Lets Paint The Kettle Black,Do You Have A Bitch On Whats Going On Around The Site Or Any Thing Negative To Report

a good bitch

Study: P2P effect on legal music sales "not statistically distinguishable from zero"

2/12/2007 8:49:06 AM, by Ken Fisher

A new study in the Journal of Political Economy by Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf has found that illegal music downloads have had no noticeable effects on the sale of music, contrary to the claims of the recording industry.


Entitled "The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis," the study matched an extensive sample of music downloads to American music sales data in order to search for causality between illicit downloading and album sales. Analyzing data from the final four months of 2002, the researchers estimated that P2P affected no more than 0.7% of sales in that timeframe.

The study compared the logs of two OpenNAP P2P servers with sales data from Nielsen SoundScan, tracking the effects of 1.75 million songs downloads on 680 different albums sold during that same period. The study then took a surprising twist. Popular music will often have both high downloads and high sales figures, so what the researchers wanted was a way to test for effects on albums sales when file-sharing activity was increased on account of something other than US song popularity. Does the occasionally increased availability of music from Germany affect US sales?

The study looked at time periods when German students were on holiday after demonstrating that P2P use increases at these times. German users collectively are the #2 P2P suppliers, providing "about one out of every six U.S. downloads," according to the study. Yet the effects on American sales were not large enough to be statistically significant. Using this and several other methods, the study's authors could find no meaningful causality. The availability and even increased downloads of music on P2P networks did not correlate to a negative effect on music sales.

"Using detailed records of transfers of digital music files, we find that file sharing has had no statistically significant effect on purchases of the average album in our sample," the study reports. "Even our most negative point estimate implies that a one-standard-deviation increase in file sharing reduces an album's weekly sales by a mere 368 copies, an effect that is too small to be statistically distinguishable from zero."

The study reports that 803 million CDs were sold in 2002, which was a decrease of about 80 million from the previous year. The RIAA has blamed the majority of the decrease on piracy, and has maintained that argument in recent years as music sales have faltered. Yet according to the study, the impact from file sharing could not have been more than 6 million albums total in 2002, leaving 74 million unsold CDs without an excuse for sitting on shelves.

So what's the problem with music? The study echoes many of the observations you've read here at Ars. First, because the recording industry focuses on units shipped rather than sold, the decline can be attributed in part to reduced inventory. Gone are the days when Best Buy and others wanted a ton of unsold stock sitting around, so they order less CDs. The study also highlighted the growth in DVD sales during that same period as a possible explanation for why customers weren't opening their wallets: they were busy buying DVDs.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070212-8813.html

 

i sent the pix in a e-mail to you did ye get it..infact i sent 3 pixs..

 

YES thanks bunches Ireland. i will try one soon

 

ddp's new sig..its to prove hes still alive and a warning hes around




http://www.hotcliparts.com/gallery/Animations/bars/an78.gif
http://www.hotcliparts.com/gallery/Animations/bars/an90.gif

 

i don't see anything lol

 

click on ther links to see if ye can see them

http://www.hotcliparts.com/gallery/Animations/bars/an78.gif
http://www.hotcliparts.com/gallery/Animations/bars/an90.gif

 

I can see them just fine.

 

FOR THOSE THAT THINK THEY HEARD IT ALL...THAT IS UNTIL THEY TAKE A WIZZ

SANTA FE -- New Mexico has taken its fight against drunken driving to men's restrooms around the state.

The state has ordered 500 talking urinal cakes that will deliver a recorded anti-DWI message to bar and restaurant patrons who make one last pit stop before getting behind the wheel.

The top of the devices feature the state DWI slogan -- "You drink, you drive, you lose."

Some Albuquerque bars installed the devices this week.

And the state Transportation Department plans to distribute them to Santa Fe bars and restaurants as well as establishments in Farmington, Gallup and Las Cruces.

The state spent $21 for each talking urinal cake for the pilot program but will ask bars and restaurants to pay for future orders if the idea catches on.

The cakes have enough battery power to last about three months.

 

aabbccdd
they are just going to limit your ability to post and view sigs. LOL

 

My bitch:

Every Target with in reasonable driving distance sold every Wii they had (around 300 in a total of 5 locations) yesterday, the day the put them out!

Also, I finally got one (B-Day present, so I don't get it 'til March) but I had to buy it in a "Bundle" of 3 games and an extra Remote. The extra Remote wasn't a problem but having to buy three games almost caused me not to get it.

But, luckily, I had played a few Wii games before so I knew which ones to pick out.

So I am a happy man today.

Peace

 

Grrrrrrrrrr, petulant sneer. I agree with Pop, I want a wii so bad and living an hour and a half from town is NOT helping matters. Every time I am in town, even a big one like Portland, they are sold out!!!!!!!!!!!

