I wanted to compare myself to a nation today, but I can't quite think of a nation that fits how I'm feeling right now. For example, yesterday I was feeling very American. The day before that somebody told, "Don't be so German." I don't know what prompted that remark, but I think it had to do with they way I was walking. My goal this summer was to act very Polish, however that ended as soon as I put in my air conditioner. It's impossible to put a Polish facade while basking in the comfort of air-conditioned room.

Anyway, I'm trying to think of a nation whose character could best be described as apologetic. You see, I feel sorry for stealing some 3,000 odd songs from the internet via downloading. And I don't think my apologies could ever fit the seriousness of this crime unless I descriped by apologies in terms of something huge, such as a nation.

The RIAA (some evil acronym that claims to represent all recording artists, as well as the big five record companies) is appealing to the Justice Department to help them take down peer to peer file swapping sites, and to also go after the million plus citizens who are accessing these sites.

At the time being I don't think Mr. Ashcroft is too worried about internet pirates, but that's what makes the whole situation much more dangerous. The RIAA could tell Mr. Ashcroft these file-sharing sites are places people assemble to make fun of the pledge of allegiance. Next think you know I'm sittiing in front of a judge with my hard-drives guts layed out all over the courtroom. Not only do I steal music off the net, but I've downloaded some pretty untasteful material. It should go without saying the untasteful material is copyrighted material as well. In the end, it's all stealing.

I bought my first digital CD off the web last night: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, by the Replacements. It cost me $9.99 from liqued audio. I don't know where that $9.99 is actually going, and I'm willing to bet Paul Westerburg and the rest of the Mats don't either. One step forward, two steps back.

Their are polarized forces that are shaping the way people view digital music. One of them is file sharing sites, which encourages unlimited freedom to download anything you desire. Therr argument, or rationale, for free music is that record companies don't provide the services or the goods that customers desire, while at the same time screwing the artists out of money through bogus record contracts. The other polar force at work here, the RIAA, says they should have the power to regulate and control digital music on the web. They say file sharing sites are illegal and are ruining the record industry. Which one of these forces is greedier: the RIAA who make an absorbinant amount of money off people who create music, or file sharing sites who do the exact same thing?

Downloading music from Audiogalaxy turned me on to countless new bands. I ended up buying records from indie bands that I never heard of before, and would have never been exposed to had it not been for file sharing. In essence, Audiogalaxy helped indie bands sell records (as is my case). But at the same time Audiogalaxy was making money. Then the RIAA entered the scenerio and sued the crap out of Audiogalaxy. Audiogalaxy settled and gave the RIAA the money they made.

Now what does the RIAA turn around and do? Do they seek out all the idie labels or bands that were so heavily promoted on Audiogalaxy, and attempt to give some money back, or do they throw a huge 20 million dollar birthday jubilee for Sting? My bet is they don't have don't have the owners of Jade Tree records records on the phone right now inviting them to Sting's Birthday Party.

For more information on this subject, please visit the Future of Music Coalition