Update: It seems this sort of thing actually happens all the time, it's just not reported on. For instance, The Greens recently attempted to bring in a bill to regulate "massive" CEO salaries. Rather than complain about it, they tried to put a bill through to regulate it. It was killed thoroughly in the Senate. About two sentences in the paper. No big headlines "Your local senators are OK with massive CEO salaries".

Perhaps the real problem is the lack of real reporting of political debate, or perhaps, the lack of real debate.

To be honest, I just don't care enough to check.

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I'm often saying that the Opposition of they day should stop talking crap and actually attempt to put bills through parliament that cover what they're ranting about. Even if they don't get through, you get to publicly debate your issue, which is what parliament is supposed to be about.

Now that the Federal Coalition have actually done it, attempting to immediately increase the pension by $30 a week, it starts to look harder than I thought.

Fights over the legality of the bill are relevant... the Upper House cannot raise a bill that requires raising money, and this obviously does, no matter what crap the Coalition try to spin about already-having-the-money-in-the-surplus. Good on the Coalition to attempt to do something right, but do it wrong.

Although already passing the Senate may influence the debate in the Lower House, possibly leading to some bench crossing... that is, if Labor let the issue be debated at all...

Perhaps some see what they've done as a stunt, "playing politics" and deliberately breaking "the way things are done". I don't care. This is more the sort of politics I'd like to see.

Vodaphone launches MusicStation.

$2.75 a week to listen to access (listen to) a million major label tracks.

If you're happy to use your phone as an MP3 player (you can't transfer these tracks anywhere else), are only interested in non-obscure major label artists and don't mind paying $2.75 a week (about $150 a year) on top of your mobile phone contract, this deal is for you.

When you stop paying the subscription, you lose access to the music.

Consider it an "access fee" to a library of "all major music" and less than $3 doesn't sound so bad. If it's your sort of thing.

The "four major" labels in the US will begin selling albums [rollingstone.com] on 1Gb SanDisk microSD cards soon. Non-DRM ("320kbps MP3"). Cheaper than CD ("$7 to $10"). Will include "extras" like liner notes and probably videos etc.

The idea being, most MP3 players these days have a microSD (or miniSD) slot. You could buy the music and play the music straight away. Saves going home and ripping the CD.

Obviously I'd prefer the songs were lossless...

Personally, I LIKE the CD. The issue of having to take it home and rip it has at times been annoying, but only mildly. The enforced wait adds to the experience IMHO.

The thought of paying so much for something so small doesn't appeal to me at all. How do they look on the shelf?

I doubt I'm their target market. I still buy music after all.

Still, all four major labels selling non-DRM music in high quality should be applauded.

Now if they'll just do it online in Australia.