Here's a funny, and informative, review of the iPhone (due for release this Friday) from the New York Times:
What is interesting about this review is that here is a newspaper making a video. It sure blurs the line dividing print and TV - but they all converge on the Internet, which threatens to replace much of the other media.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
American vs. Canadian Justice
One of the interesting discussions to come out of the Conrad Black trial is about the differences in the American and Canadian criminal justice systems. Apparently, the American government is much tougher on its citizens than the Canadian. I find this odd, as I thought that the U.S. was supposed to value the individual more than we do in Canada.
Among the points made by the news reports and blogs I have been reading, is that in Canada the charges against Black likely would not be even dealt with in a criminal court. They would be resolved as a suit in a civil court, with the government not taking an interest in it. Another difference is that some of the charges (like mail fraud) that Black faces in the U.S. do not even exist here in Canada.
As well, the prosecution in the U.S. has much more influence than in Canada. For example, the prosecution gets the chance to rebut the final defence arguments, and so has the last word. Canadian lawyer Steven Skurka, in his blog about the Conrad Black trial, provides this interesting list of the differences between the legal systems of Canada and the United States.
Incidentally, Skurka was a member of the recent Maclean’s magazine panel who was a dissenting voice by predicting “Not Guilty” verdicts for all the defendants.
Among the points made by the news reports and blogs I have been reading, is that in Canada the charges against Black likely would not be even dealt with in a criminal court. They would be resolved as a suit in a civil court, with the government not taking an interest in it. Another difference is that some of the charges (like mail fraud) that Black faces in the U.S. do not even exist here in Canada.
As well, the prosecution in the U.S. has much more influence than in Canada. For example, the prosecution gets the chance to rebut the final defence arguments, and so has the last word. Canadian lawyer Steven Skurka, in his blog about the Conrad Black trial, provides this interesting list of the differences between the legal systems of Canada and the United States.
Incidentally, Skurka was a member of the recent Maclean’s magazine panel who was a dissenting voice by predicting “Not Guilty” verdicts for all the defendants.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Boo-Yah!
My sons and I enjoy Jim Cramer’s stock market tip TV show “Mad Money,” partly because we have some (small) investments, and also because of the interesting general content.
Jim Cramer was more reflective last week as he hit his 500th episode. On the “Father’s Day” special on Thursday, he set aside his blunt exterior to melt a bit as he introduced his own dad, and he almost shed a tear as he talked with Tim Russert and his son about the value of the father / son relationship.
He commented that he has lost 25 pounds since starting the show. If you watch it, you can easily see why. He is constantly in motion, yelling, jumping, hitting his sound buttons, playing with a myriad of props, and throwing around his books and anything else he can lay his hands on. To emphasize a good or bad stock he will unleash graphic cartoon images of either growling bears or bellowing bulls. He races through his show, excitedly explaining some stock picks, and then onto his other segments: phone calls from viewers, the “Lighting Round,” “Sudden Death,” “Mad Mail,” and sometimes even “Eating Crow,” or “Standing Corrected.”
Having made his own millions, and as he says, helped the rich get even richer, he is now turning his attention to helping the little guy. A nice change! And he doesn’t just have specific stock picks, but much information about the market and the world in general. He infuses his explanations with tidbits of knowledge from literature, history, and pop culture. Watch the show for one minute, you might think he is just nuts; watch for one week, and you see just how smart he is.
After watching the show for a while, you'll not only know much more about stocks and the economy, but also be into a whole new manic language. For example you'll know that “Sudden Death” is a "boo-yah free zone"!
I’m convinced that Cramer is onto something here - maybe even the future of teaching and learning in our media age. (Especially – perhaps - for men?) As he says, his crazy antics are to keep the audience’s interest in what could be a dry subject. His mantra: “My job is not just to entertain you, but to educate you.”
We watch Cramer on CNBC. We have also enjoyed two of his books: Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich
and Confessions of a Street Addict.
If you want both entertainment and education, stick with Cramer!
Jim Cramer was more reflective last week as he hit his 500th episode. On the “Father’s Day” special on Thursday, he set aside his blunt exterior to melt a bit as he introduced his own dad, and he almost shed a tear as he talked with Tim Russert and his son about the value of the father / son relationship.
He commented that he has lost 25 pounds since starting the show. If you watch it, you can easily see why. He is constantly in motion, yelling, jumping, hitting his sound buttons, playing with a myriad of props, and throwing around his books and anything else he can lay his hands on. To emphasize a good or bad stock he will unleash graphic cartoon images of either growling bears or bellowing bulls. He races through his show, excitedly explaining some stock picks, and then onto his other segments: phone calls from viewers, the “Lighting Round,” “Sudden Death,” “Mad Mail,” and sometimes even “Eating Crow,” or “Standing Corrected.”
Having made his own millions, and as he says, helped the rich get even richer, he is now turning his attention to helping the little guy. A nice change! And he doesn’t just have specific stock picks, but much information about the market and the world in general. He infuses his explanations with tidbits of knowledge from literature, history, and pop culture. Watch the show for one minute, you might think he is just nuts; watch for one week, and you see just how smart he is.
After watching the show for a while, you'll not only know much more about stocks and the economy, but also be into a whole new manic language. For example you'll know that “Sudden Death” is a "boo-yah free zone"!
I’m convinced that Cramer is onto something here - maybe even the future of teaching and learning in our media age. (Especially – perhaps - for men?) As he says, his crazy antics are to keep the audience’s interest in what could be a dry subject. His mantra: “My job is not just to entertain you, but to educate you.”
We watch Cramer on CNBC. We have also enjoyed two of his books: Jim Cramer's Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich
and Confessions of a Street Addict.If you want both entertainment and education, stick with Cramer!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Brandon Parades and Races
On a recent Saturday, Meg and I enjoyed the annual 52nd Annual Travellers’ Day Parade. A week before that was the 21st Annual Kiwanis “Kar” Derby. As a Kiwanian, I was a volunteer in the latter. Such events take a lot of volunteer organizing work, but really do contribute to the life and fun of a community. The soapbox car derby also is a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Brandon.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
International Development Answers in Brandon
Stopped in the other day at the new location of the Marquis Project at 912 Rosser Avenue, Brandon. The new location is excellent: more space and a better overall busier location, especially right beside Scarlatti’s Cappuccino Bar. If in Brandon, check out the new digs; otherwise, check out their website.
I really enjoyed interviewing Deanna Ginn, President of Marquis, for a recent Brandon Sun column about fair trade and the Marquis move. During our conversation, we discussed the visit to Brandon of Stephen Lewis a few weeks earlier. He could be the most articulate and passionate speaker one ever hears. He gave a public talk at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, about the HIV / AIDS crisis in Africa.
One of the questions asked from the audience that I commented on in the column was “What can we do?”
Stephen Lewis answered that the public needed to fill the moral leadership gap left by governments. One suggestion he had was for the public to challenge politicians during the next Canadian federal election. Another was to support good non-governmental organizations. Lewis mentioned several worthy national organizations, including his own foundation.
Unfortunately, missing from the answer is something about local organizations like the Marquis Project. Marquis is a rare jewel in the community, and I don’t think gets the recognition it deserves. Hopefully, there will continue to be enough support for its continuation into the future.
During his speech, Lewis heaped praise on Crocus students who had organized his talk and who had turned over all proceeds to the Lewis foundation. Lewis also complimented Brandon high school students who were setting up a program to refurbish discarded medical equipment from Manitoba and send it to Africa.
But here was an unasked question: “How much fundraising would we need to do and how much medical equipment would we need to collect to outweigh the effect of our recruiting doctors from Africa to practice here in Manitoba?” There's some food for thought when our socialized medicine here seems to depend on donations from developing countries - in the form of trained doctors we receive.
Congratulations to the Marquis Project here and world leaders like Stephen Lewis who are raising the awareness of - and doing something about - important global problems.
I really enjoyed interviewing Deanna Ginn, President of Marquis, for a recent Brandon Sun column about fair trade and the Marquis move. During our conversation, we discussed the visit to Brandon of Stephen Lewis a few weeks earlier. He could be the most articulate and passionate speaker one ever hears. He gave a public talk at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, about the HIV / AIDS crisis in Africa.
One of the questions asked from the audience that I commented on in the column was “What can we do?”
Stephen Lewis answered that the public needed to fill the moral leadership gap left by governments. One suggestion he had was for the public to challenge politicians during the next Canadian federal election. Another was to support good non-governmental organizations. Lewis mentioned several worthy national organizations, including his own foundation.
Unfortunately, missing from the answer is something about local organizations like the Marquis Project. Marquis is a rare jewel in the community, and I don’t think gets the recognition it deserves. Hopefully, there will continue to be enough support for its continuation into the future.
During his speech, Lewis heaped praise on Crocus students who had organized his talk and who had turned over all proceeds to the Lewis foundation. Lewis also complimented Brandon high school students who were setting up a program to refurbish discarded medical equipment from Manitoba and send it to Africa.
But here was an unasked question: “How much fundraising would we need to do and how much medical equipment would we need to collect to outweigh the effect of our recruiting doctors from Africa to practice here in Manitoba?” There's some food for thought when our socialized medicine here seems to depend on donations from developing countries - in the form of trained doctors we receive.
Congratulations to the Marquis Project here and world leaders like Stephen Lewis who are raising the awareness of - and doing something about - important global problems.
Friday, June 8, 2007
An Encounter with Conrad Black
I will get all my name dropping over this week. I am an avid reader of the National Post, and occasionally write letters to the editor. A few months ago, I wrote a letter in response to a column that Conrad Black had written on “The Great Man” in Canadian history and currently. Black is no stranger to thinking about this issue, having written books on Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis and American Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon.
My letter was about Black’s reference to the timing of the imposition of the War Measure’s Act in 1970. The Act was actually imposed just before Pierre Laporte was killed, but reversed in the column. I thought the point should be clarified and discussed, especially as it relates to such measures today. I wrote a light letter beginning with, “Imagine spotting an error in a column by Conrad Black…” I ended with a note about appreciating the thoughtful columns in the paper.
In response, the Post’s Letters Editor showed the column to Conrad Black and sent his response to me. Black said that the timing error resulted from an editing change to his original copy. Also he said that my point, although technically correct, was not an important distinction.
The Post asked if I would be content to leave the matter at that? I replied that the response was fine, and thanked them for the exchange.
What is especially interesting in this correspondence is that it happened just days before the start of Conrad Black’s court case in Chicago on fraud, racketeering and other charges. Black faced the rest of this life in prison, yet took time out to write a column in the National Post, and then to reply to an ordinary newspaper reader.
Yes, I am following the Conrad Black trial, especially by reading these two blogs: Mark Steyn’s on the Macleans website, and Steven Skurka’s “The Crime Sheet.” Interesting to see what happens; Skurka predicts a verdict by July 1.
My letter was about Black’s reference to the timing of the imposition of the War Measure’s Act in 1970. The Act was actually imposed just before Pierre Laporte was killed, but reversed in the column. I thought the point should be clarified and discussed, especially as it relates to such measures today. I wrote a light letter beginning with, “Imagine spotting an error in a column by Conrad Black…” I ended with a note about appreciating the thoughtful columns in the paper.
In response, the Post’s Letters Editor showed the column to Conrad Black and sent his response to me. Black said that the timing error resulted from an editing change to his original copy. Also he said that my point, although technically correct, was not an important distinction.
The Post asked if I would be content to leave the matter at that? I replied that the response was fine, and thanked them for the exchange.
What is especially interesting in this correspondence is that it happened just days before the start of Conrad Black’s court case in Chicago on fraud, racketeering and other charges. Black faced the rest of this life in prison, yet took time out to write a column in the National Post, and then to reply to an ordinary newspaper reader.
Yes, I am following the Conrad Black trial, especially by reading these two blogs: Mark Steyn’s on the Macleans website, and Steven Skurka’s “The Crime Sheet.” Interesting to see what happens; Skurka predicts a verdict by July 1.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
AGLOCO Update
I have now been surfing for a few days with the new AGLOCO Viewbar at the bottom of my computer screen. It is very simple – just sign in every day and there it is. A little circle on the left hand side indicates whether you are accumulating hours for credit (green), or not (red).
If you are actively surfing the Internet, your hours are being logged to your account. The AGLOCO Viewbar FAQ says you might need to give it a couple of minutes when you first connect, but I have found that my green light usually has been going on immediately when I go on the Internet. And, I have noticed that it stays on for a while after closing the Internet.
Credit for the time is not an issue at all. After just a few days, I see by checking my AGLOCO account, that I have already accumulated five hours credit. And that means I have already reached the maximum for the month, and there are still three weeks to go in June! (It appears that AGLOCO may be overwhelmed with success right now - too frequently one cannot get on to their website. Time to upgrade to meet the demand.)
Is this going to be a problem for AGLOCO – with such a low maximum number of hours, then people will simply stop using the Viewbar when they've already received the maximum for the month? After all, the Viewbar does take up a bit of space. But it is hardly any bother. AGLOCO is set up so that both AGLOCO and its member-owners benefit by hours of use. Why not encourage members to accumulate as many hours as possible?
Some speculate that AGLOCO is still trying to differentiate itself from AllAdvantage. That company flew high like Icarus before crashing and burning during the dot com bubble era. AllAdvantage had a maximum of 20 hours per month.
Five hours sounds easy to get, and is attractive for new AGLOCO members. But why not make that a minimum instead of a maximum, and let members who are eager Internet surfers get more hours credit?
If you would like to know more about AGLOCO (“Get your share of the Internet”), you can check out my earlier post, or click on my referral link to AGLOCO.
If you are actively surfing the Internet, your hours are being logged to your account. The AGLOCO Viewbar FAQ says you might need to give it a couple of minutes when you first connect, but I have found that my green light usually has been going on immediately when I go on the Internet. And, I have noticed that it stays on for a while after closing the Internet.
Credit for the time is not an issue at all. After just a few days, I see by checking my AGLOCO account, that I have already accumulated five hours credit. And that means I have already reached the maximum for the month, and there are still three weeks to go in June! (It appears that AGLOCO may be overwhelmed with success right now - too frequently one cannot get on to their website. Time to upgrade to meet the demand.)
Is this going to be a problem for AGLOCO – with such a low maximum number of hours, then people will simply stop using the Viewbar when they've already received the maximum for the month? After all, the Viewbar does take up a bit of space. But it is hardly any bother. AGLOCO is set up so that both AGLOCO and its member-owners benefit by hours of use. Why not encourage members to accumulate as many hours as possible?
Some speculate that AGLOCO is still trying to differentiate itself from AllAdvantage. That company flew high like Icarus before crashing and burning during the dot com bubble era. AllAdvantage had a maximum of 20 hours per month.
Five hours sounds easy to get, and is attractive for new AGLOCO members. But why not make that a minimum instead of a maximum, and let members who are eager Internet surfers get more hours credit?
If you would like to know more about AGLOCO (“Get your share of the Internet”), you can check out my earlier post, or click on my referral link to AGLOCO.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
An Encounter With Paul Walker
I don’t usually get to (or even want to) name drop, but today I do. I was an extra in a movie starring Paul Walker. The movie is being filmed partly in Brandon and last Friday I was an extra in it. I may not be actually seen in the background of the final movie, but it was a fun experience and, yes I did get to be oh-so-close to the star - during a snack break and on the sidelines of another scene.
The movie – the Heaven Project - is using the old Brandon Mental Health Centre. BMHC is filling in for a psychiatric facility in Oregon. Interesting to be back at the deserted site – Meg worked there for many years. One of the last chances to see it empty, though, as Assiniboine Community College will be starting to move there soon. When completed, the new ACC campus will be beautiful.
The movie – the Heaven Project - is using the old Brandon Mental Health Centre. BMHC is filling in for a psychiatric facility in Oregon. Interesting to be back at the deserted site – Meg worked there for many years. One of the last chances to see it empty, though, as Assiniboine Community College will be starting to move there soon. When completed, the new ACC campus will be beautiful.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Happy World Environment Day
June 5 - World Environment Day, like Earth Day in April, is a time to celebrate the environment. Today is more international, more Canadian, and part of World Environment Week. Earth Day has the advantage of the springtime air and the fact that university staff and students are around to organize and participate.
All the best to the good folks at Resource Conservation Manitoba and their projects this week, like the “Commuter Challenge.”
All the best to the good folks at Resource Conservation Manitoba and their projects this week, like the “Commuter Challenge.”
Monday, June 4, 2007
AGLOCO Viewbar Finally Ready
Just got the email notifying me that the AGLOCO Viewbar is ready. I had no trouble downloading it from AGLOCO, taking only a couple of minutes (one hour if you read every word of the agreement, but seriously, it looked fine).
The AGLOCO Viewbar is sitting comfortably at the bottom of my computer screen. Right now it has a calculator, calendar, your Explorer and FireFox “favorites,” as well as links to Google, Yahoo, eBay, Amazon, Dictionary, and Wikipedia. Much of it is blank right now, presumably waiting for more features to be developed.
After months of delay, it is great to actually see the AGLOCO Viewbar as a reality. As outlined in a previous post, the AGLOCO Viewbar is billed as an effortless way to share in the riches being generated by the Internet. If you would like to check it out, you can click on my AGLOCO referral link here.
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