by Sean Orr | Huffington Post: Is This British Columbia In 2016, Or Oceania In 1984? Whoa, look! Someone took our current political climate and compared it to Orwell’s masterpiece! What an amazing juxtaposition that has probably never been done before!

If I sound sarcastic it’s because I am. Apparently it’s good for me.

Besides, it’s probably more of a synthesis between Orwell and Huxley. Think about that for a second as I do this thing with my hands that signifies how much of a thought leader I am.

Because sometimes truth is stranger sadder than fiction: BC Premier Christy Clark’s new biography is getting devastating book reviews. I’d rather do yoga on Burrard Bridge with a thousand real estate agents while huffing LNG as some fired health employee triple-deletes my soul than read one single page of the likely fiction that is Christy Clark: Behind the Smile.

The fix is in: Line to Langley may still be SkyTrain: TransLink CEO. Weird…it’s almost like the company that builds the Skytrain technology donates to the Liberals…

I could’ve told you that of the day: Latest study of Airbnb listings for Vancouver finds a majority are operating as commercial businesses. Uber drivers can’t have a fleet of their own cars, so why is it ok for AirBnB? Also, as commentator John Smith points out, “the City should simply charge the commercial property tax rate on any Airbnb listing. That will get their attention real quick”.
Canadian media outlets aren’t fact-checking Fraser Institute’s misleading tax study (again). Maybe we should have a Fact Freedom Day wherein the media is free from those pesky little ‘truths’.

Vancity Buzz changes name to Daily Hive, keeps publishing bullshit: Reports of ‘Disney-like theme park’ announced for Playland not true, says PNE.

This is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever read: Show us the Suicide Note. “She left explicit instructions [in her suicide note] that this very thing should not happen ‘Please don’t talk about me. Please don’t let anyone write about me’.” So instead, Jonathan Kay uses the tragedy to further his long running feud with The Toronto Star? Go home, journalism. You’re drunk.

Honour Bound: sponsor Savio Volpe server Laurenn Machin in Ride Don’t Hide.

Bonus: Real estate, gentrification and nightlife in New York.