Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Someone has to pay for governments locking down countries for month after month and that will be us, the consumer.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Upside after like 6 or 7 years we have moved from the BC Housing general registry to actually being on waitlists for specific buildings, downside the wait will still be pretty significant most likely since turn over in the buildings we are on the waitlist for is pretty low, as in some don't see anyone move out for years.

Being a childless couple doesn't help us, we would actually get housing quicker if we were not married or had a kid, either one will speed the process up.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I was surprised and a little flabbergasted to be told by a friend affected by the power cuts in Texas that she didn't have candles, a bbq or camp stove, matches, a torch (flashlight) nor anything else to have light or heat water (oh and no bottled emergency water either). She's from Canada, so thankfully had some winter coats / hoodies / touk etc., and huddled under the blankets for 20 hours. In this day and age, shouldn't we have at least some basics to tide us over in the event of an extended power cut (even if we don't have a generator). Thankfully the blackout of 2003 was in summer (with 50 million people affected), but it made me think about ensuring I have some'essentials' that I always keep in stock.. including my old balti warmers that run off tealight candles and provide enough heat to warm some beans or soup using a balti pan or similar.
Does anyone else keep a few basics in place?
(I made sure I learned how to make a 'hobo' stove too, lol)

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

A small earthquake kit, but to be honest if the big one hits and I am not home, chances of accessing it are pretty slim, and if a big one occurs, not sure I will remember to grab it. It's pretty basic, some matches, some candles, flash light, radio and batteries, some canned food and freez dried food, mylar emergency blankets, band aids, some gauze pads, advil, rubbing alcohol, water purification tablets, 4 small water bottles filled with water, 6 cans of dog food, a doggy jacket, and a couple dog toys, Charlee needs emergency rations too. Its all in a bright pink back pack near the door. Oh there is a can opener and spoons and forks as well, probably a few other things, I am going off memory here. The pink backpack was chosen so it is easier to see and spot quickly in the dark especially, it has some glow in the dark tape on it as well, oh I think there are some glow sticks too for emergency basic lighting needs.

Food in it could be stretched to 4 or 5 days, will be hungry, but enough to sustain enough energy until hopefully help arrives, but in a big quake, there is really no way to prepare to a point where you wont need help simply due to the damage that will occur, buildings are designed not to collapse in quakes or provide enough time for escape, but they may not be habitable after a big quake.

Water is heavy, and plentiful in this region, so I chose to just put in 4 small bottles and save weight, I have never lived far from a freshwater source anywhere in BC, may as well save space and weight and use natural water sources with purification tablets.


No ability to store rain water in condos and apartments so rain barrels are out of the question. Probably warmer inside without heat and jackets than outside near a fire but eh I haven't done the test to know for sure, just seems being inside out of the wind would help considerably in staying warm?


None of the food in the kit requires heating, its all safe ready to eat, although would taste better warm, but isn't necessary.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

We have an earthquake kit, as Jsmith says, we live in an earthquake zone, get many small quakes every year, and we are always being threatened with "the big one is due".

We do forget to keep the kit up-to-date though ....... ie renew the water, make sure tinned food is not out of date, make sure there is a 2 week supply of prescription pills, etc.

But we also still have the generator that we needed when we had the cabin, a camp stove, torches in every room, good supply of candles, matches, and a wood burning fireplace with wood stored. We also still have winter-weight sleeping bags, in addition to spare duvets and blankets. We also have one small Sony radio and loads of batteries.

Of course, we also have to hope that we can access all of these, which might be iffy if it is a quake!

We know from our daughter who has endured days without power in NS after major storms ............ wrap the freezer in sleeping bags/blankets etc to keep it as cold as possible, and don't keep opening fridge or freezer.

I've had 24 hours without power here in Vancouver in early spring ............. OH of course was away! A neighbour got out their camp stove, phoned others and said "bring a thermos and we'll give you hot water to make tea or coffee".

Good neighbours!

Went to bed early, cuddled down over night with a couple of duvets, had candles in every room but found it hard to read in candlelight. I could look out my kitchen window to the east and see the candles in the house across the street ........... but the annoying thing was that the houses across the street to the north still had power! They were on a different system.

The neighbours who supplied the hot water were without power for a further 24 hours after most of us got the power back ........ a minor effect of the outage was at the pole at the back of their property.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The family I married into experienced the 1998 ice storm where they went to 'shelters' at various buildings like schools for a few days so I've always been aware of the potential.

We don't get many outages here in my bit of the city, the longest was just a few hours but I know a few hundred yards away they were without for 2 or 3 days.

We have a wood stove for emergency heat and there's a hot plate thing on it. I bought a kettle for it thinking of hot drinks, instant soup but we've never had to test it in 16 winters. :fingerscrossed:

If power goes out in the evening with no indication of when it's back, I immediately fill up a hot water bottle and put that in bed and consider going to bed early, avoiding becoming cold. My bedside clock/radio has battery back up for several hours.

There's usually food that can be eaten without being cooked. Tinned ham kept in reserve.

But tea lights and Balti pans. That works? Does it make water hot enough for coffee or instant soup?

It's just reminded me that we have some warmer set tucked away somewhere with stands and bowls. That might do the job.

And maybe a magicbag could be heated. I find them better than hot water bottles.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...82de9f1bf1.jpg

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...f213d614f4.png

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Jim and I were at his place in Ontario when the ice storm of 1998 hit and I was locked in Canada because no transportation was going in or out of the province. We had no heat of electricity but Jim had a camp stove that we used to make tea and meals and lots of arctic wear clothing to keep warm. Granted Texans don't necessarily have those things available. The news is saying only 1 million are left without power out of the previous 5 million. Some progress has been made. You would think with the threat of hurricanes and tornadoes in Texas they would have basic survival gear stored away.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Just been experimenting. For lunch I was going to reheat a tomato and cheese pasta.
What we have is this:


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...d1b5c77673.jpg
Two tealights at each end. The flame kept going out on one candle as the dish was too close. Raising it just moved the problem to the other one of the pair. So I folded some paper and wedged it between frame and dish. That did the trick.

I put four cups of water in one - there are four of us so I wanted to see if that worked - and some of the pasta in the other one.

After an hour, you could feel warming dishes and the lids fogged up a little. I don't think the water worked well enough for a hot drink.

Removing the lid from the pasta didn't suggest much heating had occurred, but then I stirred it and was shocked by the appearance of steam. It could have been hotter but if you're cold and want something warming it was really very good.

I can imagine it would work for baked beans, tinned soup - especially the chunky kind, stagg chili etc

So, thank you Siouxie, for the great idea.

Of course you can't beat these


But it would probably invalidate your insurance in the event you burned your house down. :eek:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

When we lived in NJ the electricity was often out. We had a camping stove and a small Calor gas cylinder. We had a gas fire which didn’t really throw out much heat...we had several open plan, 2 story rooms, it was impossible to keep them warm. In the basement we kept the usual stuff in case of tornadoes/hurricanes etc.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Always my biggest fear, having a fire in the building we live in. Luckily for us its never happened, but I can't imagine how hard it is to find a rental when your suddenly displaced due to fire along with 60 other units into a market with almost no available rentals to begin with.

It will be difficult for everyone who was displaced, and depending on how long they were in their rental, there might not even be any rentals on the market they can afford.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...fire-1.5918007

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

1hr to go

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Atmospheric Entry has occurred.

Listening to the live feed online.

Touchdown completed.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

It boggles my mind how they got those first few photos back to earth so quick. Great job NASA., or is it called US Space Force now :lol:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Ah - a little different to mine - which are the same as this one (but with a pattern on the side) circa 1987, lol... used with a couple of metal Balti dishes.. which heat up quickly.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...a6021fc8b.jpeg

Glad it worked for you! :D
(apparently mine is called 'vintage' LOL Vintage Brabantia Eternal Beau Tea light Plate Food Warmer

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

If you didn't know it was Mars, you could almost say it was somewhere desert like on Earth, although the sky does look a bit different than Earth's but maybe its my brain knowing its not Earth and playing tricks on me.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...d2abffb39e.jpg

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Canada Post gave them a good deal. :rofl:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I woke up with this song in my head this morning :blink:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Less than 2 million, old convivence store building + character home with 3 rental suites, under 2 million.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/120-year-old-e...n-2m-1.5319060

The picture of the rental suite presumably looks not too bad.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Hopefully this twitter link loads where you can see the video of the new rover touching down on Mars. Absolutely amazing.

Twitter

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

That was cool. Crazy how they can send these things to far off planet and man that is some clear video.

Maybe I will live long enough to see them successfully send humans to Mars now that would be something else.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Sucks being in the 30 to 55 age group and childless sometimes, at least when it comes to BC Housing. So frustrating.

I am just thinking how hard it must be to be a CRA worker who has to try and collect from people, due to all the scams that use CRA to try to extract money from people, its getting harder too as the scammers are getting good.

I am locked out of my account due to last weeks lock down CRA did to a good chunk of people, and they sent out this weird email that explained nothing and seemed very scam like, then last night I got an email that looks pretty good, like the scammer did an excellent job, which makes me think CRA isn't being truthful in their accounts were not hacked we just locked them as a precaution because this scammer had my business account number and other info, they really made the email look good, except if you google the number it's not CRA and the email its sent from isn't CRA but this could snag some people.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Buttergate: Why are Canadians complaining about hard butter?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56175784

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

There has always been a difference to me between US butter and Canadian, I don't like the Canadian and in my experience doesn't soften well, pain to bake with because of this.

I used to mostly buy all my cheese, butter, and yogurt in the US when I lived in Abbotsford, never found anything comparable to Tillamook in Canadian stores.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I think New Brunswick labor minister is a bit more mindful of business needs rather than workers needs.

"New Brunswick’s labour minister said he is “mindful of the financial realities” of employers and employees as he announced a five-cent increase in the province’s minimum wage on Tuesday."

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Hard to believe but there was a time when NB and BC minimum wage rates competed with each other. They each went up at different times of the year - something like one province in April and the other October - and when it was NB's turn to go up for a few months the NB rate was higher than BC. :blink:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

https://www.retailcouncil.org/resour...e-by-province/
April and June this year :D
BC is even higher than Ontario now - and a shade under $3 more than NB!

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

During the BC Liberal years there wasn't much movement on min wage during most of their reign or very little movement, NDP started the trajectory to $15.20 a couple years ago with annual increases until $15.20, not entirely sure what the plan is once it gets tp $15.20 though if there will be annual increases or if it will sit there.

This was posted yesterday BC min wage since 1965 under various governments, interesting graph anyhow I think,

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...5d3e27ff14.png


By January next year California will be at $15 US$ (about $19 CAD$ at current exchange rate), so really BC should probably be closer to $20 per hour considering the higher cost of living overall (food, gas, clothing, most services etc cost more.) Plus at min wage in California one would qualify for subsidized healthcare and possibly a small amount of CalFresh funds for food to offset the cost of food, but $100 can get almost twice as much food in So. California vs BC, when I visit my mom, its insane how much food she gets for so little compared to what we get in BC.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I think after the pandemic settles down, I will relocate to California.

I cannot see a viable way to stay in Canada, rents are simply too high, and there isn't any relief coming and incomes too low. I can find an apartment cheaper in the San Diego area than in Kelowna or really anywhere in BC that isn't a small town nowhere with nothing.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Man in Vancouver living near the homeless camp in Strathcona Park collects garbage and junk from the park and delivers it to city hall as a form of protest from lack of action.


Hopefully things in that park will improve once the old Army & Navy Store and some warehouse the city owns are converted into homeless shelters, of course some in the park may be unwilling to relocate to a shelter for various reasons. Not sure if the park board offices are at city hall, but I believe the park board is responsible for parks in Vancouver and not the city itself?


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...419aae3c05.jpg


Photo taken at the park last month, also from the article.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...721a8d61ea.jpg

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

The Park Board offices are on Beach Avenue on the outskirts of Stanley Park, well away from City Hall.

Just so you know, the Park Board is the only elected Park Board in Canada, and City Council has no control over what they do, even though the funding comes via city hall. Every time we vote, ie every 4 years, there is a referendum for how much money can be allotted to the Parks Board for maintenance and development of parks and community centres in the city.

When we get our City Tax Bill, the percentage of the amount we pay to Parks is itemised.

Dumping the garbage at City Hall will not put any pressure on the Parks Board .......... and City Hall also says they are cleaning up at that park, this guy is just not happy with how much is being done.

It's a bit strange ......... parks board staff are responsible for cleaning parks, emptying garbage bins, etc, inside park boundaries, and running Community Centres, swimming pools, etc.

City Hall is responsible for cleaning streets, garbage cans, etc in public places. Plus collecting garbage from homeowners. but not apartment and condo buildings which have to get in private companies.

So ......... dumpsters are put at Strathcona. Who empties them??????

The split in responsibility is why City Council has been unable to order Strathcona, and before that Oppenheimer Park, cleaned up .......... they have no authority to do so. Instead, they have to talk to the Park Board and persuade them what is the right thing to do.

This Parks Board has been particularly resistant ........ a result of the political affiliation of most of the Park Board members vs City Council and especially the Independent Mayor.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Taco Bell has an interesting idea/proto type restaurant they plan to build in Minnesota.

No dining room
Kitchen will be above where the cars are
4 lanes total including one lane for over sized vehicles
No order window, your food is lowered down on dumb waiters.

Its not been built yet, but the plans were submitted to the city and sounds interesting and may never get built.

Now I want Taco Bell lol

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Just renewed my UK passport online - paid £105 so I’m off to FedEx the old passport and a full colour copy of my entire Canadian passport tomorrow - still don’t know why they want that and not just the bio page...

:fingerscrossed: the photo doesn’t get rejected. It didn’t online but who knows.

let’s hope it’s the easy process everyone seems to say it is

Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I thought this might be a good video to put here. I'm not sure if you have Lidl supermarkets in Canada, but for those who aren't familiar with them they're a cut-price supermarket where you have to pack your own groceries (very quickly!). And they don't deliver....

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

Site C dam will continue, the cost to cancel at this point too great, cheaper to rate payers if they just finish the boondoggle started by BC Liberals.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/site-c-mega-da...mier-1.5325621

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I saw that and I had a good chuckle - I mostly shopped at Aldi in the UK and it always felt like a great cardio work out :lol:

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

In the UK you have to pack your own groceries in every supermarket.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

That's true. Chuck it all in at the rate of knots. We have Pakn Save here where you pack your iwn but the till operator places everything back into a trolley first so uou wheel that away to pack.

Re: Random stuff - the anything else thread
 

I prefer to pack my own. I don’t want the potatoes, cauliflower and carrots on top of the loaf. In NJ the packer put a tub of ice cream on top of a hot rotisserie chicken. :frown: