Well, the RIAA is at it again. I've blogged before about their antics, but this new one really takes the cake. According to a story up on slashdot, the RIAA is now seeking to enforce royalties on traditional radio stations. Apparently CD sales are continuing in a downward trend (unsurprising, really -- do they add in iTunes and related sales as part of these numbers? I'd guess not. and what about non-major labels? there's tremendous fragmentation in the music industry these days). They of course blame this on pirating, and thus think the solution is to extract every last penny they can from law-abiding citizens and corporations.
Basically, what''s happening here is that the RIAA has failed to comprehend the changing dynamics of the Internet age, as laid out in The Long Tail. They're a failing organization, and they can't stand it. The head of the tail is shrinking (even as the tail thickens), and they're just not willing to accept the realities of the situation.
My advice to Congress, and any other power entity considering interfering is this: remove the barriers to free enterprise in the marketplace, roll back copyright protections to the original 14 year standard, and let the economy shake itself out. If you quick tinkering, you might be surprised, and then Adam Smith might be able to stop spinning in his grave. :)
According to a press release from North Carolina State University, global population crossed the 50% urban threshold on May 23rd, 2007. The UN had previously estimated that this would occur by 2010, but based on the research cited, it has in fact occurred sooner. This shift underscores a couple key factors, such as a move to a more service-oriented economy globally, a reduction in the agricultural workforce required to feed the populace (well, arguable capable of feeding people), and a likely increase in problems related to people living in close proximity, such as pluralistic ignorance.
So, if you thought something seemed different in town today, you were probably right. Somebody else just moved in out of the country, and that means at least one more car on the road...
In an attempt to create additional revenue to support this site, I've built my first aStore over at Amazon. Click here to check it out, or click on "My aStore" on the right.
It seems iTunes isn't the only game in town any more. Did you hear that Amazon now has MP3 downloads? I think it's a cool experiment, so long as I can still opt to buy a complete album. Click the banner ad for more information.
Amazon.com has setup a special Black Friday page to track specials that will only be offered the day after Thanksgiving (Nov 23rd this year - my birthday!). According to the announcement, "Amazon.com will be offering hourly deals from 6am to 6pm PST along with thousands of products on sale for a limited time. Also, customers will get gift wrapping for $.99 per item."
Additionally, the following advertising widget will scroll through Lightning Deals on Friday, showing specials as they come and go. So, you may want to bookmark this page and keep an eye out for specials on Friday. :)
I've just finished reading a rather interesting book on global climate change (or global warming for those who like the mass media). Lomborg's discussion is quite reasonable, whether you agree with his conclusions or not. In a nutshell, he calls for calm and rational, "sensible" discussion of the best way to approach improving civilization. He very much disagrees with focus and extremist propaganda behind reduction of carbon emissions, pointing to the IPCC's own report that indicates global warming will not destroy the planet, that curbing carbon emissions will not actually have all that great of an effect, and that these proposals (such as Kyoto) represent such an egregiously expensive approach to a less than worthy "solution" that it should be immediately discarded in favor of alternatives that actually improve society. I've quoted him below to better articulate his points.
Before I get to the quotes, though, I think it warrants pointing out the level of hype and polarity associated with this topic. Lomborg himself comments on it throughout the book; namely, that anybody takes issue with the carbon emissions reduction approach is immediately decried as a heretic. Ironically, Lomborg agrees that global warming is occurring and that science has reasonably linked the increases to humanity. Where he disagrees in the conclusions drawn by way of an action plan forward. With this I have to fully agree. This issue has become akin to the abortion "debate," wherein nobody is listening to anybody any more, but just taking one side or the other and screaming incoherently.
And now, my third and final blogroll post, this one primarily focused on politics and economics. A number of interesting things today, such as the recession starting to go full-bore as the stock market tanks, Citigroup writing off more than US$9b in losses only to receive more than US$12b in fresh capital, and more examples of the Bush administration oppressing dissent and relying on FUD to further their mindboggling agenda to undermine and destroy the US Constitution (in other words, business as usual for those chaps). Articles here include:
* Huckabee: ‘amend the Constitution’ to ‘God’s standards.’
* Citigroup Posts $9.83 Billion Loss and Will Cut Jobs - New York Times
* Citigroup raises US$12.5b in fresh capital - Channel News Asia
* U.S. stocks tumble; Dow industrials drop more than 200 points
* Stocks tank on recession fears
* Court Limits Shareholder Suits Against Vendors, Banks (Update2) - Bloomberg
* Protestors Should be Seen and Heard
* How to Rig an Election? Ask the Author
* 'War on Terror' Allies Form Information Consortium
* Fratto’s FISA Fearmongering: In 3 Weeks, Terrorists ‘Can Be Free’ To Make Calls Without Surveillance
Don't Panic: Recession, Maybe, But Not Total Collapse
If you listen the mass media hysteria, you'd think the world were on the brink of total collapse. You'd think that we're about ready to sprint right past recession to depression. Certainly the global markets are jittery, as is the stock market, and even the Federal Reserve Bank. Any time the Fed cuts .75 points from a key rate, people sit up and take notice.
