Though they were stuck to the pavement, they too could be lifted off fairly easily.
And that is what the Grand Central Partnership set out to do yesterday afternoon as it confronted butterfly decals on some of the special pink granite sidewalks it has installed at 172 intersections... These include curb cuts for the disabled.
"Anything that impairs the ability of someone to move on those accessible corners is a concern,"
Just how thick are these stickers? Are they like those Roadrunner/Wile E Coyote holes you can pick up and move around?
Maybe that's where the skating butterfiles came from - people in wheelchairs were metamorphosed by falling into the stickers. "Yes, I once was like a caterpillar, crawling around town in my wheelchair, but now I can fly thanks to MSN!".
Hmmm...could be used as the next "switch" campaign. "Using AOL I wasn't ambulatory, but now with MSN..."
Their website has a lot of information on what it's done, and I must say, the foundation rocks. Click on the "Grants" link for a graph of grants given. $5.5B. That's a lot of mo... In 2001 (from the annual report), "...we gave over $1 billion in grants in support of more than 2,050 grantees." You may hate the company, but that monopoly is doing some good somewhere!
If you look at the items, they seem to all be authorized products. Including the bootleg jeans, yee haw. Ebay probably considers the Paul McCartney LP (that's what music came on before CDs, kids) old enough to be an antique (20 years is a long time for those young 'uns at ebay)
...to ask about contributing to a defense fund (after reading about this on/. a few days ago). Here's what they had to say:
Thanks for your support. We are currently in the process of setting up the Group Defense and the PANIP Group Defense Fund. We hope to have it set up by the end of this week giving people a chance to contribute online through a PayPal account. The response has been very encouraging.
Stay tuned in and help us spread the word. PANIP thought they could extort money from small businesses without them making much noise. They were wrong.
I'll also pick up some chocolates for my wife at their site...that way I can help their business and score some points with the bride at the same time. Double bonus!
- "I do know one thing: If a record executive says he will make me more money, I'd immediately protect my wallet."
She paints the entire industry (or at least one class of employee) with a broad brush. While this lets the reader know her point of view it's certainly not accurate. If record executives are as bad as she implies then things would change, either from a company (a company that doesn't screw artists suddenly gets all the artists and does great) or from an artist (deep pocketed artist remembers how it was back in the day, sets up company that doesn't screw artists). I'm always suspicious of people that say "all of X is evil", yet X continues to thrive.
- (regarding RIAA's attempt to stop file sharing) "Attacking your own customers because they want to learn more about your products is a bizarre business strategy"
I find this rather disingenuous. People aren't sharing files to "learn more about" the product. Amazon.com offers brief samples of music. Music reviews abound. Public libraries lend for free. She's spinning the facts to support her contention.
- "On the first day I posted downloadable music, my merchandise sales tripled"
It is highly unlikely that those patronizing her merchandise area are of the same demographic as those downloading Eminem's latest album or listen to WHFS, for example, so her experience cannot be applied across the board. Note that she says "merchandise" and not "music" or "cds" or "albums". Generally speaking, hats are harder to make free unlimited exact copies of.
-"After 37 years as a recording artist, when people write to tell me that they came to my concert because they downloaded a song and got curious, I am thrilled."
So P2P has done for her what "Nick At Nite" has done for old tv shows. I'm sure Barry Williams (aka Greg Brady) is thrilled every time someone asks for his autograph or invites him to be on Fear Factor, Celebrity Bootcamp, Weakest Link, Celebrity Boxing...
- "Many artists now benefit greatly from the free-download systems the RIAA seeks to destroy. These musicians, especially those without a major-label contract, can reach millions of new listeners with a downloadable song..."
Those unknown artists don't need p2p for that - they just need a website and perhaps some mirrors, if they're popular enough. P2P doesn't provide exposure, it provides access. No one is going to search for your music if they've never heard of you. The bands need to be smart and get the word out themselves, through the web and online communities, for example. P2P is not some magic marketing engine.
- "But I do object to the industry spin that it is doing all this to protect artists. It is not protecting us; it is protecting itself."
Of course it is protecting itself. But it is also protecting you, for you are the product, and without the product there is nothing. The ability to make free unlimited duplicates of the product devalues that product.
- "I want us to work together -- industry leaders, musicians, songwriters and consumers -- to make technology work for all of us"
That's nice. I want world peace. But what are you doing about it?
...her 9 Grammys hardly qualify her as an expert in this area. They qualify her as a musician but it doesn't mean she has some great insight into the business end of the industry.
Now, if she had started and run a successful indie label then I'd take her comments more seriously. Good that the submitter found a way to plug his writings though.
