The Very-Many-Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XL

[Valka D'Ur]

Oh, you missed my awesome Friends reference, but still

It sounds as if you were renting a room in a tenement house instead of living in one of the richest cities in the hemisphere.

Foreign owners (mostly from China) have jacked up the housing prices to the point where a half-fallen down dump will be listed for $1 million. A tax on foreign-owned properties was put in some time back, but it doesn't do much about the house-flippers and money laundering that's already happened. There are mansions sitting empty while the owners don't live in this country.

Some years ago a foreign university student was interviewed, whining that the new tax meant she couldn't buy a house. My answer: Most university students live in the dorms or they rent (or share) an apartment. Why is she so special that she needs a whole damn house just for herself, when Canadian families can't find decent housing in Vancouver?

(I realize this makes me sound intolerant, but I'm fed up with reading about foreign owners who are only buying property for investment or semi-legal or outright illegal reasons while having no intention to ever become citizens who live here; critical housing then sits empty while there are people who desperately need somewhere to live)

I'm pretty sure that Syn's landlord isn't entirely legal.

Definitely not legal by Alberta's standards. Landlord/Tenant boards should be federal, not provincial, in my view. But with affordable living space at a premium in that city, I'm not surprised that he gets away with it.

@Valka D'Ur: Does Walmart still use Canpar for its delivery?

My last few Walmart deliveries have been by Loomis. Not sure if that's standard across Canada or only in Alberta. Depending on the driver, they may insist that you fetch and carry it yourself, and don't care if you have mobility problems. Earlier this year I asked if they would at least lift it up onto my walker (we're talking heavy boxes of cat litter), and he very begrudgingly did so). The latest delivery was right to the door, no problem at all.

Amazon's been using Intelcom, and I'd love to ask them why they don't train their drivers in how to buzz apartment suites. I'm not going out to the parking lot to fetch and carry stuff. Delivery means delivery to my home. I don't live in the parking lot.

 

[Synobun]

Both Canpar and Loomis are the absolute worst here. The only one worse is DHL, but luckily they're rarely used.

 

[Takhisis]

I thought Carrie Fisher died before the filming of the last Star Wars movie?

They filmed most* of Eps. 8 and 9 together, then she died and they made do with the footage they had, as Synsensa said.

*Or parts, really, because they did so much afterwards in post-production and there was so much meddling

Foreign owners (mostly from China) have jacked up the housing prices to the point where a half-fallen down dump will be listed for $1 million. A tax on foreign-owned properties was put in some time back, but it doesn't do much about the house-flippers and money laundering that's already happened. There are mansions sitting empty while the owners don't live in this country.

Some years ago a foreign university student was interviewed, whining that the new tax meant she couldn't buy a house. My answer: Most university students live in the dorms or they rent (or share) an apartment. Why is she so special that she needs a whole damn house just for herself, when Canadian families can't find decent housing in Vancouver?

(I realize this makes me sound intolerant, but I'm fed up with reading about foreign owners who are only buying property for investment or semi-legal or outright illegal reasons while having no intention to ever become citizens who live here; critical housing then sits empty while there are people who desperately need somewhere to live)

When we moved into this building something like 20 years ago the asking price was about half of what it is now. Just because of spiralling construction speculation, the flat is worth twice, even though our purchasing power is the same. Hence why at my age people just rent or inherit, but rarely buy an apartment.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

They filmed most* of Eps. 8 and 9 together, then she died and they made do with the footage they had, as Synsensa said.

*Or parts, really, because they did so much afterwards in post-production and there was so much meddling

When we moved into this building something like 20 years ago the asking price was about half of what it is now. Just because of spiralling construction speculation, the flat is worth twice, even though our purchasing power is the same. Hence why at my age people just rent or inherit, but rarely buy an apartment.

The construction industry is rife with corruption everywhere. I know I'd be very, VERY cautious in hiring anyone to build anything for me unless it was my own father (now dead). I still have stuff he built for me 30+ years ago - custom made - and it's withstood multiple instances of being hauled around in the house and in what is now my 5th move in 11 years. But he was more than a woodworker; there's not much about building anything he didn't know how to do, or at least know if someone else was doing it right.

