It's a Wireless World

Word on the street is... that more and more american cities are "going wireless".  After Philadelphia and Hollywood, it's time for South Florida, according to a Miami Herald article that ran yesterday, titled "South Florida could go wireless".

"Many cities across the United States -- and even the world -- have taken an intense interest in offering free or cheap wi-fi citywide. Many say it democratizes access to the Internet, and that it's little different from other services cities offer, such as utilities and trash pickup."

According to Daniel Aghion, of the Massachusetts Wireless Internet Institute, Internet is a "universal connectivity for economic, social and educational development.''  I couldn't agree more.  Even tho most of the cities are planning to charge minimal fees for the service, and fund the rest with taxpayer's money, it's still worth the investment.

ISP's (Internet Service Providers) are of course freaking out over this.  It would mean that some government level would litterally take business out of their hands, but isn't it high time people stop making profit out of this populist network where everything's supposed to be free ?  Some networks are installed for government use and the "heads" would appreciate making a quick buck out of them.  Even tho it probably means it would slow the service down, you can't spit on a "minimal fee" that won't be so minimal, after all, if everybody chips in !

There is a lobby of ISP's protesting, and arguing that private ISP's will serve the customers better than the state, who shouldn't interfere.  But should we trust some money-hungry sharks ?  Their goal is not the "democratic access to people"; it's profit.  They're not into socialism, but into capitalism.

I've always considered wireless internet to be a major part of civil progress.  Along with ecologic worries, it is perhaps not the best we could do to make the world a better place to live in, but being connected to the world is, in my opinion, a nice way to stay grounded in contemporary preoccupations and to keep a clean conscience of the planet we live on & the people that surround us.

Technology can be inhuman, yeah, but in that case it's quite the opposite; most people use the net mainly to stay in contact.  Major aspects of work now also require an internet access.  Being confined to the office on a warm & sunny summer day sounds like a nightmare.  What if we could bring our laptop anywhere in town, sit down to get a tan & keep working ?  This is a "dream" that we can easily achieve.  "Ile sans fil", a Montreal association that has been struggling to implant free wireless access in various city hot spots, is gaining more and more territory & members, building on its manpower to convince more store owners of the benefits of free internet among their clients.

It's not just about profit; it's about the democratic use of the net waves.  Sure, there are net addictions, but whenever something good comes out, there always be somebody whose willpower is too low to resist overdosing on it.  All good things have to be used with moderation, as the SAQ would say.

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Other significant changes are happening in Miami these days.  A conference called "Tropical Green", that was presented by the architecture monthly Metropolis, on Feb. 9 & 10th, hoped to provide alternatives in tropical urbanism, new ways to elevate high rises or urban dwellings, ways to incorporate the elements of nature into the planning.

An interesting example would be the way most hotel rooms in town do not propose windows that you can open.  You are basically trapped inside and reduced to suffer the A/C.  A drift of the Miami breeze is not an option.

Buildings also consume a lot of energy, and are responsible for the emission of a good portion of the polluting gas floating in the city's atmosphere.  There are ways to manage this, materials builders could favor...

While I didn't personally attend the conference, I believe it's high time urban planners start looking into MANDATORY construction techniques that everybody would benefit from.  The residential & commercial boom is seemingly here to stay, so let's make the best of it !

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Speaking of Miami, I watched a rather strange - but aren't they all - Miami Vice episode yesterday, off the Season II box set.  I'm kinda sad I'm almost done and wish Universal could release the other seasons faster, but there's not much I can do to speed them up and it would be a pity to be done with the whole series in a jiffy !

The episode's called "Free Verse". It features an ugly piece of skank named Bianca Jagger (Mick's ex wife, who also appeared, in all her glory, in C.H.U.D. II - BUD THE CHUD in '89) and director Michael Bay... as an actor ! Luis Guzmàn also appears as a tough guy, and that was WAY before his current "stardom". Anyway, the story revolves around a poet from a slovac country, coming to Miami to receive some honorific prize before appearing as a witness in Washington for some important trial regarding some revolution.  Of course, several groups are trying to have him killed, so our favorite members of the Vice Squad have to do all they can to protect him & his daughter.  They "have to make it until Washington".  But the old man's a wild one, and his wheelchair won't keep him from grabbin' cute girl's asses, or even invade a dancefloor !

Which brings us to a very interesting scene : the guy, dancing in his wheelchair, in some kind of trendy "metal" club where our friends from the Suicidal Tendencies are performing onstage !!  I couldn't believe my eyes.

That just goes to say that in this amazing show, there's always a little something for everybody.