[Since I have never downloaded a full length movie from the Internet, most of this information is second hand. Some of it may be inaccurate. My comments are in braces.]
YOU'RE CHEATING YOURSELF Most of the time, the movies available for download on the Internet are obtained when someone sneaks a camcorder into a theatre and illegally records the movie up on the screen.
The sound isn't right, the picture isn't in focus, people are walking in front of the camera, and scenes are missing.
[Most movies on the Internet today are high quality rips from the original. Point invalid.]
Is that any way to experience the magic of the movies?
Only 4 out of 10 films turn a profit. If people take the films for free and the Studios can't recoup their investment, they may not be able to make the big summer movies we all enjoy so much; the TITANICs, the SPIDER-MANs, the JURASSIC PARKs. So, not only will the creators lose, in the end, you, the consumer, will end up with fewer choices at the multiplex.
[Slippery Slope. The Jurassic Park series is the only series in this list that I believe is decent. Spider Man is just not my type of movie and Titanic is a movie that should have never been made. The MPAA has no one to blame but themselves for their lousy sales ratio.]
Do you really want fewer movies to choose from?
[Seeing the current state of the film industry today... I'd love to see fewer but better quality movies.]
YOU'RE THREATENING THE LIVELIHOOD OF THOUSANDS
The entertainment industry isn't made up only of familiar actors, actresses and directors. It is made up of over 500,000 everyday working people that bring the magic of the movies to you.
[And most of those 500K people don't see most of the money. Plus, the MPAA is assuming that every download would translate into a movie sales. This is not true for some people.]
But, when movies are illegally downloaded from the Internet, these are the people that suffer the most.
It's the woman who does the make-up, the guy who rigs the lighting, the sound technician, the costume designer, the set decorator and the caterer.
[Wrong Answer. It's the stock holders, the executives, and all of the people that make a profit from sales that suffer the most. Most people working on movies do NOT get any of the profit from movies.]
Do you really want these people to lose their jobs?
[Slippery Slope. I honestly don't think filesharing is going to cause the movie industry to go bankrupt. They seem to be doing just fine, even though the economy is in a depression.]
YOUR COMPUTER IS VULNERABLE
Have you ever had your computer crash and had to replace it or reinstall all the files due to a virus or other such problem?
[Never had a problem with viruses... That is what Norton Antivirus is there for.]
The nature of "peer-to-peer" file sharing sites like eDonkey, Gnutella, KaZaA, etc., open your computer to destructive viruses and worms and annoying pop-ups.
Common Viruses: Apher, Benjamin, Backdoor, Duload, Fizzer, Hantner, Klez, Neuer, Nimda, Livra and Magic Eightball
[Appeal to Fear. All of those viruses are easily detected by Norton Antivirus and other virus detection software.]
You also become a distribution source for illegal downloading of movies, music and more, which makes you just as responsible if you had downloaded the movie yourself.
[Unless you don't share any of your downloads. Then you are not "just as responsible".]
Network users have a back door to your hard drive while you're online, thereby seeing your personal, private information, such as bank records, social security number, etc.
[Appeal to Fear. No real backing in the real world.]
Is the theft of your personal information worth the free movie?
[Sorry, most of the filesharing community has seen right through your FUD and know you are wrong.]
The name and concept is supposed to be a spin of the Government's TIA (Terrorist Information Awareness) program that spys on citizens for terrorist activity. More information on TIA is available at DARPA and a story that Wired ran.
"Many businesses, both large and small, face serious legal risks because of software piracy. Under the law, a company can be held liable for its employeesâ(TM) actions. If an employee is installing unauthorized software copies on company computers or acquiring illegal software through the Internet, the company can be sued for copyright infringement. This is true even if the companyâ(TM)s management was unaware of the employeeâ(TM)s actions."
I can see the future of this type of theatre already...
Screen goes black.
Someone says: Yay, it's starting...
Windows XP dialog appears on screen with the text: You are not licensed to view this movie. Please install a valid license and try again.
Everyone in the theatre says: Aww.
A Windows XP desktop running Windows Media Player comes on screen. The desktop shows someone trying to install a license, but is having problems getting the license to work right.
Movie finally comes back on. The movie quality is really blocky with artifacts.
Everyone cheers.
5 minutes in, a dialog box appears: WMP9Theatre has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
Everyone says: Aww.
Movie restarts again with the same block artifact problem.
10 minutes in, the screen turns blue with a message that Window's just killed itself.
Person over loudspeaker says: We regret to inform you that we're not going to be able to get this movie working. You can go to the box office for a refund. Sorry for the problems.
I still have the note about this in my mailbox from Monday... *begin note* Dear SBC DSL Internet Services Member,
SBC Internet Services* has been working to improve your member benefits. We've recently joined forces with the world's number one Internet destination -- Yahoo!(R) -- to bring you SBC Yahoo! DSL, a powerful new, feature-rich Internet experience that will replace your existing SBC Internet service.
Upgrade to SBC Yahoo! DSL today. We've designed your new service so you can upgrade in just minutes, and of course, upgrade is free. All you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions. It's that easy. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying a whole new set of nhancements, but 4 important aspects of your account won't be affected by this upgrade:
Your email address will stay the same. Your monthly price will stay the same.** Your billing method will stay the same. Your high speed DSL Internet connection will stay the same.
_
With SBC Yahoo! DSL, you are in control. You have the power to choose which software to download based on the features you want: ***
+ SBC Yahoo! Browser Environment Software This software package gives you the SBC Yahoo! DSL custom browser with built-in Messenger and LAUNCHcast Radio plus easy access to email, finance, games, and more. In addition, this package also includes Parental Controls and Firewall software.
+ SBC Yahoo! Dial Connection Manager Software Loading this software gives you unlimited remote dial-up access to your account, so you have the ability to log in with your existing email and password even when you're on the road.
+ SBC Connection Manager Software (coming early 2003) This software includes a large set of support tools that monitor, test, and repair your DSL connection to ensure high-quality service. In addition, the SBC Connection Manager will diagnose any connection problems and provide automated help to resolve the issue.
Mac users can also upgrade to the SBC Yahoo! DSL experience. Download for Mac users is coming soon.
_
Once you upgrade... you'll receive incredible new features and services, including:
+ A home page you can customize to give you the information and features you want. + Email account with 25MB of online storage space. + 10 FREE additional email addresses - each with 10MB online storage space. + 110MB of online storage with SBC Yahoo! Photos and Briefcase. + 3 premium listings in both SBC Yahoo! Classifieds and SBC Yahoo! Auctions. + 2 select premium services like Bill Pay and Games memberships. + 20% discount on additional Premium Services in select categories.
Don't wait. Upgrade now and start enjoying your enhanced Internet experience right away. And be sure to check your email for additional information about your account update.
P.S. Remember - your email address stays the same, your monthly price stays the same, your billing method stays the same, and your high speed DSL Internet connection stays the same. Act now. It only takes a few minutes to upgrade to the custom features of SBC Yahoo! DSL.
If you have any questions please go to http://yahoo.sbc.com/activatedsl/ for additional information. For technical support please call: 1-877-SBC-DSL5
* Pacific Bell Internet Services, Nevada Bell Internet Services, Southwestern Bell Internet Services, Ameritech Interactive Media Services, SNET Diversified Group and Prodigy Communications, L.P.
** Your basic monthly price does not change during your existing term commitment.
*** Download of software is not required for the upgrade. Download available for Windows users with Internet Explorer 5.0 or above. Mac users can also upgrade to the SBC Yahoo! DSL experience. Download for Mac users is coming soon. Minimum systems requirements are provided online for the options you choose to download.
SBC Yahoo! DSL is an information service that combines DSL transport, Internet access and applications from SBC Internet Services, with customized content, services, and applications from Yahoo! Inc., to provide the customer with high-speed broadband access to the World Wide Web. Further details on offers/packages provided during enrollment and registration. Acceptance of Terms of Service required.
Yahoo!, the Yahoo! logo and other Yahoo! logos and product and service names are the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. SBC, the SBC logo and all other SBC logos and product and service names are the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of SBC Properties, L.P. All other brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
(c) 2002 SBC Properties, L.P. and Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy: http://yahoo.sbc.com/privacy *end note* My thoughts: I don't think I'm going to "upgrade". From the note at the bottom about "your price will not change during your term commitment", I'm thinking that it's a trial of a more expensive service. I staying with the regular service. My server computer runs Mozilla on FreeBSD anyway. I don't need any of the Yahoo stuff.
NOTE: This post was edited to pass the "Lameness/Junk" filter. Slashdot didn't like the long horizontal lines that were in the Email.
NOTE2: This post was edited to pass the "too few characters for line" filter. Slashdot didn't like the way the lines were broke up.
According to the Sony developer that everyone talked to, the changes that Sony makes to the encryption only takes 20 minutes or so. I believe that part of that time included remaking about 5 different binaries with the new code. Sony just has to change the 5 or so #define's on the encryption and everything breaks. Also, according to the same developer, Sony will not spend much time on breaking ShowEQ until management decides otherwise.
How ShowEQ is fighting back is very interesting. Encryption information is stored at a preset offset in the client. About a month ago, SOE changed it so that, on NT/2000/XP boxes (this didn't effect Win 9x), other programs (even on accounts with "Administrator Access") couldn't read that memory space. However, ShowEQ developers eventually got around the limitation by making the key reader run as a service on the NT LocalSystem account. This service can then send the key information to the decoding system.
As for WinShowEQ, I have sources that have told me that WinShowEQ is an easy port to make. If they are serious about making it and releasing it, expect to see it sometime soon.
I wonder if Microsoft's Vision of the Future Workpace qualified in time for this competition... Just remember that... "Surround sound is going to be increasingly important in future offices," says group marketing manager Tom Gruver in leading a tour of the new facility.
I'm just waiting for those days where I come into the office and the person in the next cube is BLASTING DVD movies in their full 5.1 surround sound glory for everyone in the entire office (and possibly for everyone in a 1/2 mile radius) to hear... Those will be the days...
IANAL...However...I remember watching a TechTV special with Lawrence Lessig talking about copyright and the Internet. In the program, he said that cable can regulate what they can and can not carry. Phone companies, however, because they are a "common carrier", have to allow any type of transmission on their network without bias and discrimination.
It's encrypted in ROT13. Use "caesar" on UNIX to decode.
This message is a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. I would like to thank the "One Hundred Fifth Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION" for enabling this message to be posted.
The concept of putting transmitters in the sky isn't new. Iridium has been doing worldwide telephone coverage by using satellites for years. The whole weather balloon receiver thing, while it's an interesting concept, sounds like it would be error prone (the coverage would be inconsistant due to weather balloons going up or down) and costly (To quote the article: "The company estimates its annual operating expenses at $35 million per year. About half of that would go toward equipment: $300 worth for each of the 50,000 or so balloons that would be launched over the course of a year.").
The DoD is going full throttle on the recruitment deals now... First it was giving the Army access to public school registration records for recruitment purposes and now it's games... Now I wouldn't mind a game that was realistic, but this new game will probably glorify the Army (As Seen on TV(tm)). And I'm sure they'll definatly be a whole lot of "JOIN TODAY TO LIVE THE ADVENTURE" signs and such in the game as well... That's the type of recruiting that makes me sick... Selling it as the best thing in the world and then not living up to face value. If they're going to try and sell it, I'd wish they would at least do it realistically. On another note, there doesn't seem to be very much information on the site: While trying to retrieve the URL: http://www.americasarmy.com/ The following error was encountered: * Connection Failed The system returned:
(111) Connection refused The remote host or network may be down. Please try the request again.
I would go to a "legal" pay service if...
