Art Machine
Just another former infatuation junkie

You’re kidding me. The kids at UW are just figuring out that their textbooks are overpriced?

WASHPIRG accuses publishers of cranking out new editions just to make the old ones obsolete.

In a $120 calculus book, students say they found only minor changes from the old edition.

“So essentially we are just paying $40 more dollars for different numbers on the math problems and exercises,” said UW student Jay Holcomb.

Thankfully as an English and Theatre Arts major, the majority of my textbooks were actually mass-market paperbacks. That coupled with the fact that Shakespeare doesn’t really change between editions of the Riverside helped keep me in a lower bracket of textbook budgets. So pick up on a tip, prospective college students – go Theatre Arts.

Of course, there were those rare, out-of-major courses that required their specific texts. I spent $199 on a book for a psychology class. When I dropped the course and returned the unopened book, I got back fully half of what I had paid for textbooks.

My favorite, however, was the summer I took a Criminology class. The textbook – a beautiful hard-bound book – cost about $95. The professor told us that it was expensive for a summer course, but that we could generally get $65 when we sold our books back at the end of the semester.

When I went into the bookstore to sell it back, I was told, “Sorry, but the publisher just announced a new edition is coming out next year. If you want to sell it back, we can give you two bucks.”

Hell. I’m not going to sell my massive $95 reference book for two bucks. I still have the book. The real bitch of it, though, was that I checked the new edition that came out a year later and found only two new tables to it. It was priced at $105.

And used copies of my edition (the one they wanted to buy for two bucks) were sitting in the Used Book section and selling for $70.

What about this says “scam” to you, exactly?

His name is Jay
To see him play
Will make you say,
“Goddamn! that DJ made my day – by ripping off the RIAA and bankrupting artists. Somebody call a cop.”

Showing their usual knack for public relations and their astounding respect for the artists, the RIAA has started confiscating DJ mixtapes from indie music stores.

The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a new campaign against DJs in an attempt to control copyright infringement.

They have already confiscated $100,000�s worth of mix CDs from independent record stores across the US.

DJ mix CDs, sold in almost every independent record store are on the whole unlicensed and technically illegal to distribute. However, DJs and producers alike often rely upon these illegal mixes in order to gain credibility, and to promote themselves to the general public.

Not to mention promoting themselves to the major record labels – who have, in fact, picked up a few of their more popular acts and gotten some kickass producers from listing to mix CD’s. And, as reporter Terry Church points out, confiscating DJ mixes is hypocritical in the face of the RIAA’s statement that they’re fighting these battles “for the artists.” These mixes don’t usually get anywhere near the wide distribution that even the paltriest bootlegger can manage, and are more about promotion of the DJ’s and producers as artists than they are about profit.

But in all fairness, most DJ’s – and the indie music stores that carried their tapes and CD’s – had to know that what they were doing was at best grey market. With the RIAA growing increasingly paranoid and jumping at the chance to declare anybody to be a thief, it was only a matter of time before they turned their eyes on the club DJ’s of America.

Why, yes – there is a new article at OSPolitics: USA today. Thank you for asking.

I used to work the night shift at a grocery store – first stocking shelves, and then working the cash register. I worked a full shift and was on my feet all night. If I was stocking shelves, I had to bring up boxes from the back stockroom, unpack the stuff, and put it in the right spot. If I was working the register, I had to ring up purchases, answer the phone, bring in the shopping carts, log all of the film that had been dropped off to develop, and clean all of the registers. Generally, I would come to work directly from two- to four-hour rehearsals. I finished most of my shifts exhausted.

I have learned recently that finishing a major writing project takes a little bit more out of me than a shift at the grocery store did. I’ve finished two big writing projects in the past three days and started work on a third. It makes me glad I learned touch-typing long ago – because I don’t think I have the energy for hunting-and-pecking right now.

I’ve been meaning to announce this for a while, now – it’s been mentioned over at the Dry Goods Store, but I never put it up on this page. And with the New Hampshire primary over, now seems like a pretty good time.

Those of you familiar with the Dry Goods Store (and if you’re not familiar, why aren’t you?) will remember the section of the store entitled “The Lost Liberty Blues.” That section has a new line in the description.

