Police Tuesday arrested a local man at a Bank of America branch. Jack Valenti, 46, was charged with assault and attempted robbery for beating the bank president with a spindle of blank CDRs and attempting to take cash from the teller's drawer. According to the teller, Mr. Valenti became upset when he was informed that, due to a computer error, his account had been closed. Due to recent changes in the bank's policies, the IT staff ceased making backups of the bank's data. When asked about the policy change, the IT manager, who appeared to be choking back laughter, said, "We recently changed our backup policies in light of statements made by Mr. Valenti himself that digital information was timeless and, therefore, did not need backed up. The bank president read that interview and told us he could no longer justify the cost of daily tape backups."
Mr. Valenti is being held on $50,000 bond. His lawyer declined our request for an interview. In similar news, the RIAA has filed suit agains Bank of America for copyright violations. When asked what evidence prompted the suit, a spokesdemon replied, "They had CDRs, didn't they? What more evidence do you need?"
Seriously, have you ever thought about working to change society instead of just making fun of it? You've shown you have a keen sense of what is important (boogers and sex), what is wrong (kids on planes), and how to fix it (buy random parts from appliance store). I'd vote for you.
The uncondensed sig, in honor of Dave: "I'm sorry, John, but my time is precious to me, and frankly I would rather have my appendix removed by baboons wielding unsterilized tuna-can lids than spend so much as five minutes listening to you and Elaine as you once again describe, item by item, in intricate detail, the late-night buffet on the cruise you took in 1983." -- Dave Barry
In your articles, changing the names to protect the innocent doesn't seem to be a concern. Has this ever caused legal problems or tension with your friends? For example, do your neighbors Steele and Bobbette ever share any interesting anecdotes about running into Dave Barry fans? Thanks for taking the time to answer.
-----
My favorite sig: "...I'd rather have my appendix removed by baboons weilding unsterilized tuna can lids..." -- Dave Barry
They asked me to run this utility they had (don't remember name, sorry), and send them back the text file results. I did so, they sent me a new battery (under warranty), haven't had a problem since. We have several (hundreds) of these 600's and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary...just your average bad battery, bad LCD, etc. in the regular quantities.
Could it be that certain "lots" of batteries or laptops were bad? We have upgraded most of these to the T23 model, so I don't have one handy to check manufacture dates. Perhaps someone else who has had little or no problems can give you some dates.
-----
Am I the only one who thinks Tux is as creepy as the clown on Poltergeist?
Advertisements _as_ games
on
Advergames
·
· Score: 1
Actually, one of my favorite games as a teenager was the 7UP dot game. It was basically Othello, but had cool dancing "Spot" who would break dance and shuffle his way around the board. Not very difficult, but an entertaining twist on an old strategy game.
When a new game comes out based on a major motion picture at the same time the movie is released--is this advertising for the film, or the game-maker capitalizing on the film's success?
"Slap a turkey neck and it's hanging from a pigeon wing...get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve...shave your face with some mace in the dark" -- Beck's "Loser", the 90s version of "Blinded By The Light".
Hairspray is for girls
on
Potato Bazookas
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Hairspray is for wimps...real men use compressed air. Compressed air is much more powerful, you don't have the legal ramifications of using an explosive, and it's cheaper than hairspray. It takes a little more work to get it air-tight, and you have to buy a thicker PVC pipe, but the results are worth the extra effort.
What does the cost of producing a record have to do with slashdot? 600 comments from people whose sole experience in the music industry is probably how they once burned a CD of a band they recorded via mini cassette at a concert in the local high school. I recommend taking these comments with a very large grain of salt.
And what's with the slashdot editors? Maybe I should submit "Ask Slashdot" articles about gardening tips or how best to bore out the engine on my Dodge Duster. I thought this was Slashdot not Learn2.
Apparently I was not clear. I was not arguing for "The Big 5" (see my comment about independent labels). I was arguing against the idiot that thinks he can buy $1000 worth of hardware and, with no skill or experience in producing music, create a CD that sounds like Voodoo Lounge.
As most of your comments were directed toward my incorrectly supposed support of the "Big 5", I'll just be rambling on...
"He who is willing to trade liberty for a little security deserves a boot in the ass, along with any moron that can't think for themselves who quotes me in the future" -- Thomas Jefferson
For $2000 down, $50/month, and a bit of dedication, anyone can expand their fan base, make high-quality albums, advertise, get gigs, and make money as a musician.
