Salon has an article on MGM vs. Grokster (the hyper-linking lust of our hero sated, he promised to never use them again). It's rare I get to make any positive predictions about where the world's headed, but I think it's very unlikely the Supreme Court will rule against Grokster. Such a ruling would be completely nonsensical and unenforceable, and would just make them look bad. Whether copyright folks like it or not, stupid rules and petty authority don't hold as much sway on the internet, and if something isn't practical we'll find a way around it. And besides, those stupid rules were already beaten when the Supreme Court said that VCRs were cool, and it just seems very unlikely they'll reverse that now. And that's the way Alex sees the world.

Coming Soon: A Bad Sign
12:03 AM

I would like to update.

I'm a source on the music site MP3 4U. The Disney-lite ugliness aside, it's a neat site, and I like that more people will be exposed to the best song ever. If you want to see my profile, click here. Sadly, there's no way to give me feedback on how excellent my music is, but with any luck someday they'll revamp the site (text-only black on white would be better, guys) and include e-props or something.

A-melodically my life has been a rocking and a rolling recently. I went to the rodeo and saw Lynard Skynyrd. Sadly there it was Armed Forces night, which meant a lot of patriotism accompanied with the standard what-do-I-do-when-they're-all-saluting-the-flag quandry. I really hate flag-worship, and I don't like militaries, but I also don't like sitting when everybody is standing. Ultimately I settled on standing with hands in pockets, which I figured was both sufficiently conformist and disrespectful.

Lynard Skynyrd was very loud. If you are not hip to Southern Rock, almost all of LS died years ago in a plane crash. Only one member from the original band is still around. "A cover band keeping the name" has been one harsh but true appraisal of the present situation. Hilariously, they had a "then and now" video montage catching everyone up on who had died.

I plan to write a book. It will be about (surprise!) anarchism, and the Spanish Civil War, and life and death and Christianity and Islam. And, I would guess, other things. The very very basic plot is more or less settled in my mind now but there's still a lot of stuff that could change wildly so I won't commit myself there yet. But I will say I hope to start writing it before the summer's through. It will be what Argy's short-fiction teacher would call "genre fiction", or if he's being honest "shit fiction". Argy's short-fiction teacher was a snob. Vampires were banned from all writing! What sort of story can you make if you're not allowed to include vampires? All good writing includes undead.

There is a lot of fuss about Terry Schiavo right now. Some folks in the National Review are actually calling for the Governor to send in troops. Another guy rails about the courts and the big words they use. His example? "Respondent". As is increasingly the case, old Bill Buckley is the sole voice of reason, writing in his trademark "I am surrounded by madmen who will eat my ears off so I must code my message to you" style. I always have to read his stuff three times to figure out what he's actually saying, but I'm pretty sure he's for pulling the plug. Which, naturally, so am I. I don't know anyone who thinks otherwise, so I won't bother explaining why.

I started this an hour ago and I've forgotten about it for the last half hour. I'll post now.

Love,
Alex
12:15 AM