THE STUPID NEIGHBOUR BLOG

ALMOST FORGOT

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:31:00 +0000

I honestly had forgotten about this blog. Almost 9 months since my last post and then in the mail the other day comes a cheque from Google for Adsense revenue. It was a bit of a surprise to say the least. Not only had I not updated in months but for some reason people were still reading old posts and generating traffic and thus Adsense revenue. Sure it was only the minimum $100 but I looked at it as free money. Not that I saw a dime of it. My wife told me I got a cheque from Google after she had spent it.

So news? When did I last post? Back in January I managed to get a big promotion at work. Apparently I am a Director now, a member of the "Senior Leadership Team" whatever that is. I'll let you know when I figure it out. So far if someone was going to ask me what it all means I would chalk it up to "more stress, more work, and more accountability". Not that any of those are necessarily bad things. Isn't what everyone wants in their job is the ability to impose change? Build a better organization? I have the power to do that now, or at least advocate for it in a more effective bargaining position. In the end it is all still a power play, a little politics, some ego stroking, and some ass kissing. Most important is to have tangible and actionable ideas. Not that any of this should be a bulletin from the newsroom or anything. Common sense if you ask me.

NEIGHBOUR HEADLINES

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:56:00 +0000

I stumbled across an interesting article from an Australian newspaper today about large suburban homes being converted into backpackers hostels and the subsequent complaints from neighbours about endless parties, noise and filth. This issue has some striking similarities to the stories out of many large cities of what happens in the neighbourhoods immediately surrounding Universities and Colleges where often large homes are converted to student apartments. That being said even at the most notorious 'party schools' the students do settle down to study sometimes and I don't recall hearing about any stories where 32 people were living in a house with only two toilets.

Good news for sick pedophiles in Canada. It is still illegal to kill you in a rage of vigilante justice. Word of advice however is to not let your neighbour borrow your computer.

Finally, next time you are fuming about finding dog poop on your lawn courtesy of a neighbour's canine just be happy you don't live in rural Mississippi.

MOST EXPENSIVE $80 YET

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 02:05:00 +0000

A Colorado man loaned his neighbour $80. After waiting patiently for much longer then would be considered acceptable for repayment of the debt and believing he had been cheated Jack Herbst decided to take matters into his own hands... by driving a Front End Loader into the side of his neighbour's house and parking it in their living room. Police estimate damage at $250,000.

LAWN BOY

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 01:32:00 +0000

A man who lives in Florida was upset because he felt his neighbour was not maintaining his lawn to a high enough standard. When complaining went nowhere he started mowing and watering his neighbour's lawn himself. When he was asked to stop he refused so eventually the police were called. When they asked him to stop he refused and decided to pick a fight with the police. Two black eyes, a 10,000 volt jolt from a Taser and a resisting arrest & trespassing charge later we think that Joseph Florence will probably not be providing free lawn care anytime in the near future.

It snowed again here in SW Ontario on Friday but was warm this weekend and now most of the snow has melted again. I honestly can't wait for Spring. I have some big plans, including an expansion of the raised beds and a serious attempt to expand the garden significantly. I'd like to expand from my usual Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Bell Peppers into Corn, Squash, Potatoes and Beans. Now if my municipality would just pass a backyard Chicken bylaw.

JUSTICE IS SERVED

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:01:00 +0000

It will be a sad day in Canada when Street Hockey is made illegal. Therefore kudos should go David Sasson who took the fight over a $75 fine imposed against his kids for a street hockey game to court. While he was victorious the law remains on the books. Unfortunately this is just another example of the 'Nanny State' mentality that has taken over so many aspects of our lives. The playgrounds that I used as a child have been deemed unsafe and bulldozed to make way for ugly plastic lumps with rounded corners... and we wonder why our children now resemble those same structures... plastic, lumpy and round.

