So it's been a while since my last post so I figured I would post something.
It has been a nice summer so far, very eventful but almost over.
The Yankees had been playing so well until they met the O's. And now they have to face the the Angels, this is not going to be a good series for them. With that said they did win Mike Mussina's start today. Moose looked really good he encountered some trouble in the 2nd inning but was able to shut down the vaunted line-up of the Angels for the rest of the game. His final line was 7 innings pitched 2 hits no earned runs, five or six strikeouts, and all on an economical 90 or so pitches. In my opinion Girardi should have at least let him come out to start the eighth inning. It is amazing how he has totally rejuvenated his career this year. Last year I was one of the people shouting from the roof tops that he was done. This is me eating crow. Well done sir, I was totally wrong you can still pitch at 40. Moose is 14-7 on the year with a 3.44 ERA with eleven scheduled starts left he has a chance to do something he has never done before, win 20 games. I hope that Moose and the Yanks put themselves in position to make this possible. The team seems to be coming around as well and the front office seems to have a commitment to not only winning now but staying the course and building a team that could be great for years to come. I'm truly excited to see how this season turns out.
I recently discovered a website devoted to helping to make the argument for Moose to go to the Hall of Fame when he is all said and done. That website is Mussinahof.com, it is also linked at the right side under "Friends of The World as I see it." Everybody should go there and read about why Moose should be a HOFer.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Glenn Beck Bullshit
I was doing my daily reading of CNN.com and came across an editorial by Glenn Beck. Upon reading this editorial I became quite perplexed by Beck's lack of understanding about the public hostility toward "Big Oil." He, Beck, argues that we, the public, should be thankful for the services that "Big Oil" provide and for the services that rely on oil to run. This blog is meant to highlight some of the bullshit that Beck is spewing.
Glen Beck states at the beginning of his piece:
Here we see that Glenn Beck thinks the American public should be more upset with Congress than "Big Oil." This line of reasoning is not entirely wrong. However, the issue the public has with "Big Oil" is as follows. Some of the public see the record profits by "Big Oil" as exploitive. Now being the good Capitalist that I am, I do not like the idea of lots of government intervention, generally markets have a way of evening themselves out. With that being said when a company earns nearly $10 Million* an hour there is something wrong when their product impacts the world in negative ways. The impacts of "Big Oil's" record profits (and prices) can be seen in many areas.
The first area where these impacts are seen is the rise in transportation costs. In the past week three Airlines have gone belly-up, citing costs of fuel among their reasons for filing for bankruptcy.‘ These airlines were discount airlines - ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines - mostly flying from the continental US to Hawaii.º So according to Mr. Beck we should all be happy that "Big Oil" allows us to go to work everyday. Well, Mr. Beck, I would like to know if you think the people who lost their jobs because these Airlines went belly-up should be happy/appreciative? Does "Big Oil" allow for many services? Yes, it does. It allows for ambulances, public transportation, heat. However, it also keeps some in rural areas from getting to work. The rising costs of gas in some areas and economic groups makes owning a car cost prohibitive. For those who are able to own a car and pay for its costs, are faced with a different problem. This problem is dealt with below.
"It costs me $40 to fill my gas tank. If I have to fill my gas tank twice a month, pay my rent, utilities, credit card bill(s), and other bills, how am I to afford other miscellaneous entertainment costs?" Hm, this is an interesting question Mr. Beck, how is one to pay all their responsibilities and still have spending money? In certain places where the economy is in a very bad state (Michigan, for instance) using a minimum of $80/month to fill-up you tank and hundred's more paying housing and living costs one is unable to go out to the movies, dinner, bars, etc. This leads us to the second area which is effected by the prices leading to the record profits of "Big Oil." The lack of disposable income among certain social classes impacts small business owners. The cutting down of spending means the fall of the independent "mom and pop" business.
The second area is very similar to the first. Because gas prices have gone up so much in the past few years the prices of other commodities/products have gone up as well. The rise in transportation costs have forced businesses to raise their prices or make somethings that were complimentary into an added cost; a prime example of this is the new policy instituted by McDonald's to charge ¢.10 for the Sweet and Sour sauce if you do not buy a chicken dish. Coupled with this is the fact that produce has gone up causing restaurant prices to go up as well. Mr. Beck, what is this record profit doing to Restauranteurs? Should a restauranteur be appreciative of "Big Oil" when they are contributing to the restauranteur losing money and possibly his/her restaurant/livelihood? With out patrons restaurants and other small businesses are unable to stay afloat. They (restaurants and small businesses) need patrons who have the ability to pay for the products the restaurants/businesses sell. Oil costs being where they are and the failing of the US Dollar contributes to the inability of the consumer to purchase non-essentials.
Without going into your points about the environment, which are bogus and meant to deflect the minds of simple people away from "Big Oil," I will just say this. Telling people that Al Gore is a loon or hypocrite, or whatever is just ridiculous. But to attack something like Global Warming, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has been accelerated in the past 200 years or so, is just flat out wrong. Say what you want about Al Gore, but he is right when he equates those who don't believe in the human impact on global warming (or global warming at all) to people who believe that the Moon landing was staged and those who believe that the world was flat. There is incontrovertible geological evidence that shows the unnatural acceleration of Global Warming.ª
*"Big Oil" Profits
‘CNN report re three airline bankruptcies in the past week
ºAirline Bankruptcy
ªGlobal Warming Conference Board Press Release; Press Release re a study done at U of Texas; Abstract about a study of a Glacier's retreat, advance and subsequent retreat in the last 100+ years
Glen Beck states at the beginning of his piece:
Congress has picked "Big Oil" as their enemy of the week. These companies inexplicably put profits above people, ravaging the environment and financially assaulting the poor to put another couple of dollars on their balance sheet. That's the storyline we've all been taught.
Yes, times are tough for many. Sure, oil companies make a lot of cash. But, for that money, they get us to work, get ambulances to the hospital, keep our homes warm, and employ thousands of our friends and neighbors while financing their retirement, paying their health care, and providing energy to millions. Because of capitalism, they have the incentive to do that. I've yet to see what our government does for us with their rather large chunk of each gallon of gas we buy, and I've yet to see them offer to return it or suggest a gas-tax-windfall-tax-tax.
Here we see that Glenn Beck thinks the American public should be more upset with Congress than "Big Oil." This line of reasoning is not entirely wrong. However, the issue the public has with "Big Oil" is as follows. Some of the public see the record profits by "Big Oil" as exploitive. Now being the good Capitalist that I am, I do not like the idea of lots of government intervention, generally markets have a way of evening themselves out. With that being said when a company earns nearly $10 Million* an hour there is something wrong when their product impacts the world in negative ways. The impacts of "Big Oil's" record profits (and prices) can be seen in many areas.
The first area where these impacts are seen is the rise in transportation costs. In the past week three Airlines have gone belly-up, citing costs of fuel among their reasons for filing for bankruptcy.‘ These airlines were discount airlines - ATA Airlines and Aloha Airlines - mostly flying from the continental US to Hawaii.º So according to Mr. Beck we should all be happy that "Big Oil" allows us to go to work everyday. Well, Mr. Beck, I would like to know if you think the people who lost their jobs because these Airlines went belly-up should be happy/appreciative? Does "Big Oil" allow for many services? Yes, it does. It allows for ambulances, public transportation, heat. However, it also keeps some in rural areas from getting to work. The rising costs of gas in some areas and economic groups makes owning a car cost prohibitive. For those who are able to own a car and pay for its costs, are faced with a different problem. This problem is dealt with below.
