a big part of a socialized health care system is the socialization of risk - which gives the majority certain rights to enforce specific rules, like helmet-wearing, in order to try and reduce costs. it also gives the majority the right to be coercive about unhealthy behaviour, like smoking and overeating.
it is eminently reasonable to transfer that risk back to the individual if they refuse to abide by those rules, for whatever silly reason they'd like. and, that applies to smokers and fat people, too.
let me put it to you this way: i don't think "it messes my hair" is a less valid reason than "because my religion says so". but, in context, that is the choice the individual gets to make: do they want to socialize the risk, and follow those rules, or take it back, in exchange for flaunting them? and, it doesn't matter what the argument is.
in the circumstance of being denied coverage, the patient would be able to argue (in court) that wearing a helmet wouldn't have helped, anyways. and, a judge could weigh that out.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
i don't think anybody should be forced to wear a helmet. i don't wear one while bicycling, but i might have different opinion about a motorcycle.
i just want to introduce a caveat: in exchange for their recklessness, they should be liable for their own medical costs, in case of emergency. i don't want to suggest denial of service, i believe in universality. but, that should be the price to pay: if they want to put themselves at greater risk of harm for no discernibly good reason, they should be forced to pay out of pocket for expenses.
and, that rule should be applied to non-sikhs as well. if you don't want to wear a helmet, and then get hit by a truck? you're liable for costs arising from it.
you should get due process, too.
but, that escapes this "religious accommodation" clause, and in the way that i think should be widely emulated. "because my religion says so" should not be a loophole in the law, or a way to evade following the rules. in many cases, those laws exist precisely because your religion says so, in the first place. rather, when something like this comes up, the rule should be struck down altogether - and the risk and liability should be transferred to the individual, instead.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4420093/sikhs-turban-helmets-ontario/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=Outbrain&utm_campaign=2015
i just want to introduce a caveat: in exchange for their recklessness, they should be liable for their own medical costs, in case of emergency. i don't want to suggest denial of service, i believe in universality. but, that should be the price to pay: if they want to put themselves at greater risk of harm for no discernibly good reason, they should be forced to pay out of pocket for expenses.
and, that rule should be applied to non-sikhs as well. if you don't want to wear a helmet, and then get hit by a truck? you're liable for costs arising from it.
you should get due process, too.
but, that escapes this "religious accommodation" clause, and in the way that i think should be widely emulated. "because my religion says so" should not be a loophole in the law, or a way to evade following the rules. in many cases, those laws exist precisely because your religion says so, in the first place. rather, when something like this comes up, the rule should be struck down altogether - and the risk and liability should be transferred to the individual, instead.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4420093/sikhs-turban-helmets-ontario/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=Outbrain&utm_campaign=2015
again: i don't agree with these numbers at all.
i don't think we have to choose between supply management and market access; i think our domestic supply can outcompete these imports, and you're just going to see american products sitting on the shelf, or expiring before they get to market.
and, if i understand what's happening, i may even make a conscious choice to buy canadian.
what i'm getting at is that opening the market a little might be a reasonable concession, because it's not going to actually harm our industry, anyways - it's just going to lead to greater losses from american farmers, until they get their supply under control.
the bigger threat is the spread of factory farming.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4431314/nafta-donald-trump-canadian-dairy-market-access/
i don't think we have to choose between supply management and market access; i think our domestic supply can outcompete these imports, and you're just going to see american products sitting on the shelf, or expiring before they get to market.
and, if i understand what's happening, i may even make a conscious choice to buy canadian.
what i'm getting at is that opening the market a little might be a reasonable concession, because it's not going to actually harm our industry, anyways - it's just going to lead to greater losses from american farmers, until they get their supply under control.
the bigger threat is the spread of factory farming.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4431314/nafta-donald-trump-canadian-dairy-market-access/
if you want to talk about "modernizing the agreement", the reality is that nobody watches tv any more, anyways. we get our news from the internet. we watch series on youtube. and, we should be promoting more diversity in where we're getting information, not trying to keep the americans out of this gramscian tool.
i don't know what, exactly, "canadian identity" really is. but, if the government wants to promote arts on the ground through grants and other promotional tools, like guaranteed income, that would be very welcome.
so, even this face-saving is...
the government has had a lot of time to think this through, and all it's broadcasting with this is that it hasn't done it.
i don't know what, exactly, "canadian identity" really is. but, if the government wants to promote arts on the ground through grants and other promotional tools, like guaranteed income, that would be very welcome.
so, even this face-saving is...
the government has had a lot of time to think this through, and all it's broadcasting with this is that it hasn't done it.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
the media is all of a sudden talking about "cultural protections" in nafta. and, this was a serious issue in the 80s, don't get me wrong. but, it's just jumped up out of nowhere, with little evidence that the americans are really pushing into the tv market.
they've already bought out our beer and our hockey, and stolen our music and our writing. they can have ctv if they want it. i want molson back.
but, regardless, this strikes me as a likely attempt to save face - a diversionary tactic to wrap themselves in the flag, in preparation for deep concessions.
well, deep "concessions".
i'm going to find myself in favour of much of what the talking heads on ctv declare to be apocalyptic.
i don't think it would that difficult to replace the kangaroo courts set up by chapter 19 with something that is actually juridical. there's no deficit of possibilities. and, these courts are so phony that we're better off ditching them altogether than holding on to them on a transitional basis.
but, expect the flag wrapping to continue. the national anthem, live at 5. beaver parades (don't think that through.), set to 2112.
oh, canada. your bankers are about to take it on the chin, yes. it might be good for workers, though...we'll see what it looks like, in the end.
they've already bought out our beer and our hockey, and stolen our music and our writing. they can have ctv if they want it. i want molson back.
but, regardless, this strikes me as a likely attempt to save face - a diversionary tactic to wrap themselves in the flag, in preparation for deep concessions.
well, deep "concessions".
i'm going to find myself in favour of much of what the talking heads on ctv declare to be apocalyptic.
i don't think it would that difficult to replace the kangaroo courts set up by chapter 19 with something that is actually juridical. there's no deficit of possibilities. and, these courts are so phony that we're better off ditching them altogether than holding on to them on a transitional basis.
but, expect the flag wrapping to continue. the national anthem, live at 5. beaver parades (don't think that through.), set to 2112.
oh, canada. your bankers are about to take it on the chin, yes. it might be good for workers, though...we'll see what it looks like, in the end.
again: regarding guns, i don't...
if you're going to argue for a ban on guns, i'm not going to present a counter-argument, or line up against you, or anything like that. i see little value in a gun-owning public, and have no cl;ear opposition to a gun ban, of any sort.
what i'm going to do is point out that the data on the topic makes it abundantly clear that a ban on hand guns is not likely to have any effect on reducing crime at all, and agitate instead for social policies that have a better empirical record.
if you're going to argue for a ban on guns, i'm not going to present a counter-argument, or line up against you, or anything like that. i see little value in a gun-owning public, and have no cl;ear opposition to a gun ban, of any sort.
what i'm going to do is point out that the data on the topic makes it abundantly clear that a ban on hand guns is not likely to have any effect on reducing crime at all, and agitate instead for social policies that have a better empirical record.
the gatekeeper called late last night - a little before midnight. and, i called him back.
the ad came down yesterday morning.
he apologized for being a "dick". and, he claims he may or may not have two units open and we can figure that out on friday.
this is still the best option in front of me, by far. but, the messaging i'm getting from him is full of red flags and stop signs, too. he seems to be adverse to signing things, and not fully intent on following through with what he signs. and, while his units appeared to be well taken care of, he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to rent them. but, that might be a net positive, too.
the guy is clearly eccentric.
but i'm clearly eccentric, too.
i'm just left with more uncertainty...
the ad came down yesterday morning.
he apologized for being a "dick". and, he claims he may or may not have two units open and we can figure that out on friday.
this is still the best option in front of me, by far. but, the messaging i'm getting from him is full of red flags and stop signs, too. he seems to be adverse to signing things, and not fully intent on following through with what he signs. and, while his units appeared to be well taken care of, he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to rent them. but, that might be a net positive, too.
the guy is clearly eccentric.
but i'm clearly eccentric, too.
i'm just left with more uncertainty...
but, is the stock market "natural phenomena"?
see, it's not as easy as coming up with a model, fitting it to time and then hoping it works as a predictive tool - you need a reason to apply it. and, this is actually the point where huge amounts of mathematical modelling fails outright.
stated as tersely as possible, fractals are self-repeating patterns, and there's consequently good reason to think you can fit trading data to a fractal-based model. if you're meticulous enough, you can no doubt get it very, very close by solving for the appropriate variables.
and, then, what you have is a model that explains what already happened, in the past. it might be nearly perfect - almost no error bars. but, then using that model to predict the future is truly nothing more than a leap of faith - unless you have some argument, otherwise.
when you're modelling physical data, that's where the actual physics comes in. you can claim that the model is predictive because the force of gravity exists between all massive bodies, or because electricity and magnetism are the same thing or whatever other physical idea you want to present.
but, when you're modelling stock trading, or large scale market behaviour in general, you're just presenting a circular argument: the model is predictive, because you want it to be, essentially. that is, you're trying to understand the phenomena by predicting it with a mathematical theory, rather than using the math to explain the theory. and, see, you might be right. we've learned physics this way, certainly. but, it's just a guess, and it doesn't actually get you anywhere in the end, or at least not in an epistemological sense - what you actually want to know is why you're right.
my understanding is that this kind of deconstruction really applies to any attempt to analyse patterns in the market. and, the reason is that there isn't actually a natural phenomenon underlying the decisions we make. humans are not electrons. and, while we nowadays think electrons are actually pretty random, humans don't even have a wave function.
my opinion is that it's a fool's errand. but, that opinion is only valuable until somebody shows me a truly predictive model - and then we need to figure out why, which is likely to have implications about human quanta that are hard to even imagine, right now.
see, it's not as easy as coming up with a model, fitting it to time and then hoping it works as a predictive tool - you need a reason to apply it. and, this is actually the point where huge amounts of mathematical modelling fails outright.
stated as tersely as possible, fractals are self-repeating patterns, and there's consequently good reason to think you can fit trading data to a fractal-based model. if you're meticulous enough, you can no doubt get it very, very close by solving for the appropriate variables.
and, then, what you have is a model that explains what already happened, in the past. it might be nearly perfect - almost no error bars. but, then using that model to predict the future is truly nothing more than a leap of faith - unless you have some argument, otherwise.
when you're modelling physical data, that's where the actual physics comes in. you can claim that the model is predictive because the force of gravity exists between all massive bodies, or because electricity and magnetism are the same thing or whatever other physical idea you want to present.
but, when you're modelling stock trading, or large scale market behaviour in general, you're just presenting a circular argument: the model is predictive, because you want it to be, essentially. that is, you're trying to understand the phenomena by predicting it with a mathematical theory, rather than using the math to explain the theory. and, see, you might be right. we've learned physics this way, certainly. but, it's just a guess, and it doesn't actually get you anywhere in the end, or at least not in an epistemological sense - what you actually want to know is why you're right.
my understanding is that this kind of deconstruction really applies to any attempt to analyse patterns in the market. and, the reason is that there isn't actually a natural phenomenon underlying the decisions we make. humans are not electrons. and, while we nowadays think electrons are actually pretty random, humans don't even have a wave function.
my opinion is that it's a fool's errand. but, that opinion is only valuable until somebody shows me a truly predictive model - and then we need to figure out why, which is likely to have implications about human quanta that are hard to even imagine, right now.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
fwiw - or to recap.
a few months ago, i put some tape over some cracks in the floors and the walls to try and block smoke seepage from coming in. this was mostly over the baseboards, but there were also some pre-existing cracks in the wall. now, ask yourself - why would i tape over the wall if there wasn't a crack in it? so, there were cracks where i taped, clearly.
i made a formal request to fix these cracks within days of moving in here, but was told by the painter in the building that they'd rather let it sit and fix it later. at the time, that seemed fine. my concern was more in documenting the existence of these cracks and for that reason pictures of these cracks at the time of move-in (or close to it.) do exist.
so, this would be an easy argument for me to win - i'd merely have to show that there were cracks in the wall before i moved in.
while this taping had an initial effect, it was eventually overpowered. and, it also eventually became clear that the flooring itself was damaged beyond anything i could do in my own unit. smoke-proofing this unit would have to be done from downstairs.
so, i made a formal request to do so, which was never seriously responded to.
in taking the tape off the baseboards, i took a minimal amount of paint with me. and, so, i acknowledge that the unit needs to be painted. but, one normally paints a unit between tenancies, anyways.
these baseboards were already caulked shut, presumably to react to smoke damage from downstairs.
my position on the matter is that any extra paint costs should be covered by the $25 deposit, which i will willingly forfeit. but, this is has more to do with me not wanting to fight over $25. i doubt they'd win such a small claim, even, as painting is expected and normal.
i have not received any documentation requesting damages, nor have i received court documents surrounding the issue. but, i have warned the landlord that i have sufficient documentation to defeat them in court, and would be aggressive in seeking damages, should they waste my time.
