randomduck

There’s been a lot of talk about the two digital rights management (DRM) schemes used by Sony BMG on their recent CD releases.  Specifically, the talk has centered around the fact that both schemes - XCP and MediaMax - open huge security holes in Windows, and are also auto-installed onto Windows without the PC owner’s permission.

Removal of these so-called “rootkits” is a pain.  But it’s easy to disable them from the get-go, provided you follow these instructions to disable the “autorun” feature for your  CD-ROM drive in Windows.  It’s a relatively simple procedure, and will help protect you from malware.

technorati tags: drm, tech, music

Popularity: 15% [?]

I admire the work that Cindy Sheehan has done to open the country’s eyes to the lies that have come forth from BushCo. For that, I’m grateful.

At this point, to me, she has served her purpose and people should move on. In other words: I’ve had enough of her.

Yet the liberal blogosphere and the anti-war movement continues to cling to Ms. Sheehan as “the leader” of the anti-war movement. They are willing to give her almost-universal credit for everything anti-war and anti-BushCo, which is simply uncalled for.

Cindy Sheehan has had her 15 minutes, and they are up - it’s time for the anti-war movement to move forward without her as the figurehead leader.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Activity: road cycling
Location: Washington, DC > Potomac, MD
Distance: 33.6 miles
Duration: 1:58
Weather: sunny, 54 degrees
Avg HR: 147 (est.)
Type: aerobic

Did this ride solo becuase the PPTC ride from Glen Echo was too damn early. Another factor taken into consideration: it was in the upper 50s by mid-afternoon, rather than the upper 30s, as it was at 9:00 am. Yet another factor: I didn’t want to miss the Dupont Freshfarm Market.

But the ride was good. I essentially traced the PPTC ride route from the Tuesday nigth rides that take place in the summer months. My energy level was better than last week: the hills were easier, my cadence was a little faster, there were fewer aches from over-compensating for my shoulder. All told, it was the best ride in terms of overall quality since the accident. The roads were full of cyclists, taking advantage of a nice day.

Popularity: 37% [?]

Rep. Murtha has been getting hammered from all sides for his statement regarding withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. The attacks have been brutal and unnecessary: Rep. Jean Schmidt called him “a coward,” whch takes some nerve. As a freshman representative and a person who knows absolutely nothing about military tactics, she has no base on which to stand.

Want proof? Ask Lt. Gen. William Odum (Ret.), who has tons of combat experience and more credibility in assessing the situation in Iraq than virtually any politician, Republican or Democrat. In two articles published by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, he has plainly laid out a point-by-point review of the reasons to stay in Iraq, along with reasons why our mission can’t be furthered by staying.

They’re both great reading.

“What’s Wrong With Cutting And Running?”
“Want Stability In The Middle East? Get Out Of Iraq!”

Popularity: 15% [?]

Went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night at the lovely Uptown, the last grand movie palace in DC (read a wonderful assessment of DC movie houses here). Both sprite and I went to the theatre immediately after work to queue up. Though we’d bought tickets weeks in advance, it was wise to wait in line to get seats in the balcony.

The movie was a wonderful treat! Mike Newell did a bang-up job directing this film, keeping the action moving and getting the best performances ever from the three young leads. While the script did some judicious editing of the almost 800-page book, the core of the story remained intact: Harry’s adolescence and his finally facing Lord Voldemort face-to-face after 14 years. The whole movie, while dark in overall look-and-feel, didn’t get bogged down by the gloom, and it left me wanting to see the next one.

Popularity: 10% [?]

When Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became minority leader in the House of Representatives in 2002, I had high hopes that she’d overcome the novelty of being the first female leader of the House Democrats and would actually lead. It’s something that her redecessor, Rep. Dick Gephardt, failed to do many, many times.

Then I heard her speak. I was, to say the least, unimpressed.

Since then, she’s had fleeting moments of brilliance, surrounded by a lot of inane, spineless moments when she missed valuable opportunities to fight for the party. Her entire effort with both the DCCC and the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 was quite embarrassing - not to mention her 2003 work in the California gubernatorial recall that ended up putting Arnold Schwarzenegger in office. Her guide seems not to be any cutthroat intuition, but the advice of so-called “expert advisers,” focus groups and media analysts, who seem to urge her to not take any extreme position, lest she offend.

Such a strategy is weak and has hurt the Democratic party over the past 20 years. Many leading Dems are beginning to fight back, including Pelosi’s Senate equivalent, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). Yet Pelosi continues to toe the line, keeps forcing a smile, and refuses to fight the good fight, out in the open.

Yesterday she continued this losing mentality when she had the chance to shine.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 12% [?]