I'd also like to add that there have been swarms of up to 1000 quakes near or within the caldera since measuring began in 1923. A particularly big year for swarms was 1985. I note that we are still here.
Seriously, if we don't get rid of them- this shit is going to keep happening. No longer are they interested in even just screwing consumers for big business, they are living in some sort of totalitarian dreamworld. This must end or Canada's high-tech economy is doomed.
Starting some sort of grassroots "look what the CRTC does to you" campaign on the internet listing everything from degrading HD picture quality and sound in the name of "protecting Canadian advertisers" to allowing the "system access fee" on cellphones to exist. Right now if you ask the average Canadian what the CRTC is and what it does, they don't know. When you tell them what they do- they get angry. Inform everyone and we can maybe make a change
This is what happens when you create a regulatory body by appointing former industry insiders and lobbyists. You get a body that exists to protect big telecom from the consumer. The CRTC only is able to prosper because the average Canadian has no idea just how much worse they make their life. I've had enough I say we move to get rid of them once and for all.
One day, a Telus representative called the house asking to speak to my father. We informed the man on the phone that he has not lived here for the past eighteen years. Instead of saying "Oh, we'll sort that out for you in a moment"- or some other helpful thing, he adopts an accusatory tone and hangs up. Two days later a woman from Telus calls with the same offer. This time, my mother answers. She is informed that despite being the one who has paid Telus lo these many decades, the phone service will be terminated as it is not in her name.
The catch: We have tried to change the name on our phone (not the bill, the bill is in the correct name) for the length of time since my parents divorced. Telus, in their infinite wisdom, refuses to change this unless my mother can present them with a certificate of divorce *AND* my father agrees. The latter of which would force undue contact. Telus can burn in the seventh circle of Hell for all I am concerned, they are not bumbling- they are pure evil. Hell, lest I forget when they claimed we had signed up for dial-up internet access and decided to bill us for nine months of use. I hate Rogers, I hate Shaw, Bell can fuck itself, but as a Canadian I have no alternatives.
It seems to me that since Conrad Von Finckenstein was appointed as chair of the CRTC there has been a lot of stone-walling/reduction of crap the major telcos have been trying to pull up here. I've heard from some that this is because he actually wants to understand technology. Personally, I think he just hasn't been offered a large enough bribe.
I don't mean to be rude, but I think you've been living in America for too long. Canada may be number 11, but we have the same issues with duopolies as you do, probably worse as the providers are literally felated by the government oversight board (oh how I loathe you CRTC). To compound this issue, Canadian ISPs throttle everything they can (Even legally mandated bandwidth wholesaler's traffic) and are slowly introducing regressive bandwidth caps that would make even the cruelest Aussie ISP CEO shake his head. Canada wont be number 11 for very long, not unless someone actually makes the market place "free".
Thanks to wonderful traffic laws that make the person who rear-ends the other car always at fault while at the same time instilling an equal demerit value on running a red light. They recently decided to put cameras at every busy intersection, instead of just a few choice ones that allegedly had a "high collision rate". It is starting to make economic/freedom to drive sense to slam on the brakes if you are the lead car in a milisecond-yellow situation. If the other person hits you, so long as you are not mortally wounded- the insurance will cover the damage, but more importantly you will be able to drive another day. I should add now that running a red light combined with a rear-end on your driving record is all the points you need to get the license revoked. God help the person who rear-ended you, though because if he can think tacticly, he'll end up doing the same thing. Perhaps the auto-repair business is getting kick-backs from this as well.
In 1996 my family signed up as beta-testers for cable internet with Videotron. We were given a 5/5 connection, as beta-testers at the time it was free but once the service was mainline it was only 40 dollars a month. Not bad, keep in mind that Telus wasn't even offering DSL at this point... Shaw then buys out Videotron in Alberta and creates the "powersurfr" brand... prices go up and speeds fall to 2/768! Now, for a lovely 60 dollars a month I can get a 10/1 connection that has a cap... it used to be unlimited! Oh, did I mention that anything meaningful is throttled?
I think the Canadian telecoms saw Australia's clusterfuck and wanted to be just like them. Okay, maybe not. Even though Telstra may be a constant thorn in the side of every Aussie, there are a lot of third party providers leasing their lines. The ACCC requires Telstra to lease the last-mile out and I doubt this will ever change.If Bell gets their way, the caps that Rogers are starting to put into place out East are going to look like amazing deals in mere hours. I can't tell you how much I hate to side with the CRTC but they'd be morons to let this happen (that said they've done everything they can to prop up CTV and ExpressVu).
This year a lot of companies set up a special HD channel to just air the Superbowl with American commercials. I have no idea how mad CTV/Global were. The best part is, it carried over into House. It was nice to see the show in proper 1080i with 448Kbps DD 5.1 for a change. You hear me Global!
Now if they'd just end the practice of simsubbing and preventing HBO from being broadcast in Canada. They'd be well on their way to gaining some respect.
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I'd also like to add that there have been swarms of up to 1000 quakes near or within the caldera since measuring began in 1923. A particularly big year for swarms was 1985. I note that we are still here.
Seriously, if we don't get rid of them- this shit is going to keep happening. No longer are they interested in even just screwing consumers for big business, they are living in some sort of totalitarian dreamworld. This must end or Canada's high-tech economy is doomed.
Starting some sort of grassroots "look what the CRTC does to you" campaign on the internet listing everything from degrading HD picture quality and sound in the name of "protecting Canadian advertisers" to allowing the "system access fee" on cellphones to exist. Right now if you ask the average Canadian what the CRTC is and what it does, they don't know. When you tell them what they do- they get angry. Inform everyone and we can maybe make a change
This is what happens when you create a regulatory body by appointing former industry insiders and lobbyists. You get a body that exists to protect big telecom from the consumer. The CRTC only is able to prosper because the average Canadian has no idea just how much worse they make their life. I've had enough I say we move to get rid of them once and for all.
One day, a Telus representative called the house asking to speak to my father. We informed the man on the phone that he has not lived here for the past eighteen years. Instead of saying "Oh, we'll sort that out for you in a moment"- or some other helpful thing, he adopts an accusatory tone and hangs up. Two days later a woman from Telus calls with the same offer. This time, my mother answers. She is informed that despite being the one who has paid Telus lo these many decades, the phone service will be terminated as it is not in her name. The catch: We have tried to change the name on our phone (not the bill, the bill is in the correct name) for the length of time since my parents divorced. Telus, in their infinite wisdom, refuses to change this unless my mother can present them with a certificate of divorce *AND* my father agrees. The latter of which would force undue contact. Telus can burn in the seventh circle of Hell for all I am concerned, they are not bumbling- they are pure evil. Hell, lest I forget when they claimed we had signed up for dial-up internet access and decided to bill us for nine months of use. I hate Rogers, I hate Shaw, Bell can fuck itself, but as a Canadian I have no alternatives.
It seems to me that since Conrad Von Finckenstein was appointed as chair of the CRTC there has been a lot of stone-walling/reduction of crap the major telcos have been trying to pull up here. I've heard from some that this is because he actually wants to understand technology. Personally, I think he just hasn't been offered a large enough bribe.
I don't mean to be rude, but I think you've been living in America for too long. Canada may be number 11, but we have the same issues with duopolies as you do, probably worse as the providers are literally felated by the government oversight board (oh how I loathe you CRTC). To compound this issue, Canadian ISPs throttle everything they can (Even legally mandated bandwidth wholesaler's traffic) and are slowly introducing regressive bandwidth caps that would make even the cruelest Aussie ISP CEO shake his head. Canada wont be number 11 for very long, not unless someone actually makes the market place "free".
Thanks to wonderful traffic laws that make the person who rear-ends the other car always at fault while at the same time instilling an equal demerit value on running a red light. They recently decided to put cameras at every busy intersection, instead of just a few choice ones that allegedly had a "high collision rate". It is starting to make economic/freedom to drive sense to slam on the brakes if you are the lead car in a milisecond-yellow situation. If the other person hits you, so long as you are not mortally wounded- the insurance will cover the damage, but more importantly you will be able to drive another day. I should add now that running a red light combined with a rear-end on your driving record is all the points you need to get the license revoked. God help the person who rear-ended you, though because if he can think tacticly, he'll end up doing the same thing. Perhaps the auto-repair business is getting kick-backs from this as well.
Soon it will be flooded with Albertans.
In 1996 my family signed up as beta-testers for cable internet with Videotron. We were given a 5/5 connection, as beta-testers at the time it was free but once the service was mainline it was only 40 dollars a month. Not bad, keep in mind that Telus wasn't even offering DSL at this point... Shaw then buys out Videotron in Alberta and creates the "powersurfr" brand... prices go up and speeds fall to 2/768! Now, for a lovely 60 dollars a month I can get a 10/1 connection that has a cap... it used to be unlimited! Oh, did I mention that anything meaningful is throttled? I think the Canadian telecoms saw Australia's clusterfuck and wanted to be just like them. Okay, maybe not. Even though Telstra may be a constant thorn in the side of every Aussie, there are a lot of third party providers leasing their lines. The ACCC requires Telstra to lease the last-mile out and I doubt this will ever change.If Bell gets their way, the caps that Rogers are starting to put into place out East are going to look like amazing deals in mere hours. I can't tell you how much I hate to side with the CRTC but they'd be morons to let this happen (that said they've done everything they can to prop up CTV and ExpressVu).
Who read his name as Sybian?
The EA's new GTA project manager demands his team of programmers to put in a psychotic turtle named Dwight to win back his estranged son?
If, somehow, discovery ceases- can I now use this case to prevent litigators from finding out potentially damaging things about me?
This year a lot of companies set up a special HD channel to just air the Superbowl with American commercials. I have no idea how mad CTV/Global were. The best part is, it carried over into House. It was nice to see the show in proper 1080i with 448Kbps DD 5.1 for a change. You hear me Global!
Now if they'd just end the practice of simsubbing and preventing HBO from being broadcast in Canada. They'd be well on their way to gaining some respect.