Lost Lazarus...got the desktop blues

So I have neglected my blog for the last little while...because I have been out every night looking for my lost cat, Lazarus - a 2 year old, short haired male brown tabby.

In my neglect of things online - for the more tangible, and furry, I have not corrected a mistake that I made in my last post about North of 9/11, Dave Bernans book about, not Netanyahu protest in 2002 at Concordia, but about the aftermath of September 11th, and its effects and far fetched implications to ConU.

D. Bernans (North of 9/11 author) said...

Great video. Just a note about the novel's plot. It does not cover the period of Sept. 9, 2002. The entire plot takes place between Sept. 11, 2001 and Oct. 9, 2001. So there is no discussion or description of the Netanyahu protests. All the protests in North of 9/11 are about the coming war in Afghanistan (the bombing started on Oct. 8, 2001).

For more info on North of 9/11 please see the publisher's web site www.cumuluspress.com

You can also buy the book at the Concordia University Coop Bookstore and other great independent bookstores.

This is post is going to jump around a bit - but back to my cat blues - I was feeling that my neglect to my blog was not helping the cat rescue mission, so I decided to Stumble upon some thing interesting. And, low and behold - Firefox finds me what I needed to apease my gloom, in a real web-way. Check out Desktop Blues and make your own blues riffs and rhythms with a touch of a mouse. Made by noisegames.com. Well, it made me feel better - and bluesman, if you see my cat, please strum me an email...

North of 9/11 book launch

North of 9/11 book launch

Watch the video

THIS POST IS GOOD INTENTIONED BUT INCORRECT: PLEASE REFER TO NEXT POST OR COMMENTS - thanks! - spectraversa
Dave Bernans launches his novel, North of 9/11 about Concordia University's recent historical event - post 9/11 - when Benjamin Netanyahu came to town, and to our school, in 2002, and many people took to the streets to protest the presence of a war criminal in our hallowed halls of education.  Riot police, broken windows, police brutality, and arrests - this was just the beginning of what was to prove a very interesting, and difficult year for all students, and activists, especially those involved in Middle Eastern politics. 

Bernans' book is about the aftermath of September 9th, 2002 - when Concordia, a university known for its progressiveness and mulit-culturalness, and shut its doors to free thinking, rationality, compassion, and human rights. 

This short video shows Dave Bernans at the Simone de Beauvoir institute, reading a selection from his novel, North of 9/11 published by Cumulus Press, and playing a song - about those times that changed the face of free Concordia.

My guilty pleasure... Ask a Ninja

Thought I'd let you all in on something... I am like so many of you out there, completely taken by the Ask A Ninja vlogcast. I pick it up on my FireAnt media viewer and look forward to each new episode, the catchy theme music, and helpful Ninja tips....



Now that I have got that out of the way - one more geeky confession, I got very excited when I found out that they are attending the Vloggercon 2006 in San Francisco this upcoming June, along with Kent Bye from The Echo Chamber Project. I'd love to go to this conference, but will most likely have to wait till vloggers travel a little more North and little more East. Would love to be there though - so if anyone has an extra plane ticket to S.F. - I'm there!

The Death of the Internet - the viral doc

COA News has put out a new v-doc...viral as in spread it, share it, watch it, and talk about it...so here it is...with a short synopsis by Steve from Currents of Awareness below.



The Death of The Internet?

Major telecommunications companies are spending millions lobbing the
U.S.
congress to make the Internet into a private network. In political
lingo this means abandoning what is called "Net Neutrality". In common
sense terms it's about the government withdrawing our right to Internet
Freedom, it's about the Death of The Internet. This V-Doc. (viral
documentary) is about the current threat to Internet Freedom and how we
can hold on to the open Internet and our right to communicate.

The only way the telecommunications companies will be successful is if
we fail to raise awareness about this situation. If people find out
that we are about to lose our Internet Freedom there is no way they will
allow congress to do this.

This congressional decision will set a monumental precedent, and thus,
impact not just U.S. citizens, but citizens all over world.

Other places you can find Death of The Internet?

You Tube


Windows Media Player Version


BlipTV (Fast)

">AddictiveClips (Faster Loading, Lower Resolution Video)

Meet Beta

Meet Beta

Watch the video

It took a while - but, all (great ideas or) things come to those who wait...so, the dog has a name!   Named in a moment of genius by Ezra Winton of uberculture, Beta is the new family member!  So for all of those who know me on a daily basis - ie. those in the English Program cooridor and basement the National Film Board, Quebec centre.  This is a celebratory video from my past birthday - April 29th - of Beta.  It's silly, it's geeky, it's retro media, and completely cyber-fun - Beta has so many great meanings, so here is the namesake!

Meet Beta, and one (maybe) last silly dog video - sorry everyone, I'll try not to become one of those people, who is pet obsessed. 

Omar from Koumbit

Omar from Koumbit

Watch the video

This past Wednesday, CitizenShift and Parole citoyenne hosted a wicked autonomous media event in Montreal's Societe des Arts Technologiques with guests from all aspects of freeing culture in an interesting bilingual panel discussion. From one blogger's beginnings into the blogosphere, to a creator and advocate of resposible media participation and open source technology (koumbit), to the WEB 2.0, to creative commons, to media power for the disenfranchised (Homeless Nation), to someone from one of the first accessible particpipatory media, and the current radiosphere (Bandaparte)

This is a short clip of Omar, from koumbit - and from their "About" page:

"Koumbit is a non profit organisation whose mission is to promote the appropriation of free, libre and open software by social groups in Quebec, in Canada and abroad.

We work on the development of a collective software platform and we provide support for users of free and open software.

Koumbit is a derivation of the haitian creol word "Konbit" which translates to: association of people towards the realisation of a common goal. "