R.I.P. Tower Records

Man, I was just in the Tower Recors on the Sunset Strip a couple months ago. What a killer store. What a piece of history. Now it is history. I had a friend that worked there for a while, and he had so many stories about this celebrity or that rock star that he had got to meet and even get to know from working there. He even got to jam with Steven Adler (ex-Gun's N Roses) a couple of times. The reason that stores like this don't make it anymore, is because stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy undercut everybody else. Well, that's just good economics, isn't it? Not exactly. These megastores can sell CD's for less than everybody else for two reasons:

1) The major labels refuse to lower the wholesale cost of CD's, which puts at a disadvantage any store that makes music sales it's main source of income. Why?
2) The big stores have a lot of money! This allows stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy to sell CD's below cost. That's right, they take a loss on CD's and DVD's, to get you in the door to buy other stuff.

Why is this bad? The big stores that like to undercut smaller businesses discourage shoppers from paying more at a dedicated music store. This causes music stores to go out of business, as evidenced in the article below. Then we only have the big stores to buy from. These big stores only carry a limited number of selections. You want to buy Sevendust "Animosity"? Not at Target or Wal-Mart you won't (at least Best Buy does have a decent selection). You'll be lucky to find the last Sevendust album, "Next" on their shelves. Well, we'll just go down to the local record shop and... oh yeah, this store that was carrying what I want to buy is closed. These smaller stores could afford to carry more obscurities, because the slack was picked up from the popular album sales. Target and Wal-Mart steal away consumers of popular records, and then the music stores have lost the greatest chunk of their income.

Not to mention, that less competition is ultimately bad for business in a free market system. It is the presence of choice that regulates cost. American business is out of control. Granted, we live in a capitalist society, and we are all allowed to make any amount of money we like. That's a good thing. That being said, the current greed of the corporate way of business is bad for consumers and bad for business as a whole. I'm no way in favor of wealth redistribution. That's up to each individual, how we use what we make. I just believe that smaller companies should be allowed to compete. Eliminating companies that don't operate in billions of dollars a year, but maybe hundreds of thousands, is bad for our economy. Competition is healthy. This all boils down to the major label dinosaurs, once again, fighting the trends in music consumership. Instead of embracing the digital revolution, they have fought it. Instead of pricing CD's at a fair price (what people are willing to pay for them) they overprice them and collect loads of cash from the big stores that are willing to take a loss on them. The music industry needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. R.I.P. Tower. You had a good run.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061026/music_nm/tower_dc

Tower Records demise leaves indie labels in lurch
By Chris Morris Wed Oct 25, 8:15 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Asked what he will do to make up for the business lost in the demise of music retailer Tower Records, the head of sales at one prominent independent record label responded with an almost excruciatingly long silence.
"Man," added the executive, who declined to be identified. "I don't even know if I can answer that properly."
The closure of Tower's 89 stores, after its October 6 auction sale for $134.3 million to liquidator Great American Group, will mark the end of the country's largest deep-catalog music chain, which was traditionally indie-friendly.
Many indies said the retailer accounted for between 5%-6% of their gross business and few believed that such catalog-friendly chains as Borders Books & Music or Virgin Entertainment will pick up the slack.
"I don't see that another retailer is going to step up to make that commitment to physical goods," said Bruce Iglauer, who operates the Chicago-based blues label Alligator Records.
Now in the midst of nationwide going-out-of-business sales, Tower outlets will close their doors for good within two months, leaving many independent distributors and retailers uncertain about how they will replace a significant chunk of their sales in an already rugged business environment.
"We've just begun the conversations about where we think that (Tower) customer is going to go. Honestly, I don't have an answer for that," said Herb Agner, vp marketing and operations at Los Angeles roots label New West Records.
Others also are in wait mode. "Are we retooling? Not yet," said Mike Carden, North American president of Eagle Rock Entertainment, whose catalog features a large number of heritage hard rock and metal acts. "We better start thinking about it pretty soon ... It's not going to be good. Any time a significant section of our industry is restructured, it's not good for our industry."
Indeed, the impact of the Tower liquidation can't be underestimated, many believe. "A lot of people are going to take a hit," said Tor Hansen, a partner in Haw River, N.C.-based Redeye Distribution and its sister indie rock label Yep Roc Records. "There's one less really great record store out there, and we have to understand we're not going to sell as many records."
For Redeye and others, the short-term strategy involves an increased dependence on independent stores which, like Tower, take a chance on new releases from developing acts and stock a range of catalog titles.
"We're going back to wherever Tower had a store and repartnering (with the local indie stores) to make sure everybody understands we support those stores," Hansen said. "I still want to cover those markets on the physical side, to support the touring."
Alligator's Iglauer said he planned to work more closely with groups like the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and Music Monitor Network. "They're great stores for us, but there just aren't enough of them," he added.
Online sales continue to be a slow-rolling proposition in the industry, especially for independents, but some say they will now refocus their attention on Internet commerce.
Rob Miller, partner in the Chicago-based alternative-country label Bloodshot Records, said that online sales account for just 10%-15% of the company's business. He estimates that Tower accounted for about 5% of Bloodshot's sales.
"If it was a one-to-one trade (for lost physical sales), it'd be great, but it's not," Miller said of online sales. "It's a good bandage on a much larger hemorrhage."
New West's Agner said: "We keep doing what we've already been doing, which is (making) the experience of buying online a vital experience."
Michelle Haunold, who operates the Davis, Calif., punk label Gearhead Records, also is pushing online. "We're increasingly taking advantage of the Internet. It costs us nothing to do that," she said. "That's become absolutely essential for letting people know there's music out ... Thank God the Internet exists for people like us. If it didn't, I probably wouldn't be in business."
Touring -- and selling records at venue merchandise tables -- also now becomes an increasingly important part of the sales mix.
"We won't sign an artist now who won't sell actively and aggressively off the bandstand," Iglauer said.
Bands being able to sell on the road -- "that's kinda what's paying the bills," Haunold said.
Overall, independents agree that the immediate future, without Tower, won't be easy. "We're definitely walking into a desert," Hansen said. "I hope we can find some business on the other side of it."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Save Uganda

