Barry gets knee-deep in disc protection quicksand:

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: Ever come across something that only gets stranger and stranger the deeper you delve into it? That was my experience when I almost purchased a new CD -- a DRM crippled CD -- this weekend.

This tale is part of a larger struggle within the recording and digital download industry -- not of P2P or piracy -- but one of innovation and competition. As you follow this odd story (broken into 4 increasingly strange parts), you will note that as it gets weirder, Artists and Consumers are the collateral damage. It makes one wonder just what the hell the Recording Industry is thinking about these days

The Mongolian Stomper.

"There was a time when I used to know one or two things. Not earth-shattering things, not the sort of stuff that greases the wheels for your Mensa application -- but things. Just enough trivia and tidbits of data to go to parties and receptions and make appearances on the “Weakest Link,” give the impression I've read a book or two, and maybe fill up a few installments of the “AW Chronicles.”

I can name every WWF World champion ever, for example -- in chronological order, no less. Likewise, I can list every NWA/WCW titlist dating back to Pat O’Conner, and if you get me drunk enough, I might even be able to go all the way back to the belt’s illusory 1905 origins. Give me an unlabeled map of the United States, and I can mark in the names of every state -- with the possible exceptions of Vermont and New Hampshire. I even know how to cook a duck.

Or, at least, I used to know all of that. But when Hulk Hogan won the WWF title for the sixth time last Sunday night, all of those things I thought I knew -- everything I accepted as a known quantity, as an unassailable fact -- suddenly scattered to the four corners of the earth. "

The Fantastic in Art and Fiction - from Cornell's library - Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections

Blood Inside press release from Ulver

Charles Dodgson, over at Through the Looking Glass, has some thoughts on Bob Dylan.

Troy Bayliss and Lorenzo Lanzi are Ducati's WSBK team for next year. Lavilla and Halsam stay in BSB to defend but who rides with Neil here in the US?

What's That Bug? - still!

Keep your silly ways or throw them out the window
The wisdom of your ways, I've been there and I know
Lots of other ways, what a jolly bad show
If all you ever do is business you don't like

Every bit of clothing ought to make you pretty
You can cut the clothing, grey is such a pity
I should wear the clothing of Mr. Walter Mitty
See my tailor, he's called Simon, I know it's going to fit

Here's a little piece of advice
You're quite welcome it is free
Don't do nothing that is cut price
You know what that'll make you be
They will try their tricky device
Trap you with the ordinary
Get your teeth into a small slice
The cake of liberty

Art of demotivation

"Motivation has become a multi-billion dollar industry, courtesy of the patronage of corporations and the noble intentions of Executives who lead them. At the heart of this colossal confederation of inspirational speakers, platitudinous posters, parable-filled management books, and increasingly complicated incentive programs lies an alluring promise: that with enough encouragement, empowerment, and esteem, employees will become productive and loyal, to the benefit of both their employers and themselves.

Yet, in spite of the staggering expenditures on packaged esteem, polls show that worker morale has reached critical lows, with a majority of employees even claiming to hate their jobs. How is this possible? And more importantly, what can Executives do about this crisis of employee dissatisfaction?

In this revolutionary new management book, Despair, Inc.® founder Dr. E. L. Kersten plumbs the depths of employee discontent to find its root cause. Though most live lackluster lives filled with wasted opportunities and trivial accomplishments, employees grow ever more certain of their enormous worth and glorious destinies. Why is this so? Because most are the products of a narcissistic age, the spiritual casualties of a grand social experiment gone terribly awry.

Ironically, managers attempting to motivate employees by increasing their self-esteem only compound the very problem they seek to solve. Reinforcing employee delusions of grandeur only increases their irrational sense of entitlement to the wealth, stature and privilege that justice dictates be reserved for the truly accomplished and inarguably worthy: namely, Executives."

Freelance

Some freelance work this week, which means I'm back at the work-a-day for the next 10 business days. Still, I find time to kill time and ended up over at Lisa's site, stealthisweater.com. As usual Lisa has kept f'ing BUSY with a number of .pdf zines from her stay up near San Francisco, to a zine focused on the restoration and improvement of her and her husband's Stuccolow! Damn.

No suprises really. I have a valued collection of American Homebody and Casual Observer zines back at the house. The collection even includes a special LARGE PRINT edition. Guess I'm not as surprised by the production, more glad to see it continue, especially in light of this current f'lance.

Whoops, almost forgot to mention that it is Walktober. Years ago, on an ill-fated (in some ways) trip to Seattle, I remember seeing a billboard for an auto dealer that declared the month: Carvember. I'll stick to Motopril. Lisa attended the wedding party that J. and I just had, I wanna say she wore one of her knitted pieces, but don't hold me to it, so much happened.

Speaking of keeping at it, Daniel has been writing away over at KultureDrome. He also currently has a show up in Santa Monica. Maybe walk on out there!

WTF is a branding exercise?

John Densmore will not allow the Doors' music to be used in TV commercials. An older article about this can be found here.