Wednesday, December 19, 2012

HTML - span background-color --- div border element





     

100px;



 16px;





mh

A Custom "TRNN" Video Playlist:

TRNN's, "The Making of Untold History of the United States"



This customized playlist is based on "The Real News Networks' multipart series on American Foreign Policy and the left-wing in America - "The Making of "Untold History of the United States". TRNN Executive Producer Paul Jay interviews Professor Peter Kuznick, Professor of History at American University - who along with Hollywood Director Oliver Stone have co-written a new "Showtime" series called, "Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States" - currently airing on Showtime Network in the United States. The TV series has an accompanying book also co-written by the collaborators - "The Untold History of the United States".

The series, and these interviews, un-pack the history of the US cold war on the USSR, going back to arguably, the first imperial military action by the United States of America - the Spanish / American War (1898) - in which Cuba and the Philippines were  annexed from the Spanish Empire, and brought into a U.S. sphere of influence. (In the case of the Philippines only after the U.S. military brutally over-threw an insurgent revolutionary government and replaced the Spanish as Colonial Masters (see Philippine-America WarFirst_Philippine_Republic).

The struggle between the new Socialist country of the U.S.S.R. (1917) and the emerging US Empire are looked at with professional detachment - and plenty of sources and fact-checking (insisted upon, and conducted by Showtime Network) - that reveals a remarkably different history of the Cold War than is taught in our schools - one without the hysteria of the post WWII nuclear threat, that coupled with a virulent anti-communist xenophobia inside the United States during the  post WWII era.


This video playlist will continue to grow as new parts of these interviews with Professor Peter Kuznick are released by TRNN.


The Making of "Untold History of the United States"


PART 5
Untold History: Stalin, the Soviet Union and WWII
Peter Kuznick (co-author with Oliver Stone of Showtime's Untold History of the United States): Dealing with the role of the Soviet Union in WWII was the most sensitive and complicated issue faced by the series
  January 14, 2013
PART 4
Untold History: The Coup Against Wallace and What Might Have Been
Peter Kuznick (co-author with Oliver Stone of the Untold History of the United States): A Wallace Presidency might have prevented the dropping of nuclear bombs on Japan and prevented the Cold War
  January 11, 2013

PART 3
Untold History: The Rise and Fall of a Progressive Vice-President of the USA
Peter Kuznick, co-author with Oliver Stone of the "Untold History of the United States", discusses the '44 Democratic Convention coup that dumped VP Henry A. Wallace, the man who as President would have opposed the cold war
  December 21, 2012

PART 2
Untold History: Early US Imperialism, Hitler, Roosevelt, The Spanish Civil War
Peter Kuznick, co-author with Oliver Stone of Untold History of the United States, discusses Roosevelt's attitude towards Hitler and the Soviet Union
  December 19, 2012

PART 1
The Making of "Untold History of the United States"
The beginning of a multi-part interview with Peter Kuznick; in this segment he tells the story about how he teamed up with Oliver Stone to challenge a primary thesis of the cold war
  December 17, 2012



Also, separate from the TRNN series, this two part interview from Democracy Now! - Amy Goodman and Juan González talk with Showtime series Co-writer, Professor Peter Kuznick and Writer, Producer, Director Oliver Stone - from November 16, 2012

Democracy Now! | "Oliver Stone on the Untold U.S. History from the Atomic Age to Vietnam to Obama’s Drone Wars" (part 1 of  2)



Democracy Now! | "Oliver Stone on the Untold U.S. History from the Atomic Age to Vietnam to Obama’s Drone Wars" (November 16, 2012) | http://www.democracynow.org/2012/11/16/oliver_stone_on_the_untold_us

Democracy Now! | "Part 2 of Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick on The Untold History of the United States" (November 26, 2012) | http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2012/11/26/video_part_2_of_oliver_stone_and_peter_kuznick_on_the_untold_history_of_the_united_states


BONUS!!!  The first part of the Showtime series is up right now! :)


Oliver.Stones.Untold.History.Of.The.United.States - Episode 1 (58:37)




mh

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

"Bicycle Messenger Movie" a glimpse into the deep subculture of Bicycle Messengering



Best Messenger movie I've ever seen.





Youtube: "Kenton Hoppas" | Bicycle Messenger Movie - a Kenton Hoppas film (16:12) | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69eS_23vGf0




mh

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Networking Non-profits effectively - 'The Real News' experience


An Open Letter


To:
The Real News Network
Re: Web Design, Web Optimization, Web Page Coding


From:
Michael Holloway
Web Developer
TRNN Ambassador
TRNN Blog Squad



Firstly, from a meeting of TRNN Ambassadors - in Toronto, 2010, I understand that your strategy is to drive eyes to the main site - www.therealnews.com - I question whether this should be a focus for a non-profit - when your content and a link to Donate page can be posted anywhere on the net. But I do understand the value of the main site in presenting all the content in one place, and creating the TRNN brand --- I think it is AS important as networking TRNN content - but not MORE so.

A TRNN story has yet to 'go viral' - I think this is a function of ineffective networking. I believe TRNN content is spread mainly though the Social Tools, via *links* in micro-blogging applications like Twitter; and link posts in democratic, social news forums like Reddit and Digg; and *embeds* in blogs like Blogger  and WordPress, and in social networking platforms like Facebook and Google+ .

TRNN needs to optimize it's content pages to help "Blog Squad" members spread TRNN content with these tools.

Whether you think that driving eyes to the web site is paramount - or if you see my point about spreading your content as far and as wide as possible - some small changes I propose below will make both meme work better.


Please help the Blog Squad do their work, with these easy coding changes at therealnews.com and at your Youtube Channel, "TheRealNews":


Every time someone watches TRNN content they have the opportunity to donate via your well placed Donate Buttons. The more people who see TRNN stories, the greater the number of people who are likely to donate. Therefor spreading TRNN stories as widely as possible is key to the health of the network. I believe that TRNN stories are spread through the internet via people embedding or linking TRNN video in the social tools.

The Youtube user interface is the standard for linking video in the social tools.

Democracy Now! has the metric inside Youtube correct, I think.

Under each story that "Democracy Now!" posts in Youtube - in the video's description area (which allows live links) - they add a brief description of the item, and the following 'set copy' - and all the links they can think of to their web presence:

________________________

To watch the entire weekday independent news hour, read the transcript, download the podcast, search our vast archive, or to find more information about Democracy Now! and Amy Goodman, visit http://www.democracynow.org.

Democracy Now!, an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,100+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday.

FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow
Twitter: @democracynow
Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow
Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracynow
Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://www.democracynow.org/donate/YT
_________________________


At www.therealnews.com portal - some suggestions as well:

The 'Embed this Video' link under each video at therealnews.com should open the link in new tab or window, or in a pop-up (some way that leaves the content window open). As it is now, clicking on the embed button closes the content window. When a TRNN 'Blog Squad' team member is Crafting their embed, they need the story page open (in order to cut and paste content from the transcript (to create accurate, correctly spelled copy; correct spelling of names and organizations - to ensure proper placement in Search); link the URL at therealnews.com; grab the handy description of TRNN that you have at "About" tab (this description should be under each video wherever you post content).

The embed widget at therealnews.com, is clunky and unprofessional looking. Adding a "width" and "height" attribute to the coding for the "Embed Video" "grab this code" Form, would make the page look a lot better (now it's set to the W3C default, form setting).


Sincerely,
Michael Holloway
Leslieville, Toronto



mh

Friday, December 14, 2012

HTML - background colour change in a sized box using the "span" tag in Blogger


In my opinion Blogger has taken a step backward with the new Blogger Interface - but then my vision of what a blogging interface could be, might be different than those at Blogger. The new interface for example, will not accept CSS; and because all the Blogger Interface widgets run on JavaScript, it can't - and never could - employ user generated, JavaScript, Interface-level creative tools.


Since Firefox launched it's 4.0 Browser - changes to background colour in Blogger have been executed with-in the "span" tag. Before this the 'Text background color' widget in the Blogger Compose interface would change any "background-color;" - inside any tag. Now the widget only works with-in "span" tags --- and "span" tags are very limited as to what attributes they work with.

My goal today was to change the background colour of a box in Blogger with the existing "Text background color" widget - and I'm happy to announce, I've succeeded! :)

This coding will be incorporated into the Blogger Baseball Scorecard coding - so I can use colour notations in any browser when scoring games.

I'm hoping Blogger will institute a 'background area colour change' capability some day - for those of us who want to create more than just words with html in the Blogger Interface. The html5 "canvass" tag holds promise here - but html5 as a popular coding tool is still a few years away I think. Blogger can't support html5 canvass applications in the "Compose" interface because of JavaScript conflicts.

In my opinion Blogger has taken a step backward with the new Blogger Interface - but then my vision of what a blogging interface could be, might be different than those at Blogger. The new interface for example, will not accept CSS, and because all the Blogger Interface widgets run on JavaScript, it can't - and never could - employ user generated, JavaScript, Interface-level creative tools.


"Span" is 'different' than other tags. W3C calls "span", a "generic container", or more specifically, an "inline level generic container".(W3C | "Generic containers - the div and span elements" | http://www.w3.org/wiki/Generic_containers_-_the_div_and_span_elements)

By playing around with it in Blogger tonight I have discovered that "span" will take attributes other than just "background-color" - it also allows other text related attributes - like "font-size", "line-height" and "margin".

Weird thing about "span" - each tag allows only one attribute (Inside Blogger), and then a closing tag after the content. To add more attributes to the same content one must add another "span" tag before the content, with a different attribute, and then a second closing tag at the end of the statement. One may not span other statements tagged with anything other than a span tag.

In this example the "background-color" is "white". I have coded four "span" tag elements in a row - holding colour, line-height, font-size and margin - followed by four blank spaces, and then four closing "span" tags.

     

The box is a "div" container around four "span" tags that render four 100px high, blank spaces - background coloured "white". With this coding I can change the colour of the area inside the box with the "Text background color" widget in Blogger's "Compose" interface. This is accomplished with three clicks: high-light the area inside the box (left-click and drag); click on the "Text background color" button; select a colour from the pallet. (See four coloured examples below.)





And though an accident I also discovered an obvious truth, one can colour each character in the same word a different colour. So in this coding the browser renders a specific, changeable colour in an empty box. In this example the font-size and the line-height are both set to 100px, and the text that I'm background colouring are blank spaces - so in this case with a box of this size, you can colour a box as many as four different colours!


   
   
   
   



There is no limit to the size that you can set the "font-size" and "line-height" to - so any sized box you like. By increasing the font-size and line-height (only bigger than the container size), one can make the 'swaths' of colour wider and narrower. By adjusting "margin" you can move them left and right.


    





Correction: Apparently I can add multiple attributes per "span" tag, and close "span" tags in-line --- as in the example above (highlight, view selection source).



mh

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Toronto Public Library's collections agency - Unique Management Services Inc - Destroying user's Credit over minuscule Book Fines

#TPL, #Library, #Toronto, #UserFees, #MayorFord, #CollectionAgency, #CreditBureau #IKEAmonkey

UPDATE - Tuesday December 18, 2012: Received an email from Jones Branch Head Librarian Cathy yesterday - reassuring me that these types of collections do not result in reports to Credit Bureaus - and thus, this will not effect my credit rating.

I still have lots of concerns about this new collections policy at Toronto Public Library and will continue to work on the story and keep readers updated.

Michael         


With out any legal notice, and in less than 90 days, a book I'd forgotten I'd borrowed from the Toronto Public Library - went from tagged, 'Over-due'; to 'Lost' - and then quickly after that to collection via an outsourced, U.S. based, collection agency!

I received no notice by mail (still the legal standard) that the book was considered lost; and no warning that if it was not returned by a certain date a collections agency would be called in. Today in the mail (the only snail-mail I have ever received from TPL) a letter informing me that Unique Management Services, Inc. was on my case over fines totalling $31.40!

I note that the link warning of changes in the Fines Regime that TPL has had posted for over a year on their online Accounts management pages, does not mention this important change in policy. If I had seen a notice that collection agencies would be employed over small fines I certainly would have read the new language in the contract between TPL and it's users.

Today I'm REALLY sorry I didn't - for I am quite certain that a bad credit report has been added to my Credit Bureau rating.

Unbeknownst to me - along with a new, higher over-due fees schedule - any account owing greater than $30.00 for more than 50 days - gets passed over to an out-sourced Collection Agency!

In this new (1995) neo-con economic meme, a bad mark on my credit report means I'm one step closer to being a 'Second Class Citizen' - and that my credit card may not work at the grocery store next time; and that my bank may increase my interest rates on loans I have with them --- all because of a misplaced book!!!


This marks a sea-change from the old meme ... the meme where there was essentially no collection process for small over-due accounts; a meme where there was a 'Grace Day' (a day once a year when you can return all over-due items without any questions or fines - they just want the book back) --- to now, a dog-eat-dog meme where money is more important than everything on earth - including reading and community building.

I returned the book in question (Palestine - by Joe Sacco) on Monday, December 10, 2012 - and today - two days later - I received a letter from TPL (dated December 4, 2012 - looks like it was lost for a week inside Canada Post) saying my account has been sent to Unique Management Services, Inc. (Library Division) for collection!

Unique Management Services, Inc. (Library Division)
119 East Maple Street  Jeffersonville, IN 47130, United States

So now a collection agency from the United States possibly has all my information - my address, my full name and date of birth. This - above what happens to my credit rating - is what has me in a dither. Libraries are a cornerstone of the enlightenment - Librarians and management are honour bound to keep information about what users read completely secrete. It's part of of our freedom of speech protections now in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) - and in the US First Amendment (ratified by Congress December 15, 1791).

Plus the fact that all this has happened in less than 90 days (as per normal practice, accounts are legally due on the day a good is shipped [in this case on the day the book was due back] - but vendors generally wait 90 days to receive payment).


Image: Toronto Public Library, 'Your Account' page notes $5.00 Unique Management Services Inc service fee

Image: Toronto Public Library, 'Your Account' page notes $5.00 Unique Management Services Inc service fee


Just now I went to my local Branch (Jones) and talked to 'Cathy'. I didn't ask, but I assumed Cathy was the senior Librarian on duty when I visited.

