fish condo fish bowl 2..0

fish condo fish bowl 2..0
OK, now I have seen the future.

New Jersey Community May Debate Gay Flag Displays | News | Advocate.com

New Jersey Community May Debate Gay Flag Displays  | News | Advocate.com: "Residents of Shark River Hills, an unincorporated area in New Jersey’s Neptune Township, may address the appropriateness of gay rights flag displays at their annual meeting on April 28.

The Asbury Park Press reports that a member of the community in Monmouth County submitted a question concerning the flags for consideration by the Township Committee and the Shark River Hills Property Owners’ Association.

'Ref: Display of sexual orientation flags,' the question begins. 'More and more, we are noticing flags being displayed on [Shark River Hills] properties declaring the occupants' sexual orientation or proclivity -- not just the multicolored 'gay' striped flags, but also banners indicating fetishes and or other 'lifestyle' choices. While this type of display may be acceptable in certain gay enclaves, there is simply no justification for it in a family-oriented neighborhood like [Shark River Hills]. Your comments?'"
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Here's a new flag issue. Question: how can there be such a place as "Shark River Hills"? Why not "Whale Desert Falls"?

The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent: "There are countless buildings half-finished, seemingly abandoned. In the swankiest new constructions – like the vast Atlantis hotel, a giant pink castle built in 1,000 days for $1.5bn on its own artificial island – where rainwater is leaking from the ceilings and the tiles are falling off the roof. This Neverland was built on the Never-Never – and now the cracks are beginning to show. Suddenly it looks less like Manhattan in the sun than Iceland in the desert.

Once the manic burst of building has stopped and the whirlwind has slowed, the secrets of Dubai are slowly seeping out. This is a city built from nothing in just a few wild decades on credit and ecocide, suppression and slavery. Dubai is a living metal metaphor for the neo-liberal globalised world that may be crashing – at last – into history."
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Amazing story sent by Mystery Reader.

'Forgotten' road burden of residents? :: Herald News :: Local News

'Forgotten' road burden of residents? :: Herald News :: Local News: "PLAINFIELD, IL -- For 13 years, most of the residents of Cambridge Circle apparently had no idea they were supposed to maintain their street. The village has been plowing it, changing street lights, even citing them for shoveling snow out onto the street. They had to call the police department to get permission to have a party on the street, said one resident. In June, the homeowners association discovered their subdivision's original annexation agreement, which states that Cambridge Circle was supposed to be a private road, maintained by the homeowners association. The residents were not informed of that and have never reserved cash to cover the cost of maintaining the road, said Mark Lindsay, president of the homeowners association. The homeowners association recently asked the village to take ownership of the road, seeking an amendment to the annexation agreement. Village staff recommended against it."
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Surprise!

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | CCTV cars snap distracted drivers

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | CCTV cars snap distracted drivers: "New CCTV cars to catch drivers using their mobile phones or being otherwise distracted at the wheel are being piloted by Greater Manchester Police. The small Smart cars, which have a 12ft (3.6m) mast with a camera attached, are parked at junctions to monitor traffic. Mike Downes of the Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership said the scheme was successfully 'driving the number of accidents down'. But the AA's Paul Watters said drivers 'might regard it as Big Brother'."
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this report of what I would call "Little Brother" given the size of these dinky little cars.

Woody Harrelson claims he mistook photographer for zombie - CNN.com

Woody Harrelson claims he mistook photographer for zombie - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Woody Harrelson defended his clash with a photographer at a New York airport Wednesday night as a case of mistaken identity -- he says he mistook the cameraman for a zombie."
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This is a defense I have not heard of before, but now that I think about it, perhaps it is plausible. You can't be too careful when dealing with zombies.

Local Governments Turn to Fees to Fill Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com

Local Governments Turn to Fees to Fill Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com: "With the economy flailing and budgets strained, state and local governments are being creative about ways to raise money. And the go-to idea is to invent a fee — or simply raise one."
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Fees for responding to traffic accidents, "streetlight user fees," charges for idling your car engine, massive increases in parking rates and dog tags...the list goes on.

The pols think that fees are easier to impose than taxes because each fee hits a minority of people, but taxes hit much larger groups and generate opposition. Clever, isn't it?

L.A. Houses Modeled after Fairytales (PICS)

L.A. Houses Modeled after Fairytales (PICS)
I like the hobbit house.

Condo groups gagged | Straight.com

Condo groups gagged | Straight.com: "There are about 460,000 strata-housing units across the province. Comprising 25 percent of taxable properties, according to VISOA figures, these are owned by some 600,000 British Columbians, or roughly 15 percent of the population."
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Strata property means condominiums.

