joltguy•is•me

Happy Canada Day!!

Ouch. I guess we shouldn’t be totally surprised given that our current Conservative federal government couldn’t have appeared less interested in environmental topics during last years election campaign. The pathetic state of the global economy provided Harper and his crew with a convenient way to downplay all green issues and get themselves re-elected based largely on their FUD-centric campaign. Their neglect has lead to Canada’s sad ranking on this list and the dubious distinction of being one of the few industrialized nations whose emissions are still increasing.

One great takeaway quote from the article: “While there might be a bailout possibility for the financial system, no amounts of money will save the planet once climate change crosses the danger threshold.”

Posted 2 years ago

Comments

politics, green, canada,

Rogers has recently unveiled “Rogers on Demand Online” (RODO). Surprisingly its both cool and free* to Rogers customers. As as Canadian who has grown tired of waiting around for hulu.com to get off its ass and come to Canada, I’m pretty happy about this. Check it out if you’re on Rogers.

* Free… provided that you don’t exceed your Rogers-enforced monthly bandwidth allotment. ;)

Posted 2 years ago

Comments

cool, canada,

“Oh… Canada” by Classified

Its all over and we simply couldn’t have asked for a better Olympic gold medal hockey game yesterday! Both teams played great! Seriously… the 2010 Olympics demonstrated ice hockey at its absolute finest.

Posted 1 year ago

Comments

canada, hockey,

Hockey.. hockey’s our game… but really its much more than just a game..it’s a passion that brings us all together.. on frozen ponds… at the community rink… and in our living rooms… its the feeling you got the first time you stepped on the ice… the feeling you had when you scored your first goal…hockey is in our driveways.. it’s in our dreams… in every post-game celebration… its in the streets every time your friend yells… “car”…. in every rink across the country….its in our hearts…. hockey is that throught inside your head saying “Wouldn’t it be amazing..getting up every day and playing-doing something that you love to do?

- (via nicoletterambling) (via suchgreattheightss) (via missedgyboo247) (via wingschick) (via fueledbytoews) (via xohockeycrazed) (via hockeynight87)

doinwork:

mattdemers:

Hey Canadians; if you use the Internet, you should be paying attention to this.

Giant telecoms have successfully gotten the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to impose something called Usage-Based Billing (UBB) on Canadians who use the Internet.

UBB involves the lowering of Internet caps and the increase of fees involved if you go over them. It also eliminates the cost-effectiveness of offering unlimited packages, which is something Independent ISPs had over the bigger guys.

So instead of a 200gb cap with Chatham, Ontario ISP Teksavvy, customers will be reduced down to 25gb for the same price. Customers who go over that cap (or fail to pay more for more bandwidth) will be charged upwards of $2 a gig.

What is infuriating about this course of action is that these telecoms are partly doing this to dissuade you from using movie streaming services like Netflix, or watching TV shows via websites like iTunes, CTV, CityTV, the Comedy Network, or other unsavoury means.

With many households cutting off their cable services in favour of streaming, companies like Bell and Rogers need to find a way to stop that: and they are, through Usage-Based Billing. If someone has to choose between streaming a HD movie through Netflix (which they’re already paid for through subscription) and going over their cap, what do you think they’re going to do?

This is further compounded by the fact that Bell and Rogers have their own movie and TV streaming services, which are separate from their Internet downloading packages; they don’t count towards your Internet cap with the same company if you use them. In essence, they want your business, and if you don’t buy through them, you’re going to pay out the ass.

I made this post so people can spread the word, and know that there’s resources out there for people to get educated before they start losing their heads. Please, don’t mindlessly protest: do some reading and know that this is something that will affect all of us, and the future openness of the Internet.

Stop The Meter.ca

OpenMedia.ca

A nice Editorial on this

AntiUBB.com

The CRTC Ruling

Fuck this noise, damn you CRTC!!

Please pass on to your concerned parents: a helpful guide to CRTC’s Approval On Usage-Based Internet Billing. (Cuz nothing should get between those techies and their iPads & YouTube cat videos!)