I'd like my neighbourhood gastown/downtown eastside to model integration of those of us with money and those of us without.

There's this dude who was homeless, and has been living inside for a couple years now.

He's a hard working binner, and a few of us in my condo periodically let him in to empty our recycling bins.

He's very pleasant and courteous.

It's looking good for Obama. And some serious congressional change -> Democrats.

That will be water on dry -very dry - ground for me, and I imagine for many of us who want to "change everything".

And it's a good reminder that in history, sometimes good and right things happen:
Slavery is outlawed.
Women get the vote.
Wars stop.

I had planned/hoped to sleep outside City Hall tonight with several other middle-class Vancouverites who hope for better than a city with people who have little choice *but* to sleep outside.

I arranged the sleeping bag, the foamy, a tarp .... and then found out City Hall has forbidden the use of tarps.

Fellow Citizens, you should know about this:

Many of you know of the infamous Oppenheimer Park in my 'hood, the Downtown Eastside. It's a pretty grim park, frankly. I only go there rarely and I don't let my dogs walk there because of the needles. And other stuff. See image below. But this next part is insane:

overheard a guy living outside asking another one: do all those people who drive right through here (he was talking about powell street) even Notice us?

I thought that was an excellent question.

Hello, Readers --If you are a Vancouver resident who chafes at the lack of affordable housing, you can imagine the hopelessness of my dtes neighbours as nearly half of the barely-affordable housing for low-income people has been wiped out in the past short while, in favour of development.

I live and love in gastown/dtes - in a little loft/condo.   I have a problem that a social enterprise could solve.

I want to compost but have no garden, and not much room in my home.  So, I'm going to try Bokashi (small buckets, no smell).  But here's the thing:  I have nowhere to put the compost once it's ready.