You people who play the lottery have to be the dumbest people out there. How much money do you figure you waste on all those tickets? The vast majority of you (and I do mean vast) spend far more than you win. It seems like every time I go out to buy something anywhere that sells lottery tickets I am stuck in line behind some knob who has to check twenty fucking stubs and then collect their 8 bucks so they can buy more lottery tickets. Everybody in line behind you hates you. Now don't get me wrong, I know we all have to stand in line ups from time to time and sometimes people take longer than others (the old lady who treats every interaction she has with a debit device as a new and wonderful surprise, the guy who waits to look at the giant menu behind the baristas to decided what he wants until he's ready to place his order, the kid who is paying for everything in change and has calculated his purchase down to the nickel before reaching the cash machine only to learn that his math skills are lacking). BUT there is a special place of hatred in my already calloused and withered heart for you lotto players. If you really must piss your money away, why not go play poker at the casino? At least then you will be able to use skill/logic to help you win some cash, rather than blind luck. Oh, and those little machines right by the cash register that say "scan your tickets here" ... guess what they do! —Pseudonym Steve

the howse last met on Dec12,2013, and no sckedual is released for Janyou-ary 2014.

Dahm long Kristmass vacaeteon, hue approved this wanton waist of tax payher monknee? —sufferin from a NS edewcaishon. Cheep basturds!

Finally, with the assistance of e-cigarettes, smokers can reduce the harm to their health as they get control over an addiction they didn't understand or ask for when they started smoking cigarettes. No harm from second-hand smoke, no cancer risk, no combustibles, no smell. These products are 100% legal in Canada, sold as a consumer product to consenting adults 19+. Quit misinforming people with your public disapproval.

When Health Canada or the BC health minister or any other cabinet-shuffled flunky talks about the dangers of e-cigarettes and cites the reason being that nicotine can be deadly when ingested (like lozenges or gum?) or absorbed by the skin (like nicotine patches?) they're talking about the dangers of a product that you, the government, ALREADY ENDORSES AND TAXES. If nicotine is so goddamned dangerous and deadly, why don't you ban the sale of nicotine products altogether? You'd have to make cigarettes, and nicotine, illegal. Nicotine isn't dangerous enough to do that and you know it.

The danger of cigarettes is NOT in the nicotine - that's just the addictive aspect, on par with caffeine. It's the almost 4000 noxious ingredients that are carcinogenic when combusted. Nicotine does not cause cancer. If the government was so concerned, cigarettes and Nicorette would be illegal, now, wouldn't they? Oh, but the flavours, e-cigarettes must be targeting children, because apparently nobody over the age of 19 likes vanilla ice cream or green apple (Adult Chocolate Milk and marshmallow vodka aside, and orange and mint nicotine gum notwithstanding). This reasoning is akin to banning root beer because it may lead children to alcohol addiction.

And then the stern warning that kids will inevitably switch to real tobacco, because people - especially young ones - always prefer the taste of burnt garbage over honey or chocolate, is nothing but an archaic scare tactic designed to tap into our need to try to protect minors from harm. Minors can't buy e-cigarettes, and grown-ups enjoy different flavours. That's why the nicotine gum comes in different flavours.

E-cigarettes deliver nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavour and water, and that's pretty much it. E-cigarettes are cheaper than antidepressant smoking medications, cheaper than nicotine inhalers, patches, or gum, cheaper than tobacco cigarettes, and will save millions in health care - and millions in tobacco sales and taxes has been, and will be, lost. If anyone wants to know why there's such a huge push from HC against e-cigarettes, there you go, follow the money, again. You, Big Government, make significantly more money from the sale of cigarettes than tobacco companies do.

HC issued the statement of "non-approval" of e-cigarettes back in 2009. They've had four years to research and test these products. Seems all they've done with their research teams in that time has been to look into profit margins to see the massive losses to Big Tobacco and Big Government as a result of smokers switching to e-cigarettes.

