It seems like I tell people all the time what the laws are regarding the heat of rental units. Here's the quote:
"If the owner controls the heat source ( a central boiler, for example), then the owner must provide 13 hours of heat at a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit from 5 AM to 11 AM and also from 3 PM to 10 PM each day in all habitable rooms (not bathrooms or halls for example). If the tenant controls the heat source (a space heater, for example), then the appliance must be capable of maintaining a temperature of least 68 degrees Fahrenheit in all habitable rooms. If it is 68 degrees or higher in the unit, heat does not have to be provided."
http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/site/rentboard_page.asp?id=4060
Monday, November 28, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
The remaining photos from my trip
Here's a link to the rest of the photos from my trip:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ksr0nbj.bhpdtx9b&x=1&y=r5d4nd
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ksr0nbj.bhpdtx9b&x=1&y=r5d4nd
IBND Index -Interntional Buy Nothing Day -
IBND Index -Interntional Buy Nothing Day -
Of course, when you're unwaged or just don't make enough to support yourself and your family you try to make every day a buy nothing day. Think about that.
Of course, when you're unwaged or just don't make enough to support yourself and your family you try to make every day a buy nothing day. Think about that.
Pesticide testing on orphans and children with disabilities
Organic Consumers Association - Educating for Health, Justice, and Sustainability
I didn't think this could be possible, but I checked with a reliable source who said it was....
I didn't think this could be possible, but I checked with a reliable source who said it was....
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Granny dies
My last remaining grandparent and namesake, Lillian Smith, died early this morning.
I'll think of some really moving things to say about later.
I'll think of some really moving things to say about later.
Friday, November 18, 2005
"Desperate" for a novel
You know that I watch 3 TV shows. Well, I watch other show some of the time, but there are 3 that I tape to make sure that I get to see them. They are: Alias, Desperate Housewives, and Veronica Mars. (...OK, you caught me. I also tape Friends reruns, but I only watch the episodes if I haven't before, which almost never happens.)
So, I was on the BART today after lunch with my friend Brian and a visit to Creative Growth (http://www.creativegrowth.org, where I am going to start volunteering). (I was originally supposed to go to a talk at Berkeley on Housing and the Bay, but I just couldn't take another talk this week, and it turned out Carolyn wouldn't be available until 7 PM, and I didn't want to wait that long....) On the BART, there was a Datebook section of the Chronicle. I read the article on have Desperate Housewives is... not what it once was.
But, to make a short story long, the punchline, to me, was this line: "At times the series has played out as a less-than-intricate collection of short stories, rather than a novel that everyone seems to crave." (Goodman) In the 90s, my writing group talked about how the short story was en vogue along with short shorts. We thought this was great news, and now I think that's because short stories and short shorts are just easier. We didn't have to work so hard.
Of course, the irony here is that I don't like short stories all that much and I love novels. I can't take the emotional rollercoaster. If I am going to get all involved with a bunch of characters and their story, I want it to last at least a week. However, with my current system, I have managed to make one novel last like 6 months. Argh.
So, I was on the BART today after lunch with my friend Brian and a visit to Creative Growth (http://www.creativegrowth.org, where I am going to start volunteering). (I was originally supposed to go to a talk at Berkeley on Housing and the Bay, but I just couldn't take another talk this week, and it turned out Carolyn wouldn't be available until 7 PM, and I didn't want to wait that long....) On the BART, there was a Datebook section of the Chronicle. I read the article on have Desperate Housewives is... not what it once was.
But, to make a short story long, the punchline, to me, was this line: "At times the series has played out as a less-than-intricate collection of short stories, rather than a novel that everyone seems to crave." (Goodman) In the 90s, my writing group talked about how the short story was en vogue along with short shorts. We thought this was great news, and now I think that's because short stories and short shorts are just easier. We didn't have to work so hard.
Of course, the irony here is that I don't like short stories all that much and I love novels. I can't take the emotional rollercoaster. If I am going to get all involved with a bunch of characters and their story, I want it to last at least a week. However, with my current system, I have managed to make one novel last like 6 months. Argh.
Crossing Guard Runs Down Crossing Guard
NEW JERSEY
Crossing Guard Runs Down Crossing Guard
A crossing guard was killed in front of a high school by another crossing
guard on his way to work, Park Ridge police said.
Estelle Reynolds, 81, died after being struck in a crosswalk by a vehicle
driven by Marvin Hodgdon, 70. He was on his way to his crossing guard job
in nearby Hillsdale.
Hodgdon said he didn't see Reynolds, who was wearing high-visibility safety
gear, police Chief Richard Oppenheimer said.
