Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Alignement Karmique?

Des fois on expérimente dans la vie des événements qui, quand on y repense par la suite, semblaient présager ce que l'avenir nous réservait. Je ne saurais dire si cela est le résultat de quelque extraordinaire coïncidence ou d'une sorte d'étrange alignement karmique, mais cela m'est arrivé à quelques reprises. Par exemple, je me souviens avoir vu, à la fin de l'été 2001, un reportage sur la situation en Afghanistan, puis, quelques jours plus tard à une conférence de presse du Festival des Films du Monde, j'ai vu un groupe de femmes afghanes faire un éclat pour attirer l'attention sur leur situation sous les talibans. Une semaine plus tard, deux avions de ligne percutaient les tours du World Trade Center, menant ultimement à la guerre en Afghanistan... La conjoncture de ces événements dans ma vie me donna une sinistre impression.

Et bien hier j'ai de nouveau expérimenté cette étrange conjoncture...

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/10/09)

Personal update: I worked another 6-day week and this time it was more tiring because I had to get up earlier several days in a row (therefore sleeping less). No time to do anything but read the news... And for that it was a good week:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Kodansha to Shift U.S. Titles (ICv2)
• The 100 Most Important Japanese Words You Should Know (Tofugu)
• The Bright Side of Fantastic Fest: Animated Features Reviews! (Cinematical)
• North American Manga Market to Drop 20% in 2010 (ANN)
• Review of 'Valerian and Laureline Vol. 1- The City of Shifting Waters' GN (ICv2)
• ICv2's Digital Comics Market Size Estimate (ICv2)
• Dark Horse to Price Digital Comics at $1.49 (ICv2)

Apple & iPad news

• Bell: was it all a lie? (Gazette)
• Une application iPhone pour éviter les gaffes à l'étranger (Cyberpresse)
• Apple Making Verizon-Ready iPhone by Year End (WSJ)
• Quatre suites bureautiques pour iPad (Cyberpresse)
• Tou.tv bientôt sur Apple TV et iPad? (Cyberpresse)

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• ‘Enhanced ebooks’ take world’s biggest book fair by storm (Gazette)
• A la recherche d’un nouveau modèle de bibliothèque publique (RFI)
• L’e-veille en 6 liens et c’est tout (Espace B)
• Nobel laureate worries for literature in digital age (Gazette)

Economy, Environment & International Politics/News

• Des panneaux solaires sur la Maison-Blanche (Cyberpresse)
• En Hongrie, les boues toxiques atteignent le Danube (Le Monde)
• Retraites: les syndicats entre radicalisation et exaspération (Le Monde)
• Chilean miners could emerge from 'hell' on Wednesday (Gazette)

Media, Culture & Society

• Family, friends say farewell to Tony Curtis (MSNBC)
• Le prix Nobel de littérature décerné à Mario Vargas Llosa (Le Monde)
• As Japan Ages, Pop 'Idols' Aren't as Spry as They Used to Be (NYT)
• Canada could easily pass for Middle Earth (Gazette)

Montreal & Local/National Politics/News

• SAQ to operate outside Quebec (Gazette)
• Quebec law to award métro car contract to Bombardier-Alstom (Gazette)
• Montréal et ses cols bleus enterrent la hache de guerre (Cyberpresse)
• City, blue-collars reach new deal (Gazette)
• Montreal has one of the best transit systems in North America (Gazette)
• Montréal et ses cols bleus s’entendent (Métro Montréal)
• À l’ère de l’autobus 2.0 (Métro Montréal)
• What's open, what's closed on Thanksgiving (Gazette)

Sciences & History

• Solar system’s shield may be leaking (Gazette)
• Découverte d'une langue inconnue en Inde (Cyberpresse)
• Honeybee Killer Found by Army and Entomologists (NYT)

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Google Latine addidit cultum “translation” [Google adds Latin to translation service] (Gazette)
• TV’s Future Is (Almost) Here (NYT)
• Les grandes tendances 2010 (Canoe)
• Les Canadiens adopteront-ils Netflix? (Canoe)

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Tony Curtis (1925-2010)

To pay tribute to Tony Curtis, who died last week, I am re-posting this video of the press conference he did at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2008 to talk about the documentary “The Jill and Tony Curtis Story.”

