Ask any Verizon subscriber how "easy" it is to move address book contacts in and out of the handset. Or music. Or videos. Or any other kind of data.
True, which is why I stay the hell away from Verizon. However, I've been doing that stuff for years now with my AT&T Wireless, err, Cingular, err The New AT&T Wireless service and iSync, I've been doing that stuff for years now.
Safari users: use the "Activity" window (in the window menu) to find the.flv file (it's usually the largest file in a given webpage), and option-double-click the file to download it. You can play the resulting file (you may need to add the.flv extension) in QuickTime player.
No, the real kicker is that you guys are defending a kid who broke the law, just so you can scapegoat the RIAA and make yourselves feel better about pirating music from hard-working artists. "The RIAA made me do it!"
Um, if you bothered to read the motion, you would know that the "kid" is not the defendant, he's the defendant's son
Point taken. I'll tell you what: you let my grammar mistake & typo slide, I'll let your typo slide, and we'll all live happily ever after. Work for you?
and as for lawsuits, cash and freedom issues, i still dont see your point. every now and then we find some curious lawsuit appearing as "someone vs something" to the extent that many stuff seem so abstract in formulating, but still are taken as legal cases and concluded. americans are innovative people. im sure if they wanted, these watchdogs would be able to formulate something to use against these rappers. but they are not sparing enough effort it seems.
Ah, so despite the many, many examples that show lyrics-lawsuits to be a failing strategy, the "watchdogs" are expected to keep at it again and again while hoping for a different results. There's a word for that.
better to go for the white guy.
And with the stunningly insightful piece of commentary, I'm done with this discussion.
black rappers are not having to pay for their freedom of expression from their own pockets.
Umm, yes they do, whether it's by using credit cards to generate inventory that is sold out of their trunks, or via record company "advances".
if we take this into account, we can say that freedom of expression was hampered.
Again, I still don't see it. Imus can start a daily podcast for a couple of thousand dollars that would have world-wide reach. Given that he was reportedly paid $8 million per year, he has the resources. He certainly has the built-in audience.
its like democracy - everyone can be candidates, but only the rich can get elected. just like this is a democracy in appearances only, that type of freedom of expression is also one that is in appearances. whatever you say, if you dont have the means to reach people, it wont matter.
I agree 100%. However, Don Imus certainly has the means to reach people.
if people keep buying it, then the watchdogs still sue labels for supporting and perpetrating such kind of behaviour through their support for such bands.
In theory, yes. In practice, as I've pointed out, it doesn't work.
if demeaning a race for financial "revenue model" can be justified by first amendment, this radio host can justify that his freedom of expression was hampered by the financial concerns of nbc. it should work both ways.
Imus' freedom of expression is not "hampered" by anything. He's still free to say what he wants, and if he wants to set up his own "Nappy Headed Ho" radio show and pay for it out of his own pocket or private donations, he's free to do so. If he wants to sell his own "Nappy Headed Ho" CDs, he's free to do so. However, his actions were costing CBS/MSNBC money via lost advertising revenues, and they have the right (and obligation to their shareholders) to do everything in their power to stem that revenue loss.
I can say whatever I want, but I have no right to expect that you would pay me for that speech.
but first amendment didnt got in the way this time for getting this host fired.
Please read this Slashdot post. It wasn't a first amendment issue, Imus still has the ability (and right) to say "nappy-headed ho" all it wants - he just can't cost CBS/MSNBC money while he's doing it. The music industry does not have the same revenue model as the commercial radio broadcasting industry - the labels are not advertiser-supported and therefore "the same kind of pressure" won't work!
The "watchdogs" could call (and have called) for boycotts of radio stations and advertisers, but as long as people keep buying the albums, artists and labels will keep producing the music. Supply and demand, it's that simple.
Are you not familiar with any of the dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits over the years targeting music & lyrics that plaintiffs believed incited violence or suicide?
From here: "Singer Ozzy Osbourne was sued three times by parents who claimed that his
"Suicide Solution" made their sons kill themselves, and the heavy metal
band, Judas Priest, faced a similar lawsuit in 1990. In all of these
cases, the courts rejected the idea that musicians can be held responsible
for the acts of unstable individuals."