Canadians are being manipulated by the disinformation about this product. The biggest side effect is not nicotine poisoning or addiction (most people using e-cigarettes are already addicted to nicotine, they just don't want to smoke cigarettes anymore). It's quitting tobacco, at a rate estimated to be 50% of cigarette smokers switching over in the next ten years. That's a lot of tax revenue lost. In cigarette taxes alone last year you lost somewhere around 238 million dollars. You know this, and you want that money. So you're leaning on HC to misinform the public. This is clear if people think logically about nicotine already being perfectly legal to purchase and use, in the same delivery method and legal dosage as the e-cigarette (Nicorette inhalers).

E-cigarettes are a safer and smarter way to smoke, and smokers aren't all stupid, irresponsible people. Some of them got hooked when they were young and have a hard time quitting as adults. If they want to use this method of nicotine delivery, and nicotine is already legal, already condoned and already recommended for this purpose and by this method, stop telling people how dangerous nicotine is when you already approve its sale. Or, start putting warnings about addiction on all alcohol, and coffee cups and chocolate bars and energy drinks as well.

E-cigarettes are changing the way people smoke and encouraging smokers to quit tobacco, and everybody should be satisfied by this alternative. Do some research. Stop misinforming people that they're banned, or illegal. This demonizes people who are already considered demonic because they smoke. They want to quit, they want to make a better choice for themselves, their loved ones, and for those who complain about being poisoned in the street by their cigarette pollution. HC should be behind this if they really do care about the health of Canadians. And everyone else should be behind this, especially if they're against cigarettes. —an esteemed citizen

I know. Another Christmas bitch.

But seriously, almost everything is closed on Christmas day, so why the hell aren't I allowed to say "Merry Christmas"? —I don't even celebrate it, but you should have a happy one

The best lists of the year always include the same groups of people. Where is the diversity? What does a person have to do in order to get recognized in some context? Work for the media? Or "date" someone who does? —Tired of the sheep mentality

In response to the letter carrier…

"...last year, our first year in the red, 7,402 performance bonuses were still paid out, so we can't be doing too badly."

That statement for me sums up what is wrong with CP, and the Public Service in general. Even when they fail financially, they still expect no impact to them..the tax payer is expected to sure up their pension plans,or provide additional funds for performance pay.

In the private sector when a business performs badly or the market goes down people loss jobs or asked to take pay cut, or pensions are impacted. Why can't public servatns and their livelihoods be put at risk just like everyone else? Why do tax payers at any costs have to shelter them from the risks?

Anybody? —Joe Taxpayer

To the guy[s] from a local swimming pool who dampened my night. You went over to the side of the pool while I was in it and said "Why the hell you staring at, it's creepy, stop staring ya creep." I was confused and caught off guard you even said that then after you and your "bros" went towards the locker room I heard with my good sense of hearing "Is he still staring?, fuckin fag." First of all, don't flatter yourself, I'm happily TAKEN with a very sweet man, Second, I usually stare off into space, deep in thought like "Will the weather be nice for Sunday so my family can go see relatives." or "How am I gonna get enough money to go to a convention in Chicago.". Third, I have a part of a right eye in terms of eyesight and I react to sound, touch and smell and usually when I turn to look in a general direction it's usually because I hear a kid laughing, or a swim coach telling his students to do something, or even someone jumping off from the rope swing. You and your buddies really live up to the stereotype gym bully. congrats your utter douches, and when my boyfriend and my friends finally came, they think so too. Have a Unmerry Christmas you judgemental dropout dumb fucks. —Semi Blind Casual Swimmer

It's the longest night tonight. That means something good. The days are only going to get longer starting tomorrow! The sun will be more powerful every day! We are heading towards summer folks. Keep that in mind! —Summer is coming!

There are two (sometimes three) lanes that enter the Armdale traffic circle at each junction. If the lane adjacent to you is entering the circle at a faster rate then your lane, you are doing it wrong. —fudgemorningcommutes

its a scary dangerous place out there. and I know it isn't all your fault. some people don't pay attention when they're walking and /or biking. but I do. so from now on, drivers of all ages, races, creeds and car colors be aware: I'm collecting parts of cars that hit me, cut me off, creep up on me while I'm trying to cross the street, pull way out so I have to go around in an unsafe way. if I can't get a part off like a mirror then I will dent your vehicle. badly.

this isn't a threat, just a statement so people who read it will know: I WILL STAND UP FOR MYSELF. —Opposite of a waving bear in a police uniform