loving the alien.....

You may have heard the suited folk from record companies boo-
hooing about how not enough people go out and buy CDs any more.
So when the Hong Kong-based CD Wow started selling CDs in the UK
by the bucketload, stopping people downloading music for free,
and putting $$$ (£100m last year, to be sort-of precise) in
everyone's pockets, they did what you or I would do. They reached
for their army of lawyers.

Sure, CD Wow were making $$$, but in the wrong way. They were
buying them and selling them too cheap.

If there's one thing that keeps businesspeople awake at night,
it's a free market. The idea of unfettered trade where market
forces genuinely let people sell and buy what they like is fine
for economic textbooks and PowerPoint presentations, but not for
making money, thanks very much.

So even though the global market's forces told CD Wow the best
thing to do was buy these perfectly legal CDs from cheaper Asian
distributors, the global market had to stand aside. They're
cheaper for Asians because they have less money to spend there.
Because we can afford to pay more over here, the record companies
have decided that we should, and all CDs on CD Wow will now cost
an extra two pounds.

This is the *very opposite* of a free market. This is the modern
world offering an opportunity to shift more product - and a
business model which worked because the artificial mark-up wasn't
there. Well, now it's back. A record business insider said "it is
not the consumer that will suffer, just CD Wow's profit margins".
In one way - and only one - he's not lying, stupid and wrong. The
consumer *won't* suffer, because blank CDs are very cheap, and
KaZaA is even cheaper.

And that says it all, if we can't buy cheap cds, we'll download them.

Hmmm, pressies...:

"I didn't realize how '1984' my old computer was until I opened the box and unveiled the sleek and brilliant Presario. With Centrino wireless so I don't have to hover pathetically in the dusty and lightless 'couch room'. With a giant screen that's really very 'CIA Operative-y'. With a CD drive that works, a floppy drive that works, a power cord that works, a battery that works and a space bar that works. Stupid Dell. My Dell computer was the computer equivalent of the 100% molded plastic Ford Edsel. Dell can suck my dick."

News:

"George W Bush and the real state of the Union"

Hmmm, interesting read.

'Beagle' virus, only around until 28/1/04, mass-mailer.

Symantec Security Response - W32.Beagle.A@mm

Thanks to Tim @ Bloggerheaeds for the tip.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Blair launches new fees offensive:

"After meeting Labour MPs Mr Blair is due to make a rare appearance on BBC Two's Newsnight programme. "

Please please please let him get Paxman. And then let Jeremy have the balls to ask the real questions like

"How on Earth can Labour justify these fees?"
"Did you ask Murdoch to begin a smear campaign against Clare Short?"
"How is it that you are introducing these fees only 3 years after saying, and I quote 'not only will Labour never introduce fees for higher education, we have brought in legislation to ensure they are never introduced'"
"Did your wife pick that tie for you?"