Everybody has heard about the terrible crisis in the Darfur area of the Sudan. It is completely unimaginable and unacceptable. There is another terrible tradgedy next door in Uganda. In some ways, I think that it's worse because it lacks the coverage that Darfur gets. That, and children are being kidnapped by the Lord's resistance Army (LRA) to be made into soldiers and sex slaves. The children are put through atrocities so horrific, that it breaks my heart. We can't wait for goverments to take care of problems that we, as people, should be addressing. We need to bring these issues to the forefront of public conciusness. Education is the first step, second is gathering people and resources that can have an immediate impact, the third is putting the plan into action. Watch the video that I've attached, and pray about how you might help the people of Uganda. Start by spreading the word. Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99yfE32gTw8

http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/9947/Uganda_Africa_s_Secret_Genocide

Further Proof That We Need To Be Actively Involved In The World Around Us

Here's some evidence of the things I said yesterday, in case you don't believe me. (This is not an isolated incident; the ELCA, Episcopalians, Methodists, and at least one Baptist conference are addressing these issues right now, and I'm sure they are not the only ones.) We need to be involved!

Group pushes same-sex marriage, elimination of "fidelity/chastity" clause in PCUSA
http://www.layman.org/

A homosexual advocacy group is saying that it will seek General Assembly approval in 2008 for same-sex marriage, as well as the elimination of the "fidelity/chastity" clause in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The board of directors of More Light Presbyterians, in a statement posted on the group's Web site, also vowed to take back "language that belongs to us: the language of marriage and family" in advocating for "the right of couples, regardless of gender, to have their relationships of love and commitment recognized for the marriages that they truly are.""Pro-marriage legislation and overtures," the statement said, "seek to extend the rights, responsibilities and values of religious or civil marriage to all adults regardless of biological sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. The group vowed to work "to reclaim the true meaning and values of marriage and family." More Light Presbyterians also hinted at what it called "a watershed moment in history" at that General Assembly in San Jose, Calif. – a 'More Light candidate' for moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." Calling such a candidacy "representational equality," the board said it "will encourage those who support full LGBT equality right now to stand for the office of Moderator of the 218th G.A. It is past time for our denomination's slate of moderatorial candidates to include a voice that advocates for an immediate end to all discrimination." Advocating what it called "ordination equality," the group again called for the elimination of G-6.0106b, the "fidelity/chastity" clause in the denomination's Book of Order. The clause calls for ordained church officers "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." A growing number of church sessions and presbyteries are adopting resolutions saying that they will abide by the constitutional "fidelity/chastity" ordination standards, with some declaring that "G-6.0106b is an essential, binding standard for all Inquirers, Candidates, and ordained Ministers of the Word and Sacrament." "It is this discriminatory policy that is dividing our church," More Light Presbyterians said. "We must stop rejecting our LGBT sisters and brothers and affirm as equals all baptized children of God." On the marriage issue, the group attacked those who believe in a traditional view of marriage between a man and a woman, not on Biblical grounds, but on what the group claimed was "equality" reasons. It said that "those who oppose acceptance and equality of LGBT people and their families have misappropriated the terms pro-marriage and pro-family in the service of an anti-gay agenda. Right now we reclaim the language of marriage and family as our own.
"For years," the statement said, "those opposed to equality for LGBT Presbyterians have submitted overtures and resolutions to deny them the right to marry. MLP reaffirms its continued support for both religious and civil marriage equality. Scripture teaches us that the heart of marriage is the love and commitment between partners. Experience has shown us that LGBT couples fully display the love and commitment known by all as marriage. It is time," the group said, "to send General Assembly an equal marriage overture, which includes transgender persons. MLP will provide a model for such an overture and encourage presbyteries to submit it to the 218th G.A."

Is Comfort Worth Your Freedom?

It's stuff like this email below that puts a sense of urgency within me. It seems that all the wrong causes and those that want to legitimize sinful behavior have all the money and all the press to back them up. The time has come to develop our own voice. The time has come to refuse to let the slanted studies, the left-wing standard definers, and the mudslingers go unopposed. The majority of the world has either been deceived by their fancy talk or is too afraid to speak out, lest they lose their jobs or become threatened. Christians need to stand up and be heard from. This will not go away if we ignore it. We need to be willing to risk what we have now, before our way of life is smothered. Freedom is more important than comfort. Oppression is the alternative. Oppression to speak out about sin, to hire godly people into ministry, and to even preach these things from the pulpit are what looms on the horizon. We must make a decision to press forward now, or be willing to live with the consequences of our silence forever. Sometimes all it takes are a few with a voice to wake others up, and give them the confidence they need to stand up too. There are too many of us, if awakened, to ignore. Why are these huge corporations risking everything to promote 2% of the population, as though it were 30-50%? Why has Ford taken the biggest losses in 14 years for their stance on gay marraige? Pride and lust for power are their weakness. They don't fear us. They are used to us sitting down. If we ever choose to really fight back, it will either pull them back into the real world, or they will go down with the ship. Let's figure out what we need to do to get our voice, and then go wake up our brothers and sisters. With the left getting more and more radical, and the right moving more and more left, we don't have the luxury of sitting back and letting things come to us. The time has come to be proactive; to prepare the troops for the greatest battle of our time. A line in the sand needs to be drawn. Who in this world is for God, and who is against Him? I believe that once the battlefield has been marked and the sides have been chosen that it won't be long until we see His kingdom here on earth. It is human nature to want to have everything perfect before we move. It eliminates or greatly reduces risk. We should want to do our best for God. However, we can't let our pursuit of perfection become a reason for inaction. I can't think of a single Bible story that shows God's glory that started with a perfect situation or ideal conditions. The only one that did (the Garden of Eden), we messed up. We must be out in the world to affect the world. We must be joined together to acheive that which only unity can do. There are too many lone rangers out there, getting frustrated that noone seems to care.

Donald E. WildmonFounder and Chairman
October 23, 2006
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire email list of family and friends.
Wal-Mart Rolls Out Red Carpet For Homosexual Marriage

When Wal-Mart announced their support for the homosexual agenda a few weeks ago, they meant what they said. You will remember that Wal-Mart asked for, and received, permission to join the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The company announced they were giving two large grants to NGLCC. The world's largest retailer was rewarded with a position on the board of NGLCC. Wal-Mart also announced they would give preference to homosexual-owned businesses in purchasing products. Justin Nelson, president of NGLCC, said he expects Wal-Mart to use its influence to pressure suppliers like P&G, Johnson & Johnson, and Gillette to give homosexual businesses preferential treatment. Wal-Mart is also working on a plan to provide domestic-partnership benefits to homsexual employee "partners." The NGLCC is a leading promoter of homosexual marriage. A quick search for books sold by Wal-Mart found the following related to the promotion of homosexual marriage:
What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gay, Good for Straights, and Good for America
Legalizing Gay Marriage
Why You Should Give a -amn about Gay Marriage
Civil Wars: A Battle for Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage and Democracy: Equality for All
Defending Same-Sex Marriage
Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry
Gay Marriage, Real Life: Ten Stories of Love and FamilyA quick search of Wal-Mart's website turned up the following number of items for sale: Gay - 1148 Lesbian - 468Transgender - 40 Bisexual - 38 Gay Marriage - 26

Take Action
1. Send your email to Wal-Mart expressing you displeasure with their promotion of homosexual marriage. If you've already sent an email on an earlier Wal-Mart issue, please do so again! 2. Call your local Wal-Mart manager and express your displeasure. 3. Print out and distribute the Pass Along Sheet about Wal-Mart. 4. Forward this email to all your friends and family. Let them know about Wal-Mart's funding of the homosexual agenda.
Click Here to Email Wal-Mart President Lee Scott Now!

The Slippery Slope

Check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfnn7wTgoE8

This is part of what's wrong with the world. The lack of civility and manners is astounding. One group, in particular, seems to perpetually scream that their view is not heard, but screams so loudly, that all we hear is their point of view, because they shut everybody out. It's the same gang of folks that show up to force their beliefs on everybody else. I think it's time to grow up and grow together. We need to stop believing what we're told and do the research to make our own conclusions. If you are a Christian, everything should pass through the filter of scripture. We need to unite and fight to right the wrong direction we are headed in. We need to take back control of our lives and our freedom. I'm not talking about supporting any particular political candidate or party, but to make sure that we are united, and a strong front against evil in our land. If you choose to do nothing, they have already won. Peacefully speak out. Peacefully do what's right. Stand up for what you believe. Do good. If we keep going down this path, if we keep listening to the media, if we keep doing nothing, we will be sqeezed out. We can not let this happen. We must persevere.