Sunday, August 28, 2005

Recording Industry vs The People

Excellent blog hihlighting the case of a single mum taking the RIAA to court- yes thats right - the mighty RIAA in the dock at last and not before time in my opinion. Thank you Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP. for taking the case on. Will be interesting to see the outcome.
http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com/2005/08/recording-industry-vs-people.html

Monday, August 22, 2005

Scary Housing Bubble Graph

A graph of historical USA house prices (adjusted for inflation) for the period 1880 to present day. showing the almost doubling in prices since 1996. Previous doubling boom lsimilar to this was in 1945 with prices remaining static (after inflation) for next 50 years.

http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/3043001

Friday, August 19, 2005

Price of Logo's

Wonderful tale here about how the Apple logo designer got 50 cents reminds of Trevor Key the photographer who designed the Virgin logo on the back of a napkin. Branson notes that he didnt begrudge paying his £200 bill. So Mandy's bill for $1500 seems very generous

Dr. Sanity: SHAME, THE ARAB PSYCHE, AND ISLAM

A brilliant article comparing the western guilt culture and the Arab /Eastern shame culture.
I have often wondered why this is "Arab men eradicate shame and bolster their shaky self-esteem by imposing the shameful qualities of the dhimmi, submission and passivity, upon women. Trailing a humbled woman behind them, Arab men can walk the walk of the true macho man" Spot on I always find it acutely distasteful that you get the guys dressed like true westerners with a black cloud behind them. Need to read this article and the books. Just ordered The seven Pillars of Wisdom by my childhood hero - Lawrence of Arabia
http://haloscan.com/tb/drsanity/112406162815936414

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Find the Number one record on your birth date

Thanks Nick for this link. I can imagine my mum swooning to Bing Crosby during my birth. Bing Crosby • The Squadronaires / Bing Crosby (tied) - 'Among My Souvenirs / A Gal In Calico'


IO2Technology: Heliodisplay/ Interactive Free-Space Display

This is just what I was talking to Laurence and Jeff about last night at the CHASE puntmeet. A holographic image straight out SciFi. Wait till google maps is displayed and you can go inside the world.
IO2Technology: Heliodisplay/ Interactive Free-Space Display

Trackbacked to http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/3013778

Sunday, August 14, 2005

MyGuestmap - The first and only Google Maps Guestmap Service!

A really cool application that allows visitors to your website to add themselves to your map MyGuestmap - The first and only Google Maps Guestmap Service!

Thanks to Social Software for the link

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Latest Internet Scam (419 variant?)

A friend of mine who is a piano teacher has started to get these very weird emails:-

"Hello there, my name is peter wells and i am a british nationality based in in Africa,at present i work with the UNITED NATIONS and i am presently looking for a piano ttutor for my son she will be coming to the Uk for holidays and and he will be staying for the next 12wks before i come join him and i will need your services for his stay from 9am-3pm or 12pm-6pm whichever you you feel is best for you also i would be glad if you can advise on your practice and where you are located, let me know if you can offer your services on my behalf. In regards your fees,i would be happy to ask my client to post a UK certified cheque to you in advance for deposit and booking of your services.I would make arrangements for every other payment in cash once my wife arrives.Pls let me know your fees (per hour....perday) depending on how you have always given your services.I would like to also know if you pay your clients home visits.I would be happy if you can get in touch with me as soon as possible.
Thank you and hope to hear from you soon.
Peter."
The header is:-
X-MAIL-FROM:
X-SOURCE-IP: [68.142.207.110]

An earlier one was:-

How are you doing ?My family and i will be coming on
holidays to England in mid August while on holidays i
will please need your services to take my two kids on a private
Piano lessons for two to three hours daily depending
on your time schedule .Please let me know what your
charges will be per hour and also what it will cost
for three days in a week for three weeks.Do get back
to me via mail.
Thanks Omar
X-MAIL-FROM:
X-SOURCE-IP: [68.142.198.103]

It seems very suspicious to me. I have forwarded them to the abuse section at yahoo.com
Anyone else getting them?
Update: Yahoo came back within 12 hours:-
Thank you for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.

In this particular case, we have taken appropriate action against the
Yahoo! account in question that was reported for fraudulent activities,
as per our Terms of Service (TOS). For further details about the Yahoo! TOS, you can visit:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Please know that Yahoo! is unable to disclose the action taken on
another user's account with a third party. We are not able to make
exceptions to this rule.

I guess in that case it is a fraud...

Update2 another one today (6 Aug 2005)
johnfolls_06@yahoo.co.uk
john folls
07031941622

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

easyHotel.com for hotels from Stelios, founder of easyJet

Here is Stelios latest idea. easyHotel.com for hotels from Stelios, founder of easyJet Apparently you don't have to take your own sheets etc "All easyHotel.com rooms will be cleaned and have the bed made on your arrival. Should you require housekeeping services during your stay, they are available at a charge. Details are available on individual hotel pages" . Rates are not bad One double bed. Shower, basin and toilet en-suite. No windows. GBP 40.00. wonder if they have wifi, the £5 extra for the TV remote is cool.
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