two nights ago a car had its windows broken in. as far as i know there was no reason. i heard it happen. at first, i thought someone was having problems shutting their car door. so, they were slamming it. but there was a counternoise to it. inbetween each car slam was what sounded like a popper that people throw to the ground in order to make it explode. it took about 5 of each sound to make me get up and decide to investigate. i saw nothing. i didn't see the guys who did it, i didn't see what they did. as i was standing out there i saw the owner of the car come out, look at it and raise his arms as if to say "what the fuck is this?". later, the cops showed up. i was standing on the sidewalk and they ignored me. admittedly, i was four houses down from what happened. the cops unhooked their guns and advanced on the neighbor's house. after a bit, the cops went to the house of the car owner. i went to bed.
the next morning i arose somewhat tired, because i had been waiting until one a.m. in case the cops wanted to ask questions (plus, apocalypse now redux was on). so, i managed on my to work to look over and see the car that had had its windows bashed in. every single one of them was either gone or bent inward. i got to tell my co-workers the story. it wasn't until i was driving home and on my block that i noticed there were two cars that had all of their windows beaten the hell out of. right next to each other. i know that the time from when i heard the window beating begin to when i heard it stop was all of ten to fifteen seconds. two cars, all of the windows. i hoped that the instance was a targeted thing and that the owner of the cars would shut his mouth.
tonight i was walking and on my way back i met the man who owns the cars. his wife and two small children were outside watching him try to punch out the rest of the windows with a hammer and piece of wood. she moved away from me. wouldn't look me in the eye. i went to him to ask if the cops had caught the guys who did it. he didn't speak english. this family lives there four houses down from me and they can't communicate with their neighbors. a quiet family (now i know why). i know they will get nothing from the police if they can't speak english. i know that whatever the reason for someone to want to break their windows they will not get any satisfaction or justice. it's a shame.
but how do you speak with someone who doesn't understand what you're saying? i used body language to tell him i lived right down the block. i hoped that he understood that he could ask me for help. somehow, though, i ldoubt it. i am a good actor, but this was different. he looked at me as if i was going to belt him. and i see someone who doesn't necessarily need help with the windows, but may need help with where he and his family live.
i'm a sucker for strays. that's why i have a cat.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
did anyone watch the daily show with jon stewart last night? he had some good quotes from criminals about how "deep throat" is not a hero but a very unethical person. pat buchanan was on board, so was g. gordon liddy (who was one of the arrested in the watergate breakin and said that deep throat should have reported his information to the law for a grand jury to consider indictment) and bob novak (who outed a CIA operative last year or so and is the only journalist to report on it who is not currently under subpoena. the CIA person was the wife of a diplomat who disagreed publicly with Bush about the so-called yellowcake uranium that Bush and powell claimed Iraq tried to buy from Niger. it turned out that the documents were forged in a very amatuerish way. it, also, turned out that the white house leaked the wife's name to novak as retribution, though it has yet to be proven in a court of law). awesome segment and very funny.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/01.html#a3233
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/01.html#a3233
This is Why We Have So many Yardsales in Fresno
WE'RE #180!!! WHOOHOO!!! I'M MOVING.
By the way, I think Marcel and I are having another yardsale at his place this Saturday. His street is doing their annual block sale, so we're going to try to get rid of the rest of our respective dvd collections. Will let you know if this changes.
Top 10 cities where paychecks go far
New survey finds cities where you get the most value for your salary, and where you get the least.May 23, 2005: 10:52 AM EDT By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money senior writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Pride aside, it really doesn't matter how much you make, just so long as it goes a long way where you live.
Therein lies the rub for all those who seek glory and glamour – or just decent housing and a drink -- in the most fabled places.
A new report from Salary.com looks at the relationship between salaries and the cost of living in 188 large metropolitan areas across the country to see where the gainfully employed can live and eat and still pad their bank accounts.
The living costs measured in the new Salary Value Index include housing, food, transportation, utilities and state taxes. The index also factors in an area's employment and job-growth rates.
What it does not account for are quality-of-life issues, such as culture, school systems and the weather.
So, financially speaking, the top 10 places where you'll get the most mileage out of your paycheck are:
New London, Conn.
Huntsville, Ala.
Baltimore
Harrisburg, Pa.
Tulsa, Okla.
Rock Island, Ill.
Troy, N.Y.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Schenectady, N.Y.
Las Vegas, Nev.
The top cities, Salary.com found, have all enjoyed various forms of revitalization in the past several years since the cost of doing business is low and new employees are brought to town.
For instance, New London, a historic whaling port between New York and Boston, now serves as home to Pfizer's Research and Development headquarters.
Huntsville, Ala., a turn-of-the-century town, is home to various NASA programs.
If companies continue to find a city in the Top 10 of the Salary Value Index attractive, the cost of living could eventually increase along with salaries and employment opportunities.
But the draw of such areas is vulnerable if any major players pull out of town. A naval submarine base in New London, for instance, may soon close. If that happens, the immediate impact would be a higher unemployment rate, a decline in the cost of living and then in salaries, said Bill Coleman, Salary.com's senior vice president of compensation.
But long-term, he suggested, the city's appeal would depend in part on what happens after the base closed – whether, for instance, a corporation converts the space for some of its facilities, attracting new workers.
The worst places to stretch a dollar earned
Chances are, you easily might have predicted many of the worst places on the Salary Value Index without the aid of a calculator.
In any case, please refrain from serenading your tan and toned West Coast friends or your pale, neurotic Manhattan ones with a rousing rendition of "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah."
According to Salary.com, the 10 least affordable cities for paycheck earners are:
New York
San Francisco
Stamford, Conn.
San Jose, Calif.
San Diego
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Los Angeles
Fresno, Calif.
Boston
And what of the often-overlooked middle child? According to Salary. Com, the cities that rank in and around the 50th percentile in terms of affordability relative to pay are:
Mobile, Ala.
Kansas City, Kan.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Sioux City, Iowa
Orlando, Fla.
-------------------------
Wherever you live, the challenge is to live within your means. To see if you are, click here.
By the way, I think Marcel and I are having another yardsale at his place this Saturday. His street is doing their annual block sale, so we're going to try to get rid of the rest of our respective dvd collections. Will let you know if this changes.
Top 10 cities where paychecks go far
New survey finds cities where you get the most value for your salary, and where you get the least.May 23, 2005: 10:52 AM EDT By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN/Money senior writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Pride aside, it really doesn't matter how much you make, just so long as it goes a long way where you live.
Therein lies the rub for all those who seek glory and glamour – or just decent housing and a drink -- in the most fabled places.
A new report from Salary.com looks at the relationship between salaries and the cost of living in 188 large metropolitan areas across the country to see where the gainfully employed can live and eat and still pad their bank accounts.
