Local Unmentionables: Notes on YOUR corner of the world

Oh lord, the only help we're looking for any time soon is coders. We have a product, we need to get it out the door. All that money we're raising is enough to make the units and pay everyone a very minimal amount, and not all at full time. (Technically, we're paying it out of pocket until we get the money next month.)

We got a huge bump yesterday from being a featured project on Kickstarter. Went to email newsletter, etc. Kickstarter's tools for campaigns are not great, but their ability to market is amazing.

Anyway, after a bunch of glamorous traveling and plotting this week, I'm very happy to just be sitting at home coding.

I saw the Kickstarter newsletter come out too. Awesome.

For those keen on indigestion, further details on my aunt's murder and the criminals who killed her. They kicked and beat her before the cut her throat; they wanted her PIN's.

So sorry, JW. Though I'm not going to read about that -- I'm more concerned about you.

ddt

I'm fine. I suppose it was inappropriate to post that link, or reference the violent actions. Sorry.

Nono, sorry, I didn't mean to imply that at all. I was meaning to stress care for those who are still here (and we're glad they're still here).

ddt

John, I can't imagine how hard that is for your family. Sorry.

I have it easy. My cousins and the older generation of my family knew her better and they're hurting. I appreciate the kind thoughts, but I am not hurting. Just furious.

I've become a really strong advocate agains the death penalty over the years. Cases like this really make you think. Just an awful way to treat a human being.

One can but hope they receive similar treatment to that they dished out in the prison system...

There are a lot of problems with the death penalty in the US, but you've got to admit that the rate of recidivism among executed criminals is extremely low.

until the zombie apocalypse.
I just listened to this today ... it was worth a jolly good laugh on both sides of the survivalist topic.

http://www.maximumfun.org/judge-john-hodgman/judge-john-hodgman-episode-45-apocalypse-row

Not my corner of the world, but my corner of the medical space...

RIP Mr. Hitchens
http://goo.gl/Pk5O1

I have learned more about him since hearing he had esophagus cancer. I can't help but get sick from here ANYONE gets that crap.

two things.
1. work is roller coaster again. VP fired last week. Director this week. New boss's boss today. Hoping for the best!
2. I think I am finally turning the corner. Last three weeks I have had very good eating. I am up NINETEEN pounds from my low and it just feels different now; better. Woohoo!

Congrats (on the second thing), Bill! Up to fighting weight soon... .

ddt

Too much bad news lately... thanks for posting some good news, Bill.

Now go eat a bundt cake.

Fatty.

Hey, Bill, did you happen to see the news story about the shoe repair place here in Minnesota?

A brief bit of history:

Shopping malls are everywhere and it seems like they've always existed but the truth is, the first one opened in 1956 in Edina, Minnesota. It's called Southdale. Of all the stores in that mall, only one has been around the entire 55 years. A small shoe repair shop called Ralph's Shoe Service has been in business at Southdale since the beginning but now they're set to close a week from today.

The mall's current management company, Simon Malls of Indianapolis, is going to be doing some remodeling and a food court is going to be where Ralph's currently resides. As a part of the remodeling process, the shoe repair shop will need to move TWICE. First to a temporary location in a largely vacant section of the mall and then again to a final location once the remodel is finished. Because of the chemicals they use in the shop, they have to have a special ventilation system installed. The total cost of each move is roughly $60,000... and the shop owner knows this because he's still paying off the loan he had to take out to pay for the last move the mall forced him to make a few years ago.

Originally, the mall said that they would pay for the cost of moving his shop but then they backed out on that deal and told him he would be paying for the moves out of his own cobbler's salary and if he can't afford it, well, he has to vacate the premises by New Years Eve.

The local news outlets here in the Twin Cities heard about it and have been doing a great job of publicly shaming the management company. Now I guess the local news in Indy has decided to start running the story as well.

But, you know, who cares about history when there's a new Panda Express opening soon?

sorry I missed that. I used to walk past all the Simons' cars in the parking garage my employer shared with them. (They've since built their own mega HQ)
Plenty of nice cars. I know a nice lady a couple of houses down that works for them. Never met any of them personally, though. The story does not surprise me.
I will say that on the 'do some good' side, where I (and Lance) got treated for cancer was the SIMON Cancer Center. Might not be of any help to the shoe repair incident, I understand.

...meanwhile, in my neck of the woods...

http://www.brisbaneparking.org/

The site's only in its embryonic stages but I'm very, very pissed off at the moment...