:: Link-n-blogs ::

:: Saturday, July 27, 2002 ::

Thursday and Friday I went to the Dave Matthews Band concerts at the Meadows (Hartford, CT). The shows were great, as usual. I agree, though, with some people who said that the shows were a bit mellow compared to shows in past years.

As always, there were alot of people recording the shows. Just like The Grateful Dead before them, DMB allows the recording of their shows for personal use and for trading. Every year I witness this and I think that I want to get involved in trading but I never have. Until now. I just recieved an email verifying my first B+P. All I have to do is send Blank CD-R's and return Postage and I will recieve a live recording of a show. After I have done a few B+P's I will begin trading to get even more shows. I love live music and this is a great way to enjoy it.

Here's where I found my first B+P. Nancies.org I'm sure there are many other sites dedicated to trading live shows, and I will update periodically with links.

Discuss DMB &/or Trading


:: Barly 3:45 PM [+] ::
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I couldn't agree more that our Space Program is in shambles. I wonder if we will ever focus on it again?

Discuss Our Dilapidated Space Program


:: Barly 8:06 AM [+] ::
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Freeman Dyson has placed a bet at Longbets that the first extraterrestrial life that we find will not be on a planet. I have a good feeling about Europa, so maybe I'll get in on this one, hehe.

Discuss Betting on extra-planetary ET

:: Barly 7:57 AM [+] ::
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A book by New York City school children about the terror attacks will be released on their anniversary. I think this is one book concerning 9-11 that I will buy.

Discuss book by kids about 9-11

:: Barly 9:34 AM [+] ::
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The battle over copyright infringment via downloading continues. Look, I understand why people in Hollywood are concerned about DVD quality movies being downloaded for free. They have a legitimate argument but why do they need to start throwing numbers around like this;

"• There is no doubt that piracy causes substantial harm to copyright owners. The evidence is everywhere and the numbers are staggering. In 2001, the U.S. recording industry lost $4.2 billion to hard-goods piracy worldwide, the U.S. movie industry lost $3 billion to videocassette piracy, and the U.S. entertainment software industry lost $1.9 billion due to piracy in just fourteen countries. In 2000, hard-goods piracy cost the U.S. business software industry alone $11.8 billion." says Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif [link].

My problem with those numbers is that he is converting all of the estimated pirate sales into lost sales for the industry. The question is, would all of the people who bought a pirated movie bought a liscenced version if that was all that was available? I can think of a host of movies that I would never buy for $15 but that I would consider for $5. So, to consider all pirate sales to be lost industry sales is ridiculous.

Discuss Hollywood vs. P2P


:: Barly 9:13 AM [+] ::
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I think this is a great idea. NASA should sell trips to space on the shuttle. As long as it doesn't interfere with the scientific missions, I don't see a problem with it. It would pump some much needed cash into the program and, more importantly, spark the interest of the general public.

Of course, the "general" public could never afford it.

Discuss Trips to space



How about having a national lottery? Instead of winning money the lucky person would win a trip to space. There are some obvious problems with this idea, though. A person needs to be in good health to make the trip and there is a good chance that someone who is in poor health or out of shape would win the trip. Oh well, guess I'm not going to get a chance to go.

:: Barly 8:51 AM [+] ::
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Well, for those of you out there who believe the Moon landings were staged, NASA is going to great lengths to perpetuate the myth. They just arrrested four people for stealing "Moon" rocks and trying to sell them on ebay.

Discuss Moon rock theft

:: Barly 8:38 AM [+] ::
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Here's Part III of the "Rare Earth" debate.

Discuss Rare Earth III


:: Barly 8:24 AM [+] ::
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