The living costs measured in the new Salary Value Index include housing, food, transportation, utilities and state taxes. The index also factors in an area's employment and job-growth rates.
What it does not account for are quality-of-life issues, such as culture, school systems and the weather.
So, financially speaking, the top 10 places where you'll get the most mileage out of your paycheck are:
New London, Conn.
Huntsville, Ala.
Baltimore
Harrisburg, Pa.
Tulsa, Okla.
Rock Island, Ill.
Troy, N.Y.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Schenectady, N.Y.
Las Vegas, Nev.
The top cities, Salary.com found, have all enjoyed various forms of revitalization in the past several years since the cost of doing business is low and new employees are brought to town.
For instance, New London, a historic whaling port between New York and Boston, now serves as home to Pfizer's Research and Development headquarters.
Huntsville, Ala., a turn-of-the-century town, is home to various NASA programs.
If companies continue to find a city in the Top 10 of the Salary Value Index attractive, the cost of living could eventually increase along with salaries and employment opportunities.
But the draw of such areas is vulnerable if any major players pull out of town. A naval submarine base in New London, for instance, may soon close. If that happens, the immediate impact would be a higher unemployment rate, a decline in the cost of living and then in salaries, said Bill Coleman, Salary.com's senior vice president of compensation.
But long-term, he suggested, the city's appeal would depend in part on what happens after the base closed – whether, for instance, a corporation converts the space for some of its facilities, attracting new workers.
The worst places to stretch a dollar earned
Chances are, you easily might have predicted many of the worst places on the Salary Value Index without the aid of a calculator.
In any case, please refrain from serenading your tan and toned West Coast friends or your pale, neurotic Manhattan ones with a rousing rendition of "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah."
According to Salary.com, the 10 least affordable cities for paycheck earners are:
New York
San Francisco
Stamford, Conn.
San Jose, Calif.
San Diego
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Los Angeles
Fresno, Calif.
Boston
And what of the often-overlooked middle child? According to Salary. Com, the cities that rank in and around the 50th percentile in terms of affordability relative to pay are:
Mobile, Ala.
Kansas City, Kan.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Sioux City, Iowa
Orlando, Fla.
-------------------------
Wherever you live, the challenge is to live within your means. To see if you are, click here.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
RE: Tower Listserv Morons who comment way too much
For you dumpster diving naysayers, rest assured. Various cities have been passing laws that prohibit anyone from taking from any bin put onto the curb. In short, the law says that if the bin is put on the curb, then its contents belong to the company that picks it up. It shouldn't be too long before Fresno adopts this law. Top fine for anyone caught is $500 as of right now. Perhaps, some of you would like to petition your council people to pursue this. This is a law set into force by the recycling companies that have contracts with the cities. So, calling whoever ours is might work too. I don't back it, but I thought you might like it.
As for Gordon complaining about someone coming 125 feet onto his property to steal from his dumpster, I can only ask what the selling price is, because I don't know of any property within the Tower that has that kind of driveway.As for the CRIME WAVE, last night I was an audio witness to all of the windows being busted out of two cars parked under a streetlight in a span of 10 seconds. By the time I got to my sidewalk the criminals were a block and a half away and accelerating. Pretty damn impressive. I'm pretty sure without seeing anyone's crime sheet that it was a targeted thingy. Today, someone tried to tell me that the second car showed some time later in the same condition, but I counted the number of blows and it added up to the number of windows wiped out.
I have lived in my house for two years now and never been approached by the Neighborhood Watch. And last night there were representatives of only three houses on the entire block who stepped out of their houses to check on the noise. When I told my backyard neighbor about it today, he responded by telling me that the Neighborhood Watch Captain had quit. And he didn't know what was happening with the Neighborhood Watch.That's news to me, since those who have condemned me for not being a joiner have also told me that they would pray for me. But they can't be bothered to tell me that a loose knit "militia" organization is now defunct.
I have nothing against groups that want to be on the lookout for things that go bump (or blam or scream or shatter) in the night (or day). I do my part without knowing these groups. I think that a resident's first responsibility is to his or her safety within the home. Second, his or her responsibility is to the visible community. And when I am standing on my sidewalk and wondering what the hell that loud banging was and no one else is out there wondering with me, then I have to think that we as a neighborhood within the Tower (or anywhere for that matter) are lacking. If anyone can give me the number or direction to go in which to find out who is in charge of my Neighborhood Watch I would greatly appreciate it. I think these things can work so long as no one decides they're "in charge" and everyone must bow to their beckoning. Which is what I gathered was happening to my little pod.
Now, as for the service y'all think you're not getting at our local establishments. I agree that it is not what it used to be. Today I waited almost 5 minutes before the Livingstones bartender got me my beer. But she was new. The other bartenders will have my beer in front of me within 4 minutes. The last time I ate at the Landmark I had to get up from my table and let Giselle know that I'd been waiting for over 15 minutes. But I've been to Chili's and Sizzler and the Outback and many other places (on somebody else's dollar, baecause they are places I would rather not frequent) on the North end of town and had to undergo the same amount of waiting time. I don't see any difference in dining experience here or there. I think the only time I receive topnotch waiting service is at Denny's. And if Echo wants to leave, good. The owners were very snooty within the restaurant and out of it. I met them at Arthop and other functions and they had elite dripping out of their noses onto the placemats (which, at Arthop, tended to be paper). pretty gross. The 609 moving to the strip between Sequoia and the Tower is very groovy. Hopefully, Sequoia will get a clue about how to treat their clientele and any others who walk in. The wait staff is cool (but predictable in their immediate "today's special is...". at least at Livingstone's or the Landmark they would ask you what you'd like before the spiel about how to make them more profit for their money ala the "specials". specials are cool, but don't need to be the immediate focus), the managers are not.
I don't know if Geoff tried hugging at the Revue again, but it must be accepted, because I was given a serious full-body hug by a very nubile woman not long ago and it lasted a bit (though not as long as I would have liked) and nobody complained. Or if they did I didn't hear them and nobody pulled us apart. Until she did. That bitch.
Anyway, Eric writes from New Jersey (as if his voice counts anymore). He's bought a mansion and is raising his children in total isolation from each other. They eat breakfast together and then are forcibly separated until the next morning. His wife is nowhere to be found. She left one day (allegedly for New York) and they haven't seen her since. It's rumored she's dancing for Greenwald. I could cite sources, but...they're still close friends. Plus, I've still got Eric's tuxedo. If I f**k up, he'll have me buried in it. He's got friends, too.
