Evening, the sky is glowing
underneath us the grass is slowing down
on its way up to the sun.
Lying around devoting
time to watching the stars exploding
on into space one by one.
Takes me to a distant place and time
this is not the first time I have pined.
Puts me in a distant state of mind,
this is not the first time I have pined,
I pine away.
I love the older people,
they seem to live in a world of simple life
where simple pleasures still belong.
Years past, they contemplated
how the world was less complicated
years before they came along.
Takes me to a distant place and time
this is not the first time I have pined.
Puts me in a distant state of mind,
this is not the first time I have pined,
I pine after my home, the yard
the olden days, the faraway
weird star that rained over it all.
Lying around devoting
time to watching the stars exploding
on into space one by one.
Takes me to a distant place and time
this is not the first time I have pined.
Puts me in a distant state of mind,
this is not the first time I have pined.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Green Tomato Holiday Cake. If you grow tomatoes and have ones left over that did not finish ripening during the season, get them picked before the
hard freeze. Use in a recipe like this. I call it Holiday because of the green and I add dried cherries (a little red), and there is already a Jesus cake. It's a flexible recipe, very thick, and there are a number out there to pick from. I substitute applesauce for the butter and cut the sugar. Use your own choice of dry sweetners. Moist spice cakey.
There is none left after yesterday's brunch, so no picture of it this time.
You could make red tomato cake too.
Or fried green tomato and shrimp remoulade po boys, recipe. If you can't or do not wish to eat shellfish, then substitue something else, like avacado.
There is none left after yesterday's brunch, so no picture of it this time.
You could make red tomato cake too.
Or fried green tomato and shrimp remoulade po boys, recipe. If you can't or do not wish to eat shellfish, then substitue something else, like avacado.
Or can up some green tomato chutney.
mobile: "Twitter is over capacity. Please wait a moment and try again. For more information, check out Twitter Status" (Richardson, Texas, blog)
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Gasland. Several things have reminded me about this film. I had to travel to far west Texas and the closest/southeast part of New Mexico and in the
gasfields (nothing having to do with any film). And, whew.... what an eye opener about what is going on about now in the so called "middle of nowhere." (middle of yonder, is what we call it). Don't get me wrong, I've been around oil towns and rendering plants. Dumps and sulfer wells. Changing adult and baby diapers. I'm just not the squeamish type. Blood and guts, no problem (if not unavoidable, as far as handling the immediate medical need part of it). So, I was down in the Gulf Coast (LA to Florida) about a month ago and all but like Grand I. is clearing up, that can be seen. Yes, some tar balls, some not pleasant smells here and there. Yeah, some energy towns stink. (Fort Stockton as an example in Texas). Pig towns stink. Poverty places are a wreck. Thug apartments, are thuggy. Et cetera. I know we collectively do some not too pleasant things to hang. And then some (don't forget Picher, ok) (or drilling mud spread about). And sometimes nature does too.
But holy toxic vomit and gas masks. What's going on is way more than gas well burn off and old school gas well fracking.
I wasn't looking to see any of this or seeking it.
I can see (did see, smell, taste, hear, feel, get sick) more than ever why the New Mexico people had such a fit when more of the gas (and oil) drilling was about to happen in what is considered a more sensitive area to the west. We need energy. But have mercy. Not a free for all, with what appears to be little to no oversight, record profit of the energy companies at the expense of people's homes, land, other industry, livestock, and water.
I'm all for people being excited about the future and getting things done, and we are human and pollute, but the details and the big picture have to be considered together. It's like certain things have taken too many steps backward. It took la smog and the river catching on fire at one point in history to get a little attention. Oil spills. Blow ups. Things happen. But invariably it seems a very, very short time after major bad things happen, safety measures, if they were tightened or put into place, go slip slidding away (too much or in the wrong places).
I feel like I don't even need to see Gasland now, but will.
They call the once poor landowners "shale-ionaires."
If you watch only one of the following clips, watch all of the second one, but watch them when you get a chance.
Gasland trailer (1 min)
Interesting interview with film maker: 11 mins
60 minutes did a piece on fracking (13 mins)
Barnett Shale saltwater disposal (1 minute)
Cleburne: earthquakes, gas money/taxes, lobbying, etc. (6 mins)
Monday, December 20, 2010
To tout the development plan at 75 and Renner as sustainable, not to mention, a traffic reducer for the location, (Richardson, Texas)
as it is currently proposed, is intellectually dishonest. It is not building trust to try to convince people of these things.
It will be approved and it will be a less than stellar version, right out of the gate, of what it could be if it were truly planned to be sustainable and really meant to be a wonderful "town center" and things were ready for it to succeed.
The majority of people like, even love, excitement and prestige, not to mention convenience, and also wealth. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just not free. Neither is decay nor the dreaded "creeping blight."
I don't feel good about subsidizing other people's profit dreams to such a large extent these days.
I do hope that once things get cooking up at the locale that it offers a real "sense of place" (the catch phrase of the "new urbanists" who are not all that new). It will be a destination and draw a lot of people who don't live there if it is built like the models mentioned, for a while. (The highway was jammed, the frontage roads were jammed, and the streets were jammed up Saturday night outside of one of those "places." I hope that means the economy is pulling upward more than it means bad town planning.) I'm not being mean, but the models mentioned are not that sustainable and they aren't going to be long lived "places" much more than any mall or any other massive apartment complex is.
I hope it is a wonderful place to live for those who live there. I hope the apartments are not built as cheaply as most all of the ones that have preceded it over the last ten years.
I hope it's a wonderful place to shop and that it offers a place for people to buy groceries for the times they do not or can't eat out, like when they get tired of the four major restaurants, or ten or more when all the other density goes in on the other tracts, if something other than apartments comes as it is being sold. And I hope that it has hotel space for relatives to stay for the holidays and for convention events and parties.
And I hope a lot of jobs come there for the apartment dwellers even if it is after the fact and even if most people who live there do not work there (more people than jobs). And whether people who work there can afford to live there or not.
For the ones who do not want to use a vehicle or give up private transportation, I hope there is improved, viable travel options, like real bus service and rail and other things, that gets them where they need to go. Since this is TOD, there won't be as much parking if the TOD theory is correct. Parking should not be a problem and if it is, you will need to give up your driving, and vehicles.
As you can tell, I am hopeful, but skeptical and I think I have very good reason to be.
I hope that people are not surprised when the Renner (beautiful) parkway toward the east is made into more lanes, especially the bridge over Rowlett Creek (the bond paid report will confirm that it must be made wider, more lanes) and that people know that grade separations are going to come on line soon in the area, like at Plano at Greenville, and Plano Rd at Renner Rd. And they shouldn't be surprised when what they thought was the nature area across the road is built upon because the north area is private land, not city park land, and even if it was park land it doesn't mean it's off limits or anything, it wasn't.
I hope our taxes do not go up more to support it all because the truth is this "place" won't "pay for itself."
If you haven't noticed, our taxes never go down, they are outstripping inflation and interest, when all these developer dreams come to town and they collect subsidies to boot. One reason is lack of planning by and for residents, lack of care, the developers make the sale, set up to make the profit, spread it around to just the right person or people to convince and sell it to well-meaning and enlightened people to be completely for it and not to ask too many questions and not to give too many answers. But most developers and people who do not live by it, aren't that interested in sense of community in the location, here today, gone tomorrow. Those not right next to a development living in Richardson just want some shopping one to three miles closer. To them trade off for that is worth it, to others it is not.
The money we gave and give to roads have not gone to roads, such as when the local road maintenance prior allotment was used to pay for the Eisemann Center dream debt service when things did not pan out as dreamed and sold and how the money sent to the state for transportation has not been used fully for transportation for the majority of people (but for perhaps special friends).
