Life In Scarborough: The Building Confronts Kitec Plumbing Problem

So the condo corp held a big meeting the other night.  They rented a room at the local community center.  They'd already sent around a letter so everyone knew what it was about; the building has Kitec plumbing.  You can look it up but the stuff was manufactured between 1995 and 2007 when the  number of recalls they were getting made them stop.  Under certain circumstances it wail fail prematurely, and when it fails it blows (splits, more technically) and you get floods.  The meeting was held so the condo Board could tell us we would have to pay about $3,500 to $5,000 per bathroom, and maybe more in the townhouses, to get it removed.

So despite the fact that the engineer Atilla wasn't overly communicative, and they had mic problems, it didn't become a shit-show.  I said my bit urging caution--I know a lot of folk in the R.E. profession who think this is more media driven than real (remember UFFI?)--but in the end the decision to re-plumb the whole place had already been made.  And the lady next to me texted her husband while we were sitting there, and confirmed that the insurance company he worked for wouldn't touch houses/apartments with the stuff in it.  Others will hike your rate.  So perhaps it is for the best.

 And people took it OK.  Probably the most exciting bit of dissent was when the old Filipino guy got up and said "This will not end well!  You laugh now, but in time you will cry tears of blood!"  And a couple other old guys got up and yelled at the clouds. But the overall mood stayed relatively mellow.

Word at the meeting was that there were 2,000 condo towers around the city with this kind of plumbing in them.  I'm not sure if that's an exaggeration, but there's surely a lot of them.

Dear Galactus: A Word From Trey Gowdy, GOP Congressman From South Carolina...

I have contacted Galactus and The Eater Of Worlds is apparently solid GOP.  He will be accessing his pay-pal account and forwarding Mr. Gowdy $5.  The Eater of Worlds is not made out of money.

The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta Is Recruiting Its Own Troll Army!

Talk shit on the Internet for Jason Kenney! Fat shame the socialist hordes!  Threaten the cucks and the squishes with death!  Most interesting bit is if you AREN'T a Conservative supporter but are willing to talk shit strictly for money, the #PCAA is OK with it.  I'd find this kind of job demeaning, but maybe desperate millennials who are jonesing  for craft cheese might sign-up..

Hard being young these days. 

Found it here.

MOTHERFUCKIN' NEWS ALERT!!! TABBY'S STAR IS DIPPING!

ALERT:@tsboyajian's star is dipping

This is not a drill.

Astro tweeps on telescopes in the next 48 hours: spectra please!

— Jason Wright (@Astro_Wright) May 19, 2017

This is what you should be paying attention to now.  Fuck that bullshit with that Trump asshole.  There is a small but non-zero chance that the dips are being caused by a MOTHERFUCKIN' ALIEN MEGA-STRUCTURE!!!!   YYYUUUGE, BABY!   The size of JUPITER at least and maybe one of many such structures orbiting  KIC8462852, a star 1,600 light years away, in the direction of Uranus, a really dark and hairy part of the night sky.

But seriously.  There's a real news story about it here.

But that's the only one.  Everything else is about that orange haired fucktard making an idiot of himself in lands far away.  THIS SHIT IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT!!!!  If it really is aliens, we can pray to them and slaughter people in their name, and then maybe get taken away to some planet on the other side of the galaxy that's all like California as our reward.

Or it could be a bunch of stupid comets.  But I'm hopin'.

Life In Scarborough: The Buses Of Scarborough

On the bus in Scarborough this morning two youths were listening to angry gangster rap music on headphones.  They were both rapping along fiercely to completely different tunes. They became quite loud, and it sounded like they might scrap.  But in fact the two never became even aware of one another's presence.

Also, if you are stuck behind a City garbage truck long enough, you notice that they have steering wheels on both sides.  I didn't know this before that but it makes sense.

That is all.

Oh, and there are folks down in The Guild protesting a new condominium project because it will "block their view", but their view is of a couple of public housing towers from the 1970's that look like they'll blow over in a storm, so...

People just like to complain.

That is all.

