At work we had a “Decorate a door” contest for Christmas. My office mate and I decorated my door together. I thought we were all clever because we had this Christmas book theme and we put up little cutouts of books with titles of Christmas books that we have in the library, call numbers included. Well, we got third Prize. Judy got first prize. She blew us all out of the water. She’s very creative and crafty.
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Yahoo! News – Bay Area Apartment Rentals Most Expensive in Nation
A recent report shows the Bay Area is the most expensive place in the country to rent an apartment. The National Low Income housing Coalition says you have to make more than $22 an hour to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
It’s depressingly true. I live in a super small one bedroom and there is no way I could afford to pay for a two bedroom apartment – and I make pretty good money as a librarian. If I lived any where else in the country I would be doing really well. I would definately be able to afford a house, and a nice one at that. Here in the Bay Area? Not a chance. At one time I thought I could afford to buy a cabin in San Lorenzo Valley (you used to be able to find one for around $250000). But now I don’t think I can. And were talking a crappy one bedroom cabin that would need lots of work – and I would have a hellish commute to work.
For young couples in the Bay Area, it’s totally impossible to live the American Dream of buying a little house with a white picket fence, a child and a dog. It’s very disappointing because you grow up with dreams, almost expectations, of being able to buy a little suburban house, having a child and giving your child the kind of life that you had growing up, if not a little bit better if you can. You work your ass off going to grad school so you can get a professional degree and and get a job so you can make, what you think is good money. And you get that job, get your paycheck, and realize that the American Dream just isn’t going to happen on this paycheck and with these rental payments.
This is why young families are moving out of the Bay Area in droves.
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Image via Wikipedia MercuryNews.com | 12/20/2004 | More cuts ahead for beleaguered library system
“When 100 people show up to defend branch libraries,” Morton said, referring to last week’s council meeting, “there’s a strong indication that there’s a lot of support for what we have.”
More problems for local libraries, this time in Palo Alto, a community that is the almost exact opposite of Salinas in that it is a very wealty community. It’s sad to see that libraries are the first to go when the budget is cut. Again, it’s not because I a librarian, either. I have always, all of my life, been a patron of the local public library. In fact, I believe that the public library (and school) library is the reason that I have grown into a person who is very interested in knowledge, learning all I can about things that I become interested in. I have always been a voracious reader and it can be traced to the summer reading program at the library. It’s sad that this is being taken away. It’s more than sad. I think it is detrimental to society. Again, I know that is a little dramatic, but that is how I feel about it.
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Dianne was kind enough to send me an extra copy of The I Hate Republicans Reader (Thanks Dianne!) It’s a great book. A compilation of Anti-Bush/Anti-Neocon writings and cartoons. I was reading the introduction and was totally taken aback by what I read in the last paragraph:
Keep a spare copy at your office and one on your car. The next time someone at a party or at your job or school tries to tell you that Republicans are protecting your freedom and making the world a safer place, grab this book and turn to page 327 or 380. When your brother-in-law says republicans are against bit government, flip to page 189 for a devastating rebuttal. When the moron on your flight to SPOKANE (my emphasis) insists that George W. Bush won the 2000 election, turn to page 57 and tell him to shut the hell up.
Spokane?!? Obviously, the author is speaking about a personal experience. I just thought this was so funny. It’s just so freaking random!
Before any of you neo-cons get all in a huff about the title, save yourself the effort. The editor goes into detail about why he named it what he did and it isn’t because he hates republicans, per say. He hates what the party has become under Bush. There are many fine republican citizens out there who are likable. But somehow a crop of Republican assholes has emerged with George WTF Bush (thanks Kerstin for that one) at the head.
Thanks again, so much, Dianne! You made my day!
