"House Assessment" written by Janelle on estrip.org

03/07/09 11:43 - 44ºF - ID#47974

House Assessment

So...to all you home owners out there.... how did you make out on challenging your assessment? They increased the assessed value of our house by $15,000 originally. They knocked off $7000 after we challenged it. I fought the man and I won... sort of...

janelle writes at 09:01:59 03/07/09 - Comment #46233: It should always be implied that I kick ass. 'Cause, ya know, I do.

james writes at 07:49:18 03/07/09 - Comment #46232: I should have also not implied, but rather explicitly said, that Janelle kicks ass.

james writes at 07:12:31 03/07/09 - Comment #46231: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that tons of people got it rolled back and you, by virtue of your own stupidity, didn't manage to accomplish that simple task. Because it is hard as fuck and the home inspection would probably cost you what you would pay in taxes at the new assessed level.

I was just saying it wasn't impossible. Most people who challenged and had some supporting documentation had no change or had a reduction like you.

drew writes at 07:02:38 03/07/09 - Comment #46230: That was Janelle below, btw.

drew writes at 07:02:11 03/07/09 - Comment #46229: Thanks, James. I was feeling pretty good about it getting rolled back some....until you commented.

I knew that it would not have been rolled all the way back because I was honest about the work done on our porch which cost about $3500. I didn't want to be a big liar pants, considering that there were plenty of issues in the house to document.

I sent in a lot of pictures of our insides of the house, water in the basement, cracks in the walls, and the documentation from our home inspector that notes various work that needs done. I think that the home inspection documentation had to be the most helpful, backed up with pictures.

james writes at 06:05:00 03/07/09 - Comment #46227: My office just got results from all the assessments in the district. There were a bunch of people who got the assessment rolled back all the way.

The assessment process works like this. Some guy drives up to your house and takes a few photos and drives off. The interior could be all cinders and they would still think the place is worth 160k. Looking over the files, the ones who were successful in fighting it had photos of the interior with yummy things like mold, water damage, unfinished rooms, etc. A private assessment was done and the city-assessed value was compared to that number and other comparable homes' values per square foot.

Had I known this a few months ago Janelle I would have sent you an email.

janelle writes at 05:25:40 03/07/09 - Comment #46226: My understanding is that you can never get them to roll it back all the way. And I will take something over nothing.

Let's hope they don't reassess in a year or so again...

paul writes at 04:56:10 03/07/09 - Comment #46222: That's awesome. I can't wait till we have to deal with this ;(

gardenmama writes at 02:57:45 03/07/09 - Comment #46219: Congratulations - sort of. From what Iâ€™ve been hearing you actually did pretty well. My understanding is there have been quite a number of people who havenâ€™t had any luck getting them to reduce the amount of their initial set increase. Iâ€™d certainly say half less is definitely better than not at all.

Permalink: House_Assessment.html
Words: 43
Location: Buffalo , NY

03/06/09 08:51 - 54ºF - ID#47968

A taste of spring in the air

Last night there was the smell of spring in the air. So I grabbed the dog and hit Elmwood for a walk down the avenue. I joined the other folks on the street who were also excited by the warm, soft feeling in the air. I landed at a friends' house where I made a surprise visit and we idly chatted away an hour of the evening on their front porch.

As I walked home after the visit I thought about why I didn't stop by my friends' house more often throughout the winter to say hello and I realized that warm weather is much more conducive to spontaneous social activities. I think next winter my goal will be to be more spontaneous through out the season. To keep a well stocked house full of food, DVDs, alcohol and games in order to be ready for last minute get togethers over the winter or for surprise drive bys at friends.

On the other hand, there is some I like about the rthym of coming together with friends slowly in the spring and being crazy busy with friends over the summer, then slowly falling away in the fall and hibernating in the winter.

As a side note, my friends requested that I bring my home made hummus to their upcoming cocktail party and it turned my sad day into a happy day. I love that my hummus is so well liked that someone would specifically request I bring it!

Permalink: A_taste_of_spring_in_the_air.html
Words: 248
Location: Buffalo , NY

03/04/09 12:52 - 24ºF - ID#47943

My favorite cut of meat

is featured in the NY Times along with one of my favorite ways of prepping it. Mhhh... chicken fried steak ....

Permalink: My_favorite_cut_of_meat.html
Words: 30
Location: Buffalo , NY

02/22/09 04:51 - 25ºF - ID#47861

Sims as a model for human experiments

Since you are often limited in conducting true experiments with a control and a variable when using humans as test subjects, I've decided to use The SIMS as a model.

Subject A will be the Amin and Lydia Christian family that is currently working on having one child which they will be responsible for rearing through childhood up to college. They will have one and only one child.

Subject B will be a not yet known family that will adopt as many children as they can until they reach the status of elder. As soon as a baby becomes a toddler they will adopt a new baby and so on.

It should provide some grounds for observations on small family versus large family rearing as well as several future blog posts, I hope.