As for Gordon complaining about someone coming 125 feet onto his property to steal from his dumpster, I can only ask what the selling price is, because I don't know of any property within the Tower that has that kind of driveway.As for the CRIME WAVE, last night I was an audio witness to all of the windows being busted out of two cars parked under a streetlight in a span of 10 seconds. By the time I got to my sidewalk the criminals were a block and a half away and accelerating. Pretty damn impressive. I'm pretty sure without seeing anyone's crime sheet that it was a targeted thingy. Today, someone tried to tell me that the second car showed some time later in the same condition, but I counted the number of blows and it added up to the number of windows wiped out.
I have lived in my house for two years now and never been approached by the Neighborhood Watch. And last night there were representatives of only three houses on the entire block who stepped out of their houses to check on the noise. When I told my backyard neighbor about it today, he responded by telling me that the Neighborhood Watch Captain had quit. And he didn't know what was happening with the Neighborhood Watch.That's news to me, since those who have condemned me for not being a joiner have also told me that they would pray for me. But they can't be bothered to tell me that a loose knit "militia" organization is now defunct.
I have nothing against groups that want to be on the lookout for things that go bump (or blam or scream or shatter) in the night (or day). I do my part without knowing these groups. I think that a resident's first responsibility is to his or her safety within the home. Second, his or her responsibility is to the visible community. And when I am standing on my sidewalk and wondering what the hell that loud banging was and no one else is out there wondering with me, then I have to think that we as a neighborhood within the Tower (or anywhere for that matter) are lacking. If anyone can give me the number or direction to go in which to find out who is in charge of my Neighborhood Watch I would greatly appreciate it. I think these things can work so long as no one decides they're "in charge" and everyone must bow to their beckoning. Which is what I gathered was happening to my little pod.
Now, as for the service y'all think you're not getting at our local establishments. I agree that it is not what it used to be. Today I waited almost 5 minutes before the Livingstones bartender got me my beer. But she was new. The other bartenders will have my beer in front of me within 4 minutes. The last time I ate at the Landmark I had to get up from my table and let Giselle know that I'd been waiting for over 15 minutes. But I've been to Chili's and Sizzler and the Outback and many other places (on somebody else's dollar, baecause they are places I would rather not frequent) on the North end of town and had to undergo the same amount of waiting time. I don't see any difference in dining experience here or there. I think the only time I receive topnotch waiting service is at Denny's. And if Echo wants to leave, good. The owners were very snooty within the restaurant and out of it. I met them at Arthop and other functions and they had elite dripping out of their noses onto the placemats (which, at Arthop, tended to be paper). pretty gross. The 609 moving to the strip between Sequoia and the Tower is very groovy. Hopefully, Sequoia will get a clue about how to treat their clientele and any others who walk in. The wait staff is cool (but predictable in their immediate "today's special is...". at least at Livingstone's or the Landmark they would ask you what you'd like before the spiel about how to make them more profit for their money ala the "specials". specials are cool, but don't need to be the immediate focus), the managers are not.
I don't know if Geoff tried hugging at the Revue again, but it must be accepted, because I was given a serious full-body hug by a very nubile woman not long ago and it lasted a bit (though not as long as I would have liked) and nobody complained. Or if they did I didn't hear them and nobody pulled us apart. Until she did. That bitch.
Anyway, Eric writes from New Jersey (as if his voice counts anymore). He's bought a mansion and is raising his children in total isolation from each other. They eat breakfast together and then are forcibly separated until the next morning. His wife is nowhere to be found. She left one day (allegedly for New York) and they haven't seen her since. It's rumored she's dancing for Greenwald. I could cite sources, but...they're still close friends. Plus, I've still got Eric's tuxedo. If I f**k up, he'll have me buried in it. He's got friends, too.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Let The Truth Ring Out...At Lunch...And Supersize It
you can still get freedom fries in the congress cafeteria? i'll bet they cost ya. aw, but's what a buck these days? like 92 cents? so, it's cheaper than you thought. buy two. and remember that nothing says "patriot" like greasy fingers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1491567,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1491567,00.html
yard sale
yes, i know it's last minute. so what.
tomorrow at marcel's we will be hosting a yard sale that includes a lot of movies, some music and a very select slice of my book collection. the dvds will be very affordable. my books will be very underpriced (i know what they're worth, but would rather sell them cheap to real readers). i have spent a long time creating this collection only to finally look at it with an unjaundiced eye and realize that i will most likely never read some of them again. they are visual art now. and they need to go to someone who can appreciate them as if they were new.
the address is 416 e. brown between palm and van ness.
if you're into pogo the possum, let me know. if you'd like a copy of time magazine from 1976 when doonesbury was the cover feature (zonker smokin' a joint), let me know. these i am not letting go of just yet (but they will be on hand).
but the watchmen comic books in one book, harry crews, robert jordan's wheel of time series, charles bukowski, c. boyle, kinky friedman, matt groening (life in hell, jeff and akbar), bloom county and more will all be for sale. tank girl is not for sale. nor are the adult themed batman books. you can beg, but i will not be moved. i might have them on hand the better to taunt you with, though.
until then, this is Scary Squirrel Man signing off. Nuts to you.
(plus some music...mostly tapes, a few cds.)
if you're out on a limb, listen for whizzing sounds. that's the critics.
tomorrow at marcel's we will be hosting a yard sale that includes a lot of movies, some music and a very select slice of my book collection. the dvds will be very affordable. my books will be very underpriced (i know what they're worth, but would rather sell them cheap to real readers). i have spent a long time creating this collection only to finally look at it with an unjaundiced eye and realize that i will most likely never read some of them again. they are visual art now. and they need to go to someone who can appreciate them as if they were new.
the address is 416 e. brown between palm and van ness.
if you're into pogo the possum, let me know. if you'd like a copy of time magazine from 1976 when doonesbury was the cover feature (zonker smokin' a joint), let me know. these i am not letting go of just yet (but they will be on hand).
but the watchmen comic books in one book, harry crews, robert jordan's wheel of time series, charles bukowski, c. boyle, kinky friedman, matt groening (life in hell, jeff and akbar), bloom county and more will all be for sale. tank girl is not for sale. nor are the adult themed batman books. you can beg, but i will not be moved. i might have them on hand the better to taunt you with, though.
until then, this is Scary Squirrel Man signing off. Nuts to you.
(plus some music...mostly tapes, a few cds.)
if you're out on a limb, listen for whizzing sounds. that's the critics.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
With Or Without You...Repeat
wow. some serious un(whitehouse or l.a. times)edited writing here. so, i'd say even money on invading syria and even money on it being a bad idea even if syria is helping the insurgents/resistance/terrorists/natives/"concerned" neighbors/party crashers. even money only because i don't think we can start another fight without much higher enlistments than is the current trend.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-milassess24may24,1,1319229,print.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=2&cset=true
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-milassess24may24,1,1319229,print.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=2&cset=true
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
I Have No Words (Except for the bunch I Just Wrote)
And so we come to the almost end of a family tree here in the heart of the San Joaquin valley. my parents have left the building, vacated the premises, hied themselves to better climes, pulled the maul from the stump, took the change from the counter, tipped the croupier, cashed their tokens, received the to-go box, and flown the coop.
