"Bob Dylan Gives Away 50,000 Copies of His New Album to AARP The Magazine Readers": http://bit.ly/1y7wXaX
If you don't pay for it, you don't listen to it.
That's the difference between yesterday and today. That's what drove the album era. You laid down your cash and played that LP until you knew it by heart, you had an investment, and your collection was small.
But today the paradigm is completely different. We have access to everything, literally just a touch or click away. How do you convince people to listen?
What we've learned is a publicity campaign is not enough. Otherwise Tom Petty and U2's new music would be ubiquitous.
Now if you're about selling tickets, and that's where all the money is today, it doesn't even matter if people listen to the new music, never mind buy it. The attendant publicity will make people aware, and everybody knows if you have a new record and you're doing publicity you're going on the road.
Just don't ask them to listen to the new music in concert.
Just like no one will want to hear Dylan's covers of Sinatra at the show. Then again, everybody going to hear Dylan is either a brain dead fan, or afraid he's gonna die and they won't have this notch in their belt, they won't have seen him.
Sorry for speaking the truth, but Bob can croak at best, and he rearranges his hits, go once and you never have to go again.
And there's no better songwriter in the history of rock and roll.
And I will say this promotion may make me wince, but it's not that stupid. His audience is retired and they still listen to CDs and this is an easy way to reach them. Furthermore, not being inured to the free music game, they'll give the CD a spin. But don't ask them to play it all the way through, that's torture.
So, what we've learned is we're pushing the envelope of marketing/distribution ideas. Believe me, you won't be able to give away free CDs soon, Macs don't even come with disk drives! Just like free downloads disappeared, killed by streams, the Wal-Mart cheap/value CD is gone now too.
But that's the world we live in, where old rockers find it easier to come up with innovative marketing ideas than compelling music.
How do you get people to check your new music out?
Turns out being established no longer counts. Especially if you're a boomer act.
Sure, the kids listen to the new stuff, but they rejected Gaga's latest immediately.
That's right, you put it out and if we even give it a chance we do it in a day and we give you five seconds, that's enough.
The bar is so high, most people making music can't even see it, never mind reach it.
Don't tell people they've got to listen a few times.
Don't put out any filler.
Go into the Apple Store. How many SKUs do they have? Nearly none. Steve Jobs collapsed the product line and now they sell very few extras. You can't confuse the audience, you can't overwhelm people and what you're purveying must be superlative.
No one goes into the Apple Store and says a MacBook Pro isn't good enough. They might think it's overpriced, they might not buy it, but everyone says it's great.
But Apple's been at it for a long time, not quite as long as Mr. Zimmerman, but close.
Whereas the youngsters think they're great right out of the box and the oldsters are resting on their laurels.
Used to be exposure was everything. Get on late night TV. Get a review in the newspaper.
But that's all history. We have an endless river of hype, which everybody but hard core fans ignores. And if these bands were only interested in hard core fans they'd price the album at $200 and sell it with tchotchkes, fans will buy anything.
But they want more.
This is the story of the teens. How in a world of overwhelming choice, we gravitate to very few winners. Which must reach a standard of excellence and ubiquity.
And the oldsters, actually everybody who's an artist, doesn't like this.
If you're not good enough to start for the Cavaliers, we never want to see you play ball. Oh, you can shoot hoops in your driveway, but just don't ask us to pay attention.
Sucks, doesn't it?
Actually it doesn't.
Everybody's overwhelmed, nobody has any time.
Only one movie a week makes bank, the rest usually fail.
It's because we've only got so much time and we want to be a member of the group.
Bob Dylan should retire. Should have years ago. Athletes go when they can no longer run, when their skills decline. Bob can barely sing, he's over seventy, he had a good run.
His dedicated fans will excoriate me for saying this.
But his dedicated fans are the only ones who care.
P.S. Speaking of a brain dead press living in a bygone era, I point you to a brilliant chart in the "Digital Music News," "What the Vinyl 'Comeback' Really Looks Like": http://bit.ly/1E8pj8F
P.P.S. Re Garth Brooks's comeback... Got an e-mail about tickets going for $6 at his Boston show tonight. Went on StubHub, tickets are way below face value, as low as $10 on the site: http://bit.ly/1L5eSEU
I'm not saying Boston is Garth's strongest market, I'm not saying no one wants to see him, but I am saying don't believe everything you read. The press ranks have been decimated and writers would rather hang with Garth than write anything negative. And despite me putting down the vinyl revolution ad infinitum, every major outlet has done a story about this inane microscopic revival. Proving the purveyors own the press, but the truth is few are paying attention.
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Friday 23 January 2015
Rhinofy-Shelf in the Room
Remember when we used to argue about Days of the New?
This was back in the mid-nineties when Geffen Records was the king of rock, just before that format imploded and so did the label. Before videos were all about the production and not the music, before rap went on a victory lap.
It's almost like it didn't happen. Days of the New was huge, and then they disappeared. You see the "creative genius" of the group, Travis Meeks, fired the rest of the act after the initial success. Which he could then never duplicate. Did he lose the formula, or was the effort of the rest of the band key?
We can debate that forever and come to no conclusion.
But we do know in '97 and '98 you could not escape the band's music.
It started with "Touch, Peel and Stand." Which dominated the rock radio format for a while. And continued to get play in bedrooms of teenagers long after it slipped off the chart.
And then came "The Down Town." Which also went to number one on the rock chart. But it seemed so DERIVATIVE!
Back when rock still ruled, and nearly five minute tracks were de rigueur, when they didn't make you write with the hitmaker du jour and you could still do it your way.
And then there was "Shelf in the Room"...
Headbanging music made for males who'd ingested so much dope or alcohol they could only sit on the couch and nod their head.
The acoustic guitar intro is so simple, anybody could write it and play it.
But nobody does anymore.
You need more.
And more comes in. There's another guitar. And it's so HYPNOTIC!
And then comes the change...
"The key is so distant
I've opened doors"
That VOICE! Back when our stars were dark and mysterious, before they were busy promoting themselves on social media, when Heather Locklear and Valerie Bertinelli could not resist the allure of the players, when the players were still king, before they were trumped by the mercenary Kardashians who seem to know today's game better than the musicians.
"Holding out
Never hold in
Holding out
Never hold"
The repetition with the effects, you cannot help but sing along.
It's as if Jimmy Page was reincarnated minus a couple of decades and decided to make ethereal music in the vein of Led Zeppelin, albeit a bit less inventive.
But compared to today, "Shelf in the Room" sounds positively incredible! Like a lost sea scroll!
There's not a whole hell of a lot on the track, it's acoustic (like "Led Zeppelin III"!) and all you know is there's a scrim between you and the performance and you just want to cut through and get closer.
"Shelf In The Room" demands you slow down and give it your complete attention. It's not something that plays in the background which can be completely ignored.
Who is this guy with the deep voice? Singing like there's not a single light in the room? How did they capture lightning in a bottle?
That's right, that which appears derivative is seen as genius a few decades removed. Not only the Carpenters, but Boston and Days of the New.