CHECK THIS OUT

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:52:00 +0000

The British Colombia Court of Appeal has ruled that a couple who lives in a condo complex in the city have no right to sue their neighbour because of his "staring". Apparently Leo Lavigne would often stop outside the residence of Peter and Meah Martin and stare at them. No word on if the Martin's are nudists but what we do know is they have floor to ceiling windows. The whole case raises an interesting question on the distinction between staring and 'peeping'. Mr. Lavinge was never accused (for example) of hiding in the bushes and staring into a bathroom window hoping to get a flash of skin or anything like that. By all accounts he simply stood on the sidewalk, often with his dog on a leash beside him, and stared unsmiling into their front window. He also never made any verbal threats or threatening gestures. My advice to the Martin's is to invest in some curtains.

SIEG HEIL NEIGHBOUR

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:56:00 +0000

A California man has been arrested for violating a court order regarding harassing and annoying his neighbour. Apparently a long-standing quarrel over home renovations escalated to include vandalism and a system of security cameras. Eventually one party decided they couldn't take it anymore and attempted to rent their house so they could escape the situation. In order to scare away would-be renters the accused started displaying a Nazi swastika flag in his window.

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:53:00 +0000

BAD SANTA

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:46:00 +0000

This story out of the U.K. is a bit old but hit the headlines (and my attention) today because the court case has wrapped up with "Santa" found guilty on two counts of criminal damage. Just a few days before Christmas last year a man in a Santa suit was caught on closed circuit cameras slashing the tires on his neighbour's car. He may have gotten away with the crime if the same CCTV cameras had not also caught Lee O'Reilly putting on the suit and adjusting his fake beard.

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:08:00 +0000

Neighbour Mailbag - The Vandals

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:49:00 +0000

Madraga writes:

I came across your blog while I was searching for ways to deal with neighbors that are "vandals". I just want to share my woes in the hopes that you'll have suggestions on how to deal with them.

I live in a subdivision. I have a neighbor that lives right across from my place who has always been greedy about parking. Their home is on a corner lot so the side I see directly across from my home is the right side of their house. We have a Homeowner's Association and there is an agreement that for houses that have corner lots, the homeowner may only choose one side as their designated guest parking spaces.

Unfortunately the association has not been that strict in the implementation of rules around here so my neighbor was parking their car in all available streets surrounding their home. They park their car directly across from my driveway so entering my garage is difficult. They also parked their cars on the cul de sac near my home which is at the back of their lot, so this over crowds the whole street, again making it difficult for me to enter and exit. In effect they are parking on all sides instead of choosing just one.

Whenever another car is parked in of their favorite spots they call security and ask that the spot be vacated. It's not like they don't have a garage. In fact, they have a 4 car garage. If you count their designated guest parking, you can park another 2. There have been discussions (well, more like heated arguments on the resolution of the parking situation) but they refuse to follow rules.

I mentioned to my neighbor that she may only choose 1 side of the street as her parking spot and that her practice of parking all over the streets surrounding her house is not allowed. She then said that she's choosing the side across from my home. I gave in since she obviously leaves the street in front of her home as free parking space. Apparently this was not good enough for her.

I had a party one time (probably a few months ago) and my cousin parked in the only available spot, which was near their front door. My neighbor left us no choice, they parked it all over the street making it impossible to find any other place to park but the vacant spot near their front door. Well, the vandals did what only vandals do... they scratched the side of my cousin's car with a key. I have a witness who saw the incident but a criminal case was never filed. They denied scratching the car. The association saw this as an opportunity to settle the issue and called in a lawyer to help in the settlement. It was then agreed that they were no longer allowed to park across from my house. Their designated guest parking will the on the street in front of their front door. They were also asked to not park their cars in the cul de sac area since that place is used as a driveway.

We never spoke to each other ever again, every now and then they'd violate the rules and park their cars in the cul de sac area but I never bother about it. They never tried to park across from my place again. I figured out a new way of parking my cars into my garage but once a car is parked from across of my house, the whole street will be clogged. It was the only way to fit my cars into my tiny garage.

