Archive for the 'Commentary' category

The Firefox (Mozilla) team wanted to break the Guiness World Record for the most downloads in a 24 hours period for its new Firefox 3.0 browser. Although it seems that 9 minutes after placing the precious package on their Website, it went down. Oops.

I just received an email from Firefox to tell me to go get the software. The link they provided me directs me to a page where it says “Download Firefox 3.0″, but just below, the version no. is still 2.0.0.14.

I think the PR team never really consulted the technical team as to how many people they could handle downloading at the same time. Also, I think they never tested their Website modifications before they went online, because their links are bogus.

They might make an excellent browser, but they certainly also succeed at making fools of themselves!

Update: the links are now all fixed… it’s downloading!

brem

Impressive snapshops of urban Japanese landscapes using high dynamic range.

They really look as if they were computer generated… They also have that Japanese anime look, don’t you find?

Click on the picture to admire them.

brem


via Pink Tentacle

According to this cyberpresse article, the Canadian Army will have to settle and pay 44 000$ to “Micheline” Montreuil. The Canadian Commission of Human Rights has decided that the Army had been sexually-based discriminatory as a result of a complaint filed in August of 2004.

The Quebec City lawyer had then tried unsuccessfully to obtain a job for the Canadian Forces.

Pierre “Micheline” Montreuil is a man, a transgendre, or if you prefer, a person who prefers to live wearing clothes of the opposite sex, whilst keeping genitals intact.

So it is basically a politically correct word for a (very devoted) transvestite.

I don’t care that he thinks he should have been a woman, but the fact remains, he’s a man!

Also how did the Commission of Human Rights come to the conclusion that there had been sexual discrimination towards this individual? The other candidates were also male!

It’s not sex-based discrimination for f*ck’s sake, it’s a man disguised as a woman! If he wants to really be a sex-based discrimination victim, why doesn’t he get a vagina?!

It’s as if I had gone to an interview with a clown nose and a jock strap on top of my trousers. Would I have been taken seriously? I wouldn’t even have been able to apply as a clown at McDicks.

It’s a totally ludicrous and undefendable decision.

The worst of it all is that it’s us, taxpayers who pay because our justice system has no judgement.

brem

It has been a while since I wrote something substancial on this blog, so to please my newest and favourite groupie, I’ll share with you my impressions on The Toasters’ show and my evening at the Velvet.

We knew there was gonna be 3 bands along with The Toasters, so we came early enough to be able to catch a glimpse at The Peacocks. The Caporal (our bass player) had already seen this band before and was eager to hear them again. It’s a Swiss punk-rockabilly (psychobilly?) trio. The energy on stage of their contrabass player, with his huge hand painted black double-bass was amazing. I must admit, the sound of a slapping contrabass is pretty cool. However, during the half-hour I heard them play prior to a technical issue where the vocal amp blew up, I wasn’t overely impressed, except with the contrabassist’s presence…

To give you an idea, watch this video of The Peacocks on stage.

Since the beer was expensive and that Molson Dry is undrinkable (really, I was reminded of how bad it was last night), we went to another bar, the Ste-Angele, nearby, to drink a few cocktails and other alcoholic beverages while they were fixing the technical difficulty and the seconde group was preparing to play. Since we didn’t attend the second band’s show, I won’t comment on them.

When our rock-paper-scisors tournament was over at the Ste-Angele, we came back to the Velvet, just in time to hear a death metal -ish song. I swear, had I not known this was a ska night, I couldn’t have guessesd. Oh… two measures of upbeat… that’s vaguely ska. All that to say that The Flatliners is not a band for me, and it didn’t fit the musical style of the venue. But they had their followers. Good for them.

After 3-4 tunes of this band where everyone was body-surfing and diving in the (4 people) mosh pit, it was time for The Toasters!

To fully appreciate The Toasters’ performance, one has to temper his/her expectations. For a good old solid 2-tone ska performance, it was the right place to be last night. However, the energy of the band seemed to be lacking a bit. I guess having played night after night for 6 consecutive days might not have helped. The sax player however was very energetic and fun to watch. Oh… the lead singer spoke very well in French. Nice touch there. A small disapointment for me is the fact there were no trumpet player.

I’m still happy with the evening, we had fun. Also, I got a deal on a nice XXL t-shirt of The Toaster I got for 10$ from the lead singer of the band himself! We had not recognised him but he was selling the band’s merchandise at the beginning of the evening :). Alex, our trombone player even asked him if he worked for the band’s record label :). I hope he didn’t feel too much like a has-been. Poor him!

brem

Does it smell bad where you’re at?

Yves Gagné of Lévis Urbain had enough. There is a rampant smell of pig manure on the city. Since there aren’t many nice summer days left, it’s upsetting.

Donne à manger à un cochon et il vient chier sur ton perron.



brem