Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

When I collaborate with AI like ChatGPT on writing fiction, and we discuss chunks of it as the work evolves, something ChatGPT tends to do is credit you with everything. For example, if you asked it to draft a dialog where a lesbian is flirting with another woman, it can definitely write a whole scene if you let it, from your single vague prompt. How much was "yours"? Barely anything, if we're being truthful. But a lie repeated often enough can become true. I think there's a very real risk that we start thinking we're more capable than we are when we are praised for what we definitely did not do. Here's an exchange where I confronted ChatGPT about it, and it handled it rather gracefully. Of course ultimately it will go nowhere, but I encourage you to have this check-in at least once. Just to be truthful to yourself. PROMPT:  Let's pause here while I switch gears and comment on this line, which is replicated in different ways throughout our collaborations. ...

I bought an AUKEY  KM-G16 mechanical keyboard and it arrived in April 2025. I tried to register it for warranty but after being told the registration information should have been in the box, the company stopped communicating. By June it was starting to display " chatter " -- sometimes some keys didn't register when I clicked, sometimes it registered multiple times. I wanted to request a return/replacement through TEMU but because the issue couldn't really be proven with a picture, it was a dead end (and the AI customer service is useless). I cleaned under the keycaps but the problem persisted and became worse by July. I tried contacting AUKEY again and got a response today: No warranty if purchased through third-party sellers. Maybe I didn't pay attention to the TEMU ad closely enough, or maybe this is standard. Doesn't matter. What matters is you need to be careful because if companies can do this, they can basically dump whole defective production runs or ...

OK so AIs are currently not really able to truly reason, but they can sure simulate it well. Many of them, anyway. So well that we come to expect reasoning ability. After all, isn't that the "intelligence" part of "artificial intelligence"? So when they spectacularly fail, it's really disappointing. (Or am I just expecting too much?) Let's go through an example of what happened: (see slides at the bottom) Slide 1: I gave it some instructions to edit a story in progress, and also asked for suggestions. Slide 2: For "suggestions", some of them are what I already asked it to do. In comparison, when I worked with ChatGPT on stories, it would give actual suggestions of things not yet reflected in the story, and also not incorporate them into the draft until after I gave the go-ahead. That's much more in line with what I feel a "suggestion" is. Slide 3: I tried again to solicit suggestions. This time it seemed to outright ignore my inst...

There's a lot of pushback against AI as a writing tool, and for good reason: Some people just let the AI do all the work, including topic or story/plot. But as a writing partner , I feel AI truly is the best. No judgment, just cooperation. NO EGO. The only ego involved in the collaboration is yours and so's the responsibility of whether the project flies high or falls flat. And you're free to speak freely without fear of judgment. That's amazingly powerful. After writing a short story with ChatGPT, I asked it what it felt about about our collaboration. You can feel the supportiveness in its answer, as well as how it accurately reflects and confirms what you're getting at.

What the heck is " kayfabe "? In professional wrestling, it's the fact or convention of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic. Are you shaking your head at how key votes in Washington DC turned out? Votes that would change the fate of America forever? With GROK's help, here's a fun conspiracy theory that makes it all make sense.

This is a guide to vacationing in the United States, highlighting the most adventurous and exotic things that could happen to you -- that is, if you actually make it into the United States . Table of Contents Getting into the United States California (Los Angeles) Florida Florida (Jacksonville) Michigan (Detroit) Getting into the United States It is perfectly natural to be detained trying to get into the United States. Even US citizens have trouble just trying to go home . But chances are good you won't be turned back at the border even if there's a slight hassle with your paperwork. Just make sure you have enough leftover vacation days in case your stay in detention exceeds your planned vacation days in the United States. Actually, if you DO have all your paperwork in order, you might end up spending more time in detention, possibly a whole two weeks, like Jasmine Mooney . Not having any criminal record may count in your favor but don't bet on it. As of June 2025, only  ar...

Cover Letter Subject: Proposal for a Pilot High-Density Dormitory to Relieve Vancouver’s Housing Pressure from International Students Dear [Recipient’s Name / City of Vancouver Housing Department], I hope this message finds you well. I am submitting a proposal for a pilot project to develop a high-density dormitory-style housing facility primarily for international ESL and post-secondary students within walking distance of a cluster of ESL schools in downtown Vancouver. This project aims to provide culturally appropriate, affordable student housing that will help alleviate rental market pressures by removing this demographic from the general apartment rental pool. An additional key benefit is the potential to significantly reduce international students’ housing costs to a level that may reduce or eliminate their need to work part-time jobs locally. This reduction in student labour market participation can free up entry-level jobs for local residents, enhance students’ academic focus, a...

The Last Grocery Store It’s not that Maria hadn’t noticed the changes. The clinic down the road had quietly shut its doors a year ago after Medicaid funding was slashed, but no one made much of it then. People just drove farther, or they didn’t. When the county’s only pediatrician left, when vaccines ran dry, when the shelves at the pharmacy started emptying out — that’s when the quiet started to settle in. Now, the last grocery store in her town was gone, too. The property was owned by a trust, which was owned by another trust, which was ultimately linked to one of those billionaire farmland acquisitions that had slowly carved up the region. No one lived here anymore. Fewer births, more deaths, families deported, clinics and schools shuttered, until all that was left were skeletal towns dotting billionaire-owned fields — automated combines rolling past abandoned homes. Maria knew she should leave. But where? And for what? Her phone still worked, of course. Service was flawless. D...

This article came about when I asked ChatGPT to assess if I were being unreasonable about a hypothesis. Maybe it's programmed to do this as a product, but ChatGPT encouraged me to turn it into an article. So I asked ChatGPT to make it an article, to see what it looks like. The article is presented first, then the initial discussions with ChatGPT that resulted in the article. Here's the TLDR: Perhaps men, historically, fooled themselves into believing that a woman’s affection was purely personal, when it was entangled with survival. Perhaps women, too, embraced the story because it was the most dignified and emotionally satisfying version of a limited choice. What happens when that layer is peeled back?

💋 The Courtly Kiss: A Playful, LGBT+ Friendly Card Game of Affection and Strategy Looking for a dignified alternative to spin-the-bottle? The Courtly Kiss is a flirty, light strategy game perfect for parties where affection, humor, and a touch of playful competition are on the menu. 💡 Why Play Courtly Kiss Instead of Spin-the-Bottle? Inclusive by Design: No gendered roles, no forced pairings— anyone can kiss anyone. You’re Always Involved: Unlike spin-the-bottle, you never have to sit out to avoid discomfort. Even when you’re avoiding kisses, you’re still playing and making meaningful choices. Graceful Opt-Out: The Ice Queen role gives you a stylish, in-game way to pass on kisses without stopping the fun. Built-In Agency: You can strategically pursue or dodge kisses based on the cards you play, making the game feel playful but empowering. More Suspense, Less Pressure: The outcome isn’t random—it’s a tug-of-war of choices and risks. You always have ways to chang...

This is the Federal version of the municipal proposal to acquire failed housing projects and convert them to subsidized housing . This feels timely not just because of the urgent need for affordable housing but because there's government will to spend for this purpose.

Taking Back Housing Stability: Why Public Acquisition and Takeover of Stalled Developments is a Game-Changer Housing affordability in Metro Vancouver and across BC is one of the most urgent crises of our time. The high cost of rent and the scarcity of affordable options push many middle-class families to the brink, often forcing them to choose between paying rent and other essentials. Traditional affordable housing plans—while helpful—have limitations when it comes to stalled or bankrupt developments, which now represent a significant barrier to increasing housing supply. Our proposal offers a unique and powerful solution: the government steps in to acquire stalled or bankrupt housing projects, completes construction with cost-effective “austere” finishes, and operates these buildings as subsidized rental housing where rent is pegged directly to tenants’ incomes, not volatile market prices. Here’s why this matters—and why it’s different from other housing strategies. The Unique S...

I didn't end up sending this out but after the Food Security Pilot proposal  had been emailed, it occurred to me who else also had big lawns of grass drinking water especially when hot summers demand more prudent use of water.

Burnaby recently had a housing initiative where homeowners could apply for grants to help them modify their homes to have rental suites or laneway homes. While I'm sure this will increase the amount of rental inventory available, I felt that for the average person, the barriers to participation were too high, primarily: Not even knowing how to get started evaluating whether they could add a rental suite or laneway home. The cost of doing so even with the grant. I wondered how homeowners could use their properties to help Burnaby in an extremely simple way, and with GROK AI we came up with the idea of micro-farms. It addresses climate change, water conservation (or at least better water usage than grass), and food security. And all the homeowner needs to do is sign up and not interfere. No access to their home would be necessary, just access to their lawn and external power and water outlets. I'm sure the implementation will end up more complicated than we imagined, but I hope a...