How desparate is the recording industry? Check out the current poll question on the Grammy site:

My New Year’s resolution

• Pay for my downloads
• Investigate the new online music services
• Watch the Michael Jackson trial
• More music, less Grand Theft Auto

The obvious hope of the industry is that you’ll only consider these options, that even on a subliminal level you won’t consider a resolution to download MORE unlicensed music, that you’ll make a resolution to IGNORE the online music services, and that you’ll turn off the celebraty culture by IGNORING Michael Jackson, and that you’ll do any number of other things than BUY their crappy schlock.

My new year’s resolution: Do my fair share to DESTROY the music industry as we now know it. And I don’t need to use peer-to-peer services or illegally copy discs to do it. All I need is to concentrate my purchasing power on the better music of yesteryear (which can be bought used at incredible prices, with no profit for the record labels), and the better music of small-label and independent artists. This will keep most (if not all) of my money out of the hands of the greedy bastards at BMG, Sony, Venvidi and the like. I also resolve not to listen to the radio, to boycott MTV and VH1 and CMT.

LaDainian Tomlinson became the first player in history today to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season and catch at least 100 passes.

Today, LT also set a career high with 243 yards rushing. It was his fourth career 200-yard game, tying him for second on the all-time list with Jim Brown, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders. O.J. Simpson holds the record with six. LT is only in his third year in the NFL.

And Tomlinson is doing this behind an offensive line that pretty much sucks, with a QB that is interception prone, for a team that usually falls behind in the first quarter and never gets in a position to exploit the run like it should.

Yet, Tomlinson isn’t going to the Pro-Bowl. Can you believe it?

I hope the Chargers stay in San Diego, because I sure what to see what this guy can do with his career. A lot of commentators think he may wind up as one of the greatest running backs ever. He’s got speed, strength, moves, durability, good hands and a will to win. Drafting him is the only thing the Chargers have done right over the last decade or so.

The best thing I like about LT? When he scores, he doesn’t dance, he doesn’t spike, he doesn’t run into the stands, he doesn’t pull sharpies or cell phones from hidden spaces — he simply lays the ball on the ground and slaps one of his lineman on the helmet to thank him. Now, that’s how a pro plays the game.

Glenn Reynolds takes on registration.

A few counter points:

1. People register for news sites. All of the Belo and Tribune Co. papers that have registration are getting traffic numbers as good or better than they did before registration.
2. Around two percent of people registering for VenturaCountyStar.com (we initiated registration Dec. 1) have used bogus e-mail addresses. Most people are truthful when filling out registration forms.
3. Most people answer all of the questions on the registration form. Belo’s research showed that forms that ask all of the questions a reasonable publisher might want answered are not a barriers to registration.
4. The reason a local newspaper can get away with registration is local newspapers, in today’s non-competitive metro markets, provide a unique product. The markets for national and international news and commentary are flooded, but each local market usually has only one major news source (the disclaimer being that teevee news stations usually do a piss-poor job of covering their regions). That means you either register to get the local news, or you don’t get the local news, at least online.

Glenn writes:

The Web’s a big place, and I can usually do that. But the sheer stupidity of these schemes irritates me. What are these people thinking? I think that they’re thinking like local-monopoly newspaperists, that’s what. And that won’t work on the Web.

Harsh language, but obviously, I disagree. And I would challenge Glenn to say why it won’t work. Where is he going to get his local news if not from his local newspaper or his local news web site?

On that last point above, let me add, in answer to another one of Glenn’s assertions — getting an extra 2,000 hits from an Instapundit link is a lot of fun for a news site, but it doesn’t generate much revenue. Where local news sites can potentially make money is by leveraging their relationship with loyal, repeat users, the kind of users who are going to register, not one-time, “gee that’s an interesting link” readers. There just isn’t enough revenue in banner advertising, pop-ups or no pop-ups, to rely on heavy traffic alone.

There are lots of potential revenue streams for newspapers online, but it’s foolhardy to think online news will survive long-term relying on only one or two revenue-generating tactics. The progressive, successful online news source must leverage banner ads, creative use of print advertising, clever classified strategies, special interest sites, ecommerce and registration, where registration is used to target banners and opt-in e-mail.

And let me stress: OPT-IN. It’s not spam. It’s an e-mail program compelling enough to attract people to it, because they’re going to hear about products and services of interest, and get great discounts. Of course, news sites that violate a customers’ trust and privacy are going to find themselves with a lot of angry users and a bad reputation, so the motivation is strong for web sites to obey opt-in policies and opt-out promises.

Of course, as a blogger I realize site registration is decidedly not a good thing. Who wants to register for dozens of sites? Who wants to refer readers to sites behind registration walls. It destroys, as Glenn puts it, the transparency of web surfing. But as a guy who makes his living in the online-news game, I realize this is just something I’ve got to put up with. Online news is not mature enough as an industry to turn its back on any revenue opportunity. If you want online news, you’re going to have to put up with news sites trying things like registration in the hopes of generating the kind of revenue necessary to guarantee survival.

I don’t know what Glenn doesn’t like about CTNow.com’s registration process. It’s pretty standard stuff … asks all the appropriate questions, explains how the process works, and then works as it should the first time around. The only thing I didn’t like is the “opt-out” question, which I think is deceiving. Where most sites ask an opt-in question (”Do you want to receive …”), CTNow.com says, “Please don’t share my information … ” and you must click the box. If you’re not paying close enough attention, you could think you’re opting-out by not clicking the box (the converse practice of making you uncheck an opt-in question is also deceiving, but not as bad, IMHO, because it’s often enough used that users won’t be too surprised or mislead by it). Also, CTNow.com isn’t maintaining control of user data — if you don’t opt-out, CTNow.com can sell your information to third parties. As a consumer, I hate that. If I were a Hartford resident, I wouldn’t mind signing up for a target e-mail e-commerce newsletter, but I don’t want my private data, especially my e-mail address, to go to any company I don’t already have a relationship with.

But maybe that’s just me.

At any rate, face it folks. This train has left the station. By the end of 2004, almost every daily newspaper web site in the nation is going to require some form of registration. It’s inevitable and it’s necessary.

Regular readers know I’m a fan of the Trophy Husbands. I liked their brand of western country rock Arizona desert music. Unfortunately, TH is no more. Dave Insley and Kevin Daly are now pursuing separate career paths. Dave is planning a solo CD and Kevin has resurrected his band Grave Danger.

Daly is a Telecaster master, and Grave Danger, with just guitar, bass and drums, gives Daly ample room to stretch out his talent. The band’s energetic and tight mix of punk, surf and rockabilly makes any joint rock, and Friday night, the joint was the Red Cove Inn.

Opening was Santa Barbara’s Deadbillies.

I first heard the Deadbillies when they played on a multi-band bill that was supposedly a fundraiser to save a local rockabilly-themed coffee shop. Frankly, I wasn’t impressed. Their cover of “Harper Valley PTA” was kind of interesting, and I thought it was cool that they covered Johnny Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson,” but they didn’t strike me as a band that had been together long. And I was right.

Since then, I’ve seen them open for the Trophy Husbands, for Cowboy Nation and now for Grave Danger. They get better each time I see them. If there were a reward for most improved local band, the Deadbillies would likely get it.

In Ventura, on Christmas day, not a merchant was stirring, not even a fry cook …

Well, not quite, but close.

Billie and I got to the theater too late for the 2:15 showing of Elf, so we thought we’d try the 3:30 showing of Cold Mountain, but it was sold out, so we bought tickets for the 4:40 of Elf, which gave us a couple of hours to kill, so we thought we’d get something to eat. We reasoned, probably the only thing open on Christmas day were the restaurants and movie theaters.  That wasn’t quite right. The Muslim-owned 98+ Cent store was open (I bought an ashtray for my office and Billie bought a shower cap), and the gas stations were open. Oh, and every bar in town and half the liquor stores were open. If nothing else, you can drown your sorrows on Christmas day. It’s a little harder to get something to eat. We settled on Der Wienerschnitzel across the street from the closed McDonald’s. The Denny’s next door was open, but after standing for five minutes waiting to be seated, we decided they really didn’t want our business.

