This whole mess can easily be avoided. Don't steal music. While that is not a popular theme among the/. crowd, it is the best way to avoid litigation. No matter what rationale used to "justify" downloading copyrighted music, it is still illegal and just plain wrong. If I broke into your house, and took your silverware because it was "crappy", or stole your TV, because TV's should be "free", and everyone should have one, you'd change your tune. Basically people steal music because it is easy and the chances of getting caught are slim at best. You ain't Robin Hood. Don't steal. Don't get sued.
You should have a heart. Give money to groups that feed the homeless, not to the homeless directly. I'm not talking about someone here who has a few too many at the local tavern and dances around naked on the bar top. Many of the chronic homeless has extensive medical problems from years of chronic drug or alchohol abuse. They drink until they have seizures or pass out, then they end up taking a bed in the emergency room, which are already overburdened as it is. I encourage you to visit an inner city homeless shelter to see for yourself. Better yet, take one of them home with you. Make a difference. Or just give em a quarter so they can buy another pint.
The group we lump together as homeless are really at least 2 distinct groups. Group 1 are individuals and families who lack a support network such as family or friends, or may just be too proud to impose upon them. These people can be given a helping hand and can re-integrate into society. Group 2 are the chronic homeless. They are the alcoholics, the drug addicts, the mentally insane. Their only goal in life is their next drink. You can institutionalize them or let them be on the street, but you can't help them. And for every yuppie do-gooder out there who wants to help them, please don't ever give a homeless person money. There are extensive networks run by churches and non-profit groups to distribute food to the hungry. There are no programs to distribute cheap vodka. That requires do-gooders to give them money to purchase the liquor. Give the homeless guy in a park a sandwhich, he's liable to throw it back at you. He'll never say no to the quarter though. Funny huh?
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This whole mess can easily be avoided. Don't steal music. While that is not a popular theme among the /. crowd, it is the best way to avoid litigation. No matter what rationale used to "justify" downloading copyrighted music, it is still illegal and just plain wrong. If I broke into your house, and took your silverware because it was "crappy", or stole your TV, because TV's should be "free", and everyone should have one, you'd change your tune. Basically people steal music because it is easy and the chances of getting caught are slim at best. You ain't Robin Hood. Don't steal. Don't get sued.
You should have a heart. Give money to groups that feed the homeless, not to the homeless directly. I'm not talking about someone here who has a few too many at the local tavern and dances around naked on the bar top. Many of the chronic homeless has extensive medical problems from years of chronic drug or alchohol abuse. They drink until they have seizures or pass out, then they end up taking a bed in the emergency room, which are already overburdened as it is. I encourage you to visit an inner city homeless shelter to see for yourself. Better yet, take one of them home with you. Make a difference. Or just give em a quarter so they can buy another pint.
The group we lump together as homeless are really at least 2 distinct groups. Group 1 are individuals and families who lack a support network such as family or friends, or may just be too proud to impose upon them. These people can be given a helping hand and can re-integrate into society. Group 2 are the chronic homeless. They are the alcoholics, the drug addicts, the mentally insane. Their only goal in life is their next drink. You can institutionalize them or let them be on the street, but you can't help them. And for every yuppie do-gooder out there who wants to help them, please don't ever give a homeless person money. There are extensive networks run by churches and non-profit groups to distribute food to the hungry. There are no programs to distribute cheap vodka. That requires do-gooders to give them money to purchase the liquor. Give the homeless guy in a park a sandwhich, he's liable to throw it back at you. He'll never say no to the quarter though. Funny huh?