[Edited 2020-08-26 to correct lots of spelling mistakes] You know how it works. You purchased a product or service…you paid good money for it. Now, it either doesn’t work as advertised or it works and then is corrupted during a manditory update. So, you go to the web-site for the product and you try to […]
Tag: Activism
Canada 150 … what are YOU going to do?
Canada is about to turn 150. Imagine that! I am old enough to remember the excitement and anticipation of Canada’s 100th birthday. Bobby Gimby, the Pied Piper of Canada, penned the wonderful anthem for our 100th birthday “Canada“. They designed an amazing symbolic maple leaf as a logo that taught me more about geometry than […]
Please pass a strengthened Reform Act (and similar changes in every province)
Letter from Elizabeth May in response to Democracy Watch letter on Strengthening Parliamentary Institutions
JD Power – Builder Satisfaction Survey – Methodology concerns
Here is an e-mail I sent to the “ask-us” link from the JD Power web site about their survey methodology for “New-Home Builder’s Customer Satisfaction Survey”. I haven’t heard anything back from JDPA, but I will update this post if I do. Be careful how you interpret the results of this survey as it is […]
Why we shouldn’t trust markets with our civic life (by Michael Sandel)
“In the past three decades, says Michael Sandel, the US has drifted from a market economy to a market society; it’s fair to say that an American’s experience of shared civic life depends on how much money they have.” TED.com Another great TED Talk by Michael Sandel that highlights once again that thinking in the […]
Making investment practices more sustainable – Another great TED talk
I have thought a lot about the vocabulary we use when we speak about issues. Much of the language we use comes to us courtesy of Economists. We speak of consumers or clients rather than citizens. We speak of economic debt and deficit to the exclusion of the discussion of social, cultural, environmental or infrastructure […]
Are you annoyed enough at Bell Canada to want to switch?
If you are annoyed enough by the planned #BellDataGrab to want to switch, you may find it harder than you imagine. If, for example, you have a contract with Bell for one or more of their services, it may not be easy to get out of the contract. Don’t lose hope. CRTC required the telecommunications […]
How to submit a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner
If you feel that your privacy has been, or is being, violated by someone or some organization, you can file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner for Canada. If your complaint is with a federal government department or agency, you can file the complaint under the Privacy Act. If it with the private sector, you have to file the complaint under PIPEDA (the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act).
If, for example, you are concerned that Bell Canada (and now Virgin Mobile) are going to be collecting massive amounts of information about your surfing habits, your television habits, your calling habits or your texting habits, you may wish to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Continue reading “How to submit a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner”
Bell being investigated by Privacy Commissioner
Did you know that Bell Canada (and their daughter company Virgin Mobile Canada) plans to collect massive amounts of information about you and about your surfing habits? Well they are, and it isn’t clear that they should be able to. Here is an interesting article by CBC in Montreal that you should definitely read and […]
Some links to interesting environmental sites
One of my colleagues at work sent me this list of ten interesting environmentally-related web-pages. He recommended them to me and suggested I take a look at them. You may wish to take a look at them too. Thanks Phil!
http://www.marine-conservation.org/
Marine Conservation Institute is a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity of vast ocean areas.
We use the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world, and then advocate for their protection, for us and future generations.
For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature.
The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature Continue reading “Some links to interesting environmental sites”
Conservation International – A blog to make a difference
One of my colleagues showed me this site today and it looks really good. This is a link to their blog page. This group has some pretty high priced help on their roster. From Harrison Ford to Hillary Clinton, they seem to have the bases covered. One of the environmental movement needs more of is […]
Do Canadian companies represent you well abroad?
rabble.ca has published this very short, interesting article by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union president, Dave Coles. In the article he tells of how Canadian companies extractive practices in Columbia trample on the rights of indigenous peoples and give Canada a bad name abroad. It is entitled “Not in our name…A Canadian energy giant […]
Being green can sometimes be as simple as following the frog
It may be an advertising pitch, but there is some truth to it. The Rainforest Alliance has put together a cute pitch that TED.COM has nominated as one of the 10 best ads of the year. The ad shows you what you don’t want to do to be green, and then goes on to show […]
A better way to recycle plastics? Mike Biddle replies to questions and comments about his 2011 TEDTalk
This is a follow-on article to Mike Biddle’s excellent video on new ways of dealing with plastics recycling. In this article (originally published on the TED.COM website, Mike responds to a number of questions that arose from his original TED talk. He deals with the thorny issue of getting the waste to one of the […]
The Story of Change : a new video from the makers of the “Story of Stuff”
This video is all about empowerment. It is all about acting on our commitments…to the environment, to social justice, to each other. It is about supporting our government’s initiatives for becoming a “World Class Regulator“. As with other “stuff” video, this one makes its point in the same clear logical fashion, taking us from being […]
Gourken's Brain Dump (more of a trickle actually) 