It's a different kind of corruption in Vancouver (in addition to the aforementioned construction). When wealthy people from other countries buy up houses in Canada as a "vacation cottage" (a "cottage" that would be considered a large house or even a mansion here) in order to use it a couple of weeks a year, or who just buy it as an investment or to launder money, they don't care about a good deal. They just throw $$$$$$$ at the owner, who happily sells, and then the property sits vacant. In the meantime, because that property sold for $$$$$$$, the rest of them in the neighborhood suddenly end up in that bracket. Eventually locals can't even afford to live in their own city.

Which is why Synsensa is relegated to a dump that is 99.9% probably not in compliance with local bylaws, and it's counter-productive to report this because where else is there to live?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

If Trump were to lose the election and NYC moves to arrests him for tax crimes, how does that work, logistically? Do the secret service agents go with him to jail and sit in his cell with him? What if he's convicted?

 

[really]

I believe the established process is that there is an interdepartmental argument about who is in charge but in the end marines storm the building and evacute him by helicopter to a safe haven in Florida.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I expect that if he's walloped on election night and the Senate tells him they won't back any power plays, he will resign, board his private jet and fly to Moscow before January.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I expect that if he's walloped on election night and the Senate tells him they won't back any power plays, he will resign, board his private jet and fly to Moscow before January.

Or Saudi Arabia

 

[hobbsyoyo]

How often do posters here get a string of notifications that I'm like bombing their comments as I get caught up on the political threads?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

How often do posters here get a string of notifications that I'm like bombing their comments as I get caught up on the political threads?

I get it on the raves/rants/thoughts threads.

 

[Cutlass]

How often do posters here get a string of notifications that I'm like bombing their comments as I get caught up on the political threads?

Every few weeks.

 

[The_J]

I think I had yesterday 4 in a row from you ^^.
I don't mind though.

 

[Kyriakos]

The site should consider a policy of paying those generating most posts
We don't even get a free "supporter" card, when in reality we should get a living wage.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The site should consider a policy of paying those generating most posts
We don't even get a free "supporter" card, when in reality we should get a living wage.

There's more ways than one to support a site. Sadly, some people think that money is the only way that matters.

Of course that should mean quality posts, not posts just designed to increase post count. I had a chat with the owner of smileygenerator.us some years ago when he decided to tie posting to perks on the site. Next thing we knew, too many people were posting meaningless stuff like "ty" or counting/alphabet games, rather than actual conversation or contributing ideas to the smiley/generator forums. So he revised the policy.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

The site should consider a policy of paying those generating most posts
We don't even get a free "supporter" card, when in reality we should get a living wage.

But technically our posts take up storage space (well, database entries) which may cost the owner of this site more money.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Are the happiest people those who listen to death metal?

 

[Birdjaguar]

Are the happiest people those who listen to death metal?

No. Never. Not at all.

 

[The_J]

Are the happiest people those who listen to death metal?

They normally seem unhappy, don't they ?

I'd rather bet on power metal ^^.

 

[Takhisis]

The construction industry is rife with corruption everywhere. I know I'd be very, VERY cautious in hiring anyone to build anything for me unless it was my own father (now dead). I still have stuff he built for me 30+ years ago - custom made - and it's withstood multiple instances of being hauled around in the house and in what is now my 5th move in 11 years. But he was more than a woodworker; there's not much about building anything he didn't know how to do, or at least know if someone else was doing it right.

It's a different kind of corruption in Vancouver (in addition to the aforementioned construction). When wealthy people from other countries buy up houses in Canada as a "vacation cottage" (a "cottage" that would be considered a large house or even a mansion here) in order to use it a couple of weeks a year, or who just buy it as an investment or to launder money, they don't care about a good deal. They just throw $$$$$$$ at the owner, who happily sells, and then the property sits vacant. In the meantime, because that property sold for $$$$$$$, the rest of them in the neighborhood suddenly end up in that bracket. Eventually locals can't even afford to live in their own city.

Which is why Synsensa is relegated to a dump that is 99.9% probably not in compliance with local bylaws, and it's counter-productive to report this because where else is there to live?

Sounds familiar.

How often do posters here get a string of notifications that I'm like bombing their comments as I get caught up on the political threads?

As often as you get caught up on the political threads.

Come on, it's mathematically true and you should've known it was coming.

 

[Kyriakos]

They normally seem unhappy, don't they ?

I'd rather bet on power metal ^^.

Here's a happy (I think) power metal song: