Have No Fear Open Sourcers

The Software Freedom Law Center is here! A prominent Columbia professor has helped spearhead an organization that represents open source firms pro bono. I put this article at the top because I think it's a great idea. It may be questionable whether open source software is the best way of developing software, but the point is that it's an alternate methodology and it should be allowed without coming under fire from money hungry corporations. I'm not saying that they don't sometimes violate patents, but usually they do so unknowingly. It's kind of weird to patent knowledge like that, and thats why this law center is so great. I myself am planning on an open source project to be started late this next or at some point next year (which I'll announce once I get through designing the architecture of it) and this kind of protection is comforting.

I actually have some more nerdy news I want to get through before I move on. It seems like Google is always in the news but today it's for their new employee benefits. It's not that this is an uncommon idea, but you don't hear it at many company information sessions so it is rather refreshing. Bill Gates has always been in the news quite a bit lately and today it's because he is planning on integrating the Belgian eID format into MSN Messenger. It looks like it has been working in Belgium so far so here's to the future I guess. Part 2 of that BBC interview of Gates I posted about a couple of days ago is online now and what's interesting is how he shies away from answering whether he's being anticompetitive. Haven't had enough M$ news? Then indulge yourself in this article about the release of the new MSN search engine and the advertising muscle they'll flex. And for the record, I think they're aping Google with that homepage.

Now for some under-the-radar techie news. It appears that spam has actually increased as a result of the antispam legislation passed a year ago. Supposedly this occured because of loopholes that grant legality to solicitated e-mail within specific agreements, but it sucks nonetheless. I can't see how spamming people really helps these companies, but whatever floats their boat I guess.

I also have some movie news today. FilmForce spoke to Alan Cumming and found out that he didn't actually like working with Bryan Singer on the previous two movies.



No word yet on who will replace Singer, who turned down the job to work on Superman Returns, but I hope the movie turns out good. Nightcrawler was a great character in the second movie so I'm sure he'll do well in the third one. Yahoo! Movies got an exclusive new trailer for Gunner Palace, and I would call it a must-see trailer. It looks like the movie will try to not be biased and merely paint the stories of the soldiers. I'm still very much looking forward to it. Moving on, the trailer for BloodRayne has been released as well. The movie may not look all that great, but the lead actress does at least. Compare and contrast:



The game is typically pretty mediocre so I don't know why they'd make it a movie, but I guess sex sells. Anyway, talks are already ablaze about a sequel to Constantine before the movie has even hit theaters! I hope the movie turns out as good as people say.

And all you Austinites are probably suckers like me because you missed a chance to a free screening of Ong Bak Thursday! Oh well, I'll just go see Friday Night Lights at the Union instead. If anyone wants to come along let me know.

Now for a final mesh of a few random things. Snoop Dogg was accussed of rape, and I really can't tell whether he's guilty or not. He could have whoever he wants so why would he do it? But then again, why would a makeup artist for Six Feet Under want to get money out of him? I guess we'll see what happens. IGN put up some impressions of Metal Gear Acid for those of you interested in how it plays. It sounds pretty cool because it even includes multiplayer. And finally, DDR sold 1.5 million copies in the nation last year. I just bring it up because that's huge considering that you have to buy the mat for it extra.

I know everyone is craving the Tuesday Twosome so here it is:

1. What is worse: having the flu or getting your wisdom teeth pulled?
From what I've heard, your wisdom teeth sound more painful. People are usually in agony for at least a week following it and feel tired a lot and such so it's almost like being sick. Plus it would make eating hurt too, so I'll have to go with the teeth getting pulled though I haven't had the flu before.

2. What are two "comfort" foods you want when you are sick/ill?
Popsicles and Herbal Tea! I guess tea isn't a drink, but you're usually not all that hungry when you're sick anyway.

3. When sick, do you need somebody to take care of you or you can take care of yourself?
I'm not sick very often, but when I have been I've had my mom around to take care of me. Unless it's just a week-long coughing or sore throat episode, which passes relatively easily.

4. When you start to feel ill, do you go straight to the medicine cabinet to pop pills or do you wait it out to see how bad it will get?
I usually wait to see how bad it will get. Infections you've had before will go away naturally, but the new ones are what takes some fighting.

5. What are two things you do to help prevent illness (vitamins, eat healthy, etc.)?
I eat fruits and vegetables nearly every day, and eat Flintstones vitamins! :)

I don't expect that tomorrow's post will be up before 10:00PM, so brace yourselves for that.