For a growing number of Americans, Canada is emerging as an alternative quasi-America offering citizens a vision that the U.S. is currently lacking. While the United States vision is based on fear and restriction, Canada is moving forward and taking initiative to be a positive model for the world.

I must admit that it is weird to be moving from Canada where everything is great to America where I have a lot of issues with regards to their social and political views but I am a slave to the greenback and good opportunities.

Quotes from the living room:

'quasi-America, that's retarded!' - Natalie before being informed that the above quote was from her best friend, Dan.

'Love's a bitch. We love Dan.' - Natalie

'Don't put Love's a bitch. I was talking about a movie! Matt!!' - Natalie

'Oh real time blogging.' (LOL) - Natalie
8:50:17 PM   []

Tariffs on CDs, audiocassettes and Minidisc remain as they were

29 cents for audiocassettes

21 cents for CD-R and CD-RW

77 cents for CD-R Audio, CD-RW Audio and Minidisc

A levy is now payable on account of memory (semiconductor, micro hard drive) permanently embedded into a "digital audio recorder", which is defined as a "device that is designed, manufactured and advertised for the purpose of copying sound recordings of musical works." Levy on those is $2 per device for up to 1 gig of memory, $15 for 1-10 and $25 over 10.

Links: Fact sheet, news release, decision [pdf].

So the cost of a new iPod will increase by $25CDN.

I do not object to artists being paid. I do however object to:

• Being charged for my music twice
• The CPCC taking FOREVER to distribute the collected funds.
• People being charged unnecessarily
• A difficult procedure to participate in (I initially was a participant in this tariff decision but the level of paper work required made it too difficult for a non-lawyer to participate)

Also, when will we introduce a tariff for compensating tv show studios, movie studios, artists, needle pointers, writers, pornographers, software companies...?

Kudos to the music industry for doing what I'm sure the software industry has always wanted to do. But shame on the music industry for being unwilling to innovate such as the software industry has done in response to the issue of piracy.
10:25:39 AM   []