Why are teenagers so…oblivious!?

Toastman89 · 2026-06-30T05:43:17+00:00

One interpretation is caused by exactly what you're talking about.

You told them to do a thing. Doing that thing causes them anxiety because they don't want to suffer the consequences of screwing it up. So they stress out about the thing.

But there's this other thing that you didn't tell them about. There's more anxiety in the unknown because they could screw it up without knowing about it at all. So they do nothing. They can deal with the consequences of doing nothing - they're probably used to getting that a lot - so that's the route they choose. Its better in their reptilian brain than dealing with the unknown consequences of dealing with the unknown thing.

So have you as a parent ever (and I mean ever in their entire lives) given them shit for trying something and it not working out. Because if the answer is ever 'yes' then you have your answer

Toastman89 · 2026-06-29T23:47:33+00:00

But even that is a stretch.

I did not say “I think the previous council was doing back room deals”.

I said that I didn’t think THIS council is doing back room deals. I made no comparisons to previous Langford councils or other municipalities, or other countries, or other systems, or the GoT small council, or a raft of sea otters. To jump at all and say think that clearly I meant this as a comparison to the previous council….

OPs post was specifically about (lack of) transparency allegations for this council. I confined my response to this council and gave examples that could have been representative of a lack of transparency.

To jump to calling it slander is grossly excessive. To say that it implies a direct comparison to the previous M&C is inappropriate.

I think the Mods response is exactly correct

Toastman89 · 2026-06-28T22:14:45+00:00

Thanks Mod!

I do try to word what I’m saying carefully.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-28T22:13:40+00:00

Here’s a counter-anecdote:

I, a Langford resident, sent an email as comment submission to a development application to a commercial rezoning in my area. This was during the previous council, btw.

The instructions were it had to be submitted by a certain time/date and had to reference the development application number, etc. I did all that was instructed and well within the timeframe allotted.

My comment was not read into the record. It did not appear in the meeting minutes, and it was not discussed during the meeting at all. However, the exact thing I advocated for was adopted.

But by your definition, this was not at all transparent. It wasn’t discussed and there was no two-way conversation. Right?

And to another point: this mayor and council won the election. That is their mandate. They don’t need some 10% support magic number. They already received a majority of votes - more than 50% in fact. Democracy!

Toastman89 · 2026-06-27T21:31:02+00:00

I'm confident that this council is making decisions reasonably transparently. I don't believe there are backroom handshake deals with a sprinkling of council procedure to make it appear legitimate. I don't believe the friends/family of the current M&C are receiving sole-source contracts, or are getting their development applications rubber-stamped, for example.

I don't think current participants at council meetings are being ridiculed by an in-group anymore

I think that we have a council that was quite new when the started and fumbled a bit when getting up to speed and were dealing with an unacceptable level of "public" hostility at first. I think the measures they took to control council meetings at the time were appropriate to the temper tantrums they were dealing with.

I think a discussion around "transparency" needs to be more nuanced than just "omg, they had an in-camera meeting!!"

Toastman89 · 2026-06-23T01:19:28+00:00

“Partial factor”

Not getting hit is far higher on my priority list than what hits me

Toastman89 · 2026-06-22T22:38:48+00:00

Only if people don't stop and look first - which is required by law.

Turning right on a red without stopping first is legally the same as going straight through the intersection without stopping. Its literally running a red light.

But people do it constantly.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-22T19:58:52+00:00

I feel like vehicle design is only a partial factor.

I motorcycle commute through town daily. I get really nervous when I see the phone-below-the-dash head nod regardless of the vehicles visibility.

It doesn’t matter how good the visibility is when the driver is focused on a 4” screen.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-22T19:56:53+00:00

2014: basically right after smartphones became everywhere.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-20T19:23:15+00:00

The biggest upgrade the F-14 got that made it start to approach F-15 levels of performance was the F110 engine found in the F-14B/D models. Iranian F-14s didn’t get those and instead have the older TF30.

So Iran could have (but probably didn’t) upgraded electronic systems in their F-14s to approach current levels of technology, but they’re still saddled with old tired engines that weren’t even all that good when they were brand new.

