Thursday: Where I talk about the Department of Justice, Wal-Mart, and a Suicide Forest

I see people’s dislike of Amazon, because they can underprice books lower than anyone else, the same as people going after Wal-Mart. Yes, Wal-Mart has strong armed suppliers in a “We charge what we wish to charge or we’ll just not carry your product.”

That the Wal-Mart way.

But here’s the thing. Wal-Mart isn’t breaking the law doing that. It’s a shitty thing to do and hell knows Wal-Mart has broken enough laws when it comes to how they treat their employees but basically they’ve just built a better business from the ground up than a lot of others.

When it comes to the publishers/Department of Justice fight- if publishers are actually colluding, that’s illegal. You can’t say, “You’re hurting us by going after us for doing something illegal.”

Now all of this is if they did do anything illegal.

Here’s another thought. I’ve worked for several printing companies, big and small, and I have seen many publishers, big and small, pressure printers to not work with their competitors or lose their business.

I mentioned that to end this thought because it’s a Who Is The Enemy thing. Small bookstores hate chain stores, chain stores hate Amazon, small publishers are pushed around by big publishers, big publishers claim to be bullied by Amazon.

Publisher have laid a bad situation at the feet of modern publishers and creators. If they hadn’t been so resident to new technology one of them could have launched ebooks in CDRom age, they could have been Amazon.

But in the end when I talk about this with people who don’t care and just want to read they all say around the same thing in response to big publisher and ebooks. “The same price for a ebook that I don’t physically own?”

My finally line is always is that publishers, like record companies have drowned themselves in a mess of piracy and pricing because they have lagged so far behind the demand for digital media that now it’s a snow ball and people are going to get hurt in this snow fall because of a lack of creative business thinking.

Here’s some things by smarter people than me on the subject:

maureenjohnson ‏ @maureenjohnson “In which I (foolishly) attempt to explain what it going on with ebooks and end up with more questions than answers” http://maureenjohnsonbooks.tumblr.com/

Maureen Johnson always has good thoughts on subjects. Follow her on Twitter and her Tumblr. Always interesting things from her.

John Green ‏ @realjohngreen “Publishing nerds only: It's important to note that the publishers who settled WON'T have to abandon agency pricing” http://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2012/04/settling-publishers-are-allowed-modified-agency-for-two-years-that-could-limit-predatory-pricing/ “(But more generally, if publishers were any good at colluding, how could we explain the insane advances they pay at auction?) But the DOJ's pursuit of this is very unfortunate, as it only strengthens Amazon's near-monopolistic grip on the ebook side of the business.”

On the subject of Advances paid. The same could be said about baseball teams over paying players. You hear ever couple years a ton of clubs saying no more over paying then  some small and large clubs dish out stupid levels of money for not so great players. But again, that’s what the courts are for to prove if something illegal did happen.

And to the unfortunate nature of this all it’s like I said earlier. If publishers are colluding they can’t say- we can’t compete with Amazon so don’t get angry if we are breaking the law. If they are breaking the law then, they are breaking law.

And some more links without comment because I’ve run my mouth enough:

16 States Join in on Publishers Antitrust Action — The Digital Shift http://ow.ly/adxqi

Macmillan Publishing John Sargent responds to Department of Justice lawsuit claiming "collusion" by ibook publishers. http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/04/a-message-from-john-sargent

Lets end this entry with this.

Ben Templesmith & Squid Friends The suicide forest of Japan: Mount Fuji beauty spot where up to 100 bodies are found every year: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2127414/The-suicide-forest-Japan-Mystery-Mount-Fuji-beauty-spot-100-bodies-year.html?ICO=most_read_module

And as always here are some of the places you can find me online:

CHAOS READ: Bimonthly Short Story Series

http://chaosread.blogspot.com/

TIN UNIVERSE: Bimonthly Short Story Series

http://tinuniverse.blogspot.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Williams/100000358371201

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Thursday: Where I talk about the Department of Justice, Wal-Mart, and a Suicide Forest

THE TITLE IS: MAR, WAL-MART, DOUGLAS ADAMS, ROBIN BIRD, LEMONY SNICKET-HERE'S YOUR TABS

They released Mar's mom from the hospital today. Don't know if they actually know what was wrong with her but they do not think it was a heart attack. She's nice so I hope she feels better. Last night after I left work I went to stop and get milk and stuff for Mar since she has been running all over the place since her mom got sick. I stopped at a gas station, a Wal-Mart, and another Wal-Mart before I found that I still could not find the milk she likes so I just got some low fat milk, some cracker things she likes, a bottled coffee drink she likes, and a salad for her lunch tomorrow. I drove home and nearly got lost in the bad part of town which in Melbourne is most of the place before I got home to find Mar had not went to bed yet because she wasn't sleepy. I started taking the stuff I bought out of the bag to find I left one of my bags at Wal-Mart. I'm such a dumb ass. Luckily I got the main stuff she wanted but the salad and the stuff I got for my lunch today was left behind.

This quote is so me from one of my favorite writers when describing one of his characters:
He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which.
- - - Douglas Adams

Responses to comments left:
Robbin,
I don't write that creative sober. Give me some of that wine.

Will have the 2nd Draft of the book finished up and ready to go to the editor this Saturday and so between finishing up this draft and doing all the pay the rent work stuff I need to get done I'm going to be a busy bee between now and then.

Need to setup a full budget and work on it every check. Spending too much money and with all the things going on I need to keep track of every cent to make sure something does not fall through the cracks somewhere.

What else is going on? Oh, Mar checked out, The End: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket for me so I'm reading that now. Danced through a quarter of the book today laying on the bed with Mar laying beside me reading a book also. Nakered reading. You should try it. I would do a link, to the book, not the naked reading, perverts! but my head is killing me right now and linking will not help and I'm only doing things right now that will help. Argo(urgosp? whatever) I'm banging my head against the desk. Not really. Actually I'm drinking a Pepsi, just watched Robin Bird go out the door, and trying to wad through a bunch of e-mails to decide what I'm going to do which will piss off this group of people and what I am not going to do which will piss of another group of people. "It pays the rent Brian, It pays the rent." Once I finish reading The End I will do up a review for it and which will be posted in a future Sunday review post. See. I'm actually making a effort to make the reviews a weekly feature here. I have written hand written right now, purchased a journal just for writing those so I will be a couple ahead when I start posting them here. That will work for me against my laziness.

Just remember, Not knowing who you are is no excuse for not being who you are,
C.

THE TITLE IS: MAR, WAL-MART, DOUGLAS ADAMS, ROBIN BIRD, LEMONY SNICKET-HERE'S YOUR TABS

THE TITLE IS: TRY TO UNDERSTAND HE'S THE MAGIC MAN

Yesterday I got up at 5am to make sure the cleaned smocks were brought back to work in time for the shift that morning. I did not plan to work much on Saturday and did not but I did not leave for good reasons either. I had to leave around 9am to get home because I was feeling dizy and ill. I slept until around 5 when Wave got home and we went out for food and to cash my check. We ate at Friday's and then headed to Wal-Mart so I could cash my check. While there at the Satan's home turff we feed the beast by buying some discount DVD's. Wave picked up a doulbe pack which included a Joh Cusack movie for me and a Johnny movie for her, she loves Johnny but then again who doesn't? I picked up a triple pack which contained all three Jack Ryan movies and also for a fiver I got the Best Of He-Man....Ok,ok, off the floor and stop laughing. Onwards people, onwards. While in Wal-Mart we picked up some drink mix and beer and then off to the liquar store on the way home for the ice and best bits to go with the drinks to be created by Wave. The rest of the night was spent watching movies and spending time together.

I could not sleep and awoke this morning at 8am. And I of course being Brian C. Williams, being the son of Nadine and Herbert Williams, and the decedend of more than a few horse theives, I took the oppertunity and got things accomplished I needed to do. Yea, Who the fuck you dealing with here? I watched Pan's Labrynith(sp?)which I picked up last week and read some on a, Books Of Magic novel Wave picked up for me at the libuary. After eating at the Buffet where I stuffed myself full of shrimp once again until I felt sick I came into work where I find myself now as I type this up. I am only here for a few hours as a new employee learns her job. I will not speak of work any more than that because it just frustrates me and makes me angry and also I have been told that I almost always just talk about work. Probably why I'm also so on edge all the time. I need to correct that aspect of things and soon for my own health.

Good thoughts hoping Robbin is enjoying her time away from things. Everyone else just be good to each other or else the aliens will see how weak we are. And do you want the aliens to win? Well, do you?

C.

THE TITLE IS: TRY TO UNDERSTAND HE'S THE MAGIC MAN

AND THE TITLE IS: CHILDREN WITHOUT A BRAIN POT

I went home a little early last night. Talked to everyone before I left to make sure everything was ok and traveling along a ok path. I came in this morning to everyone complaining. I am a little feed up with this attitude some people have of just working a job and not carrying about how they do their work. Hell, If I’m the fucking responsible one, if I’m the fucking hard working one, If my work ethic makes you look lazy then you are assholes and quit trying to make my life worse by your choice of not working hard because you got a hate on for the boss or the work we have to do to earn our pay checks. Everyone hates their jobs and bosses children.

From Work Whining To Responses To Comments Left:

…

Geek Speak:

DOCTOR WHO! DOCTOR WHO!

Back To Reality:

Good news is a friend is moving back near by. Glade to hear you are coming back Des.

I have four days coming up when I will not be work at the day job but will spend a lot of it doing what I love…No not you Mar, I said what, you are a who…the best who….the most most of any most who…But we will see… I will be spending a lot of time with the Muses playing writing touch games. Will finish off the 1st Draft of the book over those days off. Give it a week or two to rest and then start slapping it around as I attack the 2nd Draft. Though starting that 2nd Draft it will probably be slapping me around until I get my fingers around it.

