Eight Forty-Eight - The Role of Privatization in Efficiency and Democracy
Here is what I hope is a permalink to the audio of the NPR/WBEZ broadcast I was on this morning.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Group digs up dirt on swing set -- chicagotribune.com
Group digs up dirt on swing set -- chicagotribune.com: "In the latest episode of Life Under the Microscope, the White House playground for Sasha, Malia and friends is stirring controversy. An environmental health group is contending that the playground's ground-up-tire mulch poses a health risk.
'This is not a material that children should be playing on,' wrote Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health Inc., which calls itself a 'non-profit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts ... dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms.'
The group said an analysis of ground-up tires done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found a carcinogen as well as chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes."
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I have never heard of this problem before, although I have noticed how hot these materials get. My kids have spent countless hours on public playgrounds made of ground up tires. It seems odd that a President of the US can follow the recommendations of the National Recreation and Park Association and then be told that he is responsible for building The Doomsday Playground.
'This is not a material that children should be playing on,' wrote Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health Inc., which calls itself a 'non-profit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts ... dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms.'
The group said an analysis of ground-up tires done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found a carcinogen as well as chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes."
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I have never heard of this problem before, although I have noticed how hot these materials get. My kids have spent countless hours on public playgrounds made of ground up tires. It seems odd that a President of the US can follow the recommendations of the National Recreation and Park Association and then be told that he is responsible for building The Doomsday Playground.
$1 million worth of fixtures vanish from foreclosed home
$1 million worth of fixtures vanish from foreclosed home: "ENCINITAS — After a high-profile foreclosure, the county's largest and possibly most luxurious bank-owned home is missing an estimated $1 million worth of fixtures, from antique doors to top-of-the-line toilets...The 16,000-square-foot Spanish hacienda-style house on 1.24 acres in rural east Encinitas cost $13 million to build and furnish. In February, it failed to sell at a bank foreclosure auction with a starting bid of $2.3 million. "
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I used to live in Encinitas. It is in northern San Diego County. This is a pretty bold burglary. Fred Pilot ran down this lead.
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I used to live in Encinitas. It is in northern San Diego County. This is a pretty bold burglary. Fred Pilot ran down this lead.
HOA seminar focuses on meaning of bankruptcy | west, invite, association - Surprise - YourWestValley.com
HOA seminar focuses on meaning of bankruptcy | west, invite, association - Surprise - YourWestValley.com: "Surprise and the West Valley Homeowners Association invite residents to attend the next HOA Connection seminar, where the discussion will be centered on 'Bankruptcy: What does it mean for your community?'"
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Coming to a community near you...
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Coming to a community near you...
The American Suburb Is Bouncing Back - Forbes.com
The American Suburb Is Bouncing Back - Forbes.com: "Nationwide, existing home sales--predominately in the suburbs--have been on the rise for the last few months. The strongest growth is occurring in Sunbelt markets in Arizona, Nevada and Florida, as well as in California. These places experienced some of the greatest surges in prices, which forced many buyers to turn to subprime and interest-only loans.
These loans are largely not available today, Guerrero notes. Instead of financial quackery, lower prices--sometimes as much as 50% below peak--are allowing new buyers to buy affordably. In 2007, Inland Empire median house prices were roughly seven to 10 times the average annual income of potential buyers. Now they are settling close to the historic norm of three times."
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As Kotkin points out, the academic anti-suburban types will lament this.
These loans are largely not available today, Guerrero notes. Instead of financial quackery, lower prices--sometimes as much as 50% below peak--are allowing new buyers to buy affordably. In 2007, Inland Empire median house prices were roughly seven to 10 times the average annual income of potential buyers. Now they are settling close to the historic norm of three times."
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As Kotkin points out, the academic anti-suburban types will lament this.
Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com
Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com: "A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money.
Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.
The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.
Workers with dwindling wages are paying for groceries, yoga classes and fuel with Detroit Cheers, Ithaca Hours in New York, Plenty in North Carolina or BerkShares in Massachusetts"
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What would happen if local HOA does the same thing and sets up a currency exchange market where private and public "community currencies" co-exist?
Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.
The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.
Workers with dwindling wages are paying for groceries, yoga classes and fuel with Detroit Cheers, Ithaca Hours in New York, Plenty in North Carolina or BerkShares in Massachusetts"
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What would happen if local HOA does the same thing and sets up a currency exchange market where private and public "community currencies" co-exist?
Mortgage delinquencies soar in the U.S. | Special Coverage | Reuters
Mortgage delinquencies soar in the U.S. | Special Coverage | Reuters: "More U.S. consumers are falling behind on their mortgages, an indication that the housing market has yet to hit bottom, a top credit bureau executive told Reuters.
Dann Adams, president of U.S. Information Systems for Equifax Inc, reported that 7 percent of homeowners with mortgages were at least 30 days late on their loans in February, an increase of more than 50 percent from a year earlier."
Dann Adams, president of U.S. Information Systems for Equifax Inc, reported that 7 percent of homeowners with mortgages were at least 30 days late on their loans in February, an increase of more than 50 percent from a year earlier."
Monday, April 06, 2009
US Banks 'Basically Insolvent': Soros - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com
US Banks 'Basically Insolvent': Soros - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "The U.S. economy is in for a 'lasting slowdown' and could face a Japan-style period of relatively low growth coupled with high inflation, billionaire investor George Soros said on Monday.
Soros, speaking to Reuters Financial Television, also warned that rescuing U.S. banks could turn them into 'zombies' that draw the lifeblood of the economy, prolonging the economic slowdown."
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He probably wonders why he doesn't get invited to more parties.
Soros, speaking to Reuters Financial Television, also warned that rescuing U.S. banks could turn them into 'zombies' that draw the lifeblood of the economy, prolonging the economic slowdown."
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He probably wonders why he doesn't get invited to more parties.
YouTube - Barack Obama thinks Austrian is a language
"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian -- wheeling and dealing."
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Now imagine that George Bush or Sarah Palin had said that. I don't think you'd have to search for it on YouTube because it would be on the front page of the Washington Post and the New York Times.
"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian -- wheeling and dealing."
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Now imagine that George Bush or Sarah Palin had said that. I don't think you'd have to search for it on YouTube because it would be on the front page of the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Ft. Lauderdale Condo Complex Abandoned After Foreclosures Hit - cbs4.com
Ft. Lauderdale Condo Complex Abandoned After Foreclosures Hit - cbs4.com: "FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) When CBS4 News cameras first toured the property at the New River condos in Ft. Lauderdale back in November, we saw months' worth of garbage piled up and residents furious about living in filth.
When CBS4 Reporter Carey Codd went back in early April, the garbage bags were gone. And so were the residents.
New River Condos, located at 510 N. 24th Avenue, appears to have fallen victim to the foreclosure crisis. The complex, which has more than 50 units, is a haven for the homeless and a burden to the people who still own units there."
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This isn't the first condo complex to be abandoned, and it won't be the last. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
When CBS4 Reporter Carey Codd went back in early April, the garbage bags were gone. And so were the residents.
New River Condos, located at 510 N. 24th Avenue, appears to have fallen victim to the foreclosure crisis. The complex, which has more than 50 units, is a haven for the homeless and a burden to the people who still own units there."
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This isn't the first condo complex to be abandoned, and it won't be the last. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Eight Forty-Eight 4/6/2009
Eight Forty-Eight 4/6/2009
I will be on 848, on WBEZ, which is Chicago's NPR affilate, tomorrow morning at 9:00 am (that is Tuesday). The topic is...privatization! Chicago style, that is. That includes selling off the parking meters, the Chicago Skyway (which is really a toll road), and Midway Aiport.
I will be on 848, on WBEZ, which is Chicago's NPR affilate, tomorrow morning at 9:00 am (that is Tuesday). The topic is...privatization! Chicago style, that is. That includes selling off the parking meters, the Chicago Skyway (which is really a toll road), and Midway Aiport.
CaliforniaCityNews.org: gadfly hall of fame
CaliforniaCityNews.org: gadfly hall of fame
Here is the corrected link to the local government Gadfly Hall of Fame, sent to us by Fred Pilot, who is not a gadfly.
Here is the corrected link to the local government Gadfly Hall of Fame, sent to us by Fred Pilot, who is not a gadfly.
Indianapolis Mayor Robbed In Detroit - Breaking News: The Post Chronicle
Indianapolis Mayor Robbed In Detroit - Breaking News: The Post Chronicle: "Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was robbed while visiting Detroit, losing his cell phone in the incident, his communications director says."
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The Motor City is distinguishing itself in so many ways. You can buy a house for a hundred dollars, and even visiting mayors get robbed.
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The Motor City is distinguishing itself in so many ways. You can buy a house for a hundred dollars, and even visiting mayors get robbed.
YouTube videos unflattering to Doral mayor - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com
YouTube videos unflattering to Doral mayor - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com: "Three videos have popped up on YouTube that point to turbulent times at Doral City Hall.
Posted by CrazyPoliticians on March 23, the videos show Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez in action. The recordings from three council meetings -- one from last month and two from 2007 -- have picked up nearly 1,000 combined views."
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I wonder if there is a web site for posting viral videos of crazy HOA/condo directors.
