Comment, Opinion, Thought

Blogs enable everyone to publish their opinions. Some are researched and referenced, some is just opinion.

Unfortunately, the value of opinion is reduced as more unsubstantiated opinion is expressed. In the future, one will need to ground their opinion in some sort of fact or idea.

Sources of facts and ideas include news and commentaries published in any of the various media. They vary in quality.

One source of ideas I have been impressed with this year has been the series of commentaries from Mirko Bagaric in The Age.

Most recently he wrote of ethics in business, with particular reference to AWB. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with all he has to say, he makes elegant and convincing arguments. This intelligent approach to opinion is uplifting compared to some more popular columnists such as Bolt and Neil Mitchell.

Check out some of his publications, they are worth the mental gymnastics.

Mirko Bagaric is a professor at Deakin Law School.

More Cable Problems

My iPod stopped syncing.

It charged OK but the computer could not detect it.

I did the usual reinstalls, etc... Screaming. Pulling hair.

I replaced the iPod firewire cable - everything fine!

This follows a week of downtime, multiple reinstalls, new motherboard and hard drive last month due to a faulty IDE (hard drive) cable. AAAAgh..

Matt Moffitt Memorial Tour

Fans (like me) of 80's and 90's rockers Matt Finish will need to cancel all appointments next week as the band reforms to pump out some of their classics live in Sydney and Melbourne.
The lineup is headed by band originals John Prior and Jeff Clayton along with newcomers Luke Dixon and Matt Cornell.
Original singer and songwriter Matt Moffitt died suddenly and prematurely in 2003, seemingly ending the chances of the band reforming. However dynamic drummer, John Prior, has organised and promoted this three gig tour through his business, Prior Promotions.
Hope to see fans and the curious next Thursday, 30 November, at the Corner in Melbourne. One show only.

Lethal Injection Ruling Soon

A ruling on the challenge to lethal injection procedures in California is expected soon, reports the Death Penalty Information Center.

The presiding judge asked for additional briefings on the following:

- The monitoring an inmates conscious state during the execution process.

-Whether EEG monitoring had a role to play in reducing suffering.

-Whether medical doctors were required to supervise these executions.

-Whether pancuronium could be left out of the three drug sequence to reduce the chance of undetected pain.

-If a sole drug execution using barbiturate was viable.

CBS finds YouTube increases ratings.

Podcastingnews reports that CBS has found that ratings increase for programs it has promoted by posting clips at Youtube.
A spokesman commented that it was "exciting" that CBS was learning more about its audience than ever before.
We may be seeing the genesis of a new content delivery model involving content originators, media businesses and internet vehicles.
I wonder what the music industry is making of all this.

Techo Crime Set to Explode

New laws proposed by the Howard Federal Government are set to make criminals of all iPod users.

Under the proposed plan, owners of music CD's are permitted to make one main copy and a second temporary copy of the copyrighted material. the secondary copy must be destroyed as soon as possible.

However, a CD 'ripped' by Apple's iTunes gives the user a copy of the music on both their computer and their iPod. The iPod owner has committed an indictable offence and risks five years in gaol or a $65,000 fine, or both.

Why does the Australian Federal Government continue drafting complex legislation to protect the interest of music publishers?

The answer is at least partially in the conditions of the "Free Trade Agreement" signed recently with the USA.

Such protection is rarely offered to local industries but the full weight of the law will be felt by Australian consumers to protect foreign big business.

The modern capitalist manta of "Compete or Die" has suddenly gone missing.

A quaint, old-fashioned solution would be for the music industry to provide a better product at a cheaper price.

Helen Coonan on Broadband Speeds

Apparently Australia's slow broadband speeds are actually a blessing!

Helen Coonan, the Communications Minister explained today.

"What we have to understand is that people have got an interest in being able to access the services they want on broadband, and very fast broadband may be more than people either want to pay for or that they need to suit their individual needs,"

Thanks Helen, but maybe consumers would like to make that choice themselves.

Crash

I've had a computer problem that's taken some time to correct.

Subsequently, I've needed to restore all my settings and services.

I've only just got around to reactivating Microsoft Live Writer to maintain this blog.

Cheers.