Monday, June 30, 2008
Undercover Cops Allegedly Frame 4 On Drug Charges
Undercover police officers who arrested four men on drug charges are under investigation after surveillance video proved the men they arrested committed no crime.
Drug charges against brothers Jose Colon and Maximo Colon, along with two of their friends have been dropped.
The undercover NYPD officers are seen on video dancing in the street, then attempting to frame four innocent men.
"I asked police officer why are you arresting me," said Maximo Colon. "Never did I get an answer."
And you never will...
Read more here.
Drug charges against brothers Jose Colon and Maximo Colon, along with two of their friends have been dropped.
The undercover NYPD officers are seen on video dancing in the street, then attempting to frame four innocent men.
"I asked police officer why are you arresting me," said Maximo Colon. "Never did I get an answer."
And you never will...
Read more here.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Drum Boogie
Ok, so Barbara Stanwyck is unbelievable as a big band singer..but oh that swing..
Ball of Fire 1941
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Obama Undercuts His Brand
This may be true, but he also know the alternative is worse...
Either way, the public will get none of the "change" they so desire...sorry folks.
Sen. Barack Obama is risking his brand as a political reformer, according to reports today in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. In recent weeks, he has moderated or changed positions on a number of politically-charged issues, leading to criticism from demoralized Democratic activists and charges of "flip-flopping" from conservatives.
Read more here.
Either way, the public will get none of the "change" they so desire...sorry folks.
Sen. Barack Obama is risking his brand as a political reformer, according to reports today in the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. In recent weeks, he has moderated or changed positions on a number of politically-charged issues, leading to criticism from demoralized Democratic activists and charges of "flip-flopping" from conservatives.
Read more here.
Rogers cuts Ed the Sock
The out of control rapacious whore shining ray of goodness that is Rogers continues to beam out across the city of Toronto, filling all it touches with love for the corporation.
"Shut the fuck up, or we'll put a logo on you"
After 16 years on the air, Ed the Sock ... becomes another casualty of Rogers' management trying to create a new image for Citytv by distancing the network from many of the Citytv staples. Don't worry; it's going to be quick and painless (or at least that's what they would like us to think). But at the same time, Rogers is doing a poor job of taking control of their $375 million dollar investment by cutting classic Canadian content (that over the years helped to define the City of Toronto).
Read more here.
"...a lot of programming that skews both male and female with [their newly] acquired U.S. schedule."
Oh goodie!
"Shut the fuck up, or we'll put a logo on you"
After 16 years on the air, Ed the Sock ... becomes another casualty of Rogers' management trying to create a new image for Citytv by distancing the network from many of the Citytv staples. Don't worry; it's going to be quick and painless (or at least that's what they would like us to think). But at the same time, Rogers is doing a poor job of taking control of their $375 million dollar investment by cutting classic Canadian content (that over the years helped to define the City of Toronto).
Read more here.
"...a lot of programming that skews both male and female with [their newly] acquired U.S. schedule."
Oh goodie!
Friday, June 27, 2008
How will Rogers brand the iPhone
Ok, now that my most wild fears about Rogers iPhone data plan were outdone by Rogers themselves, I now put forward my second fear about the phone, one I've had for months.Rogers loves to put their logo all over everything they touch, almost savanna-ish in their need to mark out their territory.
This and the fact the iPhone won't even be sold in the Apple stores here (say what?). Yup, available only at Rogers locations (at least as of writing).
Excellent! We're already confused branding in the public mind
Worst case: Rogers logo laser etched on the glass? Bet it crossed their minds...
Probable: Marketed as "The Rogers iPhone". There is now an immense banner on their headquarters saying "Something big is coming" (other than the price of the data plans), like they invented the fucking thing. Also, logo on startup screen.
Hey, where you're just a middle man, you have to prefect the art of tarting it up. More rouge Rogers, more rouge.
Rogers defends iPhone data: ‘better than some’
"Hey, we let you keep your children..most of them"
I hope everyone noticed Roger's use of classic technique: release bad news late on a Friday (used recently by our Conservative government and the copyright bill. Extra points if it's a long weekend!) and fuck off until the next week, when you hope the riotous furry raised against you has abated..somewhat...
All you really need to know is in these quotes:
Kevin Restivo, an analyst at market research firm IDC Canada:
"These plans are still quite Canadian, but they put the iPhone in the realm of reality for prospective smartphone users."
These plans are still quite Canadian: Translation: monopoly controls and gouging, quite normal.
...Rogers' cheapest iPhone plan would be most suitable for a subscriber who treats mobile Web browsing as more of a novelty as opposed to a core function.
"If you're a heavy data user, you're probably going to move up to the $100-per month package."
And they know most iPhone users are just that, so you drive them to the most expensive package...
Read more here and here.
Other headlines from happy customers:
Rogers Does It To Canadians Again With the iPhone
Rogers Announces New RAPE Plans for iPhone Use in Canada
Rogers reveals the iPhone 3G plan – Not unlimited data on ANY plan.
Canadian iPhone: awww, phooey.
Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data dreams crushed
etc..etc..etc...
I hope everyone noticed Roger's use of classic technique: release bad news late on a Friday (used recently by our Conservative government and the copyright bill. Extra points if it's a long weekend!) and fuck off until the next week, when you hope the riotous furry raised against you has abated..somewhat...
All you really need to know is in these quotes:
Kevin Restivo, an analyst at market research firm IDC Canada:
"These plans are still quite Canadian, but they put the iPhone in the realm of reality for prospective smartphone users."
These plans are still quite Canadian: Translation: monopoly controls and gouging, quite normal.
...Rogers' cheapest iPhone plan would be most suitable for a subscriber who treats mobile Web browsing as more of a novelty as opposed to a core function.
"If you're a heavy data user, you're probably going to move up to the $100-per month package."
And they know most iPhone users are just that, so you drive them to the most expensive package...
Read more here and here.
Other headlines from happy customers:
Rogers Does It To Canadians Again With the iPhone
Rogers Announces New RAPE Plans for iPhone Use in Canada
Rogers reveals the iPhone 3G plan – Not unlimited data on ANY plan.
Canadian iPhone: awww, phooey.
Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data dreams crushed
etc..etc..etc...
Mitt Romney wants nukes for everyone!
There is not much more fun than watching an American republican lying boldly without a care.
It's extra fun when it's "Tie the dog down" Romney being interviewed by an ex Much Music VJ.
Damn those liberals and their non-proliferation...
Express no surprise Rogers sticks it to customers with its iPhone plan
 |
| Baradur Award winning building defiled by oversized Rogers clown logo...humble always |
Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data isn't one of them
Here we have it, iPhone 3G pricing for our better mannered, gun-toting friends up north. All the plans from Rogers Wireless require that lovely, three-year contract and include visual voicemail, free evenings and weekends, and unlimited WiFi at all Rogers and Fido hotspots. The plans start at $60/month for 150 minutes of voice and just 400MB of data before topping out at $115/month for 800 minutes voice and up to 2GB of data. None of these plans offer unlimited data...
Read more here.
Fucked up Republican gays
If there's one thing I don't understand, it's the American phenomena of the gay Republican.
And now this little band of the ultra confused is happy they can also continue carrying guns as well.
That is one fucked up country.
Read more here.
And now this little band of the ultra confused is happy they can also continue carrying guns as well.
That is one fucked up country.
Read more here.
John Yoo dances..not very well
Gee, it must be hard not to incriminate yourself for..umm I don't know...war crimes?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Martian soil appears able to support life
"Flabbergasted" NASA scientists said on Thursday that Martian soil appeared to contain the requirements to support life, although more work would be needed to prove it.
Read more here.
"It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard, you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well. ... It is very exciting for us."
Read more here.
"It is the type of soil you would probably have in your back yard, you know, alkaline. You might be able to grow asparagus in it really well. ... It is very exciting for us."
It’s easy being green
This is very true, the fragrances are more intense this year in Toronto.
Have you noticed how green this city is right now? I’ve been nearly knocked off my bike or feet a number of times in the last few weeks by either the smell of this city or some particularly stunning ultra-vivid green vista. The same weather systems that are causing such terrible floods in the American Midwest are dumping just enough rain on Southern Ontario to turn this chunk of province into a rain forest.
Read more here.
Have you noticed how green this city is right now? I’ve been nearly knocked off my bike or feet a number of times in the last few weeks by either the smell of this city or some particularly stunning ultra-vivid green vista. The same weather systems that are causing such terrible floods in the American Midwest are dumping just enough rain on Southern Ontario to turn this chunk of province into a rain forest.
Read more here.
Obama stutters out an answer about FISA
The United States government is in the process of remaking itself, and no amount of whining from the public is going to change that.
One of the symptoms of getting your ass kicked I guess.
At least we're all learning *now* that Obama is just another politician. At least we didn't have to wait until after an election.
But again, there's not much to choose from. Funny how that works...
America plunged into the horror of "The Deep V""
"It's, like, another three inches and that's a vest, motherfucker."
I have to agree here, they are hideous.
Even the most clueless observer will have noted a disturbing new trend emerging among the male of the species these days: the deep V-neck T-shirt.
Read more here.
I have to agree here, they are hideous.
Even the most clueless observer will have noted a disturbing new trend emerging among the male of the species these days: the deep V-neck T-shirt.
Read more here.
Court Spares Exxon $2 Billion In Damages From Valdez Spill
The Supreme Court on Wednesday slashed the $2.5 billion punitive damages award in the Exxon Valdez disaster to $500 million, a decision that could have broader implications for limiting how much courts can order businesses to pay.
The decision was hailed by the business community and decried by environmentalists and Alaskans.
Read more here.
The decision was hailed by the business community and decried by environmentalists and Alaskans.
Read more here.
Redating Caesar’s invasion of Britain
TxSt astronomers come to bury long-accepted date, not to praise it
Julius Caesar landed an invasion fleet on the shores of Britain in 55 B.C., expanding the boundaries of the so-called “Known World” and inadvertently sparking a dispute between historians and scientists for centuries to come.
Now, astronomers from Texas State University have applied their unique brand of forensic astronomy to the enduring controversy surrounding the precise location of Caesar’s landfall, concluding that the historically accepted date for the event--Aug. 26-27, 55 B.C. – is incorrect.
Read more here.
Julius Caesar landed an invasion fleet on the shores of Britain in 55 B.C., expanding the boundaries of the so-called “Known World” and inadvertently sparking a dispute between historians and scientists for centuries to come.
Now, astronomers from Texas State University have applied their unique brand of forensic astronomy to the enduring controversy surrounding the precise location of Caesar’s landfall, concluding that the historically accepted date for the event--Aug. 26-27, 55 B.C. – is incorrect.
Read more here.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Criminals justify FISA
Listen to the criminals justify themselves:
The Republican lawmakers said lawsuits could still be pursued against the government by those who believe the program itself is illegal. But they said even if those suits were ultimately successful, they would have no impact on the culpability of the phone companies.
"I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do," Bond said.
I was just following orders. Now get in the oven.
Read more here.
The Republican lawmakers said lawsuits could still be pursued against the government by those who believe the program itself is illegal. But they said even if those suits were ultimately successful, they would have no impact on the culpability of the phone companies.
"I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that I think you all recognize that is something you need to do," Bond said.
I was just following orders. Now get in the oven.
Read more here.
Advertisers Begin To Target Podcasts
Oh look! Empty space! Quick, put an ad on it!
Podcast audiences have branched out far beyond just geeks. And advertisers are starting to like them, too.
After having placed ads with Web sites and search engines, more advertisers are starting to spread their ad dollars to audio and video podcasts in an attempt to reach certain consumers.
Read more here.
Podcast audiences have branched out far beyond just geeks. And advertisers are starting to like them, too.
After having placed ads with Web sites and search engines, more advertisers are starting to spread their ad dollars to audio and video podcasts in an attempt to reach certain consumers.
Read more here.
Odysseus' Return Date From Trojan War Discovered, Scholars Say
Using clues from star and sun positions mentioned by the ancient Greek poet Homer, scholars think they have determined the date when King Odysseus returned from the Trojan War and slaughtered a group of suitors who had been pressing his wife to marry one of them.
It was on April 16, 1178 B.C. that the great warrior struck with arrows, swords and spears, killing those who sought to replace him, a pair of researchers say in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Read more here.
It was on April 16, 1178 B.C. that the great warrior struck with arrows, swords and spears, killing those who sought to replace him, a pair of researchers say in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Read more here.
Bush's London stopover delayed 40,000 people
Bush, idiot leader of the free world, continues to anger just about everyone he comes in contact with...
Nearly 40,000 travelers will remember U.S. President George W. Bush's stopover in London. Their flights were canceled or delayed at Heathrow Airport to accommodate him, according to British Airways.
BAA, the airport owner, confirmed Tuesday that 32 arrivals and 36 departures, mostly British Airways flights, were canceled June 15, when Bush arrived, and the following day, when he left. BAA had no figures on delays related to the president's visit.
Read more here.
Nearly 40,000 travelers will remember U.S. President George W. Bush's stopover in London. Their flights were canceled or delayed at Heathrow Airport to accommodate him, according to British Airways.
BAA, the airport owner, confirmed Tuesday that 32 arrivals and 36 departures, mostly British Airways flights, were canceled June 15, when Bush arrived, and the following day, when he left. BAA had no figures on delays related to the president's visit.
Read more here.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Beatles seek to join video game revolution
“To my view, it’s only a matter of time before we see Beatles songs that are the original recordings in motion pictures, in television work, and yes, maybe even one day in a commercial,” said Mr Bandier, arguing that sensitivities about commercialism should be balanced against the merits of exposing the band to a younger generation.
Oh yeah, I've heard of the Beatles. They're the band from the Burger King ad, right?
Read more here.
Oh yeah, I've heard of the Beatles. They're the band from the Burger King ad, right?
Read more here.
'Neanderthal tools' found at dig in West Sussex
Dozens of tools thought to have belonged to Neanderthals have been dug up at an archaeological site called Beedings in West Sussex.
Dr Matthew Pope, of University College London, said the discovery provided new insights into the life of a thriving community of hunters at the site.
The tools could have been used to hunt horses, mammoth and woolly rhinoceros.
Read more here.
Dr Matthew Pope, of University College London, said the discovery provided new insights into the life of a thriving community of hunters at the site.
The tools could have been used to hunt horses, mammoth and woolly rhinoceros.
Read more here.
Why is Canadian sex so creepy?
If, as the late Pierre Berton observed, "a Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe," it might well be wondered who else but a Canadian would want to?
Think of it: canoes are tippy, scratchy, skinny and tend to collect all manner of icky, natural-born detritus in their bottoms. Not to mention the question of where to put your paddle. Boinking in one would not only be challenging but somewhere way downstream from fun, but maybe that's why Berton's quote has such timeless resonance. Traditionally, Canadians have liked to keep sex and fun on distant shores from each other.
Read more here.
Think of it: canoes are tippy, scratchy, skinny and tend to collect all manner of icky, natural-born detritus in their bottoms. Not to mention the question of where to put your paddle. Boinking in one would not only be challenging but somewhere way downstream from fun, but maybe that's why Berton's quote has such timeless resonance. Traditionally, Canadians have liked to keep sex and fun on distant shores from each other.
Read more here.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Industry Minister Jim Prentice needs to read his own bill
It's all about the DRM folks, the locks.
Don't buy anything that comes with the locks.
Btw, isn't it clear Prentice doesn't understand the bill?
If we bump along peaceably in this society of ours, it's because there's an alignment between our laws and our everyday understanding of what's right and fair. In this case, the government is trying to reshape that understanding where it comes to digital media, and the bill seems doomed to failure. Rather than bringing Canadians around, it will – in the words of University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist – “undermine respect for copyright law itself.”
Read more here.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Coils of Ancient Egyptian Rope Found in Cave
The ancient Egyptian's secret to making the strongest of all rigging ropes lies in a tangle of cord coils in a cave at the Red Sea coast, according to preliminary study results presented at the recent congress of Egyptologists in Rhodes.
Discovered three years ago by archaeologists Rodolfo Fattovich of the Oriental Studies University of Naples and Kathryn Bard of Boston University, the ropes offer an unprecedented look at seafaring activities in ancient Egypt.
"No ropes on this scale and this old have been so well preserved in their original context -- in Egypt or elsewhere," Bard told Discovery News.
Carefully wrapped in coils by ancient Egyptian sailors almost 4,000 years ago, the ropes were found in a hand-hewn cave at the ancient Red Sea port of Marsa Gawasis, 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of Safaga.
Read more here.
Discovered three years ago by archaeologists Rodolfo Fattovich of the Oriental Studies University of Naples and Kathryn Bard of Boston University, the ropes offer an unprecedented look at seafaring activities in ancient Egypt.
"No ropes on this scale and this old have been so well preserved in their original context -- in Egypt or elsewhere," Bard told Discovery News.
Carefully wrapped in coils by ancient Egyptian sailors almost 4,000 years ago, the ropes were found in a hand-hewn cave at the ancient Red Sea port of Marsa Gawasis, 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of Safaga.
Read more here.
Psycho cross branding Christians
[Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher] Freshwater burned a cross on a child's arm that remained for three or four weeks.
Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published Friday.
A commenter to the story says: Similar to comments overheard in many rural school districts in the South in the ’50s and ’60s, with the smell of leaded gasoline still hanging heavy in the room…
Read more here.
Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published Friday.
A commenter to the story says: Similar to comments overheard in many rural school districts in the South in the ’50s and ’60s, with the smell of leaded gasoline still hanging heavy in the room…
Read more here.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Obama on FISA
Even Obama is liking this illegal power grab. Bloom's off the rose now.
It's good to be King (yeah yeah, we can change to the laws to protect our ass. Now go back to your condos and cable shows and be quiet).
Sad day for citizen rights and privacy though.
Of course, people will do nothing. Rioting in the streets would be more in order.
Governments have always wanted this kind of power over its citizens, and I applauded the U.S. government's incredible patience in waiting for a generation as spineless as this one to come along.
Well done.
Read more here.
It's good to be King (yeah yeah, we can change to the laws to protect our ass. Now go back to your condos and cable shows and be quiet).
Sad day for citizen rights and privacy though.
Of course, people will do nothing. Rioting in the streets would be more in order.
Governments have always wanted this kind of power over its citizens, and I applauded the U.S. government's incredible patience in waiting for a generation as spineless as this one to come along.
Well done.
Read more here.
Leaked Rogers memo reveals data plan pricing for iPhone 3G
In an act of pure love, Rogers is offering a, umm, generous (to them) data plan to go along with the iPhone..at least according to a leaked memo (which might be a fake)...
The Enterprise plan will be priced at $45 a month while the consumer data plan will be $30 per month. The conditions for these plans are onerous. The data plan will be in addition to a qualified voice plan and all iPhone 3G customers will be required to have one of the new data plans and qualifying voice plan. With the average Rogers Wireless customer now spending over $70 a month for wireless, the additional customer data plan could increase that to over $100 per month.
Quel surprise!
Read more here.
The Enterprise plan will be priced at $45 a month while the consumer data plan will be $30 per month. The conditions for these plans are onerous. The data plan will be in addition to a qualified voice plan and all iPhone 3G customers will be required to have one of the new data plans and qualifying voice plan. With the average Rogers Wireless customer now spending over $70 a month for wireless, the additional customer data plan could increase that to over $100 per month.
Quel surprise!
Read more here.
Congress Strikes Deal to Overhaul Wiretap Law
Funny how they have to reach a compromise with the criminals that did this in the first place...
After months of wrangling, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress struck a deal on Thursday to overhaul the rules on the government’s wiretapping powers and provide what amounts to legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in President Bush’s program of eavesdropping without warrants after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The deal, expanding the government’s powers to spy on terrorism suspects in some major respects, would strengthen the ability of intelligence officials to eavesdrop on foreign targets. It would also allow them to conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for a week if it is determined that important national security information would otherwise be lost. If approved, as appears likely, the agreement would be the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years.
It should come as no surprise that the phone companies get immunity. You and I do not get immunity, but history is littered with immunity and pardons for those higher up.
It's part of what "power" means.
Read more here.
After months of wrangling, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress struck a deal on Thursday to overhaul the rules on the government’s wiretapping powers and provide what amounts to legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in President Bush’s program of eavesdropping without warrants after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The deal, expanding the government’s powers to spy on terrorism suspects in some major respects, would strengthen the ability of intelligence officials to eavesdrop on foreign targets. It would also allow them to conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for a week if it is determined that important national security information would otherwise be lost. If approved, as appears likely, the agreement would be the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years.
It should come as no surprise that the phone companies get immunity. You and I do not get immunity, but history is littered with immunity and pardons for those higher up.
It's part of what "power" means.
Read more here.
Ringo Starr at the Fallsview Casino, Niagara Falls
And after a particularly joyous version of Yellow Submarine, Starr left the stage for three songs saying:
"I have to go have a lie down now. I don't know, (the energy) comes from some place."
Read more here.
"I have to go have a lie down now. I don't know, (the energy) comes from some place."
Read more here.
Jim Prentice, average politician
Via Boingboing
Incredibly average...
How stupid does Minister Prentice think we are? In the 2 times I've heard him speak on Bill-c61, he doesn't answer questions but just repeats talking points.
We are not that dumb Minister.
The Bill itself seems to be too big and poorly written. At least Mr. Prentice doesn't seem to know or understand the bill, as he was unable to answer hypothetical questions concerning it.
Canadian DMCA will criminalize emailing your kids' class photos to their grandparents
Read more here.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Large condominiums acceptable to 52% of study's respondents
In what is the most frightening news so far today, a group called the " Sustainable Urban Development Association" has concluded:
The authors of a new housing survey to be released today say their findings challenge the "prevailing belief" that suburban homebuyers in the GTA demand low-density housing.
The survey conducted by the Mississauga-based Sustainable Urban Development Association found that living in a large condo unit (three bedrooms or more) was acceptable or may be acceptable to 52 per cent of respondents.
Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) consider living in a townhouse as "acceptable" or "may be acceptable."
Deeply deeply disturbing if true (and I'm not sure that it is), and the condo nightmare continues to work its way into the fabric of our society.
Read more here.
The authors of a new housing survey to be released today say their findings challenge the "prevailing belief" that suburban homebuyers in the GTA demand low-density housing.
The survey conducted by the Mississauga-based Sustainable Urban Development Association found that living in a large condo unit (three bedrooms or more) was acceptable or may be acceptable to 52 per cent of respondents.
Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) consider living in a townhouse as "acceptable" or "may be acceptable."
Deeply deeply disturbing if true (and I'm not sure that it is), and the condo nightmare continues to work its way into the fabric of our society.
Read more here.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Coldplay are thieves
Wake up people, I've been saying it awhile now. Coldplay are thieves [did Kraftwerk finally sue them?]. Coldplay don't have an original bone in their body. They prey on the ignorance of their fans.
coldplay + itunes steals viva la vida from creaky boards
AP tells us all what the Internet is really like
Seems last week the AP got all huffy and demanded that bloggers stop quoting their articles.
Why you may ask? AP in its wisdom says: “Cutting and pasting a lot of content into a blog is not what we want to see,” he said. “It is more consistent with the spirit of the Internet to link to content so people can read the whole thing in context.”
I'm so glad there are corporations out there ready and willing to guide us in the correct use of the Internet.
Read more here.
Why you may ask? AP in its wisdom says: “Cutting and pasting a lot of content into a blog is not what we want to see,” he said. “It is more consistent with the spirit of the Internet to link to content so people can read the whole thing in context.”
I'm so glad there are corporations out there ready and willing to guide us in the correct use of the Internet.
Read more here.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Bloor Street to be paved in gold
Ok not really.
But the world can now rest easy in the knowledge that Toronto affluent will now be able to "walk the walk on Bloor St."
By the time the dust settles, in 2009 or '10, the sidewalks of Bloor will be paved in granite.
I do hope it wont be too hard on my Pradas. But what about all the not so affluent of Toronto? Worry not, because Councillor Kyle Rae says:
Though the money [only $20 million, so quit whining] will be spent on one street, the whole city will benefit. [this feat of magic is thus explained] Bloor, after all, is Toronto's most elegant shopping district, and a cultural hub, which means it belongs to everyone.
It will belong to everyone until the first street kid arrives.
Read more here.
But the world can now rest easy in the knowledge that Toronto affluent will now be able to "walk the walk on Bloor St."
By the time the dust settles, in 2009 or '10, the sidewalks of Bloor will be paved in granite.
I do hope it wont be too hard on my Pradas. But what about all the not so affluent of Toronto? Worry not, because Councillor Kyle Rae says:
Though the money [only $20 million, so quit whining] will be spent on one street, the whole city will benefit. [this feat of magic is thus explained] Bloor, after all, is Toronto's most elegant shopping district, and a cultural hub, which means it belongs to everyone.
It will belong to everyone until the first street kid arrives.
Read more here.
Get Osama Bin Laden before I leave office, orders George W Bush
I stand in awe of this man's unblinking nerve. The timing is as transparent as glass.
President George W Bush has enlisted British special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.
Read more here.
President George W Bush has enlisted British special forces in a final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.
Read more here.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
UK police nicked by copyright cop for playing radio too loud
The Performing Rights Society (PRS), which collects royalties for musicians in the UK, has accused Lancashire police of committing copyright infringement by playing music in police stations and to callers on hold without an appropriate license. In a writ submitted to the High Court, the PRS has called for an injunction and payment of damages.
The PRS contends that playing music that is audible to others constitutes a public performance, meaning that it can't be done without a license. The Lancashire police stations play music in the background, at office parties, and in staff gyms, even though they have not purchased licenses that enable them to do so legally. PRS says that it has attempted to collect licensing fees from police all over the country, but Lancashire is one of 11 that have refused to pay up, which is why PRS decided to take legal action.
PRS took similar action against car repair chain Kwik-Fit last year, demanding payment of £200,000 in damages simply because car mechanics frequently played their radios loud enough for others to overhear...
Read more here and here.
The PRS contends that playing music that is audible to others constitutes a public performance, meaning that it can't be done without a license. The Lancashire police stations play music in the background, at office parties, and in staff gyms, even though they have not purchased licenses that enable them to do so legally. PRS says that it has attempted to collect licensing fees from police all over the country, but Lancashire is one of 11 that have refused to pay up, which is why PRS decided to take legal action.
PRS took similar action against car repair chain Kwik-Fit last year, demanding payment of £200,000 in damages simply because car mechanics frequently played their radios loud enough for others to overhear...
Read more here and here.
The Copyright Protest Surge
via Michael Geist;
In the roughly 36 hours since the Canadian DMCA was introduced, the outrage from thousands of Canadians has been nothing short of remarkable. The CBC has picked up on the story, reporting on the surge in online protests that include approximately 10,000 new members of the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group (nearly 50,000 members as of this writing), over 4,000 letters and emails sent through Copyright for Canadians, hundreds of comments on articles in the mainstream press (and this blog), and a huge number of individual blog posts.
My sense is that the government still doesn't quite get it...
They never do, and won't in this day and age as they are unused to protest, having turned most into sheep with tv and condos.
Read more here.
In the roughly 36 hours since the Canadian DMCA was introduced, the outrage from thousands of Canadians has been nothing short of remarkable. The CBC has picked up on the story, reporting on the surge in online protests that include approximately 10,000 new members of the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group (nearly 50,000 members as of this writing), over 4,000 letters and emails sent through Copyright for Canadians, hundreds of comments on articles in the mainstream press (and this blog), and a huge number of individual blog posts.
My sense is that the government still doesn't quite get it...
They never do, and won't in this day and age as they are unused to protest, having turned most into sheep with tv and condos.
Read more here.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Researcher Finds Bibles' Subtext in Design and Fonts
In the beginning was the word — followed by printing presses and typography that brought new depths of meaning and creativity to language. For some designers and printers, the ultimate challenge is the Bible, the design of which could be affected by politics and religious beliefs, as well as by aesthetic and commercial concerns.
Patsy Watkins studied five bibles created from the mid-15th through the 20th centuries to see if the designers’ motives could be discerned within their design and typefaces. The Visual Communication Quarterly published her findings, “Designing the Holy Bible: Arguing the TEXT Through the Form,” in its latest issue devoted to typography.
She chose the Gutenberg Bible, the Martin Luther Bible, the Doves Press Bible, the Washburn College Bible and the Pennyroyal Caxton Press Bible. What she found was that form indeed revealed function as well as the designers’ desire to shape the meaning and hence a reader’s understanding of this ancient text.
Read more here.
Patsy Watkins studied five bibles created from the mid-15th through the 20th centuries to see if the designers’ motives could be discerned within their design and typefaces. The Visual Communication Quarterly published her findings, “Designing the Holy Bible: Arguing the TEXT Through the Form,” in its latest issue devoted to typography.
She chose the Gutenberg Bible, the Martin Luther Bible, the Doves Press Bible, the Washburn College Bible and the Pennyroyal Caxton Press Bible. What she found was that form indeed revealed function as well as the designers’ desire to shape the meaning and hence a reader’s understanding of this ancient text.
Read more here.
Boycott all products involved in Bill c-61
Industry minister Jim Prentice and his Bill c-61.
This is clearly industry favoured, with new provisions to criminalize you and I.
Sorry Minister, but no matter what you say I am not a criminal.
Your heavy handled handling of this is the more suspect (disingenuous, underhanded and sneaky also come to mind).
People, the only way to fight this is to hit them in the pocket book. Buy NOTHING with any restrictions placed upon it.
NOTHING. N-O-T-H-I-N-G
It is the only language they will understand. Money is all that matters here. They will not hear you otherwise.
(Of course the other alternative is outright revolt, "breaking" the "law" openly and in such numbers that they can't arrest everyone. Not sure this would work because you'd need large numbers to participate. The bastards will come after you if you were the only one doing it. In practice though, large numbers will ignore the "law" which is clearly out of touch with the realities, they just won't be doing it in any kind of concerted effort)
They think they can pull this because people will do nothing. There is a trend nowadays for the rich/powerful to pull these stunts because they know you and I will do nothing. And most of the time, they're right (illegal wars, torture..but who cares?! There are new cable channels!!).
So if you chose to do nothing now, they are laughing at you. You will be an idiot of epic proportions and deserve all they throw at you.
Angry yet?
By all means though, let Mr. Prentice personally know he's way out of bounds, if you can pull his lips away from the U.S. representative's ass.
Read more here.
This is clearly industry favoured, with new provisions to criminalize you and I.
Sorry Minister, but no matter what you say I am not a criminal.
Your heavy handled handling of this is the more suspect (disingenuous, underhanded and sneaky also come to mind).
People, the only way to fight this is to hit them in the pocket book. Buy NOTHING with any restrictions placed upon it.
NOTHING. N-O-T-H-I-N-G
It is the only language they will understand. Money is all that matters here. They will not hear you otherwise.
(Of course the other alternative is outright revolt, "breaking" the "law" openly and in such numbers that they can't arrest everyone. Not sure this would work because you'd need large numbers to participate. The bastards will come after you if you were the only one doing it. In practice though, large numbers will ignore the "law" which is clearly out of touch with the realities, they just won't be doing it in any kind of concerted effort)
They think they can pull this because people will do nothing. There is a trend nowadays for the rich/powerful to pull these stunts because they know you and I will do nothing. And most of the time, they're right (illegal wars, torture..but who cares?! There are new cable channels!!).
So if you chose to do nothing now, they are laughing at you. You will be an idiot of epic proportions and deserve all they throw at you.
Angry yet?
By all means though, let Mr. Prentice personally know he's way out of bounds, if you can pull his lips away from the U.S. representative's ass.
Read more here.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Canadian DMCA: Check the Fine Print
From Michael Geist:
As expected, the Canadian DMCA is big, complicated, and a close model of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Industry Canada provides a large number of fact sheets here). I'll have much more to say once I've had a careful read, but these are my five key points to take away:
Read more here.
CD and DVD makers could put copy protections onto their discs, or television networks could attach technological flags to programs that would prevent them from being recorded onto TiVos and other personal video recorders. Cellphones would also be locked down, so when consumers buy a device from one carrier, they will be unable to use it with another. Breaking any of these locks could result in lawsuits seeking up to $20,000 in damages.
Gee, yeah that looks like a fair balance..yeah sure. They went out of their way *not* to consult the public. You rarely consult those you plan to fuck over.
Read more here.
As expected, the Canadian DMCA is big, complicated, and a close model of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Industry Canada provides a large number of fact sheets here). I'll have much more to say once I've had a careful read, but these are my five key points to take away:
Read more here.
CD and DVD makers could put copy protections onto their discs, or television networks could attach technological flags to programs that would prevent them from being recorded onto TiVos and other personal video recorders. Cellphones would also be locked down, so when consumers buy a device from one carrier, they will be unable to use it with another. Breaking any of these locks could result in lawsuits seeking up to $20,000 in damages.
Gee, yeah that looks like a fair balance..yeah sure. They went out of their way *not* to consult the public. You rarely consult those you plan to fuck over.
Read more here.
Analysis of Russell Brand
What makes Russell Brand funny? (assuming of course you find him so. From my reading, not everyone does)
First of all, it is the complete package. I'm not sure Mr. Brand is as funny if you just experience the audio of his performances (a failing common to many stand up comics). His humour is conveyed as much through gesture as spoken word (his demonstration of him "boogying" from the "Shame" DVD is an example).
Visually he is Jim Morrison/Michael Hutchence with just the slightest touch of drag queen (something he is well aware of. Jack Sparrow is also hinted at, but this may be a case of the chicken and the egg. There are the shadows of Mick Jagger and John Cleese as well).
Performance wise? There are hints of Oscar Wilde (refinded naughtiness), Robin Williams (seeming freeform construction) and Lenny Bruce (shock value and reading from newspapers), but he himself is oh so English (as is Little Britain, as show with roots as far back a British music hall), his lines dotted with Victorian phrasing for example (using the word "farthing" on Leno is brave if obscure). Clever word play abounds, childlike and underground urban all at once.
At the end of the day though, it all comes together into something totally new. He will appeal to well read audiences with more than half a brain. His chances of success in the U.S. are therefore diminished.
Anyway, any comic who can reference Ophelia and Dante in the same piece has got me...
First of all, it is the complete package. I'm not sure Mr. Brand is as funny if you just experience the audio of his performances (a failing common to many stand up comics). His humour is conveyed as much through gesture as spoken word (his demonstration of him "boogying" from the "Shame" DVD is an example).
Visually he is Jim Morrison/Michael Hutchence with just the slightest touch of drag queen (something he is well aware of. Jack Sparrow is also hinted at, but this may be a case of the chicken and the egg. There are the shadows of Mick Jagger and John Cleese as well).
Performance wise? There are hints of Oscar Wilde (refinded naughtiness), Robin Williams (seeming freeform construction) and Lenny Bruce (shock value and reading from newspapers), but he himself is oh so English (as is Little Britain, as show with roots as far back a British music hall), his lines dotted with Victorian phrasing for example (using the word "farthing" on Leno is brave if obscure). Clever word play abounds, childlike and underground urban all at once.
At the end of the day though, it all comes together into something totally new. He will appeal to well read audiences with more than half a brain. His chances of success in the U.S. are therefore diminished.
Anyway, any comic who can reference Ophelia and Dante in the same piece has got me...
The Death of Optimus Prime
Listen to these cynical bastards justify traumatizing kids, just to introduce a "new product line". Then they proceed to pat themselves on the back for being so clever.
Nasty corporate types, out of touch with their audience. Heelloo CBC!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
More from the idiot gay republican Andrew Sullivan
Listen to this dribble from Andrew Sullivan:
Norway has just granted same-sex couples the right to marry. And their version of domestic partnerships is abolished (although those who signed up for them can keep them if they so wish). Next week, California - only marginally smaller in population than Spain and South Africa - will join the list. Added to Massachusetts, more gay people will be able to marry in the US than in any other country in the world. In the end, America still came through as the pioneer of full equality.
"In the end, America still came through as the pioneer of full equality."
Yes, he wrote that...
What a total load of bullshit. America is one of the most backwards in this area in the western world, and still the bozo has the nerve to say otherwise.
The Total Idiot and Blinkered American of the Day Awards. Well done!
No wonder he doesn't allow comments.
Read more here.
Norway has just granted same-sex couples the right to marry. And their version of domestic partnerships is abolished (although those who signed up for them can keep them if they so wish). Next week, California - only marginally smaller in population than Spain and South Africa - will join the list. Added to Massachusetts, more gay people will be able to marry in the US than in any other country in the world. In the end, America still came through as the pioneer of full equality.
"In the end, America still came through as the pioneer of full equality."
Yes, he wrote that...
What a total load of bullshit. America is one of the most backwards in this area in the western world, and still the bozo has the nerve to say otherwise.
The Total Idiot and Blinkered American of the Day Awards. Well done!
No wonder he doesn't allow comments.
Read more here.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Conservatives pumping ads on us
Harper and his band of Tory conservatives are again forcing attack ads on us.
A few years back it was childish tv ads attacking the leader of the opposition (Read more here).
Now it's ads appearing at every gas station? Wtf? I know this is conservatives were are talking about here, so little things like rules and ethics are not of much importance...but...
Stephen Harper's Conservative party has released a series of sneering radio and gas-pump ads that portray the Liberal environmental plan as a massive tax grab – even though they haven't seen the blueprint.
Liberals shot back yesterday by suggesting the Tories are paying Canada's large oil and gas companies to bombard motorists at the pumps with an environmentally irresponsible message.
I agree. Shut the fuck up Harper and quit shoving your messages in our face just because you can.
You are unloved you know, deal with it.
Read more here.
A few years back it was childish tv ads attacking the leader of the opposition (Read more here).
Now it's ads appearing at every gas station? Wtf? I know this is conservatives were are talking about here, so little things like rules and ethics are not of much importance...but...
Stephen Harper's Conservative party has released a series of sneering radio and gas-pump ads that portray the Liberal environmental plan as a massive tax grab – even though they haven't seen the blueprint.
Liberals shot back yesterday by suggesting the Tories are paying Canada's large oil and gas companies to bombard motorists at the pumps with an environmentally irresponsible message.
I agree. Shut the fuck up Harper and quit shoving your messages in our face just because you can.
You are unloved you know, deal with it.
Read more here.
Virgin screws its customers
Bill Thompson believes Virgin Media has decided it likes record companies more than its customers.
"There continues to be concerted pressure from established content providers in film, television and music, hoping that aggressive enforcement of copyright law will ensure that their 20th Century business models survive against the onslaught of the network society."
All the more reason to kill it dead, don't ya think? Making enemies of your customers is a moron's strategy.
Read more here.
"There continues to be concerted pressure from established content providers in film, television and music, hoping that aggressive enforcement of copyright law will ensure that their 20th Century business models survive against the onslaught of the network society."
All the more reason to kill it dead, don't ya think? Making enemies of your customers is a moron's strategy.
Read more here.
Dolores Claman receives wergild
Dolores Claman, writer of the Hockey Theme, has received wergild from CTV in payment for the murder of her child by the barbarians at the CBC.
Monday, June 09, 2008
CTV Inc. has acquired the rights to The Hockey Theme
CTV Inc. has acquired the rights to The Hockey Theme in perpetuity, the network announced Monday.
The agreement was reached with Copyright Music & Visuals, which was unable to renew a deal with CBC Sports.
CBC Sports executive director Scott Moore said he was disappointed but not surprised the song was shopped elsewhere.
No shit Sherlock, considering you did all you could to kill the song. CBC really fucked up big time on this one. It will loom large in any history written about them.
Make sure you get his name right in it, future historians. That's Scott Moore folks, the Benedict Arnold of Canada.
And dead the song is, it will disappear within 2 years.
I hope Dolores made a good deal though...
An observer in Montreal says: "There's no way the CBC could win politically in this situation. If they come up with the reputed 2.5-3 million dollar fee requested the first reaction is going to be that it's a waste of taxpayer money. If they've got that kind of cash to pop for a 30-second sound clip, there's obviously place to make more budget cuts. If they don't they're abdicating their role as guardian of Canadian culture.
Read more here.
The agreement was reached with Copyright Music & Visuals, which was unable to renew a deal with CBC Sports.
CBC Sports executive director Scott Moore said he was disappointed but not surprised the song was shopped elsewhere.
No shit Sherlock, considering you did all you could to kill the song. CBC really fucked up big time on this one. It will loom large in any history written about them.
Make sure you get his name right in it, future historians. That's Scott Moore folks, the Benedict Arnold of Canada.
And dead the song is, it will disappear within 2 years.
I hope Dolores made a good deal though...
An observer in Montreal says: "There's no way the CBC could win politically in this situation. If they come up with the reputed 2.5-3 million dollar fee requested the first reaction is going to be that it's a waste of taxpayer money. If they've got that kind of cash to pop for a 30-second sound clip, there's obviously place to make more budget cuts. If they don't they're abdicating their role as guardian of Canadian culture.
Read more here.
Not dead yet: CBC continuing negotiations for HNIC theme
The fate of the Hockey Night in Canada theme hasn't been settled quite yet. The CBC announced on Monday morning that it has invited sports lawyer Gord Kirke to act as an intermediary in a last-ditch attempt to keep the iconic song as part of their hockey broadcast.
"We feel this song is worth one last attempt to save," said Scott Moore, executive director of CBC Sports, in a press release. "Canadians are passionate about its association with Hockey Night in Canada."
Read more here.
"We feel this song is worth one last attempt to save," said Scott Moore, executive director of CBC Sports, in a press release. "Canadians are passionate about its association with Hockey Night in Canada."
Read more here.
Council paints over street artist Banksy's graffiti murals - worth a fortune!
Yup, it's ok to have the urban landscape festooned with corporate imagery of every description, but just let a private citizen claim the same privilege and all hell breaks loose...
They are coveted pieces of modern art which fetch up to £1million in auction and are owned by Hollywood royalty.
But to one council, murals by the reclusive street artist Banksy appear to be little more than worthless graffiti.
Read more here.
Btw, the painting of walls is mankind's *oldest* art form. The council of this town needs a history lesson.
They are coveted pieces of modern art which fetch up to £1million in auction and are owned by Hollywood royalty.
But to one council, murals by the reclusive street artist Banksy appear to be little more than worthless graffiti.
Read more here.
Btw, the painting of walls is mankind's *oldest* art form. The council of this town needs a history lesson.
How low will the bigots in California go?
Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sex marriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters will decide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from such unions.
If the vote is yes, the only certainty will be confusion...
...Experts say that if the measure passes, the state may choose to recognize the marriages, creating a pocket of married same-sex couples. "It just means that people who didn't take advantage of that window can't get married until or unless that amendment was repealed down the road," said Vikram Amar, a law professor at the University of California at Davis.
Hence the hurry with which couples are booking appointments with wedding vendors and county clerks. San Francisco city officials expect as many as 500 couples to marry per day, for days on end. In Los Angeles County, the clerk's phone is ringing off the hook.
Alternatively, under the amendment, the state may be compelled to recognize married same-sex couples as domestic partners or even forcibly divorce them.
Yup, the state "forcibly" divorcing couples...now that I want to see, and to see how the hateful bigots who want this voted in react to that..
Probably with delight.
Read more here.
If the vote is yes, the only certainty will be confusion...
...Experts say that if the measure passes, the state may choose to recognize the marriages, creating a pocket of married same-sex couples. "It just means that people who didn't take advantage of that window can't get married until or unless that amendment was repealed down the road," said Vikram Amar, a law professor at the University of California at Davis.
Hence the hurry with which couples are booking appointments with wedding vendors and county clerks. San Francisco city officials expect as many as 500 couples to marry per day, for days on end. In Los Angeles County, the clerk's phone is ringing off the hook.
Alternatively, under the amendment, the state may be compelled to recognize married same-sex couples as domestic partners or even forcibly divorce them.
Yup, the state "forcibly" divorcing couples...now that I want to see, and to see how the hateful bigots who want this voted in react to that..
Probably with delight.
Read more here.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Bill Moyers part II
At the National Conference for Media Reform 2008. Fox personality Bill O'Reilly producer, Porter Barry ambushes PBS Bill Moyers to pepper him with questions regarding his political affiliations and his "refusal" to appear on O'Reily's show. Moyers disputes Fox's "facts."
Bill Moyers addresses NCMR 2008
Bill Moyers addresses the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis, June 7, 2008.
This in light of our media (read here:CBC) and it's heavy handed hatchet attack on a certain hockey theme.
U.S. Government Sought Customer Book Purchasing Records from Amazon.com
Recently unsealed court records shed more light on the federal government's attempts to secure the online book purchase records of 24,000 Amazon.com customers.
In 2006, federal prosecutors investigating Robert D'Angelo, a Madison, WI official accused of fraud and tax evasion, subpoenaed online book retailer Amazon.com for transaction records on anyone who had purchased books from him through Amazon Marketplace since 1999. Prosecutors said they were hoping to find witnesses to testify against D'Angelo.
Amazon agreed to tell prosecutors what books D'Angelo had sold, but refused to turn over information on the buyers, citing its customers' First Amendment rights to privacy. The government came back with a request for only 120 customers, but Amazon still refused. The case went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker, who ruled in June to strike down the subpoena on First Amendment grounds.
Read more here.
In 2006, federal prosecutors investigating Robert D'Angelo, a Madison, WI official accused of fraud and tax evasion, subpoenaed online book retailer Amazon.com for transaction records on anyone who had purchased books from him through Amazon Marketplace since 1999. Prosecutors said they were hoping to find witnesses to testify against D'Angelo.
Amazon agreed to tell prosecutors what books D'Angelo had sold, but refused to turn over information on the buyers, citing its customers' First Amendment rights to privacy. The government came back with a request for only 120 customers, but Amazon still refused. The case went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker, who ruled in June to strike down the subpoena on First Amendment grounds.
Read more here.
McCain's lack of integrity
A man of integrity would have told that bitch to never refer to any presidential candidate in that manner.
Yes, a man of integrity would have...
Unethical mobile phone experiment
In what looks to be a massive invasion of privacy masquerading as a scientific test The whereabouts of more than 100,000 mobile phone users have been tracked in an attempt to build a comprehensive picture of human movements...
The new work tracked 100,000 individuals selected randomly from a sample of more than six million phone users in a European country.
Each time a participant made or received a call or text message, the location of the mobile base station relaying the data was recorded.
The researchers said they were "not at liberty" to disclose where the information had been collected and said steps had been taken to guarantee the participants' anonymity.
For example, individual phone numbers were disguised as 26 digit security codes.
"Furthermore, we only know the coordinates of the tower routing the communication, hence a user's location is not known within a tower's service area," they wrote.
Notice no one was asked if they wanted to participate in this, and I don't believe for a second that a) steps had been taken to guarantee the participants' anonymity and b) this test was just about tracking movements.
Read more here.
The new work tracked 100,000 individuals selected randomly from a sample of more than six million phone users in a European country.
Each time a participant made or received a call or text message, the location of the mobile base station relaying the data was recorded.
The researchers said they were "not at liberty" to disclose where the information had been collected and said steps had been taken to guarantee the participants' anonymity.
For example, individual phone numbers were disguised as 26 digit security codes.
"Furthermore, we only know the coordinates of the tower routing the communication, hence a user's location is not known within a tower's service area," they wrote.
Notice no one was asked if they wanted to participate in this, and I don't believe for a second that a) steps had been taken to guarantee the participants' anonymity and b) this test was just about tracking movements.
Read more here.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Deal to keep Hockey Night theme song falls through
CBC has just perpetrated a crime of epic proportions today against the culture of Canada, something they themselves are supposed to protect.
Shame on the CBC and the heartless bastards there that let this happen. Canada turns a cold eye towards you.
That a corporation thinks it can take it upon itself to rip out a piece of our culture and history over the dollar sign earns my undying contempt.
This, above all, is what the Harper era will be remembered for.
Negotiations to keep the Hockey Night in Canada theme song have collapsed, meaning the program is now in search of another anthem, CBC News has learned.
Copyright Music & Visuals, the Toronto agency representing the song's composer, owner and administrator Dolores Claman said on Friday that the deal had fallen through.
Read more here.
Shame on the CBC and the heartless bastards there that let this happen. Canada turns a cold eye towards you.
That a corporation thinks it can take it upon itself to rip out a piece of our culture and history over the dollar sign earns my undying contempt.
This, above all, is what the Harper era will be remembered for.
Negotiations to keep the Hockey Night in Canada theme song have collapsed, meaning the program is now in search of another anthem, CBC News has learned.
Copyright Music & Visuals, the Toronto agency representing the song's composer, owner and administrator Dolores Claman said on Friday that the deal had fallen through.
Read more here.
Telephone Commercials Cause Unrest
The Icelandic telephone company, SÃminn, has caused unrest among catholics in Iceland with their advertising campaign for their latest brand of cell phones. The commercials are based on the story of Galileo appearing in court in the Vatican. 5000 members of the Catholic Church in Iceland have threatened to boycott SÃminn because of this.
The new commercials appear in the wake of an another campaign by SÃminn where Christ is depicted at the dining table at the last supper, just like Leonardo Da Vinci painted it. Judas has not arrived so Jesus picks up his cellphone and calls Judas. When Judas picks up the phone he is betraying Jesus to the Romans. Judas doesn’t realize that Jesus is calling from a 3G phone and can see on his screen that Judas is holding a bag of golden coins.
Bloody Vikings.
Read more here.
Hints of ‘time before Big Bang’
hints that our Universe "bubbled off" from a previous one...that new universes could be created spontaneously from apparently empty space. From inside the parent universe, the event would be surprisingly unspectacular.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Stop the CBC
Ok, this is war. The CBC seems to be taking it on itself to destroy one of this countries institutions.
Vandals.
One of this country's most familiar tunes may have been heard on CBC-TV for the last time Wednesday night when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins and won the 2008 Stanley Cup.
The Toronto agency representing the composer of the theme tune for Hockey Night in Canada says the CBC has declined to enter into a new licensing agreement for the song for next NHL season.
A news release posted on the website of Copyright Music & Visuals quotes company president John Ciccone as saying the CBC's licence agreement for the hockey theme song ended with the Stanley Cup final.
The CBC "has advised the composer, owner and administrator of the musical composition that it is not prepared to enter into a new licence agreement with respect to the use of the theme," the release says.
The CBC had no immediate comment Thursday.
Do this and earn the eternal hatred of all Canadian fans, that's my comment.
Read more here.
Update!
Deal still possible for Hockey Night theme song
Read more here.
Vandals.
One of this country's most familiar tunes may have been heard on CBC-TV for the last time Wednesday night when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins and won the 2008 Stanley Cup.
The Toronto agency representing the composer of the theme tune for Hockey Night in Canada says the CBC has declined to enter into a new licensing agreement for the song for next NHL season.
A news release posted on the website of Copyright Music & Visuals quotes company president John Ciccone as saying the CBC's licence agreement for the hockey theme song ended with the Stanley Cup final.
The CBC "has advised the composer, owner and administrator of the musical composition that it is not prepared to enter into a new licence agreement with respect to the use of the theme," the release says.
The CBC had no immediate comment Thursday.
Do this and earn the eternal hatred of all Canadian fans, that's my comment.
Read more here.
Update!
Deal still possible for Hockey Night theme song
Read more here.
TBS hates you
Seems TBS in the U.S. is "pausing" shows so they can insert a ad that you really don't want to hear, but they make sure you hear anyway.
How cool is that, asshole?
Reason #402 to dislike advertisers.
How cool is that, asshole?
Reason #402 to dislike advertisers.
"Silverman Helps" cancelled
Corporate idiocy strikes again, as Rogers fucks over their new TV station CityTV.
Rogers is despised across this city already, what with them pissing their oversized logos onto everything they can reach.
Today we informed the group that works in "Silverman Helps" that this segment of the news will discontinue in its current format. For nearly two decades, Peter Silverman and Terry O'Keefe's unit have brought closure to many viewer complaints. We feel however that the marketplace for investigative journalism is evolving and CityNews will reformat the consumer beat in the fall. Effective immediately, the "Silverman Helps" stories will be discontinued. We thank Peter, Terry and Cristina for their contribution to the newscast.
Read more here.
Rogers is despised across this city already, what with them pissing their oversized logos onto everything they can reach.
Today we informed the group that works in "Silverman Helps" that this segment of the news will discontinue in its current format. For nearly two decades, Peter Silverman and Terry O'Keefe's unit have brought closure to many viewer complaints. We feel however that the marketplace for investigative journalism is evolving and CityNews will reformat the consumer beat in the fall. Effective immediately, the "Silverman Helps" stories will be discontinued. We thank Peter, Terry and Cristina for their contribution to the newscast.
Read more here.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Prentice's Staff Scrubbing Copyright Controversy From Wikipedia Entry
Via michaelgeist.ca:
While Industry Minister Jim Prentice has sought to project an air of unflappability around the outcry over the Canadian DMCA, it would appear that behind the scenes his staff is working overtime to eliminate any negative comments on Wikipedia. Prentice's Wikipedia entry has been anonymously amended multiple times over the past week with regular attempts to remove any copyright criticism (as I post this there is no reference to copyright). The IP address of most of the anonymous edits trace back to Industry Canada. For example, on May 27th someone from Industry Canada twice deleted the following:
Prentice has been responsible for developing new Canadian Intellectual Property laws akin to the DMCA in the United States, partly due to pressure from US-based advocacy groups. While he had promised to "put consumers first", the draft legislation seems to cater strictly to industrial groups and Prentice has now suggested consumer interests may not be heard for years. Indeed, Prentice has refused to talk to a group of protesters who went to his office to express their concern.
Read more here.
While Industry Minister Jim Prentice has sought to project an air of unflappability around the outcry over the Canadian DMCA, it would appear that behind the scenes his staff is working overtime to eliminate any negative comments on Wikipedia. Prentice's Wikipedia entry has been anonymously amended multiple times over the past week with regular attempts to remove any copyright criticism (as I post this there is no reference to copyright). The IP address of most of the anonymous edits trace back to Industry Canada. For example, on May 27th someone from Industry Canada twice deleted the following:
Prentice has been responsible for developing new Canadian Intellectual Property laws akin to the DMCA in the United States, partly due to pressure from US-based advocacy groups. While he had promised to "put consumers first", the draft legislation seems to cater strictly to industrial groups and Prentice has now suggested consumer interests may not be heard for years. Indeed, Prentice has refused to talk to a group of protesters who went to his office to express their concern.
Read more here.
Californian gays to begin marrying June 17
..and still the vote to reverse it is on the November ballot.
Come on California bigots, reverse the ruling and have all those marriages nullified. That'll make you look real enlightened.
Come on California bigots, reverse the ruling and have all those marriages nullified. That'll make you look real enlightened.
Fortune columnist: Macs still wrong for business
Still more anti Mac commentary, this time Fortune commenting (Christopher Null, an oddly fitting name) on the CNN story:
This man is an idiot:
"In two decades of using both platforms, I've never gotten used to the Mac's system of having the menu bar on top of the screen rather than inside the window where I'm working."
He seems a tad slow, no?
He also implies Mac's are only good for grandmothers...
These are the mental giants advising us to stay on the PC platform...
Read more here.
This man is an idiot:
"In two decades of using both platforms, I've never gotten used to the Mac's system of having the menu bar on top of the screen rather than inside the window where I'm working."
He seems a tad slow, no?
He also implies Mac's are only good for grandmothers...
These are the mental giants advising us to stay on the PC platform...
Read more here.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Clinton open to VP spot
How nice for her, but if I read the tone of the times correctly, she's the only one who wants her there.
As a Canadian observer, I think the whole Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton era should end right now.
As a Canadian observer, I think the whole Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton era should end right now.
Veronika Belovich, Condo Queen
 |
| Veronika Belovich Big and Shiny = Good |
Yes, Ms. Belovich does seem to be singlehandedly ridding neighbourhoods of those nasty poor who can't afford to go "back [to] the heady days of cities like New York in the 20s and 30s, where anyone who was anyone lived in a top-notch hotel"
Her social snobbery and shocking lack of historical knowledge aside...Enjoy. The rest of you who aren't anyone, fuck off and move away.
"As a nation, we say that we want to limit sprawl. We should be raising children in two-bedroom condos – it only makes sense."
"I think it's going to change the neighbourhood," Ms. Belovich adds. "It's going to make people want to cross the street and [stay] on Bloor."
"We're trying to make the city better. This is a junky corner and we want to make it a fabulous area."
"It's happenin'. It's for someone who wants to step outside at four in the morning and be able to get a cab; or go to Yorkville for dinner or go to Holt Renfrew -- someone who wants to be in the core of the city, who doesn't want to miss any action."
"Location, location, location," she said of the units, which range in price from $300,000 to $2 million. "There's just so much demand."
"This is their dream home and they want what they want."
"They're going to be sparkling twin towers in the colour of emeralds...Residents never have to step outside"
"We want to mark the occasion with a street side breakfast party in the heart of Toronto."
Better hurry, while there's still any street life left.
Vandals destroy Newly Discovered Khark Achaemenid Inscription
Wtf?
The Achaemenid stone inscription of Khark Island was seriously damaged by vandals on Thursday night.
“Unknown people climbed the fence surrounding the cuneiform inscription and destroyed it with a chisel, such that about 70 percent of the inscription has been destroyed,” Khark Deputy Governor Ali Jazebi told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.
“The nature of the damage indicates that it has been done deliberately,” he added.
Read more here.
The Achaemenid stone inscription of Khark Island was seriously damaged by vandals on Thursday night.
“Unknown people climbed the fence surrounding the cuneiform inscription and destroyed it with a chisel, such that about 70 percent of the inscription has been destroyed,” Khark Deputy Governor Ali Jazebi told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.
“The nature of the damage indicates that it has been done deliberately,” he added.
Read more here.
Why Macs still aren't right for most businesses
Another is a series of openly hostile articles about Mac, written by someone none too objective. Mac users hear this kind of idiocy daily, but when CNN does it it must be pointed out.
Observe...
No matter what you do with a Mac, you have to face Apple's peculiar vision of all things computerish. First off, the packaging is seriously overdone: The slogan "Designed by Apple in California" posivitively shouts at you from the box. Like I care.
Goodness! I'm convinced now. The computer's packaging will impact my business! I've been so blind.
Now, try and take this line seriously:
Windows Vista, properly installed and used in tandem with Web-based productivity tools, is a powerful, powerful alternative
A Digg commenter put it best: "Is he as dumb as shit?"
Read more here.
Observe...
No matter what you do with a Mac, you have to face Apple's peculiar vision of all things computerish. First off, the packaging is seriously overdone: The slogan "Designed by Apple in California" posivitively shouts at you from the box. Like I care.
Goodness! I'm convinced now. The computer's packaging will impact my business! I've been so blind.
Now, try and take this line seriously:
Windows Vista, properly installed and used in tandem with Web-based productivity tools, is a powerful, powerful alternative
A Digg commenter put it best: "Is he as dumb as shit?"
Read more here.
Bagels in Space
One of Montreal's greatest cultural institutions, Fairmount Bagel, have sent some of their best into space:
The famed Fairmount bagel is reaching new heights thanks to an astronaut with a yen for that distinctive treat.
It seems Montreal-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who began a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station yesterday, was quite excited about the idea of floating in space with the comfort of the chewy, slightly sweet variety of bagel this city is famous for by his side.
When NASA officials asked Chamitoff for a favourite food to take aboard space shuttle Discovery, he picked the humble bagel as his preferred snack for the flight.
And not just any Montreal-style bagel, but 18 sesame bagels from his relatives' Montreal Fairmount Bagel, which usually competes with St. Viateur bagels a block away for the crown as the city's best.
Read more here.
The famed Fairmount bagel is reaching new heights thanks to an astronaut with a yen for that distinctive treat.
It seems Montreal-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who began a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station yesterday, was quite excited about the idea of floating in space with the comfort of the chewy, slightly sweet variety of bagel this city is famous for by his side.
When NASA officials asked Chamitoff for a favourite food to take aboard space shuttle Discovery, he picked the humble bagel as his preferred snack for the flight.
And not just any Montreal-style bagel, but 18 sesame bagels from his relatives' Montreal Fairmount Bagel, which usually competes with St. Viateur bagels a block away for the crown as the city's best.
Read more here.
Bigots in California
The ugly spitefulness of people what would do this astounds me...I am thankful I live in a civilized country.
"California Secretary of State Debra Bowen says a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough for it to be put to voters. The measure would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union 'between a man and a woman.' If it is approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, it would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state."
"California Secretary of State Debra Bowen says a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough for it to be put to voters. The measure would amend the state constitution to define marriage as a union 'between a man and a woman.' If it is approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, it would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state."
Monday, June 02, 2008
The Rabble
Their single Golden Girl was a highlight on the Montreal airwaves during the technicolour summer of 1967. They won over a restless audience at the Paul Sauvé Arena when headliners Cream didn't show, walking off the stage triumphantly - in matching underwear. Their music, at its best, crossed Beatlesque hooks with the no-barriers attack of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention.
The Rabble seemed unstoppable.
Within two years of the prestigious Cream gig, however, they were finished as a recording act, having failed to expand their fan base beyond provincial borders. They soldiered on as a live act for another year or so before officially calling it quits - more through inertia than conflict.
Ultimately, it's a typical '60s-band story: local notoriety begets a couple of still-cherished cult albums, the faint promise of larger-scale success and then ... nothing.
After hearing the below, I understand the nothing...
Read more here.
Bust of Cleopatra Found
An alabaster bust of Cleopatra and a mask that might have belonged to her lover Marc Antony are part of a slew of treasures found north of Alexandria, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced on Monday.
The artifacts were discovered inside the Taposiris Magna, a large temple in what is now Abusir that was built during the reign of Ptolemy II, which lasted from 282 to 246 B.C.
Read more here.
The artifacts were discovered inside the Taposiris Magna, a large temple in what is now Abusir that was built during the reign of Ptolemy II, which lasted from 282 to 246 B.C.
Read more here.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Idiot religious types
The world's religions seem to all have a dingbat element:
Two Christians claim a police community support officer officer told them to stop leafleting in an area of east Birmingham where many Muslims live.
The Christian Institute has complained to West Midlands Police the men were told to leave Alum Rock Road.
The US Christians said they were advised they were committing a hate crime by trying to convert Muslims.
Read more here.
Two Christians claim a police community support officer officer told them to stop leafleting in an area of east Birmingham where many Muslims live.
The Christian Institute has complained to West Midlands Police the men were told to leave Alum Rock Road.
The US Christians said they were advised they were committing a hate crime by trying to convert Muslims.
Read more here.
Emo
The first underground fashion trend of the 21st century (with roots in the 1980's) is popping into the media more and more...
Emo runs high as fans defend band [My Chemical Romance] against Daily Mail
The overwhelming majority of the crowd were young girls, bouncing with energy and shrieking with laughter as they rushed over to hug their friends or chanted: "Don't blame MCR!"
A few were dressed in typical dark, "emo" fashion but most followed the request of the organisers, who had written on the website: "Please consider dressing to suit the day ... Don't try to dress stereotypically." Many of the fans had homemade shirts with positive slogans such as, "Think happy thoughts."
Read more here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
