Pirate Bay: MPAA's $15.4 million damage claim a fabrication
So the MPAA is claiming that Pirate Bay owes them $15.4 million in damages for copyright infringement. This prompts me to think that the MPAA is about as clueless as the RIAA. Do they seriously think that they're loosing any major revenues from ticket sales due to movie downloads?
The problem with most movie downloads is that they are of very questionable quality. It used to be that many pirate groups could get a hold of screener DVDs but the Academy cracked down on that pretty hard and now it's extremely difficult to get screeners of any new movies that are currently at the box office. Most movies are done as either "cams" or telesync, both of which entail capturing a movie with a video camera and are of highly questionable quality.
The MPAA has to ask itself, "Does the average movie goer care at all about watching a bootleg version of a movie?". I'm the average movie goer and I personally would rather watch a movie in the theater rather than watching a shitty bootleg version. Those that do like to watch bootleg versions of movie represent such a low percentage of the movie going public that I just don't see how the MPAA can make a claim of $15.4 million in damages.
So, if that's the case, then why is the movie industry loosing money and why aren't as many people going to the movies? There are likely a number of reasons but most of them I think boil down to supply and demand.
First, with the economy slowly going into a recession, most people simply can't afford to go to the movies. The average cost of going to a movie is around $15 to $16 a person when you average in ticket cost, popcorn, and a drink. At that cost, many would rather spend their hard earned money on DVD's and rentals via Netflix and the like. Although this apply only to the U.S., I would imagine that the same would apply to many other countries as well.
Second, the quality of movies coming out isn't as good as prior years. Tons of sequels or just plain bad ideas with bad scripts and (sometimes) bad acting. Not to say there haven't been any good films. But it's the quotient of bad films to good films that is at the core. I used to go and see a new movie at least once a month. At the moment, I've only seen two films since the beginning of the year. Looking ahead, I think there's only about two or three films in the next six months that I'll likely see in the theater.
What can the industry do to improve this right away? Well, they can start by lowering ticket prices. Demand is low so it would work in their favor to lower ticket prices and get more people back in the theaters. Also, it would help to start looking at their business model and how it would need to change to reflect the current times. What would help it? Would releasing pay-per-views the same day as a movie release help?
And what about the quality issues? I personally would give more control back to the creators and let the producers, directors, and writers have more say-so as to the direction of a film. As it stands, so many great ideas get ruined because megalomaniac companies feel the need to screw with the success of a film. Reality check: The reason why a film like Iron Man succeeded is because control of the film was kept with the producer, director, writers, and talent of the film.
I mentioned in my last post about a message from the Australian PM. Here's yet another piece of propaganda bullshit that arrived in my inbox:
Subject: What a Guy.......We need a guy like that!
THE AUSSIES HAVE ALWAYS STOOD BY US IN THICK AND THIN....WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THEY GET GOING...WHAT A GREAT LEADER...HOPE WE FIND A GUY LIKE HIM .....
This is the kind of president we need!!!
AMERICA Needs A Leader Like This!?
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society. Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask, is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
As "cool" as this may sound and though we'd all like to cheer this guy on and say "way to go", the problem with it is this: John Howard never said any of that:
The only part that's true is the statement that Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law may not want to live in Australia. What you see in this e-mail is actualla re-working of an editorial written in the days after September 11, 2001, by Barry Loudermilk:
This is right on up there with the falsified Barack Obama quote I got recently. And all it took was a simple search on Google to find the facts.
This is just trash politics through and through. Spreading lies isn't a good way to convince people, especially when you misquote or lie about what someone else said...it's just stupid.
Earlier this morning, the following message lands in my inbox:
Don't understand the big deal over deporting illegal aliens. It certainly was no problem for the past presidents HOOVER AND EISENHOWER.
Back during the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover ordered the deportation of all illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens that desperately needed work.
And then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican nationals! The program was called "Operation Wetback" so that American WWII and Korean veterans had a better chance at jobs. It took 2 years, but they deported them!
Now, if they could deport the illegals back then, they can sure do it today!! If you have doubts about the veracity of this information, enter Operation Wetback into your favorite search engine and confirm it for yourself.
Reminder. Don't forget to pay your taxes, 50 million illegal aliens are depending on you!