From The Brobdingnagian Bards website on their "About Us" page:
You'll even find us in an office fixing your computer.
Yep, sounds like they are making lots of money to me.
Pro-quality digital audio board: $250
Sure, and I can create "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" on my iMac. I'm not arguing that you can't record, produce, and release music cheaply. I'm arguing that you can't produce "high-quality albums", "get gigs" that pay enough to live comfortably on, or "make money" without a professional studio. If you don't like the recording company's politics, just buy the studio time yourself and work with a professional to do the final remastering. Now you have high quality audio that you can advertise and distribute however you want. But please, please, stop spewing this crap onto the web that sounds like it was recorded via Mr. Microphone or Fisher Price
I read the ad in the link you posted. If you think that 16-track recording and 16-channel mixing is going to give you results like Sony or WB puts out, you are deluded. The simple fact that you suggested a machine can do your remastering indicates you don't understand the steps in recording professional quality music. Remastering is an art. When Led Zeppelin - Remastered was released, do you think they just hooked up the reel to reel tape and fed the output into a "remastering machine"? It takes a skilled ear to be able to produce quality sound, and no machine can duplicate that.
The fact is that artists as renowned as Prince have been able to make far more money selling their music online than they have working on the Record Industry Plantation.
Prince makes money selling music online because Warner Brothers had already made him a star. You should thank them that they introduced you to Prince in his early years via their mass marketing, so that you can now enjoy his later, independent works. As a matter of fact, you have shown the perfect success model in the recording industry. Get talent, have a big studio promote your music under the terms of a contract. Fulfill that contract, then go on to release music independently (unless you are happy with what they offer to extend your contract). Studio risks investment in you, you succeed, studio and you make profit. Seems like a sound business model to me.
"Good morning." -- President Abraham Lincoln, June 3, 1862.
What do the recording agencies do? Record, remaster, produce, manufacture and market musicians.
Nearly as I can tell computers and the Internet have pretty much taken over those roles.
Let's see:
24-track digital multi-track recorder($3,500) ; 40-channel mixer/sound board($6,000) ; studio musicians ($???/hour) ; booth construction (ca. $10,000) ; sundries such as cables, media, beer, etc. ($1,000)
This is just to record. Now each artist has to remaster their own music (a very technically difficult job for which people study years). Then they have to shop around for a place to stamp CDs for them. These artists now have over $30,000 wrapped up in their album, which they have to recoup from concerts, because everyone knows you don't make squat for profit on CD sales. So you book a music hall, hire ticket printers, take out an insurance policy, and suddenly add another $50,000 to your bill. I sure hope your/. buddies bring their friends.
Taking care of these "business" tasks are the major perks of studios -- and the reason why artists are willing to give up 85% of their sales to them. Exactly where did a computer take over these roles? Destroy the recording agencies, and I can guarantee you will destroy quality music. How good do you think that Pink Floyd album of yours would have sounded if it had been recorded in a garage using bicycle spokes and wooden spoons for the synthesized sound? Do you think U2 could charge $75 a ticket if their only exposure had been to the geek music community?
In your blind hatred of the recording industry, you are failing to see what positive qualities they do have. Don't destroy them, change them. Help change the copyright laws. Buy from independent recording labels who don't have a history of persecuting file sharers. Support the artists. Quit whining.
"...I'd rather have my appendix removed by baboons weilding unsterilized tuna can lids..." -- Dave Barry
When asked to confirm the rumors that she was stepping down as CEO of the RIAA, the Dark Lord gave this statement:
"Yes, it is true. I am afraid things have been slipping during my five year hiatus from hell. The angels of darkness I left in charge are becoming soft. Plus, I have a lot of work to do to prepare the place...with all of these spammers popping up, we have been experiencing an overpopulation crisis. On a personal level, I believe I need to spend more time with my fiancee. She has needed my support during this whole IMClone scandal, and frankly, I haven't been there for her as I should have. I ask my loyal worshippers to not lose heart. Once I have placed my dominion back in order, I will continue my mission of the destruction of popular music and the harvesting of your mortal souls. Thank you."
