The life and death of Michael Jackson

By Larry Hales

NYC FIST
It happened you would even play, be merry
And dance, in sheer exuberance of spirit:
And then would all the splendour of your manhood,
The sweet desires of youth sound, wild with power,
On strings of brass, in burning tambourines.
And from that mighty music the beginning
Of jazz arose, tempestuous, capricious,
Declaring [...]

Recording industry’s piracy and profits

By Caleb T. Maupin
Cleveland FIST
Jammie Thomas, a single mother of Native Anishinabe descent, has been found guilty of copyright infringement and sentenced to pay a $2 million fine. Her crime was downloading 24 songs that can be legally purchased on iTunes for 99 cents each. (Wired.com, June 18)
Thomas was convicted by an all-white jury near [...]