One of the most memorable occasions of the week was a luncheon speech by the English playwright Arnold Wesker, the author of a play Shylock, that in effect was a response to Shakespeare’s own Merchant of Venice. [read post]

  If you have been following the machinations by the Obama Justice Department [sic] over amending the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees,  you may have found yourself wondering who was responsible for rejecting the good faith efforts of the songwriting community in favor of a cynical back room deal with multinational tech companies and broadcasters. [read post]