Slashdot Mirror
Phone: SBC
Cell Phone: Cingular Wireless (SBC Owned)
Satellite Provider: SBC DirecTV
Internet Provider: SBC Yahoo! DSL
When SBC Gas & Electric and SBC Waste Removal become a reality, I'll just start signing my check over to them.
Local Man Arrested For Violence At Bank
Police Tuesday arrested a local man at a Bank of America branch. Jack Valenti, 46, was charged with assault and attempted robbery for beating the bank president with a spindle of blank CDRs and attempting to take cash from the teller's drawer. According to the teller, Mr. Valenti became upset when he was informed that, due to a computer error, his account had been closed. Due to recent changes in the bank's policies, the IT staff ceased making backups of the bank's data. When asked about the policy change, the IT manager, who appeared to be choking back laughter, said, "We recently changed our backup policies in light of statements made by Mr. Valenti himself that digital information was timeless and, therefore, did not need backed up. The bank president read that interview and told us he could no longer justify the cost of daily tape backups."
Mr. Valenti is being held on $50,000 bond. His lawyer declined our request for an interview. In similar news, the RIAA has filed suit agains Bank of America for copyright violations. When asked what evidence prompted the suit, a spokesdemon replied, "They had CDRs, didn't they? What more evidence do you need?"
2004 Presidential ticket:
Dave Barry, President
Scott Adams, Vice President
Seriously, have you ever thought about working to change society instead of just making fun of it? You've shown you have a keen sense of what is important (boogers and sex), what is wrong (kids on planes), and how to fix it (buy random parts from appliance store). I'd vote for you.
The uncondensed sig, in honor of Dave: "I'm sorry, John, but my time is precious to me, and frankly I would rather have my appendix removed by baboons wielding unsterilized tuna-can lids than spend so much as five minutes listening to you and Elaine as you once again describe, item by item, in intricate detail, the late-night buffet on the cruise you took in 1983." -- Dave Barry
In your articles, changing the names to protect the innocent doesn't seem to be a concern. Has this ever caused legal problems or tension with your friends? For example, do your neighbors Steele and Bobbette ever share any interesting anecdotes about running into Dave Barry fans? Thanks for taking the time to answer.
-----
My favorite sig: "...I'd rather have my appendix removed by baboons weilding unsterilized tuna can lids..." -- Dave Barry
Could it be that certain "lots" of batteries or laptops were bad? We have upgraded most of these to the T23 model, so I don't have one handy to check manufacture dates. Perhaps someone else who has had little or no problems can give you some dates.
-----
Am I the only one who thinks Tux is as creepy as the clown on Poltergeist?
Actually, one of my favorite games as a teenager was the 7UP dot game. It was basically Othello, but had cool dancing "Spot" who would break dance and shuffle his way around the board. Not very difficult, but an entertaining twist on an old strategy game.
When a new game comes out based on a major motion picture at the same time the movie is released--is this advertising for the film, or the game-maker capitalizing on the film's success?
"Slap a turkey neck and it's hanging from a pigeon wing...get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve...shave your face with some mace in the dark" -- Beck's "Loser", the 90s version of "Blinded By The Light".
Hairspray is for wimps...real men use compressed air. Compressed air is much more powerful, you don't have the legal ramifications of using an explosive, and it's cheaper than hairspray. It takes a little more work to get it air-tight, and you have to buy a thicker PVC pipe, but the results are worth the extra effort.
"Come here, cynical! Come on, boy, c'mon! Good cynical!"
---
"Nothing is over until we say it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"
What does the cost of producing a record have to do with slashdot? 600 comments from people whose sole experience in the music industry is probably how they once burned a CD of a band they recorded via mini cassette at a concert in the local high school. I recommend taking these comments with a very large grain of salt.
And what's with the slashdot editors? Maybe I should submit "Ask Slashdot" articles about gardening tips or how best to bore out the engine on my Dodge Duster. I thought this was Slashdot not Learn2.
"Snootchie Bootchie" -- Jay
Apparently I was not clear. I was not arguing for "The Big 5" (see my comment about independent labels). I was arguing against the idiot that thinks he can buy $1000 worth of hardware and, with no skill or experience in producing music, create a CD that sounds like Voodoo Lounge.
As most of your comments were directed toward my incorrectly supposed support of the "Big 5", I'll just be rambling on...