Ok, there are some problems with this way of thinking. Re-implementing a program like "Operation Wetback" wouldn't work today for a number of reasons. First, "Wetback" is a derogatory term and using it would cause all kinds of chaos. Not a wise choice in terms. Second, although we'd all like to simply kick them back over the border and say "Not my problem" it doesn't solve the bigger problem. Let's look at the second reason a bit more.
Everyone talks about how illegal aliens are hurting our economy but no one thinks about why it is that they are over here in the first place. The reason? The Mexican economy is so bad that illegal aliens from Mexico come over here to make more money. The level of poverty and corruption is pretty damn bad. I can not blame anyone who tries to make a better life for themselves and their family. Can you?
To say to these people, "Get out! You're not welcome here!" That's an elitist attitude. What makes you or I any better than someone simply trying to make due? That ignores the very problem that is causing immigration problems to run rampant and it's irresponsible. Why don't you hear about problems with illegal Canadians? Cause, unlike Mexico, Canada actually has a pretty good economy. There is no motivation for Canadians to come into the United States illegally.
Look, this country was founded and created by rejecting the Old World and creating a New World. Problem now is that we're no longer the New World. An even newer world is being created. We're talking about globalization here. Another problem is that more than 80 percent of our economy is domestic. We react in horror to any Americans who speak a second language - God forbid, Spanish - as if the big problem is that we have too many people speaking foreign languages. Hell, as it stands we don't really have a whole lot of foreign travel by Americans. As such, we have a whole bunch of people who don't realize that things have changed in the world.
U.S. businesses get it though. They're outsourcing like crazy in an effort to remain competitive in a world economy. American universities get it too. They're bringing in students from all parts of the world. Research is being done everywhere as well. The people who really don't get is is the people you've elected in Washington, D.C. We would rather rely on intelligence reports (which God knows are 100% accurate) to tell us what we need to know rather than simply talking with the countries we know little about. That kind of foreign policy does little to promote openness in a world economy.
What we have to do is talk to the Mexican government and see what we can do to help boost their economy. If you help them make their economy more strong and give Mexicans the opportunity at obtaining good jobs then you'll see a great reduction in illegal immigration. But what you can't do is say "Mexico is not our problem". Every country that borders us is our problem. The relationship we have with Canada and Mexico is extremely important. The better we're able to help each other build our economies the stronger we'll be in the world economy.
As far as the immigrants that are here, I don't see how we can realistically deport all of them. What we're doing now is not pro-active and is not a healthy attitude for America. Perhaps we can look at encouraging those who are illegal to become legal. Help them understand what it is to be an American. Encourage them to learn English. If we don't then they'll continue to hide in the shadows.
Best way I can think of to give you a taste of what I'm talking about is to have you watch an episode of 30 Days that deals with immigration. Morgan Spurlock created the series and many of the episodes are pretty darn interesting. The one on immigration though was a real eye opener. In it, Morgan took a guy who was a Minuteman and has him spend a month with a Los Angeles Mexican family in a one-bedroom apartment. He ends up going to Mexico to see where this family originated from. What he sees shocks him.
If you can rent it and watch it, do it. Blockbuster should have it available to rent. It's from Season 2, episode 2 I think. It's also coming up as a rerun on FX as well. If you have a DVR, do a search and set it to record.
This is a hot button topic that unfortunately does not have a simple solution. The problem is much bigger and much different than you think. And in order to solve this we have to get past the kind of rhetoric and B.S. that is inherent in the kind of correspondence that was in that e-mail about the Australian PM. We have to look at the facts and not pre-judge. Otherwise we run the risk of making rash decisions on the basis of a gut-reaction rather than making educated decisions based on facts.
Think about some of the best product designers out there. Think about a product that you have seen that left an impression in your mind. The best analogy I have about good product design has to do with a can opener. Sure, for most people a can opener is a can opener. There's nothing really about a can opener that would give you an emotional response. But if a company that designs can openers was to create one that not only looks different but feels different and opens cans better than anything out there then someone using it might get an emotional response from it. They may very well think to themselves,"This is the best damn can opener I've every used! I don't think I'll ever buy another can opener from another company every again!" Not only did they design a good product that solves the customer's problem but they also created a loyal customer who doesn't see any other solution as being as good as theirs.
The lesson here is that getting your customers to use your product is only one part of it. The other is keeping them. And the only way you're going to do that is to develop a good product that speaks to the customer. In essence the product must speak for itself. If you were building can openers you have to tell yourself, "We're not in the business of making can openers...we're in the business of opening cans". That's a big distinction in philosophy, don't you think?
