[Quote:]

Few people know the music industry better than Peter Jenner. Pink Floyd’s first manager, who subsequently managed Syd Barrett’s solo career, Jenner has also looked after T.Rex, The Clash, Ian Dury, Disposable Heroes and Billy Bragg – who he manages today. He’s also secretary general of the International Music Managers Forum.

And he doesn’t pull his punches.

The major four music labels today are “fucked”, he says. Digital music pricing has been a scam where the consumer pays for manufacturing, distribution, and does all the work – and still has to pay more. Labels should outsource everything except finance and licensing.

But he’s also optimistic that for almost everyone else – indie labels, musicians, songwriters and budding entrepreneurs – as well as network providers – the future’s going to be pretty bright. The Big Four know that the DRM era is nearly over – and within two or three years, he predicts, “most countries” in the world will have a blanket licensing regime where we exchange music freely, for a couple of quid a month.

[Quote:]

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, (subscriber only) they summarize their findings as follows: Seventeen years after recognizing same-sex relationships in Scandinavia there are higher marriage rates for heterosexuals, lower divorce rates, lower rates for out-of-wedlock births, lower STD rates, more stable and durable gay relationships, more monogamy among gay couples, and so far no slippery slope to polygamy, incestuous marriages, or “man-on-dog” unions. From the op-ed:

[T]here is no evidence that allowing same-sex couples to marry weakens the institution. If anything, the numbers indicate the opposite. A decade after Denmark,
Norway and Sweden passed their respective partnership laws, heterosexual marriage rates had risen 10.7% in Denmark; 12.7% in Norway; and a whopping 28.8% in Sweden. In Denmark over the last few years, marriage rates are the highest they’ve been since the early 1970s. Divorce rates among heterosexual couples, on the other hand, have fallen. A decade after each country passed its partnership law, divorce rates had dropped 13.9% in Denmark; 6% in Norway; and 13.7% in Sweden. On average, divorce rates among heterosexuals remain lower now than in the years before same-sex partnerships were legalized.

In addition, out-of-wedlock birthrates in each of these countries contradict the suggestion by social conservatives that gay marriage will lead to great increases in out-of-wedlock births and therefore less family stability for children. In Denmark, the percentage of out-of-wedlock births was 46% in 1989; now it is 45%. In Norway, out-of-wedlock births jumped from 14% in 1980 to 45% right before partnerships were adopted in 1993; now they stand at 51%, a much lower rate of increase than in the decade before same-sex unions. The Swedish trend mirrors that of Norway, with much lower rates of increase post-partnership than pre-partnership.

Is there a correlation, then, between same-sex marriage and a strengthening of the institution of marriage? It would be difficult, and suspect, to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between these trends in heterosexual marriage and marriage rights for gays and lesbians. But the facts demonstrate that there is no proof that same-sex marriage will harm the institution of marriage, or children. An optimistic reading of the facts might even suggest that the energy and enthusiasm that same-sex couples bring to the institution of marriage may cause unmarried heterosexual couples to take a fresh look at marriage as an option.

[Quote:]

There will be virtually nothing left to fish from the seas by the middle of the century if current trends continue, according to a major scientific study.

Stocks have collapsed in nearly one-third of sea fisheries, and the rate of decline is accelerating.

Writing in the journal Science, the international team of researchers says fishery decline is closely tied to a broader loss of marine biodiversity.

But a greater use of protected areas could safeguard existing stocks.

“The way we use the oceans is that we hope and assume there will always be another species to exploit after we’ve completely gone through the last one,” said research leader Boris Worm, from Dalhousie University in Canada.

[..]

In 2003, 29% of open sea fisheries were in a state of collapse, defined as a decline to less than 10% of their original yield.

Bigger vessels, better nets, and new technology for spotting fish are not bringing the world’s fleets bigger returns – in fact, the global catch fell by 13% between 1994 and 2003.

For those that want it, here’s a link to the actual Science article.

Humanity seems to lack the brainpower needed to survive:

[Quote:]

Every year since 2001, the European Union’s scientific advisers have urged a complete halt to cod fishing in the North Sea.

Every year European fisheries ministers have discarded the advice, and set quotas ranging from 49,000 tonnes in 2001 to 23,000 tonnes in 2006.

The scientists say a zero catch is necessary to allow overfished cod stocks to revive. The politicians say fishing communities cannot be put out of work overnight.

via

Maryland’s second major evaluation of electronic voting technology took place in 2003 and was contracted to be performed by SAIC. The officially published report was merely 38 pages whereas the original, unredacted document (with appendices) was a full 193 pages. That’s quite a striking difference between what the Governor of Maryland was given (redacted) and what Linda Lamone received directly from SAIC.

The Huffington Post has a report submitted by ABC reporter Rebecca Abrahams detailing the story.

The report has been completed but Linda Lamone will not disclose the contents of the report. Governor Ehrlich can’t get her to do it, nor can Giles Berger the Chairman of the Maryland Board of Elections. It is important to note that even Berger, the SBE’s Chairman, has not seen the original, unredacted report. Berger and his staff have been left to make sense of the 38 page report.