Tony Curtis from clodjee on Vimeo. (Also available on Blip.tv).

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/10/02)

Personal update: It's been cold and rainy lately. I'm still tired and busy. I must say that I have accepted replacements in so many libraries that I've been working six days this week (and it will be the case for the next two weeks). I feel like an idiot. After that I should work a normal week for a while, just to take the time to rest (and dedicate myself to my others important projects). Meanwhile, I have accumulated many interesting news stories that I would like to share:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Crunchyroll Adds Time Jam (ANN)
• Interview with Masaaki Shimizu (ICv2)
• Mangaka profile (6): Miyako Maki (牧美也子) (Masters of Manga)
• More disappearing manga at Del Rey? (Robot 6)
• Cobra, Jesus, Umezu Manga Released in English (ANN)
• Banned Books Week Means Graphic Novels Too (Okazu)

Apple & iPad news

• Discovering ancient Pompeii with iPad (Apple)
• Des applications vidéo pour l'iPad (Cyberpresse)
• Apple gadgets to get wireless printing in November (Gazette)
• Apple, chouchou des médias américains? (Cyberpresse)
• iPhone 4 arriving in Bell Canada stores (Gazette)
• Apple TV vs. Roku XDS- Let the content streaming begin (USA Today)

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• Ken Follett: écrire géant (Cyberpresse)
• E-readers gain traction in the U.S., spur sales: poll (Gazette)
• Bibliothèques publiques de Montréal: Ressources en ligne (BPM)
• In Scholastic Study, Children Like Digital Reading (NYT)
• Twitter: Banned Books' New Best Friend (NYT)
• Scholastic Report: Are Dads the Key to Get Boys to Read? (WSJ)
• Livres numériques italiens: un accent québécois (Cyberpresse)

Economy, Environment & International Politics/News

• Ancient Italian Town Has Wind at Its Back (NYT)

Health, home & garden

• Are you secretly sad? (CNN)

Media, Culture & Society

• Atheists and agnostics most knowledgeable about religion (Gazette)
• Basic Religion Test Stumps Many Americans (NYT)
• Le Festival du nouveau cinéma rendra hommage à Pierre Falardeau (Rue Frontenac)
• Le Japon au Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC)

Montreal & Local/National Politics/News

• Blue-collars OK conciliator's contract recommendations (Gazette)

Sciences & History

• Le squelette d'un jeune Méditerranéen découvert à Stonehenge (Métro Montréal)
• New Planet May Be Able to Nurture Organisms (NYT)

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• La tablette BlackBerry PlayBook en huit points (Cyberpresse)
• Mobile payments catch on with American banks, phone makers (Gazette)
• Les ayants droit musicaux s'attaquent à un nouveau programme de téléchargement (Le Monde)
• BBC Broadcasts in Ultra High-Def, 16 Times Sharper Than HDTV (Popular Science)

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Time Jam streamed by Crunchyroll

I've been working for a while now on an article about the animated version of Valerian and Laureline (it's taking a long time because I am quite busy and it's a 40-episode series; also I am writing it in french, but will probably include a synopsis of the article in english whenever I post it online) so I was quite pleased when I read on Anime News Network that Crunchyroll was streaming it.

Based on the famous graphic novel written by Jean-Claude Mezieres and Pierre Christin, Time Jam: Valerian and Laureline is an animation co-produced by the French publisher Dargaud and the Japanese studio Satelight. All premium anime and all-access Crunchyroll members will have access to the entire 40 episodes immediately, while only the first five episodes will be available to free users now with the subsequent five episodes rolling out henceforth. Unfortunately, due to licensing limitations, the series is available only to the U.S. audience. If you are located in the right region, episodes can be accessed from Crunchyroll.com, tv.com, the free iPad and iPhone application, the Boxee application and affiliate partners.

More information can be found in the full press release and on www.crunchyroll.com/valerian. You can also find a previous blog entry with the series' trailer.