"It costs me $40 to fill my gas tank. If I have to fill my gas tank twice a month, pay my rent, utilities, credit card bill(s), and other bills, how am I to afford other miscellaneous entertainment costs?" Hm, this is an interesting question Mr. Beck, how is one to pay all their responsibilities and still have spending money? In certain places where the economy is in a very bad state (Michigan, for instance) using a minimum of $80/month to fill-up you tank and hundred's more paying housing and living costs one is unable to go out to the movies, dinner, bars, etc. This leads us to the second area which is effected by the prices leading to the record profits of "Big Oil." The lack of disposable income among certain social classes impacts small business owners. The cutting down of spending means the fall of the independent "mom and pop" business.
The second area is very similar to the first. Because gas prices have gone up so much in the past few years the prices of other commodities/products have gone up as well. The rise in transportation costs have forced businesses to raise their prices or make somethings that were complimentary into an added cost; a prime example of this is the new policy instituted by McDonald's to charge ¢.10 for the Sweet and Sour sauce if you do not buy a chicken dish. Coupled with this is the fact that produce has gone up causing restaurant prices to go up as well. Mr. Beck, what is this record profit doing to Restauranteurs? Should a restauranteur be appreciative of "Big Oil" when they are contributing to the restauranteur losing money and possibly his/her restaurant/livelihood? With out patrons restaurants and other small businesses are unable to stay afloat. They (restaurants and small businesses) need patrons who have the ability to pay for the products the restaurants/businesses sell. Oil costs being where they are and the failing of the US Dollar contributes to the inability of the consumer to purchase non-essentials.
Without going into your points about the environment, which are bogus and meant to deflect the minds of simple people away from "Big Oil," I will just say this. Telling people that Al Gore is a loon or hypocrite, or whatever is just ridiculous. But to attack something like Global Warming, which is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has been accelerated in the past 200 years or so, is just flat out wrong. Say what you want about Al Gore, but he is right when he equates those who don't believe in the human impact on global warming (or global warming at all) to people who believe that the Moon landing was staged and those who believe that the world was flat. There is incontrovertible geological evidence that shows the unnatural acceleration of Global Warming.ª
*"Big Oil" Profits
‘CNN report re three airline bankruptcies in the past week
ºAirline Bankruptcy
ªGlobal Warming Conference Board Press Release; Press Release re a study done at U of Texas; Abstract about a study of a Glacier's retreat, advance and subsequent retreat in the last 100+ years
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Tacky 80's Hair Metal Videos
Since I'm in a weird mood right now and watching tacky 80's Hair Metal Videos on youtube, I figured I would post some of my favorites here. With no further introduction here they are.
Winger - Miles Away
The Vinnie Vincent Invasion (ft Mark Slaughter) - Love Kills
Warrant - Heaven
What's a list of tacky 80's Metal videos with out...
Skid Row - I Remember You
Skid Row - 18 and Life
And finally my favorite Skid Row song ever...
Skid Row - Wasted Time
So trashy, tacky, and cheesy. I love it. So good. I know.
Winger - Miles Away
The Vinnie Vincent Invasion (ft Mark Slaughter) - Love Kills
Warrant - Heaven
What's a list of tacky 80's Metal videos with out...
Skid Row - I Remember You
Skid Row - 18 and Life
And finally my favorite Skid Row song ever...
Skid Row - Wasted Time
So trashy, tacky, and cheesy. I love it. So good. I know.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Baseball Season is fast approaching
Since today is March 1 there are less than 30 days until opening day of the 2008 MLB season. This should be a good season, the Yankees have a good young pitching staff and a very good lineup. I, however, do not think that they will win the AL East. In a year or two I think the pitching staff will come into its own and the Yankees will assume their rightful place - a top the AL East and all of MLB. I think that the Red Sox will be in the WS at least (as much as it pains me to admit that).
My choices for AL and NL Cy Young are:
AL: Josh Becket (he should have won last year)
NL: Johan Santana.
My picks for the the winners of the four playoff spots in each league are:
AL East Red Sox; AL Central Detroit; AL West Angels; AL Wild Card Yankees
NL East Mets; NL Central Milwaukee; NL West Arizona; NL Wild Card Philadelphia.
My choices for AL and NL Cy Young are:
AL: Josh Becket (he should have won last year)
NL: Johan Santana.
My picks for the the winners of the four playoff spots in each league are:
AL East Red Sox; AL Central Detroit; AL West Angels; AL Wild Card Yankees
NL East Mets; NL Central Milwaukee; NL West Arizona; NL Wild Card Philadelphia.
Here's another selection from Old Norse
This is a selection of four stanzas from Hávamal (Sayings of the High One) that I think is full of very good advise:
23. Ósnotr maðr vakir um allar mætr
oc hyggr at hvívetna;
þá er móðr, er at morni kømr,
alr er vil, sem var.
24. Ósnotr maðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini;
hitki hann fiðr þótt þeir um hann fár lesi,
ef hann með snotrom stir.
25. Ósnotr máðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini
þá þat finnr, er at þingi kømr,
at hann á formælendr fá.
77. Deyr fé, deyia frændr,
deyr siálfr it sama;
ec veit einn, at aldri deyr:
dómr um dauðan hvern.
Here's what it means in idiomatic english:
23. The foolish man wakes all night
and thinks at everything;
then is weary, when it comes to morning,
all trouble is, as it was.
24. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him;
that he does not notice, even if they speak hostile words about him,
when he sits among the wise
25. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him
then he finds that, when he comes to the assembly
that he has few advocates.
77. Cattle die, kinsmen die,
the self must also die:
I know one (thing) that never dies:
the reputation of each dead man.
23. Ósnotr maðr vakir um allar mætr
oc hyggr at hvívetna;
þá er móðr, er at morni kømr,
alr er vil, sem var.
24. Ósnotr maðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini;
hitki hann fiðr þótt þeir um hann fár lesi,
ef hann með snotrom stir.
25. Ósnotr máðr hyggr sér alla vera
viðhlæiendr vini
þá þat finnr, er at þingi kømr,
at hann á formælendr fá.
77. Deyr fé, deyia frændr,
deyr siálfr it sama;
ec veit einn, at aldri deyr:
dómr um dauðan hvern.
Here's what it means in idiomatic english:
23. The foolish man wakes all night
and thinks at everything;
then is weary, when it comes to morning,
all trouble is, as it was.
24. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him;
that he does not notice, even if they speak hostile words about him,
when he sits among the wise
25. The foolish man thinks all are friends to him
who laugh with him
then he finds that, when he comes to the assembly
that he has few advocates.
77. Cattle die, kinsmen die,
the self must also die:
I know one (thing) that never dies:
the reputation of each dead man.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
One of my favorite passages from Old Norse Literature
This is one of my favorite passages from Old Norse. This passage comes from the Edda of Snorri Sturluson Loki and Svaðilfari.
Here is some background on the passage. The Norse gods made a deal with a smith who happened to be a Giant. The deal that they made was that if he could build a fortress for the gods in the span of three seasons (á þrim misserum) he would receive as a reward the goddess Freyja as well as the sun and the moon. When the gods realized that this task was very close to being completed they told Loki to fix this mess, since he was the one who convinced them to make this deal with the Smith in the first place. Loki, one night, disguised as a mare went down to the Smith and his horse, causing the Smith's horse to run away and copulate with (the mare) Loki; siring Odin's horse Sleipnir. The Smith realized he was tricked and angrily turned his attention towards the Gods. This is where we pick up. My favorite part of this section is highlighted in bold.
Loki and Svaðilfari lines 43-50.
En er Æsir sá þat til víss, at þar var bergrisi kominn, þá varð eigi þyrmt eiðunum, ok kǫlluðu þeir á Þór, ok jafnskjótt kom hann, ok því næst fór á lopt hamarrinn Mjǫllnir. Galt hann þá smíðarkaupit, ok eigi sól eða tungl; heldr synjaði hann honum at byggva í Jǫtunheimum ok laust þat it fyrsta hǫgg, er haussinn brotnaði í smán mola, ok sendi hann niðr undir Niflheim.
