Blacking Out

Several US based sites went black for a day in protest of proposed anti-piracy legislation that is currently before American lawmakers. I see this issue as being a competition between two ideas.

From what I understand is the proposed law says that you can't publish anything that you don't have intellectual rights to. You can't publish it anywhere. It can't be in the background, it can't be used.

The argument against it is this will limit free speech on the Internet. It will stop a lot of things from being published.

This may be more complicated than it first appears.

For a long time we have held the belief that if you create something then it's yours to do with as you please. If you want to keep it to yourself you can. If you want to outright sell it, you can attempt to do it. If you want to sell the rights to use it, you can try to do that as well. Ultimately the choice is yours.

On the flip side, you can make the argument that if the song or video is simply in the background of a video or audio clip, it's not integral to the clip, it's just like a car rolling down the street. By limiting this, you are limiting how people are able to express themselves.

I'm not going to wade in too deep in this. I don't know which side I feel has a better argument. I know how a lot of people feel the Internet should be this wide open bastion of free exchange. The content isn't necessarily free. It can only be free if the creator permits it to be free and it's really no different than taking a chattel from someone. Maybe the legislation needs to be tweaked. I really don't know since, I also believe it is important to protect free speech and the freedom to express ideas. I'm sure there is a way to keep everyone happy.

If we don't protect the livelihood of those who create content, there will be no new content and that would be a shame as well.

State of Mind

The weather can really impact your state of mind. The last few days have been a roller coaster of undesirable weather. It was Winnipeg cold then we had a bit of a snowstorm. It wasn't a huge dump of snow but the freezing rain that was mixed in made it miserable. Currently in western Canada, it's super cold.

Bad weather gets into your head. It kills your motivation. It makes you want to lay on the couch and do nothing. The only way to overcome this miserable state is to stay active and power through it until better days arrive.

Bad weather doesn't stay around forever. It will pick up and things will get better. Until then, we have to keep up with the things we like to do. It will help the bad weather days move by a bit quicker.

Having Fun

I think most people can agree that having fun is an integral part of a good life. Everyone likes fun. It seems the problem is some people default to having fun and some seem to default away from having fun. Having fun does not mean being irresponsible. We all have some responsibilities that must be tended to. Sometimes these responsibilities may alter how you have fun but it should not eliminate it. To put more fun in your life you need to look at what you do with a perspective of how can this be enjoyable. Maybe you can work some humor into a serious situation or add some color to a dry subject. Lively interaction can be fun so can success. I'm not suggesting that you should turn your life into a three ring circus but as we move through January and February, usually the coldest and darkest months in the northern hemisphere, finding ways to have more fun will make the days a little better and before you know it, you might find you have a pretty good life on the go.

Resolution Workouts

Just like every other January, there were several people in the gym as part of their New Year resolution. Often this can lead to complaining by the regulars that they are in the way and you can hardly wait until February when things go back to normal. I have been that guy but this year I looked at it a bit differently. I'm hoping some of these people keep it up and live healthier. Most people do not keep up with a new fitness routine. It's a big change but everyone who exercises regularly had to start. I am no exception. Since I did manage to keep it going since October of 2003, here's a few things I discovered along the way. Starting an exercise routine sucks. If you are going from a generally sedentary life to regular exercise, this will be a big change to your body. It may not react too well in the beginning. The first couple of weeks if you take it very slow. It will help a lot. You may be surprised what is hiding in your body. The more you move, the faster waste moves through your body. Going from next to no activity to a regular routine will knock a lot of things lose. You may still have remnants of the turkey dinner, from Thanksgiving. Of course the upside is a few pounds will quickly disappear. Water is your friend. I find drinking a lot of water before I exercise makes a big difference. Sweat is going to pour out like a sprinkler. Especially in the beginning. It's hard to get enough fluid in while you are exercising but if you top up the tank for the hours leading up to the workout, you will feel much better. If you really want to change your lifestyle, you have to do it for yourself. You have to do it because you want to look and feel better. It's the only way you can keep at it and get through the initial shock to the system. Nearly everyone who exercises, does it for themselves. They are focused on what they are doing. They don't notice others when they are working out. You don't have to worry that people will be judging you because they won't. Not because they are polite but because you go to the gym for yourself. You will be the first person to notice a change. Your energy level will change and your clothes will start to fit differently. People will eventually comment but it will take so long it won't be motivating. You will be well into your new lifestyle. I realize most people who set out on a New Year resolution to get into shape will not be successful but if you are setting out on a journey, keep at it as it is worth it. If you know someone who is trying to change their lifestyle, do what you can to help. Each person who lives healthier is a benefit to everyone.

Back At It

Tomorrow I go back to work after 3 weeks of vacation. This is the first time I have ever taken 3 continuous weeks off in my working life. There have been times I have taken 2 weeks and been ready to get back to work at the end of my time off. I was a bit concerned that I would be a bit stir crazy by the end. This is not the case. I don't want to go back. At this moment I would be fine with never working again. Financially, this is not an option but if it was, I think I would be resigning. I've been thinking the last couple of days about why I have no desire to return to the office. The best I can come up with is I enjoyed my time off so much, why should it end? I already wrote about how good my time was in Manitoba. I also enjoyed my time back in Ottawa. I was in the gym a lot and that always makes me feel pretty good. I got to spend some time with a friend I hadn't seen in a year. We had some good times and laughed. That always makes me feel good. I went to see the Winnipeg Jets play twice. Once in Winnipeg and once in Montreal. They lost in Montreal but the Bell Centre is undeniably fun when the Habs are winning, so even though the outcome wasn't what I was hoping for it was a great time. Enjoying my time may be why going to work doesn't seem so exciting. It may be a bit of a mid-life crisis. I turned 35 just before Christmas. Even though a waitress at the Honest Lawyer though I was 27, she doesn't have the ability to make it so. There are days when I take a bit of stock and I wonder what else could have been. What have I missed by working so much. It is possible I'm living the best possible version. This is just one of those things we will never know. I will get up in the morning and I will walk to the office, just like I do everyday. I will start into the work that needs to be done. There may be something amazing happen at work and the only way to know is showing up. There have been several great moments in my work life and if I go to work I'm sure there will be more. I'm very grateful for my spot in life but it's not perfect and I do wonder what a different version of my life would look like.

Stay Fit

I was at the gym Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday of last week. A couple of things became apparent with all that time there. First, at my age, if I go that often, I will feel it. Second, there is a culmination of very fit people at the gym I use.

A friend of mine is in town over the holidays and wanted to work out with me noticed that everyone in the gym was very fit. I looked around and had to agree. I had noticed several times before that there were a lot of fit people at the gym, but never had it been so overwhelming.

I see this as a good thing.

More and more we are hearing about how North American residents are living sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles. Childhood obesity rates are startlingly high. It's becoming a dire situation. All that being said, what we saw in the gym that day gives us some hope.

I see the key to turning this around is parents being good role models. Young children want to be like their parents. It's a good time to instill habits of fitness and healthy eating. Getting up off the couch and being active starts at home. I'm not saying you have to stop watching television or playing video games but you must balance it with active living.

The problem is, those who know this, are doing it.

The only logical reason why people are not living a healthy lifestyle is they don't understand why they should be.

Unhealthy living leads to unhealthy living. An individual is so tired at the end of the day and doesn't feel they have time to exercise because they barely have the fitness to get through their day. So, as a result, they don't take steps to improve their fitness. Of course, anyone who knows how important healthy living is, doesn't let themselves to get to this point.

So, how do we get the people who live healthy inspire the people who don't? It could be very difficult.

Going into a gym when you are out of shape can be very intimidating but you don't have to go to the gym. Simply go outside or take a walk at lunch. Getting into good sharpe takes time. It can actually be enjoyable but it won't happen unless you take a conscious effort.

So, if you live a reasonably healthy lifestyle, help someone else do a bit better. Maybe, just maybe, we can make things a bit better.