Hmmm…. can I do 30,000 words in 39, oops 38 minutes? Oh wait, I almost wrote a thousand at the start of the month…. So, 29,000 words in 38 minutes = 763WPM. Unfortunately I don’t think I can type that fast. Maybe if I talked really fast… Or spend the next 37 minutes working on direct neural transfer…
That would be Village Roadshow, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Disney and the Seven Network, who as the Australian Federaction Against Copyright Theft have filed suit against iiNet, at the same time as distributing “Nothing beats the real thing” DVDs to high schools (I guess they’re suggesting reading books instead of watching tv :). Amusingly these “educational” packs include the claim:
The resource is not a propaganda exercise. It does make clear to students that there are harmful consequences from film piracy, but it does so through educationally valid processes. It is an educational approach that allows students to face a significant civics and citizenship issue: their role in a society where many of them and their peers are breaking the law.
Check out Tama’s blog or the Electronic Frontiers Australia response to the suit (and make sure you join the EFA, you may need their help someday. Maybe sooner than you think!)
Reposted from Slashdot:
If you are an Australian, please take action:
1) Call Senator Conroy’s office on 03 9650 1188. Do not be rude, do not swear, just in a very reasoned and rational voice, express your disapproval, and in a few short sentences, say why you disagree. It matters a lot.
2) Write a letter to Senator Conroy, make sure it’s between half a page to one page (no more than 400 words). Again, in a polite tone (that doesn’t have to be formal, and doesn’t have to have letterhead, etc., just your name and address) let him know why you disagree with him. His address is:
Senator Stephen Conroy
Level 4, 4 Treasury Place
Melbourne Vic 3002
3) Write a letter to your local MP. It doesn’t matter what party he/she is from, Liberals will use your letter to back up their claims in Question Time, which gives publicity to the whole issue and will bring it to mainstream media’s attention. Labor members will also express their criticism, privately, to him. This specially matters if your local MP is a Minister and serves in the Cabinet. To find out who your local MP is click here
4) Write a letter to Prime Minister Rudd. Let him know that when the Australian people voted him in office last year, they didn’t know “Education Revolution” means censorship. Rudd’s address is:
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
5) Donate or become a member of Electronic Frontiers Australia . Right now the EFA is the sole organisation fighting this. They need all the help they can get.
6) Write a letter to your ISP. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Evil Telstra; on this, we’re all together. They are fighting the battle for us right now, but it would help them to know that what they are doing is a good business practice, that you expect them to fight this to the end.
Don’t just sit around and do nothing and then complain about how evil governments are. We, the citizens are the ones who allow governments to become evil, by our political apathy. Move! Take Action! Now!
Perth permaculture architect Gary Dorn gave a bit of a SketchUp demo last night at WAMUG. I thought I’d give him a plug as I know there are people out there reading this who are interested in permaculture, straw bale houses, sustainability etc. If you’re interested in trying building with straw bales he also apparently runs workshops.
His site is http://www.dornworks.com/
I’m thinking of swapping to TPG as my ISP. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with them? It seems that the same ADSL 10/15G over 1500/256 with static IP as I get with Westnet (AU$71.19) I can get for $20/month cheaper from TPG (AU$49.95) (Even though I have a 5% Westnet discount!) which seems pretty compelling to me.
An interesting analysis of US National Debt by President.
I’m looking at the NASA image archive picture of the day, and I realise that now I think of George Takei as Hiro’s Dad, Nichelle Nicholls as Mika’s grandmother, and Walter Koenig as Babylon 5’s Bester of the Psi Corps.
And my, how Leonard Nimoy looks like Sylar.
Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof have announced they’re expecting a baby.
George W. Bush has signed the Pro-IP act into law, providing for harsher penalties for people who copy movies and music. How soon before Australia follows down that path? It’s hard to know, given that our government won’t publicly provide the text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
