Just Great Music!

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Lookin' Good at 100!

My Grandma Clara came to the US when she was 3 yers old-she married a butcher, had two kids, a few more grand-kids, and has just celebrated her 100th birthday! What a thing that is! Think about it-100 years of life...hard to fathom, yet, there she was, my grandma, and she was REALLY 100!!!

Too cool.

Japanese Blogmocracy

Joi Ito has published Karel von Wolferen's article in the Asahi. When genius writes, it can get dense, but go through it slowly, Karel is a really insighful guy.

Thanks to Joi and Karel for that!!

Free up that pile of cash in the postal system

I know this can be a sensitive topic, or let's say "politically sensitive." But while privatizing the Japan Post system sends shivers up some backs, the final outcome will benefit all of us.

All that cash invested in the system, and the Japan Post pays next to nothing in interest. What do they do with all that cheap money? Make no mistake, the primary source of funds for the massive budget deficit-i.e. buyers of Japan Government Bonds, is the Post Office.

When all the other banks can enter the Post Office's space, you can bet on some real competition, especially in terms of services offered. The Post Office will get leaner, Government will get leaner, private firms like Yamato and UPS can start offering more mail-like services at much lower prices, and the JPO will have to do a whole lot better at managing the funds of its depositors/investors!

What's to lose? Nothing, friends.

Advertising is changing

But is it changing for the better?
I have been working with the revolutionary SurecliX.com to develop a workable model.
As an internet user, if you could acquire premium content-music clips, articles, etc.-by paying 100 yen OR by viewing an advertisement, which would you choose?

It seems wonderful to be able to send streaming brand oriented ads over the internet, but these take time and money. Will you even look at them? Would you look at them (the ads) if you could get some underlying "credit" or "premium content" or "value item"?

Now, would you change your mind if you knew that the ads would be about things you are interested in-such as low rider cars, thrash dancing, kitchen utensils, etc.?

Send in any comment at all!!

Thanks Gang!

Community sites are it!

If you are over 30, you may never have heard of this, but MySpace has 27 million users who focus on self expression with a heavy trend toward music and undiscovered bands. (like I am under 30;-)
Billy Corgan released new tracks here first-that is good enough for me.
Go to My Space
Yeah, it is not really Japan Insider stuff. at first glance, but I want to push the community/social networking thang here to get as big as this!

Open a site, and let us know right here!

yoroshiku!

Podcasting-

The newest thing on the net is podcasting, and I can see it as a natural extension of the general trend toward stronger individualism. You don't have to have a gazillion bucks and live in Hollywood to get a national audience; check out Dawn and Drew:

They are lovin' it and setting the corporate world on fire.

Am I a derelict in posting or what?

I need to get with it here and post more often; there is so much going on out there online that I feel like I am taking a bath in warm sunshine.

Send in comments, rants, Qs, whatever-show me you are alive!