Amazon haas been talking about moving towards downloads for quite some time.  At first, they talked about music downloads, but I think everyone agrees Apple’s iTunes has a lock on that industry, which isn’t to say someone couldn’t compete with them.  Amazon, never one for taking chances, has decided to go the movie/television route, which iTunes has only recently begun.  They call the service Unbox and this could be the best choice for Amazon.  They have a huge customer base that is tech savvy and just waiting for soomethng like this.  I’ve tried Movielink and Vongo and found them either to restrictive or with little in the way of selection.  Moreover, movie companies who fear iTunes is getting too powerful will like having choices. 

UPDATE:  OK, maybe I spoke too soon.  After I read through the FAQs I discovered the service only works with PC — no Macs!  I can see how Amazon and the studios would see this a good thing, but it limits their customer base.  Bad move.

Has it been that long since Tony Blair swept his “new” Labour into power?  Now, the man who wrested control of the British government from the Conservative Party stranglehold is facing an unprecedented mutiny from within his own party and has announced he will resign sometime in the next year.  I don’t really feel sorry for the man.  He’s been fighting a losing battle with the British public, he’s unpopular both within and without his party, and his unquestioned support of President Bush has severly hurt Labour.  It is definitely time for Blair to go.

Kevin Drum asks an interesting question:  if you knew any of the these techniques were done to Americans held by foreign powers would you consider them torture?  If you answer yes to even one how can you not think it’s torture for those we hold without trial or access to legal counsel?  I fully understand that certain forms of rough treatment can and should be used to get information from potential threats to America, but enforced nudity, pretend drowning?  Think of your own son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister and ask how you would feel if they were subjected to these “techniques.”

Is it possible the best thing that could happen to Viacom is for Sumner Redstone to go away?  After the Tom Cruise brouhaha and now the unexpected firing of CEO Tm Freston it seems like Redstone is out of control.  I still believe Redstone and Paramount will be the losers in l’affaire Cruise.  Every actor has a finite time as a top box office draw and Cruise may be on the declining edge of that time, but he still has years left of $500 million world-wide and DVD grosses like M:I3.  Then theirs the unprofessional firing of Freston.  Has any of that helped Viacom’s shareholders?  Apparently not.

Maybe saying ABC had "good" intentions when they decided to produce a mini-series about September 11, 2001 is pushing it when you consider the Republican ties of parent company Walt Disney, but I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.  The movie has been raked over the coals by several legitimate experts on both sides of the political spectrum and now Bill Clinton is pissed about the obvious lies concerning him.  ABC defends the project by stating it’s a "dramatization" not a "documentary."  Well, duh, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be factual.  There is plenty of blame to go around when you look at "the path" to September 11, but if you bias that blame to one side when you know full well it’s wrong, then you should change it.  Dramatization or not, that’s the fair thing to do.

UPDATE:  Go here.