Boing Boing: Ashcroft declares "most aggressive assault" on piracy in US history

As a painter, I value my intellectural property. I don't want somebody or some company taking my images and exploiting them to sell stuff (not that this is a likely event). That said, it is really hard to sympathize with the giant record companies. They have been raking in squillions and squillions of americanos exploiting musicians since my dad was listening to his Wingy Minone and Kid Ory 78s.
Spending more money on FBI agents is just silly. Passing laws to criminalize "passive sharing" is scary. The recording industry didn't anticipate that their entire distribution network might just become obsolete, and now they are behind the 8 ball. It is sad, particularly for the 'working musicians' out there, who might be able to make a go of it if they sell a few thousand CDs. The world changes though, and we adapt.

Look, I enjoy plenty of "big name musicians". We bought the latest Tom Waits CD this week, and also the new one by Steve Earle. However, I'm ready to see a big change in how we look at music in our lives. Maybe it's time for more of what Michelle Shocked calls "home-made jam". I'd love to see more and more people pick up instruments and play music with their friends and family, and in their community. That's my plan. I've been playing the squeeze box, learning a bunch of Portuguese corridinhos and viras, perfect in my little west Toronto neighbourhood. I didn't start playing until I reached my 40s. Now there is the Alpine button box and the piano accordion...and, well, I have a chromatic button accordion at home now too. We have scrub-boards, and castinets and tamborines and shakers and you name it....so everyone can participate. It turns out it is great fun, and challenging, and really worthwhile (and if there is anyone out there who wants to bring over an instrument so we can play together, let's make friends over a few tunes).