Last week, The Los Angeles Times reported that the 7,000 officers of the LAPD will soon be wearing body cameras to record their interactions while on duty. Communities that have employed these cameras have reported significant decreases in the number of claims of police misconduct (reductions as impressive as 90%), and it is fair to assume those statistics represent both ...
I frequently encounter comments on this blog and around the web reiterating the thematic question as to whether or not “artists should be paid as much as they are.” The inquiry is typically posed by contrasting the arts to other professions we likely consider more critical, like emergency medicine or teaching or epidemiology. This attitude is a bit of a ...
An open letter supporting intellectual property was sent today to the 114th Congress. The majority of its signatories are conservative political organizations, which is reflective of the now-Republican majority in both houses; but the letter is also signed by several left-leaning organizations as well as academics representing non-partisan study groups and think tanks. Titled Intellectual Property Guidelines, the letter briefly outlines ...
“I don’t know how that bong got in my sock drawer! And what’s a bong anyway?” When was the last time you used the I Didn’t Know defense; or if you’re a parent, when was the last time you were confronted with the I Didn’t Know defense? Did it work? Not so much, right? But it often feels lately as ...
I have to direct readers’ attention to this blog post by composer and cellist Zoë Keating. It is the clearest articulation I have yet read about the rock-and-hard-place terms demanded of artists who are considering participation in YouTube’s paid streaming service Music Key. Keating outlines some of the non-negotiable terms she doesn’t like, for instance that her entire catalog becomes fair game ...
