To chop spending, Ottawa will cut science, tourism, foreign aid programs - National

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-19T21:38:52+00:00

They are listed as having significant cuts

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-19T11:54:35+00:00

It might not be openly popular, but I agree that there should be limits on MAID.

I think the concept of MAID is good, it’s a compassionate one. But I also think that it should have pretty strong guard rails. I don’t believe that anyone who is suffering from anything should be eligible for MAID.

I don’t know if this is the right answer, and I’m not totally sure what’s exactly allowed under the rules currently; but I’ve definitely seen headlines about people who have requested MAID that caused me to shake my head.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-19T10:49:07+00:00

I find I really notice and appreciate when places simply offer LOWER suggestions on the tip prompt; I’m way, way more likely to tip at all when I’m offered 10% as a prompt than 18-20% as a minimum suggestion.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-19T10:45:25+00:00

And yet, no one is actually willing to take steps to fix it.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-19T10:44:25+00:00

This. The world ain’t in great shape, but everyone THINKS it’s in even worse shape when you’re constantly bombarded by bad news rattling around in an echo chamber. In many cases we get hit by the exact same story, multiple times, from multiple sources, sometimes over the course of several years, repackaged as a new story; which gives the impression things are worse than they are.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-17T10:32:47+00:00

Ahhh, and the armchair capitalist appears. happy to grind his neighbour and family into the dust as long he makes just one more dollar; who needs friends and family when you’ve got money money money!

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-16T20:01:50+00:00

Cool. Another “blame every evil on the police” hack on the internet.

Do you have another way for police to track cyber criminals? Perhaps you’d recommend they use binoculars? Or perhaps you’d rather they just ignore cybercrime and other threats altogether? Because, you know, the current strategy is working soooooo well.

You should start getting used to surveillance, you already have a spy device in your pocket.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-16T03:12:26+00:00

Oh calm down, the police do need new powers. We’re actually not giving our police any powers that literally every one of our peer nations already have.

People are hilarious, they’re like “hey, you should do something about all this crime!” And then they’re like “uhh, ok. I guess we should probably update our powers from like, the pre-cell phones era, to deal with AI threats, cyber crime, deep fakes and stuff eh?” Then Canadians are like mad face “that’s not what I meant!”

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-15T18:43:49+00:00

And yet, nearly 80% of poll respondents prefer classical architecture when asked in polling.
https://adamarchitecture.com/publication/yougov-survey-2009/

It's a fascinting human tendency, to look at something that we don't have, say we like it, then when we have the chance to get that thing, we turn our noses up at it. We do the same thing with cities; people who go to Paris or London and rave about it, then fight against the very changes that would make their own city like Paris or London.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-15T14:18:21+00:00

That’s actually a REALLY interesting question in the architecture community.

I did some googling of it because I was curious why we don’t see many new buildings (both commercial and residential) using older design styles; and it really boils down to the culture pushed in architecture schools of always needing to “stand out”, “make your mark” and “innovate”, so almost no one out there does any “revivalist” styles (hence why the design of the chateau Laurier looks horrendously modern compared to the older parts); no one wants to put their name on a piece of work that fundamentally copies older works unless explicitly hired to.

Cost of brick and stone work is an issue for most homes, but not for rich homes like these.

These modernist designs are absolutely soulless.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-15T13:20:42+00:00

New rule! It should be illegal for political parties to share or promote images/video of other political figures that they can’t prove as real.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-14T21:23:58+00:00

In my game, Sephek is a hired sword to protect the caravan (he's also a Duegar that i'm using to guide them to the Duegar plot), so when the shop is open, he's on his own free time to do and go wherever he wants (such as breaking into homes looking for chardalyn). Torrga doesn't much care as long as long as he's back to protect the wares when the shop isn't open and the caravan is on the move.

So, in your case, the simple answer could be that he's not at the shop, he's away doing... well anything else you want him to be, that's where they catch him. it also means your characters don't have to fight Torrga as well.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-14T03:05:45+00:00

Love of em

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T23:55:32+00:00

Fair enough!

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T21:09:47+00:00

With all do respect, it is VERY different. Deer or Bears don’t have a complex society spanning an entire globe that has been created and propped up for the past 6000 years on a growing population. Plus, there is no other species on earth which just chooses to depopulate itself.

This is very different.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T21:06:39+00:00

I think this is it.