I asked her how much information about me TPL had given Unique Management Services, Inc.. Do they have access to what books I have read? Do they have my name, address and birth date? Will this effect my credit rating? If I fix the problem immediately does the collections black mark come off my name at the Credit Bureau?

Cathy said she would look into all these things and get back to me via email (I don't do phone). I look forward to the follow-up.

In researching I found a nice blog on collection agencies, and an article on this Library Collection Agency in particular -

Fighting Collection Agency Debt | "Unique National Collections" | August 12, 2010 | http://collectionagencydebt.blogspot.ca/2010/08/unique-national-collections.html

According to CorporationWiki.com - Unique Management Services, Inc. is also known as:
Unique National Collections, Unique Rural Recoveries, Unique Organization Recoveries, Unique National Collections, Unique Municipal Recoveries, Unique Management Services, Inc., Unique Management Services, Inc., Unique Library Services, Unique International Recoveries, Unique Ag Recoveries; 
CorporationWiki.com - "Unique Management Services, Inc." - http://www.corporationwiki.com/Indiana/Jeffersonville/unique-management-services-inc-5820528.aspx


The article linked above, from 2012, is about Unique National Collections - which is in the same business as today's Unique Management Services, Inc. - and as the two are connected in the Wiki (who's sources are government business licensing bodies), and the names are almost identical, and they are in the same niche business (Library Collections); and (as the article points out) the word "Collections" in the name of the earlier incarnation left that company open to law suits (because they don't follow the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Fair Debt Collection Practices Act - FDCPA) - I therefore assume these two differently named entities are one and the same company.


Thanks Mayor Ford. Your knee-jerk 'cut the waist' bull has landed on this voter's lap (and this 'belt-tightening' at the TPL was plan 'B', after the vast majority rejected cutting the Library budget to a level that would have closed branches).

Think what a sh*t storm would have happened to the electorate if all his cuts had gone through. 

"Services will not be cut, guaranteed" - he says during the 2010 election - yeah, right.

Thanks a lot 'Monkey Boy'.

Photo-shop Image via Jakob on Facebook





mh

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Switching to Linux OS - my Windows OS badly infected


Update 2012Nov22: Tried a different wi-fi network, and all the issues have disappeared - indicating to me that the problem is in the wi-fi network - not in my operating system. Windows OS lives another day on this computer. 
 I've never heard of this kind of problem - a virus that attacks a network security system and one that affects only one computer on a network. The security software on this network is a Cisco Systems network management system called 'Network Magic'. 

Right now it looks like my system has a very bad virus - looks like I'm going to switch to Linux, see you there.

For anyone with similar problems, here are the symptoms:
(This is a re-print of a message board at MozillaZine - a troubleshooting forum)

MozillaZine
Board index ‹ Mozilla Firefox ‹ Firefox General

"C o o k i e s" Re-spelled in Firefox Browser

MichaelHolloway
Posts: 5
Joined: September 26th, 2011, 11:53 am
Posted November 19th, 2012, 7:11 pm

On search c o o k i e s (no spaces) becomes "coieoks", or "ckiooes". ???

My Firefox Browser is having all kinds of problems over the last three days.

Just now, a new problem - this "Coieoks" re-spelling started. Every time I search the word c o o k i e s (no spaces) the browser searches for some form of a misspelling of the word instead - like "coieoks", or "ckiooes". (That's how I got here - see below for link to this same problem being talked about here - in 2005.)

---> As a result I can't find out how to disable c o o k i e s - which is what I want to try. Not remove c o o k i e s you understand, but make it so the browser doesn't accept them. As an experiment to see if that's the problem.

Noticing also that my Canadian English spell checker is often getting stuck; but then works if I 're-boot' it (split the word and then re-assemble it).

Other issues from the last three days:

Get 'page re-directing' warning every time I click on a link, even from a Google Search listing.

Connected Accounts: Google and Blogger; I can get into Gmail through my Google account sihn-in, but not into my Blogger Dashboard - instead of opening the Dashboard, a blank page: 'redirecting', 'connecting' alternates in the tab - in the Navigation Bar: 'accounts.google' and then 'draft.blogger', about once a second, forever.

A previous thread Here on this issue:

Found a thread on this from 2005 ("Coieoks" misspelled in browsers - viewtopic.php?f=37&t=267707), and a post at the end of it asking about the same problem in May 2012. Then the admin. closed the thread because it was old. ( ??? with a new entry. ??? )

So, I open the subject again here.

Sincerely,
Michael Holloway
Toronto
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


LoudNoise
Moderator
Posts: 29875
Joined: October 18th, 2007, 4:45 pm
Location: Next door to the west
Posted November 19th, 2012, 7:59 pm

The thread was locked because it is likely that folks who posted in 2005 wouldn't welcome a reply email for a problem that they have either fixed or forgot about.

First, what happens in safe mode? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_Mode

Post wrangler Folding@Home
Das was mich nicht umbringt eventually becomes a tiresome story to your friends.
Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux i686; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0



MichaelHolloway
Posts: 5
Joined: September 26th, 2011, 11:53 am
Posted Yesterday, 2:02 am

Same symptoms in safe mode.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0




patrickjdempsey
Posts: 14636
Joined: October 23rd, 2008, 2:43 pm
Location: Asheville NC
Posted Yesterday, 3:14 am


While your description is very long, it's hard to tell what is actually happening. Are you saying that when you search for "cookies" from the Firefox searchbar that Google? is showing you results for an incorrectly spelled variation of "cookies"? Or is ANY website with the word "cookies" was displaying it incorrectly?

Individual popups or webpages with high numbers of misspelled works are often phishing sites or hijacked pages. Are you sure the page you are seeing is your search page of choice?

If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it must be a dinosaur.
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0



MichaelHolloway
Posts: 5
Joined: September 26th, 2011, 11:53 am
Posted Yesterday, 4:32 am

patrickjdempsey,
Sorry about the length, and the lack of clarity.

To be clear, when I search for "cookies" Google changes the word to a misspelling - and lists search results for that misspelling.

This is one symptom - there are many.

The bigger problem for me at the moment is that I can't sign-in to Blogger.com via my Google account (the two applications are connected - Google insists you use your Google account to sign-in to Blogger --- and Youtube; all the applications they own).

Just now I tried to sign-in to Youtube - and it worked!!! But still no luck at Blogger.

Also, forgot to mention that I can't sign-in to Google Search (http://www.google.ca/) either. And my Firefox Start Page (http://www.google.ca/firefox/) won't sign-in either.

Also, another weirdness, "Linked-in" won't let me sign-in either. The top bar of the application (a positioned element that contains a sign-in form) indicates I'm signed-in, but the page below doesn't change, keeps showing the sign-in form. None of the links into the application work - indicating I'm not signed-in.

All this dysfunction around signing in makes me think my browser or the OS is corrupted - that perhaps a malicious program is trying to steal passwords - badly.

?

mh

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0



MichaelHolloway
Posts: 5
Joined: September 26th, 2011, 11:53 am
Posted Yesterday, 4:36 am

Is everyone seeing c o o k i e s spelt "ckiooes" in my last post? I typed the correct spelling. I'm seeing a misspelling on my screen. W e i r d .

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0 

makaiguy
Posts: 15121
Joined: November 18th, 2002, 9:44 pm
Location: Somewhere in SE USA
Posted Yesterday, 9:19 am


MichaelHolloway wrote:

Is everyone seeing c o o k i e s spelt "ckiooes" in my last post? I typed the correct spelling. I'm seeing a misspelling on my screen. W e i r d .


Nope. In what I'm seeing, it is spelled correctly in the sentence

To be clear, when I search for "cookies" Google changes the word to a misspelling - and lists search results for that misspelling.

Doug Wilson, "The Makai Guy"
WinXP SP3 & Win7 Home Prem (64bit): FF 17.0, TB 17.0║ Linux Xandros: FF 3.0.4, TB 2.0.0.14
What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away - Doobie Brothers
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


Lee_Dailey
Posts: 12052
Joined: July 27th, 2004, 7:33 pm
Location: milky way galaxy, sol system, terra, north america, usa, tx, bedford
Posted Yesterday, 12:19 pm

howdy MichaelHolloway,

from reading your last post, it seems you are seeing this ...

- open this thread in firefox

- type the word "cookies" in the "post a reply" text box

- you see the word replaced with "ckiooes"

is that correct? i presume i misunderstood what you wrote, but i wanna confirm my mistake. [*grin*]

take care,
lee
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


dfoulkes
Posts: 11847
Joined: June 29th, 2008, 1:31 am
Location: Mesquite, Nevada
Posted Yesterday, 12:39 pm

I would try some of this...

1st I would create another profile (make no changes to it) and then just see what happens... at least that may clear up a profile issue...

Creating a new Firefox profile on Windows - MozillaZine Knowledge Base

2nd you might want to download these free AV apps to see what they find...

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

SuperAntispyware

Also, I did not see any mention of this working or not in IE or ?? ... have you tried that for testing?

As you can see she's (The CAT) always alert and on the prowl for Meoware !!
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


MichaelHolloway
Posts: 5
Joined: September 26th, 2011, 11:53 am
Posted Yesterday, 4:08 pm

Thanks makaiguy.

Lee_Dailey, You got it, that's exactly correct.

The sign-in issue and the misspelled rendering of cookie is happening in Google Chrome and IE as well. ? So therefore something in my OS is gobbledygook-ing my text ? dfoulkes, I have run 'Spybot Search and Destroy' - no result. I'll try the other two you mention also. Create a new Profile? Interesting. I'll try that and get back to you - also.

Thanks everyone.

Any other ideas would be appreciated.

mh
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


Lee_Dailey
Posts: 12052
Joined: July 27th, 2004, 7:33 pm
Location: milky way galaxy, sol system, terra, north america, usa, tx, bedford
Posted Yesterday, 4:56 pm

howdy MichaelHolloway,

since it's happening in the other browsers, then you have a problem outside of the browsers. that is - typically - malware.

start testing with every reputable online malware scanner you can find ... and good luck! [*grin*]

take care,
lee
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:16.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/16.0


dfoulkes
Posts: 11847
Joined: June 29th, 2008, 1:31 am
Location: Mesquite, Nevada
Posted Yesterday, 10:15 pm

dfoulkes, I have run 'Spybot Search and Destroy' - no result. I'll try the other two you mention also. Create a new Profile? Interesting. I'll try that and get back to you - also.

... and, forget that part since it happens in all browsers.... Good luck!

As you can see she's (The CAT) always alert and on the prowl for Meoware !!
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:17.0) Gecko/17.0 Firefox/17.0


From: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2619635&p=0&e=0&sid=8ac0a8d77547aaef51fc8f00d8a65a45


Well there you have it - right now my life sucks.

My self centred, vain side says Mosad - Israeli Intelligence - is after me because my social network writing on the Gaza War is effective [since they were the first nation to release harmful viruses to the www for strategic reasons (war fighting)].

My 'more like the truth' side says, shit happens - now it's happening to me.

See you soon on the very secure, Linux OS.

The end of Windows, a day to mark.


Reference: 

Wikipedia | Stuxnet [virus] | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet

http://forums.mozillazine.org/



mh

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Imaginary Cities, Marti Sarbit's unique vocal stylings reminiscent of Winehouse

Warning: CBC Player plays automatically - to pause, scroll down and click.


Listening to Jonathan Goldstein's WireTap episodes at the new 'CBCMusic' portal (in beta) - listening to the episode, "The Pitch" I heard this amazing band...

My first thought: her voice is as powerful as the recently deceased one!

Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, Imaginary Cities
Featuring Marti Sarbit on vocals and co-writer Rusty Matyas
Debut album: "Temporary Resident" (2011)
Vinyl release: February 2012

Imaginary Cities - Ride This Out (acoustic version)


Imaginary Cities - Purple Heart (Official Music Video)




Found Imaginary Cities via the WireTap episode "The Pitch" recorded live at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival - and featuring special musical guests, Imaginary Cities. They play a beautiful, ethereal rendition of the song 'Ride This Out'. Totally mesmerizing.

WireTap | Friday, August 31, 2012 | "The Pitch"


This episode will die in two weeks from now (September 23,2012).
Warning: CBC Player plays automatically.



References:

CBC Music(beta) | Imaginary Cities | http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Imaginary-Cities

Canadian Interviews | Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas - In a Dreamlike State | http://www.canadianinterviews.com/interviews/index.php?ID=617

Imaginary Cities | http://www.imaginarycities.ca/usep/

Youtube Channel | Imaginary Cities | Videos | http://www.youtube.com/user/imaginarycities/videos

CBC Radio | WireTap | "The Pitch" | http://www.cbc.ca/wiretap/episode/2012/08/31/summer-broadcast---the-pitch/

Wikipedia | Imaginary Cities | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_Cities



mh

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Toronto's Zane Caplansky's building Mobile Catering Brands Online via the Mobile Web



Update Sunday, September 8 2012:

Got my first 'Food Truck Eats' location update email today - very cool:
There's lots of food truck action taking place in the City today!

After a successful first night, three new food trucks are back outside the Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor St, just east of Bathurst) for TIFF. The trucks are open to the public and tonight we've got Gourmet Bitches, Gourmet Gringos and Hogtown Smoke serving up street eats from 7:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

For all you Entertainment District partiers, The Food Dudes are doing a late night poutine service outside the Storys Building at 11 Duncan St, just north of King St from 12:00 a.m.- 4:00 a.m.

And finally, Food Cabbie and Pretty Sweet Cupcakes will be at York University for the football game from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full TIFF food truck schedule!

http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/tiff

- Toronto Food Trucks



Toronto's Zane Caplansky - ‏@foodtrucksTO, and "Food Truck Eats" - is building a Mobile, Network Marketing Brand, with marketing tailored to the Mobile market.

As well as his restaurant, Caplansky's Delicatessen; and it's mobile-brand, simply Caplansky's part of his growing "Food Truck Eats" Mobile Cuisine network.

The marketing model aggregates always-on, smart phone, mobile networks full of people apt to purchase mobile food, with a network of independent mobile catering trucks.

It's brilliant --- and so obvious.

