Mexico vs. Canada

Jan 26, 2023

Just checked rent for a one bedroom apartment in my building. $1,550 a month. You'll have to fill out an application and fulfill the requirements to have the privilege of renting. When I applied, they wanted to see a minimum five-year job history in Canada or a guarantor. So, if you don't have rich parents or a stable income stream of five years, then tough.

Posted at 10:17 PM in Economics, Life | | Comments (0)

A new insidious tax

Jan 26, 2023

Not content with making Elon Musk leave, the state of California is coming after all billionaires:

California lawmakers appear intent on making the Eagles song Hotel California a reality … at least when it comes to taxes for those who try to flee the state. At the Hotel California, “you can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!” With soaring costs and a massive $24 billion deficit, the state is also facing an exodus of people leaving the state. The solution? Convert the state into a tax Venus flytrap: not only impose a wealth tax on those caught in the state but tax those who try to leave.

That's the nature of taxation. Market it as ONLY for the greedy, asshole, super rich and then in due time decrease the floor.

The law has a cynical bait-and-switch provision. The billionaire tax is just meant for the initial packaging and passage. It can therefore be sold as a “billionaire’s tax.” However, in two years, the threshold drops to a worldwide net worth exceeding $50 million.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The same thing happened with the income tax over a hundred years ago. The wealth tax will soon apply to average people with a "big" house that retails for over a million. A meagre, and of course "totally reasonable", 2% wealth tax on that property would mean an extra $20,000+ in taxes every year for the average doctor, engineer, professor, etc.

Posted at 11:49 AM in Economics, Politics, USA | | Comments (0)

Honest Hillary

Jan 26, 2023

She beat the rest:

After revelations that former Presidents and Vice Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and even Mike Pence had violated federal law by keeping classified documents in their homes, Hillary Clinton took the opportunity to brag that she had kept no classified documents from her time serving as President of the United States.

Posted at 11:39 AM in Politics, USA | | Comments (0)

Hell for Helen

Jan 25, 2023

She observed and tweeted about the illegal behavior of colored people. Of course, this makes her the villain of the month. NPCs activate!

More joggers in action:

Posted at 11:09 AM in Politics, USA | | Comments (0)

Diminished purchasing power

Jan 24, 2023

Reminds me of a conversation with my puzzled barber many years ago.

"I think you're a smart guy. So, I don't get it. Why don't you have a house?"

I looked at the Boomer Barber with mild amusement and asked, "What was the price of your house when you bought it?"

"$55,000."

"Do you remember your annual income at the time?"

"Hmm, about $20,000."

"What was your mortgage payment?"

"Oh, my dad gave me a gift and I borrowed money from a relative."

"How long did it take to pay off this loan?"

"About two years."

So, sometime, in the 1970s, a barber in Canada, with zero college degrees and a single income, and a family loan, bought a house and had it all paid off in two years.

During that haircut, my post-university-degree income was about $50,000 and the average price of a house was close to $1,000,000. Alas, no monetary gift from dad or a family loan. Forget two, it's not even possible in twenty years! It's so bizarre when these people can't see or recognize this basic math.

Posted at 08:15 PM in Economics, Life | | Comments (0)

More than half deleted!

Jan 23, 2023

Incredible transformation:

Most of his diet is the same as mine; substitute lean beef for prime rib and new york steak.

Lean proteins + simple carbs + butter = Awesome diet.

Posted at 11:23 AM in General, Life | | Comments (0)

Is this toxic masculinity?

Jan 13, 2023

Murdered for a bottle:

Police have identified a man killed in an alleged "swarming" attack by eight teenage girls in Toronto last month as Ken Lee. Lee, 59, was pronounced dead in hospital after he was allegedly beaten and stabbed by the group of girls outside a downtown shelter in the early morning hours of Dec. 18, 2022.

[...]A friend of Lee's who saw his alleged attack previously told CBC Toronto the girls had tried to take a liquor bottle from her and Lee had tried to stop them. The lead detective on the case later confirmed that police believe there was an attempted theft — "likely of a liquor bottle" — during the initial phase of the deadly encounter.

The teenage murderers are between 13 and 16 years old. No information about race is provided which means we know.

Posted at 02:32 PM in General | | Comments (0)

Grrrl power!

Jan 13, 2023

Some good news during interesting times:

Male M&M's everywhere rejoiced after the announcement by Mars, Inc. that the female M&M's are getting their own bag. The male M&M's hope this change will finally give them some much sought-after peace and quiet.

According to sources, the red, yellow, blue, and orange M&M's are hoping this means they can finally get a little rest and relaxation, lounge around all day, and just hang out with the bros without being nagged to death.

Posted at 02:13 PM in Politics, USA | | Comments (0)

Say no to alcohol

Jan 11, 2023

I've had people at work relay stories about drinking and throwing up. It sounded like they were bragging. Just totally bizarre.

Posted at 10:09 PM in Life | | Comments (0)

The relentless grind

Jan 10, 2023

Same in Canada. The average mortgage payment is now greater than the average income in Toronto.

There was a couple who wrote about how their bank refused to loan them money for a house because their combined income was too low. They make $200,000. That's US$150,000. People used to say that both people in a household need to work because prices are so high. We've reached the point where both people do work and make more money than 98% of households in their province and they still can't get a loan for a house!

Posted at 09:03 PM in Economics, Politics | | Comments (0)

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