Workin' hard at lookin' busy

I'm approaching my fifth decade. In that time, I've followed politics. Not religiously, but more than the average person. I've read and watched the news daily... I've tried to stay informed.

I don't ever recall any government spending so much time, energy, and money on telling me how much they are doing for me.

My rule of thumb is that if you need to tell me how busy you are, you're not.

Consider that you can't hold a cell phone, ipad, navigation device, or anything else other than a slimy, dripping cheese burger while driving, nor can you smoke in your car with your own children in it. (the irony of THAT piece of legislation is likely lost on the gov given the on going Phoenix Sinclair debacle).

Under 18? YOU have to wear a bicycle helmet. We're "Focused on what matters most" and that's protecting you from yourself (and redistributing your wealth). http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=month&item=17258

Yesterday? Designating historical trees. No shit. You can read allllll about it here http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=&item=17280

Seriously? You run up a debt larger than Cyprus and you pass tree rules? Lemme guess, Selinger's roof leaks, but he's painting his living room as you read this.

Nothing is safe. Did you read the first flood report? A self congratulatory politicization of an event that continued to be an exercise in providing propaganda to the masses, telling them how much they've done to "help the little people" affected by flooding. The "little people" recently tried to tell us how they haven't been paid while Minister Ashton spouts off numbers of dollars provided as compensation.

Was there political interference causing the delay in the "Flood review" that had it released, along with the billion dollars in costs (many of which are NOT new initiatives to control flooding, rather they have been around since the Portage Diversion was opened) just prior to the PST hike? No... no one would have interfered like that!

Worker safety... this one gets press on a monthly basis. It's gotten so that we need to add people killed on airplanes to drive up the numbers or "work related" deaths. I think the NDP should add all the vehicle fatalities of people driving to and from work too... the list of "work related deaths" is about 60% "related" to work, but "related" can be pretty far removed. (Consider your third cousin you're related to, and have never actually met... you're related). http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=month&item=17270

Street racers beware! The NDP will be after you! Like this will help? Isn't street racing and impaired driving already illegal? How many minions toiled away at these new, tougher rules? I can hardly wait for the Police to add this one to their Cherry Picking Sunday night enforcement routine. Devon must be giddy with this new "tool". http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=month&item=17233

Basement flooding. Really? C'mon people... protect your house on your own. Spend some cash, put in your own sump pit/pump. Basements should be covered for absolutely nothing except the exterior insulation and drywall. If you want to put in a rec room, you have the $ to put in a sump pump http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=month&item=17199

It's tiring... don't even get me going on Hydro's recent propaganda, using the money they get from rate increases to tell me how it' now my responsibility to invest in Manitoba's "future".

I've seen the future. I can't afford it. (ABC- How to be a Millionaire)

They redeem themselves

So my beautiful wife went to Home Despot again to get prices on appliances so she could beat up Future Shop. While there, a sales person actually came and tried to help, and then the strangest thing happened.

She actually did help!

My wife explained the difficulty we had at our last visit, and even explained that she was just there to write down prices and go buy the units at Future Shop.

"Oh I can do better than that price. And bases? sure, we can get those, let me find the price. Where are they going? Ohhh out of town, we can deliver them and set them up, even take out the old ones for an extra $20."

New appliances were bought. It is amazing that salesman #1 has a job at all, and salesman #2 isn't store manager material yet.

Perhaps there's hope.

My wife told her about the blog... maybe she's reading it.

Thanks for helping.

Customer Service. A thing of the past...

... that we'll likely talk about as old timers with grandchildren giggling, thinking, "It was never really like that".

Alas, in Home Despot this evening (because Rona didn't have a third of the items on my list), and we mused about firing off a cannon, hitting no staff, and likely not even having them hear us, we found most things on our list... sort of. No ten foot long shelving, only eight foot, (meaning three feet of waste off each piece), a bunch of other things we substituted... a typical deal.

The evening ended when we were trying to buy a washer and dryer set. We couldn't decide on the thousand dollar pair, or the $1200 pair, so we asked for help. You see, we wanted to know how much the bases were for the front load units.

I went looking for a staff member, who seem to scurry away when they see you coming. Finally finding one, we explained that we wanted to know how much bases were for "this set". She looked at us quizzically and said, "One hundred ninety six dollars."
"Oh... OK. For the bases"
"Yes, for these ones. Washer and dryer."
"You mean one thousand ninety six dollars?"
"Oh. Yes."
"I want a price for the bases... to lift them up. I want them higher so I don't have to go down so far to to the laundry." I got down on my knees to demonstrate.

She left, and returned in a few minutes.  "One hundred fifty dollars to lift up. puts dryer on washer."

"Stacking? We don't want stacking, we want bases."
"That all I found on computer."
"We'll go to Future Shop"

Brutal. Loosing market share? DON'T be surprised.

From everything I've seen... no one really cares.

Winter Road Season Extended!

Due to the extended cold weather, and the very cold temperatures this winter, the ice roads are still in great condition.

That means the season is extended, the roads are open, and goods can continue to be ferried to northern communities... right?

Now why on earth would you think THAT?

The season is over, roads are closed, and everyone has gone home, including the "ice road truckers" cast and crew.

Why? The Manitoba Department of Highways said the roads were closed.

You see, when it's an early spring, and the roads are shut because the ice is covered with water, the pressure ridges are seeping, and the snow pack disappears as a result of warm weather, they Department charged with measuring the thickness and inherent safety of the roads deems them closed, and THEN everyone goes home.

When the weather is cold, and the calendar says, "Easter weekend", the pin heads figure out what it will cost to pay staff for Good Friday, Easter Sunday. Easter Monday, and figure that there's not any money in paying that overtime, so to hell with everyone... the roads are closed.

While the roads are officially "open", trucks and their loads are insured. These are official "roads" after all, but if they're closed, and you dump a trailer of much needed heating fuel into a lake, regardless of the fact that it could have happened at ANY time in the season, You're responsible for the environmental clean up, as well as the cost of your trailer, and rig.

How may takers to driving a load up sans insurance?

There are always a few renegades, thinking they'll pull off one more haul and charge through the nose for it, but why in a year like this one?

Mismanagement, a typical and constant theme of the inept bureaucrats that manage our Province.

Where is Steve Ashton, upset at the fact that a longer than usual season has been cut short? We hear about the short seasons... and the impact on all the poor people living without road access. Why doesn't anyone talk about an extended season?

It doesn't sound terribly sexy... so we'll have to wait to watch this years ice road truckers next year... I'm sure it will be VERY exciting, fraught with danger, and have none of the s*!t the real truckers have to tolerate.

"Hey... Buddy. Whatcha' doin' on my land?"
"I'm unloading this heating oil."
"Ya well you better do it fast 'eh... and get off my land."

Typically ,there is an awkward silence, but the conversation should continue something like,

"Listen you stupid shit. It's not YOUR land, it belongs to the Crown, and Her Majesty let's you squat on Her land. Frankly I wouldn't shit in this Godforsaken place, and no one wants to leave faster than I do."

But alas, the trucker figures out that the nearest STARS ambulance is three hours out, and then someone would have to come in and get his truck... so he's quiet, unloads, and heads back for another load, to be delivered to people who take no time to appreciate their efforts. They are after all, entitled.

The Bay Downtown... what to do?

This is by no means a "new" topic in our "Great City".

For years, The Bay downtown has suffered from a lack of... people. You could fire a cannon in there fifteen years ago, and not only not hit anyone, but likely have no one even notice.

The reasons "why" are too complex and speculative to even bother tackling, especially since they are not related to solving to problem.  There are matters that require a good understanding of the question, "How'd we get here?" This is not one of those things. What is important to understand are a few key things.

1. People don't shop in mega department stores anymore.
2. Government interference and/or involvement will screw up a viable plan.

With those things out of the way, we can begin to consider a solution, and frankly I don't think it's that difficult.

The building is structurally sound, likely needing almost no major structural work aside from the potential reconfiguration. It's loading capacities are well beyond anything we'd potentially re purpose the building for. Antiquated systems are sure to include virtually ALL of the mechanical systems, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You likely wouldn't need or want the existing systems anyway.

Hydro passed on renovating the building because it couldn't add more windows and had issues meeting E/E targets. A private developer can surely dismiss those challenges as irrelevant. There can be no mandate to alter the facade, and no demand to reach any LEED level of remediation or renovation, rather simply apply "best practices". Architects and engineers typically over complicate projects of this size, leading to systems that are extremely expensive to install initially, and are both difficult and expensive to maintain. The KISS system has to be employed. "Keep it Simple Stupid!"

So you're waiting... aren't you? Waiting for the big well thought out solution to the question burning in no one's mind for the past twenty years?

mixed use

Why the lower case letters? Why not a big sexy bold red italicized line indicating the wunder cure for what ails that block?

It's just too simple, and too proven an idea... it is SO obvious that no one should even have to consider weather it will work or not. It is as plain as the "nose on your face". Anything else will be a much hyped, very expensive, government involved/driven disaster akin to what we witness now at Portage Place, the last "driven" project which is a lot of things, but NOT what we all expected it to be.

Simply, government of any category, is inept at creating, or driving anything in a market based economy. For this reason, I am already very, very afraid.

Government is already well involved, when they need not be. A recent article in the FreeP indicates that there are numerous "studies" going on, that the Empire building of Lord Axworthy is being considered as a potential partial cure, bring more tax payer monies to be spent in perpetuity to keep things "viable", more Government Departments taking up space, (which is what a lot of those folks do... take up space), by virtue of locating the "new" Liquor and Gaming Department and so on.
 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/Diamond-in-the-rough-194337731.html

My favourite part of the article?

The Part about the U of W wanting two and a half floors for Aboriginal Studies. Lord Lloyd... what are you thinking?

The Bay approached the University of Winnipeg a year ago, saying it would sell the store to the university for as little as one dollar.
The U of W was interested in the property at one time. It had considered using 2 1/2 floors to establish a national centre for aboriginal study, arts and culture.
- See more at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/Diamond-in-the-rough-194337731.html#sthash.EI982NGO.dpuf

The Bay approached the University of Winnipeg a year ago, saying it would sell the store to the university for as little as one dollar.
The U of W was interested in the property at one time. It had considered using 2 1/2 floors to establish a national centre for aboriginal study, arts and culture.
- See more at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/Diamond-in-the-rough-194337731.html#sthash.EI982NGO.dpuf

The Bay approached the University of Winnipeg a year ago, saying it would sell the store to the university for as little as one dollar.
The U of W was interested in the property at one time. It had considered using 2 1/2 floors to establish a national centre for aboriginal study, arts and culture.
- See more at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/Diamond-in-the-rough-194337731.html#sthash.EI982NGO.dpuf

The Bay approached the University of Winnipeg a year ago, saying it would sell the store to the university for as little as one dollar.
The U of W was interested in the property at one time. It had considered using 2 1/2 floors to establish a national centre for aboriginal study, arts and culture.
- See more at: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/Diamond-in-the-rough-194337731.html#sthash.EI982NGO.dpuf

Oye.

Six floors of unadorned, "pristine" empty space, and these people are considering filling it with people who bring nothing to the downtown economy for the eight hours they are there aside from taking up parking spots. (that's NOT directed to the potential use for an Aboriginal Studies Centre, rather ANY use that has nothing to add to the economy, like a bunch of Government employees, or a bunch of University pinheads or students).

This building has the potential to be a community, in and of itself. 

The basement.

The area is well suited to the use we enjoyed for years. A grocery store type of location. A destination for all who have access to the skywalk, complete with a "you buy it, we deliver it anywhere downtown" service. With the average "super market" size increasing 10,000 square feet  (from 35,000 to 46,000 sq ft) in the past 20 years, there is certainly room for such a single destination. Smaller shops are easily accommodated as well.

Main floor.

Portage Place has demonstrated that the amount of shops down town can keep viable is less than anticipated... or is it? What is it that makes Portage Place un appealing? Perhaps I could tell you want will make it even LESS appealing and you can take it from there. Service Canada will be locating in Portage Place.