PayPal Here - Caplansky's Deli


I follow Sue Holland:

Re-tweeted from Suresh Doss, 'the #foodtruckeats guy':
 Embedded image permalink


From Zane Caplansky's original tweet


The effective Twitter Marketing is tailored for mobile users: The tweet is concise and re-tweetable:

"Toronto Food Trucks R back @ Yonge/Gould today w/ 5 trucks. 11am #foodtruckeats pic.twitter.com/dH7b6HyE"

The tweet also uses the 'View photo' feature to preset an effective info graphic. The custom poster highlights the brands, location, time - and links to a network of Food Truck Eats food trucks stationed around Toronto.

[The interface is begging to be an interactive Map.]

The tweet is announcing "Food Truck Eats" 'Events' at Gould and Young - right beside Ryerson University - is a perfect mobile phone hotspot, with nearly 100% of the target market online and using the internet social tools in the daily routine of their lives.


From 11am this morning: as the food truck emporium opens for business
Embedded image permalink



This works for 'always-on' office workers too!

From 11:16 AM:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2HmkjyCYAAkmH4.jpg


Toronto International Film Festivle (TIFF) is being targeted for convenient food, with network marketing professionals re-tweeting the Food Truck Eats brand at the ticket booth.See the Food Truck Eats - TIFF schedule! - http://torontofoodtrucks.ca/tiff

My reading of the website indicates that trucks regularly stay at one location from 11am to 3pm. The site networks lots of independant food trucks as well a Caplansky's "Thundering Thelma" - his first truck, of several now, if I count right.

Locations and times are also updated for the whole network, via an email notification service.


CBC's Dragon's Den 'Masters' missed Mobile Web in Assessment

After coming to the Dragons Den original episode through a Twitter Network Marketing ad today (via a Sue Holland - @suesthegrl) I was sure that the 'Dragon Den-ners' were dead wrong in walking away from a 15% share on $375,000.00 investment.

I think the key to their miscalculation was that they weren't aware that mobile phone web is creating marketing vectors that are revolutionizing the mobile catering industry.


Zane Caplansky on Dragons Den



Caplansky's Food Truck Update on Dragon's Den





References:

Caplansky's Delicatessen | Smoked Meat | 356 College | Toronto | www.caplanskys.com/

Mobile Cuisine | Mobile Marketing for the Mobile Food Industry | http://mobile-cuisine.com/marketing/mobile-marketing-for-the-mobile-food-industry/

Youtube | torontofoodtrucks's channel | http://www.youtube.com/user/torontofoodtrucks/feed

Twitter | Toronto Food Trucks (@foodtrucksTO) | https://twitter.com/foodtrucksTO




mh

Monday, September 3, 2012

British Columbia RCMP raid Blogger / Whistleblower's home


Much like a story I posted here earlier this year, where a warrant claiming Criminal Libel was used to shut down a Canadian whistleblower blog, to raid a bloggers home, and to seize the property of a citizen blogger and arrest said blogger. (see: FilterBlogs | March 8, 2012 | Blogging comes of age in Charles LeBlanc Criminal Libel case | http://filter--blog.blogspot.ca/2012/03/blogging-comes-of-age-in-charles.html) ...

..now, on August 16, 2012 a Blog called "Re-sergence Alliance" was taken down; and two days later a blogger / web developers home was raided, and computers and cell phones were confiscated under a criminal, "Defamatory Libel" warrant. A warrant, the contents of which, are oddly sealed from public scrutiny.

http://www.bccla.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/20120818-warrant.jpg
Via link at: http://bccla.org/news/2012/08/bccla-to-apply-to-unseal-rcmp-defamation-search-warrant/


The BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) has called the use of Defamatory Libel in this case disturbing - as it is being used in a case where the RCMP are investigating wrong-doing by the RCMP; and in that this rarely used criminal charge - basically criminal speech - is being applied by police against a citizen who has been critical in a public forum of the same police force now investigating them, and executing the search.

From the CBC article:

"Micheal Vonn, a lawyer with B.C. Civil Liberties Association, calls the RCMP actions an inappropriate use of police resources, because defamation belongs in civil court.

"Vonn also said she believes the defamatory libel section of the Criminal Code is unconstitutional."


Canadian Bloggers need to form a Union - to pool resources; to pay for legal expenses of members, to challenge in court this use of Libel law to shut down the Blogging Free Press.

Here's a CBC's video:

CBC News | Aug 27, 2012 | Police search home (2:57) |
A man who complained about an RCMP about is now the subject of an investigation



So the story goes, a RCMP Officer who was part of the investigation into serial killer Robert Pickton - the man convicted of killing dozens of Downtown East Side Vancouver prostitutes - has pictures of himself up online, in one case holding a pastry knife (not sharp either side) to a woman's throat in a bondage sado/masochistic role-play.

Image via HaifischGeweint (the shark wept) blog
 http://haifischgeweint.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/jim-brown-doppelgang-screenshot1.jpg?w=500&h=246


A CBC story that featured this photo was taken down, and the parts of the story that referenced the photo was redacted - at their site the following 'correction' was added to the bottom of the story:

Corrections and Clarifications
In previous versions of this story, reference was made to one specific photo of a man holding a knife to a woman's throat. Questions about the identity of that man led CBC News to remove the photo and descriptions of it from our coverage. New information has since determined the identity of that man is not Cpl. Jim Brown.
July 17, 2012 | 10:55 a.m. PT


Many photos like these were unearthed by the blogger who's home was raided (who has asked media to with-hold his identity), and they were posted at another blog site where disgruntled RCMP members were publishing inside information about their fellow police in a public forum - the "Re-sergeance Alliance" blog (which claimed membership of 500 RCMP) - that since this Defamatory Libel warrant was issued - has been taken down.



In Google I searched "Blogger.com + Re-sergeance Alliance". Posted number four in Google with that search parameter was "Haifischgeweint" blog - because she has a much used tag on her blog, "re-sergeance alliance". I found the image above posted at Haifischgeweint - it is an Image from a CTV video post - that has since also been taken down.

The "Haifischgeweint" blogger says this RCMP officer, the one playing the 'dominant' with the pastry knife at the 'submissive' woman's throat (pictured above) - lured her (the author) away from her sexually abusive family - still trying to reconcile after many years since the physical abuse had ended (as opposed to the ever-present physiological consequences of that abuse) - and into his family, to live in his home, with his wife and his young son with promises a father makes to a daughter --- where after she arrived was constantly, expertly manipulated towards the easiest path - to become his live-in, submissive sex slave.

She claims he pursued sexual touching towards this end when ever his wife was not present - even with his very young son, in one case - sitting next to him on the couch in the living room watching TV ... where he was trying to get the author to give him a hand job, encouraging her to reach down his pants.

These sexually inappropriate actions have to be taken with-in context: the author, sexual abuse victim - being manipulated - and the young son as an essential part of that manipulation (being directly exposed to adult sexual situations at an inappropriately young age) - upon a person who has unresolved issues around this same type of abuse; who is also in a dependant situation (a young person, living in his home, in a new city far from home, after having just left their home, which had a history of sexual abuse).

The blogger appears to be blogging towards resolving these abuse issues through the process of writing and publishing in a public forum - something with which I have - although not with sexual abuse as it's root - a personal appreciation of.

For this reason - and having read much of the content there - I point readers to this person's blog with some confidence in it's veracity as an important back-grounder to this piece.



Right after Re-sergeance Alliance was taken down the RCMP sent a memo to officers telling them they were not allowed to post in social media. This over-the-top pronouncement needs to be tested in court; as well as the use by Police of Defamatory Libel towards a criminal prosecution of the writer / publisher / web developer.

It is beyond my believe that there was not already some part of the RCMP's code of conduct that forbids members from posting about their jobs in public forum. Think about it - would a police officer be allowed to talk at a public town hall about the inner workings of a department they work for?

That the RCMP officer under investigation by the RCMP for code of conduct violations would post images in which he has used parts of his uniform performing S&M play is obviously across the officer code of conduct line - and should have had hiim fired a long time ago.

This has now lead to a mutiny with-in the ranks - and for good reason in his writers opinion - what's the rub? Fire the stupid man already.

Screen Shot 2012-08-16 at 8.54.29 AM

The letter goes on to state that the force faces “corruption at the most disturbing levels” and “through our managerial conduct of literally covering up their crimes and demoting them upwards.” The Re-Sergeance calls on members to remember their oath to protect and serve fellow Canadians with “honour and humility.”

Anonymous Mounties Threaten Force’s ‘Bad Apples’ With Exposure
- by Amy Boughner


Now these actions by one officer - with some very questionable attitudes about acceptable social behavour, on several fronts - has lead the RCMP to ban all posting on social networks by all officers. And to top it off they have invoked a questionable use of criminal speech law - in an investigation of themselves - to shut down a blog that could have been stopped with the internal memo.

These must not stand - these two precedents in law must have their day in court - because if not this type of extremist application of the law will spread to other government institutions, and reinforce those already in place in the private sector (which also should be tested in court).

This second use this year by a Canadian Police Force, of the Criminal Libel charge against a blogger critical of Police rings a bell of alarm - it must not stand.

The impartial application of the law by police, and as well the freedom of the Blogging Free Press to honestly, accurately and responsibly report on what the police are doing is essential to democracies delicate balance.



References:

Sun Media | Friday, August 31, 2012 06:28 PM EDT | New questions about RCMP credibility | http://www.torontosun.com/2012/08/31/new-questions-about-rcmp-credibility

CBC News | Aug 27, 2012 5:33 PM PT | Updated: Aug 27, 2012 9:41 PM PT | Whistleblower claims RCMP targeting him | http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/08/27/bc-bondage-whistleblower-search-seizure.html

CBC News Jul 5, 2012 10:56 AM PT | Updated: Jul 5, 2012 6:43 PM PT | RCMP officer investigated over bondage photos | http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/07/05/bc-rcmp-sex-photos.html

Haifischgeweint  | Tag: re-sergeance-alliance | http://haifischgeweint.wordpress.com/tag/re-sergeance-alliance/ 

Haifischgeweint | August 30, 2012 | Information, Speculation, & Misinformation | http://haifischgeweint.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/information-speculation-misinformation/

Haifischgeweint | August 16, 2012 | An Open Letter To Damien: Fuck You, You Privileged Fuck | http://haifischgeweint.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/an-open-letter-to-damien-fuck-you-you-privileged-fuck/

Care2/Causes | Amy Boughner | August 16, 2012 | Anonymous Mounties Threaten Force’s ‘Bad Apples’ With Exposure | http://www.care2.com/causes/anonymous-mounties-threaten-forces-bad-apples-with-exposure.html

British Columbia Civil Liberties Association | August 28, 2012 | BCCLA to apply to unseal RCMP defamation search warrant | http://bccla.org/news/2012/08/bccla-to-apply-to-unseal-rcmp-defamation-search-warrant/



mh

Saturday, September 1, 2012

U.S. Drought Monitor 12 week .GIF - June 12 to August 28, 2012


U.S. Drought Monitor 12 week .GIF - June 12 to August 28, 2012

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/12_week.gif


The Drought Monitor is a project of:
  • Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 
  • Climate Prediction Center (U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA/National Weather Service) 
  • National Climatic Data Center (DOC/NOAA)

Drought Monitor - http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/



mh

Friday, August 31, 2012

The Hand Mitre Box that never wears


After a life time of chasing the latest power tool, and riding the high of the ego trip that is arriving at job sites with the newest this or that thing - I've been checking non-power tools - hand tools - back to a time for carpenters, before the 'grid'.

Away from the failed automobile/freeway urban model and the resulting catastrophic global warming. Away from the inhuman out-comes: noise, super-local pollution of the air, isolation that the long distance commute to far away work produces; the longer work hours that the dying petro-economy incarnated as neo-liberal capitalism; the road rage that we are all victims of - the result of too many vehicles in the finite urban space - and on the positive side: Towards a longer life, and most importantly a better quality of life that New Urbanism's "Livable Cities" outcomes produce.

This is the new reality that New Urbanism aims to morph our cities into.

I, as one one individual in this great transformation have a unique story to tell.

I'm not an university educated architect - but what I've been doing for years before New Urbanism came to the administration of cities, was to create neighbourhood any-which-way I could --- for myself. To me that meant no car; and that meant local shops and local work - and bicycling to both. As a carpenter that meant a variety of strategies for both getting materials to job sites, and getting my tool kit there as well.

Hand powered tools are lighter, just as fast and less noisy to operate. On short-run type jobs: one offs, custom installations in people's homes - power tools are too much: too powerful, too noisy - and for this modern urban man - too stressy. There's already enough things making noise in my urban acoustic landscape; cars are by flar the biggest (and they are ubiquitous). I don't need to add to the cacophony in my personal work space, doing something I other-wise quite enjoy.

single_review
The Bosch 5312
Dual Bevel Slide Compound Mitre Saw
The absence of for example, of the startling, ear damaging noise that a circular saw motor makes - blasting the acoustic serenity of a carefully drawn line - makes my day.

Besides, they're too heavy to transport by bicycle.

So like I said, I've been checking out hand tools. Compound Sliding Mitre Saws are wonderful things, no question about it - but I have found they are for the shop, not to take into people's homes.

So, I invented this (I think) - a better, simpler Hand Mitre Box:


This drawing (I haven't built it yet) shows a one setting Mitre Box, for 90°. By adding other hard plastic 'liners' (which guide the saw's body) at other angles, you can get all the common mitres in one small wooden box: 90°, 45°, 22.3°. Horizontal angles can be achieved with this design as well. The wood for the body can be the lightest of the hardwoods - because the saw never touches the housing. I'm thinking Birch (a light weight plastic could work also - but I don't like to encourage the petro-cabal - I will not buy anything plastic that could be wood).

Rigid-backed Mitre Saws
via http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com/
showthread.php?14605-Show-me-your-saws!
This concept allows the carpenter to use any fine tooth hand saw - no need to bring a special rigid-topped hand mitre saw (see image to the right) - because the liner keeps the blade straight - any hand saw will do.

As well the saw is easier to sharpen because it is separate from the contraption (see Image #3, below); and because you're using a regular fine cut hand saw - you don't need to bring an extra saw to the job site just for mitres. Plus the saw stores away separately, making the mitre box easy to pack away, easier to transport by bicycle than any other Mitre Saw I've see on the market.

Because the cutting teeth never touch the guides - or the wooden box that holds them - the Mitre Box never wears; mitre's are always accurate no matter how may times the box is used (a major design flaw with the standard Hand Mitre Boxes - see image #1 below). 

