New Blog host

I've moved this blog to be hosted on my own server using Wordpress at bkanywhere.knieff2.com

Thanks and enjoy

More from RIAA

Sorry for the abundance of RIAA releated news today - but these guys are just so damn slick.

From ArsTechnica the story of RIAA coercing a 15 year old girl to perjury.

Damn, it just doesn't get better than that now does it?

No Coldplay for me

I really wish this site[itch.in] was a joke, but I seriously doubt that it is. If Coldplya/Virgin don't want me to listen to music on my iPod or computer (also note the reference to "Macintosh PC" - idiots) then they can go fuck themselves, I won't buy it, even if I might like it. I won't even buy it off of iTunes just becuase of this dumb stunt. Unless Coldplay recants.

Until the recording industry understands market pricing, fair use and most of all quality music they will continue to lose money. It is just a matter of time until a big name act cuts the labels out entirely and self publishes - digitally. The labels need to adapt or they will find themselves obsolete.

Score one for the little guy

The little guy is standing up against the RIAA with the help of some compassionate lawyers[recording...spot.com] (that is not an oxymoron) who are helping out the EFF[eff.org].

The goal here appears to knock out any legal basis for the RIAA's "John Doe" lawsuits. The RIAA is using 3 footings for the suits and the goal of the current effort is to deny all three, leaving the RIAA with little legal grounds to continue the current line of suits. I'm sure they will find some other way to bring these anonymous suits, but at least it will take them a while if this effort succeeds.

Also reported here[slashdot.org] with some good discussion.

Wasting Time

OK - amazing facts to brighten your day. Third nipple anyone?

And if you are a _true_ major geek

Summary of RIAA

Here is a great summary of the RIAA's efforts this year. It's a lot more funny when you put it all in one place.

Lana Turner

To follow up on the puppy post from a couple weeks back, the baby pug is now here and her new name is Lana Turner. She just came home yesterday and rumor has it that Ben and I get to see her before Sunday. At least, that's what Patrick (in the picture) says-- if it's not true, I will beat him silly with "Focus on the Family" journal.

Kisses, anyone?

Random fun links

Here you go, fun stuff for today:

Uncle Goddamn - fun videos!

Disinformation - crazy fun interesting stuff

Enjoy

Wikipedia!

If you use Wikipedia (you do don't you?), please consider making a small donation to keep Wikipedia going strong. Even $5 makes a difference (it's like recycling, every little bit counts), and it's tax deductable.

If you need some extra reasons:

• Wikipedia is incredibly expansive, almost 900,000 articles in English, and hundred of thousands of articles in other languages (if you are fluent in other languages consider adding content!)


• Wikipedia is quite accurate, incredibly close to Britannica, but error can be easily correct in moments rather than years.


• Wikipedia is a great jumping off point - links to external references let you explore sources and opinions and learn on your own.

If you love usingn Wikipedia like I do, think about making a small donation, if you haven't used Wikipedia, think about using it. And if you know a lot about something, consider adding articles or editing existing ones for accuracy.

Grassroots effort

This kind of grassroots effort is really cool. If you have a spare copy of Orwell's 1984 send it to your congress critter!

Mars is saved!

Oh how I wish this Pat Robertson story was true.

Did you know?

That there is a cable channel devoted to golf? Yep - the golf channel! How can this be? I mean golf is boring to do, but people will watch it? Let me say that again - "people watch golf?"

This blows my mind

More ranting

OK - you're stuck with more ranting. Get used to it.

I'm sick of union strikes. Absolutely tired it. The first big one to affect me, was the Northwest Airlines strike. Thankfully, the airline had a great contingency plan, and there was almost no disruption on service. But damn it - what a pain in the ass. These guys are fighting for better benefits than I am thankful to get. Join reality people - business are cutting back on benefits, deal with it. The rest of us have to. If you don't want your job, there are plenty of people who are happy to do it. They aren't whiney bastards.

There was a time when unions when unions where needed, when government regulation was not strong enough and management (owners of capital) was taking advantage of the workers. This is no longer the case. The market is now keeping management honest. Guess what union members - you're doing a hell of a lot better than everyone else. Not by a little, but by a lot. So damn it, I want to ride the subway in New York - most of you operating those trains are doing better than I am, and don't work 12 hours a day, travelling every week and busting ass - you're making more money, and have better benefits, so forgive me when I say "Fuck OFF" and get back to work.

If you think you are not making enough money then do what the rest of us do - go to school, bust your ass and get a new job. Stop bitching because you're not a millionare - get going and do something. Don't expect to get paid more for doing the same damn thing. If you worked in corporate America you would be thrilled to get a 2% raise for being a top rated employee. You can start bitching when you're treated wose than Wal-Mart employees (those are some folks who should start a union).

"Intelligent Design"

Slashdot has a great conversation on "Intelligent Design"

If you don't know, Intelligent Design (ID) has been pushed by conservatives as the answer to the theory of evolution, and there has been an effort to get the ID ideas in to the school system, not as mythology, theology or philosophy, but as science. This is of course absurd, and some courts have held the line.

The theory of evolution describes what we see around us. It does not require a god, nor does it eliminate the possibility of such. It is a scientific theory describing what happens in the work arround us. There is nothing for or against religion about it. There is nothing about it that Christians, Muslims, Hindus or Bhuddists should argue about - it describes a mechanism. If theologians want to argue about the origin of the mechanism, fine - but that should not be in science class. Yet ID proponents attempt to inject religion in to science - to marry the mechanism to the impetus.

You'll remember that Pat Robertson, in his great Christian love for everyone, infinite wisdom, and mandate from "God," has announced that entire towns are condemned because they refuse to recognize that ID is "right." Great Pat - show your ignorance and overall stupidity. Why not run for president?