Silly comments aside, there are two things that must be balanced, the rights of the copyright holder/content producer and the rights of the consumer.
If the copyright holder/content producer is not protected then the incentive to produce and innovate is greatly reduced. Bills need to be paid, families fed, etc. Those things happen when the commodity (content) is paid for. (e.g. how does RMS eat? He must expect to get paid for some things and I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate it if I collected his assorted writings and published them without recompense to him)
On the other hand, the consumer has certain rights granted when the content is acquired. People must be vigilant to ensure those rights aren't abridged.
RMS needs to moderate himself and find a workable solution in the middle. He smacked of Chicken Little when he started on the treacherous computing and MS Word thing. First they get you with the file format, then next thing you know, "You might be unable to read [your writing] yourself." Yes, there's a good business model for word processor sales - a write only word processor.
That's just one example where his extremism will turn people off. This isn't about black vs white - everyone needs to win here. He certainly sees himself on the moral high ground but what is really needed is a solution for the masses. If he isn't working towards that solution then he is part of the problem, and he'll soon be regarded like that guy found on every college campus, the one standing on some steps somewhere ranting or preaching or something.
If you only have 10 questions to burn, why waste them on rehashing old news?
If you want to know about the seeded junkyard, you can read not only Llewellyn's page but also the TLC message boards (teams will post there) as well as searching google for team after-action reports.
BTW, I know how to use google and other search engines as well. Get to screaming, coward.
It usually goes like this: little head decides to take some action that big head later decides wasn't such a good thing to do.
Fortunately I've invested in a logic synchronization device, which I like to call "wife". Wife now keeps little head from failing to sync with big head through availability (not use) of tools "alimony", "child support", and "knife" (aka "I'll chop that damn thing off while you sleep!")
Blame the real culprit...the nefarious marketing hack Don Funk (donfu@microsoft.com). Here's an image from that ad. Note the name of the user who is logged on.
Valerie may have written the copy but do you think she got the stock image, drove to Microsoft, got on Don Funk's computer, took a screen shot, then uploaded it to the server? Perhaps she just made a "Don Funk" user on her machine and hacked into the MS web site.
Ah well, Ballmer's on the case - "I will certainly castigate the offender." Ooh, I never thought they'd go for castigation at MS...after all, that would leave them with eunuchs.
Unlimited movies (I can have 3 out at a time), no late charges, postage paid return mailer, $20/month. Even cheaper if you can find a deal (I was offered a lower rate in exchange for agreeing to a specific period of membership).
I'm close to a Netflix distribution center so if drop off at USPS I'll get a new movie in 2-3 days.
Both the theaters and Blockbuster should be scared of Netflix.
> The US did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for Australia in
>WW2. Not one damn thing. In fact, if it weren't
>for Australia, you would never have defeated Japan.
Is that what they're teaching in Australian schools these days? The statement that the US did nothing for Australia is 100% wrong. I won't deny Australia was a valuable ally, but vital? Don't know about that. Anyway, here are items for your further research:
- "Battle for Australia" - Australian forces fail to stop Japan's advance. Prime Minister Curtin asks US for help. link
- Battle of Coral Sea. Japan wants to invade Australia, must take Port Moresby (an Australian air base) first. US stops Japan (also in above link). link
- Aircraft operated by Australia in WWII. How many are of Australian design and manufacture and how many are from the US and UK? link
Hey, I'm with you, and not just because I'm a soldier. Though maybe that has something to do with it...I'll bet the majority of people complaining about possible encroachments on privacy or freedoms have always enjoy their lifestyles without a thought as to how things got to be the way they are. Perhaps those who have served their country appreciate the cost of those freedoms. As the old saying goes, freedom ain't free.
Can't be too proud if you're posting anonymously. Well, despite you I'm still proud the US saved your ass from invasion in WWII
Oh yeah, Foster's sucks and I hope the dingo eats your baby. Ok, I don't really hope that. Now send back all the tourist money the US has spent there. Just PayPal it to me.
They're getting on my last nerve. So the government wants to packet sniff. Big deal! The authorities just want to do legally what others can do illegally.
What expectation of privacy is there when one hits "send" and sends a bunch of data...where? Who knows, as long as it gets there. That's how the Internet was built. If bad guys want privacy then there are plenty of free tools they can use. And if you're not doing anything bad, what the hell do you care if your packets are intercepted? Afraid the FBI is going to tell your wife you're looking at chickswithdicks.com late at night?
