"Organize a boycott. Pick one record label and concentrate on driving them into bankruptcy. Enforce a new reality on the music market. Then it wouldn't matter who is running RIAA, would it?"
Even Slashdot is unwilling to do this. Note how much free advertising they give the MPAA/RIAA everytime some new movie comes out. Hell, they have SEVEN STORIES ABOUT 'THE MATRIX' IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS ALONE! If this crowd who is more educated about MPAA/RIAA tactics than anyone else is unwilling to make a stand then who will? Certainly not the MTV crowd who just wants their latest top40 pop album of the month and doesn't know the RIAA from KFC.
"and a democrat president will shoot down whatever laws the RIAA lobbyists try to create."
I hate to disappoint you but Hollywood(MPAA/RIAA) is one of the primary contributors to the Democratic party, the other two being trial lawyers and labor unions. Have you already forgot who signed the DMCA into law?
Remember that Jewel chick who sung folksy songs and lived in a van in Alaska? When did she become YABC(yet another brittney clone) singing pop music and dressing like a tramp?
"I'm all for alternative energy sources, but nuclear is one source that is too hot too handle."
France produces 78% of their electricity generation from nuclear power. Is it your assertion that the French are "anti-environmentalists"? Eventually coal, petroleum and natural gas supplies will all be exhausted. The only viable alternative to supply the world's energy needs is nuclear.
When are these things going to require something like water or peltier cooling? The Radeon9700/9800 and GF-FX5800/5900 already exceed the AGP3.0 spec for power consumption and require a direct connection from the power supply. Radeon 9700: 54W, GF-FX 5800: 74W.
The FX-5900 must use less power since they were able to ditch the giant cooler.
Any idea on the type of power consumption that would mandate something beyond air cooling?
The August issue of Wired (11.08) has a spread titled "How To Sell Your Body For $46 million" (pp46-47). Not sure if it is online yet but some of the highlights:
Let SUVs and pickups be for the people who need 'em
Unfortunately this is the last segment of the automotive industry where American manufacturers are still dominant. The odds of getting the dems and repubs to agree to do anything that would affect this are slim to none. Look at all they have already done to protect this segment:
SUV's exempt from gas guzzler tax
25% Tariff on imported SUV's (2.5% for cars)
CAFE stagnant for a decade
SUV's over 6,000 lbs as tax write-offs
The government is not going to help fix this problem, the only thing we can do is to make it SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE to drive one of these monstrosities.
"If two people can't get pregnant on their own, there's a reason for it."
Like they had chemotherapy as children to treat cancer and are now sterile? You know Lance Armstrong became sterile after chemo for testicular cancer? Luckily he had sperm stored just in case and now has a son Luke because of IVF.
"Forget it. India has laws barring non-Indians from working there."
They do issue temporary work visas valid for 1 year. My former company had several guys from the U.K. down there working and at least two of them that I know of had their visa's extended beyond 1 year as well.
The real question is; will they let you keep your programming job if you are willing to relocate to India? Are you willing to live in Bangalore, Pune or Delhi for $12-14k/yr?
I guess you would have to look at the purchasing-power-parity for that salary in those locations before making that decision.
"- it would be a powerful statement if webmasters around the net just shut them out."
Wouldn't it be a more powerful message if sites were to stop providing them with free advertising via media attention as well as not viewing their movies?
Slashdot Mirror
"Organize a boycott. Pick one record label and concentrate on driving them into bankruptcy. Enforce a new reality on the music market. Then it wouldn't matter who is running RIAA, would it?"
Even Slashdot is unwilling to do this. Note how much free advertising they give the MPAA/RIAA everytime some new movie comes out. Hell, they have SEVEN STORIES ABOUT 'THE MATRIX' IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS ALONE! If this crowd who is more educated about MPAA/RIAA tactics than anyone else is unwilling to make a stand then who will? Certainly not the MTV crowd who just wants their latest top40 pop album of the month and doesn't know the RIAA from KFC.
"When the F**K did property rights become a "great american tradition"?!?"
Ever since the Bill Of Rights. Ever read Amendments 3, 4, and 5? All pertain to private property rights.
"and a democrat president will shoot down whatever laws the RIAA lobbyists try to create."
I hate to disappoint you but Hollywood(MPAA/RIAA) is one of the primary contributors to the Democratic party, the other two being trial lawyers and labor unions. Have you already forgot who signed the DMCA into law?
"Critics say that research firms' estimates vastly overstate the actual cost of spam"
They probably use the same methods that determined that Mitnick caused $200billion in damages.
Remember that Jewel chick who sung folksy songs and lived in a van in Alaska? When did she become YABC(yet another brittney clone) singing pop music and dressing like a tramp?
"how come the music market is flooded with inane Britney Spear-ish crap, bad techno and shitty teenage bands?"
Beacuse that is what sells out at best buy and music city.
"I'm all for alternative energy sources, but nuclear is one source that is too hot too handle."
France produces 78% of their electricity generation from nuclear power. Is it your assertion that the French are "anti-environmentalists"? Eventually coal, petroleum and natural gas supplies will all be exhausted. The only viable alternative to supply the world's energy needs is nuclear.
When are these things going to require something like water or peltier cooling? The Radeon9700/9800 and GF-FX5800/5900 already exceed the AGP3.0 spec for power consumption and require a direct connection from the power supply. Radeon 9700: 54W, GF-FX 5800: 74W.
The FX-5900 must use less power since they were able to ditch the giant cooler.
Any idea on the type of power consumption that would mandate something beyond air cooling?
I'd settle for a dual Opteron board with AGP: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030 726/image/nge3.html
Most of that $662k is from a horomone contained in the brain:
Thyrotropin(TSH)(horomone)
>11.76 grams at $55,650/gram
I was always fond of this hubble image: Hubble Heritage Project: Keyhole Nebula
The August issue of Wired (11.08) has a spread titled "How To Sell Your Body For $46 million" (pp46-47). Not sure if it is online yet but some of the highlights:
Fluids and Tissues: $43million
Lungs: $116,000
Heart: $57,000
Eyes: $8,000
Brain: $662,000
Kidney: $92,000
Pancreas: $46,000
Small Intestine: $72,000
Liver: $474,000
There is a more detailed breakdown, but those are the major points.
Small story from reuters: It may be illegal, immoral and certainly ill-advised, but selling every usable part of your body could fetch upward of $45 million
The first organization that learns to grow these organs individually will make a killing.
They had a bamboo bicycle that powered the washing machine.
Did anyone see the episode where the professor made a bamboo car? Why he didn't just make a bamboo boat is beyond me.
Unfortunately this is the last segment of the automotive industry where American manufacturers are still dominant. The odds of getting the dems and repubs to agree to do anything that would affect this are slim to none. Look at all they have already done to protect this segment:
SUV's exempt from gas guzzler tax
25% Tariff on imported SUV's (2.5% for cars)
CAFE stagnant for a decade
SUV's over 6,000 lbs as tax write-offs
The government is not going to help fix this problem, the only thing we can do is to make it SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE to drive one of these monstrosities.
The funny thing is that the tzero was developed in 1999 and has nearly identical performance to this one.
Yes, they did the effects for MK as well as Scary Movie, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob, The Afterlife, The Faculty and soon Foodfight.
I think Walgreens beat them: Walgreen's single-use digital camera
"it's 'the only single use camera' with a delete button to let them retake shots"
Kites can lift a lot more weight and subsequently people are usign higher quality (SLR) cameras.
Here is a project camtroller to use a Parrallax Basic Stamp to control a digital camera on a kite.
More info here: rc-soar
They should make the top 10(or more) most reported program crash information available on their site.
"If two people can't get pregnant on their own, there's a reason for it."
Like they had chemotherapy as children to treat cancer and are now sterile? You know Lance Armstrong became sterile after chemo for testicular cancer? Luckily he had sperm stored just in case and now has a son Luke because of IVF.
"Forget it. India has laws barring non-Indians from working there."
They do issue temporary work visas valid for 1 year. My former company had several guys from the U.K. down there working and at least two of them that I know of had their visa's extended beyond 1 year as well.
The real question is; will they let you keep your programming job if you are willing to relocate to India? Are you willing to live in Bangalore, Pune or Delhi for $12-14k/yr?
I guess you would have to look at the purchasing-power-parity for that salary in those locations before making that decision.
http://flashmob.fantasmaformaggino.it/
It's in Italian.
"- it would be a powerful statement if webmasters around the net just shut them out."
Wouldn't it be a more powerful message if sites were to stop providing them with free advertising via media attention as well as not viewing their movies?
I suppose that might actually require some sacrifice though.
And why do that when we can post away in obscurity instead?