Internet Usage Caps

 I just found out that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) just allowed internet service providers to charge $1 for every GB used over 25 GB per month. They say that it is to limit people who use tons of bandwidth. This is stupid because:

1. It costs providers one cent per GB. They'd make 99 cents to each extra dollar.

2. What about public libraries? A library's public wi-fi certainly uses more than 25GB per month, and I doubt libraries could afford those kinds of costs. Schools too, for that matter.

3. From an environmental standpoint, it will set back environmental programs that are doing well right now, like online textbooks and marking through the internet, that save a lot of trees from being cut down. 

4. There are many charitable organisations who use the internet as their primary way of advertising because they can afford it. It becomes less affordable when people must use up their valuable bytes to learn more about them. 

Of course, there would be even more results, but a lot have to do with things I don't know anything about,  like Canada's digital competitiveness (I just read that phrase on the petition site for the issue.) We can't even boycott these providers, because these providers are virtually every major phone and internet company. Boycotting them would mean losing TV and phone service as well, because these are usually sold in packages. Canadians have until March, and until then we'll be protesting. 

Thank you, I needed a rant.

<3 Gabi

Socks today: Well, I'm actually not wearing right now, but I should go put my new slipper-socks on. They're striped and fuzzy.

Liking Myself

Hi guys. This is going to be one of those self-absorbed self-introspective posts, so feel free to ignore.

I don't like myself as a person very much right now. I don't know when this happened, and I'm not even sure why. I don't feel things as deeply as I used to. I don't have that power of self-control as much anymore, or desire to improve myself, like I did when I used to strive for grades, and learning, and awesome things like that. I don't care about others as much anymore. I talk about myself too much. People don't really come to me for advice as much as they used to. I say really mean, b*tchy things sometimes. I'm not the responsible person that someone can trust anymore, I'm the forgetful ditzy one, who can't be trusted with valuable jewelery. I never get anything done.

 A couple of months ago I made a life goal. The goal was that I wanted, in my lifetime, to bring more goodness into the world than badness. I flattered myself by saying that it's easier said than done, which is true. But is that goal really enough? Many people have probably achieved that goal without doing much, sitting on the couch, watching TV, volunteering once in a while. I don't want to be a lazy person, who maybe does some volunteer work here and there, who doesn't eat animals, even though she doesn't feel that strongly about vegetarianism either way.

 I guess I'm saying that I've always expected to be more than the average person. My standards are higher for myself than for others, because I know that I am completely capable of reaching that standard. Is it fair to subject myself to that? I feel like I should make up for a world where the average American spends 7 years of his life in front of the TV. I don't know if I can be happy with myself until I make a tangible difference. I said at the beginning of this that I've changed into a not as good person. I probably have, but I wonder if it is also my changing view on the world that makes me see myself as inadequate. I need a set of rules to make for myself, standards of my life and goals to work my way up to. That's no easy list to write, so I'll think about that. If my views on the world are always changing, my list probably won't be enough a while from now. Maybe I'll think up a universal set of them, but that'd be awfully pretentious. Hmmm...

--Gabi

Socks today: They're white and kind of lacy, and don't fit with my baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt. 

Jelly Candies of DOOM

         I went to a bat-mitzvah at synagogue last week. For those of you who don't know, a girl becomes bat-mitzvah when she turns 12, then she is obligated - well, not many people actually do, but still - to follow the Torah. Then the girl's parents are absolved of responsibility for the girl's actions.


Then everyone eats food.


             While the girl was chanting Torah, I realised that my bat-mitzvah wasn't that long ago. I was an awkward 12 year old, and I still didn't know exactly what to do with my long limbs at that point in time.


               A wonderful custom that us Jews have is to throw candies at the bar-mitzvah boy or bat-mitzvah girl after they finish chanting, then all of the little children, and a few of the less inhibited kids above 4'5", rush forward to grab as much candy as they can possibly stuff into their little hands. Every single time I sigh and wish that I was still young enough to do that. When the candy is thrown, my synagogue's ritual director, who is a really nice person, seems to think that the 12 or 13 year old standing on the podium, just recovering from hyperventilation and the humiliation of his or her voice cracking in front of everyone, needs protection from those soft candies. Like paper airplanes, jelly candies are lethal when thrown at all, forget their soft, squishy, sugary feel. He shields the girl or boy from the flying candy projectiles with his prayer shawl.

                 You see? Conclusive proof that they are out to get us. When I was 12, I survived the attack of the jelly candies. I now realise that then was when I became a true woman.

Okay, that was stupid, but really easy and fun to draw.

<3 Gabi

Socks today: They have little sunglasses on them in different colours. I suppose that I wanted to pretend that it was summer...

I am currently eating tofu

Yes, I am eating tofu. Well, it's part of a dish of overcooked noodles. There are a couple of carrot slices in this dish of noodles.

Well, my computer doesn't seem to like inserting images, judging by this large gap. There is a rendition of my dinner immediately preceding the computer hatred gap. I like typing Zs, I guess, judging by the NOODLEZZZZ. Oh, and the title font is called Parry Hotter, how cool is that?


 I've been getting ready for my final projects and my exams to be over with, but this week is dragging along. So I began to sing in French class. I kind of didn't notice the glares until I was told to shut up in a nice way. Oh, did I ever mention that my computer teacher is evil? When we walked into class, half of the class freaked out when they saw this on the board:

Of course, being the nerds we are, in a competitive program, everyone freaked out before they read the next week part, while Evil D (she lets us call her that, by the way) laughed hysterically at her desk.

Did I mention that I'm enjoying MS paint?

<3 Gabi

Socks Today: HAPPY CHANUKAH SOCKS!! My aunt gave them to me for Chanukah 2 years ago. 

I just attempted to draw them on MS paint, but failed horribly.