Category: Internets

Internets

Freedom 90’s

by NikkaLeave a Comment on Freedom 90’s

Yesterday’s biggest news story was supposed to be the assassination of the dapper Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former Prime Minister. That should’ve dominated the headlines but it didn’t, because Rogers decided to do the exact opposite of showing up and showing out, falling flat on its face. Thoughts and prayers go out to whoever is manning their customer service phones in the coming weeks. It is not going to be pretty. Yesterday, Rogers absolutely ate shit. Their cellular and internet services went down nationwide, and with it went e-transfers, cashless debit payments and 911 emergency services. Suddenly Canada had been plunged right back into the 90’s, when people paid in cash, there was no internet, and lord help you if you got rear-ended with no payphones in the near vicinity.

It’s one thing to consciously unplug. It’s quite another to have no choice. Personally, I liked it. Can’t say the rest of Canada agreed with me. Judging by the number of mental breakdowns on Twitter, there is no rage quite like that of Canadians unable to pay at a Tim Horton’s. It is not a good idea to get between Canucks and their morning double double.

Then again, I could afford to be pretty blasè about the situation. Rogers is our ISP, but we’re with Freedom for our mobiles, so I still had cellular service, though weak at times. I didn’t feel totally cut off from the world. I am a veteran of blackouts. I am an old. The internet did not arrive in my corner of the Philippines until the late 90s. I still remember how to amuse myself without it. Also, I don’t really drink coffee on the regular. So all in all, it was a nice flashback to a less frenetic way of life. Unable to work, I spent it catching up on my reading and watching whatever was on TV. (White House Down. Channing Tatum in his prime.). Something about not being inundated by streaming choices was strangely relaxing.

So what are my takeaways from yesterday’s Flashback Friday?

  • Always have cash on hand.
  • It’s better to have no internet than have no power.
  • Monopolies are never a good idea.
  • Anything powered by digital tech can get snuffed out in a heartbeat. Ergo, I have decided I am entirely justified in thinking crypto and NFTs are dumb.
  • Monopolies are never a good idea.

Welp, at least the connectivity’s back on again. Rogers still hasn’t quite come out with what caused the blackout, so predictably all sorts of conspiracy theories are out there. Some blamed Russia for it. Please, like Russia has the time. That country is way too preoccupied with Ukraine. The bestie wondered if it was because Boris Johnson resigned. My money is on either sharks, solar storms, or some poor Rogers employee who fell asleep on the keyboard. You know what, scratch that. Here’s who I blame: William Shatner. I blame William Shatner for going to space. William Shatner broke space, made the sun spititng mad, and now satellites are falling out of their orbit. (That piece on solar storms is a fascinating read.) Throw Lance Bass in there too, for wanting to go to space. If I’m going to be irrational here, this is just as good a hill to die on as any.

Internets

I Have Questions

by NikkaLeave a Comment on I Have Questions

Watch this. And wait for it.

First of all, what?

Also, what?

Finally, huh?

Or maybe I should just go with the classic “ha?!”

What? Huh? Ha?!

What, huh and ha are the questions I use most often. But seriously. Ha?!

I was thinking, sustainable energy. I was thinking, Electric batteries. Saving wildlife. Doctors without borders.

Instead, we got… I’m not sure what we got.

Why did I spend two minutes of my life that I’ll never get back for a commercial that doesn’t have a point?

Or is the point that they scored Chris Evans?

I believe that may be the point. They scored Chris Evans, they blew all the money on Chris Evans, who will never actually use the product – because seriously, in what universe is Chris Evans ever going to need this product? – so now that Chris Evans has all their money, they need your money to make up for the loss of all that money.

So that is the point. Chris Evans is the point.

Footnote: Chris Evans is America’s nice, round and very bouncy Ass. And we’re kissing it. Is this… gasp!… colonial mentality in action?

Further footnote: It’s probably not colonial mentality. It’s likely less colonial mentality and more – he is such a dreamboat, and he said yes. In which case, fair.

