Just now, I finished my yearly task of watching all the Best Picture nominees before Oscar Night.
In a particular order:
1. Toy Story 3
2. The Fighter
3. 127 Hours
4. Inception
5. The Social Network
6. Black Swan
7. Winter’s Bone
8. True Grit
9. The Kids Are All Right
10. The King’s Speech
“And taste, he explains, is a byproduct of study, observation and being steeped in the culture of the past and present.”
“There’s only so much time in the day, and only so many days in our lives. There’s enough great work out there that you don’t need to waste any time with anything that isn’t great.”
Merlin Mann with some good gushing over one of my favorite developers that then turns into something else. My favorite part of that “something else”:
But, it’s worth remembering that we all have at least a little potential to do something bigger and more useful than pissing ourselves about what we don’t have or what we can’t do.
FCC Electronic Filing System
Proceeding: 08-82
Dear Chairman Genachowski,
I am writing to ask that you deny the MPAA’s request for a waiver that would allow Hollywood studios to engage consumer home theater equipment in “selectable output control” or “SOC.”
If the waiver was to be granted, you would be giving the studios the power to control the video outputs on the electronic devices in my home theater. In other words, Hollywood would be given the right to dictate what I can watch *in my own home* and how I watch it. Clearly, I should be the only person or entity making those decisions.
The MPAA claims that they need SOC to deliver on-demand content earlier than they already do. This claim, as I understand it, does not make sense. On-demand video works just fine through the cable TV infrastructure in use today. To release content earlier, all they would have to do is push that content out earlier. Simple as that. This waiver obviously has nothing to do with studios’ ability to release content earlier; it’s a ploy to gain obtrusive access into living rooms across the country and to set a precedent.
This precendent would limit technological innovation and homogenize the options available in the marketplace. Currently, innovation within the consumer electronics industry is truly driven by customer demand. Could beneficial technologies that use traditional, open outputs (such as TiVo and Slingbox) be able to emerge in a industry where SOC is a standard? Highly unlikely. As we continue to march into the future, I have become accustomed to gaining more freedom over how I manipulate the media I consume. This waiver, if granted, would no doubt be a large step towards stripping me and other consumers of these freedoms.
Finally, the implementation of SOC would also raise financial concerns for us all. Would consumers be forced to purchase and install brand new, expensive equipment in order to access content? Indeed. This is ridiculous, considering how well my current equipment works and the current economic climate.
The government should be looking out for me, not bending to pressure from Hollywood executives. The government should also be encouraging innovation and technological progression, not stifling it. I encourage you to keep consumers in mind and outright reject the MPAA’s request to have a permanent waiver from your previous SOC ban.
Thank you for your consideration.
Jonathan Nagle
South Hadley, Massachusetts
(To learn more, watch this or read this. To file your own complaint with the FCC, go here.)
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To celebrate this evening, World Champion Alex Rodríguez is bedding Kate Hudson under a painting of himself as a centaur. (This one’s fact.)
To celebrate this evening, World Champion John Damon is selling state strategies & secrets to the Taliban. Then he will cheat on his wife.
To celebrate this evening, World Champions Joba Chamberlain & CC Sabathia are eating—and will continue to do so, non-stop, ‘til Springtime.
To celebrate, World Champion Jorge Posada is using his World Series bonus on arm lengthening surgery to eliminate his little T-Rex arms.
To celebrate, WorldChampion Nick Swisher is finally climbing on top of that scoreboard to see if he can find his dead grandparents up there.
To celebrate, World Champion Robinson Canó is…well…I don’t know. That guy isn’t interesting. Neither is Melky Cabrera.
To celebrate this evening, World Champion Andy Pettitte is shooting up with some HGH. Y’know…to heal faster. Because he loves his team.
To celebrate this evening, World Champion Mark Teixeira is asking his wife if he can change the channel to SportsCenter. She is saying no.
