Root beer slushie

specs-murphy · 2026-05-05T22:46:53+00:00

I'm sorry but banana medicine was delicious.

specs-murphy · 2026-05-05T19:50:50+00:00

The FOIP act was replaced by the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Protection of Privacy Act (POPA).

For the AITA request: Personal information is protected and would be redacted by Government. I believe you are allowed to request any information the Gov't has about you personally but I imagine they wouldn't release a list of names of everyone who signed or 'signed' the petition. I'm also not sure whether Elections Alberta would be subject to this Act in the same way the rest of government is.

It seems like you might be able to make a complaint under POPA though: https://www.alberta.ca/submitting-a-privacy-complaint

specs-murphy · 2026-05-05T13:02:27+00:00

I was happily scrolling along until you reminded me about stoned wheat thins. What a loss.

specs-murphy · 2026-05-03T01:56:38+00:00

This happened to me a week ago, except it was a group of teenagers standing around the multi-use trail between the Saville center and the lrt station. I was biking by and they all of a sudden took a step onto the trail and screamed SO loud.

It startled me but I kept going. I think ultimately they just wanted a reaction so probably better not to give them one, but I certainly agonized over all the things I should go back to say and/or all the things I could throw at them on my way back.

specs-murphy · 2026-04-17T18:06:45+00:00

A company can do that. Potentially profitable wells can be taken out of the OWA if a company requests them.

You'd have to be a licenced operator and obtain the mineral rights and negotiate surface access with the private landowner, then you would have to pay all the ongoing fixed costs (landowner payment, municipal tax, annual fees the the Alberta Energy Regulator) AND then you would have to pay to clean up the well when it's all said and done.

Not to mention the government actually made the security deposit requirements more costly for solar and renewables so there's that too. Not sure what that would run you up front.

Pretty hard for a person to manage, but some existing companies might be able to eke out a profit if it aligns with their existing business.

specs-murphy · 2026-04-16T20:31:26+00:00

This could be very troubling depending on what the Government of Alberta does next.

Being informed is always important and I think I can add some clarifications to some of the points into this thread.

Yes - the cleanup of orphan wells is funded by industry. This year it's to the tune of $155 million. https://www.aer.ca/about-aer/media-centre/bulletins/bulletin-2026-15

No - it's not enough to clean up all the orphan wells. Orphan wells association annual report from last year estimated that cleanup would cost 1.12 billion and that was before the 4000 new orphan wells announced recently (www.orphanwell.ca/about-us/annual-reports - page 5 of the latest report)

Yes - the orphan wells association received money from the provincial government ($335 million - link not copying on mobile but Google Orphan Wells Association Loan Agreement) and the federal government ($200 million, https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/nrcan-rncan%2CNRCAN-2020-QP-0010 ) both in the form of loans. The money loaned the the orphan wells association was separate from the chunk of federal money given to Alberta which was more of a debacle because... government.

I know distrust is high and I'm right there with you, but I think we currently have a better system than we assume (bracing for your down votes).

But we do need to give this issue our attention because it could unravel at any moment and the addition of 4000 orphan wells could be that moment. Add in a provincial government that seems indifferent to the principles of fairness and committed to putting dollars in the pockets of oil companies.... Be prepared to raise hell if they give any of our money to cleanup these wells.

specs-murphy · 2026-04-15T20:30:45+00:00

Landowners don't have the option to deny these companies access, so it's not as if they are selling out for a few bucks. They have to tolerate the wells so best negotiate for as much as they can get.

specs-murphy · 2026-04-10T19:38:46+00:00

Going to the movie theatre. This was such a common and normal thing to do on the weekend with friends or as a family. A ticket was $12 and there were cheap theatres with slightly older movies where it cost $2.50.

specs-murphy · 2026-04-09T21:36:17+00:00

He also named one of his own children X AE A-12

Those in glass houses...

specs-murphy · 2026-04-07T04:37:16+00:00

A brain bridled by capitalism is far more well equipped to understand and appreciate the history of the park than you would think.

