] Artist representatives say a singles-oriented model means
] a significant hit to the bottom line. Instead of divvying
] the spoils of a $12-$18 CD sale, labels, artists and
] songwriters are vying for nickels and dimes from 99 cent
] downloads.

Oh what a load of BS. If I'm not particularly hungry, am I forced to buy a 7-course meal? If I only like one or two songs by a group, why should I have to buy the whole freaking album? And how is this different from CD singles? What they propose is akin to them saying, "radio stations can't play only one of our songs - you have to play the entire album in sequence."

They want me to buy the album? Fair enough. So start giving us an albums worth of good songs - not 1 or 2 decent tracks and a bunch of mediocre (at best) "filler". The shortsightedness of this is amazing.

Laughing Boy

BILLBOARD: Artists opposed to online music stores

The ones you cry because you are watching a frail but spirited Ray Bradbury sing the praises of his longtime friend Ray Harryhausen as the latter gets a star placed on Hollywood Blvd.

The crowd was small, but packed with people from every creative part of the film industry. Forrest J. Ackerman, Rick Baker, James Cameron and animation guys of every stripe cheered as Ray's movies were listed.

The most fun was telling people wandering by what was going on...although few people knew him by name, almost everyone of every age remembered Sinbad's skeletons.

Frank Darabont (director of Shawshank Redemption and Green Mile)told a story about asking Tom Hanks why he had wanted to become an actor. Tom replied that as a boy, when he saw Sinbad fighting those skeletons he knew that was exactly what he wanted to grow up and do.

Ray H. looks strong ang robust and it was a great event.

What Are Real Geek Tears?

] EVANSTON, Illinois (AP) -- Richard Cusack, an advertising
] executive turned actor and screenwriter whose children
] included Hollywood stars John and Joan Cusack, has died
] at 77.
]
] Cusack, who died of pancreatic cancer Monday, abandoned a
] 17-year successful advertising career in 1970 to enter
] the film industry.

CNN.com - Richard Cusack dead at 77 - Jun. 3, 2003

] "They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell
] you. Meat made the machines."
]
] "That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're
] asking me to believe in sentient meat."
]
] "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are
] the only sentient race in that sector and they're made
] out of meat."
]
] "Maybe they're like the orfolei. You know, a carbon-based
] intelligence that goes through a meat stage."
]
] "Nope. They're born meat and they die meat. We studied
] them for several of their life spans, which didn't take
] long. Do you have any idea what's the life span of meat?"

Before The Matrix, There was Only Meat

] LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Warner Bros. Pictures'
] "The Matrix: Reloaded" made box office history this
] weekend as the highly anticipated sequel chambered an
] estimated $93.3 million during the three-day session and
] a staggering $135.8 million since its release late
] Wednesday night.
]
] Numerous records were shattered at the box office in
] North America, but a select few remained intact as the
] record books had to be downloaded and adjusted to
] accommodate the massive assault by "Reloaded,"
] co-produced with Village Roadshow.
]
] As expected, the opening weekend gross vaporized the
] record for the biggest opening by an R-rated film,
] effortlessly besting MGM's "Hannibal" ($58 million). The
] Keanu Reeves starrer, helmed and written by brothers
] Larry and Andy Wachowski, racked up the second-biggest
] three-day weekend ever, behind Sony's "Spider-Man"
] ($114.8 million), which was released on a Friday without
] previews. The first four days of "Reloaded" is likely to
] be bigger than the same time frame for the webbed one
] ($125.9 million) even without the grosses from Wednesday
] night previews -- marking the biggest first four days in
] history.

I foresee the hacker culture suddenly becoming very mainstream...

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

] I was sure we'd see a silly "Hackers"-esque 3D animated
] "hacking scene".
] Not so! Trinity is as smart as she is seductive! She
] whips out Nmap (!!!), scans her target, finds 22/tcp open,
] and proceeds with an über ssh technique! I was so surprised,
] I almost jumped out of my seat and did the "r00t dance"
] right there in the theatre!
]
] There can be only one explanation: Carie-Anne has the
] hots for me!

OK, if Fyodor gets Carie-Anne can I have her Ducati?

Nmap Hackers: Whoa!