Episode 03

INTRO:

Extract from a forward email. I don't encourage forwarding these, as they're just a means for harvesting address for spam... but I thought that this was interesting:

"Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes a middle- aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: 
 
 the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.. 
 


6 minutes: 
 
 A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 
 



10 minutes:

 
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.



45 minutes:
 
 
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.


1 hour:


He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

 


No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.



This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
 


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?

LOST IN LYRICS
"That's all right" by Elvis Presely, was named number on by Rolling Stone's top forty songs that changed the world.

"That's All Right" is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup as "That's All Right, Mama". Elvis' version was recorded in July 1954, and released on 19 July 1954 with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side.

Born in Forest, Mississippi Arthur Crudup stopped recording in the 1950s, however, after further battles over royalties. He returned to recording and touring in 1965, sometimes labeled "The Father of Rock and Roll", a title which he accepted with some bemusement.

Ungratified due to the loss of royalties, he would refer to his admirer Presley as 'Elvin Preston'. Throughout this time Crudup worked as a laborer to augment the small wages he received as a singer and non-existent royalties.

Crudup returned to Mississippi after a dispute over royalties, then went into bootlegging, and later moved to Virginia where he had lived and worked as a musician and laborer. In the early 1970s, two local Virginia activists, Celia Santiago and Margaret Carter, both assisted him in attempting to gain royalties he felt he were due, to little gain.

He died in the Nassawadox hospital in Northampton County, Virginia in 1974.

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Crudup



WHERE’S MY JET-PACK? Technological Revolution
US objects to Google book deal
"The US Justice Department has urged a New York court to reject a deal that would allow internet company Google to publish millions of books online.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8264544.stm

I'm getting pretty scared of Google: they seem to hold too much power and consolidate too much information.

Google book though, sounds like a good idea, a step towards the democratization of knowledge. The books are available in PDF format for you can't cut and post them.

"On October 28, 2008, Google stated that they had 7 million books searchable through Google Book Search, including those scanned by their 20,000 publisher partners.Of the 7 million books, 1 million are "full preview" based on agreements with publishers. 1 million are in the public domain. Most scanned works are no longer in print or commercially available.

In return for having their books online, authors will receive $60 per full book, or $5 to $15 for partial works. In return, Google will be able to index the books and display snippets in search results, as well as up to 20% of each book in preview mode. Google will also be able to show ads on these pages and make available for sale digital versions of each book.

Authors and copyright holders will receive 63 percent of all advertising and e-commerce revenues associated with their works.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/11/google-book-settlement-site-is-up-paying-authors-60-per-scanned-book/

No one really wants to read books on their computer, this technology would only be useful for research and referencing. The publishing industry is on its last legs, so they should be luck to get what they can.



IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME
Ideas and plans that have backfired

Abstinence programs
Chastity rings – picture on wikipedia it looks like a gold ring with five vaginal cavities filled with crosses...


"According to a study carried out on 12,000 young people by Yale University researchers, young people who promise to stay virgin until they marry have the same risks of developing STDs as other young people. Researchers also found that those who took the virginity pledge are more likely to take part in anal sex and oral sex"
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/21606.php

David Bario, a reporter in the Chicago Tribune, Rutland Herald, and several other news websites wrote:

"Under the Bush administration, organizations that promote abstinence and encourage teens to sign virginity pledges or wear purity rings have received federal grants. The Silver Ring Thing, a subsidiary of a Pennsylvania Evangelical Church, has received more than $1 million from the government to promote abstinence and to sell its rings in the United States and abroad."
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050329/NEWS/503290315/1027

ONION RADIO NEWS
"http://www.youtube.com/v/02LgdXVkXgM&hl=en&fs=1&">

BECOME THE MEDIA: Indy-Media Watch
We don’t have to sit on the couch and be force fed reality from the military industrial complex’s marketing arm known as… the mass media. We can create the news agenda and in this section we are going to have a look at alternative sources of information…

https://www.adbusters.org/

NEWS FROM NOWHERE
Ottawa:
Local produce sold here via Ajax
Veggies travel hundreds of kilometres before arriving at city Loblaws
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Local+produce+sold+here+Ajax/2036981/story.html

Ontario:
Man cautioned after prank call to prayer line
BELLEVILLE, Ont. — A man in Belleville, Ont., has been admonished by police after making a prank call to a Texas-based Prayer Line.
http://www.ottawasun.com/news/weird/2009/09/21/11030201.html

Canada:
Lobster aid info hotline actually a sex line
http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2009/09/22/11055946.html