From here:"Civil lawsuits attempting to link artists to their fans' crimes typically get thrown out at an early stage because of First Amendment protections of artists, according to Doug Mirell, a Los Angeles attorney at Loeb & Loeb, who specializes in constitutional law."
From here:"There's not a legal position that could be taken that would make Slayer responsible for the girls death. Where do you draw the line? You might as well start looking through the library at every book on the shelf."
These are lawsuits in cases where the music is alleged to have contributed to actual incidents - you're talking about a class action lawsuit against lyrics that may possibly influence/have influenced people. It's a lost cause and any lawyer would probably laugh you out of the room for thinking the suit had a chance of success.
And do I need to mention 2 Live Crew? The problem is that pesky First Amendment keeps getting in the way.
Er, I hate to break it to you, but I never said anything about "ban[ning] words" or controlling people or any of the other actions you talk about in above. My original comment was responding to a poster who insinuated that black people don't find these words offensive (many do). My comments to you were about why I (and family/friends) don't use those words, or allow people to use those words to refer to us.
I don't "attack words", I don't hide words, and frankly, I'm not really interested in "win[ning]" or "convert[ing] somebody from their stance" - if you want to shout 'nigger nigger nigger' at the top of your voice (and you're in the USA), go ahead, you have that right (and I'll fight to defend that right). Just don't expect me to stand there and listen to it - if you want to me to listen to you, I'd expect you to treat me with a modicum of respect.
I read somewhere that 9 out of 10 rap albums are purchased by male, white, middle class teenagers. Not sure if that's true, but it doesn't seem too far off the mark.
That is one thing that bothers me about the majority of rap music.
It's not necessarily the "majority" or rap music, although it certainly is a large part of popular rap music.
If black people really want to be divorced from the stereotypes of pimps and ho's and a bunch of thugs, they need to stop supporting the people that glorify and sell that image to white America.
The implication there is that blacks, in large numbers, are "supporting the people that glorify and sell that image to white America." Question 1: what are the major media and entertainment outlets that are projecting that image to white America. Question 2: how many of those major media and entertainment outlets are run by blacks?
(I realize that there are in fact a ton of people that do stand up against it, but it doesn't seem to be a large group IMHO.)
Spend some time in inner-city community centers, black churches and professional organizations and I think your eyes might be opened. Just because the opposition isn't front-and-center on CNN doesn't mean that it's not there. And please remember that "Flavor of Love" and "Martin" are no more an indication of "black culture" than "Friends" and "Desperate Housewives" are indicative of "white culture." Better yet, read this and this.
Because they're not just words - their part of a language used by bigots, racists, sexists, and homophobes, some of whom would gladly cheer my death and celebrate the day that the last men (literally) standing are straight, white, protestant Christian men (and some hookers).
I refuse to share their language of hate. If they want to spread hateful language, they can do it themselves.
I have to say that I really don't understand your comment on that you don't allow using words 'black people' in your or your family's presence.
I wasn't referring to the specific words "black people" - I was referring to "offensive slang" (nigga, ho, etc) that the gp was talking about.
You really should stop being politically correct and say hello to the reality and not try to hide it.
The reality is that we USAians are composed of people from many backgrounds, and we all all proud of that background. That doesn't make us any less Americans.
those "watchdog" groups have pressured nbc to fire a major radio persona. Why arent they utilizing the same kind of pressure on the record labels who accommodate such street crap, getting those broadcasted not only in u.s., but all over the world ?
Do you remember the PMRC? Do you remember how well their attempts at public pressure worked? Here's a hint: "gangsta rap" became a lot more popular after they got involved then it was before they got involved.
And as a previous poster noted, the pressure and protests didn't get Imus fired - advertiser's leaving CBS & MSNBC got Imus fired. As long as the label execs are making money for their shareholders, their jobs are secure. It's all about the money.
So, black rappers, black people, and other such and such groups are going to use some offensive slang ant it wont be counted as offensive, but when a white person uses them it will be SO bad an offense that it will cause them to be fired.
"Black people"? I'm black. My family and friends are black. We will not tolerate the use of those words in out presence. I think you meant to say "some black people."
Rappers? Yep, many do use those words. And believe it or not, both Al and Jesse, as well as many other influential blacks like Oprah, Rosa Parks, Bill Cosby and Chuck D have been been going aftermisogynistic and violent lyrics for some time
So why is this stuff so pervasive in rap music? This movie address the question, and the answer is simple: because it sells. Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams can produce all kinds of uplifting music, but as long as Eminem and 50 Cent sell 10 million albums, people are going to make music in that vein - and by the way, once a rap album crosses the 750,000 sales mark, it's not just black people buying it.
Just like in the Imus case: follow the money. The same people who are suing grandmothers are also the ones facilitating the production, marketing and distribution.
If your threshold for music listening is around 95 dB (which is only safe for 4 hrs/day anyway), and the road noise in the car at highway speeds is 60-75dB (the latter is allegedly the figure for my car as-built, a VW GTI, from an auto magazine) then you only have at most 35dB between the noise floor and max while driving.
While I don't dispute the fact that a noisy car environment limits the effective S/N, your computation of 95dB - 60dB = 35dB isn't necessarily true since we can detect audio signals that are under the noise floor. This is especially true for rhythmic and tonal sounds. The effective noise floor is more like 45-55 dB which, while not great, is at least noticeably better than a S/N of 35 dB.
The bacteria process basically improves the shear response of the soil when it's under motion to prevent/reduce liquefaction. The problem in Boston is that buildings in Back Bay and along the Harbor are basically setting on water. Short of soil mixing under each of the foundation, there's not much that you can do to solve the problem you describe.
African-Americans play a BIG role in the music industry
Define "BIG" - while rappers, R&B singers, and certain producers are visible on TV, the great majority of executives, A&R reps, and producers are white, even at hip-hop labels like Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella.
so you have to wonder why so many of them persist in portraying themselves in such a negative fashion there.
Again, define "so many" - popular artists =/ most artists. And these guys are popular because white teenagers are buying so much of the product. For every hardcore gangsta rapper you hear on the radio, you have a gospel or R&B artist who can't get airplay.
Gangsta rap has been the worst thing for race relations since the acquittal of the cops who beat up Rodney King -- and for the most part it's not white musicians making it.
Fuck tha Police came out in 1988 and white suburbanites were outraged. The Rodney King verdict was announced four years later, and people started to understand that maybe the song reflected a relevant point of view. One man's outrage is another man's foresight.
While white musicians aren't making most of it, white consumers are buying it and white executives are pushing it. As long as that's true, blacks (and Asians and whites and Latinos) will be making it.
But in a post-9/11 U.S.A., the authorities have to assume things like this could be terrorist in nature and respond as if they were.
This has nothing to do with a " post-9/11 U.S.A." Even before 9/11, if you stuck a random electrical device to a public infrastruture support without informing the authorities, there was a 100% chance the bomb squad would be called, and a 95+% chance the device would get blown up. I've seen it happen, and have lots of colleagues that have had it happen to them - just ask any engineer that does public noise, air quality, water testing, or structural measurements.
Slashdot Mirror
Actions speak louder than words.
True, which is why I stay the hell away from Verizon. However, I've been doing that stuff for years now with my AT&T Wireless, err, Cingular, err The New AT&T Wireless service and iSync, I've been doing that stuff for years now.
Safari users: use the "Activity" window (in the window menu) to find the .flv file (it's usually the largest file in a given webpage), and option-double-click the file to download it. You can play the resulting file (you may need to add the .flv extension) in QuickTime player.
Close.
Doesn't spending your own money also decrease your wealth?
Umm, I think the "Boston is banning Boing Boing because of the Mooninites" meme is just a joke (or at least I hope it is).
The more logical explanation is that the ISP who runs Boston free wi-fi is using on of the many filtering services known to block Boing Boing.
Um, if you bothered to read the motion, you would know that the "kid" is not the defendant, he's the defendant's son
Point taken. I'll tell you what: you let my grammar mistake & typo slide, I'll let your typo slide, and we'll all live happily ever after. Work for you?
Ah, so despite the many, many examples that show lyrics-lawsuits to be a failing strategy, the "watchdogs" are expected to keep at it again and again while hoping for a different results. There's a word for that.
And with the stunningly insightful piece of commentary, I'm done with this discussion.... hence the use of the past tense.
Umm, yes they do, whether it's by using credit cards to generate inventory that is sold out of their trunks, or via record company "advances".
Again, I still don't see it. Imus can start a daily podcast for a couple of thousand dollars that would have world-wide reach. Given that he was reportedly paid $8 million per year, he has the resources. He certainly has the built-in audience.
I agree 100%. However, Don Imus certainly has the means to reach people.
In theory, yes. In practice, as I've pointed out, it doesn't work.
Imus' freedom of expression is not "hampered" by anything. He's still free to say what he wants, and if he wants to set up his own "Nappy Headed Ho" radio show and pay for it out of his own pocket or private donations, he's free to do so. If he wants to sell his own "Nappy Headed Ho" CDs, he's free to do so. However, his actions were costing CBS/MSNBC money via lost advertising revenues, and they have the right (and obligation to their shareholders) to do everything in their power to stem that revenue loss.
I can say whatever I want, but I have no right to expect that you would pay me for that speech.
Please read this Slashdot post. It wasn't a first amendment issue, Imus still has the ability (and right) to say "nappy-headed ho" all it wants - he just can't cost CBS/MSNBC money while he's doing it. The music industry does not have the same revenue model as the commercial radio broadcasting industry - the labels are not advertiser-supported and therefore "the same kind of pressure" won't work!
The "watchdogs" could call (and have called) for boycotts of radio stations and advertisers, but as long as people keep buying the albums, artists and labels will keep producing the music. Supply and demand, it's that simple.
Are you not familiar with any of the dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits over the years targeting music & lyrics that plaintiffs believed incited violence or suicide?
From here: "Singer Ozzy Osbourne was sued three times by parents who claimed that his "Suicide Solution" made their sons kill themselves, and the heavy metal band, Judas Priest, faced a similar lawsuit in 1990. In all of these cases, the courts rejected the idea that musicians can be held responsible for the acts of unstable individuals."
From here:"Civil lawsuits attempting to link artists to their fans' crimes typically get thrown out at an early stage because of First Amendment protections of artists, according to Doug Mirell, a Los Angeles attorney at Loeb & Loeb, who specializes in constitutional law."
From here:"There's not a legal position that could be taken that would make Slayer responsible for the girls death. Where do you draw the line? You might as well start looking through the library at every book on the shelf."
These are lawsuits in cases where the music is alleged to have contributed to actual incidents - you're talking about a class action lawsuit against lyrics that may possibly influence/have influenced people. It's a lost cause and any lawyer would probably laugh you out of the room for thinking the suit had a chance of success.
And do I need to mention 2 Live Crew? The problem is that pesky First Amendment keeps getting in the way.
Er, I hate to break it to you, but I never said anything about "ban[ning] words" or controlling people or any of the other actions you talk about in above. My original comment was responding to a poster who insinuated that black people don't find these words offensive (many do). My comments to you were about why I (and family/friends) don't use those words, or allow people to use those words to refer to us.
I don't "attack words", I don't hide words, and frankly, I'm not really interested in "win[ning]" or "convert[ing] somebody from their stance" - if you want to shout 'nigger nigger nigger' at the top of your voice (and you're in the USA), go ahead, you have that right (and I'll fight to defend that right). Just don't expect me to stand there and listen to it - if you want to me to listen to you, I'd expect you to treat me with a modicum of respect.
It's more like 70 to 80%.
It's not necessarily the "majority" or rap music, although it certainly is a large part of popular rap music.
The implication there is that blacks, in large numbers, are "supporting the people that glorify and sell that image to white America." Question 1: what are the major media and entertainment outlets that are projecting that image to white America. Question 2: how many of those major media and entertainment outlets are run by blacks?
Spend some time in inner-city community centers, black churches and professional organizations and I think your eyes might be opened. Just because the opposition isn't front-and-center on CNN doesn't mean that it's not there. And please remember that "Flavor of Love" and "Martin" are no more an indication of "black culture" than "Friends" and "Desperate Housewives" are indicative of "white culture." Better yet, read this and this.
