Here are two useful Windows utilities that you’ll want to consider…
ImgBurn will allow you to convert discs (CDs and DVDs) to ISO images on your hard drive; it has additional capabilities and options.
DaemonTools will allow you to directly mount an ISO image as a “drive” (you can configure up to four simultaneous drives with it). Another option (but less flexible) is the Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM applet.
Originally posted 2008-06-20 11:00:28.
Last week was the National Spelling Bee and this year the finals were televised on ESPN and the “championship” round was televised in prime time on ABC.
Now first of all let’s be adult. The only reason that the National Spelling Bee was on TV was money – everyone involved wanted to make as much as they could… and that’s really the bottom line of what drives TV (within the framework of regulations set forth by the Federal Communications Commission).
The thing about this that caused quite a ruckus is that ESPS halted the sixth round in the middle; so what was televised during prime time was going to be the last part of the round currently in progress, and then any rounds that would follow.
Now this isn’t something they decided at the last minute; it was clearly stated in the terms of the contract — and the contract wasn’t so long that you could say no reasonable person would have read and been familiar with the terms.
If the ESPN broadcast concludes during a semifinal round, spellers who have not spelled in the round will advance to the championship finals for the conclusion of the last semifinals round.
There are many that will say that this simply wasn’t fair to the children involved — and I’ll say you’re damn right. But what wasn’t fair was televising the competition the way it was — making the contestants part of a commercial endeavor for networks, sponsors, broadcasters, and advertising to maximize their profit was simply unthinkable…
Somewhere along the path to present day American’s have simply lost sight of simple core values… and now we live our lives focused on television and letting television dictate to us the terms of living our life. Sure, many delude themselves into thinking that their DVR gives them the control, but in the end it is the commercialization of television that really has control… and it can be seen most clearly on networks like ESPN that focus on sports.
If you want to take control — take the remote control and turn off the television.
Originally posted 2010-06-15 02:00:52.
March 20 2015 22:45 GMT