so, any claims that this unit is damaged are not supported by any evidence that i'm aware of. and, i will deny it outright: the unit will look fine once it's been painted, and the pre-existing problems are addressed.
nor did the owners of the previous unit approach me in any way about damages. in that unit, i took some steps to keep the roaches out and may have left some rust (from steel wool) behind some counters, in places nobody could actually see. the previous owner was actually aware of the steps i took, and supportive of them, as they were effective in clearing the unit of pre-existing vermin, and much cheaper than ripping up the subfloor.
my problem here is that i am too responsible of a tenant to live in this kind of a building. i need something healthier, and with less pathetic people in it.
a few months ago, i put some tape over some cracks in the floors and the walls to try and block smoke seepage from coming in. this was mostly over the baseboards, but there were also some pre-existing cracks in the wall. now, ask yourself - why would i tape over the wall if there wasn't a crack in it? so, there were cracks where i taped, clearly.
i made a formal request to fix these cracks within days of moving in here, but was told by the painter in the building that they'd rather let it sit and fix it later. at the time, that seemed fine. my concern was more in documenting the existence of these cracks and for that reason pictures of these cracks at the time of move-in (or close to it.) do exist.
so, this would be an easy argument for me to win - i'd merely have to show that there were cracks in the wall before i moved in.
while this taping had an initial effect, it was eventually overpowered. and, it also eventually became clear that the flooring itself was damaged beyond anything i could do in my own unit. smoke-proofing this unit would have to be done from downstairs.
so, i made a formal request to do so, which was never seriously responded to.
in taking the tape off the baseboards, i took a minimal amount of paint with me. and, so, i acknowledge that the unit needs to be painted. but, one normally paints a unit between tenancies, anyways.
these baseboards were already caulked shut, presumably to react to smoke damage from downstairs.
my position on the matter is that any extra paint costs should be covered by the $25 deposit, which i will willingly forfeit. but, this is has more to do with me not wanting to fight over $25. i doubt they'd win such a small claim, even, as painting is expected and normal.
i have not received any documentation requesting damages, nor have i received court documents surrounding the issue. but, i have warned the landlord that i have sufficient documentation to defeat them in court, and would be aggressive in seeking damages, should they waste my time.
so, any claims that this unit is damaged are not supported by any evidence that i'm aware of. and, i will deny it outright: the unit will look fine once it's been painted, and the pre-existing problems are addressed.
nor did the owners of the previous unit approach me in any way about damages. in that unit, i took some steps to keep the roaches out and may have left some rust (from steel wool) behind some counters, in places nobody could actually see. the previous owner was actually aware of the steps i took, and supportive of them, as they were effective in clearing the unit of pre-existing vermin, and much cheaper than ripping up the subfloor.
my problem here is that i am too responsible of a tenant to live in this kind of a building. i need something healthier, and with less pathetic people in it.
having a job would actually not help me get what i want, which is a healthy living environment.
even the houses for sale downtown are going to have the same set of problems, as i'm going to be beside smoky neighbour.
the only way out of this is actually subsidized housing - that's the only non-smoking ticket in town. and, in order to get in there, i'd have to be homeless.
i wonder how long the list is, for homeless people.
well, if that's my only tactic, so be it. i'm going to call...
even the houses for sale downtown are going to have the same set of problems, as i'm going to be beside smoky neighbour.
the only way out of this is actually subsidized housing - that's the only non-smoking ticket in town. and, in order to get in there, i'd have to be homeless.
i wonder how long the list is, for homeless people.
well, if that's my only tactic, so be it. i'm going to call...
Monday, September 3, 2018
see, the problem with tying intelligence to achievement is that it assumes that being smart means you want to get lots of wealth.
and, if you don't realize that this obviously isn't true, then you default yourself from the start.
listen: i've taken a difficult path through life, some of it chosen and some of it not. it's given me a unique set of experiences. but, have i accomplished what i actually wanted?
well, i'm getting there.
right now what i'm trying to accomplish is twofold. first, i'm trying to complete the liner notes & aleph-discs for the first two periods of my discography, and i am making slow progress on it - slow progress, but progress. second, i'm trying to find a healthy place to live.
neither my previous basement nor the unit i'm in now have been healthy places to live, although the first was pretty good, until the new management took over. i admit i made a mistake moving into this place, and is admitting error not a sign of intelligence? we'll see if i'm able to accomplish this task on my third try or not.
but, understand the point: you can't tell me what my goals ought to be. you can't tell me what i should want, what i should dream or how i should go about accomplishing those goals or dreams. what you can do, if you insist, is measure how well i succeed at what i want to succeed at.
right now, those goals are as aforementioned.
and, i'm going to try to get some work done tonight.
and, if you don't realize that this obviously isn't true, then you default yourself from the start.
listen: i've taken a difficult path through life, some of it chosen and some of it not. it's given me a unique set of experiences. but, have i accomplished what i actually wanted?
well, i'm getting there.
right now what i'm trying to accomplish is twofold. first, i'm trying to complete the liner notes & aleph-discs for the first two periods of my discography, and i am making slow progress on it - slow progress, but progress. second, i'm trying to find a healthy place to live.
neither my previous basement nor the unit i'm in now have been healthy places to live, although the first was pretty good, until the new management took over. i admit i made a mistake moving into this place, and is admitting error not a sign of intelligence? we'll see if i'm able to accomplish this task on my third try or not.
but, understand the point: you can't tell me what my goals ought to be. you can't tell me what i should want, what i should dream or how i should go about accomplishing those goals or dreams. what you can do, if you insist, is measure how well i succeed at what i want to succeed at.
right now, those goals are as aforementioned.
and, i'm going to try to get some work done tonight.
ok.
so, maybe i am being persecuted for my views. like, what is this, iran? that shouldn't happen here.
and, if you can find me another example of the canadian government attacking a private citizen for their writing, i'd like to see it. that's unheard of, in canada. and, if you have evidence, then that's a story that should be published - and a government that should be held accountable.
this is supposed to be a free society, and broadly has been for a very long time, now.
but, presuming it's true: where's the white knight that steps in and stands up for free speech?
because, if the government is regressing to these kind of attacks then there needs to be a proportionate response - or you're next.
so, maybe i am being persecuted for my views. like, what is this, iran? that shouldn't happen here.
and, if you can find me another example of the canadian government attacking a private citizen for their writing, i'd like to see it. that's unheard of, in canada. and, if you have evidence, then that's a story that should be published - and a government that should be held accountable.
this is supposed to be a free society, and broadly has been for a very long time, now.
but, presuming it's true: where's the white knight that steps in and stands up for free speech?
because, if the government is regressing to these kind of attacks then there needs to be a proportionate response - or you're next.
trump is right on this, and trudeau is just digging in to stand up for investors' rights at the expense of the working class.
the surprising thing is less that trudeau is a stooge - that was always obvious. but, trump is...
...he's following through on things that i didn't expect him to.
again: i expect the full text to be terrible. but, i've been arguing against chapter 19 for 20+ years. i'm not going to stand up for it, now.
the surprising thing is less that trudeau is a stooge - that was always obvious. but, trump is...
...he's following through on things that i didn't expect him to.
again: i expect the full text to be terrible. but, i've been arguing against chapter 19 for 20+ years. i'm not going to stand up for it, now.
chapter 19 has deep resonance amongst canadians?
perhaps, but not positively.
it was one of the things that sparked mass protests.
these guys are total corporate stooges. they'd throw the whole court system under the bus in exchange for corporate council kangaroo courts, if they could.
i strongly support the abolition of chapter 19 and subsequent return of judicial sovereignty on both sides of the border.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/09/02/will-chapter-19-be-a-deal-breaker-for-canada-in-nafta-talks.html
perhaps, but not positively.
it was one of the things that sparked mass protests.
these guys are total corporate stooges. they'd throw the whole court system under the bus in exchange for corporate council kangaroo courts, if they could.
i strongly support the abolition of chapter 19 and subsequent return of judicial sovereignty on both sides of the border.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/09/02/will-chapter-19-be-a-deal-breaker-for-canada-in-nafta-talks.html
i initially thought she was an american, because she acted like one, but her mom seems like a caribbean immigrant. canada has a large jamaican community, but that's just a guess. and, the older woman is probably well educated and probably has a good paying job - because she probably came here during a period of time where that was a pre-requisite to entry.
this is apparently a well-understood problem amongst second generation caribbeans in canada. these children of doctors and professors end up thugs or entitled drunks. and, it doesn't happen in other second-generation canadian communities, who are by far the most successful people in our society. second-generation asians, in particular, are extremely well off.
and, i think there's something specifically at cause here, in the americanization of canadian blacks. it seems to be pulling people down. and, there was probably something to my initial observation.
i don't know why they left her out.
but, i know that all i ever asked her to do was smoke away from the window - and all i got back was drunkenness & belligerence.
this is apparently a well-understood problem amongst second generation caribbeans in canada. these children of doctors and professors end up thugs or entitled drunks. and, it doesn't happen in other second-generation canadian communities, who are by far the most successful people in our society. second-generation asians, in particular, are extremely well off.
and, i think there's something specifically at cause here, in the americanization of canadian blacks. it seems to be pulling people down. and, there was probably something to my initial observation.
i don't know why they left her out.
but, i know that all i ever asked her to do was smoke away from the window - and all i got back was drunkenness & belligerence.
i think it was a big rooming house, but that it was under a single lease. so, a couple of the people were just boarders - including smoky. when the group moved out, they didn't take her with them.
there's an older woman helping her move that i'm guessing is her mom. and, maybe that's where she's going.
she's like 40.
she has grandchildren.
so, if i understand the space properly (i've never been in there), there's a very big townhouse opening up next door, with a huge yard.
this would legitimately be a good spot for a family with some kids.
hopefully, they don't smoke.
and, hopefully, i can get some fresh air through the window for the next few weeks.
there's an older woman helping her move that i'm guessing is her mom. and, maybe that's where she's going.
she's like 40.
she has grandchildren.
so, if i understand the space properly (i've never been in there), there's a very big townhouse opening up next door, with a huge yard.
this would legitimately be a good spot for a family with some kids.
hopefully, they don't smoke.
and, hopefully, i can get some fresh air through the window for the next few weeks.
yeah, somebody else snatched that up quick.
i thought it was overpriced, because it was too small - but somebody else may have decided that the size was less important, and the clean carpets and new shower were worth paying more for.
it does make more sense to move that other person in, that likes like the place for what it is, and isn't just trying to avoid homelessness.
and, if i find what i want, it will be for the best. if....
if not, i could regret it.
we'll see.
i thought it was overpriced, because it was too small - but somebody else may have decided that the size was less important, and the clean carpets and new shower were worth paying more for.
it does make more sense to move that other person in, that likes like the place for what it is, and isn't just trying to avoid homelessness.
and, if i find what i want, it will be for the best. if....
if not, i could regret it.
we'll see.
it's $100 more than i pay now, but inclusive.
maybe i can take him down to $750 + hydro, from $800 all inclusive.
my rent here would either be going up by 1.8% in december or, more likely, by more than that in january. so, that's probably $720+.
and, remember that my prescription just went down by $65.
i'm also going to apply for that $100 small business credit, which could balance it out right there.
if i can just set up there for a year or two and actually finish the work, the rest won't matter. i'll be gone.
and, i have to keep something else in mind, too - all of the negative influences of this population growth are going to be offset by all these dying boomers. this is a perfect storm, for me. i should have appealed in that basement and waited for something better. but, here i am now...
...and i'm not going to need all this extra space, once i finish the work.
i'll call in the morning. i'll bring measuring tapes to be sure - i'm also relying on my eye, which is an imperfect tool. and, maybe i can get something signed by noon, to get out of here within a few days.
i'm going to call the gatekeeper before i commit. that ad is still up...
maybe i can take him down to $750 + hydro, from $800 all inclusive.
my rent here would either be going up by 1.8% in december or, more likely, by more than that in january. so, that's probably $720+.
and, remember that my prescription just went down by $65.
i'm also going to apply for that $100 small business credit, which could balance it out right there.
if i can just set up there for a year or two and actually finish the work, the rest won't matter. i'll be gone.
and, i have to keep something else in mind, too - all of the negative influences of this population growth are going to be offset by all these dying boomers. this is a perfect storm, for me. i should have appealed in that basement and waited for something better. but, here i am now...
...and i'm not going to need all this extra space, once i finish the work.
i'll call in the morning. i'll bring measuring tapes to be sure - i'm also relying on my eye, which is an imperfect tool. and, maybe i can get something signed by noon, to get out of here within a few days.
i'm going to call the gatekeeper before i commit. that ad is still up...
Sunday, September 2, 2018
i got beat to something last month by a mom trying to put something down for her daughter. i just got elbowed out.
and, i had to pass on a non-smoking unit in july because i couldn't get my landlord to give me back my last month.
so, am i foolish to skip over this?
it's just....it's not what i want, dammit.
see, if i skip on this, and i can't find anything three weeks from now, i'm going to look like a goof. but, if i sign a lease tomorrow, and then the exact thing i want opens up the next day...
i'm gambling either way, right?
and, i had to pass on a non-smoking unit in july because i couldn't get my landlord to give me back my last month.
so, am i foolish to skip over this?
it's just....it's not what i want, dammit.
see, if i skip on this, and i can't find anything three weeks from now, i'm going to look like a goof. but, if i sign a lease tomorrow, and then the exact thing i want opens up the next day...
i'm gambling either way, right?
the first place i tried to put something down on is getting the foundation redone.
the second has this crazy guy gatekeeping.
and the third is desperately looking for a non-smoker but won't talk to me because i don't have a current reference, completely ignoring the fact that i'm trying to escape from a hellhole run by a druglord.
the second has this crazy guy gatekeeping.
and the third is desperately looking for a non-smoker but won't talk to me because i don't have a current reference, completely ignoring the fact that i'm trying to escape from a hellhole run by a druglord.
see, the thing is this.
it's a little smaller and a little more pricey because it's a little nicer.
it has some well kept carpets. the bathroom looks like it was recently done. so, this is just a little bit nicer of a place, overall. ok.
but, that's just it - i moved here because i wanted cheap, substandard housing, not nice housing at a market rent.
so, i would rather have that big dirty basement for cheap, because it's what i moved here for. there would be no question i'd have enough space, that way. and, i'd have that extra few dollar in the bank.
most people would make the opposite choice - they'd reason this place is a little smaller, but it's a nicer unit, so it's worth the extra money. and, that's fine - good for them. this unit is better suited for them. its not what i want - i want bigger and cheaper at the expense of niceties.
i don't mind fighting off the odd roach. i don't mind fighting off the odd rodent. i just want the space i need to create.
but, i'm getting all kinds of bad luck when i find what i want. and, may have to settle for the nicer unit at the higher price - at the expense of the big, cheap space i really want.
it's a little smaller and a little more pricey because it's a little nicer.
it has some well kept carpets. the bathroom looks like it was recently done. so, this is just a little bit nicer of a place, overall. ok.
but, that's just it - i moved here because i wanted cheap, substandard housing, not nice housing at a market rent.
so, i would rather have that big dirty basement for cheap, because it's what i moved here for. there would be no question i'd have enough space, that way. and, i'd have that extra few dollar in the bank.
most people would make the opposite choice - they'd reason this place is a little smaller, but it's a nicer unit, so it's worth the extra money. and, that's fine - good for them. this unit is better suited for them. its not what i want - i want bigger and cheaper at the expense of niceties.
i don't mind fighting off the odd roach. i don't mind fighting off the odd rodent. i just want the space i need to create.
but, i'm getting all kinds of bad luck when i find what i want. and, may have to settle for the nicer unit at the higher price - at the expense of the big, cheap space i really want.
see, it would be easier if it wasn't just barely acceptable.
it's just barely big enough.
it's just barely affordable.
and, while it's non-smoking, and that's so key, i can tell that these are tenants that i'll just barely get along with - that i'm not going to have anything in common with these people. and, it's close enough living arrangements that that's not irrelevant - not entirely.
so, it's just barely acceptable.
if it was that much smaller, or i smelled a whiff of pot, or it was $50 more....you know....
but, i could move there.
i could stay there for a while.
so, i'm forced to make a choice - if it's not taken, already.
but it's not what i want....
let me sleep on this.
it's just barely big enough.
it's just barely affordable.
and, while it's non-smoking, and that's so key, i can tell that these are tenants that i'll just barely get along with - that i'm not going to have anything in common with these people. and, it's close enough living arrangements that that's not irrelevant - not entirely.
so, it's just barely acceptable.
if it was that much smaller, or i smelled a whiff of pot, or it was $50 more....you know....
but, i could move there.
i could stay there for a while.
so, i'm forced to make a choice - if it's not taken, already.
but it's not what i want....
let me sleep on this.
i guess you have to understand that i spend almost all of my time at home. and, when you're inside for up to fifteen days at a time (in the winter), the space you're inhabiting becomes extremely important.
so, i'm not just looking for somewhere to relax on the weekends, or make something to eat in the evening - i'm looking for somewhere to exist.
that's a big factor in why i'm so picky, compared to other people.
but, i'm going to call this place back tomorrow morning. i expect somebody took it moments after i left. but, we''ll see. it is the long weekend. and, i might soften up after having slept on it.
i'm not entirely clear how the apartment works next door, but it seems like a bunch of them are moving out. and, that might get me some fresh air for the night.
i'm sure the next tenants will be just as bad. i may even have to start all over again :(.
so, i'm not just looking for somewhere to relax on the weekends, or make something to eat in the evening - i'm looking for somewhere to exist.
that's a big factor in why i'm so picky, compared to other people.
but, i'm going to call this place back tomorrow morning. i expect somebody took it moments after i left. but, we''ll see. it is the long weekend. and, i might soften up after having slept on it.
i'm not entirely clear how the apartment works next door, but it seems like a bunch of them are moving out. and, that might get me some fresh air for the night.
i'm sure the next tenants will be just as bad. i may even have to start all over again :(.
i saw something tonight, and it was good enough - i could have moved in tomorrow.
but i just...
i didn't like it. you know?
it was a tad small, but i could fit things in. and, it was overpriced, but i might have to get used to that. and, it seemed adamantly non-smoking.
but, the place seemed too...like...it had this condo feel that i didn't like.
the owner was out in the back working on his car. meathead.
they don't appear to recycle.
it just rubbed me the wrong way, all around.
i want a quiet, non-smoking place to work in. but, it just didn't feel right.
and, in the back of my head, i'm holding out hope on this crazy guy's basement, even though i know he's not going to call me back.
i might regret this.
but, i just don't want to move there.
but i just...
i didn't like it. you know?
it was a tad small, but i could fit things in. and, it was overpriced, but i might have to get used to that. and, it seemed adamantly non-smoking.
but, the place seemed too...like...it had this condo feel that i didn't like.
the owner was out in the back working on his car. meathead.
they don't appear to recycle.
it just rubbed me the wrong way, all around.
i want a quiet, non-smoking place to work in. but, it just didn't feel right.
and, in the back of my head, i'm holding out hope on this crazy guy's basement, even though i know he's not going to call me back.
i might regret this.
but, i just don't want to move there.
i know what i'm looking for.
what i'm looking for is detroit. detroit is still a liberal place with a vibrant culture. and, surely i can find somewhere non-smoking.
but, that's a dangerous idea.
the lease requirement for disability in ontario is that you have to live in ontario. so, you can't live in montreal, and you can't live in gatineau....and you can't live in detroit.
but, could i figure something else out?
well, i guess that, if i end up putting things in storage, it's a possibility to explore, isn't it?
i can still come home for healthcare...
i just don't know how that would work. i'd only have $670/month. canadian. i'd need some other source of income.
i'm neither legally entitled to live nor work in the united states, and i simply don't know how hard it would be for me to get a green card. i am well educated, at least.
it's frustrating, though. i'm going to lose access to what is a liberal haven in detroit, because windsor is being slowly taken over by conservatives, and oriented in a hard right direction. everything i like about detroit is being pulled away from me by the rising rents in windsor.
it's an accurate microcosm of what is happening, though, regarding the united states and canada.
for the first time in my life, i'm getting an urge to cross to the other side of that border.
what i'm looking for is detroit. detroit is still a liberal place with a vibrant culture. and, surely i can find somewhere non-smoking.
but, that's a dangerous idea.
the lease requirement for disability in ontario is that you have to live in ontario. so, you can't live in montreal, and you can't live in gatineau....and you can't live in detroit.
but, could i figure something else out?
well, i guess that, if i end up putting things in storage, it's a possibility to explore, isn't it?
i can still come home for healthcare...
i just don't know how that would work. i'd only have $670/month. canadian. i'd need some other source of income.
i'm neither legally entitled to live nor work in the united states, and i simply don't know how hard it would be for me to get a green card. i am well educated, at least.
it's frustrating, though. i'm going to lose access to what is a liberal haven in detroit, because windsor is being slowly taken over by conservatives, and oriented in a hard right direction. everything i like about detroit is being pulled away from me by the rising rents in windsor.
it's an accurate microcosm of what is happening, though, regarding the united states and canada.
for the first time in my life, i'm getting an urge to cross to the other side of that border.
more often than not recently, on a weekend afternoon, you're subjected to listening to somebody angrily yelling arabic phrases into a microphone - phrases that we would mostly all no doubt be appalled by, if we understood them.
they set up in parking lots.
they draw crowds.
it's a matter of time before they get violent.
they set up in parking lots.
they draw crowds.
it's a matter of time before they get violent.
i'm not broke.
i have a stable income source.
& it's not even exactly that the market is saturated - there are places coming up every day.
it's that the city does not have affordable smoke-free housing - or what little exists of it is not friendly to artists on disability. and, you consequently cannot live here if you don't smoke, and you care about your health.
all these kids moving in here are going to get asthma....or worse...
i have a stable income source.
& it's not even exactly that the market is saturated - there are places coming up every day.
it's that the city does not have affordable smoke-free housing - or what little exists of it is not friendly to artists on disability. and, you consequently cannot live here if you don't smoke, and you care about your health.
all these kids moving in here are going to get asthma....or worse...
the counter-argument is that they're going to cut my check by $479 anyways. so, as long as the room is less than that...
but, if i'm taking this path, i don't want to sign a lease. and, i can actually apply for them to recoup costs spent in hostels. i've looked into this before.
it means i won't have a place to sleep every night, but that's ok - the intent is for this to be very short term.
if i get my things into storage for the first week of october, i could potentially move them into a place in hamilton or niagara or waterloo by november 1st. and, that is what i want - not to waste away my life in a rooming house.
& i have a lot of cash in the bank. the winter will eventually hit. & when it does, if i have to, i can rent something over air bnb for a few weeks at a time.
there has to be somewhere in this province where i can just focus on my work, in a safe & healthy environment. and, we'll see how long it takes to find it...
but, if i'm taking this path, i don't want to sign a lease. and, i can actually apply for them to recoup costs spent in hostels. i've looked into this before.
it means i won't have a place to sleep every night, but that's ok - the intent is for this to be very short term.
if i get my things into storage for the first week of october, i could potentially move them into a place in hamilton or niagara or waterloo by november 1st. and, that is what i want - not to waste away my life in a rooming house.
& i have a lot of cash in the bank. the winter will eventually hit. & when it does, if i have to, i can rent something over air bnb for a few weeks at a time.
there has to be somewhere in this province where i can just focus on my work, in a safe & healthy environment. and, we'll see how long it takes to find it...
again, let us understand the costs associated with me renting a room.
the room itself is going to be in the $400-500 range. but, then i need to put my things in storage, which is another $300-400.
so, the total costs of getting a room are not $400-500, but $700-900 - which is the price of an apartment in the first place.
further, if i get to the point where i am placing my items in storage, that is going to be the last straw for windsor. i'm already fed up with this place: it is culturally dead, unremittingly filthy and rapidly being taken over by muslim conservatives, who seem to have the full backing of city council, and the tacit support of the dwindling christian right. i'm searching every nook & cranny for a healthy, affordable, queer-friendly, artist-friendly place to exist. & it's increasingly clear that it doesn't exist here.
so, if this happens, if i put my things away, i will have already given up on this town - and be looking to get out.
i'm going to see something tonight, but it's low probability. and i'll have to decide over the next week whether i want to buy time with an appeal or not.
i don't think it's worthwhile.
& i want to escape from this filthy space, not put up barricades to stay longer.
the room itself is going to be in the $400-500 range. but, then i need to put my things in storage, which is another $300-400.
so, the total costs of getting a room are not $400-500, but $700-900 - which is the price of an apartment in the first place.
further, if i get to the point where i am placing my items in storage, that is going to be the last straw for windsor. i'm already fed up with this place: it is culturally dead, unremittingly filthy and rapidly being taken over by muslim conservatives, who seem to have the full backing of city council, and the tacit support of the dwindling christian right. i'm searching every nook & cranny for a healthy, affordable, queer-friendly, artist-friendly place to exist. & it's increasingly clear that it doesn't exist here.
so, if this happens, if i put my things away, i will have already given up on this town - and be looking to get out.
i'm going to see something tonight, but it's low probability. and i'll have to decide over the next week whether i want to buy time with an appeal or not.
i don't think it's worthwhile.
