Friday, December 07, 2007

Breaking Links: Friday, December 7

Via the Bicycles Zunior has released a new Holiday Compilation with proceeds benefeiting the Daily Bread Food Bank.
"The awesome and benevolent folk at Zunior put out a fantastic Holiday Compilation with contributions from us, Mike O'Neill, The Great Lake Swimmers, The Golden Seals and Windom Earle and more. All proceeds go to The Daily Food Bank. All the songs are instrumental so they all flow nicely together... and look out for our bonus track. We also worked with our buddy Benny Zenga of The Winking Circle on a video that accompanies said bonus track... "


Via the Globe and Mail: An international climate change ranking lists Canada as the 4th worst.
"Canada placed 53rd on the list, down two spots from last year's survey. It has prompted concern that the country lacks credibility on the international stage. Matthew Bramley, director of the climate change program at the Pembina institute, said the report proves that Canada is making unrealistic demands of other countries while failing to improve its own performance."


Via Michael Geist the DMCA bill I mentioned earlier is expected to be introcued next week
"As expected, the government has placed the new copyright bill on the Notice Paper for next week.  This confirms widespread rumours that Industry Minister Jim Prentice will introduce the Canadian DMCA next week, most likely on Tuesday"


Via the CBC, following an investigation of the Taser incident the Vancouver Airport has announced it will spend $1.4 million a year to improve service for international visitors. According to the article "Airport officials also revealed that security staff saw Dziekanski reach into his pocket and pull out an object they could not identify, moments before he was stunned with the Taser. However this is clearly not in evidence on the video of the incident and we can hope that this announcement does not bring an end to an investigation of the RCMP. Changes at the Vancouver airport include:
" • Hiring new public safety officers skilled in negotiations and non-physical intervention
• 24-hour staffing of the customer care kiosks in the international arrivals area and inside the customs hall
• Terminal-wide access to translation services
• Emergency medical responders stationed in the airport 24 hours a day
• Improved multilingual signage with pictograms and translations in as many as 20 languages
• Hourly walk-through of the customs hall by airport staff and 24-hour public safety patrols
• Improved communication from inside the secure area of the customs hall to the public arrivals lounge for both staff and the public
• A new arrivals video that will be shown on all incoming international flights
• Improved customer care training for all airport staff"


Also according to the CBC Twelve Canadian Films will screen at this year's Sundance Film Festival and...
"Meanwhile, Slamdance, a parallel film festival started in Park City in response to the strong Hollywood contingent at Sundance, is opening with Real Time, a Canadian production by Randall Cole.
It tells the story of a compulsive gambler threatened by a hit man.
Slamdance will also screen Portage, co-directed by Sascha Drews, Ezra Krybus and Matthew Miller, about teenage girls surviving in the wilderness after their guide dies and Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, a horror film by John Knautz."

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