No criminal charges were filed.
TJB
Source: [carfree_cities]
Crossing Guard Runs Down Crossing Guard
A crossing guard was killed in front of a high school by another crossing
guard on his way to work, Park Ridge police said.
Estelle Reynolds, 81, died after being struck in a crosswalk by a vehicle
driven by Marvin Hodgdon, 70. He was on his way to his crossing guard job
in nearby Hillsdale.
Hodgdon said he didn't see Reynolds, who was wearing high-visibility safety
gear, police Chief Richard Oppenheimer said.
No criminal charges were filed.
TJB
Source: [carfree_cities]
news
My grandmother is back in the hospital again. She got very weak from the radiation and not eating and had a fall. My mother flew out to be with her, which appears to have been a really good thing bc the doctors didn't think she would live thru last night. Except that she did.
In the meantime, Jane's mother has pancreatic cancer and Carolyn Helmke breast cancer. I don't have any updates on those. I am really worried about my mother if she loses bother her mommy and her twin sister in one year. She's never been good at taking care of herself. It seems like now would be a good time to start, but sometimes people can't change.
I asked my friend Tina about the uprisings in France (she lives in Paris), and here's what she said:
> yeah, i think things were kinda crazy up in saint
> dennis, etc. but not in central paris. and i do think
> the media kind of had a field day with it, bc i have a
> friend who lives there and another who works there and
> they both said they didn't really see anything and
> weren't affected. they live right in "93" the
> supposedly really bad part. i did see 2 burned cars
> in paris near pack villette in the 19th...not far from
> that bar where we tried to hear reggae on nuit
> blanche...the 2 cars did kinda freak me out. but
> that's about it!
I asked Bertrand for news of Strasbourg, but I haven't heard anything back yet.
Gabe and I hungout last night and had lots of interesting conversation as always. We went to this workshop on what the guy calls "practical wisardry" which was basically a motivational class. The bottom line is pay attention to how your body feels to know what you want and then think positively about getting it. He used a lot of self-help, science, and motivational jargon, but that was his main message.
He also spent a very long time talking about his life story. He worked in television bc he liked to watch it. Then he joined an internet startup where he wasn't paid enough. Then he became a web developer where he was happy for a few years. Having known my share of techies, I would just love to hear someone have a more interesting story to tell. Like how you farmed in Africa or meditated for 3 years in northern India or sold jewelry at Dead shows. Anything!
I took a lot of notes from the class and maybe I will type them up for you anyway. I do admire his wanting to be a motivational teacher, but it might not be the best medium for him. I could listen to Garrison Keiller read his shopping list out loud, but there are lots of other people who just shouldn't talk. Or maybe they just need coaching.
That said, I do think the class helped me. And more than that, talking with Gabe helped. I'm ready to conquer.
In the meantime, Jane's mother has pancreatic cancer and Carolyn Helmke breast cancer. I don't have any updates on those. I am really worried about my mother if she loses bother her mommy and her twin sister in one year. She's never been good at taking care of herself. It seems like now would be a good time to start, but sometimes people can't change.
I asked my friend Tina about the uprisings in France (she lives in Paris), and here's what she said:
> yeah, i think things were kinda crazy up in saint
> dennis, etc. but not in central paris. and i do think
> the media kind of had a field day with it, bc i have a
> friend who lives there and another who works there and
> they both said they didn't really see anything and
> weren't affected. they live right in "93" the
> supposedly really bad part. i did see 2 burned cars
> in paris near pack villette in the 19th...not far from
> that bar where we tried to hear reggae on nuit
> blanche...the 2 cars did kinda freak me out. but
> that's about it!
I asked Bertrand for news of Strasbourg, but I haven't heard anything back yet.
Gabe and I hungout last night and had lots of interesting conversation as always. We went to this workshop on what the guy calls "practical wisardry" which was basically a motivational class. The bottom line is pay attention to how your body feels to know what you want and then think positively about getting it. He used a lot of self-help, science, and motivational jargon, but that was his main message.
He also spent a very long time talking about his life story. He worked in television bc he liked to watch it. Then he joined an internet startup where he wasn't paid enough. Then he became a web developer where he was happy for a few years. Having known my share of techies, I would just love to hear someone have a more interesting story to tell. Like how you farmed in Africa or meditated for 3 years in northern India or sold jewelry at Dead shows. Anything!
I took a lot of notes from the class and maybe I will type them up for you anyway. I do admire his wanting to be a motivational teacher, but it might not be the best medium for him. I could listen to Garrison Keiller read his shopping list out loud, but there are lots of other people who just shouldn't talk. Or maybe they just need coaching.
That said, I do think the class helped me. And more than that, talking with Gabe helped. I'm ready to conquer.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Wal-Mart: the high cost of low prices (film review)
Tam and I went to see this film at the Roxy last night (an event sponsored by the Party Progressive and Buyblue.com (1)). It included the following accusations against Wal-Mart:
* WM puts locally-owned businesses out of business
* WM pays and promotes women and minorities significantly less, or should I say, never.
* Owners donate very little money to charity (while Bill Gates donates 58% of his income, by comparison, the Waltons donate about 2%). Also, employees may donate to help other employees in times of crisis; employees donated several million; the Waltons donated $6,000.
* WM provides security for inside the store, but not the parking lot. In many communities Wal-Mart parking lots have the highest incidence of crime in the county. (2)
* WM destroys downtown economies, keeps people away from downtown streets (making them unsafe, among other things).
* WM doesn't pay employees enough to live off.
* WM employs sweatshop labor practices in developing countries and fires US employees who attempt to make conditions comply with the law.
* WM encourages employees to use public assistance when they cannot make enough to live off of. Employees use an enormous amount of public subsidy in many forms (food stamps, Medicaid/care, etc.).
* WM Union-busts.
* WM maintains environmentally-damaging practices until shamed into changing them by the media (despite repeated requests from local gov't officials over many months)
* What did I forget?
We watched about 10 minutes of the rebuttal movie, but then I got tired (and it was boring). The arguments presented were:
* people love to work at Wal-Mart (example, 90-year-old woman who has worked there for 15 years, since retiring). (3)
* poor people need to buy things at low prices to get by. (4)
Overall, I wouldn't say it was a good movie. It attempted to be inflammatory. It tried to manipulate the viewers emotions. And worst of all, it wasn't pretty.
What do you do? Wal-Mart may be bad, but the reality is that most stuff is made in sweatshops and most businesses exploit their workers. Here's Tam's and my 2-pronged plan:
1) Shop at locally-owned businesses esp the owner-operated (co-op?).
2) Shop low on the... shop-chain. That is, buy used stuff. When you can't find it used, look for that "made in the USA" tag we used to covet so much in the late 70s.
Endnotes:
(1) Buyblue.com lists companies that donate money to the Democratic Party (as far as I can tell). Sure, this may help fight the Republicans, but isn't the point more to take back our country FOR OURSELVES? That means supporting locally-owned businesses so that someday we may have a strong middle class again. Without distribution of income, I don't see how we can have a successful democracy.
(2) The information about crime in the parking lots was the only new information to us.
(3) Why is it that she doesn't want to retire? Also, she surely doesn't need to work; so, how is it that this is a good argument in WM's favor? Some people who work their actually need the income to support their families.
(4) Why do you think that these people are poor? It's like the old song says "I owe my soul to the company store." Most WM employees just turn around and spend all their income in the store again bc they can't afford to shop anywhere else. In this way, WM is perpetuating its own economy.
* WM puts locally-owned businesses out of business
* WM pays and promotes women and minorities significantly less, or should I say, never.
* Owners donate very little money to charity (while Bill Gates donates 58% of his income, by comparison, the Waltons donate about 2%). Also, employees may donate to help other employees in times of crisis; employees donated several million; the Waltons donated $6,000.
* WM provides security for inside the store, but not the parking lot. In many communities Wal-Mart parking lots have the highest incidence of crime in the county. (2)
* WM destroys downtown economies, keeps people away from downtown streets (making them unsafe, among other things).
* WM doesn't pay employees enough to live off.
* WM employs sweatshop labor practices in developing countries and fires US employees who attempt to make conditions comply with the law.
* WM encourages employees to use public assistance when they cannot make enough to live off of. Employees use an enormous amount of public subsidy in many forms (food stamps, Medicaid/care, etc.).
* WM Union-busts.
* WM maintains environmentally-damaging practices until shamed into changing them by the media (despite repeated requests from local gov't officials over many months)
* What did I forget?
We watched about 10 minutes of the rebuttal movie, but then I got tired (and it was boring). The arguments presented were:
* people love to work at Wal-Mart (example, 90-year-old woman who has worked there for 15 years, since retiring). (3)
* poor people need to buy things at low prices to get by. (4)
Overall, I wouldn't say it was a good movie. It attempted to be inflammatory. It tried to manipulate the viewers emotions. And worst of all, it wasn't pretty.
What do you do? Wal-Mart may be bad, but the reality is that most stuff is made in sweatshops and most businesses exploit their workers. Here's Tam's and my 2-pronged plan:
1) Shop at locally-owned businesses esp the owner-operated (co-op?).
2) Shop low on the... shop-chain. That is, buy used stuff. When you can't find it used, look for that "made in the USA" tag we used to covet so much in the late 70s.
Endnotes:
(1) Buyblue.com lists companies that donate money to the Democratic Party (as far as I can tell). Sure, this may help fight the Republicans, but isn't the point more to take back our country FOR OURSELVES? That means supporting locally-owned businesses so that someday we may have a strong middle class again. Without distribution of income, I don't see how we can have a successful democracy.
(2) The information about crime in the parking lots was the only new information to us.
(3) Why is it that she doesn't want to retire? Also, she surely doesn't need to work; so, how is it that this is a good argument in WM's favor? Some people who work their actually need the income to support their families.
(4) Why do you think that these people are poor? It's like the old song says "I owe my soul to the company store." Most WM employees just turn around and spend all their income in the store again bc they can't afford to shop anywhere else. In this way, WM is perpetuating its own economy.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
How people express themselves
Rachel and I were out the other night having quality girl time, and she mentioned an interesting idea (well, she mentioned A LOT of interesting ideas, but there's one I am blogging on now). She recently read a book about how people express their love. The point is that if you know how other people express their feelings, and the other people in your life know how you express your feelings, that you will all know what you are saying to eachother, and everyone will feel loved.
Rachel says: so here are the five love languages:
1. words of affirmation
2. quality time
3. receiving gifts
4. acts of service
5. physical touch
The book she read is specifically about couples and marriage, but to me this seems relevant to getting along with your parents, friends, boss, and neighbors. And it's not necessarily about how you express your "love" but how you express your respect to the people in your life and maybe even the spiritual.
Rachel says: so here are the five love languages:
1. words of affirmation
2. quality time
3. receiving gifts
4. acts of service
5. physical touch
The book she read is specifically about couples and marriage, but to me this seems relevant to getting along with your parents, friends, boss, and neighbors. And it's not necessarily about how you express your "love" but how you express your respect to the people in your life and maybe even the spiritual.
Gift ideas for me :-)
· Sturdy, cozy house slippers
· Athletic underwear (I usually wear a M, in REI sizes, I wear the M/L for both tops and bottoms. BTW, I am talking about the tank top not the bra top.)
· Superhero underwear (cotton, I think you have to order this off the internet)
· Scarves (wool, silk, NOT cotton): purple, orange, brown, light colors, interesting patterns too
· DVD sets (complete, NOT “best of”): Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Friends
· Something to play my iPod out loud on, ideally also includes a radio
· Book on Tarot (I have a deck but nothing to interpret with)
· Biographies: see blog post http://liliapilia.blogspot.com/2005/09/artist-biographies.html
· A pressure cooker
· A bag for my yoga mat
· Athletic underwear (I usually wear a M, in REI sizes, I wear the M/L for both tops and bottoms. BTW, I am talking about the tank top not the bra top.)
· Superhero underwear (cotton, I think you have to order this off the internet)
· Scarves (wool, silk, NOT cotton): purple, orange, brown, light colors, interesting patterns too
· DVD sets (complete, NOT “best of”): Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Friends
· Something to play my iPod out loud on, ideally also includes a radio
· Book on Tarot (I have a deck but nothing to interpret with)
· Biographies: see blog post http://liliapilia.blogspot.com/2005/09/artist-biographies.html
· A pressure cooker
· A bag for my yoga mat
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
How to vote
No, I am not going tell you what to think about each position, initiative and proposition. I do want to list how I decide how to vote and where I tend to look for more information. Remember, democracy is a muscle; use it or lose it.
The best thing to do first is to read your voter information guides and decide what you think. While doing so, take a look at who is for and against each issue/person to see if you see a pattern. These things are complicated, and there could be matters what you didn't completely understand based on the information presented. So check your findings based on the endorsements and analyses at:
spur.org -- I think this one is particularly clear.
rescuemuni.org -- I nearly always do what Rescue Muni says.
sfbike.org
sfbg.com
Especially in SF, you have to be careful of political alliances. People sometime endorse or oppose other people or issues bc they need to be allied with the BOS or the Mayor (for example). (I am not going to name any names.) This doesn't mean it's best for the City. So, make sure you understand what's going on, and be sure to decide for yourself.
Happy Election Day!
PS, please let me know where else I should be looking. Thanks.
The best thing to do first is to read your voter information guides and decide what you think. While doing so, take a look at who is for and against each issue/person to see if you see a pattern. These things are complicated, and there could be matters what you didn't completely understand based on the information presented. So check your findings based on the endorsements and analyses at:
spur.org -- I think this one is particularly clear.
rescuemuni.org -- I nearly always do what Rescue Muni says.
sfbike.org
sfbg.com
Especially in SF, you have to be careful of political alliances. People sometime endorse or oppose other people or issues bc they need to be allied with the BOS or the Mayor (for example). (I am not going to name any names.) This doesn't mean it's best for the City. So, make sure you understand what's going on, and be sure to decide for yourself.
Happy Election Day!
PS, please let me know where else I should be looking. Thanks.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Quick thoughts
Alison and I were taking one of our usual Sunday afternoon walks (GG Park in the rain, this time), and the subject of blogging came up. We decided that I need to just post whatever, bc as it is I have like 7 half written blogs that may or may not ever complete themselves. So, I was listening to NPR this afternoon and wanted to share with you a couple things I heard:
* Brain bug -- when you can't get a destructive idea out of your head, like fear of dying.
* Listening is an act of love. (Then they played recording and interviews between family members. Nice.)
* Brain bug -- when you can't get a destructive idea out of your head, like fear of dying.
* Listening is an act of love. (Then they played recording and interviews between family members. Nice.)
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Doing nothing but dreaming
So I’ve got this system (why aren’t you surprised?), but the problem is that it requires that I actually DO things. I’m not wild about that. There are certain things I am supposed to do every day or week or month, and there’s this list on my bulletin board. Yeah. Well, today I have to do yoga, and honestly, I just don’t feel like it. I might go tonight, since I have carefully guarded my free time to leave tonight for myself. Unless one of you calls me up with an interesting invitation. Anyway.
I’m not doing anything. That is: I’m not working; I’m not taking any classes; I am not working on any particular projects. I wake up when I wake up and then I usually have a cup of tea. That’s about the extent of my commitments. And honestly, I’m not wild about it. My weekends are busier, as I systematically completely wear out poor Eric.
A couple nights ago, I had an interesting dream. Interesting being defined as a dream I remembered. I picked out this little brown dog (originally a chocolate lab, but later a much smaller dog). I was wild about this little dog. Then, I don’t know exactly how, I ended up with 2 goats as well. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So, I took my 3 new pets home. Eric was there and surprisingly supportive considering that he doesn’t like dogs. (I don’t know how he feels about goats, but the presumption in the dream was that he wouldn’t be excited about them.) I quickly realized that it was going to be difficult to have 2 goats in a little apartment without a yard. Eric was supportive of that decision and said he would help me take the goats back. But, for some reason, we had to take the goats out from the fire escape, and we couldn’t leave the little dog alone. 2 people, 3 pets, a ladder to climb down…. I went to carry the little dog down the fire escape, but he jumped to the ground and broke his leg (I could see from above). I wanted to get down to him and get him to a vet to set his leg, but I was still up on the fire escape and he was down below, running around with a broken leg. So, the plan was for me to carry down one goat and Eric would carry down the other. I started down the ladder, and that’s when I woke up.
I’m not doing anything. That is: I’m not working; I’m not taking any classes; I am not working on any particular projects. I wake up when I wake up and then I usually have a cup of tea. That’s about the extent of my commitments. And honestly, I’m not wild about it. My weekends are busier, as I systematically completely wear out poor Eric.
A couple nights ago, I had an interesting dream. Interesting being defined as a dream I remembered. I picked out this little brown dog (originally a chocolate lab, but later a much smaller dog). I was wild about this little dog. Then, I don’t know exactly how, I ended up with 2 goats as well. It seemed like a good idea at the time. So, I took my 3 new pets home. Eric was there and surprisingly supportive considering that he doesn’t like dogs. (I don’t know how he feels about goats, but the presumption in the dream was that he wouldn’t be excited about them.) I quickly realized that it was going to be difficult to have 2 goats in a little apartment without a yard. Eric was supportive of that decision and said he would help me take the goats back. But, for some reason, we had to take the goats out from the fire escape, and we couldn’t leave the little dog alone. 2 people, 3 pets, a ladder to climb down…. I went to carry the little dog down the fire escape, but he jumped to the ground and broke his leg (I could see from above). I wanted to get down to him and get him to a vet to set his leg, but I was still up on the fire escape and he was down below, running around with a broken leg. So, the plan was for me to carry down one goat and Eric would carry down the other. I started down the ladder, and that’s when I woke up.
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