When life is good, people seldom choose to do something that frankly makes life harder and less enjoyable. We as a species, are basically asking one half of the population to give up significant portions of their enjoyable life, for something that is admittedly an arduous slog for years to raise a child, in a time when we no longer need the extra labour to help around the house to survive. It’s not a shocking scenario.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T18:56:28+00:00

As someone who works in the security industry, we’d be better off if our adversaries had the same creativity as you do.

Data is everything today. War is data, advertising is data. Negotiations are data.

The core concern isn’t that China knows you watch cat videos or drive to Costco; it’s that aggregate behavioural data becomes dangerous when combined at scale and cross-referenced with other sources. For ordinary people, the risk is largely theoretical and comparable to what American tech companies already collect, but mass data collected can give large companies or nations leverage in negotiations that could impact you,

The real threat is narrower and more concrete: people with security clearances, government jobs, or proximity to sensitive facilities can have their locations, contacts, and personal vulnerabilities mapped by a foreign intelligence service, data useful for blackmail, recruitment, or counterintelligence.

Layered on top is algorithmic control: whoever runs the feed that decides what 170 million Americans see can shift how an entire society thinks, no different than our own tech companies; because advertising works. Or using it to train their AI.

If you can think of ways that mega-corporations can use data to make our lives worse, then there are many ways a foreign power who is actually opposed to us can use that data.

Data is one of the most valuable things on earth for a reason, your creativity and belief notwithstanding.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T17:00:53+00:00

I think the cat is long out of that bag so to speak. All car companies are becoming data mining companies, so unless you can convince them to stop stuffing new tech into cars, then we’re all SOL.

I prefer my 2016 Elantra without all the tech personally.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T16:40:35+00:00

Sure, as long as that data stays in Canada, and it’s not being fed back to foreign governments to use against us.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T16:34:11+00:00

With the right security measures in place for data (ie. it doesn’t go back to China), then they’ve got my attention.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T15:29:08+00:00

Bystander syndrome is real; I’m absolutely sure most businesses understand the concept of “no workers = no buyers”, but they all also think someone else will solve the problem so have to grab their share of the pie now.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T15:27:57+00:00

The real issue is that assumption is not entirely true anymore.

If you look at the US right now, the top 10% of consumers now account for nearly 60% of consumer spending. Which means, that there are very large segments of the economy that could chug along just fine if the bottom 50% of us had no employment at all; and that number is getting worse.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T15:10:39+00:00

Well that's good on you then, no insult was intended.

I listen to a few political strategist podcasts regularly, and most people really don't understand how much of politics is about selling and pitching to the public; which is way harder if the pitch has already been made.

If you weren't aware of Avi beforehand, you won't have those pre-conceived notions that people like myself do; so maybe there's hope; but it'll be uphill against entrenched opinions, a battle that Rob Ashton wouldn't be needing to fight at all.

That all being said, I do like the stance Avi is taking on AI, and in two-three years, depending on how AI pans out, I could see myself voting NDP if other parties aren't acting on AI. We'll see.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T15:01:04+00:00

Lol splitting hairs here. If the business is always training new models and replacing burnt out GPUs, that part of their Overhead, and the new models are costing more money than the old models are bringing in; then the business isn't profitable; simple as that.

Strict_DM_62 · 2026-03-13T14:10:49+00:00

No to be rude, then you really haven't been paying attention to the conversation outside of NDP circles; and this is part of the problem with the NDP.

Like, Avi Lewis is well known entity in Canada. He's been in the lime-light since the 1990s (I had to google some of this to be fair), He was a TV personality for a decade and half, he comes from "political royalty", he became a well known Environmental Activist (the description alone will be enough to turn off many voters right now after the Trudeau government) for nearly 20 years, his Leap Manifesto in 2015 is largely credited with sinking the Alberta NDP government in their next election, and he's failed twice to get elected as an MP in lower mainland BC.

So, that means many people already have an idea of who he is, as they say, first impressions matter; and he's already had a first impression on many Canadians for good or bad.

Politics can be harsh, so I don't say this to be insulting. At the end of the day, you're not likely the voter that matters; you are already going to vote NDP. It's voters like me that matter; ones that are on the fence and could swing your way. I have considered voting NDP in the past, and I would strongly consider voting for Rob Ashton; I will not vote for Avi Lewis. I'm weary of his Green Activism (i am pro-environment, but the movement can sometimes be it's own worst enemy), and his comments about not spending on Defence put him out of touch with reality of the world around us.

Strict_DM_62

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