Secondly what does the independent bands moniker contribute to the music?
First, I agree with your thoughts on popular vs. unpopular. However, I don't think that independent equates to unpopular. There are many independent bands that enjoy vast popularity. One example is Fugazi. There are plenty of others so take your pick. I think independent music contributes to music in general because it provides a platform on which the artist can enjoy greater freedom to experiment. They are not constrained by making money as most commercial labels force upon bands.
what would you suggest limiting government power over? i am fully in favor over limiting gov. power over our bodies (i.e. the abortion issue). but i am in favor of increasing gov. power over corporations.
the government's power IS limited over these corporations. for instance, the US government has no control over the sweatshop conditions that the global Nike corporation imposes on employees in developing nations.
also, it is not government versus the people, it is the corporation versus the people. corporations control the government (as well as basically everything else, including the media). the government bends for corporate interest simply because the influence corporations exert on government officials in the form of money is much greater than a citizen's constructive criticism.
too bad what we need is just theories: (1)a government, with strong powers over corporations, that operated in the interest of citizens rather than corporations and itself (2) a society based not on money or materialism, etc etc etc, theory theory theory.
all i know is that things have to change. the system as it exists cannot sustain itself for countless reasons, not the least of which is that ordinary human beings will not stand for it.
This is old news but, still, incredibly important.
This also goes way beyond the small confines of this computing community. Witness the recent large scale protests and riots against the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund in Seattle and DC and recent Mayday demonstrations. Thousands of people have already spoken up about neo-liberalism and free markets destroying the earth and developing nations.
I see the Internet as a means to subvert this growing problem. Check out some of the independent media sites on the web: indymedia. These sites provide alternative coverage of the events that the corporate backed media dismissed as bored youth movements. (one problem on these independent media sites is uninformed zealotry, just like some slashdot commentary. nevertheless, independent and free discussion and communication is always a good thing.)
Interesting that this story was posted on May 1, the International Worker's Day.
I, for one, am extremely glad that RMS is out there fighting for our freedoms. Even though the software industry is a small part of the problems that the world faces, you have to start somewhere.
I saw the movie in Mass. It has been sold out for every single showing at the only theater that it is apparently playing in in the Northeast (?) since it opened every day. An employee of the theater gave a little speech before the movie started warning us about motion sickness due to the shaky camera work. Apparently, several people did have to leave due to sickness. I know it sucks for these people, but I got a good laugh at this.
I am 22 (about the age of the actors) and like to go camping. At certain points in the movie, the reactions of the characters to little details were exactly the reactions that I would have had. Down to the specific things that they said. However, this is only to small details. There were definitely things in the movie that I thought were unrealistic.
I was scared and haunted by the movie. I enjoyed it for that reason. As for the movie being geared towards an older crowd, I don't think so. I like gore in horror movies, but I am not scared by the gore. I *AM* scared by a haunting kind of movie like the Blair Witch Project.
Slashdot Mirror
First, I agree with your thoughts on popular vs. unpopular. However, I don't think that independent equates to unpopular. There are many independent bands that enjoy vast popularity. One example is Fugazi. There are plenty of others so take your pick. I think independent music contributes to music in general because it provides a platform on which the artist can enjoy greater freedom to experiment. They are not constrained by making money as most commercial labels force upon bands.
BUT....
what would you suggest limiting government power over? i am fully in favor over limiting gov. power over our bodies (i.e. the abortion issue). but i am in favor of increasing gov. power over corporations.
the government's power IS limited over these corporations. for instance, the US government has no control over the sweatshop conditions that the global Nike corporation imposes on employees in developing nations.
also, it is not government versus the people, it is the corporation versus the people. corporations control the government (as well as basically everything else, including the media). the government bends for corporate interest simply because the influence corporations exert on government officials in the form of money is much greater than a citizen's constructive criticism.
too bad what we need is just theories: (1)a government, with strong powers over corporations, that operated in the interest of citizens rather than corporations and itself (2) a society based not on money or materialism, etc etc etc, theory theory theory.
all i know is that things have to change. the system as it exists cannot sustain itself for countless reasons, not the least of which is that ordinary human beings will not stand for it.
This is old news but, still, incredibly important.
This also goes way beyond the small confines of this computing community. Witness the recent large scale protests and riots against the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund in Seattle and DC and recent Mayday demonstrations. Thousands of people have already spoken up about neo-liberalism and free markets destroying the earth and developing nations.
I see the Internet as a means to subvert this growing problem. Check out some of the independent media sites on the web: indymedia. These sites provide alternative coverage of the events that the corporate backed media dismissed as bored youth movements. (one problem on these independent media sites is uninformed zealotry, just like some slashdot commentary. nevertheless, independent and free discussion and communication is always a good thing.)
some more links for info:
a16
50 years is enough
Interesting that this story was posted on May 1, the International Worker's Day.
I, for one, am extremely glad that RMS is out there fighting for our freedoms. Even though the software industry is a small part of the problems that the world faces, you have to start somewhere.
Well, there is some merit to this. For instance, every person too poor to own a computer has access to the public library.
So this begs the question: are we going to slowly phase out public libraries and phase in public computer labs to allow free access to all?
Anthony
I saw the movie in Mass. It has been sold out for every single showing at the only theater that it is apparently playing in in the Northeast (?) since it opened every day. An employee of the theater gave a little speech before the movie started warning us about motion sickness due to the shaky camera work. Apparently, several people did have to leave due to sickness. I know it sucks for these people, but I got a good laugh at this.
I am 22 (about the age of the actors) and like to go camping. At certain points in the movie, the reactions of the characters to little details were exactly the reactions that I would have had. Down to the specific things that they said. However, this is only to small details. There were definitely things in the movie that I thought were unrealistic.
I was scared and haunted by the movie. I enjoyed it for that reason. As for the movie being geared towards an older crowd, I don't think so. I like gore in horror movies, but I am not scared by the gore. I *AM* scared by a haunting kind of movie like the Blair Witch Project.