Jewish Herald-Voice

Jewish Herald-Voice: "Texas homeowners’ associations no longer will be able to ban residents from affixing a mezuzah to their front doorposts if a bill pending the Texas House passes. The bill, HB 3025, is waiting for passage by the House Committee on Business and Industry. If the committee passes the bill, it will go to the House floor, where the Texas House of Representatives will vote on it."
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Another state making another special exception. Why not just force associations to show some respect for civil liberties in general?

Neighborhood Experiences Rank Side Effect of Foreclosure Crisis | NBC Washington

Neighborhood Experiences Rank Side Effect of Foreclosure Crisis | NBC Washington: "Thursday was trash day in the Lake Crest subdivision. At least, it was supposed to be trash day. As was Monday. And last Thursday. Actually, it's been about two-and-a-half weeks since the homeowners association was able to pay for pick up.

So trash bags and cans line the sidewalks. With Easter on the way, the whole thing smells like rotten eggs.

Not only does trash look bad and smell bad, it behaves poorly, as well, attracting birds, rats and other potentially unhealthy animals.

The problem? Foreclosures. The neighborhood is littered with them. Fewer homeowners means less dues in the homeowners association coffers."
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Another HOA in financial trouble. Insolvency is looming for an increasing number of community associations. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link.

Pulte Homes agrees to buy Centex in $1.3B deal

Pulte Homes agrees to buy Centex in $1.3B deal: "NEW YORK – Pulte Homes Inc. is buying Centex Corp. for $1.3 billion in stock in a deal that will create the nation's largest homebuilder that caters to everyone from first-time homebuyers to grandparents looking to move into retirement communities.

The acquisition also will give Pulte large tracts of land in Texas and the Carolinas, two of the most resilient real estate markets, and a presence in 29 states and Washington, D.C.

The new company, which will include the Del Webb and Fox & Jacobs brand homes, will keep the Pulte name and headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. There will be an unspecified number of job cuts."
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"The two most similar companies in homebuilding" decide that...there can be only one!

Wood-bender Chris Mroz: Ahead of the curve | The News Tribune - TOP BUSINESS | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination

Wood-bender Chris Mroz: Ahead of the curve | The News Tribune - TOP BUSINESS | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "Imagine an indoor park four times the size of downtown Tacoma’s Tollefson Plaza – with a tiered amphitheater, rolling hills and winding paths formed entirely of bent red oak planks.

A premier London landscape architect imagined it. Chris Mroz, an innovative Gig Harbor woodbender, may get the chance to build it.

Mroz likes his chances. Martha Schwartz Partners created the concept for a $1.6 billion development in Seoul, South Korea, around Mroz’s technological woodbending method – the only one of its kind in the Americas."
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This is amazing, but I'm sure no HOA will allow this sort of thing because wood is supposed to be straight and bent wood is bad for property values.

Developers plan first solar city - Florida AP - MiamiHerald.com

Developers plan first solar city - Florida AP - MiamiHerald.com: "Developers say they're planning the world's first completely solar-powered city in southwest Florida.

Syd Kitson, of the West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners, said Thursday that the new city will be powered by a $300 million 75-megawatt solar plant that Florida Power & Light plans to build in Charlotte County. He says the company plans to begin building homes on the large tract of land called Babcock Ranch by 2011."
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Too bad Del Webb already used that "Sun City" name...

Binmen blockaded by furious householder after they refuse to take garden waste... because it had five stones in it | Mail Online

Binmen blockaded by furious householder after they refuse to take garden waste... because it had five stones in it | Mail Online: "Mr Bilton saw red when the rubbish collectors refused to empty his neighbour's wheelie bin because it contained five small stones and a sweet wrapper. The council workers were collecting garden waste to be turned into compost – and according to the rulebook the stones, none bigger than a golf ball, and the wrapper were household waste. Even when Mr Bilton, 39, removed the offending items, the dustmen still refused to empty the brown bin. It was apparently 'contaminated' with the household waste. Stunned by such petty bureaucracy, Mr Bilton wheeled two bins into the road, trapping the lorry and its crew in the cul-de-sac in Royston, Hertfordshire. Mobile phone footage shows him leaning on one bin as the binmen look on."
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The Brits have such civilized disputes. In the US this would have turned into a gunfight or a hostage situation around the contaminated household waste stage. At least, if it was my trash.

With Advocates’ Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home - NYTimes.com

With Advocates’ Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home - NYTimes.com: "MIAMI — When the woman who calls herself Queen Omega moved into a three-bedroom house here last December, she introduced herself to the neighbors, signed contracts for electricity and water and ordered an Internet connection.What she did not tell anyone was that she had no legal right to be in the home.

Ms. Omega, 48, is one of the beneficiaries of the foreclosure crisis. Through a small advocacy group of local volunteers called Take Back the Land, she moved from a friend’s couch into a newly empty house that sold just a few years ago for more than $400,000.

Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said about a dozen advocacy groups around the country were actively moving homeless people into vacant homes — some working in secret, others, like Take Back the Land, operating openly. "
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I'd be careful which land I was trying to take. Might meet up with somebody who has a shotgun and no tolerance for squatters. I wonder what a feature in the NYT will do for the squatter population.

D.A. investigates Brown Act violations - Los Angeles Times

D.A. investigates Brown Act violations - Los Angeles Times: "Dozens of local government agencies across Los Angeles County have silenced critics at public meetings, held secret conferences to hash out important business or taken other actions that violated the state's open meetings law, according to a Times review of the district attorney's records."
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Hard to see why the industry doesn't want HOAs and condo associations to be held to public standards, if the public agencies are behaving like this. What's the difference?

Widow fighting eviction, cancer - 4/08/09 - Raleigh News - abc11.com

Widow fighting eviction, cancer - 4/08/09 - Raleigh News - abc11.com: "DURHAM (WTVD) -- A widow fighting cancer is also fighting to keep her home.

The Treyburn Homeowners Association in one of the Triangle's most affluent neighborhoods is trying to toss out 67-year-old SueAnn Demmerle."
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It appears that she is heavily in arrears to the association, as well as to the mortgage company and the county. A sad situation.

Homeowners' Association Proposes ATV Ban in Meadow Village. - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com

Homeowners' Association Proposes ATV Ban in Meadow Village. - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com: "CLARKSBURG, WV -- The Harrison County Commission held its first public hearing on a proposed ATV ban in Meadow Village near Good Hope.

Members of the Homeowners' Association say ATV's pose a danger to the children in their small community of 14 households."
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In West Virginia, the journalists use apostrophes to indicate the plural. Or should I say, the "journalist's" use "apostrophe's" for that purpose.

Concrete Controversy: HOA Sues Woman Over Lawn - Central Florida News 13

Concrete Controversy: HOA Sues Woman Over Lawn - Central Florida News 13: "POINCIANA -- Carole Athias says her allergies are so extreme she had to replace the grass in both her front and back yards with concrete. Now the Poinciana resident has 20 days to respond to a lawsuit filed by her Homeowners Association.

Athias thought she was in the clear after she obtained permits from the city of Poinciana, but that's when the real headache began."
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One of her neighbors said, "We're actually paying people to harass us."
Thanks to Fred Pilot for paving the way to this link.

How Derivatives Got Cities and Counties in Hot Water -- Seeking Alpha

How Derivatives Got Cities and Counties in Hot Water -- Seeking Alpha
This is an interesting blog post that has some informative links.

Rasmussen Reports™: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Data Anywhere

Rasmussen Reports™: Americans favor capitalism...by a slight majority: "Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better.

Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better."
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I think that libertarian utopia that is being urged on us by advocates of CIDs may be lacking in popular support.

More States Look to Raise Taxes - WSJ.com

More States Look to Raise Taxes - WSJ.com: "A free fall in tax revenue is driving more state lawmakers to turn to broad-based tax increases in a bid to close widening budget gaps.

At least 10 states are considering some kind of major increase in sales or income taxes: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. California and New York lawmakers already have agreed on multibillion-dollar tax increases that went into effect earlier this year.

Fiscal experts say more states are likely to try to raise tax revenue in coming months, especially once they tally the latest shortfalls from April 15 income-tax filings, often the biggest single source of funds for the 43 states that levy them."
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Illinois is looking at a budget deficit for the coming year that is equal to over 16% of this year's budget. New York and New Jersey are at about 25% and California is even higher than that. So, if these states were just going to spend next year what they are spending this year, they'd be way short. And of course many costs will have gone up, such as health care, so the gap is even greater than that.

Banks aren't reselling many foreclosed homes

Banks aren't reselling many foreclosed homes: "'We believe there are in the neighborhood of 600,000 properties nationwide that banks have repossessed but not put on the market,' said Rick Sharga, vice president of RealtyTrac, which compiles nationwide statistics on foreclosures. 'California probably represents 80,000 of those homes. It could be disastrous if the banks suddenly flooded the market with those distressed properties. You'd have further depreciation and carnage.'"
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Well, that's just peachy, isn't it? I wonder if Mr. Banker has any more surprises for us. I'm not one of those torch and pitchfork types, but it would be nice if we could at least get the full measure of this debacle so we can see how much the tab will be.

Governor signs community association pay bill | www.chesterfieldobserver.com | Chesterfield Observer

Governor signs community association pay bill | www.chesterfieldobserver.com | Chesterfield Observer: "Gov. Tim Kaine last week signed a revision of the Property Owners' Association Act (POAA) that allows members of community associations to get salary information for the top six persons earning over $75,000...The Community Association Institute opposed releasing salary information, saying community associations are private, non-stock corporations, which are not like governments. Last year, Brandermill Community Association President Joel Bradner called the change "unnecessary," saying it could jeopardize the ability of community associations to recruit and retain employees and be "a breach of privacy" for their staffs."
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Thanks to Shu Bartholomew for this update. I'm glad to hear Gov. Kaine signed it. I find CAI's rationale for opposing the law unconvincing and a red herring. Whether CIDs are governments or not is beside the point. Owners paying such sums to property managers and other employees should know who is getting how much. This is, after all, their money. They shouldn't be treated like a bunch of sheep waiting patiently for the shears. And they can't even make intelligent decisions about board elections without knowing how their money is being spent.

Housing agencies faulted in audits to get $300M of stimulus - USATODAY.com: "WASHINGTON — The federal government will soon send more than $300 million in stimulus funds to 61 housing agencies that have been repeatedly faulted by auditors for mishandling government aid, a USA TODAY review has found.s

The money is part of a $4 billion effort to create jobs by fixing public housing projects that have fallen into disrepair. Recipients include housing authorities in 26 states that auditors have cited for problems ranging from poor bookkeeping to money that was spent improperly, according to the review of summaries the agencies must file with the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB)."
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Congress said the Obama administration could hold up the funds to "troubled" agencies, but they chose to let the money flow forth. Oh, and the Chicago Housing Authority is getting more dough than any other troubled agency: $144 million.

Hawaii, suffering tourism drop, appeals to Obama - Los Angeles Times

Hawaii, suffering tourism drop, appeals to Obama - Los Angeles Times: "Hawaii has suffered one of the worst winters for tourism in recent years and has appealed to the state's most famous native son -- President Obama -- to help turn its fortunes around.

Hotel occupancy rates in the winter were the lowest in at least five years, and in February -- traditionally the state's busiest month -- the rate dropped to 75%. That was the lowest level since 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, when it fell to 69.7%, according to Smith Travel Research."
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No surprise here. Vegas is hurting, too. Fewer people have the money to spend on a vacation.

heraldsun.com: Eviction of Treyburn widow put on hold

heraldsun.com: Eviction of Treyburn widow put on hold: "DURHAM -- The 67-year-old cancer-stricken widow nearly tossed out of her home in a northern Durham subdivision has been saved from eviction again, at least until Monday."
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This link requires registration. Thanks to Mike Reardon for the link.

Apartment rents fall in Southern California - Los Angeles Times

Apartment rents fall in Southern California - Los Angeles Times: "Apartment rents are falling across most of Southern California as unemployed tenants double up with friends or family and the affordability of foreclosed homes makes some renters into buyers, a new survey has found.

The average rent in Los Angeles County fell almost 4% in 2008 as apartment occupancy rates dropped and new units came online. The decline should continue this year as more renters lose their jobs, according to the annual USC Casden Forecast expected to be released by the university today."
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Chicago Public Radio Blog » Blago Photo: Is it real or photoshopped or a year old? Who cares, it’s funny. | News and Notes from WBEZ

Chicago Public Radio Blog » Blago Photo: Is it real or photoshopped or a year old? Who cares, it’s funny. | News and Notes from WBEZ
Check out this photo. Look closely at Blago's left arm.

Small U.S. Towns Caught on Downside of Risky Bond Scheme - NYTimes.com

Small U.S. Towns Caught on Downside of Risky Bond Scheme - NYTimes.com: "Lewisburg is one of hundreds of small cities and counties across America reeling from their reliance in recent years on risky municipal bond derivatives that went bad. Municipalities that bought the derivatives were like homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages who refinanced by taking out lower-interest, variable-rate mortgages. But some local officials say they were not told, or did not understand, that interest rates could go much higher if economic conditions worsened — which, of course, they did."
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This relentless search for easy money by local governments is proving to be costly beyond anybody's expectations. You would think that after the Orange County, CA, bankruptcy in the early 1990s others would taken note, but apparently not. The insistence on building only in CIDs is another free lunch strategy that may be backfiring.

Eight Forty-Eight - The Role of Privatization in Efficiency and Democracy

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.

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.

$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.

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...

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.

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?

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.