World:
'I can't take it': gaddafi interpreter
"If Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's rambling, podium-hogging speech at the United Nations tried the patience of many UN delegates, spare a thought for his simultaneous interpreter. The Libyan's interpreter managed to hang on for the first 75 minutes of Wednesday's epic before crying: "I just can't take it anymore!" reported the New York Post daily"
www.nationalpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=2036124

AMERICA ON LSD
A Look at our crazy cousins down there south of the border and the results of the End of Empire…

Man sues BofA for "1,784 billion, trillion dollars
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090925/odds/odd_us_chiscolm

THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
Part of the evolution of humanity is to recognize that all forms of sexuality between consenting adults is normal and natural, which should be celebrated as an intimate part of society not stigmatized.

Transsexualism is a condition in which an individual identifies with a physical sex different from the one they were born with.

For more information contact:

Gender Mosaic (GM) is Canada’s oldest and most established Transgender Support Group, located in Ottawa, Ontario.
http://gendermosaic.ca/

Unfortunately, that's all we had time for but there will be more next week.

Til then, fight the power...

Episode 02

Second show went pretty well, especially since the transmitter held out for whole two hours

LOST IN LYRICS
"It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. It is the first track of their Australian album T.N.T., released in December 1975 (see 1975 in music), and was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott. Musically, the song is notable for combining bagpipes with hard rock electric guitars, drums, and bass
The song is about the travails of using rock 'n' roll as a vehicle for success. As detailed by the song, perils of being in a rock 'n' roll band include getting:
• Robbed
• Stoned
• Beat up
• Broken-boned
• Had
• Took
• Grey
• Ripped off
• Under-paid
• Sold second-hand
• Doing "one-night stands"
• Old

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bfortner/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100-member industry panel, "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was ranked as the ninth song on the list.[5]The song is regularly played during stoppages at AFL matches at the ANZ stadium in Sydney
It is common in Australia to sing "It's a long way to the shop if you wanna sausage roll", or less commonly "It's a long way to the shop if you wanna Chiko Roll", or "It's a long way to the Cross if you wanna fuck a moll" ("the Cross" referencing Kings Cross, Sydney's notorious red-light district).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Long_Way_to_the_Top_%28If_You_Wanna_Rock_%27n%27_Roll%29

WHERE’S MY JET-PACK? Technological Revolution

City transit committee OKs $17M technology package for OC Transpo buses

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/City+transit+committee+technology+package+Transpo+buses/2001157/story.html

Fundy’s fury put to the test
Province approves underwater turbine tryouts
From the Nova Scotian Chronicle-Herald
By JUDY MYRDEN Business Reporter
Wed. Sep 16

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1142788.html

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME
Ideas and plans that have backfired

Energy-efficient light bulbs
Ban the bulb? What kind of bright idea is that?
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 1, 2009

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/09/01/f-light-bulbs-energy-efficient-incandescent.html#socialcomments

BECOME THE MEDIA: Indy-Media Watch
We don’t have to sit on the couch and be force fed reality from the military industrial complex’s marketing arm known as… the mass media. We can create the news agenda and in this section we are going to have a look at alternative sources of information…

The Onion is an American "fake news" organization. It features satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news as well as an entertainment newspaper and website known as The A.V. Club. It claims a national print circulation of 690,000 and says 61 percent of its web site readers are between 18 and 44 years old.


NEWS FROM NOWHERE
Ottawa:
Did UFO crash into Ottawa River?
Posted By JON WILLING/Sun Media
August 7

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1676420

Ontario:
London, Ont., police tell drivers to lie, in tongue-in-cheek safety message
Thu Sep 3, 3:36 PM
By The Canadian Press

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090903/koddities/oddity_driving_tips

Canada:
Molson-Coors taking down billboards that take jab at Toronto residents
Tue Aug 18, 7:00 PM
By The Canadian Press

http://entertainment.yahoo.ca/s/capress/090818/koddities/oddity_billboard_toronto

World:
British embassies tired of bizarre requests
Thu Aug 13

http://www.weyak.ae/channels/news/article/view/lang/en/type/offbeat/id/2024638

AMERICA ON LSD
Look at our crazy cousins down there south of the border and the results of the End of Empire…

Obese Texas man hides gun between rolls of fat
Sat Aug 8

THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
Part of the evolution of humanity is to recognize that all forms of sexuality between consenting adults is normal and natural, which should be celebrated as an intimate part of society not stigmatized.