Posted by CrazyPoliticians on March 23, the videos show Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez in action. The recordings from three council meetings -- one from last month and two from 2007 -- have picked up nearly 1,000 combined views."
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I wonder if there is a web site for posting viral videos of crazy HOA/condo directors.
The Purple Center: Outside authorities should review the slow police response in Binghamton mass killings
The Purple Center: Outside authorities should review the slow police response in Binghamton mass killings
Here is a blog post on the issue.
I really don't blame the police, because situations like this underscore the problems with over-reliance on the police for public safety.
It seems that when a mass murder takes place in a building, the police always treat it as a hostage situation, where the procedure is to surround the building and set up communication with the hostage-taker, then proceed cautiously to enter the building as safely as possible. All that makes perfect sense--if you are dealing with a hostage-taker.
But mass murderers aren't usually interested in hostages. They just want to kill as many people as possible before the police kill them. It seems that sometimes they get tired of waiting for the police to enter the building, so they kill themselves. This maniac in Binghamton was wearing body armor, so I assume he wanted a shootout with police. The police remained outside, so he killed himself.
Result: 14 dead civilians, 25 wounded civilians, one dead mass murderer, and zero police casualties.
The hostage situation response doesn't save civilian lives if the murderer's objective is mass murder and suicide. The only kind of police response that might make a difference in a Binghamton-type situation is the John Wayne type, where the first patrol officers on the scene crash through the door as fast as they can and try to kill the murderer before he kills them or anybody else.
That would help only if they get there while the murderer is still killing people. Often it is already over within a few minutes. And that is really too much to ask of patrol officers, isn't it? They aren't equipped for it, they aren't trained for it, they don't know what is going on inside, and they could be walking into a trap with explosives or an ambush.
That's why the only really effective response would come from armed citizens who are capable of defending themselves.
Here is a blog post on the issue.
I really don't blame the police, because situations like this underscore the problems with over-reliance on the police for public safety.
It seems that when a mass murder takes place in a building, the police always treat it as a hostage situation, where the procedure is to surround the building and set up communication with the hostage-taker, then proceed cautiously to enter the building as safely as possible. All that makes perfect sense--if you are dealing with a hostage-taker.
But mass murderers aren't usually interested in hostages. They just want to kill as many people as possible before the police kill them. It seems that sometimes they get tired of waiting for the police to enter the building, so they kill themselves. This maniac in Binghamton was wearing body armor, so I assume he wanted a shootout with police. The police remained outside, so he killed himself.
Result: 14 dead civilians, 25 wounded civilians, one dead mass murderer, and zero police casualties.
The hostage situation response doesn't save civilian lives if the murderer's objective is mass murder and suicide. The only kind of police response that might make a difference in a Binghamton-type situation is the John Wayne type, where the first patrol officers on the scene crash through the door as fast as they can and try to kill the murderer before he kills them or anybody else.
That would help only if they get there while the murderer is still killing people. Often it is already over within a few minutes. And that is really too much to ask of patrol officers, isn't it? They aren't equipped for it, they aren't trained for it, they don't know what is going on inside, and they could be walking into a trap with explosives or an ambush.
That's why the only really effective response would come from armed citizens who are capable of defending themselves.
As condo owners default, neighbors left holding bag | Portland Press Herald
As condo owners default, neighbors left holding bag | Portland Press Herald: "'A quarter of our income has been withdrawn, and it has been now for a long time,' said David Pitt, one of the owners and president of the Rosemont Condominium Association.
Associations rely on those fees to pay insurance and to maintain and repair common property. But under current law, they're hard-pressed to recover that money when an owner stops paying. The remaining owners in the association must pick up the tab.
Associations around the state increasingly are facing that burden as the recession, falling property values and a wave of troubled mortgages generate drawn-out foreclosure procedures.
Now, condo association officials are seeking some relief. They're asking for a change in the law governing condominium rules to allow them to recover some of that lost money from lenders, after the owners bail."
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Portland, Maine. Not a whole lot of condos in Maine, but about half of them are in the Portland area.
Associations rely on those fees to pay insurance and to maintain and repair common property. But under current law, they're hard-pressed to recover that money when an owner stops paying. The remaining owners in the association must pick up the tab.
Associations around the state increasingly are facing that burden as the recession, falling property values and a wave of troubled mortgages generate drawn-out foreclosure procedures.
Now, condo association officials are seeking some relief. They're asking for a change in the law governing condominium rules to allow them to recover some of that lost money from lenders, after the owners bail."
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Portland, Maine. Not a whole lot of condos in Maine, but about half of them are in the Portland area.
Homeowners’ Hard Times Are Good for the Foreclosure Business - NYTimes.com
Homeowners’ Hard Times Are Good for the Foreclosure Business - NYTimes.com: "Welcome to the spring 2009 Reomac conference, which has attracted nearly 3,000 real estate agents and property managers to this lush desert resort. The crowd brimmed with a gusto that is hard to find in this recessionary era. The hotel bar did more business on Saturday night than it did on New Year’s Eve. Small wonder: These are the people cashing in on the boom in foreclosed properties.
R.E.O. is industry lingo for “Real Estate Owned,” the term that bankers assign to homes they have taken in a foreclosure. Reomac is the industry group that serves the mortgage default trade, specializing in selling the busted-up American dream.
“Things are going tremendously,” said Darren Johnson, an R.E.O. agent from the Detroit area, who has handled about 180 bank property sales in the last year. “It has never been this good.”"
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There are supposedly 700,000 REO properties for sale now. In all of 2006 there were 100,000.
R.E.O. is industry lingo for “Real Estate Owned,” the term that bankers assign to homes they have taken in a foreclosure. Reomac is the industry group that serves the mortgage default trade, specializing in selling the busted-up American dream.
“Things are going tremendously,” said Darren Johnson, an R.E.O. agent from the Detroit area, who has handled about 180 bank property sales in the last year. “It has never been this good.”"
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There are supposedly 700,000 REO properties for sale now. In all of 2006 there were 100,000.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned'
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned': "Some 200 mosques in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, point the wrong way for prayers, reports from Saudi Arabia say.
All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque. But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba.
Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers.
There have been suggestions that laser beams could be used to make an exact measurement."
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This may explain the outcomes of all those wars with Israel.
All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque. But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba.
Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers.
There have been suggestions that laser beams could be used to make an exact measurement."
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This may explain the outcomes of all those wars with Israel.
My Way News - Binghamton officials defend response to massacre
My Way News - Binghamton officials defend response to massacre: "BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) - Even if police officers had immediately entered the immigrant center where a gunman had just shot down 13 people, the victims' injuries were so severe that none would have survived, a county prosecutor said Sunday.
But police didn't enter the American Civic Association until nearly 45 minutes after the first 911 calls came in at 10:30 a.m. Friday. They began removing the wounded about 15 minutes after that.
It took more than two hours to clear the building. Survivors reported huddling for hours in a basement, not knowing whether they were still in danger after the gunman, 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, killed 13 people."
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But the police didn't know the extent of people's injuries, as they milled around the building for 45 minutes. The bottom line, unfortunately, is that the only defense against massacres by lunatics is armed citizens. In these situations, we cannot count on the police to do anything more significant than picking up the bodies. In nearly all cases, it seems that these mass murderers are done with their work, and often have taken their own lives, before the police even have time to respond, much less take up positions and coordinate a building entry.
But police didn't enter the American Civic Association until nearly 45 minutes after the first 911 calls came in at 10:30 a.m. Friday. They began removing the wounded about 15 minutes after that.
It took more than two hours to clear the building. Survivors reported huddling for hours in a basement, not knowing whether they were still in danger after the gunman, 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, killed 13 people."
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But the police didn't know the extent of people's injuries, as they milled around the building for 45 minutes. The bottom line, unfortunately, is that the only defense against massacres by lunatics is armed citizens. In these situations, we cannot count on the police to do anything more significant than picking up the bodies. In nearly all cases, it seems that these mass murderers are done with their work, and often have taken their own lives, before the police even have time to respond, much less take up positions and coordinate a building entry.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Quinn signs foreclosure grace period bill - Chicago Breaking News
Quinn signs foreclosure grace period bill - Chicago Breaking News: "Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation that gives delinquent homeowners facing foreclosure a grace period of up to 90 days. The bill gives people extra time to work with lenders. It was passed by the state legislature in January and Quinn signed it early Sunday afternoon at a church on Chicago's southwest side. The legislation prohibits lenders from beginning foreclosure proceedings within the first 30 days that a homeowner is delinquent. After that, lenders have to tell homeowners that they have another 30 days to seek credit counseling before legal action could begin. People who get housing counseling approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have an additional 30 days to develop a plan with their lenders."
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And if they say "Candyman" three times while looking in a mirror, they get another 30 days. Or else a monster chases them down the street. I forget which.
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And if they say "Candyman" three times while looking in a mirror, they get another 30 days. Or else a monster chases them down the street. I forget which.
Washington Times - EDITORIAL: The traffic-camera scam
Washington Times - EDITORIAL: The traffic-camera scam: "Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax and Virginia Beach are preparing to stimulate public spending with new red-light camera programs. This is part of a push to fill government budget shortfalls by ramping up tickets for moving violations."
