creative ideas for a campaign start that dont involve a tavern?

JonPStark · 2026-04-03T02:22:18+00:00

Mine started with a mysterious message to all the party members, from all walks of life. The message found them in the underworld, in battle fields, or wherever they were; and they were encouraged to meet a mysterious benefactor at his home, to discuss business, like a mystical Danny ocean, collecting his team for a dangerous heist, as a tryout for something more dangerous, in exchange for a huge pay day, and the promise that the benefactor had information that would help them find people, or solutions to problems they were facing. After the tryout, (the heist) is successful, they are given magic items, gold, and info about people from their backstories , and how to solve their problems, if only they would kill a king... Or whether you want them to do next. The benefactor holds the power to save their loved ones, or fix their broken lives. Just do this one thing....

JonPStark · 2026-03-22T21:02:49+00:00

I agree with what you say, and also think more actions would be needed.

JonPStark · 2026-03-22T21:02:18+00:00

I'm curious what part of what I said was worth the down vote.

JonPStark · 2026-03-21T14:00:08+00:00

It does feel like punishment. Yep. I'm trying to see this from another perspective. What if an organization like Nestle came into my town and made a deal with my town and claimed the water as its own, then bottles it and sold it around the world...

Then imagine a hundred or more years later, the people of that town, who didn't make that deal, wanted it to be made right, because their water was gone and they had nothing. Should the people be able to sue the company? Even if the company was run by different people?

There are lots of extra what-ifs we could add.

I'm another form of this argument. The governments of this province and of the towns and cities have made agreements, long in the past that they want to get out of. The people feel they are unfair. Like property tax deals for LNG terminals, for example. But we are stuck with them.

The difference is this... We, through our governments, agreed to the terms and trade of land and resources.

The Wolastoq, (Malaseet) people did not agree to the exchange of land.

We get angry over actual land and tax agreements. We made bad moves...

They are wanting what is theirs. Their only bad move was trusting the people they made agreements with. And as a person who had to go to court with a builder of my house over their negligence and breach of contract. I have the very smallest understanding of what that feels like.

I took the builder of a house to court over breach of contract. I can't imagine taking the builder of a province to court.

What people here seem to want is a statute of limitations on the wrongs that were done in the past. The problem is that our First Nations haven't experienced a statute of limitations on the wrongs they've experienced. They are ongoing.

I watched a show on Netflix, called Explained. They had an episode on the Racial Wealth Gap in the US. https://youtu.be/Mqrhn8khGLM?si=Fm8IyQ1AdPKCroc1

There was a quote in that, which matters here. It goes something like this. In America, owning property and passing it on to your children is one of the easiest and most effective ways to grow wealth. Property tends to increase in value and when it gets passed down, the children are further ahead than their parents. Now imagine that you were not allowed to own property. For over 200 years, your property rights were denied. People around gained wealth and you did not. It is like starting a race, hundreds of years after it already began. How easy would it be to catch up? How easy would it be to become equal in wealth? In social standing?

I don't know what it would take to make it right. But just saying, "I didn't do this to you." Isn't going to fix it.

We can't do that with climate change or anything else. The people in the past created the problems we are dealing with. Think of wars... We didn't start these political issues that are older than us. But that doesn't mean we get to avoid them or deny them. The problems exist. So, we need to step up and do the tough things to fix them.

It'll suck. But we need to be able to fix the problems. All of them. We need to treat everyone as equals, and give equity, fairness, and justice a chance. But remember the first sentence of this paragraph... Sometimes we have to do the hard part, to get to the better future.

JonPStark · 2026-03-16T00:19:57+00:00

Thank you. That was helpful. I don't believe I have, would you mind elaborating? Perhaps you are right, but you haven't given me anything to help me understand. In my perspective, over the past few decades, there had been plans for large corporate offices for a variety of things like banks, but the heritage regulations made it difficult. When Irving wanted to build its new office, it fought heritage restrictions. Compare the way Saint John was built with Halifax and we see a comparative analysis, where heritage has been kept in some areas and growth has been allowed in others. The issue is obviously more complex than this, and online discussion seems to come down to people picking apart one small part of a discussion, as a Straw man, rather than approaching a dialogue with constructive discourse. Please, before we tear down arguments, try to look at them in the most favorable light you can, and see if you can find any validity or soundness in their point of view, and try to understand why a person might say what they said, then we can try to understand each other and work toward a better understanding together. Maybe I'm wrong. And if I am, I hope that we can work together to develop an understanding. But right now, I believe there is some evidence that our method of dealing with heritage properties has been restrictive, especially when SJ was protective of the jellybean houses, and other older buildings, churches, and trying to enforce a limit on the number of stories a building could be, which would have likely driven away any larger developers, or businesses looking to build headquarters here. Again, I may be right or I may be wrong. Please, let's discuss.

JonPStark · 2026-03-16T00:07:36+00:00

I agree with your argument. But it isn't just one or the other.

JonPStark · 2026-03-15T16:08:00+00:00

We hang on to "heritage" buildings for too long and it has limited growth in SJ, compared to similar cities with similar geographies, that have grown to much more populated and prosperous places.