Here is what it means:
And when the Æsir saw that for certain, that there was a hill giant coming, then was no respect shown for the oaths, and they called to Thor, and he came at once, and there upon the hammer Mjǫllnir went aloft. He paid then the reward of the smith, and not the sun and the moon, rather he denied to him to dwell in the land of the giants and struck the first blow, so that the skull broke into little pieces, and (he) sent him (the Giant) down into Hell.
Tusen takk og ha det bra
Here is some background on the passage. The Norse gods made a deal with a smith who happened to be a Giant. The deal that they made was that if he could build a fortress for the gods in the span of three seasons (á þrim misserum) he would receive as a reward the goddess Freyja as well as the sun and the moon. When the gods realized that this task was very close to being completed they told Loki to fix this mess, since he was the one who convinced them to make this deal with the Smith in the first place. Loki, one night, disguised as a mare went down to the Smith and his horse, causing the Smith's horse to run away and copulate with (the mare) Loki; siring Odin's horse Sleipnir. The Smith realized he was tricked and angrily turned his attention towards the Gods. This is where we pick up. My favorite part of this section is highlighted in bold.
Loki and Svaðilfari lines 43-50.
En er Æsir sá þat til víss, at þar var bergrisi kominn, þá varð eigi þyrmt eiðunum, ok kǫlluðu þeir á Þór, ok jafnskjótt kom hann, ok því næst fór á lopt hamarrinn Mjǫllnir. Galt hann þá smíðarkaupit, ok eigi sól eða tungl; heldr synjaði hann honum at byggva í Jǫtunheimum ok laust þat it fyrsta hǫgg, er haussinn brotnaði í smán mola, ok sendi hann niðr undir Niflheim.
Here is what it means:
And when the Æsir saw that for certain, that there was a hill giant coming, then was no respect shown for the oaths, and they called to Thor, and he came at once, and there upon the hammer Mjǫllnir went aloft. He paid then the reward of the smith, and not the sun and the moon, rather he denied to him to dwell in the land of the giants and struck the first blow, so that the skull broke into little pieces, and (he) sent him (the Giant) down into Hell.
Tusen takk og ha det bra
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Himmel Så Trind - Falconer
This is one of my new favorite songs. It happens to be in Swedish but a good song nonetheless.
Himmel Så Trind
By Falconer
Hör vindar som vill fly
Se korpen i himmel av bly
Det är frosten som nalkas
Var björk och lind är nu kal
I skogsråets grånande sal
Det är frosten som nalkas
Mot hårda tider det bär
Trollen de huttrar och svär
Det är frosten som nalkas
Se tranan som nu flyr
Mot varmare sydliger sky
Det är frosten som nalkas
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Se Näckens fingrar så blå
Hans polska nu långsamt gå
Det är frosten som nalkas
Kälen nu stormsteg tar
Tur att man fjärrvärme har
Det är frosten som nalkas
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
I have been trying to find a translation for this song and found this:
Fat sky
Listen to the fleeing winds
see the raven in the sky of lead
it's frost approaching
Every birch and linden is bare now
in the greying halls of the Lady-of-the-woods
it's frost approaching
Hard times are a-coming
the trolls are shivering and swearing
it's frost approaching
See the crane fleeing
towards a warmer, southern sky
it's frost approaching
Over land and sea
the cold wind of winter sweeps in
Snow, ice and bitter cold
from a fat sky
it's frost approaching
See the blue fingers of Näcken [an evil water spirit]
His reel goes slower
it's frost approaching
The frost in the ground is coming fast
We're lucky to have central heating
it's frost approaching
If anybody reading this knows Swedish feel free to correct any part of this translation. This translation doesn't seem very good so any other translations would be wonderful.
Himmel Så Trind
By Falconer
Hör vindar som vill fly
Se korpen i himmel av bly
Det är frosten som nalkas
Var björk och lind är nu kal
I skogsråets grånande sal
Det är frosten som nalkas
Mot hårda tider det bär
Trollen de huttrar och svär
Det är frosten som nalkas
Se tranan som nu flyr
Mot varmare sydliger sky
Det är frosten som nalkas
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Se Näckens fingrar så blå
Hans polska nu långsamt gå
Det är frosten som nalkas
Kälen nu stormsteg tar
Tur att man fjärrvärme har
Det är frosten som nalkas
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
Över land och hav sveper vinterns kalla vind
Snö is och en bister kyla från en himmel så trind
I have been trying to find a translation for this song and found this:
Fat sky
Listen to the fleeing winds
see the raven in the sky of lead
it's frost approaching
Every birch and linden is bare now
in the greying halls of the Lady-of-the-woods
it's frost approaching
Hard times are a-coming
the trolls are shivering and swearing
it's frost approaching
See the crane fleeing
towards a warmer, southern sky
it's frost approaching
Over land and sea
the cold wind of winter sweeps in
Snow, ice and bitter cold
from a fat sky
it's frost approaching
See the blue fingers of Näcken [an evil water spirit]
His reel goes slower
it's frost approaching
The frost in the ground is coming fast
We're lucky to have central heating
it's frost approaching
If anybody reading this knows Swedish feel free to correct any part of this translation. This translation doesn't seem very good so any other translations would be wonderful.
Commenting on the State of the Music Industry
I just read a few clips of an interview with Gene Simmons of KISS fame in which he claims that the recording industry is dead because of online file sharing and illegal downloading. He also claims in the article that young up and coming bands will not get any big breaks nor will they get the chance to become another BEATLES or KISS. Gene is not entirely wrong with this assessment. However, he does not mention some of the pros of this lack of industry "infrastructure." One big pro in my eyes is the greater creative control afforded to the artists. With the lack of industry interference more and more groups will be able to take their music in the direction that they want. They will also be able to see more profits from there album sales than they would if they were still under the yoke of the "industry infrastructure." Gene also fails to see the benefits of the p2p file sharing technologies. This technology allows bands to gain fans in cities, states, and even nations which they have never travelled to. The concept behind p2p programs is the same as that behind demo/album tape exchange which was ever present in the 1980's metal scene; in fact this is how a metal band from the San Francisco Bay area got a record contract from a small label in NY. What band is this you ask, well it is Metallica. Metallica had never played the east coast but managed to get a record deal on the east coast because their demo exchanged hands so much that it made it the 3000 or so miles across the country to the hands of the Zazulas (the people who signed them to their first recording contract). I am not saying that this will be the course for the good undiscovered bands of the digital age. I am saying rather that they will be able to gain more fans out side of their locale with out leaving.
Gene also fails to realize the importance of the internet to younger musicians. Younger musicians have a resource that their elders never had. This resource is the obsession of young people with networking websites like facebook and myspace. These websites allow bands to essentially get free publicity and in essence a street team. These websites also act as a conduit for selling music and as an entry point into the world of the band, group, or person. One of my neighbors (Siaz) makes industrial music in the vain of Trent Reznor's NIN, he has a myspace page unto which he uploads his songs he also has links to his own personal website (theglassviolin.com). On myspace alone he has many fan pages, he has even been asked to do music for some websites. He has sold some songs as well, granted he is not selling anything on the level the Gene is but keep in mind that he is doing this as a side project and with no formally "industry infrastructure." This is just an example of the possibility of what the "modern" musician can do with out the "industry infrastructure." That's right Gene I not only called you old but I called you obsolete and behind the times. I would also like to point out that I have found and become a fan of a number of bands that I never would have heard of without myspace. These bands are very good, talented bands that seem to be gaining momentum and fans day by day. The power of the internet in the digital age is in the choices that are afforded to the consumer and the seller.
