California Dreaming: a Biannual Update

It wasn't that long ago (17 months, to be exact) that I was a lot more concerned with mp3's and Cal Bear's football than I was with nation building and ways forward.

Being here at the Forward Edge changed all that, but music and all things Cal still matter to me a great deal...so without further ado, it's time for my every-6-months update of the digital media business!

My once (and future?) employer Amazon.com has struck another blow in the online music wars, announcing a deal w/ Sony/BMG to distribute DRM free mp3s on Amazon's digital music store. For those of you keeping track, this makes it all 4 majors for Amazon, and only 1 for iTunes. Interesting times, these.

Meanwhile, on the football front, DeSean Jackson surprised absolutely no one by declaring for the NFL draft after a disappointing junior campaign that saw the Bears lose 6 of 8 games down the stretch. Sigh. Better luck next year, fellas. And good luck in the pros, DeSean.

And one more note while I'm at it...I completely missed the fact that my alma mater dear, The Haas School of Business, was ranked 2nd in this year's WSJ MBA rankings. Second?? Gosh darn right, second.

Granted, any survey that ranks perennial powers Harvard and Stanford out of the top 15 is slightly suspect, but hey, the WSJ rankings are legit. I'll take it.

In closing, I really do miss all of my California friends tremendously...Tom and Anna and Oski (pictured above), Schindler and Kyle and Nate and Matt and other Nate and Dauber and Eric and Dan and Nick and Nick and Rhonda and Megan and Wade and Pam and April and Seth and Andy and Andy and Bryan and Brian and Simona and Colin and everyone in DMEC and in HSA and Dan/Amy/Julia and Steph/Pete and all of my awesome professors and all the 08ers and 06ers and...