A. The subscription to the service itself was free.
B. I could download the songs I want for $.25-$.50 per song (maybe more).
C. The song I buy and download is in open MP3 format without ANY copy protection / DRM.
D. The service offered a 1-2 minute trial version of the song in unrestricted MP3 that I could download and listen to.
E. If most of the proceeds went to the artists, not the middlemen/RIAA.
People are fearing for their lives as they brace for the Y2K2 Bug to strike. Many people are lining up outside of shops like Billy Bob's Survival Bargain Bin in order to buy survival supplies for the new year. When we asked the owner why there there is a sudden boom in sales this year, he said, "Well, this is the Big One. I personally know that on Janurary 1st, 2002 at 12:00 AM, the power grids will do down, computers will blow up, there will be riots, and a new world order of kittens will take over the world. This is survival of the fittest here!!" The US Government refused to comment on the new world order of kittens.
Hello.
I'm Valen and I'm a... *cry*... Lord Of The Rings Fanatic...
I have Lord Of The Rings cups, Lord Of The Rings t-shirts, Lord Of The Rings bed sheets, Lord Of The Rings games, Lord Of The Rings CDs, a collection of Lord Of The Rings specials and commericals on VHS, Lord Of The Rings posters, and even Lord Of The Rings boxers. I think Peter Jackson, AOL Time-Warner, and WETA Workshop own me. I really need a life.
</situation>
<disclaimer>
I do not have any LOTR merchandise... Really... I'm just making a satire based on the amount of movie merchandise I've seen before the movie is released. It's mind boggling. I can't watch TV now without seeing a LOTR Burger King ad, a LOTR special ad, or a LOTR movie ad. It's getting to the point of being bizzare.
</disclaimer>
Slashdot Mirror
[Since I have never downloaded a full length movie from the Internet, most of this information is second hand. Some of it may be inaccurate. My comments are in braces.]
YOU'RE CHEATING YOURSELF
Most of the time, the movies available for download on the Internet are obtained when someone sneaks a camcorder into a theatre and illegally records the movie up on the screen.
The sound isn't right, the picture isn't in focus, people are walking in front of the camera, and scenes are missing.
[Most movies on the Internet today are high quality rips from the original. Point invalid.]
Is that any way to experience the magic of the movies?
Only 4 out of 10 films turn a profit. If people take the films for free and the Studios can't recoup their investment, they may not be able to make the big summer movies we all enjoy so much; the TITANICs, the SPIDER-MANs, the JURASSIC PARKs. So, not only will the creators lose, in the end, you, the consumer, will end up with fewer choices at the multiplex.
[Slippery Slope. The Jurassic Park series is the only series in this list that I believe is decent. Spider Man is just not my type of movie and Titanic is a movie that should have never been made. The MPAA has no one to blame but themselves for their lousy sales ratio.]
Do you really want fewer movies to choose from?
[Seeing the current state of the film industry today... I'd love to see fewer but better quality movies.]
YOU'RE THREATENING THE LIVELIHOOD OF THOUSANDS
The entertainment industry isn't made up only of familiar actors, actresses and directors. It is made up of over 500,000 everyday working people that bring the magic of the movies to you.
[And most of those 500K people don't see most of the money. Plus, the MPAA is assuming that every download would translate into a movie sales. This is not true for some people.]
But, when movies are illegally downloaded from the Internet, these are the people that suffer the most.
It's the woman who does the make-up, the guy who rigs the lighting, the sound technician, the costume designer, the set decorator and the caterer.
[Wrong Answer. It's the stock holders, the executives, and all of the people that make a profit from sales that suffer the most. Most people working on movies do NOT get any of the profit from movies.]
Do you really want these people to lose their jobs?
[Slippery Slope. I honestly don't think filesharing is going to cause the movie industry to go bankrupt. They seem to be doing just fine, even though the economy is in a depression.]
YOUR COMPUTER IS VULNERABLE
Have you ever had your computer crash and had to replace it or reinstall all the files due to a virus or other such problem?