I had another party the other day, the first since the date of the scratching incident, this time my guests parked across from my home. After the dinner, we discovered that my guest's car was also scratched. There were no witnesses this time. There may be doubt as to who really scratched the car but the only people who will have a motive to do it is them. The car came in perfect condition and my guest had to leave with giant scratches on their car. My guest did not park on her front door. He parked on my driveway. Apparently she's pissed that she lost the battle and is resorting to underhanded and cowardly tactics to win her battle.

I'll have my revenge soon... The next time this happens, I will definitely file a criminal action. How I wish I was a vandal as well. I could strip their car paint and slash their tires but I don't see the point in continuing the vicious cycle. I'm a lot of things but not a vandal. I guess the only solution is to wait and be ready for concrete evidence.

That's my stupid neighbor story.

~Madraga.

Well Dear Readers, any advice to help deal with Madraga's vandal problem? I'm thinking shit-box car with some preexisting damage and a closed circuit video camera is all it would take to catch the vandals in the act. Then approach them with the evidence and/or involve the authorities.

The fact is that time and time again parking issues (from shared driveways to street parking) are one of the most common causes of conflict.

Neighbour Mailbag - Family Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Wendy writes:

I just thought I'd drop a line to say that sometimes neighbours can be the best thing that ever happened to you. We moved into our cul-de-sac 20 years ago. After having had neighbours from hell in the past, we strove to be friendly, but cool, with the peeps around us. My twin daughters were 13 years old. Two years after we moved in, we got new neighbours, with 13 and 11 year old sons. My girls, being that much older ..15 at the time.., would have nothing to do with the boys, however, I became quite friendly (chat over the fence) with their mom, despite some language difficulties (they were Czech).

Fast forward 13 years..Marta (the Mom) has gone through some difficulties including a marriage break-up and a new husband. We are still 'friendly', but not 'best friends' (I still have a fear of getting too close to next door neighbours) And guess what? One of my twins starts dating her oldest boy! Long story short, it was a little weird, especially when they were dating, but now, yup, they're married, have a two year old and 5 month old twins!

We tag team each other helping to babysit. We have a communal high chair and playpen that gets passed back and forth when the kids can get it together to get to our respective places. We have barbecues together, but funnily enough, still maintain a relationship that I would describe as just "neighbourly".

Some people might think it would be a nightmare having the 'in-laws' as a next door neighbour, but in my experience, because we were neighbours first, and established the parameters early on, it's all worked out well.

Oh, and funny thing, my other twin daughter has married a Czech boy as well, (but I don't think I could handle being a next door neighbour with his Mom and Dad)!

I'm really enjoying your blog! Started reading it today from 2002.

Great story Wendy and Thank You for sharing!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 02:33:00 +0000

That is right. February 2011 is almost over so I decided to come back from the dead and post something on this often ignored and highly irrelevant (or is it irreverent) blog.

Somehow in December I got promoted. Something to do with me being 'the fixer' (I posted about that before) or perhaps they just didn't want to go outside of the organization (last few people who joined the team that way exited soon after) but either way I have suddenly found myself holding the title of "Director" of something-something.

Not that titles mean anything... they don't... except that apparently they do. I am attempting to adjust to the situation and playing a whole new level of corporate politics. That all being said, I simply neglected the blog for far too long.

So updates to come... today I'm just going to post a few letters that have come into my inbox over the last few weeks that I have not had the chance to post. Then I'll give a whirl at pulling out the paddles and giving some shock treatment to this old beast.

NEIGHBOUR MAILBAG

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Stephen writes:

I stumbled upon your site while I was searching around the internet looking for some municipal bi-law information (which my idiotic neighbor is surely breaking)! I am glad you finally managed to shake your neighbor!

I also live in Southern Ontario and have a neighbor that is a complete idiot!!! We haven't been in our house that long (just over a year), and I am already battling with him. First off, his house is a total eye sore! When we bought our house, it was during the winter and his whole property has covered in snow, so we couldn't tell how bad it was. Big Mistake. Moral of the story? Never buy a home during the Winter time!

I couldn't agree more here. Best time to buy a house is spring. The ground is clear and you will get a good idea as to the state of repair of lawns and gardens. Pride of ownership matters, especially when it comes to resale value.

