At Home: Time Online

Sometimes it seems as though we’re addicted to our technology?so it should come as no surprise that media consumption has risen among Canadians.

As the CBC reports, the ?amount of time Canadians spent watching television, listening to the radio and online media use increased last year.? For example, compared with media consumption in 2010, the average Canadian watches a half hour more television per week; radio programming also saw an increase.

Most significantly, ?the numbers showed a continued migration towards the internet?; the average Canadian consumed 2.8 hours of Internet television per week, compared with 2.4 hours in 2010.

Also on the rise: the amount spent on communications services, which now totals ?about 4.1 per cent of total household spending and about equal to the amount households spend on health care.?

Around the World: Easy Rider

Move over, Nascar drivers; one Iowa woman’s driving skills under pressure made headlines recently.

As The Kansas City Star reports, Lauri Ulvestad was no speed demon?until recently. While she was driving on an interstate highway, something went terribly wrong and the car’s accelerator became stuck.

The vehicle rocketed up to 120 mph as Ulvestad frantically punched the brakes. That didn’t slow down the car; ?[the] gear shift wouldn’t budge,? and because the vehicle was a push-button start Ulvestad ?couldn’t turn the key off.?

She dialed 9-1-1 while weaving in and out of traffic at dangerous speeds.

Ulvestad told reporters, ?I thought I was going to die,? but she held onto the wheel and maneuvered around traffic like she’d done it all her life?driving onto the grassy median and back onto the road multiple times.

A police escort caught up with her and tried to clear the traffic to reduce the risk of casualties. Finally she was able to stop, although a trooper ?had to disconnect the car’s battery to get the [car] to finally die.?

State troopers ?praised Ulvestad’s driving prowess.?