Leelanau Whippersnapper
The Northwoods Is No Place For A Pink Flamingo
House Hunting
Aug 27th
As I mentioned on this blog before, I’ve been in the process of house hunting lately. I figured it was time for an update on that. I started my search for a house, which will be my first, back in the middle of May. At the time, I was informed of the nice little tax credit that was available and that it might be nice to actually consider it seriously. I met with a broker, established a good relationship with a Realtor, and trekked out into the northwoods to look at homes. Meanwhile, my credit report was run so as to pre-approve me for a mortgage. That credit report has been the source of my anxiety now for the past 4 months. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve not always been careful with my money. Back in the day, I got in over my head with credit cards and managed to accumulate some rather negative entries on my credit report. I managed to clean all that up many years ago but then I moved and changed jobs. This was an insidiously expensive time in my life. I opened another credit card in order to help cover my expenses for my move to the northwoods and subsequently I eventually fell behind on payments on that card because I had a job that paid me beans rather than quarters. That eventually started to change as I worked my way up in my company but the debt, the past due balances, and the negative info on my credit report remained. In deciding to pursue a house purchase, I knew that I would have to pay off the debts and clean up my report. What I did not anticipate was the amount of time it would take to do it.
In May, I came up with the money to pay off my past due balances that were showing up on my credit report until finally all but one was being reported correctly. That one entry however, despite it having been paid, would simply not go away. My frustration grew daily as I spent hours on hold with the creditors and with the 3 credit reporting agencies. None of whom were helpful. I spent my evenings filing disputes with the credit agencies, gathering mountains of paperwork to prove without a doubt that my debts were in fact paid and that I had no outstanding balances. Phone call after phone call I went around in circles trying to get people to actually read the proof they had been sent by certified mail (which cost me a small fortune). To make it short, it came down to having far too many hands in the pot and not enough people actually communicating with each other. This ONE past due balance was preventing me from obtaining a mortgage.
Finally, now we are entering September and things are nearly resolved. After another round of letters and dispute claims with the 3 credit agencies, the creditor (Midland Credit Management) has finally begun to report my payment correctly. I received a letter yesterday from TransUnion declaring that I no longer had a past due balance which means that FINALLY, after 4 months of wrangling I might be on track now to get a mortgage and actually get into my own house by the time the snow comes. Time will tell though. I have to wait at this point until the middle of September to run my credit reports again to make sure that everything is showing up properly. Of course, each time I run my report to check on the status of these things, it costs me points on my credit score. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing your credit score decline BECAUSE you are trying to ensure things are reported correctly. I’ll be providing another update on this sometime in Mid to late September and hopefully I’ll be able to share the news that I’ll be purchasing a house!
In other exciting news, Sister Sarah informed us yesterday that her next child is going to be a girl!! We are all very excited for her and can’t wait to meet the new addition to their family.
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Posting from my phone!
Aug 14th
Just a simple test to configure a new blog posting method
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A Huge Win – Prop 8 Unconstitutional
Aug 4th
Anyone still reading this blog after a summer of very few posts from me knows that I followed the Prop 8 trial in California rather closely. As a gay man I’ve always found it absurd that this very basic right that heterosexuals take for granted was never an option for me because I am attracted to men and not women. My sexuality is not questionable, I am what I am and there is no disputing that. Today, the judge in this case ruled that the premise of Prop 8 violates BOTH the due process and equal protection clauses of the federal Constitution. In other words it was found that the ban on same sex marriage brought about by Prop 8 in California was an improper ballot initiative and is now null and void.
There were 3 possible outcomes for this trial (from the Prop8 Trial Tracker Blog)
- LOSE – Prop 8 is a permissible act of the people acting legislatively.
Well, I’m not sure how much I need to explain this one, but it’s the worst case scenario for us. In this situation, Judge Walker would be saying that the people, acting as the state’s legislature, had a “legitimate” interest (any interest really) in regulating against marriage equality, and that Prop 8 was rationally related to that interest. This is the so-called “rational basis” test. Now, the Defense of Marriage Act recently failed that test, but that doesn’t mean Prop 8 couldn’t pass.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the case is over, just that we are on hold as we move forward through the system - Win – The implementation of Prop 8 is unconstitutional.