Here’s something you conveniently won’t find in the 38 page version:

There is no documentation that describes security controls for detecting unauthorized transaction attempts by authorized or unauthorized users. Therefore, the application of security controls may be applied inconsistently, incorrectly or incompletely.
Since a threat source is more likely to exploit a system if the evidence of his/her actions cannot be gathered or will go undetected, failure to have controls for detection increases the likelihood of system attacks, and consequently, of system compromise.

That’s just one example. Please read the full report for more details. And if you can vote ‘early’ with a paper ballot, do so.

[Quote:]

The leader of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, resigned Thursday after being accused of paying for sex with a man in monthly trysts over the past three years.

The Rev. Ted Haggard, a married father of five who has been called one of the most influential evangelical Christians in the nation, denied the allegations. His accuser refused to share voice mails that he said backed up his claim.

Haggard also stepped aside as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church while a church panel investigates, saying he could “not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations.”

“I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity,” Haggard said in a written statement. “I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date.”

Those Republicans sure know how to generate some real sex scandals… Bill Clinton could learn a thing or two from them. Haggard sure seems to have attended Bills’ School For Denying Sex:

[Quote:]

“I did not have a homosexual relationship with a man in Denver,” said Haggard. “I am steady with my wife. I’m faithful to my wife.”

And how about places other than Denver?

If you don’t know who Haggard is, here’s a clip from the movie Jesus Camp.

Let’s get a pool going; how long before he goes into “rehab”?

[Update:]

After Pastor Ted Haggard went public Wednesday night denying allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials told KKTV 11News Thursday evening, Pastor Ted Haggard has admitted to some of the claims made by a former male escort. The church’s Acting Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, tells KKTV 11 News that Pastor Haggard has admitted to some of the indiscretions claimed by Mike Jones, but not all of them.

[Quote:]

Ok, class. No talking. Pencils up. All eyes on the exam. Here’s the first multiple-choice question:

The Iraq War is Bad Because:

a. It is illegal, immoral, and criminal
b. It has ended up killing and maiming millions of Iraqis we promised to free
c. It has devastated a country and ignited world opinion against the United States and caused thousands of US casualties
d. It has debased our media and turned much of it into a propaganda organ
e. It was badly managed and poorly executed

If you survey world opinion, there would be a consensus on selecting A-D as a response. If you polled most Democratic politicians and mainstream journalists, you would find overwhelming support only for E—“the we screwed it up�? thesis as the correct answer.

What was once hailed as a heroic mission is now being dismissed as a fiasco, error and “mistake,�? and to some former war boosters, even a “noble mistake.�?

In fact, that’s the view that seems to be framing what debate there has been on the war. It is still—AAU—All About Us. In this view, all that matters is our policy objectives but rarely our economic or geo-political agenda. Iraq as a nation, as a culture and a people barely exists.

For the most part the American debate leaves out the Iraqis except as victims or killers. The leaders that they said to have elected don’t seem to count with Washington giving them orders and pulling their strings. Prime Minister Maliki had to have a press conference to announce he works for the Iraqi People, not the Bush Administration. He knows that if he is to survive politically and personally, he has to distance himself from his wannabe benefactors. How many of us know that the Iraqi Government we trained is running death squads? How many Iraqis do we ever see, or more importantly HEAR on the air?

The Democratic Party line mirrors this America First philosophy.. Never ready to challenge the deeper assumptions and interests guiding the war, most of the Democrats instead harp on the stupidity and failures of the war’s instigators and managers who are considered incompetent. According to the NY Times, The Democrats are “running to the right,�? self-consciously becoming conservative and moderate candidates who posture at being tougher on national security that the Repugs. (Oddly the International Herald Tribune ran almost identical stories ten days earlier.�?)

So in the same way that Fox News pushed all other news outlets to the right, the GOP has imposed its worldview on the whole political spectrum. As a result, many Dems are not challenging this distorted ideology, only the personalities identified with it.

Personally, I’d have answered “all of the above”, but the observation about the Dem party line is spot on.

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”- John Kerry

[Quote:]

Three million stem cells deposited in her brain in China have given her life back, says a Big Island woman with debilitating Parkinson’s disease.

Before the surgery May 16 in the Tiantan Puhua Neurosurgical Hospital in Beijing, said Penny Thomas, “I was watching myself die.”

The 53-year-old from Captain Cook is the only known American successfully treated with stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease, according to the Tiantan Puhua hospital.

Scientists from the Stem Cell Research Center at Beijing University delivered stem cells to the hospital for her surgery from a donor’s retina, she said. The cost for surgery and a two-month stay in China: $26,000.

“I’m doing wonderfully,” she said in a telephone interview from her home.

She’s swimming, riding horseback, running, jogging and driving. “My life has totally changed back into being normal,” she said.

Dr. Cliff Arrington, her doctor in Kealakekua, said: “It’s just unbelievable what’s happened to her. … She had advanced Parkinson’s with severe tremors and was becoming progressively worse in spite of all the alternative treatments we were doing.”

When she mentioned stem cells, he said he encouraged her to look into it and she made arrangements to go to China.

“I heard she was over there. The next thing I knew, she was walking into my office almost like a completely normal person. I didn’t even recognize her at first,” Arrington said.

Gee, wanna bet she doesn’t like Limbaugh’s comments?