Dear Mr.Mayor,

Just a week after re-electing you, you had to show your real nature. So, why now the Canal Lachine, the natural historic site of Canada is closed for the winter? Life does not end in winter. Neither do walks, winter sports and biking. There is not even snow yet, it's only November.

Emptying the water from this famous canal the city is proud of is also a good thing. It is really interesting (and rather disgusting) to know what it REALLY consists of. It is always good to see things in all their seasons and phases. So, here are some dirty photos to your attention. Please feel free to use, copy and to give them to your friends and sympathisers. You might also wish putting some of the wall. You can do so, they are all licensed under Creative Commons.

Yahoo hired lap-dancers to entertain the participants in the Hack Day Taiwan open event. No matter how inclusive to women is the hacker community, events like this kill any good intention. Why is this is bad?

First of all, speaking on behalf of women participants (the real hack-girls), being compared to sex workers - this is really not appropriate association to make. They give bad example and a bad idea on what a "Hack girl" should look like. A number of male participants have probably felt similarly, especially if some of them make efforts in their everyday life to be inclusive and treat their women colleagues equally.

After a long (not sure if productive) full day reflexion meeting in the lab, we got to get a (non free) beer and discuss life. We were three last enthusiasts who stayed till the end, and what it always comes out in the end, is the big annoyances. What's up this time?

Well, the fact Internet at UQAM (my dear university) is not only limited, but it is often completely impossible. The wifi is inaccessible and not supported for Linux machines (tech support completely refuses to collaborate because of their obvious ignorance), but also you are not allowed to plug a router into the I-cables inside the campus. It is immediately detected that you are trying to plug a wifi or a couple of computers together, and they cut you off completely. When you call to be re-plugged, they make a full investigation on what has happened. You need to act as a complete idiot, if you don't want your name to be associated with some "bad hacker, pirate of Internet".

We are three in the office, with two Internet plugs. Two of us are Linux users. This leaves one who can access the public-wifi of the university. So far so good. But the wifi has a limited speed, is unreliable, and also does not allow you to connect to devices like the common printer. So, what is the conclusion?

Imagine what a damage and extra-expenses we would make to the institution, if we would plug a router to be able to access three of us to the cable connection. But no, this is a criminal act, and we not only are not supposed to, but will also be cut the line, and be prosecuted as criminals.

And if this is the everyday life of a student, researcher and teacher, imagine what the everyday life of a simple user would be. Not talking about getting into a government institution, or in a corporation. Surveillance, security, suspicion. Just for a simple connection.

Conclusion: we go to the bar next door, drink beer, discuss, write our projects, write our blogs, and research the net. Viva the student life! Ah, and... cheers!

Monday morning is a difficult time for my daughter, but also for me... To get up, after a wonderful weekend, prepare for leaving, early morning. Catch up with e-mails, conquer procrastination, and dive into your daily tasks. I often sing this song while going to university in the morning:

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,
Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Monday Monday, how could you leave and not take me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, ...

What does Google have to do with abortion rights around the world? Why should search engine change with respect to the country you search from? These and many other questions come out by reading Mosum Momaya`s Is Google Violating Women's Rights?

At the time of this writing, when searching for the relevant translation of “abortion” in each of the fifteen localized Google search engines, no sponsored links appeared in any of the countries – for abortion-related services or otherwise. Incidentally, no AdWords come up either in China - a country that heavily restricts search results for many topics – Greece or South Korea. Meanwhile, AdWords featuring abortion service providers do appear in localized searches in Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

For about an year now Google has in its policy a clause that states that will no longer "accept ads that promote abortion services in fifteen countries", among which Germany, France, Spain, China. Why should some countries differ from others by Google standards, in terms so far away from what search engine companies should be worrying about like abortion rights? And why does it seem to me that the Pope is paying the salaries of some Google Inc. decision-makers? This selective policy sounds very much like the Catholic religious freaks who decide to limit women's rights (such as abortion rights) for no sensible (nor religious) reason.

With this policy revision, it appears that Google Inc. has chosen to steer clear of controversy, avoiding any kind of related ads altogether in the fifteen specified countries. The shift in and specificity of the company’s policy indicates it is taking a stronger role in verifying and deciding what ads are placed – a move that has policy and ethical implications.

Interestingly, decisions are taken on a selective basis, by a corporation that is big and influential enough not to take childish decisions. At the same time, the AdWords freak me enough in thinking how much lack of privacy exist in gmail.com for example - by tracking each keyword of my e-mail and flooding me with ads which I haven't even asked for.

Yet another proof there is no privacy over internet, neither there is net justice, or net neutrality. Internet is everywhere, but there is a lot of controversy, one of which is the access to information, and the right to this information, as a human right.

Belfast Telegraph has announced a few days ago, that a shocking "rape simulator" called RapeLay is being offered for sale on Amazon.com. Created by the Japanese company Illusion, the game involves the player stalking victims and then raping them in a virtual world. One website review describes "tears glistening in the young girl's eyes" as she is attacked in graphic detail.