Today's Bakersfield Californian picked up a USA Today piece on the sorry state of the music business today. Some American Idol manufactured celebrities will have albums out as will some icons of yesterday ( Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles) to try and put some ring back in the cash registers. Also, there have been articles covering the 50 Cent and Kanye West  releases and the little flap about who would sell  the most records their opening week. Kanye West did, but who cares? It was one of those tired old marketing campaigns out of the 1960s to try and drum up any interest in an industry now known more for ring tones rather than for any creativity or real buzz.

In the physical world of the music trade the CD is falling faster than the value of real estate in Bakersfield. The shipments of CDs is now down almost 40% from the high water mark set in the year 2000. You can check the stats at www.riaa.org if you are interested in the details. Digital downloads are growing but not nearly enough to offset the decline of the CD.

So we have an Eagles album coming out at the end of October.  You can only buy the album at the Son-of-Sam Walton locations for one year. Thanks, Don. I know your liberal ravings against corporate greed and draconian contracts seemed genuine, but your actions always have indicated what a hypocrite you truly are.

In an article from Rolling Stone Don comments, “People will be getting value for their money.”  Really? I don't shop at the store that brought the toy industry to its knees by forcing the lowest possible price without regard to health and safety on the American public. Oh sure, Mattel will deservedly take the fall for greed, avarice and depraved indifference to the consumer, but make no mistake who demanded the lowest price to get the products on their shelves, WalMart.

Don, since you are a card carrying union member of the Musicians' Union, it is ironic that you only allow the most anti-union organization on the planet to carry your new product. Yes, the Eagles sold out in the worst way imaginable.