But it was maybe a few months old at best. Maybe it had a defective battery from the start but I contacted Xiaomi and I’ve been told it was “normal” in “winter”. Then when I looked online for this issue with Xiaomi phones, the people on the forums said it was “normal”, and that I expected too much.

In the end it was probably a defective battery. I couldn’t believe that they were selling millions of these and that people always just kept them warm all the time. Like, they have a proper winter too in some parts of China, and I can’t imagine millions of people having their phone dying on them as soon as we get into sweater weather.

But obviously this left a bad taste in my mouth. This and having to ask permission to root my phone.

I decided not to buy another Xiaomi phone when the one I previously had would turn off when it was a bit mildly cool outside.

Like, I would take it out of my pocket to look at bus schedules but it would turn off after a few seconds of being exposed to 5°C, saying the battery was dead. Another time I had it attached to my bike handlebar and it kept turning off because apparently 13°C with the wind was also too chilly. Every time that fucking Xiaomi phone was feeling a bit chill, the battery would just die. And not even in freezing temps!

I looked online and everone of the fanboys on the forums kept saying that this is normal, battery performance degrades in winter, that iPhones do the same, and apparently all other phones do the same. In short, I had unreasonable expectations.

Yet, all my other phones’ batteries didn’t die within seconds of taking them out of my pocket, even in winter.

So, I don’t have to bother with their names anymore.

Aside from the sad news, as a Montrealer, the title confused me.

When I hear about the North Shore it’s usually to describe the north of Montreal, as opposed to the south. I thought the title was lacking precision.

Then I read the article, saw Natashquan, and realized ‘North Shore’ in this context is about Côte-Nord (North COAST).

I didn’t know it could be translated to ‘North Shore’.

I was using E16 years ago and liked it but eventually switched to Gnome (2, I think), after waiting for E17 for too long.

What made me quit was the wait. All the other DEs at the time were releasing new versions frequently but Enlightenment took forever.

I’m not a cable expert by any means and can’t answer all the questions, but I can tell you that the protocol used by cable is called DOSCIS. So it might guide you into some of those answers.

And the coax cable itself doesn’t go very far now because it’s connected to a fiber network somewhere in your neighbourhood.

Have fun with your real life in real reality because of your obviously right choices. Here’s a view from the side of fantasy land, where others made different choices, and are apparently not serious, and not real adults for this.

Hi, I live in fantasy world. I get my groceries on foot, making multiple trips a week instead of one big trip. Sometimes I go to a bigger store with my bike trailer and my panniers. I live in an apartment (even more signs that I’m not a real adult), so no renovations. And for recycling stuff like old computers, tables and stuff like that, I also use my bike trailer. Otherwise there are companies specialized in moving stuff. Either on bikes, or they own the truck and deliver stuff to me. Or take it somewhere else.

I go camping with my bike in national parks. I pull my folding kayak with a trailer. All in fantasy land. I will never be an adult because I don’t drive a car or own a house. I’m not even a real human. It’s true that everything is made around cars and sometimes it’s a pain to have to use or rent one, but most of my life can be done without it. We are millions like this. Just not being real enough for you.

And of course, the goal is to force you cycling everywhere and get rid of your precious F150, and not just motivate a few more people on kids bikes or into shitty public transit so you and your precious real life can have more space on the roads.

It’s so ridiculous. I know it’s a provincial matter but some suburbs around Montréal are trying to build TOD and they get threatened by the transit authority to have their train lines reduced or cut. Even if they are already not in function during evenings and weekends.

And VIA Rail trains have been extra late for a few months now, with no end in sight.

Plus, the coach industry is continuing to reduce and/or cut routes. Fifteen years ago I could go from Drummondville to Victoriaville, and be back the same day. Now there’s three coaches a week. I once heard a guy in a train from Drummondville to Montréal, saying that he was visiting his brother in Victoriaville when he had to leave a day earlier and discovered there were simply no coaches leaving the city that day. He paid $80 for a taxi to get him to Drummondville so he could then take a train home.

As someone that tries to get around without a car, some days, all levels of governments make me wish I had one.

The region where I’m from is trying to re purpose an abandoned rail line into a rail trail. The project dates from 2012 (in French). All the bureaucracy involved makes the process take forever. Meanwhile the extension of a multi lane highway plowed through a wooded area, some farmland, required the construction of a bridge, is now completed.

Same for public transit always being cut, while highway extension is like the proverbial carrot on a stick for voters.

