After it became public that they arrested a certain Stacy Bonds, for public drunkenness, because she apparently had a bottle of alcholol in her hands, which mysteriously vanished , and was never entered into evidence or found, and after the case was tossed because they got caught on video kneeing her in the back stripping her topless , and otherwise acting like a bunch of hoodlems mugging a victem instead of proper police officers ...
The ottawa police have been distributing this particular video among themselves as a response.
Note how the "charges" against the criminal are trumped up to the most atrocious things imaginable ? The fact that this is in response to a woman who was innocent (charges dropped this time and no previous charges) is probably the most aggravating thing of all.
When people just open their mouths and let fly the lies ... it serves them right they get caught.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
This is what we are fighting for
Soldiers stay cool after Canadian convoy shot at following fender-bender
The ANA crew refused the paperwork and demanded instead a cash payment on the spot, they said. The Canadians refused, walked away and drove off.
Not giving up, the ANA soldiers drove ahead, set up a roadblock and stopped the heavily armed and armoured convoy again. When the Canadians refused the demand for instant payment a second time, shots were fired first in the air and then at their vehicle.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Canada’s Task Force Kandahar confirmed there were no injuries and that the Canadians did not shoot back.
ANA is Afghanistan National Army.
Basically , they had a fender bender with some canadian troops. And then tried (twice) to shake the canadians down for cash. Even pointing guns at them and shooting their vehicals up.
So this is what we are fighting for in Afghanistan ? This is what we are building ? A whole army unit that openly shakes down anyone they feel like , and feel outraged that their right to do so has been violated ? They feel they deserve to shake down anyone ?
We should stick to simple 6 day wars. Go in. Shoot everything. Tear the place up. Leave.
because this nation building stuff. It's just not working.
The ANA crew refused the paperwork and demanded instead a cash payment on the spot, they said. The Canadians refused, walked away and drove off.
Not giving up, the ANA soldiers drove ahead, set up a roadblock and stopped the heavily armed and armoured convoy again. When the Canadians refused the demand for instant payment a second time, shots were fired first in the air and then at their vehicle.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Canada’s Task Force Kandahar confirmed there were no injuries and that the Canadians did not shoot back.
ANA is Afghanistan National Army.
Basically , they had a fender bender with some canadian troops. And then tried (twice) to shake the canadians down for cash. Even pointing guns at them and shooting their vehicals up.
So this is what we are fighting for in Afghanistan ? This is what we are building ? A whole army unit that openly shakes down anyone they feel like , and feel outraged that their right to do so has been violated ? They feel they deserve to shake down anyone ?
We should stick to simple 6 day wars. Go in. Shoot everything. Tear the place up. Leave.
because this nation building stuff. It's just not working.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tool Time Winner
An interesting news article that covers the matter rather nicely I think.
Julian Assange is being accused of being a terrorist , and wiki leaks a terrorist organization , but who did they kill ? Who did they demand die ? Who are they shouting "this guy must die ! Somebody go kill him here's his home address !!!"
Umm...nobody. They don't do that.
This would be why they're subtly hinting that congressman Peter King is a tool.
Worse. By speaking out and demanding this guy be assassinated , illegally if necessarily ( not in this video , I'm still looking for that one) then the USA is now the one agitating for someone to die , or commiting acts of terrorism if they run off and used their own internal staff to assassinate this guy.
Terrorism , you know , as in killing people so as to frighten other people into obeying you ? That kind of terrorism? Yep. That shoe fits really well on certain US Congressmen , and not so well on Julian Assange.
I hope these peoples tempers cool and this blows over, because lets face it. If the rule of law is tossed away , suddenly everyone in the world is a target for these idiots.
And that includes you and me , brother.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Stephen Harper brings new definition to the term 'Prime Ministerial'
you will not believe it until you see it.
Somebody doesn't spend all their time in front of the tele , this much is obvious.
Thanks for the Terrorism
Teen accused of hacking WikiLeaks pay sites
There is a certain inevitability in world events. Certain patterns that keep being repeated , certain people in authority with no sense of history , doomed to repeat the course , so to speak , only all of us will suffer because of their ignorance.
When the romans decided to make christianity illegal , they did not destroy it, they merely drove it underground where it could not be seen or dealt with. And they spread like wild fire, and eventually rose up and took over the western world for a few centuries.
When a group of scholars challenged the dictators of the day (yeah , the very same christians, who also had a problem with learning even their own history) and were all imprisoned or punished horribly , it did not wipe them out. It drove them underground, and turned them into a violent group who , technically I suppose now rule the world (atheism vs theology)
There are many examples where people were either just minding their own business or were merely pointing out that the authorities of the day were doing things they weren't supposed to be doing.
And the government surpressed them.
And they got driven underground. But their cause was popular.
And so they became violent. They fit the modern definition of todays terrorists.
Mr. Assange , god bless you , for you are about to be Martyr'd for your cause.
Mr. Barak Obama. Thanks a heap. You just brought a bunch of new age terrorists upon us. Only this time they're not ignorant goat herders on the other side of the world. They're high tech home grown westerners. And they're lack of religion isn't going to lessen their zeal.
Mark my words. This movement has legs, and we're all going to regret the decision to surpress it.
There is a certain inevitability in world events. Certain patterns that keep being repeated , certain people in authority with no sense of history , doomed to repeat the course , so to speak , only all of us will suffer because of their ignorance.
When the romans decided to make christianity illegal , they did not destroy it, they merely drove it underground where it could not be seen or dealt with. And they spread like wild fire, and eventually rose up and took over the western world for a few centuries.
When a group of scholars challenged the dictators of the day (yeah , the very same christians, who also had a problem with learning even their own history) and were all imprisoned or punished horribly , it did not wipe them out. It drove them underground, and turned them into a violent group who , technically I suppose now rule the world (atheism vs theology)
There are many examples where people were either just minding their own business or were merely pointing out that the authorities of the day were doing things they weren't supposed to be doing.
And the government surpressed them.
And they got driven underground. But their cause was popular.
And so they became violent. They fit the modern definition of todays terrorists.
Mr. Assange , god bless you , for you are about to be Martyr'd for your cause.
Mr. Barak Obama. Thanks a heap. You just brought a bunch of new age terrorists upon us. Only this time they're not ignorant goat herders on the other side of the world. They're high tech home grown westerners. And they're lack of religion isn't going to lessen their zeal.
Mark my words. This movement has legs, and we're all going to regret the decision to surpress it.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Wikileaks fiasco
Article
This whole Wikileaks fiasco, the one where some secret government documents got released to the general public, has been going on a while , and I suppose I should make a few comments on it, since it has to do with computers and all.
First point : what exactly was released ?
I see a few unkind comments made by low level flunkies .
We saw a grainy video of a guy carrying what sure looks like a big rifle to me , but the narrerator claims other wise, and then he and the other gun men (whom the narrorator does not dispute have guns) get all shot up by americans.
We see our (former )cheif of intelligence wants to turn canada into a police state to make his job easier , demonstrating he's forgotten that he's supposed to be protecting democracy ,not eradicating it. Perhaps this is why he's now "former" ?
A lot of people figured they knew what North Korea was going to do next. And then got caught with their pants down when North Korea decided to do something different.
There's nothing in these leaks. Nothing important, just bureaucrats covering their behinds and trying not to have their mistakes come to light |real or imagined mistakes).
And for this they are tracking the head of Wikileaks down , charging him with sexual assault and rape (with a prostitute, while they were doing it ...apparently she changed her mind half way throgh .. classic he said she said no witnesses present case) . And donating money to wikileaks has been shut down. Not declared officially illegal , but Visa and Master Card and Pay Pal suddenly decided not to process such transactions.
It is fascinating how undemocratic our democratic nations can act. I was reading an article on china about some chinese citizens getting a nobel peace prize for thwarting the government, and the terrble things the chinese were doing to him, and I kept thinking ,we're doing the exact same stuff to this guy. We're really not much different.
Which indicates maybe this Wikileaks guy is on to something. The Witch Hunt being engaged in itself affirms the very things the western democracies are trying to deny.
The second fascinating thing is the reaction to this. Private citizens are now rebelling against their "democratic" overlords by way of a volintairy program they run on their computers to form a bot net to attack the instruments of the governments. (Visa, master card, etc , who refuse to take payements.
And the news articles focus heavily on the sexual charges against this guy, but no one is biting, no one is fooled. All they're doing is identifying themselves , telling us who's a cats paw for the government and who isn't.
A new form of rebellion has arisen. In nations that formally enjoyed immunity to rebellion , because they were for the people, by the people, as the americans say. Except that that principle has been tossed aside.
And now we have a live example of why democracies were created in the first place. And what happens when they cease to function as democracies. And the controls they had on their populations slip and fall to the side, leaving nothing but an angry mob behind.
They put their hands on a live wire , these politicians, when they spent centuries preaching freedom of speach and then suddenly tossed it away. And now they will get their hands burned for doing that.
This whole Wikileaks fiasco, the one where some secret government documents got released to the general public, has been going on a while , and I suppose I should make a few comments on it, since it has to do with computers and all.
First point : what exactly was released ?
I see a few unkind comments made by low level flunkies .
We saw a grainy video of a guy carrying what sure looks like a big rifle to me , but the narrerator claims other wise, and then he and the other gun men (whom the narrorator does not dispute have guns) get all shot up by americans.
We see our (former )cheif of intelligence wants to turn canada into a police state to make his job easier , demonstrating he's forgotten that he's supposed to be protecting democracy ,not eradicating it. Perhaps this is why he's now "former" ?
A lot of people figured they knew what North Korea was going to do next. And then got caught with their pants down when North Korea decided to do something different.
There's nothing in these leaks. Nothing important, just bureaucrats covering their behinds and trying not to have their mistakes come to light |real or imagined mistakes).
And for this they are tracking the head of Wikileaks down , charging him with sexual assault and rape (with a prostitute, while they were doing it ...apparently she changed her mind half way throgh .. classic he said she said no witnesses present case) . And donating money to wikileaks has been shut down. Not declared officially illegal , but Visa and Master Card and Pay Pal suddenly decided not to process such transactions.
It is fascinating how undemocratic our democratic nations can act. I was reading an article on china about some chinese citizens getting a nobel peace prize for thwarting the government, and the terrble things the chinese were doing to him, and I kept thinking ,we're doing the exact same stuff to this guy. We're really not much different.
Which indicates maybe this Wikileaks guy is on to something. The Witch Hunt being engaged in itself affirms the very things the western democracies are trying to deny.
The second fascinating thing is the reaction to this. Private citizens are now rebelling against their "democratic" overlords by way of a volintairy program they run on their computers to form a bot net to attack the instruments of the governments. (Visa, master card, etc , who refuse to take payements.
And the news articles focus heavily on the sexual charges against this guy, but no one is biting, no one is fooled. All they're doing is identifying themselves , telling us who's a cats paw for the government and who isn't.
A new form of rebellion has arisen. In nations that formally enjoyed immunity to rebellion , because they were for the people, by the people, as the americans say. Except that that principle has been tossed aside.
And now we have a live example of why democracies were created in the first place. And what happens when they cease to function as democracies. And the controls they had on their populations slip and fall to the side, leaving nothing but an angry mob behind.
They put their hands on a live wire , these politicians, when they spent centuries preaching freedom of speach and then suddenly tossed it away. And now they will get their hands burned for doing that.
SIU to examine new Ottawa cellblock video
Article
The existence of the new cellblock videos was announced by Ottawa police Tuesday, after two other videos released publicly showed people being kneed or kicked at the Elgin Street cellblock.
One video from 2008 shows Stacy Bonds, a 27-year-old woman with no criminal history, being kneed and strip-searched in September 2008 after being arrested on Rideau Street for public intoxication. The charge was stayed by Justice Richard Lajoie of the Ontario Court of Justice in a verbal ruling Oct. 27.
We have a problem. Our police are out of control and are randomly mugging anyone who annoys them. And this isn't a stray incident. Two more vidoe's ? They've been doing this for a while and it's only now coming to light.
What does it take to charge a cop with a criminal offence ? They kill people with Tasers , firing five or more times when their taser manual says twice is the limit. They arrest and strip search random people picked up off the street.
My friend Wireless Toaster doesn't much like cops, never has.
I'm beginning to see why.
And our new mayor isn't helping matters. It's like he likes things the way they are.
"This is something that's happened and we're dealing with it," said Coun. Bob Monette (Orleans), who sits on the board.
"If the membership is concerned about it, they should be bringing it up to the attention of the board."
Which doesn't meet until dec 20th.
Stall , stall stall. Maybe it will all blow over if you give it enough time.
The existence of the new cellblock videos was announced by Ottawa police Tuesday, after two other videos released publicly showed people being kneed or kicked at the Elgin Street cellblock.
One video from 2008 shows Stacy Bonds, a 27-year-old woman with no criminal history, being kneed and strip-searched in September 2008 after being arrested on Rideau Street for public intoxication. The charge was stayed by Justice Richard Lajoie of the Ontario Court of Justice in a verbal ruling Oct. 27.
We have a problem. Our police are out of control and are randomly mugging anyone who annoys them. And this isn't a stray incident. Two more vidoe's ? They've been doing this for a while and it's only now coming to light.
What does it take to charge a cop with a criminal offence ? They kill people with Tasers , firing five or more times when their taser manual says twice is the limit. They arrest and strip search random people picked up off the street.
My friend Wireless Toaster doesn't much like cops, never has.
I'm beginning to see why.
And our new mayor isn't helping matters. It's like he likes things the way they are.
"This is something that's happened and we're dealing with it," said Coun. Bob Monette (Orleans), who sits on the board.
"If the membership is concerned about it, they should be bringing it up to the attention of the board."
Which doesn't meet until dec 20th.
Stall , stall stall. Maybe it will all blow over if you give it enough time.
Police Harassment The Wireless Toaster Way
So me and Wireless Toaster went In Drinking , in not out , meaning that we got some beer, we stayed home, and we cranked up skype and in the comfort of our own homes we got stinking drunk together.
Which is likely to replace going out to a bar , since it's a heck of a lot cheaper , far more comfortable, no line up for a filthy bathroom, etc etc etc ... but thats another topic for later on.
So wireless toaster is having problems with his wife, and he went to this rather unsavory motel (he's tracking down his wife, he things she has ... not so kind habits..it's a long story lets not get into it) and while he's there he see's these rather nasty looking individuals go into the motel ,have an admittedly heated conversationw with the clerk , and leaves.
And he got pictures.
And so he reports it to the police. And they never get back to him.
Wireless toaster is a technology freak , I have to mention. His current fetish is phones and phone systems. And he's a certified (computer) network engineer. A very technical person. And he had a nice computer network at home before he and his wife had problems and he had to leave, and now has a pretty awsome phone switchboard system where he lives.
Which is important to this story. because it records phone calls , incoming and out going.
And we're drinking , and he's talking about this , and he emails me three recordings for me to listen to. So , drinking back the beer, I give them a listen.
In the first recording he manages to track down the police officer that he talked to at the motel. A police officer who refused to give him his name, it should be noticed. As for the problem at the motel , it reveils nothing, but I found it fascinating that even if a cop refuses to give you his name and badge number , you can call the police station up and get it anyways. In this day and age of video's being released of cops doing nasty not very police like things, this is a fairly important point I think.
In the second recording the cop calls back , and of course, you can't give out information to a total stranger about a case thats under investigation . Even if the case is closed it's a violation of privacy to discuss it with a stranger. But Wireless toaster wants to get his say in , and the cop kept cutting him off and pointing this out... not much was accomplished.
I mentioned the phone system right ?
It seems that when you block your number when phoneing someone, it's just a courtesy that the receiving phone pays attention to that. Wireless's phone system wasn't programmed to be courteous , and ignored the signil indicating the number was blocked and gave him the number anyways.
Interesting that a blocked number could be over ridden and gotten anyways. Thats a second piece if information I found fascinating in our little drinking session.
He ran the number through google. He didn't get the cops personal details , of course, thats a serious violation of privacy. But he did get the name of the phone provider. It was a Fido Phone. Indicating that the cop had actually called on his private cell phone rather than his office phone.
Well...my wind phone has unlimited minutes, I've used it for work all the time. So I don't think there's much wrong with that , to be honest.
Third phone call recording was Wireless calling back.
Try to imagine, you called someone , you blocked the number ... and he calls you back on the phone who's number he's not supposed to have. And he goes on and on about this case . And the cop lies and says it's not his personal phone it's his work phone (yeah right) And to never call him on it. (ha ha ...don't call me at work ? To discuss work ? But it's ok to call me on this *OTHER* work number ? Thats your private phone buddy)
And Wireless went back to going on and on about having pictures and he want's to turn them in and help solve that case...
And so I learned a third thing that session. It's possible to harrass a police officer in such a way that he cannot do anything about it.
all and all a very productive evening I think. Which was contrary to what I wanted to actually do , but ok, this worked too.
I can still imagine the expression of horror that cop probably had on his face when Wireless called back on that guys personal phone. "I swear I blocked the number ! Honest I did !" It makes me laugh.
Which is likely to replace going out to a bar , since it's a heck of a lot cheaper , far more comfortable, no line up for a filthy bathroom, etc etc etc ... but thats another topic for later on.
So wireless toaster is having problems with his wife, and he went to this rather unsavory motel (he's tracking down his wife, he things she has ... not so kind habits..it's a long story lets not get into it) and while he's there he see's these rather nasty looking individuals go into the motel ,have an admittedly heated conversationw with the clerk , and leaves.
And he got pictures.
And so he reports it to the police. And they never get back to him.
Wireless toaster is a technology freak , I have to mention. His current fetish is phones and phone systems. And he's a certified (computer) network engineer. A very technical person. And he had a nice computer network at home before he and his wife had problems and he had to leave, and now has a pretty awsome phone switchboard system where he lives.
Which is important to this story. because it records phone calls , incoming and out going.
And we're drinking , and he's talking about this , and he emails me three recordings for me to listen to. So , drinking back the beer, I give them a listen.
In the first recording he manages to track down the police officer that he talked to at the motel. A police officer who refused to give him his name, it should be noticed. As for the problem at the motel , it reveils nothing, but I found it fascinating that even if a cop refuses to give you his name and badge number , you can call the police station up and get it anyways. In this day and age of video's being released of cops doing nasty not very police like things, this is a fairly important point I think.
In the second recording the cop calls back , and of course, you can't give out information to a total stranger about a case thats under investigation . Even if the case is closed it's a violation of privacy to discuss it with a stranger. But Wireless toaster wants to get his say in , and the cop kept cutting him off and pointing this out... not much was accomplished.
I mentioned the phone system right ?
It seems that when you block your number when phoneing someone, it's just a courtesy that the receiving phone pays attention to that. Wireless's phone system wasn't programmed to be courteous , and ignored the signil indicating the number was blocked and gave him the number anyways.
Interesting that a blocked number could be over ridden and gotten anyways. Thats a second piece if information I found fascinating in our little drinking session.
He ran the number through google. He didn't get the cops personal details , of course, thats a serious violation of privacy. But he did get the name of the phone provider. It was a Fido Phone. Indicating that the cop had actually called on his private cell phone rather than his office phone.
Well...my wind phone has unlimited minutes, I've used it for work all the time. So I don't think there's much wrong with that , to be honest.
Third phone call recording was Wireless calling back.
Try to imagine, you called someone , you blocked the number ... and he calls you back on the phone who's number he's not supposed to have. And he goes on and on about this case . And the cop lies and says it's not his personal phone it's his work phone (yeah right) And to never call him on it. (ha ha ...don't call me at work ? To discuss work ? But it's ok to call me on this *OTHER* work number ? Thats your private phone buddy)
And Wireless went back to going on and on about having pictures and he want's to turn them in and help solve that case...
And so I learned a third thing that session. It's possible to harrass a police officer in such a way that he cannot do anything about it.
all and all a very productive evening I think. Which was contrary to what I wanted to actually do , but ok, this worked too.
I can still imagine the expression of horror that cop probably had on his face when Wireless called back on that guys personal phone. "I swear I blocked the number ! Honest I did !" It makes me laugh.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Ottawa police attack and strip search innocent woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFq66qIWajo
So these are the police I have to deal with in my city ?
I want them fired. All of them.
But I know they'll get off scott free without even a slap on a wrist.
Mayor Watson , are you going to do something about this ? Or are these thugs going to continue with their thuggary unabated ?
So these are the police I have to deal with in my city ?
I want them fired. All of them.
But I know they'll get off scott free without even a slap on a wrist.
Mayor Watson , are you going to do something about this ? Or are these thugs going to continue with their thuggary unabated ?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Duckies House of Quackery
Ont. man dies after MS vein opening
An Ontario man with multiple sclerosis died of complications after a controversial treatment in Costa Rica to open up his neck veins, CBC News has learned.
Mahir Mostic, 35, of St. Catharines died on Oct. 19, one day after doctors in the Central American country tried to dissolve a blood-clot complication.
Skip all that. Down to the comments.
meowiekitty wrote:Posted 2010/11/19
at 1:27 PM ET
If I had fast developing MS, I'd try experimental procedures to increase my quality of life (it wasn't meant to cure him). I'd try experimental procedures for anything, and I'd probably try heroin too. What difference does it make if I'm going to die soon anyway?
This disease is terrible, especially the fast moving kind. I don't think people live much longer than 5 years after they are diagnosed.
Science can't move forward if we don't try new procedures. At one time, we thought the cure for STDs was mercury. We also used to bleed people to cure them!
This man was very brave to try something new and controversial, and he did so knowing that there is a high degree of risk.
We at Doctor Duck's House of Quackery have created a new cure for MS ! It involves stuffing cotton balls into the ears of the patients while praying to the secret VooDoo spirit of MS Cures who's name we are sworn never to reviel !
So have your 10 000$ ready and come on down ! Our Voodoo doctors only have limited beds available so hurry to get yours !
Remember ! You're dying of a horrible incurable disease so its time to try anything ! Does it really matter I got my degree off the back of a cracker jack box ?
You have nothing to lose but the contents of your wallets !
Remember Doctor Ducks motto ! "I'm not a duck , just a Quack !"
PS: Medical degree's in Quackery for sale cheap , exams optional , inquire within.
An Ontario man with multiple sclerosis died of complications after a controversial treatment in Costa Rica to open up his neck veins, CBC News has learned.
Mahir Mostic, 35, of St. Catharines died on Oct. 19, one day after doctors in the Central American country tried to dissolve a blood-clot complication.
Skip all that. Down to the comments.
meowiekitty wrote:Posted 2010/11/19
at 1:27 PM ET
If I had fast developing MS, I'd try experimental procedures to increase my quality of life (it wasn't meant to cure him). I'd try experimental procedures for anything, and I'd probably try heroin too. What difference does it make if I'm going to die soon anyway?
This disease is terrible, especially the fast moving kind. I don't think people live much longer than 5 years after they are diagnosed.
Science can't move forward if we don't try new procedures. At one time, we thought the cure for STDs was mercury. We also used to bleed people to cure them!
This man was very brave to try something new and controversial, and he did so knowing that there is a high degree of risk.
Meowkittie you're In luck !
We at Doctor Duck's House of Quackery have created a new cure for MS ! It involves stuffing cotton balls into the ears of the patients while praying to the secret VooDoo spirit of MS Cures who's name we are sworn never to reviel !
So have your 10 000$ ready and come on down ! Our Voodoo doctors only have limited beds available so hurry to get yours !
Remember ! You're dying of a horrible incurable disease so its time to try anything ! Does it really matter I got my degree off the back of a cracker jack box ?
You have nothing to lose but the contents of your wallets !
Remember Doctor Ducks motto ! "I'm not a duck , just a Quack !"
PS: Medical degree's in Quackery for sale cheap , exams optional , inquire within.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Return of the Wireless Toaster
My friend the paranoid schizophrenic called the other day, said he had some time off work next week if I wanted to have a coffee with him.
Hmm...time off work.
Last time I checked he didn't have a job , and swore up and down he'd never work again.
You know ... an unstable paranoid schizophrenic holding down a job ... umm... unstable people generally don't do that. They'd rather be out on the street freezing to death.
hmmm.....
Well ok ... I suppose I can risk a cup of coffee on the off chance he's cured, or maybe never was paranoid , or whatever weirdness might have happened.
So I meet up with him.
He actually went back to work some number of months ago. He didn't want to , he swore up and down he never would, but they made him , so he went. And he fired that lawyer who was leeching all his money and giving him nothing for it.
Hmm....paranoid schizophrenics wouldn't return to work , wouldn't deal with these issues, would just ignore them actually. That would be the "Schizophrenic" part of disease, the innability to deal with reality. Apparently being paranoid is ok , maybe even normal , it's only when it interfere's with your ability to deal with reality that the psychologists get all interested in it.
Hmm...he's still got his car. In fact, he tells me , the lease ran out on it and he bought it. Hmm... I would have bet long odds he would have lost it long ago.
Ok. Time for the big test. "Do you still think I work for a government agency thats out to kill you ? "
"I never said that ! You're paraphrasing ! Thats not what I meant ..." yadda yadda yadda...
Well..ok. Good enough for me. You don't throw a 20+ year friendship away if you really don't have to , they're kind of hard to replace , and it looks like I don't have to. So hey !
Welcome back , Wireless Toaster.
Hmm...time off work.
Last time I checked he didn't have a job , and swore up and down he'd never work again.
You know ... an unstable paranoid schizophrenic holding down a job ... umm... unstable people generally don't do that. They'd rather be out on the street freezing to death.
hmmm.....
Well ok ... I suppose I can risk a cup of coffee on the off chance he's cured, or maybe never was paranoid , or whatever weirdness might have happened.
So I meet up with him.
He actually went back to work some number of months ago. He didn't want to , he swore up and down he never would, but they made him , so he went. And he fired that lawyer who was leeching all his money and giving him nothing for it.
Hmm....paranoid schizophrenics wouldn't return to work , wouldn't deal with these issues, would just ignore them actually. That would be the "Schizophrenic" part of disease, the innability to deal with reality. Apparently being paranoid is ok , maybe even normal , it's only when it interfere's with your ability to deal with reality that the psychologists get all interested in it.
Hmm...he's still got his car. In fact, he tells me , the lease ran out on it and he bought it. Hmm... I would have bet long odds he would have lost it long ago.
Ok. Time for the big test. "Do you still think I work for a government agency thats out to kill you ? "
"I never said that ! You're paraphrasing ! Thats not what I meant ..." yadda yadda yadda...
Well..ok. Good enough for me. You don't throw a 20+ year friendship away if you really don't have to , they're kind of hard to replace , and it looks like I don't have to. So hey !
Welcome back , Wireless Toaster.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Khadr confirms he was al-Qaeda member, prepares for sentencing
Article
Canadian Omar Khadr, the self-confessed al-Qaeda murderer and terrorist, was back in the war crimes courtroom today for the sentencing phase of his trial.
In a long stipulation of facts, Mr. Khadr confirmed that he was an al-Qaeda member, wanted to kill Jews and Americans, and that the “happiest moment of his life” was when he built and planted roadside bombs aimed at killing Americans and other unbelievers then deployed in Afghanistan.
I do not like self confessions. They stink of rubber hoses and cigarette burns and beating the accused with out mercy until he'll confess to anything. And Eight years in prison , it's pretty obvious thats what happened.
But ...
He has no good reason to be on the other side of the world, in a terrorist training camp, learning how to build road side bombs. Put aside the accusations of him throwing a grenade and killing someone , put aside the "military trial" which is little more than a kangaroo court that puts to shame the very notion of justice.
Omar Khadr had no business being on that side of the world , let alone in that terrorist camp.
And so I have no sympathy for him at all.
I do have sympathy for what has befallen our justice system if this kind of nonsense is considered perfectly legal. That I am deeply concerned with. But Omar Khadr can rot in hell for all I care.
Canadian Omar Khadr, the self-confessed al-Qaeda murderer and terrorist, was back in the war crimes courtroom today for the sentencing phase of his trial.
In a long stipulation of facts, Mr. Khadr confirmed that he was an al-Qaeda member, wanted to kill Jews and Americans, and that the “happiest moment of his life” was when he built and planted roadside bombs aimed at killing Americans and other unbelievers then deployed in Afghanistan.
I do not like self confessions. They stink of rubber hoses and cigarette burns and beating the accused with out mercy until he'll confess to anything. And Eight years in prison , it's pretty obvious thats what happened.
But ...
He has no good reason to be on the other side of the world, in a terrorist training camp, learning how to build road side bombs. Put aside the accusations of him throwing a grenade and killing someone , put aside the "military trial" which is little more than a kangaroo court that puts to shame the very notion of justice.
Omar Khadr had no business being on that side of the world , let alone in that terrorist camp.
And so I have no sympathy for him at all.
I do have sympathy for what has befallen our justice system if this kind of nonsense is considered perfectly legal. That I am deeply concerned with. But Omar Khadr can rot in hell for all I care.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Lighting the Fire and then running.
Col. Russell Williams: Should the videos and photos be destroyed?
This story is now closed to commenting.
The end is new for news media when they pull stunts like this. They ask for your opinion , let you vote and everything , and then you see the story is closed for commenting and there are Zero comments , the story was never open for comments.
Why ?
Because it's too much work. Because they want the popularity of running a story thats in the public interest but they don't want to deal with the ten thousand comments such an interesting story will generate.
In other words, they don't want to be a newspaper, and they hate user comments, and anytime it looks like it's going to generate too many they cut you off at the knees.
My opinion was no , don't destroy the photos, lock it up in some archive for forensic experts and psychologists to look at and learn from.
But it seems no one at CBC wants to hear that.
This story is now closed to commenting.
The end is new for news media when they pull stunts like this. They ask for your opinion , let you vote and everything , and then you see the story is closed for commenting and there are Zero comments , the story was never open for comments.
Why ?
Because it's too much work. Because they want the popularity of running a story thats in the public interest but they don't want to deal with the ten thousand comments such an interesting story will generate.
In other words, they don't want to be a newspaper, and they hate user comments, and anytime it looks like it's going to generate too many they cut you off at the knees.
My opinion was no , don't destroy the photos, lock it up in some archive for forensic experts and psychologists to look at and learn from.
But it seems no one at CBC wants to hear that.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Moms' guilty pleas tossed after pathologist errors
article
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered new trials for two women who originally pleaded guilty after now disgraced forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Smith testified they had asphyxiated their babies.
A judicial inquiry into Dr. Charles Smith's work found the pathologist's testimony was responsible, in part, for several people being wrongfully convicted of killing children and being sentenced to prison.A judicial inquiry into Dr. Charles Smith's work found the pathologist's testimony was responsible, in part, for several people being wrongfully convicted of killing children and being sentenced to prison. (Canadian Press)
Smith's testimony has since been found to be responsible for a number of wrongful convictions.
On Wednesday, the Appeal Court set aside guilty pleas from the women, one of whom was convicted of manslaughter and the other of infanticide.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the canadian courts. These women were forced to confess in order to avoid jail , of a crime they didn't actually commit. What happened to our great lie detectors ? What happened to that crack team of RCMP specialists who can beat a confession out of anyone ?
It seems they realy can beat a confession out of anyone.
Even those who are completely innocent.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered new trials for two women who originally pleaded guilty after now disgraced forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Smith testified they had asphyxiated their babies.
A judicial inquiry into Dr. Charles Smith's work found the pathologist's testimony was responsible, in part, for several people being wrongfully convicted of killing children and being sentenced to prison.A judicial inquiry into Dr. Charles Smith's work found the pathologist's testimony was responsible, in part, for several people being wrongfully convicted of killing children and being sentenced to prison. (Canadian Press)
Smith's testimony has since been found to be responsible for a number of wrongful convictions.
On Wednesday, the Appeal Court set aside guilty pleas from the women, one of whom was convicted of manslaughter and the other of infanticide.
Welcome to the wonderful world of the canadian courts. These women were forced to confess in order to avoid jail , of a crime they didn't actually commit. What happened to our great lie detectors ? What happened to that crack team of RCMP specialists who can beat a confession out of anyone ?
It seems they realy can beat a confession out of anyone.
Even those who are completely innocent.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Islam Passes Judgement on Harper's Foreign policy
Siddiqui: World passes judgment on Harper’s foreign policy
(Article in the toronto star web site) 14/10/2010
Canada’s failure to get elected to the Security Council has been described as “a shocking development,” “a disaster,” “a diplomatic fiasco,” “a colossal failure” and “a dark day for Canada” that brought us “humiliation” and “shame on the world stage.”
Those are apt descriptions of this development — the first time in the 64-year history of the United Nations that Canada has failed to win a council seat, unlike in our six earlier bids. Our next bid cannot be for another 10 years.
The Harperites are reacting with their usual dishonest double-talk.
It’s no big deal not to have won a seat in a dysfunctional organization, they say. If so, why did we run?
So ok , you've got a big "I hate harper" sign on your t-shirt
It’s not just his pro-Israeli stance that made Canada a pariah at the UN. He:
Ok, this editorial is written by an anti-semite. And his name is obviously Islamic in nature. "Haroon Siddiqui" (actually it's an Indian name , but he authored a book called "Being Muslim" so ... yeah . )
Or, it is the fault of the Europeans. They must have voted as a bloc. What else can explain the win by Portugal, not even a member of the G20, let alone the G8, and an economic basket case to boot? But Europe has less than 30 votes, whereas Arab and Muslim nations have 57 and Africa 51 votes, the two blocs with good reasons to oppose us.
Ok, so we helped invade afghanistan and lost 57 votes ..thats a good reason to lose. Hardly the "disaster" you claim it to be. Figure the aftrican votes were split among 5 other contenders (or more) and defeat is inevitable for anyone who has to face an election who went to afghan or iraq.
• Diverted Canadian funds from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to the Palestinian Authority, to boost Mahmoud Abbas against rival Hamas.
Oh dear. we supported a standing government working towards peace instead of some islamic terrorists who's only agenda is to kill all the jews in the world and you're mad at Harper for it.
Left Omar Khadr to rot in Guantanamo Bay, while defending the policy of indefinite detention as well as the American military’s kangaroo courts.
Caught red handed in a terrorist camp , and you want to bring him home and set him free.
It seems that the Toronto Star has become the Voice of Islam and the lastest Israeli Basher in this country. Kind of odd, but what they hey , newspapers have been sinking fast ever since the internet came out , I suppose it's only a matter of time before the wacko nut cases take them over as they enter their death throws.
You need more than slanted numbers and "If they love jews they must be bad" to convince most canadians, mister "Being Muslim". Because this crud only flies in the middle east , it has no place here.
(Article in the toronto star web site) 14/10/2010
Canada’s failure to get elected to the Security Council has been described as “a shocking development,” “a disaster,” “a diplomatic fiasco,” “a colossal failure” and “a dark day for Canada” that brought us “humiliation” and “shame on the world stage.”
Those are apt descriptions of this development — the first time in the 64-year history of the United Nations that Canada has failed to win a council seat, unlike in our six earlier bids. Our next bid cannot be for another 10 years.
The Harperites are reacting with their usual dishonest double-talk.
It’s no big deal not to have won a seat in a dysfunctional organization, they say. If so, why did we run?
So ok , you've got a big "I hate harper" sign on your t-shirt
It’s not just his pro-Israeli stance that made Canada a pariah at the UN. He:
Ok, this editorial is written by an anti-semite. And his name is obviously Islamic in nature. "Haroon Siddiqui" (actually it's an Indian name , but he authored a book called "Being Muslim" so ... yeah . )
Or, it is the fault of the Europeans. They must have voted as a bloc. What else can explain the win by Portugal, not even a member of the G20, let alone the G8, and an economic basket case to boot? But Europe has less than 30 votes, whereas Arab and Muslim nations have 57 and Africa 51 votes, the two blocs with good reasons to oppose us.
Ok, so we helped invade afghanistan and lost 57 votes ..thats a good reason to lose. Hardly the "disaster" you claim it to be. Figure the aftrican votes were split among 5 other contenders (or more) and defeat is inevitable for anyone who has to face an election who went to afghan or iraq.
• Diverted Canadian funds from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to the Palestinian Authority, to boost Mahmoud Abbas against rival Hamas.
Oh dear. we supported a standing government working towards peace instead of some islamic terrorists who's only agenda is to kill all the jews in the world and you're mad at Harper for it.
Left Omar Khadr to rot in Guantanamo Bay, while defending the policy of indefinite detention as well as the American military’s kangaroo courts.
Caught red handed in a terrorist camp , and you want to bring him home and set him free.
It seems that the Toronto Star has become the Voice of Islam and the lastest Israeli Basher in this country. Kind of odd, but what they hey , newspapers have been sinking fast ever since the internet came out , I suppose it's only a matter of time before the wacko nut cases take them over as they enter their death throws.
You need more than slanted numbers and "If they love jews they must be bad" to convince most canadians, mister "Being Muslim". Because this crud only flies in the middle east , it has no place here.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Legalized Prostitution
Article = none , personal opinion
(Some references to a commentary appearing in page 13 Ottawa Sun Oct 1 2010 by Brian Lilley)
So, prostitution is in the news again. A Judge has struck down the laws against it. Laws that were only against communicating or such for purposes of prostitution , the actual act of prostitution is not illegal in this country. And people are all up in arms about how can this be legal here ?
Well... first , when you're crafting a law, you have to make sure it doesn't come and bite you in the rear end , or you'll be forced to strike down your own creation. That's probably why prostitution itself is still legal , there wasn't any way to make it illegal without someone taking a hit somewhere from an over broad law.
And I'm looking at an Ottawa Sun article , a commentary , that goes on and on about how prostitution is "wrong" , and the only reasoning I can see is that he wouldn't want his daughter to do it.
There's a lot of reasons , lot of good arguments, why prostitution should be legalized. And there's a lot of good arguments why it should not be. But "I think it's wrong" isn't on either of those lists. Sorry buddy. Nor is "I wouldn't want my daughter to do it"
Much as I might agree with the sentiment , this is how bad laws are made. The kind that come back to haunt you and leave you saying "I didn't mean for that to happen !" and then you wind up voting to strike it down anyways and the whole thing becomes a decade of trouble and wasted effort.
Reviewing his other points we see ...
Netherland and Germany are cited as places of legal prostitution , that still have illegal prostitution , sex workers imported for the task are mentioned.
And so do we ! Yes, I have met a girl at a strip joint who reported she was here from another country and was doing this to send money home to her family. So, I personally know it's happening in Canada. Your argument implies by legalizing prostitution we will cause this to happen here, guess what ? It already is.
Our Wag also argues that while the court hesitates to inject any sort of morality into sexual matters , he thinks they should , arguing "morality underpins our legal system" and points to theft as being immoral.
Umm.... no. Imposing your morality on everyone else was discarded long ago. I don't know why you're bringing it up.
The Judge has decided the laws are bringing harm to the prostitutes by way of driving them underground where they become victems of organized crime , pimps, beatings, and murder because they dare not go to the police
This is the classic case of a law backfiring and doing the exact opposite of what was intended, and I believe she was right to strike it down. The purpose of the law was to protect people, not put them in harms way. It failed that purpose, get rid of it.
My Personal Opinion...
Whether it's legal or not , whether you like it or not , prostitution is going to happen. You have two choices only. Protect the prostitutes, or abandon them to the wolves, that's about it. And our current laws that have been struck down abandon them to the wolves.
Those are your choices, which will you choose ? I choose not to abandon anyone to the wolves.
(Some references to a commentary appearing in page 13 Ottawa Sun Oct 1 2010 by Brian Lilley)
So, prostitution is in the news again. A Judge has struck down the laws against it. Laws that were only against communicating or such for purposes of prostitution , the actual act of prostitution is not illegal in this country. And people are all up in arms about how can this be legal here ?
Well... first , when you're crafting a law, you have to make sure it doesn't come and bite you in the rear end , or you'll be forced to strike down your own creation. That's probably why prostitution itself is still legal , there wasn't any way to make it illegal without someone taking a hit somewhere from an over broad law.
And I'm looking at an Ottawa Sun article , a commentary , that goes on and on about how prostitution is "wrong" , and the only reasoning I can see is that he wouldn't want his daughter to do it.
There's a lot of reasons , lot of good arguments, why prostitution should be legalized. And there's a lot of good arguments why it should not be. But "I think it's wrong" isn't on either of those lists. Sorry buddy. Nor is "I wouldn't want my daughter to do it"
Much as I might agree with the sentiment , this is how bad laws are made. The kind that come back to haunt you and leave you saying "I didn't mean for that to happen !" and then you wind up voting to strike it down anyways and the whole thing becomes a decade of trouble and wasted effort.
Reviewing his other points we see ...
Netherland and Germany are cited as places of legal prostitution , that still have illegal prostitution , sex workers imported for the task are mentioned.
And so do we ! Yes, I have met a girl at a strip joint who reported she was here from another country and was doing this to send money home to her family. So, I personally know it's happening in Canada. Your argument implies by legalizing prostitution we will cause this to happen here, guess what ? It already is.
Our Wag also argues that while the court hesitates to inject any sort of morality into sexual matters , he thinks they should , arguing "morality underpins our legal system" and points to theft as being immoral.
Umm.... no. Imposing your morality on everyone else was discarded long ago. I don't know why you're bringing it up.
The Judge has decided the laws are bringing harm to the prostitutes by way of driving them underground where they become victems of organized crime , pimps, beatings, and murder because they dare not go to the police
This is the classic case of a law backfiring and doing the exact opposite of what was intended, and I believe she was right to strike it down. The purpose of the law was to protect people, not put them in harms way. It failed that purpose, get rid of it.
My Personal Opinion...
Whether it's legal or not , whether you like it or not , prostitution is going to happen. You have two choices only. Protect the prostitutes, or abandon them to the wolves, that's about it. And our current laws that have been struck down abandon them to the wolves.
Those are your choices, which will you choose ? I choose not to abandon anyone to the wolves.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Clash of the Titans @ 2010
Wings away Pegasus !
Sorry , but it was difficult not to start singing that annoying hercules song. Hero's name was Perseus though in this movie. And yes, like hercules , he was a half son of Zeus
Star was Sam WORTHINGDON, i Think.
Remember that annoying terinator movie where the hero was a deathrow inmate that go ressurecd and turned into a temintor ? Yeah , that guy. And it's the same personality her. He smiles once in a while , but you swear you're looking at that same terminator guy transplanted into this movie. I swear the guy is like arnold swartznegger in his early day he can only play one roll.
ok. So . Mankind, symbolized by one single anient greek city, no longer worships the gods and starts tearing down their temples. Since the gods need mans worship to survive , they cant have this , so man and gods go to war, with lots and lots of really cool modern special effects on the side of the gods , who are highly hamstrung by the fact that the more men they kill the weaker they become.
Philisophically , as an aspiring writer, I find the whole situation fascinating. How do you go to war with someone you don't want to hurt ? And the whole waring philosophies of man trying to do things their own way and forget about the gods, vs the gods trying to keep their worshippers, it's a theme the modern world is struggling with in real life, making this several thousand year old myth a lot more relevant than you would expect.
In the end, big battles, awesome special effects, and an interesting philosophy debate to think about long after the movie ends.
Oh yes, the good guys win in the end. But considering how old this tale is , you probably already figured that out.
Sorry , but it was difficult not to start singing that annoying hercules song. Hero's name was Perseus though in this movie. And yes, like hercules , he was a half son of Zeus
Star was Sam WORTHINGDON, i Think.
Remember that annoying terinator movie where the hero was a deathrow inmate that go ressurecd and turned into a temintor ? Yeah , that guy. And it's the same personality her. He smiles once in a while , but you swear you're looking at that same terminator guy transplanted into this movie. I swear the guy is like arnold swartznegger in his early day he can only play one roll.
ok. So . Mankind, symbolized by one single anient greek city, no longer worships the gods and starts tearing down their temples. Since the gods need mans worship to survive , they cant have this , so man and gods go to war, with lots and lots of really cool modern special effects on the side of the gods , who are highly hamstrung by the fact that the more men they kill the weaker they become.
Philisophically , as an aspiring writer, I find the whole situation fascinating. How do you go to war with someone you don't want to hurt ? And the whole waring philosophies of man trying to do things their own way and forget about the gods, vs the gods trying to keep their worshippers, it's a theme the modern world is struggling with in real life, making this several thousand year old myth a lot more relevant than you would expect.
In the end, big battles, awesome special effects, and an interesting philosophy debate to think about long after the movie ends.
Oh yes, the good guys win in the end. But considering how old this tale is , you probably already figured that out.
Data Stick - Wind
Bought myself a Data Stick from Wind.
what the heck is a data stick , you ask ?
You stick it in the usb slot of your lap top computer (or regular computer) and ...well , it's not quite a cell phone call , but it is using the cell phone network to connect to the internet. And it has a phone number and everything , but don't call me on that number, cause there's no handset , no way to answer, no way to even hear it ring.
World of Warcraft hates it.
The first time I tried out the game on it , well it is a different provider , and they are paranoid with all the account theft going around in that online game. They locked me out and sent me a nasty email to reset my password because of suspicious activity.
But it's all good now.
100$ for the stick
45$ for "unlmited" data.
By unlimited they mean 5 gigs a month and they slow you down if you go over it, but you never actually incur extra charges above the 45$ / month.
And the best part of all ?
No contract.
If you're feeling poor , you shut it down for a month or two , and then when you're feeling rich you start it up again.
It's not for everyone. Not everyone is in a position where internet on the go will do them any good or do them much use. But if you are one of those people , it sure as heck beats the 3 year contract nonsense bell and rogers will demand of you.
what the heck is a data stick , you ask ?
You stick it in the usb slot of your lap top computer (or regular computer) and ...well , it's not quite a cell phone call , but it is using the cell phone network to connect to the internet. And it has a phone number and everything , but don't call me on that number, cause there's no handset , no way to answer, no way to even hear it ring.
World of Warcraft hates it.
The first time I tried out the game on it , well it is a different provider , and they are paranoid with all the account theft going around in that online game. They locked me out and sent me a nasty email to reset my password because of suspicious activity.
But it's all good now.
100$ for the stick
45$ for "unlmited" data.
By unlimited they mean 5 gigs a month and they slow you down if you go over it, but you never actually incur extra charges above the 45$ / month.
And the best part of all ?
No contract.
If you're feeling poor , you shut it down for a month or two , and then when you're feeling rich you start it up again.
It's not for everyone. Not everyone is in a position where internet on the go will do them any good or do them much use. But if you are one of those people , it sure as heck beats the 3 year contract nonsense bell and rogers will demand of you.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
House MD
House Video's at Megavideo
Kind of got into the House TV series, which is an interesting thing in itself since I don't watch TV. Found a site on the net.
House is a drama about a doctor named Gregory House, some staff , and the patients they treat. I suppose I could go on and on about the stuff other people covered, or I could just put a link in HERE and let you read it when you get around to it.
One of the most interesting things about House, from the perspective of an aspiring writer , is the way the series is organized. You have to understand that the most successful shows have always been about people. Be it the latest star trek episode, or star wars , or House. The Gizmo's in start trek really should overshadow the people. In real life they would. One need only look at any modern western army and what do you see ? Tanks, stealth bombers, rifles with a ridiculously long range that should be called sniper rifles, but every rifle is that long range so they don't bother, night goggles... the toys make the war in the real world.
But in Star trek , it's all about the charactars interacting. In star wars, the force and the light sabres are really nice toys , but the one thing The Force did was balance out the toys and bring people to the front again.
House is the same way.
Lets face it. House is a total Ass. But he's a well crafted total ass. His urge to solve puzzles , manipulate people , and see how they work becomes the perfect vehical for doing , you guessed it , charactar studies. And of course it's no good to study boring people , so every one of the main charactars in that show has their own little secrets for him to slowly pick apart. Even better, the episodes are not stand alone works. They all build on each other (makeing it different from most TV series) and reference previous things the charactars have done.
