Tennis word play

In tennis, expression "I overplayed my hand" applies literally as well as metaphorically.
I played too much and now I have a sore elbow. I overplayed my hand.

Another nail in the coffin of DRM

To compete with internet downloads, studios are starting to include into DVDs an unencrypted version of the movie, New York Times writes. I guess it's true that the most convenient format wins, dooming the DRM. Good riddance!

Indeed, the centerpiece of the market rejuvenation effort is something 20th Century Fox calls “digital copy.” Fox DVDs, starting last month, now come with an additional disc holding a digital file of the title. Consumers can download the file to a computer in about five minutes — far less time than via the Internet — and then watch the movie there or transfer it to their iPod.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/business/media/25dvd.html

Oil dependency riddle

Carcass from Caracas has my car keys...
...Chavez.

A Russian lies to fight traffic ticket ends up in jail for perjury

Why I am not surprised the guy who tried to lie to a traffic judge is a Russian. Is it a stereotype or Russians do tend to think they are smarter than the system?

The article in NYTimes says the guy ran a stop sign, brought a picture of an intersection a block away without a stop sign, was found responsible, appealed to a judge, brought the correct picture to the appeal, got 1 year jail term for perjury from the judge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/us/01perjury.html

SFGate reports that Bamberg, a former car salesman, was also suspected of switching street signs when the traffic commissioner said she would go investigate herself. "Bamberg acknowledged his fingerprints would be found on the street signs, but said he had to adjust them while taking his photos"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/24/BAGESOA6DF24.DTL

Does Army destroy your mind?

I've always feared serving in Russian military because I've been told by friends that once you go to the army, you don't come back the same. Since I've always hoped for a career in science or research and development, I couldn't see myself coming back from the military service with a destroyed brain. Perhaps it's not so scary and most people come back fine.

However, in reading a recent NYTimes article about crimes being committed by the US veterans of the Iraq war, I found a startling quote,

-- “They break down your mind, and then they try to build you back up,” ... -- “Into a killer?” ... -- "Yes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/us/27vets.html

Washington Post is a tabloid rag when reporting science

Today, The Washington Post talks about "Mad Scientists Create Full Chromosome of Synthetic DNA". As a former scientist, I hate it when the media always portrays scientists as disconnected nerds or even mad.

... oh, wait ...

(read the full article about Mad Scientists Create Full Chromosome of Synthetic DNA)

Soviet Union guaranteed civil liberties in the West

Soviet Union and East Germany were these excellent examples of totalitarian regimes. As long as they existed, the West wanting to differentiate itself from the red East, used to appreciate their civil liberties. Now when both totalitarian countries are gone, the West seems to be gravitating closer to the center, towards a totalitarian or even classic fascist regime.

I really liked the way the leader of the Swedish Pirate Party Rickard Falkvinge put it.

When the Iron Curtain fell, all of the West rejoiced that the East would become just as free as the West. It was never supposed to be the other way around.

Read the full intellectual interview with Rickard Falkvinge at P2P Consortium.