T-shirt #71: IsoHunt

T-shirt #71: IsoHunt: Freedom of Information

In keeping with the theme from yesterday's shirt, today's shirt features one of the most popular BitTorrent engines on the Net: IsoHunt.

Prior to the proliferation and accessibility of streaming technology, BitTorrents offered a relatively quick and easy way to download music, films, and TV shows (and still do). I discovered IsoHunt after some power failures caused me to miss certain TV shows that I watched avidly and regularly. I used BitTorrents to download them. Though some downloads were slow due to a low number of seeds, others were lightning fast and downloaded in under an hour, even the slow ones, usually finished overnight. For fear of legal reprisal and because I do not like leaving my computer powered on all the time, I did not re-seed the files for others users.

And, yes, I do feel guilty about this.

IsoHunt also helped my mother and me with our daily addiction to the soap opera The Young and The Restless. Before SoapNet began rebroadcasting the day's soaps and before a streaming version was available online each day, I would use IsoHunt to download the soap broadcast, which was always available on the day we missed it as, apparently, the show is broadcast a day ahead of time in Canada. The Canadian torrents would already be loaded on the days we missed episodes due to power outages or preempted programming. A quick download and burning to a DVD allowed me to supply my mother (and myself) with our Y&R fix. I have watched Y&R with my mother since it came on the air in 1973. In 2000, when my mother spent eleven days in a coma, I played Y&R in her hospital room in the hopes that the familiar sounds would be comforting to her or that she might wake up to watch our soap together. Earlier this week, I spent the day with her in a soap marathon as I was behind in my viewing. One May 28th, we watched soaps for May 3rd-May 16th, such is the power of the DVR.

I bought this IsoHunt shirt to support IsoHunt, since a part of the cost of the shirt funds the site. IsoHunt turned ten years old back in January (of this year, 2013). This shirt commemorates the eight-year anniversary. The IsoHunt founder had this to say about still being active after ten years of battling Internet shutdown:

When I started isoHunt during engineering school, I truly did not think I'd be working on it for 10 years, but here I am... I saw solidarity against tyranny in protests against SOPA, which did not pass (happy coincident that Internet Freedom Day, Jan. 18 when SOPA failed, is so close to our anniversary)...We are moving into the world of science fiction. Will copyright or even money be relics like in Star Trek, where all material scarcity and wants are gone, replicators can make anything needed, and holodecks can create any world imaginable? Too utopian perhaps, but if someone from 100 years ago is to look at technologies we have now, a lot of it maybe construed as magic, too... To quote Breaking Bad, am I "in the empire business", subverting the establishment? No, we are in the culture business. Culture, distilled into digital files, shared by people, on the Internet. In the culture business, there are creators, and there are consumers. In this age of "broadcasting yourself", we are often both creators as well as consumers. And in my ideal world, consumers will share what they want, freely, and creators will be promoted accordingly and compensated fairly. Minimal friction, and minimal middlemen in the way who doesn't help in connecting consumers directly with creators... I've fought Hollywood's lawsuit for almost 7 years now, it's so ancient it's almost not even worth mentioning... Thanks for your support! Cheers to the next 10 (IsoHunt, 2013).

As a final thought, a comment on streaming: You may notice some widgets to stream music on my blog site. Currently, I have three: SiJ - Daguérose, The Catalanian Tapes, and ZENИTH. This kind of streaming was not readily available five years ago, let alone ten years ago when IsoHunt went into operation. Ownership is changing as more and more material is available to stream both from a desktop or laptop computer or any mobile device. Maybe I am old fashioned. I own all three of the musical art works featured on my page. I paid for each and download the files. I do believe in paying artists for their work. I think it's important. And yet, I like information; I like the freedom of information.

When the network finally wakes up and says "I am," everything we think or think we understand about data will change forever. Until then "information wants to be free" is just a cute saying. After, who knows what we will be saying?

- chris tower - 1305.31 - 10:18

T-shirt #70: NO DVD CCA

T-shirt #70: NO DVD CCA - This shirt is illegal

Information wants to be free.

But is a movie information? Is it data or a work of art?