Perfect... JUST what the place needs. As it is I take my food from the food court and eat it somewhere else, we are bringing in MORE disenfranchised people to wander the mall aimlessly, sleeping on the benches? Sure its' entertaining... in a sick sort of way.

I believe that there IS a market for shopping, and not for the low end crap sold by a number of vendors in the Mall and Skywalk kiosks, so for that reason, I'm targeting another WHOLE floor to specialty shops, and service locations. Anchor tenants that can operate without windows could potentially be scared away, so we really have to fix that. It's time for a reduction.

At 80,000 square feet per floor, there is room to loose... as a matter of fact, the available space actually becomes a LIABILITY.

Hollow it out. It's simple. It's been done. How much space to carve out is for architects to consider, but surely an area of at least 25,000 square feet is easily given up and dedicated to a four season "outdoor" atrium enclosure, capable of being accessed on a multitude of levels. Our first building design issue to be sure, but manageable.

Second floor. Anchor tenant space. Here we can drop some 9 to 5 ers. Hopefully they'll shop in the basement before taking the bus home, but better still, maybe some of them will take the elevator home, because floors 4,5 and 6 are a mix of rentals and condos.

Missing a floor? Ahh yes... three. Combined studio/business and living spaces. At 2,000 square feet, these units would only number 25 or so, and would likely cater to a higher end, small operator specialty shop.

Floors four and five are easily configured to have a variety of sizes, ranging from micro lofts to three bedroom units. Heck, some could even be two stories to add some diversity.

Floor six? Never mind... most of us can't afford floor six. A dedicated elevator keeps us away from that area and we're not even privy to seeing how they live, but we can gaze at their well appointed balconies at the top of that fabulous atrium.

It all sounds so... far fetched. Maybe it's time we had some "far fetched". Winnipeg is FULL of exciting people who would drool all over the opportunity. It's our leadership that is weak, and boring, with so little imagination I'm surprised they can plan next week in their day books.

THOSE people should not be left in charge of finding new uses for this grand old building. Let the market do it, and have "those" people HELP the market... just don't let them drive, because the market is NOT a good passenger.

Consistently, "those" people are the reasons things DON'T get done around here.

Penny for your thoughts?

That quote, a remnant from a time where perhaps it placed some value on your thought, is now more of an insult than anything else.
Much has been said about the penny in the past few days, but I don't think I hear about how badly our schools prepare people for simple tasks, LIKE ROUNDING TO A NICKLE!

I was in the McD's drive through (Portage and Sherbrook) and ordered two coffees (Medium, one black, one with a cream and 1/2 a sugar). The total came to $3.11 (It may not have... it could have been $3.21, but whatever)

I drove to the window, and provided the young man (who had a voice similar to Emo Philips) with exactly $3.10.

"It was $3.11 sir."

"I thought we were rounding to the nearest nickle today."

"Yes sir. You owe me another penny."

"Umm... if we're rounding...uh... what happens if I give you $3.15? Do you give me a nickle back?"

"No sir. I keep the pennies."

At that he handed me an official Government of Canada guide to rounding, complete with examples.

Let me digress to point out how far our country has fallen. To consider actually having to explain rounding to a nickle to people in an official Government of Canada document is only not absurd in a country where math is taught as "guess and check". I'll bet other "less developed"countries mock us incessantly.

"OK. So in the example here, it says that if it's .01 or .02 you round down to .00, and if it's .03 or .04 you round up. You're doing it wrong."

"I'm doing what my manager told me to do. I keep all the pennies."

"Perhaps your manager needs a math lesson... or to read this piece of paper. He's stealing from people."

"I'm just doing my job sir."

This whole diatribe is funnier with the Emo Phillips' voice. It's rather sad without it.

A manager of a restaurant who can't round to the nearest nickle... really?

Is he stupid, or is he saving for his retirement? Sure, I know it's only .04 cents, but consider the volume of people they see. I see a car a minute. Quick "guess and check" tells me that's 60 cars an hour, or 480 cars in a shift. If these guys really ONLY round down, they are likely getting an extra .02 cents per customer, which is about $10.

Who cares? Lemme think... I DO. If I go in every day and order the same thing, and he takes me for an extra .04 cents that about $10 out of MY pocket. That's MY money to spend, not HIS to take.

Wanna leave feedback for McD's? You need a receipt and a store number, which I don't seem to get in my coffee orders. I guess I'll go back today and get one, and provide them the address of this post.

In the mean time, for all you teachers out there, teach kids to round please... we shouldn't need to re program the cash registers for this.

I'm getting so tired of this

I've tried to write this post a few times, only to have yet another twist added to the sordid story that seems to go on, and on, and on...

It started before some Chief (who I'd blogged about some time ago) decided to go on a diet hunger strike and camp on an island she claims belongs to her, or her ancestors, or someone she was somehow related to in the past (in the same, "we're all related to Noah" kind of thinking).

She wanted a meeting with the Prime Minister Governor General Queen of England I can't keep track, because after she actually was invited, didn't go. Prior to her diet hunger strike, her band was the subject of a "review" in which they determined that no one was able to account for a shit load of money. "A lie!" or something is how they responded. (Visions of the "She's a witch!" skit from Monty Python come to mind) Sure... a lie, all meant to deflect from the "real" issues.

I can't help but write that anyone who falls for this sort of bullshit on the part of their "chief" must be fairly stupid. "Chief Spence is my hero" read one sign... and here is the problem. If this thief who has clearly time and time again so badly mismanaged the funds that she has been trusted to watch over  is a "hero" ,there is no way out of this seemingly bottomless morass we find ourselves in.

I attempted to look deeper into matters, but I don't think the average reader wants to know the difference between Native Rights, Native Title, Ancestral Lands... Let's just say that it's not only the colonial powers that may not have held up their end of the "treaty". As I understand a deal, there are two parties, both of which need to keep their end of it. Neither party has, but one side has done more than the other. The side that has done more, is the side that promised more. The side that promised little... abject failure to keep their end of the deal. What was asked?

They were to keep law and order, and live peacefully, and abstain from (no sale of) alcohol on reserve.

Sure, a deal is a deal. The Treaties don't seem to offer as much as is being received by the First nations. The Crown is (typically) permitted to carry out logging and mining on the lands as a part of the deal, but now we want to "tweak" that. Courts seem to agree with the "righting of wrongs", making law instead of interpreting it. Notwithstanding clause anyone?

Further to "deals" being deals. How many law suits have YOU heard of between a band and a supplier or contractor who did work on a reserve and didn't get paid in accordance with a "deal"? How about Buffalo Point, where people who had "deals" to lease cottages are now being gouged with new taxes up to four times more than the original long term lease costs? Good deal... if you can break it. It seems those deals even had arbitration clauses... you know ,"I demand to see the Prime Minister Chief about these broken promises." "No... go away."

In as much as I AGREE with the Shoal Lake water debacle because Winnipeg was granted water from that lake for Winnipeg only, and now that we're actually SELLING the water to neighbouring municipalities, the band (fairly and reasonably) expects compensation, I don't agree with "reopening" deals that are clearly only going to make matters financially worse for the balance of Canadians.

Now we have the courts deciding that off reserve natives and Metis are also "Indian". Lovely...
Now the Metis can over fish out of season, trap lobster when there aren't enough and the stock needs to replenish, and can "mass kill" Elk, taking "only as much as they needed".

Ever get offered pikerel out of the trunk of a car? That's only slightly illegal...Sure, there are times it's a commercial fisherman trying to get around the Fresh Water Fish Marketing Board's monopoly, but most of the times it's happened to me, it's a FN fisher taking just a bit more than his "family" needs.  I wonder if that practice might increase if we suddenly allow twice as many people that opportunity?

This "Idle no more" is a great idea but I'm sensing that all these people with little to do during the day are not going to be going out looking for work. They'll continue to disrupt our daily routines, hoping to "draw our attention to their plight." Sorry... stop electing corrupt people, and stop paying them more than the Prime Minister or Premier earns to run your gong show that's under third party management.

Theresa Spence is an example of poor role models, poor leadership, and poor politics. People like her do nothing to advance her people's cause.

Try getting someone in there both parties can respect, because people like her aren't in that category.