(no subject)

From fork to furnace: New York City to heat homes with table scraps

http://bit.ly/Kr46xh

Street artists trace against time — and sea-level rise

http://bit.ly/1fbiPKX

‘I would love to teach but…’

http://wapo.st/1ct4Lo9

Japan offers to lend US half the cost of 'Super Maglev' train between Washington and Baltimore

http://bit.ly/1eGXep8

After 43 years, activists admit theft at FBI office that exposed domestic spying

http://nbcnews.to/JFI7mr

'Golden age' of antibiotics 'set to end'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25654112

China on world's 'biggest push' for wind power

http://bbc.in/1em6IFG

SNAPCHAT COMPLIES WITH GOVERNMENT REQUESTS, SENDS IMAGES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

http://bit.ly/1aHKdsr

Quiet the Latest Trend in Car Tech

Did you hear something? Car makers hope the answer is no. The Wall Street Journal says the auto industry is going to great lengths to quiet your ride. They’ve done such a good job of quieting engines and road noise that drivers now hear all sorts of interior sounds which in some cases lead them to believe there’s a problem when there really isn’t one.

(Thanks, Pat's Papers!)

http://on.wsj.com/19e1tKX

Listen, we really, urgently need money.

I'm sitting here crying.

The house is in foreclosure, the house I grew up in, the house where my father died, and it just upsets me so much because I know things might not have gotten this bad if the people in my family would do what they were supposed to do instead of trying to hide from problems.

And I don't know where on earth we are supposed to find a house or apartment that will fit five people, three cats, and all our books. Other than the one we have, that is. If we have to move, something has got to give, and it won't be the cats or the books, so it will probably be one of the people.

Jenn has yet to find a job, I've yet to find anything I'm qualified for at all that will do more than pay my transportation costs there and back, and I am certain that this is going to pass, sooner or later. It just hasn't yet, and we just need to keep it together for a little long until it does.

And I don't want to lose the house. I love this house.

And so I'm asking for money because we really, really need it. I just kinda skimmed the first part of the foreclosure thing, I couldn't see well because, well, I was crying. I think we really only need $15k right now right now, but I added up a bit because, well, we would all like to be that lucky.

So please, if you can help at all, or if you know people who can and are likely to feel charitable to a friend of a friend, please, please help.

My sister didnt want me to post this before, she said it was awkward and embarrassing, but I told her, I'd help out anybody I knew if I could.

http://www.gofundme.com/64fmjw

On that note, I can't seem to link the bank account directly to PayPal. Do they have some issue with Citibank or something?

It turns out, now that I can see the thing properly, we only need about 16,000

Just a little more, but hopefully less once we talk to a forclosure counselor and a specialist and run through our options. So I've edited the gofundme to reflect that.

I've worked it out. If, between the three of us adults, we know 1,000 people they only have to donate $16 each. Or if we know 500 people that's $32 each. Jenn has 300 Facebook friends, if they all donated then that's, um, about $53 each, which is a nuisance and a pain but still doable.

Elementary school math, ain't it great? It's a pity we don't know 16,000 people between us, because even casual acquaintances will be willing to give you a dollar in need.

Thank you to everybody who has donated, and steorra, I'm sorry for the odd thank you.

For some reason I thought you had commented here, but that wasn't you. Honestly, I'm still in a fog over this whole thing.

If worse comes to worst we are at least unlikely to be homeless, which is good, but I'm actually concerned about the cats. I have three cats, one of which is not really potty trained and is kinda territorial, one of which is miserable if he can't get outside (seriously, I never believed until this one that a cat could be THAT determined to leave the house!), and one of which is closely bonded to me but doesn't like other people that much.

If we end up in an apartment, even for the short term, we either need one that allows pets or we need to board at least two of the three with other people. (I'm fairly confident I could smuggle Callie inside an apartment if truly necessary, but....) I really, really hope it doesn't come to this, but this hole is only as deep as it is because, like many people, we have a habit of avoiding our problems instead of dealing with them. So I want to get my ducks in a row now rather than end up saying "OMG I NEED A KITTY FOSTER HOME TONIGHT!!!" at some point. If anybody thinks they can take one, two, or three cats on short notice, should it come to that, please let me know.

Oh, they sound like behavior problems, but territorial mama cat does at least understand the concept of the litter box, so long as there isn't much litter in it, outdoorsman Sandy is extremely friendly and personable, and Callie... well, she doesn't cause trouble, though she might not be terribly happy. They aren't inclined to scratch up the furniture either. So not so much trouble at all. And they've all been altered and had their shots.

On that note, two things.

First, apparently "worst comes to worst" predates "worse comes to worst". But unlike most comparatively newer expressions, everybody on the internet (judging by google) seems to be happy to say that this version is more logical, even though logic never really comes into an odd expression like that to begin with. I don't get it.

Secondly, in my quest to be more proactive and less fatalistic, tomorrow I'm going to search up low-cost housing on the Island and in New Jersey (albeit the parts of New Jersey that are a relatively short commute, by PATH or express bus or god forbid ferry). I would much rather stay in *this* house, where I grew up, where all my memories are, but if things do end up badly, again, I want to be prepared instead of, um, not. If anybody has any ideas on which areas are best to look into, by all means, let me know now.

One of my sister's friends has generously donated a painting and prints

They suggested that we could offer them as rewards for people who donate certain amounts of money.

That struck me as a great idea. We have lots of wool, and two out of three adults can crochet, we can make hats and scarves for winter as well, that sort of thing. If anybody has anything they can donate of this nature that would also be greatly appreciated, or if you have any ideas of what we could offer up I would love to hear them.

You can now see it directly on the gofundme page.

It sounds ungrateful, but I am so exhausted from today that I think I'll take a breather before updating the gofundme properly.