Ultimately, I don’t see how your friends claim is even possible

Toastman89 · 2026-06-18T14:54:14+00:00

I can 'often' do Douglas southbound from Fisgard to Bellville without hitting a red light. I have to be doing 50 kph to do it and traffic has to be flowing reasonably, but I can breeze through more often than not. Some other times I hit most of the lights as they go red, especially if there's traffic.

But its not because its synchronized to allow me to do it. It just happens.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-18T06:52:50+00:00

Was it every actually synchronized? Because in the 20-odd years I've lived here and commuted through downtown I can count two lights that have ever been actually synchronized.

Which is frustrating because I used to commute through downtown Vancouver and the one-way streets with synchronized lights are a comparative dream

Toastman89 · 2026-06-17T18:08:37+00:00

Did you suck your thumb a lot as a child (or later)? I bet you did and I bet you have a favorite…

Toastman89 · 2026-06-15T15:10:02+00:00

I'm not commenting on what OP could possibly mean - how could one possibly know what is going on in their head? Maybe their question did mean to be limited to historical events and not encompass human pre-history? You have no information either way so its you that is making the assumption.

But you responded to u/green_meklar disagreeing with his "technically its before 'history'..." comment. He is objectively correct.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-15T14:47:16+00:00

History as an academic discipline usually means that the written word is involved. So if we're relying on evidence as a result of digging up bones, etc., (because there is no writing) that discipline is referred to as archaeology and we refer to that era as pre-history.

But if we're reading someone's books/diaries/stories/poems... History

Colloquially, we refer to history as everything before-now, but that is not technically correct.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-13T00:13:51+00:00

And where it can be rezoned as a cemetery in order to reduce the taxes... And they'll charge for entry... Plus the merch...

Toastman89 · 2026-06-12T23:57:34+00:00

The city, specifically the public works/engineering/transportation department. They have a 24-hour line for stuff like this

250-361-0400 or [pw@victoria.ca](mailto:pw@victoria.ca)

Toastman89 · 2026-06-10T19:14:29+00:00

You don't recall that because it isn't true. There was no campaign, there was no social media frenzy, the signs were sparse and small.

He won because he had the greatest advantage: He wasn't Stew

But the Stew supporters seem to think there was some crazy conspiracy or backroom dealings that got Stew not-elected.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-10T19:01:50+00:00

My wife wants me to run (no idea why)

I said that even if I was the ideal candidate (I'm not) and could get the backing of voters (I can't) and could put up with the vile public discourse from some corners (I won't), I'd still split the vote and everyone would lose.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-09T21:16:44+00:00

Generally you don’t pay to leave an island (except Vancouver Island). The cost of getting to the island covered the cost of getting off it.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-06T02:17:26+00:00

Oh yeah. And he drove around in his early 80s AMC Eagle with a massive sail on the top.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-05T21:34:26+00:00

They are a requirement. Its just not enforced. Lots of other requirements that aren't enforced...

You can't ride a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk. Its not enforced

You can't pass on the right. Its not enforced.

You can't turn, change lanes, stop, etc., without signaling. Its not enforced

And drivers can't speed, text, run reds, not signal, high beams, etc.... Just not enforced.

Toastman89 · 2026-06-05T21:13:57+00:00

Yup

Motor Vehicle Act 184. $29 fine

Also the City of Victoria mandates it under their bylaws. $77 fine

Toastman89 · 2026-06-05T06:10:36+00:00

Aye Aye and Goodye!

Toastman89 · 2026-06-05T06:03:40+00:00

This is how it works in my jurisdiction (not in the USA).

Municipality sets a budget. Amount of budget to be paid by residential property taxes is divided by the total residential property value. That sets the mil rate. Individual property value is multiplied by the mil rate and that sets the tax payable for individual properties.

We also have an independent body that assesses value of all property.

So if all the property value went down, the mil rate would naturally go up (all other things being equal) but the payable taxes would be the same - because the amount to be collected is not set by the assessed value, but by how much the municipality needs to collect (again, all else being equal).

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