I'm as much for freedom as the next guy...I spent 10+ years in the Air Force and I'm now in the AF Reserves. Why? Cool blue polyester? A couple hundred days in Saudi Arabia wearing the same tan shit day in and day out? No, to support and defend the Constitution, etc etc. So if the government needs a little more power to keep tabs on the bad guys, that's fine by me. In case you haven't noticed, ALCU, there's some wicked stuff going on right in your backyard!
And please, spare me the "this chain of bondage was forged link by link, and you didn't care as each link was slowly added...until it was too late!" I think Mr. Sniper (who's running around the area where I work) has taken away far more freedoms than the government has or will. Kids not playing outside? People ducking while they pump gas and running into stores, zig zagging? But yes, let's oppose efforts to catch the perp.
So, ALCU, to sum up, take your $3.5 million and buy some school breakfasts or lunches for hungry kids, build some shelters for battered women. That would do more for civil liberties than your defending the freedoms of bad guys at the expense of my safety!
Wow, that really went in a different direction than I intended. Well, back to work. Go on, nothing to see here. I'm done now.
Get the Phoenix dev team to install a dozen or so webcams in their respective work areas. This way, interested parties can keep up on the progress in real time and Slashdot won't have to post such frequent updates.
Besides, those who love the software so much will find it's much more satisfying to masturbate to pictures than it is to Slashdot news bites... "ohhh...look at him rework the rendering engine...mmmm...that's some sweet codin'...I'd love to have private access to that member function"
[I have now grossed myself out with that last bit]
"Let's see, have to do some work now. Hey, is it hot in here or is it just me? Wow, my desk is getting hot! Hey, what gives?" [phoom!]* "oh, the humanity!!!!"
*phoom = sound wooden desk makes when it bursts into flames
She was probably using Mac OS 8 or 9. That thing was well beyond its useful life. XP is actually pretty good, and certainly much better than Mac OS 9. Making that switch makes perfect sense.
Had she been using OS X, well, that's a different story. That OS rocks and it would truly be suspicious if she jumped from OS X to XP.
Slashdot Mirror
Though they were stuck to the pavement, they too could be lifted off fairly easily.
And that is what the Grand Central Partnership set out to do yesterday afternoon as it confronted butterfly decals on some of the special pink granite sidewalks it has installed at 172 intersections... These include curb cuts for the disabled.
"Anything that impairs the ability of someone to move on those accessible corners is a concern,"
Just how thick are these stickers? Are they like those Roadrunner/Wile E Coyote holes you can pick up and move around?
Maybe that's where the skating butterfiles came from - people in wheelchairs were metamorphosed by falling into the stickers. "Yes, I once was like a caterpillar, crawling around town in my wheelchair, but now I can fly thanks to MSN!".
Hmmm...could be used as the next "switch" campaign. "Using AOL I wasn't ambulatory, but now with MSN..."
He also says on his site, "To have the right to play the game, you should own an Adventure cartridge."
Their website has a lot of information on what it's done, and I must say, the foundation rocks. Click on the "Grants" link for a graph of grants given. $5.5B. That's a lot of mo... In 2001 (from the annual report), "...we gave over $1 billion in grants in support of more than 2,050 grantees." You may hate the company, but that monopoly is doing some good somewhere!
Here's more about the grant to Maine.
If you look at the items, they seem to all be authorized products. Including the bootleg jeans, yee haw. Ebay probably considers the Paul McCartney LP (that's what music came on before CDs, kids) old enough to be an antique (20 years is a long time for those young 'uns at ebay)
You're correct. Consider the length of time the original male-female coupling system has been around...
...to ask about contributing to a defense fund (after reading about this on /. a few days ago). Here's what they had to say:
Thanks for your support. We are currently in the process of setting up the Group Defense and the PANIP Group Defense Fund. We hope to have it set up by the end of this week giving people a chance to contribute online through a PayPal account. The response has been very encouraging.
Stay tuned in and help us spread the word. PANIP thought they could extort money from small businesses without them making much noise. They were wrong.
Timothy Beere
DeBrand Fine Chocolates
http://www.debrand.com
http://www.youmaybenext.com
I'll also pick up some chocolates for my wife at their site...that way I can help their business and score some points with the bride at the same time. Double bonus!
Very well...
- "I do know one thing: If a record executive says he will make me more money, I'd immediately protect my wallet."
She paints the entire industry (or at least one class of employee) with a broad brush. While this lets the reader know her point of view it's certainly not accurate. If record executives are as bad as she implies then things would change, either from a company (a company that doesn't screw artists suddenly gets all the artists and does great) or from an artist (deep pocketed artist remembers how it was back in the day, sets up company that doesn't screw artists). I'm always suspicious of people that say "all of X is evil", yet X continues to thrive.
