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Seen, Heard, Said

Things I’ve seen, heard, or was told by someone. Item in this category usually originate from the Internet.

Worse Than John Kerry

Don Verrilli, the RIAA’s lawyer (or at least one of them) said this to the Supreme Court:
“The record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it’s been on their website for some time now, that it’s perfectly lawful to take a CD that you’ve purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod.”

One year later, here’s the RIAA’s stance (as quoted from BoingBoing):
From www.boingboing.net:

As part of the on-going DMCA rule-making proceedings, the RIAA and other copyright industry associations submitted a filing that included this gem as part of their argument that space-shifting and format-shifting do not count as noninfringing uses, even when you are talking about making copies of your own CDs:
“Nor does the fact that permission to make a copy in particular circumstances is often or even routinely granted, necessarily establish that the copying is a fair use when the copyright owner withholds that authorization. In this regard, the statement attributed to counsel for copyright owners in the MGM v. Grokster case is simply a statement about authorization, not about fair use.”

Please send me a straight jacket before I do something stupid.

Cryptography: Part II

From www.boingboing.net:

In Bruce Schneier’s latest Crypto-Gram email newsletter, he invites his readers to try to solve a cryptogram left at the scene of a multiple murder and suicide.

I get e-mail, occasionally weird e-mail. Every once in a while I get an e-mail from someone who needs a handwritten real-world cryptogram solved. This one is from 2004, and involves a multiple murder and suicide. The cryptogram was left by the murderer, and is on my blog. Take a look, at the note and the comments, if you are interested in trying to solve the mystery. But please be respectful of the relatives and friends of the victims; they’re also following the progress on the blog.

There are significant amounts of postings in the comments sections, I’ve only had time to print out the letter and tape it to my wall so I can glance at it and ponder of it. I am interested to see what a bunch of arm-chair cryptographers can do with this; an human version of distributed processing?

The note and subsequent comments are at http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/01/handwritten_rea.html.

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The Caffeine Nap

From Achieve-IT! via Fark.com:

The Caffeine Nap is simple. You drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a 15 minute nap. Researchers found coffee helps clear your system of adenosine, a chemical which makes you sleepy. So in testing, the combination of a cup of coffee with an immediate nap chaser provided the most alertness for the longest period of time. The recommendation was to nap only 15 minutes, no more or less and you must sleep immediately after the coffee.

This seems like something I might be able to use during those all nighters!

[tags]caffeine, fark, nap[/tags]

Why the Seahawks Lost

By Jackson West via Om Malik:

The Steelers won by exploiting the vulnerabilities in the Seahawks operating system with a defensive denial of service attack. Though the ‘Hawks often crashed on their own, with their executables throwing exceptions like offensive pass interference. Maybe Bill can buy up all the Steelers and integrate their best features into Paul’s product.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Date a Geek

Maryam Scoble, Robert Scoble‘s wife, goes to bat for us geeks in “In Defense of Geeks or Ten Reasons Why You Should Date a Geek“. Thanks Maryiam, we need more people like you fighter for us:

  1. He can fix your computer. There I said it. Do you really need another reason? He is not a bum. He has useful skills that can make your life (at least the part that is spent on the computer, and let’s face it, that is where we all spent most of our time any way) run smooth. Not enough? OK, here’s number two.
  2. He has friends who can fix your computer. So now you are in a relationship and he knows he’s got you and doesn’t feel like he needs to jump every time you call. All of a sudden he is too busy for you? He has work to do and can’t get there fast enough? No problem. Call one of his buddies. They’d love to help out. Geeks are the most helpful friends you’d ever make.
  3. Not a computer person? OK, here’s the killer. He can also hook up the TV, connect the DVD player and Tivo your favorite programs. He’ll also hook you up with the sweetest sound system you’ve ever heard. It would be like angels singing to you.
  4. Looking further for another reason? Yes, you guessed it. He has friends who can hook up the TV, connect the DVD player, etc. etc. etc.
  5. And it gets better: Not only can he fix your computer and DVD player, he can do the same for your friends. All of a sudden your social life will pick up. Your phone won’t stop ringing. Dinner invitations come up every night of the week. You’d be as popular as if you owned a truck and you don’t even have to help anyone move.
  6. Sigh…you really want more reasons to date a geek? Fine. Here’s one for your vanity. He’ll make you shine every where you go. No matter how clumsy your sense of style, no matter how awkward your social skills, you’ll be a fashion star and a classy diplomat next to your geek. He’ll make you look so good; you’ll fall in love with yourself.
  7. So you are not into computers, TVs and DVDs and you don’t care about being popular and fashionable. What about the newest techie gadgets? Do you like cell. phones, digital cameras, camcorders, or MP3 players? Forget bling bling. Let me tell you girlfriend, you are going to be a proud owner of the latest gadgets if you ever decide to date a geek. Your cell. phone will not only have your best friends’ number on speed dial, it would also be able to take pictures, make movies and even do your nails. Your sleek, sexy, and very small digital camera will take pictures that will put Ansel Adams to shame and your brand new, top of the line MP3 player will make all the heads turn your way.
  8. Not satisfied yet? Ok, I hear you. You are saying gadgets and toys are fun, but they won’t keep me warm in the middle of the night, if you know what I mean. Well, I didn’t think I would have to tell you this, but I guess you are going to make me spell it out for you. Here’s the deal, sweet and simple: Your geek will worship the ground you walk on. He’ll be so happy that a pretty girl like you paid attention to him that he’ll be at your feet. He’ll adore you as if you were his queen. In his arms, you’ll feel like you are at the top of the world. Believe me, I know what I am talking about.
  9. I know I got your attention now, but wait it gets better. He won’t cheat on you either. You don’t believe me? Here’s a test. Place the sexiest woman on earth in a room with a geek, say Angelina Jolie in a Victoria Secret sexy lingerie. At the other corner of the room, place the latest model of some computer or other. I am willing to bet my bottom dollar that your geek would want to play with that computer much more than getting to know Angelina Jolie. In fact, he might not even see her if the computer is on and connected to the Internet. C’mmon he has to check his email, surf the web and blog about the fact that he is in a room with Angelina Jolie 😉
  10. Ok, reason number ten. Did I mention he can fix your computer???

Also check out Maryiam’s, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating Geeks“!

Paradigm Shifts

“Paradigm shifts are for people too stupid to spot trends.”

In addition to being funny, the quote makes a good point. A paradigm shift is just a major change in the way things work. An example might be Apple switching from the Power PC chip to the Intel chip. However, if you looked close enough Apple was probably dropping hints the entire time about wanting to leave IBM and go to Intel. Thus, most people viewed the switch as a paradigm shift. Whereas it was really a trend.

Quote via Warner Crocker’s Life on the Wicker Stage: Act 2 via James Governor’s MonkChips

Updated to correct MonkChips link. Moved from “My Life” to “Seen, Heard, Said”

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

A bit tonge in cheek, but it raises some interesting questions:

  1. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
  2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
  3. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
  4. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
  5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
  6. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.
  7. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
  8. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.
  9. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
  10. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

a la Audreyln

Thoughts?

MPAA Admits to Movie Piracy

No, this is not a humor article from The Onion. Straight from the LA Times:

The MPAA admitted Monday that it had duplicated “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” without the filmmaker’s permission after director Kirby Dick submitted his movie in November for an MPAA rating. The Hollywood trade organization said that it did not break copyright law, insisting that the dispute is part of a Dick-orchestrated “publicity stunt” to boost the film’s profile.

Woah, the MPAA admitted that it had duplicated pirated a without the filmmaker’s permission?

“We made a copy of Kirby’s movie because it had implications for our employees,” said Kori Bernards, the MPAA’s vice president for corporate communications. She said Dick spied on the members of the MPAA’s Classification and Rating Administration, including going through their garbage and following them as they drove their children to school.

Implications for your employees? The movie is about the rating systems, of course it has implications for your employees. It’s what they do for a living! Spying is a rather large term that, without more specific definition, is not illegal. Neither is going through the garbage (once it hits the curb, it becomes public domain…or do you not watch law and order?) or following you town. Just admit that you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar, a cookie jar that apparently no one is allowed to take from:

The standard the MPAA is using for itself appears to be at odds with what the organization sets out for others: “Manufacturing, selling, distributing or making copies of motion pictures without the consent of the copyright owners is illegal,” the MPAA’s website says. “Movie pirates are thieves, plain and simple…. ALL forms of piracy are illegal and carry serious legal consequences.”

Also worth checking out: MPAA admits to unauthorized movie copying

Via Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 2

[tags]MPAA, copyright, piracy[/tags]