Category Archives: News

Apple, Music, News, Nosebleeds, Not-So-Awesomeness, Popular Culture

Drawing The Line On My Horizon

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On September 23, 2005 I wrote on the blog about something I saw coming down the music business pike. I commented on a curious article quoting the outcry of some music execs (specifically Warner Music Group) desperately wanting “flexibility” in the price points of online music downloads. I warned that this line of thinking would lead to inflated prices on the newest, hotest tracks by top artists. Here is an excerpt from my post:

Record executives, however, are seeking some flexibility in prices, including the ability to charge more for some songs and less for others, the way they do in the traditional retail world.

“There’s no content in the world that has doesn’t have some price flexibility,” said Warner Music Group Corp. chief executive Edgar Bronfman at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference here. “Not all songs are created equal. Not all albums are created equal.

“That’s not to say we want to raise prices across the board or that we don’t believe in a 99-cent price point for most music,” he said. “But there are some songs for which consumers would be willing to pay more. And some we’d be willing to sell for less.”

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Think about that for a second. What he is effectively communicating is that he believes that he can suck more money out of consumers for hot, popular music. He is saying that he can manipulate you, the consumer, into paying whatever he wants you to pay for your favorite artists. In theory, an artist could be an .88 cent artist one week and a $1.50 artist the next. I am begining to see what the real problem is in the music buisness. Leadership. Small-minded, money grubbing leaders.

Sony Music wants to thank you for legally purchasing their music by adding an enjoyment tax. Here’s to you, music execs! Way to ruin the party!

I don’t know when it happened but it has happened. Right now in the iTunes store some tracks have jumped to a high of $1.29 while some tracks have hit a low of .69 cents. I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on SNL last week. They played an amazing performance of Zero, their first single from their latest album. I really dug it so I headed over to the iTunes store. Guess what?

Zero is the only track from the album priced at $1.29.

I began to think about that post from 2005 so I rushed over to Top Songs (this list is updated hourly). 49 out of 100 Top Songs are priced at $1.29. Out of those 49 I had purchased 5 of them in the past few months all at the original .99 cent price.

Want to hear the latest single from the Black Eyed Peas? How about that Jason Mraz/Colbie Callet duet from an album that came out this time last year? You can also stop believin’ that the classic track from Journey is only .99 cents. They will all cost you a little more.

Why? Because they are new or hot or a top seller.

These tracks will cost you a little bit more because the music industry believes that “there are some songs for which consumers would be willing to pay more. And some we’d be willing to sell for less.”

This consumer- a loyal, hardworking, music fan, downloading-for-pay-since-2003 consumer– is unwilling to buy À la carte tracks for more than .99 cents just because they’re the flavor of the week.

I hope that this is just an experiment. I hope that in the coming weeks that the new price points return back to normal. Maybe then I’ll get that song from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Maybe by then the track will be .99 cents again. You know by that time though, I might have forgotten all about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Part of the genius and the selling benefits of downloadable music its immediacy and being able capitalize on the impulses of buyers. Right now my impulse is to say “No Way!” I wonder if the record execs took that into account?

I am refusing to pay the $1.29 price point for hot and new tracks. I will not pay an “enjoyment tax” for the latest songs. I will not play this game.

I hope you won’t either. Who’s with me?

Read the original post: Hidden Agenda

2008, Blabbering, Discipleship, Faith in Action, Lauds, Leadership, News, Politics, Popular Culture, Prayer, Religion, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture

The Day After

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I couldn’t help but log onto Facebook last night to watch all the status updates change (almost by the second) in reaction to the news that Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. The status updates volleyed between fear and excitement, despair and relief, anger and “nanny-nanny-boo-boo.”

Some friends cried foul and vowed to move to Mexico. Some ridiculed others because their candidate came out on top. Some lifted up prayers of lament. Some merely gave thanks.

Throughout the campaigns I tried to avoid updating my status with cute platitudes or sarcastic zingers because, quite frankly, I try to avoid sounding stupid.

That’s right. I said it. Updating my Facebook status to sound off on the political process would make me feel stupid. Without tooting my own horn, I take pride in being as culturally informed as I possibly can. I read, I watch, I discuss, I weigh, I ponder, I worry, I step up, I step back, and I still, at the end of the day, with much fear and trepidation, can honestly say that I rarely have a good answer much less a snappy quip to throw around for the whole world to see.

After looking at the status updates last night my head hung pretty low. It is obvious that today we are still divided. It is ok to hold differing views and it is ok to disagree (often this is necessary). However it is never ok to demonize someone because they are different from you, even when they are radically different. This goes for both sides.

So I updated my status.

Not with a pithy statement about my disappointment. Not with a zinger about how thrilled I was. I updated my status with one of those “hard teachings” found in scripture.

Hard Teachings are those passages that you read and then say, “Great! Wish I hadn’t read that!” because you now know that what is required from you is an attitude and a heart that submits to God rather than your own desires. These passages require a mental, spiritual, and, some times, physical 180 from the way you want to do things to a new way. A God way.

So, regardless how you feel about last night…

Regardless how you feel today…

Regardless…

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
(1Timothy 2:1-4 TNIV)

Want to make a difference today? Do you want to really enact change? Start with yourself.

Lift up the men and women who won last night. Not just the winners in blue and not just the winners in red. Pray for ALL those who now have authority over us.

Regardless how you feel about last night…

Regardless how you feel today…

Regardless…

News, Politics, Popular Culture

I Hope I’m Wrong Again

Well folks, it seems that I was wrong in believing that the Justice Dept. would never approve of a merger between XM and Sirius satellite radios. Today the merger won the government’s a-ok.

I’m a bit bummed but whatcha gonna do?

I just hope that I am wrong again and that the merger won’t affect by bill or my satellite radio experience. I’m doubtful however.

Prove me wrong XM/Sirius. Prove me wrong.

Buisness, News, Popular Culture

I Called It

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In February, I wrote a rather lengthy post on my misgivings about the proposed XM/Sirius Satellite Radio merger. You can read that original post here. In that post I zeroed in on my least favorite item of the original merger announcement: a la carte channels. I argued that allowing consumers to choose a small number of channels on a sliding price scale would take satellite radio from innovation and freedom and turn it into the new cable television. It seems as though I was right on the money. (It’s my horn and I’ll toot it if I want too)

Here is part of a Yahoo! news article released today:

NEW YORK (AP) — Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Monday the companies plan to offer a la carte plans to consumers starting at $6.99 for 50 channels.

The two radio satellite operators, which are merging in a $4.7 billion deal announced in February, also plan to introduce two family-friendly plans that will block adult-themed programing.

The companies are filing on Tuesday joint reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission, which is considering whether to approve the merger of Sirius and XM Satellite. The deal, which has faced opposition from lawmakers and consumer groups, also requires approval by the Justice Department.

Under the a la carte option, customers will be able to buy additional channels for as little as 25 cents each. A second a la carte option will allow subscribers to choose 100 channels and will allow Sirius customers to select from some of the best of XM’s programming and XM subscribers to choose from some of the best of Sirius’ programming.

In total, the companies plan to offer eight plans costing up to $16.99 per month. Currently, the companies offer programming options costing from $12.95 to $25.90 per month.

A la carte programming will be available beginning within one year following the merger, and the other programming options will be available beginning within six months following the merger.

“The a la carte options and other packages unveiled today demonstrate that consumers will be the beneficiaries of this merger,” said Mel Karmazin, chief executive of Sirius Satellite. “The efficiencies of the merger will allow the combined companies to save hundreds of millions of dollars a year and give us the opportunity to increase the number of programming options available to subscribers.”

Can you hear that? It is the sound of satellite radio in the midst of its death throws. After reading this announcement I still stand by my original argument against this merger:

Without competition economic growth will slow and customer care will wane. Look back at cable television. You can argue that cable tv faces opposition from movie theaters, DVD, satellite tv, as well as iPods, computers, and game consoles. Yet, rather than meet these challenges head on with great programing, awesome customer service, and revolutionary technology cable tv providers treat consumers with no respect. They act as electronic Don Corleones making us lose-lose offers that we can’t refuse. They control content and only allow us a peak at it with high costs and sliding price structures that change at their whim.

I hate having to chose channels and wade through my cable bill. I’m afraid that the fate of satellite radio will closely resemble this antiquated enterprise.

If the FCC allows this merger to proceed rather than paying a flat fee for a great service you will have to decide which price structure you want and with which channels and with which service. By the time you figure it out they will have changed the price structures yet again.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

News

Wild

A species of shark rarely seen alive because its natural habitat is 600 metres (2,000 ft) or more under the sea was captured on film by staff at a Japanese marine park this week.
The Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port on Sunday that he had spotted an odd-looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth.

Marine park staff caught the 1.6 metre (5 ft) long creature, which they identified as a female frilled shark, sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because it is a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times.

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News, Popular Culture

The Top 5%

I am in the elite 5% of the nation who did not have premarital sex according to a new survey. CNN is reporting a new study that says 95% of Americans have had premarital sex.

While I am excited to be part of such an elite group I really question that number. 50%, yeah. 70%, ok. 75%, more likely. But 95%!?!?!

I think that a quote from one of the researchers put this particular study’s finding in the highly dubious catagory.

“The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government’s funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-year-olds,” Finer said.

Ding, ding, ding! There we go! Does everything have to revolve around politics?

I would like to read the rest of the study but I wanted to pass this article along right now.

Life Draining Schlock, News, Politics, Pope Bono

Meet The New Boss… Same As the Old Boss

My political fast goes on…

Meetings in Washington last Thursday between rock star Bono and Democrats, including Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada, yielded a nice photo-op but not much else, according to Bono.

Bono, the U2 frontman and anti-poverty activist, was on Capitol Hill to seek assurances that $1 billion in planned U.S. spending to fight AIDS and malaria in Africa would not be lost if Congress freezes agency budgets in the coming year.

Bono said he also was seeking to close a “commitment gap” between what President Bush has requested for anti-poverty efforts and what Congress has agreed to spend in the past.

After meetings with incoming Senate Majority Leader Reid, House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, Bono said he came away empty-handed.

“I’m alarmed we could not get a commitment from the Democratic leadership to prevent the loss of $1 billion in the continuing resolution,” Bono said Thursday in a statement.

“I don’t know who to blame. Democrats are blaming Republicans. Republicans are blaming Democrats. But the million people who were expecting (mosquito) bed nets don’t know who to blame. They just know that a promise made by the United States to keep their families safe is in danger of being broken next year.”

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News

Grasping at Straws?

I would argue that Al Gore has done quite a lot of good this summer creating a dialouge in our country about creating a better and more adequate respose to the enviromental choices that we make and how they affect the planet on which we live.

However, all that goodwill looks to be forgotten now that Gore may have crossed into his “I’ll-say-anything-to-get-attention-like-I-created-the-internet” style of speeching by claiming that the Marlboro Man might be contributing to this past summer’s heat wave.

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore warned hundreds of U.N. diplomats and staff on Thursday evening about the perils of climate change, claiming: Cigarette smoking is a “significant contributor to global warming!”

I have a hard time accepting that statement. A very hard time.

Al, you have a bad habit of engaging the country and then thowing it all way. Keep your most outladish speculations in the lock box where they belong.
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