Londoners: joyless, dirty and uncool

[Fat Bob]

Franko, (or should I call you "expat expat") did you know you are living 60% closer to Australia's capital than England capital? Cool, eh?!?!?

[Bruno]

Bunnychow,

I'm also from Vancouver. Would you think of returning if Campbell succeeds in shaking things up?

[bunnychow]

Bruno

Interesting that you should bring Campbell up.  I was in Vancouver last week and attended an anti-govt (or more specifically anti-Campbell) rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery last Sat aft on 23 Mar.  My he has p*ssed off a lot of folk - laying off nurses, teachers, increasing taxes, cutting bus services and increasing bus fares (25% in two years).  Nothing has  changed since I left 4 years ago, but instead things have worsened

Shaking things up?  Well it's different from the NDP but things are just as screwed up if not more so.  So yes there is change but no progress.

BTW did you know the US slapped 29% duty import tax on Canadian softwood lumber.  3 mills shut down in BC the day this was announced.  22cents out of every BC tax dollar comes from the lumber industry so that means less funds for schools, hospital, roads, public transit, etc.  

When you bring up the lumber tax in Vancouver, I've had friends wish they drove those planes into the Twin Towers.  

BC is a real banana republic, even the Economist was warning investors to stay away from its instable economy and dysfunctional govt.

That's what I'm doing too.  The BC govt gave me no choice.

[This message has been edited by bunnychow (edited 04-04-2002).]

[Bruno]

BC must have the worst politicians on the planet. Van Der Zalm accepted money in brown paper bags, Clark's on trial, the province has joined Canada's have-not club, we're $4 billion in debt and public sector workers make 36% more money than comparable workers in the private sector. I'm reserving judgment on Campbell for now. Things had to change. Canadians often like to mock the US for its harshness, its racism and divisions in society. But I read recently that blacks in the US now earn more per capita than Canadians. We're so smugly confident of our `moral superiority' that we don't realize the world is leaving us behind.

[bunnychow]

Bruno
And don't forget Harcourt and the Nanaimo Bingogate - do that sound parochial or what?

Def agree with you on the moral superiority of Canadians.  Like I always say they are the most polite racists you will ever meet.

[Bruno]

You realize it's a sin for Canadians not to brag about how wonderful their country is? Maybe they won't allow us to go back.

[captcrunch55]

i think everyone forgets that it isn't the cold that bothers most people when it comes to london.

it's the cold AND dampness which is worse. sure, other places are colder but the combined power of cold and damp seeps right in down to your bones.

let's not even mention the lack of sunshine. what was it again? london: 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad weather.

but hell, i still miss the place. after 8 years as a student there,  nothing like a walk in holland park when it's cold wet and grey to get you thinking....

[Mrs. H]

I never understand the obsession about the weather in London. If you have any sense you don't go to London for the weather.
The rain and greyness can't be helped, it's about London's geographical position on the bloody planet, that's like saying Iceland is terrible, because it's so snowy !! Purleeeze.