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...but in the states, this is very apparent. Not only do we have big outlets like the Virgin Megastore closing down in big cities, but long-standing "mom-and-pop", independent record stores are not making it. I see this with a lot of my old favorite record stores in the midwest, but also some of my favorite stores from when I lived on the left coast, like Aron's Records, an veritable institution I never thought would close down.

Now, it may be easy to blame "downloading," but ask anyone who supported these record stores for years and there's two main reasons: 1) Lack of compelling content these days; and 2) general lack of trust for the record industry. When the old hippie burnout down the street is afraid to buy a CD because it might "have a virus on it," you know the MAFIAA have shot themselves in the foot. Unfortunately, they continue to find ways to make money, while the artists and record-shop owners are the ones being put out of business.

I have concern for the whole downward spiral. War is already almost completely abstracted, sanitized and removed from the day to day life of the majority of the domestic populations that enable wars of foreign aggression. Be it passive support, apathy, ambivalence or even "opposition" its of little consequence to the war machinery which is embed in the system where they all exist as supporters. As war becomes more and more abstracted & disconnected from consequence for these people it becomes easier and easier to neglect the hellish reality for whoever happens to be on the wrong side of the unmanned remote controlled drone. (in this case the Iraqi people / "terrorists")

This makes it harder and harder for any population to oppose state repression as the consequences for rebelling against the state (or in this case the occupying forces) become more and more sever at the same time that your capacity for rebelling against that repression become less and less.
This machinery enables little relative risk for the occupying force. The occupied become terrorists hitting soft targets as all that is left to attack as the state has no exposure when drooping bombs from 5000ft or attacking with unmanned drones. Terrorism, kidnappings death squads, a expanding cycle violent reprisals inflame the entire population. But hey "we only lost" 3000 people and a few hundred billion.

Sometimes worst case scenarios help people view the problem of the downward spiral we are facing. In this case consider remote control destruction of arbitrary individuals in arbitrary locations, with little to no risk for the ones doing the destruction. Democracy is easily subverted, automating the destruction of others makes the "god mandated mission to free those people" that much easier to swallow. This always comes back around to domestic oppression (if you don't care about killing others). We can see very the same drones (unarmed right now) being deployed on the border and some cities

You said "... or they think that because of the uniform they wear, that they are above the law."

When taser-boy was being tried in court for one of the previous incidents (yes, taser-cop has a documented history of sadistic bullying, including shooting an unarmed deranged homeless man) he made a point of carrying Machievelli's book "The Prince" with him to court, and flashing it around.

One of the central messages of "The Prince" (yes I've read it, and it's not Niccolo's best work, incidentally) is that the law serves the Prince, and not the other way around. Common morality must be set aside (except in public, of course) by strong rulers. Or, to put it another way - "The Prince is above the law".

Taser-boy is unlikely to have comprehended any of the deeper messages of the book.

I just wanted to point out that blogging.la broke this story and continues to follow it, and none of the national media that picked it up has credited us at all. e! Online even quotes from our site and comments, yet fails to acknowledge where they came from.

If you want to find out what is really happening at Mann's Chinese Theater, you would be better off checking out Blogging.la. They are the ones that first started talking about the story and have since been quoted by E!Online and others, but of course get no lovin' from those sites.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Speaking of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and late night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel's show tapes directly across the street from the Chinese. They have *got* to look across the street and see the comedy gold mine that's basically fallen into their laps.

The funniest part about this is that the line-goers *refuse* to move to the Arclight, even though the Mann theatre chain has confirmed thus far that they're not playing the movie either. They're still holding out hope that the Chinese will be playing it, like it apparently has for the line-goers for Episodes I and II.

More about the line here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

On that note, here's a Top 10 Reasons [the line] should move to the Arclight.
10. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
9. Hot chicks go to the Arclight
8. Caramel Corn!
7. You won't trip over the stupid holes in sidewalk like around here.
6. People will stop telling you to 'Get a life.'
5. Natalie Portman goes to the movies at the Arclight.
4. You're that much closer to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.
3. You can play the 'Count the Hipster' game.
2. The Episode 3 is playing at the Arclight, not Grauman's Chinese.
1. The Trekkies are laughing at you.

Hell, Wil Wheaton (yes, it's actually him and not a comment troll) even told the line to get a life here.

Check out Metroblogging LA for a lot more on the line. They really broke the story and continue to cover it.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, hundreds of fans gathered at the gates of Paramount studios for the main rally of the day, led by Tim Brazeal, founder of the SaveEnterprise and TrekUnited campaigns.

It's funny/sad just how inflated that number is.

I was there on Friday morning for about ten minutes as a photographer, and there were only about a hundred fans. Hell, StarTrek.com puts the number at about 120-150 fans.

A friend of mine stayed and documented the Enterprise rally with his videocamera, taping several hours worth of footage. He says that it picked up a little more after I left, but there were about 150 protesters at best, and that the stuff he captured rivals Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's roasting of Star Wars fans waiting in line for Episode I (speaking of which, some Star Wars fans crashed the rally by showing up in costume dressed as Stormtroopers and Darth Vader).

Still, I suppose the number of fans at Friday's rally easily beat the Captain Sulu rally five years ago that drew maybe 15 fans, many of whom showed up in costume(!).

Are here. Noticeably absent are William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Anyways, there are write-ups about this past weekend's farewell convention here and the ceremony here.

Feast your eyes on what good Slashdot Karma and a penchant for self-doodlation can get you! She's no Missus Scooby, but I suppose she'd do in a pinch for the unwashed geek masses.