boo, pp

So, Pierre Poilievre has been elected in a safe Alberta riding to resume his role as Opposition Leader for the Conservative Party of Canada.

In his media appearances since the election, he again has claimed that inflation and immigration are still issues and that the Liberal government are responsible.

He also has begun his character attack on PM Mark Carney. I have no problem with the Opposition Leader being critical of the policies of the current government, but personal attacks on politicians, there ought to be a way to curtail this behaviour. 

why all of the vacancies are made of

Everyone else thought that youth, when applied to a pancake, would relate sideways to the cistern that is not equitable with a vote to the nary.

That a sentence devoid of any words that contain the letter 'Q' would be used as a first sentence of a post comes as no surprise to the author. If you found a 'Q' in the first sentence, consider yourself rewarded with that fantastic ability of letter recognition.

One would have to have been made delirious to understand the fast speaking unnaturally emotive existential professor who spoke often in epithets using anagrams. Not all of the rhymes rhyme.

The strangest of all things seems only to be compared to strange things. Comparing a strange thing to something perfectly natural or normal (like an apple, or a chair) is much like using a shoe horn to mimic a tenor horn.

All of the cryogenically frozen people who (before they were frozen) were predominately right-handed ought not to count the number of Mickey Mouse t-shirts they would have owned had they not frozen themselves at the time they did.

Microbial insects, if that is what they can be called when such a creature is that small, are occasionally felt on odd surfaces of my skin and I immediately scratch or rub it or them away.

Strength as a function of length as an aptitude of stench while being measured on a bench is observed by a wench using a wrench.

If the YMCA was to have been spelled the JQPF, it would have scored much higher in a Scrabble game.

Communal living in Generation Forward

I have had more thoughts about getting a pro-natal non profit going in a communal way instead of the individual condo -> house method I posted about a few days ago.

I would use the same applicant / candidate / selected method previously described, though I would revise it as an ad for young men and women, in couples or single. I learned that asking for specifically aged 18yo women and 24yo men could be age discriminatory. Also; I am not to specify gender roles in terms of the man having the bigger income; I will allow for the couple to work out for themselves this arrangement. Though, in the selection process I will look for situations where the guy is safely employed as most likely the woman would stay home due to pregnancy, maternity leave and child rearing.

At the first presentation, if there are any existing couples, who, after the presentation are interested in participating in the program, they will be part of a cohort that can be selected first. Couples that are selected, up to five of them, will be given the choice to follow the individual condo plan I outlined previously, or to enter the communal plan I describe below.

Any single individuals who come to that presentation who end up forming a couple with two prescheduled dates in the subsequent three weeks, we will touch base with them for three weeks. For couples still together and still interested in participating in the program, we will get all of them together to attend weekly homemaking lessons for things like cooking, what to expect at child birth, what to expect after birth in the first few months, personal finance, budgeting, RRSP, RESP, TFSA, etc. that will last another three months or so. If after that they still want to participate in the program, they will become cohort 2 using a selection process to get five couples.

From the original individual plan, once the non profit organization owns 15 condos and a few houses that we own outright and for which we receive rent payments, we use that to assist in getting a loan and to finance (with some of our own money) the construction of a purpose built communal building of about 15 storeys.

The ground floor will be a gym and pool and a locker room between them as well as the main entrance, mail boxes, access to the elevators and perhaps a management office.

Each residential floor above will be constructed in the form of a U shape with residential units all along the outside wall of the building on three sides, but having an opening in the middle with floor to ceiling windows on the fourth side. This communal area in the middle will have things like laundry machines, a large kitchen, and folding chairs and tables so that they can be moved aside outside of eating times to allow for the space to be multi purpose. Perhaps too there could be a balcony sticking out of the building on that fourth communal side.

Levels 1 and 2 will have a mix of two bedroom condos and what I'll call family units. The family units will have four or five bedrooms and be generally larger to accommodate families with 4-6 children. There will be 15 two bedroom condos so as to have a cohort of five couples move into units 1-5 as cohort 1, a year later cohort 2 moves into units 6-10, a year later cohort 3 moves into units 11-15 and during that year, the families of cohort 1 who ought to have two kids by now, move into a family unit where they will stay for the remainder of their time in the building. So the fifteen two bedroom units will have new couples cycle through about every 2-3 years.

Levels 3 to 15 are all family units, still in that U shape, though, mixed among the floors are two lounges that are to be of use for the whole building, rather than just that floor - one, a teen lounge and another, an adults lounge.

As with the individual condos, we will charge each family 30% of their income to rent their condo which will include electricity and internet. They will need to pay for insurance and food and with respect to food, all of the families on the floor are to work out how they will use the communal living area - is it every meal every day? Is it only dinners? Who takes charge? Do different families take different nights? How is the communal food paid for?

When a family reaches having four children, they will be advised that at any time between that time and having been in the communal living building for 20 years, that they will need to form an exit plan so as to make room for new cohorts. As a non-profit we will help them by paying up to 70% of a house that they move into; and they pay the remaining 30%. The candidates will be advised of this exit program at the time they are offered to join the program so that it does not come as a surprise.

As an option, the non-profit could build another building with a similar communal setup, intended for families that are no longer having young children, so it could be a mix of family units to take the families as they are from the first building, and also a mix of one or two bedroom or studio units that the kids can move into, to eventually move out and for the parents to move into, as their kids move out. Of course, it is possible that kids of the communal living from two different families end up forming a couple, these would automatically join a cohort since they already know what communal living is about. Once the very first few cohorts get to four children, we can survey them to find out if continued living communally was of interest to them; if it is, this will direct us to build the new building.

With respect to construction, I had the idea that the structure and the envelope and the first five two bedroom condos can be built at the start of the construction all together, but then a small construction team can be hired long term to build all of the remaining units one at a time for the entire building as our population grows.

For the pool I had the idea that once it is opened, I would hire a lifeguard to provide mom (or dad) and baby pool sessions. Then, once the kids are aged 3 or 4, start giving them weekly lessons. Once the oldest kids are aged 6 or 7 start having a free swim period and now hire two or three lifeguards to watch the pool. Eventually, teach all of the children not only the full swim lesson suite, but get all children (perhaps with the exception of any that are handicapped or willfully dislike the idea) to go through the certification necessary to make them lifeguards, so that not only can we start to hire them inside our pool in our building, but, they can get jobs outside of the building as lifeguards.

Once I am sufficiently advanced in this, and can show how effective my plan is to increase the birth rate, I can do two things. First I would contact the provincial government, present to them the findings from my program, and find out if they can help subsidize this program to help to expand it. Second, I would start a charitable foundation to accept donations from other individuals or corporations to as to promote this pro-natal program.

Then, I can expand this program to other cities in Canada with an ultimate goal of having 5000+ births per year. In 2022 there were 351,679 babies born in Canada, in 2023 it was 351,477, so adding 5000+ births would be a 1.4% increase in births which would indeed have a measurable impact on the national birth rate.

plaid rug under the carpet

A twig, a ranch hand and an 8x13 envelope crossed the train tracks (two pair owned by CN Rail), like a 

Unknown by anyone who doesn't read this post, 29c isn't the best time of day to lick a ceiling panel

It was such a great day to experience 15h21, that it jumped up and down like a

Incomplete the sentences, like it isn't, or it may not kept to have been undone.

+2 or +4

Further thoughts; for those who stick around at the end of the first session, and who also have formed a couple, I would give the couple 100$ to help pay for the two dates they do and suggest that one of them pays the balance for date #1 and the other pays the balance for date #2.

Once the winning couples have been chosen, I will have someone give them financial advice for things like budgeting, investments, TFSA, RRSP, RESP, Child Tax Benefit, etc.

+1 or +5

I watched a video yesterday about the population and/or birth rate decline that is showing most in Japan and South Korea, but that is happening in Western countries too, just like here in Canada.

So I had another idea if I was to win a big lottery jackpot to address this, at least here in my city.

I would post a notice somehow at CEGEPs looking for young women aged 17 or 18 who are uncertain about their future, but want to have children and would consider being a home maker. I would suggest she discuss with her family.

I would somehow try to reach men aged 24-25, who are safely employed, and who though may not feel they are ready, but do want to have a family someday. I am less certain about how to reach these.

I would pick a date and a venue and then do a presentation. The presentation would first explain Canada's dropping birth rate, and use Japan as the extreme example of what could eventually happen. Then I would explain that there are four spots available for couples to be formed to give them a big boost towards starting a big family, including assistance to buy first property and subsequent support.

At this point I would offer for anyone, now that they know what this is about, if they want to leave, they are welcome to leave. Then, I would have one or two ice breaker games to get the people to start to get to know each other, then I would have tables and chairs set up, in groups of four with two men and two women, they would take turns answering questions about each other. After 15 minutes, each person moves around to join a new four person group.

After 75 minutes of this it would be free for all with food and drinks, no alcohol so that these young adults are entering this with clear heads. I would encourage potential couples to exchange contact information and to schedule two subsequent dates. I would have a staff member take down their information as they leave. The staff member would also give them a questionnaire for them to take with them - it will have questions to let them focus their thoughts on what their new future could look like.