- (regarding RIAA's attempt to stop file sharing) "Attacking your own customers because they want to learn more about your products is a bizarre business strategy"
I find this rather disingenuous. People aren't sharing files to "learn more about" the product. Amazon.com offers brief samples of music. Music reviews abound. Public libraries lend for free. She's spinning the facts to support her contention.
- "On the first day I posted downloadable music, my merchandise sales tripled"
It is highly unlikely that those patronizing her merchandise area are of the same demographic as those downloading Eminem's latest album or listen to WHFS, for example, so her experience cannot be applied across the board. Note that she says "merchandise" and not "music" or "cds" or "albums". Generally speaking, hats are harder to make free unlimited exact copies of.
-"After 37 years as a recording artist, when people write to tell me that they came to my concert because they downloaded a song and got curious, I am thrilled."
So P2P has done for her what "Nick At Nite" has done for old tv shows. I'm sure Barry Williams (aka Greg Brady) is thrilled every time someone asks for his autograph or invites him to be on Fear Factor, Celebrity Bootcamp, Weakest Link, Celebrity Boxing...
- "Many artists now benefit greatly from the free-download systems the RIAA seeks to destroy. These musicians, especially those without a major-label contract, can reach millions of new listeners with a downloadable song..."
Those unknown artists don't need p2p for that - they just need a website and perhaps some mirrors, if they're popular enough. P2P doesn't provide exposure, it provides access. No one is going to search for your music if they've never heard of you. The bands need to be smart and get the word out themselves, through the web and online communities, for example. P2P is not some magic marketing engine.
- "But I do object to the industry spin that it is doing all this to protect artists. It is not protecting us; it is protecting itself."
Of course it is protecting itself. But it is also protecting you, for you are the product, and without the product there is nothing. The ability to make free unlimited duplicates of the product devalues that product.
- "I want us to work together -- industry leaders, musicians, songwriters and consumers -- to make technology work for all of us"
That's nice. I want world peace. But what are you doing about it?
...her 9 Grammys hardly qualify her as an expert in this area. They qualify her as a musician but it doesn't mean she has some great insight into the business end of the industry.
Now, if she had started and run a successful indie label then I'd take her comments more seriously. Good that the submitter found a way to plug his writings though.
How does he eat? Open source food (aka foraging)?
Silly comments aside, there are two things that must be balanced, the rights of the copyright holder/content producer and the rights of the consumer.
If the copyright holder/content producer is not protected then the incentive to produce and innovate is greatly reduced. Bills need to be paid, families fed, etc. Those things happen when the commodity (content) is paid for. (e.g. how does RMS eat? He must expect to get paid for some things and I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate it if I collected his assorted writings and published them without recompense to him)
On the other hand, the consumer has certain rights granted when the content is acquired. People must be vigilant to ensure those rights aren't abridged.
RMS needs to moderate himself and find a workable solution in the middle. He smacked of Chicken Little when he started on the treacherous computing and MS Word thing. First they get you with the file format, then next thing you know, "You might be unable to read [your writing] yourself." Yes, there's a good business model for word processor sales - a write only word processor.
That's just one example where his extremism will turn people off. This isn't about black vs white - everyone needs to win here. He certainly sees himself on the moral high ground but what is really needed is a solution for the masses. If he isn't working towards that solution then he is part of the problem, and he'll soon be regarded like that guy found on every college campus, the one standing on some steps somewhere ranting or preaching or something.
Looking at the cache, I think they are now this site.
If you only have 10 questions to burn, why waste them on rehashing old news?
If you want to know about the seeded junkyard, you can read not only Llewellyn's page but also the TLC message boards (teams will post there) as well as searching google for team after-action reports.
BTW, I know how to use google and other search engines as well. Get to screaming, coward.
Once again, the answer exists for those that wish to find...
Can no one find their own answers any more?
Robert Llewellyn explains.
That lame post got modded up? You're going to waste her time with that question? Learn to do your own basic research...geez...
Junkyard Wars
Full Metal Challenge
and it doesn't work all that great.
It usually goes like this: little head decides to take some action that big head later decides wasn't such a good thing to do.
Fortunately I've invested in a logic synchronization device, which I like to call "wife". Wife now keeps little head from failing to sync with big head through availability (not use) of tools "alimony", "child support", and "knife" (aka "I'll chop that damn thing off while you sleep!")
Blame the real culprit...the nefarious marketing hack Don Funk (donfu@microsoft.com). Here's an image from that ad. Note the name of the user who is logged on.
Valerie may have written the copy but do you think she got the stock image, drove to Microsoft, got on Don Funk's computer, took a screen shot, then uploaded it to the server? Perhaps she just made a "Don Funk" user on her machine and hacked into the MS web site.
