RIAA, ABBA, Recession and Battlebots

RIAA Racketeering Lawsuit - A woman in Oregon is attempting to resurrect a class action lawsuit against the RIAA for racketeering the various tactics it is using in the attempt to curtail file sharing. Of significance is this lawsuit could lead to the revealing of the secret data the RIAA uses to justify its actions and lawsuits. Data that up to know has been shielded. Of course the "totals" from that data is occasionally released to the press to help its cause but what, wheres and hows is not and the press usually doesn't have enough sense to ask or question. This lawsuit could be just the first as it turns out an artist group may also sue the RIAA. Despite claiming the fight is to protect the artists, the RIAA has not paid the artists from the more then $400 million in settlement money it’s received over the years.

ABBA Drummer Dead - Ola Brunkert, drummer for the famed group ABBA, has died from apparent home accident. He was found dead on his porch from a cut throat that is believed to have been caused when he fell through a glass portion. Sad day for music fans everywhere.

3/4 American's Think US in Recession - While Bush continues to label the economy as a "slowdown" in an attempt to protect his tax cuts that help his rich brethren, it appears that most American's know what is going on, i.e. that the US is in a recession with multiple months now. The importance of this survey is it means that things could get worse as people start hunkering down and stop spending quite as freely as they have in the past. Disposable income and the williness of Americans to "dispose" of it is the oil that keeps the economic engine churning and with this lack of confidence it could deepen problems. Sadly the Bush admin refuses to respond beyond the usual "make my tax cuts permanent" calls and a Fed rate cut (on a Sunday no less) while not reducing spending. Bush believes that if companies make more money (with fewer taxes) this will "trickle down" to the common worker in the form of re-investment in the business (more jobs) and raises (more disposable income). Of course the companies instead just used the tax cuts to pad the profits, increase value of the stock and pay the upper echelon of the company’s greater bonuses. None of the money "tricked down" as the concept fails to take in account greed. Of course it’s more complicated then that but that is the gist of why one of the economic pillars is falling part.

Battlebots Returns - ESPN and Battlebots will return to TV starting in November. I remember watching the show when it was on TechTV and looking forward to the return of watching robots tear into each other.