This is how we win, without getting everything we really want. This would clearly be a win for our community in the state of California, but would provide relatively little precedent value for other states. The basic rationale here would be that by allowing the 18,000 couples to be married, and not future couples, the state has violated the equal protection of those couples who were not able to wed. This rationale was suggested in a couple of the amicus briefs filed on behalf of the plaintiffs. It could be seen as something of a middle ground, but let’s be honest, it will not satisfy anybody who opposes marriage equality. And it further muddies the underlying issues when what we really need is clarity. Could it happen? Yes, it very well might. But this rationale would be a lame attempt at Solomonic baby-splitting that would present more questions to be answered by other courts. - WIN – Prop 8 is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and/or the Due Process Clause
This would be our ultimate victory, and really, what Olson and Boies are going for in this case. As I presented above, there are two possible rationales, and I’ll discuss those below. But skipping over the logic, the net result would likely be the complete nullification of Prop 8. However, Judge Walker is likely to issue a stay pending appeal, especially if he overturns Prop 8. In other words, don’t make wedding plans just yet.
We got the 3rd which is the best of the 3 and now sets the stage for the eventual appeal to the 9th circuit court of appeals. This win, going int0 an appeal is far better than going in with a loss. As I’ve said before, this fight is long from being over but this is a huge step in the right direction. You can expect to see over the next several weeks cries of judicial activism on the right (never mind that this judge was appointed by a Republican president) and hollering about the “will of the people”. This very decision however expels the idea that any majority has any right to VOTE FOR discrimination against a minority. If the decision is affirmed, it may easily nullify every state Constitutional ban on gay marriage that exists today (Michigan’s included).
The appeal process is expected to take up to 2 years to reach SCOUTS. By that time however, it is likely that additional states will have acted to affirm same sex marriage or begin work on repealing bans. It is sometimes tough to say but as California does, the rest of the country tends to follow. It is the largest state with the largest economy with some of the heaviest hitting political clout you can get. It’s not going to be all roses and rainbows but the trajectory is clear. Marriage will be an option for me in my lifetime if I wish to choose it and that, ultimately, is what it’s about. My right to choose my mate, to choose the person I love.
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Worn Out
Jul 20th
Good Lord it’s been a long time since I’ve written anything here. This summer has been pretty crazy for me so far and I’ve been doing nothing but working. Today I am going on day 19 now and I’ve had 1 day off. To say the least, I am tired, my body aches, my head is filled with the HORRIBLE music they play at work and I’ve had no motivation to write about much of anything. On the upside, I have a vacation starting at 1PM on Friday and I’ll be off work for 10 days during which time I intend to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to strain my body any more than necessary.
So I’ve got one thing I want to bitch about tonight and I’ve written about it before. Michigan is really a fucked up state. The reason I’ve been working 60 hours a week for the past 3 weeks is because of an archaic law called the Michigan Consumer Protection Act which was passed with very little explanation some years ago to “protect” consumers from companies who might try to rip them off, primarily retailers. Michigan is the ONLY state in my company’s region that has to deal with this law, no other states have (or will ever) even consider it. It consists of 2 parts. The first part deals with price discrepancies. If a consumer exits the store and then identifies a price sticker that disagrees with the price rung up on his receipt, he is entitled to return to the store to receive back the difference times 10. That means, if you buy a candy bar and that candy bar has a price sticker for $1.00 but the cash register rings it up for $1.10, you are entitled to come in and the store must pay you 10 times the difference up to $5.00. In this case you would receive back $0.10 x 10 = $1.00. The rule is that before that is paid out, the transaction must be complete and you must have left the store and returned with your receipt and the item in question showing the incorrect price sticker. People routinely take advantage of this law and as a result, stores pay out. The second part of this law has to do with price stickers themselves. In Michigan, EVERYTHING that is for sale in a retail establishment (with some exceptions) must have a price sticker affixed to the product in addition to signs indicating what the price is on the shelf. We are the ONLY state that requires this of retailers and really, it does nothing other than prove that consumers are incapable of basic observation. If a shelf sticker below a can of soup says that can of soup of whatever flavor is $1.00, than that can of soup is $1.00! Really quite simple to look at the tag, look at the soup, and reach a logical conclusion that it is in fact that price. If you are paying attention at the cash register and find a problem, no retailer is going to ignore you, they are going to fix it and adjust the price right there to match the tag on the shelf. MOST stores in the country price sticker their products. This is a GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE and I don’t disagree with doing it. HOWEVER, I must inform you that this practice is extremely expensive to the retailer which in turns makes YOUR products more expensive. EVERY DAY when I go into work, I spend the first 2 hours of my day doing price changes. These changes are necessary because the price of EVERYTHING is fluid. Need I remind you that you do NOT pay the same for gas today as you did 10 years ago! Because we price sticker items, and because prices can and do change very often, I spend a great deal of money paying my employees to remove old price stickers, put new ones on and then make new signs. I’m not talking about 1 or 2 changes a day. I can have over 200 a day depending on the products that change when the market changes. THIS is the concept that consumers do not understand and this RESULTS in the payouts described in part one. Things get missed, signs don’t get updated quick enough etc. etc.
