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For this blog entry, I offer an update on my research project report and my response to the OSPIRG article regarding HB 2963 and the villainy of textbook publishers. 

Previously, I believe I stated that I would in my research paper investigate the methods of and materials used in American bookbinding.  However, due to the massive amount of detailed work that went into bookbinding from the colonial period to the nineteenth century, and the introduction of many bookbinding machines during the 1800s (a topic on which one could probably write a PhD thesis), I have decided to limit my paper to a discussion of bookbinding during this period.  If I discussed bookbinding in the twentieth century, my paper would run well over the page limit, and it may force into the paper too much information with too little discussion. 

As for my response to the OSPIRG article: absurdly high textbook prices are, I think, yet another example of big business’s exploitation of college students, like high interest student loans, which can cripple and even end an earnest student’s college career.  But I am glad to see that the internet gives students a cheaper alternative to textbooks and goes over the heads of textbook publishers.  I am likewise pleased to see that congresspeople are trying to combat high textbook prices, although their attempts so far have not significanlty lowered costs.  But the disclosure law passed in Oregon in 2007 is a step in the right direction.

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Book production has evolved from wood blocks to Gutenberg’s movable type to linotype, monotype, offset printing, laser printing and even inkless printing. Will the next phrase involve the Espresso Book Machine? I’d like to see one of these in Ashland.

The cost is still about 90,000-100,000 dollars, but that will come down. Will bookstores of the future be places where people go to print books as well as buy them?

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The possible benefits of self-publishing an ebook make the “writer” part of me do a double-take and reconsider the whole idea of self-publishing. However, the idea makes the “reader” part of me—a much larger part—worry.

Through the course of this class, I have become more comfortable with the epublishing industry. Print books won’t be disappearing anytime soon, and I don’t think I need to worry about the complete demise of the traditional publishing industry; being stubborn and shunning ebooks isn’t a progressive way to think. I should be accepting the future (heck, I’m only 19—it’s far too early for me to shun new technologies).

What worries me as a probable future reader of ebooks is the prospect of websites being inundated with self-published books that are poorly written and haven’t been edited. If I want to browse an ebook store like I can a physical bookstore and don’t have a specific book or author in mind to look for, then what will prevent these low-quality self-published books from sneaking into my cart? All I’ll have to go on is a description, right?

Without any “gatekeepers” to ensure the quality of books, I will find it hard to trust ebooks whose titles I haven’t heard before. In a physical bookstore, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy an obscure book if I like the description—because I trust that the book has been edited and that someone who at least knows about literature considers it worthy of others’ time. I fear that I will have no such assurance in a shady ebook world.

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It is safe to assume that rock is dead.

Don’t believe me?  Just tune your radio in on KZZE or “The Rogue,” which plays outside the norm bands like Nickelback and Linkin Park.  Even better, they have been playing a song by Alcyon Massive called “Aint it Fresh (The Oregon Song),” with such lyrics as,

“Ain’t it fresh when the beat sets in and you’re like “that’s right I’m in Oregon!”
And it’s on like that oo oo oooooo”

“We be rockin’ the spot, take a walk to Tablerock,
With the psychedelic visions, skinny dippin’ in the Umpqua,
Some call it Oregon but I like to call it heaven,
Beautiful trees and water falls, a never ending blessing!
Blackberries by the pounds, supply stock year round,
And we bury underground so that they can’t see it now (hey!)
We never worry about the coy undercovers,
Too busy sippin’ on dutch brothers to ever catch us runnin’ from ‘em!”

The music of this brilliant lyricist could best be described as a Sublime cover, with a dash of 311 thrown in.  I assume the reason why this song gets so much play on “The Rogue” because, hey, the lyrics are like, about the Rogue Valley.

The reason why modern rock stations have been reduced to playing dulled out, monotonous, completely forgettable songs is because young adults buy it.  (On a side note, Puddle of Mudd is a clear Nirvana rip off- Nickelback a Creed rip off, Creed a cheap Pearl Jam rip off.)  And young adults buy cheap music more than some of the better bands out there right now, say, Black Keys, White Stripes, or Radiohead, probably because they don’t know any better.

In turn, the radio has fallen under a sort of censorship, one the FCC couldn’t have hoped to do itself.  There should be no worry from parents these days that rock and roll is telling our children to rebel.  At worst, modern rock tells our youth to buy things, swagger, and express a vague sense of angst.

The resulting censorship by business model is what keeps me flipping through my presets, trying to avoid accidents, hoping for that ’90s grunge song peak before rock and roll declined.