We were excited today to receive an advance copy of the "South Park: Complete Twelfth Season" three-disc set from Comedy Central. It's good to see animaton making its way to an HD format, even if that benefit won't really be as acutely noticeable to the majority of viewers. (Let's face it - animation in big, bold blocks of color suffers less when going to a standard DVD format, and the majority of home viewers still don't have sytems that are optimal for HD viewing.)

Our excitement quickly turned to frustration, though, when we started to dig a little more deeply into this set. Sure, you get a handful of features that show the breakneck pace of bringing fresh animation to the small screen. Sure, you get all 14 episodes in their filthy, uncensored glory, and sure you get a behind the scenes featurette on the episode "Major Boobage" - all available on the standard DVD set as well.

What's really egregious here is the fact that the so-called "digital copy" (episodes only, not special features) is really kind of useless. You're allowed a download that will only playin Windows Media format on PCs. Regardless of our personal choice to use a Mac, it simply doesn't make sense to specifically make a feature out of a component that won't play on iPods, iPhones, AppleTVs, etc. The incompatibility list even includes the Microsoft Zune! Why include a digital copy in the first place if it's not going to be usable on the most popular portable music/video device in the world?

If we were swaying toward the Blu-Ray version rather than the standard DVD to somehow "future proof" our DVD collection, in this case the extra money spent seems like a poor trade. "South Park" doesn't necessarily benefit from the HD treatment like some other programming (we're looking at you, "Battlestar Galactica"), and the "feature" of a digital copy that is essentially useless isn't enough of a draw either.

On a related note, we'll mention that we really like is the approach of a company like Disney. For the upcoming release of the 70th anniversary of "Pinocchio," they've created a Blu-Ray+ pack which includes the movie on standard DVD as well as BD. This enables families that haven't upgraded yet to a full HD set-up at home to actually "future proof" their purchase and still enjoy all the features of the standard DVD.

I was listening to the audio book of Chuck Palahniuk's HAUNTED today at work. A good way to boost your adrenaline since Palahniuk's verbcentric, visceral, blood on your face writing style is infinitely more exciting than scanning the business section of the Oreogonian for proper names. In one chapter, he describes something called "Spirit of the Stairway." It's the moment when you find the answer but it's too late. Like when you're at a party and someone insults you. When you think of a comeback, you're already out the door, standing on the stairs like a jerk. Palahniuk may have eloquently deconstructed this moment, but the best narrative example of this belongs to Mr. George Constanza. As he stuffs his face with shrimp on the SEINFELD episode entitled "The Comeback" a co-worker jokes to George: "The Ocean called, they're running out of shrimp." Hours later, after the meeting is long over, George finally comes up with that priceless comeback: "Well, the Jerk Store called, they're running out of you." Spirit of the stairway indeed.

I too am afflicted with this "Spirit of the Jerk Store" as I like to call it. There were catchy one liners and mini insights I wanted to incorporate into this week's show. Sadly, I thought of them in the bathroom and on the train ride after, not before. But luckily the IT gods invented the blog!

Hey fellow Geeks,

Thanks to all who listened to our debut as disjointed on-air voices. Or should I say thank to both of you. I keed I keed. It was a true pleasure and a thrill to finally put my theater training to use with a live show. It was a blast.

Anywho, the NIXON: ELECTION YEAR EDITION is a behemoth. It's a three and half hour directors cut with two commentaries, plus special features that are nearly wall-to-wall discussion and deconstruction. I can say that I empathize with Oliver Stone. There was simply not enough time for him to address everything he wanted to address in the original cut of NIXON. Also, there was simply not enough time for me to address everything I wanted to address in the five minute segment last night. Luckily some IT geek invented the blog, which serves as my own personal typographical "deleted scenes."