Treefingers's Profile

The thing about copies is that you can't tell the difference. The thing with Apple/Braun and Samsung/Apple is that you can immediately tell the difference.

You'll never find someone who uses a portable Braun radio, claiming it works the same way and with the same features as an Ipod. And you won't find anyone who doesn't care whether they have a Samsung or Apple phone, citing identical features and interface.

As similar as the (specific) Iphones and (specific) Galaxys are, they're plenty different enough. And that degree of similarity is accepted with pretty much everything else you can buy.

Where'd Switzerland go? They've had a city in the top three for as long as I remember, perpetually jockeying for top spot with Melbourne and Van.

I'm actually a little shocked to see Toronto so high on the list. The transit is pathetic for a city its size; they're actually removing bike lanes; with too-hot summers and too-cold winters, it's only habitable for about 4 months a year; there's barely any green space; and you have to drive for hours to find anything resembling wilderness; I've only had worse healthcare in small towns.

I can only think it must be getting good points for culture (which is relatively good Canada-wise but nothing impressive world-wise), stability (it will forever be Canada's financial and corporate core), and maybe education (because UoT?).

Personally, though, as soon as I'm done my time here I'm moving to Montreal, back to Vancouver, or overseas. Wouldn't mind giving Melbourne a try.

@ MandarinTJE: Same concerns here, but not until I do some math and see some info on how secure paint and gyproc paper are. With the weight spread even over a large area, you might be surprised how much they'd withstand. Think of how velcro or a bed of nails works.

Unless the numbers were very generous, though, I don't think I'd trust it with a TV or anything that could shatter.

I currently have a small suite with the bedroom between the bath and living spaces. Totally fine if you're a hermit. But if you ever have people over, your 1 bedroom feels no different from a studio. I'd happily lose a little counter space to put the bathroom through the kitchen instead. Best option is to have the bath in the middle, though: neutral location, and acts as a buffer between public and private spaces.

2 bedrooms + den, good sized deck, cool neighbourhood, city/mountain/ocean view (this is Vancouver), room enough to entertain about a dozen people, permissive strata council. I could also take a small beachfront if all the day-to-day shops are nearby.

A detached house usually wastes attempts at energy efficiency, since it'll be larger and you'll probably need at least one car in most cities. Better to have a small place near to where you'll go most often. The greenest stuff is less stuff.

If people are interested in the authentic only to oppose the inauthentic, and are prone to losing interest in authenticity as soon as the inauthentic is wiped out, then the interest in authenticity was not itself authentic. The inauthentic is thus reborn like a phoenix out of its own ashes and we proceed to the next level: comparing the authentically appreciated authentic to the inauthentically appreciated authentic. Iterate as desired.

Through another lens: anything truly authentic can never become inauthentic. If the authenticity of items you've collected over time can be threatened by changing fashions and the activities of chain retailers, you weren't being nearly as authentic as you thought you were. That or you've changed enough since buying the stuff that it no longer expresses you as effectively as it once did. In that case, you're just a poor judge of timelessness. But that's okay. Everyone else is, too.

The most ethnically-diverse, healthy, and eco-friendly dining options can be found in the Kitsilano neighborhood

I live in Kits, and this is exactly why I have such a hard time not going out for dinner. Every time I make strides in my own kitchen, I find a new restaurant that totally eclipses my efforts.

I'll also throw in that the Stanley Park's seawall connects to a much longer walk/bike path network that follows the shore from the Canada Place to the far side of Jericho Beach. That's as far as I've followed it, anyways (it's a looong path). Sights along the way include English Bay, Granville Island and the Olympic Athlete's Village.

And a nitpick: Granville Island is under the Granville Street Bridge, not the Burrard (they are very close to each other, though)