  There is a rather pleasing yet unpleasant side effect of this whole losing weight thing. When one drops a certain amount of mass from their frame, the clothes they once squeezed into begin to expand. After a couple months of this, one starts to look like a small child putting on adult clothing. Or as my co-worker so nicely put it, a ‘street person.’ I finally made the jaunt to the Land of Outside, and picked up some new threads. They fit much better, and yes, I look damn good. (The unpleasant part is that one now has to use actual currency to by said new clothes, instead of buying the important things like games, CD’s and books.
) This is not the point of this post, however. While out, I returned a CD I got for Fathers Day, and picked up the VELVET REVOLVER cd. I’d been putting this one off for a good bit, mostly because the singer really does not do much for me. The players are first rate – it’s almost Guns n’ Roses, for frigs sake. The music, as to be expected, is excellent.
The vocals are passable, and I am sure I’ll be at a point where it won’t bother me, but I can’t help thinking how much better it could have been with a different singer. The vocals almost seem buried, like you really have to listen also. Maybe the producer felt the same as I. End result – great music, so-so vocals. Let’s talk about the copy protection that they included for a moment. When you put the disc in your PC, you are prompted to approve to a licensing agreement. The CD then installs a device driver that seems to run as a service, which does not allow you to rip the CD.
That you bought. And own. This is all fine and dandy, the record companies are trying to protect their interests, blah blah blah. Does it matter that HOLDING DOWN THE SHIFT KEY bypasses the entire thing? Good job there. For those of you that DID install the software, urlLink here are details about the copy protection, and there MAY be instructions somewhere there on disabling it.
They DO include the files in encrypted WMA mode on the CD, which allows you to play them with the DRM rules and regulations – check that link for the jolly details. I am sure this policy will stop piracy in its tracks. Perhaps when they create an auto-running program that when the CD is inserted, DELETES THE ENTIRE INTERNET. 
