Journalists help spread propaganda

I was alerted to an article from a post on one of my favourite and regularly read blogs Citizen Against Lies, hosted by Shelly. I recommend you check it out - it's really good, unless you're a hard core Republican. The blog post is about journalist from Miami who were paid by the US government to spread lies and propaganda about Fidel Castro and Cuba. For Shame. For shame I say.

Those journalists worked as regulars and freelancers for Radio and TV Martí - two "U.S. government programs created to promote democracy and freedom in Cuba." Their programs are not broadcasted in the US but in Cuba because of U.S. anti-propaganda laws. How could they allow them to sordid the good name of Marti by spreading their slanderous, propaganderous filth?

There are several things wrong with this. Firstly, it's against US law to spread propaganda in the U.S., yet still they would fund and finance activities which they find clearly illegal and unconstitutional. Ask yourself why. Then this brings to question if they can infiltrate and manipulate these journalists, who else have they gotten to? Have all those reports that we have seen and heard on those other media also sawyed by some blind or rather hidden hand? Has what we heard all along true and accurate?

Among those mentioned are Alfonso, Connor, Cancio, Cossio, Montaner, Cao, Remos, Claro, Ferre and Crespo. For shame - how could you sell out that way?



You can read the article here 10 Miami journalists take U.S. pay

Only two of these journalists have been fired. They should all be fired. We trust that the news and reports these guys and gals deliver and fair, true and unbiased, but this brings this to question.

What else has gone on? Who else has been paid to feed us mis and wrong information?

Attack on iTunes

I have read a couple articles online where different services are all being launched and launching an attack on Apple's iTunes, all in an effort to gain some of their market share. Apple currently has about 70% to 80% of the musical digital download market and all these new start-ups are trying to steal some of this away.

Among those products are MySpace teaming up with Snocap, AOL who teams up with SpiralFrog.com, Microsoft with their Zune (the 'iPod killa) - I don't even know why the Zune is nicked the iPod killler when it doesn't come near to threatening the iPod, not in hype or functionality. What does remain true and could merit the use of the word iPod in any reference to the Zune is that once again microsoft has copied on the innovative design and look and attempted the feel of the iPod. The other products which will compete with iTMS is Samsung, Nokia which will utilize the serivces of loudeye which it bought on Aug. 8; Yahoo and realnetworks.

Some of these competitors are using different models other than Apple's tried and proven pay-per-click model and some are using a dual models of pay-per-click plus subscriptions, all in an effort to gain customers.

The most impressive of those is MySpace, by far. In a BusinessWeek article, MySpace's Musical End Run, announced today that it will let bands sell music on the site straight to fans. Through their connection with digital music company Snocap which was founded by the creator of Napster, one of the first peer-to-peer file sharing programs Sean Fanning, muscians and bands can sell their music directly to fans.

One of the things I like most about MySpace's offer, and which is different from the other new competitors is that this service comes without the digital rights management (DRM) enabling playback on any device, including Apple's iPod, MP3 phones (set them as your ring-tone), the to-be-released Microsoft Zune (bump that iPod killa name - just ain't gonna happen); and also Helio devices. This I believe is the edge that'll make this model and make MySpace's launch a successful one. Already MySpace has Helio, which seems to be an amazing device which can do it all. I am in the market for a Helio device, by the way. As soon as I get one, I will let you guys know how it works. This integration would give MySpace a great advantage and put it in the most favourable position to compete with iTunes. However, from all reports as from what I've read, those new services won't be making any considerable cuts into Apple's market share anytime soon.

To go off on a tangent just a bit: While the option to have your songs play back on multiple devices is what drives customers to a particular service, how many customers actually do use more than two devices to play back downloaded songs? Most people use just their MP3 player and their computer and occasionally a friend comes over and borrowers some files.

To combat, or rather in keeping with their true self - the reason why they are number one and have the greatest market share, Apple is rumoured to release some new products and services on Tuesday, September 12th. That's next Tuesday. Among those new services would be the iTune's movie download along with a true video iPod. This will only propel Apple further away from the competition and earn them even a more greater percentage share of the digital download market. So while the competition is just coming up with ways to compete with audio, Apple is taking it to the next level - video. Truely they remain the innovators while the others are mere immitators.

Another rumoured device and one that I am kinda looking forward to is the Apple iPhone. An article from the Apple Insider seems to confirm this rumour. I am kinda sceptical about all these rumours because for those of you who very well know, these are rumours that have been around for a while. And everytime the announcement is supposed to be made, we are disappointed. But the iPhone is supposed to be great. One feature I would like to see in this unit, and I hope mr. Jobs is reading, is a feature much like that found in Helio, where we can have access to our social networking site. Direct, instant contact it what I'm looking for in this device in addition to making and receiving calls and listening to music. That would be an ideal device for me. I would give up my current crapy phone immediately.

If I'm disappointed once again by the annoucements this Tuesday, I'm gonna mad, I might even spit and curse once or twice. But I'll still be an Apple fan. So Steve, once again I told me friends about the new stuff - 'don't make a fool out of me, man!...don't make a fool out of me."

I will be updating this post periodically, so please keep checking.

Materazzi talks...

The world cup has been done for about 2 months now and just as long since we talked about "The headbutt felt around the world"

There were lots of questions and little to no answers as to why Zinedine Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi of Italy in what turned out to be the final game of his (zidane's) career.

In a BBC article today - Materazzi breaks Zidane silnce - Marco Materazzi finally gives a little insight into what was said. He said: "I was tugging his shirt, he said to me 'if you want my shirt so much I'll give it to you afterwards,' I answered that I'd prefer his sister." [quote from BBC article]. With a name like Marco, what else could we expect.

Zidane today has still not said exactly what was said to him which forced this action from him. But we still wait for his word...maybe another two months...maybe.