How the City Works

LINK

First, that link is the project that I just spent two hours listening to people talk about. Oooohh..consumerism pretty.

Two days ago, I got a call from a rep of the Redevelopment PAC that I'm
on. He told me that there was to be a board meeting about the
development on San Vicente and Pico. This is huge as the Sugar Shack is walking
distance. We knew that the property was in full construction mode for a
bus depot, but a large percentage of the land was being fought over
between Target and the LA Unified School District. The meeting was
scheduled for 10am two days from the phone call. A few hours later, I got an
email from a very active Midcity council member that the meeting was
scheduled for 8am.

I was learning the beauty of beaurocracy.

Yesterday, the rep calls to say that the meeting is at 8 but this
particular topic would start about 10. He suggested getting there at 9:30. I get there at 9:22.

They were already in mid-topic. I likely missed a half hour of very
important stuff. No matter. I got enough to piss me off. Which is a surprise to me every single time it happens. I didn't even have an opinion when I walked in
that meeting and within 10 minutes I was offended.

Everyone wants Target there. Why? Because it generates revenue, it
makes jobs, it increases property value, it gives our little community
volunteer committees extra mad money (potentially high 7 figure mad money),
and most importantly, it makes us pretty. Why not a high school
(potentially the largest high school in the city)? Because it will make
teenagers spend time here. Not as pretty.

To be fair (more to the point, to not sound like an agenda toting
pinko), the school will likely be poorly funded, poorly managed and the jobs
it would create would not help the community (unless we have a
surprising amount of unemployed teachers in our neighborhood). With all that,
crime will go up, the drugs and prostitution already in our neighborhood
will get more action, and by more I mean under aged more action. And
forget about gentrification. And for all my liberal ways, I can still
appreciate a little gentrification.

So quite a few people made it. The neighborhood was there, standing room only. And they spoke. They spoke about how they were (we were) dying for a Target and did NOT want a high school.

Anyway, Target is a little stubborn with the wages they're willing to pay. Mind you, they promise to pay a living wage...a wage one can live on. But that's about all they promise and they don't want to promise in writing cuz really, define "living".

"No worries! Move on in!" The community begged. CRA (the suits) were a little less enthusiastic. Either let people get paid poorly or CRA would actually pay the difference so employees got a wage they could really live on. CRA did not like the latter option at all. So now it's poor paid or Target actually does pay well on the honor system or lose Target. The developer did not look amused by any of this. (He DID negotiate prevailing wage for his construction workers, THAT guy isn't dumb)

But the bad guy isn't Target. They're earning a buck.

The bad guy (yet again) is us. The community. Because we are so desperate for some revenue and some city clout that we basically beg large corporations to rape us.

Gentrification.

This is a word that I feel is the same as Lucifer. It means something beautiful and is actually a very ugly, festering thing.

(more later)

I am not superficial

Have you noticed some men look like this and they are not gay? Women! Did you know this?

I had no idea.

The Gift of Giving

Don't give Kris Kringle any of those Tony Robbins tapes. The guy is gonna ruin Christmas.

I was Santa

A few images of the SantaCon. I really can't explain. All I can say is

1. We started at 10am.
2. We were at the Frolic Room before noon.
3. We took over to Hooters.
4. There were Santas on an electric bull.
5. I have shin splints.

I'm moving

More succinctly, I am planting objects in his apartment. He quickly became wise to my scheme but somehow continues to allow it.

I have planted four suits, two pants, eight tops, two dresses, a hairbrush, toothbrush, vitamin supplements, a necklace, ring, pair of shoes, and conveniently leaving gifts "behind".

This is an interesting part of the female mindset. Mind you, I have a willing victim, but really, I think I was planting well before he caught on that I was wanting to move in. Well, before I was even catching on that I wanted to move in. I first planted the toothbrush. This was not an overt act, more for convenience (or so I lied to myself and friends). But then the suit. This was not one I could explain away. The clothing collection hanging neatly in his closet was rapidly growing. I was having a hard time finding clothes when I was home.

I couldn't lie to myself much longer.

I was moving in.

Now to sneak in the cat and bed. Maybe they can just sort of...fall out of my car and onto his front door. Will he protest as soon as I say "Can you help me? It fell on the driveway." Or will he cock his head to the side in confusion when Houdini is suddenly sharing bathroom time?

This is a dilemma. Maybe I'll just keep planting the clothes...and a few pictures.

Boobies

I need your input. I have been emailing Victoria's Secret and it was going so well, and we were exchanging ideas and they were really nice to me and I was really nice back. We disagreed, but we respected each other. You know?

Then suddenly "poof". Gone. They refuse to continue our stimulating conversation. I feel so rejected. But here's what we said. Tell me...is it me?

From Justina:
I love VS fashion and buy in the store as much as possible. I have one
request, though. A plea, in fact.

I know this goes against VS tradition, but I would actually buy a bra
from you if you used A Cup models for your A Cup bras. I'm sure the
DD's feel the same way.

Thanks for your site.

Justina Walford

From Victoria's Secret:
Dear Justina,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our models. We are pleased to assist you with your inquiry.

Our models are selected from established modeling agencies and we employ models with all body types. We are always searching for fresh faces that will convey the image of Victoria's Secret, as well as appeal to all of our clients.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this e-mail or call
anytime.

Thank you for your interest in Victoria's Secret.

Sincerely,
Holly G.
VictoriasSecret.com Client Services

From Justina
I fully understand and agree that you have the best models in the country and possibly around the globe. But I do think there might be a couple body types not represented in your catalogue and on your website.