I find that the reason why many web developers/designers and software companies fail is that they haven't properly defined their business model, philosophies, and processes properly. The ones that stick out for me are the ones who focus on user-centric design, implement proper IA into the process, and maintain proper communication at every level of development. Companies like Google, Apple, Dyson (great vacuums btw!), 37 Signals, and others.
In fact, my wife and I ended up having to replace our vacuum and ended up going with a Dyson. All you have to do is do the math: 5 year warranty on part and labor, no bags or filters to replace, and it never looses suction. If it lasts more than 5 years then it clearly makes up for the extra cost compared to other vacuums. You could go through two vacuums in the same amount of time one Dyson would last you. But it's not in the cost that makes it better...it's how good the damn thing is. The minute you use one you're hooked. I mean, this thing sucks...literally! Best damn vacuum I've every used, hands down. That's building loyalty for ya! :)
Go rent and watch this DVD:
Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers
The amount of corruption and profiteering from the likes of Blackwater, Halliburton/KBR, CACI, and Titan is staggering! And the creators of this film are not lying about it either. Plenty of evidence and facts to backup their claims.
After watching the film, I feel that our occupation in Iraq has less to do with fighting terrorism and more to do with oil and government contracts. Do the math. The more troops we have in Iraq the more money these companies will make. The so-called "surge" in Iraq is nothing more than a "surge" in profits. For the past five years we let the Bush administration and our government line the pockets of corporate executives by privatizing so much of our military operations. All the while we were told that we were fighting a "noble cause" and that if we didn't then the "terrorists would win".
Some of these companies received these contracts without any opposition, any bidding, with no competition, and continues to be granted these contracts with little or no oversight. It should come as no surprise that Halliburton, the very company that Vice President Cheney was CEO of, got the majority of these contracts. As a member of the military serving in Iraq you can't shit, shower, or shave without some form of intervention from Halliburton. What's worse is that nothing has been done in Congress; no amendments or bills have been passed to ensure that these companies have proper oversight.
The United States government is being charged outrageous amounts of money with millions of dollars in overspending. This is your tax dollars at work, folks. If this doesn't piss you off then I don't know what to tell you.
I'm outraged beyond belief. I figured there was some corruption for sure...but this? Hell no! What they are doing is so un-patriotic, un-American, and un-Christian. It's an absolute outrage! And we're to believe that we're actually fighting terrorism? The hell we are! It's a lie, plain and simple. These people are profiting off of terrorism and the deaths of others. And it's wrong...so damn wrong. So wrong that its about as bad as terrorism itself.
This needs to change. We need to stop the war profiteering. And you can change it by voting for someone who won't put up with it any longer. McCain sure as hell won't do it. I have serious doubts that Clinton will do anything constructive after her recent comments about Iran. So that only leaves one candidate left.
UPDATE: You can watch the entire film online at Freedocumentaries.org.
Recently, I went back and started reading some old Iron Man comics in preparation for the new movie. In the process, I stumbled across a Captain America story that I think has great relevance to today. Written in 1987, the story is about a time when the United States government put together a commission to investigate the contract of Captain America. In a nutshell, they mandated that Captain America abide by the terms of his contract. In the end, Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) refused.
So the question is: What if there were a Captain America today? What would the stipulations of his contract be? Here's how some of it might read:
- He would be a financed creation of the United States government.
- As a volunteer, he would have signed a contract stipulating that he serve his country in an official capacity until the President relieves him of duty.
- As a symbol of fighting America, he would agree to serve his country as an official mascot.
- His uniform, shield, and the very name of Captain America would be the property of the United States government.
- He would be an employee and the property of the United States and would be required to follow the orders of his superiors.
Now, knowing the kind of hero Captain America is and the ideals he holds, imagine if the government ordered him to serve in Iraq. Would he do it? Or would he do what he did in this story and turn in his uniform and shield? Given the circumstances of Iraq, the war profiteering, the lack of accountability, the lies, I think Steve Rogers would refuse.
In my opinion, if there were truly a Captain America today he would embody that which is true patriotism. He would be more than the colors of his uniform or the symbol of America on his chest. To ask him to do anything that goes against the nature of his patriotism would go against what this country is all about.
Here's what he said to the commission at the end of the issue:
(Note: the 40-year old document he's referring to is the original contract he signed back in the 1940's)
"Gentlemen, I have given the matter we discussed yesterday a great deal of thought, and I regret to say that in all good conscience I cannot accept your conditions of employment.
