I understand we're on a weird schedule this week, however if OCTranspo phone line, online, and the fact I caught the bus I was waiting for yesterday, leads me to believe that a bus is going to come at a certain time, I should not be waiting 40 minutes for a bus that comes every 20 mins (I finally gave up and took a different bus because I was frozen standing on the side of Strandherd with cars whipping up wind into my face).

The weather wasn't that bad between 4:30 and 5 *except for it being cold* for buses to just not show up, however, conspicuously "Out of Service" buses came by around the time the buses should have come, and let people off just past the stop.

So if drivers decided that since there's really only 4 stops between where I was and the end of their route (which is 1.3km, and a nice walk in nice weather, but impossible to walk in snow unless you want to walk down Strandherd Drive in the middle of rush hour since there's no sidewalks... which I do not), then that is NOT COOL.

So once again the city is offering free bus service on new years, but I wonder why they have never thought about giving the gift of free bus service to people who are trying to get to free dinners, friends or family ect. Also curious what drivers are told to do if someone doesn;t have the fare on X-mas. And what drivers on here plan on doing?

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Home+Family/091222/U12229AU.html

Finding your roots has taken on a whole new level of meaning for some French citizens who are looking for the Nazi fathers who impregnated their French mothers during World War II. Women who often had their heads shaved as punishment for collaborating with Nazi occupiers are passing away, leaving papers behind for now-elderly children who are interested in tracking down their fathers.

On a related subject, has anyone been watching ABC's Find My Family? This is a show about reuniting adoptees and birth parents. As someone who gets called upon to assist with such research, it made me sick to the stomach when I read the description. Something so personal (and often painful) shouldn't be done in the public eye, in my humble 2 cents anyway. Anyone else watching this? What's your opinion?

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/22/auschwitz-theft-buyer.html

Police have arrested five men for the theft of the Auschwitz sign, Arbeit Macht Frei, earlier this week, but there's still no evidence on who had it stolen. Police do think it was stolen to fulfill a request from a specific buyer, however. The Polish media are claiming a Swedish resident is under investigation, though Swedish authorities say they haven't received any notice of that yet.

A replica sign, originally created when the original sign was under repair, has been installed at the site, which is now a museum.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/12/22/pei-facebook-death-memorial-584.html

Chris Vessey uses Facebook as many of us do, to keep in touch with friends he hasn't seen in a while. But reminders to get in touch with one old friend is kind of creeping Chris out, because his friend died this summer in a car accident, and yet Vessey is still getting messages to get in touch with his old buddy from Facebook.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5582631_prepare-digital-death.html

Here's an eHow on how to prepare for your own digital death.

http://www.youvebeenleftbehind.com/

And here's who to contact if you're anticipating being raptured. (Hey, if you are raptured can I have your car?)

(That's just a little joke for any believers out there. So is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXuNpF6NVg)

Tags: foi and privacy

And now, the crappy record-keeping roundup, late December version....

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/12/22/health-information.html

Durham Health District in Ontario had records go walkabout after a nurse lost a USB key. Investigations are ongoing...

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/14/white-house-missing-email.html

22 million Bush-era emails have now been found and released by the Obama administration. They're going first to the National Archives and then out in the FOI requests that have been pending for a good long while now...

And now the weather...

http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/indepthanalysis/rexmurphy/story/2009/12/03/thenational-rexmurphy-091203.html

Here we have Rex Murphy talking about Climategate...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/14/greenhouse-gas-emissions.html

We have the leaked documents about the REAL Tory plan for Copenhagen....

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/12/09/climate-developing-nations.html

And finally, the leak of a document draft from Denmark that may have helped sandbag Copenhagen before it even got a good start.

Tags: foi and privacy

If your transfer is balled up in your fist, I'm going to ask to see it. And I'll point out non-confrontationally that it is impossible for me to see it balled up in your fist, lady.

So save the attitude, save cutting me off and being snarky. I have no idea that you just got off another bus, nor do I care, 'cause really, you could have shown a balled up piece of paper to the other driver and he just didn't want to go through the hassle.

Just show your transfer clearly. That's all. It's not hard, nor am I being an asshole by asking to see it. Show it clearly and you can avoid all of this.

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

Tags: i_hope_that, support, wishes

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

Tags: crafts, diygifts, do it yourself

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

Tags: cooking_club