Monday, September 15, 2003

Investigation of Top Modeling Agencies An oligopoly with style Here's an interesting price-fixing case, from a story in the Wall Street Journal; (August 3, 2003, "Top Modeling Agencies Face Price-Fixing Inquiry"): The Justice Department is investigating allegations of criminal price-fixing and collusion among the top modeling agencies?Many of the world's leading agencies, including Ford Models, Inc., Wilhelmina Model Agency, Inc., Next Model Management, Inc., and Elite model Management Corp., have already been named in a civil antitrust suit filed by former models last year in a New York federal court. [Oligopoly Watch] 11:15:15 PM

Harvard B-School Post The subject of the linked article is "disruptive capitalism". I like Management Professor Peter Drucker's term "Post-Capitalist Society". He wrote a book in 1993 by that title. Drucker's main theme is the value of knowledge and information in today's economy. I hate to break the news to the Neo-conservatives in Washington, but crude oil is not the world's most important resource, nor is it the key to our future. It's bad for us actually. Today's true prime resource is knowledge, and it's something the Neo-conservatives lack. Drucker's Post-Capitalist Society is recommended to Mediaburn readers who are in Business, Econ, or Management. - G.S. The Next Episode of Capitalism. Great article in the Harvard Crimson by Shoshanna Zuboff about "disruptive capitalism," based on her new book, The Support Economy.  I just wish I could be as optimistic as she is. [Werblog] 10:59:56 PM

A Bush Financial Death Spiral? Worthwhile listening. Economist Paul Krugman's Audio Interview from NPR/Fresh Air Online. 7:01:42 PM

Tall Tales Pinocchio. Something else to add to my ever-growing reading list, thanks to Cory Doctorow: a beautiful new edition of the original Pinocchio fairy tale. [eclecticism] 5:17:46 PM

Via GenDeanBlog.com And We're Launched - Atlanta a Huge Success. The Atlanta Town Hall meeting with Governor Dean was a huge success; over 500 young people showed up. The rally with Georgia for Dean is still taking place. Stay tuned here for updates throughout the day from people on the... [Generation Dean] 4:20:53 PM

Andrew Bayer - More on the Recall More on the Recall. From the Liquid List. Tarek rightly points out that the momentum was going "our way." Still, from a purely partisan practical perspective (wow, what alliteration), if this thing gets postponed 'till March it's hard to imagine that being a net Bad Thing. And, no, I can't imagine the Supremos getting anywhere near this one. They don't want the feces of Bush v. Gore being shoved into their faces. [Eschaton] Hee. I just dig the wording there. [Andrew Bayer Is Dreaming of China] 12:42:16 PM

The Latest on California Recall Back to You, Justice Scalia. California's Recall Election Is Postponed A federal appeals court postponed California's Oct. 7 gubernatorial recall election, ruling the historic vote cannot proceed as scheduled because some votes would be cast using outmoded punch-card ballot machines ... State officials, who conceded... [Whiskey Bar] 12:35:14 PM

Feldman Blogging in Parallel Michael Feldman: Approaching Critical Mass. [Scripting News] 12:23:36 PM

LawMeme - Online Music Compulsory Licensing - The Death of Gnutella and the Triumph of Google. "Back in July, a number of filesharing companies [...] formed a trade association [...] to push for, among other things, compulsory licensing [...]. I wonder how much they have really thought this through. After all, a compulsory license that legimitized filesharing would quickly put most of these companies out of business." [DigitalConsumer News] 12:11:33 PM

Via SFGate.com Legal online music services. Review of iTunes, Rhapsody, Pressplay, and BuyMusic. [DigitalConsumer News] 12:06:47 PM

It's about the people Rushkoff on content. Douglas Rushkoff argues that content is an excuse for social contact - not an end in itself. [onfocus.com] 12:00:52 PM

bats, sound, echolocation echolocation. what was thought to be a sixth sense that bats have is actually their ability to navigate in complete darkness using their ingenious sonar system. a really great book called "Sensory Exotica" explains the bat's sensory system in detail.... [btang phlog] 3:16:50 AM

Dortmund Photos (site in German) via The Cartoonist. Decay. Pictures of the Union Brewery in Dortmund at Ligne Claire. [The Cartoonist] 2:15:04 AM