Tag Archives: News

SOPA, PIPA Internet censorship and other crappy things.

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http://sopastrike.com/

Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18th, my site, along with thousands of others will be going dark in protest of the legislation the US is attempting to pass. They claim it’s to stop copyright infringement. The reality is, it’s just censorship. Of all the times I’ve seen screaming about censorship on the internet over the years, this is the time to scream, kids. Private companies can censor you on their playground if they want. THIS is the U.S. Federal government censoring you… THIS is the one that is illegal!

As an American Citizen, I am furious at this attempt, and rock solid in my belief that this legislation is not only unnecessary, but ineffectual, unconstitutional, and based on the false premise that internet “piracy” is harmful to the U.S. and world economies.

As a citizen of the Internet for more than fifteen years, I am furious. The Internet cannot be under the jurisdiction of any one nation and remain the free marketplace of ideas, art, information and social interaction it wants to be. For years, we have tut-tutted at China and other nations for censoring the internet… and now the US wants to do the same, with the major difference being that vast numbers of services that are now part of the infrastructure of the internet itself are based in US Jurisdictions.

This is the problem. We need to get the Internet out of the jurisdiction of any one nation.

Perhaps Google should consider moving its corporate headquarters to Antarctica? Or maybe buy a small island in the Pacific?  Queen Elizabeth, will you sell St. Barts to the Internet if we put enough money in your paypal account? Or maybe we could buy out Haiti and the Dominican Republic together, or Nigeria… free the web, stop hunger and bring peace to a nation, in a single blow!

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that nobody should have the right to decide for everybody. Go dark.

http://sopastrike.com/ 

 

I am *so* Amused.

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OK, first a little background.

Toronto and Hamilton are two longtime rival-cities. One, an old manufacturing city, that has been slowly crumbling into disrepair, the other an upstart attempting to ape the cultural and financial capitals of the world.

Currently, Hamilton is fighting to gain an NHL franchise. A worthy enough goal for a city attempting major recovery as the manufacturing sector dies all over North America. But a particular columnist from Toronto has decided to comment on this movement with the following words:

Dear Hamilton: You misunderstood.

When I called your city a “dump,” I meant it would be a worthy place for Toronto to send our garbage during the looming public-sector workers’ strike.

I mean, who’d notice, thereabouts?

Of course, this leaves me repressing giggles. Oh, Toronto, you are so goddamed cute in your big-girl pants, thinking you’re some kind of player in the grand scheme of things.

Now, I wont claim Hamilton isnt a city in crisis. There are some major issues that both are and remain to be addressed here. But Toronto’s egotism knows no bounds if it’s denizens really think this way.  Maybe it’s my New Yorker ego coming into play, but to me, TORONTO is the real joke. Hamilton is what it is, and doesnt make claims otherwise. Oh but Toronto seems to think it’s the Paris of the north. Which of course has me giggling again.

Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo… and yes dammit New York .  One could possibly include St Petersburg, Luxembourg, L.A. and Vienna.  These are cities rich in culture, history, art. Notice Toronto isnt in that list.

I admit to not spending much time in TO. To be honest, there hasnt been a reason for me to do so. To my eye, Toronto is just another second rate city, but this one has such pretensions of grandeur as to make it laughable.  Pot, meet kettle.

Silly little Toronto. Keep your arrogant yuppies, annoying hipsters and your “I’m the best” mentality. You remind me of my little sister during her most obnoxious pubescent stage, full of bravado and ignorance while slavishly aping whatever fashion will make you popular. Hang on to that darling little ego.

We’ll call you when we need a second stringer to fill in.

*outraged*

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See this man? This is Charles Thomas Bolton.

Most folks wont know his name, but it’s important. This is the first man to offer up irrefutable evidence of the existence of a black hole. Pretty big deal. This man is considered one of the worlds leading Astronomers.

This man is sitting, crying, on the steps of the observatory he has worked in since 1971.

Because the University of Toronto has decided to sell it to the highest bidder rather than actually fund worthwhile research.

Fucktards. Bastards and fucktards. May their balls fall off and roll under a moving truck before their very eyes.

Harlan Ellison on getting paid.

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Yanno, crazy as he sounds, he’s right.

Talk about getting noticed, about making contacts, about a foot in the door, but the arts really are pretty much the only industry where you’re fully expected to fuck yourself over. Almost *required* infact.

I wonder what would happen if every writer, every musician and actor in the world stood up and said, “Fuck you, you want my work, you pay me for it”.

Support the WGA strike.

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Check out the United Hollywood Blog. Keep your eyes on it, hopefully they’ll give us, the viewers (and Fandom in all it’s loud, shrieking glory) a way to get our voices heard as well.

Writing is work, like any other kind of work. And like any other kind of work, it has value. In this case, a value that never entirely disappears. How is it right that this value isnt reflected in pay to the creators?

Support the WGA. Support the Unions. It could be you next.

Whoa….

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I noticed this little mini-article on Salon.com- Pick Your Pretty Poison.

Apparently there’s LOTS of toxic chemicals in your makeup bags ladies. Including ones that are possible carcinogens and suspected of causing birth defects. Tiny amounts… that can interact with OTHER tiny amounts, and that can in some cases build up in the body over years.

Including lead. They’ve found small amounts of lead used in 33% of top-shelf tested lipsticks.

Among the top brands testing positive for lead were:

• L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
• Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm

Pretty scary stuff. Check out the FAQ at The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and Skin Deep: The Cosmetic Safety Database.

You wouldnt EAT things with this stuff in it, but you put in in your eyes and on your lips…

WHOOHOO!!

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Finally today we hear from CIC.

Lee’s sponsorship approval notice and my “Approval In Principal” letter are here on my desk. So Im through the first hurdle finally, and have legal status in Canada again. We have to pay the rest of the fee, but from what I’ve heard, the odds are high of my final approval and Permanant Resident card being rubber-stamped through since Im just from the States.

Now we’ve been referred to the Local Hamilton office. I have to wait to hear from them, since they may decide to call us for an interview (I hope not, i’d be so nervous!) and will want my passport to stamp so I can offically “land” in Canada.

Slightly nervy as to what exactly the “decision made” notice on the eclient is. It may just be in reference to my AIP, or it may be that I’ve already been rubber stamped and they’re just waiting for the fee. I wish it was clearer.

PROGRESS!! At LAST!!