Ouch. I didnt mean to get the entire HTC on me, i feel so belittled, ill open two windows and reply to each message as i read them.
Dolomite: The facist thing was sort of a joke, i believe theres alot of really stupid things that go on in capitalist societys but its unavoidable if we want the freedom we have, i just think some things should stay like 'the golden days' so to speak, such as software being primarly free except for mailing costs. Also like i said, id be more than willing to lay down one or two hundred dollars to them just becuase i enjoy myself and i want to see them continue to make games, but not on a pay-for-play basis, yes its the same thing but its the 'point' of it i guess. Some things i make a stand on, some things i dont.
Curly: No not AOL, i despise AOL and all of the idiot inbred americans it spawns onto the internet who know nothing about computers or even the world around them. Another classic case of 'the olden days' syndrome. Where you had to actually be worth your weight in gold in network ability and computer savve to get onto the net

Not saying it should be as hard as it was, but not quite so easy as it is now.
And yes people pay for alot of things that we really shouldnt have to pay for in life, we pay for so many nesscacities(sp?) these days we hardly have money left over to pay for simple forms of entertainment. The worst crime in that is that alot of forms of entertainment actually teach you something (ive learned more about world war two flying and tactics than i ever thought existed, just trying to stay in the 'game' so i wouldnt get totally wasted)
Pongo: Im sure they didnt, maybe a chuckle or so but i think they found it alot more disturbing that some one thinks that way, and im sure they found it horribly immature.
Hitech: The basis of my ideas go back a ways, ill keep it short. Grew up in the late 70s, early 80s, got really deep into both computers and punk music at the same time. (bad combo) saw the software world begin and take shape. Then from my already capitalist hating eyes i saw the entire computer industry take a turn for what i consider the 'worse'. People stopped being (not you guys, you actually are putting out a very high quality product, and keeping in touch with the community following) artists and programmers and idealists...and started becomming buisinessmen (John Carmack any one?) For the record im 26. Oh and the price of a cars software is more than half of the production cost of the vechile. Metal and gears doesnt cost THAT much. Take a gander at Saturns new 'super computer' car with the road tracking and GPS link....70 percent of that cars price is software.
Superfly: Jealous? Of course. Would i do things differently than you guys? Of course. But your there and im not, thats why these things are opinions. I guess my personal (and ive been told immature) and offical stance is "If an artist isnt starving hes not a real artist." Making some cash doing what you love is a wonderful feeling, but it shouldnt be the main direction your heading in.
PS Curtis Mayfield is rock'n

Natedog: About the people who spend 30 million dollars to create a stupid love story about bland characters who never even try and be different. The people who spend millions upon millions to create films that do nothing more than satisfy the huge ego of americans and make us feel better about ourselves. Those people can take all that money and...well i dont need to finish, its a family msg board...but those people are not artists, theyre buisinessmen, and they dont deserve the money, and dont need the production costs they use. I havent gone to a 'feature' film in over 8 years, been sticking to independant films and festivals and small film houses that really dare to break the mold and be entertaining and educational. And as for concerts....bands....Well there are two groups, the backstreet boys...and the sex pistols (not a huge fan but theyre well known) One 'requires' 500 thousand dollars to produce each album, the other needs 50 bucks for a recording sweet for 30 minutes, one group has the lyrical content of a bag of molded rotten apples, the other group has the content of just a bag of rotten apples heh but at least they make you think (shoulda used the dead kennedys as an example) one makes you pay a 40 dollar ticket...ive even heard 100 dollars for upfront (read: where they dont look like ants on stage) tickets....the other makes you buy them a beer after the show and sits down with you and the other 50 people who showed up to the club to see them. Who needs the mega bands and mega producers...all it does is dumb people down. And id be glad to buy you guys a round of beers

Leonid: Yeah im not exactly mixed well myself.
Rawhide2000: I wont comment on the macho-rama meat head name, but ill just say i dont live with mommy and daddy. They did however raise me during carter and reaganomics (oh god didnt we all love those reaganomics!) when the cost of living was insanely high, and now were seeing the after effects. If thats different some where else, ill be happy to move there. If you have a job thats so great you can throw around money at every corner please send me the address so i can apply.
Yeager: Drunk is the key word.
And just to sum things up and say a few things. I play guitar in a pretty crappy (so far) industrial/punk band, and yes we play shows, and no i dont take money for doing it. I write software, pretty amatuer stuff so far, but ive worked on some top notch MODs for Doom, Quake, Halflife so my experiance in devolping software people will actually play is not in question, and no i never took a cent for the work i did. I also do photography for local magazines and portraits for my friends (since photography is what i took in school im pretty darned good) and , guess what? Never taken a cent for that either. I work in a music store, and do odd jobs for people in my nieghborhood, i fix people's computers and TVs and such. Nothing else i can really say.
Sorry for not capitalizing all my i's...and for the bad grammar and spelling and whatnot. Its been a while since ive been in an enviroment where people correct me on such things, so my skill at it has diminished.
--Sidney.
"Im tired of self respect, I cant afford a car, I want to be a prefab superstar, I wanna be a tool, dont need no soul, wanna make big money playing rock and roll."
Lovely Dead Kennedys Satire.