Thank you to the boys over at MetalSucks for basically ruining my plan to save money by reposting the following announcement from the band TOOL:

My friends, we can no longer hide the terrible truth. The holidays are rapidly approaching, and with them the NEW TOOL DVD/VIDEO for VICARIOUS is scheduled to be released on DECEMBER 18th (or 19th) and will include an EXTENDED CUT, lots of BONUS MATERIAL and, of course, SPECIAL PACKAGING.

This means that I will shell out between $20 and $40 for some music DVD that will sit next to my dusty copy of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars rarely to be viewed. Now, that’s not to say that it’s not an interesting DVD – as I’m sure the new Tool one shall be – it’s just that the CD drive on my laptop is broken and I can’t figure out how to hook up my DVD player to my HDTV. Also, I need to make rent and, you know, eat, but my rampant American consumerism won’t let me – I must have this DVD. I’m apparently a lazy piece of shit who doesn’t deserve the fabulous electronics that litter my house. But I do love me some Maynard!!

Seriously, if this DVD is anything like the live show, it is going to have ridiculously amazing graphics/visuals (think acid trip but you don’t need the drugs… but they help) and my face is going to be melted off by the end. I would seriously try to explain it like a competent writer, but I’m too much of a fan to do so. In other MJK news, Puscifer’s new album drops at the end of this month… freaking hell, it drops just around the same time that rent is due. Damnit. Looks like I won’t be eating anymore this month… but at least I’ll be skinny and have the Puscifer CD.

You have got to be kidding me with this one…

“Some people clearly think it’s a First Amendment issue. There is no intent from us to interfere with people’s right to discuss copy protection. We respect free speech.

“They can discuss the pros and cons. We know some people are critical of the technology.

“But a line is crossed when we start seeing keys being distributed and tools for circumvention. You step outside of the realm of protected free speech then.”

This is a quote from the BBC News article regarding the recent (and frequent) posting of the key to break the encryption of HD-DVDs. It is from Michael Ayers, chair of the AACS (Advanced Access Content System), and apparent dissenter against the tenets of the First Amendment. Now, last time I checked, the First Amendment (specifically, the right to free speech) covered pretty much all language, including that which most people would find completely disgusting and hateful (like the right of the KKK to give speeches spewing their venom and me writing this blog). The prevailing theory in supporting questionable speech is that if you don’t like what you hear, you also have the right to not listen.

But when big business is involved, there seem to be other factors that limit free speech. Like money.

I’m no legal expert – I majored in history and Russian – but something about the above quoted rationalization for why it is illegal to post the key doesn’t sit right with me. How can one limit the right to free speech to simply discussing the pros and cons? Who (and that includes all of the Founding Fathers) said that you can’t discuss the actual code in question? Something tells me that the AACS is angry that the key leaked and that the company is probably going to have to shell out a bunch of cash to develop new code. Or they could be pissed that the inevitable happened so quickly. You build a wall and people will find a way to get over it, dig under it, or burst right throught it.

What is the realm of “free speech” then? Because I am forced to listen to racist, homophobic, and otherwise discomforting slurs that I don’t personally agree with just because other people have this right. And you know what, I also have the right to tell them to F-off if I don’t like what they are saying. Once we “limit” the realm of free-speech, we stand to eliminate it entirely.

And props to Digg.com for standing behind their users and fighting the good fight.

The pornography industry has helped the main stream movie industry more then anyone gives it credit for. They have helped push forward with the VHS and now DVD releases to stores and were some of the first to get into the rental game. The industry was also at the forefront of video on demand over the Internet. Now with HD-DVD becoming more and more a part of daily life for those who watch TV and movies, the porn might be too real.

Porn star Stormy Daniels says:

The biggest problem is razor burn.

HD-DVD and now Blu-ray show the real flaws in most people, including skin, razor burn and other minor issues that may be taking away from the fantasy that is so much of the industry. With over 3 billion dollars in DVD sales last year, the pornography industry will most definitely be looking to solve this issue one way or another