Random Thoughts on Various Subjects

1. NEW YORK TIMES

The NYT has a problem. It can't compete with free. It also can't make money for free. The solution is to not be free.

The internet has hurt a lot of industries that are the buggy whip makers of our era. Record companies are going broke. Newspapers are going down the toilet. Even producers of pornography are feeling the pinch. Where is all this headed?

The beauty of the internet is that it is not tied to a physical medium except computer hardware and software. The old physical medium created barriers to entry. Not everyone could afford a printing press or whatnot and did not have the distribution channels that big media had. The internet changed all that.

But television and radio are not hurt by the internet. In fact, television and radio are as robust as ever. This is because they make their money from advertising. This is also why Google makes boatloads of cash from search. The only difference is that Google is a freerider on the work of others. They don't create the content. They simply are the portal to that content.

I know that I won't pay for content from the NYT or from the WSJ either. I like their product, but I can get my news for free from other sources. They can charge subscription fees and go behind the wall, but I'm not going to pay for it. It is as simple as that.

2. HAITI

The biggest problem with the Haiti crisis is not the earthquake and the aftermath or any lack of compassion from the USA. The problem is making sure charitable donations go to the intended recipients. This is something that has bothered me for a long time. In their headlong rush to help out Haitians, people may not be conscious of getting fleeced by unscrupulous individuals and organizations. Then, there is the government that utterly fucks up everything it touches. The most notable would be Wyclef Jean who is reported to have pocketed a great deal of cash intended for charitable work. The fact is that people give for emotional reasons instead of intellectual reasons. I think people should evaluate their giving with the same insight they would use for a business investment. In other words, they need to take the emotions out of it. The way to accomplish this is through regular charitable donations made before disasters hit. Do your homework and ignore the news just like you would with investing in low cost index funds.

<http://reason.com/blog/2010/01/17/yle-haiti-ready-or-not

3. OBAMA

When Obama was elected, I said he would turn out to be an utterly worthless piece of shit as a president. People disagreed with me by telling me to give the man a chance. One year later, I don't hear that shit anymore.

4. CONAN

I don't know what Conan will do, but I know what he should do. He should go to Fox and put on the edgiest and funniest show that he and his staff can create. The one thing that has come out of this debacle is that Conan has a loyal fan base, and Fox would be stupid not to go after him.

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