The Future of Music Consumption Is Rife with Arguments, Apparently

So, some (old but) big news on the Interwebs regard an NPR intern basically confessing that almost all the music she has on her computer wasn't purchased. She talks about how she works at radio stations, ripping the CDs that surround her, and ripping albums she borrows from friends. And of course, the bugaboo, she downloads whatever she can’t get a hold of. The comments were flooded with people claiming she and many others like her are nothing more than thieves; while some defended her and called for everyone to get with the future. So, our future is no longer buying our music?

I don’t have a problem with people loaning their CDs out to people. I do that all the time with my sister and my friends. Didn't people do this with vinyl records and cassette tapes? Look, I may be a quarter-century-old, but I know this phenomenon ain't new.

Before I go further, I need to admit to my class privilege: I still live with my family, so I don’t pay much in rent and bills. With this, I’m able to buy a lot of my music. The only time I download free stuff is bootlegs and long out-of-print albums that are VERY HARD to find (e.g. the albums are only available on vinyl from Japan [oh hai Plastics]). Because I can afford to buy my music, it's likely why I take issue to those who download everything for free. I like to support the musicians whenever I can, even if it means that the record company takes a larger cut. It ain't the band's fault that's the way things are.

I do have some issues with people that admit to downloading everything, citing that the record company gets most of the cut anyway. Okay great idea, let's deprive the musicians what little they would've received anyway! F*** the establishment! This is a seriously flawed argument. Yeah, the music industry is seriously broken as all get out and is refusing to change with the rest of the world. That's no excuse to basically just steal and be proud of it or think you're making a change in the industry. The entitlement is quite awful, frankly. Most of these musicians aren't working for free. They need food and health insurance like the rest of us.

Yet, let's take a gander at the other side, those who like to buy their music and have physical copies. Once again, it all goes back to the money. They have it, therefore they spend it. They see these youngsters (including myself) and think we are nothing more than greedy and entitled jerks. Well, this attitude is quite entitled and greedy, to be honest. So yeah, no one wins here.

I guess my main problem with this whole situation is the entitlement. The old-schoolers with their infinite monies and the new-schoolers with their l33t downloading and torrenting skills. No one is admitting to those hard facts. The older folks don’t want to talk about class and money privileges, it’s just easier to call the kids immature and entitled. As for my generation, we have computers and infinite resources for free music, we don’t want to consider that yeah it is still stealing no matter how we attempt to explain it away, it’s just easier to call the older folks behind the times and not willing to accept reality.

And you know what? The main villain in all this, a corrupt music system, is still winning. If we continue to be at war with each other, we will never see past our own prejudices and when we find ourselves with stricter Internet privileges and exorbitant priced albums, we have no one to blame but ourselves. (Well, that, plus the price of living and paying wages are so skewed now that it warrants a comedic sketch.)

So essentially? Everyone, put down your arms. Own up to your problems and work together. We can have a future full of cheap and free music if we just shut up about the other side for a minute. Because if this economy doesn't recover soon, we all won't have money for anything and the argument about free music will be the least of our problems.

On the "bath salts" incidents...

Warning: this post and news links contain some violent details, reader discretion is advised. 

(I originally wrote this in the wake of the incidents, but forgot to post it. It is slightly dated for that reason, but still worth talking about.)

To be honest, I didn't know what to say or think about all the past reports of men (two of them were possibly high on so-called "bath salts") who committed great destruction upon themselves or others. Well, other than "Good God, that's horrifying!"

That was until everyone I know (and I do mean everyone) started making zombie jokes (with the solitary exception of my little sister, who continues to remain a badass).

At first, I didn't know how to react. To be honest, I never considered "zombie apocalypse" when I read the stories (see first paragraph for the initial reaction). After a while, as it all sunk in, the zombie jokes started to get to me. I had trouble figuring out why. After reading about it on ONTD_Political, even when the posters' feelings were similar to mine, I couldn't find my reason. I thought about it all day yesterday. And then it hit me: no one talked about the victim (in this case, I'm referring to the homeless man that was attacked in Florida). The guy's life has changed dramatically and, in all honesty, it could be something he may never truly recover from. The pain, in both its physical and psychological forms, I cannot even begin to fathom. If anything, I hope he gets all the help he needs and lives out the rest of his life in a safe place.

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I know humor is used to help cope with a serious event, but this doesn't seem like the right time. It erases the fact there were people seriously injured and killed. It deflects conversation about "bath salts", a serious and dangerous street drug, especially its effects on people. Those are conversations we need to have, but we are too scared to. Instead, we resort to tasteless jokes that only skirt the real issues. We forget that there are grieving families and mortally-wounded people.
 
Have I lost some respect for those who made the jokes? I won't lie, yes I have. What I hope for is for these people to examine their thoughts and reread the stories (if they are triggered by extreme violence, then I don't want them to do that to themselves).

I will link to the news stories so you can read them for yourselves. I combed through them to make sure pictures weren't posted of the man's injuries. But sadly, I cannot assure you that it will remain that way. Exercise extreme caution, my friends. There are jerks on the Internet and the comments sections are to be avoided.

To my friends who read this and get mad at me for me being mad at them, please read the entry again. And no, I'm not a politically-correct, oversensitive, bleeding-heart liberal. I am, however, a liberal with a sense of humor who knows when not to make inappropriate jokes. There is a difference, y'all.

Oh, wow. That was quick...

Apparently, President Obama is about to push an equal-pay bill into law.

Go, Prez!

The votes are in...

Sen. Barack Obama is our newest president. *tries very hard not to freak out from excitement*

Check out the news here.

We witnessed history being made, ladies and gents. Way to go, everyone. Voters rock!

Congratulations, Senator!

I leave you, excited about the upcoming inauguration...

Regards,
Lindsey

What the heck I've been up to these days...

The Labor Day weekend is coming to a quick end, alas. I didn't really get to enjoy it very much.

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When school began, the stress of my writing issues (along with other fun quarterlife crisis issues) came to a head. I managed to get myself together, but yeah... this anxiety is too much to keep fighting alone. So, I made an appointment with a counselor on campus. I feel better already.

Despite my anxiety, my classes are going to be a blast. I'm getting to hang out with tons of familiar faces (including some very close friends), read some goods books and of course... talk to some cool professors. They're all intelligent, well-read and experienced people. So, at least, all is good on that front.

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After years of wanting, I finally got VH-1 Classic. The channel had an '80's video marathon, so I tried my best to keep up with it and watch some of my favorite artists. I had to bypass Genesis due to work, but I got to see:

Lindsey Buckingham: "Go Insane" and "Holiday Road" (!)
Fleetwood Mac: "Hold Me", "Little Lies" and "Seven Wonders" (!)
Billy Joel: "Pressure"
Squeeze: "Hourglass"
Talking Heads: "And She Was" and "Once in A Lifetime"

Their Talking Heads video choices were good, yet lacking one major video... no "Burning Down the House"! WTH?!

And yes, after years of accepting the fact I would never see it on TV, I finally saw "Little Lies". Man, my happiness reached a limit I didn't think existed. The video is so much more... green than seeing it on YouTube.

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Current school reading: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and a sci-fi anthology edited by Ursula K. Le Guin.

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Thank God and everyone else in Heaven for the citizens of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast. They all got out before Gustav hit. Looks like things aren't going to be as bad as predicted: see here.

That's, of course, fantastic news.

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There's nothing much else to say for the time being. So I leave you, rocking out to the ending of the Mavericks's "What A Crying Shame"...

Regards,
Lindsey

Writers have the power, dammit!

As you all know, the WGA strike is coming to an end. It's not about the shows, it's the hope that writers get what they earned.

Check out the news and updates here at United Hollywood. The article where I first heard the news: at Yahoo!

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A Note to the WGA writers:

I only hope that you all are getting what you rightfully earned. You guys worked very hard and made some sacrifices. But, it's people like you that's going to make it easier for the next generation. Thank you so much for standing up for your rights and fighting the good fight. Bless you and happy writing!

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Regards,
Lindsey