++
fml. The compressor in my AC works, but the fan doesn’t :(
It seems like such a waste to toss this thing out because the fan is dead - especially since its such a minor part. I hated installing this thing back in the day, I can’t imagine I’m going to enjoy replacing it :(
gmh: I found an air conditioner that is pretty much exactly the same size as the one installed now. Maybe this won’t be the worst project ever. (45% chance)
++![fuckyeahtoronto:
bgilliard:
The Price of Ambition: Seattle is have a grown-up conversation about their waterfront expressway while Toronto twists itself in knots over graffiti, a small library, and a parade.
(And then a few days later an influential councillor muses that the city should simply hand over the waterfront to the NFL and other private developers who will built a—wait for it—monorail without a cent of public money. So even when we talk about big things we don’t talk about them like adults.)
I was reminded, at the Who Cares About 15 Million [urban] Voters panel a few days ago, that only 8 cents of every tax dollar goes to municipalities, and most of it comes from the painfully visible property tax. It’s no wonder that it’s hard to have a mature conversation about urban affairs, because we are literally fighting over loose change.
thoughts?
Toronto doesn’t think it can afford to think big. That’s the only problem really…so there’s no need to be realistic.
A good example is the Gardiner. If we stopped bitching about wanting to tear it down, and instead made a big fuss about beautifying it and trying to make better use of its lands — we’d probably be headed towards an actual solution by now. Instead we just divide into factions that want unreasonable outcomes: a tunnel, tearing it down to replace it with a 10-lane super-boulevard, etc. Maybe in Seattle’s case its an easier discussion because they have the I-5 right there, a couple blocks away, taking the majority of traffic. It’s harder to have that conversation here, about a piece of infrastructure that seems so integral to a contiguous highway network.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljrf1qwAbg1qzv7vdo1_500.jpg "fuckyeahtoronto:
bgilliard:
The Price of Ambition: Seattle is have a grown-up conversation about their waterfront expressway while Toronto twists itself in knots over graffiti, a small library, and a parade.
(And then a few days later an influential councillor muses that the city should simply hand over the waterfront to the NFL and other private developers who will built a—wait for it—monorail without a cent of public money. So even when we talk about big things we don’t talk about them like adults.)
I was reminded, at the Who Cares About 15 Million [urban] Voters panel a few days ago, that only 8 cents of every tax dollar goes to municipalities, and most of it comes from the painfully visible property tax. It’s no wonder that it’s hard to have a mature conversation about urban affairs, because we are literally fighting over loose change.
thoughts?
Toronto doesn’t think it can afford to think big. That’s the only problem really…so there’s no need to be realistic.
A good example is the Gardiner. If we stopped bitching about wanting to tear it down, and instead made a big fuss about beautifying it and trying to make better use of its lands — we’d probably be headed towards an actual solution by now. Instead we just divide into factions that want unreasonable outcomes: a tunnel, tearing it down to replace it with a 10-lane super-boulevard, etc. Maybe in Seattle’s case its an easier discussion because they have the I-5 right there, a couple blocks away, taking the majority of traffic. It’s harder to have that conversation here, about a piece of infrastructure that seems so integral to a contiguous highway network.")
The Price of Ambition: Seattle is have a grown-up conversation about their waterfront expressway while Toronto twists itself in knots over graffiti, a small library, and a parade.
(And then a few days later an influential councillor muses that the city should simply hand over the waterfront to the NFL and other private developers who will built a—wait for it—monorail without a cent of public money. So even when we talk about big things we don’t talk about them like adults.)
I was reminded, at the Who Cares About 15 Million [urban] Voters panel a few days ago, that only 8 cents of every tax dollar goes to municipalities, and most of it comes from the painfully visible property tax. It’s no wonder that it’s hard to have a mature conversation about urban affairs, because we are literally fighting over loose change.
thoughts?
Toronto doesn’t think it can afford to think big. That’s the only problem really…so there’s no need to be realistic.
A good example is the Gardiner. If we stopped bitching about wanting to tear it down, and instead made a big fuss about beautifying it and trying to make better use of its lands — we’d probably be headed towards an actual solution by now. Instead we just divide into factions that want unreasonable outcomes: a tunnel, tearing it down to replace it with a 10-lane super-boulevard, etc. Maybe in Seattle’s case its an easier discussion because they have the I-5 right there, a couple blocks away, taking the majority of traffic. It’s harder to have that conversation here, about a piece of infrastructure that seems so integral to a contiguous highway network.
(Source: titularhumour)
++tumblr? but i hardly know her: It bothers me that news stations are just using YouTube clips instead of obtaining actual video to show on air →
It seems like every video on CNN and a growing number of videos on local news are pixelated versions of regular videos available elsewhere. And in the corner of the screen it says, “Source: YouTube.”
First of all, crediting YouTube as a source is like writing a newspaper article and using Google as a source. YouTube didn’t film that video nor did they upload it.
Second of all, I understand it’s probably a lot cheaper to use online video rather than obtaining the rights to actual HD video, but COME ON, when a growing number of people have HD and plasma TVs, you’re going to revert back to showing video that even looks pixelated on smaller computer screens?
This has been Acewepeel Complaining About Journalism.
Blaaargh: Strongly disagree with all of this. Crediting YouTube is like crediting another news agency, or news gathering service (GettyImages, Reuters, AP, CP, etc).
Consider that in the face of social media, established Networks and News Agencies are going out of their way to engage the public — a big part of that (they think) is turning their readership/viewership into a content stream, capitalizing on people wanting to be an active part of news creation.
I also think you’re grossly overestimating the quality of most people’s volunteered footage. The difference between a good photographer and a crummy one is profound — it’s not hard to tell professional from amateur in our own image servers. Extend that to video and you have even more differences; you need more than just an expensive camera.
Time is also a consideration. The YouTube video is available now, sourcing higher-res video from someone is not always simple: you need to get in touch with them, have them sign a rights agreement, and get the file transferred (I deal with illustrations mostly, but even those can be huge and take quite a while to transfer). When you’re talking about breaking news, or even developing news, you just don’t have the time for all that. “Is the YouTube video available now? Yes? Run with it!”
And lastly, people over-value their contribution. You’d be surprised (or maybe not surprised) to learn that most people, even for ridiculously inconsequential things, think they ought to be paid top-dollar. I don’t think there’s a news agency left that has the bucks to always pay people what they imagine they’re worth; nevermind if their covenants prevent them from paying for footage (as many News outlets refuse to do out of principal).
(via acewepeel-deactivated20120430)
++
Yikes. Contract ending in a month (time flies!)
Poverty approaches :S time to kick the job hunt into high gear :S
++ Listening to one of my co-workers explain the ins and outs of Twitter to someone on the phone…
“You can tweet about whatever you want, just as long as it’s not more than…” I would say that I’m dying a bit inside, but I’m really not — it’s making me feel like an internet insider, which is sort of edifying. Also…it’s been going on now for 45 minutes.
++
Can’t we just be gay? We have a struggle for equal civil rights, yes…but it’s not the same struggle — or even the same scale of struggle. Fat people aren’t the new black either.
(via hhnrocks)
++ Things I know about Dating
Just because a boy might like you and flirt with you more than anyone else at a party, don’t be too surprised when he leaves at the end of the night with someone (besides you) who is DTF.
Lack of self-control is super unsexy.
(via mykalmorgan)
++