Some better Mitre Boxes have been designed to over-come this flaw () see Image's #2 and #3), but they are too complicated and inhibit the smooth motion of the saw because there are too many accute points of contact that are in motion. And all except the oldest design, have the saw built-in, which make them bulky and difficult o transport to job sites with out a automobile.


What's out there in Hand Mitre Boxes:


Image #1
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~doconnel/img/handtools/IMG_0159.JPG.jpg
http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~doconnel/handtools.htm

Image #2
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/carbatec-compound-hand-mitre-saw-16567/index2.html

Image #3
http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz/wickes/invt/168640/Compound-Mitre-Saw_medium.jpg
http://www.wickes.co.uk/compound-mitre-saw/invt/168640/



Top image via ProReview | "Bosch 5312 Dual Bevel Slide Compound Miter Saw Review" | http://topmitersawreviews.com/reviews/bosch-5312-dual-bevel-slide-compound-miter-saw-review

Other images via the links under each.



mh

Monday, August 27, 2012

New CBC Player one step closer to an open internet metric that works

Alert! CBC embed will begin to play on load - to turn off scroll down.

On Saturday I wrote a  piece here about CBC's new 'Player' pages (Saturday, August 25, 2012 - This Week on "A Translation of WireTap with host Jonathan Goldstein") - specifically on the way CBC Radio show, "WireTap with host Jonathan Goldstein" is making content available for embed through the new Player.

I commented also, by way of constructive criticism, that the embeds available through the new player would annoyingly, play on load; and that how content available to embed would shortly thereafter disappear behind an itunes paywall. I commented on this second quality that, the appearing and then disappearing content destroyed the buzz the content was creating in the social networks. As an example, I posted the three of the most recent 'Featured' shows.

Wiretap's oldest post in the 'Feature' section (WireTap | Aug 10, 2012 | The Big Thrill | 25:20) has now gone dead in my blog's embed. Next week the second oldest post, the David Rakoff Tribute, will go dead. The week after that, "The Lothario" (a repeat from Season 2 - 2006/05/14) will follow the others to the itunes, open internet graveyard.

Interestingly - even though it is not a part of the Apple Inc. itunes paywall contract - the Season 2 post from 2006 will go likely go dead along with the others, because the webmasters at CBC have placed it in a new player, rather than the Season 2 player - which I embed here as an experiment:

WIRETAP | May 14, 2006 | The Lothario | 27:30



I fear that CBC executives will take from these observations that embeds interfere with the paywall - so disable embeds.

But what I have tried to show here, and in all these posts on WireTap over the years (as part of my learning), is that the social networks are a key part of the metric of social network marketing. Paywall if you like - but don't put up open internet episodes for a time and sequester them later behind a paywall. Pretending to an open internet meme and then pulling down content destroys the connections established in the social networks; and pisses of internet users going forward as they run into, not paywalls, but dead ends!

From observing CBC's online strategy from the user's point of view - when a company releases a security to the open internet it must stay up until it has run out of energy pushing eyes to the 'pay-for-view', most recent episode (perhaps, the life time of the production).

Therefore, sequester the most recent episode behind a paywall for a time - and then release it to the open internet, with all the fanfare and celebration that a release to the commons deserves. The smart phone market, people who have already purchased the episode in the 'immediate market', can then brag with-in the fanfare that they have already heard the episode - and then talk about it, adding to the buzz.


NPR's "This American Life" has the idea properly sussed. At their site all the episodes are up for free: to download, to stream at the site in a player, or via various smart phone apps.

To monetize, "This American Life" have a separate tab called 'Store' where content is sold as DVD's, in 'Collections' and 'Behind The Scenes' productions. Also T-Shirts, Books, Mugs and Posters from the shows periodic Live Events are offered - along with unique toys like a "Custom USB Drive With Rare, Unreleased Interviews (Plus TAL "Behind the Scenes" Video)".






mh

Saturday, August 25, 2012

This Week on "A Translation of WireTap with host Jonathan Goldstein"

Alert! Three CBC embeds will begin to play on load - to turn them off scroll down.


This Week on A Translation of WireTap with host Jonathan Goldstein - I review the new "CBC Player".

The new video / audio player allows people to embed CBC content on their websites. These embeds can act as a portal through which users can transport to the CBC Player. In this case to the Wiretap Episode Archive: www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/WireTap/.

The new CBC Player - in it's radio incarnation - has two key issues:

1) Autoplay

The embeds begin playing with out prompt; which I will not have on my web site - except in this instance as it is a review of new technology. The reason I don't allow auto play content here is because if someone loads my blogs landing page, and this post is buried down on the front page - all three player will begin making noise and the user won't be able to easily find the off buttons - so they will 'bounce'.

I always ask the user whether of not they want content I offer.

WireTap | Aug 24, 2012 | The Lothario | 26:27 (repeat, season 2, 2006-05-14)

WireTap | Aug 18, 2012 | David Rakoff Tribute | 26:29 (new, 2012-08-18)

WireTap | Aug 10, 2012 | The Big Thrill | 25:20 (repeat,season 7, 2011-05-20)


2) Appearing / Disappearing Content

Above, the August 18, 2012 content embed will disappear in a few weeks - as it is CBC's policy with regard to this particular production (a Wiretap / CBC co-production) - that only the two most recent episodes are made available at the CBC portal. I assume that - in order to drive paying customers to the itunes download - some time soon this show will be taken down; thus rendering the CBC Player embed here dead. That's bad for readers who got here via search, because of the CBC Player content embed. An unsatisfactory dead-end to their search of CBC content is likely to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth, and thus less likely to continue from here to the CBC Player.

I think the solution to this conundrum is to recognize that the itune's pay market - as opposed to the market defined by other devices - other user 'place' experiences - constitute two different markets. The up-to-the-minute, always-on wherever-you-are, smart phone market has a immediate temporal quality that defines it's value.The archive of past shows has a different value, and should be priced (or not) accordingly - at the same time it is important to remember that the two memes drive each other.

Therefore, the architecture of this two-stream-content-matrix is to offer the newest episode to itune's customers for some number of days - creating a buzz there - and then present it at the CBC Player page, creating a secondary buzz which will amplify the first wave. And leave them up --- so, as new episodes become available at the Player - and in turn connections in the social networks are established - they stay established; and thus maintain their value in driving eyes to the CBC pages. Once users get to the CBC archives they are very likely to pay to listen to the latest episode on itunes.

I wonder if itunes recommends a multi-media architecture for content producers? I wonder if they insist on this kind of architecture?


That is all.

(translations may vary according to sub-cultural bias)



mh

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Digital Rights Management could save Public Libraries, the Open Internet - and vise versa


Originally published on my Wall, at Facebook


This really cool:

I'm reading "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt" by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco on my desktop!

I went to Toronto Public Library (TPL) online, searched the title; found the ebook entry and clicked on the preview button (a blurb beside the ebook entry says all 4 copies are out already.
(??? '4 Copies' 'Out' ? - that doesn't make any sense - one copy is an infinite number of copies - it's an ebook!!!)

