This just in - Canada does not matter · Sunday June 3, 2007 by colin newell
The Washington Post is on the eve of closing its Toronto bureau.
Which leaves no American newspapers with real staff in Canada.
I guess it is good to stay below Uncle Sam’s radar.
I mean, look what happened to Iraq?
Olympic Rant #10 - Live from Whistler · Tuesday May 29, 2007 by colin newell
That is right folks. In order to serve you better, I have come up to ground zero for the 2010 Olympics… Whistler B.C. Canada
The drive up here through all the construction was absolutely mind boggling – on a scale that is almost unimaginable.
Billions and billions spent on the 2-week party for uber-jocks, royalty and the corporate elite.
And all on your coin my Canadian friends.
Ok. Those words again…
Friend, Sea to Sky, host country and driven by nature…
Phrases I am forbidden to use…
upon pain of persecution.
Cheers – day one Whistler rant series.
The Police in Vancouver (follow-up) · Monday May 28, 2007 by colin newell
One for the “didn’t see that coming” files…
This just in:
“My name is Pete Paphides and I work as the chief rock critic for The Times in London. I am currently in Vancouver covering the first night of The Police’s world tour. I was intrigued by your posting about the difficulty you had in purchasing tickets at a reasonable price – especially the bit about having to join the fan club. Having arrived here yesterday, I noticed that The Police were playing a “fan club” only show in front of 5000 fans. It seemed odd to me that a band that had remained dormant for over 20 years should still have so many people in their fanclub that 5000 of them would be willing to schlep to Vancouver to see them play. Then I remembered what you wrote about having to pay $120 to join the fan club in order to get a chance to see the band live. Did you manage to get tickets in the end? Are you interested in having a chat about your experiences? I am reviewing the show anyway – which, I’m sure, will be enjoyable – but I would nonetheless like to write a small news story to run alongside it, talking about the lengths that some fans have had to go to in order to get tickets. If you would like to talk about any aspect of this, I can be reached on +—————. I am staying at the Westin Bayshore. I can be reached at Room —— if you call 604 ————. My email address is ——————-
Many thanks
Pete
never underestimate the power of the blog
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The downside of Facebook.Com and LiveJournal.Com · Friday May 25, 2007 by colin newell
Few people realise this so I am going to cut to the chase is it were.
FaceBook.Com and LiveJournal.Com are bad.
Bad. Bad. Bad.
Yet so many people rave about it…
Like my work-mate Mike.
Quoting Mike:
Facebook is so wonderful. So wonderful. There are thousands of users on it at our workplace. You must join. You must. Goo-goo. Gaa-gaa.
Shut-up. Whatever.
Now the truth.
Ever read the user agreement on these online communities when you sign up? Ever? ever at all? Show of hands?
Noone. As I suspected.
Dig this. When you join FaceBook.Com, they own you. And everything you deposit. All your photos and all your rants. It is theirs. Forever.
Example: Being the curious science guy I signed into Facebook (and did not read the user agreement) and joined the network that Mike suggested.
What is the first thing I see and read? It is a 19 year old student at my University straddling a toilet puking her guts out after an all-evening drinking binge. Her first and last name is there and her photo.
So. All future employers can see that she is a piss-tank. And probably not a good employee.
In an entry I spotted on LiveJournal.Com (I have a friend on there who is a witty middle-aged writer and game designer…) he has many teenage friends it seems…
One of them writes:
Hi readers. I am Julie Xxxxxxx and I am going to f—-k my boyfriend for the first time tonight
I wonder if this is the right thing to do. It is my first time.
Ok. Is what the right thing to do? Writing about it where everyone can see OR doing it with someone you have known for 3 weeks?
As we have also discovered in some study on the phenomenon of social networking sites is that GIGANTIC CORPORATIONS watch the content whilst licking their chops.
It seems that all these people spilling their whatever have softened the jobs of the marketing experts.
When a whole community decides to share every last intimate detail of their sad lives on the internet…
Well.
You fill in the blanks.
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