:DRM Issues:

I hadn't considered DRM from this angle before. Typically I think of it as an inconvience and extra hassle in my life. The author of this post makes some very good points.

Summarizing:

Be it an ebook from Gemstar, a song from iTunes, a movie from whatever service or any digital good with DRM, it will almost certainly work at the moment you purchased it. The hardware you have matches that expected, your OS runs the program that enforces the rights, any servers necessary to verify credentials are up and running. It will work at that instant, and it will almost certainly work tomorrow and will probably work in six months. Will it work in a year? Maybe, maybe not. Will it work in ten years? Almost certainly not.

The full article is here and bears further reading.

:Fast Forward Your iPod?!:

Yes! It is possible!

After over a month of searching I have finally stumbled onto how to perform this simple and essential function of a media player.

Are you ready for this? It's pretty amazingingly frustrating!

Okay, ready?

Press the middle button on the iPod while a song or podcast is playing. What does it do? Changes the the status bar at the bottom from a bar filling up to a diamond and then to 5 dots.

But, all is not as simple as it seems, o know...

Filling status bar and rotating click wheel increase/decrease the volume as we all know.
Diamond Status bar and rotating click wheel FAST FORWARD AND REWIND!!!
5 dots and rotating click wheel rate the song from 1-5

There you have it! Diamond status bar and rotating click wheel to fast forward and rewind.

For those of you who are thinkin, "This dummy couldn't figure this out?"... Well, yeah, it took awhile. I'll take it as proof that the guys over at Apple aren't quite as clever as people give them credit for.

:Missouri:

All right time for an update I've spent the last 10 days in Missouri. The worst part was Branson, be live it or not. There is a definite need for more control of old people driving cars. Case in point, entering Interstate 44 tack to St Louis from Springfield Grandma in her mid 90', Dodge Caravan STOPS. There's not even any traffic coming and this old hag comes to a FULL stop!!!

In Branson took me twenty minutes to drive 6 miles in a 55 mph Zone. why? OLD PE0PLE! In this case I was behind a grandpa in a big Buick. Far as I can tell he
never once pressed the accelerator. I know because each time I hit the gas I had to brake, Had to give in and coast the whole way. Now, I have a solution to the old
people driving situation. More frequent testing at the DOT Say, once you hit 60 you have to pass the license renewal every 3 years. After 75 once every two years with a driving test as well. Course then they will drive illegally but families should have an easier time taking the key when its illegal.

Some interesting things I Saw this trip.

• Family on ATV driving down sholder of Interstate. Hairy Daddy with no shirt, baby in diaper, Big Mommy in String Bikini if you know what I mean by Big
  
  
• St. Louis Arch - Pretty cool at night. I didn't travel up it though
  
  
• Busch Stadium and the beginnings of its destruction
  
  
• some moron rapper on VH1 with diamond plated teeth
  
  
• Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. I'd call this the Jimmy Johns of burger places. very good!
  
  
• US 160 between Springfield and Branson then Branson to West Plains. Looks straight enough on the map but I bet they film Curvey car commercials on this road. Had a blast driving it at first but after the first 45 minutes I was ready to drive in Kansas again.
  
  
• Quattro Power - 3 blades > 4 blades. All 4 blades do is get more hair jammed in them making the razor practically worthless. Go with the Mach3 Power.
  
  
• Chevy Malibu- 2nd time to rent one. Pretty much the perfect work car. This post is long enough call for detail) or request details in comments. Took it from 3 to 2647 miles

/End blog

P.S. I handwrote this on my tablet and am not sure what the result will be.

P.P.S. I added the links and bullets from home.

:Back home in Garland:

Came home from my second trip to Kansas and have been cleaning up my apartment, watching several seasons of Stargate, and working/thinking about upgrades (Alpine CDA-9847 or Kenwood KDC-x789) to my car.

Ashley's flying up to visit me and watch Rice Football this weekend. Nothing planned but to hang out, watch FireFly, relax, watch some football, and roll with the punches.

:God Bless Texas: