Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss

Everybody's walking around today with a pantload of warm emotion about Barak Obama's "The Speech".

WHAT ever. Things got so bad in the U.S. that a sack of rutabaga is more electable, and preferable to the current administration.

I'll just remind everyone sporting wood today that the United Sates has been the world's 'benign' imperial power for the past century. From Roosevelt on, there has been nothing about American foreign policy except imperialism, and death of foreigners. That's the nature of empires, sadly. That's the nature of human nature. America is it this century. And well, the prince regent, China, doesn't seem to be any better now does it?

Obama makes my mind run to the lyric for Won't Get Fooled Again released in June, 1971

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

The change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the foe, that' all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war


Well, maybe you don't want to listen to some Canadian spout off about American politics, or a Brit like Pete Townsend.

Listen to Phil Donahue, especially the stuff at 9:00 minutes in
http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/asithappens_20080318_5044.mp3

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Who Are You? Blogger to Facebook to everyone knows!


NSFW?

'Careful’ she was told ‘Neil might post something inappropriate to your Facebook page’.

Indeed, I might. Facebook, after all, is not work, this is my personal space, and so it is a place of free expression of who I am.

Nevertheless, the notion of me putting something someone else might find offensive up on his or her page is an interesting one.

For one, I don’t use the ‘funwall’ or ‘wall’ applications on other people’s pages. Ever. So how would that work?

Well, Facebook is interesting from a privacy perspective.

Several things can go on.

I have my YouTube account linked to my Google account which means there is a link to my blog welikeballs.com hosted by blogger (I grabbed the domain for $10 when it lapsed and was offered up for sale on GoDaddy. I think it is hilarious). My Facebook page automatically posts all of my blog posts to my profile. My YouTube stuff could potentially be posted up to my blog. So, were I to have a penchant for ‘sexy teens dancing’ there is the possibility that were I to look at a shameless hussy on YouTube, it could end up on my Facebook page. As could it via my YouTube video app.

Of course, on Facebook – your friend’s profiles also keep track of what you are doing. I post something on my Facebook page, it appears in the newsfeed of my friends’ pages. So someone whose interest does not lie in the realm of ‘sexy teens dancing’ might end up with a little two line bit of inappropriateness trumpeting my puerile pursuits, and find that … you guess it, inappropriate.

Here’s another un-cool privacy thingie on Facebook. I have something called Friendwheel. It tells me who among my Facebook friends know my other Facebook friends. Check it out HERE

Well now, that is interesting because it lets me know who knows whom, and there are some interesting links indeed. Spammer Scott Richter, for example, is a friend with five of my friends. One has to wonder why. Or not.

The there’s tagging photos.

Say someone takes a picture of you and me in a compromising position. And puts it up on their Facebook page. Then ‘tags’ the picture, indicating whom among their friends appears in the picture. That then appears on their page. And mine, as a photo of me. I have no control, or may not notice that that embarrassing picture is up.

So yeah. I might just have something inappropriate up on Facebook, and it may well wend its wooly way into your world.

Such is the open-book life we lead online.

I suppose if I had anything embarrassing have happened in my life I would be worried.

As it stands, I guess it is just up to those who are my friends to get over it, love me for my inappropriateness, or stop being my friends. On Facebook, at least. Because, after all, there is nothing like being inappropriate face to face.

Love ya!

Friday, March 14, 2008

My friend Lorraine was on the television!

Check this out - Les Handclaps!

Some Things Never Change Pt. II Facebook and Blog Nemesis myluvcrush.ca




Check out these pop-ups for myluvcrush.ca & .com. What an annoyance!

If you have encountered this crap on Facebook or elsewhere, here is where you can write or call to thank them for the pop-ups:

Whois Record

Status: EXIST
Registrar: Internic.ca Corp.
Registrar-no: 29
Registrant-no: 2100165
Domaine-no: 2100165
Subdomain: myluvcrush.ca
Renewal-Date: 2008/11/18
Date-Approved: 2007/11/18
Date-Modified: 2007/11/18
Organization: Theofilos Jason
Description: Individual
Admin-Name: Rob Hall
Admin-Title: Chief Privacy Officer
Admin-Postal: Privacy.ca
43 Auriga Drive
Suite 4220488
Ottawa ON K2E 7Y8 Canada
Admin-Phone: (613) 221-1215 ext. 4220488
Admin-Fax:
Admin-Mailbox: pmb4220488@privacy.ca


Their .com has the following information:


registrant-firstname: Oneandone
registrant-lastname: Private Registration
registrant-organization: 1&1 Internet, Inc. - http://1and1.com/contact
registrant-street1: 701 Lee Road, Suite 300
registrant-street2: ATTN: myluvcrush.com
registrant-pcode: 19087
registrant-state: PA
registrant-city: Chesterbrook
registrant-ccode: US
registrant-phone: +1.8772064254
proxy843898@1and1-private-registration.com



Jason Theofilos has a Facebook page, too!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason_Theofilos/761362836


OH, and look, he also HAD a LinkedIn profile, and he used to work for Azoogle - a (formerly) Spamhaus Project ROKSO-listed spamming outfit. What a shock, there:

Jason Theofilos
Business Development Manager at Mobile Messenger and Accounting Consultant

Current: Business Development Manager, Mobile Messenger

Past: Affiliate Manager, Azoogle Ads
Director Of Online Sales & Marketing, Performance Publications


Page #1 - ended up here due to a redirect from Facebook
Page #2 - I clicked close
Page #3 - clicked close again
Page #4 - clicked close again!
Page #5 - clicked close AGAIN! (Sixth time is a charm, the page finally goes away)











Thursday, March 13, 2008

Trent Reznor: talking about CD Pricing

So TR made 1.5 million 'giving' away his latest Ghosts I-IV series.
http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/03/nine-inch-nai-2.html

Brilliant!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

I think this is about as normal as I'm ever going to get


I'm a monarchist, I admit it. I like The Queen of England. I like the film The Queen too, despite it being so very critical of the royals.

The Queen smiles benignly upon we, her loyal subjects, from some of our money here in Canada, and that makes me happy, as does her annual message at Christmas time. I subscribed to The Royal Channel on YouTube so I could check out their online messaging.

I think that in this day and age, it is a good thing to have inspirational, iconic leaders who can set a standard. For me, as a devout atheist, The Queen helps by filling that role (Richard Branson's remarkable Elders Project is also something I admire and respect deeply).

And now, we have come to see that the Queen has helped raise a brave and courageous grandson. Prince Harry is back in Britain due to the ongoing moronic actions of Matt Drudge' Drudgery Report. I watched his return on the BEEB yesterday, and the subsequent interview.

Nine times out of ten someone stumbles upon you when you're having a shit. They don't bat an eyelid because it's normal out here. It's very nice to be a sort of normal person for once. I think this is about as normal as I'm ever going to get.


Two things strike me about this young man: That he wants to go back to Afghanistan, to "do his bit" shows character far beyond what one would expect from the ruling elite (Hello, George W. Bush, yes, I'm talking about YOU) and the other is that I think that civilian leaders who are involved in waging war should have had to fight in one, as a grunt.

The Royal Prince flew home with two injured soldiers and faced, first-hand, the consequences of war. How wonderful and educative an experience for someone who will have influence (albeit minimal but more than the normal sot) upon how his country and their policies.

For an entirely dissident and unkind view of all of this, check out this piece in today's Guardian


I disagree with Ms. Hyde. I think the world needs far more young men like Prince Harry to set an example. Far better him than buffoon rappers making such pursuits as Benjamins, grills & Ho's the goal. Prince Harry has demonstrated that despite a life of privilege one can come out with a sense of responsibility, bravery, and maturity.

God bless The Royal Princenot because he is a hero, but because he isn't and rejects the label.