The United States, in and around Palm Springs, CA
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Laramie Boyd
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A fire broke out at a mobile home park in Palm Springs. Tenants blame
their "slum lord", the Health & Safety Department and the City Council. Fire department investigators discovered that the owner
of the park was drunk, smoking in bed and dozed off while watching I Love Lucy on TV. Defense lawyers are at the scene as we speak.
Indio city employees were found to have over charged $84,000 on city credit cards. Not to worry. Obama bailout money is reported to be on the way.
Schools Officials laid off several coaches and teachers due to cuts in the budget. Board of education members voted themselves and school principals a pay raise.
Valley Indian tribes' executives are being investigated for welfare payment mismanagement. Tribal elders advised involved employees to visit casinos and play slots more often to make up any for shortages, or blackjack, or roulette, or the ponies!
19 suspected gays were arrested in a local sex-sting. Those involved were charged with lewd conduct in public places. The Judge recommended that the defendants do charity work to raise money to purchase a facility so the offensive behavior wouldn't be so public.
In a movement to repeal prop.8, which bans same sex marriage, movement supporters and the 19 citizens accused of lewd conduct in public places claim their behavior would not be considered lewd if the participants were allowed to marry.
Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Pete Sampras, four of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport, were caught red handed, on video, embracing, after a charity tennis match. The District Attorney is mulling over arresting the four players on the grounds of public display of affection by same-sex, non- married couples.
Marchers and peaceful demonstrations by protesting illegal immigrants objecting to Arizona's immigration laws hope to influence vacationers to boycott Arizona resort areas this winter. Protesters say they need cash to advertise complaints but claim the pay for working in the agricultural fields is not sufficient to fund the program, let alone live a decent lifestyle. They claim a tax break on reported income would help, if there is any.
Female residents are complaining that traffic lights at various cross streets stay on red longer than they do on green and that this often makes them late for their hair and other crucial appointments. The City countered with "Time just seems to pass slower when you're in a hurry." Albert Einstein said almost the same thing!
Three deaths occured at a cross street where homeless people and panhandlers congregate. The panhandlers, who prefer to be called sign fliers, say they stay there because people give them money. Before Christmas, police issued 100 tickets in a 1 week period for jaywalking, drinking in public and assorted "crimes" at the crossroad. The chairman of the Bario Neighborhood Organization said the ticketing has been going on for 5 years or more, and the Organization announces, all of a sudden, it will now take an "aggressive" approach to the situation. One interesting quote offered by a local resident was "Jaywalkers getting run over isn't really the problem, it's the jaywalking." The chairman topped that with, "If you don't feed them, they won't stay."
White Party week in Palm Springs is an event that draws gays and lesbians from far and wide, as local hotels, bars and nightclubs are filled to capacity during the week with these visitors. A White Party parade is held and the streets are lined with interested spectators. A city adjacent to Palm Springs, Cathedral City, nicknamed Cat City, is exploring their hopes of celebrating an Off-White Party during the same week. The organizers of this move hope to lure some of the revelers in the packed Palm Springs venue over to Cat City. They plan to hold a celebration on top of the Civic Center parking structure with representatives of Cat City's gay bar owners and gay nightclub owners invited. Or is it owners of gay bars and owners of gay nightclubs? The straight residents of Palm Springs and of Cat City watch the proceedings with mostly subdued interest.
Indio city employees were found to have over charged $84,000 on city credit cards. Not to worry. Obama bailout money is reported to be on the way.
Schools Officials laid off several coaches and teachers due to cuts in the budget. Board of education members voted themselves and school principals a pay raise.
Valley Indian tribes' executives are being investigated for welfare payment mismanagement. Tribal elders advised involved employees to visit casinos and play slots more often to make up any for shortages, or blackjack, or roulette, or the ponies!
19 suspected gays were arrested in a local sex-sting. Those involved were charged with lewd conduct in public places. The Judge recommended that the defendants do charity work to raise money to purchase a facility so the offensive behavior wouldn't be so public.
In a movement to repeal prop.8, which bans same sex marriage, movement supporters and the 19 citizens accused of lewd conduct in public places claim their behavior would not be considered lewd if the participants were allowed to marry.
Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, and Pete Sampras, four of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport, were caught red handed, on video, embracing, after a charity tennis match. The District Attorney is mulling over arresting the four players on the grounds of public display of affection by same-sex, non- married couples.
Marchers and peaceful demonstrations by protesting illegal immigrants objecting to Arizona's immigration laws hope to influence vacationers to boycott Arizona resort areas this winter. Protesters say they need cash to advertise complaints but claim the pay for working in the agricultural fields is not sufficient to fund the program, let alone live a decent lifestyle. They claim a tax break on reported income would help, if there is any.
Female residents are complaining that traffic lights at various cross streets stay on red longer than they do on green and that this often makes them late for their hair and other crucial appointments. The City countered with "Time just seems to pass slower when you're in a hurry." Albert Einstein said almost the same thing!
Three deaths occured at a cross street where homeless people and panhandlers congregate. The panhandlers, who prefer to be called sign fliers, say they stay there because people give them money. Before Christmas, police issued 100 tickets in a 1 week period for jaywalking, drinking in public and assorted "crimes" at the crossroad. The chairman of the Bario Neighborhood Organization said the ticketing has been going on for 5 years or more, and the Organization announces, all of a sudden, it will now take an "aggressive" approach to the situation. One interesting quote offered by a local resident was "Jaywalkers getting run over isn't really the problem, it's the jaywalking." The chairman topped that with, "If you don't feed them, they won't stay."
White Party week in Palm Springs is an event that draws gays and lesbians from far and wide, as local hotels, bars and nightclubs are filled to capacity during the week with these visitors. A White Party parade is held and the streets are lined with interested spectators. A city adjacent to Palm Springs, Cathedral City, nicknamed Cat City, is exploring their hopes of celebrating an Off-White Party during the same week. The organizers of this move hope to lure some of the revelers in the packed Palm Springs venue over to Cat City. They plan to hold a celebration on top of the Civic Center parking structure with representatives of Cat City's gay bar owners and gay nightclub owners invited. Or is it owners of gay bars and owners of gay nightclubs? The straight residents of Palm Springs and of Cat City watch the proceedings with mostly subdued interest.