Latest Toast Update Combats Fair Use

gsfprez writes "Apparently, demanding future DRM installations isn't just for Windows anymore. Roxio has added a very Microsoft-esque paragraph to the Toast 5.1.4 upgrade. In part, if you install it, you 'may affect your ability to copy, display and/or play Secure Content through the Software or other applications that utilize the Software.' I'm sorry, but this is a big reason why I'm sticking with Apple, but looking for new CD/DVD burning software..." Let me know when you find it.

Comments

Re:OT: desirous of sick sig

[HiThere]

It sounds to me like some permutation of the theme song from Mr. Ed, though for some reason I haven't been able to track down I also thought of Topper (the TV series loosely based on the Thorne Smith books).

Re:Piracy != Fair use

[JudgeFurious]

I hardly think the term NRA nuts is fair.

The answer to your question is no, I would not use an automatic weapon (if by this you are making reference to the Thompson .45 caliber machine gun as the original poster stated) because it's poorly suited to the task though not completely for the reasons you mentioned.

To go off on one of those "way more information than necessary" tangents that I so enjoy let me state that the Thompson wasn't all that terrific a submachine gun. It was heavy as hell, was not particularly consistent in the pattern of lead it spat out, and was expensive to manufacture.

In it's defense it fired a great round in the .45 ACP which was big and slow relative to say, the 9MM which was preferred notably by Nazi germany in their smg's. The 9MM relies heavily on hydrostatic shock to cause damage but the .45 produces a lot less of this. Instead it simply moves slowly enough to not pass through you (not necessarily every time mind you) but fast enough to penetrate and transfer it's energy in the process. The short version is the 9MM goes through you and the .45 knocks you on your ass. Move up to something like a .44 Magnum and you get the best of both worlds to go with your painful wrist from the recoil. Your neihbors might not appreciate the excellent penetration characteristics of the .44 magnum bullet though.

I would never choose a Thompson for "home defense" but not because I would be worried that I might kill a member of my family or someone living next door. I wouldn't buy it because there are much better choices for home defense and one of them doesn't even involve having to fire the gun in question. Want to know what they are? I knew you did...

First I want to say that depending on your situation there are a number of correct answers to the question "What gun do I buy for home defense?" and one of them is certainly "None of them."

If you aren't going to take the time to practice and get familiar with your gun then don't buy one. If you aren't able to find a location to put your gun where it is both accessible to you in an emergency and secure from your children (if you have any) then don't buy one. If niether of these is a problem or an issue for you then I recommend one of two choices.

12 gauge pump action shotgun. Preferrably stored inside your master bedroom closet, above the door on pegs in the wall. Don't put it in there leaning against the wall in the corner or on the shelf above your clothes. Also this might not work for you if you are not tall enough to reach it there. Putting it over your head above the door makes it less likely to be visible to thieves when you aren't there though and if you can do it that's what you want to do.

Keep in mind though that if someone really good gets into your house without being seen and has enough time to do so then they are going to be very meticulous in looking for your valuables. They'll probably find your shotgun. This over the door thing works well against the nervous guy trying to get in and out quickly so he can get his next rock after he visits the pawn shop.

the old reliable 12 gauge pump is tough to beat. It's not a big wall penetrator (depending on what kind of shells you put in it) so your next doors are safe. It's not expensive relative to some of the other options out there either. Best of all, and this is the part that makes it perfect, EVERYONE IN THE WORLD knows what a 12 gauge getting loaded sounds like. It's loud and distinctive and cannot be mistaken for anything else. It's louder at night and in the dark...trust me. Most of us learned that sound from thousands of hours of television. We know what happens when you get shot with one of those too. You explode in a million pieces and maybe even catch on fire. Granted that's bullshit but we learned it on TV so for many of us that's what appears in our imaginations when we hear that sound. You'd be surprised how many people are terrified of shotguns. Or maybe you wouldn't be.

Odds are good that outside of practice you will never have to fire this weapon.

If that's too much gun for you or you simply want an alternative then I recommend a Smith & Wesson stainless steel .38 caliber revolver. This is also an excellent way to proceed for women who want a gun due to the fact that it requires less upper body strength to use this and recoil is more manageable for lighter weight people.

You should NOT put this revolver in your nightstand where you can reach it in the split second before the maniac jumps on top of you. That's not realistic and if they have gotten into your home and into your bedroom without you being aware of it then your goose is cooked. This plan, and the one that preceeded it are based on the idea that you actually HEAR the intruder entering your home. This plan also requires the purchase of a cordless phone if you don't already have one.

You place the gun in your master bathroom. Put it between the bottom two towels in your cabinets there. It's stainless steel so it won't mind (but you are going to need to keep it clean, oiled, and from time to time change the ammunition in it) and no one breaks into your home while you are gone to steal towels. When you hear someone (again - assuming you hear someone, if you don't hear them then the gun in your nightstand wouldn't help either) then you simply get up out of bed, pick up your cordless phone, walk to your bathroom and lock the door. You can now take your gun out, call 911, and tell anyone that tries to get in that the police are on the way and you are armed.

Both those beat a Thompson hands down.

One other important point to make. If you do decide to buy a gun for your own protection you need to practice with it. You need to be familiar with it. You need to know what it feels like and sounds like (at least once without any hearing protection) when it goes off. The last person you want to be surprised at the sound/feeling of your weapon firing is you.