Okay, so they found that Caster Semenya, one of the best female sprinters in the world:
1. Has no womb.
2. Has no ovaries.
3. Has "internal testes."
4. Has three times the testosterone of a normal woman.
http://gawker.com/5356739/runner-lady-is-a-hermaphrodite

Gender issue opens old wounds
Canadian sprinter Hilda Strike, poses on the podium at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, after her silver-medal winning performance in the 100-metre race. Nearly 50 years later, it was revealed that gold medallist Stella Walsh, running for her native Poland, was a hermaphrodite.

South African runner's win frustrates Canadian woman whose grandmother lost Olympic gold medal in 1932 to female with male characteristics
Sep 12, 2009
http://www.thestar.com/olympics/article/694737

1 percent of live births exhibit some degree of sexual ambiguity.[66] Between 0.1% and 0.2% of live births are ambiguous enough to become the subject of specialist medical attention, including surgery to disguise their sexual ambiguity.

People in Ottawa - one percent of 1 million = ten thousand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex#cite_note-ISNA_frequency-65

Episode 01

Introduction:

Welcome to the Evolution of Revolution, I'm Al McKaul. On this show we are going to take a look at the ideas and music that have changed the world – mental, musical and spiritual revolutions.

Not just revolution but evolution as well.

It seems to me that throughout history human's have struggled to compete for resources, and it works out that some people get all the money and wealth and power, and others don't.

As time progresses – those with all the money and wealth and power get so few, and those without power get so many – splufsh – revolution – the hour glass flips, the 'have-nots' take over and the whole thing starts again.

This seems to be getting pretty repetitive – so we want to see some evolution rather than just revolution.

We can make an active choice to repeat the mistakes of the past or to live a better life everyday in all our actions and interactions.

Oten we may feel overwhelmed by apathy – helpless to change the world around us: you can't fight the city or the government or the corporations or your boss – but you CAN! We can. We've dont it before and we'll so it again. People are doing it right now! I'm not talking about storming the winter palace or beheading the royal family – although it is an option – I'm taking about things we can do everyday to cahnge the world – take the bus to work, or better, ride you bike, turn off the TV and read a book, eat meat one less time a week, listen to CKCU, quit smoking, go to your local council meeting, write to your MP, boycott McDonald's, start a growers co-op or do some volunteer work.

WE CREATE the work we live in – have a look around you now – maybe your at home or driving around the suburbs – Are you happy with this world? Is it perfect? If not, how can we make it better – We can make a difference – we just have to make a choice to do it.

We'll be looking at Revolutions and evolutions in media, the arts, technology, music and sexuality... let's get underway...

Lost in Lyrics:

Tool "stinkfist"

The album was dedicated to satirist Bill Hicks, who had died two and a half years earlier.[14] The band intended to raise awareness about Hicks's material and ideas, because they felt that Tool and Hicks "were resonating similar concepts".[29] In particular, Ænima's final track "Third Eye" is preceded by a clip of Hicks' performances, and both the lenticular casing of the Ænima album packaging as well as the chorus of the title track "Ænema" make reference to a sketch from Hicks's Arizona Bay, in which he contemplates the idea of Los Angeles falling into the Pacific Ocean.[29][30]

The first single, "Stinkfist", garnered limited and imperfect airplay: It was shortened by radio programmers, MTV (U.S.) renamed the music video of "Stinkfist" to "Track #1" due to offensive connotations,[31] and the lyrics of the song were altered.[32] Responding to fan complaints about censorship, Matt Pinfield of MTV's 120 Minutes expressed regret on air by waving his fist in front of his face while introducing the video and explaining the name change.[31]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_%28band%29#cite_note-29

Where's my Jet-pack? The Technological Revolution:

The new Mac Book Pro Reveiw

• Why not vista or Linux – Linux is the aim, but I wanted to try the other white meat
• It's the greenest laptop according to them
• It's sexy – one solid peice of aluminium with the glass screen
• Converting to mac took a while
• Apple store is packed – too busy selling stuff to give support – Karbon Computing were a lot more helpful
• One click / finder / flower key
• Frustrating
• Pros – it works – doesn't crash – you don't wait – ecerything is built in
• Cons – price – one sound port – smugness of mac – everything has to be done the mac way

It seemed like a good idea at the time:

Ideas and plans that have backfired.

Sending your old computer to Africa – BBC 'Nigeria fears e-waste 'toxic legacy'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/6193625.stm

Unfortunately, our first show was truncated by unforeseen routine maintenance on the CKCU transmitter.

More to come next week...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_%28band%29 - cite_note-stinkfist-30