These 4chan Kids Should Stay Out of Digg

Monday's Musicians Series - Dear Mr. President, Pink

"Dear Mr. President" is a song by Pink and was recorded for her fourth album, I'm Not Dead. She said the song is an "open letter" to the President of the United States, George W. Bush, and that it is one of the most important songs she had written. It was never released within the U.S. because Pink thought it too important to be interpreted as a publicity stunt.

'Medaling' With Free Speech at the Olympics

by Walter Brasch via The Moderate Voice

President Bush sounded just like a liberal.

Yes, you heard that right. Bush. Liberal. Same sentence.

At the new U.S. embassy in Beijing on the opening day of the Olympics, he said, "All people should have the freedom to say what they think." Without even blinking, he also told the world, while directing his comments at the Chinese, "We strongly believe societies which allow the freedom of expression of ideas tend to be the most prosperous and the most peaceful."

The day before, in Tibet, he boldly said, "America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents and human right's advocates and religious activists." He said he was speaking out "for a free press, freedom of assembly, and labor rights, not to antagonize China's leaders but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential." Read on at The Moderate Voice.

VIDEO - Israel, Iran and the New Neocons

Washington's neocons are alive and well, advising both John McCain and President Bush. Now many are saying Bush should permit Israel to attack Iran's nuclear facilities after Election Day before the new President takes office. American News Project investigates as they chase down John Bolten, Bill Kristol and Frank Gaffney to see how far ahead these hawks are thinking. And a new report says the whole plan could backfire. Here is the video from ANP.

What it Means to be a Republican Conservative

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Question the Questioners When the Question is Journalistic Integrity

The value of a confidential source is invaluable and a constitutional right or something. But what happens when the "credible" source(s) turn out to be a lying turd? Does the journalist have a right to protect the identity of said turd? Read on at The Columbia Journalism Review... 

P2P File Sharing May Have Just Been Legalized

If you’re a fan of digital video recording (DVR), I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent ruling regarding “networked” DVR. Turner Broadcasting sued Cablevision over its development and trial of a DVR system that doesn’t require a DVR box in a customer’s home. Basically, the hard-drive that stores television shows is on the other end of the cable, on servers operated by Cablevision.  Cablevision won. If you’re not familiar with the case, read this article from today's New York Times.

Although the basis of the lawsuit regarded the ability to fast forward through commercials, purely an advertising issue, a wider, and much larger implication may effect the way illegal file-sharing, such as music and movies, over the internet is viewed both by the courts of law and the court of public opinion.

In his ruling, Judge John M. Walker, said the technology “would not directly infringe,” on the media companies’ rights.

So the courts said I have legal access to a file produced by Hollywood that is stored on a hard drive that is not owned by me. I’m not paying for the actual file; I pay for the service of recording that file. I am not in violation of copyright laws. Remember, even without the DVR, my monthly Cablevision bill isn’t for the right to watch the television shows, it’s for the transmission of those shows.

What is the difference between file sharing between two personal computers over the Internet and the sharing of a file between Cablevision and it’s customers? In effect, there is no difference. I want to watch a movie. That movie is stored on another person’s hard drive. That other person doesn’t want to charge me, and he gives me access to that file. I now have that file.

The plaintiffs will no doubt appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The implications of this possible precedent will be very interesting.

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