MUDGE’S Musings
Short attention span blogging: Item 1:
It is disappointing, not to say tragic, that events in Burma seem to be shaking out in favor of the generals.
Last week (and here), the rest of the world was hopeful that, in light of the new channels of communication available in both directions, that the people of Burma would prevail in their demonstrations against the repressive regime.
Now, reality has descended, as have those hopes, with a bloody thud.
Myanmar junta sets Suu Kyi talks conditions
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military ruler set conditions on Thursday for meeting detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as security forces continued to round up people and interrogate hundreds more arrested in a ruthless crackdown on protesters.
In the first official remarks since a visit by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari this week, junta chief Than Shwe said he would hold direct talks with Suu Kyi if she publicly agreed to four conditions.
Than Shwe told Gambari that Suu Kyi must abandon her “obstructive measures” and support for sanctions as well as her positions that were “confrontational” and for “utter devastation,” state television said, without elaborating on how the Nobel laureate could meet the demands.
[Please click the link below for the complete article — but then please come on back!]
Myanmar junta sets Suu Kyi talks conditions | Reuters
It’s apparent that, even as we were beginning to feel optimistic toward the course of events, old fashioned thuggery was trouncing Web 2.0.
Wait until next year?
Short attention span blogging: Item 2:
From TechCrunch.com, the following interesting observation.
The Inevitable March of Recorded Music Towards Free
2007 is turning out to be a terrible year for the music industry. Or rather, a terrible year for the the music labels.
The DRM walls are crumbling. Music CD sales continue to plummet rather alarmingly. Artists like Prince and Nine Inch Nails are flouting their labels and either giving music away or telling their fans to steal it. Another blow earlier this week: Radiohead, which is no longer controlled by their label, Capitol Records, put their new digital album on sale on the Internet for whatever price people want to pay for it.
The economics of recorded music are fairly simple. Marginal production costs are zero: Like software, it doesn’t cost anything to produce another digital copy that is just as good as the original as soon as the first copy exists, and anyone can create those copies (meaning there is perfect competition and zero barriers to entry). Unless effective legal (copyright), technical (DRM) or other artificial impediments to production can be created, simple economic theory dictates that the price of music, like its marginal cost, must also fall to zero as more “competitors” (in this case, listeners who copy) enter the market. The evidence is unmistakable already. In April 2007 the benchmark price for a DRM-free song was $1.29. Today it is $0.89, a drop of 31% in just six months.
[Please click the link below for the complete article — but then please come on back!]
The Inevitable March of Recorded Music Towards Free
The complete story above, and the potential for a continuing dialog around both sides of the argument, bear watching. An example of why TechCrunch has been all but a charter member of the L-HC 
.
Meanwhile, MUDGElet No. 3 being a musician with hopes of earning a living practicing that art or some related element of it (i.e., studio production), the MUDGE of the family can’t help but be concerned about the concept of free music.
Of course, MUDGE has absolutely no difficulty consuming it. Thus joining the other 6.6Billion walking contradictions on the planet.
It’s it for now. Thanks,
–MUDGE
Left-handed Complement 