Morons of DRM

iPod, iTunes Cited in Cease and Desist For Apple

Accordingly, MRT has filed Cease and Desist letters against Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Real to stop production or sale of products that infringe on the DMCA.

MRT’s X1 SeCure Recording Control has proven effective against stream ripping, the company said in a statement, and these companies have been “actively avoiding the use of MRT’s technologies.”

“Buy our technology or we’ll sue you.” Bunch of right wankers!

Worst recipe ever

At lunch today, we were discussing food items abd I came up with an outline for what is to my own taste the grossest recipe ever, and yet something that many people would happily eat. As such, without further ado:
Shellfish salad (mayonaise-based) with eggplant and mushroom

If you really want to gross me out, somehow add organ meats to it but it’s hard to imagine anyone eating it then.

`Illegal drugs can be “harmless” and should no longer be “demonised”‘

British report: Drugs may not be all that bad.
In other news: Pinochet and Franco are still dead.

Illegal drugs can be harmless, report says

Thursday March 8, 2007
Illegal drugs can be “harmless” and should no longer be “demonised”, a wide-ranging two-year study concluded today.

The report said Britain’s drug laws were “not fit for purpose” and should be torn up in favour of a system which recognised that drinking and smoking could cause more harm.

(To make my own opinion perfectly clear: I am in favor of decriminalization of most drugs. Go Britain!)

Photo of the day: Ducks.

The ducks, March 2007
(click for full size)

The ducks were being frisky recently when Marie fed them, and I got a few photos. The one in the middle with the darker color and the white neck we’ve nicknamed “runty” as Marie thought he was skinny. I dunno about that, but he’s one of the few who are individually recognizable.

(PS, I’m not sure why the thumbnails are so small now!)

Old news, but too weird not to share.

Daddy’s Girl

Fisher Island millionaire Bruce McMahan loved his daughter so much, he married her.
Published: September 28, 2006

A secret sexual relationship with his daughter was not enough.

There had to be a wedding.

It gets worse from there. Much worse, and funny as hell (for us safely uninvolved 3rd parties.)

What is wrong with for-profit healthcare? The basic premise.

A great diary on the US health care problem on DailyKos: For-profit healthcare: The ultimate triumph of insanity
(I’m going to skip to the punchline)

Let me end by explaining what in Wall Street speak an “improved” medical-loss ratio means for you and me.

The medical-loss ratio is improved for them by cutting the amount of premium revenues spent on patient care for us. Every dollar that is spent on our healthcare goes against the bottom line. It is bad for Aetna and bad for Wall Street when money is spent on our healthcare.

To the for-profit insurance industry, are not human beings. We are losses. We are not Americans. We are not patients. We are not sick people. Your life and mine are losses.

This system is beyond redemption and beyond repair.

Go read the whole thing.

Maine rocks.

Maine rejects Real ID

Maine overwhelmingly rejected federal requirements for national identification cards on Thursday, marking the first formal state opposition to controversial legislation scheduled to go in effect for Americans next year.

Both chambers of the Maine legislature approved a resolution saying the state flatly “refuses” to force its citizens to use driver’s licenses that comply with digital ID standards, which were established under the 2005 Real ID Act. It asks the U.S. Congress to repeal the law.

“Real ID” was a very stupid idea and terribly for privacy, with no real gain except in the size of the beaurocracy. Go Maine!