Iran's Twitter Revolution #iranelection
Published June 19, 2009 @ 14:52 in News, Twitter

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the 2009 Iranian presidential election with 62.63% of the popular vote. At least, that's what the "official" results show. Mir-Hossein Mousavi will tell you he had 62.63% of the popular vote.

Thousands gathered in protest, and the Iranian government responded by restricting all journalists working for foreign news organizations from reporting on the streets of Tehran. With the mainstream media out of the way, the citizens became journalists, reporting from the streets via Twitter, on Facebook and blogs. It was a corrupt government vs. web savvy citizens seeking freedom and democracy and Twitter emerged as a place to plan protests, share information and report to the rest of us what was happening on the streets of Iran.

Here's Andrew Sullivan writing for The Atlantic's blog:

I have to say my skepticism about this new medium has now disappeared. Without it, one wonders if all this could have happened. A reader notes a few facts:

Ahmadinejad's and Khamenei's websites were taken down yesterday - I saw the latter go down within a couple of minutes because of a DDOS attack organised via Twitter. @StopAhmadi is a good source for tweets on this. The other important use of Twitter has been distribution of proxy addresses via Twitter. This would be how most video and pictures of today's rally have gotten out.

Technology has not just made the world more dangerous; it has also enabled freedom to keep one small step in front of tyranny and lies. One thing you can do is use Twitter to fight the regime yourself. Help bring these fascist bastards down at the end of your modem.

It's not Twitter's revolution, the revolution belongs to the people of Iran. But it is Twitter's coming out party, enabling Iranians to seek what we take for granted. They are tweeting for freedom.

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CBC Hourly Newscast MP3 Download - Perpetually Updated
Published June 6, 2009 @ 13:10 in News, Radio

When it comes to getting my news, I turn to the CBC first. It's straight up, solid information, and it doesn't appear tainted by glitz, glamour or bias. I like CBC Newsworld for my television news and CBC Radio One for my radio news.

A tremendous resource when it comes to news and current affairs in this country is the vast assortment of CBC Podcasts available online. One gem, which you might not know about but will thank me for pointing it out, is the CBC Radio Hourly newscast that's always current and always available at the same url. This is awfully convenient. Download it, or listen to the < 5 minute broadcast at http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/hourlynews.mp3.

If you're looking for Toronto info, Metro Morning with Andy Barrie makes several segments available for download at http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/features/podcast/.

You're welcome.

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Don't Tell My Wife About the Swine Flu
Published April 25, 2009 @ 16:33 in Family, News

Four years ago, we were told the Avian flu pandemic was imminent. My wife was so worried about the avian flu virus making its way to North America that she stored non-perishable food items and litres of water in the basement preparing for lock down. She imagined a moment when the whole family would retreat to the basement quarantined while this mutating virus ravaged the rest of the city.

My wife hasn't read this pleasant Toronto Star article yet. It's about the new flu strain, a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses, that has killed up to 68 people in Mexico. The World Health Organization is using the P word.

Hospitals tested patients with flu symptoms for the never-before-seen virus, which has also infected eight people in the United States. No further deaths had come to light since Friday afternoon, but officials warned the person-to-person infections meant there was a risk of a major outbreak.

“It has pandemic potential because it is infecting people,” WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in Geneva.

In related news, this new strain of swine influenza is likely already in Ontario.

The new strain of swine influenza is likely already in Ontario, said Dr. Michael Gardam, one of Ontario's top infectious disease specialists, because about 60,000 people return to the province from Mexico every month.

"We have to assume that it is circulating in Ontario," he said. "You just have to look at air travel patterns to realize that what goes on in Mexico has to come to Canada.

Just don't tell my wife. If she finds out about this, I'll be tweeting from the basement.

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Fox News FAIL
Published March 21, 2009 @ 14:34 in News

Head over to Elvis' blog to see pictures of Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes before you watch the Fox News clip below. Go ahead... I'll wait for ya.

Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, Trooper Jack Bouthillier and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes gave their lives yesterday while serving in our military. A total of 116 members of the Canadian Forces have died in Afghanistan or in support of the Afghan operation between February 2002 and March 20, 2009.

With that in mind, watch this epic Fox News FAIL.

That there's some grade A ignorance. With friends like that...

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Seattle P-I Now Entirely Digital News
Published March 16, 2009 @ 16:49 in News

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer goes to print for the last time tomorrow morning.

The Hearst Corp. announced Monday that it would stop publishing the 146-year old newspaper, Seattle's oldest business, and cease delivery to more than 117,600 weekday readers.

The company, however, said it would maintain seattlepi.com, making it the nation's largest daily newspaper to shift to an entirely digital news product.

It's an "entirely digital news product", but it's not the same product they were printing. It's now a slimmed down source of local news and opinion.

It's a tough time for newspapers.

Seattle follows Denver in losing a daily newspaper this year, after the Rocky Mountain news closed.

And in Arizona, Gannett's Tucson Citizen is set to close on Saturday, leaving one newspaper in that city.

Last month the San Francisco Chronicle said it plans to cut a "significant" number of jobs to meet cost-cutting targets, and that if the targets are not met, then the paper could be sold or closed down.

The New York Times is struggling to service debts of some $400m, amid dwindling cash reserves and plunging revenue.

Last year it had to mortgage its gleaming new headquarters (built in 2007 with much fanfare) to bolster its cash flow.

The Tribune Company, which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun and many other titles, filed for bankruptcy in December, and although its newspapers remain in publication, the repercussions of the bankruptcy filing are likely to lead to restructuring.

Three other newspaper companies have also filed for bankruptcy in recent months.

They are Star Tribune Holding Corporation (which owns the Minneapolis Star-Tribune), the Journal Register Company (which owns the New Haven Register and a number of other titles in the North East), and Philadelphia Newspapers LLC (which owns Philadelphia's two top newspapers, the Inquirer and the Daily News).

In this city, we've got the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun, the Globe & Mail and the National Post, as well as a couple of local papers, Eye Weekly and Now. And I'm not even getting into the free papers. Can they all survive?

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Work Your Way Through the Recession
Published March 9, 2009 @ 10:15 in News

I took an economics class in high school, but all I remember from that course is the relationship between supply and demand. When it comes to personal finances, I let my wife handle it. I have many passions, but the economy and money don't make the list.

I do, however, read the news on a daily basis, and it seems news about the economy goes from bad to worse with every read. It's all doom and gloom, with predictions it will get worse before it gets better and that this will be the longest recession since WWII.

My one and only strategy for dealing with this recession is to work. I'm going to do my best to work my way through this recession. I'm working harder and smarter than ever before, developing new skills and improving old ones.

I'm no economist, but this appears to be the best strategy and it's the only one I really know how to implement. Work, work, work, work... until it's over and we're all living high on the hog once more.

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Steven Page Goes Solo
Published February 25, 2009 @ 10:12 in News

Steven Page is no longer a member of the Barenaked Ladies. Along with Ed Robertson, Steven Page was a key voice in this band, which will go on recording without him. He's the vocalist on "Brian Wilson" for goodness sake!

From the official BNL site.

A MESSAGE FROM BARENAKED LADIES

By mutual agreement, Steven Page will be parting company with the remaining members of Barenaked Ladies. Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart will continue recording and touring together as Barenaked Ladies. Steven Page will pursue solo projects including theatrical opportunities while the band enters the studio in April 2009, and hits the road in the fall.

Page says "These guys are my brothers. We've grown up together over the past twenty years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

The band also wish Steven well in all of his endeavors. Ed Robertson says: "It's the start of a new chapter for all of us. Here's to the future!"

Everyone is looking forward to making new music and thanks their fans for their support.

Hey Ladies, we spell it "endeavours" up here. Never forget your roots.

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Is This Racist?
Published February 19, 2009 @ 16:22 in News

Yesterday's New York Post had a cartoon by Sean Delonas depicting the author of the stimulus bill as a chimp.

There's an outcry today, from Rev. Al Sharpton and others. Here's Sharpton's statement.

The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill".

Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?

I must admit, I'm uncomfortable with this imagery. I sense racial overtones, and the chimp joke after the woman was attacked in Stamford, Connecticut is truly unfunny. With President Barack Obama paying his first visit to Canada, I ask you this... Do you think this cartoon is racist?

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Caution! Zombies! Ahead!!!
Published February 4, 2009 @ 19:21 in News

I'm sure this is probably not a safe prank and we shouldn't be glorifying it, but what the heck...

There have been a rash of pranks targeting electronic highway signs in America's Midwest recently.

In Collinsville, Ill., east of St. Louis, hackers changed a sign on Interstate 225 Tuesday to read "DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES."

If that wasn't enough to convince commuters of an impending zombie apocalypse, other signs reading "CAUTION! ZOMBIES! AHEAD!!!" and "THE END IS NEAR!!!!!!!!!" may have done the trick.

Now that's my kind of electronic highway sign prank!

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Shocking Local News Story
Published January 30, 2009 @ 20:25 in News

We already knew about the dog that got electrocuted to death at Keele and Annette Streets and other dogs that have been shocked by sidewalk handwells, but now this danger has entered the human world. A child got shocked earlier today after stepping on a handwell at the corner of Dundas and Sumach Streets.

Handwells are those circular metal ground plates that cover underground wires, and I don't know about you, but I'll be stepping over them from now on. The kid who got the jolt today is fine, but when it comes to stray voltage, I like to err on the side of caution.

Hydro's taking this shocking situation seriously.

Starting tomorrow morning, all non-emergency hydro workers will be assigned to check and repair every ground plate, also known as a handwell, in the city. The workers will start in the downtown core, where the oldest hydro equipment is, and where problems have been reported.

The operation will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the repairs in older sections of the city expected to be complete by the end of February.

"We are redeploying our entire workforce," O'Brien told CBC News. "We have about 600 employees that will be moved off their regular jobs and will be focusing on going down every street."

Toronto Hydro started inspecting handwells after the first dog died in November, but with the latest incident involving a child, the company is increasing the scope of its operations.

The problem stems from a combination of weather and aging infrastructure, Toronto Hydro officials said. Salty, slushy water seeps into handwells, comes into contact with corroding wires and releases electricity. Hydro workers will resolve the problem by encasing all handwell wiring in rubber and plastic to create a water-tight barrier.

Heed my advice, step over the handwells!

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