I don't have to manage my playlist or do anything extra to discover new music.
The variety of stations available online means that I never have to listen to music that's stale.
I can listen from any computer in the house.
It costs nothing.
The amount of commercials is tolerable.

The only downside is that I can't find any riaa-free stations. Does anyone know of any?

I don't understand what this accomplishes. What are they going to do? Look for bugs? They already know there are bugs. If it was sabotaged, they're not going to get the code that was used and will only find bugs.

This is like calling the fire department after the barn has already burned to the ground, except that the fire will likely be allowed to continue.

(c) It doesn't matter.

I think you are right to be skeptical of insurance companies because their greed causes a conflict of interest with their customers, but I think this research is good for exactly the same reason.

We live in a society where doctors are actively marketed to and recruited by drug companies.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/21/ep.conflicts/index.html

If you can be treated equally well with a cheap generic drug or an expensive newly patented drug, which drug are you going to receive? I'd hope the former, but from my experience with doctors, I really don't think the Hippocratic Oath applies to bank accounts.

This research aims to address that question of which drug is truly better for the public and to hopefully standardize the most effective practices. I think that's a good thing.

The insurance companies will most definitely try to use this research to increase their profit margins by saying things like, "the more expensive drug x is only marginally better than drug y, so we're not paying for it," but they already do that. It's really a separate battle.

I do think that battle deserves to be fought. I just don't think fighting it by knocking this research is the best way.

If anyone is interested:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/health/02scans.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

What do you suggest?

As a consumer, I am expected to vote with my feet.
As an employee or business owner, I am expected to make money by satisfying consumers.

These are apart of the fundamentals that make capitalism work.

Personally, I think IBM is behaving as expected. I would prefer they and every other corporation vote with their feet than hire lobbyists to "work with the system."

I realize that's bad for us Americans in the short-term, but maybe then, we'll stop "voting for cruft."

before you die? I started listening to Internet radio seven months ago. Since then, I haven't listened to my MP3 collection at all, or been on any file sharing networks to expand it.

I've been exposed to and promoted countless new bands that I never would have heard of on my own.

...and now they want me to go back to my MP3 collection? Surely, they're not dumb enough to believe that I'll go back to Clear Channel? Right?