Tenenbaum case highlights authorities' inept attempts to eradicate music piracy

With the positive publicity his case has attracted, Joel Tenenbaum will most likely be ordered to pay a much lesser fine than what the RIAA are suing him for

Joel Tenenbaum's account of his ongoing lawsuit defense, 'How it feels to be sued for $4.5m', is a must-read for anyone who is, or has ever been guilty of illegally sharing music. Music piracy is seen as a serious offense, especially in the eyes of musicians and record labels; but with the internet being as liberal as it is, is it too late for the authorities to eradicate music piracy?

By his own admission, Tenenbaum is guilty of sharing music, but as he thought-provokingly put it, why are the authorities

treating him as though his offense is as serious as investment fraud or casino robbery?

The lawsuit against him has proven me wrong in my assumption that no one sues people for what they don't have, as is the case with the RIAA vs. Tenenbaum case. What is the point of suing him for $4.5 million, when he was not even able to pay the RIAA $10,500 in settlement money?

It is simple. They want to make an example of him. The question is, is anyone listening or taking them seriously? His earlier refusals to heed the warnings and letters to cease his piracy are not unique. What is the point of using one man (out of millions) as a scapegoat, when no one seems to acknowledge the consequences of piracy any longer?

Via twitter, the world is witnessing Joel's fight against the RIAA which officially began today, in a case which his legal team describes as "defending the average Davids against the corporate Goliath." His team of legal counsellors consists of Harvard students and their professor, and regardless of the verdict which is handed down at the end of the case, their admirable courage and willpower will not be forgotten.

Joel Tenenbaum, with the help of his talented team of legal counsellors, did what no one has ever done before: He stood up to the RIAA

On their blog, they wrote:

"The plaintiffs and the RIAA are seeking to punish him (Tenebaum) beyond any rational measure of the damage he allegedly caused. They do this, not for the purpose of recovering compensation for actual damage caused by Joel’s individual action, nor for the primary purpose of deterring him from further copyright infringement, but for the ulterior purpose of creating an urban legend so frightening to children using computers, and so frightening to parents and teachers of students using computers, that they will somehow reverse the tide of the digital future."

It is heartening to read that the RIAA's motives are obvious to them as well, and that people are seeing straight through their desperate, last-ditch efforts such as this lawsuit, to end what has now become widespread. As I suspected, and as the excerpt above states, the $4.5 million figure is not one which addresses the damages caused by Tenenbaum's piracy. It must be asked, that if the result of this similar case failed to deter Tenenbaum (or anyone else for that matter) from music sharing, is there anything unique to his case, that will miraculously eradicate piracy now?

Be reminded, that this article is not a suggestion that a law should be re-written when it is established that everyone is breaking it. It is just a call for the dismissal of outdated punishments, where one man is used as an example to deter others. We do not live in those times anymore. The internet-driven generation that we currently live in, calls for an updated method of crime prevention and law enforcement where music sharing is concerned, which disallows the kind of bullying that is so often seen in cases like this.

Good luck Mr. Tenenbaum. I am sure that the world is behind you.

Victims identify burglar by tattoo on his cheek

I bet you thought that tattoo was the coolest thing ever.... it's not so cool anymore is it?

How did I miss this? It's a week old but it's still classic.

This young man should be kept in a room somewhere far from sight.... he isn't smart enough to be walking the streets!

Sean Roberts, 19, was picked out by alleged victims who immediately recognized photos of the teenager from the distinctive, Florida-shaped tattoo on his left cheek.

Roberts, who has another tattoo on his head which reads "crazy cracker", is accused of stealing prescription drugs, cash and electrical equipment in an armed raid on a mobile home in Tampa, Florida.

He allegedly broke into the property at 5 am, threatened the residents, forced them into a bathroom and then rifled through their belongings, local police said.

His accomplice, Billie Kiser, 28, has been charged with armed home invasion, battery and domestic battery by strangulation.

This incident is probably the dumbest crime attempt I've heard of, since I read a report out of England where Mark Smith took a nap under the bed of the person he was supposed to be robbing!

Sister acts as surrogate mother for homosexual brother and his partner's first child

Above: Steven Ponder, Ivan Sigston and Lorna Bradley.... the three now share a special relationship in the form of a baby

I know I am wrong for this one, but it needs to be said. I am glad that they were cautious and smart enough NOT to use the brother as a sperm donor. Some dumb things have been happening in the world recently so I'm happy this broke the trend.

