Moyers on America . The Net @ Risk | PBS

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Moyers on America . The Net @ Risk | PBS

If you missed this show on PBS last night, please find a couple of free hours and watch it online. The show focuses on Net Neutrality, but also touches on the effects telecommunications deregulation has had on our society. If you ever wondered why reporting doesn’t seem as good as it used to be, or why fiber-to-the-curb mostly hasn’t happened, this program will open your eyes to the reasons behind it. Through interviews and research Bill Moyers shows how the FCC has continually worked in favor of corporate america instead of looking out for the interests of the public.

New Star Wars discs: These aren’t the DVDs you’re looking for…

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Some of my fellow Sci-Fi fans may be shocked by the title, but I’ll stand by it. Last week I finally got what I’d be waiting years to have, or so I thought. The new DVDs are the same as those in the trilogy box set that came out about two years ago. What’s new is that they’re each sold separately and come with a copy of the original theatrical version on a second disc. (oh yea, and there are big FBI antipiracy labels all over the cover and the discs, tacky…) Unfortunately almost no work went into producing this new disc. The original version isn’t even in a true widescreen format; it’s a 4:3 letterbox formatted for traditional TV sets, not widescreen. I’m going to take a guess that Lucas doesn’t want the original to compete with his new vision of the films and left us with the old Laserdisc version instead. I don’t expect surround, as the original film didn’t have it either. However, I would’ve liked to get at least a full quality widescreen version for my money. My advice: if you already have the trilogy don’t waste your money.

Retro gaming…

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A few nights back, Nan and I were bored and looking for something fun to do. We were both tired from work so we didn’t really feel like going out, but there wasn’t anything good on TV either. A couple of years ago, I started messing with some of my vintage machines including an Apple II Plus, and an Atari 5200. My HTPC project took my attention away, and I never really got back to doing anything with them until recently. I remembered that I still had the Atari in the attic, so I asked Nan if she’d be interested in playing some Pac Man. After finding all the pieces we got it hooked up, and to our surprise it still worked great. (ok, only 1 of the 4 controllers is still in really good shape, but one other is usable for most games..) The two of us must have played for a couple of hours. It was great! We played through Pac Man, Space Invaders, Missile Command and River Raid. Simple as they are, I still find these games to be just as fun as the first time I played them. In fact, one of the things I most look forward to when we go to our favorite Japanese restaurant is the vintage Mrs. Pac Man game in the waiting area. I also found out, before heading off to bed, that I can still hold my own in Defender. (one of my favorite Atari games of all time) 208,500 on level 14 baby! More pics here.