For Canadians: Maybe more digital media taxes.

The Canadian gov't is looking to raising the digital media tax:

<i>The suggested rates are as follows:

- $0.60 for each blank audiocassette (1/8th inch) that is over 40 minutes
- $0.59 per blank CD/CDRW or any other blank CD consisting of more than 100MB of storage.
- $1.23 for each CDR-Audio, CDRW-Audio or Minidisc.
- $0.008 per MB of removable storage, be it CompactFlash, SmartMedia, SSC, IBM MicroDrives.
- $2.27 per DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM or any other type of recordable DVD.
- $0.021 per MB of non-removable storage in any hardware MP3 player or similar device
- $21 per GB of non-removable Hard Drive storage in an MP3 or device primarily intended for music.

These taxes will be collected when the devices / blanks are imported into Canada. What's that mean to you? Next time you go out and buy a spindle of blank CDR's (which I do, for work, for legit purposes -- it's better than tape backups) you should be prepared to cough up an additional 29.50, plus provincial and federal taxes for the product. Say you buy a 20Gig Creative Nomad MP3 player? Tack on a whopping $420 + tax. It is going to damn near double the price! All of it going to the recording industry.</i>

<A HREF="http://music.tinfoil.net/article.php?sid=412&mode=thread&order=0" target="_new">Link.</A>
<A HREF="http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/tariffs/proposed/c09032002-b.pdf" target="_new">Link to gov't doc.</A>

<i>It is not illegal until you get caught! </i>

Aw man, that would just suck, especially since I use a lot of CDRs.

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048</A></b>

Really sucks esspecially when you use it legitamently to backup data which have no relation to music and the artists we're paying.

<i>It is not illegal until you get caught! </i>

Exactly.

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048</A></b>

I mean before they were burned.

<i>It is not illegal until you get caught! </i>

Not too sure, but I read it somewhere. Maybe how the dye is before and after it is burned. I have burned a ~5yr disk that i bought for my 2x burner in a 12x burner with no problems.

<i>The manufacturers claim 75 years (cyanine dye, used in "green" discs), 100 years (phthalocyanine dye, used in "gold" discs), or even 200 years ("advanced" phthalocyanine dye, used in "platinum" discs) once the disc has been written. The shelf life of an unrecorded disc has been estimated at between 5 and 10 years. There is no standard agreed-upon way to test discs for lifetime viability. Accelerated aging tests have been done, but they may not provide a meaningful analogue to real-world aging.</i>

<A HREF="http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq07.html#S7-5" target="_new">Link.</A>

<i>It is not illegal until you get caught! </i>

Try working at McDonalds, and Wal-mart, etc. lol. Anyway, It's not like I'm actually getting a lot of stuff. I'm only spending ~$600 every 6 months on computer stuff from my money.

Anyway, if this thing is serious, I'm sure my parents will let me borrow the money from them. I've been saving up money for a processor/mobo upgrade sometime in the upcoming months but I may have to invest it in CDs instead, lol.

Also, I have connections on how to get really cheap stuff. Sorry, I can't tell my secrets.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

Ya I tried for any of them chain food restaurants.
Also for Provigo, Jean-Coutu and others.
Guess I got to play the waiting game.
However I am excited of getting paychecks, first plan on getting more RAM, a definite need in WinXP! Then a brand new HDD. That old 6.4GB Slave is starting to die.
Then possibly a DVD Drive to get faster media and also stop the spinoff that my LG CDRW does.
I also want to get a PS2 with Final Fantasy X and some others, then an Xbox.
Quite optimistic huh?
Well after those, I will start saving big time, so next year, ClawHammer sees daddy Eden! And possibly Geforce 5 if they really meant to make a fully programmable GPU, thus less need to upgrade constantly to play full settings games.

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For the first time, Hookers are hooked on Phonics!!

Hmm minimum in Quebec is 7.00$, and average 7.35$ for many. Take weekend, which is 2 days. Now multiply 8 hours times 7.00 average minimum. That gives you 56$*2 weekend days, 112$ average. I would round it to 120$ as most offer higher wages now, and it keeps rising, or upon Augmentations. Anyways, 112$ per week, times four per month, that gives you a nice 448$ per month. Not too shabby for a weekend worker. I'll estimate there are some side-taxes or expenses, so I'll even round it to 400$ only. In 3 months, I can afford easily both the DVD Drive and 120GB Hard Disk or lower. I can also add in the 256MB RAM,PS2 most likely with one or 2 games. Within the next 3 months, I have enough for an Xbox with 2 games, 2 controllers and more. Then I can save money until the end. I will also estimate there might be firing, or loss of job, so let us take off 1 month to be conserving and fair in case of unexpected times. I would say in total, I should have more than 1000$ saved by end of the year, that would be enough for the CH with new mobo+vid card. I could be wrong, and I do beleive I will save up for 2000$ just to be safe.
How else do you manage your income?

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For the first time, Hookers are hooked on Phonics!!

Yeah, that one whole year to get what you want! For all we know, in one year, Microsoft might release an XBOX2 and the PS2 gets discontinued. I get most of my money working full time 6 days a week in the summer and then I get a week-end job on Saturday. I still need a day to relax and do homework.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

If Sony does get a PS3 next year as rumors say, I will be disappointed. How many have paid so much for a machine, to find out 2 years later it's gone? They CAN compete, just like PSX did later on, with outstanding graphics and gameplay, after 5 years.

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For the first time, Hookers are hooked on Phonics!!