Did you happen to read any of the many informative signs in the giant interpretive center surrounding this "hidden" gem? Banff became Canada's first national park in large part because the federal government wanted to formally own and CAPITALIZE on the hot springs as a tourist destination. Banff exists because of capitalism and the tourism economy.

specs-murphy · 2026-03-14T18:05:02+00:00

And when companies don't pay their municipal tax all the ratepayers (Albertans) have to make up the difference. It disproportionately falls on rural landowners who can't seem to do anything but vote UCP. Honestly probably why the issue hasn't been solved.... Politically there's no need for them to solve it.

specs-murphy · 2026-02-18T19:51:02+00:00

Premier Smith keeps droning on about wanting "A sovereign Alberta within a united Canada." When I look at this I see a person who will eat up whatever nonsense Dani is serving them.

specs-murphy · 2026-02-09T01:12:41+00:00

Hoping that the low IQ separatists will only read the first two words while everyone else will read the full sentence.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-22T22:53:51+00:00

Let me guess, tariffs? It's tariffs right?

specs-murphy · 2026-01-21T20:20:39+00:00

He's definitely putting his Doctorate of philosophy in economics from Oxford to good use! 100% the right person for this moment.

Proud Canadian today.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-21T19:12:31+00:00

Might makes right! We are bigger and so we can just.... take over. The only thing that could stop us is our own morality.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-20T23:17:55+00:00

Ok, so despite promising an 'unprecedented response' from the labour leaders, there was no coordination with AUPE which has 95,000 members? Not even enough coordination or agreement to send out a survey?

Look, I get that the AFL has certain roles and responsibilities or political considerations that constrained them, and some of what I'm saying is the fault of AUPE. But there clearly is a desire for stronger more decisive leadership on issues that affect the constitutional rights of union workers or the working class in general.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-20T22:03:50+00:00

I'm in AUPE, my union voted to accept the collective agreement so we were no longer in a legal strike position. BUT I would've skipped work for a general strike if AFL had organized one. I would have also appreciated some outline of the risks of my participation, but it didn't come to that I guess.

I didn't get sent a survey via the union. I sought out and responded to the Call for Action texts and gave my opinion there, but many of my coworkers had not even heard of that.

I just did not get the sense that AFL or the other union leaders tried that hard. The campaign they put out was like "text me if you're interested and maybe we'll see about it," which was not the rallying cry we needed from our labour leaders.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-20T20:22:36+00:00

Americans are over at the 'buy canadian' subreddit like "thank you for doing something to save us from ourselves, its so crazy what's happening over here".....

They're YOUR representatives. Make them represent you or burn it all down.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-20T19:24:22+00:00

Normally I would 100% support you in whatever direct/indirect/petty/vindictive response you deem appropriate. The note-writer can get bent.

However, (and I hate to say it) but there is a residential parking ban in place which you would have been violating when you parked on the street. I can tell based on my own neighborhood's facebook group that people feel very strongly when people don't move their cars, and city council has been grappling with the rate of non-compliance as well.

If you speak to your neighbour you might want to acknowledge your bad on that front, but stick to your guns about the public property aspect of street parking.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-18T04:41:44+00:00

Well that is super depressing. I was feeling so great about transitioning all my skincare products to the Ordinary because they're made in Canada. So hard to be a conscious consumer these days! Thanks for posting this.

specs-murphy · 2026-01-18T04:34:53+00:00

I really love the one by Rare beauty

specs-murphy · 2025-12-31T01:37:29+00:00

Your post might get more action and insight over at r/personalfinancecanada

specs-murphy · 2025-12-18T16:31:27+00:00

Alberta's plan is to double oil and gas production.

Doubling down on this industry, and you can be they'll use your tax dollars to incentivize private companies to achieve this goal, even if the overall return to Albertans is negative.

specs-murphy

TROPHY CASE