Last month's edition of 'In The News'

===============================

Folks, don't sit on your can letting me have all the fun. If you run across an article that needs to appear here in the news, please post that link and a blurb.

If you want something to appear on the front page of Boycott-Riaa or DMusic, post the link and blurb, but ALSO hit the submit button! (leflaw, tracy, or I will get around to it asap.)

--Shmoo, aka "independentmusician"
of Electric Gypsy and Boycott RIAA

Recent US Court of Appeals Decision Reiterates "Authorization" Is Not "Infringement"; Contrary to Argument RIAA Made in Barker, Cassin

Suit Filed with FTC Charges Universal, NBC, Dreamworks, NFL, MLB, and Others With Misrepresenting Copyright Law by Ignoring Fair Use Statute

Great Copyright Law Article on C/Net, Reminds us about "Fair Use" and Content Cartel Overreaching

RIAA Opposes Michelle and Bobby Santangelo Motion to Add Kazaa and AOL as third party defendants

RIAA Fights Back in Barker, Says Latin American Music Case Doesn't Negate Its "Making Available" Theory

RIAA v. The People : Four Years Later

EFF report (.pdf format)

This year, FMC is back in Washington, DC, to host the 7th
annual "Future of Music Policy Summit" panels will cover
such topics as:

* Copyright and licensing issues
* Network neutrality and broadband policy
* FCC's "rules of engagement" on payola
* Sample clearance licensing process
* The explosion of niche market genres
* Wireless/music portability
* The challenges of cultural preservation
* Technologies that are bringing artists and fans closer
together
...and more.

German govt. to e-mail spyware to terror suspects.

?

%54 of CEO's think innovation without a financial return is only an expense.

...hmm, that explains a lot.

French YouTube Rival Lands $34 Million Funding

Paris-based video sharing site Dailymotion SA has landed a fresh round of funding to help it compete with U.S. rival YouTube, which has been gaining strength in Europe since it launched local versions of its service in June.

Thailand lifts 4-month ban on YouTube

The Thai government said Friday it has lifted a four-month ban on YouTube after the popular video-sharing Web site's operator agreed not to allow videos that violate the country's laws or are deemed offensive to Thai people.

Bob Marley family says to sue Universal, Verizon

For using name and likeness without permission.

Wistful over lost dreams at Summer of Love fest

Some of the biggest musical stars of the 1960s counterculture gathered in San Francisco on Sunday for a concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love, yet backstage many voiced disappointment about the era's unfulfilled ideals.

Swedish internet service providers may soon be required by law to take greater responsibility for unlawful file-sharing.

Although rejecting the ludicrous idea of an overarching broadband fee which would be shared out among copyright holders, a government report published on Monday called for internet providers to be 'bound to contribute to bringing all copyright infringement to an end'. Under the proposal, copyright holders whose material is being shared illegally would be entitled to compensation from ISPs which did not ban users. Needless to say, the country's ISPs are not happy."

North Korea executes citizens for illegally copying and distributing movies

Sadly and oddly enough, it is hard to believe Kim Jeong Il beat the USA to it. (But then again, he's a big fan and friend of Hollywood.)

Member of New Bohemians fatally shot

Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, a keyboard player for the band Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, was shot to death early Monday while trying to kick in the door of his girlfriend's neighbor, police said.

Connected story?

Rock stars more likely to die prematurely

Be careful out there folks!

Internet criticism of Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's involvement in the pardon of a castrated rapist and his heavy use of a state airplane disappeared with a mouse click.

The AP found that five computer addresses within the state government network were used while editing information about politicians.

North Korea executes citizens for illegally copying and distributing movies

Wouldn't the riaa love to have that kind of control? Yikes!

Downloads Fall in Japan

The number of downloads from legal music and video services in Japan has fallen for the first time, according to the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).

They are talking about RIAA owned and dominated sites, so HOORAY!

Sony may start movie download service

Be sure to boycott it!

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/09/04/1341248.shtml

"Peter Murray Rust, a chemist at Cambridge University, was lost for words when he found Oxford University Press's website demanded $48 from him to access his own scientific paper, in which he holds copyright and which he released under a Creative Commons license. As he writes, the journal in question was "selling my intellectual property, without my permission, against the terms of the license (no commercial use)." In the light of this kind of copyright abuse and of the PRISM Coalition, a new FUD group set up by scientific publishers to discredit open access, isn't it time to say enough is enough, and demand free access to the research we pay for through our taxes?" --Glyn Moody, posting at /.

Pitch Perception Skewed By Modern Tuning

"...the use of A as the universal tuning frequency has made our ears less discerning of the notes immediately around it."

Lucky and Flo credited for USA "piracy" bust.

The dogs ya luv 2 hate.

Time Has Come Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=misGExA4HY0

('tis leflaw's buddy Lester & his Brothers!)


AWSOME!

(Damnit Larry, gimmie the helm of a DMusic Video Site! I'd be a great A&R/CEO!)

(And BELIEVE ME, you'd make lots of $$$ and the artists/fans would NOT be screwed one iota in the process. I KNOW HOW TO DO IT!)

Sorry folks.

Just "emoting" about a silly pipe-dream of mine I suppose...

(grrr... grumble grumble)

The Justice Department opposes net neutrality saying that it could "hamper development of the internet."

The only thing it would hamper is the continued ability of the mega telecom's to increase their criminal monopoly. Sheesh. Best government money can buy! God bless Amerika!

DHS ends ADVISE, data mining program.

However, according to the article, a DHS spokesman assures that the program will be restarted once the security and cost are re-evaluated."

Judge strikes down portion of Patriot Act.

Yay! More please!

Good news about that judge doing the right thing!
Bad news about the Department of Injustice opposing net neutrality.
This current Justice Dept. has to be one of the worst in history; it's taken so many rotten approaches the past several years. Grrr!

Limewire file-sharing used for ID theft!

Sep 6, 8:08 PM (ET)
By GENE JOHNSON

SEATTLE (AP) - A Seattle man has been arrested in what the Justice Department described as its first case against someone accused of using file-sharing digital data to commit identity theft.

Gregory Thomas Kopiloff primarily used Limewire's file-sharing program to troll other people's computers for financial information, which he used to open credit cards for an online shopping spree, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Kopiloff was arrested Wednesday at his government-subsidized apartment a few blocks from the federal courthouse here. According to a four-count indictment, he bought at least $73,000 worth of goods online - including iPods and laptop computers - then resold those items at half-price and kept the proceeds. Investigators said he blew through most of the money supporting a gambling habit.

Authorities said they have identified least 83 victims - most of whom have teenage children and did not know the file-sharing software was on their computer. But investigators also said they believe the number of people affected was in the hundreds - and that in all they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Though people have been prosecuted for using networks to illegally share copyrighted music, movies and software, the Justice Department called this the first version of an equally - if not more - troubling matter.

Each day, computer users inadvertently share hundreds of thousands of sensitive files through such programs, from banking statements and medical records to tax returns and legal documents, according to Robert Boback, chief executive of Tiversa Inc., a Pennsylvania firm that monitors file-sharing.

Typically the mistakes occur when a user downloads file-sharing software and accidentally allows it to share all files on a computer, rather than just music files, for example.

"If you are running file-sharing software, you are giving criminals the keys to your computer," said assistant U.S. attorney Kathryn Warma. "Criminals are getting access to incredibly valuable information."

When other users might search on Limewire for "Madonna," Kopiloff would search for "federal tax return," or for student financial aid forms or other financial information, Warma said. And instead of getting access to a few hundred files containing "Like a Virgin" or "Papa Don't Preach," he would get a few hundred files containing tax returns.

He would vet his victims before opening accounts in their name, ensuring they earned at least $150,000 a year and had good credit, Warma said.

Boback showed during a news conference Thursday the searches being conducted on peer-to-peer networks at that moment.

As the searches were entered, they scrolled rapidly along the screen of his laptop. Many clearly concerned music files and pornography, but interspersed were scores looking for files that contained terms such as "password" and "medical billing."

"There are tens of thousands of individuals who make a living doing this," Boback said.

The issue has national security implications, he said. In July, his company found that more than 200 classified documents were available on peer-to-peer networks, including one that concerned troop movements in Iraq.

Boback testified before the House Oversight Committee on the issue July 24. He noted that among the files his company found was a confidential document addressed to Rep. Henry Waxman, the committee's chairman, concerning a pharmaceutical company's drug trials.

A Limewire representative could not immediately be reached for comment, but at the same congressional hearing, the chairman of Lime Wire LLC, Mark Gorton, said the company warns its users about the dangers posed by the software and instructs them on how to use it safely.

"We continue to be frustrated that despite our warnings and precautions, a small fraction of users override the safe default setting that comes with the program and end up inadvertently publishing information that they would prefer to keep privats," Gorton said.

According to the indictment, Kopiloff began using Limewire and Soulseek - free file-sharing programs available on the Internet - about 2 1/2 years ago to search for people who had inadvertently allowed access to their sensitive files.

Kopiloff also obtained some sensitive information the old-fashioned way, from associates who would steal mail or go "Dumpster diving" for discarded financial records, the indictment said, adding that he would open credit accounts and then go shopping online, having items shipped to a UPS store, hotels or post office boxes.

He was arrested after one of his alleged victims, a Texas resident, told his company's security officer - a former Secret Service agent - about how his bank account had been compromised, with someone in Western Washington passing bad checks on his account. The agent forwarded the information to Secret Service agents and police in Seattle, Warma said. Kopiloff has a lengthy history of theft and drug convictions.

