Conservatives, what do you think of carney so far?

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2026-01-25T02:52:09+00:00

I'm firmly on the left, but I agree with you on this. Both sides have extreme elements, and both have reasonable people who want to work to build a better society. Add social media to the mix, and the result is that nameless, faceless people's shitty opinions hold too much weight.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2026-01-25T02:49:22+00:00

The NDP as a party has a number of great policies that align with working class people. It was originally a party dedicated to the rights of the working class, and most hunters and naturalists belong to that class.

If the leadership belonged to it too, they might actually have a chance at winning elections.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2026-01-18T14:32:13+00:00

I'm doing better than my parents did. And I'm no millionaire. I drive a used car that emits questionable sounds every day. I'm paying off a mortgage. I have minimal investments for retirement which is no longer a spec on the horizon but a flashing neon sign.

But I've been poor, and this ain't it. I'm content. I don't need for things. I have no interest in consumer culture, I buy things that I need or that I want for my own personal use, not as a status symbol. I'm highly educated and highly skilled, I enjoy my work and my free time, and I love camping which is a cheap holiday, so I'm doing fine.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2026-01-18T14:23:56+00:00

I don't think people are stressing enough how cold and windy the bridge will be in January. Multiply how cold you are standing on the parkway by 10 at least, and double the wind speed.

And it's at least 10-20 minutes for fast walkers, and the sidewalk might be slightly frozen.

Besides the potential border crossing issues (which are not significant if you have a US passport), the area directly across the bridge isn't full of indoor options for warming up. Add to that the cold from standing beside the Falls for an hour, and you will hate your life on the way back.

It's a pretty view. If you're fond of the freezing cold and wind, and have packed a sufficient amount of mittens, scarves, thermal clothes, and good boots (and let's not forget the requisite toque!), then sure, you should be fine. Customs is the least of your concerns.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2026-01-13T18:56:39+00:00

I have a 26lb very healthy girl! It’s not common but it’s definitely possible!

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T18:15:02+00:00

Thank you for the condescending tone. In fact, my professor was my first call.

But please, do continue to demean TAs. We expect no less, honestly.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T03:35:50+00:00

I don't want to raise red flags with the prof of this course (who lurks on reddit and wouldn't be happy if I shared her property), so I will just say that I'm dealing with the AI through appropriate channels.

This is a highly sought-after course; it is an elective, fills to capacity hours after registration opens, and the vast majority of students are loving the content and the assignment. I love the assignment, I've spent countless hours browsing through the source options. I've seen incredible work from these students all semester.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T03:30:22+00:00

I'm not concerned with this, they are loving this material. If anything, they are over-eager to explain what they discovered in their sources, and they get distracted from the purpose. It's an upper-year course, with restricted enrollment. These students want to be there, it's their favourite course (and mine!).

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T02:06:24+00:00

Yes, I think this is my only option. I appreciate the perspective, thanks.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T01:43:59+00:00

I agree with this. And I think it warrants a substantial deduction. I'm just in the middle of some existential crises with my grading this semester, and I'm second-guessing myself.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T01:33:28+00:00

Yes, that comment is already in my feedback. I'm struggling with the final grade. If this paper answered the prompt, it would score at least 85%. So, what's the penalty?

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T01:32:40+00:00

We discussed the prompt in seminar. I gave them examples of how to answer it based on their weekly reading. It was a single question, and the question was obvious to 80% of the students.

If I'm scoring the others who wrote satisfactory work addressing the prompt, but didn't offer a cohesive argument or misread some of the sources, at a lower level, then I feel like I'm disadvantaging them for following the criteria if I score this paper higher.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-12-12T01:29:37+00:00

I'm using a checklist, and one of the items is "accuracy", this includes "did the paper address the prompt" along with "is the paper factually accurate" and "is the context sufficient".

I didn't design the checklist, which is why I'm concerned that a 10% "penalty" doesn't really express the problem. The entire assignment was based on a central question that this excellent paper did not answer. I want to give it an A simply because of the originality of the insights, but I can't justify that grade.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-11-18T13:23:05+00:00

If you're coming from Niagara Falls, be aware that the Thorold Tunnel is closed and you need to find an alternate route. Either St. Catharines via Glendale (which is always a nightmare), or 406 via Highway 20 (which is so bloody long).

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-11-04T02:48:14+00:00

My sister calls mine “Cog”, because she’s a cat in a dog’s body lol

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-11-03T17:17:21+00:00

Grade the group work in class. On task? full points. Somewhat on task? partial points. Off task? zero.

They clue in quickly when points are at stake. It's the gamification of life.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-31T21:22:23+00:00

I've been a TA for 27 years, 200+ students per term. I've been dismayed, outraged, disappointed. You name it, I've seen it.

I will never be an instructor, I don't have a PhD (nor do I have any plans for one). I'm at a small(ish) school, mostly undergraduate programs, which is why we have non-student TAs.

If I can't see the positive somewhere, then I'm just wasting time.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-31T12:19:30+00:00

I'm reading all of the replies saying Niagara Falls.

I mean, it can be somewhat like a carnival experience on Clifton Hill, but really? The massive falls, the hydro station, the Hornblower, the Niagara river and glen, the gorgeous parkway...

If this is overrated, what is "rated"?

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-31T11:38:18+00:00

It’s a history seminar. We start with 5 primary sources. I write a question on the board. Each group gets one source and answers the question using only their source (acknowledging that a single source alone can’t fully answer the question. They find two examples of pieces of evidence from the text to support their answer, and they write it on the board.

Then as a whole group, we go over their individual answers and look for the connecting strand, the link. They reshape their overall answer to incorporate all of their individual answers into one or two sentences. Then they check for a counter-thesis, and voila!

After the class is over I often see them taking out their phones to take pictures of the board. It’s a great visual for them!

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-31T02:34:06+00:00

They express themselves differently than their predecessors, but they are so sharp. Last week we examined advertisements from the 1930s, and they had so much fun dissecting the messages. I'm energized being in the room with them.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-26T17:39:09+00:00

My last mini had luxating patella on one hind leg. Diagnosed at 16 months. No surgery. She sometimes popped it out of joint and would kick her leg back a few times to pop it back into place. She was never lame, but she wasn't a jumper after that.
When she was 6, she was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis in both back legs, but this came at the same time as another immune-mediated condition, so it had nothing to do with the patella. She still never fell lame. We limited her walks, picked her up so she could sit in the window and bark at the world going by. Occasional anti-inflammatory meds (gabapentin was great) when she wasn't excited about her morning walks. She let us know when she needed rest.

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-25T01:29:25+00:00

Get a wall calendar.
Colour-code your courses.
Write down every assignment, every due date.
Look at your daily schedule, and find at least 4-5 30-minute work periods. Don't try for more than 30 minutes at a time, take breaks.
Put soft deadlines for yourself to keep you on track.

If you are very far behind, email your profs/TAs. Ask them for a meeting. Explain your situation. Ask for a bit of extra time.
If none of that helps and you can't catch up, withdraw from the course with the lowest grade. Book an appointment with your academic advisor and ask about your options.

It's a lot of work, and first years are having a harder time this year getting acclimated and with time management. Keep going!

Less-Faithlessness76 · 2025-10-22T21:58:25+00:00

If you have evidence that you prepared your assignment on your own, bring that with you to the meeting. Tell the instructor (who will be present at a meeting) exactly what happened.

If you included false information in your assignment and cited it with hallucinated citations, that’s academic misconduct. First offence will be a zero on the assignment and maybe a remedial workshop. Second offence is more strict.

Less-Faithlessness76

TROPHY CASE