[Never had a problem with viruses... That is what Norton Antivirus is there for.]
The nature of "peer-to-peer" file sharing sites like eDonkey, Gnutella, KaZaA, etc., open your computer to destructive viruses and worms and annoying pop-ups.
Common Viruses:
Apher, Benjamin, Backdoor, Duload, Fizzer, Hantner, Klez, Neuer, Nimda, Livra and Magic Eightball
[Appeal to Fear. All of those viruses are easily detected by Norton Antivirus and other virus detection software.]
You also become a distribution source for illegal downloading of movies, music and more, which makes you just as responsible if you had downloaded the movie yourself.
[Unless you don't share any of your downloads. Then you are not "just as responsible".]
Network users have a back door to your hard drive while you're online, thereby seeing your personal, private information, such as bank records, social security number, etc.
[Appeal to Fear. No real backing in the real world.]
Is the theft of your personal information worth the free movie?
[Sorry, most of the filesharing community has seen right through your FUD and know you are wrong.]
YOU'RE BREAKING THE LAW
The name and concept is supposed to be a spin of the Government's TIA (Terrorist Information Awareness) program that spys on citizens for terrorist activity. More information on TIA is available at DARPA and a story that Wired ran.
According to this software piracy information PDF made by the BSA in paragraph 4, the US Senate is liable for this unlicensed software:
"Many businesses, both large and small, face serious legal risks because
of software piracy. Under the law, a company can be held liable
for its employeesâ(TM) actions. If an employee is installing unauthorized
software copies on company computers or acquiring illegal software
through the Internet, the company can be sued for copyright
infringement. This is true even if the companyâ(TM)s management was
unaware of the employeeâ(TM)s actions."
I can see the future of this type of theatre already...
Screen goes black.
Someone says: Yay, it's starting...
Windows XP dialog appears on screen with the text: You are not licensed to view this movie. Please install a valid license and try again.
Everyone in the theatre says: Aww.
A Windows XP desktop running Windows Media Player comes on screen. The desktop shows someone trying to install a license, but is having problems getting the license to work right.
Movie finally comes back on. The movie quality is really blocky with artifacts.
Everyone cheers.
5 minutes in, a dialog box appears: WMP9Theatre has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
Everyone says: Aww.
Movie restarts again with the same block artifact problem.
10 minutes in, the screen turns blue with a message that Window's just killed itself.
Person over loudspeaker says: We regret to inform you that we're not going to be able to get this movie working. You can go to the box office for a refund. Sorry for the problems.
Everyone sighs.
I still have the note about this in my mailbox from Monday...
*begin note*
Dear SBC DSL Internet Services Member,
SBC Internet Services* has been working to improve your member benefits. We've recently joined forces with the world's number one Internet destination -- Yahoo!(R) -- to bring you SBC Yahoo! DSL, a powerful new, feature-rich Internet experience that will replace your existing SBC Internet service.
Upgrade here: http://yahoo.sbc.com/activatedsl/upgrade.html
Upgrade to SBC Yahoo! DSL today. We've designed your new service so you can upgrade in just minutes, and of course, upgrade is free. All you have to do is follow the on-screen
instructions. It's that easy. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying a whole new set of nhancements, but 4 important aspects of your account won't be affected by this upgrade:
Your email address will stay the same.
Your monthly price will stay the same.**
Your billing method will stay the same.
Your high speed DSL Internet connection will stay the same.
_
With SBC Yahoo! DSL, you are in control. You have the power to choose which software to download based on the features you want: ***
+ SBC Yahoo! Browser Environment Software
This software package gives you the SBC Yahoo! DSL custom browser with built-in Messenger and LAUNCHcast Radio plus easy access to email, finance, games, and more. In addition, this package also includes Parental Controls and Firewall software.
+ SBC Yahoo! Dial Connection Manager Software
Loading this software gives you unlimited remote dial-up access to your account, so you have the ability to log in
with your existing email and password even when you're on
the road.
