Big Wide World

If you're ever owned a condo. you'll be glad to hear that the FCC has banned cable companies from locking building into exclusive contracts. This is great news. Cause last i checked, we didn't live in a socialist state, and in a democracy, monopolizing was still considered anti capitalist.

I've had a few condos that only offered Rogers. and if you didn't want Rogers, then you were SoL. your choice was to not have cable, have Rogers, or not live there (kind of too late after you're already bought the damn thing).

I had already said that the next condo i buy, i will make sure that in my contract it stipulated that they could not force me to use THEIR choice of cable provider (or internet too, cause a lot of condos have the same raw deal for internet, like you could only have TELUS - communist much?). and i'm sure i wouldn't really get anywhere with the condo corp if i tried to have those particular clauses put in, but then, i don't have to buy that condo. I'm not about to let corporations tell me who i can use to provide me with services (its bad enough the condo board committee is packed with idiots and they try to dictate - YES DICTATE - what colour curtains i'm going to hang on my windows b/c they all have to look unison from outside - TOTALITARIAN much?).

so this decision is a great precedent that will guide the light in some sanity.

oh, p.s., who still thinks we live in a democratic state?

Labels: big business, capitalism, democracy, FCC, law

I wanted to get the iPhone. Went to Pacific Mall (Toronto), and saw it there for about $650.00 (though, on ebay they're going for as low as $450.00).

However, I might consider waiting to see what happens with the Gphone. most stories are still speculation, but the prospects look good, so, before i drop any more money, I think i'll suck it up and wait (i'm not good at this... i'm more the I want it, and i want it now type.).

How Stuff Works post on the possibilities of a new Gphone.

Labels: google, iphone, technology

Labels: big business, capitalism, corporations, democracy

SO BEEN HERE. i remember having these conversations.

I'm a huge horror movie buff, but, i will admit, there is one thing (almost) better than a horror movie: a graphic novel turned into a movie (even better, graphic novel turned into a horror movie). but i think you either love them or hate them. I loved Sin City and 300. Frank Miller is a genious. And I'm hoping that he would do the Sandman graphic novels into movies.

And now, my new favourite move is 30 Days of Night. What an incredibly beautiflly stylized movie, and by far one of the best vampire movies around. The movie is based on a series of graphic novels written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith and published by IDW Publishing, in 2002. Directed by David Slade (Hard Candy), its an amazing directorial accomplishment. Obviously, Hard Candy was nothing like 30 Days, but seeing his range, i can't wait to see what else what else Slade will do. So, if you like not just a story but beautifully shot frmaes, then this is the movie to see. Mind you, you do have to be able to stand a LOT of gore (i've seen Dead Alive, so i'm ready to go)

With the iphone (eventually?) coming to Canada, there is a lot of talk about data plan and reform. apparently, our data plans are ridiculously overcharged and the highest. I have a Treo, but i don't use the plan b/c it is quite unreasonable. and i think that when the iphone comes in, i'll use it like my Treo (use everything that makes it a great phone and pda, nothing that makes it what its real potential is).

The key issue with the data plans lately, seems to be not just the price, but the "unlimited" part of the promotion. According to Michael Geist's post, a lot of mobile providers have ridiculous fine print associated with what you can and cannot do with the data plan. Bell (ever notorious for B.S. practices), states the terms of use of their $75 plan ($84 with system fees):

So, what's the point then of paying $75 for a data plan that restricts you from doing what you want the plan for in the first place? I esp. love the "Bell's reasonable opinion". if you're not aware, we have some very ambiguous terminology in most of our codified laws.

on top of that, unlimited, doesn't mean unlimited. hopefully, the recent American Verizon settlement (undisclosed bandwidth cap on "unlimited" data plans) will guide a light on this reform.

i don't intent to get a data plan. if i want to access the internet on my phone, esp. with the Treo, i'll buy a Wifi adapter, and use that. there are plenty of hot spots in Toronto. i'm not paying as much as a typical $200 for a plan that is not really unlimited and prohibits me from doing what i want to do with it in the first place.

Two great technologies that i found this morning.

the first is Intelligent Resizing of Photos. view THIS link. i'm really excited about this technology. as someone who now manipulates and works with photos a lot, this is going to be an indispensable tool. it resizes images based on algorithms, so that there is no loss of detail.

The second software is on that will allow you to make architectural measurements from a photo taken of the object. useful for anyone wanting to do any renovations, and many other uses for technology such as this. LINK.

A message from David Fleetwood. Great video.

Every day, American politics and law frustrates me even more. Today, i read THIS article.

The US is trying to target, among other countries, Canada, to do what it wants regarding IP crackdown (same as immigration, border partrol, war, etc etc etc).

but the part i love about the article is the line "Sometimes it just takes a little nudge for a country to see the light", the nudge being heavy-handed tactics (um, let's not forget, forging war) and the light being American ideals.

Hey, how about you look inward and realize that you have a bankrupt country and leave the rest of us to, um, i don't know, govern our country the way we want to. They're like a disliked relative who comes over once every few years, and then tells you everything you're doing wrong and how you SHOULD be doing it.

But truer words have never been spoken about how America handles worldly issues that it doesn't think coincide with their self interest. They regularly "nudge" (read force) countries to do what they want them to do, in the name of "democracy" and other "ideals". in the end, let's not kid ourselves, its all about self interest (mostly oil, but now lots and lots of money lost by big corporations who control the States).

So far, i'm proud of Canada in applying laws and regulations that (mostly) conform to Canadian standards, but with Harper, i worry that that will change.

So, the music industry is finally going to be forced to learn a lesson or two on the way that they're been doing business and how its hurting its own industry (the phrase: biting off the nose to spite the face, comes to mind).

when people figure out how to share music without legitimately paying for it (or not paying for it in traditional thinking), the thing to do it NOT to sue the fans, but to adapt and innovate. adversity and obstacles fuel innovation for the better. that's how society functions.

but now, some of the more adaptive artists are taking matters into their own hands, and instead of punishing their fans for listening to their music, they are creating new ways to distribute their music and still make compensation for their efforts.

Read the following article by Michael Geist, entitled Music Industry Needs Innovation, Not Intervention. Its nice to see that there is a system of change taking place to work with consumers, not against them. after all, one of the reasons i don't listen to Metallica anymore is that they jumped on the bandwagon of suing their fans, and i'm not about to reward that. nice to see that Barenaked Ladies (all time favourite Canadian Band) care about the fans and are doing something about the ridiculousness that has become Intellectual Property law.

In the world of news for profit, i don't think i have to explain why i tend to avoid most news, especially broadcast news. i'll read certain news media (canadian only cause it seems in american news all it takes to be on Fox etc. is to be acceptably good looking) but mostly, everything i need to know about that's in the news i learned for The Colbert Report.

take for example the rising Canadian dollar (excuse me here, but Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah). i was aware that we had surpassed the American dollar but nothing made it more official then, when watching the Colbert Report's "the Word". in it, Mr. Colbert was asking people to leave comments on a web page about what Bush said that offended them, and to post how much they thought they were offended in monetary value. the best part? they asked for a monetary amounts in Canadian dollars.

now, i don't think i'm alone when i say that if Colbert has asked for Canadian dollars, that makes it official. we are officially more valuable than america.

(maybe colbert will want to increase his standing and call his book I Am Canada and so can you)