A Real-Time Music Market

I did some Christmas shopping today and ended up spending $120! My credit card company must be wonder what the Hell is going on, but it's ok, I have the cash. I only have two gifts left to get now though: my mom's and my dad's. No idea what I'll get them, but I'm sure that'll be another $100. Man, I hope I get some sweet gifts this year for all I'm shelling out here! Anyway, I know that I've mentioned before how Bill Gates is starting to cave due to pressure for variable mp3 pricing, and one editorialist seemed to think it was a form control. Now, I have an equally compelling, but more positive, view claiming that what we really need is an mp3 market based on demand. After reading that, I change my position on variable pricing to agree with his. If they're going to do it, they should do it that way. It's likely that they won't since music companies would much rather tell you what to listen to (like corporate-sponsored radio), but if we have it for stocks why not for music? Much like you may wait to buy something on sale in a store you could wait to buy a song when it has been out for a while and is less in demand. The market would pretty much regulate itself in terms of price extremes and I would think that it would yield higher profit margins for all parties. Alright, I think I've lectured enough about economics for one day.

One more thing about iTunes: it has now sold over 3 million videos in less than two months, so iTunes is now going to feature some NBC programming including including Conan O Brien and The Office. Those of you pissed at the music industry and, more importantly, Clear Channel Communications will be pleased to know that traditional radio is starting to lose support in the face of the iPod generation and satellite radio. This means that they're going to actually have to start listening to the listeners' suggestions and also playing less ads. If you don't like ads much on TV either then you may want to look into CNN Pipeline, which is an amazingly well-priced service that provides specialized news programming on the web as well as segments on-demand. If you're a news monger than $25 for a year really isn't bad. In a similar vein, Fox is going to deliver some web-only episodes of Family Guy next year for a currently undisclosed price, but only on MySpace and IGN. I really think it'd be smarter for them to also sell to Apple given their recent success on iTunes.

I usually don't post pictures that I don't like, but I'll make an exception today. Do you know what X-men villain that's supposed to be? Juggernaut! That just looks like Professor X on steroids! Anyway, there are more pictures here to be viewed, which are better. The King Kong publicity machine really is in full gear now with not only several new clips from the movie, but even a few more TV spots. I wonder if they'll ever stop making commercials for it! There's a really good TV spot up for Hostel though, and it almost seems to reveal more about the plot than the trailer. I think it'll be pretty freaky. One fan site landed an open online chat tonight with Robert Rodriguez and some really great questions were asked (and answered), including that Grind House will start production next January though they already got a few shots done. Speaking of Grind House, they're actually going to release a movie geek bible for the movie that will just feature a lot of cool stuff for fans like interviews and background on the making of it.

Before I get to the meme, I'd feel like a bad blogger to not mention how one private school has suspended a blogger just because of a single negative comment about an anonymous professor. Wow. These administrators need a life and/or a drink.

I'm all about the Ten on Tuesday this week:

10 Household Chores You Hate
10. Cleaning out old stuff (I hate throwing out things)
9. Taking out the trash (it smells worse than you would think)
8. Washing the car (mainly because I then live in fear of the rain)
7. Raking leaves (why can't the leaves stay on the trees)
6. Cleaning up after cooking (I love cooking, but I hate the after-part)
5. Starting a laundry load (I always feel like I forgot something, and I usually do)
4. Washing the dishes (it seems like it takes more time than it does)
3. Cleaning the tub (it's just unsatisfying because my tub doesn't even look all that clean when cleaned)
2. Pulling the weeds (my nails get all black and icky)
1. Dusting the furniture! I don't even think God likes doing this!