I have almost vowed to wait till summer and hopefully the demand will have slipped a bit. Also, by then you all will be able to tell me what games and accessories are best and which are crud!!!!

But...I am still a little pinched that I don't have one NOW!

PS. Thanks Pop for the support re lost puppy. Silly dog came HOME and was not cougar chow, can't believe it. Thanks again.

 

kitty66, get ya one from e-bay or anywhere and let UPS bring it to your door lol

 

@Kitty: Thats great to hear that your dog is now safe at home!

On the Wii thing, I was very surprised to hear that my local Targets had sold all of the ones they got on Sunday because they had so many. I was thinking I could pretty easily get one once February hit because I assumed they sold out due to people wanting to get their kids one for the holidays.

Guess I was wrong, but, the good thing is despite the still-hot demand for the console itself the accessories and games are usually in-stock almost everywhere. This means at least you won't have to wait too long once you get the system to "equipt" it.

One thing I didn't know, a Nunchuck is included with the console. (a real "Nunchuck" is actually spelled Nunchaku which is the random fact of today).

I assumed a nunchuck would not be included with the console as it doesn't show one anywhere on the box but, you need it to play Boxing, one of the games that is part of Wii Sports which is included with the console, so I thought I would have to buy two Nunchucks as my bundle came with an extra Remote but luckily I only have to buy one.

Peace

 

THOSE THAT GOT THERE NOODLES TIED MIGHT HAVE A REAL BITCH


Research links vasectomy with higher dementia risk

February 13, 2007 01:47:37 PM PST

Men who have had a vasectomy may face an increased risk of developing a rare type of dementia marked by a steady loss of language skills, researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois, writing in the journal Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, linked this male sterilization surgery to a neurological condition called primary progressive aphasia, or PPA.

They surveyed 47 men with the condition being treated at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, as well as 57 men who did not have PPA. Their ages ranged from 55 to 80.

Of those with primary progressive aphasia, 40 percent had undergone a vasectomy, compared to 16 percent of the others. Those with PPA also suffered the ailment an average of four years earlier than the others.

Preliminary data also linked vasectomies to another form of dementia involving behavioral changes. Among 30 men with frontotemporal dementia, more than a third had undergone a vasectomy, the researchers said.

Sandra Weintraub, who led the study, acknowledged that the research involved a small number of people and said she planned to conduct a larger national study to see if the findings hold up. In the mean time, she said her findings should not stop men from getting vasectomies.

"I was hoping not to, but unfortunately it's the kind of news that ends up scaring people even though they may not need to be scared," Weintraub said in an interview.

"This was just a clinical observation that started with one of my patients telling me that he first noticed the onset of his symptoms a couple of years after he had a vasectomy, and he wondered whether that might have something to do with it," Weintraub said. "In his mind, these things were connected."

Primary progressive aphasia, which affects people usually after age 50, can be mistaken for Alzheimer's disease since initial symptoms are similar. In this incurable disorder, nerve cells die in the brain region responsible for language skills.

It causes people's language capabilities to decline steadily, with symptoms such as faulty recollection of names of people and things, difficulties in speech, reading and writing, and poor comprehension.

A vasectomy is an operation in which the tubes through which sperm travels are cut, leaving sperm unable to reach the testes and making a man unable to impregnate a woman.

The study did not look at the mechanism behind any link between PPA and vasectomies, but Weintraub said it may be because the surgery allows sperm to leak into the blood. Antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the sperm might trigger damage that causes dementia, she said.

 

my bitch of the day


Leaked letter shows RIAA pressuring ISPs, planning discounts for early settlements

2/13/2007 11:59:18 AM, by Eric Bangeman

The RIAA is asking for additional cooperation from ISPs in getting customers targeted by the RIAA's file-sharing sting to cooperate, according to a letter recently leaked to P2P attorney Ray Beckerman. In it, the RIAA lays out its vision for how it would like ISPs to cooperate with its efforts to identify and sue those accused of sharing music over P2P networks. This includes communicating a standing offer of a $1,000 settlement discount should the subscriber settle before a lawsuit is filed against him or her. The letter also discloses plans for a settlement web site that will launch later this year.

MediaSentry, the RIAA's investigative arm, typically identifies suspected copyright infringers by IP address. One of the record labels whose music was discovered in a shared folder then becomes the lead plaintiff in a John Doe lawsuit. Via the discovery process, the ISP is then forced to turn over the name and address of the account owner who was using the IP address at the time of the alleged infringement. At that point, the John Doe case is discontinued and the label sues the individual fingered by the ISP.
Bypassing the courts

The RIAA wants to do an end run around this process, getting ISPs to start the collection agency work by sending out letters to the owners of IP addresses allegedly used for infringement. If the recipient of a such a letter contacts the RIAA, the labels get their positive ID and the chance to extract a sizable settlement without having to resort to the legal system.

In its letter (which has all information that would identify the recipient blacked out), the RIAA outlines how it would like ISPs' help in its continued attacks against suspected file sharers. One of the big problems from the RIAA's perspective is that of the ISPs' communications. "Whether in a notice to a subscriber at the preservation or Doe stage, or in subsequent communication with subscribers," the RIAA writes, "it is vital that you avoid providing incorrect or misleading information." Instead, ISPs should use a model letter written by the RIAA to let subscribers know what's going on.

<<ISP>> has received a notice from the Recording Industry Association of America ("RIAA") requesting that we preserve documents regarding your identity. The RIAA has indicated that it intends to file a lawsuit and seek leave to serve a subpoena upon <<ISP>> requiring disclosure of documents that identify the user located at an IP address that our files indicate was assigned to you at the time identified by the RIAA.

If you have an questions regarding why the RIAA is interested in your account, please contact the record companies' representatives by phone at (913) 234-8181, by facsimile at (913) 234-81812, or by email at info@SettlementInformationLine.com

Please be advised that if the RIAA follows this notice with a subpoena, we will forward a copy of that subpoena to you but we will be legally obligated to provide the requested information.

Our purpose in sending you this letter is to provide you with advance notice of the RIAA's request. <<ISP>> is not taking any action against you, and there is no need for you to communicate with us regarding this issue.

ISPs are cautioned against letting their customer service staff provide misinformation to subscribers. They are told to "refrain from issuing opinions about the validity of the copyright claims." The RIAA also asks to be promptly notified if an ISP believes it has mistakenly identified a customer in an attempt to avoid further embarrassments.
Call now! Operators are standing by!

The RIAA will also be providing the ISPs with another letter they can send to their subscribers, this one notifying them of the possibility of an early, out-of-court settlement. "We have heard repeatedly from targets that they want the ability to settle as early as possible at the lowest amount possible," according to the letter. "To accommodate this request, we are instituting a new Pre-Doe settlement option that will allow infringers to settle at a discounted rate if they do so prior to our filing a Doe suit."

There's a catch: in order to be eligible for the Pre-Doe settlement option and $1,000 savings, ISPs will have to hold on to its log files for at least 180 days. This gives the RIAA ample time to pursue a lawsuit and subpoena if the suspected infringer elects not to enter a settlement.

The letter also outlines what exactly the RIAA wants in response to a subpoena, should a lawsuit become necessary. First, the music labels want an ISP to examine its log files "as completely and carefully as possible" before responding. The labels also want the most up-to-date contact information, as well as the log files used to identify the subscriber.
Ill communication

The last request contains a troubling admission by the RIAA: "We are taking this step to address the occasional problem we have had where an ISP does not maintain the log files and cannot later exculpate a subscriber who claims to have been misidentified." In other words, the RIAA has targeted the wrong people in the past due to its heavy reliance on US ISPs to accurately identify people with shared music folders on Kazaa or other P2P networks.

Later this year, the RIAA will launch a new web site intended to "facilitate" early settlements. Once www.p2plawsuits.com—which was just registered on January 23—comes online, it will provide consumers with information about the RIAA's lawsuits and how to enter into a costly settlement in order to avoid litigation.

We contacted the RIAA to determine if the letter was indeed authentic and they declined to comment. If nothing else, the letter illustrates the degree to which the RIAA wants to be able to get settlements from its targets without having to resort to even a John Doe lawsuit. The RIAA also anticipates stepping up the pace of its lawsuits against suspected file sharers, telling ISPs that the labels will soon resume sending them "early preservation notices" that are precursors to a lawsuit.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070213-8832.html

 

aabbccdd- thats my girl,keep ye hands off of her

 

lol ireland you crack me up , plus that thing is scaring Adriana lol

 

Just Backed-up "Open Season" & "Flags of our Fathers" with DVDFab Platinum...and the quality came out horrible compared to 1ClickDVD...there is a definite difference in quality...quite noticeable...

I guess I will not buy DVDFab Platinum after all...Love there decrypter...however their compression software is not very good...the compression on both these movies was quite high...

I think I'll try CloneDVD 2 on these movies to see the differences for my self...

 

I have fooled around with allot of DVD rippers you cant beat Any DVD to decrypt and DVD shrink to resize or DVD decryptor for full 1:1 copies,altho I have had more issues with DVD decrypt.

 

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