-medusa-

well done! I enjoyed reading this Mike(added pause)Hunt

immortal beloved the thomas crown affair

almost an orchestra!

welcome kiwibank

sorry CD, I don't know either

I like it! very nice (goes with the hat) is there a 20 min track? (or was it an echo?)

right...I forgot that this is the same industry that for years (over)packaged cd's in long boxes so that they would fit in vinyl display bins rather than change them to fit the jewel case and showcase more product in the same space! A free model that has the inherent risk of lawsuit attached when countered with a zero risk model will usually lose. As a general rule I doubt there are many that enjoy putting on such high risks as the full legal penalties allowed the RIAA. Most people like to stay between the lines. Though there will always be exceptions...right koop? Caught off guard maybe, but they migrated to the ostrich family and may get unpleasant surprises! They are spending far more on legal fees than they would in implementation to sell, at a reasonable price, to a market that is obviously clamoring for their product. Obviously money is not the problem, nor the sales volume, nor the loss of sales. Does make a body wonder why they are walking away leaving pure profit on the table.

encrypt and tunnel!

Don't underestimate or over simplify what the RIAA ultimately wants.... Accounting for the change should be simple. Delivering content electronically (downloading music, software or any other product for that matter) reduces costs. The bottom line.... gross profit increases. The lawsuits are an effort to bring the controversy before the Supreme Court and Congress. The issue is control as the industry quietly positions a move into online sales...and they want it all. Why haven’t maximum fines been imposed on those charged to date? They have demonstrated little concern for customer taste, wants, or opinions, which discredits RIAA statements regarding settlements. Imposition of the maximum penalty would have instantaneous effects in the p2p world. Deep pockets can focus on longer-term goals. As a very smart friend of mine says, "Follow the gold, you’ll find all the answers". Complain loudly about decrease in sales blaming the p2p market rather than poor product or the economy (potential for alienating congressional votes). Blame the p2p market for causing retail store closings voiding the contracts the industry has with them—note: voided early without monetary penalty to the industry and more than likely dismissed in the stores declaration of bankruptcy. As a crude analysis: reduce the cost of employees, floor space in retail stores, transportation, warehousing, pre/post store delivery, packaging (a per item cost-multiplier by millions), labor (the largest expense), promotion, advertising, and many intangibles. These are a few of the costs that are/would be eliminated by delivering content via electronic means. The savings are enormous; the immediate exponential profit is staggering but real. Alienating a customer base with inflated prices for merchandise, poor product, heavy handed legal tactics, violation of privacy rights via legitimate/illegitimate methods, and otherwise throwing enough 'confetti' into the air to cloud the issue is a great tactic but isn't realistic. Violating the laws of success in business is a blueprint for disaster. The question is not loss of revenues due to p2p or other means of file sharing. How would an astute CB, CEO, CFO etc handle such an opportunity to cut expenses while increasing profit margins and multiplying sales exponentially? Better question: how have other industries recently responded? Analysis, setup, implementation, and tune to success. The industry is not led by incompetents but by bright, quite often brilliant, hard-working individuals who set long term goals for breakfast! Years have passed while the industry raked in huge profits. Rather than pass economies of scale on to the consumer even slightly by reducing prices the industry responded by increasing prices. They did because they could without a loss of revenue; there was no competition. The music industry for all intents and purposes is a monopoly/oligopoly; but, music cd's, vinyl, movies are a luxury item not a need. The silent vote by consumers to spend disposable income on other luxury items continues to be ignored. Consumers have long complained to the industry. The industry listened but ignored the demands of their clientele---ultimately you. Yes, file sharing may cause a drop in sales but is it more than would be experienced in a long term boycott, or flat out rejection of the product? No. Who knows...why should anyone care from a competitive and capitalistic approach? The response from the industry has been a legal one continuing to move the issue to the Supreme Court and Congress. It is doubtful the lobbyists or law firms are complaining or seek a quick resolution. Simple implementation of a competitive response to Napster, Audiogalaxy and Kazaa should, would, and could have returned unimaginable profits. Side effects of such a response: immediate favor with old and new customers, expanding market share, and garnering incalculable goodwill. Immediate expansion of market share is a fantasy rather than a reality in most cases but exits in this case. Typical focus for any industry or business is on retaining market share. The underlying premise is that there would have been no legal threat to customers, for obvious reasons, and customers would have flooded their websites. The industry’s profit would have surpassed any experienced to date. What is important enough to forego such profits? Obviously consumers are buying music and profits for both major and independent labels continue. Competition drives the market but we are looking at an industry that has little need to expend the effort to compete if they can bring the issue to the Courts and influence Congress to pass a few more favorable laws. A waste of capital and time for everyone. The risk of public backlash in this case is high enough to warrant readdressing such goals. The industry currently has the potential to turn the tide and experience all the benefits mentioned above. The monetary return far surpasses the initial expense. There are few opportunities to become a phoenix in life let alone in industry, especially from blunders such as those being made by the RIAA, but it is indeed possible. Miss by a mile or an inch, it's still a miss; to date it appears that the industry has missed the boat. Missing the boat means left behind standing on the shore watching progress and opportunity (equate to $$$$) sail away.

blues artists ||||| al kooper - live adventures (with mike bloomfield) (and just about any other kooper album....) king curtis - whiter shade of pale taj mahal etta james

-medusa-, is that the same terrible vinyl rip of that Guess Who album that I got? koop not sure....don't think so...maybe?! it's an ape if you are interested let me know. (also a couple of other Guess Who's)

Oil.....continued source of problems in the Middle East, the reason for the Gulf War in '91 and the recent invasion and dissolution of the sovereign rights of Iraq. old news.....but this article makes you wonder why the US did not take the same initiative "Japan to develop Iranian oilfield $2 bln deal will send 260,000 bpd of crude to Japan " The deal represents a major energy move for Japan, which imports all its petroleum and natural gas. In a joint statement with National Iranian Oil Company, Japan's oil developer Inpex Corp confirmed Thursday that it has signed a contract for the $2 billion project. Inpex expects to begin production in about three years at 50,000 barrels per day. Full production of 260,000 bpd is expected after eight years. Azadegan has estimated reserves of 30 billion barrels. complete article

Joe Jackson - Night & Day Guess Who - #10

thanks much for the welcome and to Kooperman for leading me here. TZ! Koop