On Ann Coulter And Free Speech: She Ain't Always Been For It

From 2005:

"They're always accusing us of repressing their speech," she said. "I say let's do it. Let's repress them."

She later added, "Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment."

Read through the link.  There's more there.  Worth noting after all the latest kerfuffle.

On Keeping Ms. Wynne As OLP Leader

This is from an email from Ontario Proud, who may be a PCPO front group:

And it's true.  I cannot see a party led by some coup leader doing better than the current leader. As for recent polls, McGuinty was down 15% back in 2011, which is similar to today's numbers after inflation.  And if politics was the UFC I would say that the OLP is good fighting on their backs. They can find Patrick Brown's weakness, and submit him.

Remember that line from Beowulf : Luck, Often Enough, Will Find A Man If His Courage Holds.

Kellie Leitch Among The Haters

Forget the alleged nazi-era gun.  Her meeting with Ron Banerjee's Rise Canada and other assorted nutjobs is probably the more important story.  My readers will know Ron; he is let us say special. His greatest hits can be found through this link.

O Inglorious Justin: Bad Bit In New Budget!!!

The Liberals are killing the public transit tax credit. #Budget2017 pic.twitter.com/83OcClkwFU

— Andrew Scheer (@andrewscheer) March 22, 2017

This one is a personal kick in the nads for both the wife and I, as we prefer to take the buses in and out of Scarborough on work-days rather than upgrade our car insurance.  If the Star is right, then going on with the status quo will cost me an extra $264 a year.  I have always kept the car for weekend shopping and the odd vacation, but that might literally have to change if this measure goes through. So maybe one more car on the road 7 days a week, and Mother Gaia has to go fuck herself.   Not very green, Justin.

Also, not very terribly gender-based, as women make up 57% of the TTC's ridership. The nannies that get bused in and out of  rich-folks neighborhoods will be crying tonight.  But I guess they're the wrong type of women, or at least not the type this budget is concerned with.

 I know almost nothing else about what's in it, but that one measure left a bad smell in this TTCentric, greeny-weeny household.

Who's the new guy for the NDP again?

Life In Scarborough: The Washing Machines Of Scarborough

I've timed it on several occasions, and when I set my washing machine to Express Wash, it tells me the wash will take 30 minutes.  But it doesn't, it takes 37 minutes.  Everything is fine until the last minute of the cycle, which takes 7 minutes.  This seems dangerously misleading on the part of the manufacturer.  You could be washing interview gear in there.  You could lose a shot at a good job if you showed up 7 minutes late. And then your marriage could fall apart, and you could wind up addicted and homeless, sleeping in that porta-potty they left unlocked down by where they're renovating the Guildwood Inn.

This isn't about me, by the way.  I'm good. There are larger issues at stake. How could something like this happen in 2017?  Russian hackers hacking the Internet Of Washing Machines? Something must be done.

Your Daily Nazi: Nazi Salutes At Rebel Media Event Attended By CPC Leadership Candidates

.@ezralevant says @HilaryBeaumont is lying about seeing a Nazi salute in the crowd, but, ummmm... (c/o @sdbcraig) pic.twitter.com/RMgHDlbI0J

— Beisan Zubi (@beisan) February 16, 2017

PS.  Anyone with more crowd shots, please post somewhere.

Off To A Good Start: Analysis Of Trump/Trudeau First Meeting

I don't know who suggested Trudeau host a "chicks in biz" lunch with The Donald and daughter Ivanka, who cares about that kind of shit, but it was a brilliant move and it worked.  Look at the pic below.  Ivanka's got that....

...I'd fuck him right now look.  She'll be for Canada going forward.  Count on it.  And she's not the only one.  Our guy was a hit down South.  All the women love him.  For example, Alyssa Milano:

Dear lord, Trudeau is so hot.

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 13, 2017

and:
 

Me watching Trudeau translate himself into French. pic.twitter.com/yazecf1Nvj

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 13, 2017

Not only that, Justin fought Trump to a draw in the obligatory power handshake contest:

And later offered his hand voluntarily like the prettiest girl at the ball who kisses you out of pity.

As a result, The Donald has said he doesn't intend to fuck over Canada in a trade war, just the Mexicans.  Sorry, little swarthy brothers, national interests are national interests!  See you on the other side.

Bottom line, our PM did the nation proud today.  Or at least kept us safe.

O Glorious Justin: This Is A Thing Cleverly Done

So you diss Fox News over their reporting re the mosque shootings in Quebec.  Cdn media reports on that.  Then U.S. outlets have to report on it too.  Then Fox News has to respond.  And THEN you know The Donald has read it.  And maybe he responds, or not.  But its a neat way of delivering your broader message to the one person you really want to reach.  Smooth, like the Brits do.  And its the same way his staff signal disagreement with his policies.  They leak to Fox.

A Question For All CPC Candidates: Where Are They With Respect To Russky Interference?

It's a question  I've asked Nick Kouvalis, Svengali for  Kellie Leitch:

@Bigcitylib2 Kellie has been clear. Putin is not to be trusted. He is the enemy.

— Nick Kouvalis (@NickKouvalis) January 21, 2017

Again, all CPC candidates should have to answer this question.  After its success in the recent U.S. election, Putin's troll army has turned its attention elsewhere.  They're going after Merkel now, for example.  It is way within the realm of possibility that they should be looking to find a fellow traveler from within CPC ranks to up-end Canuck politics.  Every CPC candidate should  publicly renounce such efforts in advance.

Is Russia Re-Purposing Pro-Trump Troll Twitter Accounts To Attack Angela Merkel?

An interesting tweet, this:

Fascinating to see Kremlin trolls starting up the Merkel operation in real time today. Mostly repurposed pro-Trump accounts. pic.twitter.com/mlqQxFmf1k

— Angela Merkel (@Queen_Europe) December 20, 2016

Yeah, its a parody site .  But there's an interesting point made here.  Assume you have, like Russia does, a troll army that acts in the Russian national interest by, for example,  getting clowns like Donald Trump elected.  Suppose that assignment is over (successfully concluded), and the next one is to disrupt the German election and get Angela Merkel booted in favor of some far right alternative. What's the quickest way?  Well, you just use the 1,000's of twitter accounts you've already created to redirect their bile at the German Chancellor.  Better than starting from scratch.  But though these accounts are hard to distinguish from the genuinely useful idiots, if people are paying attention, they will see.  And that gives the game away.  So a sloppy bit of dark ops on the part of the Russkies, perhaps.

Kellie Leitch Fundraises Off Me

This appeared on CPC leadership candidate Kellie Leitch's Facebook page today.

She's got the twitter address wrong, but yeah she's talking about me, as Nick Kouvalis helpfully clarified:

@FraserFraserdw they all know it's @Bigcitylib2 that we're talking about. They don't like us. @EvanLSolomon

— Nick Kouvalis (@NickKouvalis) November 30, 2016

Firstly, I'd like to thank Ms. Leitch and Mr. Kouvalis.  I don't think anyone's ever called me "elite" before, not even my mom, or my wife, though I may ask her to start.  As for being a "prominent" Liberal, I'll include that in my Senate application form.  Speaking of which, where on the Senate website is there a floor-plan, so you can choose your seat?  Or do they leave that for a later date?

On Those Pipeline Decisions

Here is one of what will be many stories.

So, start with some facts and probabilities.

Northern Gateway is dead.  That's a piece of good news.  Line 3 nobody heard of until today, so who knows?   Also, who knows about Keystone.  That decision is not really in Canadian hands.

Energy East looks less likely to me.  The Trudeau gov. will take a big political hit for this in B.C. They won't risk the equivalent in Que. where they have more seats in the HOC.   Also, "the market" never cared much for Energy East; there's more money to be made if oil flows West to China than East to who knows where?

Now there's a pretty solid case to be made for the govs' position.  Put simply; Alberta deserves a pipe-line. I'm lazy right now so  I'll just quote stuff I wrote earlier on this, ironically enough about Energy East:

You have to think of this as the first step in a process.  Carbon is priced in Phase 1, and then in phases 2, 3, 4, and so on, that price is gradually ratcheted up.  Alberta has been told that, if it cleans up its act and gets with Phase 1, it will be given a chance to send its oil to the larger world market, where it might fetch a better price.  And so, at some political cost to the ruling government and economic cost to the province itself, it has attempted to do right.