+ SBC Connection Manager Software (coming early 2003)
This software includes a large set of support tools that monitor, test, and repair your DSL connection to ensure high-quality service. In addition, the SBC Connection Manager will diagnose any connection problems and provide automated help to resolve the issue.
Mac users can also upgrade to the SBC Yahoo! DSL experience.
Download for Mac users is coming soon.
_
Once you upgrade... you'll receive incredible new features and services, including:
+ A home page you can customize to give you the information and features you want.
+ Email account with 25MB of online storage space.
+ 10 FREE additional email addresses - each with 10MB online storage space.
+ 110MB of online storage with SBC Yahoo! Photos and Briefcase.
+ 3 premium listings in both SBC Yahoo! Classifieds and SBC Yahoo! Auctions.
+ 2 select premium services like Bill Pay and Games memberships.
+ 20% discount on additional Premium Services in select categories.
Don't wait. Upgrade now and start enjoying your enhanced Internet experience right away. And be sure to check your email for additional information about your account update.
Upgrade here: http://yahoo.sbc.com/activatedsl/upgrade.html
P.S. Remember - your email address stays the same, your monthly price stays the same, your billing method stays the same, and your high speed DSL Internet connection stays the same. Act now. It only takes a few minutes to upgrade to the custom features of SBC Yahoo! DSL.
If you have any questions please go to http://yahoo.sbc.com/activatedsl/ for additional
information. For technical support please call:
1-877-SBC-DSL5
* Pacific Bell Internet Services, Nevada Bell Internet Services, Southwestern Bell Internet Services, Ameritech Interactive Media Services, SNET Diversified Group and Prodigy Communications, L.P.
** Your basic monthly price does not change during your existing term commitment.
*** Download of software is not required for the upgrade.
Download available for Windows users with
Internet Explorer 5.0 or above. Mac users can also upgrade to the SBC Yahoo! DSL experience. Download for Mac users is coming soon. Minimum systems requirements are provided online for the options you choose to download.
SBC Yahoo! DSL is an information service that combines DSL transport, Internet access and applications from SBC Internet Services, with customized content, services, and applications from Yahoo! Inc., to provide the customer with
high-speed broadband access to the World Wide Web. Further details on offers/packages provided during enrollment and registration. Acceptance of Terms of Service required.
Yahoo!, the Yahoo! logo and other Yahoo! logos and product and service names are the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. SBC, the SBC logo and all other SBC logos and product and service names are the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of SBC Properties, L.P. All
other brand names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
(c) 2002 SBC Properties, L.P. and Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy: http://yahoo.sbc.com/privacy
*end note*
My thoughts: I don't think I'm going to "upgrade". From the note at the bottom about "your price will not change during your term commitment", I'm thinking that it's a trial of a more expensive service. I staying with the regular service. My server computer runs Mozilla on FreeBSD anyway. I don't need any of the Yahoo stuff.
NOTE: This post was edited to pass the "Lameness/Junk" filter. Slashdot didn't like the long horizontal lines that were in the Email.
NOTE2: This post was edited to pass the "too few characters for line" filter. Slashdot didn't like the way the lines were broke up.
According to the Sony developer that everyone talked to, the changes that Sony makes to the encryption only takes 20 minutes or so. I believe that part of that time included remaking about 5 different binaries with the new code. Sony just has to change the 5 or so #define's on the encryption and everything breaks. Also, according to the same developer, Sony will not spend much time on breaking ShowEQ until management decides otherwise.
How ShowEQ is fighting back is very interesting. Encryption information is stored at a preset offset in the client. About a month ago, SOE changed it so that, on NT/2000/XP boxes (this didn't effect Win 9x), other programs (even on accounts with "Administrator Access") couldn't read that memory space. However, ShowEQ developers eventually got around the limitation by making the key reader run as a service on the NT LocalSystem account. This service can then send the key information to the decoding system.
As for WinShowEQ, I have sources that have told me that WinShowEQ is an easy port to make. If they are serious about making it and releasing it, expect to see it sometime soon.
