Lawsuit victim sues RIAA under RICO Act

Lawsuit victim sues RIAA under RICO Act: “Lawsuit victim sues RIAA under RICO Act

2 October 2005 22:33 by Dela
[picture]The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has sued close to 15,000 file sharers in the United States since the group started it’s campaign against illegal file sharing in 2003. Not even 5,000 of these suits has been settled yet not one of them has ended up in an actual court case just yet. Among those sued are university students, kids, unaware parents, senior citizens and even a dead woman.

So as you can imagine, the RIAA doesn’t really mind who gets sued, as long as the message is spread. However, the entire setup of these lawsuits is strange to say the least and the actual evidence has been doubted by many lawyers and experts as being enough to sustain a lawsuit. One woman, Tanya Andersen, has just counter-sued the RIAA for Oregon RICO violations, fraud, invasion of privacy, abuse of process, electronic trespass, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, negligent misrepresentation, the tort of ‘outrage’, and deceptive business practices.

Andersen, 42, a disabled mother, lives alone with her eight-year-old daughter. She is demanding a trial by jury, not willing to give into the lawsuit. Represented by Lory Lybeck of Lybeck Murphy in Oregon, Andersen decided she wasn’t going to be bullied into paying an extortionate charge to a blackmail center acting for the major record labels.

She is not the only person to stand up to the RIAA lately however, there are also others like Patricia Santangelo. She has refused to settle with the RIAA. ‘Don’t let your fear of these massive companies allow you to deny your belief in your own innocence,’ she said. ‘Paying these settlements is an admission of guilt. If you’re not guilty of violating the law, don’t pay.’”

Risk & Insurance: The Lost City of New Orleans?

Risk & Insurance: The Lost City of New Orleans?: “The Lost City of New Orleans?
Risk & Insurance, Dec, 2000 by Lori Widmer
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Louisiana’s marshlands, the only buffer for hurricanes that come out of the Gulf, are slipping into the ocean at an alarming rate. New search indicates that just one major hurricane could put New Orleans under water.

The Big Easy is in big trouble. New Orleans is sinking. And fast. But what’s the big deal? Local businesses and residents have heard it all before. They’ve built levees to control the raging Mississippi. They’ve developed pumping systems to deal with rain and flooding. They’ve dug canals to move the water out of the city. And still they survive, wearing the battle scars earned from each hurricane and each flood as badges of honor.

New research by the U.S. Geological Survey, however, indicates that New Orleans is sinking faster than many realize and could be under water within 50 years. The city is facing a series of issues–disappearing wetlands that protect from hurricanes, levees that are too low to hold back flood waters, rising water tables, to name a few–that if not addressed soon could have New Orleans suffering the same fate as Atlantis.

Dramatic, yes. But not unlikely, according to Shea Penland, geologist and professor at the University of New Orleans. ‘When we get the big hurricane and there are 10,000 people dead, the city government’s been relocated to the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain, refugee camps have been set up and there $10 billion plus in losses, what then?’ he asks.
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MercuryNews.com | 05/12/2005 | Worldwide `spam gang’ is shut down

MercuryNews.com | 05/12/2005 | Worldwide `spam gang’ is shut down: “Worldwide `spam gang’ is shut down

MICROSOFT AIDED PROBE BY MASSACHUSETTS OFFICIALS

By John Boudreau

Mercury News

A Massachusetts judge Wednesday ordered what authorities are calling one of the world’s largest “spam gangs” to shut down.

The move followed a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which alleges the operation broke the federal anti-spam law, “CAN-SPAM,” enacted in 2003.

The nine-month investigation, which was assisted by Microsoft, uncovered a worldwide operation that sends out hundreds of millions of illegal spam pitches a month, as well as advertising for fraudulent products, said Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly.

It was another example of Microsoft teaming up with law enforcement to crack down on illegal e-mail activities, which Microsoft sees as a threat to consumer confidence in its products. Spam accounts for at least 50 percent of e-mail, by some estimates.

The targeted organization is “one of the largest spam gangs in this country, if not the world,” Reilly said.”

Power Supply Trouble Shooting

“Troubleshooting The Case And Power Supply is easier than you think

The Case?

Yes, I said the case, this doesn’t require much troubleshooting nor does it go bad that often. The most common problems is just its ugly and maybe out of style. One component of the case that will and does go bad is the power supply. So what can you do when it goes bad? Replace it, or buy a new case with a new power supply installed.

-Common Problems, this can confuse you if the power supply does go bad. One of the most common things to happen is just strange errors with your computer. You may have software glitches, hardware, and any other act’s of Satan. So how can you evaluate what the problem is and narrow it down to a power problem? This is done mostly by trial and error. Checking something as simple as a power problem can save you money down the road simply by not having to replace hardware to see if the problem is fixed. Never underestimate the value of your power supply! Here are some common symptoms of power supply problems.

-Flickering and Dimming Lights

-Keyboard or System lock-ups (Don’t Blame Windows)

-Random Shutdowns and Reboots

-Again, don’t underestimate the power supply. Who is to say its not the Operating System that has caused you failures? Check some things out before spending money on parts. If you know and have identified this as a problem think about a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supplies). This can also solve under powerment. Also think about how many devices are hooked up to one circuit in your system. If you have some power hogs taking up the juice you need this could be a problem. For the most part power problems can be caught if it just flickering or dimming lights. We all know this one, but random shut downs can really throw you for a loop.

-Now what are some very common signs of the power supply is going to fail on you? This is pretty much common sense and you can miss it.

-Fan Noise has become excessive

-No Fan Noise

-The Power Supply Chassis is extremely hot

-This power supply being extremely hot to the touch is not a good sign. It wont be long before you have some potential problems. I would start to worry about this one. You don’t want a fire hazard on your hands anytime soon.

-Another thing, do not attempt to mess with the insides of a power supply. This can kill you and does not need repair! Replace it! Even if the fan is bad, simply replace the whole supply. They are cheap enough so don’t put yourself through a bunch of heartache.

-In these modern times power supplies aren’t something you ignore. I’ve had a few bad experiences with power supplies blowing up on me and taking out my motherboard with it. With new graphics cards requiring a power source from the power supply I would recommend a 480w minimum.

-One more thing , do not buy a cheap unbranded power supply, you will only regret it later on (hint from above power supplies blowing up). Some quality well known manufactures of power supplies are as follows: Antec, Tagen, Enermax, OCZ, or another brand with a good reputation.

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David McNett, President

Press Contact: David McNett
Phone: 1 512 423-2707
E-mail: nugget@distributed.net

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distributed.net is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to serving as a gathering point for topics relating to distributed computing, or the process by which large numbers of computers are joined together toward solving a challenging problem. The history of the organization, the organization’s ongoing projects, the individuals involved in the organization and the organization’s short term and long term goals all relate to finding new ways for computers connected to the Internet being used during ‘idle’ time. This process is realized through the development of software which allows computers currently not in use to communicate via the Internet allowing an unlimited amount of computers to work toward one common goal. To date, distributed.net has used its processes and technologies to solve encryption contests on the Internet. It is through the application of this concept that distributed.net has been able to develop and refine these techniques, improving on the range, scope, and variety of tasks which are suitable for this technology.”