The crime doesn't go down when dense apartments move into an area. Traffic doesn't reduce in the area. Air pollution doesn't get better. Education levels do not go up and the dropout rate doesn't decrease. Local schools don't seem to get better because of dense apartments even though the schools get more money with increased head count (so far). The divorce rate doesn't go down (except there are less marriages and more single household family situations). The neighborhood services budget for apartments doesn't decrease and the fee doesn't cover the increase. Apartments are not any more dream-like than anything else.
Well managed apartments have a place in most communities. We need apartments, for transitional use, for corporate use, for single lifestyle use, for empty nesters who want an apartment, for families that decide it is healthier to split than stay in a situation, and some rights have been given for apartments, etc. that should be accepted. Apartments are not evil. It is what comes with poorly thought out plans that could be called that.
Richardson is growing more apartment-heavy. After a point, it doesn't seem like a high proportion of apartments adds to sense of place or community that is good unless elements are in place to make it work and have that "sense of place" that urban planners, architects, politicians, developers and environmentalists are seeking to create by building high density in suburbs.
And public-private partnerships are often much more expensive to taxpayers in the long run when it comes to supporting high density utensils than if taxpayers would just pay for them (but can't because they are being jacked up for everything else and everyone else that they shouldn't have to be paying for, like other people's dreams and utensils and planning honchos' and politicians' steak dinners and retreats, and they do not take public transportation to their retreats).
Architects, urban planners and developers have dreams, even nostalgic dreams. Businesses want the traffic and pool of employees to tap as needed and pay less. I do wonder why people who do not share the dream have to subsidize their dreams at the expense of their own dreams, to such an extent. It is becoming too much.
So build this dreamed "sense of place." It is going to be "approved" anyway, but please don't just slap it in there with a mass of apartments hoping the rest will follow. Answer the questions that are being asked. Security and amenities are expensive, don't expect everyone else to pay for it, the developers who will make a tremendous profit need to pony up. There is still great profit if done well. Inexperience in development and finance is the major problem with another struggling development in town as much as anything.
Use form based, but do it right and not to the point of just apartments and little else. Expect to deal with noise issues more with mixed use (the updated ordinance isn't updated enough), deliveries, garbage, recycling, traffic, recreation, security/crime, air pollution and other issues that are made more challenging with higher density 24/7. Be honest with the sales pitch. Suburbanites should know that things are not going to be exactly the same...this includes good and bad things. And taxes will go up faster than inflation and interest in order to support the more dense dream as it is structured. Any local gain seems to always be spent and then some lately.
You are not going to stop this thing from being built, and the adjacent density around it that is coming, but you can make it marginally better by not nodding or flying off the handle, but by telling representatives that you helped elect and by telling the developers they need to pay attention and try to get it right. Trust me, they do not have it right as it stands. Will they listen?
The past says it is highly doubtful that this particular set will unless it is at a minimum of political placating. There's no need to. They count on, or have counted on, the anti's cutting off their own noses and the noses of people who try to be reasonable and listen so all we are left with is cagey, non forthright, politician "leaders" who are leading the majority exactly wherever they want the majority to go whether it is the right path or not and some of them have their own back stories and private goals they are more interested in.
With concerned citizens, the politicians even pretend to blame the developers who they say they have no control over to get them to do certain beneficial things, when that's just not true. But naive people believe it and repeat it, not holding them accountable and pointing fingers at only developers and commissions under the politicians. The anti's turn on each other and favor the smooth tongue politicians who won't level with them and the top politicians are free to move about the cabin.
When the phrase kept being used, "Richardson is built out," the politicians knew this was not true but they didn't want to correct the phrase and tell you the score. Richardson is not built out. The population will grow much more. I would say it will grow double in the next forty years, for one, because some guys want it to, well beyond how it would normally grow. Richardson will take on more than it's usual or proportional share of population growth. Richardson is a pro-growth city with pro-population, pro density string pullers and proteges. People complain that Plano is getting people there that should be in Richardson, desiring a larger and larger population. Whatever it takes.
Not to be rude, but some people are about twenty years, if not one year, too late to be noticing these things but they keep doing the same thing and promoting the same slippery politicians, attacking others on behalf of the great politicians who should not agree to private goals or blaming everyone but the ones they put in charge at the very top, and getting results they claim they do not want, like higher taxes, more debt, more traffic, less nature preserve, water waste. Richardson doesn't like honest politicians. Anti's and RC'ers don't want to hear what they don't want to hear. It's all a dream. Richardson wants high density. It obviously doesn't want mass transit to serve the masses to the extent it should but it wants to spend millions and millions (half of Richardson's part of sales tax collections) in Richardson each year to say it does (or to not do it). If you want to live in the burbs, go somewhere else, alright?
It will be approved and it will be a less than stellar version, right out of the gate, of what it could be if it were truly planned to be sustainable and really meant to be a wonderful "town center" and things were ready for it to succeed.
The majority of people like, even love, excitement and prestige, not to mention convenience, and also wealth. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just not free. Neither is decay nor the dreaded "creeping blight."
I don't feel good about subsidizing other people's profit dreams to such a large extent these days.
I do hope that once things get cooking up at the locale that it offers a real "sense of place" (the catch phrase of the "new urbanists" who are not all that new). It will be a destination and draw a lot of people who don't live there if it is built like the models mentioned, for a while. (The highway was jammed, the frontage roads were jammed, and the streets were jammed up Saturday night outside of one of those "places." I hope that means the economy is pulling upward more than it means bad town planning.) I'm not being mean, but the models mentioned are not that sustainable and they aren't going to be long lived "places" much more than any mall or any other massive apartment complex is.
I hope it is a wonderful place to live for those who live there. I hope the apartments are not built as cheaply as most all of the ones that have preceded it over the last ten years.
I hope it's a wonderful place to shop and that it offers a place for people to buy groceries for the times they do not or can't eat out, like when they get tired of the four major restaurants, or ten or more when all the other density goes in on the other tracts, if something other than apartments comes as it is being sold. And I hope that it has hotel space for relatives to stay for the holidays and for convention events and parties.
And I hope a lot of jobs come there for the apartment dwellers even if it is after the fact and even if most people who live there do not work there (more people than jobs). And whether people who work there can afford to live there or not.
For the ones who do not want to use a vehicle or give up private transportation, I hope there is improved, viable travel options, like real bus service and rail and other things, that gets them where they need to go. Since this is TOD, there won't be as much parking if the TOD theory is correct. Parking should not be a problem and if it is, you will need to give up your driving, and vehicles.
As you can tell, I am hopeful, but skeptical and I think I have very good reason to be.
I hope that people are not surprised when the Renner (beautiful) parkway toward the east is made into more lanes, especially the bridge over Rowlett Creek (the bond paid report will confirm that it must be made wider, more lanes) and that people know that grade separations are going to come on line soon in the area, like at Plano at Greenville, and Plano Rd at Renner Rd. And they shouldn't be surprised when what they thought was the nature area across the road is built upon because the north area is private land, not city park land, and even if it was park land it doesn't mean it's off limits or anything, it wasn't.
I hope our taxes do not go up more to support it all because the truth is this "place" won't "pay for itself."
If you haven't noticed, our taxes never go down, they are outstripping inflation and interest, when all these developer dreams come to town and they collect subsidies to boot. One reason is lack of planning by and for residents, lack of care, the developers make the sale, set up to make the profit, spread it around to just the right person or people to convince and sell it to well-meaning and enlightened people to be completely for it and not to ask too many questions and not to give too many answers. But most developers and people who do not live by it, aren't that interested in sense of community in the location, here today, gone tomorrow. Those not right next to a development living in Richardson just want some shopping one to three miles closer. To them trade off for that is worth it, to others it is not.
The money we gave and give to roads have not gone to roads, such as when the local road maintenance prior allotment was used to pay for the Eisemann Center dream debt service when things did not pan out as dreamed and sold and how the money sent to the state for transportation has not been used fully for transportation for the majority of people (but for perhaps special friends).
The crime doesn't go down when dense apartments move into an area. Traffic doesn't reduce in the area. Air pollution doesn't get better. Education levels do not go up and the dropout rate doesn't decrease. Local schools don't seem to get better because of dense apartments even though the schools get more money with increased head count (so far). The divorce rate doesn't go down (except there are less marriages and more single household family situations). The neighborhood services budget for apartments doesn't decrease and the fee doesn't cover the increase. Apartments are not any more dream-like than anything else.
Well managed apartments have a place in most communities. We need apartments, for transitional use, for corporate use, for single lifestyle use, for empty nesters who want an apartment, for families that decide it is healthier to split than stay in a situation, and some rights have been given for apartments, etc. that should be accepted. Apartments are not evil. It is what comes with poorly thought out plans that could be called that.
Richardson is growing more apartment-heavy. After a point, it doesn't seem like a high proportion of apartments adds to sense of place or community that is good unless elements are in place to make it work and have that "sense of place" that urban planners, architects, politicians, developers and environmentalists are seeking to create by building high density in suburbs.
And public-private partnerships are often much more expensive to taxpayers in the long run when it comes to supporting high density utensils than if taxpayers would just pay for them (but can't because they are being jacked up for everything else and everyone else that they shouldn't have to be paying for, like other people's dreams and utensils and planning honchos' and politicians' steak dinners and retreats, and they do not take public transportation to their retreats).
Architects, urban planners and developers have dreams, even nostalgic dreams. Businesses want the traffic and pool of employees to tap as needed and pay less. I do wonder why people who do not share the dream have to subsidize their dreams at the expense of their own dreams, to such an extent. It is becoming too much.
So build this dreamed "sense of place." It is going to be "approved" anyway, but please don't just slap it in there with a mass of apartments hoping the rest will follow. Answer the questions that are being asked. Security and amenities are expensive, don't expect everyone else to pay for it, the developers who will make a tremendous profit need to pony up. There is still great profit if done well. Inexperience in development and finance is the major problem with another struggling development in town as much as anything.
Use form based, but do it right and not to the point of just apartments and little else. Expect to deal with noise issues more with mixed use (the updated ordinance isn't updated enough), deliveries, garbage, recycling, traffic, recreation, security/crime, air pollution and other issues that are made more challenging with higher density 24/7. Be honest with the sales pitch. Suburbanites should know that things are not going to be exactly the same...this includes good and bad things. And taxes will go up faster than inflation and interest in order to support the more dense dream as it is structured. Any local gain seems to always be spent and then some lately.
You are not going to stop this thing from being built, and the adjacent density around it that is coming, but you can make it marginally better by not nodding or flying off the handle, but by telling representatives that you helped elect and by telling the developers they need to pay attention and try to get it right. Trust me, they do not have it right as it stands. Will they listen?
The past says it is highly doubtful that this particular set will unless it is at a minimum of political placating. There's no need to. They count on, or have counted on, the anti's cutting off their own noses and the noses of people who try to be reasonable and listen so all we are left with is cagey, non forthright, politician "leaders" who are leading the majority exactly wherever they want the majority to go whether it is the right path or not and some of them have their own back stories and private goals they are more interested in.
With concerned citizens, the politicians even pretend to blame the developers who they say they have no control over to get them to do certain beneficial things, when that's just not true. But naive people believe it and repeat it, not holding them accountable and pointing fingers at only developers and commissions under the politicians. The anti's turn on each other and favor the smooth tongue politicians who won't level with them and the top politicians are free to move about the cabin.
When the phrase kept being used, "Richardson is built out," the politicians knew this was not true but they didn't want to correct the phrase and tell you the score. Richardson is not built out. The population will grow much more. I would say it will grow double in the next forty years, for one, because some guys want it to, well beyond how it would normally grow. Richardson will take on more than it's usual or proportional share of population growth. Richardson is a pro-growth city with pro-population, pro density string pullers and proteges. People complain that Plano is getting people there that should be in Richardson, desiring a larger and larger population. Whatever it takes.
Not to be rude, but some people are about twenty years, if not one year, too late to be noticing these things but they keep doing the same thing and promoting the same slippery politicians, attacking others on behalf of the great politicians who should not agree to private goals or blaming everyone but the ones they put in charge at the very top, and getting results they claim they do not want, like higher taxes, more debt, more traffic, less nature preserve, water waste. Richardson doesn't like honest politicians. Anti's and RC'ers don't want to hear what they don't want to hear. It's all a dream. Richardson wants high density. It obviously doesn't want mass transit to serve the masses to the extent it should but it wants to spend millions and millions (half of Richardson's part of sales tax collections) in Richardson each year to say it does (or to not do it). If you want to live in the burbs, go somewhere else, alright?
SE OK Water: tussling with OKC (intrastate), or Texas, or commercial interests and ecological concerns, water's the word
(Richardson, Texas, blog)
Whiskey's for drinkin and water's for fightin.
Here is a video about one of southeast Oklahoma's major water sources, the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, narrated by Dennis Weaver before he passed away in 2006. Even if you are not interested in water (but you should be), it is a relaxing lunch time or whenever time nature type video to watch if you have twelve minutes.
A few things in the courts and lege have happened over the last five years in regards to SE OK water but some of the most hotly contested items are in the pending stage. It's worth a watch for anyone interested in water resources.
I had posted a link earlier in the year about Tarrant (Texas) Regional Water District (TRWD) and its try at getting ahold of OK Water. (In that case, trying to get Red River bound water before it crosses from OK into Texas. It picks up salt once it crosses over or into the Red River making it more expensive to prepare for use so grabbing it further north is one plan still at hand. The SE OK/Sardis Lake to OKC municipal water contract battle comes into play because TRWD here is opposing the language in the intra Oklahoma transfer of water rights contract because their contract inside of Oklahoma says out of state water sales are prohibited, which TRWD (who is out of state) argues is unconstitutional when it comes to a reservoir that was federally funded (similar "federal/this water is our water too" argument OKC used in the first place to get the water contract between the Oklahoma locations in the works, to get the Corp-built Sardis Lake water. Most residents around Sardis Lake are opposed to the water from their location going to Oklahoma City area because it threatens their poor (unwealthy) county's economy and environment. OKC is set to have 90% rights to the Sardis Lake water).
Some accuse that TRWD itself wants Sardis Lake water too, not only OKC, no matter who TRWD can buy it from, but wanting it for the Barnett Shale operations in Texas, not for mere thirsty Texans, a claim denied. OK is working on its state water plan, as should some other states be).
SE OK sources like Sardis and Hugo ( see, Irving Texas) and Arbuckle-Simpson are eyed for use beyond SE OK, so it's like a case of, "You too? Get in line." That reminds me, I have a clip I will share soon about the documentary called, Gasland (directed by Josh Fox).
Whiskey's for drinkin and water's for fightin.
Here is a video about one of southeast Oklahoma's major water sources, the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, narrated by Dennis Weaver before he passed away in 2006. Even if you are not interested in water (but you should be), it is a relaxing lunch time or whenever time nature type video to watch if you have twelve minutes.
A few things in the courts and lege have happened over the last five years in regards to SE OK water but some of the most hotly contested items are in the pending stage. It's worth a watch for anyone interested in water resources.
I had posted a link earlier in the year about Tarrant (Texas) Regional Water District (TRWD) and its try at getting ahold of OK Water. (In that case, trying to get Red River bound water before it crosses from OK into Texas. It picks up salt once it crosses over or into the Red River making it more expensive to prepare for use so grabbing it further north is one plan still at hand. The SE OK/Sardis Lake to OKC municipal water contract battle comes into play because TRWD here is opposing the language in the intra Oklahoma transfer of water rights contract because their contract inside of Oklahoma says out of state water sales are prohibited, which TRWD (who is out of state) argues is unconstitutional when it comes to a reservoir that was federally funded (similar "federal/this water is our water too" argument OKC used in the first place to get the water contract between the Oklahoma locations in the works, to get the Corp-built Sardis Lake water. Most residents around Sardis Lake are opposed to the water from their location going to Oklahoma City area because it threatens their poor (unwealthy) county's economy and environment. OKC is set to have 90% rights to the Sardis Lake water).
Some accuse that TRWD itself wants Sardis Lake water too, not only OKC, no matter who TRWD can buy it from, but wanting it for the Barnett Shale operations in Texas, not for mere thirsty Texans, a claim denied. OK is working on its state water plan, as should some other states be).
SE OK sources like Sardis and Hugo ( see, Irving Texas) and Arbuckle-Simpson are eyed for use beyond SE OK, so it's like a case of, "You too? Get in line." That reminds me, I have a clip I will share soon about the documentary called, Gasland (directed by Josh Fox).
Regifting (blogging from Richardson, Texas)
Regifting is usually thought of as trying to pass off gifts you receive to someone else as their gift, things that are not that desirable, but I share things that I think are good but I can't use, enough to justify keeping, so I call that regifting too.
As you may have picked up from one of my posts, I regift. I do this from time to time. I just regifted a piece of software/ game (unopened). If I have two of something or know I will not use it and no one in the immediate family is putting it to good use (and that the giver, if I'm close enough to ask him or her, would not like to use it or borrow it), I donate it or regift it, especially if it is unopened. I have had good luck doing this.
In return, I have received at least three things just this year that have come my way because someone else has asked me if I wanted it, could use it, and have given it to me and I was grateful to get these things because it saved me money and time too. It wasn't as if they wrapped it and put a bow on it, but it still seemed like a gift to me, and to the giver.
I of course make or do things or get things (when I can afford it) for special people outside of my immediate family, just for them, that no one else would think of, that is special, just for them. (I admit I do this for my own family all the time, especially things I do and make for them, to the point of spoiling perhaps).
I have one friend who says she would be embarrassed to regift and doesn't want anyone to regift her, as she called it. She doesn't remember that I did one time about five years ago, and told her that that was what I was doing, so I will have to remind her since she brought it up yesterday but immediately went into another long story about her work. She borrows things from me sometimes and occassionally doesn't return that fast, so that is already a little like regifting to herself especially when I say, after looking at it, oh, you can keep it. I tried to keep something and get her to say, "oh, you can keep it," but it only worked like one time. She knows it's true and she claims she makes up for it in a million other ways. She's got a point there.
The toy trade we do between the kids across our families is a form of regifting. Well, maybe not in the exact sense, but not too far from it.
What is your opinion of regifting? Have you done it before? Are you ok with receiving a regift if it is something you want or can use? Do you want to be told it is a regift? (I would want to know in most situations. One time I got a host gift that I saw my friend just give to one of our local politicians, who I won't name, you know who you are, as his host gift... he didn't know I knew she had given it to him, and I was thinking, what a cheap snickerdoodle when he gave it to me the next week, but that was really because of other things he does and not that, and he should have said something like, "we got so many and I wanted to share this one with you" or something like that, and I would have been, "oh, cool, thanks." I still said, "oh, cool, thanks" but inside, you know I was rolling my eyeballs).
Also, do you buy used things? I just bought a used kitchen small appliance (a blender for $5!) to augment the one I had because of some things I make at the holidays.
I saw a list that said that fruitcakes were the most regifted. I wonder if that is true or just the trendy thing to say. They actually get eaten around here, especially if we make it or we get or are presented one from Corsicana. We also don't participate in the fruit cake toss because we were taught it was a sin to play with your food, in the wasteful sense. Skipping rocks on the water always seemed much more fun. Except, I am doubting as I think about it that the fish enjoy it that much. I can just see some poor unsuspecting bass getting hit in the head with a flat rock.
As you may have picked up from one of my posts, I regift. I do this from time to time. I just regifted a piece of software/ game (unopened). If I have two of something or know I will not use it and no one in the immediate family is putting it to good use (and that the giver, if I'm close enough to ask him or her, would not like to use it or borrow it), I donate it or regift it, especially if it is unopened. I have had good luck doing this.
In return, I have received at least three things just this year that have come my way because someone else has asked me if I wanted it, could use it, and have given it to me and I was grateful to get these things because it saved me money and time too. It wasn't as if they wrapped it and put a bow on it, but it still seemed like a gift to me, and to the giver.
I of course make or do things or get things (when I can afford it) for special people outside of my immediate family, just for them, that no one else would think of, that is special, just for them. (I admit I do this for my own family all the time, especially things I do and make for them, to the point of spoiling perhaps).
I have one friend who says she would be embarrassed to regift and doesn't want anyone to regift her, as she called it. She doesn't remember that I did one time about five years ago, and told her that that was what I was doing, so I will have to remind her since she brought it up yesterday but immediately went into another long story about her work. She borrows things from me sometimes and occassionally doesn't return that fast, so that is already a little like regifting to herself especially when I say, after looking at it, oh, you can keep it. I tried to keep something and get her to say, "oh, you can keep it," but it only worked like one time. She knows it's true and she claims she makes up for it in a million other ways. She's got a point there.
The toy trade we do between the kids across our families is a form of regifting. Well, maybe not in the exact sense, but not too far from it.
What is your opinion of regifting? Have you done it before? Are you ok with receiving a regift if it is something you want or can use? Do you want to be told it is a regift? (I would want to know in most situations. One time I got a host gift that I saw my friend just give to one of our local politicians, who I won't name, you know who you are, as his host gift... he didn't know I knew she had given it to him, and I was thinking, what a cheap snickerdoodle when he gave it to me the next week, but that was really because of other things he does and not that, and he should have said something like, "we got so many and I wanted to share this one with you" or something like that, and I would have been, "oh, cool, thanks." I still said, "oh, cool, thanks" but inside, you know I was rolling my eyeballs).
Also, do you buy used things? I just bought a used kitchen small appliance (a blender for $5!) to augment the one I had because of some things I make at the holidays.
I saw a list that said that fruitcakes were the most regifted. I wonder if that is true or just the trendy thing to say. They actually get eaten around here, especially if we make it or we get or are presented one from Corsicana. We also don't participate in the fruit cake toss because we were taught it was a sin to play with your food, in the wasteful sense. Skipping rocks on the water always seemed much more fun. Except, I am doubting as I think about it that the fish enjoy it that much. I can just see some poor unsuspecting bass getting hit in the head with a flat rock.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Funtastic Future Big City Headlines and News(letter)
New Urbanism Planning and Transportation Policy working: Texas just named most congested City in Universe.
Developers no longer required to ask for massive increased density
"We are just going to [expletive] just do it," proclaimed The City Leader. "Those who claim that you can't change the rules in the middle of the game are obviously cul-de-sac loving protectionists. You don't have to sign the [expletive] document now. We were sorta victims of that before. "
Contrived geo-social constructs to replace the now locally banned Facebook amid muffled controversy
"But I already interact socially," said one resident on Canyon Culvert Drive. "I see and talk to people I do business with, I spend time with my family, I am active in my children's education and in my church, in urban fatherless scouts, meals on light rail, and in rotary-rotary. I serve with the urban trails chamber of commerce committee and didn't protest the trail running through my swimming pool. I visit with my friends and family in other parts of the country on Holog Fbook. What more do these people want?"