"Shelf in the Room" sounds so different from what people play today. There's no guest rapper, no stray electronics, it's like the band is saying "This is enough."
AND IT IS!
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1t0DJDL
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This was back in the mid-nineties when Geffen Records was the king of rock, just before that format imploded and so did the label. Before videos were all about the production and not the music, before rap went on a victory lap.
It's almost like it didn't happen. Days of the New was huge, and then they disappeared. You see the "creative genius" of the group, Travis Meeks, fired the rest of the act after the initial success. Which he could then never duplicate. Did he lose the formula, or was the effort of the rest of the band key?
We can debate that forever and come to no conclusion.
But we do know in '97 and '98 you could not escape the band's music.
It started with "Touch, Peel and Stand." Which dominated the rock radio format for a while. And continued to get play in bedrooms of teenagers long after it slipped off the chart.
And then came "The Down Town." Which also went to number one on the rock chart. But it seemed so DERIVATIVE!
Back when rock still ruled, and nearly five minute tracks were de rigueur, when they didn't make you write with the hitmaker du jour and you could still do it your way.
And then there was "Shelf in the Room"...
Headbanging music made for males who'd ingested so much dope or alcohol they could only sit on the couch and nod their head.
The acoustic guitar intro is so simple, anybody could write it and play it.
But nobody does anymore.
You need more.
And more comes in. There's another guitar. And it's so HYPNOTIC!
And then comes the change...
"The key is so distant
I've opened doors"
That VOICE! Back when our stars were dark and mysterious, before they were busy promoting themselves on social media, when Heather Locklear and Valerie Bertinelli could not resist the allure of the players, when the players were still king, before they were trumped by the mercenary Kardashians who seem to know today's game better than the musicians.
"Holding out
Never hold in
Holding out
Never hold"
The repetition with the effects, you cannot help but sing along.
It's as if Jimmy Page was reincarnated minus a couple of decades and decided to make ethereal music in the vein of Led Zeppelin, albeit a bit less inventive.
But compared to today, "Shelf in the Room" sounds positively incredible! Like a lost sea scroll!
There's not a whole hell of a lot on the track, it's acoustic (like "Led Zeppelin III"!) and all you know is there's a scrim between you and the performance and you just want to cut through and get closer.
"Shelf In The Room" demands you slow down and give it your complete attention. It's not something that plays in the background which can be completely ignored.
Who is this guy with the deep voice? Singing like there's not a single light in the room? How did they capture lightning in a bottle?
That's right, that which appears derivative is seen as genius a few decades removed. Not only the Carpenters, but Boston and Days of the New.
"Shelf in the Room" sounds so different from what people play today. There's no guest rapper, no stray electronics, it's like the band is saying "This is enough."
AND IT IS!
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/1t0DJDL
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Wednesday 21 January 2015
Sales vs. Spotify
(Note: These charts are not all the exact same week. The SoundScan singles and album charts are for the week ending 1/11/15, as is the global Spotify streaming chart, whereas, unfortunately, the Spotify U.S. streaming chart is for the week ending 1/18/15. I could wait until all the charts align, but I'm inspired now, and I believe the insights remain true.)
1. "Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson
This sold 340,776 singles in the U.S.
But it got 4,842,359 streams on Spotify in the U.S.
How many times did each person play the track they bought?
However, in the history of "Uptown Funk" sales, 2,097,503 tracks were moved. So, if everybody who bought one played the song 2 times, they'd match the Spotify streams.
However, in the history of the track on Spotify, "Uptown Funk" has been streamed 81,564,715 times. Alas, that's a worldwide. number.
So let's try to get some equivalency, which is hard to do.
Streams trump sales.
But streams pay less than sales.
But streaming only pays...when a track is streamed!
And, streaming is a worldwide phenomenon.
Furthermore, Spotify is just a percentage of streaming, there are competing streaming services and, of course, YouTube.
So...
Focus on listens. That's where the whole game is moving. Fans are made by listens.
2. "Thinking Out Loud" Ed Sheeran
Sold 223,519 for a cume of 1,413,677.
Streamed 3,881,860 times on Spotify in the U.S.
However, "Thinking Out Loud" is number three internationally on Spotify, it was streamed 12,446,973 times.
In the history of Spotify, "Thinking Out Loud" was streamed 165,300,622 times.
Ed Sheeran's album "X" has been out for 29 weeks in the United States.
But the single has only been on the chart for 16 weeks.
A lot of things drive the streams of tracks. Most definitely radio.
But it appears that the labels and radio are losing control of tracks by hit artists. Because you can see what is successful from the get-go with albums. Every track is streamable upon release on Spotify.
And "X" is number two on the album chart.
But Sheeran only has three cuts in the U.S. Spotify top fifty.
Sam Smith has two tracks in the U.S. Spotify top fifty.
Meghan Trainor has two.
Ariana Grande has two.
But these multiple tracks in the top fifty are all "hits."
If albums were everything, you'd see more tracks by an artist in the top fifty.
Now if you go to the iTunes Top Songs, you'll learn that Fall Out Boy has seven tracks in the top 200, with two in the top fifty.
Fall Out Boy only has one track in the Spotify top fifty.
So, what we learn is the sales chart is not an accurate picture. It skews for today in a world that's all about tomorrow. Yes, music is about careers, longevity. Even tracks are about longevity. So, Fall Out Boy gets a lot of action in week one of their album release, how about week ten, never mind a year in?
So, looking at the Spotify top fifty, we learn that we live in a hit single world. You can talk all you want about albums, but most people are listening to singles. A vast spectrum of them. Meaning there's room for you on the chart if you make something desirable, you're not being crowded out by the usual suspects.
(Note: Hozier's "Take Me To Church" is number two on the worldwide Spotify chart, with 325,599 more streams.)
CALVIN HARRIS
His album "Motion" is number 39 on the sales chart. A middling performance after ten weeks, you'd think he doesn't matter that much.
But Calvin Harris is an international superstar! He's got two tracks in the Spotify worldwide chart, "Outside" has 7,818,475 streams and "Blame" has 6,726,978 this week.
"Blame" has 166,657,483 streams worldwide on Spotify since its release.
"Outside" has 87,436,344 historical streams.
"Blame" is number 64 after 19 weeks on the SoundScan sales chart. It sold 23,986 copies for a cume of 691,764.
"Outside" is number 117 in sales, 15,322 this week, a cume of 147,151.
"Blame" was streamed 1,439,052 times on Spotify in the U.S. this week.
"Outside" 1,417,394 in the U.S. this week.
They were the number 25 and 29 tracks on Spotify in the U.S. respectively.
So what we learn is people stream Calvin Harris more than they buy him. And he's much more popular on streaming services.
"Firestone" Kygo
Not even on the sales chart, it's like Kygo doesn't exist.
But "Firestone" had 1,160,665 streams in the U.S. last week. It's number 41.
But it's number six worldwide, with 6,990,370 spins on Spotify.
CONCLUSION
And now I'm sure your head is spinning. You're confused. Not only because the charts are not the exact same weeks, but because there are so many charts, so many statistics!
So what have we learned...
1. It's a worldwide business.
Consolidation rules. Live Nation is a worldwide business, never mind BMW. He or she who sees the world as their marketplace ultimately triumphs. And now it's easier than ever to reach the entire world. Spotify functions in a plethora of countries. You can go direct and make all the money, or...you can go with one company and demand a worldwide rate, with no deductions. That's right, with one payer, why should you get screwed, why should you wait for your money? We're going that way. And this is a good thing.
Furthermore, we're going to day and date worldwide release. The public demands it. Hell, they do it in the movie business, it's the best way to fight piracy.
2. Listens are everything.
Streams dwarf sales and you get paid on each and every one, in perpetuity, or as long as the copyright holds, which is nearly perpetuity in the United States.
Focus long term.
And know that once a track is released, it's in the hands of the public. You can try to influence people, but they can also influence the system. Data goes both ways. When you put out an album, see what the people are streaming, those are the hits.
3. Hits are everything.
Turns out most people don't stream the album tracks. Sure, superstars have multiple hits, but the money is in the hits, that which is streamed prodigiously.
So, you should not focus on making an album-length statement so much as putting out that which will be streamed, assuming you want to get paid, and since everybody is bitching about Spotify payments, it looks like they do, want to get paid that is.
You have instant data, an instant response. Pay attention and use it.
4. The elephant in the room.
YouTube. Which pays so much less per view/stream.
The two official Vevo Calvin Harris videos on YouTube have been streamed a combined 116,428,272 times. Imagine if everybody paid ten bucks a month to stream YouTube clips!
But they don't. Google is trying to get them to do so, but right now they don't.
It's Spotify that has some people paying that amount, millions, in fact.
And Spotify is not alone.
That's right, right now Spotify does not own the streaming market. You can listen on Rdio or Rhapsody or Deezer...
Or you can steal and no one gets paid.
So we've learned that streaming has won. And the goal is to get as many people as possible to pay.
5. The data.
"Billboard"/SoundScan has a new album chart.
If you think the above is incomprehensible, try checking that out.
The main statistic is "Total Activity." A certain number of track sales equal an album sale and ditto with streams. As if buying enough bicycles gets you a car. Or buying enough toothpicks gets you a tree. And according to "Billboard"/SoundScan, "Taylor Swift" had no streaming activity during the week ending 1/11/2015. But the truth is she's all over YouTube.
So what does the "Billboard"/Spotify chart mean?
NOTHING!
We need to go to a pure stream model.
How many times a track is streamed on all services, that's all that counts.
We want an accurate count, not a manipulated number.
And we're going to get there.
The good news is we're close.
But vested interests have their thumb on the scale, they're afraid to go to the all streaming model, that would mean they're losing control.
But the truth is music is a business, which demands professionals. And there's so much music out there that you may be able to get started independently, but you need pros to push you over the top. I.e. major labels, or their equivalent.
And Apple is not going to buy Universal. No tech company is going to buy a music company. The margins are not good enough and the headaches are legion.
However, to focus on the revenue from recorded music only is to be myopic. Records are the free joint that gets someone to buy an ounce.
And if you don't understand that metaphor, you don't know weed is legal in Colorado and gays can get married and albums are history.
Your goal is to create a body of work, that people listen to endlessly.
And at the end of the day that's made up of tracks.
And payment for those tracks is going up, and the slot machine will pay off forever.
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1. "Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson
This sold 340,776 singles in the U.S.
But it got 4,842,359 streams on Spotify in the U.S.
How many times did each person play the track they bought?
However, in the history of "Uptown Funk" sales, 2,097,503 tracks were moved. So, if everybody who bought one played the song 2 times, they'd match the Spotify streams.
However, in the history of the track on Spotify, "Uptown Funk" has been streamed 81,564,715 times. Alas, that's a worldwide. number.
So let's try to get some equivalency, which is hard to do.
Streams trump sales.
But streams pay less than sales.
But streaming only pays...when a track is streamed!
And, streaming is a worldwide phenomenon.
Furthermore, Spotify is just a percentage of streaming, there are competing streaming services and, of course, YouTube.
So...
Focus on listens. That's where the whole game is moving. Fans are made by listens.
2. "Thinking Out Loud" Ed Sheeran
Sold 223,519 for a cume of 1,413,677.
Streamed 3,881,860 times on Spotify in the U.S.
However, "Thinking Out Loud" is number three internationally on Spotify, it was streamed 12,446,973 times.
In the history of Spotify, "Thinking Out Loud" was streamed 165,300,622 times.
Ed Sheeran's album "X" has been out for 29 weeks in the United States.
But the single has only been on the chart for 16 weeks.
A lot of things drive the streams of tracks. Most definitely radio.
But it appears that the labels and radio are losing control of tracks by hit artists. Because you can see what is successful from the get-go with albums. Every track is streamable upon release on Spotify.
And "X" is number two on the album chart.
But Sheeran only has three cuts in the U.S. Spotify top fifty.
Sam Smith has two tracks in the U.S. Spotify top fifty.
Meghan Trainor has two.
Ariana Grande has two.
But these multiple tracks in the top fifty are all "hits."
If albums were everything, you'd see more tracks by an artist in the top fifty.
Now if you go to the iTunes Top Songs, you'll learn that Fall Out Boy has seven tracks in the top 200, with two in the top fifty.
Fall Out Boy only has one track in the Spotify top fifty.
So, what we learn is the sales chart is not an accurate picture. It skews for today in a world that's all about tomorrow. Yes, music is about careers, longevity. Even tracks are about longevity. So, Fall Out Boy gets a lot of action in week one of their album release, how about week ten, never mind a year in?
So, looking at the Spotify top fifty, we learn that we live in a hit single world. You can talk all you want about albums, but most people are listening to singles. A vast spectrum of them. Meaning there's room for you on the chart if you make something desirable, you're not being crowded out by the usual suspects.
(Note: Hozier's "Take Me To Church" is number two on the worldwide Spotify chart, with 325,599 more streams.)
CALVIN HARRIS
His album "Motion" is number 39 on the sales chart. A middling performance after ten weeks, you'd think he doesn't matter that much.
But Calvin Harris is an international superstar! He's got two tracks in the Spotify worldwide chart, "Outside" has 7,818,475 streams and "Blame" has 6,726,978 this week.
"Blame" has 166,657,483 streams worldwide on Spotify since its release.
"Outside" has 87,436,344 historical streams.
"Blame" is number 64 after 19 weeks on the SoundScan sales chart. It sold 23,986 copies for a cume of 691,764.
"Outside" is number 117 in sales, 15,322 this week, a cume of 147,151.
"Blame" was streamed 1,439,052 times on Spotify in the U.S. this week.
"Outside" 1,417,394 in the U.S. this week.
They were the number 25 and 29 tracks on Spotify in the U.S. respectively.
So what we learn is people stream Calvin Harris more than they buy him. And he's much more popular on streaming services.
"Firestone" Kygo
Not even on the sales chart, it's like Kygo doesn't exist.
But "Firestone" had 1,160,665 streams in the U.S. last week. It's number 41.
But it's number six worldwide, with 6,990,370 spins on Spotify.
CONCLUSION
And now I'm sure your head is spinning. You're confused. Not only because the charts are not the exact same weeks, but because there are so many charts, so many statistics!
So what have we learned...
1. It's a worldwide business.
Consolidation rules. Live Nation is a worldwide business, never mind BMW. He or she who sees the world as their marketplace ultimately triumphs. And now it's easier than ever to reach the entire world. Spotify functions in a plethora of countries. You can go direct and make all the money, or...you can go with one company and demand a worldwide rate, with no deductions. That's right, with one payer, why should you get screwed, why should you wait for your money? We're going that way. And this is a good thing.
Furthermore, we're going to day and date worldwide release. The public demands it. Hell, they do it in the movie business, it's the best way to fight piracy.
2. Listens are everything.
Streams dwarf sales and you get paid on each and every one, in perpetuity, or as long as the copyright holds, which is nearly perpetuity in the United States.
Focus long term.
And know that once a track is released, it's in the hands of the public. You can try to influence people, but they can also influence the system. Data goes both ways. When you put out an album, see what the people are streaming, those are the hits.
3. Hits are everything.
Turns out most people don't stream the album tracks. Sure, superstars have multiple hits, but the money is in the hits, that which is streamed prodigiously.
So, you should not focus on making an album-length statement so much as putting out that which will be streamed, assuming you want to get paid, and since everybody is bitching about Spotify payments, it looks like they do, want to get paid that is.
You have instant data, an instant response. Pay attention and use it.
4. The elephant in the room.
YouTube. Which pays so much less per view/stream.
The two official Vevo Calvin Harris videos on YouTube have been streamed a combined 116,428,272 times. Imagine if everybody paid ten bucks a month to stream YouTube clips!
But they don't. Google is trying to get them to do so, but right now they don't.
It's Spotify that has some people paying that amount, millions, in fact.
And Spotify is not alone.
That's right, right now Spotify does not own the streaming market. You can listen on Rdio or Rhapsody or Deezer...
Or you can steal and no one gets paid.
So we've learned that streaming has won. And the goal is to get as many people as possible to pay.
5. The data.
"Billboard"/SoundScan has a new album chart.
If you think the above is incomprehensible, try checking that out.
The main statistic is "Total Activity." A certain number of track sales equal an album sale and ditto with streams. As if buying enough bicycles gets you a car. Or buying enough toothpicks gets you a tree. And according to "Billboard"/SoundScan, "Taylor Swift" had no streaming activity during the week ending 1/11/2015. But the truth is she's all over YouTube.
So what does the "Billboard"/Spotify chart mean?
NOTHING!
We need to go to a pure stream model.
How many times a track is streamed on all services, that's all that counts.
We want an accurate count, not a manipulated number.
And we're going to get there.
The good news is we're close.
But vested interests have their thumb on the scale, they're afraid to go to the all streaming model, that would mean they're losing control.
But the truth is music is a business, which demands professionals. And there's so much music out there that you may be able to get started independently, but you need pros to push you over the top. I.e. major labels, or their equivalent.
And Apple is not going to buy Universal. No tech company is going to buy a music company. The margins are not good enough and the headaches are legion.
However, to focus on the revenue from recorded music only is to be myopic. Records are the free joint that gets someone to buy an ounce.
And if you don't understand that metaphor, you don't know weed is legal in Colorado and gays can get married and albums are history.
Your goal is to create a body of work, that people listen to endlessly.
And at the end of the day that's made up of tracks.
And payment for those tracks is going up, and the slot machine will pay off forever.
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Tuesday 20 January 2015
Kim Fowley
He had twins!
That's right, when he was a teenager he knocked up his girlfriend and by time I spoke with Kim in Manchester they were in their forties. Balding accountants if I remember correctly, he had little contact with them. And I'm not sure if the point of my story is the famous are sui generis renegades or that those writing obits don't know these people who will usually tell you everything if you just ask.
I was sitting next to him in a restaurant. Manchester, England, England.
That was Tony Wilson's specialty. You should watch "24 Hour Party People," it's not fully accurate but you'll learn about the scene with all the bands that were huge in the U.K. that never made it over here. About the Hacienda nightclub which went broke because who wants to buy drinks when you're listening to dance music?
And Tony was not afraid of drugs, he did his share.
And every year he had a conference, In The City, where he'd invite those who never get to go to the usual suspect conventions. Like Hank Shocklee, who worked with Public Enemy. He was right there, you could talk to him.
And Mick Rock, the photographer, and all kinds of icons you know from the credits but never seem to run into on the street.
Like Kim Fowley.
In the seventies and eighties you'd occasionally see him around. He was tall. He looked like a cross between Richard Kiel and Frankenstein. He was imposing.
But up close and personal...I wouldn't exactly say he was a pussycat, but he was engaging, he didn't boast, but if you asked him questions he was glad to wax rhapsodic and add to the myth.
And what shocked me was the story of the twins.
And Kim told a good story. About the contrast between his family and hers. I think they got married, but it didn't last long. And then he had nothing to do with his kids, he was off in his rock and roll lifestyle.
But rock and roll never forgets. And neither did Kim Fowley.
And what Kim did best was embellish his legend. He was from an era where publicity was about manipulation and the only people who knew the truth were those who were spinning. An era when the legend was more interesting.
And Kim Fowley turned the Runaways into legends. Even though they never had a hit. The albums had no chance. They came out on Mercury, which was even worse than RCA.
And this was in an era when if radio didn't play it, it's like it didn't even exist. Few purchased LPs they hadn't heard previously, especially when the reviews were not spectacular.
So Kim Fowley willed himself into being a star.
But underneath it was a passion for the music, and the hustle.
He was a character.
And the truth is the music business is still run by characters.
Pay attention to those playing with their own money. They have tales to tell.
And Kim Fowley told me quite a few that night nearly a decade back.
I can't remember them all.
But I've had a soft spot for the gentle giant ever since.
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That's right, when he was a teenager he knocked up his girlfriend and by time I spoke with Kim in Manchester they were in their forties. Balding accountants if I remember correctly, he had little contact with them. And I'm not sure if the point of my story is the famous are sui generis renegades or that those writing obits don't know these people who will usually tell you everything if you just ask.
I was sitting next to him in a restaurant. Manchester, England, England.
That was Tony Wilson's specialty. You should watch "24 Hour Party People," it's not fully accurate but you'll learn about the scene with all the bands that were huge in the U.K. that never made it over here. About the Hacienda nightclub which went broke because who wants to buy drinks when you're listening to dance music?
And Tony was not afraid of drugs, he did his share.
And every year he had a conference, In The City, where he'd invite those who never get to go to the usual suspect conventions. Like Hank Shocklee, who worked with Public Enemy. He was right there, you could talk to him.
And Mick Rock, the photographer, and all kinds of icons you know from the credits but never seem to run into on the street.
Like Kim Fowley.
In the seventies and eighties you'd occasionally see him around. He was tall. He looked like a cross between Richard Kiel and Frankenstein. He was imposing.
But up close and personal...I wouldn't exactly say he was a pussycat, but he was engaging, he didn't boast, but if you asked him questions he was glad to wax rhapsodic and add to the myth.