With the advent of DVD recorders came the arrival of DVD decrypters. I found this shirt online as the situation was becoming nationally known.



From August 4th 2000: "Copyleft sued over DVD code: LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - A T-shirt with the DVD encryption source code printed on its back has elicited the ire of the MPAA. The organization has added the shirt's creator, Copyleft, to the list of defendants in its lawsuit centering on the propagation of the DeCSS computer code, which cracks the encoding of DVDs. A small, New Jersey-based company, Copyleft specializes in items of interest to the "open source" sector of the technology community, who favors openly available coding for software so other programmers can improve upon or adapt it. Copyleft donates $4 for every DeCSS shirt sold to the Electronic Freedom Foundation, which is providing legal defense for Eric Corley (aka Emmanuel Goldstein) in the same lawsuit in which Copyleft now finds itself embroiled. Corley is being sued for publishing a link to the information that Copyleft printed on the controversial shirt" (Billboard, 2000).

I bought the shirt, which then promptly became illegal. The code for decrypting the copy protection on DVDs is printed on the back of the shirt. The shirt also came with the text of the code in text file format.

Copyleft as a concept is a thing described here: COPYLEFT.

Copyleft the concept is separate from the Copyleft organization that created this T-shirt.



The issue with the T-shirt is also well-described in a CNN article.

Also, RGTOnline has a good article.

As of 2013, the DeCSS source code and several clones can be readily obtained on the Internet.

Copyleft, which was to be found at  www.copyleft.net, is defunct.

The DVD CCA is at www.dvdcca.org.

A great resource for these issues is the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF). The EFF is at www.eff.org.

Also, these issues are frequently written about at one of the 'Net's best blogs: BOING BOING.

Information wants to be free.

- chris tower - 1305.30 - 10:25

T-shirt #69: Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast

T-shirt #69: Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast: RANDOM THOUGHTS

Today's blog will be quick, random thoughts associated with today's T-shirt.

I love SPACE GHOST. I have loved Space Ghost since I was a kid and saw the original run of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon featuring designs by the legendary Alex Toth. This shirt is from the Cartoon Network Adult Swim revival casting Space Ghost in a faux talk show format. Not as big a fan of that vehicle for Space Ghost, but I did find it highly amusing.

I love my family. This shirt is significant as it was a gift from my parents, probably between 2003-2008. I love that I have the kind of parents who would buy such a gift for their adult son. As I have mentioned before, I am sentimental about gifts, and so I like to acknowledge the givers. Gifts show me that people do care about me, love me. This is a powerful realization to have: being loved, realizing that one is loved. Yesterday (May 28), I spent the day with my mother while my father went to Midland to visit his dad's grave, as May is the anniversary of his death. My sister brought pizza. I also had a picture taken with her, but my phone ate it. I will have to feature my sister another time. I am not the first person to write that "family is important," and yet people share this sentiment all the time as if it is unique. I guess some people may not hold their families in the same high regard as I do, and so I have trouble understanding feeling that way. Family is very important to me.



I love capes.

Space Ghost has a cape.

I love Space Ghost.

This blog (the whole project not just this entry) is a unique vehicle for self-inventory, for making categories, for reflection. More on this process as I proceed. Maybe it will inspire others for similar reflection and self-inventory. Maybe some of the entries will remind people of pop culture icons long forgotten or make others ask: "who the Hell is Space Ghost?"

SPACE GHOST COMIC. There have been a few comics featuring Space Ghost. I have at least one more Space Ghost shirt, so I will have another chance to catalogue and review. I like this one by Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti very much.

Would there have been a Buzz Lightyear without a Space Ghost?

- chris tower - 1305.30 - 16:18

T-shirt #68: 87 Years of Tigers Stadium

T-shirt #68: Attending a Detroit Tigers game on 1305.26

Today's shirt is not going to perfectly match the event I am sharing. On Sunday, May 26, I attended the afternoon game between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. I wanted to wear a white shirt to the ballpark, Comerica Park, and so this one is elected.


As much as I loved old Tigers Stadium, Comerica Park is a great place to see a ball game.

My friend Jeremiah Newhouse obtained tickets for us. We had a great day: good talks, good coney dogs, and a great game. Scherzer was dealing. Tigers were hitting. First pinch-hit triple since 1981. Crazy, good.

I love going to see baseball games. Last year, I went to just one game (opening day). The before I made it to only one game. The year before that (2010) I did not make it to any Tigers games. So I have already increased my games per year. Maybe I get to a third game later this year.

I have many great memories of Tigers Stadium. Those stories can wait for another time and another shirt.

Still, in mode for brief blog entries. I may not write anything of length and girth until the end of the week.

Tigers won again yesterday. One more home game against the Pirates tonight before heading off to Pittsburgh for two more against the Pirates.

Go Tigers!!

- chris tower - 1305.28 - 11:36

T-shirt #67: Dead T-shirt #4: Madonna

T-shirt #67: Dead T-shirt #4: Madonna

Continuing my "dead" T-shirt theme and short posts to observe a "vacation" from the blog, here's today's shirt, another former pajama turned rag.

This shirt came from the defunct video rental business Movie City, where I worked from 1990-1995. It was a free shirt meant as a giveaway to promote the Madonna film Truth or Dare.

I disliked Madonna when she first burst onto the movie scene. I developed begrudging respect for her during the middle segment of her career, especially for her facility in manipulating opinion, making news, and generating sales through "phenomenon." Lately, I have engaged in arguments with my wife and step-daughter, playing devil's advocate to defend Madonna and her impact on the modern music industry. I did really like Ray of Light, which of course was produced by William Orbit, a favorite of mine.

- chris tower - 1305.27 - 9:03

T-shirt #66: Dead T-shirt #3: Free Detroit Tigers shirt

T-shirt #66: Dead T-shirt #3: Free Detroit Tigers shirt

I am going to Detroit to watch the Tigers play the Minnesota Twins as Max Scherzer, a strikeout machine, faces off against Mike Pelfrey, a former Met and owner of a 6.69 ERA. This fact about Pelfrey makes me hopeful that the Tigers can beat the Twins today. However, often, when I crow about a game before it's over, I seem to jinx my team with a loss. So I am hesitant to even express hope for a win in case there is a very real psychic jinx relationship with my karma.

I love going to Tigers games. I am attending this one with my good friend Jeremiah "The Miah" Newhouse, recent father, awesome husband (married to another good friend Maria (Markus) Newhouse), superb Ultimate player, and   an ardent, passionate Tigers fan like myself. Also, Miah is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my whole life. Miah hooked us up with tickets. Thanks Miah! And thanks to Maria for letting Miah out to play. I am always amazed when new parents of infants can do anything out of the house let alone away from home.

This shirt is another in the series of "dead" T-shirts. Now a rag, this one served as pajamas for a time. I was given it at a Tigers game when I signed up for a credit card, which I did not get. I knew I would not get the card. I just signed up for the shirt. If some company is going to give away Tigers shirts, what the heck.

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for reading.

GO TIGERS!

- chris tower - 1305.26 - 7:57

T-shirt #65: Dead T-shirt #2: Detroit Pistons

T-shirt #65: Dead T-shirt #2: Detroit Pistons

I am taking a bit of break from the blog for the holiday weekend, and so I am using this break to post three "dead" T-shirts, further developing what I wrote in T-shirt #44: "What happens when a T-shirt dies?"

The next three posts (including today's) will feature the fates of three T-shirts that died and were retired to rags after serving for a time as pajamas.



Today's Detroit Pistons shirt may have come as a free giveaway at the Palace, or I may have bought it. I am not sure how I came by it.

I do want to add a graphic and a point that I did not make back when I discussed the Detroit Pistons with T-shirt #29.

In the back-to-back championship run the Pistons enjoyed in 1989-1990 (The Bad Boys era), Joe Dumars stymied Michael Jordan. He shut him down. In one game, I believe Joe Dumars held Jordan to a career low (to that stage of his career) in points.

Joe Dumars is my favorite basketball player of all time.

But this T-shirt is dead. It's a rag. It mopped an oil spill last year.

- chris tower - 1305.25 - 11:56