Because they're not just words - their part of a language used by bigots, racists, sexists, and homophobes, some of whom would gladly cheer my death and celebrate the day that the last men (literally) standing are straight, white, protestant Christian men (and some hookers).
I refuse to share their language of hate. If they want to spread hateful language, they can do it themselves.
Huh? Record labels don't receive money through advertising, they make their money via record sales.
I wasn't referring to the specific words "black people" - I was referring to "offensive slang" (nigga, ho, etc) that the gp was talking about.
The reality is that we USAians are composed of people from many backgrounds, and we all all proud of that background. That doesn't make us any less Americans.
Do you remember the PMRC? Do you remember how well their attempts at public pressure worked? Here's a hint: "gangsta rap" became a lot more popular after they got involved then it was before they got involved.
And as a previous poster noted, the pressure and protests didn't get Imus fired - advertiser's leaving CBS & MSNBC got Imus fired. As long as the label execs are making money for their shareholders, their jobs are secure. It's all about the money.
"Black people"? I'm black. My family and friends are black. We will not tolerate the use of those words in out presence. I think you meant to say "some black people."
Rappers? Yep, many do use those words. And believe it or not, both Al and Jesse, as well as many other influential blacks like Oprah, Rosa Parks, Bill Cosby and Chuck D have been been going after misogynistic and violent lyrics for some time
So why is this stuff so pervasive in rap music? This movie address the question, and the answer is simple: because it sells. Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams can produce all kinds of uplifting music, but as long as Eminem and 50 Cent sell 10 million albums, people are going to make music in that vein - and by the way, once a rap album crosses the 750,000 sales mark, it's not just black people buying it.
Just like in the Imus case: follow the money. The same people who are suing grandmothers are also the ones facilitating the production, marketing and distribution.
While I don't dispute the fact that a noisy car environment limits the effective S/N, your computation of 95dB - 60dB = 35dB isn't necessarily true since we can detect audio signals that are under the noise floor. This is especially true for rhythmic and tonal sounds. The effective noise floor is more like 45-55 dB which, while not great, is at least noticeably better than a S/N of 35 dB.
Carry on
The bacteria process basically improves the shear response of the soil when it's under motion to prevent/reduce liquefaction. The problem in Boston is that buildings in Back Bay and along the Harbor are basically setting on water. Short of soil mixing under each of the foundation, there's not much that you can do to solve the problem you describe.
The "Sidebar" feature in that alpha was nothing like the Sidebar that eventually wound up in Vista or any feature in Mac OS X.
Indexed desktop search first appeared on Mac's in Mac OS 8.5 via Sherlock
Try again.
African-Americans play a BIG role in the music industry
Define "BIG" - while rappers, R&B singers, and certain producers are visible on TV, the great majority of executives, A&R reps, and producers are white, even at hip-hop labels like Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella.
so you have to wonder why so many of them persist in portraying themselves in such a negative fashion there.
Again, define "so many" - popular artists =/ most artists. And these guys are popular because white teenagers are buying so much of the product. For every hardcore gangsta rapper you hear on the radio, you have a gospel or R&B artist who can't get airplay.
Gangsta rap has been the worst thing for race relations since the acquittal of the cops who beat up Rodney King -- and for the most part it's not white musicians making it.
Fuck tha Police came out in 1988 and white suburbanites were outraged. The Rodney King verdict was announced four years later, and people started to understand that maybe the song reflected a relevant point of view. One man's outrage is another man's foresight.
While white musicians aren't making most of it, white consumers are buying it and white executives are pushing it. As long as that's true, blacks (and Asians and whites and Latinos) will be making it.
But in a post-9/11 U.S.A., the authorities have to assume things like this could be terrorist in nature and respond as if they were.
This has nothing to do with a " post-9/11 U.S.A." Even before 9/11, if you stuck a random electrical device to a public infrastruture support without informing the authorities, there was a 100% chance the bomb squad would be called, and a 95+% chance the device would get blown up. I've seen it happen, and have lots of colleagues that have had it happen to them - just ask any engineer that does public noise, air quality, water testing, or structural measurements.