And I thought I liked to complain

Palin was a member (or at least supporter) of the Alaska Independence Party...

Dear God.

Anyway, something other than US politics.

I found this story about the federal government kicking in about $36 million to improve the quality of high speed internet in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Now, I imagine most northern bloggers are jumping for joy. We all have our internet horror stories. About connections dropping out for days on end, about speeds dropping down so slow in feels like the website is walking up to the arctic and taking its sweet time about doing it. That internet is too slow, with too many limits for the exorbitant price we pay.

So yeah, bring it on. Send the check up. I know it's probably a blatant attempt to buy off northern voters, but I'm not that worried as it will likely make no difference. I can't speak for the NWT, but the odds of Nunavut swinging from Liberal to Conservative in the next federal election is pretty damn small.

However, my mistake, as usual, was to start to read the comments. There were the complaints about fattening up already rich telecommunications companies, that the money should have gone to improving other aspects of northern living, that other areas of Canada aren't getting their fair share of money and that the internet is inherently evil and destructive to northern youth since it bring evil information from the south that corrupts them.

sigh...

Yes, I would prefer it if telecommunications companies didn't get lots of federal funding, but that's the way it works sometimes. And really, if I have to wait for Northwest Tel to improve internet services out of the goodness of their hearts, I will be an old, old man.

Don't even get me started on whether the North gets its share of federal funding, because it doesn't. There ought to be lots more money for a whole host of desperately needed programs. This is a start. Be happy we got it, but not content that it's enough. But for christ sake, don't go whining about how the money should have went somewhere else instead.

And as for the people saying the internet is evil and some how the cause of social problems in the north, you're absolutely right. Clearly there were never any problems in the north before the advent of easily accessible internet. What could I possibly have been thinking....

We have money. It might actually make things better. Why can't people just be happy about that? Just for once....

Last Five
1, The sharpest thorn - Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint
2. Erie Canal (live) - Bruce Springsteen*
3. The stone (live) - The Cheiftains
4. You have placed a chill in my heart - Eurythmics
5. If it feels good, do it - Sloan