Instead of bickering about how much flour goes in the gravy, this year a couple of musician friends and I argued about music downloading, and just how rich Paul McCartney should be. It was really fun, but I think that we may have alienated a few people over the pumpkin pie.

My friend was totally baffled and offended that a fan asked him for a CD gratis at one of his club shows. My friend explained to the fan the costs that went in to making that CD - the gear he had to pay for and maintain, the van that carts that gear around, the recording costs, rehearsal space rent, and the years of practicing his instrument and honing his writing skills. We all said “yeah man right on, tell it like it T-I-is.”

This same friend, not five minutes later, told us about how he had just downloaded five new albums and didn’t pay anything for them. He totally busted himself. That then led to the “just how rich should Paul McCartney be?” bickering.

I ran across this the other day in the New York Times and I thought it was excellent

INTERNET idealists like me have long had an easy answer for creative types — like the striking screenwriters in Hollywood — who feel threatened by the unremunerative nature of our new Eden: stop whining and figure out how to join the party! That’s the line I spouted when I was part of the birthing celebrations for the Web. I even wrote a manifesto titled “Piracy Is Your Friend.” But I was wrong. We were all wrong.

What did you bicker about over the bird (or tofu)?