Ah well, Ballmer's on the case - "I will certainly castigate the offender." Ooh, I never thought they'd go for castigation at MS...after all, that would leave them with eunuchs.
Netflix
Ok, maybe that's one word...
Unlimited movies (I can have 3 out at a time), no late charges, postage paid return mailer, $20/month. Even cheaper if you can find a deal (I was offered a lower rate in exchange for agreeing to a specific period of membership).
I'm close to a Netflix distribution center so if drop off at USPS I'll get a new movie in 2-3 days.
Both the theaters and Blockbuster should be scared of Netflix.
> The US did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for Australia in
>WW2. Not one damn thing. In fact, if it weren't
>for Australia, you would never have defeated Japan.
Is that what they're teaching in Australian schools these days? The statement that the US did nothing for Australia is 100% wrong. I won't deny Australia was a valuable ally, but vital? Don't know about that. Anyway, here are items for your further research:
- "Battle for Australia" - Australian forces fail to stop Japan's advance. Prime Minister Curtin asks US for help. link
- Battle of Coral Sea. Japan wants to invade Australia, must take Port Moresby (an Australian air base) first. US stops Japan (also in above link). link
- Aircraft operated by Australia in WWII. How many are of Australian design and manufacture and how many are from the US and UK? link
Thanks for playing.
Hey, I'm with you, and not just because I'm a soldier. Though maybe that has something to do with it...I'll bet the majority of people complaining about possible encroachments on privacy or freedoms have always enjoy their lifestyles without a thought as to how things got to be the way they are. Perhaps those who have served their country appreciate the cost of those freedoms. As the old saying goes, freedom ain't free.
Can't be too proud if you're posting anonymously. Well, despite you I'm still proud the US saved your ass from invasion in WWII
Oh yeah, Foster's sucks and I hope the dingo eats your baby. Ok, I don't really hope that. Now send back all the tourist money the US has spent there. Just PayPal it to me.
They're getting on my last nerve. So the government wants to packet sniff. Big deal! The authorities just want to do legally what others can do illegally.
What expectation of privacy is there when one hits "send" and sends a bunch of data...where? Who knows, as long as it gets there. That's how the Internet was built. If bad guys want privacy then there are plenty of free tools they can use. And if you're not doing anything bad, what the hell do you care if your packets are intercepted? Afraid the FBI is going to tell your wife you're looking at chickswithdicks.com late at night?
I'm as much for freedom as the next guy...I spent 10+ years in the Air Force and I'm now in the AF Reserves. Why? Cool blue polyester? A couple hundred days in Saudi Arabia wearing the same tan shit day in and day out? No, to support and defend the Constitution, etc etc. So if the government needs a little more power to keep tabs on the bad guys, that's fine by me. In case you haven't noticed, ALCU, there's some wicked stuff going on right in your backyard!
And please, spare me the "this chain of bondage was forged link by link, and you didn't care as each link was slowly added...until it was too late!" I think Mr. Sniper (who's running around the area where I work) has taken away far more freedoms than the government has or will. Kids not playing outside? People ducking while they pump gas and running into stores, zig zagging? But yes, let's oppose efforts to catch the perp.
So, ALCU, to sum up, take your $3.5 million and buy some school breakfasts or lunches for hungry kids, build some shelters for battered women. That would do more for civil liberties than your defending the freedoms of bad guys at the expense of my safety!
Wow, that really went in a different direction than I intended. Well, back to work. Go on, nothing to see here. I'm done now.
Get the Phoenix dev team to install a dozen or so webcams in their respective work areas. This way, interested parties can keep up on the progress in real time and Slashdot won't have to post such frequent updates.
Besides, those who love the software so much will find it's much more satisfying to masturbate to pictures than it is to Slashdot news bites... "ohhh...look at him rework the rendering engine...mmmm...that's some sweet codin'...I'd love to have private access to that member function"
[I have now grossed myself out with that last bit]
"Let's see, have to do some work now. Hey, is it hot in here or is it just me? Wow, my desk is getting hot! Hey, what gives?" [phoom!]* "oh, the humanity!!!!"
*phoom = sound wooden desk makes when it bursts into flames
logo
True racial harmony and integration, ©2002 Microsoft.
I'd like to know who owns the ashen gray hand and the pink hand on the bottom with a brown thumb. I searched over at Getty Images without success.
She was probably using Mac OS 8 or 9. That thing was well beyond its useful life. XP is actually pretty good, and certainly much better than Mac OS 9. Making that switch makes perfect sense.
Had she been using OS X, well, that's a different story. That OS rocks and it would truly be suspicious if she jumped from OS X to XP.