For those couples who complete the two dates - they send photos to me that are date stamped and at two different venues, we'll have another event at a smaller venue.

Now a more detailed presentation - if selected, my real estate agent will work with them, for them to choose a two bedroom condo; I will pay 50-80% of the price of the condo (depending on the price) and the employed man is to take a mortgage to pay the rest. I will let them know that there are four spots available for me to assist them to start their family and provide to them the notary prepared contract that they are to review. I will set a deadline for applications to be entered in, perhaps a few months later, to give these couples more time to get to know each other. Unbeknownst to them, if any woman in these couples is already pregnant at the deadline, she and her guy automatically become one of the couples that 'win' this opportunity. Some method of determination will be used to choose the other couples.

The union of the couple will be for a duration of 10 years with options to renew every 5 years after that.

As a couple they are expected to start their family with their first born within the first year of when they sign the agreement and to have at least three additional children.

The young man is expected to keep his job, to work hard, try to improve and to be there for the family.

The young woman is to take care of and raise the children, take care of feeding everyone in the family and be supportive. If she does not already know how to cook and clean and care for a home and a family, it will be up to her to take this on, but I will have someone provide assistance.

Of course, respect, honesty, loyalty and other aspects of a successful union will be important, and so I will have a marriage counselor prepare a multi week package to meet with these young couples to help them through the early months of their marriage.

The family will have their first two children in the condo they start in, once the second child is born, and when she is pregnant for the third, I will have my real estate agent work with the family to find them a bigger home where again I will assist with the funding. I will keep the condo for a subsequent cohort where their choice of where to live now becomes limited to the condos I already own, but to their advantage, I will ask them only for a nominal monthly fee.

After four years in the program I would provide the contact information of everyone in a cohort for them to meet with each other and to trade experiences. I would also have one or more of the women become 'big sisters' to new cohort women and have one or more of the men become 'big brothers' of the new cohort men.

So each year a new cohort will come in, and with each year I will offer temp employment to the young men and women who have already succeeded in the program to assist in the running the events and to give their own presentation as to how it has gone.

At the 10 year mark I will work with the notary to confer ownership of the house they bought to be fully owned by the family and with a marriage counselor find out if they are doing the five year renew. Going forward from there, the family has graduated from the program and have no more requirements to be big sister or big brother or help at presentations.

I have had the thought that I would need to consider what happens if the union dissolves within that 10 year period and I haven't been able to come up with a proper solution for this.

When I was 24 or 25yo, I would have definitely considered doing this signing up for this.

yes, subterranean

A few more ideas about the subterranean music venue from the previous post.

The stage where the band performs at the floor level of the cylinder will rotate at a very slow rate, so that the band faces everyone as it spins around.

The whole decor will be Tron based, even to the point of seeing if it is possible to have a uniform that the servers wear that have light strips on their sleeves, along the sides of their body and down their legs on each side of their body. A bonus feature would be if the light strip colour could be changeable and change in the same way that the light decor within the venue changes. We would used a standardized portable battery of which we buy 100 so that some are charging while others are in use.

Beneath the stage will be a service area to maintain the stage rotation system and for any wiring to get from the musicians to the audio control booth. The audio control booth will be on the first balcony above the stage.

Beneath the service area will be an extremely large cistern to catch any rain water or any water ingress. Anywhere that water could potentially get it, it will be directed to enter the cistern. Especially during our more extreme rain storms there is this risk; so I would have the cistern large enough that it can continue to accumulate during a major rain storm, and then, once the storm has well passed, the water there can be pumped up and out into a storm drain at a controlled rate.

I would aim the size of the venue to have a 500 guest capacity, with 50 servers and the band members. A further thought I had was to have an entry that is recessed into the commercial building but quite a distance, perhaps 12m. For the length of that passage, have a transition from a standard commercial decor to the Tron decor. On the wall where the elevator is, have a vertical strip of lights to the left and right of the door that light up in a vertical growing fashion (from bottom to top) if the elevator rises up to that level, is fully lit when the elevator is at the level, and the lit lights go out gradually downwards as the elevator descends.

Inside the elevators, have again vertical strips of lights, perhaps two on the far left and right side of the front and back wall of the elevator. Have a 10cm off 10cm on pattern of lights move in an upward direction as the elevator descends, and downward as it ascends and stay still when the elevator is stopped.

buried but not

The city of Montreal is proposing a new city law that manages sound levels from venues that have music shows. There is a movement against this as many of these venues have been around for decades and it is the result of NIMBYs who move in the vicinity who make complaints.

The city shouldn't be caving in to these complaints; the people who complain decided to move into that venue's vicinity, they have the option to move away.

