Grokster Legal Defense
The argument that the file sharing groups are making in court lately against their lawsuits are brilliant. In the similar NRA defense of "Guns don’t kill people, people kill people", they are laying the same foundation of defense in that Grokster doesn’t download unlicensed copyrighted material, people download unlicensed copyrighted material.
What this means is that if the court rules against Grokster (or other file sharing software programs), then new arguments could be made against the National Rifle Association with new legal precedent. If the court rules for Grokster, then it upholds the standards already set for the NRA (and Sony not being held liable for illegal VHS taping by consumers) thereby causing more grief for the entertainment and software industry.
This is what I love about the legal system. It makes some people’s head explode when it has to remain relevant by consistency.
The Office
I guess I was expecting something a little different but still based off the same idea as the BBC version which was brilliant and original, but it was not only the same show, they reused the same jokes and almost the identical sets.
I really wanted to like it, but no.
Apple, The Next Generation
Pentagram Design creates concept art of future Apple products we would like to see.
Sacked in the City
"It was then that Sarah realized her fame was waning..."
I have an uncanny ability to rub people with a strong opinion the wrong way sometimes. Case in point; I live in Manhattan, I offer my opinion freely of what I think of the show Sex and the City and furthermore, my opinion of Sarah Jessica Parker as an actress. If her eyelids were anymore relaxed, she'd be Paris Hilton. This opinion doesn't seem to go over well here with most women, and still, there I am giving my thoughts on the subject with little regard to my personal safety.
So you can see how happy I am to hear that Sarah Jessica Parker has been let go by The Gap and replaced with Joss Stone, to which reportedly, has Sarah quite upset about it.
"I guess The Gap finally noticed The Gap between your age and the age of their target demo, Sarah." - BWE
Priceless.
The Blogosphere
It is no secret that what now passes for professional news in the United States today is lazy second-hand infotainment. We have been saying this to them for some time and they just keep pointing the finger back saying "we are giving the people what they want" making it all our fault.
A few weeks ago the Jeff Gannon story broke about a planted reporter in the White house press throwing softball questions at the President. This story wasn't unveiled by say, any of the other people in the room who call themselves reporters, but by bloggers.
Now, did the collective will of the news media go on air with an apology for letting us down on doing their job? No, they had the marketing people work in a brilliant maneuver where they would all discuss the blogosphere on the news to see what all the cool kids who have other cool kid sources are talking about.
Before you think I am kicking bloggers in the groin here, I am not. I am a blogger. But bloggers are not journalists. We are opinionated writers who rarely get paid for the enjoyment of doing so. There is no standard on blogger ethics and there is little effort for anyone who wants to have their opinion on the internet.
When A Current Affair first aired back in the eighties, you could tell the difference from it and the news. One told you mostly somewhat boring but relevant and important information and the other told you how Michael Jackson's trial was going. It was less entertaining but it gave you so much more truth and it was not opinionated. It was just news. You can blame Ruppert Murdock for this lower standard in Journalism, but he just brought on the inevitable downgrade. The New York Post has also resorted to photoshoping photos instead of taking genuine ones.
Now with the Terri Schiavo story being covered every waking moment, when the Michael Jackson trial isn't on, I can be equally outraged at the federal government again as well as the news media. We set up a process to make passing new laws difficult for a reason, so that new laws wouldn't be enacted by the onset of raw emotion and often misleading information. The Government body reacted swiftly to a poorly reported news story that should not have gotten the attention it did.
If the news media profession wants to rely on the blogosphere to do their job then fine, we will probably accept it and not say a word for the time being. In the end, our society suffers for it and our people make bad uninformed decisions because of it. I like blogs because they are interesting as a perspective, not as reality.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Ahhhhh yea, Fun night at the Pig and Whistle.
The Onion: The Truth About Michael Jackson
Neverland Ranch Investigators Discover Corpse Of Real Michael Jackson.
Celebrity Antics
You know, I show up to work an hour late and in my pajamas all the time but you don't see me all over the news. Disaproving looks, yes, but not on the news.
SXSW
Looking to attend this year with some luck. Maybe I can make bumperstickers and slap them on homeless people around Austin to gain some attention by the cool kids.
The Dirty Truth About Apple Customer Support
Horizontal Snow
Yesterday it was in the low 60's and people were wearing shorts. Today it snowed horizontal with frozen ice all over the city.
Some lady got on my case today for not having a sense of humor in a check out line, I didn't even realize she was talking to me till I was getting told to have a f'n sense of humor. I think she refered to me as yuppie, I'm not sure.
That's when I pulled out my .45 and shot her.
(gah, I'm kidding, lighten up)
