I thought about posting a link to this, but figured people are just too lazy to even click on links nowadays. You HAVE to read this. It's one of the funniest things I've come across in ages.
...

An Open Letter
to the Gentleman
at the Bar Who Asked If I Would Like
a Piece of Him.

BY KYLE SUNDBY

Dude,

I apologize for only now getting back to you. When first asked if I did, in fact, want a piece of you, I could muster no reply. Frankly, I was taken aback by your surprising offer. Never have I witnessed such an act of selfless generosity.

Alas, my soul does not possess the same depth of compassion for my fellow man as does yours. While I do not always think of myself first, my welfare often holds a position among the front-runners. I treasure my pieces too deeply. I am, therefore, flattered and intrigued by your proposal.

Are you truly willing to give me—someone who only met you moments before, when you bumped into me and my drink on your way to the table shared by you and your acquaintances—a piece of yourself? The tone of your voice and your posture at the time indicated your sincerity regarding the issue, but please, you must be sure. This is not something to be taken lightly and, I assure you, I regard it in all seriousness.

Now, before I return to you my answer, I must ask if there is any piece in particular you wish to give. Surely, when you asked if I wanted a piece of you, you had specific parts in mind. I ask because I do not wish to take something that was not truly offered. Neither do I really wish to receive a piece that I may already possess. The portion that regulates your alcohol intake, for example, is similar to a part that already exists within me (though mine is certainly not nearly as worn from use). You do have some pieces that I do not. The multiple veins that pulsed and expanded throughout your neck are an example. The embarrassed girlfriend would be another.

Additional details that I would like to work out involve location. When you suggested we take it outside, what was your intent? Would this facilitate my receiving your piece? I would appreciate some feedback on this issue, as well as on any other issues you feel have not been addressed. Your recommendation that I get some, as you insisted, depends on your prompt reply.

Thanks, bro,
Kyle Sundby
from Mcsweeneys.net

...

I've been going crazy for the past few days trying to figure out how I can make my Sony MHC-ZX70 region free . What's that you say? Why try to hack my player when The Ruins is only a few minutes away? Because I've been salivating over Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story forever; I can't find it, and I'm starting to get really desperate. Piracy can only take us so far.

...

http://www.wvip.co.uk/cgi-bin/avfaq.php?website=TDVD&faqid=33
Why are there different DVD Disc regions?

Motion picture studios in the USA wanted to control the release of movies around the world using DVD region codes.. Movies are released on DVD at different times around the world, typically America and Canada first, Australia and Japan 6 months later, and Europe 12 months after US release. In some instances, DVD movies are available for purchase in America and Canada before they are released in European cinemas. Due to the high quality of DVD and the movie release system used by Hollywood, 6 regions were establish to prevent people from watching Region 1 movies before they were released on Regions 2-6.

DVD Region Locking is a system used to control which DVD movies play on which DVD Players. The regions are broken down as follow:

* Region 1 - The U.S., U.S. territories and Canada
* Region 2 - Europe, Japan, the Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland
* Region 3 - Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong
* Region 4 - Mexico, South America, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Caribbean
* Region 5 - Russia (okay, former Russia), Eastern Europe, India, most of Africa, North Korea, Mongolia
* Region 6 - China
...

On paper, this looks really good. But what manufacturers like Sony or Panasonic don't tell you is that some of their players are built in such a way that you can toggle its region restrictions, sometimes by merely pressing a few button combinations on the remote controller. You can also have chips installed in your player (which is obviously more expensive than a handset hack) to make them permanently compatible with dvd's from every region.

A few links I thought might be helpful:

www.totaldvd.net/features

http://www.regionfreedvd.net/player/sony.html

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks

Right. Now, you guys can help me find a hack for my player.