VIA Rail won’t even take fucking bikes in the Corridor, yet! Going from Montreal to Drummondville with a bike involves paying $35 for the coach ticket, $15 for your bike, that must be in a box or a bag that they will sell you for $15 if you don’t have one, and pay the same again to get back! Oh and there’s two coaches per day, for your convenience. Also, even if you ditch the bike so you can take a train, it’s going to be seriously late.

But if we’re so worried about the environment and quality of life, instead of trying to get everywhere using public transit and/or a bike, maybe we should buy an electric car. That’s a very good message from our “leaders”.

Cars cars cars! Buy a car! Do you like your new car? You can go to places in your new car! Because you won’t get there using public transit, and cycling will make you fear for your life.

Making sure Canadians can buy affordable e-bikes? Naaah. Buy a car! It’s good for the economy! Everyone needs an affordable car! Cars cars cars!

The rural region where I grew up has always been neglected by big telcos, so there were multiple local ones offering the same as the big ones, but for cheaper, or deep in the countryside.

Every village had its local phone company because Bell didn’t think they were profitable enough to deserve service. Unfortunately the last independent provider, Maskatel, was bought by Bell in 2018.

There is only one left, Cooptel, and it’s a cooperative. This is how my parents living on a rural road can get FTTH. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s a cooperative, Bell would probably have bought it too.

It’s frustrating to see that big telcos won’t put a cent into building a network into rural areas because they see no profit in it, but once a small local company becomes successful in doing that, they often end up being bought by big telcos.

Oh I’ll continue to say it because it depends where. In this specific case it was indeed the case. However my riding had 99% chances to go to the Liberals, it did, and my vote wouldn’t have made any difference.

It varies a lot. In my mother’s family it’s all informal, but my father uses formal vous with his parents and grandchildren do the same.

I’m also working with the public and I’m used to vouvoyer pretty much everyone except people clearly younger than me. I sometimes pass for a bit of a pedantic asshole but that’s just what I’m used to.

Just switch when the other person asks.

A few years ago I had a depression and two dreams were coming back repeatedly.

My apartment was a floating in the middle of the ocean and I had to defend it against “invaders”, like my landlords, my parents, some of my “friends”. They were all trying to “attack” me and invade my now lonely isolated floating apartment.

The other one is my fit coworker hunting and running after me to capture me and bring me back forcefully to my parents, from which I was running away, in my mid thirties.

Yeah, the brave Canadian resistance fighters that defended Canada in Afghanistan. Or the brave heroic American resistance fighters that defended the US from the invading Iraqis, by killing and torturing thousands of civilians. So noble. Thanks for their service.

Source: from Tom Gauld on Twitter

I know it’s more complicated than that but this post gives me this kind of vibes. The soldiers invading on the other side are being told the same thing and are willing to kill others for the same reasons. How noble their sacrifice is! All soldiers! Thanks for fighting amongst yourselves and doing little bits of “collateral damage” in order to save your country from the barbarians.

If the US ever invades my country and I somehow need to kill Americans, I won’t be a fucking hero, I’ll be a murderer, just like them. It’s nothing to be praised. Even if I just help others “defending” my country using my tech skills, it’ll still be helping to murder others. I really really can’t understand doing that willingly. If you have to, yes. But those doing this willingly are also those willing to invade other countries and take the lives of others based on what they see on their side. Again, nothing to be praised.

What? It’s just enhanced interrogation!

Except for the emotional support vehicle.

Yeah. My parents live in a rural area and coverage has been abysmal for years. They barely even get 4G/LTE signal outside the house. They see ads promising them more speed and more coverage but in reality, it’s going the opposite way for them. And they don’t understand it at all.

Now that the telcos are turning off the 3G network soon in that region, it’s going to be even worse. And because there’s not a lot of people in that rural region, it’s not worth it for the cell companies to improve anything.

I wish it wouldn’t be that complicated just to sit. I’m a short man (5’6") and it’s impossible to sit correctly in most office chairs, as the seats are simply too big. My knees can’t bend if my back is against the backrest.

Also they are often too tall and my feet don’t touch the ground, so I need a foot stool.

Even fucking desks are too high.

So I have a chair that’s too big and too high, and a desk that’s also too high when I’m sitting.

I hate that the world is standardized around an average. Finding an appropriate desk or chair for smaller people, at an affordable price, is a pretty good challenge.