"Captain America was created to be a mere soldier, but I have made him far more than that. To return to being a mere soldier would be a betrayal of all I've striven for, for the better part of my career. To serve the country your way, I would have to give up my personal freedom and place myself in a position where I might have to compromise my ideals to obey your orders.
"I cannot represent the American government; the President does that. I must represent the American people. I represent the American dream, the freedom to strive to become all that you dream of being.
"Being Captain America has been my American dream. To be come what you want me to be, I would have to compromise that dream...abandon what I have come to stand for.
"My commitment to the ideals of this country is greater than my commitment to a 40-year old document. I am sorry but that's the way it must be.
"Gentlemen, I believe these are yours."
And at that, he turns in his uniform and shield.
Seriously, how much proof do you need? Not only does Hillary Clinton lie, it looks like she's even hiring others to lie for her by pushing them onto others via poll calls. Say "hello" to Hillary's new head of her campaign team, the firm of Geoff Garin:
Clinton Camp Testing Attacks on Obama
This is absurd! How can anyone in their right mind vote for her knowing damn well that she has lied her ass off to get their vote? I don't buy the excuse that we expect politicians to bullshit us. I'm tired of that line. If this is her idea of a well run campaign, I don't want her anywhere near the office of the President of the United States!
Ever see any of those unboxing videos? Check out the ones for the MacBook Air, WiiFit, and Rockband. There seems to be a weird preoccupation with this sort of thing. So, it should come as no surprise that Merlin Mann and Jeffrey Veen did a little unboxing video of their own:
Recently, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer described Vista as "a work in progress" at an annual Seattle event (InfoWorld, Ars Technica). I don't know about you, but I find that statement quite disturbing. Let's take a look at what Ballmer said and see if we can translate it a bit:
"Windows Vista: A work in progress." [Laughter, applause.] "A very important piece of work, and I think we did a lot of things right, and I think we have a lot of things we need to learn from. Certainly, you never want to let five years go between releases. Can we just sort of kiss that stone and move on? Because it turns out many things become problematic when you have those long release cycles. The design point, what you should be targeting. We can't ever let that happen again."
Translation: Windows Vista: A failure in progress. A very important piece of works because, let's face it, we never get things right the second time or fourth time. Why would the sixth time be any different? Actually it's six years between releases, but who's counting? Kiss my ass if you don't like it. I know it took a long time but, you know, it's hard to design this stuff. We can't ever let anyone know that we don't know how to design anything other than shit.
"Vista is bigger than XP, and it's gonna stay bigger than XP. We have to make sure it doesn't get bigger still."
Translation: You upgraded and went from fat to obese. We know that. But diet and exercise won't make it any smaller.
"So the desktop business, it's our heart, it's our soul, we continue to drive forward from this foundation."
Translation: We know we can't keep this up. So, we're gonna try and buy up companies that aren't a good fit for our core business, share a different philosophy, and does nothing but hurt the consumer. Three cheers for Microhoo! Woo-hoo!
Regarding the search market...
"There's an opportunity to knock the socks off in terms of innovation."
Translation: There's an opportunity to kiss our competitors good-bye and innovate by stealing from them. Cause, you know, that's just business.
"It's virtualization time for Microsoft...We're gonna make sure we democratize virtualization."
Translation: We may be late as hell in the game but we're gonna do for virtualization what Hillary Clinton has done for the Democratic party. We'll lie, cheat, and steal our way to the top!
Imagine if you bought a brand new car, took it home, and within the first few weeks you noticed problems and annoyances. You filled it up with gas twice already after only driving a couple of hundred miles. Two of the tires have slow leaks. A weird burning oil smell keeps coming out of the A/C when you turn it on. The engine light keeps flashing at you telling you that your engine requires attention. The radio doesn't play any CD's except those distributed by Sony.
Now, imagine you took this car back to the dealership and was told that your car was a "work in progress" and wasn't actually fully tested nor completed when it rolled off the assembly line. Would this be an acceptable answer for you? Would you put up with it? Didn't think so.
Got this in my inbox today:
Quote of the day
"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it." -- Barack Hussein Obama
What ?
Problem with this is that it's a lie. That is not Barack Obama's quote. Want proof? David Emery mentions it on his Urban Legends Blog.
I looked it up and, sure enough, I could not find that quote in any transcripts of Barack's speechs. All it took was a simple Google search. ;)