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Aren't these CID-heavy communities?
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Aren't these CID-heavy communities?
Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address
Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address
This web site ranks neighborhoods in terms of how "walkable" they are.
This web site ranks neighborhoods in terms of how "walkable" they are.
Ohio.com - Judge orders animal removal
Ohio.com - Judge orders animal removal: "Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter issued a permanent injunction against Pearson and his ex-wife, Barbara Pearson-Brown, on Friday for keeping animals in unsanitary conditions. They are permanently barred from keeping exotic animals.
The two were also found in contempt of court and each was fined $150.
Hunter's 10-page order allows the Summit County Health Department and Copley Township to remove six horses, three goats, four pigs, three pot-bellied pigs, 20 ducks, one calf, five guinea fowl, seven chickens and pigeons from the Columbus Avenue property."
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I guess the judge let them keep the partridge in a pear tree.
The two were also found in contempt of court and each was fined $150.
Hunter's 10-page order allows the Summit County Health Department and Copley Township to remove six horses, three goats, four pigs, three pot-bellied pigs, 20 ducks, one calf, five guinea fowl, seven chickens and pigeons from the Columbus Avenue property."
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I guess the judge let them keep the partridge in a pear tree.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Croatian Village Comes to Collin County | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth: "Adriatica is a new community designed to have the look and feel of a Croatian village by the sea. 'It has character. Its personality is different than other's, almost like cookie cutter houses,' said Croatian native Vesna Solano. Homes vary from mansions to flats and businesses are within walking distance. Adriatica has a bell tower that is an exact replica of the one in Supetar,Croatia. The developer even preserved parts of Croatian buildings nearly destroyed in the war. 'Everything is real. All the stone is really carved, all the buildings are really stone, there's no fake material in the whole project,' said developer Jeff Blackard."
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To really bring the feel of Croatia to North Texas, a sniper hidden in that bell tower would add just that little frisson of reality, don't you think?
Marketplace: Home selling moves to a new stage
Marketplace: Home selling moves to a new stage: "These days, savvy realtors sometimes 'stage' whole neighborhoods, mowing lawns on abandoned properties, hiring dog walkers to stroll the streets. And when the financial stakes are high enough, employing professional actors to give the place a truly 'lived-in' feel. I get to see this played out the following weekend."
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I guess hiring actors is an effective way to convince people that there is really some community in those community association-run developments. This is an extension of the advertising literature, where they show actors posing as happy soccer moms pushing the kids on the swings. But the whole thing is creepy. Too Stepford-Wifeish for me.
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I guess hiring actors is an effective way to convince people that there is really some community in those community association-run developments. This is an extension of the advertising literature, where they show actors posing as happy soccer moms pushing the kids on the swings. But the whole thing is creepy. Too Stepford-Wifeish for me.
To urban hunter, next meal is scampering by | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "Detroit - When selecting the best raccoon carcass for the special holiday roast, both the connoisseur and the curious should remember this simple guideline: Look for the paw.
'The paw is old school,' says Glemie Dean Beasley, a Detroit raccoon hunter and meat salesman. 'It lets the customers know it's not a cat or dog.'
Beasley, a 69-year-old retired truck driver who modestly refers to himself as the Coon Man, supplements his Social Security check with the sale of raccoon carcasses that go for as much $12 and can serve up to four. The pelts, too, are good for coats and hats and fetch up to $10 a hide..."This city is going back to the wild," he says. "That's bad for people but that's good for me. I can catch wild rabbit and pheasant and coon in my backyard."
Detroit was once home to nearly 2 million people but has shrunk to a population of perhaps less than 900,000. It is estimated that a city the size of San Francisco could fit neatly within its empty lots. As nature abhors a vacuum, wildlife has moved in.
A beaver was spotted recently in the Detroit River. Wild fox skulk the 15th hole at the Palmer Park golf course. There is bald eagle, hawk and falcon that roam the city skies. Wild Turkeys roam the grasses. A coyote was snared two years ago roaming the Federal Court House downtown. And Beasley keeps a gaze of skinned coon in the freezer. "
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The article says that if you cook the meat thoroughly, there is "small chance of contracting rabies from the meat." That's encouraging.
'The paw is old school,' says Glemie Dean Beasley, a Detroit raccoon hunter and meat salesman. 'It lets the customers know it's not a cat or dog.'
Beasley, a 69-year-old retired truck driver who modestly refers to himself as the Coon Man, supplements his Social Security check with the sale of raccoon carcasses that go for as much $12 and can serve up to four. The pelts, too, are good for coats and hats and fetch up to $10 a hide..."This city is going back to the wild," he says. "That's bad for people but that's good for me. I can catch wild rabbit and pheasant and coon in my backyard."
Detroit was once home to nearly 2 million people but has shrunk to a population of perhaps less than 900,000. It is estimated that a city the size of San Francisco could fit neatly within its empty lots. As nature abhors a vacuum, wildlife has moved in.
A beaver was spotted recently in the Detroit River. Wild fox skulk the 15th hole at the Palmer Park golf course. There is bald eagle, hawk and falcon that roam the city skies. Wild Turkeys roam the grasses. A coyote was snared two years ago roaming the Federal Court House downtown. And Beasley keeps a gaze of skinned coon in the freezer. "
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The article says that if you cook the meat thoroughly, there is "small chance of contracting rabies from the meat." That's encouraging.
Too Costly to Keep, Boats Become Castaways - NYTimes.com
Too Costly to Keep, Boats Become Castaways - NYTimes.com: "They often sandpaper over the names and file off the registry numbers, doing their best to render the boats, and themselves, untraceable. Then they casually ditch the vessels in the middle of busy harbors, beach them at low tide on the banks of creeks or occasionally scuttle them outright.
The bad economy is creating a flotilla of forsaken boats. While there is no national census of abandoned boats, officials in coastal states are worried the problem will only grow worse as unemployment and financial stress continue to rise. Several states are even drafting laws against derelicts and say they are aggressively starting to pursue delinquent owners."
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First, ditch the condo. Then ditch the boat. What's next? Make the kids work as street performers?
The bad economy is creating a flotilla of forsaken boats. While there is no national census of abandoned boats, officials in coastal states are worried the problem will only grow worse as unemployment and financial stress continue to rise. Several states are even drafting laws against derelicts and say they are aggressively starting to pursue delinquent owners."
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First, ditch the condo. Then ditch the boat. What's next? Make the kids work as street performers?
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Pro-pest group opposes Charlotte's war on cankerworms | CharlotteObserver.com: "As crop dusters swooped across Charlotte last year to coat the Queen City with cankerworm-killing spray, a young woman raised her head to the skies and whispered: Why?
Yes, the insects have been blamed for devouring the canopy and bedeviling neighborhoods as they rain down from the trees. But the way April Hatcher looks at it, our infamous insects are part of nature and must be preserved.
So she formed a local chapter of Join Our Kindly Ecosystem, which is dedicated to saving insects under attack by man."
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The photo shows treed defoliated by cankerworms. I don't know about you, but I am shedding a tear for the noble cankerworm. I like the part where April and her friends will rescue the cankerworms as they slide down out of trees on their slime trails, catching them in "special leaf-lined, recycled cardboard containers," and transport them to some more tolerant community.
Where they can get eaten by a bluebird.
What Does One Get a Queen? - Political Punch
What Does One Get a Queen? - Political Punch: "President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers."
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So he gave the Prime Minister some DVDs that won't work on European players, and he gave the Queen an IPod that was packed with Obama speeches. How charming. I'm surprised he didn't put Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols on there. "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK" would have had her moshing in Buckminster Abbey for certain.
This Obama sure has the sophistication Bush lacked, doesn't he? Perhaps he can stop by Walmart and pick up a Wii for Nicolas Sarkozy.
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So he gave the Prime Minister some DVDs that won't work on European players, and he gave the Queen an IPod that was packed with Obama speeches. How charming. I'm surprised he didn't put Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols on there. "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK" would have had her moshing in Buckminster Abbey for certain.
This Obama sure has the sophistication Bush lacked, doesn't he? Perhaps he can stop by Walmart and pick up a Wii for Nicolas Sarkozy.
Proposed water rate hike blocked | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
Proposed water rate hike blocked | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California: "City officials say the goal of the proposed rate increase was to bring the rates of the 1,266 households serviced by McCanna in line with what other water users in Perris pay.
A group of homeowners from the Villages of Avalon, the designer home tract that contains most of the impacted households, said the rate increase was too much.
'Not only would this affect individual homeowners in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosures, this would be adding an extra $200,000 to the homeowner association's budget,' said Marnie Aislin-Kay, who heads the association."
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When municipalities are after money, they have the power to sock it to the HOAs. But the reverse isn't true, is it?
A group of homeowners from the Villages of Avalon, the designer home tract that contains most of the impacted households, said the rate increase was too much.
'Not only would this affect individual homeowners in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosures, this would be adding an extra $200,000 to the homeowner association's budget,' said Marnie Aislin-Kay, who heads the association."
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When municipalities are after money, they have the power to sock it to the HOAs. But the reverse isn't true, is it?
