I was pretty pleased last week to see the British PM get around to issuing an apology for their government’s treatment of Alan Turing. Being a computer geek, and a bit of a crypto amateur, the things done at Bletchley Park generally, and by Turing specifically (and not just during the war), are things of interest to me. Being a,… Read more →
Tag: freedom
Peaks of rage
You know, if I posted every time Harper’s government took and action, or announced a policy direction, that I disagreed with or found repugnant, this blog would be one long bile-laden rant. So I mostly take the “ignore them and hope they go away” strategy, coupled with the occasional rant when something particularly ludicrous or vile happens. Here’s a couple… Read more →
Aside
I’m glad I stayed up to hear Obama’s speech. I do have one unresolved question for California at this point: what the hell is up with Proposition H8? California? Hello? You’re letting me down over there.
And one last time
If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential — for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never. —Søren Kierkegaard Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking. —John Maynard Keynes… Read more →
Organizational Pathology
Did you see the ACLU press release today about how the American terrorist watch list now has more than one million people on it? “America’s new million record watch list is a perfect symbol for what’s wrong with this administration’s approach to security: it’s unfair, out-of-control, a waste of resources, treats the rights of the innocent as an afterthought, and… Read more →
Still More CAN-DMCA
In my continuing effort to remake this blog into the “all Canadian copyright, all the time” blogNo, not really–it’s just that between pushing our release to GM (FINALLY), being a single parent while Trish is doing research in Ontario, and Mario Kart, it just feels that way., here are some links to the latest info: Since the legislation was introduced,… Read more →
For the record
I received this response to my “Canadian DMCA” letter from my local MP today: Dear Mr. McLaren: Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about the new copyright legislation introduced by the Conservative government yesterday in the House of Commons. I certainly share many of your concerns and assure you they will be raised during discussions in… Read more →
It’s here
A quick update on the Canadian DMCA. You can read the text of the bill now. Reuters has an early write-up that you can read. Geist also has one, but good luck getting to his site right now. I’ll include one of his five “high level points”: The digital lock provisions are worse than the DMCA. Yes – worse. The… Read more →
Tomorrow is “Conservatives sell us to US companies” day
I know you’re tired of it, but I’m going to mention the Canadian DMCA again, since it’s been announced various places that Prentice will be tabling it tomorrow. There’s some coverage at the National Post, which while using neutral language manages to present the legislation as something harmful to consumers: The new Copyright Act has been updated to reflect the… Read more →
Canadians: Once More Unto the DMCA breach
By this point you know the drill. You might be interested in following up with one of the linked organizations, though. ——————————————— ORC News | June 3, 2008 | Issue 1.3 ——————————————— Write to your MP about the new copyright bill: http://www.onlinerights.ca/get_active/copyright_for_canadians/ Dear Online Rights Canada Supporter, We understand that the government will imminently introduce legislation to amend the Copyright… Read more →
Putting My Own House In Order
Or rather, bitching about my own country’s politicians for a change. It seems like I can’t turn around lately without seeing another story that just embarrasses me as a Canadian. The classic example, which I’ve talked about here before, is the Tories’ continuing attempt to force a DCMA-style law down our throats. After getting his ass more or less handed… Read more →
A moment of hobo appreciation
I passed a lovely bit of time today reading The American Hobo by Colin Beesley, a British academic paper about a quintessentially American phenomenonThe paper is hosted by northbankfred.com, a site dedicated to trains and the hobo experience. Be sure to browse around and check out some of the other articles, photographs, or if you’re really hard-core, the stories!. I’ve… Read more →
Arizona: We don’t get irony here
Measure backs ‘American values’ in state schools Arizona schools whose courses “denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization” could lose state funding under the terms of legislation approved Wednesday by a House panel. SB1108 also would bar teaching practices that “overtly encourage dissent” from those values, including democracy, capitalism, pluralism and religious tolerance. Schools would have to surrender… Read more →
Constant Subtle Reinforcement
A while back my wife passed me a PDF copy of an academic paper entitled “Polite, well-dressed and on time: secondary school conduct codes and the production of docile citizens” by Brock University researcher Rebecca Raby. The citation shows the paper as having originally been published in The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology; Feb 2005. Rather than link you… Read more →
Monday Miscellany
It’s really a miscellany today. I was half-tempted to title this 88 lines about 44 links, and maybe even do it in some kind of poetic structure, but fortunately a combination of laziness and good sense prevailed. Nice to see that former local (and HGPA-member) Brian O’Malley‘s movie deal is actually happening–at least leads are being cast and a start… Read more →
