Like most people who enjoy music and are technologically savvy, I have a lot of tracks on my hard drive.

And by that I mean somewhere in the range of 32 gigs. iTunes tells me that I could hit ‘play’ and leave town for 17.3 days, and it would still wouldn’t have played all the available tracks.

That’s a bit ridiculous. Especially considering with a few clicks more, I have access to a seeming unlimited amount of free internet radio stations. I have way more music that I know what to do with.

What a difference from 10 years ago. Remember when your library was constrained by your wallet and the physical limits of the cd rack in your bedroom?

In essence, music has become free (and I don’t mean because your pirated it). It’s abundantly available for very little or no cost. And in most cases, it’s the distributors, not the producers that care. And it’s rapidly becoming the same for TV shows,

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It’s a wonder it didn’t come sooner - but citizen journalism has finally landed in way that’s accessible and even…dare I say…revolutionary?

Here’s the official word from the press release:

VancouverIAM.com is a unique online platform and new destination for people who want to know what’s going on in Vancouver. It provides Vancouverites with the tools and support to become video journalists, Internet TV and film producers, and active commentators on local politics and everyday issues about life in Vancouver.

You be asking yourself, how is that different from someone creating your own website and using Youtube as your distribution platform? Why would you need to get involved with VancouverIAM? Well here’s a few reasons:

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Last December (I think) I was asked to appear on The Lab with Leo - a tech show shot in Vancouver. The list of possible topics was pretty open, so after batting around a few ideas, I went with “How to Find Royalty Free Music.” Here’s the Episode show notes.

It was kind of neat seeing how a show is put together, even though it was a bit off-the-cuff. Unfortunately, I think the show has been cancelled - but hey, at least I scored a free donut out of the gig.

There’s a scene in The Truman Show where Jim Carrey’s character (Truman Burbank) is sitting in a tourist agent’s office, attempting to book a plane ticket.

This would mark his first time ever leaving his hometown. Seems easy enough- except the ticket agent is bent on discouraging him at every opportunity. On the walls of the office are posters of travel disasters, including a bolt of lightning striking a plane. By the end of the scene, Truman leaves, without his ticket, and returns home.

The audience, of course, knows what Truman doesn’t: that he’s the subject of a reality-tv show based on his life. The producers don’t want him to leave the confines of the set, and so have manufactured various experiences through Truman’s life to keep him afraid to leave.

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Hooray, brand new personal blog is back! And rather than go into a lengthy diatribe about the decision to start a personal blog again, I’d rather skip it. Instead, here’s a recent clip of Bush’s surprise appearance on Deal or No Deal.

Wow. The only word that comes to mind is: utter farce. (Oh wait…that’s two words).

Last Wednesday, Sean and I were supposed to venture up Mauna Kea (a massive mountain soaring over 13,000 feet) up to the observatories. But sadly, as we’d feared, the road was closed due to snow. Yes, snow in Hawaii. To have come halfway around the world to an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean, and not have the opportunity to gaze upon the telescopes that capture the universe in initimate detail…yes, we were disappointed.

But we carried on. Thursday Sean helped again with Astronomy outreach at the local elementary schools, and on Friday, he gave two talks to high school kids about the One Week Job project. He was unsure as the kids filed into the library that morning, wondering if he would be able to fill the full 60 minutes with weighty lessons and colourful anecdotes. Turns out, he could – although the first talk came across as non-committal. Sean was a bit reserved, and the kids interested, but impassive.

The second talk was much better, as Sean seemed to hit his stride (and by that time the new class was more awake). Two teachers in the back nodded their heads to every point he made, and Sean was able to convey more of the excitement of the project – which in turn engaged the kids. I foresee these talks are the first of many in Sean’s career.

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Okay update time from Hawaii!

Sean and I left Vancouver early Sunday morning to our stopover in San Francisco. The flight was pleasant, that is, until it came time to land. It seemed San Fran had a turbulent weather system blanketing the area in fog and winds, which provided us with the bumpiest landing I’ve ever endured. You might know my stomach doesn’t handle g-forces very well, and it wasn’t long before I had the air sickness bag clutched in my sweaty palms - just in case the need arose (I didn’t have to use it).

Luckily, the plane eventually landed and I staggered into the airport, directly into the convenience stand for some anti-nausea pills. I rarely eat on, or before flights, so while I was starving, Sean graciously chowed a Subway sandwich next to me while I wallowed with my unsettled stomach. The next leg of our journey was the much larger Boeing 777 plane (9 rows of seats!) and carried us across the Pacific in 5.5 hours to Honolulu.

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