Think of a girl (or a guy for that matter, whatever your thing) as a trumpet. You put your mouth here, maybe diddle with your fingers a bit, and the music comes out there.
You're a bit behind the times. High production values no longer need million dollar studios. And it's not a binary choice between recording in a million dollar studio or recording on a cheap cassette 4-track in the garage. No, production values is no longer a record company selling point.
So, what do they really do? They "discover" and "develop" talent, then distribute the musical product that issues forth from that talent. (Maybe talent should be in quotes, too?) A big part of talent development is marketing; The record companies spend big bucks on marketing. Big bucks doesn't even begin to cover it. Astronomical bucks.
And this is the real dilemma for the record companies. This is the elephant in the room that no one in the riaa is talking about. I mean it quite literally when I say dilemma; the record companies are caught between losing their distribution and their marketing. And it's the loss of their marketing monopoly that they aren't talking about. Artists are no longer dependent on them for either distribution or marketing. And without the latter, they're really nothing. They're going to slowly whither, and if not die, then become inconsequential.
This, to me, is why the whole DRM thing is irrelevant. DRM is not going to matter. It's a holding action that is already being flanked.
Incidentally, I didn't bother to argue about whether high production values are important or not. But look at movies (where high production values still cost real money). Do the production values really dictate whether a movie is good or not? (Rhetorical Question)
It's true! It was totally easy to play a vinyl LP in an 8-track deck and vice versa. All that was required was that you heat it in the oven and then fold it into the right form factor (You could use a rolling pin to flatten out an 8-track tape so you could play it on your turntable).
Before the 8-track days, we used to take a potato peeler to my uncle's wax cylinder recordings and then carefully glue them to both sides of 1/4" magnetic tape. If you were really careful, you could get quadraphonic sound on a good reel to reel.
The oil company CEO's have the whole government brainwashed? Or maybe they just give the worlds best blow-jobs?
They don't have to have the whole government brainwashed, just most of the decision makers, i.e., the elected and those that serve at the pleasure of the elected. I don't know about blow jobs, but it's fairly obvious that they are very skilled at reach-arounds.
The big push for ethanol is being lead by both Big Ag and by Big Oil because it requires cash crops and requires big infrastructure. Bio diesel does not require a big infrastructure. It can be done in your backyard and yet can be scaled up as big as you would want to get. Most of the Army's vehicles, including AFVs, MBTs and trucks run on diesel. Not sure about Marine vehicles, but I'd think it'd be similar (outside of aircraft, of course).
I don't know if you've ever read any Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses), but there's this one bit in Blood Meridian where a group of men out scalp hunting runs out of powder and becomes the hunted. They're far enough away from the Apaches they were hunting to run, but not to run very far before they're caught. This one character has them do strange things that takes them on a journey to a cave to collect bat guano, an extinct volcano to collect sulfur, etc. Then they have to pee on the mix and hope it dries in time before the Apaches get to their position. Great little sub plot in a very bloodthirsty book.
What's to research? It's already quite well understood.
Innovative ways to create bio diesel, is what I was thinking. And this sort of hooks into your Napoleon comment above. Imagine if the military were not only not dependent on foreign oil, but could easily, cheaply, and quickly create their own bio d in the field? I'm not saying it's possible (I don't know enough one way or the other), but it would be a huge advance in logistics. And logistics are literally half the battle.
I have a question for you. Am I right in thinking that the term "gas turbine" has nothing to do with gasoline, and is more about what makes the turbine move? So bio diesel could be used in this (and in any other) gas turbine? I'm thinking this must be the case, since the Army does its best to standardize on diesel.
Which makes me wonder (tenuously related to the subject at hand):
Why isn't DoD funding going to bio diesel research? I mean, other than the obvious reason that the government as a whole is in the pockets of the oil industry. Seems to me that less dependence on foreign oil is a major strategic advantage for the military (and by extension, the U.S.).
What a waste, making something more efficient! And finding that, as a result of the method you use to increase efficiency, you get some nice extra functionality. That's madness!
