My hope…is that what you stated is not all there is.

I like the garage & the top nerd loft.

In your own house you can listen to music, really fucking loud.

Enjoy Baldwin

Beyond that, word-of mouth won’t hurt them one bit, because the competition is just as enthusiastically sleazy.

I’m on Telus in Steinbach, Manitoba. I spent a fortune on a three-year PDA phone and data plan, because I needed web access and email while travelling around the province.

Less than a month later, Telus’s data access disappeared across Manitoba, except for Winnipeg. They made me keep paying – “the service is subject to change”, and “disappearing altogether” is one such change. It turns out I can’t get a usable signal at home either, so I can’t give my number out. That also counts for nothing. The phone is essentially a brick with a massive payment plan.

As for the honesty of Telus dealers, I’m convinced that Telus does a criminal background check on any would-be dealer – and rejects those without one.

On MTS, my wife paid an extra $100 for an extended warranty where if it had a problem, they’d replace it on the spot rather than make her wait 3-4 weeks while it got shipped east for service. It had a problem. They made her wait.

I know people on Rogers, and what they say about the company is unprintable.

For every disgusted Bell customer that moves to Telus or Rogers, there’s another disgusted Telus or Rogers customer moving to Bell. The cell phone companies know this, and so they feel no obligation – none at all – to be even remotely honorable.

Bell is such a bad company! They gave me nothing but bullshit last year… over a bill that was LONG paid online.. that they LOST and stalked me over for a period of about 4 months.. no apoligies.. nuthin when they finally realized their mistake.

Just seems like a bunch of incompetent people working there for sure!

Dave is sort of on the right track, in that you can’t reduce relationships down to “waiting for the right one” lie. The only way to find out if the person is truely the right one is to date them anyway, therefore no longer being single and therefore making the whole idea of being single until the right one comes along a bad idea. Unless of course you actually believe that when you see her you will just know, but I know you don’t.

Settling is making a decision to commit your like to someone. Someone who doesn’t want to commit to someone will want to be single. Someone who does will eventually commit. Suggestion: Do a bunch of posts on this topic, try to come to some conclusions (for now) on what you are saying?

Anyone can settle. Not just anyone can be happily single!

I’ve been on both sides of the coin (married/single) .. in some aspects there is a real sense of security in a committed (healthy of course) relationship … the dating world these days is a complete nightmare compared to when I was first in college. I think a lot of people’s convictions about the sanctity of marriage have changed too — people … Read Morechange partners like their underwear and all too often partnerships are like bandaid fixes rather than deep emotional commitment. Funny you should mention this as I am planning my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary this Oct — I will never accomplish what they have unless I meet and get hitched to my soulmate tomorrow and live to be 94 LOL .. I am so jealous

Isn’t it funny that only women have commented so far?alerie Clever
I’m not so sure it is about a dream or success. I think it IS just that people have a basic, fundamental need to feel loved and needed. We have to have a place, an answer to the question “why am I here?” I think maybe people find their fulfillment in companionship (or at least try to). Sometimes friends are not enough, especially if friends are … Read Morealready occupied with their own marriage/family.
Paul is an advocate in his letters for staying single if you can, but even he acknowledges that most people can’t.
Speaking as someone who has only ever been single, I’m not exactly an authority on relationships. I might be idealistic too.

Isn’t it funny that only women have commented so far?alerie Clever
I’m not so sure it is about a dream or success. I think it IS just that people have a basic, fundamental need to feel loved and needed. We have to have a place, an answer to the question “why am I here?” I think maybe people find their fulfillment in companionship (or at least try to). Sometimes friends are not enough, especially if friends are … Read Morealready occupied with their own marriage/family.
Paul is an advocate in his letters for staying single if you can, but even he acknowledges that most people can’t.
Speaking as someone who has only ever been single, I’m not exactly an authority on relationships. I might be idealistic too.

Isn’t it funny that only women have commented so far?

First step you might try is to consider/research the house church movement and their outreach missionary involvement throughout the world- specifically brother yun. Research the purpose of “true missionaries” who live and work in Africa sacrificing their entire lives to this “cause” and the reality that many of them are far from being white or American or even close to being western. Then consider worldwide missions in genera and also research the roots of Christianity/missions/concept of white supremacy etc.

Before you have an adequate understanding of the history of a subject matter and the objective big picture it is very easy for you, the commentator, to be guilty of all the crimes you have presented as reasons to end the missionary cause. If you reread your post and honestly reflect on your comment you will see the many flaws in your argument. After you do this research please refine your statements of “…100% not acceptable” etc. to reflect a truly enlightened view point rather than a true statement based off of facts that you seem to be quite convinced and certain of… In other words please follow the rules of logical reasoning and unbiased scientific research if you are going to present an argument like this. It is far to serious to ignore. In the mean time no one will ever respect your comment. peace

So i thought, oh maybe it’s just her thinking these outrageous things. No, turns out her whole squad of missionaries had the same thoughts. But not only them, but some of my other co-workers (about 90% are diehard Christians). So that alone, quite offended me.

The second part of the whole missionary trip that shocked me, aside from the whole idea of it, was that my co-worker got to meet a lot of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. In my opinion, it is great to help people suffering from those viruses as much as possible, but the approach that was brought on to the situation by the church she went to, and the missionaries is down right racist and offensive. – She said that her church had told them that all black people in Africa had AIDS. That not only did they have it, but they all must wear face masks, and not come into any physical contact with these people. Also, that there is no help for HIV/AIDS, that if you have it you’re dead.
I didn’t even know where to begin. First the church is preaching racism saying all black people in africa have AIDS, even when it is widely known that India has the highest AIDS to population ratio out of any nation in the entire world. Second, the church is saying that if you touch an AIDS victim you’ll get AIDS. Do they not know it is spread by contact of 2 mucous membranes? I guess not. And last is that these missionaries were going up to HIV/AIDS victims and saying “oh how long do you have left to live?” because their church told them there is no medical help, EVENTHOUGH, millions of HIV/AIDS victims around the world have to take pills to suppress the immunodeficiency effects.

This poor girl who went on this missionary trip has been brainwashed and will never get out of that nasty Christian cycle. Thinking people in developing nations need the help of us White North Americans, and if you’re a Christian then God loves you and you can spread that love.

At the end of her rant about her “awesome” trip to South Africa, I tore her apart, just reamed through her ideas about her ideal Western supremacy thoughts, and in the end, she just told me she would pray for me. Because god loves everyone.

I’m leaving this rant because I think it is 100% not acceptable for missions trips to continue, because they promote s sense of Western/White/Christian supremacy beliefs, and an underlying tone of racism that is blanketed but the good will of god, and the excuse of them helping those in need.

My sister recently was converted to Christianity, and she went on a missions trip to mexico, and there was a reason why the mexicans threw rocks at them when they were on and off their bus. And there is a reason why the Mexicans trashed the missions house they built and used it as a crack/whore house a month later when they went back to check up on them. Like these people need to be checked up on, they are humans, not dogs.

Thanks

2 – “It is society that has brought us to this point” I agree totally. We live in a world of inequality because our society has deemed it so. The way we view others is the way our society is formed. … Read More

3 – Your last part about everyone being equal and burning all the money is communism……… thats a whole other discussion unto itself (but I would fall into the “pro communism” camp………..)

I don’t think a person in poverty would get “their ass in gear” as you suggest. I think a person in poverty would do what they have always been taught to do “learn to adapt and deal with less.”

And I understand you’re reponsible for the “Beef Welly” nickname. It was fun to explain to our 60 year old female real estate agent when she said “that’s an odd e-mail address, what does it mean?” lol.

Functioning in society, having a job and “contributing” in life isn’t a natural born inclination. It is learned.

Just because we all live in this society doesn’t mean we know how to function in it. … Read More

If you have poor financial behaviors; I would suspect your parents also did. If you are wise with your money I would imagine your parents ingrained into the value of a dollar.

I suspect the same goes for those who live in and out of middle class society. If all you know is to focus on today “find food, find shelter, find clothes” and this was your life style as a child; chances are this will continue be your life style as an adult.

People in poverty don’t have access to the same things we do as the middle class.

I think the biggest crime of the middle class is to say “its not my problem my neighbor is a lazy pile of shit, i pay taxes for programs to exist so that these people can live off the system.” I ask you then “if you feel like its your own hard cash that pays for these people, shouldn’t you then also feel inclined to help these people on an individual basis?”

Maybe if communities pitched in and helped out those around them we wouldn’t have to pay such high taxes because the government is less burdened? … Read More

Thoughts?

I think the better we as “the middle class” try to understand those in poverty and instead of stereotype (because its so easy to do so) how can we as a community come along side these people and help them live a life that serves one with meaning, hope, challenge and responsibility?… Read More

It appears you were raised by parents that drummed into you responsibility, character and work ethic.
Why are people in poverty penalized because they didn’t learn those same virtues?

What is the crime of a person in adult poverty other than them having shitty role models when they were kids? What I am saying is there needs to be something done to assist these people in the present so that in the future they will have a good work ethic like the one you display.

That is what is disgusting about it. Why should we have to tell our children “no” when they want something as simple as french fries under the bridge, or wear clothing that is practically rags so that we can put nice clothing on our children, eat Kraft Dinner and hot dogs some nights for dinner because our grocery budget is tight, and be expected … Read Moreto lose portions of our hard-earned money to pay for some people’s drug habits, others to sit on their ass an abuse the system, for moms to be out having a great time while we pay for her childcare. That is what is disgusting about it.

