Stock market report

Was a good relief after all the stock market crashes. Just a cut and paste from a forward. No claims of originality.

Helium was up, feathers were down.
Paper was stationary.
Fluorescent tubing was dimmed in light trading.
Knives were up sharply.
Cows steered into a bull market.
Pencils lost a few points.
Hiking equipment was trailing.
Elevators rose, while escalators continued their slow decline.
Weights were up in heavy trading.
Light switches were off.
Mining equipment hit rock bottom.
Diapers remained unchanged.
Shipping lines stayed at an even keel.
The market for raisins dried up.
Coca Cola fizzled.
Caterpillar stock inched up a bit.
Sun peaked at midday.
Balloon prices were inflated.
Scott Tissue touched a new bottom.
And batteries exploded in an attempt to recharge the market.

Detecting & Deleting Pirated Content...helping or hurting?

Was having a discussion with friends over the weekend and the thought popped up on whether the race the studios/distributors are running with the rippers of content can ever be won this way.

I watch movies online now because the movies (Hindi offcourse) release in Sacramento (specifically Elk Grove) about 2-3 weeks later than their global release. By then the buzz for the movie is gone and the excitement is gone. But I am not such an avid movie watcher to catch the movie first day first show. But I have started doing that now. I realize the behavioral change is because of the fact that the Ripper Police will nuke the websites of the uploads.

In their race, the ripper will always have to upload the movie on a website before the police can catch. But as soon as s/he uploads the word is out and most people follow their indexes pretty regulary to check if something new is available. Now when I notice there is something new come up, I am in he hurry to watch cause it will be taken off. As a result even if I would not have typically watched the movie or delayed watching the movie for later, in which case I could have gone to a theatre and paid some money, I now make it a point to watch it as soon as it is available. That means even people with the willingness to pay end up watching free. I am not sure if the people who did not watch were any fewer by nuking the upload.