Linkfest - More MPAA/RIAA Lies

Oops been a while. Here is the last few weeks of links that grabbed my interest. There is a gallery of a Lego Delorean, an end of the Encyclopedia, exercise myths, more proof of MPAA/RIAA lies used to stomp our freedom for corporate benefit, Keith Olbermann fired, and two amusing videos.

Lego Back to the Future 2 Delorean
Mimicking the style of the high end Star Wars sets, Alex Jones has re-created the Back to the Future DeLorean out of the Legos. Hit the link above too few more of the gallery.

Encyclopedia Britannica Ending Print Version
A true end of an era as the Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer printing encyclopedias after a 244 year run. The last volume will be the 2010 edition. The decision was made due to lack of sales. Sure most kids today probably barely have used a set but still a little sad to see such a thing goes away.

"French Three Strikes Law Slashes Piracy, But Fails to Boost Sales"
A French law passed last year proved what most experts already knew - that the MPAA and RIAA are flat out lying about the economic impact of online piracy. Their numbers assume a 1:1 relationship where every pirate download = equals a lost sale. Something common sense should tell you is false. Any case, the RIAA/MPAA forced French tax papers and ISPs (who likely passed their costs to the consumers) to put in a three strikes systems to stop piracy there on the assumption it will help drive economic growth and jobs. A study now concludes that it dropped traffic to pirate sites by 66%. Impressive number. In that same period, the French music industry experienced a 3.9% drop and music industry a 2.7% drop. See the disconnect? For years drops in sales were blamed on piracy. In France, they experience a massive drop in piracy and the result was a decrease in sales. As a result you can at least argue that piracy had no impact on sales in France. If want to reach a bit, you could extend the argument to argue that the lack of piracy might have even resulted in the lost promotion and thus sales of media content causing the drop. Too bad there is no report on how much it cost to implement and enforce the three strikes law as I bet the "benefits" have been very costly for the French tax payers and consumers.

Keith Olbermann Fired...Again
Current TV has officially fired Keith Olbermann and refusing to honor his $50 million contract with then citing breach of contract and other reasons. I suspect the number crunchers decided it was cheaper to get sued and settle then try to see out the remaining four years. Regardless of who is right or wrong, the pattern is pretty clear. Olbermann is ultimately at fault for every firing. However this is different than saying he is wrong. Most of the time he is spot on about the problems that lead to his getting canned but as anyone who works in corporate America will tell you - how you deliver/handle the message is usually more important than the message itself. He does it poorly and as a result the results are bad. Speak the non-sugar coated truth rarely works. "Honesty is the best policy" is absolute BS. Manipulated honesty through indirect, sugar coated, and ego stroking means is the best policy. I am the same way which is why I recognize the behavior. The difference is his "right" can grow a network into a successful operation (see how he helped ESPN and MSNBC) and why he was paid millions to be tolerated. I on the other hand am not so I have to constantly remind myself "Shut the F-up!" Now that Current TV doesn't even want him, it seems that Keith needs to also learn that lesson I still continue to struggle with. Good luck to him but I think he has burned his last broadcasting bridge.

10 Stubborn Exercise Myths
It turns out that "no pain, no gain" is false, lactic acid build-up does not cause soreness, water is enough (sports drinks only good for hour+ high intensity exercise), and more.

Copyright Math - The $8 Billion iPod
Below is an amusing video that does an effective job of debunking some of the math used to justify the RIAA and MPAA's anti-Freedom stances that are often supported by their bought supports in legislatures around the world.


The Totally Phantom Menace
I remember watching the Phantom Menace and not being very impressed by any of the light saber scenes in the movie without being able to figure out why. This very amusing breakdown explains it for you.