So I had my first experience with digital copy today. In response to the overwhelming demand by consumers that they be allowed to copy their DVDs in some fashion to watch on laptops, iPods, and other media players, big name studios have conceded slightly and include digital copies with certain movies. I received The Dark Knight as a present today and it included such a copy. I figured I’d give it a go.
So, I pop in the bonus features disk (complete with digital copy) and a little screen pops up welcoming me to WB’s digital copy process, yada yada. After a bit of figuring out where I live and what language I speak, it opens up iTunes to validate the copy (using the handy-dandy code included in the DVD packaging). After entering the code and my iTunes password, the digital copy begins to download.
Continue reading ‘Digital copy and you’
Say what you will about President Bush, but he has some cat-like reflexes.
Remember when Christmas was all about sharing the spirit of the season? Yeah, me neither. Of course, I’m not concerned with the commercialism of the holiday season (it may be a problem, but it’s easily solved by *gasp* not giving in to it and by buying meaningful presents instead of expensive ones…but I digress) as much as I’m concerned with the religious strife surrounding the season. One the one side, there are over-the-top Christians who get flustered any time someone says something other than “Merry Christmas,” and on the other, you’ve got over-the-top atheists who balk at any mention of religion during a season with three religious holidays. Every year, it’s blindingly obvious that both groups missed the point of the entire season.
The focus of the annual pissing contest in Washington this year is a sign put up at the capitol building in Olympia by the atheist group Freedom from Religion Foundation saying, among other things, that religion is nothing but myth and superstition. The response? First it was stolen, then Bill O’Reilly chimed in about how awful and un-Christian it was, then it was returned, and finally, a local evangelical church organized an anti-atheist protest a pro-faith rally complete with their own sign claiming that atheism is nothing but myth and superstition. Yeah. It’s worse than the Christmas tree–er, holiday tree–incident at SeaTac a couple years ago.
Both groups are in the wrong here. The atheist group was obviously trolling with their rather provocative sign (it would have been fine without the religion dig), but the Christians who responded negatively were no better, especially with their signs claiming Governor Gregoire is a Grinch or the balloon nativity scene featuring Bill O’Reilly beating up on the governor (so I’ve heard). At any rate, the governor has repeatedly insisted that all religious (and non-religious) displays will be tolerated at the capitol building. I hear some people are even planning on erecting a Festivus pole.
Anyways, as the three-man counter-protesters said, “Get over it.” The atheist sign certainly crossed the line once it started disparaging religion, but the simple fact of the matter is that the holiday season doesn’t just mean Christmas. And while I know for a fact that there are a lot of Christians out there who understand that, there are still a bunch who don’t get it and probably never will. Bah, humbug.
It’s the perennial debate. Should people be allowed to marry a member of their own sex? Should marriage be redefined to include male-male and female-female couplings? No one can seem to agree. In California, the passage of Proposition 8 struck down the California Supreme Court’s decision that banning gay marriage was unconstitutional and on par with discriminating against people based on gender or race. On the other side of things, Connecticut legalized gay marriage, making it only the second state in the union to allow same-sex couples to marry. To be fair, other states allow civil unions with varying degrees of benefits, however, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 means that states without gay marriage are not obliged to recognize same-sex marriages from states that do allow them. So, it’s obvious the debate has a long way to go.
My opinion on the issue is mixed. I see no reason same-sex couples shouldn’t get the same benefits as heterosexual couples. I also don’t have anything against calling it marriage. Language is fluid. Definitions change as society changes. However, I am not willing to push to change that definition prematurely. People naturally resist sudden change. Subtle changes over a long period of time, however, usually go unnoticed. For that reason, I advocate civil unions with the same rights and benefits as marriage but under a different name.
Continue reading ‘A rose by any other name’
After so long, it’s finally over. Barack Obama has won the presidency. I can’t express how happy I am. It’ll still be up to Obama to prove to America that he’s got what it takes, but at least Americans are willing to give him a chance.