning down innocents is about as cheap as you can get. But so is trying to steal ambulances to make them into "after bombing" weapons to attack emergency workers.
I honestly believe if every wingnut and every whacko religious group goes after all (meaning general populace) of us, then they (meaning the Israelis, too, by their hatred and humanistic negligence) are setting us up for WWIII, big time.
How does this deal with communication? Well, the more worldwide your viewpoint, the more you can get offended by... and the more likely you will attack, as I guess we have all recently learned.
Good luck, humans (please note I didn't say nationality or race). We're all going to need it.
"Boss! We've got a problem! There is a crappy copy of the new Star Wars out a week early on the internet! And people who have cable modems or better, underground internet connections, an interest in seeing it, the understanding of what an alternative media player codec is, big enough hard drive space left, a file sharing app that still works, the knowhow to get it to run, and the interest of watching it early on a computer monitor are STEALING OUR MOVIE!"
"So how much of our movie audience is that?"
"Well, probably.02% of the American population, sir!"
"Oh. HEY! Look at this! We just made all the papers across the country. Man you just can't buy advertising this good! Get my clubs. We're going golfing lackey."
SHORT GUY IN THE BACK: "Look, I understand that a headbutt might be a little violent for you raters out there... I UNDERSTAND. Real quick though, why is it you object to the headbutt, but wholesale chopping off of limbs with a lightsabre is totally okay?"
THE BOARD: "Oh, sit down! We judge the morals around here!"
He has lived a non-elitist life with bad neighborhood people.
He has had all of his crap broken into.
He now wants a safe environment for his children and wife.
Even gangster rappers move out of the hood. If there is anyone that has respect and understands "the hood" as it is, I would assume it would be them. But even they move to better cribs when they get a spot of money... why? Because they're tired of the hassle. Basically they are tired of everyone giving them shit because they worked it all out.
As a person that has had my car broken into as recently as three days ago, I know how it feels to get stuff stolen. I would pay a little more to prevent that.
You act like you like the hood. That tells me that you obviously don't live there. No one living in the hood likes the hood. That is the surefire sign you know what is going on there. You obviously don't.
Let me quote you: Yep, you would be an elitist alright. A cold and sterile rich guy living in your safe little world where no one is ever upset and nothing is every stolen. Much better than trying to stick it out in the 'hoods. Good for you, your parents will be proud and your children will be better people for your example.
Actually, you are exactly right, sarcasm aside. Do you want your children to be successful and safer? WE ALL DO. Then you fight to give them that priveledge. It is as natural to protect your loved ones and offspring as it is to breathe.
So you may now brand me as an elitist, if you feel a need to justify your "correct" thoughts in your head. You would be worng. I end up in "the hood" as a newsman covering the worst that humans do at least two days a week. Does that mean I think I am above them (the poorer people)? Hell no. But I do punch a clock all year long and fight for my vacations. Most of their lives are one long vacation from reality.
And don't even give me that "little opportunity in the hood" crap. I worked through college at fast food joints, and lived on a subsistence of generic mac and cheese. My mother borrowed money from me since the age of seven so she could feed us growing up... and grew up in an abusive household. By the standards that social workers and the government has I should be getting double payments just because I have "had a tough life." The poor little losers that need sympathy wouldn't be getting in trouble and running from the law if they were busy with a job like the rest of humanity. And don't give me that no jobs crap. Maybe no tech jobs right now, but sorry about that, but if I needed to I would quickly put a paper hat back on to feed my family. The last time I checked, both McDonald's and the United States Military will accept practically anyone. The second choice is a guaranteed meal every day. Unfortunately though, it requires WORK! GASP!
Besides, where in the big rules of nature does it say that you deserve a check every month for yor natural life for being born in a bad neighborhood?
Why is it that illegal immigrants can be in this country for five minutes, dodging people who want to deport them, cause few and little crimes, go to church, and still pay off their car note and start a business? Ask them if they love this country.
Not that I want to get all scientific and technical here, but they (the poorest few) are poor because they don't have jobs. Don't want jobs. Want the money but don't want to work. Get a job? Spend it on a stupid car that is ten times better than mine, and then get evicted for not paying rent. End up sleeping in an expensive car.
Here's another handy tip: Pregnancy might occur after unprotected sex. I have no urge to pay for children having children. Neither should you.
Ever been in the hood at 1:30pm on a Tuesday? I am all the time. Everyone is home. Why? They aren't working. Not the night shift. Not the overnight shift. No one has a damn J-O-B.
You are obviously not from the hood. My best friend has become a newsman in Dallas (a great job, keep in mind that newsies are a very small group of people) in under five years, and he didn't finish college, and he grew up in a trailer on a gravel road, dirt poor, born to an illegitimate birth, and penniless. It wasn't luck that got him there.
Explain that one in your elitist theory.
Personally, I think it would be better to throw away theories and judge people on individual merits.
The camera is for people who intentionally entered an intersection, not those that were leaving it on a red light, and at a specific speed or greater. READ THE ARTICLE.
The lights make absolutely no distinction of the rest of your driving behavior leading up to the incident.
Well, I don't know where you are from, but here on the planet earth, where the rules of physics are pretty consistent we use this...
Kinetic energy = 1/2mv2
IF YOU SLOW THE HELL DOWN, AND WERE DRIVING APPROPRIATELY, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT LANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. You could actually not have to endanger someone to go around town. I know, its shocking, but true.
I don't even think that the "maximize revenue" argument is even remotely valid. Property taxes maximize revenue. This may be slightly profitable, but I would argue that this is still a fine. A fine against jackasses that have to match this criteria:
1. HAS TO ENTER THE INTERSECTION AFTER IT IS RED.
2. HAS TO BE GOING HIGHER THAN A SPECIFIC SPEED.
In other words, if you slammed your brakes to stop and wouldn't just sail through the intersection anyway? NO FINE. You're in the intersection on the yellow and getting out? NO FINE. You go through a redlight in the middle of the night at a really slow speed? NO FINE. Someone on a three member board questions it? NO FINE.
Sounds fair to me.
I have witnessed several redlight child killings in my history as a photojournalist.
When Napster was going down the tubes, as a news reporter in Nashville, TN, I did a piece on the company that was propped up by the labels and nailing Napster.
Napster was required by law to send all of the relevent material to the company that was handling the lawsuit, which I can't name right now, I don't think they exsist anymore, I might be mistaken.
SO THEY DID. IN HARD COPY.
Napster mailed long, old dot matrix printouts to the office in reams that (I kid you not) were at least three and a half feet tall.
Moral of the story... they complied with the company. And the company couldn't afford to compile all of the infringers by hand but instead tried to have a chilling effect on Napster by getting a few of them scared.
So my suggestion would be paper.
Besides, I cannot believe that this is even happening. This is extremely "Farenheit 451" in the way that the television companies are trying to legislate the way we watch television that they supposedly give away for free.
Comments about whether or not this would be a good thing aside, the networks and channels like Cartoon Network, Sci-Fi, Food channel, History Channel.. none of these would survive without people actually watching the commercials that run.
I work in TV. Wrongo.
These are even newer models. These stations would have never survived if they didn't have a base that would have requested that those channels be put on. That is a totally different captive audience... and a totally different model. Specific cable channel viewers are much more active. Just look at Scifi channel watchers. I call my friends when I want to catch them right after Farscape... cuz I know where they are.
Advertisers put up with VCRs, because even with those you're still getting a fair amount of the commercial. But a device where you don't even know what commercial aired? The commercial that is paying for the program?
Actually, advertisers should like VCRs. They helped the Cable boom, which really helped advertisers.
(More channels? More need for VCRs... more channels? Less programming you can catch on a fixed scchedule, need to get VCR... Full market saturation with VCRs and cable? LESS YOU PAY TO GET TO YOUR TARGET F*N DEMOGRAPHICS! Also, the more likely they are to change their viewing habits to your real-time advertising.)
Commercial TV needs either advertising, or else they have to become a pay channel like HBO.
Well, how bout a TV channel that runs at 4x speed or better and has a box to decode shows without ads in them and charges a nominal fee? Like a dedicated Tivo channel? Would that be so bad? YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS THOUGHT OF THAT. Look. All we're saying is that we are not going to pay for them to come in my house and force me to do anything.
I am a news photog in Nashville, TN, and we have done a few stories about all of the internet radio things with Steve, but admittedly, we (the news station) never knew about Steve until we did a story about what it is like to get around a city with a seeing eye dog. The he said (in his usual sly way that is very Steve once you meet him), "oh, by the way, I run the second largest internet radio station from my apartment." Well, as news people, we just couldn't pass that one up.
Needless to say, Steve is such a good conversationalist that we never really stuck to the subject with the eye dogs. We waffled about with internet radio and all sorts of other things. Eventually I made the story, but he really hooked us up on some interesting legislation and other things.
He's hilarious. You need to donate to Wolf FM for one real reason alone. In the few times I met Steve, I have no doubt that he will tell the regulators like Frank Zappa told the PMRC that they can go kiss it if they try to take away his small, slightly over break-even station.
Also, this legislation would probably take all of the pocket change that guys like Steve have to make internet radio. Therefore you get NO INDEPENDENT INTERNET RADIO REAL SOON. The song rights people are harassing them to get them out of the market, after they saw that XM did so well, and this is their next big thing. I'm betting they want subscription internet radio, and they think they can knock a few guys like Steve off of the air, and the market is basically theirs.
In other words, Tech TV got it right in interviewing him. He's a great mouthpiece for internet radio. He makes one good leader for the movement.
Please donate to Wolf FM. It gives us more Steve time, and I think this legislation is very, very important, because between the FCC and the corporates, there will be no independent radio anywhere.
Remember when you went into Best Buy and saw that they started putting up their stupid magazine rack that had a lot of titles that had nothing to do with computers and stereo stuff? I smelled death. My sister is in the book selling business. She tells me how cutthroat magazines are. Magazines in Best Buy are very similar to Gateway tryng to make albums.
See, in a retail sense, magazines racks are the first hallmark of death. Magazines are cheap, high volume, and handled by "rack-jobbers" out of house. When you put in shelf space for primarily someone else's profits? Well then, you are in trouble. Gateway getting into music? It is a magazine rack to them... a quick buck.
It smells like Enron when Gateway wants to get into music. Enron was into the whole elctricity and gas business (which you can always make a buck in when you have the price regulators in your back pocket) then they decided that utility profits weren't good enough. Then they started screwing their core business because they put it all in risky stock crap in a market that was paying out like a casino. When it didn't pay out, then they started screwing people over, big time.
Apparently Gateway is trying to diversify... but the truth of the matter is that it stinks of death all over it. Smells like a magazine rack.
If they are doing this to tag some artist to get someone in a Gateway Country store or promote proprietary Gateway stuff, well, look out. That business model makes no sense. Besides, record producers wait years at a time for a hit. How much patience do you think a product producing company has about profits? ABOUT THREE MONTHS until the quarterly statements are due, then they pull the project because it didn't pan out in three months.
