Monday, July 31, 2006

Child Abduction



The RCMP have just released an Amber alert concerning the disappearance of a 10-year-old boy from Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Here is the RCMP alert, as well as a news story about it. Click on the pics for a better look. If anyone sees either Peter Whitmore (adult) or Zachary Miller (child), please get in touch with the RCMP via the above links. Thanks.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

The Music Industry, Getting Even More Over-protective

I play guitar, and I find many of the chords to songs I like from the internet. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of sites on the web dedicated to posting person's individual interpretations of how a song goes. These are not official sheet music transcripts, but rather what people figure out on their own while listening to the song (I'm kind of tone deaf, so I am not very good at this. However, over the years, I've gotten better).

One of the sites I use is Guitar Tab Universe, which is now under threat from the National Music Publisher's Association (NMPA, in the US). Legal action is being threatened because the NMPA believes that "sharing tabulature constitutes copyright infringement." The homepage of the Guitar Tab Universe has a clear and concise statement regarding their position.

I don't believe that I am infringing on anyone's copyright when I learn from someone else how to play a song. Am I infringing on copyright when I learn the lyrics to a song and then sing them? If I tell someone the plot of a movie, or even how it ends, is that infringment? After using this site for years, I can tell you that half the time the tabs are wrong anyway. The only way it's infringment is if you start making money on it. But if you're making money on it, you'd have to buy the rights to the song anyway or have a crapload of lawsuits on your hands. It's not artists, but the publishers of songbooks, who are bitching in this case.

The music industry is doing a good job blowing this internet thing out of proportion. To me, music is about communication. The industry wants us to buy music and listen to it, but not talk about it or sing it or enjoy it on our own instruments. I can't wait for the music industry to start suing school bands.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Hearing it from People Actually in Beirut


I don't know anything about this guy, his politics or art or music or whatever. All I know is that he lives in Lebanon and is using his blog to reveal the frustration and horror of what's going on over there right now. Looking at this I felt much more connected than I'd ever get from watching 12hours straight of CNN. Mazenkerblog

In one post he (I think he?) quotes his father about the United Nations: which nations are they united for, and which against?

I stumbled upon this via Kasia.

And I'd like to just point out that the fighting in Darfur is increasing and now spilling over into Chad. The violence here is solely against the civilian population, who the government is punishing for supposedly supporting rebel forces. Civilians caught up everywhere. Interesting that none of the Western countries are trying to broker a peace deal in Africa.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Turmoil You-Know-Where

I leave my computer for two weeks and the whole world goes crazy! What’s all this I’m hearing about the Middle East? Firstly, I just want to say that radio in southeastern Saskatchewan is crap. The hostilities were a week into it before I even heard anything. And the first was from people who came from Saskatoon!

These are mostly first-impression type ramblings, so they may change, but could the U.S. think about people instead of politics for once? They don’t want to get into it, because Israel is their ally and they don’t want to actually say something bad about Israel. But c’mon: they are bombing the crap out of civilians over there! I might agree with my buddy who punches a guy while defending his girlfriend’s honour, but when the crowbar and brass knuckles come out, things change a bit.

Humanitarian aid can’t get into the area yet, but who cares, right? Only civilians.

Canada is sitting behind the US like the little kid stands behind the bully. Although I must commend Harper and wife for taking their government plane to Cyprus to bring back 120 Canadian refugees fleeing Lebanon. However, Stephen and wife, you could have taken 122 back if you weren’t on the fucking plane! Use your head for compassion instead of public relations.

I find it interesting that the US is allowing Saudi Arabia into the group discussing a peaceful solution, but is refusing to listen to anything Syria has to say. Condo. Rice says that a peace agreement must bring stability to the entire region, yet at the same time you ignore some of those countries in that region? Seems blatantly paternalistic to me.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Lesson #17: Read the fine Print

I love Billy Bragg, not just for his music but for his politics (I guess for the most part, the two are the same). And he recently taught everyone a valuable lesson: read the fine print. Every band and their dog has a mySpace website to promote themselves. Bragg fished through the ‘terms of use’ on his own site and was shocked to discover that mySpace (owned by Rupert Murdoch) claimed that they held worldwide rights to any music posted on mySpace. Bragg said ‘screw that’ and pulled his songs off his site, then let the news out. Everyone will be happy to know that mySpace responded by immediately changing their terms of use. Here’s an article.
And people are still clueless enough to think that we no longer need corporate watchdogs or civil liberty unions or even unions in general. ‘Question everything’ is not just a motto for Matrix fans.
If you’ve never heard Billy Bragg, I force this introduction upon you:
Billy Bragg. This is not his mySpace site. I personal find mySpace annoying. Bands throw so many things on the page that it takes eons to open. And in order to leave any messages, you have to become a member. Why should I become a member if all I want to say is "thanks a bunch"? By the way, Bragg is coming to Canada this fall, but not Saskatoon. Winnipeg and Calgary are the closest. Darn it all!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Gore Gives A Shout Out to Fort Mac!

I'm always interested when something local gets a nod from the international community. In the most recent issue of Rolling Stone [RS 1004/1005], Al Gore discusses his ideas about global warming and has this to say about the Fort MacMurray region:

"The fact that oil is beginning to get more expensive more quickly will contribute to the realization of how dysfunctional our current pattern is. Take the tar sands of western Canada. For every barrel of oil they extract there, they have to use enough natural gas to heat a family's home for four days. And they have to tear up four tons of landscape, all for one barrel of oil. It is truly nuts. But you know, junkies find veins in their toes. It seems reasonable, to them, because they've lost sight of the rest of their lives." (RS 1004/1005:46)

Which is a viewpoint that I have to agree with. The sucky thing is this: I love all the things that oil provides for me. I won't sugar-coat it: life is good right now. Plus, as an archaeologist, I know that for the most part my employment opportunities depend on the exploitation of natural resources. So damn it all!

Seriously, though, I'm willing to have to go into another career if it means that people start taking global warming and resource depletion seriously. It just means I have to fall back on my second career option: rock star!