According to this bulletin at Billboard, Apple's iTunes Music Store sold 275,000 songs in its first 18 hours of operation. That's over 250 songs per minute. I can imagine the server horsepower and bandwidth they've got to handle this kind of volume. Looks like Ming's wife, Joi and Denise joined me in contributing to the first successful day of the service. Others are upset that it requires a credit card with a US billing address.
Perhaps even more notable is that these are Mac users only and currently there is a limited selection of music - only 200,000 songs.
[...] the feat is especially remarkable when considering that the offering is available only to the limited universe of users of Apple computers. The launch thereby sets the stage for a race between a host of media and technology companies to create and effectively promote similar services for the much bigger Microsoft-equipped PC market [...]
Apple knows that it must broaden the base of its customers in order to get a return on its iTunes Music Store investment. That must be why it is reportedly developing a Windows version of its iTunes Software.
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I did a very stupid thing here. Last night I wrote a piece that commented on Joi's and Marc's posts regarding Geisha's and Marc's conviction that the Japanese, through it's Geisha history, had elevated prostitution to a new art. Unfortunately, I accidentally pasted over the post in my zeal to get a new article posted to the blog. And without a backup of that post, I'm lost here to recreate it in the spirit of my idea and thoughts last night.
I won't try to recreate it. But I will highlight a few things that I do remember.
If he hasn't read it, Marc should read Golden's classic book
Memoirs of a Geisha. This book is amazing in the fact that is not only written by an American -- it's written by a man. I'd like to hear Joi's comments, if he's read it. I few Japanese friends have said good things about it. There are a couple good reviews here and here.
The other thing I said that while the international sex trade has fair or unfair spawned a reputation for many Asian countries. This may have contributed to Marc's perception of Geisha as prostitute. And as Joi duly notes, the definition and those acting under such a Geisha guise certainly may lead to lack of understanding and ignorance. But when approached from a historical point of view, and Golden's book traces the life of a Geisha from the point she is "sold" by her parents in the early 20's to the American occupation after WWII and beyond. By reading the book a reader will certainly see an intimate picture of a Geisha and most assuredly that picture won't look anything like a prostitute -- specially if you accept the commonly held definition as noted here.
But if there is interest in prostitution rather than history, I suggest you might find this years "Sex Worker Film & Video Festival" more stimulating than Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha."
I did a very stupid thing here. Last night I wrote a piece that commented on 
If he hasn't read it, Marc should read Golden's classic book 
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