It was reported in the Telegraph today, that "Lorna Bradley acted as a surrogate mother to help her homosexual brother and his partner, who are both policemen, become fathers."

The Sun reported that the 31-year-old mother-of-three volunteered to have their baby when her brother Steven Ponder, 28, a special constable, revealed a desire to start a family with Ivan Sigston, 48, a police constable.

According to reports, it seems like she carried sisterly love to another level, by carrying out the deed free of charge.

Sigston, the sperm donor, did not sign as the child's father despite it being his biologically, meaning

that both him and Ponder will be required to adopt the child whose name is William Campbell Ponder-Sigston.

Justice Served?

An Australian man accused of aiding his girlfriend's suicide had his charges dropped today, in what has proven to be a

very bizarre case. The Herald Sun reported that prosecutors "Dropped a charge against a Melbourne man who took part in a suicide pact with his girlfriend but survived."

Let me ask this: Am I the only one wondering how this man managed to get away unscathed?

The report states that "Douglas Lawrence Flavell, 65, was due to stand trial on a charge of aiding his girlfriend Everlyn Targosz, 44, to commit suicide," but "Crown prosecutor Sarah Thomas withdrew the charge today, telling the County Court there was no reasonable chance of a conviction."

Flavell some how got to walk away a free man, despite witness statements tendered during an earlier court hearing revealing that he and his girlfriend had filled up their car with petrol, bought a plastic hose, and bought cheeseburgers from McDonald's, before executing their plan on November 26, 2005.

Flavell told police he drove to a remote spot in Sunshine where Targosz hooked up the hose to the car exhaust.

He said he got out of the car while Targosz remained and eventually died. How can the reporters hear this testimony, and then say that he "survived" the suicide pact? They're nuttier than him! And to the prosecutor, what do you mean that "there was no reasonable chance of a conviction"? Fill me in on what I am missing.... Surely there is something that I am missing here.

Can I get an Amen?!

When I return to Houston, I HAVE to see this man live LOL.

If you are ever in the Houston area, and you want a church to go to, make sure you go here:

Redeemed Christian Church of God-Pavilion of Redemption

7707 Bissonnet St.,

Houston,TX, 77074

Looks like great fun.

Sex improves quality of sleep, study says

First of all, let me ask this: What is with all these research studies? And is it me, or does England seem to be the source for some of the most redundant studies?

I will give the conductors of this study the benefit of the doubt, that they truly believed that people who have had sex needed to hear this.

I guess it can be assumed that they thought this was going to help people who are addicted to sleeping medication, by showing them a less expensive and unhealthy way (we hope) of curing insomnia.

Let us hope that with our current economic climate the way it is, no significant amount of money (anything more than $1) was spent on this research.

Favorability ratings dropping for Palin as she gets ready to leave post

Sarah Palin: thanks to Tina Fey, she needs no introduction

Just as I called it, Sarah Palin dug herself the deepest hole possible when she decided to leave the Governor of Alaska post recently, with 18 more months left in the term. Because of the politically suicidal move, Palin's unfavorable ratings in the Washington Post-ABC poll have now risen to 53%, compared with the 40% who favour her.

Predicting that Palin wants to run for Presidency is purely based on the intent she showed during McCain Palin 2008 campaign, and not on her fan base, or her accomplishments. While her latest move to leave Alaska for the national stage vouches for her intent, the outgoing governor's profile on twitter has a meagre 100 k followers, which, needless to say, addresses what I said about her fan base being almost non-existent when the US population of 305 million is taken into consideration. To be brutally honest, it is a pathetic amount considering the fame she supposedly gained when she was John McCain's running mate.

Above: Memories of Palin's campaign, made memorable because of Tina Fey and not Palin herself

Palin is in a situation now, after all the hype she was preceded by in 2008, where she is being advised on ways to attract a national audience. Truth be told, if she failed to attract and maintain positive attention then, it will be very hard for her to do so now, especially because the only memory which a majority of people have kept close to them, is her naivety. Unlike Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, Magic Johnson, and any other famous person who overcame lulls in popularity at one point in their career, Palin does not have a Nationally-acclaimed reputation to fall back on and use as reference.

Palin's antics were described as narcissist by her former ally, Senate President Lyda Green. Green, who needless to say is now Palin's leading critic, reportedly said that the outgoing governor's actions "are very much toward herself and her goals and what she sees for her future."

It is hard to say exactly what the future holds for someone who revelled in calling people names (remember her Obama/socialism tirade?), especially now that she is facing so much scrutiny. One thing is for sure, the bind that she now finds herself in, is one which she will need dexterity - something she has never shown before - to escape it before she ends up being tagged as a former SNL comedian.

CW 31 journalists' interview with author Karrine Steffans goes awry

I'm posting this because I was on the fence as to which side to choose, only a minute ago. I needed to figure out how I would act in either position, and as I wrote, I realized my answer. As a journalist, would I lose my cool and dismiss my interviewee if he/she gave me the kind of attitude and hostility that Karrine 'Superhead' Steffans displayed?

What about as an interviewee? Would I get offended if I start sensing that the interviewer has an agenda and only seems to be interested in my personal past? I am assuming that is how Steffans felt, and after watching the video twice I will admit that there is a justifiable reason why she would have felt and acted that way, but truth be told, the male interviewer had a point.

As a result of the way the farcical book promotion interview transpired, I'm leaning towards the journalists' side, because they decided to end the interview before it got messy, rather than do what another famous Fox journalist would have done - attack her into submission by exposing all of her personal business to viewers.

Her book, The Vixen Manual, is highly inappropriate for any young adult, which is the age group she kept hinting at, despite her best efforts to belatedly say that it was for older women who were married, etc.

In stores now, and available on Amazon

What made me lose compassion for Steffans, was the snide remark she directed towards the interviewers, telling them that they weren't "asking intelligent questions", in response to a perfectly simple series of questions in the latter part of the interview.

The minute I saw some of the erotic and extremely lewd illustrations from the book earlier this month, I assumed it was her spin on Kama Sutra, but in this interview, she made it seem far more sophisticated, commenting on how the book will provide the kind of advice she never had when she was a child and a young adult.

It is important to note that the former music-video model also stated that the book will offer tips and advice to women who are seeking, or are already in a relationship or marriage, as well as give tips to women in need of advice on bettering their work environment (yeah... right). Watch the interview below.

UPDATE: This is Steffans once again, with another failed attempt to promote her book. Why is she trying to be

sophisticated now? Who is she trying to fool? LOL This is hilarious to listen to. I should put this in the Just for

laughs section. She needs to stop being rude to interviewers when they use the facts from her own book to profile

her. Priceless.

FIVE Jamaican athletes test positive for banned substance!!

Luckily for the sport of athletics, Usain Bolt is not under the drug scandal cloud

The IAAF today confirmed that five athletes, four men and one woman, from Jamaica failed their drugs tests, testing positive for an undisclosed substance.

The BBC reported that IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said: "It's very early in the process so we cannot name them or the substance."

Jamaica's Women's 4 X 100 metres relay team will have a chance to atone for their botched relay run at the Beijing Olympics in 2008

An unnamed Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (Jadco) official later dispelled fears that the country's Olympic medallists were involved. The official told news agency Reuters; "None of the world stars are involved."

The revelation now means that Jamaica athletics is under scrutiny, and the continued success of their top athletes will cause doubters around the world to wonder if they are clean.

Above: Michael Frater (L) and Asafa Powell (R) are set to compete at next month's World Championships in Berlin, Germany

Dr. Herb Elliot of Jadco told Radio Jamaica that all five of the athletes had been selected for Jamaica's 46-strong team for next month's World Championships in Berlin.

"We now informed the (Jamaican) federation who will then inform the athletes, and then they are asked if the want the B sample tested."

Hail barrage damages cars, buildings in Austrian province

Several residents of Lofer, the Austrian province of Salzburg, woke up this morning to find shards of broken glass from their homes and cars, as a result of a severe thunderstorm with hail and heavy rainfall.

Above: Gerhard Wimmer in the rear of a damaged car in Lofer, the Austrian province of Salzburg, on Friday, July 24, 2009

It's obvious that the damage on that car had to be caused by something large, but who would have imagined the hail to be this large?

Hail apparently gets larger than the ones above which wreaked havoc in Lofer.... That doesn't lessen my amazement at the size of these things though!

I'm in awe, imagining the damage those things would cause to my skull.... Thank God I live in the tropics!

I have never seen hail, nor have I ever imagined it to be the size that these photos illustrated. I am surprised, and pleased to hear that there were no reported injuries as a result of the shower.

Check this animation of how hail is formed.