Big Corporate Manager: "Goodness, it says here that our biggest security threat is our employees! Well, I suggest that in order to keep them under control, we should institute a set of draconian rules on their behavior and treat them with the utmost resentment possible! Also, take this down, we should constantly address them like they are a liability instead of an asset."
Big Corporate Lackey: "We already do that, sir!"
Big Corporate Manager: "Damn, that was a close one! I thought for a moment there we had a security breach on our hands. Good work. Let's go play some golf."
However, when when the IP spooks start knocking on the doors of well meaning people everywhere demanding that they uninstall Kazaa or have their computer seized, maybe we can get the grass-roots support to get these laws repealed.
Well, if that ever happens, I don't think that people will fight to let the system get changed. WE have a historical precedent when the offenses that are as intense as jaywalking are inforced so radically.
It was called US prohibition. Outlawing alcohol on moral grounds. All it did was increase the incentive for making illegal acts available. The more you criminalize something common and relative, the more likely that people will create a larger black market. The more likely organized crime will pick up the tab slightly cheaper than the current market value.
Bootlegging will be waaaay out of control. Its Bugsy Siegel time again!
Fucking Hillary Rosen needs to check her business contracts and CD prices before she checks her computer.
Personally, I wish that the US govt would do more to examine what it is doing and stop going out of its way to make new enemies. Believe it or not, I'm not alone in this wish... maybe someday we all can get along...
My friend, I wish I had your enthusiasm. More than likely, perhaps millions of years in the future, the last living man on earth will most likely drown trying to attack its own reflection in a lake.
The truth of the matter, I believe the wholesale behavior of nations are just as insane and lacking in judgement as the people that make them up. So if a nation (as a whole) acts nuts, well then, there you go. Perhaps most of the people there are nuts too.
The USA doesn't act stupid. The USA is admittedly greedy. Not nuts or stupid. Not any more nuts than Rome acted before the whole lead in the drinking water thing, and look what they did. To think that other nations think that we are a bunch of stupid cowboys only gives us a tactical advantage. Keep thinking that. Its that same thinking that deep, hidden rock caves can save you in 21st century warfare. And that you can attack innocents in a twitchy, militaristic nation and not get some serious retribution.
I share the same feeling about most nations as I do the USA. Not nuts, not stupid, just trying to carve something for themselves. Not as greedy as America perhaps, but certainly not a bunch of saints because they're not America.
However, Saudi Arabia (and many Arabic nations) appear on the outside to be nuts. Not evil. Nuts. Any nation that enforces its dress code lethtally, speaks to the President of "the meanest dog on the street" like he is a piece of crap and HAS NO REAL ARMY TO BACK THAT SHIT UP, and then has a member of its diplomatic corps for the UK print poetry about the glorious death of their hijackers killing innocents, well then, there you go. Nuts. Not acting in a sane way. Practically begging to get fucked with by the CIA. Or killed. You just don't talk to "ol hot head" like that.
Don't even get me started on Israel.
Also, I would argue that the US has done great controlling the world. We shouldn't want to control the world, but we certainly aren't piss poor at it.
The anti-civilization nutties are rising up now, but that is because they haven't threatened me (meaning the citizens of the world) personally.
When Hussein or someone decides to make New York dissapear in a blinding white flash, well, then they will see what happens when the US starts conscripting troops, and we open up all of those warehouses full of rifles and ammo we've been stockpiling for two generations. We're the only ones fully prepared for straight up war all over the globe.
I've been to those military bases, it scares the hell out of me to see that much weaponry, and I'm an American.
But I don't think we're going to flip out real soon, though, unless someone flips out on us first, and I think that many Arabic nations have been waiting to flip out on everyone not themselves. They have been attacking the reflection in the water for generations.
Our society appears to be like Rome, but who exactly is running Rome? The Romans? Check this site out to see who is putting the horses in the Senate.
www.opensecrets.org
Yes. I totally agree with you about the world we live in. The rich and powerful will always run the current society, and pass that power on to their heirs... that is ALWAYS going to happen. If you check the website above carefully, you will see who is in charge of the henhouse. But the more the rich control society, the fewer opinions rule, and the more upset everyone becomes. If one person is a king and rules absolutely? Say hello to Mr. War. If you look at ALL wars, they are started by totalitarian regimes or totalitarian rulers.
I am all too happy to pay taxes too, to live in this society. Call me nuts, but I am very happy that my offspring are not going to have a Kalashnikov against their head for a dissenting opinion.
But at the same time I do not see taxes as being "the liberator." Like Rome, our society is peaceful because it is "ruled by the rabble," as the Romans would say. All great civilizations share this trait, even the Greeks. Fuck with the people because you're all powerful? We'll hang your ass or stab you out in front of the Senate. Get your ego involved and send our children to war because you have to prove you're a big dog? Then we'll kill you too. Take away our bread, movies, entertainment of choice, or anything we want for ourselves for your religious or personal motives? Say hello to the Guillotine.
Taxes just levy the government. I have no problem with them, if they actually pay for some service. I would seriously resent giving the coffers of some Emir who spends it on polo ponies, breaking every religious law that put them in power, chasing international models, and then tells us we "need to kill" infidels (but obviously not after they have shagged all the hot infidels).
Did you know that Saudi Arabia's diplomat to the USA has published poetry that speaks of the glorious suicide bombers on September 11th? Did you know that Saudi Arabia is so backwards that they let 12+ girls burn in a school fire because they didn't let the girls outside without proper coverings? They wouldn't let the fire department in because they might see girls without their "correct" garments on. Little girls screaming and burning alive, but you couldn't save them because of "the big God rules."
I'm sorry, but I have only one thing to say about a society that praises killing innocents and enforces its dress code with lethal consequences. You can guess what that is.
Those bastards are our real enemy, not just Osama. We should be taking those bastards out too. Why do I hate Saudi Arabia? One word: king.
As you can tell, I have a definite opinion about how a king should be treated.
I don't worry about the taxes so much as I worry about who's in charge.
Right now, he has one last chance with me. Two chances if he releases the first three movies on DVD ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AGO.
The sad part about it is that as member in good standing with his target demographic, I feel no urge to cruise his websites looking for "new info."
For all of you people that aren't Star Wars fans and wonder if we're really that P.O'd about tPM, well, we are. After all, I own ALL of the action figures from the first movies, and I really don't know if I'm even interested in seeing the movie now. I personally am more interested in Farscape and the idea that they might bring back Battlestar Galactica... and to put it in perspective, watching Battlestar reruns now is like going in for oral surgery.
I believe George should retire on the money he makes on this one, and sign the rights over to the fans before we sue over custody.
A Vivendi Rep?
Does this Vivendi rep, say, have a name?
When and where did this interview take place?
Who is the interviewer, can we get his real name too?
Why is some forum posting considered that important that it made it on/.? After all, if this was an interview or series of questions about a precedent like this and Vivendi's planned actions, wouldn't it be on a specific web page? Why would a Vivendi rep even talk about the DMCA when they said in press (with real names instead of "vivendi rep" as a monniker) previously that they were not using the DMCA? Also, why would they go out on a limb, patently off subject and say that open source should be declared illegal? The open source debate has really precious little to do with this action, IMHO.
I think that this is all complete hooey. This is some troll pushing "the tech hot button of the week" and then throwing in a little "open source sucks!" to shake up the antfarm.
You're forced to do that because it's part of your public responsibility. Why should the environment be any different? The fact is that very few people will voluntarily pay for environmental benefits using the same short-sighted "doesn't harm anyone" reasoning you've applied.
THANK YOU.
That was about the most conscise argument I've heard all day.
As a registered Tennessean, I object to those kinds of stereotypes!
If you must know, approximate last 30 seconds of any Tennesean auto accident are:
"No kiddin! I am driving and talking on one of them new fangled Walkie-Talkie phones! Oh, crap! I dropped it! (SHOUTING) Stay on the line bubba, I'm gon get it!"
They're really going to need it... because this is truly a bankrupting idea. And after this crap doesn't fly, they'll be charging $30 a CD to recoup costs.
I am sure as hell not going to buy something that is going to get lost in the hole in my jeans pocket... or the dog can easily chwe up and eat.
Slashdot Mirror
After all, ads simply cheapen the model for the end viewer.
Television won't go away, but at the end of the day, commercials just make it cheaper, but charging $.25 for each show would make the networks rich as hell. So either way, commercials will be here, and so will pay TV.
There just needs to be a way to pay for your TV and have no commercials, but that won't happen either, because ads are so pervasive.
Even if you pay for a magazine or television with almost complete exclusivity for commercials, then they will still attempt to slip a few in, BECAUSE THE TEMPTATION IS THERE TO TURN A FEW EXTRA BUCKS because now it is more of a tempting target. Cosmo or something similar? You pay $5 an issue and it is ALL ADVERTISING.
Strangely, I have noticed mostly men complaining about the commercials, although that is defenitely not a hard and fast rule. It just appears that women like to kind of shop in their heads when they are watching... after all, not to stereotype, but most women that aren't totally into compiling or racing cars seem to like shopping.
The best thing to do is tape or Tivo it out, but if that doesn't work, then learn to totally ignore it. I work in TV, and the advertising force is the same size as the production force. I guess no one should be surprised by this.
Cuba is hated by the US because it appears to demonstrate that small-scale Communism can in fact work fairly well, and need not neccessarily be brutal and repressive to function. Cuba is a success story that the US would very much like to just erase.
Riiiiight. That explains why they are still to this very day trying to swim or float over in all sorts of little boats. You have words that say that Cuba is great.
I have the refugees, the people still trying to flee Cuba, and the whole history of almost starting WWIII as your answer to the claims of Cuban superiority.
If Cuba is such a prosperous, free, and open society why is it that they cannot leave the country and come visit the USA?
But hey! Why would anyone even want to see the rest of the world if Cuba is as great as you say it is?
You're kidding.... right?
Batista was a rich capitalist. He was a person that farmed out the resources of Cuba.
Hell. He practically sold it to the US.
And you say that the US didn't like Batista.
Yeah, "killing" and "benign," in the SAME FUCKING PARAGRAPH. Can anyone recognize a Troll around here anymore?
He killed thousands of people and not millions like, Pol-Pot, Stalin, Hitler, Mao.
Yeah, let's all make commemorative mugs for "People who love Pinochet!" He resisted the urge to kill millions! He only killed thousands! What a nice guy! Someone present him with the key to the city!
People, this is a troll. It defies logic and offends to get you to respond. Learn it. Mod it down. I have no points today.
Someone really needs to lose all of their mod points forever if they give points for the parent.
Also, they need to reread their humanity handbook when the words Pinochet and relatively benign come up in the same sentence.
Mod that cat up.
Let's all note that all extremist leaders kill their citizens. Thank you for speaking out against Castro.
Recently, we think he's a cool guy.
Yeah, a cool guy that still almost got us in nuclear freakin' war.
I've been thinking about how we are hating each other more virulently recently, and I think it comes down to the fact that we are tribal.
What I mean by that is that human beings simply don't have all the mental capability to keep up personal relationships with more than a tribe-sized group of people... my idea is somewhere between ten to twelve persons. What I mean is this... it is very natural for you to be tight with ten to twelve people and then the rest you just don't heve the time for. I think it is in human nature, and it leads to the "screw the rest of those guys" attitude in general. That general trend *really* manifests itself if something appears as a threat.
Anyway, it feels right to me. I am not a social scientist.
Now teaching to hate is a totally different matter. That is really complex. Does anyone feel like the cold war was better? When you didn't have an open border, and you were in a struggle with a non-aggressive nuke, non-integrated group into your society? I mean, at least the Soviets actually sat down with us to talk. They sure as hell weren't going to attempt an attack on a Tuesday morning and risk the whole world.
It appears that the whole Arab-Israeli mess will boil over in a guaranted less than ten years into world war. They are making too much of an effort towards it by teaching their children to hate. Both sides are trying to drag their friends into it, egging each of their bigger brothers for weapons and someone to back them up. Both sides believe they are a superior race, and we know what happens when you start thinking that.
I personally don't like what the Israelis are doing right now, I think that using tanks against people throwing rocks is insane and terrorist in nature. However, the fact that the Palestinians are attacking elderly people on holidays in restaurants is by its very definition terrorism. Sitting back on a helicopter and gunning down innocents is about as cheap as you can get. But so is trying to steal ambulances to make them into "after bombing" weapons to attack emergency workers.
I honestly believe if every wingnut and every whacko religious group goes after all (meaning general populace) of us, then they (meaning the Israelis, too, by their hatred and humanistic negligence) are setting us up for WWIII, big time.
How does this deal with communication? Well, the more worldwide your viewpoint, the more you can get offended by... and the more likely you will attack, as I guess we have all recently learned.
Good luck, humans (please note I didn't say nationality or race). We're all going to need it.
(Somewhere on Sepulveda Drive in L.A.)
.02% of the American population, sir!"
RED ALERT! RED ALERT!
"Boss! We've got a problem! There is a crappy copy of the new Star Wars out a week early on the internet! And people who have cable modems or better, underground internet connections, an interest in seeing it, the understanding of what an alternative media player codec is, big enough hard drive space left, a file sharing app that still works, the knowhow to get it to run, and the interest of watching it early on a computer monitor are STEALING OUR MOVIE!"
"So how much of our movie audience is that?"
"Well, probably
"Oh. HEY! Look at this! We just made all the papers across the country. Man you just can't buy advertising this good! Get my clubs. We're going golfing lackey."
"Right on it, sir!"
"Excuse me! Can I say something?"
(RAISES HAND IN THE BACK)
SHORT GUY IN THE BACK: "Look, I understand that a headbutt might be a little violent for you raters out there... I UNDERSTAND. Real quick though, why is it you object to the headbutt, but wholesale chopping off of limbs with a lightsabre is totally okay?"
THE BOARD: "Oh, sit down! We judge the morals around here!"
He has lived in bad neighborhoods.
He has lived a non-elitist life with bad neighborhood people.
He has had all of his crap broken into.
He now wants a safe environment for his children and wife.
Even gangster rappers move out of the hood. If there is anyone that has respect and understands "the hood" as it is, I would assume it would be them. But even they move to better cribs when they get a spot of money... why? Because they're tired of the hassle. Basically they are tired of everyone giving them shit because they worked it all out.
As a person that has had my car broken into as recently as three days ago, I know how it feels to get stuff stolen. I would pay a little more to prevent that.
You act like you like the hood. That tells me that you obviously don't live there. No one living in the hood likes the hood. That is the surefire sign you know what is going on there. You obviously don't.
Let me quote you:
Yep, you would be an elitist alright. A cold and sterile rich guy living in your safe little world where no one is ever upset and nothing is every stolen. Much better than trying to stick it out in the 'hoods. Good for you, your parents will be proud and your children will be better people for your example.
Actually, you are exactly right, sarcasm aside. Do you want your children to be successful and safer? WE ALL DO. Then you fight to give them that priveledge. It is as natural to protect your loved ones and offspring as it is to breathe.
So you may now brand me as an elitist, if you feel a need to justify your "correct" thoughts in your head. You would be worng. I end up in "the hood" as a newsman covering the worst that humans do at least two days a week. Does that mean I think I am above them (the poorer people)? Hell no. But I do punch a clock all year long and fight for my vacations. Most of their lives are one long vacation from reality.
And don't even give me that "little opportunity in the hood" crap. I worked through college at fast food joints, and lived on a subsistence of generic mac and cheese. My mother borrowed money from me since the age of seven so she could feed us growing up... and grew up in an abusive household. By the standards that social workers and the government has I should be getting double payments just because I have "had a tough life." The poor little losers that need sympathy wouldn't be getting in trouble and running from the law if they were busy with a job like the rest of humanity. And don't give me that no jobs crap. Maybe no tech jobs right now, but sorry about that, but if I needed to I would quickly put a paper hat back on to feed my family. The last time I checked, both McDonald's and the United States Military will accept practically anyone. The second choice is a guaranteed meal every day. Unfortunately though, it requires WORK! GASP!
