Neil Young: "It’s not that digital is bad or inferior"
Neil Young is no dummy. He’s got a great perspective on what is wrong with the music industry:
“It’s not that digital is bad or inferior, it’s that the way it’s being used isn’t doing justice to the art,” Young said. “The MP3 only has 5 percent of the data present in the original recording. … The convenience of the digital age has forced people to choose between quality and convenience, but they shouldn’t have to make that choice.”
I’ve been asking the same question for years: Why doesn’t the music industry offer full quality digital downloads? Apple Lossless and FLAC may not be 100% perfect but they’re fairly standardized and allow for downloads that are still smaller than uncompressed audio files. I see FLAC versions of albums being posted on torrent sites all the time. The demand is there. And, just like MP3’s, you can curb a good portion of the piracy by simply giving people what they want. If given the choice, most people will choose to buy an album rather than pirate it.
Colbert Super PAC raises $1 million. Non-satirical PACs to follow.
In true Colbert Report fashion, Stephen Colbert proves a point by creating his own Super PAC and raising $1 million. The result? Yes, it is true, Mitt Romney is a serial killer! (Not really but the commercial was funny.)
My dad gave me a really kick-ass Canon camera for Christmas. I’ve been playing around with it, trying out different things. Mainly been torturing my cats. Ended up with a few good ones of our little kitten, Lucien. Man, it’s amazing how much he has grown in the past 6 months! He was so small when we got him; he could fit in the palm of my hand!
Our first cat is a big black ball of poof named Morpheus. I named him after the main character in the comic book series The Sandman. When we got a new kitten, it was only fitting I name him after another character in The Sandman. I decided on Lucien, the librarian of the Dreaming who is Morpheus’ right-hand man and most trusted servant. Perfect name for our kitten!
Ron Johnson, Apple’s former retail chief, is looking to revitalize J.C. Penney. A recent article on Reuters and a new ad in the Wall Street Journal hints at what J.C. Penney’s new CEO is up to. Looks like Ron is aiming to bring the same sensibilities he brought to the Apple Store. This is good news and I’m very eager to see what J.C. Penney can do!
In the past 10 years or so, the traditional brick and mortar retailer has been in trouble. The most obvious ones that come to mind are companies like Blockbuster and Best Buy, both of which have had many failings due to missteps in their ability to bring a solid retail experience to customers. Even Walmart has not been immune. The problem stems from two things:
- Isolated pricing and availability between in-store and online inventories
- Lackluster in-store shopping experience
People are tired of the disparate nature between a company’s in-store and online experiences. Why companies don’t tie the two together into a seamless experience baffles me. How do these companies intend to compete with the likes of online only retailers without it? Doesn’t make sense.
People are also tired of the seemingly lackluster shopping experiences that most brick and mortar companies are offering. No one likes to be hassled when they shop nor do they like being toyed with. Bring back the days when customers received true customer service from the retail experience. Give customers a straight-up great shopping experience.
If the results of the Apple Store are any indication, I have a feeling Ron Johnson aims to nail both of these issues with the new and improved J.C. Penney. Might have to do some clothes shopping when they do.
How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?
Ever have one of those days when you feel like Hudson from the Aliens movie?
Gorman: Any questions?
[Hudson raises his hand]
Gorman: What is it, private?
Hudson: How do I get out of this chickenshit outfit?
Apone: You secure that shit, Hudson!
- From Aliens (1986)
Merlin Mann talked a bit about bringing change to a company in an episode of Back to Work. Promoting change in a work environment can be tough, especially when corporate culture is so ingrained. What companies need to realize is that innovation doesn’t come by setting policies that will mystically create innovation. Innovation can’t be created per se. Instead, innovation is a by-product of people actually doing stuff. Some of the things people create stick and become successful and, as such, others may call it innovation.
But unless you promote an environment that allows people to go against the grain and do something different you’re never going to repeat the same level of innovation that you had once before. After all, isn’t that by definition what innovation means? Doing something that hasn’t been done before? A company can’t expect great results unless they’re willing to embrace people who know well enough when to step outside the restraints of corporate culture, think outside of the box, and create stuff that challenge the status quo and lead to innovative results. If a company can’t do that then, well, I guess their just another chickenshit outfit. Stack, repeat.
Actually, I think I feel more like Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano. Except, instead of a flickering light, it’s the incessant cackles of laughter that have my eyes rolling into the back of my head. It’s not like nails on a caulk board; that I can take. More like the sound of constant feedback from a microphone being too close to a speaker. Damn annoying!
Nicol Williamson 1936 - 2011
Rest in peace, Merlin.
America Wakes Up to the Reality: Inequality Matters
How would you react if you learned that 21 U.S. CEO’s had golden parachutes of $100 million each? On top of that, what if you learned that poverty has increased by 27% between 2006 and 2010? Bill Moyers talks a bit about an obvious inequality that exists and why it matters.
Here’s his take on the Occupy Wall Street movement:
The people we met from Occupy Wall Street get it—you could tell from their slogans. One of the younger protesters wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the words: “The system’s not broken. It’s fixed.” That’s right – rigged. And that’s why so many are so angry. Not at wealth itself. But at the powerful players who win by fixing the game instead of by honest competition; at the crony capitalists who resort to tricks, loopholes, and cold cash to make sure insiders prosper – and then pull up the ladder behind them.
After reviewing what many within the Occupy movement had to say, my reaction was pretty much the same. People know there’s something wrong but can’t tell you exactly what it is. Crony capitalism and plutocracy are a few of the obvious byproducts for sure though.
How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work
The President, in his State of the Union address, is talking about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Here’s the stark reality: China is efficient…REAL efficient:
A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.
“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”
96 hours to throw together a plant that produces 10,000 iPhones in the United States? Not a chance…not without some serious infrastructure changes and education reform.
If Star Wars Were Made Today…
Taylor Kitsch as Han Solo? John Noble as Obi-Wan? Jeremy Irons as Grand Moff Tarkin? Bring it! (Oh, and some of the others are pretty darn good picks too!)
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