Read more

The Conservative government has introduced an Online Surveillance Bill that could violate your Charter right to privacy – unless you act now to stop them.

This bill would force internet service providers to track, preserve and hand over your personal subscriber information, including your email and IP addresses, upon request without a warrant.

Forget creeping your Facebook. Stephen Harper’s people would now have the legal right to monitor your emails and track your every move online without any kind of judicial oversight.

Liberals are standing up for your privacy rights in Parliament – but we need your help.

The government is on the defensive following a public outcry. They will be sending the bill to committee and have said they’ll consider opposition amendments. But with a majority government they can oppose any fair, sensible amendments we propose unless we demonstrate an overwhelming show of public support. That’s where you come in.

The Liberal Party’s Public Safety Critic Francis Scarpaleggia has studied the work of experts like Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart and Canada Research Chair Michael Geist to craft amendments that strike a proper balance between privacy rights and public safety.

With your support we can force the government to hold open, televised committee hearings and stop them from using procedural tactics to limit debate and ram the bill through Parliament to avoid further scrutiny.

Please click here to sign right now – and support the Liberal amendments calling for judicial oversight on electronic surveillance.

Then please forward this email to friends and share the petition on Facebook and Twitter as widely as possible before the committee meets.

http://lpc.ca/privacy

Thank you.

Bob Rae

Interim Leader
Liberal Party of Canada

Here’s some good and potentially gooder news for the rock’s rural nerds. Following the launch of ViaSat-1 there are reports of impressive satellite Internet speeds – 12Mbps residential packages and 40Mbps business packages. And these could be available to consumers in a matter of weeks, according to Engadget.com. For Newfoundlanders, ViaSat’s services are provided through Xplornet and Xplornet just isn’t talking. In fact, they haven’t said much on the subject since the satellite’s launch back in October. So we’ll have to be patient and wait before we find out what sort of prices we’ll be expected to pay. However, my recent dealings with Xplornet suggest they are quickly and quietly changing policies.

ViaSat, an American based company, is proposing payments as low as $50 a month. Those numbers will likely rise before reaching outport Newfoundlanders in order to cover Xplornet’s usual cut. However, with the speeds suggested they would compete with the highspeed options currently available to urban consumers and that could explain why Xplornet isn’t screaming ‘massive upcoming upgrade.’ Outport users may see charges lowered as the satellite provider relinquishes a small monopoly for a cut of the larger market. Why pay for only-at-home highspeed when satellite can come to the cabin?

Keep your fingers crossed.

I am sure most of you horror movie geeks remember the Evil Dead franchise created by Sam Raimi. Campy horror at its finest is captured in The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. It is with high hopes that all of the blood, guts and gore will be just as impressive in the upcoming Evil Dead film expected to be released in 2013! You movie buffs may think there is nothing better than sitting at home, watching flesh-eating zombie demons rip people apart, well think again! I am delightfully informing you that ‘Evil Dead the Musical’ will be showing in a few Canadian cities this year and, there is a SPLATTER ZONE!!! This show promises to be a boat load of bloody fun for everyone (18 years or older), even if you are unfamiliar with the Evil Dead films. I’ve got my ticket for the splatter zone and I’m leaving my poncho at home! Heck, I may even frame the bloody t-shirt.

If you’ve got the guts and the funds, then go for it! I’m sure it will be a deadly time! Just don’t forget your necronomicon.

For information on this evil event, check out the following link:

http://www.evildeadthemusical.com/

*Note-Fredriction is not showing Evil Dead the Musical this year, despite it being listed on the evildeadthemusical.com website. I learned this when inquiring about ticket sales for that particular centre.

I know I’ve been seriously ignoring my Embracing Random responsibilities, and I apologize. I don’t even have a decent excuse, line up to the right if you’d like to publicly flog me, I deserve it. /shame (I’m always posting pictures on stiggy.ca if you enjoy random pictures, and lately I’ve been posting pictures of neat geeky things I’ve been making).

Now on to the quotes! I’ve gotten into the Lord of the Rings all over again, so these may seem familiar;

“Fly, you fools!” – Gandalf

“not idly do the leaves of lorien fall” – Aragorn

“I will take the Ring to Mordor! Though… I do not know the way. ” - Frodo

“The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut. ” – Legolas

“It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing. ” – Boromir

“I made a promise, Mr Frodo. A promise. “Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee.” And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to. ” – Samwise

I’m going to stop there, I can stay here all day posting quotes.  Don’t you think its time you watched the trilogy again?  I thought so. I’ll leave you to it then, enjoy!

Read more

Just a reminder to all you geeky lovebirds out there, that Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! I know that a lot of people give a few eye-rolls or gag at the mere mention of Valentine’s Day, but what odds! It is just a day to focus on appreciating those you love and get all snuggly with your favourite person, pet or blanket! I prefer avoiding the crowded restaurants and jam-packed movie theatres on this special day and enjoy cuddling up to watch a flick with wine and chocolate close by. I have seen most of the current, star-studded films about love and romance. I suggest sparing yourself from watching something starring Ashton Kutcher or that wolf kid from Twilight. However, anything including Ryan Gosling is an exception (Sha-wing!). I recommend viewing a classic romantic film which will likely be much more enjoyable and actually worth watching! I am sad to admit that I have only seen two of the classic films listed below, therefore, I plan on spending Valentine’s Day swooning over Clark Gable and George Peppard! I was also excited to learn that Alfred Hitchcock directed a few classic romance movies. Who knows, maybe watching ‘The Birds’ or ‘Psycho’ is more your taste for a romantic date night, but whatever you do on February 14th, do it with love!

Casablanca (1942), directed by Michael Curtic

Gone with the Wind (1939), directed by Victor Flemming

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), directed by Blake Edwards

The Philadelphia Story (1940), directed by George Cukor

Gilda (1946), directed by Charles Vidor

Notorious (1946), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

To Catch a Thief (1955), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Bringing up Baby (1938), directed by Howard Hawks

The Quiet Man (1952), directed by John Ford

The Shop Around the Corner (1940), directed by Ernst Lubitsch

www.bestromancemovies.com

After a rough week of unpredictable snow along the Avalon with a looming super-storm approaching, you may have become suspicious of CBC’s Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon. After Tuesday’s storm which appeared out of nowhere, it’s quite obvious that mother nature isn’t in control anymore, Snoddon is.

Credible sources have revealed to us that Ryan Snoddon is in fact the last wizard from the ancient lands of Snowden, of the family Snoddor. During his absence from work earlier this fall, he was toiling away in his secret alchemy caves within the depths of Cape Spear. Though it’s not clear what Snoddor The Great is planning, we can assume that tomorrow’s storm will be his final conjuration so he can reclaim the lands that were once owned by his ancestors.

You can visit his Twitter page to keep an eye on his actions and monitor the storm that will soon have us in it’s grasp!