This reminds me of the BS argument that disposable diapers might be as good an option as reusable diapers. Merely posing the question insults our intelligence.

Or they could just stop watching TV, do crosswords and go for walks outside.

One electronic brain game my mother's friends tried to hook her on encouraged rapid fire answering of trivia questions. I'd much rather see activities that promote studied, calculated thought... such as problem solving.

This reminds me of a similar incident at Humboldt State University (also a Cal. State University school) in 1996.

A Methodist pastor and university lecturer was removed from his job when he objected to the requirement that he have "true faith and allegiance" to America. He saw "faith" as a religious term he could only reserve for God.

http://www.northcoastjournal.com/JUNE96/6_96_CVR.HTM#anchor437916

I canceled cable last year. Adjusting rabbit ears has become my specialty, though I find myself interested in TV less and less. I don't need a converter box for my DVD collection, so I doubt I'll convert.

Why biggify when you can embiggen? I expect more cromulence from BoingBoing. Come on!

A peace officer who cannot keep his cool in a situation needs to step back and call a colleague to step in. If an officer regularly loses control of his emotions, he should not be in contact with the public.

str1cken, you wrote: There wasn't a choice, the only choice was not to buy, and many people did, in fact, choose not to buy.
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Enough people bought/voted for DRM that it became a viable candidate. We can't blame ballot tampering or the Supreme Court. This whole mess started with a bad idea and it flourished when too many people failed to become conscientious objectors.

Sorry for the multiple posts, but an analogy just hit me.

Take the Hummer. Some blame does get cast at its manufacturer for the car's gas guzzling nature, but the vast majority of vitriol is cast upon the consumers who buy Hummers. Why? Because it's so darn easy to spot Hummer owners.

I can think of one or two pervasive DRM'd portable digital music players on the market that seem to just be everywhere in the public space. I don't see any public backlash against people dumb enough to have bought these DRM players.

In other words, the argument I'm hearing sounds like customers are helpless and have no choice except to buy into DRM. I was raised to view every dollar I spend as a vote and I'm voting every day with my wallet.

If I bought a product and its DRM nature was hidden to me until after purchase, I would return the product to the retailer. If the return was refused, I would complain to the retailer and not buy from that retailer again.

A rule of retail is that, if you're lucky, a pleased customer will share his experience with one other person. A disastisfied customer will tell ten.

If everyone refused DRM, it would not have had a chance in hell of going anywhere. So, yes, I blame consumers for reckless irresponsibility.

ukcannonfodder, if customers didn't buy DRM products, would DRM be around today? No.

Bad ideas happen all the time that wither and die because they are bad. Why did this bad idea thrive? Because enough customers supported it.

In some ways, I feel like a Nader voter. Don't blame me; I didn't buy DRM.

A media company isn't "punishing" its customers. It is the customers who make DRM possible. Buy DRM and you support DRM, like watering a plant and giving it sunshine. Don't complain because the plant you nurtured pricks you with its thorns. It shouldn't be in your house to begin with. DRM is a thorn.

Maybe if we didn't blame the companies, and instead laughed at foolish consumers, the foolish consumers would stop being foolish. At some point you have to take personal responsibility for your actions. You know, "Fool me once..."

What I'm asking is that, if your solution to an inferior product is to reverse-engineer it into having basic functionality, where does that leave the rest of society? If the situation were inescapable, I'd say, more power to you. But the future is being written now and the more crappy digital products you buy, the more likely they are to be adopted across the board.

The geekerati shouldn't support greed / incompetence / stupidity just because they've written an escape plan for themselves.

If you have to reverse engineer a product to make it functional, that's all well and geeky, but you're casting your vote for the wrong candidate. Your wallet is the ballot box. Demand a refund from Amazon.

I did exactly that from an Amazon merchant when I thought I downloaded an MP3 and instead received a proprietary DRM format -- and the company's loader wouldn't recognize my CDRW drive. They wanted to help me troubleshoot the problem. I instead asked for, and received, a refund. So then I bought a regular DRM-free CD from a different merchant and did as I legally pleased.

That reminds me of a live taping of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me where a guest author's telephone comments were scorchingly anti-Bush, but they kept the interview going until they had enough non-Bush material. The aired version was entirely sanitized.

Security conscious users will need to enable Javascript for huffingtonpost.com and brightcove.com. It's nice that youtube videos play without Javascript.

