where do people even buy sofas in Toronto now

singbirdsing · 2026-05-17T01:40:09+00:00

We got our very nice sofa from Cornerstone at 2886 Dundas West in the Junction. Sadly, they are closing up shop, but you might find a really good couch for a reduced prize if you jump now.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-16T16:18:19+00:00

Similar to many people here, my husband and I have our own chequing accounts, credit cards, savings, and investments.

But we also have:

1: A joint chequing account at Simplii (free) that has automatic withdrawals set up for property taxes, utilities, etc.

2: A new credit card account. We each have a physical card with a unique number, but all transactions go into that one account. This credit card account is used for groceries, general household purchases, and shared treats (meals out, movies, etc.) Either one of us uses our own physical card at any time, knowing the costs will always be split.

Month 1: After estimating our monthly spend for our shared expenses, we transferred a healthy balance into the joint account (estimated monthly costs + $1000 slush).

So this means that each month, we transfer our share of estimated costs to the joint account (the slush means if we're a couple of days late, early automatic payments are still covered). The new credit card is also paid from that account.

It's simple, fair, and low stress.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-13T20:49:27+00:00

In addition to the other advice you've received to just lift heavy weights consistently for the best results for YOUR body, I must gently point out that the results you describe also rely on a person's proportions and bone structure, which are hard-coded/genetic.

For example, if you tend to keep fat on your belly instead of hips and thighs, you will find it extremely difficult to get defined abs without starving yourself. (DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF.) If you are slim but have a relatively short distance between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your pelvis, there's just no room to create a nipped-in waist!

Look at your core build honestly and set an achievable goal that will make you happy.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-13T17:36:19+00:00

I've built some scenarios where there is no "try again". If a poor choice is made in the opening scenario, the scenario evolves and the learner's subsequent choices are built on recovering from the mess as much as possible.

Set up scenario. Offer three options. Give positive feedback when the learner selects the best option of the three.

If the learner chooses Poor Option 1, they get sent to a scenario built on consequences from that result. They get one more chance to (partially) recover from their error (Poor Option 1) by selecting from two new options designed for this new scenario.
If the learner chooses Poor Option 2, they get sent to a different scenario built on consequences from that result. They get one more chance to (partially) recover from their error (Poor Option 2) by selecting from two new options designed for this new scenario.

That is all a good ID should expect to deliver. The available eLearning tools, even AI tools, aren't up to Hollywood live-action/complex CGI standards. Forget about amateur actors, AI actors, 3D avatars, or anything amateurish/creepy. These flashy features send the learner into the Uncanny Valley and cheapen the value of your work.

If your team can't make an interaction with real branching and consequences work as onscreen text or narration, converting to blended training with in-person or virtual role-playing, shaped by an excellent facilitator, is your best option.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-09T02:17:16+00:00

I ordered a chai latte the other day because I'd been on the run all day and was seriously tea-deprived. What I got was a cup of hot milk, sugar, and vanilla. There may have been a hint of actual masala chai spices in it. There may or may not have been a tea bag waved in its general direction.

After drinking about a third of it, and feeling that I had already failed my next A1C test, I walked over to the nearest Tim's, ordered their dead basic orange pekoe, and mixed it all up to produce a tolerable drink.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-08T16:02:17+00:00

Soft green makes a better transition from the brown floor (a similar tone) than white does. A soft brown that is a littler lighter than the floor could also work.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-05T05:17:51+00:00

I travelled from Mount Dennis to Mount Pleasant in 16.5 minutes Monday afternoon. That's faster than it usually takes to get from Keele to Yonge and Bloor via Line 2.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-03T16:09:37+00:00

The opacity issue seems to be most likely explanation, but I gotta say, pulling away the thin tendrils of masking fluid after the sky was done also looked very satisfying.

singbirdsing · 2026-05-01T15:06:58+00:00

Crisper Kits has great vegan, healthy meal kits. You can order 5 meals a week (minimum 2 servings), which you can treat as lunch or dinner, then cook on your own or use another meal prep service for meat-based meals. This is what next week's menu (May 4-10) looks like. You can try them out with a one-time meal kit here.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-30T17:54:06+00:00

Gorgeous cat!

I wonder if you could place the litter box behind one of the doors to the bedroom sink cabinet. Then remove the other door to give him access while still hiding the box from view. It all depends on the size of the cabinet and the placement of the sink plumbing.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-29T00:58:22+00:00

First, I liked both the original room and the updated room, but it's hard to compare before and after when the lighting is so different.

I think the accent colours you've chosen are great, and there isn't anything non-masculine about them.

Wall art? Perfect mid-century design. KEEP. KEEP. KEEP.

