the Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

aft go astray. . .

So, note to self- it is perhaps unwise to commit one's self to a two credit course, which is spread out over two weekends (Saturday and Sunday, 8 hours a piece), in addition to a four-credit semester long class, and two- half-semester classes, which I didn't know, used to be semester long. But they were reduced so that people could take more electives.

I am now looking at about 30 articles to read before this weekend, a paper that is due on October 12th, a book review on the 19th? two presentations- I think on the 24th and sometime in late November, and a paper due at the end of the semester. Grad school had been a cake walk until I came to this bed of nails. Tread lightly!

Oi, now I am $111 (?!?!?!?) lighter as I had to purchase a "reader" i.e. glorified photocopies spiralbound- no plastic cover nor back may I add!? in order to be within compliance of copyright and royalty laws.

Though I am thinking of being sneaky and going to Staples and having them just give me a new spiral binding as, being a resourceful packrat, I have a previous clear plastic cover and back from a prior publication that no longer suits my needs. *Cue evil laugh* I will work my way around the system yet!

Ugh, better get back to work, I have to finish Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by: Roger Fisher and William Ury before slugging my way through a TON of articles on public policy- yay light reading! :P

I demand answers!!! Ooh, this'll do. . .

I have officially embraced Facebook after months and months of very stubborn resistance. But I have found it to be an excellent networking tool, old friend finder, & unexpected place for me to get links to books, sites, etc., that might have skipped my notice.

One is also able to post whatever random thought is on one's mind- the slightly less obnoxious version of Twitter I feel- and on Friday I posted that I was looking forward to doing research on suburbia. And one of my oldest and dearest of friends left me a link for http://www.culdesac.com which is also the title of a book by a Mr. John F. Wasik.

The full title is called, the Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream and it looks riveting.

I know I still need to do a review of Tom Vanderbilt's work, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), which by the way, is FASCINATING.

Even and especially if you are not a traffic engineer nor a transportation planner, it is riveting. It certainly made me see the world differently- literally- and made me not wear a helmet when bicycling (among many fun facts) as apparently drivers drive closer to helmeted cyclists perceiving them, incorrectly, as having extra protection against their insane driving. Yes, my magic plastic brain bucket will surely protect me against the evils of your Escalade! I like my space when I'm standing or walking, I feel the same way on the road. "Share the road you maniacs!" as Calvin's dad, of the immortal beloved classic cartoon "Calvin and Hobbes" would bellow as he proudly pedaled. But I digress as always.

I have been watching the economic meltdown with a sort of morbid fascination. I tried to summarize what was happening in my January 21, 2009 post "Hardship = Opportunity," which also has a link to the absolutely excellent article, Um, What Just Happened?" by Richard Medley as it was called in the December 2008 issue of Esquire. But was given the more erudite title, "the End of America's Capitalist Fantasy and the Shape of Banks to Come"on their Web site- http://www.esquire.com/features/green/features-why-is-our-economy-in-a-recession-1208?click=main_sr

And it was only a matter of time before people starting churning out books about this subject, but this was a personal recommendation as mentioned above and I have no cause to doubt that it would be a waste of money. Though it is also on my amazon.com wish list ;-)

I have several articles that I have culled together to write for another post, but moving, starting grad school, etc., got in the way. Stay tuned. I'll post something sometime. In the meantime there is recommended reading!

A Socially Just City?

I have just finished reading what can be described as "fascinating," for lack of a better word, article about the "Taco Flats," or tent city in Fresno, CA called, "Tent City U.S.A." by George Saunders, author of the book Braindead Megaphone, in the September 2009 issue of GQ. It's the one with the young Michael Jackson on the cover, not Olivia Wilde.

I don't know what is wrong with GQ's/Men's Style Web site, but lately I can't find half the articles I want on there, or else I would have enclosed a link. This is unfortunate as I'm revising my definition of the aforementioned article to "excellent" upon further contemplation. (as soon as I figure out my new scanner/printer I will scan it in and "publish" it as a PDF- stay tuned)

Mr. Saunders, who is a professor at Syracuse University, sets out to find out what life is like living off the 41, between H Street and the Freight Yard, in Fresno, CA. He literally pitches a tent, (with the help of some of the local inhabitants as his initial lone attempts prove unsuccessful) and lives among them for a temporary period.

I have enclosed a link to Mr. Saunders's Web site, which mentions his research for this piece, but probably due to copyright infringement, he is unable to publish it. Yet GQ continues to have the articles from a few months ago that really well, why dedicate space to? Such as the sex extortion scandal in New Berlin, WI (my old old sortof stomping grounds- go Eisenhower! Or in the light of that article, maybe not) and Levi Palin (yawn. . .)

However, based on the note on his Web site, Mr. Saunders hopes to expand his piece into potentially a book, which I think would be a fascinating read.

When I first heard about the Taco Flats "project," if you will, in TIME magazine, I was horrified. How could this happen in America (?!) I wondered, and literally so close to me- Fresno was only an hour away from my last place of resident- yet I was doing nothing. . . again, conducting the car-less experiment sometimes has unexpected variables.

This article was incredibly insightful- painting incredibly illuminating and compassionate portrayals of the people who live here, but not flinching away from the traits that make them all too human and keep them tied to this unusual "settlement." Yes, most of them are "crazy" i.e. mentally ill, a lot of them are drug addicts, and just about all of them are liars to a pathological degree.

But are they any less deserving of our compassion?

Reading the article I was relieved to know that they are not entirely destitute- there is a nearby shelter that provides them with free meals, no questions asked, as well as showers and laundry. There are also Port-a-Potties on-site and charity groups that come by to drop off meals and toiletries. No, it's not the Ritz, but I'm sure it is a step above some refugee camps in other parts of the world, and even some camping trips that I've had to endure.

Some of these people have "chosen" to come here. They didn't exactly make a wrong turn heading for Disneyland, but with few other options they have made a home and a community for themselves in admittedly squalid conditions. One woman named Sweet Mamma left home and headed straight here. Another woman was a recently released convict and ditched her prison-issued train ticket to squat at Taco Flats. Another couple, one of the disputed "settlers" of the area, had been living under a bridge and had relocated. A woman named Large Jo disputed that claim and said that it was the paisas who'd set up. One man left his life after his wife died and set up here.

I admit that I grew up in the suburbs/small Midwestern towns where we honestly just don't have homeless people. And if we did, I was too naive to see them.

I remember the first time I encountered a homeless person. I was in San Diego, with my family, and must have been about 9 or 10. The experience frightened and bewildered me. Why were there people sitting on the street? Why were they so dirty? Why were they asking for money? Didn't they have somewhere to go?

And the sad answer remains, yes and no. Some homeless people are too mentally unfit to make rational decisions, such as go to a shelter, others are too proud, and still others remain uncategorizable.

Every time I am confronted by a homeless person I'm not sure what to do. My dad buys them a cup of coffee, or a meal. But my dad is 5'10" and 195+ lbs. I am 5' and not. Also, I'm never sure if I do give the person money, if they are going to buy drugs, or actually buy food. And there are also shelters that will take the person in, admittedly only for a limited time. But surely there must be a long-term option for them? I can't believe that we can just let these people fall through the cracks.

In my History of Planning class we talk a lot about "socially just cities"- not just building for the wealthy, or even the middle class, but considering all peoples of a city i.e. the poor. But I'm not sure how much we consider the homeless?

As I'd mentioned in an earlier posting, "Helping Those Who Can't Help Themselves" (November 9, 2008) I have no prior experience in the social sciences and still do not.

