I remember this. The first place we lived in Toronto, we were told we had control, but the thermostat downstairs did nothing. And they were making us pay utilities when we had no control over how they set it.

In our condo building, it could get even more ridiculous since we either had heat or air conditioning and it took up to four days for the switch to reach all floors. And for a while, we had a thermostat unit that was wired wrong, so it would never shut off once it went on.

Can you at least get a good cross-breeze going?

But it's better than Moscow, I suppose, where the whole city has to wait until it's been below freezing for x number of days before apartment heat gets turned on.

That's always helpful, isn't it? When someone tells you to buck up because at least your life isn't as bad as X. Mostly, I just wanted to share my great knowledge of Russia, which now that I've written it all down I'm not even sure is accurate.

I'm all about making myself look good in these comments.

Obviously.

(laughing)

well, honestly, I don't think I'm really hard up here. I have both heat and air conditioning, which puts me above a solid majority of the earth's population, I'm sure. It just infuriates me that apartment heating systems are so poorly designed that you can end up with both going at once, but as a symbol of the 'decadent West' it sure is effective.