To celebrate the launch of the all-new 2012 CR-V, Honda brought Ferris Bueller’s Day Off back in a big game commercial. We cast Matthew Broderick as himself, skipping out on a day of acting work and living it up in his all-new CR-V. Relive movie history with Honda’s fresh twist and wonderful homage to this ’80s classic.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

There is a behind-the-scenes campaign underway to bring laws such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the United States northward, warns a noted Canadian digital policy expert. …

The expert is Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa. He’s my most trusted source on this issue.

The Conservative government under Harper is tempted by corporate lobbyists — but caves quickly as soon the Canadian public becomes aware of dirty tricks.

Geist is not completely against the latest version — Bill 11 … Here’s a succinct summary of the legislation currently under consideration.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

And here’s a list of organizations opposed to the “digital lock”.

The old music industry is dying. Something new will be taking its place. We want the NEXT music industry to be better, not worse to what we’ve had in the past.

(via strombo)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime (2010)

… In 2008, the presidential election became blockbuster entertainment. Everyone was watching as the race for the White House unfolded like something from the realm of fiction. The meteoric rise and historic triumph of Barack Obama. The shocking fall of the House of Clinton—and the improbable resurrection of Hillary as Obama’s partner and America’s face to the world. The mercurial performance of John McCain and the mesmerizing emergence of Sarah Palin. …

It’s the definitive account of what happened.

You learn that you’d NEVER want to run for President of the USA. It’s ugly. It’s dirty.

Of the lead characters, John Edwards (in prison, I hope) and his wife Elizabeth (1949-2010) come off worst. A horror show.

Bill Clinton won’t be going to Heaven. I wouldn’t share a beer with him.

Michelle Obama comes out of the slime pit cleanest.

Actually, my opinion went UP for John McCain and Hilary. I personally campaigned against McCain in 2008, thinking him spawn of the Devil. He’s not as bad as I thought. I particularly liked how he backed Sarah Palin even after it became obvious that she was an insanely bad choice for VP.

Hilary would have been a great President.

If this stuff bores you to tears, you might want to wait on Game Change – the movie:

… an upcoming (March 2012) Jay Roach film based on the book of the same name by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. The film will primarily track the actions of the Republican Party during the 2008 Presidential Election.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Staring Sarah, I assume it’s a comedy.

The Emmy award-winning team at Brainstorm Digital has put together the before and after shots from season 2 of HBO’s hit series “Boardwalk Empire”.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

… Says Glenn Allen, visual effects producer for Boardwalk Empire and co-founder of Brainstorm, “It’s our most complex job to date. Everything is HD now, so we have to treat it like a feature film. …

Thanks Ron.

But one evening I did get to wander Antwerp, quite deserted in January. Off season does have it’s advantages. The Antwerp hostel was empty. In London my hostel cost only 10£ / night.

more Antwerp photos

In London, my prettiest evening was walking along the Thames near Tower Bridge.

The look was intended to harmonize with nearby Tower of London.

In 1968, as a stunt to celebrate the RAF’s 50th birthday, Flt Lt Alan Pollock flew a jet fighter through the bridge. He was arrested and discharged from the Air Force.

A kook named Paul Martin did the same thing twice in 1973 before crashing his personal plane.

The Bridge inspired me to watch Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes, set during the construction.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

The bigger news on the Thames is the imminent opening of the Shard London Bridge Tower.

more photos

A fast walker myself, during rush hour downtown London the suits & skirts practically sprint to the Tube. Anxious, I assume, to get to the Telly. Or pub.

We’ll be seeing a LOT of LONDON during the Olympics.

The Iron Lady is a biographical British film about Margaret Thatcher, longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century, portrayed primarily by Meryl Streep, but also, in her formative and early political years, by Alexandra Roach. …

It was met with largely mixed reviews, though critics did give praise to Streep’s performance. Roach is excellent too. And Jim Broadbent is superb as Denis Thatcher. In fact, Olivia Colman is very believable as Carol Thatcher, Maggie’s daughter. It’s hard to fault the acting.

It was obviously a mistake to try to fit Maggie’s entire life into one film. Much better would have been a snapshot — like The King’s Speech. Or … The Queen.

Helen Mirren won Best Actress in 2006. Streep should win this year. She’s already won the Golden Globe.

I didn’t learn anything new about Thatcher. But Streep fans should see The Iron Lady. She’s perhaps the greatest actor all-time, male or female.

I saw it at Canary Wharf, London, adding to the ambiance.

The statistics are sickening. The UN reports approximately 200 million girls in the world today are ‘missing’. India and China are said to eliminate more female infants than the number of girls born in the US each year. Lianyungang in China has the worst infant gender ratio on record with 163 boys born for every 100 girls. …

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

How you can help.

(via Kottke – The three deadliest words in the world: “it’s a girl”)

Dave and Lisa Adlard recommended my favourite, Love Actually. (2003 R-rated)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) horrible Christmas variation of The Troggs’ classic hit “Love Is All Around”. (VIDEO)

But who could believe that Tom Hanks isn’t bloated and over the hill by now?

When I first saw the trailer my reaction was: “How sad.”

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

But I actually completely enjoyed this movie. A fun romp. Quite believable. Tom Hanks is a good actor.