tai-chi-one.com

Having driven a taxi off and on for the past 38 years doesn’t mean you need no training. Our methods of communication have definitely deteriorated. Customer service has definitely gone down the tubes though some talk a good talk–I’m sure no one is really listening. I have one more class to attend–one I took six years ago but I believe that my chances are slim of actually getting a job with Yellow Checker since the woman who does the hiring asked me to leave the room for disrupting class when I asked her questions. I was allowed to return when I promised to keep my mouth shut even though I raised my hand before speaking. It was the request to see something in writing that threw her, I believe.

We are still working on Hey Diddle Diddle–Blood is…

Milburn’s cover is very cool and we will be posting it soon. For now “What we have here is failure to communicate.”

NEWSUNIT AUGUST 11, 2008

http://www.mayopia.com/UNITSOUTHD/UNITSOUTHD.html

Rupert says, “Shoot with a Camera–Fight with a Pen—Tow with Greenwood”.

This page will be hand dropped in every mail slot on the block–it concerns the Block. It is also sent out by e-mail and posted on the WEB.

The Unit South Durham, Inc. is in the final stages of the purchase of 7 South Durham Street–the park and parking—SLOWLY BUT SURELY–we’ve been told–The “PACKAGE” is in the hands of the City Comptroller.

It is the responsibility of individual residents to keep the area in front and back of their residence clear of debris. The heavy rain washes into the sewer system that runs into the harbor and Bay. Don’t expect anyone else to pull your weeds or sweep up your leaves OR PURCHASE your Roundup. I assure you enough money and time is spent spraying between the bricks in the park that I’m just not that good of a neighbor to do it for you. Individual dues are still being held onto for the purchase of the park and insurance. Personal out of pocket money is used for the upkeep of the park for now.

It is suggested that USD purchase signs for people to pick up after their dogs since there has been quite a change recently from no dog waste left to mucho crap. The condoms are still plentiful also but a sign will probably not change that a bit. I have a sign catalogue from Greenwood.

When SECO owned Saint Michael’s Boys they were asked on several occasions to place a motion detector light at the center back steps where there is a hidden corner. The answer was always, “That’s a good idea.” And nothing was ever done. Perhaps the new neighbors would agree to the light since they are expecting to sell their condos in a safe clean environment.
It is summer and there have been several occasions where loungers have been asked to move along and they usually do. There is no need to bother the police unless the situation seems unmanageable. It is the responsibility of the BLOCK to maintain its own security as per the agreement with the CITY OF BALTIMORE.

Remember the only reason the Parking remains for the Unit Block South Durham is the care and preservation of the Pocket Park and Green Space. Please do your part to keep it safe, secure, clean and green and an open space for the surrounding neighborhood.

Anyone wishing to comment:

http://www.tai-chi-one.com/BLOGCHI/

category: DEMOCRAZY?

The first draft of Hey Diddle Diddle was written in 1996/1997.  At that time I used fake names for everyone, hence in the rewrite a bit of confusion ensued.  Though many names are still other names and a few “alter egos”, many corrections are being made for the final manuscript with the help of notes and publications that were given to us for reference, but this is still a novelfor what it’s worth.

The man who was said to have recently committed suicide and then blamed for mailing anthrax love notes because he worked at Fort Dietrich, Maryland suffered from depression for which he was being treated.  And then there was the man arrested for saying he was going to do harm to future president Obama and never present President Bush.  Our human rights abuses of maintaining a facility that creates WMD chemicals and viruses while advertising the thought police are on patrol while we criticize other regimes for doing the same things is typical of the climate of hypocricy that reigns in America the Beautiful.

The recent revisions on Diddle have taken up most of my time.  It comes in at 101,669 words according to word-count.  I’m working on the last 14 pages and then reformatting begins.   My first unfinished book was written on a typewriter and my first completed and published novel DUST RAINBOWS and DIRTY SOX was written on typewriters. The computer does make a difference.  I picked up an application for Yellow Taxi yesterday–We hope to get a neighborhood newsletter out this week–Milburn is working on a cover design for diddle–and the city is still looking at papers for the park, of course.

We traveled to China in December 2001 to take photographs and video because of the 2008 Beijing, China Olympics. China by Rail at http://www.mayopia.asia is a sampling of video that we have had time to edit and 2001 China Impressions are digital photos. Art is everywhere in China and at the time there were more soldiers with guns in the USA that were visible than we saw over there.

Someday Duda and Rupert will tell that story but for now they still work on Hey Diddle Diddle…

It’s Saturday morning and I am home long enough from a ride to Belair and back to brew a caraffe of coffee.  The newsletter will be written in a few days  but something that will be covered is the parking and responsibility.  Last night while having dinner with my wife there was a rapping, tapping at our row house door.  Yesterday was August 1.  Neighbor 6 said, “we can’t have this–look at them”  referring to new neighbor at 24/26.  Mattie and Zach had moved out the day before and new person was still moving in.  Neighbor six went onto say Calvin would be upset that new renter was parked over the line since Calvin had been doing as he pleased for years with oversized vehicles and was lifted on a tow truck after several warnings when the bylaws went into effect.  Calvin this and Calvin that–The people had just moved in and Jerry is a responsible landlord so I’m certain the newbies had been informed.  While neighbor six was keeping me from my chop, salad, lobster/clam fritter and fresh tomato from the potted tomato plant in the back yard, the offending party came out of the house and moved.  “Oh, they’re moving,” I was told.  “They’re moving in.”

Anyway, on the other hand, landlord Avon has yet to inform his tennants that they are responsible for the weeds and grass growing out of their sidewalk in front of their residence. This actually was covered in the July newsletter.  Pictures will be added this month.  A lot of money is spent on weed killer for the park since the walkway is brick.  There is very little help in controlling the weed growth in the park walkway.  I don’t mind spraying the park growth but I ain’t your personal groundskeeper.  People from other places pick up trash on our street.  It would be nice if those who benefit from the parking would be as diligent.

The new version of Hey Diddle Diddle will not be posted at this time.  We also have a new tittle that will be kepy under wraps for a time.  Milburn Mehlhop is working on the design for the cover and we’re looking for a Fall release when I’ll probably be doing direct marketing in the seat of a Taxi.  Such is life.

This blogging thing is fun.  Since we write the neighborhood newsletter and we’re still waiting for the transfer of the Pocket Park to the Unit South Durham Homestead Houses Inc, a 501(c)4 non-profit formed over a year ago for the purpose of purchasing and taking care of the park and preserving block parking which was initiated in the mid seventies.

There is an entire sub-site dedicated to the project at

http://www.mayopia.com/UNITSOUTHD/UNITSOUTHD.html

We have been working with Baltimore City Council Person Jim Kraft’s office for two years and four months and have received numerous guarantees and encouragement that everything is moving along.

The parking situation has, however, become manageable and peaceful thanks to Charlie Parrish at Greenwood Towing.

In the meantime my wife’s property tax bill jumped 33% all of a sudden–something we are looking into.

Baltimore City is growing by bricks and mortar and steel–but many things remain the same old politics as usual.

Back to diddling with Diddle.