I've been thinking more about some of the issues around the whole ridiculous "copyright theft vs. purchasing media" debate.
A few months ago, we got an XM Satellite Radio system for the home. It's a satellite system, so the signal fades occasionally, especially when it's cloudy. And it takes time for the signal to decompress when switching channels. (I don't fault them for any of that; I fault Nicholas Negroponte for convincing people that compressed digital streams are uniformly better than analog broadcasting...)
We're pretty happy with it overall. There are some good channels with good mixes (and some channels that I'll never listen to, but that's OK too). My favorite is channel 45 - XM Cafe. It reminds me of the best of WXPN in Philly before WXPN got too annoying. And when I tire from that, there's lots of other stuff to choose from, like channel 101 (an all reggae channel).
I don't mind paying the $10/month for mostly commercial-free streaming music over the stereo. I recommend it to friends because the mixes are so fresh and enjoyable (compared to the commercial-strewn uniformity on the FM dial). Occasionally, I hear something new that I would have never heard before on commercial FM, like a reggae mix of Dark Side of the Moon on channel 101. I liked the song so much, I went hunting for it yesterday. :-)
I know I'm not atypical here. (Well, except for the part about being an XM-listening reggae neophyte with about as much rhythm as a dead snail.) And I'm still buying music.
I see an opportunity for a bumper sticker: «I buy music and I vote!»
