Boston University Graduate Student Fined $675 000 for Downloading Music Illegally

This is the world we live in today:

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

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…In the United States of America, if you SHARE music files you didn’t purchase, you are a criminal. If you are a poor-ass graduate student, you could get fined $675 000 for downloading 30 songs (specifically), and having a sordid history of such downloading. Because of this evil student, some record company executives couldn’t afford their third summer home in the tropics! What a bastard! It’s a good thing the companies are bankrupting him and nailing him with a fine he will most likely never be able to pay back, not to mention giving him a criminal record.

…That’s how the world works ladies and gentlemen. Blending US/Canadian laws a bit, you can walk into a store and steal $4,999 worth of stuff, get charged for theft under $5000 and do some community service. Or, you can share some songs digitally and get find hundreds of thousands, or even, like another dangerous youth, millions of dollars. You can throw away billions of dollars digitally as a company executive and be bailed out by the government, or you can ‘steal’ $30 worth of music and be fined $675 000.

…It’s a good thing there are lots of mindless pop culture zombies out there to buy all the crappy music record companies pump out their ass, or we’d never have such wonders as Britney Spears, the Black Eyed Peas, and the Jonas Brothers!

…File-SHARING is a threat to the system because it involves free, non-monetary exchange with little to no profit. File-Sharing does not damage local artists, who are supported by people going to their shows and the fact that their music is very hard to get online anyway; in fact, many artists support file-sharing as a promotional tool. If everyone file-shared for free, the music industry would – if unable to shut down the internet, or have it totally controlled – go out of business. In which case, all the bands who like to play for the music and not the money would still be famous through file-sharing, would still have people pay to see them live, and would have no problems getting bookings etc. I support local music, and many others do to.

Why did file-sharing come to be?

- The internet facilitates it

- People didn’t like buying entire CDs just to hear a few songs

- Many people are poor or do not want 20% of their income going to music purchases

- Many people realize what fat greedy fucks record companies and manufactured artists are, even if some of them make great music

- File-Sharing is FREEDOM UNCONSTRAINED BY ECONOMIC SHACKLES. People like their freedom.

…File-sharing doesn’t hurt computer sales, internet provider profits, local artists, promotion of all artists, or even, according to many, general profit margins. Major record labels are stupid backward corporate leech scum-sucking fucktards (simply a truism).

…Should you download music illegally?  I would never dream of it, personally, as I fully respect and support the well-intentioned and righteous laws of our proud god-fearing nations, but, the choice is up to you…

Hilarious things to think about: How digital music is 1s and 0s on a harddrive and in wires. How digital content can be created or destroyed so easily, such as ‘money,’ which is literally created by banks out of thin air. What constitutes possession? When is it your property, what’s the difference between streaming and storing locally? Etc.

Rambling About Racism

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…I was helping a patron the other day, who happened to be of Arabic descent. He approached the counter aggressively, rudely demanded a computer, and then, when he learned there were none available, he asked me “isn’t this a Public Library?” in an accusatory tone, with the clear insinuation that I was treating him, and him alone, unfairly. I told him yes it was, but he would have to wait like everyone else. He stormed off in a huff, left, then came back and waited. Later he complained about the price of printing and snatched the prints from my hand.

…Why did he do this? Well, it takes two people to have a conversation. I’m a pretty sensitive guy – I’m certainly hardened from years of dealing with a variety of people, I’m well-travelled, and very open minded. But as soon as this guy approached me, I could tell he was a jerk, and I treated him like a jerk. I spoke to him with a tone of impatience and distrust. The patron’s escalating anger was no doubt due to his standard jerkish nature and/OR his bad day, and my treatment of him, which he seemed to interpret as racism.

…So, this person, who comes from a culture which typically speaks with other males in close contact, probably thought I was some racist white asshole, and I thought he was some prick having a bad day who was used to treating others with disrespect. I do not believe in the mantra “the customer is always right,” I believe that is a horrible creation of the horrible service economy, the partial function of which is to give wage slaves a feeling of empowerment by bossing around and being served by pandering ‘underlings’ e.g. staff of the store, or, in some peoples’ conceptions, the library. In general, I approach patrons with a friendly tone that expresses mutuality, personableness and humour. I am a citizen, you are a citizen, we are enacting an exchange as equals. It is not an economic exchange, it is an exchange involving my service, to provide you with knowledge, pleasure, or entertainment, virtually free of charge. I am not trying to trick you, I am there to help you out – but only if you treat me with the respect I deserve.

…And that is how society should function. But society does not function this way so much, these days. While in my case, around 95% percent of the patrons I deal with at the very least find my approach reasonable, I am aided by it being a small town, my workplace having a lot of ‘regulars,’ and the fact that I am providing a service with little received in return. Outside my workplace, you have people serving people for goods and services which involve direct financial exchanges, and where there’s money, there’s a problem…

…But I digress. .. I pride myself on my general feeling of equality, and general lack of concern about what colour someone is, or accent they speak, other than the novelty value and possibly my thinking myself inferior to them (e.g. I automatically like most Asian people and almost bat my eyelashes at them). But when someone of a different race approaches me in any area of my life, I am faced with a tremendously difficult social interaction, as evidenced by my first example with the Arabian fellow. These thoughts run through my head: Wow, neat, someone from wherever they are from! Cool, a Black person! OK, I’ve got to be careful not to offend them.. OK I have to be careful to treat them equally, I have to be very nice to them without seeming to treat them too nicely or patronize them, How am I looking at them? Are they offended? Ahhh!

…Because we are a so-called ‘multicultural society,’ we, as Canadians, must deal with these interracial interactions on a fairly frequent basis, particularly in places like Ontario and BC; but in places where you still don’t see too many visible minorities, it can be a struggle. I find myself worrying so much about how they perceive me, and I find I am so concerned with them and how they see ‘us,’ I will be extra nice to them and go out of my way to make them feel at home. But this violates my views on equality, and could be like holding open the door and going ‘ladies first,’ and so on to a feminist!

…Racism, is something I’ve always hated – which is ironic. And its presence in our history, and even today, can make life difficult. In addition to racism itself being bad, its existence sullies our interactions, as its always there, in the back of our minds, clouding our judgement. “Was that person being racist towards me?” “Wow, that person is really living up to his/her sterotypes,” “I have to be nice to this jerk just to show I am not a racist,” etc.

…This is a problem that may disappear eventually, due to the shrinking of the earth and hundreds of years of interbreeding and culture milieu. But at the moment, particularly in parts of the Western world (e.g. Turkish immigration to Europe) it is a huge problem, as cultures clash and Racism rears its ugly head.

…In the mean time, I guess it all boils down to the simple fact that, in every culture and society there are jerks and non-jerks. Most people, in every place, are not jerks. Many cultures approach many things differently, which, when unfamiliar, can be interpreted as being rude or offensive (e.g. the French ), but predominantly, in standard daily situations not involving philosophically challenging ethical choices, most people are good. My evidence for this are my experiences travelling across Europe and Turkey, my experience hosting dozens of travelers, my experience dealing with thousands of people through service industry jobs, college and friends, and my observations in the media (e.g. the many good or neutral things that actually happen in the news, versus the few bad things which are often trumpeted).

…Everybody is different, everybody is flawed, and everybody – while ultimately out for their own best interests – is good at birth. Almost everybody is good. So, fuck racism, and lets all (me included) try to follow the words of the good Dr. King, and judge people by the content of their character, and not by the colour of their skin.

Copenhagen

…It seems logical to write about the Copenhagen Conference, which begins tomorrow!

…What do I think of Copenhagen? Well, word on the street is that the conference will promise emissions reduction targets insufficient to meet even the minimum requirements as recommended by experts such as the European Climate Foundation. The good news about Copenhagen is that heads of state and business are meeting, and they, along with the accompanying protesters, will bring valuable short-term focus on the undeniable issue of human-assisted climate change and pollution. Moreover, there are fairly firm commitments to reduce emissions and to focus on a world-wide cap and trade scheme. That’s the good news.

…And now for reality. Copenhagen is essentially a meeting of power players and a great big card game. All the major players seek to achieve an out-of-skew balance between commitment to emission reductions and financial gain. Unfortunately, financial gain is by far the greatest concern for those involved. No nation or business cartel wants to initiate costly emissions caps, retrofits, product recalls/replacements, redesigns, and full-on shifts to more sustainable energy, because to do so puts them at the mercy of their competitors. The world economy is a larger version of the corporate jungle, where it is kill or be killed, and nobody prefers death to power and riches.

…Yes, the conference exists to save face, is an attempt to quiet the confused masses who don’t really understand climate change but know somewhere in their brains that it’s probably bad. It enables leaders and businesses to make elaborate claims of striving for progress and change, helping the environment, being concerned etc., when in reality it is an expensive two-week conference where leaders, concubines (er bureaucrats), and CEOs do various lunches, discuss beneficial trade deals, and generally seek to improve the lot of their respective shareholders (which are, sadly, not the majority of people); over filet mignon and roasted sea bass.

…What about Cap and Trade, that will save us right? Come the fuck on. Anyone who thinks putting modest caps on emissions from certain sources, and then giving fabulously wealthy businesses the ability to buy and sell invisible ‘carbon credits’ will cut emissions enough is retarded or one of the aforementioned shareholders.

…Climate Change, and the accompanying and related pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation and general destruction of the planet is the greatest problem ever faced by humanity. We are an industrialized society living beyond our means, in a culture of excess and consumption, where television dulls our brains to reality, and where the most fun many of us have is buying products with abandon. The over-arching economic philosophy of the world is more = better, and this philosophy is utterly ridiculous in the context of the world having finite resources. In the face of indisputable evidence of human-assisted climate change, rampant deforestation, endless corruption and pollution, and extinct models of philosophy and economics – we need more than yet another Potemkin Village conference and a quick suckle from the proverbial breast of corrupt authority.
  
In my opinion, there are two solutions to the greatest problem ever faced by humanity:
 
1) Actual accelerated gradual change.

- This solution involves environmentally progressive political parties and policies taking precedence worldwide, massive educational activity to educate the masses, massive social activism to change the attitude of society, tremendous focus on researching, developing, and implementing so-called green technologies and renewable energy sources. This solution is very possible, the seeds are already there, but we need voters to support it.

At present, relying on this form of accelerated gradual change faces the surprising democratic reality of some nations, whereby voters really do vote against progressive policies because they are scared of paying taxes and are worried about the precious economy – despite the fact that greening the economy does not in any way have to equal its destruction
 
2) Radical change in the form of Environmental Dictatorship.

- With this solution, world states elect a dictator or dictatorial council to directly manage affairs, bypassing ‘democracy,’ and initiating radical and fundamental shifts in a rapid period of time. The leaders promise to rule only long enough to fix things, or for a prescribed period of time, and then go about dissolving and restructuring companies, recycling old cars by the boatful, putting people in prison for polluting etc. The plus side of this solution (and I am completely serious) is the potential for quick change, which will, in time alter the earth for the better and avert its destruction. The bad side is fairly obvious, with historical examples from Augustus to Stalin, Hitler, and Mao being prime ones.

…You cannot argue though: Dictators get things done. Is it really wrong to have a dictatorship with good intentions? Does absolute power really corrupt absolutely? Pffft

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…What do I think will most likely happen? We will proceed as we have been, on a slow course to our own destruction, the human race will become extinct or live in a hellish world of cancer and poison, and we will deserve it for being unfit stewards and collective idiots. Environmental activism will remain a niche activity, will remain marginalized, and will be plagued by elitists, snobs, apathy, and the hopelessness of fighting such enormous forces. The conference isn’t even concerned with pollution in general! Hopefully, considering our tremendous power to permanently fuck up the earth, we don’t destroy it utterly, and the next species will, hopefully, have a world impact closer to that of the dinosaurs or amoebas and do better than us.

OR

…We will use Copenhagen as a launch pad and at least meet minimum targets *twirls finger*

…All rather realistic, but to end on a positive note, I want to reemphasize that the conference will generate debate, discussion, and, at least until the next ‘recession’ or h1n1 ‘scare,’ genuine concern for the planet.

Links:

• BBC Pre-Conference Report
• BBC Copenhagen Graphics and Figures
• BBC viewer comment section – find out what real people (and ‘real’ people) think about climate change and the conference
• The Nation’s take
• Even the heat generated by our industry/cars/cities is a climate changer
• Information on Climate Change from David Suzuki
• Official Stance of the Canadian Government
• European Union Stance and Information
• American Copenhagen Page
• Interesting American Study Claims Energy Conservation Increases Consumption
  • Though it does not consider the anti-pollution effects of conservation, and touts nuclear power, which I oppose
• CBC on Climate Change

What do you think?

The World is in Your Hands

Strong Evidence Suggests Parasitic Worms can Cure Auto Immune Diseases

This is the news I belatedly learned from an article in a recent issue of Mental Floss..

…It seems that a scientist named Joel Weinstock (NY Times Article/Boston Globe Article) has been successfully experimenting with parasitic worms on humans for the past decade or so. His research stems from ‘Hygiene Theory‘ and a distinct correlation he noted between the de-worming and sterilizing of popluations and an increase in auto-immune disorders. For example, Weinstein observed a “100-fold increase in Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis infections in the United States – concurrent with worm infestation eradication.” (Mental Floss)

…Over the last decade, Weinstein and others have been putting live parasitic worms, such as hookworms, inside human hosts, with incredible results. These researchers have been able to demonstrate complete remission of Crohn’s Disease and even a 95% reduction in relapses in patients with Multiple Sclerosis! How is this possible??

…Well, it seems the exact reasons why are still being debated and tested, but the predominate reasoning is that humans and parasitic worms – as well as microbes and bacteria – have long had a symbiotic relationship, or at least a naturalized relationship. The human immune system adapted to the presence of parasites, with the parasites possibly even changing the genetic makeup of human ‘helper-T’ cells. The human body, used to having these parasites around, developed immune responses strong enough to keep the parasites in check. From the late 19th century on, more and more emphasis was placed on cleanliness; soap was used on a wide basis, toilets and sewage systems were advanced and developed, and food was over-cooked to safe levels. This culminated in the 1950s – with the spic-and-span housewife/home image, anti-septic cleaners for the entire household, DDT spraying, pesticide use, etc. The ultra-cleanliness of the 1950s carried on more-or-less, and today we have ultra modern, sealed, central-air homes, with the same cleaners, plus microwaves, dishwashers, and anti-bacterial hand-wash galore. While its hard to argue that all this cleanliness didn’t have positive results, with the virtual eradication of cholera, typhoid fever, and typhus in the west, as well as defence against e-coli outbreaks and so on, it now becomes apparent that this system has many negative consequences for us as well.

…The mantra of ‘cleanliness is next to godliness,’ with roots in ancient Babylonian and Hebrew times is an excellent lens – both to criticize, and to view this problem. In my opinion, like organized religion, this mantra is a false and destructive method of control. To ramble a bit, while organized religion brings us solace, community connection and moralistic teachings, it also controls our minds, spirits, and wallets, lies to us, instills false trust, and causes war, terror, and wanton destruction. Whereas the west has been slowly turning away from organized religion – or at least one dominant form of it, we have been quickly amping up our efforts to sanitize our environment – to control the earth to our liking beyond the realm of the domestication of animals. The great cleaning process, through the manufacture and application of harsh and toxic chemicals, has poisoned our environment. Pesticides cause birth defects and cancer, cleaning supplies continuously dumped in our water systems have harmed water supplies, fish and frogs, poisoned homeowners, children and janitors. Some cleaning products contain known carcinogens and can enter our skin and lungs. Now, to top it off, we find that mass sanitize-ation (interesting word ‘SANITYize’) has further disrupted our ecosystem.

…So, should we stop washing our hands and start pooping in the streets again? Absolutely not! This is not an option for the majority of westerners who live in cities at least. Basic cleanliness and sewage-handling is essential in what is really a completely unnatural social environment. Humans are not supposed to live in large cities together, we are supposed to live in small groups. If you argue that we’ve evolved towards city life, well fine, but we must then enforce standards of cleanliness which will keep things like, oh, the Bubonic Plague at bay. The Plague was essentially caused by unclean, overcrowded conditions, which then stimulated vectoring through rats, fleas and dead bodies. But basic standards are really all we need. We have to find a balance whereby we are using only limited amounts of biodegradable, environmentally-sound cleaning products, manage our garbage, manage our excrement, and eat wiser, with minimal fuss.  The tools are there right now: Environmentally-safe cleaning products are in vogue, we have the infrastructure for sewage and garbage, and we try to recycle and compost. Moreover, many, such as the creators of Food Inc. (and local CB Beef farmers) believe that naturally-raised, free-range meat is much cleaner than factory meat and almost eliminates any chance of e-coli outbreak; meaning you don’t have to cook it so much and can allow yourself to get some microbe exposure. Of course we have to do more in this regard, but the foundation is there and progress is very possible.

…But what about these worms? It would seem very difficult to reintroduce parasitic worms into an urban environment, at least for the near future. For one thing, most people who don’t gag at the idea to begin with, would probably rather not regularly expose themselves to parasitic creatures which burrow through their skin and writhe around inside them. To get these worms, we would have to eat a lot of raw meat and/or go walk around in the sewers and such, a prospect I don’t see happening – right? On the other hand, when a person is diagnosed with MS – a terrible, painful, crippling disease, it comes down to taking multiple expensive drugs with numerous side-effects and no possibility of a cure OR stick a worm in yourself, get past the disgust, and have a very good chance of living a normal life.

…Because parasitic worms have mostly disappeared from the western world, alternative methods of worm application have had to be found. As discussed in Mental Floss, some scientists have been working on using worm species which generally infect pigs and other animals, while others have been working on synthesizing the right proteins from the worms to create a new wonder-drug. The standard pill form will hold the most initial appeal to the most people, as it can completely remove any unsightly worm suggestions – but it misses the point. Manufacturing yet another pill will make another pharmaceutical company even richer, continue our cultural reliance on pills, and do nothing to change our fucked up relation to our own environment, or our relationship with the other creatures in it [See Picture below for how well MS drug companies do].

…While rural westerners could benefit from a reintroduction of parasitic worms into their natural environment, city-dwellers are left with the above options, and options from entrepreneurs such as Jasper Lawrence, founder of Autoimmune Therapies. This enterprising man began his business by flying to Cameroon, Africa, and picked up hundreds of worms by walking around barefoot in local latrines for hours. The worms tunnelled through his feet, through his bloodstream, and into his intestines, where they reside. He then flew back to LA and started a mail/online-order business which sells hookworm eggs to clients with auto-immune diseases (or those who don’t want to get them). Unfortunately, the eggs are rather expensive – but his business sets a precedent which could allow for expansion and the usual levelling of prices through increased demand. Even with the price (around $3000), I’m sure many people with MS and other diseases would be more than willing to pay. More unfortunately, the worms only survive for two to five years, which means you may have to order more. I see people getting around this with either massive scale worm farming or laboratory growing (which would probably never happen if the pill form is perfected), or something akin to local organic farming, where some community farmers or university labs could purchase or acquire worm eggs, use themselves and perhaps even their families/students as hosts, and then store and sell the results – maybe even at farmers markets.

…To conclude, rather than the mantra ‘cleanliness is next to godliness,’ I vote we put more emphasis on ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’

…I passionately encourage everyone who reads this to learn more about it via the hyper-links I’ve posted throughout, and personal research. If you know someone with Crohn’s, MS, Type 1 Diabetes, or other auto-immune disorders – TELL THEM about the potential for parasitic worm treatment!

For an academic study on the topic, see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1618732/

For further information and links, see: http://jem.rupress.org/cgi/content/full/206/2/262

Lets get the Ball Rolling – Reflection on Freedom and “The Cove”

…It seemed best to start this blog with something inspirational, and that has turned out to be the recent documentary “The Cove”.  “The Cove” is an amazing film, which depicts the slaughter of dolphins in Japan, and also highlights the incredible intelligence and sentience of dolphins, the general plight of dolphins, whales, and the world’s oceans, mercury poisoning, and the drive of certain individuals to save nature itself.

…Important themes are developed in the film, themes which are also evoked by other strong documentaries and environmental, social and philosophical literature.  The themes I am referring to involve goals – and the power of the average person to create awareness and effect societal change through various components of FREEDOM. In my opinion, the average person can use the following elements of freedom to best effect in order to accomplish change:

-         Freedom of Speech

AND

-         Economic Freedom

…By ‘Freedom of Speech’ I mean the grandiose freedom which has been in evidence throughout recorded history.  It has been championed by ancient philosophers, enforced by John Stuart Mill, encapsulated in documents such as The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and set in stone as an international, universal human right.  This freedom encompasses numerous ways to state your opinion and affect your environment, including writing letters to Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament, staging protests, speaking your mind, and saying whatever you damn well please on internet blogs.  While this right is frequently challenged, can easily lead to the spread of hate, and its power, expressed on an individual basis, is severely curtailed by stronger interests; it is incredibly important, and remains, to some, worth dying for.  To see the impact of this freedom on history, you need not look far.  Democracy, rational thought, the French Revolution, the broad banning of DDT and Whale Hunting, the modern status of women and homosexuals – all these historical milestones owe a great deal of their success to ‘freedom of speech,’ and, using a broad definition, free expression through action (violent and non-violent action being other effective avenues for change).

…Freedom of speech enabled the producers of “The Cove” to make their movie, to show it to an enormous audience, and to advocate a cause they felt worthy.  The inherent compassion of humanity for the plight of animals when confronted with grisly details and humanizing or pitiful scenarios, the fact that people love dolphins, and the inevitable economic success of this film, are other reasons it was produced.  Whatever the reasons, “The Cove” uses freedom of speech to great effect, and encourages viewers to do the same by voicing their opinion where it matters most.

…By ‘Economic Freedom,’ I mean the power of any consumer to purchase what they wish to purchase, with the only limits being their level of purchasing power.  Consumers, by purchasing one thing over another, can vastly influence the makeup of our society, through the simple lever of supply and demand.  “The Cove” encourages its viewers not to buy dolphin meat, whale meat, fish contaminated with mercury and, presumably, to buy ‘dolphin-friendly’ fish if they buy any at all.  This is great, and the same mindset can be applied to any number of things. For me, I use my economic freedom to support local businesses, especially food producers, whenever possible.  I buy from farmer’s markets, I buy local apples, carrots, baked goods, cleaning supplies, fish, (limited quantities of) meat, yogurt, etc. etc.  I also buy organic food with the ideal food being both organic and local, followed by local, followed by organic. Likewise, I don’t support fast food franchises, very rarely shop at Walmart, buy second hand clothing, and support local musicians and drinking establishments by going to their shows.  I try to learn as much as I can about everything I can buy, and I weigh the reality of products I wish to purchase (e.g. factory conditions, company location, ingredients, distance travelled etc.) against the level of immediate satisfaction and personal comfort I desire.

…Other people use their economic freedom to support charities, help build communities, start organic farms, run volunteer organizations, or contribute to healthcare, education, arts and culture.  Others still may not consider what they purchase beyond how cheap it is – or appears to be, how much instant gratification it will bring, or the potential status, power, or mating advantages involved.  Why is economic freedom important?  Just like freedom of speech, the potential for economic freedom is enormous. Imagine if millions of people just stopped shopping at Walmart, or put part of their income into environmental charities.  Imagine if millions of people refused to spend and went on hunger strikes until food was more equally distributed around the world.  Economic freedom can be so much more than choosing between brand X and Y of carbonated, chemically altered, mass-produced sugar water.  It can shake the very foundations of earth.

…“The Cove” stimulates, fascinates, pulls you in, and can leave you in shock or tears.  It possesses all the entertainment values – such as; emotional music, loud sounds, dramatic camera work, tension building, blood and gore – which, due to today’s impatient, over-stimulated and desensitized population, are necessary to provoke THOUGHT,  DISCUSSION, and – hopefully, POSITIVE CHANGE.  I hope that this blog can provoke these same three actions in YOU.