Anita, your argument is totally valid and I applaud you for you staying diligent. This is exactly the frustration I find myself having. I feel as though people with motivation are being penalized in rough times.
While the system is far from perfect and lop-sided I dont feel the answer is to cancel it all together. I do believe heavily there needs to be some type of reform. … Read More

In a week after I am done my course on poverty I am going to site and really ponder about this. I’ll post a blog which I am sure will have people up in arms…..

Kristina, knowing your financial situation (living paycheck to paycheck) implies that you are 1 paycheck away from being in poverty (no money). Welfare, while it has been and continues to be abused is still an amazing tool for people to use while they transition from job to job. You losing your job is called “incidental poverty” and can happen to anyone. While other poverty known as “generational poverty” is something that middle class dont understand yet is easy to judge.
… Read More
Vanessa, lambton counties stance on poverty is any person who lives on less that 15,000 a year.
The most welfare dishes out is $22,000 to a family of four.

For a single person $600 is easy to live off of with all of the assistance that is provided from the city.
The issue is access to things when events happen in life “medication, dental, doctors, etc” which lacks. If you are willing to live a life that aspires to nothing and deals with only today then its doable – difficult but doable.
… Read More
I am attending a class right now discussing poverty in our in city. Its called “bridges out of poverty” and its put on by social assistance of Lambton County. If you hear of it going on do your self a favor and attend.

Alot of it had to do with our middle class understanding of the poor and how we, in a sense are a huge part of the problem in “damning the poor”

Anyway, I will be writing a huge blog about it once its over.

Dave

“Discus” is spelled “discuss”

I thought this one was one of our best.

Dave

Welcome brother.

Dave

PS JR, I’ve been married for over five years now so I have the perspective from one person. Growing up I had two sisters and one mother (as compared to more than one?). So let me just say, not every women flushes every time and puts the toilet lid down.

Find someone else to give your life to, and make that your purpose and do it. When you live for nothing more than yourself, your life amounts to nothing.

Mind you, there are plenty of people that “have it all together” that still love themselves and live for themselves, but they are equally a drain on society. So the argument shouldn’t be get a home and get a job, the argument should be start caring for people and living for someone rather than just yourself all the time.

Let me use the example of good and evil. If we were not consciously aware of evil, how are we meant to know what good is. We must accept and appreciate both sides of any opposite pair in our lives and rest somewhere in between.

Good post Baldylocks. Keep it real son.

Why can’t you have a wife and children and a home for them and be compassionate and non judgemental of others while embracing creativity?

You can be good at providing for the people you care about without “being in first place” or caring if other people are doing things the same way you are.

Take BOTH of those hands off the steering wheel and stop trying to BE the culture or the counter-culture.
Just Be, and be the best you can.

Ther disrespect of each other inherent in both lives should be a big clue that neither is something to be pursued for its own sake.

Hmmm, I think you can have both….if your name is Ben Prins or Ken Tosh.

You might disagree with this. Perhaps it’s a different generation who has a better grasp on one side of life (North American) but have used what they have been raised with to adapt to the CC way of life.

I don’t know. Maybe not Ken so much as Ben. I know Ben better

I suppose I shouldn’t be using their names without them knowing but they are two people that I thought of.

That didn’t really get to the point of what you were saying though I guess.

I don’t know man. My personal route would be meet with Ben and get some advice from him. Sorry I can’t offer more.

Dave

i lie to myself everyday, i know what the right way to live is, but i don’t do it, every friggin day. yet i don’t want to pretend i can do both because as soon as i do that i will have given up.

So i fight the same fight as you, and hoping and praying one day i’ll just jump head first into this “other life” that we know idealistically is right and leave behind the north american lifestyle, which doesn’t offer much for true living.

i do however find it interesting that you put your family, children, relationships and wife desires on the north american side of life….really? its unfortunate because really i think they are the bread and butter of this counter culture life.

“Grow up or die.”

Dave

I think saw you at the mall the other day…..ahem.

Dave

Dave

Oh you didn’t haven’t insurance, well that was dumb, it’s your fault then. How the hell is it your fault because you don’t participate in the stupid security fear based economy of insurance. We live in a world where people do bad things to other bad people and if we can’t be in communities of people that learn to embrace these bad things as part of life without feeling the need to pass blame to the victim.

I do not support consumerism and therefore, do not support Christmas or any other lame holiday that is used as an excuse for people to give gifts that they would want given to them.

So your friend was robbed? Did they steal his roof and four walls? Did they steal his refrigerator? Did they steal the tap and pipes that the water come out of? Sure they stole his tools which help provide money to keep these actual necessities, but perhaps the other bare necessities that were stolen just might be a good thing.

Have I pissed you off yet?

Dave