Why would not not take the 5th for a password? By disclosing the password to encrypted data, you be providing evidence that you had access to it, potentially incriminating yourself, if the contents are illicit.

I doubt the USA would allow Intel to export TPM, unless they already had the keys to the back-door.

"There actually are such special offers that sound like you could save a lot, but are actually more expensive per unit/gallon/inch/whatever. And they actually work."

I accept your premise but reject your conclusion. Where is the study that shows the population to be more vulnerable to such obfuscation over time, or since the adoption of calculators?

It's only when some jack-ass refills the bottle with gasoline, that you run into trouble...

"because you didn't accept the contract yet. Without that, whatever you paid for is still not yours." If true, then until the contract is consummated, the money paid for the "service" should not be theirs.

And yes, everyone and their brother will try to emulate this. So if software is now a license and not a purchase, won't publishers be obligated to provide replacement media?

Great post! I wish I had mod points left. Even I have trouble reconciling Torrents of Porn. On one hand I recognize Flynt as a major force in free speech advocacy, on the other, I like free porn. Part of why the industry though, is going after this, is that AMATEUR porn being posted to the torrents, by Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, is starting to cut into the bottom line. I think the attack is not so much directed at the pr0noholics, so much as trying to chill the competing distribution methods.

"Is there really a strong correlation between the playstation and obesity?" Based on my anecdotal observation, there is a hight correlation, with fast food, Wal*Mart and Fox News.

The end of the comics code.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfquest "This series was one of the early successes that marked the establishment of a phase in underground comics at which a new market of alternative independent comic books emerged that were closer to the comics mainstream." Wiki seems to underplay the impact of this title, as it was the mother-ship that had such broad appeal and sales, that led to a revolution at Marvel and DC.

"It encourages authors to look at both sides of situation more thoroughly than they would have otherwise which in my opinion adds more depth to the story."

Remember when Elfquest of all things, broke the back of the comics code, by going the independent route? Demonstrating that the independant route could be profitable AND allowing creators to keep creative control of their content? Then the mad rush of artists fleeing Marvel and DC to independant start-ups like Dark Horse and Image leading to the one of the greatest renaissances in comics? The comics code kept artists chained to their easels, writing pap. Good riddance.

"Companies that do mergers are only able to make the aquistion work out about half the time, so it is rarely a good investment."

Where else is that money going to go that would provide and equivalent improvement to revenue, earnings and share price (how XEOs get bonused)? With Treasury yeilds falling like a brick, and the currency and equity markets in turmoil, acquisitions are a no-brainer for boosting share-prices. Add in the facts that you get to keep a competitor from piking up a key element to their business plan, and they get to deflect some attention away from the questionable ouster of Hurd, it makes perfect sense.