Taboo Plaza

Internet copyright infringement.
We're mostly familiar with it in regards to music studios.  Music studios have, according to some sources, lost tons of money because of internet piracy of music files.  Marvel Comics now enters the online foray with comic books available digitally online for a monthly subscription rate.

http://www.marvelonline.com/digitalcomics/

I love the concept and may even buy into the subscription just to be able to have access to that much reading material.  This begs the question of how these services will affect comic book sales though.  I love collecting comic books so online services would only serve to direct me to buying only the stories I like enough to add to my collection.  As the old adage goes: you can't judge a comic book by its cover, because many covers oversell the talent within. 



Piracy is already taking place online with comic books though.  I was recently turned onto this site not too long ago.  It's not as easy to search as I would imagine the Marvel site will be, but there is a lot of adventure in trying to find choice content on this threaded discussion board.

http://www.kaskus.us/showthread.php?s=92fde5441b37b89cdaa69e02016309f6&t=624367

The other problem though is you have to subscribe to server services that are in foreign countries.  If you don't have WinZip, there's some more money you need to shell out.  I'd rather pay Stan.  Once again, for me, this will not impact me buying comic books though.  In fact, it may actually encourage me to purchase books I wouldn't have considered before.  Will it have an overall impact on Marvel's bottom line? I don't know, but I do know that I don't want to hear Stan Lee pissing and moaning like Lars Ulrich.
'Nuff said. 

Excelsior!



Down On Rage Street


Can someone please tell me what the United States Senate has to do with Major League baseball? 

Since when has baseball been the domain of the federal government?  Somehow there is no questioning of the fact that Senator George Mitchell needs to mind his own business.  Before long a Senator will start piss testing musicians for the same reason Mitchell is metaphorically piss testing baseball players.  Get his logic for why he thinks he can publicly out baseball players.

"I asked every player about whom I received information to come in and meet with me and I would tell them whatever I knew, whatever I’d been told, whatever documents I had and give them a chance to respond. Now one of the arguments made is that if a player wouldn’t talk to me, I shouldn’t publish his name. But that creates a circumstance in which a person who has allegedly used performance-enhancing substances can prevent any disclosure of that fact by merely refusing to talk about it. "
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/q-a-excerpts-george-j-mitchell/?hp

One might again ask George Mitchell, what business of it is it to him?  He's a United State Senator.  He's being paid by your tax money to track down athletes on steroids.  Is this really a huge issue?  In the grand scheme of problems in the world, does Major League baseball really rate this high on the list of problems that need to be taken care of?

"I believe the most important task facing baseball now is to look forward, to turn away from the past, and to come up with the best possible program to prevent or deter future use. And I think that can best be done by looking forward.  There are several reasons for my recommendation. Permit me to give them. First off, more than half the players in the report are no longer in baseball and therefore are not subject to discipline by the commissioner."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317009,00.html

How is nobody questioning this guy's reason for doing all of this?  It cannot be solely based off of the fact that baseball players may have an influence on children in America.  A lot of things have influence over children in America. 

Things like a 9 & 18 month old child being left in a business parking lot.
http://www.abc4.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=cf1e60b2-ea53-4a04-a8e9-bd817f1c9606

George Mitchell needs to stop grandstanding and start earning his enormously overpaid government paycheck.

Question of the Week 

What are you doing for your future?  Have you run out of excuses yet?



Tip of the week

Don't be guilty of being afraid.


Birthday Shout Outs (Dec. 16th to Dec. 22nd)

12/16
(1770) Beethoven- This is probably his birthday since he was baptized on the 17th, but that's beside the point.  If you reach this guy's status you should be able to claim any day as your own.  Long live the music of Ludwig Van tickling the malenky little hairs. 

(1961) Bill Hicks-  This guy was a sick genius.  I don't know him, but I love this man.



12/17
(1949) Paul Rodgers- He was a member of Bad Company and they produced a tight, concise package of classics in their time.

12/18
(1938) Chas Chandler- I dig the Animals.
(1943) Keith Richards- Proving that corpses can rock when they're high enough.
(1946) Steven Spielberg- The man has an impressive resume.
(1953) Elliot Easton- The Cars were a great band.

(1964) Steve Austin- One of the greatest professional wrestlers ever.  I still crack up thinking about the way he'd say, "Look at ya.  Ya make me sick."  I'm smiling right now.

(1970) Rob Van Dam- This guy could go in ECW.  Now, doesn't seem to go as much.

12/19
(1944) Tim Reid- I have nothing but fond memories of "WKRP in Cinncinati."  Everyone involved gets a round of applause from me.
(1972) Alyssa Milano- Hottie.

12/20
(1945) Peter Criss- He was involved in one of the biggest marketing campaigns of my childhood.  I thought he was the coolest musician ever and I had never heard him play.  Now I'd have to say he's okay, but the marketing machine that is Gene Simmons has me questioning my judgment.

12/21
(1946) Carl Wilson- The Beach Boys had their moment.
(1948) Samuel L. Jackson- He's got style.

12/22
(1917) Gene Rayburn- Nobody does double entrende like Gene.
(1922) Barbara Billingsley- She sold the world the propaganda mother.  Now that's an actress.

(1949) Maurice & Robin Gibb- The Bee Gees were bad ass.




Happy Birthday All!



Belly Laugh

Fred Armisen (http://blog.nbc.com/fred/) from the current Saturday Night Live crew is- in my opinion- underrated.  This guy carries the show at times with strong contributions from Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.  This cast also has possibly the best set of supporting actors since any cast involving Phil Hartman.

Hopefully the writer's strike will be settled soon so we can get some new episodes on the air.  If you haven't watched Saturday Night Live with the current crew, check out the reruns.  Many times they're more "hit" than "miss."



From www.funnyordie.com.