November 2006

Monthly Archive

TW predicts downloadable movies to be big hit in ‘07; I yawn

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 29 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Entertainment, Tech

Am I the only one not interested in downloadable movies? I mean, right now, I can drive to a store, buy a DVD and rip it to my PC all before a download of it would even finish. Also taking into account that all of these “movie download” sites cripple their downloads with DRM and how long it will take to do all this, where’s the draw?

Ars Technica reviews the Wii

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 28 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Entertainment, Games, Internet, Tech

The review

This may be that magical system that’s going to interest your non-gamer parents, girlfriend, or wife—people who never thought they could pick up and control a video game.

I can vouch for this as my wife and all my co-workers have been either completely enthralled with it or have been hounding me relentlessly with questions about it.

To say non-gamers are interested in the Wii would be an understatement of disastrous proportions.

MPAA trying to sanction home theaters

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 28 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble

They can kiss my ass. You can bet your entire life’s earnings my congress critters will be hearing from me on this one.

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 27 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Rants, Stupidity

Thunderin’ Jesus, don’t we have better things to fight about than a peace sign-shaped wreath? Since when is a peace sign considered “divisive”? And to those complaining that it’s a satanic sign…well…words just can’t express your stupidity and I question how you’re able to gather enough brain power to breathe.

via Pesky Apostrophe

Marketing genius

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 24 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble

Two new products on the market that deserve to be bought up just as fast as stock allows:

The 1UP mushroom and the RIAA toilet papper

Suctitude

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 24 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Rants

Just so you know, working a support line the day after Thanksgiving is teh suxx0rz.

Holiday Camera Buying Guide

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 22 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Photography

It’s being Instalanched right now, but Ken Rockwell.com has a handy holiday camera guide that might help those looking for a digital camera for Christmas.

Via Instapundit

The draft

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 20 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble

CNN’s top story at this moment is about a debate concerning whether to re-open the draft. I’m not particularly worried. From what I’ve been able to read, I’m outside the age range for the draft, though the selective service website is a tad vague on exactly who can or can’t be drafted (they say that at the age of 26 you’re not required to register, which tells me that you’re not eligible).

I’m just curious how polarized out nation’s “leaders” want this country to be. I keep hearing how Iraq is this generations Vietnam and that Iraq is a quagmire much like Vietnam. What I remember (through stories and reading, of course) is how polarized this nation was. Protests, police actions, riots. Not a scenario I’d like to see relived.

Not to mention that I have a huge issue with forcing people to join the military in a war they oppose. Hopefully our representatives realize that re-enacting the draft sould be political suicide and could very well be the straw that tears this country apart.

On CNN’s email page there are comments like this:

It’s about time that this country woke up and put our kids to work. Get them off the street corners. Maybe they will learn a little caring for this country that gives them so much. It worked before…let’s get it working again.

I definitely believe that the draft should be brought back. If nothing else it would teach the younger generation responsibility. I have always stated that the Eisenhower type of draft should never have been stopped.

It must be nice to sit on your high horses and dictate to others how they should place their lives on the line because you think they need to learn responsibility or because there’s too many of them on your street corner.

I also don’t think that forcing our nation’s young into military service will have the desired effect. These people do (from the same cnn email page above):

Rep. Rangel needs to remember the quality of the military that served in Vietnam. Draft unwilling kids, teach them to kill and throw them into a situation like Vietnam or Iraq, that is, a situation best described in military fashion as a “Cluster fuck.”

I think that bringing back the draft is a terrible idea. As a current member of the armed forces, I am proud to be part of a highly cohesive, highly functional team. To bring in people who do not want to be there would destroy morale and reduce effectiveness and reduce commanders to babysitters. Instead of the draft, require the elected officials to truly study all options and ensure the creation of a complete battle plan (including exit strategies) prior to deploying personnel. Also, allow the military to re-grow its ranks to reduce the amount of support on reserves. To depend so deeply on reservists during a regional conflict is worrisome at best.

The Iraqi war was, by all accounts, the tipping point for many Americans in the mid-term elections. The nation wants a change in the war to end it. I don’t think enacting the draft and sending thousands of the same people who voted to end the war overseas with a rifle is quite the change they’re looking for.

UPDATE: You know, I can’t help but wonder if this is a way for Bush and republicans to bolster some of that lost support by defeating/vetoing any draft-enacting bill that comes up if. Of course, that’s just me thinking out loud.

Wii Violence

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 20 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Entertainment, Games

Looks like my comments about the Wii launch going off without a hitch were a bit premature, though not necessarily in the way you think.

Beware flying wiimotes, John, you’ve been warned!

How do you know your WoW obsession is too far gone?

Posted by J.A.S.O.N. on 20 Nov 2006 | Tagged as: Babble, Humor, Photography

This is a good hint.

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