If you get Mozilla and PrefBar , you can toggle javascript, popup blocking, and more from your toolbar. It also works on a variety of platforms.
I wonder if Microsoft's Vision of the Future Workpace qualified in time for this competition... Just remember that...
"Surround sound is going to be increasingly important in future offices," says group marketing manager Tom Gruver in leading a tour of the new facility.
I'm just waiting for those days where I come into the office and the person in the next cube is BLASTING DVD movies in their full 5.1 surround sound glory for everyone in the entire office (and possibly for everyone in a 1/2 mile radius) to hear... Those will be the days...
IANAL...However...I remember watching a TechTV special with Lawrence Lessig talking about copyright and the Internet. In the program, he said that cable can regulate what they can and can not carry. Phone companies, however, because they are a "common carrier", have to allow any type of transmission on their network without bias and discrimination.
It's encrypted in ROT13. Use "caesar" on UNIX to decode.
This message is a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. I would like to thank the "One Hundred Fifth Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION" for enabling this message to be posted.
The concept of putting transmitters in the sky isn't new. Iridium has been doing worldwide telephone coverage by using satellites for years. The whole weather balloon receiver thing, while it's an interesting concept, sounds like it would be error prone (the coverage would be inconsistant due to weather balloons going up or down) and costly (To quote the article: "The company estimates its annual operating expenses at $35 million per year. About half of that would go toward equipment: $300 worth for each of the 50,000 or so balloons that would be launched over the course of a year.").
The DoD is going full throttle on the recruitment deals now... First it was giving the Army access to public school registration records for recruitment purposes and now it's games... Now I wouldn't mind a game that was realistic, but this new game will probably glorify the Army (As Seen on TV(tm)). And I'm sure they'll definatly be a whole lot of "JOIN TODAY TO LIVE THE ADVENTURE" signs and such in the game as well... That's the type of recruiting that makes me sick... Selling it as the best thing in the world and then not living up to face value. If they're going to try and sell it, I'd wish they would at least do it realistically.
On another note, there doesn't seem to be very much information on the site:
While trying to retrieve the URL: http://www.americasarmy.com/
The following error was encountered:
* Connection Failed
The system returned:
(111) Connection refused
The remote host or network may be down. Please try the request again.
I would go to a "legal" pay service if...
A. The subscription to the service itself was free.
B. I could download the songs I want for $.25-$.50 per song (maybe more).
C. The song I buy and download is in open MP3 format without ANY copy protection / DRM.
D. The service offered a 1-2 minute trial version of the song in unrestricted MP3 that I could download and listen to.
E. If most of the proceeds went to the artists, not the middlemen/RIAA.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People are fearing for their lives as they brace for the Y2K2 Bug to strike. Many people are lining up outside of shops like Billy Bob's Survival Bargain Bin in order to buy survival supplies for the new year. When we asked the owner why there there is a sudden boom in sales this year, he said, "Well, this is the Big One. I personally know that on Janurary 1st, 2002 at 12:00 AM, the power grids will do down, computers will blow up, there will be riots, and a new world order of kittens will take over the world. This is survival of the fittest here!!" The US Government refused to comment on the new world order of kittens.
Hello.
I'm Valen and I'm a... *cry*... Lord Of The Rings Fanatic...
I have Lord Of The Rings cups, Lord Of The Rings t-shirts, Lord Of The Rings bed sheets, Lord Of The Rings games, Lord Of The Rings CDs, a collection of Lord Of The Rings specials and commericals on VHS, Lord Of The Rings posters, and even Lord Of The Rings boxers. I think Peter Jackson, AOL Time-Warner, and WETA Workshop own me. I really need a life.
</situation>
<disclaimer>
I do not have any LOTR merchandise... Really... I'm just making a satire based on the amount of movie merchandise I've seen before the movie is released. It's mind boggling. I can't watch TV now without seeing a LOTR Burger King ad, a LOTR special ad, or a LOTR movie ad. It's getting to the point of being bizzare.
</disclaimer>