Freewheeler's Digital Domain

This is a totally ridiculous, but funny take on Swine Flu!

A version of this ad is currently playing on TV One and I think it is really cool.  I did a search on Youtube today and found this full version, which is even better!

If you have noticed black squares invading profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter over the past week and were wondering what they were all about, it has to do with copyright and freedom of speech in NZ. It is a protest against the amendment to the Copyright Act which has gone into force over the weekend.

The whole problem with this amendment is that it has been interpreted as meaning that your ISP will terminate your internet connection if you are accused of downloading copyrighted materials without any hard evidence. Thus taking away a person's right to be innocent until proven guilty.

But...

Due to the ambiguity of the wording, there is some disagreement as to what constitutes an ISP. Many think that they include libraries and internet cafes. If this is the case, it would mean that they would have to keep the details of anyone using their services. I really don’t think this is right and this part should be made clearer to distinguish the definition of an ISP as they will be the ones policing the new law.

The most contentious part of the amendment is the fact that many people do not like the word termination in the context of the act. But according to the recording industry they will get four warnings before any drastic disconnection takes place.

In my opinion this amendment is fair, but I can see why there is a movement against it. It seems to be unfairly skewed towards the recording industry without much thought for the common man. Remarkably, it has even got international attention with Stephen Fry speaking out over it, and blacking out his profile picture on Twitter.

Hopefully this will be sorted through soon, and the sooner the better I say.

I have only skimmed over the surface here, as there is a host of information on the topic at the sites listed below.

Scoop

Hard News

David Farrar

Creative Freedom Foundation

TV3

Just read an interesting article from Computerworld concerning, what they expect to be, the rise of the e-book.  Some of the trends cited which will see the ebook becoming more and more popular, include the US economy, the death of the newspaper industry, and preserving the environment.

Personally, I don't think reading something on a screen is as satisfying as holding a book, so I think that the book will be around for a long time yet, but we will see!

Christopher Reeve would have been so happy now if he were alive! A biotech firm announced last Friday a study into stem cell treatment on human spinal cord injury using embryonic stem cells. Even though the company, Geron, says that the election of the new President had nothing to do with the decision, I'm not so sure ;-)

What an amazing thing it was last Tuesday to see one of the new faces of the next generation become President of the United States! From a NZ point of view it is just fantastic to see the end of Bush and his lot. What will the next four years hold, who knows. He is already putting into place legislation to close Guantánamo which I think is fantastic. But where to put the inmates? I'm sure there is a place secure enough in Nevada or Arizona (think Area 51!) where they could be held.

Reading his speech I thought it was very good(must see the video). There was a lot that was said, even though it may have be lacking in specifics. It essentially was a call-to-arms for Americans to get off their behinds and make the country great again. The points that I took notice of were his mention of renewable energy, funding for schools and universities (I assume public) and the image of the US overseas.

Firstly, renewable energy. If he can achieve even a small fraction of what he said, this would mean that the US would be looked upon in a new light when it comes to the issue of climate change.

“We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.”

Even now there are mutterings here from the Greens that John Key should follow Obama's lead in this direction.

Also in his speech he briefly mentioned that he wants to “transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.” Whatever this means, it can only be good for the public schools and universities that have had their funding cut and are trying hard not to sacrifice the quality of education offered.

The image of the US overseas has suffered under the previous regime. There were various parts of this address where he mentions how things will be different under his watch. He wants to withdraw from Iraq, seek a new way forward with Muslim nations, work with poorer ones to become prosperous, and most interestingly, he wants to “work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat.” This I found to be a real eye opener, because as well as meaning disarmament, does this also mean that that he wants to soften his stance on our anti-nuclear policy. We will have to find out!

Finally, one policy he did not mention, was his policy on disabilities, which I think is very think is very good

From now on there will be an Obama Watch on my blog. Anything that interests me that he does will be reported here.

It will be interesting to see how long and his approval rating lasts, but as someone in my family has said, all he needs to do is be seen out with his wife and children on a regular basis, and his approval ratings will remain very high!

Just to let any readers know, this blog has not been abandoned.  Watch this space!

Here is a trailer for a TV show currently in production here in NZ (Legend of the Seeker) based on the ‘Sword of Truth’ books by Terry Goodkind

Have not read any of the books, but I do know there are a lot of them, so like ‘Hercules’ and ‘Xena’ before, we could be in for a series that could potentally last a very long time.

This is a very cool ad that has been playing on NZ TV for a few weeks.  Enjoy!

Last night we lost narrowly to South Africa at Carisbrook.  It seems that without players such as Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn, and Ali Williams (who retired injured, partway through the match) we lose most of our best playmakers.  That was the difference last night in the 30-28 win to South Africa.  Instead of playing as a team like South Africa, we seem to have only for or five real playmakers (the ones above + Dan Carter) who have any real experience at mixing it up and giving us a chance at success.  Why is that I wonder?