Update for Everyone III - The Whinge Binge

[Torie]

The Robinson Street, Hudson vision slowly, very slowly  - about 4 months behind schedule, with rather massive cost over-runs to boot,  glacially creeps to fruition, sans the garage-artist studio, with apartment above, structure along the alley in back, yet to be built, but now permitted after a most fascinating political struggle to secure the variance, and then even after the variance grant the permit issuance itself after a last minute attempt by the code enforcement officer to try to change the law, and delay the permit issuance until he could,  which required a meeting with the mayor to tell the enforcement officer to chill out and bug off.  Anyway, it's now staked out. The latest glitch on that was the 2 foot elevation change along the alley in back, which had not been accounted for. So many problems to solve, so little time. I wish there were about 40 hours in a day, and humans did not need to sleep. Why did biology come up with the time wasting idea of the necessity to sleep? It's ludicrous really.

Anyway, the project has rather substantially changed the "vibe" of the block, an almost stereotypical example of gay men homesteading in an edgy hood, because no one else with some money would, and well  - gentrifying it all. Three other homes on the block are also now being renovated due to my little rather insane vision, at least if it were solely a green eye shade exercise.

[Torie]

Good evening, Whinge Bingers!

I start the job tomorrow at 08:00, the 24th day of April this year of our lord 2015, officially my 29th year on this Earth.  It's not in the field of political science, and THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.  It's a good job and it'll pay the bills and I'm truly grateful for the fruits levied upon me by my savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  I called up Mom and we are going to go to Wal-Mart in Willingboro tomorrow to pick out some new khaki slacks.  Tonight, I had pizza for dinner.  (Dad gummit!)  But it's a celebration of the job so it's perfectly fine.  I'll go back to tuna salad tomorrow.  Tonight it's Washington Capitals Hockey Club vs. New York (Long Island) Islanders Icesticks Team on National Broadcasting Company Sports Network at 19:00, followed by Chicago Injuns Savages Red Men Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators Puck Men at 21:00!  I'll go to bed around 23:00 and awake at 06:30 for Work Day #1!  I'm so blessed.  The most important thing for every single person on the face of the Earth is thanking their Jesus before bed. 

Ah Willingboro. You might consider reading Herbert Gans' (Yale sociologist) seminal book on the place -Levittown (the city later changed its name, because "Levittown" seemed too down market). He moved in for a year when the subdivision tracts first opened up, and studied the habits of the natives. It was in the 1950's. Speaking of pizza, one thing he noted was that many who moved in had never lived in a heterogeneous community before, and thus the Italians in the hood introduced the WASPS and Jews to the pizza cuisine. They had never consumed one before. Yes, it was a long, long time ago.

[Torie]

Good evening, Whinge Bingers!

I start the job tomorrow at 08:00, the 24th day of April this year of our lord 2015, officially my 29th year on this Earth.  It's not in the field of political science, and THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.  It's a good job and it'll pay the bills and I'm truly grateful for the fruits levied upon me by my savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  I called up Mom and we are going to go to Wal-Mart in Willingboro tomorrow to pick out some new khaki slacks.  Tonight, I had pizza for dinner.  (Dad gummit!)  But it's a celebration of the job so it's perfectly fine.  I'll go back to tuna salad tomorrow.  Tonight it's Washington Capitals Hockey Club vs. New York (Long Island) Islanders Icesticks Team on National Broadcasting Company Sports Network at 19:00, followed by Chicago Injuns Savages Red Men Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators Puck Men at 21:00!  I'll go to bed around 23:00 and awake at 06:30 for Work Day #1!  I'm so blessed.  The most important thing for every single person on the face of the Earth is thanking their Jesus before bed. 

Ah Willingboro. You might consider reading Herbert Gans' (Yale sociologist) seminal book on the place -Levittown (the city later changed its name, because "Levittown" seemed too down market). He moved in for a year when the subdivision tracts first opened up, and studied the habits of the natives. It was in the 1950's. Speaking of pizza, one thing he noted was that many who moved in had never lived in a heterogeneous community before, and thus the Italians in the hood introduced the WASPS and Jews to the pizza cuisine. They had never consumed one before. Yes, it was a long, long time ago.

And when they changed their name, Mr. Levitt had a snit fit and refused to donate any more schools!

Combine that with his policy of not selling to blacks, and you have a real charmer.

Gans didn't mention the racial policy, which presumably was in place when he was there.
Maybe it was kept camouflaged at the time.  Interesting.

[Torie]

got a 96 on the MPRE, which is 11 more points that I needed to pass!

guess who is officially a National Council of Bar Examiners certified master of ethical lawyering <<<this guy

I got about the same score for the test I took last November, for the same NY Bar. Both our ethics understanding level is well - mediocre.

[Torie]

My husband just got accepted to study law.

Congratulations to him. Where is he going?

[Torie]

My husband just got accepted to study law.

Congratulations to him. Where is he going?

Glasgow. Three years. Scots Law (curiously)

Ah. And if he goes the barrister route someday, he can buy one of those wigs for about 4,000 pounds or something (only in the UK and Hong Kong are they worn now). The Brit legal system is just infinitely superior to the American one in my view. It's not even close.

[Torie]

Well, my political career in Hudson (have you all heard of Hudson?) has formally commenced. I have been appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. I emailed the new Mayor's aide expressing my interest, and 30 minutes later got a call from the Mayor appointing me. That was quick!

[Torie]

Well, my political career in Hudson (have you all heard of Hudson?) has formally commenced. I have been appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. I emailed the new Mayor's aide expressing my interest, and 30 minutes later got a call from the Mayor appointing me. That was quick!

Congratulations Torie! Do you have future plans for higher offices? Also, how much are your rates for political favors?

Thank you Virginia. The answer to your first question is yes, and the answer to your second question, is that I am not yet sufficiently acclimated to NY politics to have prepared a price list yet.

PS: Thanks too to darthebearnc, who so often takes it on the chin for me, misguided masochist that he is.

[Torie]

Well, my political career in Hudson (have you all heard of Hudson?) has formally commenced. I have been appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals. I emailed the new Mayor's aide expressing my interest, and 30 minutes later got a call from the Mayor appointing me. That was quick!

The Public Official's Liability Insurance policy will be humming now with all the "declined" requests for variances.   Life is good, eh? 

It is an interesting job, because the zoning code has nothing to do with what is on the ground, and thus offers no reasonable benchmark for what is a reasonable "variance" therefrom. So basically in general (with the exception of the parking requirements which in the zoning code do tend to match what is one the ground), the correct approach is just to throw the zoning code in the trash, and examine what is on the ground in the area, and decide if what is requested reasonably "fits" in with that. The ZBA currently does not fully understand that, but they will.

Obviously the zoning code needs to totally rewritten, and that is on my "to do" list. My list of "to do" items in Hudson is rather long. I'm everywhere!