General

I went to the used record store, where I always find some interesting gems. I picked up a CD by The Quarrymen. This is a band that formed in Liverpool in the late 1950s with John Lennon & Paul McCartney. They re-formed in the 90s with only one original member, and this CD is from the new group. It’s very nice 50’s-style rock music.

One out of five Americans find Internet ‘essential’ [MacCentral]

If you live in the U.S. and have been surfing for a substantial time, you may fall into the ranks of one out of five Americans who feel that the Internet is the “most essential” medium to their lives, according to a new study by the Arbitron Inc. and Edison Media Research research and analysis groups.

According to the study, dubbed “Internet 9: The Media and Entertainment World of Online Consumers,” Americans chose the Internet and TV (34 percent and 35 percent, respectively) as the most “cool and exciting” medium. About half (46 percent) of 12-to-34 year-olds chose the Internet, with 29 percent choosing TV as the “most essential” medium to their lives.

And if you’ve listened to streaming media online in the past week, chances are that you’ve bought more than one and a half times the number of compact discs in the past year than the average American, the study says. This conflicts with the generally held perception that hardcore computer users buy fewer CDs because they download songs from the Internet.

What’s more, people who stream media online go to movie theaters considerably more often (3.19 times) than the typical consumer (1.85 times) in the past three months.

“While some in the entertainment industry have viewed streaming as a threat, the study shows that it really represents a tremendous opportunity,” said Bill Rose, vice president and general manager, Arbitron Webcast Services, Arbitron Inc. “Marketing music on streaming media channels provides access to a lucrative group of record buyers that could be an important key to revenue growth for record labels. Similarly, movie studios have the opportunity to reach frequent movie-goers by promoting their new films via webcasting.”

The Arbitron-Edison study also confirms that broadband connections continue to grow despite the slowing economy. Residential broadband adoption has doubled in the last 18 months, increasing from 13 percent of those with at-home Internet access in January 2001 to 28 percent in July 2002. And this growth trend appears to be far from over. According to the study, one out of five of those with dial-up home Internet access intend to convert to broadband in the coming year.

The study shows that record numbers of Americans continue to consume Internet audio and video. As of July 2002, an estimated 83 million Americans have now experienced Internet audio or video, the report notes. The number of people who have listened to audio or watched video online in the past month grew slightly from the prior year — from 37 million in July 2001 to 38 million in July 2002.

On a related note, people surveyed for the study are very concerned about recent industry turmoil. Half are aware of the digital rights controversies that have caused several Webcasters to cease streaming. Two-thirds indicate that they are upset about not being able to listen to canceled Internet audio Webcasts and a similar number support action by Congress to help Internet audio webcasters afford to continue streaming, the report says.

In fact, people displayed more interest than ever before in paying for online content. In July 2002, nearly a quarter (22 percent) of Internet audio customers (an estimated 16 million Americans) indicated that they would be willing to pay a small fee to listen to the online audio channel they currently listen to the most. In comparison, only 14 percent were interested in paying a fee in January 2002.

The study says that access to the Internet has leveled off at approximately 70 percent of all Americans. But though Internet adoption is slowing, the average daily time spent online continues to steadily increase, approaching one hour per day. In July, Americans reported spending an average of 58 minutes online per day, up from 41 minutes in July 2001, the report says.

Lenin. “A lie told often enough becomes the truth.” [Quotes of the Day]

NY POST…PAGE 6

THE “Harry Potter” toy broomstick from Mattel has a vibrating feature that has

proven to be too popular with teenage girls.

The “Nimbus 2000” is a plastic battery-powered replica of the broom used in

Quidditch matches by J.K. Rowling’s boy wizard in “Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone.” The $19.99 toy features a “grooved stick and handle for easy

riding,” according to Toysrus.com, and, “enhancing the excitement are the

vibrating effects.”

The Web site’s review section is full of comments from parents who are amazed

at the toy’s popularity with their young daughters. One mom who bought the

broom for her son writes that his sister frequently “fights him over it” and

complains that “the batteries drain too fast.”

Another notes, “When my 12-year-old daughter asked for this for her birthday, I

kind of wondered if she was too old for it, but she seems to love it.”

An equally enthusiastic parent marvels that “even my daughter’s friends enjoy

playing with this fun toy. I was surprised at how long they can just sit in her

room and play with this magic broomstick!”

One astute New Jersey mom says of her daughter: “It wasn’t until after she

opened her gift and started playing with it that I realized the toy may offer a

more than sensational experience. The broomstick has cute sound effects and

vibrates . . . what were the creators of this toy thinking? She’ll keep playing

with the Nimbus 2000, but with the batteries removed.”

“As always, the well-being of children is our top priority,” Mattel rep Sara

Rosales told PAGE SIX’s Jared Paul Stern. “And we in no way consider this toy

to be inappropriate.”

Meanwhile, parents of young Harry Potter fanatics may have more to worry about

with the next movie in the series. The London Times recently reported that

Chris Columbus, director of the first two installments, won’t be helming the

third. Alfonso Cuaron, director of the sexually explicit coming-of-age flick “Y

Tu Mama Tambien,” may be taking his place.

The Harry Potter franchise has already come under fire from Christian groups

for its allegedly Satanic, anti-Christian message. A chruch pastor in New

Mexico said he planned to burn the books in a “holy bonfire.” The books were

also banned at a Christian school in Australia and a toy store chain in

England.

I just upgraded my LinkSys BEFSR41 router to the latest firmware, v1.43. I’ll see if it solves the problem I’ve been having with attbi where it suddenly loses the connection.

The Troubling New Face of America. Past US President Jimmy Carter has written an editorial for the Washington Post titled The Troubling New Face of America. In his editorial, President Carter decries America’s plans for attack on Iraq and chastises the military and Justice Department for their human rights violations, including detaining American citizens without trial or access to a lawyer, as well as the detaining of the Taliban soldiers in Cuba. [kuro5hin.org]

FYI

. Overview of Changes to Legal Rights By The Associated Press September 5, 2002, 11:44 AM EDT Some of the fundamental… [WIL WHEATON DOT NET: Where is my mind?]

* FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigation.

* FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public records requests.

* FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information

related to a terror investigation.

* RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION: Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes.

* FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES: Government may search and seize Americans’ papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.

* RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL: Government may jail Americans

indefinitely without a trial.

* RIGHT TO LIBERTY: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them.

This is why I joined the ACLU.

“In the Clinton administration we worried the president would open his zipper.

In the Bush administration, they worry the president will open his mouth.”

–James Carville

M.I.K.E.: Machine Intended for Killing and Exploration

I love the acronym for my cat:

C.O.D.Y.: Construct Optimized for Destruction and Yardwork

I just pre-ordered Up, Peter Gabriel’s first album in 10 years. It ships on Sept. 24.