So how do you then get a buy-in on phase 2, 3 and etc. if this good behaviour is not rewarded somehow?  If  no action the province takes will be rewarded why bother doing anything in future? So do we achieve our ultimate goal (hitting our announced carbon reduction targets) more quickly through cooperating or trying to steam-roll a whole industry out of business?

There's a matter of intellectual consistency at issue here.  If you are arguing that taking appropriate measures to obtain "social license" will get the province a pipeline or two, but really mean no way no how, than you are being  dishonest.   Why would a future Kenney government keep a Notley carbon tax if they could plausibly argue that it had brought them no credit?

That said,  BCers are going to go ape-shit.  When most people think of "Western Alienation" they think of whining Albertans.  But we BC natives range from artists to tech capitalists to first nation's warriors who can move unseen like a shadow in the night to hippies who've learned how to levitate by taking magic mushrooms to fishermen to whatever Van Der Zalm was.  And ranged against them is a bunch of ill-favoured, uncouth tar miners from Lethbridge.  If this becomes a political war, anti-pipeline forces will win in BC (opinion always tilts anti-pipeline when things heat up) and BC will win in the nation as a whole, and if Feds and Alberta try to NEP B.C., B.C. will tear this country a new one, sleep with its women, and leave for someplace better.  Yes, this could escalate into a National Unity issue.

And there's also the issue of the planet itself.  With respect to CO2 emissions, killing or even stalling pipelines is a bit like staunching the bleeding a little.  So I personally believe none of these pipelines go through.  But I'm willing to have the battles won at a more local level, and cut the feds some slack.

Small Mercies? Is Trump Softening Stance On Climate Change/Paris Agreement?

There are signs.  Climate change denier Myron Ebell may not get top spot at the EPA:

Myron Ebell, a prominent climate change skeptic who runs the Competitive Enterprise Institute libertarian think tank, has been leading Trump's EPA transition team, but sources said he is not likely to become the administrator.

Furthermore, the bottom couple of paragraphs from a recent article in  Utility Dive, quoting a "Trump Insider", suggest that Trump may have advanced a bit beyond crude climate change denial.  He won't lead an attack on renewables, and further:

There will be “enormous casualties among climate change activities,” the Trump insider said. But, he added, “Trump doesn’t want to turn his back on climate change.”

...which sounds bad, but better than claiming its all a Chinese hoax.  Interestingly enough, the first version of  piece is quite a bit more hard-line:

Trump's back-tracked on  a few issues over the past couple of days.  Maybe this is what we are seeing  here.   On this one it makes sense for him to retreat towards something like the G.W. Bush position.  That is, accept the underlying science and remain onside with the Paris Climate Agreement in theory  (I am hearing stories that his opposition to that may not be set in stone), but in practice do nothing.    Why choose active belligerence when inaction is enough?  Which is bad news, but not as bad as if he were to actively attempt to kneecap the renewables sector.

Life In Scarborough: Wisdom From Out In Scarborough

Was sitting in my favorite working man's pub out in Scarborough today, and heard something which I thought was quite deep.  One of the fellows at the bar said: "If you can't laid in Cuba, you can't get laid anywhere."  Which is a fact that many other people have told me is so.

Perhaps today more than ever we should acknowledge the inherent wisdom of the white working class.

Before You Cancel That Telus Contract!

because the company favors a price on carbon, read Rebel Media's (that's Ezra Levant's latest venture, if you haven't been paying attention) fight back letter!

Note the fifth and seventh paragraph.  While Holly the Rebel wants you to dump Telus now, she herself only plans to cancel someday, maybe, if the cards fall right.  That's about the lamest form of rebellion I've ever seen.  

PS.  They address me as Heywood J. because I am in the Rebel database as Heywood J. Blome.  Its an old joke.  I get a ton of email from these folks.