I'm surprised (and a bit dismayed) by the fact that nobody has yet commented on the innate meanness at the heart of the "Mahir Live!" hysteria. This guy is being treated like a sideshow freak, all because somebody misrepresented him by altering his Web page, apparently to make him look foolish. Mahir shouldn't be going on world tour; he should be talking to his lawyers.

-- Karen Haber

Why do you insist on parroting the lame story everyone else put out about how Mahir's page was modified by a "hacker"? Someone made a copy of the site and uploaded it to xoom.com. I think my mom could be a hacker by that definition. I expect a little more tech credibility from you folks.

-- David Dasinger

"Three Kings," one "Witch" and a "Princess"
BY SALON ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS
(12/17/99)

Did none of your reviewers get to David Fincher's "Fight Club"? Among all of the quality films that came out this year, this was among the most strikingly assertive in its lambasting of contemporary America's hollow obsession with commercialism. Not only visually compelling as Fincher's previous films, it showcased nuanced performances from two of the most talented in the business, Ed Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. The soundtrack alone is worth an honorable mention.

-- Christopher Johnson
Worcester, Mass.

Thank God that one of your critics was savvy enough to include "Office Space" on your Top 10 list. Along with "Election," "Dick" and "Iron Giant" it was one of the few brighter moments in a year dominated by overrated, overhyped, pretentious drivel like "The Blair Witch Project" and "Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace." I found the film to be both subtly clever and charmingly goofy. While far from a box office smash, it is rapidly approaching neo-cult status at my local video store -- where trying to rent one of the dozen or so copies has become a real challenge. It's too bad that the studio's advertising campaign undersold the film by making it appear to be just another of today's dumbed-down, lowbrow comedies. It deserved better.

-- George A. Fuller

Something for nothing?
BY LYDIA LEE
(12/17/99)

I, like Lydia Lee, was obsessed with getting a free Jelly Belly sample. Being a true geek, however, I wasn't content to just keep checking the site. Instead I wrote a Perl script that periodically checked it for me, and alerted me as soon as it was available. Finally, my efforts paid off, and I filled out a survey to get my free sample. That was about a year ago. I'm still waiting for my free sample, but my hope is beginning to fade. Ah, well. Christmas is coming, and most of my family and friends know that Jelly Bellies make an excellent gift!

-- David Altenburg

I am the owner of Cool Freebies. I built and maintain it myself, as a hobby (I have a real job), but it has been much more successful than I ever expected. I think the main reason it is popular is that by far the majority of "freebies" I list are really free. It seems more and more "free sites" these days are carrying more promotional offers than real free items.

-- Charles Dyer

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