Ever notice that everybody’s a scumbag?

I guess the reason you die at seventy is because you’ve seen the movie.  You realize that America is a scam.  Full of slimy hucksters out to make a buck.  Shit, you’d think with all the religious zealotry in the States these days we’d have a kinder, gentler nation.  Instead, we’ve got a country of duplicitous fucks.  And that just sucks.

How do I know this?

I saw Paulie in a police car.  Yup, the "Sopranos" is strangely crappy this year.  It’s as if they lost the yeast, the key ingredient that makes the whole show rise.  I wince at some of the lines.  But Paulie in the police car.  THAT’S America.  Everybody’s on the take.  If there’s something in it for them, they’ll look the other way.

We’ve got the label heads saying they’re only doing it for the MUSIC!

And the rip-off artists, like this schmuck Bill Nguyen of Lala.com, saying he’s a FRIEND of the industry.

And a President who believes the law doesn’t apply to him.

Where’s John Lennon when you need him?

I want you to read this article: Sharing Still Divisive, on Lala.com.

"Newsweek" broke Napster.  Sure, college students were rabid for the service.  But only when it was on the cover of NEWSWEEK did the hoi polloi, the average citizen, say I’VE GOT TO CHECK THIS OUT!

I thought Lala.com was inconsequential until this article came out.  On the front page of the Sunday L.A. "Times" Business section.  With a big picture.  I guarantee you Nguyen and his buddies are laughing TONIGHT!  Because a zillion people read about their company and want CDs for $1.49!!!

That’s what Lala’s selling.  Oh sure, the discs are used, but hasn’t the industry been telling us for YEARS that CDs are virtually indestructible, that they’ll last almost forever?  So, you get this disc you insert it into your computer and VOILA!  You’ve got the whole album as files.  And you sell said disc to ANOTHER individual, recouping most of your buck and a half investment.  Who needs that Russian site with ten cent tracks when you can acquire them LEGALLY for this price.

Yup, it’s the first sale doctrine.

I’ll make it simple for you.  Imagine if every time you resold your Toyota the Japanese car company wanted a cut.  That wouldn’t fly.  Which is why Congress ain’t about to tackle THIS issue.  People buy something, they want to be free to do with it what they want.  Hell, the American religion isn’t Christianity, but eBay!

Yup, under present law, Lala.com is perfectly legal.  Oh sure, the labels got a record rental law passed decades ago, to hinder home taping’s supposed hit upon their business.  So, maybe they could get a law passed.  But shit, how long would that take?  The remaining lifespan of the CD?

But Lala.com doesn’t stand on a legal opinion, that their service is legal, and fuck the labels.  They come up with all these crazy reasons why their site is GOOD for the music industry.

Now more people acquiring more music at a lower price is good for the business.  But only if those who make and market said music GET PAID!

I read this article and laughed hysterically.  Because the labels are fucked.  And now, seven years later, they STILL have not got a reasonable online solution.  One that cuts the public off at the pass.  That doesn’t label people thieves, but gives them essentially no choice BUT to pay.

Oh, the labels could have legalized Napster five odd years ago. But NO, they’d rather sue Hummer Winblad, Napster’s financial foundation, and Bertelsmann, to get mere cents on the dollar.  Who’s STEERING THIS SHIP?

In a country with no truth, does it surprise you that the public no longer listens to the windbags?  That it does what it wants to?

Music will survive the major labels’ ineptitude.  It will flourish.

But if only these guys would speak truth.  That they want to milk their cash cow for as long as possible and when the movie ends, when they walk away, they’ll be fucking RICH!  THAT’S their end game.  Not a newfangled distribution model.

No, I’m not indicting the worker bees.

But those running the operation.  Be sure, they only believe in dollars, today.  Not music.  Not even tomorrow.  They’re like heroin addicts looking for their next fix, SAYING they’re interested in getting clean, but having no intention of EVER going to rehab.  On their road to O.D.’ing, like every unrehabilitated junkie.

But I don’t like that these Silicon Valley scumbags like Nguyen are just looking for ways to make money off of others’ efforts.  Lying on their way to their IPO.

Count me out.  Like the rest of the public.  Stealing files P2P and leaving BOTH of these entities in the dust.