World Without Authority

Hey guys. Its been another slow week so I thought that it would be a good idea to share a little of what I've been think of over the last little while.

Recently, I have become concerned about the level of respect for Authority that I have been seeing in the world. Never before have I seen, so many people opposed to their governments. (This is not a statement of whether or not you oppose the war or not, but is a statement towards the fact that people seem to be fighting each other.)

Even the way we drive shows this warring of people that exists in society. People do not drive the speed limit anymore, nor do they consider the other drivers or the pedestrians as was what happened in the past.

There are two crosswalks by my neighborhood and every time I cross at one (without fail) there is someone that will drive through the crosswalk without stopping. Even though we have rules against speeding and driving though crosswalks when people are crossing people seem to still do it with little regard for these laws.

Maybe it was because I was younger, but it seemed like in the past we were more at peace with each other and that we all tried to obey the laws that were out there more than we do now. But this is the way that I see it. How do you see it? I would like to hear your thoughts on this, as I hope I am not the only one that feels this way about our society. Then again, maybe I am.

In Living Color - Star Trek; The Wrath of Farrakhan

Hey I'm back

Hey guys, as you can already guess I made it back safely from my retreat this weekend, where I had a great time fellowshipping with other men from all over Ontario. The only problem is that I kind of over did it when I decided to play floor hockey this weekend, so I'm in a bit of pain. But it will pass.

I hope that you guys had a great weekend and I'll see you next blog.

Sharing is Caring - Pro Piracy Commercial

This commercial I found posted to Digg.com and I thought that I would share it with you guys. Apparently, this commercial is an altered Zune commercial that seems to display that piracy doesn't hurt anyone and that sharing is in fact "caring". But I disagree with them.

I have heard arguments as to how piracy actually increases sales of music, etc. (which in many cases I believe it does). But the problem is that I don't believe that the decision of whether piracy is OK should be left to consumers, but to the content creators since they are the ones that worked to produce the music or movies. Do I believe that they should be lobbying governments to impose taxes on music devices, etc. or going after students and old ladies. No I don't. But ultimately, if you created the content you should be the one to decide how it is distributed since ultimately, you are the ones that spent months working on it and it is your livelihood. I'm sorry, but that is what I believe. What do you Think?

I'm Off to Muskoka

Hey guys. I'm going to be leaving for a Christian Mens' retreat in Muskoka, so I will not be posting this weekend. Sorry about that, but I do hope to put something up early this week. So I hope that everyone has a good weekend and doesn't get into to much trouble. See you next week.

Family Guy salutes TV at the 2007 Emmys

American's giving up on Life for Internet

Yesterday, Yahoo News is reporting that in a recent study many Americans are now giving up on sex and friends for the Internet. Not that any of this is surprising, but it is scary.

In the study many people reported that "They felt disconnected from the world, from their friends and family" when they are forced to go offline. This has lead me to evaluate my own us of the Internet and whether the Internet could be considered addictive. And I have to say that it is.

At times, I've felt cut off from the world when I couldn't use my computer and I know that I have personally put off activities to go online. (I admit it.) Is it wrong to do this? Probably. If going online is negatively effecting yourself or others then it probably is, but perhaps this change towards people going online is a good thing, as it shows me that people really want to have community.

For decades now, people have been living somewhat isolated lives with no real significant relationships. Just think about your relationship with your neighbors. How many of you regularly talk to and have over for dinner your neighbors? Some of you probably have good relationships with their neighbors, but some don't. In my neighborhood, I use to have a lot of friends that I ran around with as a kid. But they all moved away and since then I haven't really had much contact with my neighbors. I say hi and I know some of them by name but beyond that I really don't know them.

So, whether it is a good thing or not that people are giving up on life for the Internet I just don't know.

Slow Week

Hey guys. You probably noticed that there were no posts this week. The reason for that is that it has been kind of a slow week, with only a couple of things happening such as the $200 price cut for the IPhone (which I am waiting to see what happens with that before I post anything). And they announced a new set of Ipods, but other than that there hasn't been much. So sorry guys, but I'm waiting for some news before I make my next post.

Internet People

Internet People - Watch more free videos

9mm Versus Katana

If you were ever wondering if a bullet could be deflected by a sword. Here is your answer.

Is the Internet Destroying Cinema?

Ridley Scott seems to think so. In a recent interview Zero Paid is reporting that Ridley Scott believes that technology is killing off cinema with all of the different ways that people are able to view film.

From cellphones to computers, fans of film can now watch movies in many different ways, especially with Internet streaming. But is it really destroying cinema? I would say maybe. Directors when they make movies they make them for the big screen and not our homes. There might be a few straight to DVD movies that aren't, but for the most part films are made for theatres.

Some may argue that there is no difference between watching a movie at home and seeing it at the theatre, but I would disagree. For one the bigger picture and sound does make a difference as it comes to the overall enjoyment of a film. But also, when you go to a theatre there is a social aspect, as well as, various things that a director may put into a film to play on the audience, which you can't nessarially get at home. An example of this was in Jurassic Park 3. For those of you that haven't seen it, there was a running gag where a cell phone would start ringing. When it first went off during the film the sound came from the right side and about the centre of the theatre. So, everyone began to turn around and look since we all thought that it was someones cellphone going off in the theatre, but it was actually part of the movie. Someone at home would probably miss that and thus not have the same effect. Another example is the film Snakes on a Plane. I remember going to see it at the theatre opening night and having the best time I ever had in a theatre. The audience was right in the movie and it was a pretty fun time, even though it was probably the cheesiest movie that released last year.

So from the perspective of Ridley Scott, the Internet and other technologies are ruining the social aspect of film and is creating a poorer viewing experience. But from the perspective of a independent filmmaker technology has expanded his market. Without the Internet many filmmakers wouldn't have a place to showcase there work, but now with the Internet it is now ever easier to get your work out to your audience without substantial investment from a studio. And so cinema, because of the Internet, is in a state of growth as the theatre industry dies down. Then again that isn't true. Recently "The Movie Blog" reported that the film industry had a record summer at the box office.

So really I'm just not sure where these comments are coming from. Then again, at lest he didn't suggest that the Internet be shutdown for 5 years like Sir Elton John.

Phil Collins "Gorilla Drummer" Cadbury Ad (Dairy Milk)

Those guys at Cadbury are marketing geniuses. This video I have seen everywhere from "Attack of the Show" on G4 to You tube. And so, I decided to share it myself. Enjoy.

How Much Do You Know About Movies Made in the Past 25 Years?

76%The Movie Quiz

FilmCritic.com - Movie Reviews

Filmcritic is running a quiz on there site, testing your knowledge of films from the last 25 years. I thought that any movie buffs out there might enjoy doing the quiz and might want to beat my score. Which sits at 76%.