Besides, where in the big rules of nature does it say that you deserve a check every month for yor natural life for being born in a bad neighborhood?
Why is it that illegal immigrants can be in this country for five minutes, dodging people who want to deport them, cause few and little crimes, go to church, and still pay off their car note and start a business? Ask them if they love this country.
Not that I want to get all scientific and technical here, but they (the poorest few) are poor because they don't have jobs. Don't want jobs. Want the money but don't want to work. Get a job? Spend it on a stupid car that is ten times better than mine, and then get evicted for not paying rent. End up sleeping in an expensive car.
Here's another handy tip: Pregnancy might occur after unprotected sex. I have no urge to pay for children having children. Neither should you.
Ever been in the hood at 1:30pm on a Tuesday? I am all the time. Everyone is home. Why? They aren't working. Not the night shift. Not the overnight shift. No one has a damn J-O-B.
You are obviously not from the hood. My best friend has become a newsman in Dallas (a great job, keep in mind that newsies are a very small group of people) in under five years, and he didn't finish college, and he grew up in a trailer on a gravel road, dirt poor, born to an illegitimate birth, and penniless. It wasn't luck that got him there.
Explain that one in your elitist theory.
Personally, I think it would be better to throw away theories and judge people on individual merits.
The camera is for people who intentionally entered an intersection, not those that were leaving it on a red light, and at a specific speed or greater. READ THE ARTICLE.
The lights make absolutely no distinction of the rest of your driving behavior leading up to the incident.
Well, I don't know where you are from, but here on the planet earth, where the rules of physics are pretty consistent we use this...
Kinetic energy = 1/2mv2
IF YOU SLOW THE HELL DOWN, AND WERE DRIVING APPROPRIATELY, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT LANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. You could actually not have to endanger someone to go around town. I know, its shocking, but true.
I don't even think that the "maximize revenue" argument is even remotely valid. Property taxes maximize revenue. This may be slightly profitable, but I would argue that this is still a fine. A fine against jackasses that have to match this criteria:
1. HAS TO ENTER THE INTERSECTION AFTER IT IS RED.
2. HAS TO BE GOING HIGHER THAN A SPECIFIC SPEED.
In other words, if you slammed your brakes to stop and wouldn't just sail through the intersection anyway? NO FINE. You're in the intersection on the yellow and getting out? NO FINE. You go through a redlight in the middle of the night at a really slow speed? NO FINE. Someone on a three member board questions it? NO FINE.
Sounds fair to me.
I have witnessed several redlight child killings in my history as a photojournalist.
It keeps my speed down.
When Napster was going down the tubes, as a news reporter in Nashville, TN, I did a piece on the company that was propped up by the labels and nailing Napster.
Napster was required by law to send all of the relevent material to the company that was handling the lawsuit, which I can't name right now, I don't think they exsist anymore, I might be mistaken.
SO THEY DID. IN HARD COPY.
Napster mailed long, old dot matrix printouts to the office in reams that (I kid you not) were at least three and a half feet tall.
Moral of the story... they complied with the company. And the company couldn't afford to compile all of the infringers by hand but instead tried to have a chilling effect on Napster by getting a few of them scared.
So my suggestion would be paper.
Besides, I cannot believe that this is even happening. This is extremely "Farenheit 451" in the way that the television companies are trying to legislate the way we watch television that they supposedly give away for free.
Comments about whether or not this would be a good thing aside, the networks and channels like Cartoon Network, Sci-Fi, Food channel, History Channel.. none of these would survive without people actually watching the commercials that run.
I work in TV. Wrongo.
These are even newer models. These stations would have never survived if they didn't have a base that would have requested that those channels be put on. That is a totally different captive audience... and a totally different model. Specific cable channel viewers are much more active. Just look at Scifi channel watchers. I call my friends when I want to catch them right after Farscape... cuz I know where they are.
Advertisers put up with VCRs, because even with those you're still getting a fair amount of the commercial. But a device where you don't even know what commercial aired? The commercial that is paying for the program?
Actually, advertisers should like VCRs. They helped the Cable boom, which really helped advertisers.
(More channels? More need for VCRs... more channels? Less programming you can catch on a fixed scchedule, need to get VCR... Full market saturation with VCRs and cable? LESS YOU PAY TO GET TO YOUR TARGET F*N DEMOGRAPHICS! Also, the more likely they are to change their viewing habits to your real-time advertising.)
Commercial TV needs either advertising, or else they have to become a pay channel like HBO.
Well, how bout a TV channel that runs at 4x speed or better and has a box to decode shows without ads in them and charges a nominal fee? Like a dedicated Tivo channel? Would that be so bad? YOU KNOW SOMEONE HAS THOUGHT OF THAT. Look. All we're saying is that we are not going to pay for them to come in my house and force me to do anything.
THIS KIND OF LEGISLATION IS GETTING OUT OF HAND.
I am a news photog in Nashville, TN, and we have done a few stories about all of the internet radio things with Steve, but admittedly, we (the news station) never knew about Steve until we did a story about what it is like to get around a city with a seeing eye dog. The he said (in his usual sly way that is very Steve once you meet him), "oh, by the way, I run the second largest internet radio station from my apartment." Well, as news people, we just couldn't pass that one up.
Needless to say, Steve is such a good conversationalist that we never really stuck to the subject with the eye dogs. We waffled about with internet radio and all sorts of other things. Eventually I made the story, but he really hooked us up on some interesting legislation and other things.
