The more things change, the more they stay the same (NYTimes, Reg. Req’d):

In a nascent trend that may vastly complicate life for publishers of entertainment listings, Web sites are beginning to schedule network TV-type lineups of shows. If viewers miss a scheduled program, they must wait and hope for it to show up again. These efforts offer a sharp contrast to the video-on-demand approach for which the Web has become known, but which, executives and analysts said, may not represent the medium’s future.

If we were the wagering type, we’d be putting our money on the “executives and analysts” who don’t buy into this strategy. You may be scratching your head and wondering how these guys ever came up with this idea in the first place…

Mr. Liu said that he prevailed in an internal company debate in eschewing the video-on-demand approach. “With video-on-demand, chances are there are topics they won’t click on, because they won’t think they need to see it. But if they did, they’d say ‘Oh my gosh - I didn’t know this,’ “ he said. “It’s the exact inverse of what other people are doing, but we think it’s a far more powerful way of servicing users and advertisers."

There’s your answer. Mr. Liu suddenly fancies himself a network scheduling programmer and likes the extra money advertisers will give him by forcing people to watch less interesting programs. Guess how long that will last? We’d tell you but we’re too busy watching the bridal fashion show.

The People’s Daily reports that a majority of films in China are now financed through private and foreign sources. A growing amount of foreign capital also goes to the construction of cinemas in China. The potential for big profits will likely generate a higher level of competition across all film companies in the Chinese film market, as well as between the domestic and foreign domains. 

Mike Milliken’s Green Car Congress reports...

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved HR 3, The Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users—a six-year bill that provides $284 billion for the federal highway, transit and highway safety programs.  Tucked within the welter of spending programs and projects (3,315 highway projects, 414 bus projects) is a $65-million provision funding the research and development of technologies to make hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses commercially viable.  Section 3039 of the bill establishes a national fuel cell bus technology development program, which will allow the agency to enter into partnerships with no more than 3 geographically diverse organizations to conduct fuel cell bus technology and infrastructure projects. The initiative is funded with $64,949,950 spread over six years, including a smaller amount allocated to 2004. The money will co-fund the research up to 50%—i.e., the partners must cost-share.  One partner will be the National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Initiative (NFCBTI). Led by WestStart-CALSTART, NFCBTI is a collaboration of technology companies and transportation system operators, which has proposed a six-year, $25-million per year effort to tackle fuel cell development and infrastructure. The bill also provides at least $15 million to support the purchase of CNG and HCNG (hydrogen-CNG mix) buses by different operators. Funding for some hybrids and fuel cell vehicles is included as well. The actual outlays for CNG and other cleaner buses will be higher, but many of the projects listed (summary available at the bill’s site) only indicate “clean fuel”, not the exact technology. I did not see any provisions for biodiesel purchase, although I might have missed them.

Now it goes to the Senate.

TiVo GUIDE for Wednesday
1:30pm Crossfire on CNN
7:00pm Hardball With Chris Matthews on MSNBC
8:00pm Lou Dobbs Report on CNN
8:00pm The Daily Show on Comedy Central
9:00pm West Wing on NBC
11:00pm Tavis Smiley on PBS
11:30pm Charlie Rose on PBS

Flogging Molly
The band leads an early St. Patrick's Day salute with a riotous mix of Irish music and punk rock. With Hot Water Music and Riverboat Gamblers @ House of Blues 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
7:30pm

Such a Production
If you have a beef with the Hollywood Industry being in your backyard, move. Or, blame Carl Laemmle, who 90 years ago today culminated an eight-day cross-country whistle-stop tour declaring Universal City the first "to be devoted exclusively to the manufacture of motion pictures." Tonight at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, Tinseltown historian and archivist Marc Wannamaker will show early slides and rare historic shorts from Laemmle’s studio when it was young and eager and surrounded by miles of open space. A fascinating event for Hollywood buffs and beefers alike. 8; $5 members. 2100 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (323) 874-2276.
7:30pm

Santa Monica Ranked Voting Meeting
This group advocates voting systems that allow people to rank their preferences. Reed Park Auditorium, 1133 Seventh St., Santa Monica;.$5 suggested donation. (805) 252-6110. https://smrankedvoting.typepad.com/ 7:30pm

Behind the War in Iraq
Free and open to the public: "BEHIND THE WAR IN IRAQ: OIL AND ARAB PERCEPTIONS," a lecture by Michael S. Ladah, author, university faculty member, lecturer, oil company executive, philanthropist, and Palestinian refugee @ Ranch Water District Headquarters, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, Calif. 92618 Between the 5 and the 405 at Waterworks Way For more information call, Richard Herman, (949)642-5767 or Dr. Robert Gordon, (949)733-0607
7:30pm

Dr. Gino Strada
The author of the book GREEN PARROTS (a nickname for a type of land mine), is the founder of "Emergency," a humanitarian private organization that brings life support to civilian victims of war and builds health care capacity in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Darfur, Angola, Cambodia and Sierra Leone. Dr. Strada will talk about his activities as a war surgeon and show Emergency's award winning documentary Jung, (War) in the land of the Mujaheddin that features the work they are doing in Afghanistan. 9550 Haskell Ave. Granda Hills https://www.webcom.com/onion
7:00pm

Music Releases
The Easgles Boxset
Crosby, Stills & Nash: Greatest Hits
Dishwalla: Dishwalla
Los Lobos: Live at the Fillmore
Al Green: Everything’s OK
Better Than Ezra: Greatest Hits
Everything but the Girl: Adapt or Die; Ten Years of Remixes
Blind Boys of Alabama: Atom Bomb
The Chieftans: The Chieftans Celebration
B.B. King: Ultimate Collection
Curtis Mayfield: Mayfield: Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection

DVD Releases
The Incredibles
What the #$*! Do We Know?!
Alfie

Book Releases
Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story by Kurt Eichenwald
With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George
The Truth About Love by Stephanie Lurens