& i want to escape from this filthy space, not put up barricades to stay longer.
stumbled upon a few files this morning...
just in case you didn't believe my dad's side is jewish:
(yeah, that's me.)
he wasn't always so conspicuous. that beard was gone by the time i was five, ne'er to be seen again.
there are plenty of shots like this where it's easy to think he's palestinian - but it's italian/jew/cree/french, from what i know.
his skin lightened a lot as he aged, to the point where he looked like an elder chomsky. really. it was almost uncanny.
so, it's always been weird to see these pictures of him as a young man, looking so notably ethnic.
i mean, that's me in both shots. but, i don't remember it. and, rates of change as they are, people can transform before your eyes without truly noticing it.
just in case you didn't believe my dad's side is jewish:
(yeah, that's me.)
he wasn't always so conspicuous. that beard was gone by the time i was five, ne'er to be seen again.
there are plenty of shots like this where it's easy to think he's palestinian - but it's italian/jew/cree/french, from what i know.
his skin lightened a lot as he aged, to the point where he looked like an elder chomsky. really. it was almost uncanny.
so, it's always been weird to see these pictures of him as a young man, looking so notably ethnic.
i mean, that's me in both shots. but, i don't remember it. and, rates of change as they are, people can transform before your eyes without truly noticing it.
the prime minister really is a good example, and it's not what you think.
i don't suspect that justin trudeau would do particularly well on iq tests, but he has inherited a lot of wealth - and a lot of power. but, this is actually counter to design.
his father set that trust fund up so he "wouldn't have to be a lawyer or a politician". dad was trying to give him a way out. but, dad was rich and powerful - and smart. so, what gives?
maybe the correlation isn't there for a better reason than mere inheritance. mmmm?
i don't suspect that justin trudeau would do particularly well on iq tests, but he has inherited a lot of wealth - and a lot of power. but, this is actually counter to design.
his father set that trust fund up so he "wouldn't have to be a lawyer or a politician". dad was trying to give him a way out. but, dad was rich and powerful - and smart. so, what gives?
maybe the correlation isn't there for a better reason than mere inheritance. mmmm?
i love this graph...
really.
i pulled it out of a psychology journal, years ago.
what it says is that if you're stupid, you might be more likely to be poor. but, if you're smart, you're not more likely to be rich - at all.
and, while one may be tempted to use it to point out that wealth in our society is so dominated by inheritance rather than ability, i think this is missing the point.
really.
i pulled it out of a psychology journal, years ago.
what it says is that if you're stupid, you might be more likely to be poor. but, if you're smart, you're not more likely to be rich - at all.
and, while one may be tempted to use it to point out that wealth in our society is so dominated by inheritance rather than ability, i think this is missing the point.
if i were to stay here, and develop carcinoma as a consequence of their behaviour, would these people face any consequences for their actions?
and, would that not be a grave injustice? should they not be liable?
but, they would not be. and, no level of liability could overturn the result.
so, how can you tell me that i am over-reacting, when i have no remedy to undo their behaviour?
no behaviour short of knocking down the door and pulling the thing out of the smokers' mouth wouldn't be under-reacting - but all property law exists to protect some type of asshole.
and, would that not be a grave injustice? should they not be liable?
but, they would not be. and, no level of liability could overturn the result.
so, how can you tell me that i am over-reacting, when i have no remedy to undo their behaviour?
no behaviour short of knocking down the door and pulling the thing out of the smokers' mouth wouldn't be under-reacting - but all property law exists to protect some type of asshole.
what is rational, in context, is to defend yourself by whatever means necessary.
what is irrational is to ignore the situation, or otherwise give in, by citing some concept of "rights" that does not exist in any relevant law.
and, again: recognizing what is rational and what isn't, in context, comes down to understanding the relevant science.
what is irrational is to ignore the situation, or otherwise give in, by citing some concept of "rights" that does not exist in any relevant law.
and, again: recognizing what is rational and what isn't, in context, comes down to understanding the relevant science.
when somebody asks you to smoke elsewhere, you have an obligation to immediately move - that's how a polite society operates.
and, if you're not going to do that, you deserve whatever happens to you in response, from people protecting their health and their environment from your carcinogens and pollution.
and, if you're not going to do that, you deserve whatever happens to you in response, from people protecting their health and their environment from your carcinogens and pollution.
the culture in this city is pathetic, and the people that live here are idiots.
the woman below me should have been evicted months or perhaps years ago.
and, while the woman across from me has apparently decided to smoke elsewhere, she should have immediately moved upon first request; i should not have had to resort to the kinds of tactics i had to resort to (which were successful, you will note) in order to get her out of my air supply.
the woman below me should have been evicted months or perhaps years ago.
and, while the woman across from me has apparently decided to smoke elsewhere, she should have immediately moved upon first request; i should not have had to resort to the kinds of tactics i had to resort to (which were successful, you will note) in order to get her out of my air supply.
any rational agent would do everything they possibly could - including resorting to violence, if necessary - to escape from being slowly poisoned by their neighbours.
the reality is that you are ignorant of the science on the topic; if you understood the severity of the threat, you would recognize my behaviour as entirely rational.
the reality is that you are ignorant of the science on the topic; if you understood the severity of the threat, you would recognize my behaviour as entirely rational.
but, i'm just curious if you could extrapolate upon this claim that fighting hard for a right to fresh air is somehow a sign of low intelligence.
if i was smart, i'd just shut up and die, right?
or, is the truth what i really suspect - that you don't accept the science on second-hand smoke?
you think it's harmless, right?
you're a buffoon.
if i was smart, i'd just shut up and die, right?
or, is the truth what i really suspect - that you don't accept the science on second-hand smoke?
you think it's harmless, right?
you're a buffoon.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
i've posted this more than a few times...
i've written a dozen iq tests, and they all put me in the highest percentiles. and, i do exceedingly well in school when i'm able and interested in applying myself - across a wide variety of topics. so, when i tell you that i have a high aptitude level, that's not my opinion or some other unqualified person's opinion - that's an objective testing criteria. and, you can disagree with that if you want, but i'm just telling you what the tests say - although if you disagree with the objective testing criteria, it probably says more about your own intelligence than it says about mine.
why am i not rich then?
well, i keep telling you that i don't want to be rich, what i want is to be free, and that freedom is only possible by rejecting wealth. wealth is a type of slavery, not an escape from it. your car is not a symbol of freedom, but a symbol of slavery.
and, so we're left with one of two possibilities: either the tests are wrong and i'm actually an idiot, or my rejection of wealth as a basis of happiness is actually a reflection of the high aptitude level.
maybe the truth is that i'm poor because i'm too smart to be rich.
what i'll say is that i probably think you're a moron, regardless of how much money you make.
i've written a dozen iq tests, and they all put me in the highest percentiles. and, i do exceedingly well in school when i'm able and interested in applying myself - across a wide variety of topics. so, when i tell you that i have a high aptitude level, that's not my opinion or some other unqualified person's opinion - that's an objective testing criteria. and, you can disagree with that if you want, but i'm just telling you what the tests say - although if you disagree with the objective testing criteria, it probably says more about your own intelligence than it says about mine.
why am i not rich then?
well, i keep telling you that i don't want to be rich, what i want is to be free, and that freedom is only possible by rejecting wealth. wealth is a type of slavery, not an escape from it. your car is not a symbol of freedom, but a symbol of slavery.
and, so we're left with one of two possibilities: either the tests are wrong and i'm actually an idiot, or my rejection of wealth as a basis of happiness is actually a reflection of the high aptitude level.
maybe the truth is that i'm poor because i'm too smart to be rich.
what i'll say is that i probably think you're a moron, regardless of how much money you make.
listen: i'm a leftist.
and, on nafta, it is trump that is pushing ideas that i agree with, and trudeau that is pushing ideas i don't agree with.
at all.
sorry.
and, we will see this come up in the upcoming weeks, when trump finds himself aligned with the democrats in congress, and trudeau finds himself aligned with the republicans.
and, on nafta, it is trump that is pushing ideas that i agree with, and trudeau that is pushing ideas i don't agree with.
at all.
sorry.
and, we will see this come up in the upcoming weeks, when trump finds himself aligned with the democrats in congress, and trudeau finds himself aligned with the republicans.
i did see something this morning, but it was smoky and way too small.
so, i got home and decided i was going to be stuck here for the month, after all. so, i called my landlord to explain i was willing to pay the balance, and i didn't get instructions on payment this month, as i usually do.
"but, you haven't been paying the rent."
"there was a court order. if you do the math..."
"i thought you just weren't paying rent."
see, and i've known this all along. i've explained my reasons and behaviours very clearly to these people, and they're just ignoring her majesty's court altogether, as though it doesn't exist.
and, what is at the root of this is just absolute ignorance of the legal system in this country. i've stated this repeatedly: the basic entry point of ignorance in this society is what we call "libertarianism". that is where ignorance starts. they don't understand anything besides this archaic nineteenth century concept of contract theory...
i made a complaint. it was ignored. i sought relief. it was granted. they ignored it. so, i withheld. and, now i owe them $50 to balance it out.
"...it's a $50 balance. so, should i come in to the office and pay it or...."
"i'm going to have to call the owner."
"but, if you do the..."
"i have to call the owner. there's a holiday monday, so it will need to wait until tuesday."
& maybe i've still got time to get out of here, after all, then.
so, i got home and decided i was going to be stuck here for the month, after all. so, i called my landlord to explain i was willing to pay the balance, and i didn't get instructions on payment this month, as i usually do.
"but, you haven't been paying the rent."
"there was a court order. if you do the math..."
"i thought you just weren't paying rent."
see, and i've known this all along. i've explained my reasons and behaviours very clearly to these people, and they're just ignoring her majesty's court altogether, as though it doesn't exist.
and, what is at the root of this is just absolute ignorance of the legal system in this country. i've stated this repeatedly: the basic entry point of ignorance in this society is what we call "libertarianism". that is where ignorance starts. they don't understand anything besides this archaic nineteenth century concept of contract theory...
i made a complaint. it was ignored. i sought relief. it was granted. they ignored it. so, i withheld. and, now i owe them $50 to balance it out.
"...it's a $50 balance. so, should i come in to the office and pay it or...."
"i'm going to have to call the owner."
"but, if you do the..."
"i have to call the owner. there's a holiday monday, so it will need to wait until tuesday."
& maybe i've still got time to get out of here, after all, then.
i have substantive documentation showing the existence of asian cockroaches in the previous unit i inhabited, and anybody suggesting otherwise is maliciously lying through their teeth - and not for the first time.
like, videos of them. pictures. this is not up for any real debate.
those people are pathological.
their words are meaningless.
like, videos of them. pictures. this is not up for any real debate.
those people are pathological.
their words are meaningless.
Friday, August 31, 2018
tonight was really truly exasperating.
i'm supposed to call somebody a little after18:00, and i get a machine. so, i take a random guess at one of the places nobody picks up at - and get through to somebody.
this is a big basement for cheap; it seems like it's what i want. so, i'm excited to get down there.
when the landlord shows up, i take a quick run through, and it's clear i want to sign the lease. but, he seems intent on putting me through a "stress test" to ensure i'm not schizophrenic.
in some sense, it was like having an interview with a lewis carroll character - not because it was patently absurd, but because it was clearly unserious. he's trying to bait me on things like the moon landing, and jew-hating - things i actually have subtle perspectives on, subtle perspectives that can be easily smeared or misconstrued. i have no idea whether we actually went to the moon or not, and i'm not about to make an argument one way or another - but, see, this is the correct argument, because it's almost impossible to make a reasonable deduction, due to the difficulty of the evidence, all around.
i'm not really interested in the arguments against the moon landing - they've mostly been debunked. but, that doesn't prove we went; that's a classical fallacy. try to convincingly prove we did land. you can't.
i actually caught him in a few contradictions.
see, at the end of it, he's the one that sounded nuts - but i'm not sure if it was serious or not. and, i'm kind of left unsure of how to walk away from it.
if this was an honest representation of the guy, he seemed like he belonged in an asylum. but, i don't think it was; and, if he was fucking with me for some strange reason, it doesn't change the fact that i liked the unit - and that i need to move asap.
he gave me a lease with something incoherent scribbled on it and asked me to call him later on. i sent him some links, instead. i may follow-up in a day or two.
i have never been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and i'm not sure why he'd be convinced i have it based on such a brief encounter, and no evidence - but perhaps trying to work through conspiracy logic is a little bit pointless, too.
in the end, i listened to this guy rant for almost an hour.
i checked my messages when i got home just before 21:00, and the initial guy asked me to come in sunday morning.
i knew this was a trick, but i definitely don't want a christian landlord. so, i took the bait with intent. and, predictably...
"sorry. unit's been rented."
fuck.
i'm supposed to call somebody a little after18:00, and i get a machine. so, i take a random guess at one of the places nobody picks up at - and get through to somebody.
this is a big basement for cheap; it seems like it's what i want. so, i'm excited to get down there.
when the landlord shows up, i take a quick run through, and it's clear i want to sign the lease. but, he seems intent on putting me through a "stress test" to ensure i'm not schizophrenic.
in some sense, it was like having an interview with a lewis carroll character - not because it was patently absurd, but because it was clearly unserious. he's trying to bait me on things like the moon landing, and jew-hating - things i actually have subtle perspectives on, subtle perspectives that can be easily smeared or misconstrued. i have no idea whether we actually went to the moon or not, and i'm not about to make an argument one way or another - but, see, this is the correct argument, because it's almost impossible to make a reasonable deduction, due to the difficulty of the evidence, all around.
i'm not really interested in the arguments against the moon landing - they've mostly been debunked. but, that doesn't prove we went; that's a classical fallacy. try to convincingly prove we did land. you can't.
i actually caught him in a few contradictions.
see, at the end of it, he's the one that sounded nuts - but i'm not sure if it was serious or not. and, i'm kind of left unsure of how to walk away from it.
if this was an honest representation of the guy, he seemed like he belonged in an asylum. but, i don't think it was; and, if he was fucking with me for some strange reason, it doesn't change the fact that i liked the unit - and that i need to move asap.
he gave me a lease with something incoherent scribbled on it and asked me to call him later on. i sent him some links, instead. i may follow-up in a day or two.
i have never been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and i'm not sure why he'd be convinced i have it based on such a brief encounter, and no evidence - but perhaps trying to work through conspiracy logic is a little bit pointless, too.
in the end, i listened to this guy rant for almost an hour.
i checked my messages when i got home just before 21:00, and the initial guy asked me to come in sunday morning.
i knew this was a trick, but i definitely don't want a christian landlord. so, i took the bait with intent. and, predictably...
"sorry. unit's been rented."
fuck.
i'm beginning to understand that the reason these ads say STUDENTS ONLY is not that they want students, but that they want to overcrowd the housing, and charge by the head.
white people won't tolerate these kinds of living arrangements.
but, if you can cram sixteen people into a house made for four, and the people living there have always lived that way anyways, then you've made four times as much money as you would be by following the standards of privacy we take for granted in western civilization.
white people won't tolerate these kinds of living arrangements.
but, if you can cram sixteen people into a house made for four, and the people living there have always lived that way anyways, then you've made four times as much money as you would be by following the standards of privacy we take for granted in western civilization.
so, i saw a small two bedroom apartment this afternoon, or tried to - a group of five indian males had beat me to it, and i walked into the negotiation.
i was hoping to secure a two bedroom apartment for $800, which was the list price. but, he decided that, if there are going to be five people living in the two bedroom apartment, he should charge them $300 each.
for utilities.
so, they got there first and put down an offer of nearly twice as much. i didn't waste my breath arguing the point. but, it helped me understand the situation a little bit better.
regardless of the size of the apartment or of the number of people in the party, i cannot compete against this. if a two bedroom is listed at $800, and they come in with a party of five at $300 each, i lose. even a party of three at $300 each beats me. if a one bedroom apartment is listed for $700, and they want to come in with a party of three at $350/person, i lose, too.
but, how did we get these thousands of indian students, all of a sudden? this is crazy.
we shouldn't be having people living in close quarters like this, but so long as they keep offering these kinds of payments to landlords, the landlords are going to take them.
they also carried forward without a lease, which is telling. these kids don't know what they're doing. and, the landlord didn't want to tell them.
to a certain extent, they're being taken advantage of. the problem here is the landlord - he should not be renting out a two bedroom apartment to a group of five students. that's irresponsible and greedy.
but, if this is what is happening, i cannot compete with it. i need to find the right kinds of landlords, instead...
i was hoping to secure a two bedroom apartment for $800, which was the list price. but, he decided that, if there are going to be five people living in the two bedroom apartment, he should charge them $300 each.
for utilities.
so, they got there first and put down an offer of nearly twice as much. i didn't waste my breath arguing the point. but, it helped me understand the situation a little bit better.
regardless of the size of the apartment or of the number of people in the party, i cannot compete against this. if a two bedroom is listed at $800, and they come in with a party of five at $300 each, i lose. even a party of three at $300 each beats me. if a one bedroom apartment is listed for $700, and they want to come in with a party of three at $350/person, i lose, too.
but, how did we get these thousands of indian students, all of a sudden? this is crazy.
we shouldn't be having people living in close quarters like this, but so long as they keep offering these kinds of payments to landlords, the landlords are going to take them.
they also carried forward without a lease, which is telling. these kids don't know what they're doing. and, the landlord didn't want to tell them.
to a certain extent, they're being taken advantage of. the problem here is the landlord - he should not be renting out a two bedroom apartment to a group of five students. that's irresponsible and greedy.
but, if this is what is happening, i cannot compete with it. i need to find the right kinds of landlords, instead...
i think i did this once before, but let's understand what my court order actually did.
i signed a lease for $700 + hydro. i paid first & last's. and, i paid that rent for six more months.
but, the court order then did three things:
1) it ended the lease on sept 30th.
2) it reduced my rent to $525 for the last six months of my tenancy.
3) it ordered the landlord to pay moving costs.
so, the amount i owe the landlord is no longer $700/month, for ten months - but $700 for the first four months and then $525 for the last six months.
that means that i overpaid rent from april-june, by 3*175 = $525. this is the same as the amount of rent i didn't pay in july. so, i was entitled - by court order - to stay here for free in july.
as i paid last month's rent in december, i am also entitled to stay here for free for the month of september, with a balance of $175 - which i overpaid. so, that would reduce my august rent by a further $175, to $350. subtracting awarded moving costs, i have a balance of $50 to pay.
so, i am not withholding rent, at all. rather, my rent has been reduced by court order.
fwiw, the landlord has listed this unit on the market for $775, oblivious to anything that just happened. and, i hope the next tenant does the same thing.
the reason i did not pay the $50 for august is that i was hoping to move by september first, in which case the landlord would need to return my deposit - and the balance would be $650. and, if i can plan an escape in the next few days, still, i will place the landlord in collections for the balance owing - minus daily fees for however long i'm here.
if this situation is being presented differently, the people presenting it to you are being dishonest about it. it's one thing to disagree with the ruling. but, it's another to ignore it exists altogether.
it is very likely that i will pay the $50 in the next 72 hours, in which case the landlord and i will be even. the exception to this possibility happens if i sign a lease in the next 72 hours and vacate the unit promptly, in which case they will actually be required to return the remainder of the deposit.
i can have a judge explain this to you, if necessary.
i signed a lease for $700 + hydro. i paid first & last's. and, i paid that rent for six more months.
but, the court order then did three things:
1) it ended the lease on sept 30th.
2) it reduced my rent to $525 for the last six months of my tenancy.
3) it ordered the landlord to pay moving costs.
so, the amount i owe the landlord is no longer $700/month, for ten months - but $700 for the first four months and then $525 for the last six months.
that means that i overpaid rent from april-june, by 3*175 = $525. this is the same as the amount of rent i didn't pay in july. so, i was entitled - by court order - to stay here for free in july.
as i paid last month's rent in december, i am also entitled to stay here for free for the month of september, with a balance of $175 - which i overpaid. so, that would reduce my august rent by a further $175, to $350. subtracting awarded moving costs, i have a balance of $50 to pay.
so, i am not withholding rent, at all. rather, my rent has been reduced by court order.
fwiw, the landlord has listed this unit on the market for $775, oblivious to anything that just happened. and, i hope the next tenant does the same thing.
the reason i did not pay the $50 for august is that i was hoping to move by september first, in which case the landlord would need to return my deposit - and the balance would be $650. and, if i can plan an escape in the next few days, still, i will place the landlord in collections for the balance owing - minus daily fees for however long i'm here.
if this situation is being presented differently, the people presenting it to you are being dishonest about it. it's one thing to disagree with the ruling. but, it's another to ignore it exists altogether.
it is very likely that i will pay the $50 in the next 72 hours, in which case the landlord and i will be even. the exception to this possibility happens if i sign a lease in the next 72 hours and vacate the unit promptly, in which case they will actually be required to return the remainder of the deposit.
i can have a judge explain this to you, if necessary.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
well, the federal government didn't write the court ruling, rachel.
regardless, i've always thought the carbon tax should be federal, anyways.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trans-mountain-federal-court-appeals-1.4804495
regardless, i've always thought the carbon tax should be federal, anyways.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trans-mountain-federal-court-appeals-1.4804495
windsor - like detroit - is being absorbed back into the ignorance of rural conservatism, brought on by a combination of religious immigration and capitalist decline.
what was once an opportunity to build a new communist society, here, has been lost due to the high levels of immigration, designed to return the working class to the ignorance of religion.
what was once an opportunity to build a new communist society, here, has been lost due to the high levels of immigration, designed to return the working class to the ignorance of religion.
the empirical deduction is that windsor is no longer a good place for a queer artist to try and eke out an existence in.
rather, it is a good place for conservative families to come and raise families.
and, is that really what windsor wants to be known as?
a haven for the religious to breed in?
i'd like to think that windsor would rather be known as an escape for a queer artist to exist in. but, if that was ever true, it appears to be too late to reassert it, now.
and, i am now the refugee, aren't i?
rather, it is a good place for conservative families to come and raise families.
and, is that really what windsor wants to be known as?
a haven for the religious to breed in?
i'd like to think that windsor would rather be known as an escape for a queer artist to exist in. but, if that was ever true, it appears to be too late to reassert it, now.
and, i am now the refugee, aren't i?
islam is not a culture, it's an ideology - and one of the ways that ideologies enforce their control is through the abolition and subjugation of all culture. this was as true under stalin as it was under saladin.
there is no self-expression in islam. no individuality. no questioning of revealed wisdom. no revolution. no democracy. no deviation from the norm. it's just violently enforced conformity. and, nothing we can meaningfully refer to as a culture can exist under these kinds of oppressive circumstances.
if this place goes full muslim - and if this mess around nafta gets bad, it very well might - they're going to convert the nightclubs into madrassas - or, perhaps, harems. any venue that promotes free thinking will be dismantled.
and, you can't fight against a majority.
i have a few more weeks to figure this out. but, if the end result is that a starving artist can't find a place to live here, then the proper conclusion is that it is not a good cultural fit for a starving artist to live, is it?
there is no self-expression in islam. no individuality. no questioning of revealed wisdom. no revolution. no democracy. no deviation from the norm. it's just violently enforced conformity. and, nothing we can meaningfully refer to as a culture can exist under these kinds of oppressive circumstances.
if this place goes full muslim - and if this mess around nafta gets bad, it very well might - they're going to convert the nightclubs into madrassas - or, perhaps, harems. any venue that promotes free thinking will be dismantled.
and, you can't fight against a majority.
i have a few more weeks to figure this out. but, if the end result is that a starving artist can't find a place to live here, then the proper conclusion is that it is not a good cultural fit for a starving artist to live, is it?
the discrimination in housing in ontario is not something i'm the first person to draw attention to. the appropriate boards have drawn attention to it - and argued it's too big of a problem for them to police.
it's the kind of thing that needs an education campaign.
you see it in every ad.
STUDENTS ONLY.
FEMALES ONLY.
BOYS ONLY.
INDIANS ONLY. and, they'll even specify -
GUJARATI ONLY, HINDI ONLY, PAKISTANI ONLY.
SENIORS ONLY.
WORKERS ONLY.
and, those are only the ads i can see - in english, and for public view.
the big thing right now is students. and, it's about to flip. a few more days.
and, they're starting to do things like mark their ads with URGENT.
yeah, well, maybe you should stop discriminating against your prospective tenants, if you want to fill the vacancy urgently?
this is an emergency. there's people lined up to live here. but, they're all white people with jobs. somebody find me a 19 year-old female, muslim pakistani student immediately! i thought canada was a free market?
ugh.
but, what's increasingly concerning to me is that there's no bohemian escape in this town. there's no art district. there's nobody that gets a call from a composer/activist on the dole and says "you sound interesting. the neighbours will like you.".
for a supposedly left-leaning town, the people here seem to be remarkably conservative.
there's no time for the disabled, no time for queers and no time for artists.
again: it's increasingly clear that i don't want to live here, that the culture is dead here and it's time to get out.
there's no hipsters. no art village. no gay district. no culture....
it's just korans & capitalism, everywhere you turn.
we can fix this, though.
what i want to see is an ad for a non-smoking apartment with these wonderful words in the body:
ARTISTS ONLY.
it's the kind of thing that needs an education campaign.
you see it in every ad.
STUDENTS ONLY.
FEMALES ONLY.
BOYS ONLY.
INDIANS ONLY. and, they'll even specify -
GUJARATI ONLY, HINDI ONLY, PAKISTANI ONLY.
SENIORS ONLY.
WORKERS ONLY.
and, those are only the ads i can see - in english, and for public view.
the big thing right now is students. and, it's about to flip. a few more days.
and, they're starting to do things like mark their ads with URGENT.
yeah, well, maybe you should stop discriminating against your prospective tenants, if you want to fill the vacancy urgently?
this is an emergency. there's people lined up to live here. but, they're all white people with jobs. somebody find me a 19 year-old female, muslim pakistani student immediately! i thought canada was a free market?
ugh.
but, what's increasingly concerning to me is that there's no bohemian escape in this town. there's no art district. there's nobody that gets a call from a composer/activist on the dole and says "you sound interesting. the neighbours will like you.".
for a supposedly left-leaning town, the people here seem to be remarkably conservative.
there's no time for the disabled, no time for queers and no time for artists.
again: it's increasingly clear that i don't want to live here, that the culture is dead here and it's time to get out.
there's no hipsters. no art village. no gay district. no culture....
it's just korans & capitalism, everywhere you turn.
we can fix this, though.
what i want to see is an ad for a non-smoking apartment with these wonderful words in the body:
ARTISTS ONLY.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
a reasonable compromise proposal would be to replace the existing process with something that has a democratic mandate. these judges should be accountable to the people, not to head office.
you could set up a process where cases need to be put before regular judges, and subject to rigorous due process, by setting up an appointment process that is agreed upon by all three countries. so, a judge would potentially need to be approved by houses in all three countries. these would need to be learned judges, able to cite the laws and precedents in all three countries and able to come up with rulings that balance the interests of the laws in all three jurisdictions.
and, you're not going to figure that out by friday.
but, a good first step would be to throw the existing process out the window.
you could set up a process where cases need to be put before regular judges, and subject to rigorous due process, by setting up an appointment process that is agreed upon by all three countries. so, a judge would potentially need to be approved by houses in all three countries. these would need to be learned judges, able to cite the laws and precedents in all three countries and able to come up with rulings that balance the interests of the laws in all three jurisdictions.
and, you're not going to figure that out by friday.
but, a good first step would be to throw the existing process out the window.
chapter 19 sets up these goofy kangaroo courts, with "judges" bought and paid for by corporate interests, in order to overturn the democratic mandates of either country. it's a total subversion of democracy. and, when you hear the media say it works in canada's interest, what they mean to say is that it works in the interests of international capital with offices in canada - and at the expense of american democracy.
it is trudeau that is working for head office here, and trump that is standing up for democracy.
very similarly, taking away supply management would be something that would help these big corporate farming conglomerates, at the expense of actual farmers. and, don't believe the hype around prices, either. remember when they told you that privatization would reduce energy costs? that's nonsense. the price of milk is not determined by supply management.
it's just a constant across this government - it works in the benefit of international capital, and doesn't care about actual people. trudeau's strange brand of liberalism is just another type of crony capitalism that puts profits, and investors, before actual people.
if the media is right and he attacks farmers in order to win concessions for bankers, he should be widely indicted for it.
it is trudeau that is working for head office here, and trump that is standing up for democracy.
very similarly, taking away supply management would be something that would help these big corporate farming conglomerates, at the expense of actual farmers. and, don't believe the hype around prices, either. remember when they told you that privatization would reduce energy costs? that's nonsense. the price of milk is not determined by supply management.
it's just a constant across this government - it works in the benefit of international capital, and doesn't care about actual people. trudeau's strange brand of liberalism is just another type of crony capitalism that puts profits, and investors, before actual people.
if the media is right and he attacks farmers in order to win concessions for bankers, he should be widely indicted for it.
see, i never supported the isds - i agree with trump that it is an attack on sovereignty. or, i should say that i agree with naomi klein, or noam chomsky, that it's an attack on sovereignty. this is a position most frequently presented by the hard left.
i think it's the things we're not hearing in the media we're not going to like.
but, if i was representing my country at that table, i would be looking to "compromise" on the isds (i'd have volunteered getting rid of it...) in order to save the supply management - not the other way around.
i think it's the things we're not hearing in the media we're not going to like.
but, if i was representing my country at that table, i would be looking to "compromise" on the isds (i'd have volunteered getting rid of it...) in order to save the supply management - not the other way around.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
i just got an email offering me a job for $30/hr.
i'm assuming it's bullshit. but, here's the funny twist - i have been headhunted, and i've been headhunted by...
...csis.
that's the canadian cia.
i told them to fuck off. at the time, i was working, but i didn't want to work for the government - that was a rejection on moral grounds. i just didn't want to work for an organization that does what csis does. i was hoping to get something a little less heavy, in the private sector,
in the long run, i learned that there isn't really a private sector in canada, or not in the way you'd imagine it. the dominant contractor in the private sector is the state. that is, you can work for the state directly, or you can work for the contractors that the state hires, but you're working for the government, in the end - or you're working in a coffee shop.
i would have preferred the coffee shop, but they never called me back.
at this point in my life, the idea of sitting in an office is not acceptable to me. i'd be terrible at it, really. i just wouldn't want to be there. my skill set may seem appealing from a distance, but i just don't have the patience to bullshit it any more - i wouldn't want to be there, and i wouldn't pretend i do.
but, you might imagine my life would be different if i made $30/hr. that's, what, $60,000 a year? what the hell would i do with that?
buy a car!
nope...
buy a house!
eh. probably not.
buy a boyfriend!
definitely not.
i could maybe buy a few guitars.
you know what i'd actually do with it?
i'd get the cheapest apartment i could find, bicycle to work and then dump the money into stocks. if i can dump $100,000 into the market after a few years, it shouldn't take long to live off of the dividends.
because that's what i want. i don't want a mortgage. i want a guaranteed annual income.
i'm assuming it's bullshit. but, here's the funny twist - i have been headhunted, and i've been headhunted by...
...csis.
that's the canadian cia.
i told them to fuck off. at the time, i was working, but i didn't want to work for the government - that was a rejection on moral grounds. i just didn't want to work for an organization that does what csis does. i was hoping to get something a little less heavy, in the private sector,
in the long run, i learned that there isn't really a private sector in canada, or not in the way you'd imagine it. the dominant contractor in the private sector is the state. that is, you can work for the state directly, or you can work for the contractors that the state hires, but you're working for the government, in the end - or you're working in a coffee shop.
i would have preferred the coffee shop, but they never called me back.
at this point in my life, the idea of sitting in an office is not acceptable to me. i'd be terrible at it, really. i just wouldn't want to be there. my skill set may seem appealing from a distance, but i just don't have the patience to bullshit it any more - i wouldn't want to be there, and i wouldn't pretend i do.
but, you might imagine my life would be different if i made $30/hr. that's, what, $60,000 a year? what the hell would i do with that?
buy a car!
nope...
buy a house!
eh. probably not.
buy a boyfriend!
definitely not.
i could maybe buy a few guitars.
you know what i'd actually do with it?
i'd get the cheapest apartment i could find, bicycle to work and then dump the money into stocks. if i can dump $100,000 into the market after a few years, it shouldn't take long to live off of the dividends.
because that's what i want. i don't want a mortgage. i want a guaranteed annual income.
and, this is what i've been saying for years and that i've tried to escape from - and sometimes succeeded in it.
capitalism is just a waste of fucking time.
every second you spend in capitalism is wasted doing some stupid triviality to balance a spreadsheet. even when you're trying to get out of it, it is impossible to enjoy your life - you're working, or you're avoiding working, you're trying to sell something, or you're trying to buy something, or you're trying to rent something, you're just constantly lost in these pointless market mechanisms that gain you nothing substantive at all - you're just doing the same stupid thing either way, which is throwing away any concept of creativity or meaning in the finite amount of time you have before you start decomposing...
there's no way to make capitalism meaningful.
there is no task within it that is worthwhile.
it is millions of people wasting their lives away doing nothing of any meaning or importance, because they can't find anything better to do, anyways.
and, if i have to fucking die like a dog on the street to avoid wasting what time i have left, then so be it.
all i can muster up is a general fuck you for being oppressive.
i would rather be dead than employed.
and, i'll prove it if you force me to.
capitalism is just a waste of fucking time.
every second you spend in capitalism is wasted doing some stupid triviality to balance a spreadsheet. even when you're trying to get out of it, it is impossible to enjoy your life - you're working, or you're avoiding working, you're trying to sell something, or you're trying to buy something, or you're trying to rent something, you're just constantly lost in these pointless market mechanisms that gain you nothing substantive at all - you're just doing the same stupid thing either way, which is throwing away any concept of creativity or meaning in the finite amount of time you have before you start decomposing...
there's no way to make capitalism meaningful.
there is no task within it that is worthwhile.
it is millions of people wasting their lives away doing nothing of any meaning or importance, because they can't find anything better to do, anyways.
and, if i have to fucking die like a dog on the street to avoid wasting what time i have left, then so be it.
all i can muster up is a general fuck you for being oppressive.
i would rather be dead than employed.
and, i'll prove it if you force me to.
i grew up on welfare in a housing project in the southern part of ottawa.
and, while i didn't come to terms with it until later, i have been transgendered my whole life.
i've spent my whole life evading violence and living in fear.
these are lessons i've actually learned very well, and are at the crux of what i already am. i don't need somebody to tell me what it's like to be poor. i don't need somebody to tell me what it's like to be marginalized. i'm well aware of this. it's at the core of my existence, and a defining component of my life choices.
if i hadn't been through such levels of poverty in the past, i might have been more keen on wasting my life in the triviality of capitalist labour. it is because i know the pointlessness of existence that i know the pointlessness of capitalism.
you can take notes if you want.
but you're honestly just wasting my time.
and, while i didn't come to terms with it until later, i have been transgendered my whole life.
i've spent my whole life evading violence and living in fear.
these are lessons i've actually learned very well, and are at the crux of what i already am. i don't need somebody to tell me what it's like to be poor. i don't need somebody to tell me what it's like to be marginalized. i'm well aware of this. it's at the core of my existence, and a defining component of my life choices.
if i hadn't been through such levels of poverty in the past, i might have been more keen on wasting my life in the triviality of capitalist labour. it is because i know the pointlessness of existence that i know the pointlessness of capitalism.
you can take notes if you want.
but you're honestly just wasting my time.
the most important thing that i've learned from my previous time spent homeless is that this is a state where trust is impossible.
you cannot meet friends when you're homeless.
you cannot trust the kindness of strangers when you're homeless.
and, you do not want other people to know that you're homeless, when you're homeless - especially not other homeless people.
when you're homeless, everybody you meet is a potential thief, a potential thug and a potential rapist.
you consequently do not want to stay in the same place for more than a few days, lest you draw suspicions to yourself. and, whenever possible, you want to take yourself to areas that are away from other people, as they can only possibly do you extreme harm.
homelessness is a condition where extreme paranoia is a precondition for your own safety, and naivete is a one-way ticket to certain death.
you cannot meet friends when you're homeless.
you cannot trust the kindness of strangers when you're homeless.
and, you do not want other people to know that you're homeless, when you're homeless - especially not other homeless people.
when you're homeless, everybody you meet is a potential thief, a potential thug and a potential rapist.
you consequently do not want to stay in the same place for more than a few days, lest you draw suspicions to yourself. and, whenever possible, you want to take yourself to areas that are away from other people, as they can only possibly do you extreme harm.
homelessness is a condition where extreme paranoia is a precondition for your own safety, and naivete is a one-way ticket to certain death.
i've been aware for a while now that there appears to be something weird happening here.
there were two places i was in the process of putting something down on, and they both mysteriously evaporated.
i don't know what the purpose of making me spend some time on the streets is. but, you're bound to learn more about me than i am to learn about the process.
the fact is that i actually have been homeless before, on a couple of occasions. this experience is not likely to be different than the other ones.
i am not going to rely on the kindness of strangers, or interact with the other people on the street at all. i will be spending my time in libraries and coffee shops. i will be straight edge during the process. and, i will have a singular focus on getting out of the city and setting the studio back up somewhere else.
anybody that approaches me during this process and offers me drugs or alcohol is likely to be met with physical violence. i have no interest at all, whatsoever, in being inebriated while homeless.
i'm not going to go on a wild adventure, either. this is not the time for that. i will stick very close to very safe spaces, and be concerned very strongly about my safety as i'm doing it.
i'm not a wild party person. i am not a "free spirit". i am a nerd. and, a homeless nerd is still a nerd.
there were two places i was in the process of putting something down on, and they both mysteriously evaporated.
i don't know what the purpose of making me spend some time on the streets is. but, you're bound to learn more about me than i am to learn about the process.
the fact is that i actually have been homeless before, on a couple of occasions. this experience is not likely to be different than the other ones.
i am not going to rely on the kindness of strangers, or interact with the other people on the street at all. i will be spending my time in libraries and coffee shops. i will be straight edge during the process. and, i will have a singular focus on getting out of the city and setting the studio back up somewhere else.
anybody that approaches me during this process and offers me drugs or alcohol is likely to be met with physical violence. i have no interest at all, whatsoever, in being inebriated while homeless.
i'm not going to go on a wild adventure, either. this is not the time for that. i will stick very close to very safe spaces, and be concerned very strongly about my safety as i'm doing it.
i'm not a wild party person. i am not a "free spirit". i am a nerd. and, a homeless nerd is still a nerd.
see, this is actually a good example of the pitfalls of understanding hierarchy through the prism of identified groups, rather than through the prism of class.
it was true, in the twentieth century, that seniors were at a relative disadvantage in society, as each successive generation on this continent continually increased it's share of the wealth. that was a constant up until the 70s. see richard wolff as one good source on this topic. but, the fact of the matter is that, since that relation has flipped, wealth has actually begun to correlate with age. - and, in today's society, seniors are actually the people with the most amount of wealth, influence, property and power.
so, a rule that allows for age discrimination in order to benefit seniors is absurd. "seniors only" restrictions are now protecting the most advantaged and most privileged group in our society. if the idea is that discrimination is ok when it protects a disadvantaged group, that group is no longer the elderly, but the young - and the discounts should be provided to millennials, instead.
as of right now, it feels like seniors have simply legislated themselves above the law.
fifty years from now, the situation may reverse itself, again. and, we're left with a constant we should have realized in the first place - we should have focused on class all along.
the idea of seniors-only housing in 2018 is not a tool to help the disadvantaged, but a means for the wealthy to keep the poor away.
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-discrimination-against-older-people-because-age/4-general-principles\
it was true, in the twentieth century, that seniors were at a relative disadvantage in society, as each successive generation on this continent continually increased it's share of the wealth. that was a constant up until the 70s. see richard wolff as one good source on this topic. but, the fact of the matter is that, since that relation has flipped, wealth has actually begun to correlate with age. - and, in today's society, seniors are actually the people with the most amount of wealth, influence, property and power.
so, a rule that allows for age discrimination in order to benefit seniors is absurd. "seniors only" restrictions are now protecting the most advantaged and most privileged group in our society. if the idea is that discrimination is ok when it protects a disadvantaged group, that group is no longer the elderly, but the young - and the discounts should be provided to millennials, instead.
as of right now, it feels like seniors have simply legislated themselves above the law.
fifty years from now, the situation may reverse itself, again. and, we're left with a constant we should have realized in the first place - we should have focused on class all along.
the idea of seniors-only housing in 2018 is not a tool to help the disadvantaged, but a means for the wealthy to keep the poor away.
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-discrimination-against-older-people-because-age/4-general-principles\
Monday, August 27, 2018
and, yes, my fellow liberals - we are going to have to go back to mill and make the argument from the start, for the debates we are to have in the upcoming decades are going to be the same debates that our great-great-great-grandparents had, all those many years ago, with christianity replaced by islam.
the barbarians will not spontaneously discard their religion.
we must help them out of ignorance, and help them to discard their nonsense and learn philosophy, instead.
and, mill is the blueprint, as he was before.
because, they might be wrong. right? just a little doubt, is the right way to start.
i have better things to do, too. but, this is our task, whether we like it or not - because, if we fail. the consequences are potentially catastrophic.
the barbarians will not spontaneously discard their religion.
we must help them out of ignorance, and help them to discard their nonsense and learn philosophy, instead.
and, mill is the blueprint, as he was before.
because, they might be wrong. right? just a little doubt, is the right way to start.
i have better things to do, too. but, this is our task, whether we like it or not - because, if we fail. the consequences are potentially catastrophic.
so, we live in a liberal democracy.
and, we have elected a member of the liberal party to be our prime minister.
what does that mean, exactly? what is with this world liberal?
well, it's a complicated word. truly.
but, in canada, when we use the world liberal in a social or political or even an economic sense, we almost always refer to it in the sense of the term as it was understood by js mill, who was a dominant figure in the british liberal party, of which our own liberal party derives from.
mill wrote a classic text - on liberty. this is very much the foundational text of what we call canadian liberalism.
i read it in first year law, myself.
you can access it here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34901/34901-h/34901-h.htm
and, it would, indeed, be quite useful if you were to read it and understand it, if you insist on throwing this word liberal around - even if you ultimately disagree with it.
after all - he might be wrong.
and, we have elected a member of the liberal party to be our prime minister.
what does that mean, exactly? what is with this world liberal?
well, it's a complicated word. truly.
but, in canada, when we use the world liberal in a social or political or even an economic sense, we almost always refer to it in the sense of the term as it was understood by js mill, who was a dominant figure in the british liberal party, of which our own liberal party derives from.
mill wrote a classic text - on liberty. this is very much the foundational text of what we call canadian liberalism.
i read it in first year law, myself.
you can access it here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34901/34901-h/34901-h.htm
and, it would, indeed, be quite useful if you were to read it and understand it, if you insist on throwing this word liberal around - even if you ultimately disagree with it.
after all - he might be wrong.
fwiw, though, my sexuality doesn't affect anybody.
you can't get sick from a queer neighbour - unless, perhaps, you have sex with them. but, second-hand smoke kills lots and lots and lots of people every single fucking day.
it's a dumb comparison.
it's not that i'm not acknowledging that you might not like my sexuality. it's that it doesn't matter, because it doesn't affect you - whereas your smoking does matter, because it does affect me.
...which is why the correct solution is to get people to smoke away from the house, where it doesn't affect anybody.
you can't get sick from a queer neighbour - unless, perhaps, you have sex with them. but, second-hand smoke kills lots and lots and lots of people every single fucking day.
it's a dumb comparison.
it's not that i'm not acknowledging that you might not like my sexuality. it's that it doesn't matter, because it doesn't affect you - whereas your smoking does matter, because it does affect me.
...which is why the correct solution is to get people to smoke away from the house, where it doesn't affect anybody.
i need to be as clear as i can about this.
my lifestyle does not allow for me to live in a rooming house. and, i'm not talking about my sexuality - i haven't had sex in years, and have been under chemical castration for nearly the entire period. i'm just not sexually active. at all. i mean the hours i keep, and the way i spend my time.
any roomate would instantly feel snubbed, as i basically wouldn't talk to them. i'm often up all night. i eat at 3:00 am. i shower randomly. i'm in and out at all times of the day and night. etc.
and, i'm not going to change to conform to somebody else's schedule. i'm not going to pretend i care about their lives. and i'm not going to spend any time with them.
there is a 100% chance that i'm going to get into a fight with any roomate.
i would rather live in a coffee shop for a few months than force myself into a schedule and a lifestyle that i don't want.
my lifestyle does not allow for me to live in a rooming house. and, i'm not talking about my sexuality - i haven't had sex in years, and have been under chemical castration for nearly the entire period. i'm just not sexually active. at all. i mean the hours i keep, and the way i spend my time.
any roomate would instantly feel snubbed, as i basically wouldn't talk to them. i'm often up all night. i eat at 3:00 am. i shower randomly. i'm in and out at all times of the day and night. etc.
and, i'm not going to change to conform to somebody else's schedule. i'm not going to pretend i care about their lives. and i'm not going to spend any time with them.
there is a 100% chance that i'm going to get into a fight with any roomate.
i would rather live in a coffee shop for a few months than force myself into a schedule and a lifestyle that i don't want.
it would be nice if i could find a replica of that space, but the way it was when i found it - with electrical heating instead of gas heating, without smokers next door or outside, without electrical interference issues from messing with the electrical, without cats shitting everywhere and without an overbearing air conditioner coming in from upstairs.
i could have probably even dealt with the smoke in the hallway.
the fact is that the fans worked just fine, cost nothing and bothered nobody.
i could have probably even dealt with the smoke in the hallway.
the fact is that the fans worked just fine, cost nothing and bothered nobody.
there's no question that i liked that basement apartment a lot, but there were health problems attached to it, i believe as a result of the gas furnace. i was getting frequent migraines. aphasia. auras. that has completely stopped since i moved out.
the headaches i've been getting here are different. it's the smoke.
they replaced the upstairs smokers with an outside smoker, which in a lot of ways was worse, as it hung over the property. there were neighbours smoking outside the window. the main floor upstairs neighbour was smoking in the laundry room, which was right outside my inside door. it was as unhealthy as where i am now, if a little less intense at times.
and, when you combine the gas with the smoking...
the floors were structurally unsound, which i could deal with if it weren't for the fact that the tenants were all obese. they destroyed light fixtures. and, the cracks in the floors were legitimately frightening.
and, even if i could deal with that, the owner was throwing cat shit at my window, entering my apartment illegally and broadly harassing me to leave - because she wanted her mom in.
it was unhealthy and unsafe, and i was unwanted. my pushback was warranted. and, the reaction was just a reflection of why it wasn't a good place for me to stay.
i could have outlived the old guy on top of me. but, the gas furnace was there to stay. and, the new owner was actually less concerned about the smoke than the previous one.
it was the change in ownership at the root of the situation, not my fully justified behaviour.
and, as bad as the smoke is here, i'm at least not getting overwhelming headaches.
the headaches i've been getting here are different. it's the smoke.
they replaced the upstairs smokers with an outside smoker, which in a lot of ways was worse, as it hung over the property. there were neighbours smoking outside the window. the main floor upstairs neighbour was smoking in the laundry room, which was right outside my inside door. it was as unhealthy as where i am now, if a little less intense at times.
and, when you combine the gas with the smoking...
the floors were structurally unsound, which i could deal with if it weren't for the fact that the tenants were all obese. they destroyed light fixtures. and, the cracks in the floors were legitimately frightening.
and, even if i could deal with that, the owner was throwing cat shit at my window, entering my apartment illegally and broadly harassing me to leave - because she wanted her mom in.
it was unhealthy and unsafe, and i was unwanted. my pushback was warranted. and, the reaction was just a reflection of why it wasn't a good place for me to stay.
i could have outlived the old guy on top of me. but, the gas furnace was there to stay. and, the new owner was actually less concerned about the smoke than the previous one.
it was the change in ownership at the root of the situation, not my fully justified behaviour.
and, as bad as the smoke is here, i'm at least not getting overwhelming headaches.
more rules for local content is a good step forward.
but, now, is that $16/hr us, or $16/hr in the country of origin? because the minimum wage in most of canada is currently $15/hr, which is about $11-12/hr us. $16/hr us would be about $20/hr canadian. or, am i missing the point - is this meant to move with measures to bring in parity (or even a common currency?), to mess with this manipulation charge?
but, i've argued loudly that the way to stop companies from moving factories to mexico is to increase wages in mexico. and, it sounds like that's what the general crux is.
i'm sure there'll be plenty of analysis in the upcoming weeks.
but, the few details i've seen sound good.
now, we'll find out what it does to help investors, right...
but, now, is that $16/hr us, or $16/hr in the country of origin? because the minimum wage in most of canada is currently $15/hr, which is about $11-12/hr us. $16/hr us would be about $20/hr canadian. or, am i missing the point - is this meant to move with measures to bring in parity (or even a common currency?), to mess with this manipulation charge?
but, i've argued loudly that the way to stop companies from moving factories to mexico is to increase wages in mexico. and, it sounds like that's what the general crux is.
i'm sure there'll be plenty of analysis in the upcoming weeks.
but, the few details i've seen sound good.
now, we'll find out what it does to help investors, right...
the last time we went through this, we signed a bad deal to avoid being cut out.
and, we just fucked this up terribly. this is going to be a terrible legacy for the sitting prime minister, regardless.
but, we should not repeat that mistake - we should learn from it.
we should have come in trying to isolate mexico; instead, we tried to isolate the americans and foolishly ended up isolating ourselves. now we're better off pushing for a return to the fta.
i want to be clear: i would prefer bilateral deals with the two different countries. and, i think that's what trump wants, too.
but, i want to see what's released before i jump to further conclusions.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nafta-us-mexico-progress-monday-1.4800182
and, we just fucked this up terribly. this is going to be a terrible legacy for the sitting prime minister, regardless.
but, we should not repeat that mistake - we should learn from it.
we should have come in trying to isolate mexico; instead, we tried to isolate the americans and foolishly ended up isolating ourselves. now we're better off pushing for a return to the fta.
i want to be clear: i would prefer bilateral deals with the two different countries. and, i think that's what trump wants, too.
but, i want to see what's released before i jump to further conclusions.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nafta-us-mexico-progress-monday-1.4800182
in the broader scheme of things, you have to understand that i'm not a businessperson.
i don't want to run a business. i don't want to be a ceo. i don't want to sell tshirts. it's just not how i want to spend my time.
i want to create. i want to think. i want to write. and, i don't want to spend any more time worrying about how to pay the rentiers than i'm absolutely forced to....
my biggest argument against capitalism has never been that it's unfair, or that it's oppressive, or that it creates inequality. my biggest argument against capitalism has always been that i have a finite amount of time to exist in, and i don't want to waste it being a fucking capitalist. it's a quality of life argument - this is not a pleasurable way for a free person to exist.
i don't want to run a business. i don't want to be a ceo. i don't want to sell tshirts. it's just not how i want to spend my time.
i want to create. i want to think. i want to write. and, i don't want to spend any more time worrying about how to pay the rentiers than i'm absolutely forced to....
my biggest argument against capitalism has never been that it's unfair, or that it's oppressive, or that it creates inequality. my biggest argument against capitalism has always been that i have a finite amount of time to exist in, and i don't want to waste it being a fucking capitalist. it's a quality of life argument - this is not a pleasurable way for a free person to exist.
a better way to understand what i do is to look up the term culture jamming. and, the term agitprop.
remember: i'm a communist.
what i'm trying to do is take control of the medium. i'm not trying to actually use it.
but, yeah, i need to pay my bills, too - and i need to find somewhere to live. so, buy the art. treat it like a donation, if you want. that's how this is supposed to work.
remember: i'm a communist.
what i'm trying to do is take control of the medium. i'm not trying to actually use it.
but, yeah, i need to pay my bills, too - and i need to find somewhere to live. so, buy the art. treat it like a donation, if you want. that's how this is supposed to work.
to be clear.
i have never cashed a check from youtube ad revenue, and i do not run ads on my blogs.
my writing is not a revenue stream.
if you would like to send me money, please go to the bandcamp site (http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com) and buy my art. it is the only way to pay me. and, that is by design; it is the only thing i'm selling.
i am actually deeply philosophically opposed to the idea of selling ad space on the internet. the blogs are a kind of a compromise, because they're pointless, anyways. but, i don't want ads on my art. i don't want my third symphony to be brought to you by mcdonald's. and, i don't want ads on my writing, either, as it voids them of any seriousness. serious writing is not clickbait.
the only thing i've monetized are my blogs, because it's not really an art form, it's an ad in itself. putting an ad on an ad is a different thing than putting an ad on an artform. but, the purpose of the ads is to direct you to the music, not to act as a revenue stream, in itself. so, this is the total sum of money that i've made from ad revenue and streaming media, for my entire life.
i've considered setting up a patreon site. but, if you're going to donate, why not get some files at the website while you're at it?
i have never cashed a check from youtube ad revenue, and i do not run ads on my blogs.
my writing is not a revenue stream.
if you would like to send me money, please go to the bandcamp site (http://jasonparent.bandcamp.com) and buy my art. it is the only way to pay me. and, that is by design; it is the only thing i'm selling.
i am actually deeply philosophically opposed to the idea of selling ad space on the internet. the blogs are a kind of a compromise, because they're pointless, anyways. but, i don't want ads on my art. i don't want my third symphony to be brought to you by mcdonald's. and, i don't want ads on my writing, either, as it voids them of any seriousness. serious writing is not clickbait.
the only thing i've monetized are my blogs, because it's not really an art form, it's an ad in itself. putting an ad on an ad is a different thing than putting an ad on an artform. but, the purpose of the ads is to direct you to the music, not to act as a revenue stream, in itself. so, this is the total sum of money that i've made from ad revenue and streaming media, for my entire life.
i've considered setting up a patreon site. but, if you're going to donate, why not get some files at the website while you're at it?
no, listen.
it would be racist if i were to tell you that you have to be a certain way because you are of a certain ethnicity, or i were to treat you a specific way based on the statistical majorities present in groups you may identify with. assuming you must be religious because you're an arab is an example of racism.
i don't do do that: i assume you're innocent. that is, i assume apostasy. and, then i wait for you to incriminate yourself, or demonstrate otherwise.
but, criticizing a religion itself is not racist. generally, liberals have been exceedingly critical of religion, and sought to minimize the public influence of religion in society. nor is treating you differently because you subscribe to certain religious beliefs in any way discriminatory, as those beliefs are legitimately things i do not like - and that i have every intent to stand up against.
speaking out against islam is not racism, it's liberalism.
but, making generalizations about your beliefs based on your ethnicity is racism, and i won't do that.
so, i'm not being two-faced. i'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. and, if you remove it, you can be sure that my attitude will change rather quickly.
...because i'm fully aware that the problem, here, isn't whether i accept you or not, but whether you accept me or not. and, i'm fully cognizant of the reality that, if you're a practising muslim, then you don't - and that this is where the discrimination actually exists, at the heart of the religion, itself.
it would be racist if i were to tell you that you have to be a certain way because you are of a certain ethnicity, or i were to treat you a specific way based on the statistical majorities present in groups you may identify with. assuming you must be religious because you're an arab is an example of racism.
i don't do do that: i assume you're innocent. that is, i assume apostasy. and, then i wait for you to incriminate yourself, or demonstrate otherwise.
but, criticizing a religion itself is not racist. generally, liberals have been exceedingly critical of religion, and sought to minimize the public influence of religion in society. nor is treating you differently because you subscribe to certain religious beliefs in any way discriminatory, as those beliefs are legitimately things i do not like - and that i have every intent to stand up against.
speaking out against islam is not racism, it's liberalism.
but, making generalizations about your beliefs based on your ethnicity is racism, and i won't do that.
so, i'm not being two-faced. i'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. and, if you remove it, you can be sure that my attitude will change rather quickly.
...because i'm fully aware that the problem, here, isn't whether i accept you or not, but whether you accept me or not. and, i'm fully cognizant of the reality that, if you're a practising muslim, then you don't - and that this is where the discrimination actually exists, at the heart of the religion, itself.
05/2016 is updated.
& i left off midway through june, so i'm actually back where i started.
that took longer than i wanted it to, but i think the outcome is meaningful, and, as mentioned, it's not like i had anything better to do.
i don't know when i'll pick up the politics site in the alter-reality, but if i can find some old usenet posts, it could be relatively early.
to be clear: my politics blog now exists, solid, from aug/2013 to june/2016. i just need to fill in about five more months. & my music blog now exists solid from aug/2013, although i'll be updating it as i continue, as well.
these documents will be used to create liner notes for inri000-inri074, and to close the aleph discs. the first set of liner notes should close when i finish rebuilding up to the end of 2016 - when i can finally get back to catching up in the alter-reality.
that's right. this has all been a part of the process. as should have been obvious.
& i left off midway through june, so i'm actually back where i started.
that took longer than i wanted it to, but i think the outcome is meaningful, and, as mentioned, it's not like i had anything better to do.
i don't know when i'll pick up the politics site in the alter-reality, but if i can find some old usenet posts, it could be relatively early.
to be clear: my politics blog now exists, solid, from aug/2013 to june/2016. i just need to fill in about five more months. & my music blog now exists solid from aug/2013, although i'll be updating it as i continue, as well.
these documents will be used to create liner notes for inri000-inri074, and to close the aleph discs. the first set of liner notes should close when i finish rebuilding up to the end of 2016 - when i can finally get back to catching up in the alter-reality.
that's right. this has all been a part of the process. as should have been obvious.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
as mentioned repeatedly, i decided against getting a driver's license as a teenager, as i was an environmentalist that opposed the fossil fuel industry.
i repeat: at 16 years old, i was more concerned about doing what i could to prevent climate change than i was about getting a car. and, even then, i was already an avid bicyclist.
my opinions have not changed.
my father did kind of order me to get a g1, but he didn't push the point beyond it. some cops actually confiscated this g1 when they wrote me a bicycle ticket for riding on the sidewalk. i don't think that was legal, but i never bothered to get it back.
i'm sure, at this point, it's long expired, anyways.
i repeat: at 16 years old, i was more concerned about doing what i could to prevent climate change than i was about getting a car. and, even then, i was already an avid bicyclist.
my opinions have not changed.
my father did kind of order me to get a g1, but he didn't push the point beyond it. some cops actually confiscated this g1 when they wrote me a bicycle ticket for riding on the sidewalk. i don't think that was legal, but i never bothered to get it back.
i'm sure, at this point, it's long expired, anyways.
i held various jobs in various call centres from 2000-2010.
i have one ex-girlfriend in ottawa & a handful of ex-friends and family members scattered around various places.
i do not have a passport. i have a nexus card. and, in fact, before moving to windsor, i had only ever previously left canada to go to florida with family as a young teen, in the 90s.
i have never been to a third country.
i have one ex-girlfriend in ottawa & a handful of ex-friends and family members scattered around various places.
i do not have a passport. i have a nexus card. and, in fact, before moving to windsor, i had only ever previously left canada to go to florida with family as a young teen, in the 90s.
i have never been to a third country.
if you are having difficulty finding information on me, it would be because i have no criminal background, and have lived an introverted lifestyle. there's very little information of any value to find.
i went to st. pius x high school & carleton university.
i did not play sports, join clubs, go to church or participate in the community.
i was sporadically involved with some left-wing activism.
i went to st. pius x high school & carleton university.
i did not play sports, join clubs, go to church or participate in the community.
i was sporadically involved with some left-wing activism.
i'm obviously not going to post my birth certificate on the internet, no.
but, i was born at the civic hospital, in ottawa, on the morning of january 13th, 1981.
my mother was from a military family and born in western canada, of finnish-irish background.
my father has roots in ottawa, and is of unclear ancestry, but probably at least part italian, for sure.
but, i was born at the civic hospital, in ottawa, on the morning of january 13th, 1981.
my mother was from a military family and born in western canada, of finnish-irish background.
my father has roots in ottawa, and is of unclear ancestry, but probably at least part italian, for sure.
fwiw, my understanding is that "students only" would be age discrimination, under the human rights code.
of course, if you go to any city anywhere, there are ads for student housing. and, there are some caveats.
as with gender and religion, you can largely put these conditions down in rooming houses. you can have a girls only student house. you can even have a muslim only student house.
but, you can't have a girls only apartment building, or a muslims-only subdivision, or a student only housing unit.
i don't want to live in a rooming house, but there are some apartments that are being advertised as student only. this is something i'll take a closer look at in the upcoming weeks, as the units fill up.
of course, if you go to any city anywhere, there are ads for student housing. and, there are some caveats.
as with gender and religion, you can largely put these conditions down in rooming houses. you can have a girls only student house. you can even have a muslim only student house.
but, you can't have a girls only apartment building, or a muslims-only subdivision, or a student only housing unit.
i don't want to live in a rooming house, but there are some apartments that are being advertised as student only. this is something i'll take a closer look at in the upcoming weeks, as the units fill up.
the science for gmos has been in for a very long time, and they're not dangerous.
skepticism around gmos is an anti-science position that belongs along side anti-vaxxers and climate change denial.
the left should not be associating itself with this kind of nonsense, and i will have nothing to do with it.
skepticism around gmos is an anti-science position that belongs along side anti-vaxxers and climate change denial.
the left should not be associating itself with this kind of nonsense, and i will have nothing to do with it.
i mean, there's stuff available.
but, you don't move to windsor to take a new job, expecting to pay 70% of your income on rent.
and, the less affordable the town gets, the less attractive it becomes to investment from young people moving in from out of town.
it's a mess.
and, it's mismanagement....or, more like non management.
but, you don't move to windsor to take a new job, expecting to pay 70% of your income on rent.
and, the less affordable the town gets, the less attractive it becomes to investment from young people moving in from out of town.
it's a mess.
and, it's mismanagement....or, more like non management.
i just want to be clear on the point.
it is true that i'm passing over housing because it's not non-smoking - but, i mean, getting out of the smoke is the point of the exercise. and, it's not a triviality. second-hand smoke is a dramatic risk factor for all kinds of diseases.
and, it is true that my income is lower than minimum wage.
and, it is true that the fact that i'm surrounded by idiots has left me without good references - due to no fault of my own.
but, i'm hardly the only person in this situation.
some of the ads i saw come up at the beginning of the month have taken a different turn. "working professional seeks apartment downtown for new job" has turned into "IN URGENT NEED OF HOUSING FOR SEPT 1ST".
and, this is kind of exposing a different problem altogether.
because it's one thing if a disabled person can't find an apartment here. i'm just a net drain on resources anyways, right? i think what i do has greater value than can be measured monetarily, but i concede that i don't pay taxes.
it's another thing altogether if the housing shortage (driven by the high number of refugees...) is actually making it difficult or impossible for new taxpayers to take up residence here, to take jobs or whatever else - as that creates a structural problem at city hall, and a one-way ticket to bankruptcy.
are we in such a bizarre situation that somebody coming here to take a job can't find housing because welfare recipients are sitting on all of the housing?
apparently.
but, there's plenty of brand new houses sitting empty in the suburbs.
it is true that i'm passing over housing because it's not non-smoking - but, i mean, getting out of the smoke is the point of the exercise. and, it's not a triviality. second-hand smoke is a dramatic risk factor for all kinds of diseases.
and, it is true that my income is lower than minimum wage.
and, it is true that the fact that i'm surrounded by idiots has left me without good references - due to no fault of my own.
but, i'm hardly the only person in this situation.
some of the ads i saw come up at the beginning of the month have taken a different turn. "working professional seeks apartment downtown for new job" has turned into "IN URGENT NEED OF HOUSING FOR SEPT 1ST".
and, this is kind of exposing a different problem altogether.
because it's one thing if a disabled person can't find an apartment here. i'm just a net drain on resources anyways, right? i think what i do has greater value than can be measured monetarily, but i concede that i don't pay taxes.
it's another thing altogether if the housing shortage (driven by the high number of refugees...) is actually making it difficult or impossible for new taxpayers to take up residence here, to take jobs or whatever else - as that creates a structural problem at city hall, and a one-way ticket to bankruptcy.
are we in such a bizarre situation that somebody coming here to take a job can't find housing because welfare recipients are sitting on all of the housing?
apparently.
but, there's plenty of brand new houses sitting empty in the suburbs.
what do you do to survive when you're surrounded by idiots?
when the average iq is barely above the level of mental retardation?
and you're being persecuted as a consequence of it?
we have to interact with the people around us in some way or another. so, the intelligent must conform to the majority opinion - no matter how stupid it is - in order to survive.
but, what if you just can't do it?
what if you just can't deal with them?
again: stupidity usually wins.
it's a historical constant.
when the average iq is barely above the level of mental retardation?
and you're being persecuted as a consequence of it?
we have to interact with the people around us in some way or another. so, the intelligent must conform to the majority opinion - no matter how stupid it is - in order to survive.
but, what if you just can't do it?
what if you just can't deal with them?
again: stupidity usually wins.
it's a historical constant.
kerosene & diesel.
great.
welcome to the dark ages, canada.
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/nova-scotia-government-gives-green-light-to-plastics-to-fuel-plant-environmental-assessment/110043/
great.
welcome to the dark ages, canada.
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/nova-scotia-government-gives-green-light-to-plastics-to-fuel-plant-environmental-assessment/110043/
getting an education will not necessarily get you where you want in life, whatever that is.
but, you're highly unlikely to escape wage slavery without one.
it's necessary, but not sufficient.
even in my chosen vocation of "starving artist", my legal background has been of some assistance. i don't know how comfortable i would have been in launching these court battles if i didn't have a good understanding of how the system works.
but, you're highly unlikely to escape wage slavery without one.
it's necessary, but not sufficient.
even in my chosen vocation of "starving artist", my legal background has been of some assistance. i don't know how comfortable i would have been in launching these court battles if i didn't have a good understanding of how the system works.
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