someone went waaaay trigger happy w. the Flamebait button today. i agree w. parent - wikipedia is not an authoritative source, by definition. Its the "quantum state" of knowledge, i.e. subject to change depending on time of day. there is only one problem w. that - its not how knowledge actually works. looks like german government at least is taking a stand on the issue - unlike many other governments. to see it get lost in the noise of wiki seems like a huge waste. they would be better off w. some sort of.gov site, not waste funds on articles that may just get overwritten.
dragonwriter: quote:(1) "The internet is not the "entire storehouse of human knowledge" response: are you sure about that? Certainly, just because its online, doesn't mean its "knowledge", not as in useful knowledge. but if its NOT online, i would argue that it isn't, actually, knowledge. true, patented/copyrighted information may be protected, but for scholarly/academic purposes, that stuff very much IS online. See jstor, for example, which is the nyu library reference engine for a huge number of scholarly/academic periodicals and publications.
quote: (2) Most people probably get most of their online information from a set of sites that are specific to the kind of information they are usually interested in. response: most people probably? based on what? how do you know? assuming that google indexing does work as described, the top hit is the one most frequently selected by most searchers, no? so "most people" probably ARE going to wiki, and stopping there, because "most people" aren't in the habit of extensively researching information citing different sources. Exhibit A: most people don't go to graduate school, where one would acquire that kind of habit.
and finally. why is wikipedia dangerous? because its wrong, admittedly anti-expert and pro-mob. Science is not democratic. Mathematics doesn't happen by consensus. All opinions are not created equal, which is precisely CONTRARY to wiki is by intent, design, execution, etc. examples of wiki policies that are dangerous include the "no credentials" proposal and the "conflict of interest" catchall where published scientists are prevented from quoting their own work. So... let's see. An expert is someone conducting original research within a field. I.e. finding out new stuff that hasn't been published elsewhere. And what does wiki say? "no we don't want your expert opinion based on original research you conducted. we would rather have some random crap that some 17-year-old who thinks an INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT equates to KNOWLEDGE OF IT. that's dangerous. because its dangerous to make stuff up and call it an encyclopedia.
MOD UP THE PARENT. Nothing evenn remotely flamebait about it. How ironic that he totally saw it coming, criticizing wiki.
that site has gone beyond annoying, beyond misleading, its actually dangerous. Wiki is at the top of just about every google search. The entire storehouse of human knowledge (i.e. the internet) is being hijacked by a media company (google) via the mindless peddling of "consensus" that is wikipedia. there can be no popular consensus for topics that require a lifetime's study. there is no easy substitute for study. all opinions are not created equal. amazing, that what, 6 years into wikipedia's existence, that is actually considered a "flamebait" thing to say.
both of the links in the comment are really intelligent.
They have an excellent database, very extensive, and host lots of videos (certainly I haven't been able to think of one that don't have yet) I think they are major label, too, so probably have worked out whatever licensing kinks there may be. Point is, this is not a newsworthy item - lots of similar sites exist and have existed for a while.
I'm surprised no one is asking why it is that Verizon should want to limit data. I thought - and I may be wrong - that essentially, the total amount of 3g spectrum that is available (i.e. FCC licensed) for U.S commercial exploitation is finite. Meaning, Verizon can't grow the EVDO customer base indefinitely - they WILL hit their total licensed allocation. The only way to deal w. this, then, is to do exactly what they are doing. If spectrum is limited, and customers are growing, data must be limited. That's it. What they are "calling" it - who cares. I pull in 150GB's monthly on my RoadRunner NO PROBLEM So it makes sense to me why Wireless broadband gets capped.
Ha! yeah i take my moto, too! thats funny - i do the same thing. you have to watch out though - i was doing it in the same neighbourhood, on the same bike for like 2 years and this particular cop (not a meter maid, an actual cop) REALLY got it in for me. i swear, im not making it up! i guess being a chick on a red F4i on Park Ave every day is kinda asking for it. so. he took to waiting for me in front of my bike, i guess waiting to nab me, rather than keep writing tickets to the vin (which they will do, but it doesn't actually work, as in you won't get the ticket in the mail, and there wont be any record of it) then, when THAT didnt work (i would just wait him out in the office, always plenty to do w. an extra coupla hours!) he called Emergency Services Unit, and they cut my Forgetaboutit crypto, and took my bike. They did this "under suspicion of criminal activity" which meant i had to go through the DA to get it out of the crime lot. Took about 4 months. Fortunately for me, when this happened I had assumed the bike stolen and bought a new one:) God how i hate them! wiggums one and all!!!!
seeing as how tickets have become a major source of NYC's revenue, under billionaire Bloomberg's helm. Funny how NYC local politics are still just that -- local politics, even though we are bigger in size and tax revenue than many of the world's nations. the city has become ridiculously dependent on parking tickets - at a $110 a pop, with $20 increases every three weeks for late payments, im suprised meter maids aren't murdered in the street by rioting mobs! some truly amazing things have been happening, like people running out to meters w. a minute to spare to see the meter maid w. the ticket prepared already, just waiting for clock to chime! amazing. all in all, brilliantly simple. whether or not this system gets adopted i guess depends on what a city's objectives are w. regard to parking meters. If, as in the case of NYC, they are largely traps for motorists, then I don't see this getting much use.
If you were in the same class as me, I would prevent you from using your laptop. I can't think with clicking noises.
It's hard to say exactly where i draw a clear line, but Id definitely say that this is unreasonable. Not to mention, the purpose of *school* is to prepare you for real work, in a real work environment. If you are genuinely unable to *think* when someone near you is using a keyboard, you will find it impossible to get a job.
I work for a consulting firm that provides all types of HR services. We get data on client personnel that includes EVERYTHING: SSN's, addresses, spouse info, dates of birth, EVERYTHING The article mentions scarce spending on addressing internal security threats: im looking around my office, and there is just nothing you can do! Even if you completely lock down desktops (the latest image was set up as to disable all HW and SW installs), and I personally had an admin pw within days!), there is still email. And loaner laptops. I hear that this type of complete personal information fetches $10 per record amongst certain unscrupulous Brooklyn programmers. Come think of it... where DID i put all my floppies?
"Assuming that's all they want, will they give up and go away once they have been reimbursed, or do they also want perverse profits?"
That's exactly the crux of it - notice how we seem to be essentially debating the same question, in all the different contexts of modern economics? Is it ethical for car companies to move manufacturing operations to developing countries to increase profits? Is it ethical to move software development offshore? What level of profit is sufficient to provide enough incentives for our pharmaceutical companies to continue to research new drugs? Ethics and profits do not mix. Ethics and capitalism do not mix, period, however much Christians like to pretend they do. The base underlying structure of a capitalist economy has no room for ethics. Because logically speaking, all profits are perverse, or none are. It is impossible to logically draw distinctions between reasonable and perverse profits, not in any industry. Which leaves us with money as the basis for power as the basis for law. Wanna get MPAA off your back, off your screen, out of business? Keep d/l, ripping, burning cause yes, it DOES cut into their bottom line. So less money for them, less power for them. Property is theft. But those mortgage rates ARE tantalizingly low these days, arent they.....;)
Hm. We can quibble over logic. Or.. we can talk substance. Teachers SUCK! The vast, overwhelming, depressing majority of teachers... suck. They only became teachers after realizing that it was the 1 thing they could safely do with a college degree without admitting that degree was totally useless. After 16 yrs of school (graduate degree) I can honestly say I have fond memories of maybe... 2 teachers? The rest were vain, ill - informed, bitter and o so very, very resentful of any student showing promise of success! I hate teachers. For them most part thay are motivated by all the wrong things! They want lots of time off, a short work day, a generous pension and as little responsibility as possible. In New York City, things are so bad, its like... a crime! They are an entrenched part of a system that, by consigning great numbers of kids to lifetimes of missed opportunities, are commiting a real crime, IMHO. And seeing the whole worthless. bunch of them on trial would make my day. As to where we would be w/o them.... lets see, reading books and learning actual skills out in the world?
Is it at all possible that ny state has some special agreement with Feds about this? I mean... this chick SWEARS she doesn't pay Medicare/ SSI.... And she DOES have an H1! How strange. I suppose being unable to find actual evidence besides cube mate's adamant insistence... I retract..
The review reads:
"More significantly, H1-B workers, as legal immigrants to the U.S., have the dubious privilege of paying the same taxes as other Americans (and more than most), with a far smaller chance of reaping their benefits."
Not sure whether this is a verbatum quote from the book, or just the review's take, but its completely inaccurate. Yes, H1 holders pay income taxes. But no, they don't pay social security or medicare taxes, the rationale being precisely that they are not meant to benefit to reap the awards of these programs (that neither is anyone else under 40 due to the impending collapse of the entire social security system is besides the point for the IRS).
This is quite a factual distortion. Also a nice chunck of change! Makes a big difference.
Also, from personal experience, most U.S companies with the funds and resources to sponsor H1 visa holders are large enough to have fairly transparent compensation structures. So... I am an actuary, one of the few fields to seriously compete with IT in terms of hiring H1 immigrants. And my cube mate, hired at same time as I was, is earning the same base pay, but ends up with a significantly higher paycheck, due to the decresed tax burden. Fair?
Furthermore... I don't know about Indian programmers, but i DO know about chinese actuaries: they have 0 intention or necessity to ever return to China. After 10 yrs or so of H1, they get sponsored by firms for green cards, and get them. And proceed to collect the social secuirty and medicare benefits they did not pay for, but I did.
Yes, we desperately need immigrants to fill technical positions that we have the capital, but not the human resources to handle. Somehow along the way, careers in sciences and math lost all appeal to U.S college students. The primary education institutions routinely fail to prepare students for these fields, anyway. So college fills the gaps of High School, and graduate programs are populated by student visa holders from abroad who go on to H1 visas.
I like immigrants. I don't like H1. We need these people, there is nothing wrong with having a policy preference for letting in people with certain degrees and ambitions. But let's be honest: give them green cards, let them pay taxes just like everyone else.
With all the frustrations of DSL and sketchy availability of cable (i discovered that even in NYC, in 2004, it is still possible to move to an address not covered by a single broadband option) BPL can still very much find a market. What I want is fiber optic, goddamnit! That would be the real last mile solution! And it pi55es me off that so much fiber optic infrastructure is going unused for lack of investment!
Why would anyone still bother with a landline, anyway? I have not had a landline in like 6 years. I give out my cell number freely, whenever I transact business. Since my area code is 917 (in NY, this is obviously a cell number), I never get telemarketing calls. Not. Ever. And I dont miss the landline in the least
You are all so mean and unsympathetic! It IS possible to cheat and honest person. People tend to build expectations regarding behaviour of others based on how they themselves behave. An honest person is less likely to suspect dishonesty. This is how I see your average victim in this scam: She/he is 70 years old. Gets 1 email (snail mail) per month. Is lonely, getting a bit senile. Does not have anyone they can consult, ask for advice, etc. Maybe used to read the papers, but doesnt anymore. Yes, she/he opens the door to strangers, responds to preposterous solicitations, hands over bank account information. Gee whiz. This could happen to the best of us, in 40-50 years!
I beg to difer on the headphones I commute on NYC subway daily with a pair of SONY headphones plugged into a DnB ladden 20 gb archos. I promise 100% outside noise reduction! Personally quarantee it. I mean comeon, modernity, 21st century: jet planes, car horns, high speed trains, millions of people packed into tiny geographic areas: cell phones are not a real factor. someday someone will do a psychological study as to the REAL reason why people hate cellphones so much.
I just always think of 1550 as the beginning of Western Music. I'm sure there were chants, etc. before that, but Monteverdi is pretty much the first composer anyone ever bothers with.
