Jon Kyl sucks cock by choice(in the Deadwood sense) I mean, I knew that, and was so pissed that "we" re-elected his fat-cat ass again...if Pederson had another week, he might have got it. Seriously. But knowing that is totally different from running your eyeballs over the retrograde talking point that "America has the best health-care in the world." Uh, maybe for Senator Pantload, sure. So glad I didn't have a Heart-Rending Personal Story to open a vein and share(I mean, I guess I do, but I didn't.) I'd feel so violated, right now. As it is, I'd vote Senator Kyl the Worst Arizonan in The Woorld.(in a state with Arpaio and Mc Cain always a tough call) This is why Kossacks irritate with their purity tests and stuff...some of them don't know what it's like to NEVER EVER feel that you have a voice.

(sits with Teppy)

::joins Tep and Raq, and now WS::

This is of course completely anecdotal and probably a meaningless coincidence, but the only person I know who went on the blood type diet, an acquaintance from Faire, went whole hog in a big way, for about 4-6 months. I saw her one weekend looking as beautiful as she always did, but a little tired and about to see her doctors for "something weird" they'd noticed the last time they listened to her heart; three days later she was being rushed into emergency surgery, and two weeks later they took her off support.

Which probably has nothing at all to do with the blood type diet, but since she'd spent thirty-some-odd years being conspicuously rosy and healthy (except for being 40 lbs. overweight--still gorgeous and healthy, but obsessed with and ashamed of her weight) and that diet was the only drastic change in habits she'd undergone in the year before she died, I feel a wee bit irrationally hostile to it.

maybe it's not that irrational.

I wonder if she was also doing diet meds too, which are known to be bad for the heart.

IOnon-diet-fadN, I had lunch with my new crew today. We had a nice meeting trying to figure out schedules, so they can finish out the season with the Shakespeare company. And the A1 says she is all jazzed about the last show of the season, "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!", because Superman is her all time favorite. The A2 pipes in how Batman is his, and coincidentally enough, it's his nickname. As that was being discussed, I put my computer to screen saver (because the meeting was done) and up pops Green Lantern, and I point and say well, GL is my fav. So, it looks like my crew this coming season is The Justice League! Woot! Can't wait. Wish they started today.

Has anyone ever negotiated with their landlord about rent? What are good things to say? My apartment is rent-controlled, and my landlord takes the max percentage increase every year, so my apartment isn't as cheap as it was three years ago, and this year, it will be close to a $100 more than what it was when I moved in. My neighbors just moved out, and he hasn't been able to rent the apartment below me for a month or so, and I've been a very good tenant and he likes me, so I want to ask if he'll consider, at the very least, not raising my rent this year, if not lowering it a bit, given that it's not like the value of the apartment has gone up during the recession. There are several comparable apartments in my area renting for $30 to $80 lower.

P-C, I did once. He tried to jack my rent twice in one calendar year, since I was month to month at that point. But with the 2nd increase, it put it to a 25% increase, and CA state law says if you raise more than 10% you have to give 60 days notice instead of 30 days. So I told him so, and said that I will be looking in those 2 months for a place, as there was no way I could afford the new rent. He backed off and left it at the rate it was at. Can't hurt to try.

Check out this from the WSJ: How to Reduce Your Rent

P-C, I did once. He tried to jack my rent twice in one calendar year, since I was month to month at that point.

Oh, that blows. I'm month to month too, but he's never pulled that shit with me. Just the annual increase of 3% or so.

Check out this from the WSJ: How to Reduce Your Rent

Ooh, thanks, tommyrot. There's some good stuff there. Interestingly enough, the 5.5% decrease for one-bedroom apartments would put my rent at about what I got the apartment for in 2006, which is what I would prefer to be paying now, if not less. Of course, that was in Manhattan. Where would I find the numbers for Oakland?

Hm. according to this article, rent has actually gone up 2.5%, but projected vacancy rate is the highest in the Bay Area. And this report also claims the Oakland market is good. How do I spin that?

Damn you, Rentometer! It says I have a good deal, as only 11% of listings are lower priced. So perhaps I don't deserve a HUGE discount like the woman in the article got, but I think I still want to ask for the rent to be what I paid three years ago, which is $55 less.

Before you negotiate -- look around -- are there other options? I think I'd be more inclined to ask for no raise that a reduction back to three years ago.

Well, I intend to ask for no raise at the very least, but ask him to consider lowering. There are three or four comparable apartments on Craigslist with lower rates, some of which even include water, which is a $45 discount in itself.