wiredfool

Well, Napster has started filtering specific “copywritten” works of music. They’re blocking 4 songs. I’d venture a guess that about 100% of the songs listed on their system have copyright, if not the song, then the specific performance.

Not that it really matters to me, since there are maybe 5 mp3’s on my systems where I don’t own a corresponding cd. I’ve always found Napster to be a bit of a pain, since what I’m looking for is seldom availiable, and what I can find seldom transfers. Maybe it’s my client, maybe it’s because I’m behind a NAT device.

But a couple of nights ago, I was walking out of “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou”, and started to have a song running through my head. Not one that’s on the soundtrack, not one that I even know what album it’s on. Just one that I heard on “American Routes” months ago. “So Lonesome I Could Cry”, by Hank Williams Sr. It’s the sort of thing that I would love to grab and listen to a couple of times, then it will moulder on a drive until I upgrade machines. I searched, I found, I listened, My mind is clear again. Of course, it took 5 attempts at downloads but I did get the file.

As a side note, “Oh Brother” is a great movie, well worth seeing. I have respect for George Clooney as an actor now.

Programs encapsulate expertise.

Bruce Schneier – as heard on npr, Commenting on Digital Rights Management.