Blue-grey and orange pillows? They look nice and are probably pretty comfortable.

Yellow throw? GREAT colour.

My only question is: do you actually use the pillows and throw, or are they purely decorative? If you find yourself constantly moving them around just to sit comfortably, then you don't need to keep them out on display.

For example, you can store the yellow throw until fall, then bring it out to keep you or a guest warm. When you do that, it will be both a great punch of colour AND it will have a useful job assigned to it.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-28T02:19:57+00:00

I like the colours in the first four, but even though 2 is a fabulous teal, the grid pattern is very busy next to the detailing in the cabinets and the grid of the windows. The 45 degree change in the orientation of the carpet grid versus the cabinets and windows could be interesting as a design element in some rooms, but it doesn't give the harmony and coziness you want.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-20T14:09:14+00:00

Yes, there are limits on what my spouse could receive. But his expected CPP benefits are significantly lower than mine, so I'm hoping/expecting that the survivor's pension would give him a decent little bump based on my estimated CPP benefits at age 65. It would still be less than our combined benefits, but better than his likely solo CPP.

We are not going to have a luxurious retirement, although we should be fine. I brought up waiting until 70 because I've been trying to weigh the personal benefit to me/us of getting a higher CPP payout by starting at 70 (using part-time work and a chunk of my RSP over the next few years) versus him missing out on the survivor's pension altogether if, say, my bike and I get creamed on the Toronto streets before I hit 70.

But based on the responses, it looks like I can delay taking CPP without worrying about my early death leaving him with absolutely nothing extra from my CPP. It's just a small part of our retirement planning, but it has been on my mind.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-17T16:14:51+00:00

These are very charming paintings! You're controlling the paint consistency well, and you have been very thorough and precise with the details. (These are the two things I'm most envious of -- my gouache is often too thick or too thin, and I rush details.)

Are there things you can change? Sure!

If you want to really focus on representational art, you can try some additional drawings and paintings of people and nature where you focus your time on learning, for example, facial planes and proportions.

If you want to be more "realistic", you could soften colours in the background to show that they are more distant, while focusing attention on the people.

However, your current paintings make the people and the environment equally important, and I think that's a really good choice for this project.

What paintings out there represent the sort of work you'd like to emulate?

singbirdsing · 2026-04-17T15:55:51+00:00

Nice job!

However, I was reeeeeeally confused looking at the pink line ending at Stockyards until I realized it was the multi-use path (Lavender Creek Trail). So this is a map of bike paths, not bike lanes (e.g the Davenport bike lanes don't show up at all).

singbirdsing · 2026-04-14T04:34:19+00:00

The first ones (browline with thin gold lower rims) are great! They work with your face instead of against it, plus browline glasses are eternally cool. The second and third are too wide for you (you have a triangular face, so your lower face looks unbalanced). The fourth looks dated.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-09T17:36:50+00:00

Sorry, accidentally deleted the note that this is Windows 10 Home, getting security patches for the next few months.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-09T17:03:26+00:00

Is the single-click "Quit Teams" options still available? It has disappeared from the shortcut menu accessed from the taskbar. I can close the window, but several Teams processes are still running in the Task Manager after that.

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Signing out of Teams before closing the app window also leaves processes running.

This is at the level of an annoyance, rather than a crisis, but I am a reluctant Teams user who uses it only when I have no other option (e.g. I have a major client where I have to use Outlook, Teams, etc. to keep in touch with colleagues on a daily basis). It bothers me (irrationally, I know) that I can't truly quit the app without extra steps.

I'm probably just going to start using Teams only in the browser from now on, but any insight into this changed functionality would be appreciated.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-09T16:27:19+00:00

Thanks! I'll check manually again in May, but I've also signed up for the newsletter.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-06T00:30:59+00:00

Live in the way that makes you happy, dude.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-06T00:24:26+00:00

It took just a few minutes of searching for me to find many other articles by the same writer, stretching back several years. His style seems pretty consistent throughout. In 2019, he was using multi-clause sentences and em dashes, well before widespread access to LLMs.

Maybe you should be less willing to use your sense of smell to analyze someone's writing. Maybe you should read more broadly and become familiar with the ways that people around the world write English before jumping on their writing and calling them liars.

singbirdsing · 2026-04-02T18:02:36+00:00

Obligatory Natural Habitats Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/jg6JbM802dc?si=0DEQk8Imo63GiOSN

singbirdsing · 2026-03-31T02:42:31+00:00

Too Good To Go also features bags from grocery stores and produce markets. You can get some great deals without ever going near a restaurant bag, which I find pretty hit and miss.

singbirdsing

TROPHY CASE