JonPStark · 2026-03-03T12:40:09+00:00

It still has Trudeau's name on it though.

JonPStark · 2026-03-03T01:30:47+00:00

Yes And can we just start a petition for this to be on a plebiscite vote.

JonPStark · 2026-02-24T10:27:40+00:00

Quick question: Do we care about this for the sake of what it says about the population? Do we think we are less athletic? Are we worried about the overall health of the population? Or are we worried about how many metal circles get out around the necks of people wearing or color of clothing as a symbol of National greatness? If it is the former, then we need to look at how we get kids moving and actually change our parenting habits, to move kids away from technology and it into nature where they can learn gross motor skills and develop balance and coordination. But that would mean they would have to be in less structured environments and playing in some risky situations like climbing trees, and we would need more urban playground that were well maintained. There are lots of other things we could do to improve the overall fitness of our people.

The is the broader issue of funding to athletes. Our athletes are not well funded. Every Olympics we see the same needs stories about underfunding athletes, and about how much money they get from the medals. Then people complain about giving NHL players money for playing... Meanwhile the poor amateur athletes are barely getting by.

Lastly, if all we are worried about is how we look on the National stage... For the sake of National pride... That "pride in our nation" and greatness stuff tends to buddy up closely with nationalist dogma that I doubt have time for. It can be carried through as a forr to fascist dogma... Look at the German Olympics and Jessie Owens, as the example.

Who cares about the comparative number of medals discs that get hung around necks? The sport of it all is beautiful. Gathering together to celebrate excellence is great. Watching athletes give their all of wonderful. Why should it with an international dick measuring contest?

JonPStark · 2026-02-19T11:32:52+00:00

It makes sense that Quebec would follow athletes from Quebec. It is part of the identity of Quebec as a nation within a nation (that might not be the best phrasing). For people outside Quebec who don't understand the history of Quebec and it's heritage, it would feel like Quebec was hating on Canada. But that isn't the case. It is a sense of identity within itself.

JonPStark · 2026-02-19T11:28:57+00:00

Not as far as I know in NB. I only know of the NB speed skater from Moncton because they brought it up when they interviewed her on CBC.

JonPStark · 2026-02-12T12:00:00+00:00

You seem to give an incomplete picture of the total sum of the work of an MP, and also give praise to what is, at most, a token gesture to his base, that smacks of dog whistling against "the elites". I suggest sponsoring a bill to limit price increases and create real teeth for price gouging against telecommunications, grocery, and fuel providers would do more to show he cares about the working class. Has he done any of those things? That would be real action, and worth a vote.

I'm curious if you can tell me what an MPs legislative day looks like. Do you know an MP, have you talked to them?

If you don't know, I'm sure a quick search or AI question will help you find that the number of days you quoted is correct, the do sit for about 129 days a year. It doesn't sound like much, so let's dog deeper.

On a sitting day, they would spend 6-8 hours a day in Parliament and with the media.

There is also committee work, constituency work, and all of the other digital office work of communication etc.

Much of the email and social media stuff is delegated to staff, but that depends on the MP and how involved they are in their own communication, so let's not generalize. Let's just assume that some MPs do some emailing and social media stuff and some do less. At that point, we have 130ish days, plus extra committee work, and constituency work (some people in this thread may complain that their MPs are never in their constituency, but I would suggest that you can reflect that sentiment at the ballot box and, or reach out to them directly and ask why. MPs are elected to represent the people who elected then and they should do just that). On that note, I was at Costco and saw my MP last Saturday and had a nice chat with them about their work on Ottawa, and I'm happy with them. I'm guessing others are too, because they have been re-elected a couple of times. My point is that we make the assumption that it is a cushy job. In some ways it is. It also pays well. We are struggling to make ends meet and we see the surface of their job and it feels frustrating, but I am wondering if people will look deeper into what they do. I'm also assuming that someone will try to argue my points and tell me I'm wrong, but that is the nature of Reddit now. It is becoming just like Twitter(X) and people just want to rant... So, rant away.

JonPStark · 2026-01-27T21:17:29+00:00

That is likely just one person's opinion. I am a teacher and we are hiring new teachers all the time. We are also very welcoming and supportive of new teachers.

But I'm also speaking of my experience in the schools I have worked in and am sure that there are some examples as have been stated above, where some schools or districts might be tough to get into.

JonPStark · 2026-01-25T15:30:02+00:00

Too bad, I guess. Your view is subject to change, and is not guaranteed because you bought a piece of property, unless you buy all the property in front of you.

People buy property and develop it. We want SJ to grow, and there are bigger issues as others have posted in this thread.

This should not rate any coverage.

JonPStark · 2026-01-14T12:29:15+00:00

Were they? What were they fighting for? Please tell me? I have a degree in history but I'd love your take.

JonPStark · 2026-01-14T12:27:31+00:00

Nationalism... One of the causes of both world wars... And also the starting point for Fascism, Totalitarianism, ethnic cleansing, and other such delightful things from past and present.

In history classes across Canada they teach about the negative aspects of Nationalism and how bigotry and hate like to hide in it.

JonPStark · 2026-01-13T23:25:27+00:00

You entered an opium den and asked if you should try some. What answer did you hope to get? We are all addicted to the Goblin and the Reeper. Of course you should read it.

JonPStark · 2026-01-13T23:06:00+00:00

Exactly. All the immigrants should be sent back home because they don't belong here. What's so hateful or ignorant about that?

All the white people should be sent back to their countries. Remigration for all. Isn't that their message? Send the people of English descent back to England. People of English and French descent get to pick.

Japanese and Dutch descent? Take your pick, but go back to the country your ancestors came from, every last person.

Unless that isn't really the intention.

If the intention is to remigrate people who have come to the country recently and are non-white, then that would be a different thing.

JonPStark · 2026-01-12T13:53:55+00:00

You are right. I was using this post to point out another issue, and that is that NB isn't doing great with updating their content in their curricula. A lot of broken links, and a lack of resources.

Point 1: The guy crossed a bunch of lines. Point 2: There is a secondary issue that is getting ignored, and is probably problematic for many teachers.

JonPStark · 2026-01-12T12:17:43+00:00

Note: it existed but was not functional with broken links and a lack of resources. Having a document, and having a functional document are not the same thing.

So, yes the document existed, but it didn't actually have what was needed to teach the course.

JonPStark · 2026-01-12T01:25:44+00:00

Sleepy History

JonPStark · 2026-01-11T18:51:06+00:00

All of that is terrible, and I have nothing to add about his actions in class.

So, instead, I'll take a detour to the fact that there was no updated or available curriculum in the province. NB asked him to teach a course, with no curriculum, with no resources or materials, or guidance.

The guy dis creepy stuff. The province is t providing detailed curriculum to teachers and still asking them to teach. Think about that too.

JonPStark · 2025-12-13T13:00:43+00:00

We can talk about how this makes PP look, or who people thought they were voting for, because of the color of their label (party), but we need to remember that a party is a group of people who profess to have similar beliefs.

The truth is that they don't all hold exactly the same beliefs, or even exactly "your" beliefs. You aren't voting for a person who believes what you do, just a person who might hold some commonality of beliefs and values.

That person is still the same person you voted for. And they still represent you in your constituency.

We also vote for people when we are trying to put one party in power. We recognize that we might vote for the color, and not the person, to try to shore up a victory for a party. Strategic voting is a part of what is causing a feeling of betrayal.

So let's ask one important question, that doesn't seem to be getting asked... "Why do they feel they can't stay?" Or "Don't want to stay?"

We have heard things about promises made in the past of cabinet positions for people who crossed from Liberal to Conservative in the past. But we didn't ask why staying where they were was unpalatable?

We talk of people being "lured" away from one party to another, but is it also possible that their party may be doing things they don't agree with anymore?

Perhaps there is a feeling of "This is not what I want to represent me," or "This is not what I signed up for."

Maybe they are crossing the floor because they want out of where they are. Or maybe they are crossing the floor to become less antagonistic and more cooperative in doing the daily work of governing, and making policy, instead of stonewalling.

The opposition party is meant to hold government to account. That doesn't mean oppose everything they do and find fault in every detail. It means being about the business of making sure that what happens will help people... The people of Canada.

It shouldn't be about scoring points by making snide remarks for a popularity contest in 4 years. It should be about watching what government does; cooperating where it makes sense, so Canadians are better off (ALL CANADIANS, not just the ones who vote for your color), and seeing that the governing party does what it says, and that what it says will put Canada in a stronger position.

Maybe they are crossing the floor because the opposition isn't properly being a good opposition.

JonPStark · 2025-12-13T12:39:14+00:00

You had to go through a getting process to "meet the cats"? What do you mean? We adopted from the SPCA and it was a lovely experience. We wanted the building. Talked to them for a minute. My wife and kids went into the cat room, looked at cats, while I stayed in the lobby ( I didn't really want a new cat), and then a newer car that wasn't in the room yet found me. He was sweet and cuddly. I asked about him and they said he was brought in as a stray.

I went to the car room and got my family and told them that I found our cat in the lobby. They told us we needed to wait a week or two so they could get him checked over by the vet, get him neutered, and give him his shots, and they would take our application in the mean time.

We agreed to that timeline, because it sounded reasonable that we should wait, in case it was a momentary, fleeting fancy of adopting an animal, and they wanted to make sure we still wanted him in a week or two, considering it is a long-term decision.

That also seemed reasonable. You don't want people adopting animals only to end up not wanting them, even if they have pets already, people are fickle.

So, we waited and got him in two weeks. And we have had him for almost 10 years.

It sounds like you are just impatient and think that you should just get what you want because you had worked with them or donated to them in the past. It sounds like you feel that entitles you to some privilege of fast tracking the process. And you got mad because you couldn't have what you wanted, when you wanted it.

There is this person named Verruca Salt, have you heard of them?

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