What is wrong with the RIAA?

In case you hadn't heard, last week the RIAA told the feds that ripping CDs to mp3s is illegal, even if it is so commonplace that CD buyers assume they have a right to rip their music. We are still digesting the idea that the guy selling CDs gets to tell the feds what we can legally do with the music we bought, but the RIAA's website says:

If you choose to take your own CDs and make copies for yourself on your computer or portable music player, that's great. It's your music and we want you to enjoy it at home, at work, in the car and on the jogging trail.

So what the hell is it with these people: They want us to rip our CDs and enjoy them, but then their lawyers are going to slap us with a subpoena the minute we do? That's actually a nice way to make more money from their CD business without, you know, having to find new talent or record decent music...

Along those lines, Rolling Stone recently surveyed 1,000 people, who agree that most of the CDs for sale suck. That's right: 92% of music listeners say they have never downloaded a free, ripped mp3 without permission, and fully 80% say that to do so would be illegal (apparently, 12% of people don't do it even though they don't have a problem with us doing it, which is nice), but roughly 75% say that CDs cost too fkn much and more than half say that the quality of CDs on the shelf is generally worse than they'd be willing to pay any price for.

So, to anyone in the music industry who might be reading, we suggest that you fire those schizophrenic lawyers you have working for you and spend the money on making some music.