I have developed a way to store data on a CD/DVD such that if scratching causes data loss, all the files (including the readable portions of the damaged files) can be copied off to hard disk, the damaged files can be restored, and a new original CD/DVD can be created. Each data set recorded (for a full DVD) takes about 4 hours to calculate on a fairly decent dual core computer running Ubuntu, using about 15% redundancy. Actually burning the DVD takes 6 minutes.

I mastered a DVD movie for a client (he had a collection of pictures in slideshow format), and in addition to providing a DVD master that would play in any standard DVD player, I kept an archival version of the original ISO for his movie. He can come back to me any time and I can just pull the ISO and make him another playable copy.

Of course, this wouldn't have helped your copies of Stargate SG-1, but any files specially prepared and burned this way (say, your pirated copies of Stargate) would be protected. And I have tested it: I was able to recover a DVD after running my car keys across it fairly vigorously. For the last 2 years I have been archiving the most useful and critical software and data (OK, pr0n) with this method.

Here's the other thing, ever since I have been using this technique, I don't trust any other storage medium for long-term storage: not hard disks, not flash drives, not even (or especially not) the "cloud." Unless you melt the optical media in a fire or break them in half, data loss I have found to be at least gradual, not all or nothing like hard disks or flash drives can be.

And since I have demonstrated being able to recover from *gradual* data loss, this is the way I will go. (And so far I have not tried this method on Bluray media yet, though it should -hopefully- work the same.

Go into a bar, I mean, an Iranian space capsule. The mouse says... Come on, help me out here.

Stationary, relative to what?

Is that you, Bones?

I am so relieved that wasn't just me. If my brain were a punch card reader, it would have jammed on that one. (Where's my lighter? ... Smooth!)

Where's Ratchet? And will there be an option for a heli-lifter or jetpack?

You're just as sarcastic and snarky as I am. Merry Christmas, y'all!

Oh crap! You were so young!

Years ago I saw (maybe on 60 Minutes, who knows) a clip about a woman who paid an artist to do an "installation" at her apartment for $10,000. It consisted of a 3" piece of rope nailed horizontally to the wall between the entranceway door hinge and the corner of the room. That's it. It just stuck in my mind as either a glaring example of "conspicuous consumption," or of one affluent person's vulnerability to a line of bullshit. (OTOH, maybe this was all a setup to get on 60 Minutes.)

And free on Kindle too.

Probably because we only got 2 words of mention in that library, one them being "mostly."

I for one welcome our self-assembling nanorod overlords. (Gotta be better than our current idiot overlords...)

Truecrypt volumes have a Hidden Volume feature. Somebody forces you to give the password, just give them the password (after a suitable amount of reluctance) to the non-Hidden Volume. The other password is the one you never give, and they can't prove it even exists.

"We will kill the golden goose if we kill his eggs." Uh, those aren't eggs...!

Best yet, it would make it nearly impossible for the MSM to ignore the blackout/SOPA/PIPA. Then watch as they tiptoe around the elephant in the living room: why they haven't been covering SOPA/PIPA up until this point. I will note that CurrentTV did cover SOPA, and then pointed out the lack of coverage with ABC/NBC/CBS, etc.