I love it when rich groups decide that they need just a little more money. They get those dollar signs in their eyes, and you know what they're after. Greenbacks, baby!
It seems to me that the RIAA has gone completely crazy with their lawsuits. Charging people $750 per illegal downloaded. Wow. I thought I should just pay for my download not 749 other people's downloads as well (based on iTunes being $0.99 per song).
I intend to document interesting (or even ridiculous) cases brought against downloaders.
Answer Filed in Arista v. Greubel in Texas. Defendant argues that since Kazaa coughed up $115 million to the RIAA his downloads are already covered.
Judge Grants Marie Lindor's Motion... Judge is allowing the defendant in this case to argue that $750 per song is too high.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
We need more taser
Is it just me, or have law enforcement officers gone mad with taser guns lately? In a town near where I live, a man was disturbing the peace. (He'd been drinking.) The neighbors phoned the police department. A deputy sheriff showed up at his house minutes later and taser gunned him to death. What actually happened is that the deputy stunned him near a hot-water heater. The man fell backwards onto the hot water heater and it snapped his back.
It seems that every time I'm reading the news online, I run across an article about some cops or security officers going crazy with the taser guns (see: UCLA cops taser ID-less student).
My take on the situation: Just because taser guns are "non-lethal" doesn't mean that they should be the first line of defense. Maybe verbal communication should be tried first. Heck, maybe even mace 'em before breaking out the taser.
It seems that every time I'm reading the news online, I run across an article about some cops or security officers going crazy with the taser guns (see: UCLA cops taser ID-less student).
My take on the situation: Just because taser guns are "non-lethal" doesn't mean that they should be the first line of defense. Maybe verbal communication should be tried first. Heck, maybe even mace 'em before breaking out the taser.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Music Rediscovery
Almost nothing beats the excitement of a new album being released by one of your favorite artists. Listening to those songs for the first time and really letting them soak in is just an all-around great feeling. You listen to the new music until it's no longer new--until you get to the point where you have a hard time recommending the album to someone by saying it's new. You become comfortable with it.
As I said, almost nothing beats that feeling. What beats it, then? Rediscovering one of those albums. You're looking through your albums, and something jumps out at you. And you think, "I remember how much I loved that album when I bought it." Something compels you to pull it of off the shelf, put it in, and press play. That comfortable feeling comes back, and it feels great. It's something that you really can't describe; it may be something that you don't want to share with anyone else for fear of what they might think. And for that time, you're on top of your world. You know the words, you hum the music, and you feel like you're in another time--and you are.
Only one thing is certain: your love affair with your rediscovery will come to an end. You may listen to it once and be finished; you may listen to it for weeks or months, even. It will end, though. That album will go back on the shelf only to see the light of day again on the accident of a re-rediscovery.
So, there must be something that has caused me to write about rediscovery, right?
Absolutely. Scrolling through the music on my hard drive, I ran across Chris Cornell's Euphoria Morning. I remember the anticipation I felt for the release of this album. When Soundgarden called it quits, I was afraid I'd never hear anything else from this guy again. (This was, of course, long before Audioslave.) I was there the day Euphoria Morning hit the shelves. I remember hearing "Can't Change Me." It was great. Tonight I listened to the whole album in its entirety. I think it was good for me. I felt comfortable. I felt younger. I felt safe. Even with all of these feelings, the love affair is already over.
Advice: Rediscover forgotten tunes.
As I said, almost nothing beats that feeling. What beats it, then? Rediscovering one of those albums. You're looking through your albums, and something jumps out at you. And you think, "I remember how much I loved that album when I bought it." Something compels you to pull it of off the shelf, put it in, and press play. That comfortable feeling comes back, and it feels great. It's something that you really can't describe; it may be something that you don't want to share with anyone else for fear of what they might think. And for that time, you're on top of your world. You know the words, you hum the music, and you feel like you're in another time--and you are.
Only one thing is certain: your love affair with your rediscovery will come to an end. You may listen to it once and be finished; you may listen to it for weeks or months, even. It will end, though. That album will go back on the shelf only to see the light of day again on the accident of a re-rediscovery.
So, there must be something that has caused me to write about rediscovery, right?
Absolutely. Scrolling through the music on my hard drive, I ran across Chris Cornell's Euphoria Morning. I remember the anticipation I felt for the release of this album. When Soundgarden called it quits, I was afraid I'd never hear anything else from this guy again. (This was, of course, long before Audioslave.) I was there the day Euphoria Morning hit the shelves. I remember hearing "Can't Change Me." It was great. Tonight I listened to the whole album in its entirety. I think it was good for me. I felt comfortable. I felt younger. I felt safe. Even with all of these feelings, the love affair is already over.Advice: Rediscover forgotten tunes.
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