The Unknown Studio

I have very little sympathy for a Calgary man who racked up $85K in cellphone charges because he didn’t know you couldn’t download the entire internet to your handset.

Staniaszek said he signed up with Bell Mobility to pay $10 a month to use a mobile browser on his cellphone. “I thought it was the same thing when I plugged it into the computer and used it as a modem – I guess not,” he said yesterday.

Honestly, ten years ago, I might have thought this guy deserved a break. But everyone knows the mobile telcos are going to hose you on data charges. That might all change is anyone can ever convince one of the Big Three in Canada that they need to offer a truly unlimited data plan.

I don’t really understand how this guy could be charged so much, though. I’ve browsed the net on my phone, and it looks like absolutely dog’s ass. It’s pointless to even bother with it. Unless you have an iPhone. Then it’s preeeeeeeeetty!

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This article got me thinking about what Social Insurance Numbers in Canada are used for. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has a good little fact sheet on SIN use, and who can ask you for it.

Your SIN is a confidential number that is restricted to income reporting purposes. There are a select and limited number of federal government departments and programs specifically authorized to collect the SIN.

When it comes to what you can do when asked for your SIN by some agency other than the feds, the Privacy Commissioner offers the following advice:

• Ask if you are required by law to provide it (see list below);
• Ask why the person needs it, how it will be used and to whom it will be given;
• Your SIN is not a piece of identification. If it is not required by law (and you are not satisfied with the explanation), tell the person you prefer not to use the SIN and offer other identification;
• If the organization refuses to give you the product or service unless you give your SIN, complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada;
• If you would like better legal protection for your SIN, call or write your federal Member of Parliament.

More information on authorized uses of your SIN can be found here. Know your rights.

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The Calgary Catholic School Board has, in this blogger’s opinion, completely overreacted to the notion that The Golden Compass books are anti-religious. In typically overzealous style, they’ve pulled the books from their library shelves pending a review:

“Given the controversy related to the book, the district will not promote and/or use it to support instructional and/or literacy development pending additional information and initial review,” said a Nov. 29 memo to schools from Ms. MacKay’s office.

“At the same time, since bans and censoring tend to draw increased attention to the potentially inappropriate materials, a course of quiet non-participation is recommended.”

What they’re reviewing is a supposed anti-faith stance the book has. But the school board is missing the point: and the point is education. I’m aware that they are a Catholic school board, but they must decide what is most important. Is it more important to educate youngsters so they can make their way in the world (a world replete with multiple religions and worldviews), or is it more important to ensure that these kids remain Catholic, and never question their views or their faith? The key is balance – in both directions.

I think the primary function of the board should be to instill Catholic values in children while providing them with the most well-rounded education, and the most informed educational rubric, as possible. Hiding something potentially controversial from kids is exactly the wrong way to deal with it. Teachers could use the trilogy to show students a differing world view, outlining what makes the books atheistic and how a member of the Catholic faith might have approached the situations found in the books differently.

The school board is missing an opportunity to teach children something. Instead, they’re trying to pull the wool over their eyes. It’s a knee-jerk reaction that ultimately benefits no one.

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An email from my mother this morning gave me pause. My grade one teacher, Mme. Johnson, passed away. She was two years younger than my mum. Mme. Johnson died after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer.

It is with sadness that we acknowledge the death of Evelyn Johnson. Evelyn began with Edmonton Catholic Schools in 1970 at Grandin School. She resigned for family reasons in 1974 and returned to Our Lady of Lourdes School in 1978. She then taught at St. Stanislaus and Holy Cross from which she resigned as well in 1989. She returned again in 1991 and was assigned to St. Angela School. She retired from there in 2003.

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, Dec 8th at Holy Family Parish in St. Albert. Please watch the Edmonton Journal for exact time.

Que son âme et l’âme de tous les défunts, reposent en paix.

I have a clear memory of Mme. Johnson’s face back in 1986 – soft yet stern.

I remember the classroom layout vaguely. My most profound memory is when I was accidentally stabbed in the hand with a sharpened pencil by a kid named Jason.

Mme. Johnson was the perfect teacher to bring me around to how cool school could be. I’m sure her other students thought just as highly of her.

I hope she’s found peace.

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James Barber, best known to Canadian cooking enthusiasts as the Urban Peasant, died suddenly at his farm in Duncan, BC on Thursday, November 29, 2007 at the ripe old age of 84.

His legacy, [Barber's wife] said, would be the lives he’s changed for the better. “People came up to him all the time and told him that. He couldn’t go out without people coming up and saying that. I think he made people feel that they could do things they didn’t realize they could. He did it with his enthusiasm and passion. People would think they couldn’t cook, that it was a chore but he made it a pleasure.”

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