Who's Greener and More Evil?

I finally finished my ridiculously long programming manual today, and I have the distinct pleasure of walking into my boss's office tomorrow morning and telling him that I'm ready to start my project, a week ahead of time at that! To top it off, I went for a nice long shopping excursion at Kroger with a friend of mine at TI, and it was more fun that I was hoping for. You didn't come here for the gritty details of my day though. What I'm referring to in my topic is another competition between Google and Microsoft. It's interesting how much both companies do to be more friendly to our environment by effecting changes in their employees. TI does a few of those things, too, like free public transportation and shuttles and all that stuff, but they certainly don't buy couches and rugs from recycled materials and they definitely don't give us discounts on hybrid vehicles. I think it's really cool that they voluntarily did this stuff, because I don't think many people know about it and so it probably wasn't a PR stunt. The more interesting thing is who's more evil since Google has admitted that they were evil to cede to China's censorship demands. I'm sure you've already guessed that I'm going to posit Microsoft as the answer, but I don't think it's possible for a company to not be "evil" in some respect. Would it really be worth the lost revenue and traffic for Google to stand up for free speech in a Communist nation? If you were Microsoft, wouldn't it make sense for you to bundle IE with your successful OS? Then there's the stuff that's less understandable, like closing up your APIs or screwing over small businesses in advertising. I think that it may be more even than people may like to believe, but I'll leave it to you to decide.

One thing is for sure though, both companies are fighting the good fight with net neutrality. Of course, it hurts both of them for this bill to get passed so I'm sure that their first motive is there rather than altruism, but we need all the help we can get here. If you're a Linux newb, then this article may give you six things you didn't know about it. I certainly learned a couple things from it. Nintendo has decided that it will release the shipping date of the Wii this September, probably because they don't want to overshoot it like Sony did. They also said that the price of vintage games would be in the $5-$10, which sounds pretty reasonable to me. Speaking of games though, USA has decided to start showing game competitions as if it were a sport! I don't know how interested people will be in it, but I'm sure that it's a pretty low-risk investment since paying gamers is probably much easier than football players. Lastly, Tivo is finally officially unveiling its service to download digital content straight to your Tivo from the Internet via approved sites, like Rocketboom and CNet.com and such. It sounds like they're bracing themselves for IP TV to me.

I was questioning whether to put up yet another Superman Returns poster, but since there's not much movie news today I figured that it couldn't hurt. So what should you see this weekend? Well, Massawyrm over at AICN would certainly recommend that you steer clear of The Omen, which sounds like just a dry remake of what many praise as a horror classic. It isn't getting the best reviews elsewhere either, so maybe it's not the best movie this weekend. Have no fear though, Cars is still going to come out this Friday, and Yahoo! Movies even has an exclusive clip. I may wait to rent this one, but I think it'll turn out better than I expected. Lost actor Naveen Andrews, known as Sayid on the hit show, has signed on to be a part of Grind House. He'll be in the military once again, but as a scientist rather than a soldier this time. I think this'll be a chance for more people so see what a good actor he is. Apple has another trailer for Little Miss Sunshine, the dry indie comedy from Fox Searchlight, and it has definitely piqued my interest. Its jokes almost remind me of Best in Show, which is a true classic. Lastly, Jessica Alba has signed on to join the indie project Bill, which I only mention because she's so hot and this may actually be a meaningful role for her. She'll be playing an "intriguing saleswoman," whatever that means.

Now, get ready for a Wednesday Mind Hump:

1. What is your favorite

Comedy? Monty Python and the Holy Grail, without a doubt. When do those jokes ever get old?
Drama? Probably Donnie Darko, which psyches me out more and more each time I watch it.
Action flick? I'd have to say Kill Bill, which is my favorite movie of all time, after all. The Matrix is in close second though, since the first time I saw it was just so priceless.

2. What is your favorite performance by an actor or actress in a movie?
This is extremely tough, but I'm going to go with Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction for right now. I love reciting his lines so much, but I enjoy remember the way he says them even more.

3. How many movies do you own?
I'm too lazy to count, but I'm going to go with like 15. I only buy movies I really like, or every once in a while a movie I just kinda like because it's for sale real cheap.

4. Do you prefer the theater or waiting for the DVD?
I prefer the theater in general since I usually don't rent DVDs and I won't buy before watching, but it is much cheaper to get the DVD and watch it with friends.