How hard is it for people to read signs? Why do some insist on standing right in the middle of an escalator at Skytrain stations?
Those signs are there for a reason people! PLEASE WALK LEFT & STAND RIGHT!
SD
To Anti-Poverty Committee - PICK UP A HAMMER!
No not to vandalize private and public property or threaten your flavour of the month anti-Christ, but to get a job! I know it sounds over-simplified and callous, but there is a basic truth to be realized here. For example: I was at the 2010 Countdown Clock unveiling yesterday and witnessed the absolute disgusting behavior of the anti-poverty protesters. Aside from their total ignorance regarding what VANOC is actually DOING about homelessness in Vancouver, and the fact they were endangering the public by bringing weapons, they were simply just disrespectful and did absolutely NOTHING to advance their cause. All that said, while I listened and watched these idiots chant and shove it occurred to me that if they spent as much energy as they do protesting and throwing rocks at innocent people as they could learning how to, hmmm I don’t know, use a hammer, they could probably get a job with said Olympics. I then did a little digging and found out that VANOC has a program in place working with organizations to help downtown eastside residents get jobs with all the construction work slated in the next 3 years. They also have several programs in place to provide low-cost housing after the games are completed - housing that would have never been there if the Olympics didn’t happen (so no, you wouldn’t have gotten the taxpayer money that went to 2010 anyway morons!). For example: The city has already set aside land to be used for low-cost housing but is currently negotiating with the Province and Feds to provide the actual housing. With that, the Olympics are bringing in these temporary and portable facilities to house media and the like in Squamish during the games. When the games are done they are donating all that housing to be used on said land. Again - would not have happened without the Olympics! And there are plenty of other “legacy” programs they’ve initiated to work with first nations and battered women etc, and they have the highest standards in terms of their sustainability policies both internally and externally. Clearly the folks down at the Anti-Poverty Committee either aren’t informed or simply choose to ignore facts.
Now note: I know the homeless situation goes way beyond simply providing jobs to people. But I’m not talking about the mentally ill or addicts who need proper social programs, I’m talking about able-bodied young people who are clearly strong enough to throw rocks, fight with police or for that matter pick-up a squeegy! Across the country (and particularly out west) the biggest topic among companies is a shortage of labour - both white collar and blue collar, yet there are no doubt thousands of people who choose to dismiss society and refuse to work. And from what I can see (and I’ve lived in downtown Vancouver for 10 years) these are the same people leading the charge at protests. These aren’t people with a structured opinion on the state of the world. They don’t give a rat’s ass about reason or logic - they are professional anarchists who will pick-up any cause as long as it gives them an excuse to disrupt the public. It’s no different than gang warfare, and they are either part of or in league with the Anti-Poverty Committee. Tell me how this advances your cause? Seriously. Use whatever shred of reason you have left in your ignorant brains and explain to me how anarchy gets your message across.
I’m sick and tired of this minority of people whose sole purpose in life is to create anarchy. If the world was perfect they would still find something to protest against. The point is - they are sheep. They have neither the capacity nor the will to think before acting. They follow a cause with blind faith because it gives them a sense of purpose and belonging, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong. I’m sick of these people that put a stain on our city. It’s time for the silent majority to stand-up and make these people accountable for their actions. Don’t just listen to the people that scream the loudest to help form your opinion. There are lots of things going on in the world, including the corporate world, that are doing their part to help society. The problem is these anti-poverty people will never work with them because they are their sworn enemies. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy and they will be irrelevant at the end of the day. Good riddance when that day comes!
Vikrim
I hate Valentines Day! You stress about what to get that special “Valentine” because if it’s not something good they equate it with not loving them. If you are single you just lay around and feel sorry for yourself for being single.
It’s a lose lose situation.
Joyce Hall
Nothing original here, but seriously, people, there is a sidewalk etiquette code. DO NOT walk three abreast on the sidewalk, please. Two is the maximum. Nothing is worse than getting stuck behind a threesome who are rattling on, oblivious to the people behind them who have to basically dodge into the traffic to get by them.
And if you are walking along slowly, wandering around with your head in the air, or worse, randomly stopping for no reason and without warning, please do it on the side of the sidewalk so everyone behind you doesn’t have to awkwardly weave back and forth trying to figure out your aimlessness pattern.
Lastly, an escalator is not a ride. Get to the side so all of us Type-A crazies can get to our heart attacks that much quicker.
Robson is the WORST for this.
The Writer
Clearly, the lack of mainstream media (MSM) coverage of the Vancouver blogging scene is due to the fact that the vast majority of our local blogs are sadly, quite lame.
Of the three ‘top’ sites in Vancouver, only Beyond Robson is ready for prime time.
Reading Urban Vancouver, you get the sense that it’s written by nice, well-meaning little people, but let’s face it, they’re not that interesting (except for the old dude - sometimes).
As for The Vancouverite, when they’re not being lazy, posting way too many YouTube videos or local newspaper headlines, what little original content they do produce isn’t very funny.
Furthermore, what the hell kind of blog declares in a mission statement that its job is to provide “snarky news and opinion”. Isn’t that what bloggers are supposed to be doing anyway? And who the hell actually uses the word “snarky”, other than middle-aged suburbanites, like my mother?
As for this site - I’m sorry folks, but you fall into the same category as Urban Vancouver. Nice people, but you publish way too much useless information and silly little brain farts.
I don’t need to be told to bring an umbrella to work, when I can see for myself that it’s raining outside. I also don’t need your Canucks scores and commentary, when I can get that information in The Province.
The best blog writers in other cities don’t bore their readers with the trivial details of their own meaningless lives - they go out and dig up dirt on things that the MSM isn’t covering.
They tell you about interesting or obscure things that you haven’t heard about before, and they do it with sharp, clever writing. Go read some New York blogs, to see what I mean.
The only excuse that Vancouver has for its weak blog scene is the fact that most blogs are still less than two years old.
Thanks, I’m glad we had this little chat. It’s been a long time coming.
Submitted by Gary Condit