DLM: Hard Core Negotiating Tactics for Car Purchases
This video is a few months old now, but I just stumbled across it on Dumb Little Man. It's actually very clever and makes many good points. I personally hate the car-buying experience, but have gotten better at it since I got completely hosed 5 years ago, with a great deal turned around into a complete screw job (a lease instead of a buy, among other things). Definitely worth the 5 minutes and 53 seconds to watch it. :)
I've never read the book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, but I do know that it posits the theory that if you can get a few key influential people on the bandwagon for your product or service, then they will kick off a trend that will result in a tidal wave of business, ensuring success. Well, there's now a new theory out that says that this is a bunch of bologna. A quick quote from the article:
(...) According to MarketingVOX, an online marketing news journal, more than $1 billion is spent a year on word-of-mouth campaigns targeting Influentials, an amount growing at 36% a year, faster than any other part of marketing and advertising. That's on top of billions more in PR and ads leveled at the cognoscenti.
Yet, if you believe Watts, all that money and effort is being wasted. Because according to him, Influentials have no such effect. Indeed, they have no special role in trends at all.
Just a grab bag of links across the spectrum of things I've been reading today. Enjoy!
* Best Buy recalls infected picture frames: Some Insignia-branded digital picture frames seemed to have been shipped with a computer virus. Oops!
* LEGO Brick's 50th Anniversary: It's the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick. Check out this site with a cool graphical timeline. :)
* Disabled Spy Satellite Threatens Earth: Duck and cover! A US spy satellite seems to have lost its propulsion system and is projected to come crashing back to Terra Firma some time in the next couple weeks. It's rumored to contain sensitive data, and to be toxic. I wonder if the "toxic waste" warnings are designed to keep people away from the sensitive data? :)
* Code Red: An Economist Explains How to Revive the Healthcare System Without Destroying It: Tyler Cowen recommends this book if you're curious about the economics of health care and how to solve the problems.
* Happy Data Privacy Day!: Per SANS, the IAPP has declared today Data Privacy Day. Protect your data, identity, and shred stuff. More importantly, fight the rollback of civil liberties.
* New 4100 Lumen Flashlight Can Set Things On Fire: Looking for a portable way to fry everything in sight? Check out this new flashlight, capable of 4100 lumens. It can burn paper, melt plastic, or fry an egg. Fun stuff! :)
Last post for the day - promise! Here's an interesting and somewhat amusing article about how the "new economy" has become a self-sustaining bubble-blowing machine. It's actually far more serious than it sounds. The long and short of it is that the economy may not longer be controllable by economists, politicians, or the Fed. Hmmm. Oh, and it sustains itself by building bubbles, popping them, building bigger bubbles, and so on. It's an interesting theory. If it's true, the question then is how to ride those waves up, bail out in time, and then reinvest into the next wave. Or something like that, right? :)
This post from Marc Andreessen talks about some of the marketing behind private equity decisions, and how it's resulted in quite the mess. Combine this with the high debt load of Americans, the mortgage situation, and the need for sovereign wealth funds to parachute in money to keep our lenders and banks solvent, and, well, it makes me think that maybe things are as bad as they seem.
My primary concern is with artificially sustaining the industry against the rising tide of recession or, dare I say, depression. I'm beginning to wonder if we're still actually feeling the effects of the Great Depression, in that market control and regulation implemented in the wake of that collapse are now artificially prolonging bad decisions, inflating the market, and preventing an adequate self-correction.
But I'm not an economist... so, take these comments for what they are: concerned speculation.
Looking for a sure-fire example of why the economic stimulus package - just sent up to the White House by Congress today - will not have the intended effect? According to The Gavel:
"Put hundreds of dollars into the hands of more than 130 million American families including seniors and disabled veterans – who will spend it immediately to reinvigorate the economy"
Ummm.... so.... they seem pretty sure that the refunds will go right back into the economy by way of purchases... given all the debt load people are shouldering, is that really a safe assumption? If/when we receive ours, I know exactly where it's going: toward lingering credit card debt. Maybe I'm just crazy with fiscal responsibility and conservatism these days, but I doubt that I'm alone.
A word of caution: don't expect these rebates to magically solve anything...
Interesting Morality Commentary on Current Economic Crisis
There's an interesting post up on PickTheBrain.com this morning talking about how the current economic crisis really stems from moral depravity. The gist of the article is:
"Many people give little attention to the means as their ego tells them the ends justify the means. This approach was infamously promoted by Machiavelli in The Prince, which suggested, amongst other things, the shrewd methods an aspiring prince could use to acquire the throne (remind you of any modern day politicians?)."
It's a very quick read, and definitely recommended. It doesn't get all self-righteous and sanctimonious, but simply points out that the current problems stem from greed-motivated actions that were deceptive and illegal in nature. Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but this seems to be the hallmark of the Baby Boomer generation.
I've never read the book 