I could go through every argument in this blog post, and counter back with the good that comes from what journalists think is "bad."  I won't though.  I think this is just a natural reaction to how the music industry is evolving.  Journalists want to make it sound like labels can't survive without their reviews and labels know that journalists won't have content for their websites/magazines if they don't send them promos.  Guess what?  You both need each other.


http://newsblog.thecmuwebsite.com/post/7525-of-UK-music-journalists-against-digital-promos.aspx

"Sony Music is becoming the first UK major to abandon CD promos, in favour of an all-digital system."

“Digital promo is set to become an industry standard as other major and independent music companies also make the switch,” Doherty writes in an email to contacts."


http://kerascene.blogspot.com/2010/03/sony-set-for-digital-promo-switch.html

Outside of all of the pessimistic journalist views of digital promos, it's nice to read a refreshing, somewhat optimistic view:

"Now everything is digital, and quite honestly, I struggle with it. I feel like it has really devalued music, and in turn, the way I listen to it. Primarily on my shitty lap top speakers. But, what I have noticed, is that it has made me more critical. And with the excessive rubbish output of dance music these days, that’s really not a bad thing."


http://lukesolomon.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/5-stars-songs/

I'm a big fan of 37Signals' new book Rework. In fact, I just finished reading it last night. This hilarious video is their attack stategy at creating some buzz to get them to the top of Amazon's Bestsellers List (they are currently #3).  It also obviously pokes fun at political mudslinging commercials.

I know what success means to me. What does it mean to you?

The problem today, in this information-overloaded digital world, is that we only see the Google's and Facebook's in the news and they set the bar high, don't they?! So naturally, any college graduate fresh out of school, who is eager to flex their programming skills, knows only to shoot for building a billion dollar startup. What they don't realize, is in the real world (NOT MTV), there's a huge area of potential in between a $12 per hour dead-end day job and creating Facebook.

So what does Markus Frind (PlentyOfFish.com), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Evan Williams/Jack Dorsey (Twitter) all have in common relating to achieving their success?  Answer: LUCK.  And as far as luck goes, you would be better off buying Power Ball tickets each month instead of trying to build the next Twitter.  The magic isn't in building the best looking website (PlentyOfFish.com is proof of that).  In fact, there isn't any magic - there isn't a site in any of those three that is abnormally remarkable, as far as web development goes.  Markus Frind happened to do a chain of things at the right time and ended up with a $10 million per month business. That lucky bastard.  I'm sure he never expected that to happen just like we don't expect to win the lottery after buying a ticket.  And he's so paranoid of losing his lucky venture, he won't even update the look of his website!  You superstitious Markus?

I don't know about you, but I find working for someone else and making them rich is not a very rewarding experience. So, step one. Take your radar off of $1 billion dollars and point it at the bare minimum it takes for you to survive without having to work for someone else. Let's say you can live off of $40k per year, running your own startup. $40k is more attainable than you might think and it's 200 million light years away from $1 billion dollars. Ok, you've made it to a level where you can work on your own terms and support your lifestyle and family with your minimum value. Now just think how you can embellish your life with double that? In my example, $80k per year.  So, now you've got double what it takes to live on and plenty extra to spend on wants and wishes.  You're still light years away from a billion dollars, you aren't working for anyone else (can you say PRIDE?), and I would be willing to bet, you jump out of bed each morning with a smile on your face.

What does success mean to you?  Well, to me, success is being able to make a living doing something you feel passionate about that helps others in return.

The moral of this blog post, is for you to evaluate what you want in life - be reasonable, yet push for a legacy. And if you get lucky along the way, then consider yourself in the minority.

I came across a developer job ad this morning that has an interesting requirement. Gave me a nice chuckle while drinking my coffee.

To all of you laughable sapling spammers who get off on filling the world's inboxes with terabytes of your digital rummage, if you want to feign like you are Google, try using the spellchecker next time.

My new golden rule:

Whenever I think of a new business/website idea, sleep on it for two full days and then revisit. If it still makes sense, then consider executing.

Ahh, the gift that keeps on giving. I've been drinking Caribou/Starbucks off and on for the last couple of years. I'm definitely an amatuer when it comes to coffee and tea. Santa ended up bringing me a great product for one or two people to use that makes trying numerous flavors a breeze. Plus, I'll probably save $500 a year by brewing my own drink.

KEURIG B30 MINI BREWER (Jet Black)
The machine itself is compact and an attractive addition to your desk or kitchen. To make a cup of coffee, put your coffee mug in the drop zone of the machine. Simply select a flavored "K-Cup" coffee filter, press the large button on top of the machine and place the "K-Cup" in the filter slot. Then, push down the silver lever in front. The machine punctures a hole in the filter and the back water compartment opens. Pour 8oz of water in the back, close the hatch and hit the blue brew button.  In less than 3 minutes, you have a perfect flavored cup of coffee. Cool thing, is that there are literally hundreds of "K-Cups" you can purchase and choose from. I've been hitting the French Vanilla lately.

The taste, speed and quality of the machine are all really good. My only complaint is that the front area where the coffee cup stands, has a rather small diameter. You have to use a small coffee cup, rather than the big oversized one you are probably used to.

It will be fun trying out different flavors this machine has to offer.  Highly recommended.