But that would make San Fran more like New York, which has some pretty good rent stabilization laws on the books.

Exactly—sad:depression as weather:climate.

The Brooklyn branch of the zoo has an exhibit of local fauna and the pigeon habitat looks like a typical rooftop.

Scrolled down just to make sure someone covered that! I love the word crepuscular, as it perfectly describes both my dog and myself.

I think that occassionally the politically expedient thing and the right thing just happen to align. He's horrible, but he's doing the right thing for the storm victims right now.

Yes, I thought "person" was a legal status, which is why corporations are considered "people" by the law.

nailed it!

I can't speak for your mom, but seriously, it has taken well over a decade for me to convince my family to get me nothing for Christmas. I have literally argued with my mother thusly:

I may actually get one of those—the water I put in my tub in anticipation of Sandy had halfway run down the drain, and other halfway ended up with my dog in it. Fortunately, I didn't need to use it, but for under $30, that is not a bad thing to have.

Speaking as one of that tribe, I'd say respect his/her wishes and get nothing at all, or per Lenami—donate to a charity.

As a New Yorker, I'd like to say thanks for helping and I hope you'll be able to enjoy the rest of our great city on some future vacation! We're not as bad as the tee vee would have you believe.

Thank you! I hate the way the word "impact" has become so prevalent. It hurts my word place as much as an impacted wisdom tooth hurt my jaw.

I absolutely love how he keeps the discussion of his love life gender neutral. I don't know why that tickles me, but it does.

Although I think he meant it in a broader sense than "pretty on the outside," telling two young African American girls that they are beautiful when just about everything in our culture is designed to convince them that they are not is A-OK with me.

Me too!!

You must post pics after!!

Yeah, I just roll my eyes every time I hear that phrase...

When my 17 (at the time) year old niece was staying with me in NYC a couple of summers ago and was drugged and raped, we were at the HOSPITAL and the police, who showed up oh, about three hours after we called, had the serious balls to ask me if she had maybe consented and then regretted it. Once again, we were at…

Well, because the OP said that all punitive actions were taken against HER for speaking up—getting evacuated, diagnosed with depression instead of treated for rape and trauma, being blamed for "putting herself in danger" or "having self-esteem issues that get you raped" (WTF?) This is not at all unusual, which is why…

Good point! Although that word, specifically—"baffled" is almost always in concordance with the word scientist. Never "intrigued," "excited by research possibilities," or even plain old "confused." Always "baffled."