And of course the major point of the medical setting is to bring in a constant string of new charactars to be picked apart and analyzed. The patients. They're all deep charactars with their own little secrets to be picked apart as well.
Other shows have tried to do this. Star Trek goes to different worlds for example, thats their endless stream of new charactars to study. But doing up a whole world every episode .. it's too broad a stroke. They're biting off more than they can chew , and it shows. Really they should have circled the same three or four planets and plumbed the depths of charactars from a very few races rather than make totally new races every single episode. That was just too much squeezed into each show, and it showed.
Babylon 5 did well, with it's station bringing in diplomants and wanderers so there was always new blood to be examined there. But again , no one was really doing the examining. You just happened to notice they were doing weird things.
Another thing that should be mentioned are the long term plots The ones that go across ten or so episodes. A new hospital owner hates house , and over ten episodes trys to fire house or get him to quit . House ticks off a cop , who makes Houses life miserable and trys to get him thrown in jail for another dozen or so episodes. The slow work up of houses insanity , trip to a mental institute, and the aftermath which is in fact still ongoing as late as the end of season 6.
Some people call it formulistic writing. But I call it a vehical. You have a relatively stable situation ( a hospital) and a steady stream of new events (in this case patients) to provide fresh blood , fresh infusions of material , so the audience doesn't grow bored.
If I was to try and write an ongoing story or novel (which by the way I am) I would make a check list of things to do in that novel.
And of course, you would have to first think about a framework , often called a formula , to fit all this in. Either they all stay in one place and the people come to them (hospital , space station ala babylon 5 / Deep space 9) , or a group of them go wandering and are always encountering new people (Xena Warriar Princess, David Eddings Belgariad, Original Star Trek hopping on their ship and always exploring )
Just my thoughts on the matter.
Kind of got into the House TV series, which is an interesting thing in itself since I don't watch TV. Found a site on the net.
House is a drama about a doctor named Gregory House, some staff , and the patients they treat. I suppose I could go on and on about the stuff other people covered, or I could just put a link in HERE and let you read it when you get around to it.
One of the most interesting things about House, from the perspective of an aspiring writer , is the way the series is organized. You have to understand that the most successful shows have always been about people. Be it the latest star trek episode, or star wars , or House. The Gizmo's in start trek really should overshadow the people. In real life they would. One need only look at any modern western army and what do you see ? Tanks, stealth bombers, rifles with a ridiculously long range that should be called sniper rifles, but every rifle is that long range so they don't bother, night goggles... the toys make the war in the real world.
But in Star trek , it's all about the charactars interacting. In star wars, the force and the light sabres are really nice toys , but the one thing The Force did was balance out the toys and bring people to the front again.
House is the same way.
Lets face it. House is a total Ass. But he's a well crafted total ass. His urge to solve puzzles , manipulate people , and see how they work becomes the perfect vehical for doing , you guessed it , charactar studies. And of course it's no good to study boring people , so every one of the main charactars in that show has their own little secrets for him to slowly pick apart. Even better, the episodes are not stand alone works. They all build on each other (makeing it different from most TV series) and reference previous things the charactars have done.
And of course the major point of the medical setting is to bring in a constant string of new charactars to be picked apart and analyzed. The patients. They're all deep charactars with their own little secrets to be picked apart as well.
Other shows have tried to do this. Star Trek goes to different worlds for example, thats their endless stream of new charactars to study. But doing up a whole world every episode .. it's too broad a stroke. They're biting off more than they can chew , and it shows. Really they should have circled the same three or four planets and plumbed the depths of charactars from a very few races rather than make totally new races every single episode. That was just too much squeezed into each show, and it showed.
Babylon 5 did well, with it's station bringing in diplomants and wanderers so there was always new blood to be examined there. But again , no one was really doing the examining. You just happened to notice they were doing weird things.
Another thing that should be mentioned are the long term plots The ones that go across ten or so episodes. A new hospital owner hates house , and over ten episodes trys to fire house or get him to quit . House ticks off a cop , who makes Houses life miserable and trys to get him thrown in jail for another dozen or so episodes. The slow work up of houses insanity , trip to a mental institute, and the aftermath which is in fact still ongoing as late as the end of season 6.
Some people call it formulistic writing. But I call it a vehical. You have a relatively stable situation ( a hospital) and a steady stream of new events (in this case patients) to provide fresh blood , fresh infusions of material , so the audience doesn't grow bored.
If I was to try and write an ongoing story or novel (which by the way I am) I would make a check list of things to do in that novel.
- Steady stream of new charactars
- Someone to examine those new charactars
- Detailed charactars , with secrets , for the main cast
- Really deep main charactar , with a lot of secrets to be dribbled out a little at a time.
- Always have a love interest going somewhere
- Always have some secret activity going on
- Long term plots ! (A given if you're writing a novel..not so much on a TV series )
And of course, you would have to first think about a framework , often called a formula , to fit all this in. Either they all stay in one place and the people come to them (hospital , space station ala babylon 5 / Deep space 9) , or a group of them go wandering and are always encountering new people (Xena Warriar Princess, David Eddings Belgariad, Original Star Trek hopping on their ship and always exploring )
Just my thoughts on the matter.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Sony 2HD diskettes 10 Pack - worthless
gotta reinstall winxp on an older machine, got a back up disk but it's not bootable. So I go down to the hardware store and buy a pack of diskets.
Computer can't read the disks.
Cant format them.
Insists there's no disk in the drive.
I give up after 4 disks of this nonsense.
These guys are pirates, their product flatly doesn't work.
Computer can't read the disks.
Cant format them.
Insists there's no disk in the drive.
I give up after 4 disks of this nonsense.
These guys are pirates, their product flatly doesn't work.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Ware Thee The Robots
New robotic system allows medical diagnoses in remote Labrador community
NAIN, N.L. - A new robotic system has been installed at a health clinic in the remote Labrador community of Nain allowing for medical care without the need to travel.
The Remote Presence Robotic System uses a secure Internet connection to help doctors do assessments and diagnose patients in real time from another location.
Medical data, such as ultrasound images, can be transmitted through the robot and medical personnel can lead resuscitation, discuss treatment plans and interact with patients and the local health team.
So how long until some guy in india is running a robot to mop the floors, tend cash , flip your McDogfood's burger ?
How long before 100% of all jobs can be exported to other countries ? Because I mean , once you start outsourcing manual labor , its all over. Now no one will be able to hold a job in any proffession without threat of it heading overseas.
We need laws to prevent this stuff. At the very least , the job must stay in the country . Because shipping it all to the Philipines will be the end of us.
NAIN, N.L. - A new robotic system has been installed at a health clinic in the remote Labrador community of Nain allowing for medical care without the need to travel.
The Remote Presence Robotic System uses a secure Internet connection to help doctors do assessments and diagnose patients in real time from another location.
Medical data, such as ultrasound images, can be transmitted through the robot and medical personnel can lead resuscitation, discuss treatment plans and interact with patients and the local health team.
So how long until some guy in india is running a robot to mop the floors, tend cash , flip your McDogfood's burger ?
How long before 100% of all jobs can be exported to other countries ? Because I mean , once you start outsourcing manual labor , its all over. Now no one will be able to hold a job in any proffession without threat of it heading overseas.
We need laws to prevent this stuff. At the very least , the job must stay in the country . Because shipping it all to the Philipines will be the end of us.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Inquiry findings hurt Taser's business, company to say
Article
VANCOUVER — A British Columbia public inquiry's conclusion that a jolt from a Taser can be lethal wasn't based on all of the evidence and has hurt the manufacturer's business around the world, the company will argue in court this week.
This is like watching the tobacco companies try and sue every doctor who claims smoking is unhealthy.
But Taser International argues Braidwood didn't take into account all of the information the company provided, and that it wasn't given an opportunity to respond before the report was released.
Tasers "Response" was to spam anyone who asks with thousands and thousands of pages of utter rubbish and then demand you read every last word of it. And if you actualy did they would produce thousands more. Effecitvely they were trying to give themselves the ability to stall forever , and the judge called time on them.
The Arizona-based company says the report has forced it to travel the world to defend its products, and the findings prompted law enforcement officials in Africa to scrap a contract worth "tens of millions of dollars."
Yep. Finding out your "stun gun" is killing people is likely bad for business.
He also questioned some of the studies and statistics provided by Taser, saying their methodology and results were insufficient to conclude, as the company does, that the weapons cannot affect the heart.
Thats legalese for "you just made those studies up out of thin air" , by the way , in case you missed that.
Initially, Taser's petition also accused the commission's lead lawyer and its medical adviser of bias, but a judge later forced the company to drop those complaints, calling them "an abuse of process."
translation : You're suing everyone in sight as a terror tactic.
The company has faced dozens of wrongful death lawsuits and sends legal demands to media outlets that suggest Tasers are responsible for anyone's death.
.
.
.
Last year, Taser International sent out a news release boasting it had successfully won its 100th dismissal of a liability lawsuit.
That one hundred people sued you because someone died from your safe weapon is not something to brag about.
I was wrong. You guys arn't like the tobacco companies. You're new and improved, more vicious , more lethal version of that pattern.
VANCOUVER — A British Columbia public inquiry's conclusion that a jolt from a Taser can be lethal wasn't based on all of the evidence and has hurt the manufacturer's business around the world, the company will argue in court this week.
This is like watching the tobacco companies try and sue every doctor who claims smoking is unhealthy.
But Taser International argues Braidwood didn't take into account all of the information the company provided, and that it wasn't given an opportunity to respond before the report was released.
Tasers "Response" was to spam anyone who asks with thousands and thousands of pages of utter rubbish and then demand you read every last word of it. And if you actualy did they would produce thousands more. Effecitvely they were trying to give themselves the ability to stall forever , and the judge called time on them.
The Arizona-based company says the report has forced it to travel the world to defend its products, and the findings prompted law enforcement officials in Africa to scrap a contract worth "tens of millions of dollars."
Yep. Finding out your "stun gun" is killing people is likely bad for business.
He also questioned some of the studies and statistics provided by Taser, saying their methodology and results were insufficient to conclude, as the company does, that the weapons cannot affect the heart.
Thats legalese for "you just made those studies up out of thin air" , by the way , in case you missed that.
Initially, Taser's petition also accused the commission's lead lawyer and its medical adviser of bias, but a judge later forced the company to drop those complaints, calling them "an abuse of process."
translation : You're suing everyone in sight as a terror tactic.
The company has faced dozens of wrongful death lawsuits and sends legal demands to media outlets that suggest Tasers are responsible for anyone's death.
.
.
.
Last year, Taser International sent out a news release boasting it had successfully won its 100th dismissal of a liability lawsuit.
That one hundred people sued you because someone died from your safe weapon is not something to brag about.
I was wrong. You guys arn't like the tobacco companies. You're new and improved, more vicious , more lethal version of that pattern.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Some politicians under foreign influence: CSIS
Some politicians under foreign influence: CSIS
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 | 10:28 PM ET Comments398Recommend214
CBC News
Richard Fadden, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, is interviewed by the CBC's Peter Mansbridge.Richard Fadden, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, is interviewed by the CBC's Peter Mansbridge. (CBC)
Canada's spy agency suspects cabinet ministers in two provinces are under the control of foreign governments, CBC News has learned.
Several members of B.C. municipal governments are also under suspicion, Richard Fadden, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told CBC News in an exclusive interview.
"We're in fact a bit worried in a couple of provinces that we have an indication that there's some political figures who have developed quite an attachment to foreign countries," Fadden said.
At least five countries are surreptitiously recruiting future political prospects in universities, with China acting the most aggressively, he said. But Middle East countries are also involved.
"A number of countries take the view that if they can develop influence with people relatively early in their careers, they'll follow them through," Fadden said. "Before you know it a country is providing them with money, there's some sort of covert guidance."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/06/22/spying-csis.html#ixzz0reCQrHsb
--- ---- ---
In the vastness of the internet, some news articles have a habit of mysteriously vanishing , never to be seen again. So I'm just going to clip this one and hang onto it , if you don't mind too much. It's down played here, but it's a pretty outragous accusation. If it wasn't CSIS making these accusations, I would probably ignore it as part of the tin foil hat crowd , but since it isn't ...
Why I love my Wind Phone
Article = none, personal experience
Make and model : Huawei U1250 vs Samsung m610
The Samsung phone , which I got from Bell 3 years ago and just termiated , has the ability to take pictures, play music, and of course , make phone calls. This is common to both phones.
Price
The Samsung cost 325$ (full price) or 100$ and a 3 year contract. The Huawei was the cheapest lowest bottom of the line Wind had and cost me 70$ + tax , no contract. (Wind has no contracts)
Play Music
The Samsung has an annoying "universal" jack on the side that will accept the power cable for recharging , the data cable for loading up tunes from your computer ,and the head phone for playing music. The jack broke within the first 2 months, and took them 4 months of trial and error to eventually fix. During which I had to pay bell their monthly fee despite not having my phone. They pointed to the distributer (wirelesswave) and said it was their problem.
After which , I had to be careful to use the jack only for power because thanks to their four month delay I was now out of warrenty and it would cost me a fortune to fix it a second time. Barring spending 120$ for a blue tooth head set that could play music , my music phone suddenly no longer played music. I bought a cheap40$ mp3 player and 20$ ear plugs and counted myself lucky.
The Huawei has a standard jack on the top , the kind on your stereo , your mp3 player, any random electronic device. I was able to take my store bought earplugs and plug them in and they worked just fine. I was also able to take the 1 gig memory chip from the old Samsung and put it in the Huawei and it even read the songs that were on it.
The jack for connecting to the computer was the standard "small" usb cable , and it came with such a cable (I now have 3 identical such cables, they all work , so I know it's some kind of standard) and it automaticaly installed (under WinXP) and I was able to delete the old tunes and put in new ones with little fuss.
No Connection
The Bell phone (Samsung) would try to connect when I was in a dead zone , like the hospital, and it was totally useless without such a connection. It wouldn't tell you the time of day , play music , nothing. Basically if Bell cut you off your phone died.
The Wind phone (Huawei) after I phoned up wasn't active for the first hour. During which it would happily play tunes from the memory card and tell me the (admittedly wrong) time. So if I cancel my Wind account , my phones mp3 abilites are unaffected.
Internet
Bell refuses to block the internet. No way , no how , no helping you sabatage the settings so it won't actually connect , and you buy the 7$ / month internet plan (which is useless on the phone) or it's 50$ / megabyte. And if you're near the end of contract and ask to remove the internet feature because you're going to just pull the battery and dump the thing ? They tack on 11 months to your contract if you change any features. So don't bother.
Wind happily blocked the internet from their end. No charge.
Texting
Both wind and Bell blocked texting from their phones. Bell tried to do a sales job on you , but in the end if you insisted they would block it anyways.
I attribute this more to one of our previous prime ministers getting hot and bothered under the collar and saying nasties about texting to all phone providers , than I do to the policies of any particular company.
Monthly Charges
Bell wanted 30$ / month for voice 400 minutes, +7$ / month for internet that was totally useless that they basically extorted from me under threat of 50$ /megabyte data charges if I didn't put that feature on, and 11 month contract renewal if I tried to take it off.
Wind wants 35$ / month unlimited voice. There's a deal for half off before the end of june , but I'm not really counting breif specials since both companies have them. Paid in advance and if I get into trouble they'll just shut the phone off during the periods I can't afford it, rather than racking up the charges.
Contract
Bell demandes a three year contract , and buried way deep in it is a clause that says they can change their mind any time they like and you are stuck with it. You don't get to say "thats not what I signed up for !". This comes into importance when they try to save you from leaving and going off to some other company by promising you outragous things. I worked in a call center and I had such calls all the time. The "Save" department never left any notes about such deals , and so the customer was generally stuck in another 3 year contract with no real savings or bonus at all.
(Rogers has a similar contract clause, by the way)
Wind has no contracts.
Conclusion :
Wind Mobile wins hands down . Why ? Policy. They don't try and gouge you every time you turn around. Bell does. Monthly prices are similar (Bell lowered them drastically to come close to wind) but the aggrivation factor makes all the difference in the world.
Make and model : Huawei U1250 vs Samsung m610
The Samsung phone , which I got from Bell 3 years ago and just termiated , has the ability to take pictures, play music, and of course , make phone calls. This is common to both phones.
Price
The Samsung cost 325$ (full price) or 100$ and a 3 year contract. The Huawei was the cheapest lowest bottom of the line Wind had and cost me 70$ + tax , no contract. (Wind has no contracts)
Play Music
The Samsung has an annoying "universal" jack on the side that will accept the power cable for recharging , the data cable for loading up tunes from your computer ,and the head phone for playing music. The jack broke within the first 2 months, and took them 4 months of trial and error to eventually fix. During which I had to pay bell their monthly fee despite not having my phone. They pointed to the distributer (wirelesswave) and said it was their problem.
After which , I had to be careful to use the jack only for power because thanks to their four month delay I was now out of warrenty and it would cost me a fortune to fix it a second time. Barring spending 120$ for a blue tooth head set that could play music , my music phone suddenly no longer played music. I bought a cheap40$ mp3 player and 20$ ear plugs and counted myself lucky.
The Huawei has a standard jack on the top , the kind on your stereo , your mp3 player, any random electronic device. I was able to take my store bought earplugs and plug them in and they worked just fine. I was also able to take the 1 gig memory chip from the old Samsung and put it in the Huawei and it even read the songs that were on it.
The jack for connecting to the computer was the standard "small" usb cable , and it came with such a cable (I now have 3 identical such cables, they all work , so I know it's some kind of standard) and it automaticaly installed (under WinXP) and I was able to delete the old tunes and put in new ones with little fuss.
No Connection
The Bell phone (Samsung) would try to connect when I was in a dead zone , like the hospital, and it was totally useless without such a connection. It wouldn't tell you the time of day , play music , nothing. Basically if Bell cut you off your phone died.
The Wind phone (Huawei) after I phoned up wasn't active for the first hour. During which it would happily play tunes from the memory card and tell me the (admittedly wrong) time. So if I cancel my Wind account , my phones mp3 abilites are unaffected.
Internet
Bell refuses to block the internet. No way , no how , no helping you sabatage the settings so it won't actually connect , and you buy the 7$ / month internet plan (which is useless on the phone) or it's 50$ / megabyte. And if you're near the end of contract and ask to remove the internet feature because you're going to just pull the battery and dump the thing ? They tack on 11 months to your contract if you change any features. So don't bother.
Wind happily blocked the internet from their end. No charge.
Texting
Both wind and Bell blocked texting from their phones. Bell tried to do a sales job on you , but in the end if you insisted they would block it anyways.
I attribute this more to one of our previous prime ministers getting hot and bothered under the collar and saying nasties about texting to all phone providers , than I do to the policies of any particular company.
Monthly Charges
Bell wanted 30$ / month for voice 400 minutes, +7$ / month for internet that was totally useless that they basically extorted from me under threat of 50$ /megabyte data charges if I didn't put that feature on, and 11 month contract renewal if I tried to take it off.
Wind wants 35$ / month unlimited voice. There's a deal for half off before the end of june , but I'm not really counting breif specials since both companies have them. Paid in advance and if I get into trouble they'll just shut the phone off during the periods I can't afford it, rather than racking up the charges.
Contract
Bell demandes a three year contract , and buried way deep in it is a clause that says they can change their mind any time they like and you are stuck with it. You don't get to say "thats not what I signed up for !". This comes into importance when they try to save you from leaving and going off to some other company by promising you outragous things. I worked in a call center and I had such calls all the time. The "Save" department never left any notes about such deals , and so the customer was generally stuck in another 3 year contract with no real savings or bonus at all.
(Rogers has a similar contract clause, by the way)
Wind has no contracts.
Conclusion :
Wind Mobile wins hands down . Why ? Policy. They don't try and gouge you every time you turn around. Bell does. Monthly prices are similar (Bell lowered them drastically to come close to wind) but the aggrivation factor makes all the difference in the world.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Harper says Air India inquiry report a 'damning indictment'
article
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, talks Malcolm Edwards, Shipra Rana and Monique Castonguay, members of the Air India Victims Families Association, in his office on Parliament Hill Thursday following the release of the final inquiry report on the 1985 terrorist attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Four years and 200 witnesses later, Justice John Major concludes a long-sought federal inquiry into the 1985 terrorist attack with a massive report that finds systemic failures and errors by Canada’s police and intelligence agencies...
Thank you for stalling this matter for TWENTY FIVE YEARS so that we can see that the guys in charge of our police long long ago were incompetant twerps but it's too late to do anything about it because they're all retired and some of them have even died of old age by now.
The usefulness of a 25 year old inquiry cannot be understated, because there is no understatement that can describe "less than useless" or "total and complete waste of time".
The Canadian government appreciates you letting them jerk you around for decades and generally doing nothing about this.
Thank you and good night.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, talks Malcolm Edwards, Shipra Rana and Monique Castonguay, members of the Air India Victims Families Association, in his office on Parliament Hill Thursday following the release of the final inquiry report on the 1985 terrorist attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Four years and 200 witnesses later, Justice John Major concludes a long-sought federal inquiry into the 1985 terrorist attack with a massive report that finds systemic failures and errors by Canada’s police and intelligence agencies...
Thank you for stalling this matter for TWENTY FIVE YEARS so that we can see that the guys in charge of our police long long ago were incompetant twerps but it's too late to do anything about it because they're all retired and some of them have even died of old age by now.
The usefulness of a 25 year old inquiry cannot be understated, because there is no understatement that can describe "less than useless" or "total and complete waste of time".
The Canadian government appreciates you letting them jerk you around for decades and generally doing nothing about this.
Thank you and good night.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Torn Memories of Nanjing
Japanese vets admit on film to Nanjing atrocities
Activist Tamaki Matsuoka is challenging Japanese perceptions of the country's war record with a new documentary on the atrocities known as the Rape of Nanking.
Her film, Torn Memories of Nanjing, combines the memories of Japanese war veterans with accounts by Chinese survivors of the massacres of 1937-38, after Japan captured the former capital city of Nanking.
About 1950 a funny thing was invented. It was called The Pill , and it was a reliable form of birth control.
This had a significant impact on world history. Why ? Because before The Pill the only way to pare off the population and make sure they don't explode beyond their food supply and kill everyone , was to go to war with your neibour and get all your young men (and theirs) killed off.
It became a bit of a sport , european nations actually held "summer wars" on a schedule and everything. Regular paring off of the population was good for the nation.
Whenever I hear about the atrocities and evil things done in world war 2 and before , I can't help but think. We were a different race then. War was actually the only path to racial survival. It wasn't very nice, but it was a fact of life. Death was a fact of life.
But not anymore.
The varying atrocities of world war two and before are not on the germans hands or on the japanese hands. The blood is on all our hands. All nations did it. The only way to be a nation was to do it.
The past belongs in a history book. Interesting read, but the current generation wasn't even born when those events occured. And we certainly didn't live under the shadow of the choices those people faced, and the rather nasty reality they had to deal with every day of their lives.
Don't spit on the guys grave until you walk a mile in his shoes. That's all I'm saying.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2010/03/31/nanjing-documentary.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r2:c0:b0#ixzz0qHYMjVCg
Activist Tamaki Matsuoka is challenging Japanese perceptions of the country's war record with a new documentary on the atrocities known as the Rape of Nanking.
Her film, Torn Memories of Nanjing, combines the memories of Japanese war veterans with accounts by Chinese survivors of the massacres of 1937-38, after Japan captured the former capital city of Nanking.
About 1950 a funny thing was invented. It was called The Pill , and it was a reliable form of birth control.
This had a significant impact on world history. Why ? Because before The Pill the only way to pare off the population and make sure they don't explode beyond their food supply and kill everyone , was to go to war with your neibour and get all your young men (and theirs) killed off.
It became a bit of a sport , european nations actually held "summer wars" on a schedule and everything. Regular paring off of the population was good for the nation.
Whenever I hear about the atrocities and evil things done in world war 2 and before , I can't help but think. We were a different race then. War was actually the only path to racial survival. It wasn't very nice, but it was a fact of life. Death was a fact of life.
But not anymore.
The varying atrocities of world war two and before are not on the germans hands or on the japanese hands. The blood is on all our hands. All nations did it. The only way to be a nation was to do it.
The past belongs in a history book. Interesting read, but the current generation wasn't even born when those events occured. And we certainly didn't live under the shadow of the choices those people faced, and the rather nasty reality they had to deal with every day of their lives.
Don't spit on the guys grave until you walk a mile in his shoes. That's all I'm saying.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2010/03/31/nanjing-documentary.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r2:c0:b0#ixzz0qHYMjVCg
Thursday, June 03, 2010
New credit cards pose security problem
Article
Most newly issued credit cards pose major fraud and privacy concerns because of how they're designed to be scanned through the air, some cyber-security experts warn.
"Contactless" MasterCards and Visa cards have been available in Canada for several years, but they've only recently reached the bulk of consumers as the country's biggest banks adopt them.
The credit cards have an embedded computer chip called a radio frequency identification, or RFID, tag. When waved near a payment terminal in a store, the chip supplies the card's number and expiry date through radio waves, avoiding the need to swipe or insert the card or have a cashier handle it.
'It's not encrypted, which is not what we were expecting.'—IT security expert Pablos Holman
And that's the first problem, U.S. cyber-security expert Pablos Holman says.
Anyone can buy an RFID credit card reader online, where second-hand units sometimes sell for under $10, and start scanning cards in public — without cardholders knowing.
WHAT ????
You mean some turkey can just bump into me on a crowded bus with a back pack with a scanner hidden inside , scan my credit card, and next thing I know the dang thing has been racked up ?
One of the comments to the article suggests tin foil in the wallet.
Since you're not supposed to put tinfoil in the microwave because it messes the thing up , and microwave cooks by "micrwoaves" (radio waves) , seems a reasonable precaution.
quick ! Where's the tin foil !
No , not for my head ! For my wallet !
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/05/31/f-rfid-credit-cards-security-concerns.html#socialcomments#ixzz0poLQk9zQ
Most newly issued credit cards pose major fraud and privacy concerns because of how they're designed to be scanned through the air, some cyber-security experts warn.
"Contactless" MasterCards and Visa cards have been available in Canada for several years, but they've only recently reached the bulk of consumers as the country's biggest banks adopt them.
The credit cards have an embedded computer chip called a radio frequency identification, or RFID, tag. When waved near a payment terminal in a store, the chip supplies the card's number and expiry date through radio waves, avoiding the need to swipe or insert the card or have a cashier handle it.
'It's not encrypted, which is not what we were expecting.'—IT security expert Pablos Holman
And that's the first problem, U.S. cyber-security expert Pablos Holman says.
Anyone can buy an RFID credit card reader online, where second-hand units sometimes sell for under $10, and start scanning cards in public — without cardholders knowing.
WHAT ????
You mean some turkey can just bump into me on a crowded bus with a back pack with a scanner hidden inside , scan my credit card, and next thing I know the dang thing has been racked up ?
One of the comments to the article suggests tin foil in the wallet.
Since you're not supposed to put tinfoil in the microwave because it messes the thing up , and microwave cooks by "micrwoaves" (radio waves) , seems a reasonable precaution.
quick ! Where's the tin foil !
No , not for my head ! For my wallet !
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/05/31/f-rfid-credit-cards-security-concerns.html#socialcomments#ixzz0poLQk9zQ
Google dumps Windows. But can the rest of us?
Article
According to the Financial Times, Google is in the midst of replacing all of its Windows-based desktop PCs with ones that run Mac or Linux, citing security concerns since the company was a target of a hack originating in China back in January of 2010.
This may be something of a shock to everyone, but Google has never really been completely reliant on the Windows platform, so this is a pretty easy “fix” for the company.
Now why wouldn't you be using windows ?
Oh yes ! You're in competition with them (microsoft) ! ha ha ha !!
Or their search engine business.
So ..they have an operating business, a search engine business, a database business, a compiler business, a game business...umm..exactly what , when it comes to computers , do they not have ?
Hmm...
You know , I think that non windows platforms are going to be come really popular shortly , since you now have to get off of windows in order not to compete with microsoft, but simply to stay in business.
The capitalists realize the evil of monopolies. This is born by their actions. Monopolies are what you impose on someone else, not what you suffer.
:)
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
You Have just won .. "Click"
Ontario man bilked of $150,000 in email scam
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/14/email-scam.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r5:c0:b0#ixzz0piOzRctQ
A southern Ontario man says he now owes his friends and family $150,000 after international email scam artists bilked him of the funds by convincing him he was about to inherit a fortune.
Let me educate you on proper protocal when receiving corospondance from total strangers.
"You have just one ..." Click ! Hang up the phone.
"Dear Mr Uttawa Bud , I have found your Blug a Fascinating Read but I wood like to interest you in an issue of sum concearn to me. My Uncle who lives in Somalia has inherited a fotune but needs to move it out of the country quickly before ... " Delete !
Ring Ring ? "Mr Ottawa Boy ? My name is Joyce , please stand by while I transfer you to Marlene " Click ! (Joyce is a computer doing cold calls..the tip off is she doesn't let you get a word in edgewise so you usually don't catch on she's a recording..usually is good enough for a telemarketter)
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/14/email-scam.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r5:c0:b0#ixzz0piOpWviE
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/14/email-scam.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r5:c0:b0#ixzz0piOzRctQ
A southern Ontario man says he now owes his friends and family $150,000 after international email scam artists bilked him of the funds by convincing him he was about to inherit a fortune.
Let me educate you on proper protocal when receiving corospondance from total strangers.
"You have just one ..." Click ! Hang up the phone.
"Dear Mr Uttawa Bud , I have found your Blug a Fascinating Read but I wood like to interest you in an issue of sum concearn to me. My Uncle who lives in Somalia has inherited a fotune but needs to move it out of the country quickly before ... " Delete !
Ring Ring ? "Mr Ottawa Boy ? My name is Joyce , please stand by while I transfer you to Marlene " Click ! (Joyce is a computer doing cold calls..the tip off is she doesn't let you get a word in edgewise so you usually don't catch on she's a recording..usually is good enough for a telemarketter)
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/01/14/email-scam.html?ref=rss&loomia_si=t0:a16:g4:r5:c0:b0#ixzz0piOpWviE
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Your conference is now my conference
Stronach aims to put girls, women on G20 agenda
A group of young women from G20 countries will meet in Toronto later this month, with the intent of putting the concerns of girls and women squarely in the spotlight.
A young group of woman have decided to crash a conference of bankers and financial leaders in order to make a publicity stunts o they can have ... what .. votes for women ? They already that. Treat all women in the world by western standards ? Umm..not gonna work. Most dictators would rather shoot them.
but the point is ... why are you bothering a bevy of bankers for this balderdash ?
I have decided I'm starting a new political party. It will be the Free Beer on Friday Political Party. And I"m going to raise awareness of it by bashing some conference or another. OH here's one... Plumbers Technical Standards Association ...thats a good one. Lets crash the plumbers conference so we can advertise a politicial party !
Dumb dumb dumb.
Even worse. The Plumbers won't be holding their conference in town anymore. It draws too much radical attention. In fact no one will hold a conference in this berg anyomre because hey , if you're gonna crash teir party , you're gonna crash anyones, right ?
A group of young women from G20 countries will meet in Toronto later this month, with the intent of putting the concerns of girls and women squarely in the spotlight.
A young group of woman have decided to crash a conference of bankers and financial leaders in order to make a publicity stunts o they can have ... what .. votes for women ? They already that. Treat all women in the world by western standards ? Umm..not gonna work. Most dictators would rather shoot them.
but the point is ... why are you bothering a bevy of bankers for this balderdash ?
I have decided I'm starting a new political party. It will be the Free Beer on Friday Political Party. And I"m going to raise awareness of it by bashing some conference or another. OH here's one... Plumbers Technical Standards Association ...thats a good one. Lets crash the plumbers conference so we can advertise a politicial party !
Dumb dumb dumb.
Even worse. The Plumbers won't be holding their conference in town anymore. It draws too much radical attention. In fact no one will hold a conference in this berg anyomre because hey , if you're gonna crash teir party , you're gonna crash anyones, right ?
Bad Propaganda
Witnesses cast doubt on Israel's convoy raid account
"Personally I saw two-and-a-half wooden batons that were used... There was really nothing else. We never saw any knives.
"This was an attack in international waters on a peaceful mission... This was a clear act of piracy," he added.
.
.
.
The pictures, from Arabic TV, showed the campaigners in a jubilant mood. One said she was determined either to get to Gaza or to die a martyr.
You know what I hate worse than propaganda ?
Bad propaganda. Propaganda where people obviously believe they just have to go down this recipie and then they're golden, and no one will challenge them.
Propaganda like , say organizing a peaceful outing to bring food to the Gaza Strip , and starting all this peace and goodness with a rousing round of chanting "DEATH TO MY ENEMIES" and swearing you'll get there or die.
Propaganda like saying there's no weapons on these peaceful ships, just really big sticks. And oh yeah , the "unarmed" passengers , with a history of suicide bombing , rushed some armed guards in the vain hope that they'd all get shot up and it would make a nice embarrasing international incident.
Except the invaders were armed with paintball guns. Painful .. but for 680 people 9 casualties is pretty low.
And hten of course you get to accuse the invaders of being pirates, despte the fact that you started this whole "peaceful protest" with a bunch of chants about how you were going to kill them.
Yep. You managed to hit every point on the peaceful protest list.
And a few extra that make you look like a donkeys behind.
I have no sympathies for protesters that want to kill people. I really don't care how "peaceful" they think they are , they still want people dead, they aint peaceful.
"Personally I saw two-and-a-half wooden batons that were used... There was really nothing else. We never saw any knives.
"This was an attack in international waters on a peaceful mission... This was a clear act of piracy," he added.
.
.
.
The pictures, from Arabic TV, showed the campaigners in a jubilant mood. One said she was determined either to get to Gaza or to die a martyr.
You know what I hate worse than propaganda ?
Bad propaganda. Propaganda where people obviously believe they just have to go down this recipie and then they're golden, and no one will challenge them.
Propaganda like , say organizing a peaceful outing to bring food to the Gaza Strip , and starting all this peace and goodness with a rousing round of chanting "DEATH TO MY ENEMIES" and swearing you'll get there or die.
Propaganda like saying there's no weapons on these peaceful ships, just really big sticks. And oh yeah , the "unarmed" passengers , with a history of suicide bombing , rushed some armed guards in the vain hope that they'd all get shot up and it would make a nice embarrasing international incident.
Except the invaders were armed with paintball guns. Painful .. but for 680 people 9 casualties is pretty low.
And hten of course you get to accuse the invaders of being pirates, despte the fact that you started this whole "peaceful protest" with a bunch of chants about how you were going to kill them.
Yep. You managed to hit every point on the peaceful protest list.
And a few extra that make you look like a donkeys behind.
I have no sympathies for protesters that want to kill people. I really don't care how "peaceful" they think they are , they still want people dead, they aint peaceful.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Failure to understand the phrase "Peace Movement"
Gaza aid flotilla 'leaves Cyprus'
The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli and Egyptian economic blockade for almost three years, with only limited humanitarian aid allowed.
The activists, from the Free Gaza Movement, want to break the blockade.
Israel imposed the measures after the Islamist movement Hamas took power in Gaza.
Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel over the past decade.
.
.
.
For days, human rights activists aboard the flotilla of ships have been saying they are due in Gaza soon, but they are now running days late.
In the 60's , as I'm sure everyone knows, there were these peace protest. People didn't want war anymore. They wanted you to stop shooting at each other , stop fighting, etc etc. And they organized protests. They had sleep ins. They had love ins. they invented non-violent protests. This was where Green Peace was born.
In the new century, a new form of war has broken out.
Some people have noticed the tactics that the war protesters used in the sixties , and decided that must work on the western nations, so instead of bullets , they'll use non violent protest.
But they're not interested in stopping war. They've taken sides, and the definately want one side to win , and the other side to drop dead. Peace is just a tactic, world domination of Islam is their end goal. So all western non islamic nations will now be subject to "peaceful protests" until they all drop dead and die.
OH thats not what they say , that would be too violent. What they say is "they should go someplace else". Trouble is they want the whole dang planet , so there really isn't any "some place else" when you're out to take it all.
And the whole peace and harmony and love they neibour and brother hood of man thing ? Only if you're a muslim. Only if you're THEIR variety of muslim. And there's a bunch. And they fight each other constantly. With bullets and riots and using unarmed civilians as armies in wave attacks. And it's pretty obvious by their actions they don't give a dang about the welfare or lives of their true believers.
umm...yeah. Failed to understand the concept of "Peace Movement".
These people don't want peace. They want to conquer it all. Bullets didn't work , they'll try something else.
But peace is not what they're interested in.
And living under their system would incurr a breif hellish life and a nasty death.
I'll pass thanks.
Sink that flotilla. Those guys are soldiers , not civilians.
The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli and Egyptian economic blockade for almost three years, with only limited humanitarian aid allowed.
The activists, from the Free Gaza Movement, want to break the blockade.
Israel imposed the measures after the Islamist movement Hamas took power in Gaza.
Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel over the past decade.
.
.
.
For days, human rights activists aboard the flotilla of ships have been saying they are due in Gaza soon, but they are now running days late.
In the 60's , as I'm sure everyone knows, there were these peace protest. People didn't want war anymore. They wanted you to stop shooting at each other , stop fighting, etc etc. And they organized protests. They had sleep ins. They had love ins. they invented non-violent protests. This was where Green Peace was born.
In the new century, a new form of war has broken out.
Some people have noticed the tactics that the war protesters used in the sixties , and decided that must work on the western nations, so instead of bullets , they'll use non violent protest.
But they're not interested in stopping war. They've taken sides, and the definately want one side to win , and the other side to drop dead. Peace is just a tactic, world domination of Islam is their end goal. So all western non islamic nations will now be subject to "peaceful protests" until they all drop dead and die.
OH thats not what they say , that would be too violent. What they say is "they should go someplace else". Trouble is they want the whole dang planet , so there really isn't any "some place else" when you're out to take it all.
And the whole peace and harmony and love they neibour and brother hood of man thing ? Only if you're a muslim. Only if you're THEIR variety of muslim. And there's a bunch. And they fight each other constantly. With bullets and riots and using unarmed civilians as armies in wave attacks. And it's pretty obvious by their actions they don't give a dang about the welfare or lives of their true believers.
umm...yeah. Failed to understand the concept of "Peace Movement".
These people don't want peace. They want to conquer it all. Bullets didn't work , they'll try something else.
But peace is not what they're interested in.
And living under their system would incurr a breif hellish life and a nasty death.
I'll pass thanks.
Sink that flotilla. Those guys are soldiers , not civilians.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Privacy : Why do I care ?
Facebook changes are 'not enough,' say groups
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that "more is needed" from Facebook to address privacy criticisms.
In a blog post, the civil liberties group praised Facebook for a "great first step" towards giving members of the site more control over their data.
However, it warned members against choosing the site's recommended privacy control setting.
So. Why do I care about privacy ? Why am I running a blog under an anonymous name instead of my real name ? Why the hassel ?
The truth is , I didn't care about privacy. No one cared.
Until I went to work one day , and my employer asked me if I played guitar, if I was in a band. Yes I played guitar , no I'm not in a band or thinking of starting one , why do you ask ?
He did a search on google. Some guy with the same name as me was starting a rock and roll band and he was worried I was going to leave him.
I went to a job interview at a personel agency. They asked for my Facebook page. I said I didn't have one. They demanded it , insisted, threatenned not to hire me if they found out I was lying to them.
And by the way , why don't you have a facebook page ?
It's too big a violation of my privacy. I'll get spammed by half the world. And can I have my resume back ? I don't want to work for you.
I used to post on the old usernet news groups. You always had to be careful not to leave an email address, because automatic programs sifted through all the usergroups looking for anything that even looked like an email address and put you on a mailing list to try and sell you viagra and gawd only knows what else.
I got drunk one time, and I stumbled across the email address of Sadam Hussain (dictator of Iraq at the time, he's been deposed by the americans since then). Did I send him hate mail ? No , I signed him up for every homosexual porn site I could find.
Why do I care about privacy ?
I didn't, until a hotmail email address got spammed out of existance. And hten hotmail actually shut it down because there was too much traffic but for 30$ / month they'd be happy to reactivate it.
I didn't, until people started calling my cell phone , from the USA , to sell me junk. On my dime.
I didn't, until a job interview gone wrong where they demanded my facebook page so they could check up on me.
I didn't , until I started looking for a job, and whenever I answered the phone, it wasn't for a job interview, it was a telemarketer trying to sell me stuff, and they had my name.
Now, I care.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Schizophrenic Windsor man gets life for murder
Article
Assistant Crown attorney Gary Nikota said the sentence was appropriate, since the beating of Kearley was not the first time Downs displayed violence.
"Five months before, he engaged in a vicious attack on a mother and a young child for no apparent reason," said Nikota.
So your first incident was when you , for schizophrenic reasons, decided to beat on some random woman and her kid passing by ? Because God told you to ?
Let me guess. before that you were completely non violent, never did a thing in your life , right ?
It's sad to watch people walk down this path. Especially when one of them is known to you. It's like watching one of those dumb zombie movies where your best friend is slowly turned into some kind of monster and then comes chasing after you trying to kill you.
I hate when that happens.
Assistant Crown attorney Gary Nikota said the sentence was appropriate, since the beating of Kearley was not the first time Downs displayed violence.
"Five months before, he engaged in a vicious attack on a mother and a young child for no apparent reason," said Nikota.
So your first incident was when you , for schizophrenic reasons, decided to beat on some random woman and her kid passing by ? Because God told you to ?
Let me guess. before that you were completely non violent, never did a thing in your life , right ?
It's sad to watch people walk down this path. Especially when one of them is known to you. It's like watching one of those dumb zombie movies where your best friend is slowly turned into some kind of monster and then comes chasing after you trying to kill you.
I hate when that happens.
Friday, May 21, 2010
US cartoonist apologises over Facebook Muhammad row
Article
A cartoonist whose work inspired an internet campaign inviting people to draw images of the Prophet Muhammad has apologised for her role in the row.
Writing on her blog, Molly Norris said her satirical cartoon was "hijacked" and that the campaign was "offensive to Muslims".
The problem is that as is the case many times, her first instinct was the correct one. The religion of Islam is attempting to tell the entire world how they can live their lives, and attempt to control all commentary on Islam, and this is not acceptable.
I'm sorry if you don't like the things we say and think about your religion, but shooting people who say bad things doesn't help. It only makes it worse. Your religion, in fact any religion , isn't protected over here. People have a right to comment on these things and decide they don't much like them , or think they're silly or foolish or what not.
And running around saying "You have insulted our religion , you must die" is like a politician running around saying "I take insult to that , kill all those people."
Islam is a dominant religion , it is a political force. And it has entered the field of politics and that's life. It gets rotten tomatoes thrown at it just like every other politician , that's the price of power. That's what you have to put up with when you seek to rule any large group of people.
Deciding there can be no criticism allowed of a political force, be it a person or a religion , that is the real intolerance. That is what is truly unacceptable.
And that's why this whole cartoon thing is a flash point. You're stifling criticism of a ruling power.
A cartoonist whose work inspired an internet campaign inviting people to draw images of the Prophet Muhammad has apologised for her role in the row.
Writing on her blog, Molly Norris said her satirical cartoon was "hijacked" and that the campaign was "offensive to Muslims".
The problem is that as is the case many times, her first instinct was the correct one. The religion of Islam is attempting to tell the entire world how they can live their lives, and attempt to control all commentary on Islam, and this is not acceptable.
I'm sorry if you don't like the things we say and think about your religion, but shooting people who say bad things doesn't help. It only makes it worse. Your religion, in fact any religion , isn't protected over here. People have a right to comment on these things and decide they don't much like them , or think they're silly or foolish or what not.
And running around saying "You have insulted our religion , you must die" is like a politician running around saying "I take insult to that , kill all those people."
Islam is a dominant religion , it is a political force. And it has entered the field of politics and that's life. It gets rotten tomatoes thrown at it just like every other politician , that's the price of power. That's what you have to put up with when you seek to rule any large group of people.
Deciding there can be no criticism allowed of a political force, be it a person or a religion , that is the real intolerance. That is what is truly unacceptable.
And that's why this whole cartoon thing is a flash point. You're stifling criticism of a ruling power.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Gnumeric Disapointment
Yeah, now they tell me I'm diabetic. And they gave me this thing to stab my finger with and take readings and I'm supposed to write down those readings and everything.
Hmm....a spread sheet can do that job easy.
So I got my free copy of Gnumeric, which |I recommend to all my friends, and I have to tell you , I've never really used it before. Oh I did quick demo's and tried one or two things, but I never actually used the dang thing on a daily basis to actually perform work.
So I stab myself, and I take readings, and I put them in the spreadsheet.
And a bunch of readings suddenly go missing.
Maybe I made a mistake. Enter the latest readings , save adn close , open , and make sure they're there. Perfect.
next day their gone.
Amn I losing my mind ?
There was one very high reading it stuck in my mind. It's gone.
Gnumeric ... doesn't work. All that effort. All that enthusasm I got a free spreadsheet I don't have to pay a few hundred dollars etc etc etc....
Dang thing just doesn't work. Your "saved" data has a habit of simply evaporating.
I hate crud like that.
Hmm....a spread sheet can do that job easy.
So I got my free copy of Gnumeric, which |I recommend to all my friends, and I have to tell you , I've never really used it before. Oh I did quick demo's and tried one or two things, but I never actually used the dang thing on a daily basis to actually perform work.
So I stab myself, and I take readings, and I put them in the spreadsheet.
And a bunch of readings suddenly go missing.
Maybe I made a mistake. Enter the latest readings , save adn close , open , and make sure they're there. Perfect.
next day their gone.
Amn I losing my mind ?
There was one very high reading it stuck in my mind. It's gone.
Gnumeric ... doesn't work. All that effort. All that enthusasm I got a free spreadsheet I don't have to pay a few hundred dollars etc etc etc....
Dang thing just doesn't work. Your "saved" data has a habit of simply evaporating.
I hate crud like that.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Kick 'em to the curb
In Greek Debt Crisis, Some See Parallels to U.S.
What an interesting news article. They are seriously proposing that it's too expensive to treat sick people. What are you going to do with them ? Kick them to the curb like you're doing right now ?
Every other nation in the world can afford health care, why can't you ?
And yeah , Greek has a debt crisis, but Cuba doesn't , and it's got a great health care system doesn't it ? Ditto Canada.
It is interesting that such articles receive serious consideration in the american news media.
But when I talk with people online, in online games, I get a very different response from joe average down in america.
What an interesting news article. They are seriously proposing that it's too expensive to treat sick people. What are you going to do with them ? Kick them to the curb like you're doing right now ?
Every other nation in the world can afford health care, why can't you ?
And yeah , Greek has a debt crisis, but Cuba doesn't , and it's got a great health care system doesn't it ? Ditto Canada.
It is interesting that such articles receive serious consideration in the american news media.
But when I talk with people online, in online games, I get a very different response from joe average down in america.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
The Stream of Life
Ever just lie in the grass, when you were a kid , and just look up at the clouds, and think "That one looks like a rabbit" , or "that one looks like a face" ?
Of course we all know, there's no rabbit in the clouds. It's your mind playing tricks on you, trying constantly to organize everything around it into meaningful patterns. And it's funny when you set that automatic part of your mind onto something that has no pattern , that is totally random ... like clouds ... what does that cloud look like ?
Life is like that too. A stream of events. People interacting , talking , fighting , misunderstanding. Throw in government agencies and over eager bureaucrats that will actively lie to you (just met one the other day when I was applying for retraining) , and life might as well just be a random stream of events.
Like looking for rabbits in the clouds.
And it's a fun game to see what kind of patterns emerge from trying to impose order and meaning onto something that has neither. The most bizzare things pop out and you cannot help but laugh at them.
Until one day you realize that you may understand it's all a game your mind is playing on you , but not everyone around you does.
That would be when your friend, who's been a little off , a little too deep into the conspiracy theories for years, runs into a stream of bad luck. And then one day blythly informs you that you are a secret agent of some sort working for the goverment to interfere in his marriage.
Wow...what a pretty bunny rabbit you found. That is totally bizzare, and yes , it's perfectly defensible, the string of events could be interperted to mean that, with just a little imagination.
Except for the part where the mystery government agency has neglected to send me any paychecks.
And you realize he doesn't think it's all a game , or doesn't realize (or accept) it's just your mind playing tricks on you . It's a random stream of events, your mind is going to produce random results. It means nothing, there is no order to be deduced. There is no pattern there no matter what you see.
I wonder sometimes , if we're all doomed to go crazy. To see patterns where there are none , and come to believe in some vast conspiracy where powerful government agencies and other groups are for unspeciied reasons concearned with the comings and goings of unimportant no bodies such as ourselves.
The only pattern I see is randomness. Or perhaps a complexity so vast it is beyond prediction by anyone and thus is close enough to randomness that you might as well just call it that.
And I think it's a cool game to let your mind chew on this randomness and see what outragous results you can come out with. But other people are doing the same thing ... and they're not playing a game.
They seem to think it's for real.
Goodbye Rich Dude. I know why you do what you do , but you've locked the keys inside of you , and there's no way for anyone to let you out back into the sunshine. All we can do is not be there when you decide to take the next step and "defend" yourself against phantom attackers by becoming violent. As it seems is the fate of most people who wear your shoes.
Goodbye.
Positive symptoms
Positive symptoms are symptoms that indicate the presence of unusual thoughts and perceptions that often involve a loss of contact with reality. Delusions and hallucinations are considered positive symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
* Delusions. In paranoid schizophrenia, delusions are often focused on the perception that you're being singled out for harm. Your brain misinterprets experiences and you hold on to these false beliefs despite evidence to the contrary. For instance, you may believe that the government is monitoring every move you make or that a co-worker is poisoning your lunch. You may also have delusions of grandeur — the belief that you can fly, that you're famous or that you have a relationship with a famous person, for example. Delusions can result in aggression or violence if you believe you must act in self-defense against those who want to harm you.
Of course we all know, there's no rabbit in the clouds. It's your mind playing tricks on you, trying constantly to organize everything around it into meaningful patterns. And it's funny when you set that automatic part of your mind onto something that has no pattern , that is totally random ... like clouds ... what does that cloud look like ?
Life is like that too. A stream of events. People interacting , talking , fighting , misunderstanding. Throw in government agencies and over eager bureaucrats that will actively lie to you (just met one the other day when I was applying for retraining) , and life might as well just be a random stream of events.
Like looking for rabbits in the clouds.
And it's a fun game to see what kind of patterns emerge from trying to impose order and meaning onto something that has neither. The most bizzare things pop out and you cannot help but laugh at them.
Until one day you realize that you may understand it's all a game your mind is playing on you , but not everyone around you does.
That would be when your friend, who's been a little off , a little too deep into the conspiracy theories for years, runs into a stream of bad luck. And then one day blythly informs you that you are a secret agent of some sort working for the goverment to interfere in his marriage.
Wow...what a pretty bunny rabbit you found. That is totally bizzare, and yes , it's perfectly defensible, the string of events could be interperted to mean that, with just a little imagination.
Except for the part where the mystery government agency has neglected to send me any paychecks.
And you realize he doesn't think it's all a game , or doesn't realize (or accept) it's just your mind playing tricks on you . It's a random stream of events, your mind is going to produce random results. It means nothing, there is no order to be deduced. There is no pattern there no matter what you see.
I wonder sometimes , if we're all doomed to go crazy. To see patterns where there are none , and come to believe in some vast conspiracy where powerful government agencies and other groups are for unspeciied reasons concearned with the comings and goings of unimportant no bodies such as ourselves.
The only pattern I see is randomness. Or perhaps a complexity so vast it is beyond prediction by anyone and thus is close enough to randomness that you might as well just call it that.
And I think it's a cool game to let your mind chew on this randomness and see what outragous results you can come out with. But other people are doing the same thing ... and they're not playing a game.
They seem to think it's for real.
Goodbye Rich Dude. I know why you do what you do , but you've locked the keys inside of you , and there's no way for anyone to let you out back into the sunshine. All we can do is not be there when you decide to take the next step and "defend" yourself against phantom attackers by becoming violent. As it seems is the fate of most people who wear your shoes.
Goodbye.
Paranoid schizophrenia
Positive symptoms
Positive symptoms are symptoms that indicate the presence of unusual thoughts and perceptions that often involve a loss of contact with reality. Delusions and hallucinations are considered positive symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
* Delusions. In paranoid schizophrenia, delusions are often focused on the perception that you're being singled out for harm. Your brain misinterprets experiences and you hold on to these false beliefs despite evidence to the contrary. For instance, you may believe that the government is monitoring every move you make or that a co-worker is poisoning your lunch. You may also have delusions of grandeur — the belief that you can fly, that you're famous or that you have a relationship with a famous person, for example. Delusions can result in aggression or violence if you believe you must act in self-defense against those who want to harm you.
Goodbye Old Friend
Article = none, personal experiance.
I have a friend. Lets call him rich dude. He isn't much better educated or anything , he didn't inherit anything from his parents. But he made it. He got the nice job, the shiny car , the string of girl friends. And he got it with no help from anyone else.
I've always admired him for that.
Today I had to leave him.
Apparently , according to him , I"m a government agent of some agency or another , and this agency has stooped way down to interfere between him and his wife and their divorce. And he's been acting a little off for years. I'm pretty well convinced he's lost it , and his next step will be to kidnap me and try and beat a confession out of me.
He had it all , and he got it himself. But he was always ... a little off. He was always a conspiracy theory nut. When the store down the street from his home burned down , he decided organized crime meant it as a warning to him personally. Umm..sorry , if organized crime wants to give you a warning it will be your sister or your mother they put a hit on , not the store down the street.
But dont tell him that. He won't listen.
And don't get him started on the subject of government experiments and feeding LSD to test subjects, which apparently he was one of. Don't even go down that road.
Him and his father fought , for years , over a house. He lost it all , and went deeply in debt. Then his marriage went bad, and his job as well. He went from having it all to losing it all.
And it's all a big conspiracy to him , nothing you say will convince him otherwise.
This goes on for years.
Today he announced he was convinced I was a government agent acting on his wifes behalf to ... to do what ? I have no idea. He has no money, and no one will listen to him, but don't tell him that. To listen to him he's got dirt on everyone.
There's no way to argue with a paranoid, no argument you can present , no proof that you're not part of some vast conspiracy against him.
I bought him lunch , and then I took a taxi home.
I'm hoping I don't have to get a restraining order. He's now dangerous to be around. And I got a wife of my own to protect.
I have a friend. Lets call him rich dude. He isn't much better educated or anything , he didn't inherit anything from his parents. But he made it. He got the nice job, the shiny car , the string of girl friends. And he got it with no help from anyone else.
I've always admired him for that.
Today I had to leave him.
Apparently , according to him , I"m a government agent of some agency or another , and this agency has stooped way down to interfere between him and his wife and their divorce. And he's been acting a little off for years. I'm pretty well convinced he's lost it , and his next step will be to kidnap me and try and beat a confession out of me.
He had it all , and he got it himself. But he was always ... a little off. He was always a conspiracy theory nut. When the store down the street from his home burned down , he decided organized crime meant it as a warning to him personally. Umm..sorry , if organized crime wants to give you a warning it will be your sister or your mother they put a hit on , not the store down the street.
But dont tell him that. He won't listen.
And don't get him started on the subject of government experiments and feeding LSD to test subjects, which apparently he was one of. Don't even go down that road.
Him and his father fought , for years , over a house. He lost it all , and went deeply in debt. Then his marriage went bad, and his job as well. He went from having it all to losing it all.
And it's all a big conspiracy to him , nothing you say will convince him otherwise.
This goes on for years.
Today he announced he was convinced I was a government agent acting on his wifes behalf to ... to do what ? I have no idea. He has no money, and no one will listen to him, but don't tell him that. To listen to him he's got dirt on everyone.
There's no way to argue with a paranoid, no argument you can present , no proof that you're not part of some vast conspiracy against him.
I bought him lunch , and then I took a taxi home.
I'm hoping I don't have to get a restraining order. He's now dangerous to be around. And I got a wife of my own to protect.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Anger at Belgian face veil ban
link
Muslims, academics and human rights groups have hit out at a looming public ban in Belgium on the full face veil, following a decision in the country's parliament to make the wearing of the article of clothing illegal.
This is a fascinating article in Al Jareera (English version) , a middle eastern newspaper. The subject matter itself, the pro's and con's of a face veil , are not the fascinating part thought.
The fascinating part is that the article is heavily biased. There is no stock at all given to the notion that veils are a means of enslaving women (the reason why Belgium is doing this in the first place) and a great deal of stock about human rights and freedoms.
It is interesting to see them "take a walk on the wild side" in this manner, totally supporting the Islamic point of view and not mentioning at all any counter view.
I suppose this is the fault of western media , since they also have disposed of the whole notion of balanced reporting (at least hear in Canada) so if the middle easterner's are using them as an example ...sheesh !
aid Belgium "now joins Iran and Saudi Arabia in that exclusive but unenviable rare club of countries to impose a dress code in the public domain".
You forgot Canada. (Complete Nudity is forbidden in public)
Think that might be the USA as well.
Muslims, academics and human rights groups have hit out at a looming public ban in Belgium on the full face veil, following a decision in the country's parliament to make the wearing of the article of clothing illegal.
This is a fascinating article in Al Jareera (English version) , a middle eastern newspaper. The subject matter itself, the pro's and con's of a face veil , are not the fascinating part thought.
The fascinating part is that the article is heavily biased. There is no stock at all given to the notion that veils are a means of enslaving women (the reason why Belgium is doing this in the first place) and a great deal of stock about human rights and freedoms.
It is interesting to see them "take a walk on the wild side" in this manner, totally supporting the Islamic point of view and not mentioning at all any counter view.
I suppose this is the fault of western media , since they also have disposed of the whole notion of balanced reporting (at least hear in Canada) so if the middle easterner's are using them as an example ...sheesh !
aid Belgium "now joins Iran and Saudi Arabia in that exclusive but unenviable rare club of countries to impose a dress code in the public domain".
You forgot Canada. (Complete Nudity is forbidden in public)
Think that might be the USA as well.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
World Polled , dictators still hate USA, think democracy sucks
World warming to US under Obama, BBC poll suggests
Nearly 30,000 people in 28 countries were interviewed for the poll, between November 2009 and February 2010.
Fifteen of the countries have been surveyed every year since 2005, allowing long-term trends to be discerned.
what exactly do we mean polled ? And was there a state sponsored official with a gun escorting the state sponsored translater while this poll was being conducted, to insure that the respondant didn't accidently give the wrong answer ?
methodology section reports phone or face to face, by their "partners" in each country (in other words, in despotic regimes the state sponsored minder did all the work and no polster even bothered to show up)
So all the honest democracies gave their governments the middle finger and answered honestly , and all the despotic states gave their citizens the business end of a rifle and told them what they would be answering , assuming they didn't just take the poll out of their hands and fill it out themselves.
Yes...good methology.
Excuse me while I flush this down the toilet with all the other worthless advertising I receive every day.
Nearly 30,000 people in 28 countries were interviewed for the poll, between November 2009 and February 2010.
Fifteen of the countries have been surveyed every year since 2005, allowing long-term trends to be discerned.
what exactly do we mean polled ? And was there a state sponsored official with a gun escorting the state sponsored translater while this poll was being conducted, to insure that the respondant didn't accidently give the wrong answer ?
methodology section reports phone or face to face, by their "partners" in each country (in other words, in despotic regimes the state sponsored minder did all the work and no polster even bothered to show up)
So all the honest democracies gave their governments the middle finger and answered honestly , and all the despotic states gave their citizens the business end of a rifle and told them what they would be answering , assuming they didn't just take the poll out of their hands and fill it out themselves.
Yes...good methology.
Excuse me while I flush this down the toilet with all the other worthless advertising I receive every day.
Friday, April 16, 2010
N.S. newspaper ordered to identify online web posters
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/newspaper+ordered+identify+online+posters/2911779/story.html#ixzz0lH4c7gYS
HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia court has ordered a Halifax newspaper to release information about several people who posted anonymous online comments on a story about alleged racism in the city's fire department.
Michelle Awad, lawyer for Bill Mosher, the fire chief, and deputy chief Stephen Thurber, said the posters made defamatory comments about the two on the website of the weekly newspaper, The Coast, and they want to file a defamation suit against them.
"They're looking to secure a remedy for the damage they believe has been done," Awad said.
The judge ruled The Coast must release whatever details it has about the authors of the comments.
So. If you post any opinions online, you can be sued for them. Even anonymous sites, these lawyers have now decided to shut down freedom of speech.
Some of the people who post , they probably deserve it , I've seen a lot of outright lies and slander posted on the cbc news site for example. But still... everyone knows you take that chance in the comments section, and you get to refute it.
Now some lawyers want to get in on the act and start suing people left right and center.
This aint good.
HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia court has ordered a Halifax newspaper to release information about several people who posted anonymous online comments on a story about alleged racism in the city's fire department.
Michelle Awad, lawyer for Bill Mosher, the fire chief, and deputy chief Stephen Thurber, said the posters made defamatory comments about the two on the website of the weekly newspaper, The Coast, and they want to file a defamation suit against them.
"They're looking to secure a remedy for the damage they believe has been done," Awad said.
The judge ruled The Coast must release whatever details it has about the authors of the comments.
So. If you post any opinions online, you can be sued for them. Even anonymous sites, these lawyers have now decided to shut down freedom of speech.
Some of the people who post , they probably deserve it , I've seen a lot of outright lies and slander posted on the cbc news site for example. But still... everyone knows you take that chance in the comments section, and you get to refute it.
Now some lawyers want to get in on the act and start suing people left right and center.
This aint good.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
30% Discount
I used to work in a call center.
We got a lot of strange calls. Apparently save team offered these guys 30% discount if they'd stay.
And they left no notes.
Sorry buddy you're obviously lying to me , but I'm not allowed to say that. And you're in a new contract you're sticking around for a couple of years or paying the early termination fee. Wait for him to quit yelling and either demand a supervisor or end the call.
Because I know , we don't do stuff like that.
I was surfing , doing a google search. pop up from my provider rogers. you're over 75% of you montly quota.
Phone them up. I was on unlimited internet. Then they changed that to 60 gigs. Then they changed that to 30 gigs. Then 25. At the same time my usage went from 5 gigs to 20 gigs to 40 gigs. And I'm not doing anything illegal , copying dvd's , nothing like that. Just normal perfectly legitimate usage.
And I call them up. And I get told I'm a bad boy I'm using too much data because I'm on an older plan I was automatically moved to a new one (so much for long term loyalty...take note how they claim they value you , but then try to sheer you like a sheep in the next breath)
And I wind up in retention. And they offer me a 30% discount.
And i'm thinking , you got a clause in your contract that says you can change your mind any time you like. And there's nothing I can do about it I gotta ride out the whole 3 years even if you decide to turn off the taps and give me nothing.
And I'm thinking ...why does 30% sound so familiar ?
Oh yes, I was on the other end of this conversation a few times. It didn't work out so well for the customer.
We got a lot of strange calls. Apparently save team offered these guys 30% discount if they'd stay.
And they left no notes.
Sorry buddy you're obviously lying to me , but I'm not allowed to say that. And you're in a new contract you're sticking around for a couple of years or paying the early termination fee. Wait for him to quit yelling and either demand a supervisor or end the call.
Because I know , we don't do stuff like that.
I was surfing , doing a google search. pop up from my provider rogers. you're over 75% of you montly quota.
Phone them up. I was on unlimited internet. Then they changed that to 60 gigs. Then they changed that to 30 gigs. Then 25. At the same time my usage went from 5 gigs to 20 gigs to 40 gigs. And I'm not doing anything illegal , copying dvd's , nothing like that. Just normal perfectly legitimate usage.
And I call them up. And I get told I'm a bad boy I'm using too much data because I'm on an older plan I was automatically moved to a new one (so much for long term loyalty...take note how they claim they value you , but then try to sheer you like a sheep in the next breath)
And I wind up in retention. And they offer me a 30% discount.
And i'm thinking , you got a clause in your contract that says you can change your mind any time you like. And there's nothing I can do about it I gotta ride out the whole 3 years even if you decide to turn off the taps and give me nothing.
And I'm thinking ...why does 30% sound so familiar ?
Oh yes, I was on the other end of this conversation a few times. It didn't work out so well for the customer.
Monday, April 05, 2010
The scumminess of Rogers
Phoned rogers to cancel my internet.
Offered me a higher plan at a 30% discount.
Umm... 30% off 60$ a month is still more than primus costs. Plus I'm being billed 10$ / month as a penalty for not having television.
I think they're scummy because they only make such offers when you're calling them up to quit. What about making such offers in the normal course of business instead of ripping people off by charging them 2.50$ / gigabyte overage fee's when they're not paying attention ? Thats like charging extra because we can get away with it , and then when you catch us , we'll stop but we don't give any back. I feel robbed.
I don't like dealing with people who commit robbery.
Plus various other charges that the government doesn't charge that rogers does, so primus isn't going to charge that.
Apparently their "save attempt" was to hope I can't add up a couple of numbers.
Unlmited vs 25 gig / month limit ... technically the same price in the best possible case, assuming they don't exercise their right to change their mind and rewrite the contract any time they like in any way they like.
Bye Rogers.
While I was ending the call with Rogers the line beeped and I picked it up. Primus...wanted info so they could run the credit check.
Oops...I still might not get Primus ???
This could get interesting ...
gEt out the rogers bill ... where is that 10$ fee for not having TV ? Umm... it's not broken down. Just a flat 35$ / month fee plus tax for internet.
Well ... they still kill me on bandwith even if they dropped the 10$ fee for tv a long time ago.
Offered me a higher plan at a 30% discount.
Umm... 30% off 60$ a month is still more than primus costs. Plus I'm being billed 10$ / month as a penalty for not having television.
I think they're scummy because they only make such offers when you're calling them up to quit. What about making such offers in the normal course of business instead of ripping people off by charging them 2.50$ / gigabyte overage fee's when they're not paying attention ? Thats like charging extra because we can get away with it , and then when you catch us , we'll stop but we don't give any back. I feel robbed.
I don't like dealing with people who commit robbery.
Plus various other charges that the government doesn't charge that rogers does, so primus isn't going to charge that.
Apparently their "save attempt" was to hope I can't add up a couple of numbers.
Unlmited vs 25 gig / month limit ... technically the same price in the best possible case, assuming they don't exercise their right to change their mind and rewrite the contract any time they like in any way they like.
Bye Rogers.
While I was ending the call with Rogers the line beeped and I picked it up. Primus...wanted info so they could run the credit check.
Oops...I still might not get Primus ???
This could get interesting ...
gEt out the rogers bill ... where is that 10$ fee for not having TV ? Umm... it's not broken down. Just a flat 35$ / month fee plus tax for internet.
Well ... they still kill me on bandwith even if they dropped the 10$ fee for tv a long time ago.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Goodbye Rogers. Hello Primus
Article = None , personal Experience
I started out ten years ago working in rogers tech support. Internet was about 30$ / month and it was unlimited bandwith, about 1 megabyte download speed , all that I needed.
They advertise that you really need 5 or 10 meg download for games.
Unless your a game manufacturer , in which case you normally advertise that a 56k modem will work for normal play. :)
Interesting contrast there.
Then this whole kerfluffle about people downloading entire DVD's and overloading the network came along.
Then they lowered my limit to 60 gigabytes a month. No biggy , I was only using 5 gig at the time.
Then they lowered my limit to 30 gig's a month. But I never incurred any overage how bad could it be ?
Then they lowered my limit to 25 gigs a month. And they intercepted my google page (read that "hacked into my data stream to show results google would not approve of and probably had no idea of" to pop up a really nasty message saying I had reached 75% of my monthly quota.
Phone rogers. My monthly quota was no 25 gigabytes a month. And I had used 20 gigs in about 14 days.
Every application on my computer , it seemed was using more and more bandwidth , but rogers was giving you less and less. And now the two had met in the center.
"You're on a grandfathered plan. You have to upgrade to a new one. " And sign a three year contract. If you fart , rogers considers you to have signed a three year contract. See my blog entry about the bell non contract contract where they can change anything they like and you cna't do nothing about it , rogers has the same thing , needless to say I'm not signing a three year contract with these idiots.
My wifes old phone provider , Primus has internet , and she reports they're a real business ,they won't just take your money and run as she suspects some company I never heard of before might do. (looked them up on the internet ..I won't mention their name since I know nothing about them they might even be perfectly legitimate).
35$ a month. No contract. 30 days notice to cancel. Unlimited bandwidth. About 5 megabit download speed (I was using 1.5 megabyte from rogers).
Heck , even if they lower the bandwidth to 200 gigs eventually , I'm only using 40 gig a month right now.
Signed up immediately. They didn't even want my credit card number they'll bill me later. They're fed ex-ing the modem. 4-7 days.
When I get it working , I'm cancelling rogers.
Rogers wants 35$ / month for 25 gig bandwidth and they tack on a 10$ penalty because I don't actually have a TV with them. And they want a three year contract you sign every time you fart.
I am so out of there.
I started out ten years ago working in rogers tech support. Internet was about 30$ / month and it was unlimited bandwith, about 1 megabyte download speed , all that I needed.
They advertise that you really need 5 or 10 meg download for games.
Unless your a game manufacturer , in which case you normally advertise that a 56k modem will work for normal play. :)
Interesting contrast there.
Then this whole kerfluffle about people downloading entire DVD's and overloading the network came along.
Then they lowered my limit to 60 gigabytes a month. No biggy , I was only using 5 gig at the time.
Then they lowered my limit to 30 gig's a month. But I never incurred any overage how bad could it be ?
Then they lowered my limit to 25 gigs a month. And they intercepted my google page (read that "hacked into my data stream to show results google would not approve of and probably had no idea of" to pop up a really nasty message saying I had reached 75% of my monthly quota.
Phone rogers. My monthly quota was no 25 gigabytes a month. And I had used 20 gigs in about 14 days.
Every application on my computer , it seemed was using more and more bandwidth , but rogers was giving you less and less. And now the two had met in the center.
"You're on a grandfathered plan. You have to upgrade to a new one. " And sign a three year contract. If you fart , rogers considers you to have signed a three year contract. See my blog entry about the bell non contract contract where they can change anything they like and you cna't do nothing about it , rogers has the same thing , needless to say I'm not signing a three year contract with these idiots.
My wifes old phone provider , Primus has internet , and she reports they're a real business ,they won't just take your money and run as she suspects some company I never heard of before might do. (looked them up on the internet ..I won't mention their name since I know nothing about them they might even be perfectly legitimate).
35$ a month. No contract. 30 days notice to cancel. Unlimited bandwidth. About 5 megabit download speed (I was using 1.5 megabyte from rogers).
Heck , even if they lower the bandwidth to 200 gigs eventually , I'm only using 40 gig a month right now.
Signed up immediately. They didn't even want my credit card number they'll bill me later. They're fed ex-ing the modem. 4-7 days.
When I get it working , I'm cancelling rogers.
Rogers wants 35$ / month for 25 gig bandwidth and they tack on a 10$ penalty because I don't actually have a TV with them. And they want a three year contract you sign every time you fart.
I am so out of there.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Ow my eye !
Article = none , personal experience.
So , I already mentioned I failed a GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) and it's pretty certain I'm a diabetic now (type two).
So they sent me off to the eye doctor to see what kind of harm diabetes had done to my eyes. And I waited for a while , and I saw, a technician I guess. Some guy you see before you see the doctor.
And he did an eye test. And then he had to "measure" my eye.
Which involves putting in eye drops , which I hate , and then he takes this little hand probe thingy and very gently touches your eye with it.
Which of course, is the part where I freak out. Ow my eye ! I can't stand having anything in my eye or touching my eye. It doesn't hurt , he was very gentle, but he had to try a few times. When the probe was coming closer and closer I literally could not make myself stay still. It was awful.
And then I saw the doctor , and she did it again , in both eyes. Repetition didn't improve my reaction , I actually yelled as if in pain. More unpleasant surprise, there wasn't any pain , I just hated the very idea of anything touching my eye.
In Philosophy , there is a belief that you do not deal with the world. You deal with a projection onto your awareness, that your senses draw for you. Your eyes, your ears , etc etc. When I got poked in the eye, this suddenly became crystal clear that I was looking at some kind of natural movie screen and not actually experiancing the real world.
How is that you ask ?
Ever see those blooper reels in DVD's about making the particular movie your watching ? And sometimes someone bumps into the camera ,and it all flexes and the whole view gets distorted for just a moment , and you instantly say "He touched the Camera" ?
Yeah. They touched the camera. Only I wasn't watching any movie. And I wasn't wearing glasses. And the whole world went DING ! and got all distorted for just a second.
PS: She said I have cataracts , but they're not serious to operate on , she wants to see me in a year.
So , I already mentioned I failed a GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) and it's pretty certain I'm a diabetic now (type two).
So they sent me off to the eye doctor to see what kind of harm diabetes had done to my eyes. And I waited for a while , and I saw, a technician I guess. Some guy you see before you see the doctor.
And he did an eye test. And then he had to "measure" my eye.
Which involves putting in eye drops , which I hate , and then he takes this little hand probe thingy and very gently touches your eye with it.
Which of course, is the part where I freak out. Ow my eye ! I can't stand having anything in my eye or touching my eye. It doesn't hurt , he was very gentle, but he had to try a few times. When the probe was coming closer and closer I literally could not make myself stay still. It was awful.
And then I saw the doctor , and she did it again , in both eyes. Repetition didn't improve my reaction , I actually yelled as if in pain. More unpleasant surprise, there wasn't any pain , I just hated the very idea of anything touching my eye.
In Philosophy , there is a belief that you do not deal with the world. You deal with a projection onto your awareness, that your senses draw for you. Your eyes, your ears , etc etc. When I got poked in the eye, this suddenly became crystal clear that I was looking at some kind of natural movie screen and not actually experiancing the real world.
How is that you ask ?
Ever see those blooper reels in DVD's about making the particular movie your watching ? And sometimes someone bumps into the camera ,and it all flexes and the whole view gets distorted for just a moment , and you instantly say "He touched the Camera" ?
Yeah. They touched the camera. Only I wasn't watching any movie. And I wasn't wearing glasses. And the whole world went DING ! and got all distorted for just a second.
PS: She said I have cataracts , but they're not serious to operate on , she wants to see me in a year.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Vancouver Police At it Again
Yet another example of Police Brutality in Vancouver BC , Canada.
At least this time they left the Tasers behind and no one died.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rise of the Robots
Article = none, personal opinion.
Lost my job a while back (well they announced it , still got a month left before they kick me to the curb). It got outsourced to the Philipines. The dollar a day guys , as I call them.
I phone tech support for my Dell Computer. I get India.
I talk to a guy at work , ask him how long he's been here. Tells me he's worked four call centers the last year. Why you quit so many jobs ? He didn't . They all outsourced to pakistan. Or china. Or in the case of the one we work at at the moment, the philipines.
Dollar a day guys taking over everything.
So I'm thinking maybe retraining, what is it I can retrain in that they cannot outsource to these dollar a day guys ?
I remember an old news article on the internet. It was very very hard to get doctors to move to small towns, so their solution was to build robots that the doctors could run by remote control. Nice color monitors, remote controled hands.. get a doctor on the line to sit in the control booth , great idea.
Now I'm thinking ... they outsourced all the brainy stuff. Book keeping , computer programming , even computer repair. When these robots get going ... they're going to outsource the manual labor to.
We're gonna have dollar a day guys running a robot cleaning shopping centers and stuff. No need for high end artificial intellgence when you can hire a philipino for a dollar a day to sit in a booth on the other side of the world and do it.
so what does that leave for us ?
Does it leave anything for us , any job we can do to earn a living ?
Because you aint selling me your stereo and your nice computer if I can't hold down a job. Or if I only make a dollar a day.
Lost my job a while back (well they announced it , still got a month left before they kick me to the curb). It got outsourced to the Philipines. The dollar a day guys , as I call them.
I phone tech support for my Dell Computer. I get India.
I talk to a guy at work , ask him how long he's been here. Tells me he's worked four call centers the last year. Why you quit so many jobs ? He didn't . They all outsourced to pakistan. Or china. Or in the case of the one we work at at the moment, the philipines.
Dollar a day guys taking over everything.
So I'm thinking maybe retraining, what is it I can retrain in that they cannot outsource to these dollar a day guys ?
I remember an old news article on the internet. It was very very hard to get doctors to move to small towns, so their solution was to build robots that the doctors could run by remote control. Nice color monitors, remote controled hands.. get a doctor on the line to sit in the control booth , great idea.
Now I'm thinking ... they outsourced all the brainy stuff. Book keeping , computer programming , even computer repair. When these robots get going ... they're going to outsource the manual labor to.
We're gonna have dollar a day guys running a robot cleaning shopping centers and stuff. No need for high end artificial intellgence when you can hire a philipino for a dollar a day to sit in a booth on the other side of the world and do it.
so what does that leave for us ?
Does it leave anything for us , any job we can do to earn a living ?
Because you aint selling me your stereo and your nice computer if I can't hold down a job. Or if I only make a dollar a day.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Booksellers take on Ottawa over Amazon's distribution plans
Article
Canada's booksellers are urging Ottawa to block Amazon.com from building a distribution network in Canada, raising the stakes in a showdown over government restrictions on foreign control of the cultural industry.
Thats nice. Why do I care ?
“A few years ago I was disadvantaged from having a partner. That's not to say I didn't succeed. I, as a competitor, was in a position to be able to invest for a long time – losing money – to get to where I got. Many people would not have had the deep pockets that I had and, as a result, may not have succeeded without ... a U.S. or a foreign partner.”
This is why I care. "Deep Pockets" is the relevant term.
Americans come in , open up shop , lose money for a couple of years to put the competition out of business , and then they own the place. Time to raise prices. Their pockets are deeper than any canadian ones because they come from a country ten times our size. And they don't hesitate to use that size advantage.
So unless you all want to be working minimum wage jobs for americans , this kind of thing needs to be stopped. And not just for books. But for everything.
Raising the minimum wage can only do so much. It looks like maybe one of those so called "trade wars" is the way to go , where we stop buying american and they stop buying canadian ...hmm..didn't they already stop buying canadian a long time ago ?
So what have we got to lose ?
Canada's booksellers are urging Ottawa to block Amazon.com from building a distribution network in Canada, raising the stakes in a showdown over government restrictions on foreign control of the cultural industry.
Thats nice. Why do I care ?
“A few years ago I was disadvantaged from having a partner. That's not to say I didn't succeed. I, as a competitor, was in a position to be able to invest for a long time – losing money – to get to where I got. Many people would not have had the deep pockets that I had and, as a result, may not have succeeded without ... a U.S. or a foreign partner.”
This is why I care. "Deep Pockets" is the relevant term.
Americans come in , open up shop , lose money for a couple of years to put the competition out of business , and then they own the place. Time to raise prices. Their pockets are deeper than any canadian ones because they come from a country ten times our size. And they don't hesitate to use that size advantage.
So unless you all want to be working minimum wage jobs for americans , this kind of thing needs to be stopped. And not just for books. But for everything.
Raising the minimum wage can only do so much. It looks like maybe one of those so called "trade wars" is the way to go , where we stop buying american and they stop buying canadian ...hmm..didn't they already stop buying canadian a long time ago ?
So what have we got to lose ?
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