While the article is persuasive enough in arguing that the $4 billion number is a preposterous exaggeration, I can see how the bottom line for these companies is, much like for the movie studios, is driven by *hits*. They rely on the sales of albums with the really *big* songs for profit. For your average music consumer, the type that listens to the radio Top 40, the only reason to buy an album is for that latest Eminem hit. Naturally, once the song is available for free, the reason to buy the album disappears. And so do record company profits. As much as we like to say that its just a matter of these lazy record companies getting off their butt and changing the business model, the truth of the matter is they are literally on the verge of extinction. So, they are fighting for their very lives. The good news is that they will fail. And the really good news is that music will make a full circle back to the pre-recording days: where the only people to actually make money with music will be virtuoso live performers and composers (see history of music from 1550-1940). Not distributors, labels, lawyers, radio stations, etc.
ITS AN AWESOME AWESOME MOVIE! i was lucky enough to see an advanced special screening of it in NYC (part of the AIDS Rockefeller + Diamond Research fundraiser) Hosted by the Captain himself. And does it ever ROCK! I can see how TNG has limited appeal. I mean, u gotta actually think to like it, and all. But this is even a great movie taking as a stand alone sci-fi flick. Arguably the best in years. The problem with these bad reviews in the press is that they are written by people who are not fans of the show who nonetheless feel compelled to consider it "in context". But just as I could never be trusted to "impartially" review a broadway music (seeing as how I think they are all an insult to taste and human decency), anyone giving this a bad review just cause this is the "10th movie" or whatever, is ridiculous.
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someone went waaaay trigger happy w. the Flamebait button today. i agree w. parent - wikipedia is not an authoritative source, by definition. Its the "quantum state" of knowledge, i.e. subject to change depending on time of day. .gov site, not waste funds on articles that may just get overwritten.
there is only one problem w. that - its not how knowledge actually works.
looks like german government at least is taking a stand on the issue - unlike many other governments. to see it get lost in the noise of wiki seems like a huge waste.
they would be better off w. some sort of
dragonwriter:
... let's see. An expert is someone conducting original research within a field. I.e. finding out new stuff that hasn't been published elsewhere. And what does wiki say? "no we don't want your expert opinion based on original research you conducted. we would rather have some random crap that some 17-year-old who thinks an INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT equates to KNOWLEDGE OF IT.
quote:(1) "The internet is not the "entire storehouse of human knowledge"
response: are you sure about that? Certainly, just because its online, doesn't mean its "knowledge", not as in useful knowledge. but if its NOT online, i would argue that it isn't, actually, knowledge. true, patented/copyrighted information may be protected, but for scholarly/academic purposes, that stuff very much IS online. See jstor, for example, which is the nyu library reference engine for a huge number of scholarly/academic periodicals and publications.
quote: (2) Most people probably get most of their online information from a set of sites that are specific to the kind of information they are usually interested in.
response: most people probably? based on what? how do you know? assuming that google indexing does work as described, the top hit is the one most frequently selected by most searchers, no? so "most people" probably ARE going to wiki, and stopping there, because "most people" aren't in the habit of extensively researching information citing different sources. Exhibit A: most people don't go to graduate school, where one would acquire that kind of habit.
and finally. why is wikipedia dangerous? because its wrong, admittedly anti-expert and pro-mob. Science is not democratic. Mathematics doesn't happen by consensus. All opinions are not created equal, which is precisely CONTRARY to wiki is by intent, design, execution, etc.
examples of wiki policies that are dangerous include the "no credentials" proposal and the "conflict of interest" catchall where published scientists are prevented from quoting their own work. So
that's dangerous.
because its dangerous to make stuff up and call it an encyclopedia.
MOD UP THE PARENT. Nothing evenn remotely flamebait about it.
How ironic that he totally saw it coming, criticizing wiki.
that site has gone beyond annoying, beyond misleading, its actually dangerous. Wiki is at the top of just about every google search. The entire storehouse of human knowledge (i.e. the internet) is being hijacked by a media company (google) via the mindless peddling of "consensus" that is wikipedia.
there can be no popular consensus for topics that require a lifetime's study. there is no easy substitute for study. all opinions are not created equal.
amazing, that what, 6 years into wikipedia's existence, that is actually considered a "flamebait" thing to say.
both of the links in the comment are really intelligent.
They have an excellent database, very extensive, and host lots of videos (certainly I haven't been able to think of one that don't have yet)
I think they are major label, too, so probably have worked out whatever licensing kinks there may be.
Point is, this is not a newsworthy item - lots of similar sites exist and have existed for a while.
I'm surprised no one is asking why it is that Verizon should want to limit data. I thought - and I may be wrong - that essentially, the total amount of 3g spectrum that is available (i.e. FCC licensed) for U.S commercial exploitation is finite. Meaning, Verizon can't grow the EVDO customer base indefinitely - they WILL hit their total licensed allocation.
The only way to deal w. this, then, is to do exactly what they are doing. If spectrum is limited, and customers are growing, data must be limited. That's it.
What they are "calling" it - who cares.
I pull in 150GB's monthly on my RoadRunner NO PROBLEM
So it makes sense to me why Wireless broadband gets capped.
I agree - that "short story" was absolutely terrible. I have no idea what he is talking about, with kids hating technology.
Did the moderator who assigned "troll" to this comment RTFA? I doubt it.
$110 is the Midtown Manhattan fee. They vary by neighbourhood, the $65 ticket you got was probably in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.
Ha! yeah i take my moto, too! thats funny - i do the same thing. you have to watch out though - i was doing it in the same neighbourhood, on the same bike for like 2 years and this particular cop (not a meter maid, an actual cop) REALLY got it in for me. :)
i swear, im not making it up! i guess being a chick on a red F4i on Park Ave every day is kinda asking for it.
so. he took to waiting for me in front of my bike, i guess waiting to nab me, rather than keep writing tickets to the vin (which they will do, but it doesn't actually work, as in you won't get the ticket in the mail, and there wont be any record of it)
then, when THAT didnt work (i would just wait him out in the office, always plenty to do w. an extra coupla hours!) he called Emergency Services Unit, and they cut my Forgetaboutit crypto, and took my bike. They did this "under suspicion of criminal activity" which meant i had to go through the DA to get it out of the crime lot. Took about 4 months. Fortunately for me, when this happened I had assumed the bike stolen and bought a new one
God how i hate them! wiggums one and all!!!!
seeing as how tickets have become a major source of NYC's revenue, under billionaire Bloomberg's helm. Funny how NYC local politics are still just that -- local politics, even though we are bigger in size and tax revenue than many of the world's nations.
the city has become ridiculously dependent on parking tickets - at a $110 a pop, with $20 increases every three weeks for late payments, im suprised meter maids aren't murdered in the street by rioting mobs!
some truly amazing things have been happening, like people running out to meters w. a minute to spare to see the meter maid w. the ticket prepared already, just waiting for clock to chime! amazing.
all in all, brilliantly simple. whether or not this system gets adopted i guess depends on what a city's objectives are w. regard to parking meters. If, as in the case of NYC, they are largely traps for motorists, then I don't see this getting much use.
If you were in the same class as me, I would prevent you from using your laptop. I can't think with clicking noises.
It's hard to say exactly where i draw a clear line, but Id definitely say that this is unreasonable. Not to mention, the purpose of *school* is to prepare you for real work, in a real work environment. If you are genuinely unable to *think* when someone near you is using a keyboard, you will find it impossible to get a job.
I work for a consulting firm that provides all types of HR services. We get data on client personnel that includes EVERYTHING: SSN's, addresses, spouse info, dates of birth, EVERYTHING
The article mentions scarce spending on addressing internal security threats: im looking around my office, and there is just nothing you can do! Even if you completely lock down desktops (the latest image was set up as to disable all HW and SW installs), and I personally had an admin pw within days!), there is still email. And loaner laptops.