He's hilarious. You need to donate to Wolf FM for one real reason alone. In the few times I met Steve, I have no doubt that he will tell the regulators like Frank Zappa told the PMRC that they can go kiss it if they try to take away his small, slightly over break-even station.
Also, this legislation would probably take all of the pocket change that guys like Steve have to make internet radio. Therefore you get NO INDEPENDENT INTERNET RADIO REAL SOON. The song rights people are harassing them to get them out of the market, after they saw that XM did so well, and this is their next big thing. I'm betting they want subscription internet radio, and they think they can knock a few guys like Steve off of the air, and the market is basically theirs.
In other words, Tech TV got it right in interviewing him. He's a great mouthpiece for internet radio. He makes one good leader for the movement.
Please donate to Wolf FM. It gives us more Steve time, and I think this legislation is very, very important, because between the FCC and the corporates, there will be no independent radio anywhere.
Remember when you went into Best Buy and saw that they started putting up their stupid magazine rack that had a lot of titles that had nothing to do with computers and stereo stuff? I smelled death. My sister is in the book selling business. She tells me how cutthroat magazines are. Magazines in Best Buy are very similar to Gateway tryng to make albums.
See, in a retail sense, magazines racks are the first hallmark of death. Magazines are cheap, high volume, and handled by "rack-jobbers" out of house. When you put in shelf space for primarily someone else's profits? Well then, you are in trouble. Gateway getting into music? It is a magazine rack to them... a quick buck.
It smells like Enron when Gateway wants to get into music. Enron was into the whole elctricity and gas business (which you can always make a buck in when you have the price regulators in your back pocket) then they decided that utility profits weren't good enough. Then they started screwing their core business because they put it all in risky stock crap in a market that was paying out like a casino. When it didn't pay out, then they started screwing people over, big time.
Apparently Gateway is trying to diversify... but the truth of the matter is that it stinks of death all over it. Smells like a magazine rack.
If they are doing this to tag some artist to get someone in a Gateway Country store or promote proprietary Gateway stuff, well, look out. That business model makes no sense. Besides, record producers wait years at a time for a hit. How much patience do you think a product producing company has about profits? ABOUT THREE MONTHS until the quarterly statements are due, then they pull the project because it didn't pan out in three months.
I would be scared. Heads might roll any day now.
Big Corporate Manager: "Goodness, it says here that our biggest security threat is our employees! Well, I suggest that in order to keep them under control, we should institute a set of draconian rules on their behavior and treat them with the utmost resentment possible! Also, take this down, we should constantly address them like they are a liability instead of an asset."
Big Corporate Lackey: "We already do that, sir!"
Big Corporate Manager: "Damn, that was a close one! I thought for a moment there we had a security breach on our hands. Good work. Let's go play some golf."
Big Corporate Lackey: "I'll get the clubs, sir!"
However, when when the IP spooks start knocking on the doors of well meaning people everywhere demanding that they uninstall Kazaa or have their computer seized, maybe we can get the grass-roots support to get these laws repealed.
Well, if that ever happens, I don't think that people will fight to let the system get changed. WE have a historical precedent when the offenses that are as intense as jaywalking are inforced so radically.
It was called US prohibition. Outlawing alcohol on moral grounds. All it did was increase the incentive for making illegal acts available. The more you criminalize something common and relative, the more likely that people will create a larger black market. The more likely organized crime will pick up the tab slightly cheaper than the current market value.
Bootlegging will be waaaay
out of control. Its Bugsy Siegel time again!
Fucking Hillary Rosen needs to check her business contracts and CD prices before she checks her computer.
Personally, I wish that the US govt would do more to examine what it is doing and stop going out of its way to make new enemies. Believe it or not, I'm not alone in this wish... maybe someday we all can get along...
My friend, I wish I had your enthusiasm. More than likely, perhaps millions of years in the future, the last living man on earth will most likely drown trying to attack its own reflection in a lake.
The truth of the matter, I believe the wholesale behavior of nations are just as insane and lacking in judgement as the people that make them up. So if a nation (as a whole) acts nuts, well then, there you go. Perhaps most of the people there are nuts too.
The USA doesn't act stupid. The USA is admittedly greedy. Not nuts or stupid. Not any more nuts than Rome acted before the whole lead in the drinking water thing, and look what they did. To think that other nations think that we are a bunch of stupid cowboys only gives us a tactical advantage. Keep thinking that. Its that same thinking that deep, hidden rock caves can save you in 21st century warfare. And that you can attack innocents in a twitchy, militaristic nation and not get some serious retribution.
I share the same feeling about most nations as I do the USA. Not nuts, not stupid, just trying to carve something for themselves. Not as greedy as America perhaps, but certainly not a bunch of saints because they're not America.
However, Saudi Arabia (and many Arabic nations) appear on the outside to be nuts. Not evil. Nuts. Any nation that enforces its dress code lethtally, speaks to the President of "the meanest dog on the street" like he is a piece of crap and HAS NO REAL ARMY TO BACK THAT SHIT UP, and then has a member of its diplomatic corps for the UK print poetry about the glorious death of their hijackers killing innocents, well then, there you go. Nuts. Not acting in a sane way. Practically begging to get fucked with by the CIA. Or killed. You just don't talk to "ol hot head" like that.
Don't even get me started on Israel.
Also, I would argue that the US has done great controlling the world. We shouldn't want to control the world, but we certainly aren't piss poor at it.
The anti-civilization nutties are rising up now, but that is because they haven't threatened me (meaning the citizens of the world) personally.