Sherlock

As many of the interesting TV shows I've watched over the years were produced in the UK (The Avengers, The Champions, Desperate Romantics, Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I Claudius, Lark Rise to Candleford, Life on Mars, Merlin, Murder Rooms, Primeval, Red Dwarf, Robin Hood, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Sherlock Holmes (with Jeremy Brett), Space: 1999, Thunderbirds, Torchwood, UFO, Upstairs Downstairs, just to name a few), I have developped a special appreciation for British series (and I'll definitely write an article on that subject when I have the time). So, when I heard that the BBC was planning a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, I was already intrigued. When I realized that it would be co-created by Steven Moffat (who's now the lead writer for Doctor Who), I was really interested and determined to check on this new series.

Simply titled “Sherlock”, the series is a piece of very clever writing. The first episode, titled "Study in Pink", is probably the best. It is obviously based on the original story "A study in scarlet". The character of Watson is introduced in a manner that is superbly similar to the original: he is a recently discharged soldier back from a tour in Afghanistan where he injured his leg (although Sherlock diagnosed his limping as psychosomatic). In the original, Sherlock also deducts lots of information on Watson family background by looking at his pocket watch. Here, he does the same by looking at his cellphone! In the first episode the parallel between the clever adaptation and the original story is more easily drawn. In the subsequent episodes (titled "The Blind Banker" and "The Great Game", respectively inspired by “The dancing men” and “The Bruce-Partington plans” amongst others) the story is increasingly complex and the parallel less obvious. Unfortunately, this complexity and the fast pace of the storytelling make the series a little too hard to follow for the people who prefer more simple and quiet stories. It really gets worse with the third episode, as if they wanted to cram too many elements in the 90-minute broadcast show.

Despite the fact that Holmes uses the latest of technology to solve crimes, the modern adaptation is, in many aspects, more respectful of the spirit of the character than Guy Ritchie's recent movie. It is exactly the same type of adventures as written by Doyle, but played in fast forward for the attention-deficit plagued video-game generation. In his crazy way, Sherlock (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) almost feels and speaks like The Doctor in “Doctor Who” (no wonder there considering Moffat's involvement). There's quite some good acting in that part. And, having watched the entire Granada Television series, I can certainly say the adaptation is brilliant in its every details: Watson writing a blog, Holmes using nicotine patches instead of smoking and shooting heroin, etc.

My main disappointment was that only three episodes were broadcasted on the BBC in late July and August 2010 (they are due to air on PBS in the USA from October 24th 2010). There will be a new series in Fall next years, but unfortunately it will be again only three 90-minute episodes.

Another disappointment is that Moriarty is way too present in the story. I guess the general public perception of Holmes stories is probably at fault here: since Moriarty is Holmes archenemy, people imagine he must occupy a large place in the original stories whereas he appears only in a few episodes. Interestingly, the modern adaptation ends in a way quite similar as in the first Sherlock Holmes book: rather than letting his enemy go, Sherlock doesn't hesitate to die with him. In the original story, he jumps (or falls) into a waterfall with Moriarty. In the modern version, it is suggested that he will blow a bomb to kill Moriarty as well as himself (and Watson). Will he really die? We'll see in the second season, I guess.

A clever and intellectually challenging tv drama. It is quite promising. I can't wait for more. It is already available on DVD in the UK and the North American release will be in November. It would also be a good occasion to read (or re-read or read about) the original stories.

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/09/23)

Personal update: So many stuff to do and so little time! Feeling a little better, but still tired as always. Now that automn is here it really starts feeling cold. It's sure time to uninstall the air conditioning. Just finished watching Shogun again and spent some time yesterday reading the latest news:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• War and Peace in the Art of Tezuka Osamu: The humanism of his epic manga (JapanFocus)
• New trailer for “Space Battleship Yamato” (YouTube)
• Le succès fulgurant d’un vigneron bordelais au Japon (Le Monde)
• Winery Pulls Vintage After Mention in “Kami no Shizuku” (ANN)

Apple & iPad news

• “Protégez-Vous” couronne l'iPhone (Cyberpresse)
• Secrets of Apple's customer success (CNN)

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• Bookeen's multitouch-equipped Cybook Orizon e-reader to launch next month (Engadget)
• “Diamond Bookshelf” enewsletter: graphic novels info for librarians (Diamond Bookshelf)