And In The News:

Wal-Mart Accused of Infiltrating Anti-Wal-Mart Group; Spying on Critics
A former worker at Wal-Mart is claiming the company is running a sophisticated surveillance operation that targets employees, journalists, stockholders and critics of the company. The claims were made by Bruce Gabbard who was fired last month for intercepting and recording phone calls to and from a New York Times reporter. Gabbard told the Wall Street Journal he was part of a broader surveillance operation run out of Wal-Mart's Arkansas headquarters. Gabbard also revealed that Wal-Mart infiltrated the group Up Against the Wal last year by sending a long-haired employee wearing a wireless microphone to one of the group's meetings. A Wal-Mart surveillance van was stationed outside the meeting in order to listen in to what was happening. Wal-Mart also reportedly closely monitored the internet and phone usage of employees at work. Managers received a list of email addresses and phone numbers with which their employees have communicated, and a list of Web sites visited. Wal-Mart also developed a system to read the personal emails of workers sent or received from private accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail.
Democracy NOW!
The next U.S. Civil War will be against Wal-Mart. Think I’m being a smart ass. Anyone who thinks a cooperation like Wal-Mart with the attitude that Wal-Mart has is any less dangerous than a government out of control is blind. Now that being said. I still shop there from time to time. Mostly for gas so I’M FEEDING THE GREAT SATAN!!!!

Female genital mutilation banned in Eritrea
Banned here too. Cases still happen. Hopefully this is good news but when you see how under reported female genital mutilation is in the world media, you see how sexist our world truly is.

12 Anti-Sweatshop Students Arrested at University of Michigan
Twelve students have been arrested at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor while conducting a sit-in at the office of the school's president. The students said the school has failed to follow its own polices to crack down on companies that use sweatshop labor to manufacture school apparel.
Democracy NOW!
Man, this shit never went on when I was in college? That or I was too drunk or self-absorbed to notice. I think the biggest protest sort of thing I ever did in college was write stuff for the school paper that pissed people off. Probably mostly because everything I wrote in college sucked.

10 Anti-War Protesters in Vermont Arrested At Sen. Leahy's Office
And in Vermont, police arrested 10 anti-war protesters on Tuesday for refusing to leave Senator Patrick Leahy's Burlington office. The protesters were calling on Leahy to cut off funding for the war in Iraq. Over 300 peace activists have now been arrested across the country for taking part in sit-ins at the offices of lawmakers as part of the Occupation Project which began in February.
Democracy NOW!
Now this is America!

I give you a good night with this.

Written at the pay the rent job,
C.

As always if you have any comments you wish to make by e-mail you can contact me by:

hangofwednesday@gmail.com
If you wish for me to keep your name and information private please let me know so in the e-mail.

AND THE TITLE IS: CHILDREN WITHOUT A BRAIN POT

REPEATS AND BLUE LIGHT LAWSUITS

Repeats of Doctor Who return to Sci-Fi Channel starting with a marathon on March 27th beginning with The Empty Child at 8:30am. It will last until 3:00pm and contain episodes featuring the 9th and 10th Doctors played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. The episodes are the following: THE EMPTY CHILD, THE DOCTOR DANCES, BOOM TOWN, BAD WOLF, THE PARTING OF THE WAYS, CHRISTMAS INVASION, and NEW EARTH. That’s for any fellow Doctor Who fans who may stop by. Maybe I should put in for a coming in late day so I can catch the episodes?

Wal-Mart Loses Bid to Dismiss Sex-Discrimination Case
The retail giant Wal-Mart has lost an effort to dismiss the largest class-action employment discrimination case in US history. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Wal-Mart face a lawsuit alleging discrimination against female employees. Taking the case to trial could expose Wal-Mart to paying billions in damages. Wal-Mart is lobbying against a class-action suit and wants each case tried individually.
Democracy NOW!
Now there is a enemy even The Doctor might have a problem with. I compare fights against Wal-Mart like the fights coal mine workers had trying to get justice with the mine owners. If suits are not brought against them as groups or bundles then Wal-Mart will brazenly roll over anyone who gets in their way individually.

If you are as big of a Neil Gaiman fan as I am you may wish to check this out.

This goes right up there with stories of Poe sleeping on his loves grave as being one of the most romantic things I have seen or read about in my life. Also make me think of Spike's many lines about love on Buffy, "I maybe loves bitch but at least I admitt it." being my favorite.

You know what sort of gets under my skin? People all the time get all up in arms about how much celebrities or professional sports athletes make but when do we stop getting up into their skins for just making money spurred on by our demands for their brands and get into how much politicians and political parties spend on things like just getting a job! I mean come one. Does this system make sense to anyone? Lets say I want a job at McDonalds. {nothing wrong with it, I worked there. It‘s hard work.} If I’m trying to get hired on at McDonalds do I go out and raise money to help promote myself and sale myself to the bosses? No. Politicians will never have the trust of the American people again and it is leveling down more and more every day until they start treating voters more like their bosses and less like customers. There is a difference. Think about it. I know you can do it little fella.

Written at the pay the rent job,
C.

REPEATS AND BLUE LIGHT LAWSUITS