I am the last of 40 years of Dyers in California.
We moved here from the mid-West in 195...lived in Fresno for...years and finally moved to Sanger very shortly before I was born (in 19...), which makes me 29 or so. Sanger is my birth town and the house is where my parents have lived for the past 40, I mean 29 years. Sanger used to be about 1/2 hour by car from Fresno. Now, it's about 8 minutes.
I evicted myself from Sanger, Fresno and Cali for the entirety of the 90's in order to live life to its fullest in Seattle. And never come back, because Cali and the San Joaquin valley were on a downward trend. Jobs, housing, air quality, basic culture were on a serious slide. So, Seattle or bust.
10 years later I was back. Why? Haven't figured that out yet. Other than my son and my family and a lack of serious friends.
Now, I'm the last of the breed. And if it weren't for a very few friends and the Rogue Festival I might be gone, too.
So, there you have it. I am Dyer and mad as hell and I won't take it anymore. Wait. I am Dyer and you can't handle the truth. No. I am Dyer and you had me at "we don't care if you're an endangered species. a table won't be available for another 45 minutes".
Yeah, that's it.
Anyhoo, let's get on to today's political and/or social diatribe, shall we? Today, the Catholic church gets it. More specifically, it's the Vatican and the Vatican's inquisitional stance towards anyone who might question its purity, transparency and holy doctrine. As AIDS continues its march through the third world countries at a pace that is intimidating at best, as women in those countries are still being forced into sex slavery, as children continue to die of malnutrition and a basic lack of ANYTHING to eat every day, as pedophiles continue to sweep the halls of churches and monastaries with the robes of their kissable hems in almost every country around the globe, as the church stays hellbent on denying that they cloister pedophiles in new parishes where the priests' names are not yet known, and as this church insists on pointing its finger at everyone who might show its dirty linen and denounce them as heretics or godless or misguided or the liberal press, it's interesting to note that the Church (the Vatican) seems to be not helping with any financial settlements or court ordered payments to the victims of its clergy. How long would you stay affiliated with any group that doesn't admit financial culpability for the actions of the officers it put in place and then tried to move around in order to minimize the damage? How long as your diocese sells off its assets (including the building and the property)? Wait, never mind. Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and Uzbhekistan suddenly came to mind. Our government is doing the exact same thing. Let the menial be punished, save the institution. God (administration)must be preserved in whatever manner, no matter the fallout on the innocent.
I think I agree with my brother now. It wuold be better for the parishoners to lose their holy ground and be forced to start over than to be "covered" by the Vatican and hope this sin passes by with as little damage as possible.
"In the church, priests also are sinners. But I am personally convinced that the constant presence in the press of the sins of Catholic priests, especially in the United States, is a planned campaign, as the percentage of these offenses among priests is not higher than in other categories, and perhaps it is even lower," said Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict XVI — in 2002 when he was the head man of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=19108
I am the last of 40 years of Dyers in California.
We moved here from the mid-West in 195...lived in Fresno for...years and finally moved to Sanger very shortly before I was born (in 19...), which makes me 29 or so. Sanger is my birth town and the house is where my parents have lived for the past 40, I mean 29 years. Sanger used to be about 1/2 hour by car from Fresno. Now, it's about 8 minutes.
I evicted myself from Sanger, Fresno and Cali for the entirety of the 90's in order to live life to its fullest in Seattle. And never come back, because Cali and the San Joaquin valley were on a downward trend. Jobs, housing, air quality, basic culture were on a serious slide. So, Seattle or bust.
10 years later I was back. Why? Haven't figured that out yet. Other than my son and my family and a lack of serious friends.
Now, I'm the last of the breed. And if it weren't for a very few friends and the Rogue Festival I might be gone, too.
So, there you have it. I am Dyer and mad as hell and I won't take it anymore. Wait. I am Dyer and you can't handle the truth. No. I am Dyer and you had me at "we don't care if you're an endangered species. a table won't be available for another 45 minutes".
Yeah, that's it.
Anyhoo, let's get on to today's political and/or social diatribe, shall we? Today, the Catholic church gets it. More specifically, it's the Vatican and the Vatican's inquisitional stance towards anyone who might question its purity, transparency and holy doctrine. As AIDS continues its march through the third world countries at a pace that is intimidating at best, as women in those countries are still being forced into sex slavery, as children continue to die of malnutrition and a basic lack of ANYTHING to eat every day, as pedophiles continue to sweep the halls of churches and monastaries with the robes of their kissable hems in almost every country around the globe, as the church stays hellbent on denying that they cloister pedophiles in new parishes where the priests' names are not yet known, and as this church insists on pointing its finger at everyone who might show its dirty linen and denounce them as heretics or godless or misguided or the liberal press, it's interesting to note that the Church (the Vatican) seems to be not helping with any financial settlements or court ordered payments to the victims of its clergy. How long would you stay affiliated with any group that doesn't admit financial culpability for the actions of the officers it put in place and then tried to move around in order to minimize the damage? How long as your diocese sells off its assets (including the building and the property)? Wait, never mind. Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and Uzbhekistan suddenly came to mind. Our government is doing the exact same thing. Let the menial be punished, save the institution. God (administration)must be preserved in whatever manner, no matter the fallout on the innocent.
I think I agree with my brother now. It wuold be better for the parishoners to lose their holy ground and be forced to start over than to be "covered" by the Vatican and hope this sin passes by with as little damage as possible.
"In the church, priests also are sinners. But I am personally convinced that the constant presence in the press of the sins of Catholic priests, especially in the United States, is a planned campaign, as the percentage of these offenses among priests is not higher than in other categories, and perhaps it is even lower," said Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict XVI — in 2002 when he was the head man of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=19108
Monday, May 23, 2005
actual document of reps and dems doing something weird. signed by all fourteen (byrd's is somewhat illegible). ebay "buy it now" at $59.95. need adobe acrobat 5 or a number similar to. paypal a must. deadbeats will be resuscitated in an effort to inflict more pain.
http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/05/05/TheDeal.pdf
if that didn't work, go to www.buzzflash.com. look for the news "title" that talks about an historic document to get around destroying the filibuster.
if that didn't work...sue me. i'm still in mourning for the Daily Planet.
http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/05/05/TheDeal.pdf
if that didn't work, go to www.buzzflash.com. look for the news "title" that talks about an historic document to get around destroying the filibuster.
if that didn't work...sue me. i'm still in mourning for the Daily Planet.
Can I Get An Amen???
Scary Squirrel Man was NOT drunk last Saturday at the Daily Planet or at home. Some would have you believe otherwise, but rest assured: Scary Squirrel Man spent the evening tending his Sobriety Garden, reading his bible and blessing his new urinal. Anyone who says different is going to aytch eee doublehockeysticks.
And in that spirit, I present you with an article proclaiming the coming of a New World Order. One that is long awaited by Scary Squirrel Men everywhere. An order where the Faithful and the True Believers are rewarded for their arduous journey through the underbelly of our Secularist and Demonic Society. I talk about Theocracy. I talk about returning this country back to God and His Law. I speak not of a dictatorship, but of Divine Intervention to prevent further desecration of the Constitution, which was handed down to us just as the Tablets were handed down to Moses. I speak...oops, barfed on my shoes again. Must be the acorns.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7924870/site/newsweek/
Excerpt:
"Shelby reintroduced the bill in March of this year when the Terri Schiavo case was in the headlines. His press secretary says the two events were unrelated, yet if anything like Shelby imagines comes to pass, it would turn our constitutional democracy into a theocracy. The legislation says no court has jurisdiction to rule on issues surrounding God, the flag, separation of church and state and establishment of religion. The wording is broad enough to remove from civil law all matters of personal status, like whom you can marry and issues related to child custody and child support. “We’re lulled into thinking it’s too ridiculous to pass,” says Judith Lichtman with the National Partnership for Women & Families. “But it’s the genius of the right to make what is really radical accepted in the mainstream.”
And in that spirit, I present you with an article proclaiming the coming of a New World Order. One that is long awaited by Scary Squirrel Men everywhere. An order where the Faithful and the True Believers are rewarded for their arduous journey through the underbelly of our Secularist and Demonic Society. I talk about Theocracy. I talk about returning this country back to God and His Law. I speak not of a dictatorship, but of Divine Intervention to prevent further desecration of the Constitution, which was handed down to us just as the Tablets were handed down to Moses. I speak...oops, barfed on my shoes again. Must be the acorns.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7924870/site/newsweek/
Excerpt:
"Shelby reintroduced the bill in March of this year when the Terri Schiavo case was in the headlines. His press secretary says the two events were unrelated, yet if anything like Shelby imagines comes to pass, it would turn our constitutional democracy into a theocracy. The legislation says no court has jurisdiction to rule on issues surrounding God, the flag, separation of church and state and establishment of religion. The wording is broad enough to remove from civil law all matters of personal status, like whom you can marry and issues related to child custody and child support. “We’re lulled into thinking it’s too ridiculous to pass,” says Judith Lichtman with the National Partnership for Women & Families. “But it’s the genius of the right to make what is really radical accepted in the mainstream.”
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Daily Planet
just a comment. i will be heading down to the Daily Planet in a few minutes to enjoy a last call with the bartender. the Daily Planet is a place we all could go to and enjoy the art deco decorations, the stockholm martinis and, for me, the lack of interesting beers residing in its coolers. i am getting drunk as i write, because that is a promise i made when i first started this blog (but have not kept to). and i will continue the drunkenage at the Planet.
It is closing its doors tonight. The owner died last year or early this and the children have decided to put the entire block up for sale (the Planet, the Tower Theater, the place formerly known as Butterfield's, etc). i don't know what is going to happen, but i will definately tip my glass to the end of another era. the Planet is on a par with the Oly and the Wild Blue Yonder as iconic locations in the Tower District. if you read this in time, join me and marcel and randy and raise a toast. if not, just hoist that glass from wherever you are.
It is closing its doors tonight. The owner died last year or early this and the children have decided to put the entire block up for sale (the Planet, the Tower Theater, the place formerly known as Butterfield's, etc). i don't know what is going to happen, but i will definately tip my glass to the end of another era. the Planet is on a par with the Oly and the Wild Blue Yonder as iconic locations in the Tower District. if you read this in time, join me and marcel and randy and raise a toast. if not, just hoist that glass from wherever you are.
First We Shoot the Mules
i highlighted the passages that give me pause. this reads (to me) as an attempt to wrest ever more control from those branches of government not titled "executive". but what happens when the Dems win the presidency back and the courts can't rule on anything involving God or foreign legal agreements and the filibuster has been blown to bits? are the Republicans thinking that far ahead? or are the neo-cons counting on removing all legal restaints on the office of the president in time to ensure that a Democrat can't get elected legally ever again? or that any democrat that can will be hamstrung from the start and coerced into following the established doctrine of the far right extremists (which include mule-fuckers and closet homos who claim homos should be locked up...not that a Democrat has never engaged in barnyard hijinks or homosexual acts; the Dems just normally don't go after those whom they can connect with)?
Congress moves to restrict court rulings on God
WASHINGTON — Conservatives balk at accusations that the current Congress and the Bush administration are intent on turning the United States into a theocracy. Yet, a bill sponsored by 28 members of the U.S. House and Senate looks like a move in that direction.
According to the text of the bill, the proposed Constitution Restoration Act of 2005 would remove the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over “any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer or agent of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official or personal capacity), concerning that entity’s, officer’s, or agent’s acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government.”
Commenting on the general trend, Bill Moyers noted in a March article for the New York Review of Books that the religious right backs nearly half the members of Congress. “Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th Congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the most influential Christian Right advocacy groups,” he noted.
If passed, the bill also would limit the ability of judges to interpret the Constitution if it involved “any constitution, law, administrative rule, Executive order, directive, policy, judicial decision, or any other action of any foreign state or international organization or agency, other than English constitutional and common law up to the time of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.”
Judges who fail to comply could be impeached or prosecuted.
Project Censored award-winning journalist W. David Kubiak charges that the bill would divorce U.S. jurisprudence from “our hard-won secular history and international norms.” The Conservative Caucus has called it an important step that would prevent the U.S. Supreme Court from weighing in on “the acknowledgement of God (as in the Roy Moore 10 Commandments issue); and it also restricts federal courts from recognizing the laws of foreign countries and international law [e.g., against torture, global warming, unjust wars, etc.] as the supreme law of our land.”
Thus far, the mainstream media has ignored the legislation. A May 16 search of Google News turned up no coverage, despite the fact that the office of lead sponsor Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, told Kubiak last week, “We have the votes for passage."
Congress moves to restrict court rulings on God
WASHINGTON — Conservatives balk at accusations that the current Congress and the Bush administration are intent on turning the United States into a theocracy. Yet, a bill sponsored by 28 members of the U.S. House and Senate looks like a move in that direction.
According to the text of the bill, the proposed Constitution Restoration Act of 2005 would remove the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over “any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer or agent of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official or personal capacity), concerning that entity’s, officer’s, or agent’s acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government.”
Commenting on the general trend, Bill Moyers noted in a March article for the New York Review of Books that the religious right backs nearly half the members of Congress. “Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th Congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the most influential Christian Right advocacy groups,” he noted.
If passed, the bill also would limit the ability of judges to interpret the Constitution if it involved “any constitution, law, administrative rule, Executive order, directive, policy, judicial decision, or any other action of any foreign state or international organization or agency, other than English constitutional and common law up to the time of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.”
Judges who fail to comply could be impeached or prosecuted.
Project Censored award-winning journalist W. David Kubiak charges that the bill would divorce U.S. jurisprudence from “our hard-won secular history and international norms.” The Conservative Caucus has called it an important step that would prevent the U.S. Supreme Court from weighing in on “the acknowledgement of God (as in the Roy Moore 10 Commandments issue); and it also restricts federal courts from recognizing the laws of foreign countries and international law [e.g., against torture, global warming, unjust wars, etc.] as the supreme law of our land.”
Thus far, the mainstream media has ignored the legislation. A May 16 search of Google News turned up no coverage, despite the fact that the office of lead sponsor Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, told Kubiak last week, “We have the votes for passage."
Booty and the Bush
...um...I have no words for this. It speaks for itself.
Mary Carey Comes to Washington
Porn Star to Dine with Bush
By JOSHUA FRANK
Oh my. This Bush administration is something else. On one hand they are all about "family values" and Jesus. On the other they are all about raising mad loot so they can maintain control of Washington. It's not their conservative principles that really matter; it's all about the loot and the power it buys. And Bush's new dining partners have very deep pockets.
Former California gubernatorial candidate and popular porn star Mary Carey, whose real name is Mary Cook, will be joining her boss Mark Kulkis in attending a dinner with President Bush on June 14.
Not kidding. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is hosting the swank fundraising event, where hundreds of well-heeled Republicans will be corralled in DC to hobnob with President Bush. Over the course of the two-day event, conservative interest groups will be talking with Bush administration officials about real "important" issues. As usual, money buys access: An individual ticket to the dinner festivities alone costs $2,500. And no, Laura won't be sharing any new jokes with the crowd.
Of course, Carey, Kulkis, and the porn industry have valid reasons for lobbying Washington, such as worker rights and protection. But Carey and Kulkis hardly represent those interests. Carey's run for the governor of California, which was marketed by Kulkis, was nothing more than a flaunted publicity stunt. Her platform included, among other things: Taxing boob jobs. Making lap dances tax deductible. Recruiting porn stars to be "ambassadors of good will." And putting web cams up in every room of the Governor's mansion (okay, that one is intriguing).
"I'm hoping to run as Lieutenant Governor of California next year," said Carey, who was arrested in Tacoma, Washington for touching herself in a sexual manner this past week. "Since Arnold [Schwarzenegger] is a Republican, I thought this dinner would be a great networking opportunity for me."
"I'm honored to be invited to this event," Kulkis said. "Republicans bill themselves as the pro-business party. Well, you won't find a group of people more pro-business than pornographers. We contributed over $10 billion to the national economy last year." She's got a point I suppose.
Kulkis' company, Kick Ass Pictures, guarantees that "no fake boobs and no condoms" will ever be seen, even though Mary Carey, who appears in many of Kulkis' productions, has said in several interviews that her own boobs are fake. Kulkis is currently an Honorary Chairman on the NRCC's Business Advisory Council, a roundtable of millionaire business entrepreneurs who advocate for a robust "pro-business agenda."
Isn't it funny how the Bush administration could really give two-shits about the Christian Right? The bible thumpers are good for votes, and the porn industry is good for money.
"I'm especially looking forward to meeting Karl Rove," Carey said about her forthcoming visit to DC. "Smart men like him are so sexy. I know that he's against gay marriage, but I think I can convince him that a little girl-on-girl action now and then isn't so bad!"
I wish.
Joshua Frank is the author of the highly anticipated new book, Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush, which has just been released by Common Courage Press. You can order a copy or two for a discounted rate at www.brickburner.org
Mary Carey Comes to Washington
Porn Star to Dine with Bush
By JOSHUA FRANK
Oh my. This Bush administration is something else. On one hand they are all about "family values" and Jesus. On the other they are all about raising mad loot so they can maintain control of Washington. It's not their conservative principles that really matter; it's all about the loot and the power it buys. And Bush's new dining partners have very deep pockets.
Former California gubernatorial candidate and popular porn star Mary Carey, whose real name is Mary Cook, will be joining her boss Mark Kulkis in attending a dinner with President Bush on June 14.
Not kidding. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is hosting the swank fundraising event, where hundreds of well-heeled Republicans will be corralled in DC to hobnob with President Bush. Over the course of the two-day event, conservative interest groups will be talking with Bush administration officials about real "important" issues. As usual, money buys access: An individual ticket to the dinner festivities alone costs $2,500. And no, Laura won't be sharing any new jokes with the crowd.
Of course, Carey, Kulkis, and the porn industry have valid reasons for lobbying Washington, such as worker rights and protection. But Carey and Kulkis hardly represent those interests. Carey's run for the governor of California, which was marketed by Kulkis, was nothing more than a flaunted publicity stunt. Her platform included, among other things: Taxing boob jobs. Making lap dances tax deductible. Recruiting porn stars to be "ambassadors of good will." And putting web cams up in every room of the Governor's mansion (okay, that one is intriguing).
"I'm hoping to run as Lieutenant Governor of California next year," said Carey, who was arrested in Tacoma, Washington for touching herself in a sexual manner this past week. "Since Arnold [Schwarzenegger] is a Republican, I thought this dinner would be a great networking opportunity for me."
"I'm honored to be invited to this event," Kulkis said. "Republicans bill themselves as the pro-business party. Well, you won't find a group of people more pro-business than pornographers. We contributed over $10 billion to the national economy last year." She's got a point I suppose.
Kulkis' company, Kick Ass Pictures, guarantees that "no fake boobs and no condoms" will ever be seen, even though Mary Carey, who appears in many of Kulkis' productions, has said in several interviews that her own boobs are fake. Kulkis is currently an Honorary Chairman on the NRCC's Business Advisory Council, a roundtable of millionaire business entrepreneurs who advocate for a robust "pro-business agenda."
Isn't it funny how the Bush administration could really give two-shits about the Christian Right? The bible thumpers are good for votes, and the porn industry is good for money.
"I'm especially looking forward to meeting Karl Rove," Carey said about her forthcoming visit to DC. "Smart men like him are so sexy. I know that he's against gay marriage, but I think I can convince him that a little girl-on-girl action now and then isn't so bad!"
