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Surviving Progress
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 1816
The boys film pick of the day, I'd wanted to see it and so was pretty glad he suggested it, I wasn't too keen on listening to French Impressionist Music either.
Canadian made, documentary, various second rate and unidentified experts pontificating on the mess the IMF has gotten the world into, a plea for a change of thinking and politics. Margaret Atwood, David Suzuki, Jane Goodall amongst others.
I'm sympathetic and in agreement, that's the thing about these films, they're always preaching to the choir, the people who see them already share their POV, values, the seeing of the film only cements and confirms why we believe the things we do. Not challenging, no new information, stock footage culled from a variety of sources making it look a bit patchy, the plot - or the development of the theme - a bit uneven, probably a good thing to make high school students watch, but hardly a film to demand paid admission.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Conversations
- Hits: 1399
The nephew inundates me with recommendations for my viewing pleasure.
I don't know where he finds time for all of this, and where he thinks I'll find time, but he's forever suggesting TV shows and movies for me to watch. I've sent him a few links, generally of interest to him, and he's reciprocating after his own fashion.
His favorite shows at the moment - "My Strange Obsession" and "Strange Sex", I have to see them, and so in a narrow window of time between better things to do and do I have the motivation and energy to do them I search a few on YouTube.
Excerpts with titles like: "Fur Suit Fetish", "Rocks for Dinner", "An Adult Baby", the TLC - The Learning Channel Logo in the corner of the screen, as if this is something to copyright or be proud of in any way, as if, in any way, this represents or passes for learning or curiosity. YouTube automatically recommends further related videos in a long column on the right, Go and go and never end...the well, the depths of the interweb are filled with niche programs that entirely misinform one's worldview. So this is where he gets it. More links on the right - Strange Sex - "Well Hung" and "The Girl with Two Vaginas", every click and clip leads you further down the well.
So now I know what he's talking about and while I won't suffer any more of the Intellectual degradation I've at least done my bit - I have to wonder, though, whether all this media attention is marginalizing or normalizing the disorders it's portraying? Something to consider when I'm a little less queasy...
He asks if I've seen the show, I have, the same excerpts at least that he's been referring to, he doesn't want my opinions, he's already digressing - "you know White Snow?" and I'm thinking it's a movie about Coke, like Blow, but it's not, after some miming and more miscommunication he's talking about "Snow White, the one of the last great Italian Porno's, it's not so much a porno because it's pretty weird but....you can find it on Elephantlist, it's rare, you'll thank me buddy..."
1984, C-30, Vic Toews
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Rants
- Hits: 2498
As we near 1984 - ever nearer - with the ubiquitous televisions in every pub and shop and more surveillance cameras than people to fill them, it's not a surprise that the government is attacking what few freedoms remain to us.
By which I mean the C-30 Bill undertaken and proposed by the contemptible Vic Toews, which would allow the police unprecedented freedom in monitoring Canadians online activity, giving them unrestricted access to server logs, email and texting histories, etc.
Now there's some backlash to this, there was - once upon a time - something known as "due process" in which police had to have warrants and just cause to invade ones privacy and personal space, so Mr. Vic Toews seeks to align the public with his somewhat Orwellian government dystopia by re-branding the proposed bill an "Anti-Pedophile" legislation, thereby polarizing the idiots who actually considered he might be acting in the public interest.
In further defense of his cause he suggests that police forces across the country are in favour of this - because, after all, it will help them to weed out the child pornographers.
"Oh, the children, please won't somebody think about the children...". Yep, that's the level of hysteria.
The police would, of course, stand behind any bill that gave them further powers and less accountability. Put forth a bill that allows police officers to fire their weapons at their own discretion without accountability and you'll find that all the police stations across the country are in favour of it. Put forth a bill that allows police officers to collect cash for traffic tickets on the spot and you'll find every police station across the country greatly in favour of it. In short, police officer's will support anything that gives them greater power with less accountability, what organization wouldn't?
A fine example of how police already respect your privacy - when checks and balances are in place - is here: http://www.citypages.com/2012-02-22/news/is-anne-marie-rasmusson-too-hot-to-have-a-driver-s-license.
Further to the "debate" (not a debate, really, any right-minded citizen would oppose such a gross abandonment of civil liberties) - it comes out that Vic Toews hasn't even read the content of his own bill:
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/18/pol-thehouse-vic-toews.html
Now when the government has reached the height of it's powers and is busy in the purging of all contrary points of view, I'd like it noted that I haven't read this blog post.
The election of these people is the biggest proof of the failure of the democratic process I've yet observed. No kidding.
In further capitulation to the regulation and suppression of freedom of thought, comes this article: http://www.caut.ca/pages.asp?page=1061 - now, really, shouldn't Universities know better, and be actively lobbying for the free exchange of ideas? PWNED by the government. So, while one might lament that one's politicians are sadly undereducated in any real sense of the word, there's always the possibility that they were educated at the University of Toronto or Western Ontario, where freedom is fast becoming a memory.
And, if you're curious, there's still a few places working to keep the internet free (at least in spirit).
Visit: http://openmedia.ca/
$1000 Shaw Bill
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Dreams
- Hits: 1618
There's a bill in the mail from Shaw, it's about a hundred or so pages long, a brief note attached saying that they've underestimated my internet usage, this bill should catch me up. A hundred pages detailing all of my torrent downloads. The total bill around $1000.00, give or take, and I'm very, very annoyed, there's no way I'm going to pay this but I'm not sure I have time enough to challenge or dispute it...
(**Note: Probably related to the various measures being undertaken both privately and publicly to restrict internet access and usage, which have of late been receiving a lot of press)
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