March 2007 Archives

Today I did something that will be shocking to anyone who knows me well. I accepted that I have a very serious spending problem and voluntarily gave up my credit cards. Well, I gave up two of the three. On the streetcar ride to give them to my grandmother I realised I need to pay some ridiculous consultation fee for a dermatologist tomorrow to have the keloid from my industrial looked at and/or removed. Seeing as how I have no income, a bank account overdraft-ed into oblivion, and had already had my mother clear the fee for the consultation on my MasterCard, I put it back into my wallet. Luckily I doubt there is very much damage that I can do in the next day considering the state of shock I'm currently in.

This plan seems to have a much higher chance of success than the last one, where I voluntarily removed them from my wallet and stashed them under a pile of stuff. Especially since it was easy to move the pile of shit when I wanted to order pizza through Pizza Pizza's online ordering system.

The unfortunate thing about all of this is the timing. Right when job prospects seem to be extremely unfortunate. Right when my graphics card becomes uncooperative. Right when apartment possibilities are limited to next to nothing.

I have decided though that the solution to all of this is to get my hair cut on Tuesday when I'm home seeing the doctor about my tonsils for the umpteenth time. Or at the very least, that's a temporary solution. A more viable long term solution would be get a job, but I'm going to focus on that tomorrow when I might actually be able to do something about it.

Fifteen minutes ago I was in a bad mood. It's not even twelve, and I've been up for as many hours as I have fingers on my right hand which is FAR too many hours to be up. I sat through the first half of my French class wanting to kill everything, despite thorough caffeination [made up word] thanks to one of the many local Starbucks. Then I came back home and continued the bad mood.

Then 5 minutes ago I loaded dooce on a whim. I haven't read it in a while because I've been rearranging my bookmarks trying to find an order that I like, and as a result of the mess I lost out on reading a few of my regulars. Two entries in and I had fallen off my chair laughing so hard. To me this says one of two things: This woman is comedic genius, or I'm sick and twisted.

I feel that early mornings are the bane of my existence. I also think it might be the title of a Britney Spears' song, but it is far too early for me to function properly. The worst part is that I feel like shit. Or maybe it's the fact that I only have one class to go to. Or maybe it's the fact that I HAVE to go because it's a review session and I have a habit of feeling like shit and not going, oh and I have a test tomorrow.

I can't even get my bitching done properly because I’m so disoriented.

One day I will take a picture of the desk that is in my room here at 89 Chestnut so those of you who haven't seen it can comprehend how useless it is. It's one of those old desks that obviously wasn't meant for use with a computer. Or if it was, the computer was meant to be the only thing on the desk. The right side of the desk where the space for the chair is has enough space on it for my keyboard and LCD monitor (which is why I don't think it was meant for a computer). This leaves me a little less than half of my desk on the left side for a textbook and a notebook. Only right under that half of the desk is a big useless drawer, which means I can't move over to write in my notebook while still sitting properly. Instead I get to twist myself into some weird contortion in an attempt to write notes, leaving me with painful back spasms by the end of the night. And people wonder why I can never get anything done here.

Today I was supposed to go to Niagara, only I'm a tool so it didn't work out as planned. Instead I slept. Now I'm wide awake, and I have very little to show for it. I have a tentative design for the new layout (finally) and a possible community involvement project. But on the plus side: I only have five weeks of classes left!

Today in the Metro (and presumably a real newspaper too) there was an article about how Mississauga Transit is getting ready to test out its new fare card system. Which fits in perfectly because I've been procrastinating thinking about a city wide money card system like London's Oyster Card (Maple Leaf anyone?).

The system works by tapping your card on the reader as you get on the bus, and then again for the GO train or bus, and once more at TTC's Union Station, automatically deducting the fare each time. The problem I see with this is you only tap once to get on, instead of putting it through again when you get off. In doing this the GTTA has completely avoiding the possibility of putting in a real Fare Zone System and the chance to stop losing money each year in all of its systems.

I commented on a Spacing Wire post a while back that included keeping a single fare zone because it would just create confusion, saying that a single fare zone is a ridiculous idea. In response (where I got called Mr. Haddad, making me feel incredibly professional and important – or at least letting me pretend), the poster stated he was justified because (1) he lived in Malvern and didn't want to have to pay more to ride downtown, because it would be a harm to him and people like him, and (2) the poor, financially struggling people who live in the inner suburbs who would struggle even more. Now, both of these reasons are ridiculous, but I bit my tongue on the original post, forgot about it, and just remembered it now when it was far too late to post a rebuttal.

Even a two fare system could work for Toronto, with a buffer zone similar to the one that VIVA has. You could easily split Toronto somewhere Jane/Humber River and Keele in the west, Eglinton and Lawrence in the north, and Victoria Park and Kenedy in the east. I can think of a number of potential benefits to this.

1. The TTC might stop running a deficit
2. Travel costs in both zones separately could be lowered slightly, and as a result
3. Travel costs through both zones might only be raised a smaller amount

I find it hard to believe that people who are struggling financially in the inner suburbs work downtown, but that's just personal intuition. I have nothing at all to back that up.

I think it's incredibly ridiculous for people to criticize the TTC for its lack of service, dirty stations and vehicles, and rude staff and say that the solution is more money from the government and it will make everything better (although I question how rude staff can be corrected, except for by courses explaining that working in customer service means you need to be friendly and helpful). I wouldn't want to fund the TTC if I were the government; they waste money as it is. Why should the throw more money and something that eats it up without much to show for it.

Maybe when the TTC gets its finances in order it can start looking at billion dollar subway extensions into other municipalities, LRT networks, and BRT networks. Oh, and then it might be able to actually clean St. Patrick station.

I'm still here. Here's a list of things I've done over the past few days, which I might expand on later.

• Played Diplomacy: We're now into the break in Winter 1906 before Spring 1907 next weekend.
• Thought about summer courses: I wanted to take the next French Second Language course over the summer (FSL111) only it's not running. So now I'm trying to figure out if I do want to take a third course after all, and how I'm going to not forget the French I've learned so far.
• Thought about summer living: I was offered a sublet for the summer. I'm sorely tempted to take it, but I have to wait and find out of my living arrangements will materialise and whether they would start in April or September.
• Thought a lot about Toronto: I've decided I don't hate it here as much as I thought I do. I have decided against running for Assistant Social Chair at Woodsworth, and I'm not sure if I want to be a Frosh Leader, but I love the school enough to stay. I still have serious beef with the TTC though. Your subway stations are absolutely hideous and dirty. Fix them and try washing the walls once and a while. Get rid of those hideous Subway Online signs, and amalgamate all the Escalator, Exit, and Next Train signs into a new sign that matches the current signage. Stop screwing up LRT. Switch to a Fare Zone System. Split up the 501 Queen line. Etc., etc.
• Tried to go shopping: I tried twice. I wanted an obnoxious sweater with fur on the hood. Only it's spring now so I missed the boat on that. Then jeans weren't my size. I've been meaning to go to the Lacoste boutique though because there's a new spring jacket I'm dying to buy.
• Thought about the possibility of exchanges and travelling: I still want to go to Montreal and Vancouver. I'm not sure about school or just vacation. I'm aiming to do a ridiculous drive to Vancouver over the summer for a week with Adam, Sarah and Josh. I'm also hoping to go back to Montreal after exams with Andrew and maybe Adam. Cath (the Market Station lady in the Chestnut Tree) told me I should spend a whole summer in Montreal on vacation and then come back to school, and I'm considering it because I trust her with most of my life.
• Secured hosting for the site: Never fear, you can't escape me for another few years. I hope?
• Thought about the next layout: I have the base done, but I need a banner (*cough* Torie *cough*) and a possible change in colour scheme.