Kopiloff is charged with mail fraud, accessing a protected computer, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Kopiloff did not enter a plea during an appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday, and his court-appointed lawyer said she had not had time to review the charges. A detention hearing was set for Monday.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't even bother with any of the p2p nets.

P2p COULDA AND SHOULDA been a great thing, but honestly, the p2p nets are so full of RIAA tunes (which I am boycotting) and crap like what pessimist pointed out just above along with assorted other garbage that it really isn't worth it.

Most Indie artists (if they don't just have their OWN website) use places like DMusic or CD Baby, or YouTube, MySpace, etc.

Kazaa, Limewire, etc. SUCK for discovering any new music. P2p (as currently implemented) is only good for finding stuff you already are looking for specifically by artist name and/or song title.

Sad that it isn't more than that.

Mp3 blogs are the place to find new music. They're kind of proliferating like rabbits. I use torrent for the occasional tv programme, but never for music. MP3 blogs are also where old, out of print material is to be found, often whole albums. Two words: totally fuzzy. Use their MP3 search function. nuff said.

Alex Jones' ENDGAME - Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgGOFXuYPw

Know your enemy, wake up, time is short.

Get ready for a new wave of "copyright reform" to protect the poor starving music execs.

http://www.examiner.com/blogs/Yeas_and_Nays/2007/9/6/Sen-Teddy-is-the-world

Forgot to mention...I wonder if they paid the royalty fees for the songs they sang?

TrueAudio

I just received this in my mail...been hearing about this for awhile now, but it looks like 2010 is the set date to combine us all (North American Union) together. In the meantime, we're all in for a rough ride with our economies....

People need to know this.....
http://www.halturnershow.com/AmeroCoinArrives.html

OBIT: Luciano Pavarotti

Britney, MTV-faded music figures together in Vegas

Britney Spears hasn't had a hit in years. MTV stopped playing music videos years ago. What a match!

Unprintable song up for Emmy on Saturday

Disney star appears nude in Web photo

What better way to add hype to the over-hyped "High School Musical" ...sheesh. Next should we expect Vanessa Hudgens to very publicly be charged with a DUI and do rehab? Seems these Disney stars have a pattern y'know.

Microsoft, Siemens to develop in-car infotainment

The world awaits the first DRM caused traffic fatality.

Starbucks to offer free iTunes access in stores

What? Starbucks doesn't have free wi-fi already? WTF? Pay $5 for a cup of coffee and there's no free access to the wi-fi? How the hell do they keep customers? Are people really that stupid?

Google takes heat over YouTube deal in Thailand

...for blocking videos from viewers in Thailand that are considered inappropriate or illegal by that Asian government.

Microsoft cuts Zune music player price by $50

Not worth having even if M$ gave them away.

Heavy Internet users unplugged by US cable company

Several Internet users in the United States have been unplugged by their service provider because they download too much, a press report said here Friday.

MTV Networks to launch two dozen more sites

MTV Networks said on Friday that it would launch two dozen new Web sites based on its shows, including the entire video archives of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with comedian Jon Stewart.

A bit of hope ??

http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2007/09/riaa-complaint-dismissed-in-california.html

Forensic computer promises to make quick work of digital crime

A European consortium has come up with a high-speed digital forensic computer dedicated to the task of quickly offloading and analyzing all computer records from email or picture files to database contents and file transfers.The TreCorder is a rugged forensic PC able to copy or clone up to three hard disks simultaneously, at a speed of up to 2 Gb/min.

Defend your freedom now!

Stop The Spying

California blocks RFID implants in workers

The State Senate votes to ban "forced tagging of humans."

Animated Orwellian virtual cartoon cops are policing the web in China.

How cute can totalitarianism get? (Don't be jealous folks, the USA is probably next!)

VMA losses spark another Kanye tantrum

geez, what a crybaby

West, waiting for an elevator in a crowded hallway, began yelling about losing all five categories for which he was nominated.

"That's two years in a row, man ... give a black man a chance," West said, stomping around his entourage and directing his comments at a reporter. "I'm trying hard man, I have the ... number one record, man."

West said he never will return to MTV.

Well, THAT would be the smartest move for him (even tho it's just sour grapes.)

Sheesh, I'd consider an eMTv vid award to be a DIS-Honor.

Kid Rock and Tommy Lee fight at MTV VMAs

[i]Anyone wanna bet it wasn't done for the publicity? Damn camera hounds must be feeling left out of the spotlight lately, what with all the attention paid to the Lohann, Spears, and Hilton bitches.

I can't believe half of anything these celebs "wrong-do" anymore.

Sick-Sad-World 'tis[/url]

And Britney lip synched (of course.)