Is there a possibility this can be considered? If it already has been considered, could you tell me why your company decided against it?

Thank you so much for your prompt response.

Justina Walford


From Victoria's Secret:
Dear Justina,

Thank you for your e-mail regarding our merchandise. We are pleased to assist you with your inquiry.

We value our reputation for excellent client service, and always take great interest and initiative in making changes which are beneficial to our clients.

We appreciate your comments and take them seriously. In fact, client suggestions and comments often provide direction for changes in future merchandise and services.

If you need further assistance, please reply to this e-mail or call anytime.

Thank you for your interest in Victoria's Secret.

Sincerely,
Julia L.
VictoriasSecret.com Client Services


I don't know. Now that I re-read it, it feels a little detached. Maybe they didn't care after all.

I have nothing to say

I'm happy as a clam

And clams are reeeaaaalll happy

manic

I swear I'm a bundle of nerves right now. I think I just sent the wrong email.

And I took a call from an important client and forgot his name.

I think I'm insane.

It's Christmas.

It's allowed.

Right?

Right?

Okay, to make the time pass, I'm blogging a writing dilemma.

Let's say you have a character, who is unhappy in her housewife marriage, cheats on her husband, and can't be happy. The husband leaves her and now she's alone.

On her own, she grows.

Into what?

Realistically, she gets a modest job somewhere. She doesn't meet someone new because that would imply she relies on men to make her happy...

But the end of a play with one of the leads getting a job at quicki-mart seems, well, anti-climactic?

What post in the history of this blog got the most responses?

You guessed it.

More writings on politics and fighting asian stereotypes later.

Okay, I can't stand it.

I gotta blog about what I never blog about.

I met someone.

So how does that work?

I mean do people like, hang out until they break up over the stripper he took home? Or do they, uh, eat a lot of meals and watch movies together until it just makes sense to leave a toothbrush there...and then get a key...and then, well, might as well keep the laundry I did at his place there for when I stay over...and marriage and babies...

I gotta go throw up, now.

I feel pretty

oh so pretty!

i changed the settings on my blog!

is this why the ghetto stays a ghetto?

Bad neighborhoods are not bad because of crack, crime, gangs or prostitution. They are bad because of homeowners.

Tonight was my second night in a month where I have been disappointed by the lack of tolerance on the poor proliferated by homeowners in poor neighborhoods.

So the early part of the week was listening to the candidate speeches for MidCity Neighborhood Council (a council that will decide the fate of about a dozen neighborhoods). The money they have and spend can go to many things, but it sounds like it mainly goes to calling the city and complaining about liquor stores and rehab facilities.

Last night, I went to see Herb Wesson get signed in as our new District 10 Councilmember. And I bumped into quite a few neighborhood council candidates, our neighborhood homeowner association president, and some neighborhood rabble rousers.

What I'm getting to understand is that homeowners are the most involved in this level of politics. They have an investment in the neighborhood that doesn't allow them to easily just get up and leave when the going gets tough. Everyone else gets involved and then burns out and goes when the lease is over.

I'm in a very unique place. I am not an owner, but I am emotionally invested in a home that is in the neighborhood. This is why when someone gets shot, I wonder how to keep someone else from getting shot (including myself). When I see Tony, Sugar's very own loiterer who is fine on good days and pretty difficult when the meds are gone and the drugs are present, I wonder where the city can put him so the meds can stay in him and the drugs can stay out of him.

If you own a home, apparently, you don't care where he goes or who gets shot, as long as it's not on your block.

A small example is gates. We all want gated communities. I guess. Keep the bad out and the good in. What is really annoying is that we just became a gated community and Sugar is on the entrance of this community. We have no gate. Traffic is now completely disgusting on our intersection (with no stop light) and the crime feels a little worse now for us. It's possible that the crime got out of the circle and on our front door. And, really, if it wasn't us, it'd be pushed down the block. There was no attempt to deal with the problem of crime. But there was 10 years of lobbying and thousands of dollars raised and hours of city employee time used to build gates.

Here's is the irony about the political hootenanies like the one I went to last night: The real guns - councilmembers and commissioners, etc.- are strangely less evil. The two kinds of people there are city officials who have to go to support the guy being sworn in and the swarming busy bodies who go for ass-kissing and food.

It's the same mentality as Hollywood actor wannabes. You see people who have some level of success be fairly normal. There is a comfort with the insanity of the business and an intelligence that comes with the success. If they are asses, it's because they are asses. Aspiring actors a dumb asses. They are so caught up with being discovered, they just can't be them. They think the best route to fame is kissing the right asses. They go to parties to be discovered. They pay to perform in front of the "right people" but don't pay to learn how to act.

In city politics, there are those with some success. They work hard at finding out the issues and finding solutions to fix them. They, too, can be asses. They may think curing the homeless problem is to shoot each transient in the head, but they at least admit that they are doing it because it's cheaper and more efficient than a bed and food. They acknowledge that the best idea is to shelter, rehabilitate, and educate. They just know that since it's not being done that way, they need a solution until it can be done that way. Still bad. Hell, still evil. But not stupid.

Neighborhood politicos are not smart enough to be evil. They are dumb. Thus minions. Dumb ass minions. Trying to kiss the right ass and sending off complaints to the city like headshots to Steven Spielberg.

The difference between the two: if you're a small minded actor, you hurt only yourself (and a few casting directors). If you're a small minded city busy body, you are endangering the lives and livelihood of anyone who spends time in your town.

i just made a yahoo avatar that gives the look i give men when they say i'm pretty.