SCC: ISPs are not “Broadcasters”
In a short ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada today (Reference re Broadcasting Act, 2012 SCC 4), it was held that Canadian Internet Service Providers are not “broadcasters” under the Broadcasting Act, S.C. 1991, c. 11.
An attack on meritocracy, or thinly veiled xenophobia?
Gary Mason of The Globe and Mail wrote today about University of British Columbia's plan to abandon their strict meritocratic ("grades based") admission policy in favour of a "broad based" admission. He writes:
[A] strict meritocratic entry system can have its drawbacks, as the school has discovered. As undergraduate admission standards have shot ever further skyward, the student body has been something of an intellectual – and some would say cultural – monolith.
Yes, the students are unquestionably bright, but many are nerdy, high achievers consumed with one thing: marks. Consequently, the student body has become increasingly uni-dimensional, dominated by brainiacs void of any curiosity about all that university life can be.
The new admission requirements will include a survey that asks students to share "personal experiences that have shaped their lives" - according to UBC's associate vice-president and registrar, James Ridge, this is to tell them about students' "commitment, time-management skills, perseverance, important information that we had no way of collecting, let alone evaluating, before."
Innovation Law Blog: Is SOPA Dead?
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor yesterday released a statement noting that Congress would not vote on SOPA until consensus was reached, and postponed further hearings indefinitely. Does this mean the proposals are dead? Not likely.
Raw Data: Toronto Budget and Revenues
The Star recently ran an article reporting that the City of Toronto is due to run a surplus far in excess of $139 million. Councillor Joe Mihevc has accused the Ford administration of manipulating the budget numbers to justify his service cuts, while Mayor Ford still stands by his message that the City should cut its dependence on unpredictable revenue sources. Amidst some conflicting numbers, it is useful to note that the City of Toronto receives most of its revenue from property taxes, as that is one of the only legally available means of taxation for Ontario municipalities.
It turns out that while there have been some increases in property tax revenue over the past decade, it has barely kept up with inflation. Conversely, the expenditure of the City has increased dramatically, especially during David Miller's term as mayor, to its current $9.2+ billion. The chart below, adjusted for inflation (2010 dollars), shows how much the operating budget of the City has increased, while property tax revenues have been essentially constant.
A 2012 Message to the Liberal Party of Canada
Dear Liberal Party of Canada,
It is time for you to let go of the past. It is time for real change. Your politics have proven to be outdated and ineffective for the 21st century's new challenges and demographics. Your ideas are stale, your politicians aging. Your plans are vague and your future uncertain.
The Conservatives have fought back from the brink of death by re-inventing their politics and strategies. Some might say their tactics are distasteful or even despicable, and we might never agree with their methods. But we cannot deny that they have been successful by playing on the politics of division, and espousing messages of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
The New Democrats had been written off as perpetual also-rans, and now they hold the keys to Stornoway. They managed to expand their core from a coalition of rural farmers and the urban labour movement into one full of youth and minorities, right into the heart of "Liberal Territory". They evolved to rise to the challenge of 21st century politics.
Raw Data: Historical TTC Cash Fares and CPI, 1954-Present
There's no question TTC's fare has been on a steady increase over the years. But a quick look at historical fare increases versus the Consumer Price Index might indicate that the fares have merely kept up with the price of most other consumer goods and services.
Why shouldn’t Christmas be in schools?
Licensed under CC by kelp1966
A lot of ink has been spilled this year about the cancellation, diminution, or otherwise politically correct modifications of Christmas celebrations at Canadian schools.
Reactions among students have been mixed, and some particularly outrageous comments have been making their rounds through the social networks, some leading to (probably well deserved) suspensions.
What seems lost in all the talk among parents, teachers, principals, and school board directors is what the kids really want.
In Memory of Ray Xu
I lost a good friend this week. We all did. Ray was a good person.
Ray was smart. He was hard working. He was kind and polite. Above all, he was a person who was passionate about the things he did.
Anyone who has ever met Ray will tell you that he was a likeable person; a genuine person; a person you knew you could trust. He was always a loyal friend.
Ray was a real positive force on all of our lives. I have known him for 11 years, and looking back at all my memories of Ray, I can’t remember a single time he wasn’t positive and optimistic. Thinking back on him really put a smile on my face – and I think that’s how Ray would have wanted it.
Canada Party @ Dundas Square
Canada's Olympic hockey win spawned an epic street party on Dundas Square last night. If anyone needed more proof that Hockey is Canada's game, look no further. I don't think this kind of party (plus street hockey on Yonge Street!) will ever happen again... maybe unless the Leafs can win a Stanley Cup.
The Tool and the Liberation
[Cross-posted from The Cannon Newspaper's January feature to reach a wider audience]"The Tool", for those unacquainted, is a 60" long triple-chromed pipe wrench made by the Ridge Tool Company (known for its Ridgid brand of hand tools and power tools). This particular tool is a 42-year-old specimen that now serves as the mascot of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society.
Cannon on top of The 'Ridgid' Tool
Forged in Elyria, Ohio, the $350 Tool was donated to the then cash-strapped UWaterloo in 1967 by the Ridge Tool Company on two conditions: that it be named "The Ridgid Tool" and that it be kept in its original Ridgid orange and black colours. Waterloo, of course, took these to heart - and promptly dipped the whole thing in a bath of chrome just hours after its reception. The "Ridgid" brand name was dropped shortly thereafter.
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