Gene brings up some very good points however I think he actually misses the mark on this. What is killing the music industry is not the illegal downloading or file sharing of college age kids the death blows are being struck by the exorbitant prices of the rubbish, dribble, crap, shit, and whatever other adjectives you can come up with for the music that is being put out right now especially in the rock genres. Why should a college student have to shell out their hard earned money for a substandard product? If there is only one song on the album worth listening to why should the consumer have to spend upwards of $20 just for that one song? Another part of the problem is the fact that once a new band is successful the record companies try to capitalize on that success by finding more bands that are in the same mold. This happened in the 1980's with the Glam Metal Hair Bands, in the 1990's with Grunge (early-mid) and Gangsta Rap (mid-late), and in the current decade with the pop-punk and dance-ish type stuff. There is nothing wrong with trying to make money on image alone and if that is the business model that the record industry wants to follow that is fine, but then don't start crying when people start turning elsewhere for their entertainment needs. If you, the record industry, are setting price that are nigh cost-prohibited then do not be so naïve to think that that consumer base will always be there especially if substandard artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne are being forced down the collective throat of consumers. Another thing that Gene fails to discuss in the clips that I read is the fact that most money that bands make comes from touring not record sales. If this is the case then up and coming bands should be happy to have their music downloaded and shared because as I have mentioned earlier these actions can create a fan-base in a city in which the hypothetical band has never played nor been to. This is free publicity just like some of the networking websites.
Tusen takk.
This is the link to the clip of the interview upon which this entry focuses on.
http://eddietrunk.com/article.php?news_id=3301
Gene also fails to realize the importance of the internet to younger musicians. Younger musicians have a resource that their elders never had. This resource is the obsession of young people with networking websites like facebook and myspace. These websites allow bands to essentially get free publicity and in essence a street team. These websites also act as a conduit for selling music and as an entry point into the world of the band, group, or person. One of my neighbors (Siaz) makes industrial music in the vain of Trent Reznor's NIN, he has a myspace page unto which he uploads his songs he also has links to his own personal website (theglassviolin.com). On myspace alone he has many fan pages, he has even been asked to do music for some websites. He has sold some songs as well, granted he is not selling anything on the level the Gene is but keep in mind that he is doing this as a side project and with no formally "industry infrastructure." This is just an example of the possibility of what the "modern" musician can do with out the "industry infrastructure." That's right Gene I not only called you old but I called you obsolete and behind the times. I would also like to point out that I have found and become a fan of a number of bands that I never would have heard of without myspace. These bands are very good, talented bands that seem to be gaining momentum and fans day by day. The power of the internet in the digital age is in the choices that are afforded to the consumer and the seller.
Gene brings up some very good points however I think he actually misses the mark on this. What is killing the music industry is not the illegal downloading or file sharing of college age kids the death blows are being struck by the exorbitant prices of the rubbish, dribble, crap, shit, and whatever other adjectives you can come up with for the music that is being put out right now especially in the rock genres. Why should a college student have to shell out their hard earned money for a substandard product? If there is only one song on the album worth listening to why should the consumer have to spend upwards of $20 just for that one song? Another part of the problem is the fact that once a new band is successful the record companies try to capitalize on that success by finding more bands that are in the same mold. This happened in the 1980's with the Glam Metal Hair Bands, in the 1990's with Grunge (early-mid) and Gangsta Rap (mid-late), and in the current decade with the pop-punk and dance-ish type stuff. There is nothing wrong with trying to make money on image alone and if that is the business model that the record industry wants to follow that is fine, but then don't start crying when people start turning elsewhere for their entertainment needs. If you, the record industry, are setting price that are nigh cost-prohibited then do not be so naïve to think that that consumer base will always be there especially if substandard artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne are being forced down the collective throat of consumers. Another thing that Gene fails to discuss in the clips that I read is the fact that most money that bands make comes from touring not record sales. If this is the case then up and coming bands should be happy to have their music downloaded and shared because as I have mentioned earlier these actions can create a fan-base in a city in which the hypothetical band has never played nor been to. This is free publicity just like some of the networking websites.
Tusen takk.
This is the link to the clip of the interview upon which this entry focuses on.
http://eddietrunk.com/article.php?news_id=3301
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