Geek TypePad Blog

Bob Hope lost at 100

The world lost Bob Hope, possibly the greatest family entertainer in the world. The editorial cartoons of the next week or so are sure to reflect this loss, though they will likely point to much more. They will undoubtedly point to the loss of a great entertainer, to the friends gone before him, and those left behind. It is a time to remember his contributions to the world, the many specials, the golf tournaments, and the USO tours on which he was a regular, from Normandy to Korea. It is without a doubt that Bob Hope leaves behind thousands of fans and friends, but he also goes to join more as only a often seen entertainer on the USO tours can. He goes on to meet and entertain friends, to fans, to soldiers. To quote a channel, 'The world is Hope-less now'

'Star Wars Kid' files suit

The parent's of Quebec teenager Ghyslian Raza, known across the net as The Star Wars Kid, are suing his classmates who put the private movie on the internet, causing Raza to be undergoing psychiatric care and may be marked for life by the experience. The video, while fun for some, was clearly harmful to the person who was not intending to have the video come out. "The two-minute video shows an overweight teenager fighting a mock battle with a golf-ball retriever doubling as a lightsaber. The teenager twirls the "lightsaber" ever more energetically while generating his own sound effects. It is obviously not for public consumption. Ghyslain was so teased about the video, he dropped out of school and finished the semester at a children's psychiatric ward, according to a lawsuit filed in the Raza's hometown of Trois-Rivières, Quebec."

Rep's revoke media ownership expansion

In a move that puts it directly opposed to the White House, the US House of Representatives has voted to revoke the decision by the FCC of not 6 months ago, and tighten the regulations again on media(TV, newspaper, radio) ownership in the US. "Lawmakers voted 400-21 for a spending bill for the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies that includes language blocking the FCC from approving deals that would allow networks to own stations reaching more than 35 percent of the national audience. The agency recently raised the television audience reach limit to 45 percent from 35 percent -- sparking a firestorm of criticism from Democrats and Republicans who argue it could reduce local reporting and the diversity of viewpoints. "

MIT and BC take on RIAA

After the RIAA provided MIT with a subpoena about one of it's students, the school announced that their counsel feels this is not a valid subpoena as there are federal laws that force the school to inform the student of the existence of the order, and give the student a chance to rectify the situation, in other words in this case that they stop trading files, to prevent the disclosure of the information. The story from Wired's perspective shows that both MIT and Boston College have taken the RIAA to court to kill the subpoena's(1 for MIT and 2 for BC) which even Wired reports do violate the laws requiring the schools give the student a chance to stop breaking the law. The RIAA, mad as always, says they will see the schools in court, and take it up there.

MPAA tries heart breaking ads

Realizing that their attempts to legislate, imprison and scare file traders are about as successful as the RIAA's, the MPAA has moved to playing on the heart strings of it's enemies. They are moving on two important vectors for beating the file traders. First, they are going after students in the Junior Achievement program, and they are also advertising about the ill effects and illegal nature of downloading by putting up some ads on the big and small screens. I am simply curious about which will be found on Kazaa first, an unedited ad off TV mixed into a TV show, or mixed into a new release movie? Either way, it will simply prove that peer pressure will not be enough to stop the spread of trading, and nothing short of the total annihilation of every tool of the trade will do.

Ahhhhhh

Well, I am whole again. I just got back from dropping off RivenDell, who was sold to a coworker for the price of $250, with $250 up front to get the new camera, and as well to pick up a new TV to replace mine that died a week and a half ago. I am about to watch Ice Age, then plan to pop the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets DVD that I bought last week into the DVD player. I also want to watch the disk that came with the digital photography starters kit, as all I see is music when it hits my CD drive. I thought it was a DVD, but I wouldn't have seen anything at that point, I think. Either way, I have much TV watching to do. I am today the happiest guy around, other than those guys with massive TV's with awesome picture and sound, oh and the POTUS who has his own theatre.

Michael Jackson slams piracy jail time

Adding to a growing trend in the music business, another artist has come out against the RIAA's latest effort to punish file traders. Michael Jackson, former king of pop, has spoken against a newly proposed law that would assign greater punishment to convicted file traders, including jail time. "I am speechless about the idea of putting music fans - mostly teenagers - in jail for downloading music," he said. "It is wrong to illegally download, but the answer cannot be jail. Here in America we create new opportunities out of adversity, not punitive laws, and we should look to new technologies . . . for solutions.
"This way, innovation continues to be the hallmark of America. It is the fans that drive the success of the music business," Jackson said.

Metallica finds new way to shoot selves in foot

This one comes courtesy of Mr. Murphy, formerly of brad.murphy.name, now with his own TypePad Blog called Murphy's Muse. Apparently not content to let down their fans, then have their fans banned from Napster and threatening to sue them as well, now The Band That Once Rocked has decided that no one else can use a specific set of chords, specifically E and F, which they claim as their own since way back in 1982. Yeah, they were good back then. Now someone else, specifically the Canadian independent band Unfaith, is using the same chords, and the bands lawyer thinks this is wrong, and that the band, did I mention their independent?, should pay up to the rocker's(did I mention they are millionaires?). Bullet, meet foot. foot, meet mouth

Festival lost it's shine

I once was a huge fan of the Winnipeg Fringe. I volunteered for 5 straight years and loved almost every one of them. Then, there was the last. You see, the second last one I got my then fiancé out to and then she came back the next year when she was no longer my fiancé, I said some stuff I shouldn't have, and now the festival just isn't fun. It doesn't help that the one time I got together with someone without planning and fore though she took it as a one nighter and has not spoken to me since. My first year I had a G/F that lasted about three days less than the length of the festival, and the second was the time I briefly dated the same girl who would later see me as a one time thing. Overall, the shows at the Old Market Square hold a lot of memories, but I am not how many I really want. I will go back each year, as a moth to the flame, but it will never be as fun as those first few years, and I won't be a volunteer again.

Where was I?

Ok, so you might be wondering where I was this fine evening, instead of posting stuff here(both blogs) and getting caught up. Well, with no TV(more on that tomorrow) I decided it would make me go mad being here and only watching TV on my PC, so I scooped up $20 and took myself out to the ball game over at CanWest Global Ballpark. I had the pleasure of sitting with a group I soon found out was from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and I must say I am surely missing something if the teachers and students that were there tonight are typical of the average ballerina. They were all very boisterous and polite, enjoying the game even when a ball came flying at us at high speed. As the game dragged on the students and teachers seemed to socialise with me a little more than I expected, having bought my way into the seat I occupied by being asked outside the park if I wanted to buy a ticket.

I had the pleasure of having three young students who were glad to have someone who knew so much around, and took advantage of it whenever they could to ask about the rules when it came to ties(there are none) and extra innings(especially the midnight rule). I enjoyed imparting what little knowledge I could to these bright young girls, and I hope I left them with a good view of the sport, and of the local ball club. I also had a chance to talk to the teachers, though I don't recall getting their names, but I will be sure to contact the school part of the RWB(where the group goes to school) and let them know when the web album is up. That should be tonight or tomorrow. The game went 10 innings, by the way with all of 1 run scored, that by Max Poulin with a home run. Check out the fotolog for the post run celebration.