Centrifuges are also great for labor and delivery. Spin the baby out into a reception net, even if the mother has lost consciousness due to the g-forces.

http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2007/01/baby_patent_his.html

"Use explosives to escape the pyramid."

It's a shame each podcast begins with a 1 second music clip, otherwise they would be purrfect for putting a baby to sleep. Until then, there's catsleep.com and similar services.

Precisely, Clifton. I wear a 'I have seen the future' pin as a reminder. We look to technology to make our lives better while ignoring conditions around us that may doom our future. In 1939 it was the prospect of world war. Today, well, take your pick.

Call a local self-move truck rental company and see if you can buy an individual warddrobe box in person for about $12 (24"x24"x40"). That's your rocket ship.

Also post requests on Craig's List and Freecycle asking for fridge/dishwasher/large appliance boxes.

If you buy online they usually force you to purchase several.

The problem with dumpster diving is that many dumpsters are locked, and furniture/appliance stores usually cut down their boxes before inserting them. Large stores like Sears may even prohibit you because they sell cardboard for its recycling value. It requires some hunting to find a store that will help you out, usually an independently owned store run by someone who has a heart.

Cardboard play structures seem cool, but I heard from a parent who had one that they can get destroyed quick. These are kids playing with them after all.

McGroovy's Box Rivets are indeed the way to go, although obtaining jumbo-size boxes can sometimes be harder than it seems. The rivets attach pretty easy.

If he knew he was buying DRM when he forked over his cash, I have no sympathy for his plight. You pretty much know sooner or later you'll get screwed.

Another Monopoly hater here... I donated my childhood copy, plus Life and several others that are based heavily on luck. There are too many better thinking games out there for my kids to enjoy and learn from.

This is good for everyone because it will make us want to buy less stuff. It's the 'Buy Nothing Day' mentality shared year-round. It will also make the market for used merchandise skyrocket, which is also good.

What recipes would Pooh put in a cookbook? He only eats three things: cake, haycorn muffins and raw honey.

Why hasn't someone designed a Dalek roach motel yet?

Yep, Paul Mantee played the main character. Adam West was his subordinate and died when the ship crashed on Mars.

If only the film had been titled, Robinson Crusoe and his Coworker on Mars.

Andythebrit is right on about "for immediate release" being redundant verbiage.

Also, "press release" is an outdated term. TV and radio stations, blogs, etc. do not operate printing presses. Call it a news release.

Assuming you do receive some releases of value, just filter out specific senders. A PR rep who will send you one inappropriate release will send you 100 given enough time.

My current problem is a group of Chinese factory owners who have become convinced my blog is a toy company. They keep sending me pitches to manufacture products, oblivious to the fact that every reference to China on my blog has been negative.

"After meeting with a lawyer this weekend, Whisnant decided his best move was to convince Wood to share custody [because, legally, he didn't have a leg to stand on]."

Step 1. Document her identity and let her be on her way.

Step 2. Detain her if she does it a second time.

People who shoplift don't do it only once. Stores get to know thieves.

One time at Costco a clerk failed to ring up $200 worth of merchandise in my cart (half of a group of identical items). The clerk counted wrong and I didn't pay attention to the receipt total.

The receipt checker at the exit didn't send me to a secluded room to have accusations and threats slung at me for an hour. I went back to the clerk, paid for the items and received a correct receipt. Years later, Costco still receives the business of what surely amounts to thousands of customers whom they chose not to accuse and vilify.

A store that presumes guilt should not be in business.

"Turn the bug over with your finger. Does it have a red hourglass pattern on the underside of its tummy?"

[YES]

"Did the bug just bite you?"

[YES]

BZZT. BZZT. BZZT. "Go get your mommy and daddy now."
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But seriously, the product text states, "Alert warning sounds when dangerous bugs are found." I hope it asks you about the dangerous bugs before cycling through questions about safe bugs.

Does someone have an up-to-date projection of sea level elevation increases?

Costco's receipt checking isn't just to prevent theft. The first thing they do is check that the number of items in your cart matches the number on the receipt. More than once this has caught items that the CASHIER missed, in one case to the tune of $200.

If you have a toddler in your cart, the receipt checker often draws a smiley face on the receipt. My daughter then sticks it to her chest, explaining that she's giving it mommy milk.