An unidentified city planner explained, "We as a government are responsible for every aspect of our citizens' lives, whether making sure they have our transportation and the right kind of sleep to helping educate them on how to socialize properly in one of our seven modes. We still allow them to pick from the pre-selected choices of avatars that will display on their weekly life bill, with discount for early nodding while payment is taken. This is the only sustainable way. Facebook is an antiquated, non developer revenue producer for our telecom city. We are all about local control. If you consider it properly, you are only giving up your cup of decaffeinated coffee a day."
Parlia-Gtyn-Tele-Mann Urban Common Tropical Tree Park and Garage (formerly known as Spring Creek Natural Area formerly known as Spring Creek Nature Preserve) receives more bond funding
With over twenty thousands subsidized apartment users daily, bond funding will cover the increasing costs of safety patrol, litter abatement and dead tropical tree replacement, says an unnamed bond team official. Known as the "Save Our Common" project, the city council approved a Phase I nineteen cents tax increase last year to remodel the common nature area and install irrigation equipment, following the discontinuation of the creek, achieved in the last bond, one and a half years ago, in hopes of developing the adjacent track through providing incentives to a developer to consider visiting the location, across from the prior dense development, that used heavy incentives and density to attract development. The new bond will raise taxes by only eighteen cents (2 percent of current rate).
Interabode Nature Simulation Trail Through Old Town Residential Bathrooms shows increase in property crime, to be discussed at forum
A group of concerned citizens will meet at the sink between 11:00 and 11:04 pm to create a pseudo flash mob safety plan.
New Keslucklesmann Center for The Performing Arts and Politicians will present, A Vision Upon A Vision On A Tale
Join us for a visionary tale of visions interwoven with more visions directed by the legendary visionary of our community, Keslucklesmann, The Three Headed Visionary Camel. A massive community puppet show will precede.
Home Improvement Stores Banned
In an expected move, The City Leader completed the ban of all home improvement related supplies, paraphernalia and stores from The City and within ten miles. "We [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] don't need them now," he mumbled languidly.
Developers no longer required to ask for massive increased density
"We are just going to [expletive] just do it," proclaimed The City Leader. "Those who claim that you can't change the rules in the middle of the game are obviously cul-de-sac loving protectionists. You don't have to sign the [expletive] document now. We were sorta victims of that before. "
Contrived geo-social constructs to replace the now locally banned Facebook amid muffled controversy
"But I already interact socially," said one resident on Canyon Culvert Drive. "I see and talk to people I do business with, I spend time with my family, I am active in my children's education and in my church, in urban fatherless scouts, meals on light rail, and in rotary-rotary. I serve with the urban trails chamber of commerce committee and didn't protest the trail running through my swimming pool. I visit with my friends and family in other parts of the country on Holog Fbook. What more do these people want?"
An unidentified city planner explained, "We as a government are responsible for every aspect of our citizens' lives, whether making sure they have our transportation and the right kind of sleep to helping educate them on how to socialize properly in one of our seven modes. We still allow them to pick from the pre-selected choices of avatars that will display on their weekly life bill, with discount for early nodding while payment is taken. This is the only sustainable way. Facebook is an antiquated, non developer revenue producer for our telecom city. We are all about local control. If you consider it properly, you are only giving up your cup of decaffeinated coffee a day."
Parlia-Gtyn-Tele-Mann Urban Common Tropical Tree Park and Garage (formerly known as Spring Creek Natural Area formerly known as Spring Creek Nature Preserve) receives more bond funding
With over twenty thousands subsidized apartment users daily, bond funding will cover the increasing costs of safety patrol, litter abatement and dead tropical tree replacement, says an unnamed bond team official. Known as the "Save Our Common" project, the city council approved a Phase I nineteen cents tax increase last year to remodel the common nature area and install irrigation equipment, following the discontinuation of the creek, achieved in the last bond, one and a half years ago, in hopes of developing the adjacent track through providing incentives to a developer to consider visiting the location, across from the prior dense development, that used heavy incentives and density to attract development. The new bond will raise taxes by only eighteen cents (2 percent of current rate).
Interabode Nature Simulation Trail Through Old Town Residential Bathrooms shows increase in property crime, to be discussed at forum
A group of concerned citizens will meet at the sink between 11:00 and 11:04 pm to create a pseudo flash mob safety plan.
New Keslucklesmann Center for The Performing Arts and Politicians will present, A Vision Upon A Vision On A Tale
Join us for a visionary tale of visions interwoven with more visions directed by the legendary visionary of our community, Keslucklesmann, The Three Headed Visionary Camel. A massive community puppet show will precede.
Home Improvement Stores Banned
In an expected move, The City Leader completed the ban of all home improvement related supplies, paraphernalia and stores from The City and within ten miles. "We [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] don't need them now," he mumbled languidly.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Winner of the Quiz is "mgmtutd1990" and she picked between five gifts, she went for the Beatles xbox game (software only) (Richardson, TX)
"mgmtutd1990" lives in the panhandle and goes to UTD (shout out) and listens to the group called MGMT (hence her "name"). She correctly answered the question with ..... "Chris Gaines." She promises she did not google for it. Congratulations. And, you have awesome taste, I'm a MGMT fan too.
You have your prize and here is a link to MGMT, with what else, "Congratulations."
You have your prize and here is a link to MGMT, with what else, "Congratulations."
At Amazon.com or itunes.
Oklahoma claimed to have the distinction of being the first state in our union to vote a ban of Islamic sharia laws from being ...(Richardson TX blog)
used by judges to decide cases. Not only Sharia law but also the judges are not (were not, according to OK lege and voters) to consider international law in making rulings.
Some unintended things would come of that in my opinion, with impacts to businesses (who do business internationally), other religious precepts that are respected in arbitration and civil areas, and Native American rights ("legal precepts of other nations and cultures") that do not offend law. By the definition, it could be said that the Ten Commandments (voted to be posted on OK state grounds otherwise) and English Common Law are outters.
So this may be what Muslims and Native Americans (and Jewish and international business and some other people and practices) have in common in Oklahoma. Now you might wonder how this (would have) impacts us (water, rights, Texas, etc.). It does (if they get the measure back on, as some are hoping). Maybe more about that later.
The Oklahoma law (State Question 755, passed by 70%, but stopped before certification) has a permanent injunction, the last I heard or read. At least seven other states (mostly Southern plus Utah) have proposed laws similar and two more have some limited regarding outside law. And Newt wants it to go federal.
It (that amendment put up in Oklahoma by representatives and passed by voters but stopped by courts) is not constitutional.
Unless what a lot of pretend conservatives want to do is accomplished and that is to change the parts of the constitution that get in the way (like the Bill of Rights, Establishment Clause).
On the other hand, those who scoff at the worries of many who wanted such an amendment, or who thought they did, badly constructed, short sighted, unconstitutional as it may have been, are too quick to dismiss and mock every concern behind it (such as U.S. sovereignty, rule of law, keeping government out of religion ((well maybe not that one)), domestic terrorism, violence against women and girls justified through religion).
(Maps may be clicked to enlarge for improved viewing)
Some unintended things would come of that in my opinion, with impacts to businesses (who do business internationally), other religious precepts that are respected in arbitration and civil areas, and Native American rights ("legal precepts of other nations and cultures") that do not offend law. By the definition, it could be said that the Ten Commandments (voted to be posted on OK state grounds otherwise) and English Common Law are outters.
