I was browsing the web today, looking up my usual sites to see what's new in the worlds of personal computing, science, and general news. I came across this link: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Mininova-BitTorrent-Torrent-Download,news-3776.html.

Mininova, The Pirates Bay, and other torrent trackers are being ruthlessly sought after by software companies and corporations trying vainly to stop what they claim is rampant piracy. As usual the corporations first approach is of course the dumbest one they could do, cause their business majors in power have no clue how to bold a sentence in Outlook let alone how the internet comes together.

So here's my thoughts on it...The copyright gives a company legal recourse for someone stealing or miss-using their intellectual property, not the right to force other companies to do the looking for them. Which is how most of the current laws work, they force the ISP or the Torrent sites to filter their data.

This is ludicrous! Yes the data flows over the ISP's infrastructure but they are not responsible for the data that I request. That's my responsiblity. If we are going to make ISP's responsible, then AOL, Time Warner, Charter Communications, Comcast, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all need to have each and every employee sign onto the registered sex offenders list in their community for failure to filter child pornography. Not that I'm defending child pornography one bit. I detest it, but the analogy was chosen to stir your blood.

Just the same; Why aren't city officials and workers being tried when a murder uses the city streets to escape or get to the victim? Of course not cause the city street is just an object, and it's the person who performed the act. As usual the mob is completely mis-guided in dealing with this problem, and we're all going to suffer for it unless we stand up and say NO!

ISP's and Torrent sites should not be held responsible if they are only tracking torrents. Hosting material is different, but hosting a way to get to the material...That's not a crime. If it is then we should burn all law books, all science and chemistry text books as well. They're just sources for evil idea's just waiting to be found!

Lets take a real look at the problem:
Software costs: $30-$3500+ per license for an item that is usually only going to be current for a year at most. The upgrades usually don't come at a real bargain, maybe 10% off of the retail price. Yet there's no stopping it's rampant creation, not even a real co-ordinated murmur from the collective audience that the prices are insane.

Movies: Current prime time movie prices in my area are $8.75 a pop! For this I still get to deal with unruly movie goers who don't know to shut their mouths when the movies start, staff that has to be tracked down if I want them to deal with it less I provoke a theater brawl. Then there's the overly priced snacks! I have to now deal with commercials before the movies for crap that I fast forward through on my DVR.

It's not like I get a coupon for the movies media release, when it comes out. No I'm charged another $20-$30. So this is $38.75 for a movie, a two hour experience if you are lucky.

So here are my thoughts to cut back on the rampant piracy problem:
Lower your prices! Don't try and strangle innocent ISP's and Torrent trackers because they give a path to obtaining the software. Corporations get your own hands dirty, make those $250,000 a year lawyers work for a living looking up the pirates and traking down their IP's back to a person.

Besides you can lower you prices and still be quite rich if you have a really good product...If they don't I suggest this to the common folks, start calling them up for any little thing you dislike about any product or service. Force them to accept that you will charge them for dissatisfaction in it's usage, and for any and all sales promises not fully kept. It's time we put the thumb screws into the corporations, they should fear their consumers, just as a government should fear its citizens.

For a bit of fun and games, I picked a theme that actually speaks to me.  I enjoy astronomy, and I also enjoy art. Now the fun part is the artist may recognize the work of hers that will be my profile picture (rules violation or not), and realize who this is.  It's highly doubtful, so I'll enjoy the long shot that I expect fully to miss...She is not the type that browses online much. 

I had just come back to work from lunch.  I'm not really focused on the actual events of that moment.  My mind was going back into work mode, I was beginning to recall what I had been doing before leaving.  The receptionists voice breaks my concentration as I'm walking past her desk.  "Darien you have a package back here for you." She says through a giddy smile. Her voice reveals her excitement over the surprise gift in store for me. 

She quickly opens a large secure drawer in a filing cabinet.  She reaches her hand into the cabinet, and withdrawing it with deliberate care.  The gift bag clears the drawer, and she bounces gleefully to a stand.  Her hair fans around her face from the force. My mind races wondering what could be in store for me, as she holds out the bag for me to take.

Cream and pale lime green stripes run vertically, two golden yarns clasped in the receptionists fingers.  I take the bag and for the slightest moment think I'll get to take this back to my desk to find out what I got.  The receptionists gaze playfully threatens that I am mistaken.

Setting the bag gently onto the desk, I reach in to remove the decorative tissue paper to reveal a green edge.  My fingers with hesitantly clasp it, I might muss the pain on the canvas.  The paint is dry!  My mind is racing wondering what the painting is of....I ease the painting out slowly, letting my eyes take in image in sections.  I quickly identify the subject matter, and am quickly, despite my slow reveal overwhelmed with the feeling of love, and being so well known by another of such grace. 

The receptionists voice barely breaks through my focus on the glorious oil rendering I currently posses. "What is it?"  Her eyebrows are slightly knotted, and her eyes can't seem to take it in.  "It's my favorite nebula."  I reply without thought.  "It's a very accurate painting of it too." 

A few people looking over my shoulder comment on how pretty it is, and who it's from. I smile and say
 it's from a friend and artist I know. 

I am truly and deeply honored to have been given this gift.  I will treasure it always. 

It was simple and solely for them.  A celebration and commitment to one another in the eyes of god and state, for now all to behold. 

My friends whom I will not name...I wish you both the best.

There's the mandatory, niceties, which I feel the need to turn out into the world of lord electron.  And now onto something a bit more romance comedy...One of the greatest women I have ever loved, has married one of the greatest men I've had the honor of calling friend.  And in my heart, lies a cold chunk that says I didn't speak up to tell her my desires.  This is an out and out lie, she knows how I felt. Or did; I've lied enough about how I feel to confuse a con man.  This is of course to maintain a valuable friendship, and well to be honest it's about the only way I'd ever see her.

Truth is as they said I do, a part of me cried while stood there, wanting it to be me in his shoes, instead of the ones I currently inhabit some 4 feet away.  In the end, my rational stopped my outburst from ever really forming.  For it is their lives and my life, our lives that hang in the balance...

As for me...Finding someone seems to be my fountain of youth...