"He who is willing to trade liberty for a little security deserves a boot in the ass, along with any moron that can't think for themselves who quotes me in the future" -- Thomas Jefferson
For $2000 down, $50/month, and a bit of dedication, anyone can expand their fan base, make high-quality albums, advertise, get gigs, and make money as a musician.
From The Brobdingnagian Bards website on their "About Us" page:
You'll even find us in an office fixing your computer.
Yep, sounds like they are making lots of money to me.
Pro-quality digital audio board: $250
Sure, and I can create "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" on my iMac. I'm not arguing that you can't record, produce, and release music cheaply. I'm arguing that you can't produce "high-quality albums", "get gigs" that pay enough to live comfortably on, or "make money" without a professional studio. If you don't like the recording company's politics, just buy the studio time yourself and work with a professional to do the final remastering. Now you have high quality audio that you can advertise and distribute however you want. But please, please, stop spewing this crap onto the web that sounds like it was recorded via Mr. Microphone or Fisher Price
Slightly Askew -- pining for the fjords
I read the ad in the link you posted. If you think that 16-track recording and 16-channel mixing is going to give you results like Sony or WB puts out, you are deluded. The simple fact that you suggested a machine can do your remastering indicates you don't understand the steps in recording professional quality music. Remastering is an art. When Led Zeppelin - Remastered was released, do you think they just hooked up the reel to reel tape and fed the output into a "remastering machine"? It takes a skilled ear to be able to produce quality sound, and no machine can duplicate that.
The fact is that artists as renowned as Prince have been able to make far more money selling their music online than they have working on the Record Industry Plantation.
Prince makes money selling music online because Warner Brothers had already made him a star. You should thank them that they introduced you to Prince in his early years via their mass marketing, so that you can now enjoy his later, independent works. As a matter of fact, you have shown the perfect success model in the recording industry. Get talent, have a big studio promote your music under the terms of a contract. Fulfill that contract, then go on to release music independently (unless you are happy with what they offer to extend your contract). Studio risks investment in you, you succeed, studio and you make profit. Seems like a sound business model to me.
"Good morning." -- President Abraham Lincoln, June 3, 1862.
What do the recording agencies do? Record, remaster, produce, manufacture and market musicians.
Nearly as I can tell computers and the Internet have pretty much taken over those roles.
Let's see:
24-track digital multi-track recorder($3,500) ; 40-channel mixer/sound board($6,000) ; studio musicians ($???/hour) ; booth construction (ca. $10,000) ; sundries such as cables, media, beer, etc. ($1,000)
This is just to record. Now each artist has to remaster their own music (a very technically difficult job for which people study years). Then they have to shop around for a place to stamp CDs for them. These artists now have over $30,000 wrapped up in their album, which they have to recoup from concerts, because everyone knows you don't make squat for profit on CD sales. So you book a music hall, hire ticket printers, take out an insurance policy, and suddenly add another $50,000 to your bill. I sure hope your /. buddies bring their friends.
Taking care of these "business" tasks are the major perks of studios -- and the reason why artists are willing to give up 85% of their sales to them. Exactly where did a computer take over these roles? Destroy the recording agencies, and I can guarantee you will destroy quality music. How good do you think that Pink Floyd album of yours would have sounded if it had been recorded in a garage using bicycle spokes and wooden spoons for the synthesized sound? Do you think U2 could charge $75 a ticket if their only exposure had been to the geek music community?
In your blind hatred of the recording industry, you are failing to see what positive qualities they do have. Don't destroy them, change them. Help change the copyright laws. Buy from independent recording labels who don't have a history of persecuting file sharers. Support the artists. Quit whining.
"...I'd rather have my appendix removed by baboons weilding unsterilized tuna can lids..." -- Dave Barry
When asked to confirm the rumors that she was stepping down as CEO of the RIAA, the Dark Lord gave this statement:
"Yes, it is true. I am afraid things have been slipping during my five year hiatus from hell. The angels of darkness I left in charge are becoming soft. Plus, I have a lot of work to do to prepare the place...with all of these spammers popping up, we have been experiencing an overpopulation crisis. On a personal level, I believe I need to spend more time with my fiancee. She has needed my support during this whole IMClone scandal, and frankly, I haven't been there for her as I should have. I ask my loyal worshippers to not lose heart. Once I have placed my dominion back in order, I will continue my mission of the destruction of popular music and the harvesting of your mortal souls. Thank you."