Down My Street and Up Yours

The Last Post... At This Address

2011-07-12T14:32:00.004-04:00

It's time to say bye-bye, to this blog and web address only. The Street is now down some other road, the new address: Down My Street and Up Yours This blog will stay up for a while, but no new posts here. So, see you there. Keep on clicking! PDL © 2011, Pascal-Denis Lussier .

A Few Words on Copyrights, Integrity, and Life...

2011-07-03T13:58:00.026-04:00

.Following my last post, a tirade on “Rip! A Remix Manifesto” and the subject of copyright laws, I’d like to expand on a few points: Firstly, note that, in this context, I’m only referring to copyrights on artistic creations and published material, not addressing patent laws on ideas and natural resources nor trademark laws, very serious issues which, appropriately, are treated under different

Rip! A Remix Manifesto, or A Celebration of Immoral Originality

2011-06-28T04:56:00.070-04:00

..The Internet and copyright laws. "Rip! A Remix Manifesto," by Brett Gaylor. What I thought would be a good documentary on the subject that would bring good, solid arguments for reviewing the current laws proved to be a major, upsetting disappointment. My opinion: cheap, myopic, and juvenile; effective at convincing brainless high-schoolers that some forms of theft are OK. This film (available

Erickson: Just Doing Her Job. The Real Problem is...

2011-06-27T01:54:00.024-04:00

Yep. Another Krista Erickson post. Now that the dust has settled, it may be worthwhile to take a step back and look at some of the reactions, as well as say a few words about Quebecor Inc. First, Erickson: Sure, I have very little respect for Erickson and her kind and the role they’re willing to assume, and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to publicly call her a bitch, but I’d prefer doing so a

Artists: No Dollars, Just Sense, Please

2011-06-12T02:58:00.042-04:00

. That Erickson versus Gillis fiasco certainly has generated a lot of talk, none more heated than from artists, and understandably so. I’ve read much of what was said, including many impassioned pleas that point towards what is a false logic: economical impacts or footprints.Don’t get me wrong, I was livid upon seeing that video, but I do think that artists have to modify their point of view and

Sun News: Far From a Shining Beacon of Culture

2011-06-04T21:03:00.044-04:00

Sun News is in full swing, fully confirming what many Canadians feared, proving itself to be a right-wing propaganda machine to push forward the interests of big business and the military. Dubbed “Fox News North” by critics, the highly debated news network—despite strong opposition—was officially launched on April 18, 2011. Sun Media Inc., now a division of the goliath, Quebecor Inc., is the

To Be Perceived - Technology, Part 3

2011-05-30T19:09:00.019-04:00

Finally, part 3 in the series on technology. As with the last entry on the subject, this post will also focus on Transhumanism and evolution, doing so by taking what seems to me like the only logical next-step: by briefly talking about Autism. Yep. Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. Autism. Essentially, the main focus of this post is the question: can posthuman goals truly enable us to

Down and Up, Still on the Street.

2011-05-22T00:03:00.004-04:00

. Personal issues and events sometimes get in the way... Nonetheless, things are continuing, though not necessarily as planned, but with a new, improved, and focused plan. The site will undergo a major overhaul over the summer and it will offer new services and functionality. By the way, we've already moved and changed address--you may not have noticed, but if you're reading this, you've been

Humans, Trans and Post. Some Questions - Technology, Part 2

2011-03-07T15:59:00.047-05:00

Continuing from the previous post, the next best step is, I believe, discussing the subjects and some of the many questions that, over the years, have lead to my re-examination of "technology". That's what this post is about: If we survive another 200,000 years, will future descendants resemble anything like us? If humans have evolved into the genus Homo through a series of

Progressing Towards an Evolution of "Technology" - Intro

2011-03-03T23:23:00.032-05:00

Technology. From the first wheel and wedge to decoding the human genome to today’s super-powerful nanochips, it’s an unavoidable part of our sentience and, unless our species is entirely wiped out, it will always continue to be as such. In spite of this, for many, the word evokes dystopia, conjuring scenes from “Metropolis” or “Terminator”, it speaks of dehumanization and a clear separation from

Oscars. Worth More Than East Timor

2011-02-28T16:24:00.077-05:00

The Academy Awards. Last night, a hundred-some-odd million viewers in over 106 countries watched the glitz-and-glam show. Personally, I don’t see the interest in watching rich, beautiful folks pat each other on the back. I’ve tried, but not once have I been able to sit through an entire Oscar show. These people already get way too much undeserved attention and money thrown at them for a what

Ethos. Indeed, This Documentary is Full of It!