Four Resign From Live Oak Preserve CDD Boards
Four Resign From Live Oak Preserve CDD Boards: "LIVE OAK PRESERVE - Days after an announcement by parent company TOUSA to wind down production, Engle Homes, the developer of Live Oak Preserve, is relinquishing some of its authority at the development. Engle Homes Vice President Rick Feather said all Engle employees who serve on the Live Oak I, Live Oak II and The Hammocks' community development district boards are stepping down immediately. 'We resigned under the advice of counsel,' Feather said. Feather served as a board supervisor on all of the three developer-controlled CDDs. Engle employees Lauren Arcaro, Dennis DeMott and Michael Mulvihill were members of the Live Oak II and The Hammocks boards. The taxing authorities are in charge of setting the budgets and overseeing management of the common areas throughout the community."
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If I read this article correctly, TOUSA is going out of business, as in "...wrapping up construction projects, selling off its inventory of homes and not planning to build any new ones."
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If I read this article correctly, TOUSA is going out of business, as in "...wrapping up construction projects, selling off its inventory of homes and not planning to build any new ones."
Construction-defects bill before Colorado Senate panel - Denver Business Journal:
Construction-defects bill before Colorado Senate panel - Denver Business Journal:: "Senate Bill 246, sponsored by Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, is intended to encourage contractors to correct defective construction and gives homeowners bigger settlements when the problems aren’t addressed.
Under current law, homeowners are entitled to claims dating back to the closing of the house — even if defects are not known to the homeowner at that point.
SB 246 establishes a 6 percent interest on the claims that accrue on a defect from the time of closing and 8 percent that accrues on the defect once there has been notification and the legal process begins."
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The contractors are not amused.
Under current law, homeowners are entitled to claims dating back to the closing of the house — even if defects are not known to the homeowner at that point.
SB 246 establishes a 6 percent interest on the claims that accrue on a defect from the time of closing and 8 percent that accrues on the defect once there has been notification and the legal process begins."
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The contractors are not amused.
It's time again to answer your condo questions -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
It's time again to answer your condo questions -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "Q: A new state law requires candidates for a condo board to submit a signed form stating they have read and understand state laws and governing documents. What are the consequences if this form is not submitted?
A: The Condominium Act, §718.112(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2008), does not state consequences; however, from the statute's context it would appear that a candidate who fails to provide a form will not have his or her name printed on a ballot."
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Generally the point of a form that requires people to say they have read and understood something is to prevent them from claiming later that they didn't read or understand it, and shouldn't be accountable for violating its terms.
Now, in this case perhaps it is a substitute for training condo residents and board members. The candidates are required to say "I read and understood all that stuff" and presto, no need for the state to do anything more. The problem of ignorance has been eradicated. Our job here is finished.
What do you Florida folks have to say? Am I right or am I wrong?
And what is with those butterfly ballots, anyway?
A: The Condominium Act, §718.112(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2008), does not state consequences; however, from the statute's context it would appear that a candidate who fails to provide a form will not have his or her name printed on a ballot."
--------------
Generally the point of a form that requires people to say they have read and understood something is to prevent them from claiming later that they didn't read or understand it, and shouldn't be accountable for violating its terms.
Now, in this case perhaps it is a substitute for training condo residents and board members. The candidates are required to say "I read and understood all that stuff" and presto, no need for the state to do anything more. The problem of ignorance has been eradicated. Our job here is finished.
What do you Florida folks have to say? Am I right or am I wrong?
And what is with those butterfly ballots, anyway?
Failure to Sell San Quentin Reflects Deeper Problem | Fox & Hounds Daily
Failure to Sell San Quentin Reflects Deeper Problem | Fox & Hounds Daily: "The fact that a bill by state Senator Jeff Denham to sell San Quentin failed to move forward from the Senate Committee on Public Safety yesterday indicates a deeper problem than the state managing this one piece of property.
Over the years, the state has acquired property as if it were a real estate magnate building an empire. California should not be in the real estate business. It should just hold property related to its essential functions and manage that property wisely.
While a prison is an essential state function, San Quentin is an example of poor management of resources."
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Good point. Why is a piece of real estate with a spectacular ocean view being used as a state prison in the first place? Fred Pilot found this followup story.
Over the years, the state has acquired property as if it were a real estate magnate building an empire. California should not be in the real estate business. It should just hold property related to its essential functions and manage that property wisely.
While a prison is an essential state function, San Quentin is an example of poor management of resources."
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Good point. Why is a piece of real estate with a spectacular ocean view being used as a state prison in the first place? Fred Pilot found this followup story.