Economy, Environment & International Politics/News

• L'air chaud du métro, nouvelle source possible de chauffage dans les villes (Le Monde)
• World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Opens Today in Britain (Popular Science)

Health, home & garden

• A Good Massage Brings Biological Changes, Too (NYT)

Media, Culture & Society

• Netflix: un mois gratuit pour attirer les clients canadiens (Cyberpresse)
• Netflix launches in Canada (The Gazette)

Montreal & Local/National Politics/News

• Le registre des armes d'épaule sera maintenu (Métro Montréal)

Sciences & History

• Two New Dinosaur Species Are Discovered in Southern Utah (NYT)
• Workers unearth huge fossil cache in California (BBC)
• Fossils of new species of horned dinos found in Utah (BBC)
• Super Harvest Moon: Autumn phenomenon is a rare treat (CNN)

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Netflix brings streaming-only service to Canada (Electronista)
• Netflix Canada: Unlimited TV Show & Movies Online (NetFlix.ca)
• Hulu Plus mobile TV app tops Bitbop with fresh content (USA Today)
• RIM Readies Tablet to Rival iPad (WSJ)

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Unshelved #8: Large Print

“Unshelved makes me appreciate those busy librarians of my school days even more. They were my best friends no matter where I went, and I worshipped them. Seeing what they had to deal with only notches up my love for them! —Tamora Pierce”

“What do you get when you mix adults, teenagers, children, babies, seniors, professionals, parents, teachers, students, homeschoolers, and the homeless? That very funniest of places, your local public library, home of the hugely popular Web comic Unshelved.” [texts from the back cover]

Everything in this comic is eerily familiar: it tells the daily life of the staff from a dysfunctional library. Large Print is the eighth yearly compilation of Unshelved, a daily online comic strip originally published on the Unshelved website from February 16, 2009 to April 26, 2010, and ALA CogNotes newspapers in June 2009 and January 2010 (CogNotes is the daily paper of the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting and ALA Annual Conference, where the famous Unshelved “Conference Tips” are published). I have already reviewed the previous volumes in the blog entries “Unshelved” and “Unshelved #7: Reader's Advisory”. You can also find more information in the Wikipedia entry, the Official Unshelved Facebook page or the Unshelved Readers Facebook group.

This volume is noticeably more hillarious than the previous one. Everyone will laugh at the funny and often absurd situations happening in the Mallville public library. I am probably laughing even harder because I recognize myself a lot in there, since I experienced first-hand many of those situations. It's written by a real-life librarian and it shows. Of course, the art is a little crude and cartoony, but —as I often say— it's the story that counts.

This volume has something new: it has a few comments from the writers underneath the strips. It's interesting to read and I would have liked to have more of those. Also, this time the book is in a smaller format and in b&w only. However, since part of the book deals with how the library is coping with the recession, I think this downsizing is befitting the story. Large Print is compiling 313 daily strips (mostly in their original publishing order), 16 “Library Tips”, and 9 ALA “Conference Tips”. Unfortunately, the color “Book Club” pages (where the authors illustrate book recommendations) are absent and I am quite disappointed with this (however you can still read them online). But I guess it was necessary if they wanted the book to be only in b&w. All in all, Large Print offers a good laugh, particularly if you have ever spent some time in a public library. Highly recommended.

One of my favourite strips (from 2009/10/26):
My top 25 strips (in the order they appear in the book): 2009/03/02, 2009/03/07, 2009/03/25, 2009/04/01, 2009/04/13, 2009/05/02, 2009/05/12, 2009/06/09, 2009/06/06, 2009/07/17, 2009/07/22, 2009/08/05, 2009/10/26, 2009/10/17, 2009/10/06, 2009/10/08, 2009/10/19, 2009/12/08, 2009/12/29, 2009/12/31, 2010/03/03, 2010/03/22, 2010/04/01, 2010/04/22, and 2010/04/20.

Unshelved Vol. 8: Large Print, by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes. Seattle, Overdue Media, 2010. 21.8 x 17 cm, 128 pgs., $11.95 US / $14.95 CDN. ISBN-13: 978-09740353-7-6.

Unshelved: Large Print © 2009 & 2010 Overdue Media LLC. All rights reserved.

P.S.: I pre-ordered this book via amazon.ca in january 2010. It was due to be released in mid-July, but it was only delivered in mid-September even if it had been available through the publisher's web site since july... Go figure! It is also disappointing that this book is not available at all through my local libraries network (where I work)!

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/09/16)

Personal update: We started feeling that automn is getting close as the temperature has sharply dropped around 12'C. I've got my schedule for the new season and its nothing to get excited about: twenty hours over four days that I will complete with ponctual replacements. Unfortunately, in order to reach a thirty-five-hour week I'll have to work six days, like this week. So today is my only day off of the week. I have to cram all the house chores, as well as the blog updates, in this one day and still find time to rest and relax while reading and watching tv (my wife and I recently finished watching Upstairs, Downstairs and just started watching Shogun again)! I'll try not to work six days a week too often (if I want to stay healthy and sane). Strangely, there was lots of interesting news this week:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Crunchyroll Fashioning Digital Distribution Platform
• Kindle 3 Manga Photos
• 230 000 centenaires introuvables au Japon
• Why Digital Comics Are Different And Print Can Grow Too
• Comics and Graphic Novels Plummet in August; Down 17%
• Square Enix Launching E-Manga

Apple & iPad news

• Apple ripe to fall?
• Dur, dur de mettre la main sur l'iPhone 4
• L'iPad bouleverse le marché des jeux de société
• Révolution iPhone dans les hôpitaux québécois
• Lire sur le iPad au soleil? Impossible, selon la pub d'Amazon
• IPad vs. Newspaper, Fly-Swatting Edition

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• 6 Tips To Get More Manga in Your Local Library
• Desperate Librarian Housewife: “pourquoi on prêterait pas des liseuses ?” (autre point de vue: celui des bibliothécaires qui se foutent de leur employés déjà surchargés de travail et sous-payés; cela m'apparait ridicule mais l'argument est, toutefois [hélas!], valable)

Economy, Environment & International Politics/News

• Campaign promotes wine corks over screwcaps
• Eolien en mer: ambition nationale, frondes locales
• Weird Weather in a Warming World

Health, home & garden

• Problèmes de mémoire: les hommes plus concernés que les femmes
• Des vitamines B pour combattre le déclin cognitif
• H1N1: la désinfection des mains ne fait pas de grande différence
• A Push to Put Identifying Collars on Cats
• Lose weight by reading?

Media, Culture & Society

• Cybercrime haunts Canadians: Report
• 'Caprica' Returning in October
• Sofia Coppola primée à la Mostra
• Can't access AMC? Pity...
• Le réalisateur Claude Chabrol est mort
• Nikita: Le retour de la femme qui tue

Montreal & Local/National Politics/News

• ‘French in peril,’ nationalists say before protest rally
• La culture québécoise en France sur IPhone
• Projet pilote à Montréal pour réduire la consommation d'eau
• La valeur des maisons grimpe de 23,5 % à Montréal

Sciences & History

• Passage de deux astéroïdes près de la Terre
• Un étrange dinosaure bossu découvert en Espagne
• Icelanders Challenge Thinking on Ancient Lewis Chessmen

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Technology allows digital nomads to work anywhere
• Bell knocking at family-room doors with Internet-based TV service
• La nouvelle Boxee Box va encore plus loin que l'Apple TV
• La télé sur votre cellulaire sans frais de données supplémentaires
• U.S. seeks to tap unused airwaves for super WiFi
• The Boxee Box, Openness and Homemade Content
• Disabled Japanese tourist plans robo-suit adventure

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Villain / Akunin (video)

Screening presentation and press conference for the Japanese movie Villain (Akunin) at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed September 5th & 6th 2010). Please note that I am not a pro videographer, so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.

Villain from clodjee on Vimeo.

Also available on Blip.tv

Box - The Hakamada Case (video)

Screening presentation and press conference for the Japanese movie Box - The Hakamada Case at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed September 2nd & 3rd 2010). Please note that I am not a pro videographer, so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.

Box - The Hakamada Case from clodjee on Vimeo.

Also available on Blip.tv

Hommage à Nathalie Baye (video)

Conférence de presse rendant hommage à Nathalie Baye lors du Festival des Films du Monde 2010 (filmé le 5 septembre 2010). En français seulement.

Press conference paying tribute to French actress Nathalie Baye at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival (filmed on September 5th). In French only.

Please note that I am not a pro videographer, so this video is a rather shaky rough cut with limited editing.

Hommage à Nathalie Baye from clodjee on Vimeo.

Also available on Blip.tv

Caterpillar and Torocco (video)

Here are the screening presentation of the movies Caterpillar (Le Soldiat-Dieu) and Torocco (Rail Truck) at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival. I am not a pro videographer, so these video are rather shaky rough cuts with limited editing. Note that the Caterpillar video is only in French.

Caterpillar [ Vimeo ] [ YouTube ]

Torocco [ Vimeo ] [ YouTube ]

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/09/06)

Personal update: Not much happened in the last week. The health is a little better, but I am still quite tired. Still too busy to put online my list of items to sell at my “Virtual Yard sale” [Be patient, it's coming]. Last Wednesday Apple announced a bunch of new products, but none of them seem really interesting to me (save maybe the iOS 4.2 update for iPad that I am eagerly awaiting [it's announced for November]; neither the new AppleTV or the 4th gen iPod Touch would be useful to me). I've also been screening Japanese movies at the Montreal World Film Festival; expect several “reviews” and press conferences video soon. In the meantime, here's a few news that got my attention:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Crunchyroll & Tai Seng Launch MYTV.TAISENG
• 15 Manga About Manga Artists and Drawing Manga
• Nos coups de coeur BD de la rentrée

Apple & iPad news

• Apple TV Faces Obstacles to Conquer Living Room
• Apple TV menace le câble
• La NASA lance une application gratuite pour l'iPad
• Les médecins s'intéressent à l'iPad
• A roundup of September 1st Apple news
• Apple Keynote for Sept. 1st special event [ YouTube ] [ Apple ]
• Apple Keynote in less than 180 seconds! :

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• Some Newspapers Shift Coverage After Tracking Readers Online
• Sony overhauls Readers
• 50 Essential Manga for Libraries

Economy, Environment & International Politics/News

• Nearly 47,000 hospitalized due to heatstroke since late May
• Powerful quake causes devastation in New Zealand
• "Oui, il faut se préparer à la fin de la Belgique"

Film Festival

• FFM 2010: Dossier de “La Presse”
• Un festival de naufragés [La Presse]
• Pour le meilleur, et surtout le Pire [La Presse]
• Awards of the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 [en français]
• “Adem” remporte le Grand Prix des Amériques [La Presse]
• Nathalie Baye a toujours un grand appétit pour le cinéma [Rue Frontenac]
• “Adem” reçoit le Grand Prix des Amériques [Métro Montréal]

Health, home & garden

• Fatigue chronique: la suspicion s'accroît autour d'un virus
• Une brosse à dents révolutionnaire
• La télé néfaste pour les bambins ?

Media, Culture & Society

• Festival de photojournalisme- l'avenir au documentaire web
• “Rue Frontenac” lance un hebdo gratuit

Montreal & Local/National Politics/News

• What's open and closed on Labour Day [Détails en français]
• Nearly half of Canadians think they're underpaid: poll
• Une guerre de l'eau à Montréal
• Les autobus de la STM parmi les plus polluants du monde

Sciences & History

• Mystery box may hold Arctic exploration secrets
• U.S. study says people are hesitant to believe good news from scientists

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Une tablette tactile conçue à Rimouski bientôt prête
• Life Without a TV Set? Not Impossible
• Technostalgie… ou pas
• Skype de plus en plus populaire auprès des journalistes à la télé
• Télévision et internet, un mariage encore brouillon

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

[Updated 9/07 with extra news; 9/08 with Apple Keynote links]

Clip: Losique sur le cinema japonais

À la conférence de presse dévoilant la programmation 2010 du Festival des Films du Monde tenue le 10 août dernier, le président du festival, Serge Logique, a fait quelques commentaires sur le cinéma Japonais. Ce n'est pas la première fois qu'il exprime ainsi une attention particulière au cinéma Japonais (quoiqu'il y a quelques années, c'était dans le cadre d'un “Focus sur le cinéma Japonais”) ce qui démontre qu'il l'apprécie et s'y intéresse beaucoup.

Il déplore que le cinéma Japonais ne soit malheureusement pas très présent ni bien connu en Amérique du Nord et que c'est la tâche des journalistes de le faire découvrir et apprécier du grand public. Il rappelle que le Japon nous a donner de nombreux grands réalisateurs et que, après quelques décennies de vaches maigres, le cinéma Japonais est revenu en grande force. Il explique que le cinéma Japonais a toujours été très présent au Festival des Films du Monde parce que les producteurs Japonais le considère comme un tremplin vers le marché international.

Vous pouvez visionner la conférence de presse présentant la programmation 2010 du FFM dans sa quasi-totalité sur Vimeo.

Losique sur le cinema Japonais from clodjee; on Vimeo.

At the press conference unveiling the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 programming, which was held on August 10th, Serge Losique, the director of the festival, made some comments on the Japanese cinema. It is not the first time that he express such a particular interest for this cinema (although a few years ago he did it while the festival was presenting a special “focus” on the Japanese cinema) which seems to demonstrate that he is quite fond of it.

He laments that Japanese cinema is unfortunately not very present nor known in North America, and that it is up to the journalists to introduce it to movie goers and make them appreciate it. He recalls that Japan gave us many great directors and that, following several decades of lean times, Japanese cinema is coming back with great strengths. He points out that it has always had an important place at the Montreal World Film Festival because Japanese producers see the festival as a stepping stone toward the international market.

You can watch the MWFF 2010 programming press conference in almost its entirety on Vimeo.

“Sword of Desperation” video

Here's a video of the screening presentation and press conference of the Japanese movie Sword of Desperation at the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 (filmed by clodjee on August 27th, 31:21 min.):

Sword of Desperation from clodjee on Vimeo.

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/08/27)

Personal update: I've been feeling unwell for the last two weeks (first some disgestion problems and then some sort of cold), so I have not done much lately besides slaving for the libraries. I always feel completely exhausted after work. I guess I am worrying too much about my next working schedule and moving out of the apartment. The bright side is that if I don't get much work this fall it will leave me time to rest and to shop for a new house. But now with the Montreal World Film Festival I should be again quite busy (and tired) for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to have some real time off... Anyway, the world is still turning and there's always news to talk about:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• Ichiban: Japon en chinois
• 'Gamma World' Returns
• Award-Winning Anime Director Satoshi Kon Passes Away

Apple & iPad news

• Apple's iPhone 4 is all pros, no cons...
• Apple: des annonces le 7 septembre
• Apple expected to update iPod line at September event

Economy, Environment & International Politics

• Ray Bradbury appelle les États-Unis à «la révolution»
• Un vaste «nuage» de polluants s'échappe de la marée noire
• Weather shifts behind disasters need 'urgent' probe: UN

Film Festival

• Pete Smalls is Dead will have its World Premiere at the MWFF [en Français]
• Le FFM champion incontestable de la Francophonie
• Zingaro Revisited will have its international Premiere at the MWWFF [en Français]
• Louis Bélanger ne veut pas se mêler des guerres de festivals
• MWFF List of Press Conference [en Français]
• FFM 2010: Dossier de “La Presse”
• FFM: aperçu de quelques films (La Presse)
• FFM: un film de samouraïs à l'eau de rose (La Presse)

Health, home & garden

• Forte augmentation de perte auditive chez les adolescents américains
• Housing's up, but not for much longer

Media, Culture & Society

• Watch This: F%&k Me, Ray Bradbury! [NSFW!!]
• L'Effet Twitter remis en cause par Hollywood
• Animal advocates fight against cats' negative image
• Wired youth forget how to write in China and Japan

Montreal & Local/National Politics

• Strike looms in Quebec construction industry
• Can an electric car handle a Montreal winter?

Sciences & History

• La Lune rétrécit comme une vieille pomme
• Astronomers bag biggest ever find of exoplanets
• Archaeologists uncover 3,500-year-old Egypt city

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• Le secteur de la vidéo sur internet en pleine ébullition
• Technology Leads More Park Visitors Into Trouble
• La télé de plus en plus regardée sur Internet
• Le web est mort, dit Wired
• Gmail s'attaque à Skype
• Google to allow phone calls from Gmail
• Le service de téléphonie par Internet de Google déjà populaire

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

“Sword of Desperation” press conference

Those who follow my World Film Festival coverage might be interested to know that the press conference for the Japanese movie Sword of Desperation (Hisshiken Torisashi) will be held tomorrow, friday August 27th, at 2 pm (14:00) in the Complexe Desjardins' Grande-Place. The movie, which is in competition, will be screened tomorrow at the Cinema Imperial at 9:00 and at the Maisonneuve Theatre at 21:30. The director Hideyuki Hirayama and screenwriter Hideri Ito will attend the press conference, which will be open to the public.

A video of the screening presentation and press conference is available.

A list of the upcoming press conferences can be found on the festival web site.

I will regularly update my list of Japanese films with new information as they are available. I'll make a separate note for all major new information. Enjoy the festival!

Revue de Presse / Press Review (2010/08/17)

Personal update: I've been incredibly busy lately and I'm sure it will only get worse (unless I don't manage to get a full schedule for the libraries fall time-block—the time of sleepless worrying over scheduling is back again). I've spent all week-end at Otakuthon: It was a good convention (at least for me in the dealers' room) but quite exhausting. With all the stress and exhaustion, I've not been feeling well lately (headache and disgestion problems). I couldn't manage to write much, but I did spot of few noteworthy newsbits:

Anime & Manga related, Japan, Popular Culture

• The Most Popular Manga in the World
• 'Cathy' Newspaper Strip Ending
• Florida Library Makes Teen Area After Manga Complaints
• Turning Japanese: A Starter Guide to (Shoujo) Manga
• FUNimation Sales Decline 29%

Apple & iPad news

• Chinese firm develops 'Apple Peel' to convert iPod Touch into mobile phone

Books, Digital Edition & Library

• Bookstores in Turmoil
• Proxy Fight at Barnes & Noble

Economy, Environment & International Politics

• Ray Bradbury appelle les États-Unis à «la révolution»
• Pékin déloge Tokyo comme 2e économie mondiale
• China Passes Japan to Become No. 2 Economy
• For Lean Budgets, a Plug-and-Play Solar Array

Film Festival

• Le FFM dévoile sa programmation
• Dossiers: Festival des films du monde 2010
• Montreal World Film Fest unspools new lineup
• Rivalry rekindled between Montreal, Toronto film fests
• International Critics' Jury at the 34th MWFF [en français]

Health, home & garden

• Le secret de la grippe A (H1N1) élucidé
• H1N1 outbreak strained health system, led to public loss of confidence
• Prices of resale homes in Canada rising faster than new homes
• Canada sees 'dramatic' housing slowdown, global report says
• Nouveau recul des ventes résidentielles au Canada
• Moose Offer Trail of Clues on Arthritis

Media, Culture & Society

• Quand les citoyens captent la nouvelle
• Les Cyniques: la dure école du show-business
• Les Cyniques: l'université de l'humour
• The Book in the Renaissance

Montreal & Local/National Politics

• Conciliation travail-famille: Une douanière gagne sa cause
• Côte-Saint-Luc fait la chasse aux chats
• 36 Hours in Montreal

Sciences & History

• L'Homme doit coloniser l'espace pour survivre, selon Stephen Hawking

Technology, Gadgets & Internet

• La drogue numérique ou le «trip» par les oreilles

See also the “Suggested Links (Shared Items)” in the column on the right side

Otakuthon reminder

Just a quick note to remind you that I'll be a guest all week-end (August 13-15) at Otakuthon (Palais des Congrès de Montréal: 201, Viger Avenue West, near Métro Place d'Armes). Check the Otakuthon website for details.

Come see us and discuss at our tables (#516 & 517) in the Exhibition Hall. We'll have LOTS of anime & manga goodies to sell at VERY good price.

Our friends from Dream Pod 9 will also be there (#510, 511 & 520).

I'll also be kicking off my Super Virtual Summer Garage Sale. Don't miss it!