Internets, People are People

Internet Sausage Links

by NikkaLeave a Comment on Internet Sausage Links

They say yesterday’s news is today’s chip paper, but we live in a digital age where peen pictures never die. Chris Evans, who usually features his dog Dodger on his socials, inadvertently featured his todger instead, which explains the rapturous squealing you heard all day Saturday. Christmas come early! Yes, I peeked. Please, like you wouldn’t – Page Six

Speaking of wouldn’t, one thing I wouldn’t do is pay to watch the live-action version of Mulan, Disney’s latest attempt at a cash grab. Not because I’m political, but because I’ve given Disney so much of my income over the past decade, being asked for an extra $30 on top of my current Disney Plus membership for “Premium Access” was grating. I predicted it wasn’t going to end well, and it didn’t, but not for the reasons I thought. Not that I care how it came about, that combination of creative bankruptcy and soulless greed deserved its comeuppance, in whatever shape or form it took – Foreign Policy

While we’re on the topic of soulless greed, blowing up ancient Aboriginal cave sites that date back to the Ice Age is beyond reprehensible. Today’s businesspeople operate on forging ahead first and asking for forgiveness later, and that needs to stop. (Move fast and break things is a horrible mantra.) Unlike Disney with Mulan, the comeuppance is not nearly enough to pay for this disgusting display of horrible decision making, all in the name of profit – BBC

I get it and would never knock anyone’s barely legal hustle, but really, how badly do we need strip clubs to stay open these days? – CBC

Getting to travel is a privilege, but this is not the best time to do so. Countries are struggling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, and international travel has been so dicey this year. We aren’t out of the woods just yet. It seems selfish to me to want to traipse all over the world right now. Not that it’s stopped some travel “influencers” from trying to hold on to their gigs. Reading about self-entitled jerks struggling to get out of sticky situations they’ve willingly put themselves in for clout is so satisfying – The Independent

Internets

Internet Sausage Links

by NikkaLeave a Comment on Internet Sausage Links

It’s been a minute since I’ve done one of these! Trolling for headlines used to be a lot more fun than it is these days, what with the news being constantly depressing, but I am slowly pulling myself out of the fug I’ve allowed myself to wallow in.

So. Apologies for the heaviness of the past couple posts, I don’t normally let the defeatist, depressive side of me out for all and sundry to gawk at. I have stuffed all that back into the airtight, multi-locked box that only I can crawl into whenever I’m feeling self-indulgent, or like a repressed fifties housewife. I’ll admit, it’s a tempting prospect whenever I see that sheer ridiculousness that goes down online, but sometimes, certain current events help when it comes to gaining perspective. If there’s anything that can help a body stay sane, no matter how hard things (like this year-from-hell) try to rock the boat, it’s finding perspective.

Like how you never really realize what feeling old truly means until you find out Aaron Carter fapped for money online, guaranteeing we will never see the words “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” the same way ever again. Someone save this child – Dlisted

Great news (for me, at least)! Fall temperatures are just around the corner, after a summer that felt like a series of never-ending heatwaves crashing into each other, which is encouraging (for me at least) – CTV

Not so great news (for one guy at least)! I’ve seen worse things happen to linespeople – based off of video evidence this didn’t seem all that egregious – but Novak Djokovich got defaulted out of the 2020 US Open for accidentally hitting a lineswoman in the throat with a tennis ball – BBC Sport

Speaking of egregious, presenting further proof (as if we needed more) that over-the-top gender reveal parties aren’t just ridiculous and stupid, they’re ridiculous, stupid and dangerous – ABC7

Speaking of ridiculous, stupid and dangerous, let’s add reckless and entitled to this thick adjective stew for people who do fucked up things – New York Post

Let’s close out this bit of perspective-finding with the perspective of one Mariah Carey, which is a pretty timely one for the group-think of our era: a tad delusional, a tad self-aggrandizing, fragile as a house of cards, but entertaining anyway – Vulture

Internets, Listicles

Online Travel Tools for Obsessively Compulsive, Anally-Retentive You

by Nikka2 Comments on Online Travel Tools for Obsessively Compulsive, Anally-Retentive You
Online Travel Tools for Obsessively Compulsive, Anally-Retentive You

I am chronically incapable of being footloose and fancy free without doing any due diligence, of visiting a place I’ve never been to and just seeing where the wind will take me.  If the good lord wanted me to go where the wind blows, he would’ve made me a dandelion instead of an obsessive, anally-retentive girl scout. I know, I know. I sound like a pill. I’m only a pill in the beginning, though.  I promise. *hand on heart* Once I’ve gotten everything under control and can tell myself I’ve done all I need to do to be prepared, I can be as cool as a cucumber.