I still like the idea presented in the Livable City: Revitalizing Urban Communities by Partners for Livable Communities, where in Washington D.C. a Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) opened a "daytime drop-in center in a local church where the homeless can eat, shower, wash clothes, and meet representatives of various government and nonprofit agencies offering job training and detoxification programs." (the Livable City, 166)

I don't think that there are any perfectly cut-and-dry answers to this problem. I'm sure that there are many solutions, as there are many solutions to fix what ails urban planning, not all of them are "right," though most of them are valid.

As I go to sleep I do know for one thing, that I must remember to be grateful now and always for what I have and not to forget those who lack.

The Frustrations of a Perfectionist

I have finally finished my legal environment of urban planning mid-term! It is finished! And she stretched out her arms. . .and there was no chocolate lying around!

I have decided the obstacle that makes this difficult is that I really don't know what the format is for this so I don't know if I'm doing it right or not. I have no precedent nor can I beat the system! This is very frustrating for a self-confessed perfectionist who borders on anal-retentive. <:-(

The premise was interesting enough- it is a hypothetical case and as a planning intern at Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe (a shoutout to the Three Stooges), I need to write a memorandum for the supervising partner discussing an legal issues including the plantiff's best arguments, the likely arguments of the County and the client, as well as the possible judicial review.

Our professor said that we need to identify the issues and what is going on, determine the criteria for the rules (is this really an example of a prior nonconforming use? etc.,) and use the facts where they satisfy. Uh huh, easy for you to say with your 40+ years of lawyer/judge experience behind you.

However, having zero pre-law background and IL work comp knowledge not being very useful I kind of feel like I'm being tossed in a pool and being told to swim, but never having taken a swimming lesson before. I don't really know if anything is missing and therefore can't correct it!

I've been working on it for the past four days and I doubt I can improve on what I have, if anything I'd make it worse. So, again, here goes nothing! I'd feel a lot better if 50% of my grade wasn't riding on this. . .

Life is a Balancing Act

Last night I went out for drinks with two friends from my concentration, Derek and Sylvia.

Internally, I have been wondering how everything that needs to get done, is going to get done.

I have a legal mid-term take home test due on Tuesday, I have a group project for history due in about a week and I am one of the people doing the research (i.e. need more research so the people writing the thing actually have something to go off of), I have two papers due in about a month+ (= have to get started on that research at some point, though thankfully, I have put together an outline), readings due for every class every week, a book review due in October (? specific date a little fuzzy as I think it was TBA?), and I'm trying to decide if I can swing work/study and an internship.

We were all discussing how we really need to find paying internships as there never seems like enough money to go around. The City of LA is offering internships, which is great as I could just take the DASH there and gain some experience in the public sector. The problem is, due to the cruddy state of our state budget (seriously!? don't spend what you don't have!) they are non-paying internships. In a perfect world everything would be paid, and big bucks at that, but for now I guess beggars can't be choosers. I guess, if I get it, I'd have to see how it is an opportunity that can lead to bigger things. Also, if it's non-paying, I can take off the two-three weeks I want at Christmas as hey, it's non-paying so they're not exactly in a position to argue about how I "owe" them anything.

Also, my letter of recommendation was turned in late for my potential work/study. The deadline was Friday, it got sent on Saturday. We'll see if it'll squeak through. If not, that's one less thing to worry about, or one more,( i.e. I'd have to find another work/study position and I'm not sure what's available anymore). It's hard to say.

What will be, will be, though I think I'm going to leave the lady in charge a message explaining that I found out it was e-mailed today and if there is any way I can come in and talk to her about my qualifications. Hopefully, I'm being considered based on the strength of my own merits, not just on my letter of recommendation. Though again, it'd be a great opportunity, as one of the schools where the program is held, is literally, right across the street from where I live.

All in all, it's reassuring that other people are trying to figure out how to get everything done, and eat, and pay rent, and not go insane.

That reminds me, I also have to redo my resume. Eh, if it's not one thing, it's another.

Re:think How People Think

I attended an event last night that was not what I expected and also challenged some of my pre-conceived notions.

