Random Rants LXIX: Life is a Dismal Chore

[Synobun]

This city is insanely firework-obsessed. It has been nonstop all over the place since Friday night. Tonight's been the worst; I can pinpoint at least seven different areas nearby shooting off fireworks every couple minutes and they've been doing it since 6 PM.

Four stores in a 3 block radius have also been converted to firework warehouses.

It drives me crazy. I like fireworks in a controlled environment as a big show. Everyone and their mother blowing hundreds of dollars on fireworks and just shooting them off from the alleys for days on end has been trying.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Doesn't your city have by-laws about that? You need a permit here for fireworks, and a qualified person to handle them, or at least supervise, not to mention the fire department is quite particular about public safety.

 

[Ferocitus]

This city is insanely firework-obsessed. It has been nonstop all over the place since Friday night. Tonight's been the worst; I can pinpoint at least seven different areas nearby shooting off fireworks every couple minutes and they've been doing it since 6 PM.

Four stores in a 3 block radius have also been converted to firework warehouses.

It drives me crazy. I like fireworks in a controlled environment as a big show. Everyone and their mother blowing hundreds of dollars on fireworks and just shooting them off from the alleys for days on end has been trying.

Would you prefer something like the fireworks in the Greek town of Vrodandos?

 

[Synobun]

Doesn't your city have by-laws about that? You need a permit here for fireworks, and a qualified person to handle them, or at least supervise, not to mention the fire department is quite particular about public safety.

They do, and they're fairly strict about it too. These are the requirements/restrictions:

On October 31
By the permit holder: someone 19 years or older that complies with all the permit conditions
On private property, with the property owner's written permission
On paths that avoid people, animals, buildings, or vehicles

But bylaw enforcement here is almost entirely nonexistent. I'd be surprised if anyone walks away with a fine.

The same thing happened last winter. The city has a bylaw stating that the sidewalk in front of your house needs to be cleared of ice and snow by 10 AM each and every single day, and that if you don't the city will do it and hand you the bill. Not only were no fines dished out but the city properties themselves were never cleared.

I don't really get the point of having such specific bylaws if the government has absolutely zero intention on following through with any of them. But hey, Vancouver's the "most desirable city" in Canada so it must be working...

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The same thing happened last winter. The city has a bylaw stating that the sidewalk in front of your house needs to be cleared of ice and snow by 10 AM each and every single day, and that if you don't the city will do it and hand you the bill. Not only were no fines dished out but the city properties themselves were never cleared.

It got to the point where I started picking up the phone and complaining to City Hall over the lack of snow/ice clearing on city property, not to mention spring flooding. I told them that there's something seriously wrong when it's safer to walk in the middle of the street than it is on the sidewalk because the city crews aren't out doing their job.

At least now I don't need to worry about windrows. My dad and I had a hell of a time one winter; they plowed our street, pushed the snow up in front of our house, and expected us to do something with it. You can't shovel it back onto the street, and there's nowhere else to put it. So I phoned and explained that I was disabled, my dad was of the age where it was medically unsafe for him to be expected to tackle windrows that froze overnight so we now had a wall of ice in front of our house, and oh-by-the-way... the ice was blocking one of the storm drains, so the next time the weather warmed up enough for some serious melting, we would have a lake in the middle of the block that would also affect parking and some people's basements. So would they come deal with the ice wall they created?

They came the next day and flattened it somewhat, making it easier to melt more slowly, and they cleared the storm drain. After that it was a bit easier to clear away. Thank goodness I had a long-handled ice chipper; I sure needed it that year.

I don't really get the point of having such specific bylaws if the government has absolutely zero intention on following through with any of them. But hey, Vancouver's the "most desirable city" in Canada so it must be working...

The cynical view of the rest of Canada is that it's the most desirable city in Canada for money laundering (as in wealthy Chinese businesspeople who pay insane prices for houses or condos they have absolutely no intention of ever living in, but it's seen as a "legitimate" investment for some bizarre reason). In the meantime real Canadians are priced out of their own city.

So while Vancouver is okay to visit (I've been there twice), I wouldn't want to live there.

 

[Camikaze]

I think I've discovered I'm too reflexively polite in conversation sometimes, in a non-confrontational sense. I have a new secretary who is learning the ropes, and consequently making some mistakes, am I'm finding myself avoiding being direct, and instead essentially making up excuses on her behalf (e.g. "oh, I mustn't have been very clear, sorry"). That helps neither of us. Or recently, I was talking to an opposing lawyer and they were apologising and making some excuse and my instant response was "oh, that's alright, I understand", despite the fact that the point of my call was that it most definitely wasn't alright. An inability to be assertive in conversation is not an asset, apparently. But I feel that as soon as I'm consciously more assertive, it'll be taking the concept too far, and I need to dial it up a bit more naturally.

 

[Arakhor]

Why do you have fireworks at the end of October? Is that some sort of Thanksgiving tradition? We have them in the first week of November for Bonfire Night (and often the week before too, as that's half-term).

 

[Sommerswerd]

Bah, everyone knows fireworks are for July, New Years and Disneyworld/land and literally nothing else...

 

[Arakhor]

Fireworks are for dark nights to cheer the soul. July does not qualify.

 

[The_J]

I meet an attractive woman at Starbuck's. We chat, at length, we flirt, at length...

Why, oh why did I FORGET TO GET HER NUMBER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

You sound like me (in the rare cases I manage something).

I have a new secretary

Whoa, really ?
(the rest I also understand, but for me it's most often important to actually get along with the people, I rarely have to battle them)

 

[Takhisis]

I meet an attractive woman at Starbuck's. We chat, at length, we flirt, at length...



Why, oh why did I FORGET TO GET HER NUMBER!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I thought you were in a relationship… oh well.

 

[Synobun]

Why do you have fireworks at the end of October? Is that some sort of Thanksgiving tradition? We have them in the first week of November for Bonfire Night (and often the week before too, as that's half-term).

If there's anything vaguely considered a holiday, you can be assured that Vancouver will froth at the mouth and be setting off fireworks about it.

In this case, Halloween.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

I thought you were in a relationship… oh well.

That ended, unfortunately. That's a rant for another day.

 

[Ryika]

Time to show commitment! You know she visited that Starbucks once, surely she'll show up again if you wait there for long enough.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I think I've discovered I'm too reflexively polite in conversation sometimes, in a non-confrontational sense. I have a new secretary who is learning the ropes, and consequently making some mistakes, am I'm finding myself avoiding being direct, and instead essentially making up excuses on her behalf (e.g. "oh, I mustn't have been very clear, sorry"). That helps neither of us. Or recently, I was talking to an opposing lawyer and they were apologising and making some excuse and my instant response was "oh, that's alright, I understand", despite the fact that the point of my call was that it most definitely wasn't alright. An inability to be assertive in conversation is not an asset, apparently. But I feel that as soon as I'm consciously more assertive, it'll be taking the concept too far, and I need to dial it up a bit more naturally.

Show them your original avatar, before you added the smiley face. Tell them, "I was just being polite before. This is what I REALLY think."

Fireworks are for dark nights to cheer the soul. July does not qualify.

Canada celebrates July 1 with fireworks. The U.S. celebrates July 4 with fireworks.

I have no idea why anyone would muck around with fireworks this time of year.

 

[choxorn]

Fireworks are obviously for celebrating We Love The King Day when you have 5 Luxury Resources.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Fireworks are obviously for celebrating We Love The King Day when you have 5 Luxury Resources.

I never let my citizens have luxuries. As soon as I can steal Fanaticism from the Goblins or Infidels and my cities can support it, I switch to that form of government and poof! No more worries about whether or not anyone is happy.

 

[Sommerswerd]

If there's anything vaguely considered a holiday, you can be assured that Vancouver will froth at the mouth and be setting off fireworks about it. In this case, Halloween.

Vancouver sounds like a swinging place. I haven't been since the World's Fair in '86... I had a lot of fun there but I haven't been back since, so I don't know what its like now.

Canada celebrates July 1 with fireworks. The U.S. celebrates July 4 with fireworks. I have no idea why anyone would muck around with fireworks this time of year.

Ha! And I half expected to get chastised for a USA #1-ish post . North America #1!

I never let my citizens have luxuries. As soon as I can steal Fanaticism from the Goblins or Infidels and my cities can support it, I switch to that form of government and poof! No more worries about whether or not anyone is happy.

That is so you

 

[Synobun]

Vancouver sounds like a swinging place. I haven't been since the World's Fair in '86... I had a lot of fun there but I haven't been back since, so I don't know what its like now.

Edit: Forgot there were a couple naughty words in this song... so be warned!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Vancouver sounds like a swinging place. I haven't been since the World's Fair in '86... I had a lot of fun there but I haven't been back since, so I don't know what its like now.
Ha! And I half expected to get chastised for a USA #1-ish post . North America #1!

We're a little more... Canadian about it.

If I attended the annual July 1 Folk Festival (which concludes with musicians playing "O Canada" and a fireworks display), that's legal. If I bought fireworks and decided to shoot them off out in the nearest park, that's illegal for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that I could hurt or kill myself, anyone near me, and/or cause a fire.

That is so you

Gotta keep those little Civ citizens striving for scientific excellence and 100% literacy. There's no time to waste in temples and arenas.


@Vincour: One place I really wish I could have visited on my trips out there is Capilano Bridge. It's amazingly beautiful in the rainforest, at least the area where I was on Vancouver Island.

Capilano Suspension Bridge was the setting for the Land of the Dead scenes in the old TV series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven".

I don't doubt Vancouver is a fascinating city. I loved what little I have seen of it. But it's far too expensive to consider living there, and while I don't mind a reasonable amount of rain, you just have too much.

It's snowing here today, and I was talking to the Canada Post guy. I quipped to him that it was a "balmy day" today and he grouched, "Yeah, another 6 or 7 months of this."

I'd have sympathy for him if he were on foot, but he has a motor route so it's not like he's walking blocks and blocks in -30C or more.