I wish.
Joshua Frank is the author of the highly anticipated new book, Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush, which has just been released by Common Courage Press. You can order a copy or two for a discounted rate at www.brickburner.org
Friday, May 20, 2005
Comment That Must Be Posted (because my ego will swallow you all)
you will always be able to "afford" something in the tower. but you will have to know people. my deal is really good only because the owner is a towerite and isn't too concerned about making a big profit. he owns enough other places that he can afford to help a Rogue creator stay in the neighborhood. but i am seeing so amny apartments staying on the market for longer now than i ever have and i know it's because the owners are trying to up the price just because the out of towners (who are buying up properties) are asking Bay area rent. Plus, the owners are trying to play off the "the tower is the only place to live" bullshit.what can we as a community do? i don't know. buy up property and refuse to let it go? i know i can't. petition the owners and play on their sentimentality? won't work. graffiti up the area and make it look like it did in the 70's and 80's? stage guerrilla drive-bys and throw rocks through windows with notes attached that read "rich coastie go home"? chance of jail time.it's funny. i've lived in the tower for a large chunk of my adult life. and it seems like no matter what might happen here, no matter what the national or state housing situation might look like, the prices hold in the tower and then go up.i live on the corner of white trash row and i'm only two blocks from livingstone's. my neighborhood is east of van ness and north of olive. the area is very diverse ethnically and affluently. i enjoy it, but most of the tower (read: affluent homeowners)don't. but they come in and swoop up any lot and home that's on the market. fix it up and put it back on the market. and tout the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood. the tower has become very hypocritical and very money-conscious. a house on van ness near brown is selling for $609,000. beautiful houses there, but how much?! we live in fresno for crying out loud. we have the worst air pollution in the nation. we are a homicide capital. my block just had a small child taken from his front yard tonight and the cops are everywhere. this is a city with a severe identity crisis, almost no awareness of its cultural richness and an inability to acknowledge the fact that it's repressed in every way imaginable.why would anyone want to spend unimaginable amount of money to not even live here? you have to love fresno and the tower. and, to be honest, it's really only natives and converts that see us for what we truly are.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Quote of the Day
Ah, fuck it. Quote of the Year so far. Finally, someone stood up to these sanctimonious Senators and lit into them with the truth. And it had to be a Brit, of course, because no true American will dare to point out the hypocricy and lies inherent in our administration's obsession with figuring out why our oil is underneath Iraq's sand.
Evidently, when Americans are called to testify before or be inquisitioned by Senate committees they tend to be very obsequious and staid. Not so Galloping Galloway. He turned the questioning on its ear and ripped us a new one. The following is only a quote. The entire text is quite enjoyable.
"Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right, and you turned out to be wrong. And 100,000 people have paid with their lives, 1600 of them American soldiers, sent to their deaths on a pack of lies, 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies. If the world had listened to Kofi Annan, whose dismissal you demanded, if the world had listened to President Chirac, who you want to paint as some kind of corrupt traitor, if the world had listened to me and the anti-war movement in Britain, we would not be in the disaster that we are in today. Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens, you are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq's wealth..." -- George Galloway, 5/17/05
Evidently, when Americans are called to testify before or be inquisitioned by Senate committees they tend to be very obsequious and staid. Not so Galloping Galloway. He turned the questioning on its ear and ripped us a new one. The following is only a quote. The entire text is quite enjoyable.
"Senator, in everything I said about Iraq, I turned out to be right, and you turned out to be wrong. And 100,000 people have paid with their lives, 1600 of them American soldiers, sent to their deaths on a pack of lies, 15,000 of them wounded, many of them disabled forever on a pack of lies. If the world had listened to Kofi Annan, whose dismissal you demanded, if the world had listened to President Chirac, who you want to paint as some kind of corrupt traitor, if the world had listened to me and the anti-war movement in Britain, we would not be in the disaster that we are in today. Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens, you are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq's wealth..." -- George Galloway, 5/17/05
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Oh, What The Hey! Dem Leftists Cain't Be All Bad
Published on Monday, May 16, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!
by Jeff Cohen
Looking for an easy way to protest Bush foreign policy week after week? And an easy way to help alleviate global poverty? Buy your gasoline at Citgo stations.
And tell your friends.
Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor. The country is Venezuela. The President is Hugo Chavez. Call him "the Anti-Bush."
Citgo is a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. Money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela -- not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. There are 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the US. (Click here http://www.citgo.com/CITGOLocator/StoreLocator.jsp to find one near you.) By buying your gasoline at Citgo, you are contributing to the billions of dollars that Venezuela's democratic government is using to provide health care, literacy and education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans.
Instead of using government to help the rich and the corporate, as Bush does, Chavez is using the resources and oil revenue of his government to help the poor in Venezuela. A country with so much oil wealth shouldn't have 60 percent of its people living in poverty, earning less than $2 per day. With a mass movement behind him, Chavez is confronting poverty in Venezuela. That's why large majorities have consistently backed him in democratic elections. And why the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup in 2002 that sought to overthrow Chavez.
So this is the opposite of a boycott. Call it a BUYcott. Spread the word.
Of course, if you can take mass transit or bike or walk to your job, you should do so. And we should all work for political changes that move our country toward a cleaner environment based on renewable energy. The BUYcott is for those of us who don't have a practical alternative to filling up our cars.
So get your gas at Citgo. And help fuel a democratic revolution in Venezuela.
Jeff Cohen is an author and media critic (www.jeffcohen.org)
The Tower Is For Sale; Bids Now Accepted
Well, kiddies, the end may just be near. Last- what?- summer the empty lot across the street from my humble (and I do mean humble) abode suddenly became a swarm of activity as the new buyers (or the old owners) began construction on a two-story fourplex. In the end they did a pretty good job of making it blend into the natural architectural style of the Tower District. Each balcony and porch was made up in the Craftsman style, the roof was done in a faux Spanish style (not in tile, but the asphalt shingles in the same color), the front stairs to the upper floor were hidden, the lawns are gorgeous, the offstreet parking isn't pukey at all. It really does look nice as these things go.
My landlord, who is an insurance agent and multiple property owner, researched and found out that the owner was going to ask for $750,000 for the whole shebang. 5 years ago, we would have hooted and asked if we could have the name of his dealer, 'cuz the shit must be primo. Not any more. We gaped at the asking price, but we never once thought it was not going to be met. We knew someone would jump at the bait. Probably a Bay area person. My landlord, also, informed us that the current owner was planning on calling the units "3 bedroom". That's when I began to gag. My studio apartment on Vassar Ave was as big. Granted, these units were very likely better made and laid out, but it didn't dismiss the fact that they were all about 700-800 square feet at best. And the owner was planning asking for over $1000 in rent.