Oh, and one more thing:
That's as far as the 'environmentally friendlyness' goes. And any gas-turbine can be made to use "biomass-produced fuels or hydrogen" which doesn't necessarely have anything to do with 'environmental friendlyness'.
If you had bothered to RTFA, you might have read this part:
Because the plant reuses gases so extensively, the power plant also has very low polluting emissions
So how do you like that, Mr. Smarty-Pants-College-Professor-Communist-Treehugge r? =)
In terms of the Artificial/Natural polarity, that's a non sequitur.
If everything is "Natural", then nothing is "Artificial" and we may as well dispense with the word and concept of "Natural". To say that everything is "Natural" negates the term "Natural". The word "Nature" ceases to have meaning, to signify anything. It becomes an empty signifier.
At that point my Apple Confidante's phone went dead. Shaking, I heard the dial tone. Fearing for her life, I called back, only to hear a busy signal.
Well, if she was calling from an undisclosed location, my bet is that Dick Cheney needed to use the phone. In that case, the only remaining question is, did he shoot her in the face to get her to drop the phone?
That's 99% a given. I usually disdain rumor reporting, but this article was pretty realistic in terms of what we'll see on Monday, what we'll see in January, and the more iffy skunkworks stuff that might or might not ever see the light of day.
Very little was said about software. Front row, iChat, a movie store (if you want to count that as software). Hard to tell if we'll see anything earth-shattering in these or other areas.
Wifi for the iPod? Will Taco finally get his wish? I know lots of people want this, but is any functionality it offers going to be worth the hit on battery life? Maybe wifi in the dock? But then, why?
The most interesting thing about the blu ray discussion was the line up of blu ray allies. This isn't secret info being divulged for the first time, but I always find it fascinating the alliances that get built up over certain technologies among companies that are sworn enemies (or at least competitors) in other areas. And you have to wonder about the over all give and take between these companies. Does Sony give up anything in any other areas to get support from Apple for blu ray? Or is this all about fighting MS? Oh, to be a zipper on the wall at some of these meetings.
Because to talk and communicate we have to use words, and words have generally agreed upon meanings. If you try to substitute the opposite meaning for the word, you bring confusion to the communication, in effect negating it.
Natural/Artificial is a polarity. As such, it is also a human construct. Nowhere outside of the mind of man does the semantically constructed polarity of Natural/Artificial exist. So, the difference between the Natural and the Artificial is an artificial one.
I guess what I'm saying is that you can either use language to describe something or you can't describe it.
Again, this is where the comparisons with Enron are dubious. When the shit started hitting the fan at Enron, there was a cover up. Skilling and Lay each personally committed fraud in lying to investors and employees about the state of the company. There was no downplaying. There was outright deception. And to his dying day, Ken Lay insisted that there was nothing fraudulent with what he or Enron did, that it was a conspiracy of short-sellers and the financial media that destroyed Enron. Oh, and a rogue employee (Fastow).
I'll agree that we see a lot of knee jerk responses and defensive posturing by Mac Fanatics on stories like these. But in this story I think it's justified. In another recent story, on the wifi hack, it's a lot less justified (even though the problem there isn't limited to Apple). Hell, if you read through the comments there, you might see a few of mine that make fun of my fellow Mac Fanatics. And that were modded Troll. =P
I'm not sure if it's so much a double standard as it is a matter of disproportion. MS has a much higher market share of hate here on slashdot. Not surprising, given it's market share on operating systems and office suite software. Apple's recent resurgence and success has brought it an increase in hate, although there were always those that just couldn't stand the company anyway.
Anyway, I appreciate your even tone and your lack of exaggeration. I agree with you, there is something wrong at Apple. It appears that they're acknowledging it and determined to fix it. The problem isn't trivial, but I don't think it's going to break the company or get Jobs fired, either.
Slashdot Mirror
what was the head of business development doing at the annual National Association of Recording Merchandisers conference? Sounds kinda shifty to me.
Uh, he was asked to speak at the conference?
Seeing as how their company motto is "don't be whack", it must be good. =)
(You're killin' me, Larry!)
Think of a girl (or a guy for that matter, whatever your thing) as a trumpet. You put your mouth here, maybe diddle with your fingers a bit, and the music comes out there.
You're a bit behind the times. High production values no longer need million dollar studios. And it's not a binary choice between recording in a million dollar studio or recording on a cheap cassette 4-track in the garage. No, production values is no longer a record company selling point.
So, what do they really do? They "discover" and "develop" talent, then distribute the musical product that issues forth from that talent. (Maybe talent should be in quotes, too?) A big part of talent development is marketing; The record companies spend big bucks on marketing. Big bucks doesn't even begin to cover it. Astronomical bucks.
And this is the real dilemma for the record companies. This is the elephant in the room that no one in the riaa is talking about. I mean it quite literally when I say dilemma; the record companies are caught between losing their distribution and their marketing. And it's the loss of their marketing monopoly that they aren't talking about. Artists are no longer dependent on them for either distribution or marketing. And without the latter, they're really nothing. They're going to slowly whither, and if not die, then become inconsequential.
This, to me, is why the whole DRM thing is irrelevant. DRM is not going to matter. It's a holding action that is already being flanked.
Incidentally, I didn't bother to argue about whether high production values are important or not. But look at movies (where high production values still cost real money). Do the production values really dictate whether a movie is good or not? (Rhetorical Question)
It's true! It was totally easy to play a vinyl LP in an 8-track deck and vice versa. All that was required was that you heat it in the oven and then fold it into the right form factor (You could use a rolling pin to flatten out an 8-track tape so you could play it on your turntable).
Before the 8-track days, we used to take a potato peeler to my uncle's wax cylinder recordings and then carefully glue them to both sides of 1/4" magnetic tape. If you were really careful, you could get quadraphonic sound on a good reel to reel.
The oil company CEO's have the whole government brainwashed? Or maybe they just give the worlds best blow-jobs?
They don't have to have the whole government brainwashed, just most of the decision makers, i.e., the elected and those that serve at the pleasure of the elected. I don't know about blow jobs, but it's fairly obvious that they are very skilled at reach-arounds.
Your naivete is astonishing.
The big push for ethanol is being lead by both Big Ag and by Big Oil because it requires cash crops and requires big infrastructure. Bio diesel does not require a big infrastructure. It can be done in your backyard and yet can be scaled up as big as you would want to get. Most of the Army's vehicles, including AFVs, MBTs and trucks run on diesel. Not sure about Marine vehicles, but I'd think it'd be similar (outside of aircraft, of course).
I don't know if you've ever read any Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses), but there's this one bit in Blood Meridian where a group of men out scalp hunting runs out of powder and becomes the hunted. They're far enough away from the Apaches they were hunting to run, but not to run very far before they're caught. This one character has them do strange things that takes them on a journey to a cave to collect bat guano, an extinct volcano to collect sulfur, etc. Then they have to pee on the mix and hope it dries in time before the Apaches get to their position. Great little sub plot in a very bloodthirsty book.
What's to research? It's already quite well understood.
Innovative ways to create bio diesel, is what I was thinking. And this sort of hooks into your Napoleon comment above. Imagine if the military were not only not dependent on foreign oil, but could easily, cheaply, and quickly create their own bio d in the field? I'm not saying it's possible (I don't know enough one way or the other), but it would be a huge advance in logistics. And logistics are literally half the battle.
Is this part of that whole "meat as condiment" thing?
Oh, and sorry about calling you K-dog. I'm getting in touch with my inner Food Court Gangsta.
Yo, K-dog! =)
I have a question for you. Am I right in thinking that the term "gas turbine" has nothing to do with gasoline, and is more about what makes the turbine move? So bio diesel could be used in this (and in any other) gas turbine? I'm thinking this must be the case, since the Army does its best to standardize on diesel.
Which makes me wonder (tenuously related to the subject at hand):
Why isn't DoD funding going to bio diesel research? I mean, other than the obvious reason that the government as a whole is in the pockets of the oil industry. Seems to me that less dependence on foreign oil is a major strategic advantage for the military (and by extension, the U.S.).
Oh, and one more thing:
If you had bothered to RTFA, you might have read this part:
So how do you like that, Mr. Smarty-Pants-College-Professor-Communist-Treehugg
In terms of the Artificial/Natural polarity, that's a non sequitur.
If everything is "Natural", then nothing is "Artificial" and we may as well dispense with the word and concept of "Natural". To say that everything is "Natural" negates the term "Natural". The word "Nature" ceases to have meaning, to signify anything. It becomes an empty signifier.
Well, if she was calling from an undisclosed location, my bet is that Dick Cheney needed to use the phone. In that case, the only remaining question is, did he shoot her in the face to get her to drop the phone?
Let's run that one up the flag pole, and see who keeps their eye on the ball!
That's 99% a given. I usually disdain rumor reporting, but this article was pretty realistic in terms of what we'll see on Monday, what we'll see in January, and the more iffy skunkworks stuff that might or might not ever see the light of day.
Very little was said about software. Front row, iChat, a movie store (if you want to count that as software). Hard to tell if we'll see anything earth-shattering in these or other areas.
Wifi for the iPod? Will Taco finally get his wish? I know lots of people want this, but is any functionality it offers going to be worth the hit on battery life? Maybe wifi in the dock? But then, why?
The most interesting thing about the blu ray discussion was the line up of blu ray allies. This isn't secret info being divulged for the first time, but I always find it fascinating the alliances that get built up over certain technologies among companies that are sworn enemies (or at least competitors) in other areas. And you have to wonder about the over all give and take between these companies. Does Sony give up anything in any other areas to get support from Apple for blu ray? Or is this all about fighting MS? Oh, to be a zipper on the wall at some of these meetings.
People are taunting science? Will these fiends stop at nothing?
When was the last time you put a trunk in your car's trunk? Or even a torso? And why don't cars have a place I can keep my boots?
Frankly, I think most cars could use a sock drawer, as well.
Because to talk and communicate we have to use words, and words have generally agreed upon meanings. If you try to substitute the opposite meaning for the word, you bring confusion to the communication, in effect negating it.
Natural/Artificial is a polarity. As such, it is also a human construct. Nowhere outside of the mind of man does the semantically constructed polarity of Natural/Artificial exist. So, the difference between the Natural and the Artificial is an artificial one.
I guess what I'm saying is that you can either use language to describe something or you can't describe it.
You're falling into a semantic pot hole:
Man is natural. Therefore, anything manmade is natural, not artificial.
Here, try this as an antidote:
By definition, anything manmade is artificial. Anything not man made is natural. Man did not create himself, therefore man is natural.
Again, this is where the comparisons with Enron are dubious. When the shit started hitting the fan at Enron, there was a cover up. Skilling and Lay each personally committed fraud in lying to investors and employees about the state of the company. There was no downplaying. There was outright deception. And to his dying day, Ken Lay insisted that there was nothing fraudulent with what he or Enron did, that it was a conspiracy of short-sellers and the financial media that destroyed Enron. Oh, and a rogue employee (Fastow).
I'll agree that we see a lot of knee jerk responses and defensive posturing by Mac Fanatics on stories like these. But in this story I think it's justified. In another recent story, on the wifi hack, it's a lot less justified (even though the problem there isn't limited to Apple). Hell, if you read through the comments there, you might see a few of mine that make fun of my fellow Mac Fanatics. And that were modded Troll. =P
I'm not sure if it's so much a double standard as it is a matter of disproportion. MS has a much higher market share of hate here on slashdot. Not surprising, given it's market share on operating systems and office suite software. Apple's recent resurgence and success has brought it an increase in hate, although there were always those that just couldn't stand the company anyway.
Anyway, I appreciate your even tone and your lack of exaggeration. I agree with you, there is something wrong at Apple. It appears that they're acknowledging it and determined to fix it. The problem isn't trivial, but I don't think it's going to break the company or get Jobs fired, either.
I just want to find out where location A and location B are. Apparently food and clothing are both included in the rent.
I don't care how fat both of you are. It's just misleading to call yourselves a "large population".
Joke! Don't kill me! Please!
So, you're predicting that Paul Thurrot will be appointed Director of NASA sometime in the next year? =)