So this may be what Muslims and Native Americans (and Jewish and international business and some other people and practices) have in common in Oklahoma. Now you might wonder how this (would have) impacts us (water, rights, Texas, etc.). It does (if they get the measure back on, as some are hoping). Maybe more about that later.
The Oklahoma law (State Question 755, passed by 70%, but stopped before certification) has a permanent injunction, the last I heard or read. At least seven other states (mostly Southern plus Utah) have proposed laws similar and two more have some limited regarding outside law. And Newt wants it to go federal.
It (that amendment put up in Oklahoma by representatives and passed by voters but stopped by courts) is not constitutional.
Unless what a lot of pretend conservatives want to do is accomplished and that is to change the parts of the constitution that get in the way (like the Bill of Rights, Establishment Clause).
On the other hand, those who scoff at the worries of many who wanted such an amendment, or who thought they did, badly constructed, short sighted, unconstitutional as it may have been, are too quick to dismiss and mock every concern behind it (such as U.S. sovereignty, rule of law, keeping government out of religion ((well maybe not that one)), domestic terrorism, violence against women and girls justified through religion).
(Maps may be clicked to enlarge for improved viewing)
Monday, December 13, 2010
If the little congestion relief provided by light rail is far exceeded by its cost, how is it to be salvaged at this stage? An express to the airport
is fine and good (at great cost) but high density at stations is being pushed because it can help justify the original light rail vision and all the millions and millions and millions into it (billions collectively, much debt), with some developers hoping to cash in well above the communal cost-to-benefits gain by a leg to the airport now. Pushing for higher density in suburbia to justify a city transportation dream is backwards, but that is how some (people's) dreams are made and labeled a success. When will success come and at what price? And at the expenses of other more organic development elsewhere and higher functioning plans, like bus service. A more saturated and flexible bus system that goes where more people want and need to go would cost less and offer more service.
I love trains. They are cool. Light rail is still novel even after about a thousand trips and cool and touristy and can be commutery for a small group who are going where it goes. (Personal safety issues aside, DART scandal and conflict of interests aside). I like that whoosh and speed. They are costly. They need to make sense. Until we are made to fit it (the light rail or whatever variation of it), it won't make sense. Whereas the automobile opened up mobility opportunities and new lifestyles (leaving some train travel behind), the light rail transit model is more limiting in many ways, doesn't offer anywhere near as much mobility (or speed, time savings as it is operated now) as the automobile.
Packing UTD, densifying stations, bringing people in, it could all make the light dream work. At a very high cost. Those wanting the suburban lifestyle (less traffic, less pollution, less crowding) will have to go somewhere else. (Doesn't that equal the so called dreaded sprawl anyway?) (You should know that packing a place with more people does not cut down on local congestion and traffic and idle pollution).
Farm land has been taken out of production, but what has been taken out due to sprawl is only a small fraction. "Sprawl" in and of itself is not a main problem. (It's how we do it).
Oh, big density is going to get approved in spots because the thinking is that we are in for a dime already, so go all the way in for a pound (to make a dream work). Make that millions and millions of pounds.
Creating hot spots of density does not a successful regional transit system make, but it does make for some other things.
I got a few emails this morning originating (originally) from someone claiming to represent some people or residents (not sure who "they" are who agreed to be represented) on that high density apartment proposal mentioned at 75 and Renner (notice I used the word "that"). Riiight. Like things were represented before. I think the closer I lived the quicker I would say, "no thanks." If you think it is so good for the environment as you espouse, and are talking about how "smart planning" you are, you go live in high density somewhere that it already exists. Don't try to talk me into it. The "walkable" tiny dream community. But I still got to get to the grocery store, the doctor, the soccer game, and least of all work, schools and church.
Who is left that represents suburbanites? Anyone? Anyone?
If you want to live in a high density apartment area, pave over everything, go there. If not, don't agree so easily to have it come to you. (Not that much of it).
Michael in Portland wrote this in 2004 and it can be ours if we want it (but it will cost).
I love trains. They are cool. Light rail is still novel even after about a thousand trips and cool and touristy and can be commutery for a small group who are going where it goes. (Personal safety issues aside, DART scandal and conflict of interests aside). I like that whoosh and speed. They are costly. They need to make sense. Until we are made to fit it (the light rail or whatever variation of it), it won't make sense. Whereas the automobile opened up mobility opportunities and new lifestyles (leaving some train travel behind), the light rail transit model is more limiting in many ways, doesn't offer anywhere near as much mobility (or speed, time savings as it is operated now) as the automobile.
Packing UTD, densifying stations, bringing people in, it could all make the light dream work. At a very high cost. Those wanting the suburban lifestyle (less traffic, less pollution, less crowding) will have to go somewhere else. (Doesn't that equal the so called dreaded sprawl anyway?) (You should know that packing a place with more people does not cut down on local congestion and traffic and idle pollution).
Farm land has been taken out of production, but what has been taken out due to sprawl is only a small fraction. "Sprawl" in and of itself is not a main problem. (It's how we do it).
Oh, big density is going to get approved in spots because the thinking is that we are in for a dime already, so go all the way in for a pound (to make a dream work). Make that millions and millions of pounds.
Creating hot spots of density does not a successful regional transit system make, but it does make for some other things.
I got a few emails this morning originating (originally) from someone claiming to represent some people or residents (not sure who "they" are who agreed to be represented) on that high density apartment proposal mentioned at 75 and Renner (notice I used the word "that"). Riiight. Like things were represented before. I think the closer I lived the quicker I would say, "no thanks." If you think it is so good for the environment as you espouse, and are talking about how "smart planning" you are, you go live in high density somewhere that it already exists. Don't try to talk me into it. The "walkable" tiny dream community. But I still got to get to the grocery store, the doctor, the soccer game, and least of all work, schools and church.
Who is left that represents suburbanites? Anyone? Anyone?
If you want to live in a high density apartment area, pave over everything, go there. If not, don't agree so easily to have it come to you. (Not that much of it).
Michael in Portland wrote this in 2004 and it can be ours if we want it (but it will cost).
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Density, revisited. Third, (Blogging from Richardson, Texas)
discuss the claim that a compact city form will contribute to urban sustainability, link.
and,
how urban density intensifies traffic congestion (and area pollution), link pdf.
Technology will help the surburban dream sustain, in my opinion, if that is what many of us want, and not turning surburbia into "city," which seems to be the "driving vision" (that and justifying an exhorbitantly costly train dream).
I like my surbuban [suburban] life. If I wanted to live in a much more dense place I would have moved directly into the big city. I like my multi car garage, private parking, large well insulated single family home, productive garden, quiet neighbors, favorite haunts down the road, schools, short or no waiting lines most everywhere local. I don't want to live in a cracker box or next to any of these apartments that are four or seven times or ten or more times the population of the adjacent neighborhood.
People all over the world want the dreams available in suburbia and that includes (it should not exclude) the wife, the 1.8 (or more) kids, the dog (or monkey) and the two car garage in suburbia. And the willingness to work to get it, and more.
Don't judge me. And don't rob me and other suburbanites of the dream by changing it all to your high density dream (which is not all you are cracking it up to be, other than the money in the players' pockets thing, that part is accurate).
-Maggie May USA
and,
how urban density intensifies traffic congestion (and area pollution), link pdf.
Technology will help the surburban dream sustain, in my opinion, if that is what many of us want, and not turning surburbia into "city," which seems to be the "driving vision" (that and justifying an exhorbitantly costly train dream).
I like my surbuban [suburban] life. If I wanted to live in a much more dense place I would have moved directly into the big city. I like my multi car garage, private parking, large well insulated single family home, productive garden, quiet neighbors, favorite haunts down the road, schools, short or no waiting lines most everywhere local. I don't want to live in a cracker box or next to any of these apartments that are four or seven times or ten or more times the population of the adjacent neighborhood.
People all over the world want the dreams available in suburbia and that includes (it should not exclude) the wife, the 1.8 (or more) kids, the dog (or monkey) and the two car garage in suburbia. And the willingness to work to get it, and more.
Don't judge me. And don't rob me and other suburbanites of the dream by changing it all to your high density dream (which is not all you are cracking it up to be, other than the money in the players' pockets thing, that part is accurate).
-Maggie May USA
Second. A comeback. (Blogging from Richardson, Texas)
37 seconds
About his first tv interview, funny
Guess who? If you are the first to guess this charater's name below without googling, you win a prize. Seriously.
Or, right now
About his first tv interview, funny
Guess who? If you are the first to guess this charater's name below without googling, you win a prize. Seriously.
Or, right now
Mountains of chat. I was surprised to find that the road stopped at a sinkhole.
I was standing on ground zero... 25 miles from my front porch. And I had never heard about it.
Matt Myers
Tornado hit in '08 and wiped out a bunch of homes on top of it all.
Matt Myers
Tornado hit in '08 and wiped out a bunch of homes on top of it all.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Letterbox: A number of things, so I will just say thanks to one I got, a forward of George Human, President, Sherrill Park Neighborhood Association
making some calm remarks about the Renner-Plano Rd zoning hearing tonight 7PM at Richardson City Hall. He isn't always known for his judgment in my opinion, like forwarding Richardson Coalition email bomb material before (not now), but of the several on this topic I received, the one forwarded that had his prepared remarks was the most calm, sensible one, without head nodding ahead of time.
I wonder why the president of my neighborhood association or my city council district representative haven't mentioned a word about it. I have heard from them on many trivial, self-promoting, especially the district rep, things but not on this. Odd.
I wonder if anyone knows about the planned road work to accommodate (after the fact) this big development. I doubt they want to draw your attention to this, especially the closest home owners, down the road, because you might have some input.
Why not taller buildings and bigger set backs. It costs a little more (lot more), but it could function and be better, with more green space. As opposed to the small set back, short, cram plan.
The city (tax payers) is paying for the sub dividing roads across all the undeveloped plats I noticed. (Gotta have somethings to hook up to the four lane nature road). Is this undeveloped land in a tax (poverty) enterprize zone since open land is so hard to use and in such low demand, you know? It would be good to know.
I wonder why the president of my neighborhood association or my city council district representative haven't mentioned a word about it. I have heard from them on many trivial, self-promoting, especially the district rep, things but not on this. Odd.
I wonder if anyone knows about the planned road work to accommodate (after the fact) this big development. I doubt they want to draw your attention to this, especially the closest home owners, down the road, because you might have some input.
Why not taller buildings and bigger set backs. It costs a little more (lot more), but it could function and be better, with more green space. As opposed to the small set back, short, cram plan.
The city (tax payers) is paying for the sub dividing roads across all the undeveloped plats I noticed. (Gotta have somethings to hook up to the four lane nature road). Is this undeveloped land in a tax (poverty) enterprize zone since open land is so hard to use and in such low demand, you know? It would be good to know.
There is an application a few days ahead of the moratorium that needs to be dealt with, indicates city official finally when asked point blank.
A partial moratorium is placed on answering certain questions put forward by the public too.
(As a rule of thumb to all you public, you will have to file a public records request, then wait 10 business days, only to often find that your request has gone to the attorney general for a finding on whether your local government has to actually give you the public information you asked for, but only on the ones that they don't want you to have. Or the claim will be that there's nothing that answers your request for information, often not true. And by the time you might get information, you are just a little too late officially to give your input.)
It is good on one hand that the City wants to avoid another lawsuit, and block an undesirable development, without being accused of singling it out for blocking which is what is happening, but from a risk assessment point of view, they wouldn't be facing lawsuits if they would do right by things. Another case of hurry up, we've waited twenty years. Hurry up, we have played around over a year.
If one hair gets out of place in our perfect vision, all is doomed! (Wait, we really don't have rules for our vision after all the gum flapping and hob knobbing, so you wait right there until we do!)
"This is a time out." "This will give us time." Gosh, you regular people, even a nine year old can understand that!
Can't you see I've been busy combing my hair and bumping elbows!
Another point of view, can't you see a head politician and my spouse are trying to repair their broken trust relationship after a head politician welched out on the business deal involving city funds with my spouse in favor of his developer friend, and all the while I am serving as a top appointee!
Another point of view still, can't you see that I almost got kicked off of the committee. I can give you clues, but if I come right out with too much, I will no longer be on the inside.
This just in, City creates time (by foot dragging by the deans and through use of a special hearing aid called moratorium, not used in previous zoning development).
All very cool. Very cool.
In other news, the holiday rush is in full swing. It is a well known device in the political and development world that the holidays are the best time to rush things through. Take a four lane road through a nature area and pass it on a consent agenda after bed time, during the winter of 2006.
An added benefit of clearing the calendar of things of great ideas that need to be rushed through or blocked is it allows committee members who want to run for city council to give an assured vote before resigning and it allows city council a less rowdy election time filled with lower keyed issues that need to be voted on. The public has a very short memory, the small portion that cares. They won't know and if they do they won't remember anything unless it is with fondness the beautiful brass embellishment plates with pillar names and boyish impish grinning pillars. (That's always the hope and plan, but it might not work out exactly like that round here).
For the life of me, I can't find my invitation to the Mayor's Christmas Party. I know I already paid for it. I buy at least two every year. Now where is that. Here tickie tickie, here tickie tickie.
(As a rule of thumb to all you public, you will have to file a public records request, then wait 10 business days, only to often find that your request has gone to the attorney general for a finding on whether your local government has to actually give you the public information you asked for, but only on the ones that they don't want you to have. Or the claim will be that there's nothing that answers your request for information, often not true. And by the time you might get information, you are just a little too late officially to give your input.)
It is good on one hand that the City wants to avoid another lawsuit, and block an undesirable development, without being accused of singling it out for blocking which is what is happening, but from a risk assessment point of view, they wouldn't be facing lawsuits if they would do right by things. Another case of hurry up, we've waited twenty years. Hurry up, we have played around over a year.
If one hair gets out of place in our perfect vision, all is doomed! (Wait, we really don't have rules for our vision after all the gum flapping and hob knobbing, so you wait right there until we do!)
"This is a time out." "This will give us time." Gosh, you regular people, even a nine year old can understand that!
Can't you see I've been busy combing my hair and bumping elbows!
Another point of view, can't you see a head politician and my spouse are trying to repair their broken trust relationship after a head politician welched out on the business deal involving city funds with my spouse in favor of his developer friend, and all the while I am serving as a top appointee!
Another point of view still, can't you see that I almost got kicked off of the committee. I can give you clues, but if I come right out with too much, I will no longer be on the inside.
This just in, City creates time (by foot dragging by the deans and through use of a special hearing aid called moratorium, not used in previous zoning development).
All very cool. Very cool.
In other news, the holiday rush is in full swing. It is a well known device in the political and development world that the holidays are the best time to rush things through. Take a four lane road through a nature area and pass it on a consent agenda after bed time, during the winter of 2006.
An added benefit of clearing the calendar of things of great ideas that need to be rushed through or blocked is it allows committee members who want to run for city council to give an assured vote before resigning and it allows city council a less rowdy election time filled with lower keyed issues that need to be voted on. The public has a very short memory, the small portion that cares. They won't know and if they do they won't remember anything unless it is with fondness the beautiful brass embellishment plates with pillar names and boyish impish grinning pillars. (That's always the hope and plan, but it might not work out exactly like that round here).
For the life of me, I can't find my invitation to the Mayor's Christmas Party. I know I already paid for it. I buy at least two every year. Now where is that. Here tickie tickie, here tickie tickie.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Richardson TX Mayor Gary Slagel publicly recorded 2009 explaining pay to play (during Gov Blagojevich's reign) on Illinois Toll contract. Trust?
Gary Slagel during the last election sent out a political piece about "trust?" which was a play on not trusting him.
He and his "coalition of friends" tried to discredit certain people. Some were definitely about ongoing spats and power grabs. But with a few of them, they just simply, honestly did not give their full trust to him and did not agree with certain things and did not and would not go along with him on those things. What was the reaction toward people who refused to go along with questionable things? Can you say vindictive bullying. Spiteful attacks on those who didn't pledge allegiance to him and agree that Gary Slagel should be Mayor (for Life?, to borrow an award term from his protege, Angie Chen Button), and their version of "The Richardson Way." With no repentance or dealing, people who could not be strong armed were personally attacked and therefore their spouses and families. Has it spawned anything in return? Yes, it has. Many things.
In this particular public audio recording I am listening to it to determine if I should type up a transcript of it, and compile many other public statements and public records of much greater importance, with conflicting information within them, but of longer length and better audio and video quality, but that some people have never seen, heard or read in the news.
"That governor" Mayor Gary Slagel refers to is Gov. Rod Blagojevich (who is awaiting retrail and sentencing, currently convicted of lying to the FBI). Is putting the word "that" before a generic description of someone a way to distance? My opinion is it is and it may be effective with people who have not seen this done before. It does remind me when Bill Clinton said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
The news partially covered the questions surrounding the Illinois contract with no real follow up, among other stories of his various activities, where there in Illinois, Gary Slagel and his company (his board of directors) were not winning a toll contract but in the end surprisingly won the contract. However, he has indicated that while consultants had told him and his board that they "needed to participate in state politics" and "that's what happened," with his board, not him, giving a donation to "that governor." He claims that it didn't have anything to do with winning the contract, that they were "sorta victims," "that's what happened." (The contract ultimately did not end well for at least all the parties concerned, just like other contracts involving Mayor Gary Slagel. This is a continuing theme it seems, especially for tax payers in the places.)
His board, he has indicated, are the guys who gave $12 million to the company and it was their money. What about the city incubator rent where the mayor's and his board of directors business was being incubated for years? Whose building was that, and was the full market rent paid, in full? Proof of the full market payment was not provided publicly. There was money from the mayor's and his board's company to pay to Governor Blagojevich's political fund so there should have been money to pay the tax payers who were footing the bonds that pay for the special incubator building that the mayor had put his and his board's business into, as in "so, it's really their (the taxpayers') money."
Would you like a fly over bridge (embedded commemorative brass plates included)?
He and his "coalition of friends" tried to discredit certain people. Some were definitely about ongoing spats and power grabs. But with a few of them, they just simply, honestly did not give their full trust to him and did not agree with certain things and did not and would not go along with him on those things. What was the reaction toward people who refused to go along with questionable things? Can you say vindictive bullying. Spiteful attacks on those who didn't pledge allegiance to him and agree that Gary Slagel should be Mayor (for Life?, to borrow an award term from his protege, Angie Chen Button), and their version of "The Richardson Way." With no repentance or dealing, people who could not be strong armed were personally attacked and therefore their spouses and families. Has it spawned anything in return? Yes, it has. Many things.
In this particular public audio recording I am listening to it to determine if I should type up a transcript of it, and compile many other public statements and public records of much greater importance, with conflicting information within them, but of longer length and better audio and video quality, but that some people have never seen, heard or read in the news.
"That governor" Mayor Gary Slagel refers to is Gov. Rod Blagojevich (who is awaiting retrail and sentencing, currently convicted of lying to the FBI). Is putting the word "that" before a generic description of someone a way to distance? My opinion is it is and it may be effective with people who have not seen this done before. It does remind me when Bill Clinton said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
The news partially covered the questions surrounding the Illinois contract with no real follow up, among other stories of his various activities, where there in Illinois, Gary Slagel and his company (his board of directors) were not winning a toll contract but in the end surprisingly won the contract. However, he has indicated that while consultants had told him and his board that they "needed to participate in state politics" and "that's what happened," with his board, not him, giving a donation to "that governor." He claims that it didn't have anything to do with winning the contract, that they were "sorta victims," "that's what happened." (The contract ultimately did not end well for at least all the parties concerned, just like other contracts involving Mayor Gary Slagel. This is a continuing theme it seems, especially for tax payers in the places.)
His board, he has indicated, are the guys who gave $12 million to the company and it was their money. What about the city incubator rent where the mayor's and his board of directors business was being incubated for years? Whose building was that, and was the full market rent paid, in full? Proof of the full market payment was not provided publicly. There was money from the mayor's and his board's company to pay to Governor Blagojevich's political fund so there should have been money to pay the tax payers who were footing the bonds that pay for the special incubator building that the mayor had put his and his board's business into, as in "so, it's really their (the taxpayers') money."
Would you like a fly over bridge (embedded commemorative brass plates included)?
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wha I didt in my tHanksgive Hollday, by Pillar of Comunty (I lub Rizzerchon, Tessas)
Son of a. I get crossh thish croshwalk. Why's my dinner fish keep get mixshd up wi my beaful santna beard? Shlow dow. You shtupid driber. Can you shee I'm try to eat my fish dinner in peacsh.
Waid a minute. Who took my boddle?
Thish stree busy. I tol you to slow dow! I show you. &*@$( croshwalks! I show you. Spokane croshwalk sign! Stupts dribers! Idiod dribers!
Take that!
(do not click if you do not want to see bad).
&@(#% Donut you tell me to stops! Wheresh my #&*! *hic* b 'oddle?
Now hows I sposed get hom ta Rizzerson? I lub Rizsershon. I lub Losh Vegdas. I nee a taxshe. cuh here hel me downzsh thish po! I a fraid heightsh. Heeeeep. Heeeep. It col. I freeezzshin!
I lub Rizzerson.
Waid a minute. Who took my boddle?
Thish stree busy. I tol you to slow dow! I show you. &*@$( croshwalks! I show you. Spokane croshwalk sign! Stupts dribers! Idiod dribers!
Take that!
(do not click if you do not want to see bad).
&@(#% Donut you tell me to stops! Wheresh my #&*! *hic* b 'oddle?
Now hows I sposed get hom ta Rizzerson? I lub Rizsershon. I lub Losh Vegdas. I nee a taxshe. cuh here hel me downzsh thish po! I a fraid heightsh. Heeeeep. Heeeep. It col. I freeezzshin!
I lub Rizzerson.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
When (life gives you) arsenic, look for ail yuns
Life, Redefined: NASA Proves Life Outside Of Earth Is Possible With New Microbe
During a special press conference Thursday (today), NASA astrobiologists announced that a team of researchers have uncovered microbes able to subsist on arsenic, which alters the longtime basic formula for life.
Arsenic has been a word mentioned a number of times recently in Richardson, Texas, having to do with a local (regional) creek.
During a special press conference Thursday (today), NASA astrobiologists announced that a team of researchers have uncovered microbes able to subsist on arsenic, which alters the longtime basic formula for life.
Arsenic has been a word mentioned a number of times recently in Richardson, Texas, having to do with a local (regional) creek.
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