Hello Kurt,

 LL>> Every sysop is lord and master of his/her own system.
 LL>> As well as his/her own universe.

 KW> I forget who it was that compared the telephone network to the internet by
 KW> saying that the telephone network was a smart network with dumb endpoints,
 KW> and the internet was a dumb network with smart endpoints. It seemed like a
 KW> sound analogy.

It must have been the same guy who shouted those comments in the
movie "Network" -

Narrator: This story is about Howard Beale, who was the news anchorman
on UBS TV. In his time, Howard Beale had been a mandarin of television,
the grand old man of news, with a HUT rating of 16 and a 28 audience
share. In 1969, however, his fortunes began to decline. He fell to a 22
share. The following year, his wife died, and he was left a childless
widower with an 8 rating and a 12 share. He became morose and isolated,
began to drink heavily, and on September 22, 1975, he was fired,
effective in two weeks. The news was broken to him by Max Schumacher,
who was the president of the news division at UBS. The two old friends
got properly pissed.

Diana Christensen: Well Max, here we are: Middle-aged man reaffirming
his middle-aged manhood, and a terrified young woman with a father
complex. What sort of script do you think we can make out of this?

Diana Christensen: I watched your 6 o'clock news today; it's straight
tabloid. You had a minute and a half of that lady riding a bike naked
in Central Park; on the other hand, you had less than a minute of hard
national and international news. It was all sex, scandal, brutal crime,
sports, children with incurable diseases, and lost puppies. So, I don't
think I'll listen to any protestations of high standards of journalism
when you're right down on the streets soliciting audiences like the
rest of us. Look, all I'm saying is if you're going to hustle, at least
do it right.

Howard Beale: Why me?
Arthur Jensen: Because you're on television, dummy. Sixty million
people watch you every night of the week, Monday through Friday.
Howard Beale: I have seen the face of God.
Arthur Jensen: You just might be right, Mr. Beale.

Nelson Chaney: All I know is that this violates every canon of
respectable broadcasting.
Frank Hackett: We're not a respectable network. We're a whorehouse
network, and we have to take whatever we can get.
Nelson Chaney: Well, I don't want any part of it. I don't fancy myself
the president of a whorehouse.
Frank Hackett: That's very commendable of you, Nelson. Now sit down.
Your indignation is duly noted; you can always resign tomorrow.

Max Schumacher: He's saying that life is bullshit, and it is, so what
are you screaming about?

Howard Beale: I'm gonna blow my brains out right on the air, right in
the middle of the seven o'clock news.
Max Schumacher: Well, you'll get a hell of a rating, I'll tell you
that. A 50 share, at least. We could make a series of it. "Suicide of
the Week." Aw, hell, why limit ourselves? "Execution of the Week."
Howard Beale: "Terrorist if the Week."
Max Schumacher: I love it. Suicides, assassinations, mad bombers, Mafia
hitmen, automobile smash-ups: "The Death Hour." A great Sunday night
show for the whole family. It'd wipe that fuckin' Disney right off the
air.

Diana Christensen: I was married for four years, and pretended to be
happy; and I had six years of analysis, and pretended to be sane. My
husband ran off with his boyfriend, and I had an affair with my
analyst, who told me I was the worst lay he'd ever had. I can't tell
you how many men have told me what a lousy lay I am. I apparently have
a masculine temperament. I arouse quickly, consummate prematurely, and
can't wait to get my clothes back on and get out of that bedroom. I
seem to be inept at everything except my work. I'm goddamn good at my
work and so I confine myself to that. All I want out of life is a 30
share and a 20 rating.

Howard Beale: I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this
anymore!
Howard Beale: I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this
anymore!
Howard Beale: I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

Max Schumacher: You're madness Diana. Virulent madness. And everything
you touch dies with you.

Howard Beale: I'm human being, GOD DAMNIT!! My life has value!!!
Howard Beale: I'm human being, GOD DAMNIT! My life has value!

Howard Beale: I'm As Mad As Hell, And I'm Not Going To Take This
Anymore!
Howard Beale: I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!

Max Schumacher: "You are television incarnate, Diana"
Max Schumacher: You are television incarnate, Diana.

Howard Beale: I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this
anymore!"
Howard Beale: I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this
anymore!

Narrator: This was the story of Howard Beale. The first known case of
someone being killed for bad ratings
Narrator: This was the story of Howard Beale. The first known case of
someone being killed for bad ratings.

Great Ahmed Kahn: (Shoots pistol) Man... Give her the fucking
distribution charges!
Great Ahmed Kahn: [shoots pistol] Man... Give her the fucking
distribution charges!

Howard Beale: I have come to make my witness.

Howard Beale: Why not? I'd like to be an angry prophet denouncing the
hypocrisies of our times.

Howard Beale: Stand up wherever you are, go to the nearest window, AND
YELL AS LOUD AS YOU CAN, I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE
IT ANYMORE.

--Lee

-- 
We're Great In Bed

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb