We said goodbye to our Hillcrest house yesterday. This was the first big step in our worldwide adventure, which begins July 29.

This entry is dedicated to "Gimpy Tabby" from next door.

Hayley and I just got back from an extended weekend getaway to Las Vegas. We stayed at The Orleans hotel, but spent plenty of time on the infamous Vegas Strip. Here's a sampling of photos from our trip, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/mswebersd/sets/72157620169356189/ for the rest.

I made a game called Maziness last winter that I didn't announce.

Back in elementary school, we would sit for hours drawing mazes on graph paper. This game was a visit to the past with my knowledge of today. It's very minimalist as well, mostly because I just didn't care to work on it after the initial revision.

The purpose is to get from start to finish in the smallest amount of time possible. It relies heavily on the JavaScript capabilities of your web browser, so those with Google Chrome or Safari 4 will be able to play the large maze. I used a well known but simple maze algorithm to generate the mazes, which regenerate everytime you refresh the page.

If you're bored, check it out: http://maziness.com.

The surf yesterday was really fun. The sets were stacked with clean, chest high waves with great shape and speed. This guy rode his wave all the way to the beach. Plenty of those to be had.

The new site has a minimalist design. A person is running away from an alien spacecraft but the large yellow beam- similar to the spot light at a prison- has spotted him and is following him. The oddly balanced rectangular block gives the city an alien feel as well.

I liked the simplicity of my last site, but I wanted to shrink the header image and make it less egocentric. The content started half way down the page, so I believe I've resolved that problem. The grey background and black foreground help bring out the yellow parts, which draw attention to the more active elements of the site. I used Pixelmator, a cool graphics program that Chris recommended. It's basically a stripped down version of photoshop with Mac style for $59.

Done. Finished. Uninstalled. Cancelled.

I have leveled my WoW character, Webertron, to 80, which is the max. Check out Webertron on WOW Armory.

I will probably never play this stupid game ever again.

Most of my time between the ages of 12 and 17 was occupied playing sports, studying for school and searching for rare albums at Compact Disc Warehouse in Sunnyvale, California. I had so many great finds, like a rare bootleg CD of Phish performing Dark Side of the Moon or a deluxe Nirvana recording from back before they were famous. Those were the days. My CD collection was probably worth a couple thousand dollars and it was my most prized collection.

After losing my AOL account (long story), I quickly found other means for communication with IRC. Shortly thereafter I discovered file sharing. While IRC fserves worked pretty well, other easier ways to get files and music appeared, like Hotline. FTP was also pretty popular at the time.

Then came Napster. I arrived on campus and the illegal music revolution was just becoming mainstream. Every single person that owned a PC was downloading music like crazy. It was a marauder's wildfire spreading from computer to computer. At the same time, my CD collection dropped from several thousand to three hundred dollars in value. All my rare CDs were now worthless and everybody had instant access to them on the Windows file sharing network (not my doing, I was selfishly keeping them on CDs).

The record companies were hit hard. They tried everything from discounting CDs in places like Target and Best Buy to suing grandmothers and ten year olds. It didn't change anything. The fact remains that physical media is gone forever and there is little that they can do to stop it.

I suppose I should be thankful that I have millions of records to choose from online, or on my hard drive, but I miss those days. I can't help but think that I was personally responsible for screwing such a good thing. I suppose that's just nostalgia and it's hard to break from what is comfortable.

I can say that I appreciated music more back then. Lately, I've switched back to purchasing music, mainly on iTunes. I love music and those artists deserve my money. I can afford a CD every now and then.

But It's still not the same. The artistic insert, the shiny CD surface and the feeling of putting the CD in the player and pressing play. That feeling just never goes away.

Andy and I attended the Red Bull Air Race this weekend in downtown San Diego. It's seriously unbelievable what these planes- and the pilots that fly them- are capable of. We hung out for about an hour on the rocks in Seaport Village and watched the insanity unfold. Enjoy the video below in HD! I'm hoping to post more of these videos, now that I have a computer capable of editing HD video.

NOTE: CLICK THE HQ BUTTON AFTER CLICKING PLAY TO WATCH IN HD

I have a habit of buying melons and forgetting to cut them until they're overripe. Hayley is putting an end to that.


Cut me up, yo!, originally uploaded by mswebersd.

I just got this message on Skype:

Online Check:
11:02 AM
WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
=============================

ATTENTION ! Security Center has detected
malware on your computer !

Affected Software:

Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
Microsoft Windows Win98
Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Impact of Vulnerability: Remote Code Execution / Virus Infection /
Unexpected shutdowns

Recommendation: Users running vulnerable version should install a repair
utility immediately

Your system IS affected, download the patch from the address below !
Failure to do so may result in severe computer malfunction.

http://[DO_NOT_CLICK_THIS_LINK]/www.regscan.cc/?q=scan

Can you say SCAM?!

Hayley's car died last Thursday. What we thought was an oil leak was actually a broken water hose that was leaking water into the engine. Hayley was having trouble driving the car over thirty mph and she could barely make it to Advantec (click for Yelp link), the highly acclaimed automotive repair shop on Adams Avenue in University Heights.

With the help of her parents, Hayley was able to get by this weekend without my car. This week though, I'm on the bike and she's got the Suuby.

This morning I barely made it to the train on time; my bike speed is not what it used to be. I purchased my ticket and had about forty-five seconds to spare before boarding. This afternoon, I wasn't so lucky. Four minutes late and now I have an hour and twenty minutes to burn. I decided to check out the coffee shop next door, Zumbar.



Honestly, things have turned out pretty well! Zumbar is much better than sitting on the couch at home while Hayley works. They have cool, rhythmic music playing and I'm drinking a high quality Vanilla Latte out of a real mug. There's a hookah bar next door and I've seen all sorts of people walking in and out, from suit-and-tie business people to slovenly dressed college students.

The waitress from next door just came over and asked if the internet was working for me. I admitted to it, although I wasn't very forthcoming since I wasn't supporting their store. She was very nice and I feel badly about how I responded. Hopefully she's not too dismayed. No big deal I guess, she's probably high*.

All in all, I've turned an unsatisfactory and agitating situation into a unique and relaxing experience. That's always nice.

* on life, of course?!

I started my research for an alternative to Apple Time Machine by searching Google for information about rsync, a popular GNU licensed *nix utility. I was hoping that someone had written an Automator script or some other graphical front-end for the command-line program. I always end up in a slightly different direction after searching for something specific on Google; in this case, I ended up on the wikipedia page of Andrew Tridgell, the author of rsync and samba.

Mr. Tridgell is a popular figure in the open source world. His early work on the rsync algorithm is considered a major achievement in many fields from algorithmic analysis to network administration. He has a knack for cracking open proprietary systems for open source usage. He also holds an Honors degree in Theoretical Physics and a PhD in Computer Science, so you know he means business.

So I found it very odd that the wikipedia glossary of references listed an article titled, "Torvalds knifes Tridgell." I knew that Linux Torvalds, the father of the Linux operating system, authored Git in response to losing his BitKeeper license, which was used by the Linux Kernel project. In his post, Linus claims that "Trigde" was responsible for the BitKeeper license revocation. He says some pretty nasty things, such as:

He didn't create something new and impressive. He just
tore down something new (and impressive) because he could,
and rather than helping others, he screwed people over.
And you expect me to _respect_ that kind of behaviour?

He goes on to say something very interesting:

If BK was a crappy tool, I'd at least understand the glee.
But in this case it was the commercial people who did the
impressive technology and pushed technology forward. And
I'm just honest enough to be able to say that.

I guess I never thought of Linus Torvalds as someone who would praise commercial work. I was obviously wrong, he just appreciates quality programming. Either way, I can't appreciate his tone. "To err is human to forgive is divine." Obviously, BitKeeper overreacted by revoking the license. They lost the grand-daddy of all projects and by now all their customers who have migrated to Git.

Lastly, is it just to write your own utility, unleash it on the world, and put BitKeeper out of business our of spite? Perhaps that was just necessity (sarcasm). Or just business.

After lounging around the house for a few hours, I packed up my car with ski gear and my iPod with podcasts, and headed out to Mt. Baldy. Earlier this season I purchased a SnowJam discount card for $15, giving me two free tickets to Snow Valley and Mt. Baldy. It snowed a few inches last night, so I figured this was my last chance to ski fresh snow for a while. I chose Mt. Baldy for it's short drive and steep runs.



Five podcasts later, I was in Upland, California, the quaint town situated on the base of the mountain. The clouds hadn't cleared and Baldy was hidden behind them, so I was worried that today's skiing would be plagued by whiteout conditions. The further I traveled up the windy road, the more dense the clouds became until I got to the base of the ski resort and visibility was 20 feet at best.



I was surprised by how many people were actually there. Probably around 30 people, easily the busiest I've ever seen Baldy. The snow was soft with a fresh inch or two on top, perfect spring skiing. aside from the one foot base.



I stayed in the trees for the best snow coverage and visibility. I found plenty of fun runs serviced by the main lift. For a half hour around noon, the clouds cleared and I was able to ski at a normal speed. The clouds rushed in pretty fast to fill the void though, and I skied another half hour before visibility got too poor to continue by myself safely.



The drive back down was very sketchy. The low visibility and wet road with freezing temperatures kept my driving to a snail pace.



I pulled over at a few spots to take photos, as I usually do on these solo adventures (see my journal post titled "Solo Mission to Wrightwood," written on February 9, 2009). As I mentioned before, some of the best photos come from these random stops.



Three podcasts and a few albums later I am back home with a beer and a full stomach, thinking how awesome today was.

Have you read the latest news from Netflix? If you own a Blu-Ray player (PS3) like myself and you use Netflix to rent Blu-Ray videos, you are now subject to a higher monthly fee. I'm currently subscribed to the two-videos-at-a-time plan, which puts me at a three dollar premium. Oh no!

So really, why does anybody care? If you own a Blu-Ray player, you can afford three bucks a month. PC World says, "Time to Switch to Blockbuster?" Give me a break. There's a reason you chose Netflix, and it's not for the price. The evil blue empire has run local video shops out of business for years. It's about time someone challenged them at their own game.

Be a champ, don't make the switch. Either pay the premium or watch normal DVDs for the same old price.

The top story on Google News today criticizes Israel's usage of White Phosphorus (WP) shells over populated areas in Gaza. Like most non-military civilians of internationally powerhouse governments, I have little clue as to what WP shells really are. Beyond the fact that they kill innocent people and that my government has been criticized for using them in our most recent embarrassment (or insert any other word of disgust here), the Iraq war, I know little about their chemical makeup and what causes the "incendiary smoke" that turns normal innocent city blocks into raging infernos of death and destruction.

Regardless of their composition, they are supposed to be restricted by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). According to everybody's favorite online encyclopedia, the CWC is "an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons." Only nine countries are not part of the agreement, the most influential of which being Israel, North Korea, Somalia and Syria. According to the CWC, there are five countries with declared stockpiles, one of which is the US. The US is also the top financial contributor, donating in excess of twenty billion dollars to the cause.

Despite our involvement in the peace keeping effort, the US was using WP in Iraq. And Israel was using it in Gaza. Everybody knows about our relationship with Israel. Any ignorant civilian like myself can make the connection.

So what is the point of the CWC if the top contributor to the cause does not even follow it? What motivation do other nations have to join the cause?

The point seems incredibly hypocritical and greedy. The US government does not want anyone but themselves to have stockpiles of chemical weapons. That is how you hold power. Most leaders believe if their government was to destroy their weapons and "lead by example," another country would take their place. Unfortunately, it seems that all of the world's most powerful government are greedy for weapons and power, so maybe we're right in that assumption. Also, banning them does little but keep the weapons in the hands of the most powerful, who are free to use them as they please.

This is not to say that we use them lightly. I do not read WP headlines daily in the news. But any usage is bad enough. Unfortunately, arms agreements do little for the problem, because who has the right to serve justice except the most powerful? The US disobeyed the UN by invading Iraq, and what justice has been served? We're not about to hang our leaders; after all, that would be catastrophic for our morale.

It's the way of the world for an innocent civilian like myself to have no say in international politics. I do not possess the knowledge or cut-throat political savvy of a political leader, I'm too busy trying to pay the bills and the rent, and I lack the charisma required to learn the art. I just sit back, wish the world wasn't so cruel and pray that things will change.

Check out this great optimization article by the VMware Fusion team:
http://blogs.vmware.com/teamfusion/2008/09/optimizing-vist.html

They recommend these tweaks to get the most out of a VM with Vista running:
1) Disable System Restore
2) Disable Screen Savers
3) Optimize Power Management for Virtual Machine
4) Disable Windows Sidebar
5) Disable Remote Management
6) Run Windows Disk Defragmentation Utilities
7) OPTIONAL: Change to Classic UI

It all makes sense. System Restore isn't required because of snapshots. Screen savers are unnecessary because the host OS (in this case, OS X) has a screen saver. The sidebar is totally ridiculous regardless of whether Vista is running in a sidebar or not. :)

Check out the article for more information.

I've composed another new song called "Inside the Computor", with an 'o'. That's right, I can spell things however I feel like it. Get it here.

I've uploaded a new song called An Integrated Approach to Communication. It's my first Garage Band song of, hopefully, many to come. Enjoy!

I always check Earth 911 before Surfing to reduce the chances of contracting staph infections or other horrible diseases from the Ocean. See here for the gory details. Today I checked the report and as usual, it's not up to date. The little bubbles for my local beaches are all filled white, meaning "No Data Available." I checked a few days ago, and they were all Yellow and Red from the last month-long cluster of storms.

So I decided to do some research. According to Earth 911, the San Diego Department of Environmental Health (DEH) takes hundreds of samples weekly and posts findings on the Earth 911 website. I did a quick google search and found the main San Diego DEH website. The top of the website reads:

Unfortunately due to the Governor’s line item veto of funding for the Beach Safety Act from the State Budget on September 23rd, 2008, DEH will no longer be able to provide the following services:

• Routine water quality sampling and analysis of results for the County’s beaches
• Issuance of water contact advisories based upon bacterial exceedances
• Complaint investigation of suspected contamination
• Daily email, web updates (beaches911.com), pod-casts and fax updates of beach water quality.

DEH will provide limited services listed below:

• Receive reports of sewage spills and issue water contact closures when those reports indicate possible sewage contamination at public beaches
• Notification of closures will be limited to a press release, signs posted on the beach and messages on the DEH phone hotline 619-338-2073.

We would like to remind the beach going public that:

• Beaches with the highest risk of contamination are near flowing storm drain, river, and lagoon outlets.
• Water quality at all beaches can be contaminated by urban runoff for up to 3 days following significant rainfall
• Historical monitoring data indicates water quality at most beaches in the county is generally good during dry weather.

I know everyone has to sacrifice something in this economic crisis, but how much could these samples possibly cost the state? We are forty billion dollars in debt. I would be surprised if this topped five million dollars per year. That is one eight-thousandth of our debt. If you had eight thousand dollars, what is a dollar to you?

The governor sucks. Line item veto, my @.

Affordable dining within ten miles of downtown San Diego is difficult to come by. The ridiculous real estate prices mixed with influx of trendy, young and successful people from around the world has led to a dramatic increase in menu prices. Some quality restaurants are still affordable. These are my favorites from five years of living on the inside.

Mama Testa
Mexican
1417 University Ave # A
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-8226
http://www.mamatestataqueria.com/

Mexican restaurants in San Diego are a dime a dozen, but few have the authentic tacos of Mama Testa with the cleanliness that deserves a DHEC "A" food inspection rating (or so I think, I haven't been in the kitchen). The fresh salsa bar features more than ten varieties from mild to "wicked" spicy. I recommend the Asi Yasado grilled chicken tacos.

Blue Water
Seafood
3667 India St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 497-0914
*no website*

First in line in Middletown's eclectic row of domestic and international restaurants is Blue Water Seafood. Their menu is printed on paper like most fresh fish restaurants and prices range from $8 to $25 depending on your choice of fish and presentation. Dining is very casual; you order at a cash register and the food is brought to you on plastic plates. It's honest; why does good fish always have to come with a huge price tag, anyway? I recommend the shrimp tacos.

Mama's Bakery & Lebanese Deli
Lebanese
4237 Alabama St
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 688-0717
http://mamasbakery.net/

Mama's is a little difficult to find. Located off El Cajon in North Park, this house turned restaurant has a very fun and casual feel to it. Like Blue Water, you order at the front then seat yourself. The outdoor patio is the only available seating option, but they have a heater for colder winter nights. Everyone I take to Mama's enjoys in immensely. I recommend the Chicken Shwawarma wrap and the almond baqlawa squares for dessert.

Sushi Fix
Japanese
1608 India St # 101
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 237-7878
http://www.sushi-fix.com/

Few sushi bars roll with the fresh ingredients we expect for the price we pay. Most restaurants use either the new trendy decor or the authentic Japanese style, but rarely the casual seat yourself approach. Sushi Fix is another "order from the register, we'll call your number" kind of place, yet the fish is fresh and the sushi is delicious. There's nothing quite like their fried banana and chocolate dessert, sometimes free if you order enough sushi. Look for $5 off and free California Roll coupons in the quarterly magazines that come in the mail or online.

Bronx Pizza
New York Style Pizza
111 Washington St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 291-3341
http://www.bronxpizza.com/

Eh Tony, make me a pizza! Authentic New York style, thin-crust pizza and a no BS attitude. Always busy but always on time. They only have (need) one size pizza, and it's huge. No onsite parking, but they just started delivery. You can also dine in and order by the slice.

Bread & Cie
French Bakery and Cafe
350 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 683-9322
http://www.breadandciecatering.com/

C'est bon, merci. Bread & Cie is our friendly neighborhood bakery that serves delicious sandwiches on fresh homemade bread. They also have a variety of desserts and pastries to choose from. Bread & Cie is also a nice place to meet with friends for a coffee during the mid-morning hours. Bon appetite!

World Curry
Indian/Island Curry
1433 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 270-4455
http://www.worldcurry.com/

On upper Garnet Avenue near the Play It Again and on the same block as Longboard's grill is World Curry, the international curry super station. We visit here at least once a month and have settled on the Mango Frappe, Garlic Naan bread, panang vegetable curry and spinach chicken curry. If you like your curry spicy, they dare you try the Phall Curry. Eat it in 30 minutes and your name goes on the wall permanently. Fun and fast but delicious.

Hash House A-GoGo
Breakfast
3628 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-4646
http://www.hashhouseagogo.com/

Do not show up at Hash House A-GoGo past 7:30 am on a weekend. You have been warned. This place is packed, and for good reason. The hashes and scrambles are fantastic; I've never had a bad meal here. Come hungry or split your plate with another person because the portions are huge.

C-Level Lounge
Seafood Lounge
880 Harbor Island Dr
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 298-6802
http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/islandprime/

Next door to the famous Island Prime steakhouse is C-Level lounge, a Cohn owned gem on the San Diego bay. At happy hour, C-Level is difficult to beat with its stunning views, $5 appetizers, and fun drink specials. I recommend the lobster BLT and lobster bisque entree as well.

Goldfish Point Cafe
Sandwich and Coffee
1255 Coast Blvd S
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 459-7407
http://www.goldfishpoint-cafe.com/index.html

This Euro style panini cafe in La Jolla Cove hosts a spectacular view of the bluffs, ranging from Scripps pier to Del Mar. Stop by for an cappuccino, play a board game, order a panini or just relax and soak in the vibe. Parking can be rough, but just try to remember that you are not in Europe.

I woke up Sunday morning with a hangover from the two and a half pints I had the night before. I just cannot handle drinks anymore. It was early, maybe 7 am and I had fallen asleep around 2:30 am. I drifted in and out of consciousness but finally forced myself out of bed at 8 am. I had loose plans to go skiing solo but I really could not face the drive. I sat around for another hour before forcing myself into ski clothes and then I hit the road. Gassed up, topped off the oil, checked tire pressure, and I was on Highway 163 by 9:30 am.

I arrived at Highway 138 around 11:15 am. The mountains looked ominous with storm clouds blanketing them and dark tendrils drooping into the curves and valleys. Halfway up visibility was nil, maybe 30 yards. I kept driving, too far to turn back. I almost missed the Highway 2 turnoff. I saw it at the last second through the haze and swerved over to the turning lane. Highway 2 had much better visibility.



Traffic up to Mt. High was mild until the last three miles, which were stop and go. It was 11:45 am when I arrived at the east lot. The sign read "Both Mt. High lots are full, please park legally on Highway 2." I pulled into the first illegal spot I found, hoping that I could see my car from the express lift should the parking nazis find their way up to my car. I put my boots on, loaded my skis onto my shoulder and hiked a couple hundred yards back to the resort.



I had remaining points from my last trip, so I boarded the lift immediately. The guy I rode up with was friendly. He skis three to four days a week; he lives in Phelan. "We don't get conditions like this very often" he said. "That's why I made the drive" I replied.



He was right. I've never skied powder in the LA mountains. We used to call the heavy snow "Sierra Cement" up in Tahoe, but it was fun regardless. I cruised down the main run into the Olympic Bowl. Despite being skied out, it was a relief- something I really needed. The conditions could not have come at a better time, I had not surfed in weeks due to small surf and urban runoff. I got to the end, popped a smooth 180 off a jump and got back in line.

I skied that run ten more times, mixing it up by alternating tree routes and open faces around the bowl. I followed a few Mt. High ski team members to a secret stash and made some nice knee deep turns through a narrow tree chute. Followed that one with a mini tree jump. Back in line.



Cautious, I never forgot to check my car on the lift rides. On my eighth trip up I heard law enforcement announce, "Anyone parked over the white lines will be towed." Amazing how that broadcast carries up the mountain. I was definitely parked over the white line. I skied another run and on my way back up the lift, I noticed that the car parked behind mine was gone. I raced down, popped off my skis and ran to my car in my ski boots. Still there, false alarm. I was done anyway, exhausted. I must be getting older- heavy powder is heavy on the legs and lower back.

I warmed up, u-eed and drove down out of the mountains. At the base I stopped off at Mormon Rocks. I've always wanted to take photos, and this- being my first solo trip to Mt. High- was the perfect opportunity. Continuous activity on the southern San Andreas fault caused tilted rock layers to shoot out of the ground, over a hundred feet in some areas. I pulled into the deserted parking lot and ran up a path for a good few viewpoint, snapped some shots, and headed back to my car. I love these random stops on road trips as they usually yield random but memorable photographs.



A couple miles down the road, Highway 138 meets Interstate 15. It was at this point that my iPod ran out of power, two hours shy of San Diego. I was getting tired, the skiing and minimal sleep the night before were catching up to me. About a half mile short of the 15/215 interchange, I felt a huge impact on the right side of my car. I still had control but things were getting squirrelly. It actually went away for a minute or so, then it started getting really bad. I pulled over, got out and burning rubber filled my senses. My rear right tire was in shreds. I called AAA, concerned about riding on a spare after riding on my rim for over a mile.



I drove straight to Discount Tire in Rancho Cucamonga, but it was closed. Damnit. Luckily Sears was right up the road. The blowout was just a warning, so I opted for a set of new tires. "Wheel alignment?" he said. You better believe it. "Plus an oil change, please." Two and half hours later I was on my way home. I listened to the radio the entire time just to stay awake. I got back around 8:30 pm.

The old site was pretty lame, I'll be the first to admit it. I had a mixture of gray and orange, a touch of white and a pitch black background. No style, no character. I wanted something a little more modern. Something that shows me without having too much me. Does that make sense?

The typing on NewYorkTimes.com is my model. It really looks like a newspaper, elegant and contemporary. I had a little fun with the header, thanks to Ross for staying back last year and getting this shot of me in the backcountry behind Alpine Meadows. Be sure to check out the pictures page. It pulls photos straight from my flickr page.

I decided to rip our Wedding DVD tonight and post it on YouTube. Upon inserting the DVD into the MacBook, I was told to choose a DVD region code, 1-5 or 6. I chose 1. Now I am limited to viewing movies that are compiled strictly for North American viewing. This is called global market control, which is the ultimate price gouging enabler. By limiting the region of a DVD, manufacturers and media corporations can charge double the price for the same exact movie in Europe (NTSC/PAL is a non-argument as the two standards only differ by resolution and frame rate... something that is controlled once during the movie's transcoding into the DVD format).

I feel controlled by technology and these evil corporations. They provide entertainment at the cost of freedom. It does not seem like a fair sacrifice. For this reason, I am boycotting the purchase of DVDs, Blue Ray discs and any sealed* medium that contains a region coding.


* I support the sale of these items if they are used and sold by private parties. This helps spread the wealth to the lower-middle classes.

I was sick and now I'm not. Score.