Permalink: Sims_as_a_model_for_human_experiments.html
Words: 133
Location: Buffalo , NY

02/21/09 03:32 - 33ºF - ID#47851

Another WBC post

I mentioned the whole Fred Phelps thing on a forum where I post and I received this interesting response from a person who lives in Topeka, which is either the hometown for the church or really near it.

The woman who posted is from a fairly conservative church and even they got picketed once according to her.

You guys, in all honesty it is best to just ignore Fred Phelps and his gang as they can't be reasoned with. They will stand there and argue until they are blue in the face, they are so brainwashed. We use to live in Topeka, Ks. and you learn pretty quickly to either ignore them or act civil with them...one time they tried to pickett our church because a college associated with our denomination was supposedly too liberal and supported Gays ... some of our deacons went outside and invited them to come in and join our church service and it was so funny they immediately left ... anger doesn't get anywhere, but kindness burns them.

What really burns them is to ignore them though, they do all this for public attention and if you don't give them any public acknowledgement they will feel slighted

They have to go other places now, because they don't get the rise in Topeka like they use to be able to...the more places ignore them, the sooner they will start to fade into the woodwork of the local looney bin.

metalpeter writes at 10:17:21 02/22/09 - Comment #45807: First of all I did know (not well and haven't seen the person in a long time maybe 7th grade) in the crash. I can't imagine what it would be like to be someone in the direct family. You are looking forward to seeing them and then this happens. Dealing with that is tough enough. But then on top of that you have people saying that your loss of a loved one is because God is punishing you.... I can not imagine what I would do if I was one of the people in one of those families. I would hope that I could deal with it, and not lose it, but I wouldn't blame anyone who was there and saw a protester and decided to go after them. That is why I think the Angle Idea is such a good idea. Yes it is a very respectful and symbolic gesture. I think is also helps guard the family of loved ones of the people who where lost.

Now in terms of the News coverage of it. That is where things get tricky. I think people need to know the entire story. The problem is how do you do it in a respective way that isn't "Dirty Laundery" yes sometimes the news exploits victims for their own gain. What I would suggest is news copter up high enough so you can't hear them and they all zoom in. Then each station sets up maybe a few thousand feet away and they set up places where if people want to talk they can on camera. I will admit it is a tricky thing and there is a lot of gray area on it should be covered. I think the news stations need to understand that if they just film the protesters a certain way that could make them more fired up and get things out of control. The news is there to record what happens and not make the news.

libertad writes at 04:02:27 02/22/09 - Comment #45801: This disaster isn't really all that distant. I know of at least four people personally who knew someone on that plane and I also know that two within Roswell have lost family members. I didn't know anyone so I will not be attending the service but will be outside of it.

(e:janelle), I certainly didn't intend to imply that you haven't thought about this. I just wanted people to think of that point that I was trying to make and that is that this is a way to honor the victims as well as to protect them. I am also praying for the families and for the people who have died and I also decided to take action. You have too and I respect that. I don't know if I completely agree that the news should not include something which I actually think is newsworthy. I do think that the news should not focus as much on the hateful messages of a few but rather the communities response to this hate and the show of support that was caused by it. Of course, the most important thing for them to focus on is the stories of the lives that were lost. Those people were valuable to this community.

james writes at 12:45:38 02/22/09 - Comment #45797: I feel much the same way.

I am not affected by the crash, thankfully. It is a disaster like any other, distant and unfamiliar. I feel bad for the people involved, but going to the service serves no purpose. I would go to the service entirely out of spite for Phelps.

janelle writes at 09:29:36 02/21/09 - Comment #45795: (e:Paul):

I ultimately decided to stay away because I don't know a single person who died in the crash. I would have never considered going if it weren't for Phelps.

Friday, I e-mailed Buffalo ABC, CBS, and NBC news stations asking them to keep the focus on the loss of lives and to not report on Phelps and his group because they thrive off of the media spotlight.

I'll also be praying for the families on Sunday; praying for the people who are going to the memorial to show support; and praying for way to turn the evil into good.

paul writes at 09:23:16 02/21/09 - Comment #45794: How are you going to react to it Janelle? I am at the point where I don't even think I can go because I feel like I couldn't handle myself.

janelle writes at 08:10:38 02/21/09 - Comment #45793: (e:Libertad) - "Think about it."

I have thought about it. I think a lot of people are thinking right now about how they would feel if they were the families; how they feel knowing that this person is coming to town; how they feel that this group says they are Christians.... how they would or should respond to it....

I think there are a lot of valid responses to this situation. I'm not judging anyone's decision how to handle it. I just thought I would share one person's very real and personal experience with this group and their resulting opinion.

I've made my own decision how to respond to it after a lot of thought generated by all these posts. The beauty of e-strip =)

tinypliny writes at 07:10:36 02/21/09 - Comment #45789: Oh the other hand, if I had lost my family and went to a service for them, I would feel miserable if people were shouting slogans against my family. :(

So if I knew people were showing up in support, I would definitely feel a little better.

libertad writes at 07:06:42 02/21/09 - Comment #45788: This really isn't a protest. This is just going to be a show of support for those who have lost loved ones. These people are coming from out of town with a goal of hurting people who are already suffering. The way that we respond is essential here. What that woman said is important. These people can not be reasoned with. I have a lot of experience dealing with religious extremists already, although the ones that I have dealt with wouldn't sink this low.

I feel fairly certain that those attending the services will feel some comfort knowing that so many people can mobilize within days in order to respond to this evil. The times that I have been hurt the most by hate is when others knew that it was happening but didn't come to my defense. Think about it.

lauren writes at 05:29:07 02/21/09 - Comment #45779: I agree with this in a lot of ways...it is best to ignore them...however, they like to show up to things were people want/need to be...ie, they came to New Paltz when people where getting married... are you just not going to show up to a wedding? And same with this...going to a memorial service where people want to show their respect to the dead...therefore, I think the best way to deal is SILENT protest...don't give them any attention what so ever. It's tempting, but they've been at this for years and haven't changed so why bother?

tinypliny writes at 03:50:29 02/21/09 - Comment #45777: So maybe this angel protest is misdirected?

Permalink: Another_WBC_post.html
Words: 245
Location: Buffalo , NY

01/24/09 01:25 - 11ºF - ID#47510

Buffalo Stampedes

Drew and I are going to see our new Professional Basketball League team, the Buffalo Stampedes, if anyone wants to meet us there.

They are playing at the Koessler Center tonight at 7pm. We will get there around 6:30pm to 6:45pm.

General admission is only $7. Give a shout out if you're interested.

Permalink: Buffalo_Stampedes.html
Words: 52
Location: Buffalo , NY

01/20/09 01:18 - 15ºF - ID#47462

I'm a 5 year old

I was in the cafeteria at work watching the Inauguration on the television they had set up for staff and clients to watch.

I felt a hand grasp my hair and give it a good tug to get my attention. Naturally, I assumed it was a developmentally disabled consumer, so I put my stern face on. The face that says, don't F-ing pull my hair, because it's not polite.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was my supervisor who pulled on my hair. It's just too funny. My supervisor is tugging on my hair like I'm a 5 year old.

Permalink: I_m_a_5_year_old.html
Words: 101
Location: Buffalo , NY

01/17/09 03:05 - 10ºF - ID#47429

Mama, don't let your babies grow up...

to be Pastors

Permalink: Mama_don_t_let_your_babies_grow_up_.html
Words: 13
Location: Buffalo , NY

01/17/09 10:25 - 4ºF - ID#47428

Sims 2 World

My husband who knows the way to my heart bought me The Sims
2 Seasons. In this version it snows! And you can grow plants in a greenhouse!

I'm still figuring out how to post the pictures on here so I can share my SIMS stories.

My current SIM story is probably too sad to share. Priya and Rami Ramaswami were working their way up the career ladder. They felt settled in enough for a child, but work kept them busy so they couldn't provide the necessary care for their child Emmy. They forgot to arrange a nanny to take care of the child while they were at work. So social services were called and Emmy was removed.

It was really devastating to their relationship and Priya started flirting with other men. Rami got angry and they were never able to reconcile despite Priya's best efforts. So Priya asked Rami to leave.

She lost half their friends in the divorce, but kept the house, so she set about finding new friends. An unfortunate misstep was made when she flirted with Mr. Roth in front of the entire Roth family. Mrs. Roth attacked her. And now the daughter randomly strolls by the house and steals newspapers and knocks over the trash can.

Priya's personal troubles have bled into work where she's been demoted from fact checker to blog writer. No one in the SIMS neighborhood will return her calls. She's socially isolated and spends her days gardening in her green house. It's all very tragic.

Permalink: Sims_2_World.html
Words: 253
Location: Buffalo , NY

01/12/09 09:34 - 22ºF - ID#47386

Weekend Update

Friday night we saw the Dark Knight. A number of people raved about Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker. I remained uncertain because I disliked Batman Begins and Christian Bale as Batman. But Heather Ledger as Joker was incredible. The slithering, sucking noise he made when he droned on in crazy talk was reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter's cannibal noises. I expected Joker to bite someone's nose off and the tension kept me on the edge of my seat. His sloppy make up and hair dye matched the character really well whereas Nicholson's Joker was a little too well put together.

Saturday night we went to some art/music event in Allentown that Drew wanted to attend. Upon entering the location, I quickly assessed that the event was primarily a college party with high school students pleased with themselves for being at a college party. We quickly retreated to Allentown Hardware.

Over the weekend I cooked a feast of food. On Saturday I made a Vietnamese chicken lemongrass curry. Sunday was a cooking marathon. Vietnamese garlicky roasted chicken filled the air with good scents. Tea Eggs - hard boiled eggs with their shells cracked and then cooked further in tea and soy sauce. The finished product is a brown stained shell with a marbled white and brown inside that has a light tea taste and salty flavor. Savory and delicious when consumed while warm. Then I made a fava bean and pasta soup. The fava beans soaked up the rich flavor of chicken stock, olive oil, and oregano. It was light and delicate the first day. The second day the beans were slightly mashed and it was a thick hearty texture. Wish I had a camera for the pics because it was probably one of the prettier soups I ever made.