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.

The best negotiating tool you have is a willingness to move. If you aren't prepared to move, then you will have a tough time. It's a huge hassle to fill a vacant rental property, landlords do not like doing it. So as long as you are prepared to follow through on a threat to move to one of the lower priced properties that you've been able to locate then you should be in a good position to get your current landlord to lower the rent.

It's a huge hassle to fill a vacant rental property, landlords do not like doing it.

It's a huge hassle to move, and I do not like doing it!

But I have to at least act like I'm willing to move.

I've never read anything that supported the blood type diet. Also, I seriously doubt that blood type, at least as this diet defines the ideal diet for each blood type, has much to do with whether people do well on a vegetarian diet or not -- according to that website, Type A, which is about 35% of the population, should be vegetarian, and Type B, which is about another 35%, should never eat chicken and should instead eat goat, lamb, rabbit, and venison.

Type B, which is about another 35%, should never eat chicken and should instead eat goat, lamb, rabbit, and venison.

I'm B+, and while I love the idea that my mom's venison mincemeat pie is my perfect food, I doubt that building my diet around it'll get me down to my skinny jeans any time soon.

Ow. It's another Tramadol night. I tried going without the ankle brace today, and I guess that was a bad idea.

Does Tramadol make you woozy, Hil? The ER gave me a prescription for it which I finally filled today. I was with a friend once on it and it fucked him up real hard and left him with little memory of the whole thing, but it doesn't seem to do much for me.