We live in a very nice neighbourhood in Burlington that is about 20 years old. It is very mature, with big homes and lots of nice trees. All the properties are very well cared for.... except for our neighbors place! He is the original owner (a single male in his 50's maybe? Never married, no kids etc...), and he hasn't done a thing to it since he moved in. He hasn't even paved his driveway yet, so it is gravel and full of weeds that get up to 3-4 feet tall during the summer! He only cuts his grass about once every 4-6 weeks [Sacrilege!!!].

His garage doors are completely rotten with holes big enough for a raccoon to climb through (I know this because I have seen raccoons climbing through them). And he has over-grown ivy completely covering his house with some windows completely covered, and you can't even see his street address sign anymore. Every light on the house is rusted and broken, and the windows and doors don't have any paint left on them! The worst part is that he NEVER takes his garbage out. Not a single bag since we have lived there! So we are afraid that he is some sort of hoarder or something.

Scary stuff. I've posted about hoarders before.

This summer I finally had enough of looking at his horrid property and planted a 7 foot cedar hedge down the side of my front lawn so I don't have to look at his house anymore. I planted it on my side of the property line just in case he complained, which he did.

Natural fences are a great way to either reduce conflict, or take it to the next level. I wrote about how great the Leyland Cypress is on this post from 200 8.

He told me it was an eye sore and demanded that I take it down. I just laughed at him and told him I would gladly take it down as soon as he paved his driveway, fixed his garage doors etc. He then proceeded to insult my property, and said my children and wife were eye sores! That was the last time I spoke with him.

Now he spies on me! Last week I caught him hiding on the side of his garage and staring at me while I cut my lawn. I just waved and said hello, and he retreated out of sight. Then he came back later and continued watching me. I suspect he was trying to catch me stepping on his property or something while I was cutting my lawn, so he could come yell at me? He is weird!

We were shocked to come home last week and find he had replaced his garage doors! His property actually looks a lot better now... except of course for the gravel & weed driveway, the rotting doors and windows, 3 foot high grass etc. I guess if he fixes his driveway, I will have to take the hedge down!!!

I wouldn't retreat on that one, especially if you built it on your side of the properly line.

Anyway, I guess in the end there are plenty of weirdo's out there. I am kind of happy that I don't have to speak to my neighbor anymore. I know he doesn't like me, and I don't like him so the relationship works. Now I am just trying to figure out what I can do about the fact that he never takes garbage out. I am afraid of what he has going on inside his house.

I would be afraid as well. I am thinking rats, which carry all kinds of nasty diseases.

Did I mention that he planted rows and rows of corn in his backyard this year? I am all for gardening... but he has 11 foot high corn rows in his backyard! WTF????

I'm all for growing corn actually and have even considered taking big section of my side yard and trying to grow a row of corn next year. We do have a garden already but stick to the basics like Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Cucumbers. I have a friend in Calgary who converted his entire yard, front and back, into raised vegetable gardens with little pathways. If you are willing to give up ALL of your grass you can really grow a lot of food in a standard suburban lot. Provided you keep things looking organized most folks won't complain. This however would NEVER fly in one of those more upper-class neighbourhoods in the USA with homeowners associations. He lives in an older area of town, mostly working-class, houses built in the 1970's.

Regards,

Stephen

Thanks for the letter. Sorry it took so long to post. The day job and endless business travel has kept me away from this blog most of the summer. - Ca1v1n

NOTE TO SELF

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:23:00 +0000

If you are going to attempt to dispose of a cat I would recommend a burlap sack, a large rock, and a body of water.

I would NOT recommend your neighbour's garbage bin.

Definitely would not recommend being caught on camera with either scenario.

GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:39:00 +0000

Absolutely love this clip. A group of evangelical born-again wackos show up on a quiet street in Toronto and attempt to "protest" against a gay couple that lives there and by all accounts were minding their own business. ALL the neighbours come out of their homes and chase the wackos away.

Neighbourhood Comes Together To Kick Out Religious Haters

Choice quotes:

"We don't go to your house and tell you what to believe"

"You don't know what love means, sir"

And my favorite: "Get the hell out of our neighbourhood!"

