Lee.org

My friend Laura in Manhattan needs some help. She describes it well so here is her letter to me

I previously wrote about this and got some help, thanks!

The Facts:

My apartment was destroyed on Oct 24th by my upstairs neighbor who opened a hot water main and flooded out the three units beneath hers.

There is no power, the kitchen has been demolished completely, no one can live there.

After three months waiting while insurance companies point the finger at each-other, I’ve been forced to file a lawsuit last week.

We named in the suit: Jeannette, (the neighbor who caused the destruction), the co-op, the board of directors of the co-op, the management company of the co-op.

We tried to get approval to start reconstruction on my dime so my place would not continue to rot and I could get home sooner, but the co-op won’t sign the alteration agreement.

I have been living in a hotel suite that State Farm has been paying for. They will stop paying as of February 11th. This hotel costs almost $7k a month so no way can I stay here.

This could take a year to even get to trial. We are hoping for a summary judgment before then but must be ready for the worst- what my attorney calls The Doomsday Plan.

When it does get to trial or in front of a judge, we WILL win; no one is arguing the facts, just which insurance — co-op’s or Jeanette’s — should pay for what.

I have a good lawyer but he does not have a magic wand. He is very expensive, this will probably be $20-30K in lawyers’ fees, which I may or may not ever recoup.

I have a wonderful mother who will help me financially, but she is not rich.

The Primary Need:

A place to live, hopefully in Manhattan, while this process labors on. At least for three months, more likely for six, maybe even longer if we are forced to go to trial.

This place must also take my kitty.

Best case it would be furnished. But I could move my furniture in if it would be a long term arrangement.

The place must be large enough that I can do some work.

Secondary Needs:

A licensed architect who can do drawings for the permit. I can do the preliminary drawings in CAD but need the pro for the permit, (at a great price).

Physical help when the time comes to move. Marriott may let me stay a few extra days at a cut rate so it would probably be the weekend of 13th and 14th.

A job.

What You Can Do:

Put your network on alert to help me find a temporary home.

Help me find an architect who will work at a low rate or even contingency. It’s very little work on their part, just must have it right so don’t break any laws.

Volunteer to help me move when I must- esp. if you have a car. Be my Valentine?

Let me know of any small or large design or acting jobs. Hell, any jobs at all-I must get back to work.

Help me appease whatever Gods I’ve apparently angered-Pray, Chant, speak in tongues, holy water, sacrifice — Anything!!!

The Emotions:
Overwhelmed
Frustrated
Sad
Angry
Frightened
Did I mention Overwhelmed?

Hopeful, still hopeful it will all be okay some day.
Grateful that I know lots of good people.
Xoxo, L

If you can help or know someone that might be able to, please comment here, email Laura at ljhanna at verizon dat net or call her at 917 + 796 – 7682.

There’s all this chatter on the Noisebridge list. Someone working on an important new Calendar and Room Reservation System asked for brainstorming on what the system needed. I gave some feedback. 50 chatty/bitchy posts on the subject later I wrote some more feedback. I notice that the wiki Todo list was updated with my comments both times and precious few other times.

I felt tempted to dive in to the chat/bitch fest but I held my tongue/fingers because it didn’t seem like any benefit could come of it. After my second email I even got an email asking me to stop submitting feedback because, well the author didn’t say it in as many words and didn’t mean it in a mean way but, because my email wasn’t part of the bitching.

I done good.

In my whole life, I can only remember being asked to write a bio four times… three in the last three weeks! Weird!

The Crucible (not done yet!)
IUH
Techkriti (an Indian technology conference I’m presenting at in 2 weeks)
Flaming Lotus Girls

(via JWZ)

This is art that sells itself. Literally. And that’s why it’s art.

I love it!

The art is currently selling itself on eBay

…
WHEREAS:

A. Artist has created a work of art titled “A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter (2009)” (“the Artwork”) which consists of a black box that places itself for sale on the auction website “eBay” (the “Auction Venue”) every seven (7) days. The Artwork consists of the combination of the black box or cube, the electronics contained therein, and the concept that such a physical object “sells itself” every week.
…

I might put this under the category of “Today’s Affirmation”

A Ted Talk

David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 min

local version:

That place is a disorderly house injurious to the public welfare and morals. And JWZ put up the sign to show it.

FNA

I have trouble giving myself a day off because I’ve got a million things on my todo list. But today, I was off.

Went to the shooting range with Schuyler and his friend Mitch. While I was officially Schuyler’s Parent or Guardian because of his tender young age (!), I spent the most time with Mitch, giving him a shooting lesson. It was fun and sometimes funny watching him load the magazine backwards, try desperately to operate the slide, and hold the gun in a position where he’d surely bonk himself in the head if he were to fire the gun for real. All that said, he did great on the range! I was thinking it would just be good if he got out there but in his last round, he took 7 shots, all on the paper, most inside a small circle. And darn we had fun!

(and click on that image to the left. I wasn’t trying to but I caught the slide and kick of the gun perfectly!)

After, Schuyler and I came back home, we chatted and cleaned the gun and then off to Papalote, where I got 2 more stamps on my Burrito Card. My next burrito will be free! I liked the sound of that I asked the cashier to repeat the words, “Your next burrito will be free.” Wee!

I got a call from my dad and emails from my aunts Dorothy and Ernestine telling me how cool it was that I’m speaking at Techkriti and the company I’ll be keeping there.

Laurie came over and we all chatted about all manner of things… from niobium to the magic of twist ties to baking bread. We baked. I figured it would be good practice for my upcoming bread teaching class and, well, there was no bread in the house! Schuyler ended up staying so long that he got to have some and take some home. We opened up the last of my lonza and talked about making some of our own! It might be possible to sweat the meat in a refrigerator inside a plastic container and a drainage rack!

I’m already forgetting many of the nonstop jokes we chatted up. It was a really good day!

My car has been running a little rough at idle when cold. It would sometimes cut out for a moment and almost stall. The “Check Engine” light came on. It was due for a Test-Only smog check so I took it in for a smog test. The smog guy said the car passed except for the Check Engine light. He handed me a paper describing a $500 repair credit for smog-related repairs from the State.

I took my car to the mechanic at 400 Guerrero. He said, “I looked for a few hours. Maybe it’s the throttle sensor, maybe the computer. I don’t have the equipment to check the computer. Take it somewhere else. I won’t charge you.”

I took my car to a dealer in Walnut Creek, Michael Stead (because all the local Chrysler dealers are closed because of effing General Motors going into the shitter). They replaced the throttle sensor for $500. Before I got home, the problem manifested itself again.

I took the car to the dealer again and now they say it’s an intermittent open connection in the electrical system. They want to charge me $1,800 to replace the entire wiring harness. Is this reasonable?

The dealer will reimburse me the $500 for the mistaken throttle sensor problem. And I should get $500 free money from the state.

If I get a second opinion, might a mechanic be able to find and replace the one bad wire in the electrical system for less than $1,800? Do I dare try cutting and soldering wires myself? I mean, if it’s broken copper in a wire, it’s $1 of wire that’s gone bad.

My car is in for service. I just got a call from the dealer in Walnut Creek, Michael Steads Walnut Creek Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

…
The service rep asks, “The mechanic opened the hood and… has there ever been a fire in your car?”

“Hmm? mmm. Ha! No, but it’s been to Burning Man! All that dust under the hood! And you can never get it out. The mechanic has never seen a car that’s been to Burning Man, has he?”

“Ah, he thought that was fire extinguisher dust…”

This morning Sparkfun had a “Free Day” giving away $100,000 in $100 increments to shoppers. Obviously, their servers came crashing down.

Eric asked on the SWARM list
Eric: anyone get anything?
Lee: I clicked Refresh until my fingers were bloody stumps. But nothing. I’m writing to you now with voice recognition soft wear because I have no fingers.
Mark A: lolz… “soft wear”