So what am I getting at. This law sucks for retailers and does very little to enhance or benefit the consumer. REALLY, what are you planning to do with that extra 5 cents? When you sell 6 million items in a store, humans miss things and there are really very few retailers interested in taking advantage of consumers. Whats in it for the retailer to do so? Why would we want to willingly piss off a potential customer? I’m sorry folks but THINGS COST MONEY. I’m sorry that you have to pay for your goods and services and I’m sorry that prices go up and down on a regular basis but thats how life works. Why not do YOUR part and simply pay attention when you are shopping? Why is it that EVERY OTHER STATE is permitted to simply use proper signs and shelf tags to sell their products and you don’t hear about issues with pricing in those states? Why are we paying out money to someone who happened to pick up one product in a bucket of 50 items where the price sticker has fallen off, and how is it that we must pay out because of DISHONEST customers who ROUTINELY peel off price stickers and replace them with stickers for a lesser price? Think this doesn’t happen? Think again. I see people do it on a regular basis, they will sit there in the aisle, remove price stickers and drop them on the floor and then go find a cheaper product and put that sticker on the item they want. Who’s being taken advantage of here?
OK, thats enough. In the end folks, this is a law I can’t change but just like you can bitch about stuff not being priced, I can bitch about those of you who find it perfectly acceptable to take advantage of the law and I can bitch about those you too simply to lazy or incapable of being and observant shopper.
Sometime this summer I will write a bit more about some different subjects if I can every get my ass out of work for any length of time. I WANT THIS SIGN for my store. Get OFF your fucking phone if you want my attention.
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Summertime, and the living is easy….
Jun 19th
For those who don’t have to work anyhow.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted an update on this blog. Life is crazy for me right now. Work, Work, Work, sleep, sleep, sleep. It’s a redundant cycle that won’t end until late August it seems. All things considered, this is turning out to be a pretty decent summer. The weather has been SO much better than last year, temperatures have remained fairly consistent in the upper 70′s to 80′s. Right where it should be. The boat is in the water at the cottage and the folks are keeping very busy building fences, making cookies, and keeping up with the neighbors (as much as they can stand it anyhow). Looks like sister Sarah and nephew Christopher are going to be making a trip up to the northwoods as soon as this next week. Sounds like Sarah might need a break even before their road trip in August. Looking forward to seeing them, especially Christopher. I’ve only seen pictures since last Christmas, I’m sure he’s growing fast and will eventually be in shock to discover a new sibling draining some of the attention away from him. First born’s tend to get the best and the worst of things. They are of course always FIRST, but the loss of devoted attention when a new family member arrives is a big step for any child to deal with. Most do just fine and I’m sure Christopher will too. He’s got great parents.
Things have been fairly busy on the national news front lately. Of course the BP oil spill is the consuming story. It has been interesting to follow things as they have developed. It sickens me that our government as well as BP seem to think that an escrow account with 20 billion dollars in it is going to help solve this massive environmental disaster. It doesn’t even matter any more when they eventually cap the flow of oil out of the hole in the ocean floor. The damage has already been done. Millions of gallons of oil and thousands of tons of methane now displacing what once was crystal clear waters in the Gulf will be killing us slowly for decades. News came out today that oil and gas is now seeping up through the ocean floor near the well which is presenting another issue. Could it be creating a sink hole due to pressure? Nobody knows but if that is occurring, the worst of this disaster is not even close to being over yet. We’ll see what happens.
In other news, the Prop 8 trial held closing arguments this past Wednesday. Once again, proponents of the ban on gay marriage in California sputtered and shouted but in the end produced absolutely NO evidence to support their position. This is a hugely significant case that will eventually make it to the supreme court. A decision is expected in a few weeks and then it’s off to the appeals process. I don’t have the energy to recap the whole thing, if you want to know about it more than visit the Prop 8 Trial Tracker web site for a full re-cap of all the arguments. It really has been a pleasure watching one of the most successful lawyers in this country defend my right to exist and it amazes me that in a courtroom, where politics is NOT the key element, all those who are so intent on upholding discrimination against the GLBT community simply fall flat on their faces. It’s been amazing to watch.
I have been able to keep up a little bit on my photography. I’ve uploaded a few new galleries to leelanauphotography.com since my last entry. Please be sure to check them out. I’m looking forward to eventually having some time off this summer to really do some exploring with my camera, perhaps in places I’ve not been. So, until my next entry which might be tomorrow, or several weeks from now, enjoy this picture of early summer in Leelanau.
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Summertime
May 31st
As you can likely see, I’ve chosen a new theme for my blog. I don’t have much to write about lately, mainly because I’m being kept so busy at work but also just because there is next to nothing going on in my life or really in politics right now. I’ve been spending my time off either playing around my yard or floating around out on the lake, writing has sort of taken a back burner to those 2 very important things! Never fear, I will write more eventually. For now, I’ll share a newer picture from my late spring gallery on leelanauphotography.com. I am really impressed by my new camera and it’s ability to capture some really stunning pictures. This summer I will need to start branching out a bit more from Leelanau County and start taking some pictures of other areas. I mean, I have enough pictures now of the Sand Dunes to publish another book. Speaking of which, maybe I’ll make that my summer project!
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Waiting
May 22nd
Got an email from my Realtor tonight telling me that the owners of the house I want to buy have dropped their price another $2000 as of this morning. It’s killing me because I have to wait until at least June 7 before I can run my credit report again which will then indicate whether or not I can obtain a mortgage. I’m stressing about it because it’s a great little house that would be perfect for me, in a great location very close to work and no further from the folks than I am right now. It’s a 2 story (something hard to find up here in the northwoods) Colonial styled but contemporary home on a corner lot in a nice area and it’s just the right size for me and Gavin the Wonder Dog. It’s been on the market now for 89 days and has not sold yet although at this point I am starting to ask myself why but that might be beside the point. My Realtor continues to tell me they are very motivated, the short of it is, I want this house but I have about 3 weeks yet before I will know for sure if I can get a mortgage for it and I have made the decision not to pursue anything until I have a guarantee on financing, something I still realize may not be possible at this time. Stay tuned, you can be sure I’ll be writing about it here if I end up buying a house this summer.
On that note, with this pursuit of home ownership, I have in many ways now officially committed myself to living in this area for at least the next 5 years or more. This of course makes the parents happy but at the same time they are not necessarily the reason I’ve chosen to stay up here. Regardless of all the bitching I do about the people around here, I do actually like this part of Michigan. It has done amazing things for my photography skills and I like the fact that pretty much my entire extended family lives up here even though I don’t get to see them all that often. I’m not the type of person that just randomly goes out and makes friends with people and knowing that, it’s important to me to have family near me so that I don’t cocoon myself which I would be very prone to doing if I lived in a city where I did not know anyone. That’s not saying I don’t have friends, but it is saying that I place more emphasis on my immediate and extended family than I do many of the other random people that I know. I deal with the public 50 hours a week which is more than many people have to deal with people in a month. It’s nice to be able to go to my folks house and not be forced to make small talk about stupid shit. I can have quality conversations when I feel like it. So, even though my boss at work has started pushing me again to promote with Menards and move into store level management, at least for the next 5 years I’ll be working on my management skills here in Traverse City. I refuse to buy a house and not live in at least long enough to make a little money when I sell it. Lord knows, I’ll need a profit if or when I decide to take that next step at work which I think can happen any time I want it to. It’s a nice feeling knowing that you have a steady job with very little chance of loosing it unless I fuck up in a big way and I’m just not the type of person to do that anymore. I’ve become old and careful before my time and it’s paying off.
So tonight is Saturday night and I’m home enjoying a couple of cold beers and a little internet time before I head off again to work tomorrow. It’s going to be in the upper 80′s for most of this week which means it’s going to be CRAZY busy at work. Tuesday is my day off and it promises to be the hottest day of the week. It’s of course the day I am acquiring new furniture from the relatives but oh well, free shit is worth a little sweat.
Anyhow, just a short update, you know in the summer it’s very hard to find time to write or post things. Most of you reading this follow me on Facebook anyhow and thats about all I have time for right now. I’ll leave you tonight with a recent picture taken this past week.
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Everything’s Comin Up…
May 12th
From the latest episode of Glee. Kurt, playing a gay high school sophomore disillusioned by his own drama and his relationship with his dad. In real life, the actor is 19 year old Chris Colfer. His character reminds me quite a bit of myself but nearly the entire point of Glee is to identify with the underdog, something I very much feel I was growing up. I wasn’t the popular kid, the football star, or the kid who got all the attention. I had my moments for sure but I had to work my ass off in a lot of different ways to get those moments and 90% of the time I busted my ass without letting other people know I was struggling. Kurt very much represents me in that way. I regret nothing, and being that singer geek truly turned me into the reasonably well adjusted adult that I claim to be now. So the clip below is why I like Glee. Not because I have some self loathing desire to experience teenage drama again but because as an adult, I can witness the effect that this show and others like it can and will have on young people watching it today. Kurt, because he is openly gay and unashamed about it is important, so is Rachel, the starry eyed unpopular girl with the amazing voice. Each of the main characters represents something that all of us experienced growing up and that makes this show one of a kind. Not to mention, the songs they are choosing to sing are some of the best ever written.
I expect to see Chris Colfer on Broadway once his run in Glee is over. His voice is simply one of a kind.
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