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I thought that the war for all the bases wasn't scheduled to start until A.D. 2101...

Eventually somebody's going to make reference to this little diddy, the oh-so-famous "all your base are belong to us" video game.

Burt did, in fact, meet with Osama bin Laden.

Not only that, but giant Rabbits are real, fat cats can really fly, donkeys really do wear jetpacks , and yes, all your base really does belong to us.

Well, looks like they forgot about space engrish.

In AD 2001
War was beginning.
ZD Techie: What happen?
Webmaster: Somebody set up us the poll
Secretary: We get signal
ZD Techie: What!
Secretary: Main screen turn on
ZD Techie: It's You!!
Gates : How are you gentlemen!!
Gates : All your poll are belong to us
Gates : You are on your way to deceive
ZD Techie: What you say!
Gates : You have no chance but to mislead make your time
Gates : HA HA HA HA ...
ZD Techie: Take off every '.microsoft.com vote'
ZD Techie: You know what you doing
ZD Techie: Move '.microsoft.com vote'
ZD Techie: For great justice

Why do we watch or listen to what we do? &nbsp Because we found it and like it. &nbsp How did we find it? &nbsp Most likely through advertising. &nbsp Hollywood, MPAA, RIAA advertising. &nbsp But there're a shitload of talented people out there who'll never get that type of big advertising. &nbsp Nevertheless, we might like them.

Technological advances are making it possible for people to record music and make movies in and from their homes, without the need for massive studios. &nbsp The internet is just waiting for them to do their own marketing. &nbsp Look at the incredible penetration of "All Your Base", for God's sake. &nbsp When professional electronic entertainment becomes too expensive and too complicated to enjoy, more and more people will flock to free alternatives. &nbsp Want to see a movie? &nbsp Well, IndieTonight.com has 3000 titles which you can download - all independently written, produced, directed, acted and scored. &nbsp Copyright free.

You get what you pay for. &nbsp

There are millions of people who haven't made it in Hollywood for some reason or another. &nbsp If you're like most people, you probably know someone personally whom you think is awesomely talented. &nbsp He can act, sing, play, perform and thrill you, but he also has a day job. &nbsp

The big players, the MPAA and the RIAA, when they get their way and are able to encrypt everything they produce and limit your rights to its usage, will restrict themselves out of the market. &nbsp Their current dominance is based upon the ability we grant them to judge and distribute. &nbsp The internet is taking that away from them. &nbsp The bad side of all this is the threat of Balkanization. &nbsp Right now, in the US at least, we live in a society where anyone from any part of the country can strike up a conversation with most anyone else by referring to common cultural experience. &nbsp "Did you see Beck on SNL last night?" "How 'bout those Lakers?", that kind of stuff. &nbsp If the giant media corporations succeed in their panicked attempts to limit access to their products, they'll simply send consumers off in search of entertainment that's not so dear. &nbsp And we might possibly lose this electronic zeitgiest. &nbsp But even that won't last. &nbsp Because if people wander off from the media giants, they won't be media giants anymore. &nbsp If that happens, they'll be forced to drop their restrictions in order to lure people back.

Joe Sixpack may not know a whole hell of a lot, but he does know he can make a CD of songs he really likes and he can tape a tv show to watch later. &nbsp He is not going to give that up without a fight.

I mean, why would you purchase an un-copyable, use-limited CD of Band X for $15 when you can download Band Y's music for free and make a compilation CD from their tracks with tracks from Bands Z, AA and BB? &nbsp (Unless of course you're 15 and all your friends have Band X CDs. &nbsp But even then, if you can't afford Band X and Band Y is free, what are you gonna do?) &nbsp There'll be some cachet, I suppose, to having Band X CDs, but it won't be any more exciting than having Nike sneakers instead of New Balance. &nbsp They're still just sneakers.

If you put out big bucks for a super-digital, whiz-bang TV and then you can't afford to watch anything on it other than free crap you drag down off the internet, what are you going to do with your expensive, restricted hardware? &nbsp Watch the free crap.

That is an example of free-market forces at work. &nbsp No one makes you look at Keanu or Sandra. &nbsp There are hundreds of Keanus and Sandras who are just waiting for the chance to entertain you. &nbsp That's probably the scariest thing for both the MPAA and the RIAA. &nbsp We have a choice and now, finally, we have a source.

(Which is not to say that I don't find it abhorrent that entertainment companies would dictate what use I can make of hardware I bought! &nbsp But I think this abnormality will be rendered irrelevent. &nbsp The restricted, expensive, difficult shit just won't have any customers, and it will go away.)

Let me try to recap. &nbsp The Beatles were big. &nbsp Metallica is/was big. But that's only because, in the past, record companies had to winnow out obvious losers in order to recruit talent which could stand a chance of sustaining mass appeal. &nbsp The record companies might not know it yet, but they have already lost that power. &nbsp And the MPAA will lose it next. &nbsp YOU, the consumer, can review music from hundreds, thousands of bands. &nbsp YOU will be able to download trailers of truly indi films. &nbsp Columbia, CBS, RCA, whoever, won't be there to narrow your choices, unless you choose to pay for their services and submit to their restrictions.

MjM

Somebody set us up the website

--

In A.D. 2101
War was beginning.
Captain: What happen ?
Operator: Somebody set up us the bomb
Operator: We get signal
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on
Captain: It's You !!
Cats: How are you gentlemen !!
Cats: All your base are belong to us
Cats: You are on the way to destruction
Captain: What you say !!
Cats: You have no chance to survive make your time
Cats: HA HA HA HA ....
Cats: Take off every 'zig'
Captain: You know what you doing
Captain: Move 'zig'
Captain: For great justice