Black Friday Mob Takes A Life

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/11/28/2008-11-28_worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

Tragedies like this happen every Black Friday. The marketing geniuses rile the public into a consumer frenzy, and all of a sudden the group of customers becomes an unruly mob. People are expected, indeed encouraged, to fight each other in the aisles for the hottest toy, the hippest dress, or whatever. This is a "celebrated tradition" in America, and I find it appalling.

And now, an overnight stock clerk probably making $7 an hour is dead, the victim of nothing less than a riot incited by the very company he worked for. If you're not saddened or outraged by this, you have no soul.

New Home, take 2

So here's the new house that I'm looking to purchase.

( Behind the cut for photos and much talk about legal issues )

I'm trying to get ahold of the last inspector in the house, to learn the minimum amount of work it would take to get this site Cal-HFA legal, and then figure out if I can afford to risk that much work without a guarantee that I'll get the house. Wish me luck.

BTW, if anyone reading this has connections with LA Building and Safety, or has tips on how to satisfy inspectors, I could use all the help I can get.