RIAA Lawsuit

I haven't seen the story on the outcome but based on what you said I would think most of that judgment is to cover the plaintiff's lawyers fees. In a civil lawsuit the judgment against the defendant usually will include the legal fees accrued by the plaintiff.

A far as the CRAP the music industry is pumping out, the target demographic, idiot young people, have always, are now, and will always buy this crap. They're too stupid to know what quality music is, they buy what everybody else is buying. American Idol has fouled the music industry. There has been so much competition in the music industry due to the saturation of the industry by the money monsters. So many record companies, so many record execs pressured to put out talent and sell records that talent is being overlooked for a pretty face and crafty studio-work. Not one of the American Idol winners would have made it into the business on their "talent." Not one. They flash in the pan, here for a moment singers that won a popularity contest.

Compare todays "artists" with the bands and artists from the past. Who has been around for 20, 30, or 40+ years. Very few. (remembering that 20 years ago was 1987) Aerosmith has been doing this for almost 40 years. Then boys are pretty damn good., They have staying power that just doesn't exist in todays world. Thats just one example. I'm nit saying they're the best ever. Somebody went to see BB King the other night I think. That man has been around longer than anyone that was born in 1955, or sooner even. I don't remember him winning any beauty contests but he leaves more talent in that gold plated toilet of his than anyone that who has signed a recording contract at any point in the last 15 years has ever possessed. Ruben Studdard ? Please ! That tone deaf fatty won a contest because people found him likable. He's a talentless waste of a recording contract that could go to someone who has paid their dues in the music business. If you have not spent years playing to crowds of 12 people in smokey bars for people who are there to drink NOT listen to you, than you do not deserve the rewards of fat recording contracts.

I LOVE that my new Tahoe has XM radio in it and they have stations for 70's, 80's, 90's music and other specialized stations...it's TOTALLY TUBULUAR!!! LOL!

I know, it's stupid. They're trying to make an example of her. Won't work though. They'll see. I guess the billions a year that the record execs make just isn't enough. So the answer is taking $ 200,000 from a student. hahaha. Waaaaaaaahh! Let's call them a waaaaaambulance. Can I get you some french cries with that?

Slappy, ya, I've been saying that about music for years "they buy what everybody else is buying. " Same thing with autos. Everyone is just like everyone else.

"but you WON’T hear his songs on pop radio, only R&B stations."

Sorry Dawn but R&B has meaning and the new "meaning" that has been given to it is a bastardization beyond belief!

Are you talking about Rhythm and Blues are Hip Hop? All the stuff (sorry, can't call it music since it is NOT) that I have heard described as "R&B" in the past 10 years or so is some disgusting version of Rap warped into something they call Hip Hop and since that didn't sell (at least not to the masses, not to white folks for sure) they tried to repackage it as "R&B".

R&B is B.B. King. R&B is Muddy Waters. R&B is a LOT but it is NOT Ruben fatty whathisface from American Idol. That clown has NO talent. I've seen talent and his big ass nearly tipping over as he rocks from side to side is NOT IT. It CERTAINLY is NOT R&B.

I am thoroughly disgusted with the bastardization of the term R&B. R&B was Ray Charles. R&B was Gladys Knight and the Pips. R&B was Diana Ross!!!!!! R&B was and has never been and NEVER will be some repackaged Rap Crap jingo with all kinds of nasty kill kill shoot shoot and rhyme rhyme in time rhyme fo yo mutha rhyme I gotta dime gonna shoot and kill yo brotha fine sickening sick sick sick rap crap. Ruben is above that but R&B he is not. R&B is a tradition from a long time ago that remains timeless and DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE MORPHED INTO RAP CRAP ORRRRR ANYTHING ELSE - NOT THAT RUBEN GUY OR ANYTHING. It's like trying to say that some graffiti artist is a traditionalist master painter. Sorry, that ain't gonna make it so just because someone says so.

Ruben is nothing. He is a producer-created overnight sensation only among the feeble minded who actually buy into that American Idol shit. The whole show is a sham and that guy can NOT hold a tune. They do nothing but "cover" tunes (meaning copying someone else's work) and do not produce a single note of originality. How can anyone IDOLIZE thattttt?

Sorry but give me a freaking break. R&B my ass.

He's not my favorite, bet he's better than a lot of others. Now, the main original man is Alice Cooper!!!! I was supposed to marry him when I was fourteen LOL! He still does it for me.

Well Walt you certainly surprised ME. I truly hope I misunderstood something but, "ANY police officer?" That fact you said that is clearly indicative of the fact you sir are racist. I'm not saying I agree with EVERYTHING TGIX said but for you to indiscriminately label ALL police officers shows your intolerance of those different than you. ( not to mention your intolerance of those on the right side of the law) In fact what you said was the very definition of racism. I'm not only shocked but thoroughly disappointed as well. I thought of all people here YOU were above all that crybaby "poor me" / "reparations" shit. Oh well, live and learn.

ok TGIX, Ruben CAN sing and R&B is NOT the same as it was in the 60's and 70's. bb king and muddy waters is BLUES plain and simple. R&B is Mary j Blige, Luther Vandross and such. times change, music changes and just because he came off American Idol doesn't mean anything. those people on there have to at least be able to sing, whether they make it or not is a diff story but they can at least, SING!

Wow, I'm not here for a day and look at all that I missed.

Anyway, I agree with everything timbuktu said......except that as one means of illegal downloading is shut down, another one opens up just as quick. There's still sites like Grokester and Limewire, all of the various torrent sites and the ever-present Usenet newsgroups.

I agree with Dawn about what is defined as R&B, maybe it's because of when I grew up...I was always under the impression that BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Aretha Franklin, ect. were considered jazz and Luther Vandross, groups like En Vogue, ect. were R&B. Others might disagree with me but that's ok, I actually don't listen to R&B and only listen to a little bit of jazz.

The only issue I would have with rap (and I'm talking about the newer stuff, not the older stuff like Public Enemy or Run DMC) is the way women are degraded. I can't really say anything about the profanity because I listen to heavy metal and there's just as much profanity there (and sometimes more). And, yes, I DO like Marilyn Manson.

about racism. OK we're crooked again, the screen smartasses. I can't see what you all are saying. However, rkinne said something about a recent post on gays. Relaying fact IS NOT prejudicial. . opinions are. What I said about gays is fact. (not there's anything wrong with that) My gay brother and my gay sister-in-law see things as I posted them to be. So you are saying that gay people are racist for agreeing with me? I just want to be sure thats what youi're saying.

And Walt, I did not mean to come across harsh but please don’t “lump” when it comes to cops; or any group for that matter. I don’t lump, normally, okay I guess I do when it comes to the communist demos, but that’s different. (hehehe) I’ve come across asslick store clerks, jerkwad doctors, f**kstick teachers etc etc etc, but I do not perceive all as being that way. People are individuals, and if a few individual cops were assholes to you then they are in it for the wrong reasons. When I tell cops I meet from other departments around the country and I tell them that people I arrest regularly thank me for NOT being a dick when I arrest them, or cite them, they can’t believe what they are hearing. I don’t know where or when it became believed that in order to a cop you have to be a dick but the group I work with does not and WILL not behave in that manner. Being closer to the top of the food chain where I work I see to it that our guys don’t do that shit. We’ve fired several over the past few years that just couldn’t let go of that old school method of dealing with the public. We don’t want people like that and we don’t tolerate that kind of treatment of people. Most people dislike the authority of the police as opposed to the person wearing the uniform. Nobody likes others telling him or her what to do. Especially adults. Unfortunately society is not ready to handle themselves, on their own, and they never will be. Society needs assertive parents (cops) to keep them in check. Also, most people do not possess the skills and / or intellect to deal with crisis so they need someone (cops) to call when things become unmanageable. For every asspiss cop out there, there are hundreds of thousands that do not have a chip on their shoulder that are in the business for all the right reasons. Don’t break the law, even the little ones, don’t lie to the police, and every encounter you have with a cop will be pleasant. You have to remember 98% of the people we deal with are lying, hiding something, or just want to kill us. I enter NO situation believing right off the bat that the person I see before me doesn’t want to kill me. Usually / sometimes you have a pretty good idea within a few short moments what type of person you’re dealing with, but even the “safe” ones have turned on me. When I am comfortable the person I’m dealing with has honest intentions I will let my guard down A LITTLE. I NEVER let it down all the way, you just never know. (most dead cops would say ”I just looked away for a second” ) It’s NOT paranoia, it’s caution, there’s a difference. Watch a rookie officer, THAT’S paranoia, but they learn from their training officer, then settle after some street time.

( Disclaimer: This statement is not intended to suggest there are not asshole cops out there. There are and they suck. If you have had a bad experience with an officer please refer all comments and gripes to the appropriate agency as I can not help you with what occurred at the hands of an officer I don’t know, will never know, and have no disciplinary control over. Thank you for your support)