When Hussein or someone decides to make New York dissapear in a blinding white flash, well, then they will see what happens when the US starts conscripting troops, and we open up all of those warehouses full of rifles and ammo we've been stockpiling for two generations. We're the only ones fully prepared for straight up war all over the globe.
I've been to those military bases, it scares the hell out of me to see that much weaponry, and I'm an American.
But I don't think we're going to flip out real soon, though, unless someone flips out on us first, and I think that many Arabic nations have been waiting to flip out on everyone not themselves. They have been attacking the reflection in the water for generations.
Our society appears to be like Rome, but who exactly is running Rome? The Romans? Check this site out to see who is putting the horses in the Senate.
www.opensecrets.org
Yes. I totally agree with you about the world we live in. The rich and powerful will always run the current society, and pass that power on to their heirs... that is ALWAYS going to happen. If you check the website above carefully, you will see who is in charge of the henhouse. But the more the rich control society, the fewer opinions rule, and the more upset everyone becomes. If one person is a king and rules absolutely? Say hello to Mr. War. If you look at ALL wars, they are started by totalitarian regimes or totalitarian rulers.
I am all too happy to pay taxes too, to live in this society. Call me nuts, but I am very happy that my offspring are not going to have a Kalashnikov against their head for a dissenting opinion.
But at the same time I do not see taxes as being "the liberator." Like Rome, our society is peaceful because it is "ruled by the rabble," as the Romans would say. All great civilizations share this trait, even the Greeks. Fuck with the people because you're all powerful? We'll hang your ass or stab you out in front of the Senate. Get your ego involved and send our children to war because you have to prove you're a big dog? Then we'll kill you too. Take away our bread, movies, entertainment of choice, or anything we want for ourselves for your religious or personal motives? Say hello to the Guillotine.
Taxes just levy the government. I have no problem with them, if they actually pay for some service. I would seriously resent giving the coffers of some Emir who spends it on polo ponies, breaking every religious law that put them in power, chasing international models, and then tells us we "need to kill" infidels (but obviously not after they have shagged all the hot infidels).
Did you know that Saudi Arabia's diplomat to the USA has published poetry that speaks of the glorious suicide bombers on September 11th? Did you know that Saudi Arabia is so backwards that they let 12+ girls burn in a school fire because they didn't let the girls outside without proper coverings? They wouldn't let the fire department in because they might see girls without their "correct" garments on. Little girls screaming and burning alive, but you couldn't save them because of "the big God rules."
I'm sorry, but I have only one thing to say about a society that praises killing innocents and enforces its dress code with lethal consequences. You can guess what that is.
Those bastards are our real enemy, not just Osama. We should be taking those bastards out too. Why do I hate Saudi Arabia? One word: king.
As you can tell, I have a definite opinion about how a king should be treated.
I don't worry about the taxes so much as I worry about who's in charge.
Ok, let's recap.
Second to last movie: Ewoks.
Last movie: Jar Jar Binks.
Right now, he has one last chance with me. Two chances if he releases the first three movies on DVD ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AGO.
The sad part about it is that as member in good standing with his target demographic, I feel no urge to cruise his websites looking for "new info."
For all of you people that aren't Star Wars fans and wonder if we're really that P.O'd about tPM, well, we are. After all, I own ALL of the action figures from the first movies, and I really don't know if I'm even interested in seeing the movie now. I personally am more interested in Farscape and the idea that they might bring back Battlestar Galactica... and to put it in perspective, watching Battlestar reruns now is like going in for oral surgery.
I believe George should retire on the money he makes on this one, and sign the rights over to the fans before we sue over custody.
WHOOP WHOOP! (Sound of crap detector going off)
/.? After all, if this was an interview or series of questions about a precedent like this and Vivendi's planned actions, wouldn't it be on a specific web page? Why would a Vivendi rep even talk about the DMCA when they said in press (with real names instead of "vivendi rep" as a monniker) previously that they were not using the DMCA? Also, why would they go out on a limb, patently off subject and say that open source should be declared illegal? The open source debate has really precious little to do with this action, IMHO.
A Vivendi Rep?
Does this Vivendi rep, say, have a name?
When and where did this interview take place?
Who is the interviewer, can we get his real name too?
Why is some forum posting considered that important that it made it on
I think that this is all complete hooey. This is some troll pushing "the tech hot button of the week" and then throwing in a little "open source sucks!" to shake up the antfarm.
You're forced to do that because it's part of your public responsibility. Why should the environment be any different? The fact is that very few people will voluntarily pay for environmental benefits using the same short-sighted "doesn't harm anyone" reasoning you've applied.
THANK YOU.
That was about the most conscise argument I've heard all day.
Funny, thing about "Rocky Top" is that they usually run it on both sides of the national anthem at football games.
Hi-larious!
That my friend is the truth the world over...
We have horrible accidents in the US with DUI and truckers falling asleep too.
Good luck to you.
As a registered Tennessean, I object to those kinds of stereotypes!
If you must know, approximate last 30 seconds of any Tennesean auto accident are:
"No kiddin! I am driving and talking on one of them new fangled Walkie-Talkie phones! Oh, crap! I dropped it! (SHOUTING) Stay on the line bubba, I'm gon get it!"
I'd just like to say good luck to the RIAA.
They're really going to need it... because this is truly a bankrupting idea. And after this crap doesn't fly, they'll be charging $30 a CD to recoup costs.
I am sure as hell not going to buy something that is going to get lost in the hole in my jeans pocket... or the dog can easily chwe up and eat.