Call of Duty 4: All Day Every Day

So it’s Monday, and as usual I have spent my weekend turning my brain to mush in some way or another. What’s different this weekend is that I did all the brain-killing on one videogame, one which I’ve played literally days of before. Yet I can not get enough.

This epic, addicting, first-person-shooter is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Between the single-player campaign and the ridiculously addicting online play, I can’t get enough.

Mojo: Network Music Sharing

Ever see that new album you’ve been wanting to check out in someone’s shared iTunes library? Sure, you can listen over the network, but what happens if you or the music’s real owner has to go somewhere? You’re S.O.L.

A friend just told me about this nifty piece of software that lets you take any music from anyone else on the network with the program and a shared iTunes library. It’s called Mojo, and you can download it here. The obvious flaw to the software is that it’s the kind of thing that only works if everyone has it. But why not? It doesn’t have a very heavy resource draw and won’t bog down your computer, so give it a go. Perfect for those crowded college residence halls or music-friendly offices.

Enjoy.

Image: http://deusty.com/

Centralized Internet

Before laying out this idea, I just want to put it out there that I’m just as against “big brother” as anyone else out there. There are probably thousands of reasons why this couldn’t or shouldn’t be done, but that’s how every massive shift in society has started, so why not?

John Perkins: Saving the World in 329 Pages

I’m in the middle of reading “The Secret History of the American Emire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World.” Besides having the longest title of any book I’ve ever read, author John Perkins’ second book does not so far have the optimism the title would lead one to expect. So far, Perkins has discussed (and backed with extensive evidence) the “corporatocracy” and its extreme exploitation of developing nations. Giving specific examples, Perkins describes the role he played in continuing this cycle of exploitation and explains in great detail how such things happen. While it has many obvious overlaps with Perkins’ first book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, I expect the book will go on to talk about what individuals as well as governments can do to put and end to the exploitation that Perkins claims is happening all over the world.

It’s not a light read, and at points it’s all I can do not to roll my eyes at some of Perkins’ attempts at profound analogy, but for its content, I’d recommend this book to anyone, especially if you’re the type who still wears Nike and tells your friends “they don’t do sweatshops anymore.” Perkins and his friends in Asia beg to differ with you. Check this out; it won’t make you proud to be an American, but maybe it will tell you how to make an America to be proud of.