Safety is important, yes. But, typically, if you’re not driving intoxicated and get in an accident you’re doing harm mostly to yourself and that’s your deal. Unfortunately, with the warmer weather, speeds tend to increase and with increased speeds, it seems the cops come out in full force. The last couple days I have seen more cops out than I saw in the last month combined. That’s a slight, if any, exaggeration. I got followed home from Mansfield on 30 by a cop until he decided to pass me because I dropped my speed from 65 to 60 (that’s right, you can speed a little when an officer is behind you). Anyhow, just be careful everyone. I don’t want anyone to rack up as many speeding tickets as I did. Pay attention to where you’re at and if there are any spots cops could be hiding up ahead, watch oncoming traffic for flashing headlights, and pay attention to brake lights ahead. If you keep an eye out, you’re much more likely to avoid getting busted.
It’s sort of like sex. Abstinence is best, but if you’re gonna do it anyway, be sure to protect yourself.
A few months back, I stumbled across one of the greatest things to hit fast food joints since the dollar menu. It’s called the Mega Jug and can only be found at KFC.
It towers over all other soft drinks at a cool HALF GALLON of refreshment. It’s so big, it has its own carrying handle. My favorite part, it’s not Coke.
would pwn 
What makes a good radio station? Is it the DJs, the content–variety, frequency, commercial time, or something else? Lately, on the drive to and from work, I’ve been listening to 88.1 WZIP out of the U of Akron. Most of the time, it’s hip hop and R&B, but after 8pm they have Night Rock. I usually hear about the same songs every day, and it’s pretty reminiscent of MTV during the morning hours or late night because they get rid of their crappy reality television and play videos (which are also, typically, crappy). I try to listen to 88.9 WRDL from Ashland, but the DJs are awful. They talk too much and they’re either stupid bubbly girls, guys who think they’re cool so they talk about themselves a lot, or weird theatre kids with a completely unrelatable sense of humor. As for the other stations we get in, I can handle 101.3 WNCO in small doses, but the overplayed country songs are too few and far between lots of commercials. Classic rock stations are a definite welcome break, but they also tend to play the same playlist each time I tune in–maybe that’s just bad luck? Am I missing something here? Should I just stop trying and just listen to my CDs (I don’t have an FM transmitter for my MP3 player yet)?
Is making a copy, for a private collection, of a rented DVD stealing?
As far as I know, it isn’t illegal to make copies of things you own for your own use. The issue is when you start distributing those copies. Though, the first statement doesn’t cover making copies of things you don’t really own. I would venture a statement that the law would cover any sort of copies made during that rental period, as long as you only used them during that rental period. Or, at least be understanding of that situation. (No, I don’t think you’d really need a copy of a movie you’re only borrowing for a week). So, maybe that’s where the legality issues lie. What sorts of coverage is there on rented/borrowed forms of entertainment? I haven’t really looked into rental laws, but I would assume it’s a limited liability issue where you agree to the laws of ownership that the rental company would normally abide by and they agree to give you the product you are paying for. If so, one would be breaking that agreement if they had a copy for a period longer than the promised rental period.
Now, if you have a bootleg movie, does that mean you are in possession of stolen property? If, as the previous paragraph concluded, you are indeed breaking a legal agreement when having a copy of a movie that you aren’t legally entitled to through a purchase, then I would have to venture a guess that you are.
Basically, the real issue is whether it’s morally acceptable to make copies of these things, download songs, etc. I believe all of these things would fall under the same umbrella. You never asked to borrow these things from the copyright owners, so even if you plan to get rid of them sometime, you cannot use that as an excuse. Unless you’ve paid for a source copy of the movie or album, it must be wrong to have a homemade copy of it (i.e. if you buy a CD and make a copy, then the original is stolen it would be acceptable to possess the copy).
So, yes, we are cheating those who make these movies, albums when we make copies. Does this really get to most people? No. Why not? Because they don’t agree with the prices of movies and/or albums. Some people do it just to have a big collection to brag about, but the typical user does it because they’re a fan, but are unable to afford the prices. I would like to think the actors and musicians would like their media to be appreciated by their fans, but they’d also like to get paid for their work (which they will). And, I find it hard to buy that by downloading a movie we are hurting the guy who helped build the set. I tend to believe it’s the corporate guy who’s having his bonus check lessened. Not that this justifies it, as it is wrong to take away from anyone, but I can sleep better at night knowing I’m keeping designer shoes out of someone’s closet and not food off someone’s table.
It makes me happy to see rich people who care about those around them. Granted, it is probably possible to reach a point where you just don’t have anything else to spend money on. But, it’s refreshing to see someone not wasting their money on cars, drugs, girls, etc. (typical rap video fare). Maybe everyone doesn’t waste their money on that, but it makes me hopeful that if I were to come into some money that I wouldn’t be spoiled from it and could still be responsible to my fellow man. Someday, I’ll have Bill Gates cash.
http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/jan/25gates.htm
As all of you know, Andrew and I visit Denny’s pretty regularly. While there, we get to enjoy the vast, eclectic musical selection of Denny’s Radio. Sometimes it’s funky, sometimes it’s 80s… OK, usually it’s 80s. Anytime Phil Collins comes on, Andrew and I have different reactions. Mine–glad to hear some PC. His–groans and disgust. Maybe not disgust, but certainly more pain than pleasure. Lately, though, I’ve noticed that Phil Collins’ musical influence reaches far into other musical stylings.
I’ve heard a few different renditions of In the Air Tonight. It has been sampled for a few rap groups, Eminem mentions it in the song Stan, and it has been covered most recently by a band called Nonpoint for the Coach Carter soundtrack. Kristin had me listen to a CD including an A Capella group covering Genesis’ Invisible Touch. But, the thing that really brought me to write this post was that I heard a cover of Land of Confusion by Disturbed (ooh-ah-ah-ah) the other night.
Granted, there should be other reasons to say someone has musical influence besides their songs being covered, but I just wanted to point out a couple of the reasons that Phil Collins is cooler than Chuck Norris.