Justice Dept. Seeks To Void Stevens' Conviction : NPR: "The Justice Department on Wednesday asked a federal judge to drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.
A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. However, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial."
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It was the Bush justice department that did this. They went after Stevens, cheated to get a conviction that occurred eight days before the election (they withheld from the defense notes of an interview with a key prosecution witness that would have allowed the defense attorneys to undermine his credibility on important issues), and then Stevens narrowly lost his Senate seat to a Democrat. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history.
Here is what Stevens' attorneys had to say:
Stevens' attorneys claimed the government "disregarded the Constitution" by going through with the prosecution but praised both Holder, the new prosecutorial team and Judge Emmett G. Sullivan for demonstrating integrity in the case.
"The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and created false evidence that they provided to the defense," said attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. and Robert M. Cary.
The Iraq war and the meltdown of the economy overshadow the incompetence and venality of the Bush administration in running the Justice Department. Bush actually nominated Harriet Miers for the United States Supreme Court. That tells you all you need to know about his respect for law.
Eric Holder wouldn't have been my choice for AG, but at least he has some common sense and realizes that the Stevens conviction would undoubtedly be reversed on appeal anyway. And now that Stevens is gone and the Democrats have snagged a Senate seat in a Republican state for six years, there is no political fallout for Holder's party in letting the case die.
It is a strange thing to hear Republicans still defending Bush, considering that he destroyed his own party. Talk about blind loyalty.
A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. However, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial."
---------------
It was the Bush justice department that did this. They went after Stevens, cheated to get a conviction that occurred eight days before the election (they withheld from the defense notes of an interview with a key prosecution witness that would have allowed the defense attorneys to undermine his credibility on important issues), and then Stevens narrowly lost his Senate seat to a Democrat. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history.
Here is what Stevens' attorneys had to say:
Stevens' attorneys claimed the government "disregarded the Constitution" by going through with the prosecution but praised both Holder, the new prosecutorial team and Judge Emmett G. Sullivan for demonstrating integrity in the case.
"The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and created false evidence that they provided to the defense," said attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. and Robert M. Cary.
The Iraq war and the meltdown of the economy overshadow the incompetence and venality of the Bush administration in running the Justice Department. Bush actually nominated Harriet Miers for the United States Supreme Court. That tells you all you need to know about his respect for law.
Eric Holder wouldn't have been my choice for AG, but at least he has some common sense and realizes that the Stevens conviction would undoubtedly be reversed on appeal anyway. And now that Stevens is gone and the Democrats have snagged a Senate seat in a Republican state for six years, there is no political fallout for Holder's party in letting the case die.
It is a strange thing to hear Republicans still defending Bush, considering that he destroyed his own party. Talk about blind loyalty.
TechEBlog » Artist Recreates City of Kings with Matchsticks
Now, that's what I call a gated community.
Neighbour from hell 'blew up own home' minutes before eviction | Mail Online
Neighbour from hell 'blew up own home' minutes before eviction | Mail Online: "A 'neighbour from hell' is thought to have committed suicide by blowing up his home minutes before he was due to be evicted.
Wheelchair user Donald Joyce, 58, had been ordered to leave his two-bedroom bungalow after a campaign of harassment against neighbours during which he blocked access to their homes, filmed them through windows, and shouted abuse.
Bailiffs were due to remove him at 10.30am yesterday but at 9.45 a series of explosions blew apart the building in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, and it burned to the ground."
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I take it alternative dispute resolution efforts must have broken down.
Wheelchair user Donald Joyce, 58, had been ordered to leave his two-bedroom bungalow after a campaign of harassment against neighbours during which he blocked access to their homes, filmed them through windows, and shouted abuse.
Bailiffs were due to remove him at 10.30am yesterday but at 9.45 a series of explosions blew apart the building in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, and it burned to the ground."
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I take it alternative dispute resolution efforts must have broken down.
California lawmaker proposes selling San Quentin prison - CNN.com
California lawmaker proposes selling San Quentin prison - CNN.com: "State Sen. Jeff Denham is proposing selling the 432-acre prison, which offers a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay, to garner money for California.
'Our inmates just don't need an ocean view. Let's level it off,' said Denham, a Republican.
'Let's rebuild something for the community there and reap the benefit for the state by having that money come in,' he added.
Denham estimates that the property could sell for as much as $2 billion, even amid a down market."
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I could see a developer making it into a different kind of gated community.
'Our inmates just don't need an ocean view. Let's level it off,' said Denham, a Republican.
'Let's rebuild something for the community there and reap the benefit for the state by having that money come in,' he added.
Denham estimates that the property could sell for as much as $2 billion, even amid a down market."
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I could see a developer making it into a different kind of gated community.
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