Elf is destined to be a Christmas classic. Entertaining throughout, and plenty of warm fuzzies at the end.

The picture with this post is a house up Seaward Avenue a bit. It’s my favorite yard decorations of the season.

I’ve never much feared earthquakes. I’m not one to dive under my desk when the shaking starts. Even after today’s had gone for 30 seconds (somebody in my office timed it at 45), I wasn’t worried about my personal safety. I did worry, however, about where the epicenter might be and what damage it was doing there. But I’ve always felt pretty safe riding these things out.

Loved this quote from Ross Stein, USGS, I overheard on CNN:

“As long as you don’t feel you’re in danger, it’s one of the great wonders of the world to feel sold rock shake like Jell-O.”

There’s been two quakes I’ve been through that felt like a joy ride — the 1983 Coalinga quake, and today’s. Those were two very different quakes for me. In 1983, I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB and was a jail guard with a group of inmates at breakfast. That quake felt like riding swells on the ocean. Today’s quake had no up-and-down motion. It felt like the side-to-side, back-and-forth motion of those crazy conveyor belts in a carnival funhouse.

That’s not to diminish the damage and hardships, death and destruction, quakes sometimes bring, as they did today. But I think I’d find a quake far less terrifying than, say, a tornado.

And I might add, only in California.

Sorry for the lack of posts — I just haven’t figured out yet how to have my hands on the keyboard and my guitar at the same time.

I warned you I had more self-penned songs coming.

Here’s my first love song: I’m A Man.

I need Layne’s help on getting better quality recordings.

And here’s a treat — I recorded “Woke Up This Morning” one more time, and it is better.

Earlier tonight, I told you about my new guitar.

And previously, I posted about a song I wrote called “Woke Up This Morning.”

Now here’s the song on the new guitar (with some significantly revised lyrics from the original version, plus I think I can play and sing it better now — don’t that Columbia is going to be giving me a recording contract any time soon).

And I’ve got more songs coming, just as soon as I get time to record them — luck you!

TIVO thinks I speak Spanish. TIVO thinks I like every crime drama on television. TIVO thinks I like sappy movies just because they’re on HBO. TIVO thinks I like more than a dozen sitcoms I hate. TIVO thinks a lot of things about me that aren’t true.

But one thing that is true — I like 1950s detective stories based in Los Angeles, with lots of fast talking, wise-ass attitude, men in grey suits and dames that would make your gin fizzle. How TIVO figured that out about me, I don’t know, but for the first time, tonight, TIVO taped a show that I dug and wouldn’t have found on my own: Racket Squad (Also available on DVD).

The dialog is banel. The plot predictable. The acting stilted. Even the editing is subpar. It’s so cheesy, only an idiot with no taste would hate it.

I’ve been dying to get an acoustic guitar for months. My plan was to wait until February or March when a little extra money might be coming my way, and maybe I could get a nice Gibson or Guild, but it’s been killing me not to have an acoustic, especially with the kind of stuff I’ve been playing and writing lately.

Today, a little extra money came in and I decided to get something inexpensive to tide me over, or maybe it will be a keeper, who knows? So I bought a Simon & Patrick SP6 Cedar. Great guitar. Sounds as good as many guitars costing twice as much or more. Sold wood. Handmade. 800-year-old timber. Seems well built from head to tail. It is just a rather plain looking instrument. It’s not this.

The SP6 might retain enough trade-in value should I decide to upgrade next year. At least I have something to record with for now.

Tony Pierce says, “there needs to be a health inspector for tv shows.”

Indeed.

But why is he watching this shit in the first place? Just cause some hot chick digs it? I’d find a new hot chick.

The Derby is a legendary place, and now I can say I’ve been there, coaxed as I was with the promise of good music and good people.

The Corvid’s played there tonight, but of course, you already knew that. If you weren’t there, I only assume it’s because you live too far away and were worried that if you made the trip, you wouldn’t make it home in time to get to work Monday morning.