Well, the 'for sale' sign went up last Saturday. The realty agent came out, took a mess of pictures of the exterior, interior, shots of the views and houses across the streets (though I think she skipped my place because of the delapidated fence situation) and left. So, that was Saturday. Saturday was the first official day of saleability. Today is Tuesday. Today there is a 'sold' sign on the realty sign. That's 4 days at most. The place sold in four days. Four freaking days. It ain't even renting yet. Four days. 3/4 of a million bucks. Snap. Gone. Gobbled. Didn't even see the shark's fin.
Now, the burning question is: local buyer or Bay area buyer? Evidently, the rule of thumb for rental building buyers is that the sum of monthly rent must be at least 1% of the sale price. 1% of $750,000 is $7500. $7500 divided by four equals $1875. Following this code, each '3 bedroom' unit needs to rent for $1875. That comes to (in my estimate) somewhere in the $2.50 per square foot range. A Bay area buyer would not think twice about charging what he or she considers fair market value based on the Bay area. That's how I was forced out of my last apartment. A Santa Cruz realtor bought the place and immediately kicked everyone for renovations with the notice that rent would increase by 50%. The locals who bought it before her and renovated the outside and landscaped it raised the rent by $50 (15%). Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the new owners will keep the same description or make it more sensible and what they will charge for rent.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy watching people stop and look in as I try and assess their probability of being able to afford living there. So far, the stats are running in the negative in terms of viable renters.
My landlord, who is an insurance agent and multiple property owner, researched and found out that the owner was going to ask for $750,000 for the whole shebang. 5 years ago, we would have hooted and asked if we could have the name of his dealer, 'cuz the shit must be primo. Not any more. We gaped at the asking price, but we never once thought it was not going to be met. We knew someone would jump at the bait. Probably a Bay area person. My landlord, also, informed us that the current owner was planning on calling the units "3 bedroom". That's when I began to gag. My studio apartment on Vassar Ave was as big. Granted, these units were very likely better made and laid out, but it didn't dismiss the fact that they were all about 700-800 square feet at best. And the owner was planning asking for over $1000 in rent.
Well, the 'for sale' sign went up last Saturday. The realty agent came out, took a mess of pictures of the exterior, interior, shots of the views and houses across the streets (though I think she skipped my place because of the delapidated fence situation) and left. So, that was Saturday. Saturday was the first official day of saleability. Today is Tuesday. Today there is a 'sold' sign on the realty sign. That's 4 days at most. The place sold in four days. Four freaking days. It ain't even renting yet. Four days. 3/4 of a million bucks. Snap. Gone. Gobbled. Didn't even see the shark's fin.
Now, the burning question is: local buyer or Bay area buyer? Evidently, the rule of thumb for rental building buyers is that the sum of monthly rent must be at least 1% of the sale price. 1% of $750,000 is $7500. $7500 divided by four equals $1875. Following this code, each '3 bedroom' unit needs to rent for $1875. That comes to (in my estimate) somewhere in the $2.50 per square foot range. A Bay area buyer would not think twice about charging what he or she considers fair market value based on the Bay area. That's how I was forced out of my last apartment. A Santa Cruz realtor bought the place and immediately kicked everyone for renovations with the notice that rent would increase by 50%. The locals who bought it before her and renovated the outside and landscaped it raised the rent by $50 (15%). Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the new owners will keep the same description or make it more sensible and what they will charge for rent.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy watching people stop and look in as I try and assess their probability of being able to afford living there. So far, the stats are running in the negative in terms of viable renters.
Monday, May 16, 2005
This Headache Is Good Enough For Jehova! Ouch!
So much for $5 miracles.
Sittin' there minding my own business, enjoying the pain and along comes Little Rabbit Foo Foo who bops me on the head. Pain goes away. I'm cured. Whoo hoo, etc.
Now I'm dancing and prancing through the forest, sharing love and wet noodles. Now I'm dancing naked with nymphs and goats and sheepherders and wise men and all manner of happy, snappy folk.
I'm Singing in the Rain. I'm a Funny Face. I'm gorgeously Indiscreet. I am Love, Actually. It feels as if my whole body has been Born Free just as the Butterflies Are Free. I am a man in Possession of The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I am...Keanu Reeves.
And just like that, poof. Out go the twinkly lights. Away blows the magic dust. Down goes the house of twigs. Beauty leaves the Beast. The Dwarfs trunch off to their jobs.
All that was ept is now in-. All that was in whack is now out. Gruntle has been dissed, Hansel dismissed.
Yesterday's recovery was but a respite from the storm. A mere lull between cloudbursts. The gentle lufting that announces the eye of the hurricane is watching you. A stall, if you will.
Der kopfschmertz ist returned. Der Third Eyeache hast arisen! No Big Smile, though. Only a grimace and a grunt.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Alms For An Ex-Leper
I know now the feeling one gets upon waking to a new day. I never understood that phrase before. My cynical mind scoffed at the notion that nothing is so bad it can't be seen in a better light merely by closing one's eyes and letting the bliss of slumber wash away some of the evil coating one's soul. It was something a mother tells her child when the child is upset, unhappy, frightened. It is something a lover tells one when the job is lost, the parent is dead, the bombs are falling. It is not something I would ever want to hear while in the midst of a 6 day tension headache that had worsened with each proceeding day. It is not something I would believe as my neck began to slowly cramp on the 5th day and night and I wandered aimlessly through a period of 30 hours with no sleep. But that's what happened.
Yesterday, after the aforementioned lack of conkout, I did get a nap and then drove out to my birth house to help my parents pack their things prior to moving them to Spokane. I needed the contact, I needed the activity (I'd missed 4 days of work while lying on the couch) and I needed to get the hell out of the house. When I came home it began to appear as if last night would be a repeat of the one before with no sleep and a cramping neck, pulsing temples, invisible vise around the head, no relief in sight. Somehow, I fell asleep early this morning.
When I awoke 5 hours later (on the couch, of course with the TV still on and muted) I encountered an immediate sense of something wrong, something amiss...something missing. It took me a moment to gather my bearings before I jumped and ran to the bathroom to start a shower. There was no way I was going back to sleep. No way I was giving this a chance to become a thieving dream. I had no pain whatsoever. It was gone, gone, gone.
I felt cleansed and energized. I felt new. The scales had been lifted from eyes. The crippled was healed.
I went to my local coffee joint and met friends and chatted and laughed until snot blew out my nose and I was asked to leave. I shopped. I cleaved branch from tree for my buddy Marcel. I came home and ate an entire meal. I gardened. It was truly a new day.
And now I look forward to returning to work tomorrow with a smile on my lips, a song in my heart, a hearty well-met for every brother and sister I meet...
Oh fuck I need an aspirin.
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