Week-End

The Nation just posted a really good article about a new plan for the Internet that telecom and cable companies are taking the wraps off of even as you read this. In a nutshell, they consider that the current situation, in which consumers pay a set fee to access all the good stuff that's out there, to be inferior to the old pre-Internet BBS days, with private, barely-interconnected networks with some extra BS about you paying on the basis (read: quantity) of your access bolted on.

In other words, they want to move the Internet from what is sort of a big, semi-free library, one here you pay only to have access to it, into one where you not only pay for access, but also for every book you check out, for every [ahem] newspaper you read, for every person you talk to (yes, they wanna charge for email), for the crappy music that's piped in, and probably to blow your nose -- anything they can, in other words. A capitalist's library.

It might not make sense from your standpoint, but it does from their$. If you're reading this, you're likely already somewhat addicted to the Net, and like any good pusher they're starting to realize that they can make a lot more money from you now that you're hooked.

What's standing in their way are laws, and this they want to change. Can you feel the love from the megacorps? No? What's wrong with you? :P

In other news, Oshkosh looks to be a happenin' place this weekend. Here's where I'll be: Friday has Madison's really good Adam Tesfaye at the Reptile Palace, Saturday has the Wandering Sons at the Water City Grill and Ripp Winkler and a bunch of other scruffy punkers at the Joe's Sample House grand opening, Sunday has the usual Jazz Orgy/Blues Hangover double-whammy at Peabody's and the Palace. (Though the regular Jazz Orgy left last week for their annual retreat to New Mexico, the Jerabeks of Copper Box will be the featured performers that night at Peabody's.)

And there's even something going on Monday; New Moon Cafe co-owner Aaron Baer (the ukelele player, not the gay bodybuilder) is establishing a series of weekly 7p shows through February that last I heard is being called "Passing the Song". The idea is to pair up up-and-coming Oshkosh-area musical talent with more-established musicians, in order to give the new guys a head start into the scene, in some cases even what it's like to play a show. First up is Mr. Baer himself with singer/guitarist Sarah Voswinkel, a regular at the Moon's Tuesday open mics.

Gee, I guess there's something happening Tuesday, too.

-a