One of my new favorite bloggers, Julie Leung, has an excellent post about a Seattle Times article that explores how families cope. Ever feel like you are apart from your family even though you all live under the same roof? I am sure you have.
Julie highlights four trends found in American families, though I am sure Canadian families are not too different. Definitely worth a read!
Read: Julie Leung
I am very pleased to introduce a new service from Paramagnus called Podcast Tags! Now you can tag your podcast episodes with relevant keywords so that others can find them more easily!
We’ve got a blog setup, and we’re looking for feedback, suggestions, and comments. Let us know!
I first learned about Ourmedia back at Northern Voice. The site launched today, and I must say, it looks very sharp! Definitely take some time to check it out, I know I will be.
Yet at the same time, I don’t think Ourmedia is the “wave of the future” as co-founder JD Lasica has called it. There’s a few different reasons for this:
I applaud Ourmedia for getting their idea out there and ready to be used. And I wish them luck. I just don’t think it’s the revolutionary service its being hailed as, nor will it ever be.
I am pleased to announce that we finally have something up and running at http://www.paramagnus.com. Took us long enough hey? Anyway, we’ll be adding more content to it as we go. The Products and Services sections are quite bare at the moment, but we’ll get there. Be sure to check out the new Podcasting site.
Read: Paramagnus Blog
Even thought I decided not to pursue it beyond the first level biology courses, I have a pretty strong interest in genetics. The entire topic is just curiously fascinating. I just read about some research that includes a new artificial base pair being replicated:
DNA…is a double helix formed of the base pairs of adenine and thymine (referred to as A and T for short), and of cytosine and guanine (C and G). But now, for the first time since life began, a third, artificial base pair is being replicated. The unnatural molecule is 3-fluorobenzene (3FB for short), which forms a pair with itself.
That’s pretty hardcore if you ask me. The research should help answer the question of why, in every organism, there are only two base pairs. The 3FB base pair is not yet perfect though, “A mistake typically occurs once in every 1,000 base pairs that are copied, compared with around one in 10m bases of natural DNA.”
If they can improve the copy quality, some really interesting things could be on hand:
That might help evolutionary biologists answer the question of why, for billions of years, and in every form of life on earth, only two base pairs are used. It might be that the two base-pair system is the best. Or it might be a simple accident which occurred when life began. In any case, expanding the genetic code of simple organisms could lead to radical new applications for medicine and biotechnology, and to useful information storage and retrieval systems based on DNA.
Read: Economist.com
I, like most people, have always said it was only a matter of time. Google News, the perpetually beta service, has finally had a lawsuit brought against it:
Agence France Presse has sued Google, alleging the Web search leader includes AFP’s photos, news headlines and stories on its news site without permission. AFP said it has informed Google that it is not authorized to use AFP’s copyrighted material as it does and has asked Google to cease and desist from infringing its copyright work.
Read: CNET News.com
I was thinking recently about the NHL and the problem it faces as a result of cancelling the 2004-2005 hockey season. People have stated that the league’s failure to come to an agreement with the players is just the beginning of the end for professional hockey. Hockey as a product will struggle even more if it returns next season than it has already. And it fascinates me to read about the countless hours both sides waste in their negotiating. Most recently, the NHL made two offers to the players who promptly responded that they were not impressed. How long has this been going on now? Do you even remember what hockey is? How can we get both sides to come to an agreement? And how can the NHL save hockey?
The NHL should start a blog. And I don’t mean marketing crap in the form of a blog, but an actual blog with posts written by people involved in the running of the league and in the negotiations with the NHLPA. The league has in the past been anything but open and transparent. Closed door meetings, “no comment” answers, secret phone calls, the works. As a result, their customers (that’s you, the fan) have grown to ignore and ridicule the league almost as much as the greedy players. And if their lack of transparency keeps up, their customers will only become more indifferent. How can you re-launch a product when your customers just don’t give a damn about it?
If the NHL were blogging, I think they’d see a number of benefits:
I am sure there are many more benefits as well, but those listed above came immediately to mind. The cost of getting involved in blogging is almost zero, and the return on investment is incredible. I think everyone would benefit if the NHL started blogging – the league itself, the players, and most importantly, the fans.
If I were the NHL, I’d be franticly looking for ways to “save hockey” and make it a viable product again. So if you’re reading this NHL, start a blog!
Toyota, yes the car company, is apparently launching a record label in conjunction with its Scion line of cars. The announcement was made at the SXSW conference:
“We’re not making a profit from this,” Jeri Yoshizu, sales promotion manager of Scion said. “We are enabling unsigned artists to get their feet up.” She added the program is not for consumers, but to promote underground artists.
Makes me wonder just how bad the state of the music industry when you get companies launching their own record labels. Toyota isn’t the first, I am sure you have seen Hear Music at Starbucks. Even though they claim they are not making a profit directly, there must be some money in it. I don’t imagine that launching such a venture comes cheap.
Read: Brand Noise
Not that it will mean much to you if you were caught up in the Jetsgo mess, but company founder Michel Leblanc has finally apologized – or did he?! I don’t see where he says the actual word “sorry”:
“Very clearly, I have deep sorrow for the people whose plans at school break were shattered, but we didn’t have any choice,” Leblanc told The Canadian Press in an interview in his office Thursday.
Not to miss a chance to jab at WestJet, Leblanc also continued his tirade of corporate espionage and general naysaying of his former competitor. Talk about a sore loser.
Read: Canoe
I remember doing the 30-Hour Famine back in junior high. It was tons of fun – we stayed at the school throughout the 30 hours, playing in the gym, running through the halls, and generally having a good time. After it was all done, we held a big buffet for everyone to gorge on, and I remember it containing a lot of pizza.
I haven’t given much thought to the event since that time, but I was recently reminded of it by Darren Barefoot. He’s taking up the challenge on April 1st and 2nd, and he’s looking to raise $1000 by the end of the month:
Seeing as the last time I tried fasting I caved after about 15 hours, this should at least be good for some entertainment. I’ll take whatever you got. Five bucks. Great. Fifty bucks? That’s great too. You Americans can give money too—we’re an equal opportunity website around here, and your money goes farther north of the border. I’m probably going to go on about this thing a fair bit over the next two weeks. Indulge me—it’s for a good cause.
It’s a great cause, so stop by and help him out! At the very least, wish him luck 🙂
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