[i]Keep it up you RIAA princess! Make it even MORE easy for us to hate the Industry![/url]

Damnit! Screwed the tags. Oh well, ain't gonna waste the time trying to fix. Y'all can tell what I was typing.

Timberlake pleads for more videos on eMTv

And we pleaded too ...about 15 f**king years ago!!!

Give up already Justin! Ain't you ever heard of YouTube, MetaCafe, DailyMotion, ReVVer, etc.?

eMTv can go to hell.

Re: unlocking an iPhone

I'm glad it was done, and I hope the process spreads.
AT&T deserves to be upended, and we common people deserve choices.

NEWS:

Deals Could Be Close on Internet Radio

Sep 10, 7:09 PM (ET)
By SETH SUTEL

NEW YORK (AP) - Listening to radio over the Internet is easier than ever, as high-speed connections have proliferated and online offerings become more sophisticated. Now the legal aspects may be falling into place too.

The music industry and online broadcasters have been duking it out for months over the royalties that should be paid to record labels and artists, but there are signs that the logjam could break as early as this month.

John Simson, the head of SoundExchange, a music industry group that collects royalties from digital broadcasters and distributes them to artists and labels, said he is optimistic about reaching an agreement soon with public radio stations, possibly by the end of September.

Resolving questions over royalties for online broadcasting is critical for the futures of both the music and radio industries as people increasingly use portable listening devices . . .

--------------[snip]----------------------


Further down in the article is this gem:
"Record labels are trying hard to find new ways of building revenues and adapting to changing consumer habits."

Yeah, right, trying hard, uh-huh.
Trying hard to avoid being arrogant pricks? (no)
Trying hard to avoid turning off the public with heavy-handed lawsuits? (no)
Trying hard to allow fundamental fair rights of use for their customer base? (no)
Trying hard to avoid prolonging the use of nuisance DRM to the point of antagonizing music lovers? (no)
Trying hard to avoid defaulting on their contractual obligations to pay their artists the fair amount of money they're due? (no)
Trying hard to swear off using illegal payola tactics? (no)
Trying hard to avoid ethics violations with their undue influence in Congress? (no)
Trying hard to avoid the semblance of racketeering, and allow a level playing field for independent artists? (no)

Hmm, did I leave anything out?
Anyway, we all know how hard the RIAA is "trying". (yeah, like, trying our patience to the point of exasperation)

Re:
". . . SoundExchange, a music industry group that collects royalties from digital broadcasters and distributes them to artists and labels . . ."

Notice the half lie (or half truth).
How much of John Q. Public knows that SoundExhange is basically a functional arm of the RIAA, and helping out artists is NOT anywhere near an equal priority on their agenda?

And this story is from the AP (Associated Press)!
Folks, this is just one reason why the cartel has had so much going in their favor for so many years.

To help counter the mega-media lies is part of the reason why we are here.

What your favourite Web sites say about you

"The universe has many unanswered questions: are MySpace users inherently promiscuous? Does Facebook turn you into a social recluse? Is Slashdot populated exclusively by geeks who were bullied as children? Does habitual blogging make you a sad, attention-seeking Billy No-mates?"

Retailer Refuses Hardware Repair Due To Linux

At Slashdot Tikka writes:

"Today I visited PC World (London, UK) because my 5-month-old laptop has developed a manufacturing fault: the hinge to the display has started to crack the plastic casing. Anyone in the know will know that this is due to the joint inside, and it means that in time the screen will separate from the keyboard. Repair was refused, because I have Gentoo Linux on my laptop, replacing the Windows Vista that was pre-installed. PC World said that installing Linux had voided my warranty and there is nothing they will do for me. I spoke to a manager, who said that he has been told to refuse any repairs if the operating system has been changed. I feel this has really gone against my statutory rights and I will do everything I can to fight it. I will review comments for your advice."

the National Association of Broadcasters is launching ads to target lawmakers over a push by a consortium of technology companies including Google, Intel, HP, and MSFT who want to use unused and unlicensed TV spectrum (the so-called 'white space') for wireless broadband. Broadcasters are airing concerns about the devices creating interference with broadcast television. In a statement, NAB chairman Alan Frank takes a swipe at technology companies: 'While our friends at Intel, Google and Microsoft may find system errors, computer glitches and dropped calls tolerable, broadcasters do not.'

NEWS

Microsoft patents watermark to protect DRM-free music

The patent is for a digital-watermarking technology that could be used to protect the rights of content owners even when digital music is distributed without DRM protection.

Elizabeth Montalbano
PC World
Wednesday, September 12, 2007; 12:19 AM

Microsoft Corp. has won a patent for a digital-watermarking technology that could be used to protect the rights of content owners even when digital music is distributed without DRM protection.

The technology, called "stealthy audio watermarking," inserts and detects watermarks in audio signals that can identify the content producer, "providing a signature that is embedded in the audio signal and cannot be removed," according to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trade Organization (USPTO).

The application forU.S. patent 7,266,697was filed May 3, 2004, by Darko Kirovski and Henrique Malvar, both of whom work at Microsoft Research. Malvar is a Microsoft distinguished engineer and managing director of Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington, and Kirovski is a researcher there.

Microsoft currently has DRM (digital rights management) technology called Windows Media DRM that encrypts audio files and protects them from misuse or unauthorized redistribution. The company has traditionally been an outspoken proponent of using DRM to protect owners of digital content, though it said earlier this year it would consider selling DRM-free songs online after rival Apple Inc. struck a deal with EMI Group PLC to do so.

Forensic digital watermarking technology, like the technology Microsoft has patented, doesn't encrypt files the way DRM technology does or prevent people from unauthorized use. However, it can be used to prove who owns the content of the digital file by encoding a file with a unique digital signature. That means illegally traded songs could be tracked back to the original purchaser, allowing authorities to identify illegal sharers and serving as a deterrent.

The technology could also be used to track files for royalty distribution.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Microsoft has traditionally been an outspoken proponent of using DRM to protect owners of digital content."

Grrr.
(This is yet ANOTHER reason for me to hate Microsoft!)

NEWS
China says it suffers "massive" internet spy damage

By Chris Buckley
Reuters
Wednesday, September 12, 2007; 4:30 AM

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has suffered "massive" losses of state secrets through the internet, a senior official said, as China faces reports that it has raided the computer networks of Western powers.

Vice Minister of Information Industry Lou Qinjian said his country was the target of a campaign of computer infiltration and subversion and proposed a raft of counter-measures including toughened censorship, new security bodies and commercial controls.

"In the internet technology products exported by the United States there are 'back doors' planted to engage in technological infiltration and theft of secrets," Lou said.

"In the internet technology products exported by the United States there are 'back doors' planted to engage in technological infiltration and theft of secrets . . ."

Well, there you have it, friends and neighbors: yet another reason for hating Microsoft's swiss-cheese operating systems and browser.

Reasons!! I may have to start compiling a list. (We're already off to a good start, it would appear.)

I hope our raiding of China's state secrets can in some measure compensate for the sensitive missile technology allowed to be transferred to the Chinese Communists via the Loral corporation with the facilitation of the Clinton Administration. So thank goodness for software backdoors. Maybe we can undo some of the damage. I bet some of those Chi-Comm computers have RIAA music on 'em. Why couldn't the music industry sue them for a change? Let the RIAA pick on somebody their own size for a change.

Considering this story has been circulating all over the net..it's probably the best news we've heard since the riaa started their personal war against their own customers....

People rejoice!

RIAA case dismissed as 'speculation

Google Quietly Closes AdSense API to Small Sites

hmm...

The Many Paths to Data Corruption

Over at /. Runnin'Scared writes:

"Linux guru Alan Cox has an writeup on KernelTrap in which he talks about all the possible ways for data to get corrupted when being written to or read from a hard disk drive. This includes much of the information applicable to all operating systems. He prefaces his comments noting that the details are entirely device specific, then dives right into a fascinating and somewhat disturbing path tracing data from the drive, through the cable, into the bus, main memory and CPU cache. He also discusses the transfer of data via TCP and cautions, 'unfortunately lots of high performance people use checksum offload which removes much of the end to end protection and leads to problems with iffy cards and the like. This is well studied and known to be very problematic but in the market speed sells not correctness.'"

Lindor Attacks Record Company Copyright-Pooling

NewYorkCountryLawyer (...uh folks, that's Ray Beckerman if ya didn't already know!) writes:

"Back in March, 2006, Marie Lindor called the record companies suing her a collusive cartel, and their joint agreement to pool their copyrights "copyright misuse" (pdf). A year and a half later, the RIAA apparently got nervous about that allegation and made a motion to strike the allegations. Ms. Lindor has struck back, pointing out to the Judge not only that the RIAA's arguments had no legal basis, but also that its brief was completely silent as to any justification for the record companies' copyright-pooling agreement. Such a justification would be necessary for it to pass muster under 'rule of reason' analysis mandated by the US Supreme Court. Ms. Lindor, a home health worker who has never even used a computer, let alone infringed anyone's copyrights with a p2p file sharing program, is the same defendant who exposed, with a little help from her friends, some of the weaknesses in the RIAA's expert testimony. She also obtained a ruling that the RIAA's $750-per-song file damages theory might be a wee bit unconstitutional."

FCC Says Analog TV Lives Until 2012

Hey, isn't that the year the Mayan calander says is the end of the world?

Fair Use is worth more than copyright?

CCIA says: fair use exceptions add more than $4.5 trillion in revenue to the U.S. economy and add more value to the U.S. economy than copyright industries contribute. "Recent studies indicate that the value added to the U.S. economy by copyright industries amounts to $1.3 trillion.", said CCIA President and CEO Ed Black. The value added to the U.S. economy by the fair use amounts to $2.2 trillion."

Wow..here's a story that really surprised me...folks, the tables are definitely turning in a new direction!

[http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13327]P2P downloading OK in Canada[/url]

As far as the people in Canada were concerned, downloading was legal, but the music industry itself never settled for that...so this is disbelief at best...

P2P downloading OK in Canada

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13327

grrr....

"Hey, isn't that (2012 A.D.) the year the Mayan calander says is the end of the world?"

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE YEAR 2012?

The ending of the famous Mayan calendar reflects what will be the relative position of our sun nearest to the center of our Milky Way Constellation in the year 2012 A.D. (a "once-in-an-era" event occurring only every 6,400 years or so), providing the significance for the time span of this cycle.
As ACS publication's "The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century" verifies the fact that in the year 2012 our sun will indeed be nearest the galactic center than it has been since 6400 years ago — that time closely corresponding to the chronology dating back from the first several chapters of the Biblical book of Genesis.
The Mayans, with their extensive centuries-tested astronomical observations and calculations, were aware of this phenomenon millenia ago. They expected something dramatic to occur on planet Earth when their calendar would end.
The Illuminati, being inclined toward occultism and astrology, rely on these types of special occasions as justifying facilitation for change. And, from their viewpoint, what better transition could be arranged than to usher in a new world order (global government)?
In fact, the unwritten purpose of the Bilderbergs (Bilderbergers) is world government by the year 2012 along with an impending global army through the auspices of the United Nations.
Will they succeed? The way things have been going, the odds are on their side, my friend.

Whee! Tin-foil hat stuff is fun!

(and sometimes, kinda spooky too!)

Microsoft is downplaying concerns over stealth updates

This REALLY bothers me.

Creationists using DMCA to silence critics

More abuse of the bad bad law.

Torrentfreak claims MediaDefender set up fake torrent sites to entrap downloaders ...MediaDefender denied the charge, but now someone has leaked 700MB of internal e-mails that detail the whole thing.

"Whee! Tin-foil hat stuff is fun!
(and sometimes, kinda spooky too!)"


Yeah, the impending "new world order" will be spooky.
Thinking about its grim prospect isn't actually fun, though.

I guess we could just pretend it's not coming; not confronting the issue might make us all temporarily more comfortable (not having to deal with it coming to pass).

Comcast "Clarifies" High Speed Extreme Use Policy

Even though your cable company may claim that a channel is in a digital tier that you're paying for, they may be sending it to you in analog form, with associated negative effects. Suprise! Are You Being Cheated by Digital Cable?

Radio stations keying in to text-message promotions

Venezuelan pianist, composer Romero dies

Venezuelan pianist and composer Aldemaro Romero, whose music was interpreted by artists from Tito Puente to Dean Martin, died Saturday. He was 79.

Trent Reznor Says "Steal My Music"


A few months ago, Trent Reznor (frontman of the band Nine Inch Nails), was in Australia doing an interview when he commented on the outrageous prices of CDs there. Apparently now his label, Universal Media Group is angry at him for having said that. During a concert last night, he told fans, '...Has anyone seen the price come down? Okay, well, you know what that means — STEAL IT. Steal away. Steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin'. Because one way or another these mother****ers will get it through their head that they're ripping people off and that's not right."

Marketplace on NPR to air Series on RIAA Litigations, Today through Wednesday

The radio program "Marketplace", on National Public Radio, will be airing a series on the RIAA's litigation campaign. The programs will be running from today (Monday, September 17th) through Wednesday, September 19th.

source;
http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/

In New York City, the show will be airing at 6:30 PM on Monday, September 17th, on 93.9 FM and 820 AM.

is 25 years old.

Oh, this is soooo juicy!

DRM ‘violates Canadian privacy laws’

p2pnet news | DRM:- DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) consumer control applications are violating Canadian privacy laws, says a damning new report.

The federal government wisely decided to backtrack on a lawful access study after Ottawa law professor Dr Michael Geist recently revealed a “hand-picked, secret group” was involved in a “semi-public consultation on one element of lawful access” being studied by Public Safety Canada and Industry Canada.

Now, “DRM is being used to collect, use and disclose consumers’ personal information, often for secondary purposes, without dequate notice to the consumer, and without giving the consumer an opportunity to opt-out of unnecessary collection, use or disclosure of their personal information, as required under Canadian privacy law,” says the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC).

.....compliments of http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13358

Rather says government, corporations influencing newsrooms

Duh. Y'think?