RUG BURN

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:57:00 +0000

This gives a whole new meaning to the term "Rug Burn"

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:53:00 +0000

PERFECT GRASS

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Thu, 13 May 2010 02:19:00 +0000

The key to perfect lawn lies in maintenance. It is completely possible to have a lawn as beautiful as a golf course, provided you have unlimited time and energy to maintain it. For most of us that is impossible, so the important thing is to stick to the basics. My personal regimen is as follows:

1) Spring Aeration/Rolling. Rent one of the machines that leaves the little "plugs" on your lawn. This doesn't need to be a yearly task. I try to alternate between Aeration one year and Rolling the next.

2) Spring Over-seeding
3) Spring Fertilizer

I find it doesn't really matter the order here, but unless you are using a fertilizer specially blended for newly seeded lawns leave at least 4 weeks between step 1 and 2.

4) Don't cut it too short, especially in the spring. Longer grass promotes good root growth.
5) Try to spend at least 15-30 minutes of "manual" maintenance (pulling larger weeds) once per week. Realistically you should spend the majority of your time tending perennial gardens but I find it important to at least do some minor cosmetic work on the lawn each week.

6) Fall Over-seeding. I do this in September, before it gets too cold.
7) Fall Fertilizer

I never water unless I have just over-seeded. I water daily for 1 week after seeding. Other then that I never water my lawn. It doesn't need it. If it is dry a healthy lawn goes into hibernation. Is my lawn always a beautiful dark green? No... but it still looks OK because it is weed free, neatly trimmed, and healthy. This probably wouldn't work if I lived in a warmer & dryer climate but it works fine in South Western Ontario.

Once a year I use a pre & post emergent weed pesticide. I find this is enough to control Dandelions, Crabgrass and Creeping charlie, the "Big-3" in the world of lawn weeds. It won't eliminate them completely but it will keep them minimal.

I don't use anything fancy, usually just Scott's Turf Builder with Weed Control. The Province of Ontario just made lawn pesticides illegal this year so now you are stuck with nothing but Corn Gluten based weed control products. It works to an extent but only on pre-emergent weeds (the corn gluten prevents the seeds from germinating). If the weeds are already established your only choice is getting down on your hands and knees and pulling the bastards out by hand. Or driving across the border into Michigan but I would never do that.

Now one thing you don't do if you want a beautiful lawn... shoot your neighbour.

PARKING

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:36:00 +0000

I've written before how parking issues are one of the top complaints between neighbours (second only to noise). Common parking woes include shared driveways that are always blocked or abandoned cars sitting for months at a time. Another often heard story involves cars left parked in the street when there is space on a private drive or the ignoring (and non-enforcement) of overnight parking bans.

If you have any parking stories to share remember to send them to ca1v1n@hotmail.com.

LETTER FROM SOUTH AFRICA

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:03:00 +0000

Sarah from South Africa writes:

I seem to have had the worst neighbours over the past few years. I live in one of those townhouse complexes, you know, one up one down, so a little neighbourly irritation is inevitable. We are all on top of one another and the walls are thin. Trouble is, the flat downstairs is owned by someone who always seems to let it out to the worst people. "I've got a lovely couple moving in!" she says, and they turn out to be neighbours from hell.

I have had all sorts over the past few years, it's like she has some sort of bad energy vibe that attaches itself to her tenants. One lot had to be teargassed by the security guards as they formed a sort of circle around the poor guys. I heard lots of coughing and then they all ran inside. That lot left a trail of mess and filth behind them wherever they went, there were little puddles of nastiness leading into their flat. And the night they moved in they threw a party that involved all their friends and lasted all night. When I went down at 4am they told me "We're not ready to go to sleep yet". The body corporate finally managed to get them out, but two years later they were back, fortunately in Phase 2 of the complex this time so across the river from me.