So, like I said, I clicked on the preview instead - and nothing happens - my OS says it will search the internet for the right program to open the file, so I say OK. It came back with nothing. So I copy and searched "Adobe EPUB eBook" (which sits rather innocuously under everything in the Library listing) and that gets me to Adobe's site - where I searched the term internally, and that gets me to the download for the Adobe ebook reader, "Adobe Digital Editions" - http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/

(Adobe is a victim of their marketing department - which turns English into brand names - which inside the sub-culture of the company become actual English - and then they try to use those words to communicate with us out here - and it doesn't work. I don't understand the words "Adobe Digital Editions", it sounds like a place where I would find ebooks - but I wasn't looking for an ebook, I was looking for an ebook reader - so search didn't work, trial and error got me to the page - it took me some time to get there; turns out "Digital Editions" is the brand name of Adobe's DRM enabled, ebook reader.)

The preview TPL is offering outside of the 'copies' it's being allowed to dole out 4 at a time, is Chapter 1 of the book, the story of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

I've changed my mind about Digital Rights Management. Hither-to I've been a devote of Cory Doctorow's take on the digital revolution with regards to book publishing. He makes all of his book available online in full from the moment they are published in paper. His take is that he'll make his wages through 'reputation', he makes enough money to keep writing full time by doing speaking engagements, readings of his books etc. - more than he'll earn from the actual sale of the books themselves.

I'm of the opinion now that DRM is great - because it allows Public Libraries to get inexpensive, digital copies of books immediately upon publication - to loan out.

The entire book downloads onto your hard drive - but it's in a kind of Temporary File that erases after a certain amount of time. Users can request a renewal of the ebook - and that is allowed depending on the settings the publisher sets in the loan agreement.

Now - if I was a hacker - intent on defeating DRM there IS a way - as soon as the text of the book makes it's way to my computer screen it IS copy-able - Somehow; I don't know how, but I am as sure as I am that the sun will rise - there is an interface that can be constructed to copy what appears on one's computer screen.

Print Screen of "Days of  Destruction, Days of Revolt" by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco  - page 13 (Chaper 1) in ebook reader "Adobe Digital Editions"


So then I am victorious-cyberpunk-hacker-champion !!! But what''s the point? The book's available at the Library for free. :)

This is the best argument for DRM I have ever heard.

And I came up with it !

But then the gobbledygook coming out of the special interest media towers isn't much competition - blinded as they are by greed, and the popular media of greed - money.

 * * *


Originally published on my Wall, at Facebook (edited for clarity) (https://www.facebook.com/michael.holloway.90281/posts/441346309243176)




(I want a widget that can take posts I create in FB and posts them here if I click that button on my browser - I say browser because I know FB would never allow the app - at Faceboook it's Everything in - Nothing out.)



mh

Monday, August 6, 2012

High-frequency trading 2007–2012: an animated .GIF


High Frequency Trading machines are computer programs that can trade stocks at rates measured in fractions of a nano-second.

.GIF representation of HFT trading 2007 - 2012, created by Nanex (http://www.nanex.net/index.htm)

Nanex ~ The Rise of the HFT Machines




On May 6, 2010 - beginning at 14:42:46 and ending at 14:47:02 - the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped approximately 600 points (5.7%), and then quickly recovered. The so called "Flash Crash" was traced back to high-frequency trading programs that over ran Exchange computer's ability to handle the volumes.

See Nanex's report on that incident here:  http://www.nanex.net/20100506/FlashCrashAnalysis_CompleteText.html




Gif discovered via a Tweet (embed):

See also, Zero Hedge, 2012 Feb 06Presenting The "Rise Of The HFT Machine" - Visual Confirmation How SkyNet Broke The Stock Market On US Downgrade Dayhttp://www.zerohedge.com/news/presenting-rise-hft-machine-visual-confirmation-how-skynet-broke-stock-market-us-downgrade-day

.GIF hosted at http://www.nanex.net/aqck/2804.HTML



mh

Monday, July 30, 2012

Mark-up for superscript, subscript, and display code


 for Firefox 10, Google Chrome 20, Internet Explorer 8


Superscript

Raised script is called "superscript".

The tags are and .


Example:

The superscript tag looks like this when rendered:

"This text contains superscript text."

Or when used in mathematical notations: 2(3)



Subscript

Lowered script is called "subscript".

These are the subscript tags: and .


Example:

Rendered subscript looks like this: "This text contains subscript."

Or like this: 2(3)



Show Code

Above, when I was showing how to code for raised script I wrote,

"The tags are and ."

You may be asking, 'How did you make the tags show as characters - and prevent the browser from raising the word, "and" - like it's supposed to?'

In this example, the secret is the "textarea" tag. When one writes code between textarea tags they are rendered just as text, the browser doesn't interpret them as functions.

Some time ago, in the early days of of the internet, a group of code writers decided that a textarea should have certain characteristics associated with them. I don't understand why, I think its a waste of time - but in any case, this is what a default textarea looks like (in your browser):



Different browsers attach different defaults to textareas in different versions. Firefox 10 and Chrome 20 add a re-size tab that allows the user to expand the textarea by dragging it, while Internet Explorer 8 adds a scrollbar instead - even if there is no content in the textarea. In Google Chrome a scrollbar is added if default height is set at less than the browser's default line-height (18 pixels) - even if there is enough room for content in the prescribed width. In Google Chrome and IE8 browsers, textareas have a default width (20 characters) and height (2 lines), while Firefox 14 defaults 3 rows high instead of 2.

To show you the tags in a sentence unrendered by the browser, I had to add a stylesheet to this post that gets rid of all the defaults. One does this by adding attributes that over-ride unwanted, default attributes.

You can read them below, I have pasted the style sheet into another textarea. I got rid of the border in the first line: "border: 0px none;"; I set a width and a height, which over-rides columns and rows defaults; and got rid of the resize tab by writing "resize: none;". In Google Chrome a scrollbar is added to the textarea even though all the content would fit in the prescribed parameter - if it wasn't in the way! To get rid of the scrollbar in Chrome 20, and in IE8 I had to add the fifth attribute, "overflow: hidden;".

.

[Note: I had to break the 'end textarea' tags ('</textarea') so browsers wouldn't read it as the end of the yellow textarea box. This does not happen with any other tag, except textarea.]

Originally when I wrote this article in my source code editor, Nopepad++ I had the width set to contain 5 characters (60 pixels - Blogger's default character width for this blog template is 12 pixels), and height is set to the common browser default line height (18 pixels). But because Blogger has a default line height and font size smaller than the default line height and font-size in most browsers, the textarea-surrounded-text sat high above the other text in a sentence. To fix this I reduced the line height and the font-size inside the "show-code-1" textareas. The change works well in all the browsers mentioned here.

(Opera and Safari are two other fairly popular browsers, but I don't have them on my machine right now as I'm learning data bases - and that project is taking up a lot of disk space and memory.)

This would be much simpler if W3C (the web standards body) would restate the standard to no defaults, except to contain the writing between the tags.

I have no idea why textarea is preset with all these defaults. At present textarea is set to 20 characters wide and 2 lines high. ???



References:

W3C | Elements | textarea | http://www.w3.org/wiki/HTML/Elements/textarea)

Nopepad++ code editor by Don Ho (free AND free!) | http://notepad-plus-plus.org/



mh