Rolling Stones in the Windy City

A great show overall!

Even though ancient as far as musicians go, the Stones still "got it". They rocked the house. I was especially pleased that "Paint it Black" was part of the set list, and sounded better than the 60's recorded track (it's my favourite Stones song so I'm probably a bit biased). They had a stage that moved to the center of the arena, and then back to the original spot. The lighting, ensemble, and pacing were just right.

Anyway, a bit of "adventure" took place getting between the motel and the United Center in the "Windy City".

• It really is the Windy city. At night, driving on a ramp that is 30' above other the highway, with a narrow path and small barriers can be with little bit daunting when the winds are a blowing.
• Inane overuse of tolled roads. Pay 30 cents, drive 2 miles, pay 10 cents, drive 1 miles, pay 50 cents, drive 4 miles, etc...
  
• Moreoever, the layouts of the highways near Chicago makes the Detroit area look organized (perhaps I'm just used to Canadian highways, but ours seem to laid out much better.)
• If you accidentally drive into the "exact change only lane", and then find you don't have exact change, get out of the car, talk to a teller, and give him $1 loonie, he will say "you ain't be getting $1 US, 'mon". Saying "just 50 cents (to cover the toll) would be great (a good deal for him)", results in him cleverly giving you 2 nickels instead of 2 quarters . I might be a dumbass true, but that guy was just a complete asshole.
  
• Missing 1 exit can lead to much confusion at night. However, the gas station you will probably land up in, if you are low in gas, is a "ghetto". You walk inside the convienience shop area, and there is a movie-stereotypical skinny indian guy behind bullet proof glass. Inside the store, seemingly just hanging out and chatting, are 8 fairly large "trouble-maker" looking, young black males.
  
• When you ask for directions how to get back on the highway from the Indian clerk, he will tell you to ask the black guys.
• They were non-stereotypically polite. I used "how's things going guys? How do I get back on I-90E?". A clever alternative would have been "Waaaaaaaaaazzzzzzup!".

All in all, a great time!

DRM=Digital Rights Management or = Digital Rape, Man

I download a lot of stuff; I buy a lot of stuff. Honestly, if I didn't download as much, I wouldn't, for example, have as large of a DVD collection.

Why is DRM abtusely, insanely, retarded? Here's some examples...

• Google DRM requires that you use Google's Windows-only player to watch the movies you buy, and the player has to be online to phone home to Google to report that you're about to watch your movie.

• Apple's video locks you into Apple's players like iTunes, which restrict your playback to five "authorized" computers, and prevent you from taking screenshots.

• Microsoft's DRM contains innumerable restrictions, like the ability of rights-holders to flag their movies to prevent you from fast-forwarding through dull scenes, objectionable scenes, or commercials

WHAT? You can't FAST FORWARD THROUGH THE MOVIE? EH? That's the biggest pile of BS I've heard yet; what will these DRM morons think of next? Bill Gates should be stabbed in the face for letting a product through the door like that.

Anyway, that's besides the point... DRM is the biggest pile of bullshit ever invented. The unfortunate thing is that all the big electronics and software companies are jumping on the bandwagon.

Thankfully, they forget that destroying DRM is much easier than making DRM.

How is this "digital rights",when the consumer is getting raped badly. I understand these fat, rich, greedy corporate bigots feel the need make even more money; in the end, however, they will lose money, and average folk like me will laugh. If this type of corporate bigotry was applied to other products, everyone would be outraged. Would you buy a toaster if you could only ever plug it into one outlet, then it would never work again in any other outlet? I wouldn't. I don't think any sane person would if they saw that on the front of the box.

I certainly won't be upgrading to the new Windows operating system (with it's fancy 3d rendered Windows) until it is cracked and the DRM Microsoft wants to put in is removed. Really, I thought MS was a little better than that; I didn't think they'd suck the RIAA's and MPAA's collective cocks so quickly. Guess I was too optimistic.

Conservative Party = Republican Party?

Their websites sure look pretty darn similar.

I decided to check my facts about the Conservative's stance on Iraq before I blogged it.

It seems that the Liberals gave limited support to the US -- troops to Afghanistan, some money aid to their "democracy" in Iraq, etc, pretty much to keep the US happy, but not officially proclaiming support for them either.

Now, the Conservatives want to apologize to Bush for not getting into the war, and send troops.

IDIOT (like Napoleon.)

1) I want to remain living in Canada because it isn't the US. I love the US and all (not the current Republican party), but I'd like Canada to stay Canada.

2) This will put us in league with the US. Why do you think Britain had the terrorist attack ? I'd like to keep my home free of Jihad fanatics.

I don't really care at this point if the Conservatives have a better plan for Canada. Canada as a Bush ass kisser, drawing terrorist attention is nothing I want, and I'm sure most Canadians would agree.

Now, at the bar, I discovered with much beer that the way to vote is by evaluating a politician based on their appearance alone (ie do they look honest). Well....




See any similarities?

Also, what's with the new Conservative ad? It has the Liberals apologizing for corruption, and then some other blurb that doesn't fit in or make any sense. EH?

Windsor's Image as "Sin City", and Canada's image?

Windsor has embraced the "unwholesome image". The Windsor Star and Detroit press have basically declared Windsor "SIN CITY", because we have legal escorts, cuban cigars, and nudie bars, all great for the rich corporate men attending the superbowl.

I say more power to Windsor, take the greedy men's money! :) Having those things doesn't make us Sin City. That's just the uber "Right wing" thinking, just like our more lax views on pot make us the devil or something.

As for Canada's politics, my friend John brought up the point that there is a Marijuana party in Canada now. From what I've read, they are only a "party for one issue", and aren't a really party.

Now, pot is such a minor issue compared to other more important issues facing Canada, namely our Health Care system. It's bleeding from corruption or something, I'm not sure; it seems the more money our gov't pours into it, the worse it gets. Probably too many rich CEO's and too much bullshit politics.

However, I think pot is a major issue in terms of Canada's world image and principle.

Should we legalize pot, as it should be (unless we again criminalize booze and cigs), or should we keep it illegal just to make the US happy?

I'd like to think that Canada's world image as a free country is correct --- that we just aren't puppets of Bush (ala the US government). Again, I hate to use Bush as some idol of the devil-- he may very well just be a puppet dumbass for his father, Cheney, and other brighter people, but he represents it well. That is, Bush represents entirely what is wrong with the US government. ;)

Heh. Reminds me of a discussion me and Dani had the other day. Is Bush truly that stupid, or is it a game? Same goes with the likes of Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson. However, I think the answer was hidden in Paris Hilton's new book we saw at Chapter's; by glancing inside, it's apparent there is truly a void between her ears.

To vote or not to vote, that is the question! ( in the upcoming Canadian Federal Elections)

Alas, to be a "good" citizen, you must vote.

In my mind, to be a "good" citizen, you must either:

Do some research, and vote for the party you think will do best for the country
Don't vote at all

This is true; I jest that I would have voted for Bush had I been a US citizen; but I certainly would not have, unless of course I believed the Republican's plans for the country were better than the democrats (I'd say unlikely at this point in the game.)

Voting blindly is dangerous: it's what's got Bush as president twice: a bunch of brainwashed Christians. I'm not saying they are bad people, but blind they are.

And the media is of no help either. All the conservatives can spew is how the liberals are corrupt politicicians: big fucking deal, all politicians are, it's just the extent. If all the conservatives can do is badmouth, I certainly wouldn't vote for them.

From what I've read, the liberals have a better track record in recent history than the conservatives. Perhaps it's time to give the NDP's a chance, see if they don't muck Canada up to much. Then that comes down to "Oh, don't vote for NDP, you are just taking votes away from X or Y party" . Bullshit.

Considering the last "conservatives" weren't much better: Malrouny was the most corrupt of them all, pushing GST for his own gains in the manufacturing industry. He's no better than Bush, who gives tax breaks to his rich Oil friends.

Harris seems like a guy who was trying to make the right decisions, even if they were tough ones; but he certainly didn't go about it the right way, and tried to make our education system in Canada more like the US, which I believe is a folly. The US system is caught up in a numbers game of IQ tests and SAT scores, which are mostly bullshit, instead of worrying about real god damn learning.

So... who to vote for? I gotta do some reading, but from a third party, not one of the party's websites :)

Will they ever stop being such pussies?

Oh, it seems Sony/RIAA/Warner Bros is at it again: sueing random people they managed to match an IP address to a home phone # for "violating copyrights" of their sucky ass music.

Come on music companies. At least pick on someone your own size; like perhaps people who illegally re-print cd's en mass and sell them to the black market.

Picking on 50 year old mom's who don't know a computer from a toaster, and 10 year olds who barely know better, is like a 400 pound oversized grade 8 bully picking on a 5 year old kindergartner - we all know that just ain't right.

DIE SONY/FOX/RIAA DIE! (It's my New Year's Wish)

(Sony for tons of copyright bullshit, we all know about the RIAA, and Fox executives for being utter and complete dumbasses).

Another Fox executive "bright" decision: Nicole and Paris are contractually obligated to do a 4th season of their semi-popular show; however, Fox canned it because they would no longer get along.

WAKE UP FOX. Tons of cat fights in the show will bring in a huge male audience. I'd even watch it if they mud wrestled every episode!

I'm convinced Fox executives are enuch's; that is, males without any male parts :)