Random blatherings whilst.....

.....waiting for my Oscar Pool picks to go straight down the toilet......as they have for the past 17 years I've been in this pool....

• Speaking of flicks....

Was at my local video store and actually saw the following DVD for rent:



















At first.....I thought it was a joke. But after reading the back of the box, I sadly found out that it wasn't.

I mean, besides blatantly ripping off of the unfunny VIZ comic strip Johnny Fartpants (right down to the wardrobe of the main charactor) - you can't tell me that Rupert Grint is especially proud of this gem now appearing in the "New Releases" section of Blockbuster Video stores all over the world! Especially since it was made in 2002....

• Gets MY vote (again)....

As mentioned in past posts here....I had E-Mailed my State Representative (Suzanne Bonamici) regarding notifying ALL ADDRESSES ON RECORD (NOT just property owners) within an XXX-foot radius of any major (Type II or Type III) Land Use proposal. Not only did Suzy Q politely give me a lesson on legislative procedure in the State of Oregon, but she actually stated that she may indeed introduce such legislation the next time legislation CAN ACTUALLY BE INTRODUCED in the House.

Plus, she actually READ "Roughly the 18,472,054th blog on the 'Net....."


As Rep. Bonamici wrote to me:

Dear E,

I'm sorry if I did not make myself clear. You do have an idea worth considering, but the Oregon Legislature is not a full-time law-making body. In general, we meet every other year on odd numbered years. At present, we are in a special session for the month of February only, but because of the compressed time frame, House members were not permitted to introduce bills. All of the House bills are concepts that were introduced by Committees and all had been drafted (by Legislative Counsel, who is required to draft all legislation) prior to the start of the session.

Many of the bills had pre-session informational hearings. All bills need to have public hearings and pass both chambers before approval. We have already passed the time for consideration of House bills (Feb. 12th) and will now start hearing bills that have passed the Senate. In other words, although it seems like a simple change to statute, there is no possible way for me to do this now.

In the fall, by October or November, we will be submitting ideas to Legislative Counsel for drafting. Those concepts will become bills for the session starting January, 2009. Unless someone provides me with a compelling reason not to do so, I will submit your concept at that time.

Thank you for writing again (and for giving me a moment of virtual fame on your blog!)

Best regards,

Suzanne Bonamici

State Representative, House District 34
900 Court St. NE, H-374
Salem, OR 97301
503.986.1434 (Capitol office)

Just like an Oregonian........

IF you reside in Oregon's 34th House of Representatives District.....I strongly urge you to re-elect Rep. Bonamici.

In several states that I've lived in (ESPECIALLY New York State)......this sort of personalised response from your state rep would be produced to you after a $100 campaign contribution.

• Time-wasting website of the day......

......I can only wish my blog were THIS good!!!

I give you....STUFF THAT WHITE PEOPLE LIKE!!

Which hits painfully close to home....given that two ex-girlfriends and one relative of mine epitomise about 85% of the things listed in this website....

(Thanx to Morseyboy for fishing this out for me).

• Oh yeah....also went to New Orleans last weekend....
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Ya gotta love historical Southern post cards....


Fascinating stuff, actually. Post-Katrina effect was a bit weird. New Orleans itself looks like it's coming back strong, but yet, although being alledged to receiving more Federal Disaster Relief (because of having a Republican Governor and being the home state of Trent Lott), the Mississippi Gulf Coast looked like it never quite recovered. WAS gonna take a picture of a couple of FEMA trailer parks right on both sides of I-10 in Gulfport, but I really thought better of that idea. Found out that the Best Western I stayed at in Gulfport, three months before what locals simply refer to as "The Storm" hit, had been imploded last year.

Friendliest folks you'll ever want to meet, though.....even if they do make fun of the way I say the word "Biloxi" (the letter o in "Biloxi" is NOT pronounced like the second o in "Ora-gaaaaaan").











Gulfport, MS beach





















Souvenir shop in Gulfport that JUST IS NOW beginning to be deconstructed and replaced (and this sort of sight was not unusual along the Mississippi Gulf Coast).












But signs of rebuilding (a brand new Holiday Inn) can be found...












And, given my propensity for champagne-sipping Socialism (needed to remove all the guilt), the view from the 25th floor out the window of my hotel room....

• Finally......a book suggestion.....

Grab Chuck Thompson's "Smile When You're Lying - Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer"

The Rocky Mountain News lambasted it - but it may have something to do with the author's feelings about Colorado:

"Give me a year in a proctologist's waiting room, or even Utah, over a Midwestern state posing as a Western one., the soul-crushing blandness of Denver (Obviously, he's not been to South Denver or Capital Hill), and McCondos covering every decent hillside (VERY factual point)."

Yeah....review was a bit thin-skinned on the part of The Rocky, but still....if Thompson had ever spent time in places like Durango, Westcliff, and The Great Sand Dunes, I suspect that Colorado wouldn't have made his list of places that he's supposed to like, but doesn't.


But still....it's a welcome break from the dreck that people like Fodor's put out.

Ahhhhhhh.......a travel book for the rest of us....


More later....

-E-


And I just watched Tilda Swinton take the Best Supporting Actress category. WTF?? NOT to take anything away from her fine acting, but man....online gambling websites had her as 30:1 to win....THIRTY-TO-ONE.....Jesus......upset city!!!

Not exactly having a great time...........

.....here in New Orleans (for a number of different reasons....not the least of which is that this rocket scientist decided to check it out during the NBA all-star weekend here in New Orelans.....and I follow pro basketball with the same intensity as I follow NASCAR.....as in, none!), so we won't waste time talking about it. Free Wi-Fi at MSY airport is cool, though.


And the EEE pc took its first spill yesterday. It got caught up in a coat in the overhead bin on the flight, and, when the lady tried to free her coat from the bin, the EEE pc case was so small, she didn't even notice it. It dropped straight to the floor of the plane!!!!


I'm posting right now on the EEE pc......


.....'nother test passed!!!! I'm feeling more and more confident in this thing to pass the Enduro-Road-Trip-From-Hell, which will be coming up shortly.....




Plus, had my first PoBoy....got it, looked at it and thought: "'the fuck's THIS? Man, I can do the same thing wiff a tube of Jimmy Dean and some French bread!!" But it was quite good, sooo....














Tastes yummy with something called "remoulade" slathered on it!!


And, tell me the last time you saw Airline personnel wearing boots like this:

















This town's got a lot of problems.....and they're NOT ALL Katrina-related.....



On a totally separate note....can Erie County voters recall Frank Clark??

Jussa thought.....

More later....


-E-

Will wonders ever cease?

....in the ongoing struggle of E vs. The State House

Actually got a response to the E-Mail of the last post (05 FEB 2008):

Dear E,

Thank you for writing to me regarding the former Cedar Hills Hospital. I appreciate hearing from you.

I have toured the proposed facility and have talked at length with the people who are applying for the certificate of need. I feel confident that this will be a secure facility and that neighbors will not be in danger once the hospital is operational; they will be treating sick people, not criminals. It is unfortunate that you did not learn about the plans from the company making the proposal and I have encouraged them to hold a neighborhood meeting to answer questions and provide reassurance. Additionally, the company plans to do several million dollars worth of renovation and if the facility is approved, they will be providing many good paying jobs both during the construction phase and at the hospital once it opens.

You do make a valid point about notification to renters and I will keep this idea in mind when considering legislation for the future..



If you have further questions or concerns on this issue, please feel free to contact my office any time.



Best Regards,

Suzanne Bonamici



Representative Suzanne Bonamici

900 Court St. NE H-374

Salem, OR 97301

503-986-1434 office

rep.suzannebonamici@state.or.us



So, I responded to the Representitive:

Hey Suzie-Q, (OK...no, I didn't open it like that, but still......)

I first off wish to thank you for your prompt response. The fact that you took the time to E-Mail back to me means a great deal to this constituant!

However, again....I am officially NEUTRAL on the re-opening of the Cedar Hills Hospital.

Ma'am, the crux of my E-Mail (as convoluted as it was) is my grave concern about the fact that the notification process DOES INDEED have to be changed to include ALL KNOWN ADDRESSES WITHIN AN XXX-FOOT RADIUS FROM the proposed site of the Land Use Review....instead of the current statute requirement of notifying land-owners only!

As you stated in your E-Mail, yes, indeed: It WOULD have been nice for AscentHealth to have a neighbourhood meeting to INFORM and REASSURE neighbours of this project.....

Obviously, they believed that it wasn't in their best interest to do so......

Sadly, I must respectfully disagree with you, ma'am, in that notification of ALL addresses, including shopkeepers leasing in strip malls or tenants renting apartments, is hardly an issue for consideration. Rather, I feel that it is a matter that should be addressed quickly.

Honestly, Representative Bonamici, it is a simple matter of altering the language of Oregon Revised Statute 215.416.11.E.c.A and 227.175.10.E.c.A



FROM:

"Notice of a decision under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be provided to the applicant and TO THE OWNERS OF RECORD OF PROPERTY on the most recent property tax assessment roll where such property is located:"

TO:

"Notice of a (i) DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION BEING SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNING BODY (ii) decision under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be provided to the applicant and TO RESIDENTS OF ALL KNOWN ADDRESSES ON FILE WITH THE (City/County) BUILDING OFFICIAL OF THE JURISIDICTION and to the owners of record of property on the most recent property tax assessment roll where such property is located:"



In Public Sector Urban Planning, we call this a "Text Amendment" when we alter our Development Code in this manner.

It's not an idea with life-threatening implications for the entire state.....it's a change in the text and the notifying requirements for development actions when a proposed development action may have adverse effects to the nearby residents.

It's not even time consuming.....heck, I just formatted an example for you, ma'am. :-)


Representative Bonamici, if you feel that this wording and the new requirement that it carries should not be introduced into the House, I respectfully request to hear you opinions and reasoning.


Many thanks again, and keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

-E-


I ain't holding my breath on this one.....my pockets ain't deep enough to actually have any sort of legitimate influence!

Hmmm....really don't care much for the guy, but if the Legislature ignores this issue........wonder if I can get Bill Sizemore and OSPIRG on board with this......

......although, getting them in THE SAME ROOM together would be a newsworthy event....


-E-

In a past post........

....I have mentioned the lovely abandoned mental hospital that my balcony sits, literally, directly above.

Doing some digging on active and recent Land Use Reviews in my neighbourhood, I was rather surprised to find out that there were plans afoot to un-abandon said facility.

I'm not really overly concerned that they are going to re-open the psychatric facility. What pissed me off to absolutely no end was the fact that they didn't tell me (or any of my neighbours)!!

And, after having a go-around with Washington County over failure to notify EVERYBODY residing nearby the site, I'd had enough and fired off a letter to my state rep and state senator (and, for good measure, cc'd the Washington County Board of Commissioners and two reporters from The Oregonian) as follows below:

Dear Representative Bonamici and Senator Avakian,

I VERY SELDOM write elected officials, however, I cannot tolerate third-class citizen treatment any longer.

I am too poor to actually afford to purchase a house or residence to actually own. Thus, apparently, to elected representatives, I am invisible.

What I am referring to is a new, strictly for-profit psychiatric hospital being opened, literally, DIRECTLY BELOW THE BALCONY OF MY APARTMENT!

This is the former Cedar Hills Hospital on Southwest Eastridge Street in Cedar Hills. Please reference the following article in The Oregonian: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1202187303128990.xml&coll=7

Now, please understand that my official view on this hospital is NEUTRAL. True, I am very much afraid of a psychiatric hospital that contains a locked facility in a high-density neighbourhood with several small children, seniors and other vulnerable members of our population residing within 500 feet of this facility.

However, working in the Public Sector in Urban Planning, I cannot tell you how much it rankles me when I get screaming real estate agents going off in my face because of one of their neighbours wanting to partition their large parcel of land.

What bothers me is the NIMBY hypocrisy of these people in that, if this partition were in A DIFFERENT NEIGHBOURHOOD, they would be the first on the scene, asking the prospective partitioner if they need assistance in selling off the new smaller parcels of land!

I vowed I would never be that hypocritical NIMBY....and, despite my concerns, I'm not going to be.

Simply, the following is what should cause serious concern and what I am proposing that you, as legislators representing my district, do about it.

I had found out about this after the fact, and this is simply because, being in Public Sector Urban Planning, I KNEW WHERE to look.

My neighbours who are affluent enough to actually OWN their residences were notified about this by a mailing from the Washington County Land Use and Transportation Department, regarding a Type II Land Use Review for a Conditional Use Permit for this facility, as required by statute.

My fellow renters, who aren't in the field of Urban Planning, and, thus, do not know where to locate such notices?

They were NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS LAND USE REVIEW by Washington County, thus, they were effectively silenced. Obviously, the persons owning the rental complexes surrounding the facility were NOT going to notify the tenants (bad for business if you have all of these tenants taking off out of their leases over concerns about their children's safety).

But they did eventually find out about the facility.

How?

The Scientologists told them.

That's correct. A mass mailing to ALL ADDRESSES, addressed to "Resident" (NOT tax-roll land-owners of record) from the Scientologists told my renting neighbours about this situation.

Cute, eh?

So what do I propose?

I propose, Representative Bonamici and Senator Avakian, that a House and/or Senate Bill be drafted by your staffs, and presented to committee by yourselves.

I request that this Bill require that, statewide, municipalities notify residents and shopkeepers of ALL KNOWN ADDRESSES (NOT just land-owners of tax lots) of Land Use Reviews occurring on a tax lot within 300 feet for a Type II Land Use Review and 500 feet of a Type III Land Use Review.

When the Developer Lobby and the Municipalities complain about the expense, how come private marketers (e.g. - ValuPak coupons) can do it EASILY at such a low cost? And you can't tell me that the local branch of the Church of Scientology has anything even resembling the coffers of local municipalities.

Simple answer?

Attach the mailing costs to the fee for the Land Use Review permit application. Thus, no additional expense to the taxpayers.

"BUT TAXPAYERS???" the developers will say. "These are RENTERS! They don't pay property taxes!"

Rubbish!! We pay them through our monthly rents for our housing. Yet we have no vested stake in the land or property!

I'm counting on you two, as being elected to represent the residents of this district, to stand up to the Developer Lobby and make this become a reality........

........it's so much easier than a citizen-initiated ballot measure!

Many thanks for your time,

-E-


So.....we'll see where THAT goes.......

More later.....

-E-

(Sure that I've now just fucked up any hope of a career of urban planning in the Private Sector.....but sometimes you hafta stomp on a few grapes to make wine..........or something like that........)

OK....

.....sound comes out fine on here. First chink in the EEE pc's armour: Their media file player is pure crap! Gonna hafta download RealPlayer on this thing.....

That being said that it ain't the camera or the computer, but rather the media player (which doesn't even have a name) that was put on this thing either by EEE pc or by Xandros LINUX, I'll pop another roller derby vid on here!

More Later,

-E-

TEST 1.....2.......3 TEST 1......2.......3.....

Been getting this weird really loud radio-interference noise whenever I plug my videos into my EEE pc and try to play them back. THOUGHT it was my camera, but I plugged it into one of my WinBlows machines, and the sound comes out fine.....

Just gonna post a Roller Derby Vid here, see if the sound's still fucked up, and remove this post shortly!

Maybe HRD was right....maybe I WILL need a LINUX driver for my USB Toaster to address compatibility issues!

-E-