new tactics from the RIAA

from the onion...

RIAA Bans Telling Friends About Songs

November 30, 2005 Issue 41•48

LOS ANGELES—The Recording Industry Association of America announced Tuesday that it will be taking legal action against anyone discovered telling friends, acquaintances, or associates about new songs, artists, or albums. "We are merely exercising our right to defend our intellectual properties from unauthorized peer-to-peer notification of the existence of copyrighted material," a press release signed by RIAA anti-piracy director Brad Buckles read. "We will aggressively prosecute those individuals who attempt to pirate our property by generating 'buzz' about any proprietary music, movies, or software, or enjoy same in the company of anyone other than themselves." RIAA attorneys said they were also looking into the legality of word-of-mouth "favorites-sharing" sites, such as coffee shops, universities, and living rooms.

as i once heard alice walker say, 'nothing is ever funnier, or frees the heart more, than the truth.' when satire feels the most effective is when it tells the truth, not necessarily of the actual events transpiring, but, like in this case, of the spirit behind the actions. i am continually astonsihed by the pure vindictiveness of the RIAA and its puppets in the music biz *(er, ahem, metallica) in their choice to agressively pursue people who download a few songs for home use or who share burned cd's with friends when they could be focusing on, say, people who bootleg for profit. why not just be smart like say, frank zappa and pearl jam and saturate the market with your own high quality 'official bootleg' recordings? in most cases, i think things play out best if listeners follow the advice or krs-one on his newest album - 'if you downloaded the album, then come to the concert!'

if this crap pisses you off too, probably the best way to keep up on the battle is to watch the news at the electronic frontier foundation, and, if you can, give em some money. a nickel for each downloaded song might be a good way to preserve open access to the musical 'intellectual property' you love.

the truth is stranger (and more fun) than fiction

what is there to say about a senior police officer in uttar pradesh, india, who is convinced he is a reincarnation of krishna's bride, radha, and has taken to dressing in drag and hugging fig trees?

from bbc news:

TV news channels flocked to his home to film him worshipping Hindu deity Lord Krishna in the form of a tree.

Mr Panda says he is the reincarnation of Goddess Radha, Lord Krishna's beloved.

He has been spending his time embracing a peepal, or holy fig, tree in his garden, chanting mantras to his beloved Lord Krishna.

One room in his house is kept sacred and secret.

"That is my private bed room. Only Krishna can enter there," he says.

There is nothing unusual in a Hindu ascetic getting up early and quoting from scriptures, as Mr Panda does.

Nor is it uncommon for Hindu sects to worship deities as lovers, or for men to live like women devotees.

But Mr Panda's position is a tricky one, seeing as he is a senior police officer.

Colleagues kept his penchant for ladies' clothes a secret for years, but must now decide what to do with a man who has become a figure of ridicule.

cheney gets a scolding

the fallout from the veteran's day speech continues -

rep. john murtha, a hawkish pennsylvania democrat who is a decorated veteran of wars in korea and vietnam, is calling for immediate withdrawl from iraq.

but my favorite part of what he had to say were his words for draft-dodger dick:

Seldom overtly political, Murtha uncharacteristically responded to Vice President
Dick Cheney's comments this week that Democrats were spouting "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges" about the Bush administration's use of intelligence before the war.

"I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done," Murtha said.

Referring to Bush, Murtha added, "I resent the fact, on Veterans Day, he criticized Democrats for criticizing them."

With a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, Murtha retired from the Marine Corps reserves as a colonel in 1990 after 37 years as a Marine, only a few years longer than he's been in Congress. Elected in 1974, Murtha has become known as an authority on national security whose advice was sought out by Republican and Democratic administrations alike.

to be clear, i dont want to fall into the trap of thinking that murtha's veteran status in and of itself gives him more moral authority than cheney. i'd dodge the draft in a hot second if it came to that, either in this war or the one in vietnam. however, im not starting wars and sending other people off to fight them. im not calling for other people to do something i wouldnt do myself. cheney is.

when peacenik leftists (like myself) are calling to bring the troops home, they may well be right, but they're just saying what they always say. when purple heart decorated veterans who serve on defense committes and are friends with high ranking pentagon officials are calling to bring the troops home, it's really time to listen.

the veteran's day speech from hell...

the bushco approval rating is now at, what, a chilly 36%?

he's backed into a corner, foaming at the mouth and lashing out at 'his opponents'. in his veteran's day speech, he goes back and forth between attempting to suggest that he hasn't slashed veteran's benefits, attacking his critics, and repeating his 'war on terror' mantra. i wont even comment on the attempts to paint the 'war on terror' as the new cold war.

read it, then read the commentary by former clinton speechwriter david kusnet here.

just a snippet:

At a time when Bush would benefit from sounding cheerful, forward looking, and above partisan politics, just as Ronald Reagan did during his second term even in the midst of the Iran-Contra scandal, Bush instead sounded like Richard Nixon or Lyndon Johnson during the worst days of the Vietnam War, although neither is remembered for flubbing a speech on a national holiday. It's as if Bush was reading from a cue-card that proclaimed, "Message: I'm embattled and embittered."

whats your fantasy?

gallows humor

George W. Bush is tossing restlessly in his White House bed.
He awakens to see George Washington standing by him.
Bush asks him, "George, what's the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Set an honest and honorable example, just as I did," Washington advises, and then fades away. The next night, Bush is astir again, and sees the ghost of Thomas Jefferson moving through the darkened bedroom. Bush calls out, "Tom, please! What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Respect the Constitution, as I did," Jefferson advises, and dims from sight.
The third night sleep still does not come for Bush.
He awakens to see the ghost of FDR hovering over his bed.
Bush whispers, "Franklin, What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"
"Help the less fortunate, just as I did," FDR replies and fades into the mist.
Bush isn't sleeping well the fourth night when he sees another figure moving in the shadows. It is the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.
Bush pleads, "Abe, what is the best thing I can do right now to help the country?"
Lincoln replies, "Go see a play."