Leave Britney Alone guy is new Web star

All it takes is a hundred thousand spins on the cable news channels.

Songwriters Hall of Fame gets a home

Dolly Parton states that she hopes to die on stage singing a song she wrote.

First New Dismissal Motion Against RIAA Complaint

Several weeks ago it was discovered that a California federal judge, in rejecting an RIAA application for default judgment, had dismissed the RIAA's standard complaint for failure to state a claim, calling it "conclusory" "boilerplate" "speculation" in Interscope v. Rodriguez. In the wake of that decision a New York woman being sued in Brooklyn federal court, Rae J Schwartz, has told the Court that she is making a motion to dismiss the complaint in her case, Elektra v. Schwartz. This is the first post-Interscope challenge to the RIAA's boilerplate, of which we are aware. This is the same case in which the RIAA had sent a letter to the Judge falsely indicating that AOL had 'confirmed that defendant owned an internet access account through which copyrighted sound recordings were downloaded and distributed'. Ms. Schwartz suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, but the RIAA has pressed the case against her.

NBC opening own free download service?

"Crocker sees Spears as a role model and says [she and he] have plenty in common: They're both Southerners, performers, and easy targets."

. . . and weirdos.

It's an old adage being worked out: If you can't be a good role model, at least you can be a bad example.

I really think his act would be more complete if he'd show himself grooming a Barbie doll's hair, or perhaps changing its outfit. Might as well go the distance.

Anybody remember the old Led Zeppelin song "Dazed and Confused" ?

Well, y'know what? It was a RIP OFF of a song by a guy named Jake Holmes. (Who never got paid, nor ever received credit for Jimmy Page's homage.)

Here is a guy doing a VERY GOOD rendition of the Jake Holmes version of "Days of Confusion" on YouTube (Followed by the Jake Holmes audio set to a screen-saver.)

Worth checking out!

Metallica

Puppet of Masters

(Sad, but true.)

OPEN LETTER TO CROCKER:
Well, Britney apologist, looks like you've got another incident to grin and shrug your shoulders over (regarding your favorite slut/diva). This news just in:

Spears Charged in LA Parking Lot Crash
Sep 21, 11:08 PM (ET)

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Britney Spears legal woes mounted Friday as prosecutors charged her with misdemeanor counts of hit and run and driving without a valid license, after she allegedly smashed her car into another in a parking lot last month. If convicted, the singer could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count, said Nick Velasquez, spokesman for the city attorney's office.

Spears, 25, was filmed by paparazzi that day steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to turn into a spot in a Studio City parking lot. After assessing the damage to her own car only, she was shown on paparazzi video walking away.

Three days after the accident, the owner of the other vehicle, Kim Robard-Rifkin, filed a police report, and investigators later determined that Spears does not have a license, officials said.

The case comes days after a court commissioner ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week in her child custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline ("K-Fed"). She must also meet eight hours a week with a parenting coach, who will observe and report back to the court about her parenting skills."


Her "PARENTING SKILLS"!!!???
[I'm ROFL, gasping for breath, pounding the floor with my clenched fists.] . . . (time out)

Wow, I haven't had that good of a belly laugh for ages!!

Some people are just bent on self-destruction. Very sad.

I guess you're right, but they certainly can provide some comic relief every now and then.
(talking about the side-show freaks Britney Spears and Chris Cocker)

Here's a creative use of Disney animated material to make a point about FAIR USE that I am sure Disney is not all too happy about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo

Judge quashes RIAA subpoenas in campus file-sharing case

Under ex parte discovery rules, the students aren't notified until after a subpoena has already been granted, giving them little time to contest the process. Unless they act quickly, the RIAA gets the identifying information it needs from the university in question, then usually dismisses the case and files individual suits against the students (whose identities it now knows). It's an aggressive strategy, and as Wasylik points out, is one built on speed and stealth.

Google Video blasted over piracy claims

A US-based copyright watchdog has sunk its teeth into Google by sending a report alleging copyright violations on Google Video to members of Congress.

"US-based copyright watchdog"?
(or
cartel lapdog?)

From the Supreme Court article above:

"Once again, it's nice to see both the sudden interest in patent law -- and what often appears to be very clear thinking on the part of the Supreme Court on the issue."

Now if only the Supreme Court would get some balls and take some Copyright Law cases dealing with the "limited time" issue, maybe some sanity could come to copyright law issues as well.

Folks, I want to tell you something (but keep it under your hat)

we have someone working slowly but surely as a worm from the "inside"

his name: Brendon Small

shh!

Software Update Disables Hacked iPhones

Sep 28, 8:46 PM (ET)

"SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Apple Inc. (AAPL) has issued a software update that creates problems for iPhones modified to work with a cellular carrier other than AT&T Inc. (ATT) and disables at least some unofficial programs installed on other iPhone handsets."

Tit for tat.

"Despite Apple's history of playing cat-and-mouse games with hackers in the past, company officials insisted they were not proactively trying to make hacked iPhones useless."

Liar, liar -- pants on fire.

30 years later, Bob Marley's "Exodus" returns

The enduring importance of Bob Marley's music was underscored when Fifty Six Hope Road Music, the Marley family-owned company that holds the rights to his music, recently announced an impending lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Verizon Wireless.

China Mobile Orchestrating A Music Push As Apple Lags

The music business has lined up behind Apple's iTunes service in most of the world -- but not China.

Sonic Adds Download-To-DVD Software To Qflix

The technology makes it possible for someone to make their own copyright-protected movie DVDs at home.

There are hurdles to adoption, however. The Sonic technology requires special DVD recorders and discs, so it won't find its way into the home until people buy new PCs, digital video recorders, and other recording devices. That replacement cycle is expected to take three to five years, Baker said. "It's going to take time for the hardware and media to make its way into the marketplace."

Hey Tracy!

Rock and Roll Pirates: http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8329/piratesjy7.jpg

From a Billboard article:
"Bob Marley's 'Exodus' was designated the album of the century by Time magazine in its January 4, 2000, issue."

I don't know if I'd go THAT far.
There are SEVERAL interesting candidates for that exclusive distinction.

Re: "Dude releases 74 minute album on a single floppy disk"

"Now if only someone will release an album that will play on an old TRS-80, or an 8-track, or a piano roll, or even a gramaphone that we all want to buy."

Clever.

Retro is kind of quaint (and interesting).
Would you believe my local library still has a few computers (in current operation) that feature an "A"- Drive floppy disc function?

Radiohead will sell downloads of their new album online for whatever price you want to pay -- even if that is as little as 45 pence, the cost of the credit card processing -- meaning they would be getting no proceeds or profits. In essence, it's free.

This is big news, and another kick in the groin to the major labels, following on Prince's big CD giveaway in the Sunday papers.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/shanerichmond/sept07/radiohead.htm

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex2.html

Folks, somebody give a shout to leflaw or tracy. I have several articles in the "inbox" that need their approval to get posted. I am at work behind a firewall that blocks DMusic's admin section and it will be Wednesday before I can get logged in to approve the articles myself.

Is Radiohead truely indie yet? If so, support them. If still RIAA, continue to boycott!

George reports that they are indie.

I'm gonna double-check to make sure, then I'm gonna send em a buck if true (and if the download is DRM free.)

Well folks, here comes the biggie...
http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2007/09/first-riaa-jury-trial-to-start-monday.html

Lets all keep up positive thoughts to see that this turns out the "right" way...an riaa defeat!

Survey Finds Canadians Support Net Neutrality Law

$1 million dollar prize!

If you can proove that $7250 speaker cables are really any better.

Just saw the Cavemen on ABC

It blew chunks

(not suprised, but still sad about it.)

Chunky Cavemen..ah ya, ok & you were surprised about this?

"If you can proove that $7250 speaker cables are really any better." Better is a subjective thing. How can you prove that Camembert cheese is better than Velveeta? What is really at stake is whether the human ear/brain is capable of discerning differences in speaker cables. And under what conditions are those differences reliably discerned. These are interesting and tricky questions.

From the ludicrous to the profoundly incredible:
Can you believe there is a set of cables (Trasparent Opus speaker cables) for, get this, $43,000???

[best comment from the associated blog follows:]
"They are friggin' cables, for God's sake, and human hearing has limited perception. Human gullibility, on the other hand, has virtually no limits."

I'm guessing super-rich playboys with a million-dollar system sometimes need to stroke their personna with an additional bragging right.

Otherwise, have audiophile freaks thought of this:
The wires inside your stereo that connect the amplifier to the 'speaker-out' ports are probably ordinary-gauge copper wire. If cables can actually affect sound quality, wouldn't the wires inside the stereo still be the limiting factor?

Oh, wait. We're not dealing with rational people, so we can save our breath.

"The wires inside your stereo that connect the amplifier to the 'speaker-out' ports are probably ordinary-gauge copper wire. If cables can actually affect sound quality, wouldn't the wires inside the stereo still be the limiting factor? "

Anyone paying megabucks for speaker cables is likely to have equipment with specialized internal wiring, specialized power supplies, and specialized everything along the whole signal chain. So the answer is probably no.

Yeah, people do crazy things like paying $30,000 to climb Everest and take a risk of being killed. There are all kinds of strange forms of human behavior. This does not however answer the primary question of the audibility of differences in cables, resistors, capacitors and other important aspects of sound equipment. If you have a good ear and have played around with electronics very much, you would not have trouble believing that such changes do make a difference (even if it isn't a difference worth tens of thousands of dollars).