I hear that this type of complete personal information fetches $10 per record amongst certain unscrupulous Brooklyn programmers.
Come think of it... where DID i put all my floppies?
"Assuming that's all they want, will they give up and go away once they have been reimbursed, or do they also want perverse profits?"
..... ;)
That's exactly the crux of it - notice how we seem to be essentially debating the same question, in all the different contexts of modern economics? Is it ethical for car companies to move manufacturing operations to developing countries to increase profits? Is it ethical to move software development offshore? What level of profit is sufficient to provide enough incentives for our pharmaceutical companies to continue to research new drugs?
Ethics and profits do not mix. Ethics and capitalism do not mix, period, however much Christians like to pretend they do. The base underlying structure of a capitalist economy has no room for ethics. Because logically speaking, all profits are perverse, or none are. It is impossible to logically draw distinctions between reasonable and perverse profits, not in any industry.
Which leaves us with money as the basis for power as the basis for law. Wanna get MPAA off your back, off your screen, out of business? Keep d/l, ripping, burning cause yes, it DOES cut into their bottom line. So less money for them, less power for them.
Property is theft. But those mortgage rates ARE tantalizingly low these days, arent they
Hm. We can quibble over logic. Or.. we can talk substance. ... a crime! They are an entrenched part of a system that, by consigning great numbers of kids to lifetimes of missed opportunities, are commiting a real crime, IMHO. And seeing the whole worthless.
Teachers SUCK! The vast, overwhelming, depressing majority of teachers... suck. They only became teachers after realizing that it was the 1 thing they could safely do with a college degree without admitting that degree was totally useless.
After 16 yrs of school (graduate degree) I can honestly say I have fond memories of maybe... 2 teachers? The rest were vain, ill - informed, bitter and o so very, very resentful of any student showing promise of success!
I hate teachers. For them most part thay are motivated by all the wrong things! They want lots of time off, a short work day, a generous pension and as little responsibility as possible.
In New York City, things are so bad, its like
bunch of them on trial would make my day.
As to where we would be w/o them.... lets see, reading books and learning actual skills out in the world?
Is it at all possible that ny state has some special agreement with Feds about this? I mean... this chick SWEARS she doesn't pay Medicare/ SSI.... And she DOES have an H1!
How strange. I suppose being unable to find actual evidence besides cube mate's adamant insistence... I retract..
prove it. links, plz.
The review reads: "More significantly, H1-B workers, as legal immigrants to the U.S., have the dubious privilege of paying the same taxes as other Americans (and more than most), with a far smaller chance of reaping their benefits." Not sure whether this is a verbatum quote from the book, or just the review's take, but its completely inaccurate. Yes, H1 holders pay income taxes. But no, they don't pay social security or medicare taxes, the rationale being precisely that they are not meant to benefit to reap the awards of these programs (that neither is anyone else under 40 due to the impending collapse of the entire social security system is besides the point for the IRS). This is quite a factual distortion. Also a nice chunck of change! Makes a big difference. Also, from personal experience, most U.S companies with the funds and resources to sponsor H1 visa holders are large enough to have fairly transparent compensation structures. So... I am an actuary, one of the few fields to seriously compete with IT in terms of hiring H1 immigrants. And my cube mate, hired at same time as I was, is earning the same base pay, but ends up with a significantly higher paycheck, due to the decresed tax burden. Fair? Furthermore... I don't know about Indian programmers, but i DO know about chinese actuaries: they have 0 intention or necessity to ever return to China. After 10 yrs or so of H1, they get sponsored by firms for green cards, and get them. And proceed to collect the social secuirty and medicare benefits they did not pay for, but I did. Yes, we desperately need immigrants to fill technical positions that we have the capital, but not the human resources to handle. Somehow along the way, careers in sciences and math lost all appeal to U.S college students. The primary education institutions routinely fail to prepare students for these fields, anyway. So college fills the gaps of High School, and graduate programs are populated by student visa holders from abroad who go on to H1 visas. I like immigrants. I don't like H1. We need these people, there is nothing wrong with having a policy preference for letting in people with certain degrees and ambitions. But let's be honest: give them green cards, let them pay taxes just like everyone else.
With all the frustrations of DSL and sketchy availability of cable (i discovered that even in NYC, in 2004, it is still possible to move to an address not covered by a single broadband option) BPL can still very much find a market.
What I want is fiber optic, goddamnit! That would be the real last mile solution!
And it pi55es me off that so much fiber optic infrastructure is going unused for lack of investment!
Why would anyone still bother with a landline, anyway?
I have not had a landline in like 6 years. I give out my cell number freely, whenever I transact business. Since my area code is 917 (in NY, this is obviously a cell number), I never get telemarketing calls.
Not. Ever.
And I dont miss the landline in the least
my 96 audi gets about 24 miles per gallon. I feel pretty good about myself ;)
You are all so mean and unsympathetic!
It IS possible to cheat and honest person. People tend to build expectations regarding behaviour of others based on how they themselves behave.
An honest person is less likely to suspect dishonesty.
This is how I see your average victim in this scam:
She/he is 70 years old. Gets 1 email (snail mail) per month. Is lonely, getting a bit senile. Does not have anyone they can consult, ask for advice, etc. Maybe used to read the papers, but doesnt anymore. Yes, she/he opens the door to strangers, responds to preposterous solicitations, hands over bank account information. Gee whiz. This could happen to the best of us, in 40-50 years!
I beg to difer on the headphones
I commute on NYC subway daily with a pair of SONY headphones plugged into a DnB ladden 20 gb archos.
I promise 100% outside noise reduction!
Personally quarantee it.
I mean comeon, modernity, 21st century: jet planes, car horns, high speed trains, millions of people packed into tiny geographic areas: cell phones are not a real factor.
someday someone will do a psychological study as to the REAL reason why people hate cellphones so much.
if you are so bothered by conversations taking plance around you, you have 2 options: move to the woods or wear headphones.
i fail to see why a cell phone conversation is any worse or any more inane than an actual one.
I just always think of 1550 as the beginning of Western Music.
I'm sure there were chants, etc. before that, but Monteverdi is pretty much the first composer anyone ever bothers with.
While the article is persuasive enough in arguing that the $4 billion number is a preposterous exaggeration, I can see how the bottom line for these companies is, much like for the movie studios, is driven by *hits*.
They rely on the sales of albums with the really *big* songs for profit.
For your average music consumer, the type that listens to the radio Top 40, the only reason to buy an album is for that latest Eminem hit.
Naturally, once the song is available for free, the reason to buy the album disappears. And so do record company profits.
As much as we like to say that its just a matter of these lazy record companies getting off their butt and changing the business model, the truth of the matter is they are literally on the verge of extinction.
So, they are fighting for their very lives.
The good news is that they will fail.
And the really good news is that music will make a full circle back to the pre-recording days: where the only people to actually make money with music will be virtuoso live performers and composers (see history of music from 1550-1940).
Not distributors, labels, lawyers, radio stations, etc.
ITS AN AWESOME AWESOME MOVIE!
i was lucky enough to see an advanced special screening of it in NYC (part of the AIDS Rockefeller + Diamond Research fundraiser) Hosted by the Captain himself.
And does it ever ROCK!
I can see how TNG has limited appeal. I mean, u gotta actually think to like it, and all. But this is even a great movie taking as a stand alone sci-fi flick. Arguably the best in years.
The problem with these bad reviews in the press is that they are written by people who are not fans of the show who nonetheless feel compelled to consider it "in context".
But just as I could never be trusted to "impartially" review a broadway music (seeing as how I think they are all an insult to taste and human decency), anyone giving this a bad review just cause this is the "10th movie" or whatever, is ridiculous.