There is a horrible anti-gay movement in our country that believes that the US has been attacked because not everyone in our country is a hateful homophobic jerk. These people are currently protesting at the funerals of US Soldiers under some twisted view that those soldiers are responsible for fighting to defend Gay people, and so they deserved to die.

I know. It is insane. Anti-Gay bigotry is unacceptable. I no longer wish to be around people who are anti-gay. For a long time I've been relatively quiet about a lot of things, allowing spewing morons (I'm specifically thinking of Rod Linafelter who once managed the Berger 100 fund, until it was shown that he was an incompetent under performing boob) to, well, spew without question because of the power they wielded in the corporate hierachy. There have been more recent abusive people in my life, but I hold them in such contempt as to not be willing to mention them by name. Rod is just a moron to be alternately laughed at or pitied, but other people are more malicious. People who claim to be bad at what they do, but instruct you that it is your duty to compensate for them are in that group.

I'm not going to be quiet anymore. If you have even a whiff of belief that some 'god' is punishing America because of our 'morality' then I'd like to put you on notice that if I hear any of that crap come out of you I will not let it go. No more slack to just 'let things go.'

On the other hand, I'm not going to be the first one to bring it up. I'm happy to have polite meals with people with whom I disagree. But I can no longer let this evil pass by without comment.

I'm sorry...I've attempted to play nice. My music collection is surprisingly 'legal' by anyone's definition, and I've mostly avoided the bad feelings that that pack of 'Rights holders' has created in my community.

Mostly.

Recently Boing Boing posted a set of slides from an RIAA presentation. They were attempting to spin things...saying stuff like 'bottom line: it is about legal versus illegal.'

hmmm.

okay. Well, guess what RIAA, when I click on a song and the computer says "The track you are attempting to play has expired. Heavy Metal Drummer.LQT Click 'more info' to learn more about track expiration." I just get angry.

I own that CD. This particular instance of the song came from god knows where, but I _own_ that CD, and it is in my 'real' music collection.

I'm working on Heather's computer and I figured I'd listen to some music. Rather than turn to my machine, 8 feet away, I just clicked on some music and got this crap.

There is no 'reasonable' DRM. And now, I'm going further. As far as I am concerned if you create a product that is designed to infect my mind then you have no rights over it. Screw you. Sorry musicians everywhere, but the RIAA claims to have the right to break my computer. Sorry. Screw you.

I don't have my music online (unless you've rooted my box, but my bandwidth is pretty poor even if you did root me), but it used to be because a) I didn't think it was right to share my music and b) it took too much bandwidth and c) assholes would sue me. Answers b and c still apply, but you lost me on a. And given the right trust metrics c is no longer an issue.

And that just leaves the issue of bandwidth. Amusingly, external firewire hard drives carried in messenger bags by bicycle have an amazing data transfer capability.

I don't care if the music industry can figure out a way to continue to exist. It no longer concerns me. Screw 'em. You don't get to interfere with my use of my computer EVEN IF I DID STEAL THE MUSIC. That is an unreasonable and extreme position, but it is now mine. I now consider the RIAA to be worse than the tobacco industry. At least the tobacco industry never entered my home without my permission and vandalized my computer.