I've been hosting a couple whose house burned down (2200-2400 degrees estimated) in the Valley Fire on Cobb Mt. (between Calistoga and Clearlake) in September. They are trying to get back on their feet. They're my age, and thought they had the equity in their house for their older age.

Insurers in CA now commonly decline to renew insurance based on reports from Cal Fire + reviews of Google maps. Entire zip codes are now excluded from coverage. They were caught in the worst sitch - insurance declined to renew in Aug., they couldn't find another insurer, the fire was Sept. 14. It's all gone. House, deck, art, books, guitar, computers, truck, woodshop. They spent the time they could have used to grab stuff making sure their neighbors got out instead, and saved the lives of about a dozen people, including my former roommate and her husband, their neighbor.

They won't get a. thing. from insurance, and FEMA etc. is helpful, but not all that, also. If you'd like to help a couple recover from fire losses, they have a GoFundMe going, or paypal (they take less out) to equuleus at gmail dot com, or contact me if you want to make a direct deposit to their bank, profile addy fine. Thanks. [link]

eta link to Public Radio report on what insurers are doing. [link]

Given that the day after an election is often a bit depressing, this is for people who enjoy a bit of political silliness with a slightly dark edge. Our electoral process explained entirely in popular music videos:

[link]

6 more days, seis dias mas

To sign up for The Annual Funscapade of Love, Support and Gifts Shared Amongst Buffistae (AFoLSaGSAB). I am moderating again over on Elfster. We have 10 people signed up now which is ok, BUT I DO NOT SETTLE FOR OK without at least trying for MORE.

Sign up is open until 11/14/15 and ideally gifts will arrive by end of the year. If you have never done it before, please consider it this year. If you fear you cannot manage it, you can always be a mayhem elf and drop things in the mail unexpectedly to spread confusing joy - (I share addresses and personal information WILLY NILLY(not our NILLY, but you know what I mean))

signup link is below.

[link]

If anyone's gifting Updraft for the holidays and would like a personalized bookplate for the giftee, I have a limited number of bookplates left. Will make good on requests sent by Dec. 1 - still figuring out details, but wanted to post here first.

For all who signed up for The Annual Funscapade of Love, Support and Gifts Shared Amongst Buffistae (AFoLSaGSAB). Names have been drawn and you should have received an email.

Please check that your address is listed on your elfster page, that info is correct and that you have either a link to another wishlist or some suggestions on elfster.

LET THE MAYHEM BEGIN!

Very Dear Board, it's time for my annual-Christmas-announcement/reminder:

For those of you who don't know: I live in Jerusalem, Israel. I also know this board has religious people on it, or people with religious families and friends.

So if any of you of any faith would like something from here, for Christmas or any other occasion, it's really easy for me to get it and send it overseas. In fact, I'd love to do this, given enough guidance and information (I am and was raised Jewish, and pretty much everything I know about Christianity comes from popular culture TV and a BA in history, which mostly covered the Middle Ages). I'm also OK with rubbing objects against graves/approximated graves/holy locations, if that what turns you on.

The only change in this tradition is that in the past year Israeli post office became quite unreliable, so I would like to get your packages out before December 5th, to make sure that they are there in time.

Profile addy is good and again - it's not a hassle. It's the opposite of it.

Happy holidays!

Meyer Outlet Sale is coming up, and there's an online Friends and Family discount. See my profile for deets, friends!

A roller derby teammate and her SO are traveling to SF in early January 8-10. They are good, non-axe murderers and are looking for a couch to surf or bed near Mission Bay. If any San Franista has a spot for them, please enable me at my profile addy.

My Holiday Card (e-version) [link]

So, here is a request from ita's sister:

ita's birthday is next Monday (January 4th), and we want to commemorate it somehow. A friend of mine had a fabulous idea (respect, Ghenete!): we could all do something at the same time on Monday that remembers ita in some way.

Wouldn't that be great - to have all of our energy conjuring up ita all across the world all at the same time? She'd love that (and probably figure it's nothing less than she deserves).

So, here at home, my parents and I are going to eat some hardo bread (a Jamaican white bread), which was one of ita's favourite foods ever. I will be wearing my Princess Bride shirt or my Community shirt, and her Batman wrist cuff. I'll probably wear some of her jewellery, and try to slip in something pink.

ita had so many interests that I'm sure you'll be able to think of something to do. But for those of you who knew me more than you knew her, here are some ideas:

• anything to do with any martial art (her favourite was krav maga - she also loved capoeira) - you could wear a shirt with a martial art image / actually do a couple forms / punch/kick someone in the face/body / whatever
• anything to do with comics - you could wear clothes with the images / you could read one/some / whatever
• anything to do with TV shows like Supernatural / Community / anything Joss Whedon has ever written
• anything to do with superhero movies
• anything to do with the movie Princess Bride
• eating any delicious dessert (she loved baking sweet things!)
• eating any Jamaican food / drink
• playing / dancing / singing along to anything by Prince / Bob Marley
• do something intellectually challenging (e.g. play Scrabble, do an IQ test)
• read a scifi book
• do some drawing / sketching / photography

And, given that her favourite colours were pink and black, how about wearing one/both of those colours on Monday? When you're doing your ita thing, or all day - whichever works?

What would also be great is if you could take pictures of yourself doing whatever it is you do (if that's possible, depending on what you choose to do), and then send it to me, so I could collate them for posterity and maybe send them out to everyone as well. This is not at all essential - just a suggestion.

What about 4pm Jamaica time? That means 4pm on the East Coast of the US and Canada, and: