Compelling Calgarian – Maureen Bell

On January 1, 2008 By Rick McIn good news, health & fitnessLeave a comment

Congratulations Maureen!

In our local paper today:

Water diverts lawyer’s attention

Corporate lawyer questions our entitlement to water

There is perhaps nothing more innocuous than water.

It’s what we drink, what we cook with, what we wash with . . . it’s always there.
Question is: will it be?

Maureen Bell is a lawyer by profession and it’s that job that drives her day. But the quest for the preservation of one of our most cherished resources takes up much of her time and passion, as well.

Bell is a principal of Water Rights Inc., which is focused on finding pioneering solutions to issues that arise from or are related to water and water rights in Alberta. The hope is that these efforts will lead to the reconsideration of Alberta’s water strategy to overuse the rivers.

“I wanted to explore the entitlement of water,” she says. “My goal was to understand water well enough so that we weren’t fighting for nothing.”

Bell lobbied to create a water trust that sets aside licences to keep a healthy supply in the rivers; in other words, keeping water in trust for recreation, water management and fish habitat.

It’s a challenging task, considering that communities and industries are competing tooth-and-nail for an apparently dwindling supply.

“There are other trusts in other jurisdictions, but because Alberta’s different, we had to make appropriate changes to fit our jurisdiction,” she says.

“We created the trust working with the government of Alberta to garner their support. There is a lot of support, but we haven’t received our first water

“We’ve approached the city and we know that citizens are conserving water . . . so where’s that conserved water going? We asked, ‘Can you donate it to the trust?’ The answer was no.”
Bell has been practising law for more than 30 years, specializing in corporate and commercial law.

Her interest in this particular subject grew after she “decided I wanted to understand water from a legal perspective.”

Bell is in the process of completing her master’s degree at the University of Calgary, in collaboration with the Canadian Institute of Resource Law, with a focus on the water issue.

© Calgary Hearld 2008

20 Compelling Calgarians

Thanks Rocco.

Isabelle Aucoin – born Dec 12/07

On December 19, 2007 By Rick McIn good news, photosLeave a comment

JP and Jenn Wood-Aucoin are proud to introduce Isabelle Victorine Aucoin, 7 lbs 6 oz.

Facebook

Jenn was the first female Olympic gymnast from Alberta. She aced the competition in Barcelona then went on to a very successful NCAA College gymnastics career, one of the top gymnasts ever from her school, scoring several “perfect 10s”. (Back when 10 was a perfect score.)

I was one of her coaches back in the day at Altadore. Now she’s got her own future Olympian. Wow!

Copyright reform bill critics eye victory

On December 11, 2007 By Rick McIn good news, government1 Comment

A controversial bill that seeks to reform Canadian copyright laws, expected to be introduced early this week, may be quashed after a groundswell of opposition erupted over the past week.

The government last week filed a notice indicating the bill would be introduced this week, leading industry experts to expect it to happen on Tuesday. But a spokesperson for Industry Minister Jim Prentice, who was to introduce the bill, said it would not happen on Tuesday and could not say if it would happen this week.

Minister of Industry Jim Prentice has said his proposed copyright reform bill will bring Canada in line with its international obligations.
The House of Commons will take a break until January after Friday’s session.

Cory Doctorow, co-editor of influential technology blog Boing Boing and a former director of the Electronic Freedom Foundation advocacy, on Monday wrote that the government’s plan is now in disarray. …

Copyright reform bill critics eye victory

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I dashed off an email to Jim Prentice from Calgary:

I pretty much agree with Cory Doctorow.

Intellectual digital property protection is important, but the American model of trying to “police” digital rights does not work. There is unanimous agreement on that. Microsoft is selling Office in the developing world for $3 because they understand the old model is over.

Creators of intellectual property that is digitized (I am one of them) need find a new model to generate revenue. The same amount of money will be spent worldwide on content, but distribution is changing. In future there will be few middle men.

And there will be winners and losers in the shift. The sooner Canada adapts, the more Canadians will be winners in the next economy. We have a chance to get ahead of the Americans here.

Do not follow the most backward set of regulations anywhere in the Western world. The USA is a laughing stock.

This issue is a deal breaker for me. If the Harper government goes ahead with it I will not only vote Liberal, but I will lobby for the Liberals in future.

Rick McCharles, Calgary

Yahoo Music spells it out to labels

On October 10, 2007 By Rick McIn economics, good news, musicLeave a comment

Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo Music, Ian Rodgers, gave a presentation to some members of the music industry last Friday at Digital Media Forum in LA.

He was blunt:

I’m here to tell you today that I for one am no longer going to fall into this trap. If the licensing labels offer their content to Yahoo! put more barriers in front of the users, I’m not interested. Do what you feel you need to do for your business, I’ll be polite, say thank you, and decline to sign. I won’t let Yahoo! invest any more money in consumer inconvenience. …

It’s over for Digital Rights Management.

I’ve read a dozen commentaries on Rodger’s speach, the best being Yahoo’s Ian Rogers To Music Industry: “Inconvenience Doesn’t Scale” by Mike Arrington on TechCrunch.

Like me, Arrington thinks these death struggles of the music industry will lead to drastically lower prices and far greater convenience.

I’ve hardly bought any music over the past 10 years. When songs cost $.15 each, and it’s no hassle to impulsively grab a track with my iPhone, I’ll buy plenty.

Long-term I expect the total value of all music in the world to stay about the same — a given percentage of disposable income of all the people in the world. But more artists will split the loot more equally. And many record executives will be selling real estate.

Subscribe to Ian Rodgers – personal blog.

I notice the front page of Yahoo Music links to Radiohead right now. They are siding with consumers now, not the labels.

Yahoo Music beta

I’ve been dissing Prince of late. (He has been acting even goofier than usual.)

But I like the fact he gave away albums for free in the UK. His corporate master Columbia, a unit of Sony BMG, was not amused.

Oasis, Jamiroquai may join Radiohead

On October 10, 2007 By Rick McIn good news, musicLeave a comment

Finally …

The suits are paying attention. Maybe now the big 4 will give some time developing the much needed future music distribution system.

These are fearful times for the music industry. As record companies train their considerable legal might on a Minnesota mother accused of illegal downloading, their talent is walking out the back door.

No sooner had Nine Inch Nails announced on Monday that it no longer was under contract to a record label, when word came that Oasis and Jamiroquai are considering whether to release songs online for free, according to British publication, The Telegraph.

…

Even the hardiest music executive is going to struggle to spin this news. There’s no hiding what’s occurring here. The music industry is on the threshold of disintermediation, a fancy word that means the Internet is threatening to blast a thick layer of the sector’s infrastructure into blue oblivion–just like it has with travel agents, stockbrokers and newspapers.

…

So far things look promising. Radiohead’s promotion has attracted enormous attention, according to the story in The Telegraph. The paper reported that although the band declines to say how many fans have pre-ordered albums, the group’s Web site (buy it here) has soared from the 43rd most visited music site in the U.K. to No.1.

Google reported that searches for Radiohead are 10-times higher this week, according to the paper.

It’s not victory. But history will show that Radiohead was the turning point.

NEXT … it’s time for sober second thought:

But artists should understand the direction they’re headed. Album giveaways are the latest sign that music sales will soon no longer fuel the record industry’s economic engine.

In Radiohead’s case, the thinking is that even if only few people fork over money for In Rainbows, the group can make up some of the revenue with the sale of concert tickets and merchandise. And the bands could save big by not having to cut the label in.

If the system works this way, great. But for the performer this means we’re heading back to the days of wandering troubadours and minstrels singing for their supper. Not really, but it does mean long days and nights on the road, for sure.

Radiohead at Wolverhampton Civic Hall – 16.05.2006 – flickr

Add Oasis to the list of bands considering music giveaway | Tech news blog – CNET News.com

Conley a groom … who-da-thunk-it

On September 19, 2007 By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, good newsLeave a comment

Warren Conley a Dad and a Husband. Congratulations Romina.

Facebook – Warren Conley

Warren was a gymnast from Saskatchewan who has been with Cirque du Soleil for years. Back in the 1990s I … almost … went to coach with him.

Thanks Dana.

new baby – Zaynab River Kalyan

On September 15, 2007 By Rick McIn good newsLeave a comment

On September 14th, 2007 @ precisely 9:41pm, Zaynab River Kalyan was born. Weighing in at 7lb 10oz she is the largest Kalyan baby yet.

Everything went very smooth with the help of two wonderful midwives, Zia, Ariel & Quddus, Gramma Lynda, and Sarah (Zaynab was born at home). Mom and baby are healthy and happily feeding/resting.

Warmest,
Dean

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