Another lot held wild parties and had roommates who were wanted by the police. Everyone at work always wants to where I live when I tell them the stories. The area is actually very upmarket with lots of big properties worth millions all around, very mink and manure, only all the manure lives in the complex. The landlady's name is Ingrid and she used to work in at a well known advertising agency in Johannesburg. Her latest tenant, Peter, is a quadriplegic. Now, you are going to say, how could you pick on the poor guy, he's in a wheelchair and can't move. Well, it's not him that is the problem. It's his friends and family who are trailer park trash of the deepest quality.

And the pipes. Pipes? Yes, the water pipes. More of that later. Peter's family are from Alberton or somewhere incredibly rough in the South of Joburg. They look it and they behave it too. The mom wears curlers in her hair and has a cigarette perched on her bottom lip at all times. When she arrives at the flat she shouts and hammers loudly on the front door. "HALLOO! HALLLOO! HALLOOO!!!" It is as though everyone is deaf. The father likes to do DIY home repair, especially early on a Saturday morning. His friend Sean also likes to hammer, shout and do everything at top volume, especially slam doors. Sean can't seem to hold down a job and likes to hang around Peter's place, so he can bum smokes, beers and anything that is going free. Peter has a brother in law who is about as rough as a bear's bum. He arrives hammers on the door, shouts "BRU! MUST I BASH THE DOOR DOWN HEY!!!" in his best Alberton accent. Brother in law's chick is equally as rough. You get the picture.

Peter''s family has now taken to having barbeques outside on their little patio every Sat night. Fair enough but they don't keep it respectful to those around them or stop at a reasonable hour. They just don't know the meaning of self restraint. They hammer away, saying they are chopping wood but it sounds like they are breaking down walls, then they pile it all up, light a huge fire, crack open the beers and sit around yelling at the top of their lungs. Then they invite the lot from #16 over. Now this couple need to be seen to be believed. She looks like a packet of flour which has been dropped, (she looked like she has fallen through her own arse). He is a walking contraceptive because you never would want to have sex again after looking at him. He is bald, slow and a weird dirty colour that I can't describe. She is fat and blowsy with badly dyed blonde hair. Their 11 year old daughter also wanders around painted to the eyeballs like a child prostitute.

When this group starts drinking they don't end it at a reasonable time. They don't know the meaning of the word STOP. They get louder and louder and more and more slurry. And then they start to badmouth me, in their dull and sottish way. They were singing "AI AI AI SENORA" when I called the caretaker,who then called security. They just laughed at the poor security guard as they have no respect for any rules or other people. He wanted to know exactly who had complained (which he had no right to do, by the way), but by now lights were snapping on all over the place. It was a Saturday night but by now it was edging on to 12 and they were only just getting into their stride.

I asked them from the balcony to please take it inside but they shouted at me: "It's just you we are disturbing!" At this point she was surgically attached to her wineglass and made a charming picture, I realized it was pointless trying to reason with them, as they were horribly drunk, vituperative and very stupid. They were finally sent home to their flat across the way from me but carried on the party until after 2am when they saw their guests off with maximum noise and revving of car engines.

It's all very entertaining in the telling but try not sleeping weekend after weekend and see just how you feel. Then there is Jim downstairs on the other side, who commutes between Germany and South Africa. He has a wife in Germany but likes to have girlfriends in South Africa. The girls are prostitutes who bring men back to the flat, usually at around 3am. Again maximum banging of doors, stomping around in their hooker boots, crashing of pots and loud music. Jim is no better, when he is around. He also loves loud parties out in the garden with the smell of nasty burnt chops hovering in the air and he and his friend (one of whom rejoices in the name of Wolfgang and is usually completely motherless drunk) love to whoop it up. He looks like he is dying of AIDS as he is getting thinner and thinner every day.

Now to the pipes. The complex seems to be having a trouble with its water pipes. When the water is run downstairs it creates a terrible heart wrenching DA-DA-DA-DUH which goes straight up to the upstairs units. This sometimes happens at 5am in the morning and I wake up covered in a cold sweat as I think someone is breaking in. Peter and his family have no sympathy with this and after two years of enduring it when I bashed on the walls they just ran the water harder so it was really symphonic. What are the trustees doing about all this you ask? Don't be daft ... that's not their job. All they want are the levies paid on the 1st of every month and as long as Peter and his friends at no 16 pay up the trustees turn a blind eye. They are never on site at weekends and don't want to know about complaints.

I have got to the desperate stage where I want to buy the flat downstairs, which Ingrid (who has a gambling problem) has put on the market and kick them all out.

What is all this doing to the value of my property, I ask with tears in my eyes? The only respite I have is putting it all to paper, or email in this case. Even if nothing ever gets done I feel slightly better now

- Sarah

It sounds like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Complaints about noise or illegal activity are hard enough to get taken seriously or get concrete actions in place when you have a landlord that is engaged and wants to help. If you are stuck with landlords who don't care you are up against two hurdles instead of one.

If you have not done so already I would recommend you get complaints written down. Not the minor stuff, but at least the major concerns. It is one thing to phone a complaint but something else entirely to put pen to paper. Also make sure that you cc the local municipal government not just the landlord. Bylaw (noise) enforcement is their turf and if and when things ever get to an actual court a series of letters (unanswered or unresolved) to the property managers and local government will strengthen your case.

It is a tough call if you should move or not. Nobody likes a complaint with a neighbour to end that way. The sense of defeat will follow you and it will be tough to not end up having bitter memories, especially if your new apartment doesn't measure up. Unless you end up in a nicer place for less money and free parking (you get the idea) there is bound to be resentment.

Good luck, and let us know how it ends up. - Ca1v1n

I WANT ONE

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:10:00 +0000

I want one of these just so I can put it in my front garden. Just another example of the Nanny State in action. It is not that I want to purposely offend anyone who probably deserves to be offended, I just think it would be cool. The real question is since when do we base our standards of morality on the stupidest members of society? Is this really offensive? I am far more offended that someone would consider it offensive and even more offended that someone in a position of authority would take the complaint seriously.

When I was a student my future wife worked at a little art gallery in Toronto for a time and the owner had a huge painting by the famous Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau in his shop. He kept it behind a wall so you couldn't see it from the street just in case anyone would be offended. If that painting wasn't selling for thousands of dollars I would so have bought it on the spot. I still hope to own it one day if I ever win the lottery. I can't find a digital image of this specific Morrisseau work anywhere so just imagine something in his style except of a giant penis.

BACK AGAIN

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:46:00 +0000

Just returned from another trip, this time trying to convince someone to outsource the remainder of a particular piece of work to my team overseas. It would result in a doubling of our headcount on this line of business.

I almost have new favorite 'business travel' hotel after staying at a Hilton Garden Inn. It was very nice but I am not quite ready to give up my current top pick.

Hilton Garden positives included a VERY comfortable bed, free freshly baked cookies and coffee in the lobby 24/7, free made-to-order breakfast and one free bar drink of any kind in the lounge between 6-10pm

Negatives? None. Unless you count free freshly baked cookies in the lobby 24/7 (Goodbye Diet, Hello Gut)

I normally try to stay at a Drury Inn when possible (Southern and South Western USA) but the Hilton Garden may give them a run for the money. Why do I like Drury so much?

Truly amazing staff and customer service. You get this at almost any hotel but something about Drury makes it seem more genuine. I am on a first name basis with the Managers at the locations I stay frequently. Free dinner including 3 free drinks and also the free breakfast.

Now the "free" food is nothing special. Breakfast is a buffet of eggs, sausage, biscuits, french toast and waffles. Plus some healthy stuff like yogurt and fruit that I try to stay away from. Dinner is a combination (depending on the day of week) of chicken wings, spring rolls or meatballs and a variety of sides (potatoes, salad, etc.) Plus three free drinks is ALWAYS a good way to wind down after a long day.

I like the free food at Drury because it means I can pocket my Per Diem ($35/day). If I play my cards right I can not spend a time on food. Every trip I take adds a couple hundred to my wallet that I can spend on souvenirs for the kids or alcohol at the duty-free.

Now the Hilton Garden may not have free dinner and they may only give one free evening beer instead of three but a made to order breakfast counts for something. Freshly made eggs are 10x better then anything that has been sitting on a buffet. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day when it is done right and I always like to have a real breakfast when traveling on business. You never know if you will get a chance to eat again if you are running from meeting to meeting all day long.

Final verdict? I think Drury will still be what I request via my corporate travel team but Hilton Garden was very nice and I would recommend them to anyone.

DO IT GREEK

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:04:00 +0000

I've been looking everywhere for any media outlet to cover in detail the Greek debt crisis, the root cause, and what it means for Europe (and the economy of the world at large) and I've been left feeling like a girl who gave a blow-job on the first date and has been left sitting at home waiting for a phone call.

Plenty of sites are talking about the riots, and in general terms about the debt itself, but very few are providing true analysis on the situation. In the end the best analysis I found was Wikipedia and even they are lacking.

PIIGS
European Debt Crisis

In the end the Greeks have no one to blame but themselves. Nobody likes paying taxes, but the Greeks make cheating the tax man a national sport. Yet while they avoid paying their fair share they are quick to demand the benefits those taxes provide.

A Greek citizen who works in a job defined as "dangerous" is allowed to retire and start collecting a government pension at the age of 50. What is defined as "dangerous"? Well, occupations such as: hairdresser, musician, and television reporter. I shit you not.

Years of weak governments and strong unions have literally bankrupted the country. Years of demanding benefits that they are unwilling to pay for.

I believe in the concepts of a mixed economy, I believe in the importance of a social safety net, and especially socialized medicine. I believe in unions that are strong enough to protect the rights of workers against ruthless corporations who only care about the bottom line and care nothing about health and safety.

I also understand that nothing is free, you need to have a strong work ethic and understand that the government being there to give the less fortunate a helping hand does not mean you get a free pass. People need to take responsibility and accountability for their actions and decisions.

Greece needs to stand up to the protesters. Frankly someone needs to turn the entire country over their knee and give them a good smack on the ass. If they are unwilling or unable to get their finances in line or at least create a plan that starts that process...

...then Greece should be expelled from the EU.

I am not suggesting they must become an economic powerhouse like Germany. They will never be that. Countries like Portugal, Italy, or Greece will never replace France and Germany as the true economic leaders of the EU. In the same way that Cape Breton or Manitoba will never replace Ontario or Alberta as the primary economic contributors here in Canada.

There will always be "have" and "have not" provinces in Canada, and there will always be "have" and "have not" states within the EU. The whole concept of this shared responsibility is that we gain more by being together (and helping the less fortunate) then by existing alone. We just need to remember that is not an excuse for a "have not" to be irresponsible.

BACK IN THE DAY

noreply@blogger.com (Ca1v1n) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:56:00 +0000

We were treated to another celebrity overdose death today with the passing of former teen heart throb Corey Haim. According to reports from the likes of reputable news sources such as TMZ it is suspected the cause of death is an overdose of prescription medication. I have to ask myself... what the hell is wrong with this country?

There was a time when celebrities overdosed on cool drugs... like heroin. Nowadays they are all dying from taking too many pills they were prescribed by a Doctor. Where is the glory in that? Even the drugs they are dying from suck... antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills mixed with a little Oxycontin? If it is not prescription drugs it is a strange and twisted combination of horse tranquilizers and anesthetics you would find in a Mexican black market plastic surgery clinic.

They say Tiger Woods was addicted to Ambian! That sleeping pill they advertise on bad cable television with a commercial filled with rainbow butterflies? I think that is probably more embarrassing then getting caught sticking yourself inside Jayden James.

Whatever happened to street drugs? Does anybody even use them anymore? Remember the 1970's??? John Belushi and his lethal "speedball" injection of heroin and cocaine. Richard Pryor almost killing himself when he set his beard on fire while freebasing?

The government talks about the "War on Drugs" but it turns out the war is really just on anybody who doesn't have a publicly traded company or wear a white coat and carry a prescription pad. Street drugs can't compete with that.