Hey folks,

Thought I would get some of you to go down to 'the lot' and check out a FOAF's film Pizzazuzu.

Pizzazuzu - http://films.thelot.com/films/18489

Apparently this is all about getting on a reality show produced by Mark Burnett (Survivor) and Steven Spielberg (A Pinky & the Brain Christmas Special)

Sign up. Cast a vote. Let's get people I (sort of) know into Hollywood so that later in life I might vacation in California and rub elbows with moooovie stars.

If nothing else the short film should entertain you for about 5 minutes.

andre

Fox is shutting down the one man fringe festival hit "Swiss Family Guy Robinson".

You can read more about it at Brian Froud's Site or you can go to the On-line petition and add your voice to the hundreds of others that don't want to see this show end.

Its a classic david vs goliath story. One man vs a giant robo-lawyer.

andre

In this article we hear that a new DRM scheme has been cracked.

"Otto" who makes a comment on the article says it best.

There is no amount of protection they can ever add that will make this sort of thing impossible to do. They simply cannot prevent copying, and it's easy to explain why.

All DRM measures, work on the notion that "copying" and "viewing" are different things. They want to allow people to view the content, but not to copy it. This is clearly ludicrous. It's as if somebody gave you a book and said that you were not allowed to take a pencil and write your own copy of the book elsewhere. They can say it, but it's wholly unenforceable.

In order to display any content, your computer must read it. If it can read it, then it can write a copy somewhere. Period. This undeniable fact of reality makes all DRM pointless.

In this particular case, the author did not even do anything particularly special.

I don't know why I did do this sooner...

I haven't plugged my friend Brian's show in this year's Toronto Fringe Festival.

Jeepers - I, his buddy, end up looking like someone jumping on the buzz bandwagon since everyone and their sister is writing and raving about his show Swiss Family Guy Robinson.

Yup, Brian who's held a spot on the left hand nav for many months has got people talking.

So why not go check the show out? Its wicked good. And if you don't want to take my word for it here are a few more random links talking about the show.

Every year the madison avenue types put on a show. While most people think its about 'football' it's actually about commercials.

So what does $x million dollars per minute buy you?

Have a look for yourself at the 2006 super bowl commercials

andre

Okay, I am going to spread this virus because the virus itself is interesting.

The story to date in case you missed it:
Subpop band (and personal favorite) Postal Service makes a video for their February 2003 release "Such Great Heights"

Apple makes a commercial for their new Intel based Macs.

The two works are for all intents and purposes the exact same thing. The Apple commercial is a shot for shot remake of the Postal Service video - shot by the same director.

Some people notice the similarity. *update - a better look at the two works side by side

Some people start investigating.

Online Rights Canada has a pledge proposed by Michael Geist that basically asks that if as an MP are going to work on copyright law in the Heritage ministry - that you wont accept campaign contributions from "(i) a copyright lobby group, (ii) its corporate members, or (iii) senior executives as well as (iv) a copyright collective".

The problem is that Sam Bulte wont take the pledge - but will take campaign contributions - and its creating a lot of buzz in her Toronto riding - and around the world.

andre

Over the holidays I was gifted the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

For those that haven't read it - its all about how a part of our brain is programmed to make snap judgements based on very little information. And these judgement tend to be very accurate despite a lack of supporting information. In other words - our 'gut' reaction to things is right most of the time. The trick is learning how to pay attention to these judgements that happen within a blink of the eye.

The section on mind reading is quite interesting. Its not so much mind reading but reading faces and facial expressions. Check out FACS if you are interested in the topic. I'm sure its required reading for spys and world class poker players.

andre

I caught a bit of SNL last night - and the "Lazy Sunday" video is just too funny. If you don't know what I'm talking about fire up your favourite p2p and take a look.

(Update: You can see it here)

Its interesting to see how technology is permeating popular culture.

I pick up yahoo maps to find the dopest route
I prefer map quest
That's a dope one too
Google Maps is the best
True that
Double True

Yes - Double True.
andre

From this week's I Cringely:

Finally a word about Apple's big announcement next week. I'm told that if you try to access a page on the Apple web site that doesn't exist, something like http://www.apple.com/cringely you get a "page not found" redirect. But if you try http://www.apple.com/movies you get a "forbidden" message.

Znet ran a story that caught my attention. From reading the story I discovered the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has released a virus that scans your computer for file sharing programs and either removes them or renders them useless.

The program will also remove 'illegal' music and media files from your computer.

The virus must be downloaded from the IFPI website. This does not make it any less dangerous and may still spread. The virus is spread by social means - i.e. tricking users into downloading by making them think that doing so will make their internet media experience 'safer'.

Don't be fooled. This is scary stuff.

The only thing the software does is delete files and remove legitimate peer to peer technology from the infected machine.

How to protect yourself:

It looks more and more like everything that I Cringely has been saying about apple launching an on-line video service has been true - and the imac mini will be the livingroom entertainment hub.

Quiet. Small. Good looking. Powerful.

Everything you would want in a piece of computer hardware were you to put it in your living room.

I've been toying with the idea of building myself a sleek small sexy little computer for the livingroom... but if the price is right maybe the mini will be the way to go.

Then again - not likely. I am very much more likely to want to build a system of my own - even though the thought of getting something off the shelf is appealing.

But, it doesn't matter what i'll do. Its what all other consumers will do... and THEY will buy mac minis

andre

Anyone that has watched even twenty minutes of poker on television will know what "Big Slick" is. For the other 6 people that don't know, "Big Slick" is a nickname for a poker hand consisting of an Ace and a King.

Hold-em Poker has dozens of these nicknames for hands. To some 77 might be 'hockey sticks,' and 88 could be 'snow men' (both getting their name from their shape - if you hadn't noticed or hadn't cared to think about it). To others A5 could be 'high five,' or A8 is 'the dead man's hand.'

Well, I would like to coin a new name for a hand.

I think that from this day forward, King Four should be known as "Wil Wheaton."

I've been reading a lot of WWdN (Wil Wheaton dot Net) lately as he's been recounting his experiences playing at the World Series of Poker.

If you read up on Wil you will find that K4 keeps giving him troubles (and nightmares). Wil seems like a nice enough person and I think it'd be nice to name a poker hand after him - especially since its one that gives him so many headaches.

File under:

You can't make this stuff up.

Pop-Tarts is the official sponsor of the American Idol tour.

Pop-Tarts Presents American Idols Live - Get your tickets now

*sheesh*

andre

I'm late to this party - but I just got myself a copy of Ima Robot by Ima Robot.

I don't get as much time as I would like to feed my craving for fresh new music. But, every so often I binge and listen to a ton of it... most of the time its a single or two that catch my attention and the rest of a band's album will forever fade away... but every once and a while I hear an album that I really dig.

Ima Robot is just one of those albums. I don't know a thing about the band - but then again I couldn't care less. The album is a breath of fresh air. Well sort of.

Its a early 80s post punk early synth sound - dare I call it 'new wave'? blech... nah - 'new nu wave' - uggg... never mind...

I'm cool with the heavy use of disco bass and drums that fill songs from several current indie pop bands (its catchy after all) - but its over done. Its as if every record label had the same idea at the same time... sign and push every band that's got a catchy retro beat with a modern twist... Well, Ima Robot is not one of those bands... and for that reason the sound is refreshing - and for that reason getting heavy rotation on the iPod.

The Doctor is in... and so are are Daleks.

Well one Dalek anyway - seems that the rest were killed in a time war.

I'm a big nerd. I used to watch Dr. Who religiously when I was a young lad on TVO and sometimes PBS out of buffalo... until... well... until I couldn't be bothered to find out when they would air new episodes (because it was apparently quite expensive to import the show - and it would be months and months and months between new episodes - and then they just stopped making the show).

Well 6 weeks ago the 'new' doctor was introduced on the CBC - and... well... I couldn't help myself - I've started watching again. It certainly helps that I can count on a time and place to watch it... and failing that I can record the show for viewing at my leasure.

This week re-introduced the Daleks.

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