But first, I need control. I need a sense of knowing. I need security. I need to know what I’m going to do, where I’m going to go, what I’m going to eat, and how I’m going to get to where I want to go before I do it, especially when it comes to travel. (You can take a girl out of a travel agency, but you really can’t take a travel agency out of a girl!) 

Google has a suite of travel tools that I use a lot.  Flights is great when you’re shopping for airfare, and I particularly love their “flexible dates” option and the way prices and locations change automatically depending on where in the world you happen to be hovering over. Hotels is a very well thought out, intuitive way to look for possible places to stay -it’s easy to read reviews, check out photos and compare prices. Maps is one of my favourite and most trusted travel tools. It gives a sense of security in an otherwise alien place, because you’ll always know where you are and how to get where you want to go, especially if you’ve downloaded a map of the area in advance.

I don’t feel constrained to book travel directly on Google’s website though. Neither should you – if you can get points booking travel on a certain site or with a certain type of credit card, by all means do so. I like to book directly with the airline when it comes to airfare, but with hotels I can be a little more flexible. I tend to go with Expedia for sentimental reasons, and also because they have very competitive prices and an excellent points program. 

The following sites are what I use when I go in-depth. Other than the usual go-tos like Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor, I’ve found some really interesting information off of these sites, and you may already know some if not all of them. I hope they help you as you prepare for your own trips too! 

Wiki Voyage

https://en.wikivoyage.org
WikiVoyage provides a condensed, Lonely Planet-esque overview of your destination. I use it particularly when I want information about districts and modes of transportation but don’t want to feel overwhelmed or pressured to book anything. Like Wikipedia, it’s less about the bells and whistles and more about the actual information but don’t let the wall of text intimidate ya. There’s a lot more information to digest than just districts and transportation, although that is primarily what I use WikiVoyage for.

Atlas Obscura

https://www.atlasobscura.com/
Yes, attractions are famous for a reason, and they should definitely be seen, it’s just that sometimes being able to enjoy what you see becomes impossible when there are too many people also wanting to do the same thing. If, like me you like to avoid touristic mosh pits, Atlas Obscura is great for the weird, the quirky, the secret little things that not a lot of people may be into. It also welcomes suggestions from fellow travelers, and is filled with unusual, off-the-beaten-path suggestions (hence the name!).

Taste Atlas

https://www.tasteatlas.com/
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and sampling the local cuisine is the best way to feel like a local. I like to try and not eat anything other than local staples wherever I get to go, to get a really well-rounded experience of what living in a certain country must feel like, and Taste Atlas is an invaluable resource. Is food a big part of how you travel? It should be! 

Reddit

http://www.reddit.com
Lastly (but not leastly), never underestimate the power of Reddit. There’s no better advertising than word of mouth, and Reddit is invaluable for checking out what the locals say. Think about it as a place to go for insider information, because locals can (and do) say a lot!

Do you have any travel sites that you’d recommend? Feel free to share, and happy travels!

 

Image from Jumpic
Internets

Internet Sausage Links

by NikkaLeave a Comment on Internet Sausage Links

I’m always fascinated by words and phrases, their origins, and how they come to be used. Take for example “Longbottoming,” colloquial slang for the unexpected transition from dweeby to sexy. I’ve since learned that this is also known as a “glow up.”

While “Longbottoming” is obvious (it’s inspired by the actor who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movieverse, who started out as the fat loser kid with an overbite and ended up looking mighty foine), the closest I can come to why “glow up” is used the way it is, is because it’s a variation on the phrase “to grow up,” only in this case it’s used to mean growing up pretty. Yay, I guess, but ultimately boring. There’s not much of a backstory there, although why I’m going on about a phrase that’s been dominating the interwebs again since Robin Arryn made such a splash on GoT’s finale at four in the morning, I have no clue.

Oh wait, yes, I do. Seth Rogen is on the cover of GQ, which really goes to prove that the first step towards ultimate attractiveness is to lose weight, which is easier said than done, God knows I say it to myself a lot, but this isn’t about me. So here you go, Seth Rogen being his new dapper, healthier self in silk shirts and expensive ashtrays – GQ

#

Most Filipinos come with an ingrained instinct for behaving properly in public. This is known as delicadeza, a word which generally means to do what is appropriate at all times. Like the German “schadenfreude,” delicadeza is not so much an action as it is a  feeling. It’s the intrinsic drive to behave the right way and do the right thing in public, because we cannot bring dishonour to our houses by seeming uneducated, ill-mannered and rude. Maybe it’s the three hundred plus years of being treated like illiterate, uncivilized second-class citizens in our own country by colonizers that fuels this particular drive. Whatever the subconscious triggers behind delicadeza, it’s what makes Filipinos the perfect hosts and house guests. You will never hear us act up, or leave dirty dishes in the sink, or be rude to our hosts. Not to their faces, anyway. We will always try to behave as if our very mothers are watching us with eagle eyes. 

Which is why one of the worst things that a guest can do to Filipinos is to disrespect our hospitality by being rude. Cleaning up after yourself is a basic tenet of delicadeza, and Canada has shown none when it comes to having the Philippines play host to its garbage for nigh on five years.

No country should ever be the unwilling dumping ground for another country’s waste, and my adopted homeland definitely has a lot to answer for when it comes to how it’s treated my actual homeland. Yes, the Philippines has the right to demand Canada clean up after itself, and do it soon. Canada should’ve recalled the garbage postehaste, not spend five years twiddling its thumbs, and it’s dismissive ideas like the ones this Canadian writer comes up with that really make me furious, not to mention the discernibly flippant attitude with which it was written. Instead of focusing on Canada’s inability to clean up after itself, he can’t resist taking jabs at the Philippine administration’s posturing, as if the dumpster fire that is Ontario’s current leadership is anything to be proud of. Filipinos have a great sense of humour, but we know when a joke is as rancid as five-year old garbage currently waiting to be repatriated. Alternative idea: how about we ship all those garbage containers back to Canada and deposit them on this guy’s front yard? – Toronto Sun

PS: There’s nothing “partly” about Canada being to blame for this literal garbage dump of a situation  – CBC

PPS: Now Malaysia is in on it too – Earther

 

 

Internets

Internet Sausage Links

by NikkaLeave a Comment on Internet Sausage Links
Internet Sausage Links

Have you ever been to a Costco on a weekend? The whole world and their mother is there and finding parking gets pretty intense. I remember witnessing some guy scream “It’s not always about you!” at a wildly gesticulating, non-English speaking couple who were mad at him for taking what they thought was their spot (note: it wasn’t). I get it, we all just want to go in and stock up on toilet paper, but that was nothing compared to this woman who went all Danny Trejo in Machete Kills over a parking spot. A parking spot. In Costco. Can we all just agree to be nice to each other at Costco from here on out, on the off chance some of us are packing heat in the trunk?  – CBC

Then again, maybe that woman just lacked sleep. We all get crabby when we’re short on sleep, and the temptation to wave sharp objects around gets even stronger the less sleep we have. I know I don’t have the best of tempers when I’m tired, and this is an interesting read on how to fall asleep in less than two minutes – Inc

I’m adding the term “illusory superiority” to my phrasebook now – The Guardian

Also, I seem to have married an anomaly. Le Hubs is one of those people who haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame and doesn’t care if he ever does, one way or another. I think it’s got something to do with his disdain for all things Disney, especially now that it owns all the major franchises and Pixar. Disney is clearly the Buy n Large of the entertainment world, but I was raised on a diet of Disney movies and sing-alongs so I can’t hate it. Not that much anyway. That said, I think Endgame was kind of it for me. Iron Man was what, 2008? I don’t see myself still hankering after all these superheroes ten years from now when I hit that  menopausal rough patch. Not that I’m going to be their target audience, anyway – Rolling Stone

Speaking of target audience, I’m still one of those crazy ride-or-die Thronies just seeing the whole show out to the end. I know, I wanted to do a recap after watching each episode but that didn’t work out, so I’ll just share Ramin Djawadi’s fantastic score for Episode Three. It’s like the Sept of Baelor meets Westworld, and it’s crazy good – YouTube