Category: Uncategorized

Study: MP3 Sharing Not Serious Threat To CD Sales

This furor over RFID tags got me thinking; what if we could come up with a way that RFID tags could be inserted in a common place. If the tags were always in the same spot, the tin-foil hatters could remove them from the product and toss it, fry it, burn it, whatever.

We could even make it something that people are used to seeing on packaging already, something like the proof of purchase. Putting the RFID tag on the Proof of Purchase also lets the manufacturer get an end-to-end picture of where that product went. They would literally receive the RFID tag back in the mail when someone cashed in a refund (think Best Buy or Fry’s).

Just a quick thought here at lunch; obviously there are huge holes in this idea (how would such a process work for clothing, for instance). But this might be worth exploring.

I remember spending hours in the car with my folks, either going to the store or driving to vacation (like we ever flew!) and listening to beach songs. Jan and Dean featured prominently in this. Jeez, I even remember having a Jan & Dean casette tape of my very own.

Jan Berry dead at 62.

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This is pretty cool stuff. I wonder how much it would cost to make a room with in it.

Yeah, I think this craze has about burned itself out, hasn’t it?

Ever wonder which Johnny Depp character you’re most like? Take this quiz to find out. (via DaddyD)

Link [via monochrom]

Michael J. Totten is one of those great people who blogs about politics and takes on everyone. His take on the Clarke “thing” summarizes my feelings pretty well.

I’m behind the curve on this one, but I suppose I should weigh in on the Richard Clarke “scandal.” Clarke’s ability to undermine his own self with his own words is astonishing. I’m sure he’s telling the truth in there somewhere.

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From the Creative Commons website:

SoundShelf.com hosts free music of various genres and makes it all available under the EFF Open Audio License, or a Creative Commons license. This was taken directly from their FAQ:

2. When is free music legal?
Free music is legal when the artists want it to be. Until recently it was near impossible to know the artist’s feelings and intentions as all works were automatically copyrighted. Today with the emergence of the Creative Commons License and the EFF Open Audio License the artist’s desired intentions are expressed by the license that they choose to publish their works under.

I particulary liked this track No More by Neoismo, a group based out of Italy. It’s under an Attribution-ShareAlike license so you can even remix it!

I like this a lot; a site devoted to highlighting, pointing to, and getting out music that are being censored by a dying industry.

And if you go here, be sure to check out the Double Black album; it’s awesome!

Banned Music [via Popdex – the website popularity index]

Here’s a curious lawsuit. A Jewish couple is suing the IRS for rejecting their deduction of their children’s religious education. Apparently, members of the Church of Scientology are allowed to do just that under a secret agreement with the IRS.

This is the couple’s second lawsuit. In the course of the first set of suits, one of the judges offered this tidbit of legal advice:

“Why is Scientology training different from all other religious training?” Judge Barry D. Silverman wrote in his opinion, adding that the question would not be answered just then because the court was not faced with the question of whether “members of the Church of Scientology have become the I.R.S.’s chosen people.” Judge Silverman then recommended litigation to address whether the government is improperly favoring one religion.

Indeed. This could prove to be an interesting case as the CoS has LOADS of money. OF course, the couple’s lawyer is working pro bono, so it sounds as if his firm has an axe to grind as well.

Link (via Drudge)

A friend (and sometimes collegue) of mine, John Auchter, has finally opened up his website.

It’s… alive! Yes, the long fabled Auchtoon! website has finally made it past its two-and-a-half-year temporary home page:

http://www.auchtoon.com

Read, enjoy, waste a little time! Drop me a line and let me know what you think. And please feel free to forward the link to friends, family, and wealthy cartoon art aficionados.

Thanks!
John

John’s one of those people you’d look at and say, “Really? You’re a cartoonist?” (Just kidding John.)

Seriously, his stuff is great even if you don’t agree with him. Drop him a note of congratulations and buy a cartoon you friggen freeloaders! This one is my favorite so far.

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