All that Is Certain Is that Nothing is Certain

Among the several jobs I have, secretary to a landlord is one of them. I've been working for this "Uncle Scrooge" before I even started college. Me and this guy go way back. I've seen his business grow tenfold, just as much as he's seen me grow too. My work in his rental business involves writing letters to tenants, mortgage companies, the city, the county, the state, etc.; I also schedule repairs on units, run credit/eviction checks on prospective tenants, and do anything that at all that requires internet access. Uncle Scrooge has little patience with computers and the internet and often complains about technology and the need for live customer assistance. Recently, he received several postcards from the Kern County Assessor's office. These cards were notices informing him of the new value of each property he owns in Bakersfield.
For one property alone, the new market value of the property was 326,000 less than what he originally paid. Overnight he lost several hundred thousand dollars and is still paying the mortgage of the original value, not the new market value.

For me this was disheartening, seeing how this guy was the typical American Dream story, an immigrant who worked hard, pulled himself up from his bootstraps and went from rags to riches. He believed, I mean, believes in this system whole heartedly. He says, you win some you lose some. But to me, I see it as ideas, words, and numbers are not fixed. They are determined by a stronger force--in this case, an economic one: the decline in the housing market that resulted from the Wall Street Bailout and the subprime mortgage crisis. Uncle Scrooge is paying the price for it, but he still hold on to his American Dream.

What should the dreams of the younger generations look like? Do we dream that one day we too can have our OWN home without some entity dictating its worth? or is that dream never possible?

Chance

Occasionally I come across a woman sitting under a tree in front of her apartment when I walk my dog. I've only started talking with her because my dog gravitates toward any human being that pays her attention. This morning I learned a little bit about her, that her and her husband work from home and that works out for them because of their daughter. She's about 8 years old and they can't seem to hold her attention for less than a couple of minutes. Not at home, not in the playground, and not even at school. School seems to be the most problematic because the teacher already has her hands full with a class full of students. She says she has ADD, and she refuses to put her on any medication. She loves her too much to take the quick-fix drug route. From the research she's done, she gathered that putting her on meds will fuck her up in the short and long term. So this is why she's always under that tree, with her teary eyes and red nose, praying for help or some sort of relief, because she doesn't know what to do.

What struck me the most was that she said the girl was her stepdaughter. Did she see this coming when she married the girl's father? Probably not, and if she did it didn't matter much because she adored the man. I don't think any of us can accurately foresee the trails and tribulations that lie ahead of us. We go into things, whether they're relationships, projects, businesses, deals, investments, you name it, with some sort of idea that things can go wrong, and never fully understanding what or how to prepare for it. But that's life for you. That's how it works. I think that no matter what you choose, there's always gonna be tests a long the way. So while you might expect everything to be peaches and cream, there's no doubt things at some point will be too uncomfortable, but not impossible, to handle.

I wanna taste her honey

Community Meetings Inviting Angelinos to Share Their Desires for What They Would Like to See in Their New Chief of Police

This is what the title reads of a flier that was passed on to me. The Los Angeles Police Commission is holding a series of forums for Angelin@s to give their two cents on what the qualities they want to see in their new police chief. I was stunned that meetings like these actually take place. Is it the first time the police commission does this? I've been deprived of democracy in many aspects of life that when I see things like these it reminds me that minces of it are scattered around, you just have to find it. Though I know much of the history of the department (e.g. the violence, corruption, racism) through film portrayals, archived pictures, and first-hand accounts, an event such as this one calls for my attention. Perhaps because I'm an optimist, because despite the fact that capital predetermines all types of social order--hence the founding of the LAPD after the Gold Rush--here is a chance to voice my opinion on what I want and don't want to see in the police chief that governs my city. I say this because oftentimes I am one to whine about how bad things are but never do anything about it. And maybe these forums are just a facade because in the end THEY will elect who THEY think is better suited for a job in one of the most diverse cities in the world. And maybe our voices in these forums will be too low because there's only a handful of us in attendance. But the accountability that this meeting brings forth is key. I mean this in terms of having the right to make demands when what was promised is not even close to being met. So in case you are interested in attending, here are the dates, times, and places for the last two forums:

September 9, 2009 6:30
Felicia Mahood Senior Center
11338 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025

September 10, 2009 6:30
18255 Victory Boulevard
Reseda, CA 91335

*All meetings will be attended by two Police Commissioners and will be facilitated by Police Commission Executive Director Richard Tefank.