With a friend from SC , Sylvia, who is also in the planning department I went to downtown LA, which is a stone's throw away from where I live (sortof), yet I rarely go there. Downtown LA is like a lot of downtown areas- it reminded me of the less fashionable sections of the Loop in Chicago, especially in the area around the Harold Washington Library on State Street- it's more than a little rundown around the edges. Yet there is evidence of its former glory in the delightful, yes I said delightful! pre-war buildings and architectural details. But it's hard to see the forest for the trees when the grime gets in the way. In other words, it has a long way to go before it can reclaim its former grandeur.

We had gone to what was described as "an interactive modeling workshop with James Rojas." This wasn't strip down and strike artful poses in the buff (thanks, but no) or looking emaciated in high-end couture, it was what I thought was going to be Mr. Rojas talking about his design process making little scale models of cities, etc.,

It wasn't that at all.

We walked into a converted art gallery- a rather narrow space with stark white walls, exposed duct work, etc., and a sparse selection of "art" on the walls- a few framed photographs of houses, some drawings, etc., We did our meet-and-greet with people we knew discussing our legal environment of planning mid-term that most people feel pretty confident about, but no one is 100% secure over, considering that it constitutes 50% of our grade!

After a while we were ushered into the back half of the gallery where there was a folding table strewn with bric-a-brac- bits of children's toys, broken necklaces, buttons, beads, oddly shaped little pieces of plastic, foam cut-outs, wooden blocks, etc.,

We were told that we were going to design our own visions of sustainable cities with the objects on the table.

A guy from my classes, Glen, who is also in my group project for history, and I collaborated and decided that our final design with a redesign of Amsterdam. We had started out constructing a canal composed of blue poker chips and built on our idea from there. Wooden blocks with buttons on top served as buildings with solar cells on top, little white tubes that lay between the buildings were urban gardens. We also designed a community center on one end of our proposed utopia, with a giant stage for gatherings and a light rail transit system snaked around the city.

After we were done we had to explain our vision and when everyone had presented, Mr. Rojas talked about how it is important, as planners, to think of ways to express how a proposed plan will look in order for greater visual comprehension. One can throw up a bunch of maps at a community meeting, but a lot of people are not receptive to that. People respond when they are invited to be involved and know that their opinions will be valued. Some people might like maps, others may want to see a model of a proposed project before they get on board, and still others would like to see images of what a potential scenario would look like. There is no one set way to guarantee cooperation or agreement from members of a community.

The same concept was conveyed in my History of Planning class with our first assignment. Part of the reason Dr. Sloane wanted it to be open-ended with no set parameters was because he wanted us to understand the importance of design in planning. But he also wanted us to understand that there is no one right way to convey an idea. One person might make a video, another might do a painting, other people put together presentation boards or construct models.

Regardless of how one goes about it, the importance that to effective communicate an idea, one can't rely on words alone.

I'll Beat Them At Their Own Game!

Greetings from Smug Mountain! I feel like a very educated consumer. I have been on edmunds.com and US News & World Report meticulously scrutinizing each and every flaw of my beloved Honda Fit.

US News and World Report also has a partnership with some company called TrueCar something Price-? and it shows in one's zip code, what other people have paid for their cars, what the dealer paid, what the manufacturer's invoice was, etc., Haha! Power to the people!

I have also weighed the pros and cons of leasing vs. buying and for now, in my current situation I think a lease is a better idea for me. I'm a hardcore renter and for now I think that I am also a car lease-r. I am hopeful about these new "electric" cars and would like to keep my options open in the future- no dependence on petrodictatorships! Tyranny no more! I hope. . . Here comes the sun doo-doo-doo and I say it's gonna power my car! Well, maybe. . .

Now to decide if I should get an in-dash nav system, which makes me think that the potential that it will be stolen a lot rises dramatically, as one can't just pop it like one can with some car stereos, or just upgrade my cell phone plan to get turn-by-turn directions. . .