Currently, this section of the Dry Goods Floor is collecting funds for the campaign to remove Bush from office. 50% of the profits from items in this section will be set aside to as a donation to the Democratic nominee . Thank you for your support.

It started out with the Civil Flag design, then later added the George W. Bush AWOL Force design. And now it’s added a new design called “Boot Bush!” I know. Subtle like a sledgehammer. Just like everything else I do.

The profits don’t add up quickly, but they’re there – and if the Dean campaign’s fundraising has taught us anything, it’s that every little bit counts. Check it out, see if anything tickles your fancy, then pass on the information.

Hey – help boot Dubya and get a nifty T-shirt, too. Sounds like a plan.

I know that I have a tendency to run just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to new movements in the industry – this despite the fact that I was a beta tester for BitPass and I am (as far as I know) the first playwright to attempt a BitPass-driven licensing technique for my plays. The fact is that once I’ve discovered something, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s already been discovered and accepted or dismissed by the general population.

Of course, it’s not my fault all of the time – Napster, for instance, didn’t come out on the Macintosh until the RIAA was already sharpening its knives.

But my latest discovery – which you may or may not have heard of – is the wild world of Weedfiles.

Weedfiles, for those of you who haven’t encountered them yet, can best be described as shareware music files. The specially-encoded WMA files can be downloaded and played absolutely free a total of three times, after which you have to decide if you like the song enough to pay for it. If you buy the file (using your handy-dandy PayPal account), then you’re free to play it as much as you want, burn audio CD’s from it, and do all of the fun stuff in general that you like to do with your music. You can even share the music.

Yes. You can share weedfiles legally. And here’s where the fun part comes in.

When the Weedfile gets transferred to another computer, it reverts to its original shareware setting – three free plays, then a pop-up asking if the user would like to buy the song. That means that it’s perfectly legal for you to upload it to your website for other people to grab, or for you to log onto Gnutella, Kazaa, Grokster – or even an OpenNap server (if you can still find one) and share the file. But it’s even more fun than that. Anybody who winds up buying the song you’ve just purchased means money for you – specifically, 20% of the sale price. And it means money for the artist, and for the fine people running Weedshare.

Is it a solution for piracy? Of course not. It’s not going to stop piracy any more than Apple’s iTunes store is going to stop file swapping. But it has an intriguing plan behind it. Instead of just slapping every file with prohibitive copy protection and accusing everybody of being a thief just because they’re sick of absorbitant prices, let’s put the music in their hands. Let’s let them listen to the tracks to decide if they like them before they plunk down their hard-earned money, and then let’s give them an incentive – a real incentive like cold, hard cash – for legitimately distributing the music.

It’s a new form of micropayments that pulls from about every successful concept out there on the web today. It has micropayments – individual files sold at a low cost instead of packages that force folks to buy the whole thing at a high cost. It takes a cue from shareware – you can try the music to make certain you think it’s worth the money. It mixes in the old net standby, the affiliate program – if you like my music, help to distribute it and make a bit of money for yourself. And, to top it all off, it throws in file swapping – allowing fans to share their music legally without having to worry about new lawsuits.

And for those of you prepping short films, the Weedfile system can also work with WMV files.

I like it. Sir Mix-A-Lot (that horny old bastard) likes it. It seems like fun. And I like fun. That’s why I took the time to contact the fine people at CoolerWeed.com and have them turn The Illegal Rebirth of Deep Blue the Kid into a new set of weedfiles, ready for distribution.

Is this how artists will be paid in the future? I don’t know, and I think I’ve given up on trying to guess. But what I do know is that it’s one more round of the conversation – and that’s always a good time.

What’s happening here?

More accurately, what’s happening in New Hampshire?

It’s like the pundits and pollsters can’t believe their eyes and ears. A breathless Terry Neal at The Washington Post reports that – wonder of wonders – Democrats actually care about the coming election!

We stayed away from campaign events and focused on snagging people in bars, restaurants, stores and on the street. We talked to Democrats and independent-leaning Democrats because New Hampshire allows independents to vote in party primaries.

What we found, with a few stark exceptions, was a fairly motivated and interested electorate that, contrary to earlier media conventional wisdom, was actually quite pleased with the slate of candidates before them. Also contrary to some earlier reports—including one of my own—we found folks to be very narrowly focused on the issue of electability.

While Neal’s account isn’t without the odd bit of questionable hyperbole (he reports that Democrats have shifted from being willing to “lose fighting” to “compromising” and reports on the swell in Da Leeb’s popularity), it does highlight a shift in opinion. Less than a year ago, most of the mainstream media was trumpeting the demise of the Democratic party, ready to write the party off as weak, inneffectual, and doomed come the next election – and now they’re being forced to stand up and take notice.

And deep within the mainstream media, that’s causing some brains to hurt. They’re struggling to keep up while simulatneously trying to write off the Democratic groundswell as some sort of Lunatic Fringe – a Democrats Gone Wild! video in which Ted Kennedy has a few too many martinis and flashes his boobs at a raucous audience. How could the Democrats have come this far this quickly? Where did all of these Democrats come from?

What really has the pundits in a tizzy is the fact that nobody knows how this is going to turn out. A few months ago, many people were ready to coronate Howard Dean as the Democratic nominee – he was so far ahead of the pack, people wondered if it was worth fighting him. But now in poll after poll, it’s turning out to be too close to call. With the exception of a handful of hangers-on, the Democratic field is tight and running hard.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is democracy in action – people paying attention to the issues and trying to make the best decision. This isn’t a coronation, this isn’t the party elite handpicking their candidate for the next time around. All of this uncertainty? It’s not a lack of direction – it’s a sign of strength. We’re wittling down the field, as we’re supposed to. Frankly, I think it speaks volumes on the vitality of the Democratic party that candidates are having to scratch and claw for votes at a time when we’re usually able to go ahead and crown the Democratic nominee.

I have to say honestly that I don’t think we would be in this situation today if not for Howard Dean. Love him or hate him, support him or vote against him, you have to admit that Dean has lit a fire underneath the Democratic party. He entered a field full of quiet, withdrawn also-ran wannabe’s with a message of strength and hope. Dean was one of the first candidates to insist that the Democrats could only win the election by actually providing the people with an alternative. He was one of the first candidates to stress the importance of the voters’ power, and one of the first candidates to sound like he believed he could make a difference. And even when Dean went nuts at a rally – he didn’t ruin himself. While the press wants to make Dean’s “Hulkamania” bout sound like a fatal stumbling block, the fact is that people love it. Dean showed passion. He showed strength. And for those who feel it was un-Presidential, look at the clown we have in office now. An occasional pep rally is far less un-Presidential than the way this administration has conducted itself.

Tomorrow’s primary will be very, very interesting. No outcome would shock me – with the exception of a landslide for Joe Lieberman. Frankly, I don’t know what makes Da Leeb think he’s going to swing up in the polls – maybe he thinks he has more “Joementum” than he really has (BTW – Mac over at thegofish thinks we should co-opt the “Joementum” term as a euphemism – a move I wholly endorse).

I would even be less shocked if Dennis Kucinich pulled out the vote – even if his supporters have the worst… responses… ever to complaints that their candidate can’t win (“If Vanessa believes that Dennis has no chance of emerging as the nominee, then a primary vote for Dennis carries no danger of anointing the wrong candidate to face-off against George Bush” – ok, what?).

Al Sharpton? Actually, the man makes more and more sense to me every time I see him speak. It’s a shame he couldn’t win.

Clark? Kerry? Dean? Edwards? That would be a shock to nobody, and – frankly – I can’t think of one that I would be disappointed with.

I’m loving this campaign, and we aren’t even down to the actual nominee yet. I have a good feeling about this election, and part of that feeling is that whatever happens I don’t think the margin will be close enough for Florida to make that much of a difference. Even if Nader’s in bed with the cultists.

Now, go read Thud trying to comprehend the mind of Howie Kurtz.

Why? Why must such things as the Mr. Potato Head comic strip exist? And why, oh why must they be written by Garfield “scribe” Jim Davis?

And why did I feel compelled to check it out for myself?

It’s a shame to have your case thrown out of court, but on the other hand – not many people are legally recorded as cute.

Dismissing the case, Judge Lebow certified Nahum as cute.

“I make that a finding. He’s a very attractive man,” she said, according to a transcript.

Blanco’s attorney, Kevin Kulik, spoke up to ensure the transcript would accurately reflect Nahum’s macho, muscular appearance. “For the record, I would submit he was about 6’ 2”. He was in good shape, you know, a fit individual, young detective, looked to be maybe 30.”

Link from TalkLeft.

I’m quite happy with the way micropayments have turned out – even if I haven’t quite managed to crack the $20 barrier just yet. So far, the micropayment system of today seems to be what was originally promised – a quick, easy way to make and process payments and exchange information.

But part of what I love about the introduction of micropayments is the sheer volume of discussion on the subject. Here’s how the current discussion goes, from my perspective. And considering that I consider myself an artist, this discussion will obviously be a little bit skewed.

Artist: I’ve really enjoyed the work I’ve done online, and I appreciate the fan base I’ve managed to build up. But if I want to continue, I have to find a way to be paid. So I’m trying something new called “micropayments” that allows me to charge a small fee in exchange for new content.

Consumer: Screw you! Information is supposed to be free!

Fascist Corporations: We’ve been watching everything you guys do, and we agree. That guy’s information should be free. But our information is mass-produced corporate product and therefore worth the exorbitant price we like to slap on it. So we propose a compromise. We will hold back technology and litigate to prevent development of any system that could ever be used to exchange our information freely – in the process destroying the independent artist’s legitimate use of such channels and technologies. In exchange for your co-operation with this, we promise to only stick red-hot needles under your fingernails and not – as we had originally planned – in your eyes.

Consumer: Screw you! Information is supposed to be free!

Artist: Umm, excuse me. Yes, over here. I don’t know how I feel about your offered compromise, Mr. Fascist Corporations. I’m quite fond of the ability to decide for myself whether I want my information distributed freely or purchased at a price. I fear that your lust for cash will choke off my ability to use these new distribution channels, and that makes me sad.

Fascist Corporations: We didn’t win the Cold War just so Commie Faggot Beatniks like you could ruin this great capitalist society! Just for that, we’re going to sue you for damages.

Artist: Me? What damages?

Fascist Corporations: It’s your lax attitude toward the value of your cheap and amateurish creations that have created a market where people expect inexpensive entertainment.

Artist: Now wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute there. You’ve got some kind of goldurn nerve to call my content cheap and amateurish – remember Britney Spears’ In the Zone? Or how about a little flick called Gigli? I’ve seen better film on my teeth. My content is at least as valuable as yours, if not moreso.

Consumer: Screw you! Information is supposed to be free!

Fascist Corporations: Your puny insults mean nothing to us! The Butterfly Effect is a masterwork of delicate and sensitive genius! Justin Timberlake is an astounding R&B vocalist! We have more money than Jesus! Ve vill crush you! Sony, Sony über alles – Über alles in der Welt…

Consumer: Screw both of you! We’re on the cusp of a new digital age where the free flow of information cannot be stopped. No more will we be forced to consume the putrid pabulum produced by the pandering peasants of the entertainment industry. With the internet and emerging technologies, we have grown used to free content that covers a wide artistic and intellectual spectrum. The idyllic world of the free and open exchange of ideas has created an environment of harmony in which the creative mind flourishes.

Artist: Um, about that flourishing bit—
Consumer: Screw you! Information is supposed to be free!

Artist: Look, I’m quite a fan of the free exchange of information, myself. That’s why I’m a vocal supporter of Creative Commons and I’ve frequently spoken out against the Fascist Corporations and the draconian methods they use to control the flow of data at the expense of both the artist and the consumer. Unfortunately, I tried to explain this concept to the grocer down the street, to the woman who sells me clothes at the thrift store, and to my landlord. While they all agreed that, yes, information should be free, they were still strongly in favor of charging money for food, clothing, and shelter. And considering that all I really have to sell right now is my information—
Consumer: Screw you! Information is supposed to be free, dammit!

Fascist Corporations: Sony Frauen, Sony Treue, Sony Wein und Sony Sang…

Artist: Can I please just have my fifty cents?

Ain’t artistic license grand?