#433 News and Stuff

When I listen to the radio, it's NPR.  When I watch TV news, it's usually BBC.  So I do get a lot of international news.  I get the local newspaper, but seldom get anything out of it beyond the crossword.  Background on international news is obtained from weekly news magazines.  So yes, I am aware of the situation in France.  No, I have no opinion as to the cause or the cure.  80% of the rioters don't either - they just joined in 'cause it looked like fun.  Ok?  I await the analysis of someone more tuned than I.  In the meantime, I worry about a few French acquaintances, although I guess the danger is to their cars or businesses more than their persons, so far, anyway.  

In news closer to home, my little world has righted itself.  Friend and I are on a different track than before, with a new and much clearer understanding.  I am content.  For the immediate future, anyway.

I will break my "no comment on the news" rule for an observation on two news items I came across recently:

Item 1:  The "free" television networks - you know, the ones who agree to let you watch their programming free in exchange for watching the commercials, i.e. ad-supported content - are worried that they are on their way out, undermined by recorders and cable - i.e. fee for content.  Their world is changing and they don't know how to respond.

Ok.

Item 2: Microsoft (fee for content) is worried that they will be losing market share to "free" software (ad-supported).  Their world is changing and they don't know how to respond.

Exactly the opposite from the TV folks.

There's something amusing about that.


~~Silk