April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

General

Robocop

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In situations of bomb disposal, possible toxic hazards or other times that you would legitimately want to lessen the possibility of danger to an officer then robotics is a wonderful and much needed technology.

However, robotic technologies meets Taser™ and now we have a whole new set of parameters.

On 28 June, Taser International of Arizona announced plans to equip robots with stun guns. The US military already uses PackBot, made by iRobot of Massachusetts, to carry lethal weapons, but the new stun-capable robots could be used against civilians.

“The victim would have to receive shocks for longer, or repeatedly, to give police time to reach the scene and restrain them, which carries greater risk to their health,” warns non-lethal weapons researcher Neil Davison, of the University of Bradford, UK.

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Community Service for sexual assault?

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Reading between the lines of this story it would appear he raped this young woman which resulted in her “bleeding profusely”.

Defence had asked for unconditional discharge to allow him to serve in Afghanistan. Do we really want to export our sexual criminals to other countries?

What he did end up with was “18 months probation and a $1,500 fine, which will be paid to a community organization that assists sexual assault victims.”

Oh well no harm no foul, eh?

The Crown had requested a prison sentence of two years less a day.

At his sentencing, Boulet asked his victim and his family to forgive him.

The victim, who name is protected under the law, has maintained that if Boulet had said sorry earlier and had shown some respect after the incident, the situation wouldn’t have ended up in court.

The assault took place in June 2004, at a birthday party held at the victim’s family home. Boulet had drunk too much to drive and decided to spend the night at the house.

During the night, he sexually assaulted the 18-year old woman, who was too drunk to give consent. After the assault, Boulet reportedly asked the young woman, who was bleeding profusely, to not talk about what happened.

The Department of National Defence will have the final word on whether Boulet is allowed to stay in the Canadian Forces.

CBC

Happy Independence Day

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declaration_of_independence.jpgOn this day in 1776 America declared it’s independence from Britain. No doubt great things were imagined. Indeed some grand things have been done.

On this fourth of July, I wish for my friends and neighbours to the south another Independence Day. One that sees them declare their independence from their current government.

A government that is finding all manner of means to corrupt the very institution’s and regulations put in place to ensure a government for and by the people.

To be a woman in America today must be frightening, as rights and freedoms thought to be “self evident” are rolled back at an appalling rate. Daily we hear stories of reproductive freedoms being attacked. From attacks on abortion rights to refusal to fill or cover birth control prescriptions to refusal to allow suit on unfair and unequal payment practises. The war on women in America proceeds apace even as the government pretends to be fighting for the rights of women in the middle east.
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Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?

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And now a topic of great social and political import. The Kwik-E-Mart lives!!

7-11 and Twentieth Century Fox have teamed up to turn some 7-11’s into Kwik-E-Marts, stocked with many well known items from the long running Simpson’s cartoon.

Commentary and pictures here

If you’ve ever wondered how pervasive Hollywood marketing efforts could get, then look no further than the merchandising wizards at Twentieth Century Fox. In order to hype the upcoming release of “The Simpsons Movie,” the studio has teamed with 7-Eleven to equip stores across the country with “Simpsons”-branded items, and to turn 11 hand-picked locations into full-blown, real-life Kwik-E-Mart’s, Springfeld’s ubiquitous convenience store.

Since one of the chosen shops was just a couple of blocks from the MTV offices, I hiked over there to witness the hubbub for myself. Whereas other stores have completely draped their building facades in the show’s Kwik-E-Mart theme, in this instance the limitations of residing in New York City forced the company to adapt a more toned-down approach. That said, all mentions of 7-Eleven on the storefront were gone, replaced by movie-advertising-safe Kwik-E-Mart branding and signs for the “First Bank of Springfield.” From a pure business standpoint, that takes some stones on 7-Eleven’s part. I realize “The Simpsons” are firmly entrenched in the American pop culture zeitgeist, but still…it’s a friggin’ cartoon. But whatever, in I went. After the jump, photos and commentary galore.

Google SICKO?

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From ZDNet;

Does negative press make you Sicko?

9:47 AM

Posted by Lauren Turner, Account Planner, Health

Lights, camera, action: the healthcare industry is back in the spotlight. (Not that it ever left the stage.) Next week, Michael Moore’s documentary film, Sicko, will start playing in movie theaters across America.

The New York Times calls Sicko a “cinematic indictment of the American health care system.” The film is generating significant buzz and is sure to spur a lively conversation about health coverage, care, and quality in America. While legislators, litigators, and patient groups are growing excited, others among us are growing anxious. And why wouldn’t they? Moore attacks health insurers, health providers, and pharmaceutical companies by connecting them to isolated and emotional stories of the system at its worst. Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient well-being and care.

Sound familiar? Of course. The healthcare industry is no stranger to negative press. A drug may be a blockbuster one day and tolled as a public health concern the next. News reporters may focus on Pharma’s annual sales and its executives’ salaries while failing to share R&D costs. Or, as is often common, the media may use an isolated, heartbreaking, or sensationalist story to paint a picture of healthcare as a whole. With all the coverage, it’s a shame no one focuses on the industry’s numerous prescription programs, charity services, and philanthropy efforts.

Many of our clients face these issues; companies come to us hoping we can help them better manage their reputations through “Get the Facts” or issue management campaigns. Your brand or corporate site may already have these informational assets, but can users easily find them?

We can place text ads, video ads, and rich media ads in paid search results or in relevant websites within our ever-expanding content network. Whatever the problem, Google can act as a platform for educating the public and promoting your message. We help you connect your company’s assets while helping users find the information they seek.

If you’re interested in learning more about issue management campaigns or about how we can help your company better connect its assets online, email us. We’d love to hear from you! Setting up these campaigns is easy and we’re happy to share best practices.

As for Sicko, all I can say is — go easy on that buttered popcorn.


Update: I asked Google for a comment on the “Sicko”/Google Healthcare Advertising blog post and got back this statement via email: “Google has no official opinion on Michael Moore or his movie ‘Sicko.’ ”

I guess that means that Google corporate doesn’t consider Ms. Turner’s opinion of “Sicko”–including the sentence, “Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient well-being and care.”–as official. It’s commendable that Google allows its employees to express their opinions in what appear to be official public Google blogs, but using “Sicko” to pander to advertisers doesn’t come off as the most credible or noble approach to filling Google’s coffers.

Turns out Ms Turner only wanted the poor maligned HMO’s to have their say via the democratic process of advertising. Doesn’t it make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Happy Canada Day

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One hundred and forty years of growth. A country that had risen to be known among the world as one of tolerance, peace and respect for human rights.

Canada still had issues to work out but was on it’s way to being a progressive society.

The rise of radical right wingers in the states started affecting Canada for the worst. Social programs were deemed too costly, yet any savings were not realized as tax cuts for corporations further eroded government income.

As the tax income became more stretched, more was expected from the average citizen and yet tax cuts for the corporations and the wealthy continued.

Quite conveniently bringing to fruition the prophesy that social programs including health care were costly and unsustainable. Calls for “smaller government” resulted in the loss of hundreds (thousands? ) of government jobs. Resulting in frustration for those trying to access government services and contributing to the shrinking of the middle class. [Read more…] about Happy Canada Day