My idea for this post is to create a subterranean music venue where the entry is on some downtown street occupying just the doorway size cropping of an existing commercial location that has a minimal beneath building occupation.

At street level we would cut out a rectangle to begin digging straight down at the street, propping up all sides so as to support the existing structures surrounding the dig site. Once we get maybe 15m deep, or, 10m below the lowest point of the building we are building beneath, start digging laterally to end up beneath the building. My idea is to have a dodecagonal cylinder where the exterior is welded in place such that these steel structures fulfill the role of structure and form. Have the center of the column empty and open to the air, have the music stage at the center at floor level of the music venue. Perhaps have a swelling out at the base of the cylinder to allow for more guests at the same level as the performers. Have two or three balcony levels that are around the perimeter of the dodecagon with seats or standing places right at the edge (of course with a protective barrier to prevent falling) so that guests can look down to see the band. Have on each floor a small bar that serves drinks with servers. Have an elevator that goes from street level to each of the levels. On the dodecagon, opposite the side of the elevator, have an emergency stair case that ends up at an emergency exit at the surface.

I would hire an acoustic engineer and/or technician to design the sound system that bands can plug into such that the sound quality is good at all levels of the venue. Similarly I would have a light designer/engineer to manage the lights to see the bands. Next, I could have reasonably large screens at the upper levels that show the performance down below.

By having this music venue subterranean there ought not to be noise complaints.

Maybe have the sound crew make it so that the volume is loudest at the level of the band, somewhat less loud on the first balcony above it, and further less loud as we progress closer to the surface. 

bah, like what the word would type

Advice I would give..

to any male person older than puberty and younger than within the last year of their life:

do not complain about being hungry, thirsty or tired, or feeling cold or hot. Ever. You can be hungry, thirsty, tired, cold or hot, for sure, and you can certainly feel that way, but complaining about it will not serve you.

Do be concerned about the women, children and elderly in your life and in your surroundings and if any of them feel hungry, thirsty, tired, cold or hot and see to their comfort as and when it is possible to do so.

to any YouTube creator:

do not at the beginning, at the end, or at any time, ask for subscriptions, likes, comments or Patreon. Constantly hearing from various creators that doing so 'will help the YouTube algorithm' or will help the creator themselves is useless, YouTube viewers already know this and will do it if they are so inclined.

Do thank the viewer for having watched your video at the tail end.

Anyhow, these are a few behaviour recommendations that I have thought about over the last few weeks and I thought I would put them down somewhere.

currency like a hammock

So Carney dropped the Digital Services Tax (DST) when the felon Cheeto Buffoon indicated trade talks would cease unless the DST was dropped. Though the pretty mouthpiece of the Frumpy said Canada 'caved in' to the demand; I don't see that Carney had a choice, in order for his trade team to continue engaging with the US trade team.

A few days later the felon posted a 35% tax, um, tariff,  on everything coming into the US from Canada; not indicating clearly if already cleared USMCA goods would be exempt. This is to take place on 1 August, unless a trade deal is done, and unless TACO happens again.

Once this announcement was made, my view on these matters flipped - previously I wanted Carney and his trade team to get the best deal possible with the USA under these difficult conditions. Now, I want us as a country to cut all trade with the US. I know this will be extremely difficult on thousands of Canadian  businesses, but we should accelerate not only trade deals with other countries (Mexico, Europe, UK, Asia, etc.) but get real contracts between Canadian businesses and those external country's businesses. Also, get going with the major projects within Canada to employ a lot of people that used to be in businesses with the USA.

The Orange Guy claimed again and again that they need nothing from Canada, so let's give them nothing. For things like electricity from Quebec and Ontario into the US, raise the prices in a predictable manner over the next few years until the prices are exorbitant. For lumber and critical minerals, treat preferably all of our non-US trade partners, and only sell to the US what remains at a high price. For the automotive industry, this is the trickiest one as the supply chain is so involved. Well, get Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and other foreign car companies with the exclusion of China, to have vehicles built in Canada for the Canadian market and gradually ween ourself off American manufacturers. Oil will be the most difficult one, as presently Alberta oil goes through the US to then eventually come back up again into Ontario. For this I see no other choice but to build an east-west pipeline.

And finally, we need to get immigration, housing, social services (education and health) on a plan to ramp up all of this; if we can grow our population in an accelerated way by way of pragmatic and smart planning, this is another way that our economy can grow that will make our market desirable to trade in by all of our non-US trade partners.

Do not forget your wrist watch at home

How many Spiderman movies are there? Three? Six?

How many octagons are there? More or less than Spiderman movies?

If I tied my shoes tightly enough, I am certain that they would be sufficiently tight.

That's about it.