Me - the big guy - in action at PAB2010, trying to deliver a concept in five minutes or less.
Some fond recollections of a Saturday at PAB2010, which was an assault on the senses by a community of knowledgeable people who make communicating a priority... and tonight we step onto the S.S. Minnow.
Day Two in Ottawa for Podcasters Across Borders 2010. Some ruminations on some great people, some unfortunate timing, some work that appeared and all that jazz.
Some short ruminations on the trip to #PAB2010 in Ottawa, some mindless minutiae which crossed my mind, and a couple of parting shots at Mashable.
EDIT: Found the following link through a US-funded shill group on Facebook. I suppose lining the pockets of Tony Clement, James Moore and Stephen Harper isn't enough.
Upon reading the a blog post by Michael Stewart at his site klikables.com, I was struck by a level of presumption to speak for the benefits to educators and specifically teachers with the proposed legislation. The provisions concerning digital locks in the Bill will not only serve to stifle the classroom teacher, but education in general. His post is linked above, but I thought I'd post my response here, at my blog, in case his moderation of the comments are too exacting to include my thoughts:
Mike,
Are you a teacher? I am.
Countless teachers break digital locks every day in order to offer the best education for their students. At what point do you choose to weigh digital lock regulations over the professional judgement of a teacher to deliver curriculum as effectively as possible?
All of your so-called "benefits" listed above are precluded by digital lock language in Bill C-32. I have to break a digital to rip many CDs, to rip many DVDs, and even to create workable codecs for the "mashups" in your celebrated YouTube clause.
Digital locks are NOT good for teachers. They are NOT good for students. They preclude a free and open learning environment.
I have no doubt that as a content producer for education, you may have been persuaded that your extensive list of C-32 benefits are true. I tell you, without malice for your educational efforts in content, which I'm sure are laudable, that Bill C-32 will not be beneficial for teachers or students.
The Bill will force second, third, or fourth choices when finding the best example for a lesson. Such a decision to avoid a $5000 fine for breaking a digital lock, by being forced to choose inferior content, is a disservice to education.
I trust your business of creating digital content is under threat by users redistributing your work without permission. I understand your motivation and your goals. I have little problem with you speaking of the benefits of Bill C-32 for your sector of education, but I would caution you about presuming to speak for teachers.
As long as the digital lock rules remain in Bill C-32, it will be a threat to classroom teachers.
With the remake of The Karate Kid - or as I understand, The Kung Fu Kid - in theaters right now, I continue my nostalgic cringe at the Hollywood drive away from original screenplays.
Even though I have no interest whatsoever in seeing cheesy remakes of cheesy films. Here are ten films that would seem to make complete sense to me if everything is fair game.
From 1980, Caddyshack with Justin Beiber playing the lead role, Will Ferrell playing himself as Bill Murray's groundskeeper character. David Spade doing Chevy Chase, and the corpses of Ted Knight and Rodney Dangerfield reprising their roles, because you just can't mess with chemistry like that.
From 1981, Das Boot: The Next Generation with Shia LeBeouf, McLovin, and Jesse Eisenberg playing descendants of the original German submariners who, for a grad school project, try to find the rusted hulk of a German submarine in the St. Lawrence Seaway with a laser pointer and a metal detector.
From 1982, Vlad Ghandi with Robert Pattinson as the vampire pacifist who tries to peacefully protest the British Petroleum oil spill in Louisiana until his pet pelican dies in the oil and Vlad Ghandi goes on a terror spree of vengeance.
From 1983, Scarface: Senior Year with Freddie Prinze Jr playing a 30 year old who tries to corner the drug market in a Miami high school after having to return when it's discovered he doesn't have a diploma while working as a bio-chemist.
From 1984, Rock Me Amadeus with Jack Black as Amadeus Smith, a guitar virtuoso whose talent infuriates his main competitor, Tommy Salieri played by Benicio Del Toro.
From 1985, The Lunch Club with the full cast of The Breakfast Club reprising their roles as a group of B-list celebrities who get signed to a Big Brother-like show where they have to write the best letter each week to not get kicked out of the club.
From 1986, Stand By Me Or Else - Christopher Walken, Gary Busey, Steve Buscemi and Corey Feldman get locked in a room with a dead body and spend 4 hours of film time trying to convince each other that they committed the murder.
From 1987, Dirty Fencing - Matt Damon and Ben Affleck start an erotic relationship while working as fencing instructors at a lodge in the Catskills that culminates with a fencing exhibition montage to some song by Bill Medley.
From 1988, Rain Man 2: Charlie's Revenge starring Tom Cruise who reprises his role as Charlie Babbitt. After suffering a brain injury, Charlie finds himself unable to remember anything but lines from Tom Cruise films. Ellen Page stars as his daughter who must coax her dad into remembering the VIN number of a 1978 Chevy Van that contains millions of dollars in hidden Blackjack winnings.
From 1989, Field of Screams has Kevin Costner reprising his role where once again there is rustling in the corn, but this time it's the zombie undead players of the 1889 Toledo Black Pirates lead by Johnny Depp as Center Fielder Joe Quest who can only be stopped by knocking his head off with the bat he hit his last home run with and James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader.