This video changed my life.  After watching this for the first and only time, I destroyed every pirated copy of the Cats soundtrack in my collection.  But seriously, music is so cheap these days its difficult to justify illegal downloads. 

I always thought that the whining and bitching of Lars Ulrich was a bit much; people that have made millions of dollars from their fan base and who don’t even require CD sales to do so just shouldn’t complain.  I wonder how many T-shirts he sold last year?  How many gigs he got paid to play?  Or how many corporate sponsored events he’s shown up at just to yell a couple things at the crowd, get paid, and leave?  Anyway, the people that need the money are the musicians, singers, and songwriters who can’t cash in on their celebrity status and are just scraping by.  The record labels will find ways to make money regardless,  but it’s the small time artists that can take the chances and spur innovation in the music industry; they deserve to be paid for doing so.   

And while you’re thinking about that, check out Wierd Al’s video, Don’t Download this Video.