It was a good time, a good crowd and good music.

Steve Poltz, formerly of the Rugburns, opened the show. Poltz is a pretty amazing singer-songwriter with an ability to craft witty and creative lyrics and meld them was superising and catchy melodies. I was impressed enough with his show to buy a CD from him at his full retail price of $15. (BTW: Poltz, as I just discovered, has a very cool web site. It even includes a blog.)

Layne’s band was, as expected, tight, loud and mezmerizing throughout its set. Layne has written a number of great songs. I can’t wait to hear them in all of their fully mastered, mixed and steam-dried glory on “Fought Down.”

My camera crapped out on me tonight, so I didn’t get as many pictures taken as I would like — my crowd shots would have included Tony Pierce, Cathy Seipp, Emmanuelle and Steve Smith, but none of them turned out — but here’s a slide show of what I did get of the band.

Glenn Franxman has a hot idea for combating spam.

I’m about to uninstall iTunes.

I had been thinking about installing iTunes for a few weeks, and when Bob Benz praised it in the comments to this post, I thought, “OK, maybe I’ll give it a try now.”

It’s been nothing but an exercise in frustration. The only way it works is if I turn my firewall off, which I really don’t want to do and shouldn’t have to do each time I want to use iTunes. The firewall logs seem to indicate that iTunes wants to do something on port 1433. I’ve tried giving it permission of port 1433, giving it precedence over using port 1433, even disabling my block on port 1433 (which is really a bad move for my particular system configuration), but that didn’t help. I also tried messing with port 1027, which is also normally blocked on my system. No go. I am stuck with my only option being to completely disable the firewall, as far as I can figure.

But that’s not my only complaint about iTunes — my biggest complaint is that there is no way to preview songs. You either buy and download or you don’t hear. That’s a deal breaker for me. If I’m going to pay for something, I want to ensure myself that I like it. If you know how to preview on iTunes, let me know, cause so far I can’t see it.

Speaking of file sharing and software — I did something really, really, really stupid a few weeks ago. I downloaded some free filesharing application. Download.com said it DIDN’T have any adware or spyware with it. Not true. I immediately uninstalled it, but by then it was too late. I haven’t been able to get rid of this crapware since. Adaware hasn’t helped. PestPatrol, which I paid $35 or something for, hasn’t helped. I’ve also manually searched and destroyed. No good.

My system is getting a little bloated anyway, so I guess I might as well bring out the weapons of mass destruction next month and reformat my hard drives and reinstall everything from OS on up. That is apparently the only way I’m going to get rid of the crapware on my system.

There was a time when I’d walk into a music store and walk out with four or five CDs every time. No more.

It’s not that I can’t find good music. I can. Lots of it. Tonight I looked at Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt, Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, Big Star, Big Sandy and Tom Russell. I would have bought all of them if I won the lottery recently.

And it seems like that’s what you need to do if you want to buy music these days. I mean, $17.99 for a CD? Christ, I’ve heard of hookers who come cheaper.

Maybe I’m spoiled. I’m used to buying used LPs for a buck a piece, used CDs for no more than $8, Columbia House specials, Amazon sales and free review-copy albums. Put a price on a CD of more than $10 and you get me thinking about all the music I’ve got at home that I’ve already paid for — more good stuff than I have time to listen to as it is, and more free and low-price stuff floating in all the time.

I just won’t pay those kinds of prices any more. Especially when I can get something like this for only $12.60.

Since I “released” my last song (those, of course, are real scare quotes), I’ve written two more songs. I mentioned one previously, and mentioned that I wasn’t playing it yet well enough to record it. Well now I’m playing it well, but still haven’t recorded a final version of it. Meantime, I’ve written a third song. It’s called (original title here), “Woke Up This Morning.” Download the MP3 here.

As always, I only ask for a few words in the comments  …
UPDATE: Buddy Blue gave me shit about the last line of the song … and since he’s a way better songwriter, I listened. I’ve changed the last line of the song (but I haven’t re-recorded it yet) to “Now I know I’ll never kill this memory”