Commonwealth Club Makes Me Feel Smart

I've been catching up on podcasts from the Commonwealth Club and the Commonwealth Club INFORUM. I've had the Commonwealth Club podcasts in my iTunes for a while. INFORUM is a relatively recent addition. The whole idea of INFORUM just tickles me. It's "a division of the Commonwealth Club by and for people in their 20s and 30s."

I just listened to one on internet privacy called "2007: Is it 1984?" hosted by Annalee Newitz whom I've actually met before! At the BlogHer meetup at SXSW '07. She's super cool and smart as hell. Great discussion on the differences between common understanding of privacy vs the legal definition and whether or not privacy policies carry any legal weight. Missy and I both made the observation that it's really interesting how privacy infringements are always made in the name of (national) security. "It's in your best interest." How Big Brother.

I just listened to one on hot young sommeliers in the Bay Area and it totally reminded me of my friend Tony who, of course, I consider to be a hot young sommelier in the Bay Area. I totally got lost once they started rattling off varietals, but they did have some good comments on restaurant offerings and your expectations as a diner. Takeaway #1: Don't obsess over what you think the (low) price of your wine choice might say about you; if it's on the wine list, it's recommended. Takeaway #2: Never be afraid to ask the sommelier for help, regardless of how much you do or don't know about wine. Some guidelines are helpful, e.g., "I'd like to spend $30 on a bottle to go with this dish."

Now I'm listening to a second installment on the future of music. The host kicked it off with a summary of five copywrongs - things the recording industry government, corporations, and other bodies have done or are doing as a result of their inability/refusal to embrace the changes that are occurring and that are completely unreasonable and jeopardizing the future and the business of music distribution.

1. manipulation of copyright law. e.g., eliminating Fair Use which would require you to purchase a separate copy of a song for each device you want to put it on
2. Targeting internet radio with royalty fees
3. criminalizing attempted copyright infringement (i.e., the Copyright Protection Act)
4. "outrageous lawsuits against ordinary people" which "amount to extortion" and for which the "justification is public education through intimidation."
5. lawsuits against popular internet companies; e.g., Prince suing eBay/YouTube/The Pirate Bay instead of fans that violate the law

There's something new and great on a huge range of topics and current events almost weekly. In the iTunes store: [Commonwealth Club] [INFORUM]