2011-02-25T06:34:00.028-05:00

Since "Ethos" is Greek for, "guiding beliefs or ideas that characterize a community," the filmmakers chose their title well. Their film does more than talk about the manipulation and lies and lack of ethics it tries to expose, it embodies them."Ethos" is a newly available, feature-length documentary directed by Pete McGrain and released by the Santa Monica-based, Media for Action. This is their

Fake, Pointless Gifts to All! We Shouldn't Have to Choose

2011-02-25T02:19:00.024-05:00

In a recent post, Petitions: Making the World Go 'Round... in Circles, I expressed a certain disdain towards our current obsession with e-petitions and the false sense of action and participation they tend to provide. They've become so widely abused that they now represent an empty tool to pacify any intolerance, hereby stripping "the petition" and the act of "petitioning" of any real worth and

If No Handcuffs, What About Whips?

2011-02-24T21:55:00.008-05:00

By: N-J Lefebvre An open letter to that much touted, "American pursuit of justice": It would appear as if Obama’s definition of “change” offers us a new class of Robber Barons, one that is entirely above reproach. That, or an entirely new approach to justice. Either way, the question, “where are the handcuffs,” (see video, below) should rise out of the American public like excess bile, forcing

Cunning Like a Fox TV Host

2011-02-23T19:19:00.012-05:00

According to the most recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, 61% of Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions such as those currently debated in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor such laws. Earlier today, Fox TV host Brian Kilmeade carefully rephrased matters, pulling the ol' switcheroo on audiences, bending facts to corporate needs.

NASA: Eureka! Less Pollution is Good

2011-02-22T02:58:00.039-05:00

Good news y’all! Thanks to the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization who got a whole bunch of well-paid scientists together, policy makers now have proof of the obvious... Probably why this big breakthrough didn’t cause the slightest ripple and why hardly anyone cares that the assessment report is to be released this week. The two groups, above, summoned a

And, Magically, The World Bank Awakens

2011-02-20T19:46:00.017-05:00

Yesterday, in a release made by Agence France-Presse (AFP), World Bank President Robert Zoellick finally “mentioned” what the Earth has been screaming for over a decade: “I mentioned [to the G20] that we are reaching a danger point." The G2o and related World Bank Group chiefs and cohorts met in Paris, France, on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19, 2011, hoping to reach an agreement on

Monsanto's World View

2011-02-20T03:37:00.011-05:00

Here's what normal people see: Here's what Monsanto sees: They've got "green" living all wrong. Their slogan should be: We're Monsanto. Fuck You All! This company oozes evil. It's poisoned the globe and all living organisms for nothing more than a buck. It blows my mind that we've tolerated its existence for so long. Keep on clicking! PDL © 2011, Pascal-Denis Lussier Photo and digital

The Caca of Cocoa

2011-02-19T23:29:00.005-05:00

It ain't all sweet! A 15 min. BBC exposé on the bitter side of the chocolate industry. Keep on clicking! PDL

This Musical Space for Rent

2011-02-19T10:41:00.008-05:00

. . Other than the young, hip-wannabe-yet-nerd-filled software firms or indie mags where I have worked, all other working environments that tolerated a radio being played always had to have the dial set at one of the more popular stations. This would drive me crazy after a while; I could set my watch according to the some of the songs that were aired. Musical tastes aside, I personally can’t

According to Physicists, God Said:

2011-02-19T04:12:00.007-05:00

Here's a version that, I hope, will please both the religious and scientific communities: **For you nerds out there: it's a joke; no need to check or correct the equation. That's not the "point". Thanks** Keep on clicking! PDL © 2011, Pascal-Denis Lussier

Bev Oda and the Sillier Liberal Witch-Hunt

2011-02-18T16:43:00.046-05:00

Sure, it's hard to defend the fact that this wasn't a naughty, incompetent, lazy thing to do. But let’s not turn this “not” into what it’s “not”: an act so foul and evil that it deserves our collective spit and hate. While many articles and posts and related comments are spewing revulsion, asking for a public beheading, clamouring that many other Ministers and public workers have been forced to

Worldometers - real time world statistics

2011-02-17T18:33:00.003-05:00

Publicly Tolerated Economic Hitmen

2011-02-17T05:22:00.003-05:00

Yep. For those who have been paying attention to world events these past decades, this dead-on, clear and concise video doesn't teach us anything new; it just lays it bare. Realizing that this is a sick, demoralizing and dehumanizing reality is the first step. However, the second step shouldn't be where most of us are at, i.e. blaming corporations. These corporations aren't plucking money

Petitions: Making the World Go 'Round... in Circles

2011-02-16T16:20:00.014-05:00

It seems to me like today's modern, popular and unquestioned modus vivendi is: stay oblivious, wait 'til it's too late, then bitch & moan and sign tons of ex post facto petitions. Thanks to the Web, every single concern, real or imagined, now boasts at least one e-petition. There's even specialized sites that make it quick and easy for anyone to post and manage Internet petitions. But is this