And what shocked me was the story of the twins.
And Kim told a good story. About the contrast between his family and hers. I think they got married, but it didn't last long. And then he had nothing to do with his kids, he was off in his rock and roll lifestyle.
But rock and roll never forgets. And neither did Kim Fowley.
And what Kim did best was embellish his legend. He was from an era where publicity was about manipulation and the only people who knew the truth were those who were spinning. An era when the legend was more interesting.
And Kim Fowley turned the Runaways into legends. Even though they never had a hit. The albums had no chance. They came out on Mercury, which was even worse than RCA.
And this was in an era when if radio didn't play it, it's like it didn't even exist. Few purchased LPs they hadn't heard previously, especially when the reviews were not spectacular.
So Kim Fowley willed himself into being a star.
But underneath it was a passion for the music, and the hustle.
He was a character.
And the truth is the music business is still run by characters.
Pay attention to those playing with their own money. They have tales to tell.
And Kim Fowley told me quite a few that night nearly a decade back.
I can't remember them all.
But I've had a soft spot for the gentle giant ever since.
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New Reading Glasses
"The clerk is a jerk."
That's what Jeff Garlin told Marc Maron.
Actually, that's what Jeff Garlin's mother told Jeff. That you want to talk to the MANAGER!
Maybe it's a Jewish shtick, but my father was full of these aphorisms. Like you need to see the BIG DOCTOR! Especially in L.A., where they're available. You want an opinion from the expert, someone with experience who sees what you've got every day. As my father put it, "Schnooks get shat on." If you're just being nice to everybody and fielding what's coming along you're gonna lose out.
Or are you?
My prescription changed.
I no longer see the ophthalmologist, I now see the optometrist. I know, this is a crime. But it turns out ophthalmologists only care about surgery, big problems, and if you just want new contacts...
I saw an ophthalmologist in the Palisades who prescribed lenses that made my eyes burn. And I've been wearing contacts since I was sixteen. And I have a high threshold of pain. And then a friend told me about Dr. Richard Silver...
He doesn't need my endorsement. He doesn't need more patients. As it is, you can wait months to see him, in either Santa Monica or the Valley, but this guy is a contact lens EXPERT! And he's got you sitting in front of so many machines, testing your vision, that no ophthalmologist ever did with me, that I'm a believer. See him.
And I did see him, last week. And for the first time in a decade, my reading glasses prescription changed.
That's right, by wearing rigid gas permeable lenses, the ones almost no one does, I not only get the best vision, they act as a retainer, and your eyes don't change. But in this case they did, a little, tiny bit. My prescription went from +1.25 to +1.50.
I know, you're laughing. You're in the 3's or 4's.
But by being nearsighted and wearing the rigid gas permeable lenses I've got baby reading glasses, but I need them.
And I buy this Microvision product: http://www.microvisionoptical.com
Listen up people, especially you guys. You don't want to go to the restaurant and be unable to see the menu. But you don't want to bring your glasses, with no place to put them so you lose them. But if you buy the folding glasses, which fit in a tiny little case, you'll always be able to bring them with you.
These are the ones I buy: http://www.microvisionoptical.com/shop-glasses/folding-vision/premiumrx-able.html
And if you go to that page, you'll see you can order them with +1.50 lenses, so problem solved, right?
Wrong. You need the prescription lenses. That's what I've always been told.
So I go to the eyeglass counter...
Let's start at the beginning. I go at 12:15. Can you go anywhere at 12:15? Isn't that when everybody takes lunch?
Those are the thoughts that go through my head, I have OCD.
And when I get there the only person working is a woman I've never seen before.
Mmm... I want a pro. The regular guy. Who I've been using for a decade. Should I come back?
NO! That's not only too OCD, it's discriminatory. Am I really not going to use the woman? That's OFFENSIVE!
So I sit down, and she can't find the number. She's looking all over the frames, I figure she's scanning for the brand name, which I know, Microvision, but she says she needs a number.
And when she doesn't find one she whips out a ruler.
And my anxiety starts to rise. Is she being exact? I'm gonna wear these each and every day!
And then she wants to know if I need anti-reflective coating and polycarbonate lenses.
I don't know. But I need the best. So I ask her.
And she tells me to do NOTHING!
That's right. The glasses came with +1.50 lenses, I should wear them for a week, see if I like them. After all, she's just gonna put in the same lenses herself!
Huh?
Yup, Microvision used plastic, she's gonna use plastic.
No difference?
Well, maybe the width between my eyeballs.
So she measures me. And says she's gonna measure the lenses already in the glasses.
And I'm thinking I've got such bad OCD and I need everything perfect and this woman is gonna save me money and the stock lenses are o.k. and then she comes back and asks...DO YOU READ A LOT?
Do I read a lot, that's all I DO!
Well, if that's so, then Robert says you want the prescription lenses.
LET ME SPEAK TO ROBERT!
And I hear my father's voice echoing in my brain. Why did I waste time with this jerk. I need the EXPERT!
And Robert comes in and measures the difference between my eyeballs and it's DIFFERENT from the measurement the girl got.
Furthermore, he tests the already installed lenses and discovers the center point on each is different, by a wide margin.
So I was right to begin with. Not only did I need prescription lenses, I needed the big guy, the manager.
Life's such a hassle. Do I have to struggle over everything?
I guess I do!
WTF Podcast, Episode 567 - Jeff Garlin: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_567_-_jeff_garlin
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That's what Jeff Garlin told Marc Maron.
Actually, that's what Jeff Garlin's mother told Jeff. That you want to talk to the MANAGER!
Maybe it's a Jewish shtick, but my father was full of these aphorisms. Like you need to see the BIG DOCTOR! Especially in L.A., where they're available. You want an opinion from the expert, someone with experience who sees what you've got every day. As my father put it, "Schnooks get shat on." If you're just being nice to everybody and fielding what's coming along you're gonna lose out.
Or are you?
My prescription changed.
I no longer see the ophthalmologist, I now see the optometrist. I know, this is a crime. But it turns out ophthalmologists only care about surgery, big problems, and if you just want new contacts...
I saw an ophthalmologist in the Palisades who prescribed lenses that made my eyes burn. And I've been wearing contacts since I was sixteen. And I have a high threshold of pain. And then a friend told me about Dr. Richard Silver...
He doesn't need my endorsement. He doesn't need more patients. As it is, you can wait months to see him, in either Santa Monica or the Valley, but this guy is a contact lens EXPERT! And he's got you sitting in front of so many machines, testing your vision, that no ophthalmologist ever did with me, that I'm a believer. See him.
And I did see him, last week. And for the first time in a decade, my reading glasses prescription changed.
That's right, by wearing rigid gas permeable lenses, the ones almost no one does, I not only get the best vision, they act as a retainer, and your eyes don't change. But in this case they did, a little, tiny bit. My prescription went from +1.25 to +1.50.
I know, you're laughing. You're in the 3's or 4's.
But by being nearsighted and wearing the rigid gas permeable lenses I've got baby reading glasses, but I need them.
And I buy this Microvision product: http://www.microvisionoptical.com
Listen up people, especially you guys. You don't want to go to the restaurant and be unable to see the menu. But you don't want to bring your glasses, with no place to put them so you lose them. But if you buy the folding glasses, which fit in a tiny little case, you'll always be able to bring them with you.
These are the ones I buy: http://www.microvisionoptical.com/shop-glasses/folding-vision/premiumrx-able.html
And if you go to that page, you'll see you can order them with +1.50 lenses, so problem solved, right?
Wrong. You need the prescription lenses. That's what I've always been told.
So I go to the eyeglass counter...
Let's start at the beginning. I go at 12:15. Can you go anywhere at 12:15? Isn't that when everybody takes lunch?
Those are the thoughts that go through my head, I have OCD.
And when I get there the only person working is a woman I've never seen before.
Mmm... I want a pro. The regular guy. Who I've been using for a decade. Should I come back?
NO! That's not only too OCD, it's discriminatory. Am I really not going to use the woman? That's OFFENSIVE!
So I sit down, and she can't find the number. She's looking all over the frames, I figure she's scanning for the brand name, which I know, Microvision, but she says she needs a number.
And when she doesn't find one she whips out a ruler.
And my anxiety starts to rise. Is she being exact? I'm gonna wear these each and every day!
And then she wants to know if I need anti-reflective coating and polycarbonate lenses.
I don't know. But I need the best. So I ask her.
And she tells me to do NOTHING!
That's right. The glasses came with +1.50 lenses, I should wear them for a week, see if I like them. After all, she's just gonna put in the same lenses herself!
Huh?
Yup, Microvision used plastic, she's gonna use plastic.
No difference?
Well, maybe the width between my eyeballs.
So she measures me. And says she's gonna measure the lenses already in the glasses.
And I'm thinking I've got such bad OCD and I need everything perfect and this woman is gonna save me money and the stock lenses are o.k. and then she comes back and asks...DO YOU READ A LOT?
Do I read a lot, that's all I DO!
Well, if that's so, then Robert says you want the prescription lenses.
LET ME SPEAK TO ROBERT!
And I hear my father's voice echoing in my brain. Why did I waste time with this jerk. I need the EXPERT!
And Robert comes in and measures the difference between my eyeballs and it's DIFFERENT from the measurement the girl got.
Furthermore, he tests the already installed lenses and discovers the center point on each is different, by a wide margin.
So I was right to begin with. Not only did I need prescription lenses, I needed the big guy, the manager.
Life's such a hassle. Do I have to struggle over everything?
I guess I do!
WTF Podcast, Episode 567 - Jeff Garlin: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_567_-_jeff_garlin
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Monday 19 January 2015
The Fall Line
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/The-Fall-Line/
What does it take to win?
The new age snake oil salesmen will tell you it's all about attitude.
The Silicon Valley titans will tell you it's all about failing.
But the truth is it's a feeling deep inside that you can succeed, followed up by tons of practice and sacrifice, oftentimes by your loved ones, and then a ton of luck plopped on top. Are you ready?
No, most people are not. Most people don't want to miss out on the pleasures of life. The prom, the tv series, all the rites of passage. But the truth is our winners miss out on so much to grab the brass ring. And you might know their names for a fraction of a second, they may ultimately become footnotes. But they are our beacons. They point the way. And after finishing Nathaniel Vinton's "The Fall Line" I'm pondering my own next journey in life.
You've got to have a goal. And unlike the boastful rappers, you've got to hew to it when you're sick and hurt and nearly defeated. Because success is never about spin, that can factor in, but it's always about effort. Which most people are unwilling to make.
Yes, "The Fall Line" is about skiing. But except for the last third, which is competition dominated, anyone would be riveted. It's the story of Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller and the U.S. Ski Team, how they all convened at the Olympics in Whistler, Canada for success.
So Lindsey Vonn is skiing laps at 310' Buck Hill, Minnesota under the lights. First you've got to have the passion, the desire. If what you're doing is not fun, turn around and go in another direction.
Bode Miller is bombing the icy slopes of Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire on ill-fitting borrowed equipment, having been dropped off there by his hippie parents every afternoon.
And there you have the dichotomy. The daughter of upper middle class attorneys who moved their family to Vail, Colorado so their daughter could succeed and the son of counterculture parents who were lucky a friend granted a Sugarloaf, Maine ski academy scholarship to their son who was home-schooled.
And when they both have success, they both cope with it in different ways.
Lindsey deflects. She lets her team handle it.
Bode gets in the mix and speaks his truth. And anyone who's dealt with the press knows you never speak the truth.
So this is athletics. This is very different from the modern music business where oftentimes the star is just a face, all the work being done by ancient men most people are unaware of. In athletics you've got support, but it's only you on the field.
But America is fascinated with team sports. We lionize the individual but we pay fealty to the team. But going it alone is so much harder.
And there are only a couple of sports where you're out there completely alone. Tennis is one, golf another. But in tennis the conditions remain the same, or close to it. The golf courses change, but neither sport has an element of danger. In downhill skiing you can lose your life, or your leg, as one recent skier did.
And until recently there wasn't much money in it, certainly not for American skiers.
But in Europe downhillers are stars. And with the loosening of Olympic amateur rules and the corporatization of the world, it's now all about corporate sponsors. You can make a mint if you're a winner.
But it'll cost you. You've got to stop in New York to debut a watch even though you'd rather fly straight to Europe to compete. You've got to fly to Europe for the day, getting unbelievably jet-lagged in the seventy two hour turnaround. But you need the cash.
And here lies the difference between music and athletics. The corporate sponsors don't invade the field of athletic play, but they do in art. Can you forgo the cash and hew to the beat of your own drummer? Can you stand outside the system and do it your way, appealing to an audience of your own device?
With today's victory, Lindsey Vonn is the most successful woman ski racer of all time. She has 63 World Cup wins. And she's beautiful. And wealthy. And she dates Tiger Woods. But she's cold. You can't warm up to her.
Bode Miller is nearly as successful, a jangle of rough edges, and despite his excoriation by the press as a result of his lack of success at the 2006 Olympics, he's the people's favorite, those who pay attention. Because he's sui generis. He says what he thinks. And he never holds back.
We need people to believe in. And we're drawn to those who break the rules. Because the truth is we are not cookie-cutter, we're all unique in a world telling us to be like everybody else. So when someone wins on their own terms, we glom on. We want to believe we can do it our way and succeed.
And in skiing there's the twin issues of weather and course preparation. And the difference between medaling and not can be a hundredth of a second. That's what separates a winner from a loser. But you can't complain. Nobody likes a whiner, certainly not in sports.
Are you willing to practice when no one is watching? When no one will notice?
I became a great skier by going to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl when no one else would. When it was raining, when it was far below zero. Not because I wanted a medal, but because I loved it.
And my brief tenure on the ski team proved that it wasn't for me. They're jocks. With the concomitant practical jokes and hazing, all of which I hate.
But in the modern world everybody specializes. And if you don't start early, if you don't have parents who will support you, you have no chance. Kind of like the underprivileged kids living in poverty going to bad schools. Winning is ingrained at a young age.
And the winners in ski racing don't take it casually, they all go to academies, usually sponsored by the state. Because you've got to dedicate all your time if you want to succeed. That's the truth about the Silicon Valleyites, they're nerds who didn't date in high school who excelled to get into Stanford, you're just catching them in the last lap. And a lot of them fall by the wayside in the interim, very few "make it." But making it has nothing to do with social networks and shaving the edges, it's all about hard work, put in, once again, when no one is watching, never mind listening.
"Fall Line" is the "Hit Men" of ski racing. The inside story of what really goes on. The autocratic executives who mess with athletes' heads, never mind their careers. The ski contracts that not only allow you to get rich, but come with a supporting cast of characters that make the difference between victory and defeat.
That's right, if you tune in once every four years for ten minutes you'll see who emerges victorious. But you won't know that the skiers don't care about the Olympics, they care about the World Cup, a season-long endeavor, and you'll be unaware of all the hard work and heartbreak expended, not only by those who achieve, but those who don't.
What are your goals? What are you doing to achieve them? Like Bode Miller do you know that sometimes you've got to listen to criticism and sometimes you don't? After all, it's just you on the hill. Like Lindsey Vonn do you stand up to the team and make them play by your rules?
All of this and more is covered in "The Fall Line." I spent all day reading it. I couldn't put it down. You don't have to finish it.
But you don't have to be successful either.
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What does it take to win?
The new age snake oil salesmen will tell you it's all about attitude.
The Silicon Valley titans will tell you it's all about failing.
But the truth is it's a feeling deep inside that you can succeed, followed up by tons of practice and sacrifice, oftentimes by your loved ones, and then a ton of luck plopped on top. Are you ready?
No, most people are not. Most people don't want to miss out on the pleasures of life. The prom, the tv series, all the rites of passage. But the truth is our winners miss out on so much to grab the brass ring. And you might know their names for a fraction of a second, they may ultimately become footnotes. But they are our beacons. They point the way. And after finishing Nathaniel Vinton's "The Fall Line" I'm pondering my own next journey in life.
You've got to have a goal. And unlike the boastful rappers, you've got to hew to it when you're sick and hurt and nearly defeated. Because success is never about spin, that can factor in, but it's always about effort. Which most people are unwilling to make.
Yes, "The Fall Line" is about skiing. But except for the last third, which is competition dominated, anyone would be riveted. It's the story of Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller and the U.S. Ski Team, how they all convened at the Olympics in Whistler, Canada for success.
So Lindsey Vonn is skiing laps at 310' Buck Hill, Minnesota under the lights. First you've got to have the passion, the desire. If what you're doing is not fun, turn around and go in another direction.
Bode Miller is bombing the icy slopes of Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire on ill-fitting borrowed equipment, having been dropped off there by his hippie parents every afternoon.
And there you have the dichotomy. The daughter of upper middle class attorneys who moved their family to Vail, Colorado so their daughter could succeed and the son of counterculture parents who were lucky a friend granted a Sugarloaf, Maine ski academy scholarship to their son who was home-schooled.
And when they both have success, they both cope with it in different ways.
Lindsey deflects. She lets her team handle it.
Bode gets in the mix and speaks his truth. And anyone who's dealt with the press knows you never speak the truth.
So this is athletics. This is very different from the modern music business where oftentimes the star is just a face, all the work being done by ancient men most people are unaware of. In athletics you've got support, but it's only you on the field.
But America is fascinated with team sports. We lionize the individual but we pay fealty to the team. But going it alone is so much harder.
And there are only a couple of sports where you're out there completely alone. Tennis is one, golf another. But in tennis the conditions remain the same, or close to it. The golf courses change, but neither sport has an element of danger. In downhill skiing you can lose your life, or your leg, as one recent skier did.
And until recently there wasn't much money in it, certainly not for American skiers.
But in Europe downhillers are stars. And with the loosening of Olympic amateur rules and the corporatization of the world, it's now all about corporate sponsors. You can make a mint if you're a winner.
But it'll cost you. You've got to stop in New York to debut a watch even though you'd rather fly straight to Europe to compete. You've got to fly to Europe for the day, getting unbelievably jet-lagged in the seventy two hour turnaround. But you need the cash.
And here lies the difference between music and athletics. The corporate sponsors don't invade the field of athletic play, but they do in art. Can you forgo the cash and hew to the beat of your own drummer? Can you stand outside the system and do it your way, appealing to an audience of your own device?
With today's victory, Lindsey Vonn is the most successful woman ski racer of all time. She has 63 World Cup wins. And she's beautiful. And wealthy. And she dates Tiger Woods. But she's cold. You can't warm up to her.
Bode Miller is nearly as successful, a jangle of rough edges, and despite his excoriation by the press as a result of his lack of success at the 2006 Olympics, he's the people's favorite, those who pay attention. Because he's sui generis. He says what he thinks. And he never holds back.
We need people to believe in. And we're drawn to those who break the rules. Because the truth is we are not cookie-cutter, we're all unique in a world telling us to be like everybody else. So when someone wins on their own terms, we glom on. We want to believe we can do it our way and succeed.
And in skiing there's the twin issues of weather and course preparation. And the difference between medaling and not can be a hundredth of a second. That's what separates a winner from a loser. But you can't complain. Nobody likes a whiner, certainly not in sports.
Are you willing to practice when no one is watching? When no one will notice?
I became a great skier by going to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl when no one else would. When it was raining, when it was far below zero. Not because I wanted a medal, but because I loved it.
And my brief tenure on the ski team proved that it wasn't for me. They're jocks. With the concomitant practical jokes and hazing, all of which I hate.
But in the modern world everybody specializes. And if you don't start early, if you don't have parents who will support you, you have no chance. Kind of like the underprivileged kids living in poverty going to bad schools. Winning is ingrained at a young age.
And the winners in ski racing don't take it casually, they all go to academies, usually sponsored by the state. Because you've got to dedicate all your time if you want to succeed. That's the truth about the Silicon Valleyites, they're nerds who didn't date in high school who excelled to get into Stanford, you're just catching them in the last lap. And a lot of them fall by the wayside in the interim, very few "make it." But making it has nothing to do with social networks and shaving the edges, it's all about hard work, put in, once again, when no one is watching, never mind listening.
"Fall Line" is the "Hit Men" of ski racing. The inside story of what really goes on. The autocratic executives who mess with athletes' heads, never mind their careers. The ski contracts that not only allow you to get rich, but come with a supporting cast of characters that make the difference between victory and defeat.
That's right, if you tune in once every four years for ten minutes you'll see who emerges victorious. But you won't know that the skiers don't care about the Olympics, they care about the World Cup, a season-long endeavor, and you'll be unaware of all the hard work and heartbreak expended, not only by those who achieve, but those who don't.
What are your goals? What are you doing to achieve them? Like Bode Miller do you know that sometimes you've got to listen to criticism and sometimes you don't? After all, it's just you on the hill. Like Lindsey Vonn do you stand up to the team and make them play by your rules?
All of this and more is covered in "The Fall Line." I spent all day reading it. I couldn't put it down. You don't have to finish it.
But you don't have to be successful either.
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Sunday 18 January 2015
Google Glass
Killed by the public, the press gave it a free pass.
That's right, for years we were subjected to fawning stories about this idiotic product in the mainstream press. There were numerous pictures of Sergey and Larry at parties, looking like the dorks that they are, until suddenly barroom backlash surfaced in San Francisco and the media woke up to the fact that Google Glass might be an undesired product.
And there you have the modern media paradigm in a nutshell. The nitwit organizations trumpet everything made by people with money and the truth comes from the public. The inane writers tell us every movie and album is good until someone checks the sales charts thereafter and finds out that they're stiffs.
How did this happen? How did reporters seeking out truth miss it?
Because they saw themselves as reporters and not analysts, just getting the facts, giving credence to every contrary opinion. Just like on TV all the anchors employ happy talk, all writers believe if you don't contain the opposite viewpoint in your article you're not doing your job. And that opinion should be left...on the opinion page. So therefore, newspapers have turned into sales catalogs, no wonder the younger generation ignores them.
And if someone is rich or powerful, they get a compete pass. As if being rich makes you smart or infallible. Oh, that's right, the rich are "job creators" who must pay less taxes in order to keep our country humming. Without private equity, the rank and file would be able to keep their jobs, companies not being merged and sent overseas... Wait, that's right, these guys are in it for themselves, and the stockholders, corporations are people you know... Make me puke.
But this has been the story of the twenty first century. How the rich and powerful and their complacent media think the world is headed one way and it turns out the public is going somewhere else.
Why would anyone want a file when they could buy a CD?
Why would anyone not want to see a movie in a theatre?
Why would anyone want to read the reporting of nobodies when we've got authorities who are members of a cabal beholden to and enthralled by those who pay them...the advertisers and the rich and powerful.
And now this same press has gone on record that the Apple Watch will fail. Probably because they don't know what to do with the Cartiers and Rolexes they wear to the Metropolitan Costume Ball. But at least there's rationale for a connected watch, eliminating the endless removal of your phone from your pocket to learn what's going on. What was the rationale for Google Glass?
None. Just that some techies could make it. But in this case some rich and powerful techies who owned desktop search, as if that were forever.
Notice Google's stock lately? Realize that the company's ads for search model is challenged on the handset?
Nothing is forever in tech.
And the mainstream media is doing a good job of driving itself off a cliff.
The "New York Times," the doyenne of paperdom, keeps laying people off, not realizing, like every experienced businessman, that in times of trouble you DOUBLE DOWN! You employ a scorched earth policy and take market share.
TV has turned its news into an entertainment profit center, not realizing that people go online for news the same way they go online for music videos, and that if you lose the audience's trust via the evisceration of your credibility, you're toast.
And then the mainstream press pooh-poohs Occupy Wall Street and Ferguson and chokehold protest coverage because those people are poor and it's not sexy. They'd rather speak to the head of the police union or Bill de Blasio, who is in charge of the people?
No one. We have no spokesperson. And we used to rely on the media to get the story out. And it's not doing a terrible job, but it could do such a better one.
How about the public editor of the "New York Times" doing a story into how much of the content has been pitched?
How about listing hype as such?
How about looking at the world in a critical way.
I love tech, I love gadgets, but never did I have a desire for Google Glass. Forget that it had no functions useful to me, IT LOOKED DORKY! Didn't anybody in media realize this? With all those fashion reporters?
But that's the other story of modern life. You're building your own personal brand, and the best way to do this is to piss off nobody, fawn over the rich, build your network, hell, LinkedIn is a raging success.
Just give me some truth.
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That's right, for years we were subjected to fawning stories about this idiotic product in the mainstream press. There were numerous pictures of Sergey and Larry at parties, looking like the dorks that they are, until suddenly barroom backlash surfaced in San Francisco and the media woke up to the fact that Google Glass might be an undesired product.
And there you have the modern media paradigm in a nutshell. The nitwit organizations trumpet everything made by people with money and the truth comes from the public. The inane writers tell us every movie and album is good until someone checks the sales charts thereafter and finds out that they're stiffs.
How did this happen? How did reporters seeking out truth miss it?
Because they saw themselves as reporters and not analysts, just getting the facts, giving credence to every contrary opinion. Just like on TV all the anchors employ happy talk, all writers believe if you don't contain the opposite viewpoint in your article you're not doing your job. And that opinion should be left...on the opinion page. So therefore, newspapers have turned into sales catalogs, no wonder the younger generation ignores them.
And if someone is rich or powerful, they get a compete pass. As if being rich makes you smart or infallible. Oh, that's right, the rich are "job creators" who must pay less taxes in order to keep our country humming. Without private equity, the rank and file would be able to keep their jobs, companies not being merged and sent overseas... Wait, that's right, these guys are in it for themselves, and the stockholders, corporations are people you know... Make me puke.
But this has been the story of the twenty first century. How the rich and powerful and their complacent media think the world is headed one way and it turns out the public is going somewhere else.
Why would anyone want a file when they could buy a CD?
Why would anyone not want to see a movie in a theatre?
Why would anyone want to read the reporting of nobodies when we've got authorities who are members of a cabal beholden to and enthralled by those who pay them...the advertisers and the rich and powerful.
And now this same press has gone on record that the Apple Watch will fail. Probably because they don't know what to do with the Cartiers and Rolexes they wear to the Metropolitan Costume Ball. But at least there's rationale for a connected watch, eliminating the endless removal of your phone from your pocket to learn what's going on. What was the rationale for Google Glass?
None. Just that some techies could make it. But in this case some rich and powerful techies who owned desktop search, as if that were forever.
Notice Google's stock lately? Realize that the company's ads for search model is challenged on the handset?
Nothing is forever in tech.
And the mainstream media is doing a good job of driving itself off a cliff.
The "New York Times," the doyenne of paperdom, keeps laying people off, not realizing, like every experienced businessman, that in times of trouble you DOUBLE DOWN! You employ a scorched earth policy and take market share.
TV has turned its news into an entertainment profit center, not realizing that people go online for news the same way they go online for music videos, and that if you lose the audience's trust via the evisceration of your credibility, you're toast.
And then the mainstream press pooh-poohs Occupy Wall Street and Ferguson and chokehold protest coverage because those people are poor and it's not sexy. They'd rather speak to the head of the police union or Bill de Blasio, who is in charge of the people?
No one. We have no spokesperson. And we used to rely on the media to get the story out. And it's not doing a terrible job, but it could do such a better one.
How about the public editor of the "New York Times" doing a story into how much of the content has been pitched?
How about listing hype as such?
How about looking at the world in a critical way.
I love tech, I love gadgets, but never did I have a desire for Google Glass. Forget that it had no functions useful to me, IT LOOKED DORKY! Didn't anybody in media realize this? With all those fashion reporters?
But that's the other story of modern life. You're building your own personal brand, and the best way to do this is to piss off nobody, fawn over the rich, build your network, hell, LinkedIn is a raging success.
Just give me some truth.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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