Screenplay based on the original podcast play 

In the opening credits of the original (1956) Invasion of the Body Snatchers, we learn that the story is based on a Colliers magazine serial. Media forms used to be wider-ranging, didn't they? You can't get serialized novels in very many magazines anymore. Movies have to be a certain length, because shorts can't make money. Short stories don't sell either. But that's old publishing and media. Maybe the forms will get more flexible again as citizen-made entertainment becomes as pervasive as citizen journalism. I'd like to see the day when a feature movie credit says "Based on the original podcast play."

Exxon posts record profits 

First-quarter profits for Exxon-Mobile came to $8.4 billion. According to the Associated Press, this represents the fifth highest quarterly total for any public company in history. January profits, amounting to $11 billion, was the very highest month ever.

Aggressive domain registrars 

I never had a domain registrar court me until this week. The competition must be heating up. I've had my names with Dotster since 1999 or 2000, whenever I first realized you didn't have to go through Network Solutions.

The price has been $14.95 all that time, and though I know I can get them cheaper now, I don't have that many of them, and I tend to be loyal, and I like the colors on Dotster's site, and they're not too promotionally crass.

Then, just this week a name came up for renewal and I decided to transfer it to GoDaddy, just as a vote for Madge. During the transfer waiting period, I get email from a customer retention person from Dotster offering a lower rate on all my domains, indefinitely. So I took him up on it. Sorry Madge. Maybe the vote of support still registers even if the money doesn't.