Baseball season has ended, my baseball season anyway since all I live for is watching multiple Major League Baseball games on numerous devices and screens. They call it the post-season for a reason. OK.
While watching baseball games, I also dedicate a screen to scream at cable news while reading computer stuff about dotard and his disgusting criminal traitor regime. Not to get too far into that, but, if you are a Trump supporter or enabler, you need to leave this site immediately and never return. You are scum.
An Internet person, or persons, re-posted the immediately iconic photo of Speaker Pelosi confronting the Manchurian President; posted originally, of course, by the malignant narcissistic sociopath himself. Being a malignant narcissistic sociopath, dotard didn’t realize the photo showed Pelosi owning his sorry, broke-ass butt.
Someone commenting on the photo under some hashtag that came and went before I could save it, recommended the caption: “Don’t be a Trump, be a Nancy.” That was a bit better than my caption (although I still like it) “You been served, bitch.”
Don’t be a Trump, be a Nancy/Trump Twitter
Regulating social media
Which brings us to online wanderlust. I’ve long explained to people that one of the biggest threats to our society is the social media companies run amok. And that’s not even getting into Amazon and the software gig economy abusers like Uber et al.
A lot of social and political problems have been caused by sites like Facebook and Twitter, Google and Yahoo, that steal content and don’t monitor it for truth and accuracy. Or they take money from the likes of the re-elect the insane person committee as they did in the last week for ads that are completely false.
Then, refuse to reject those fake news ads. As we all can stipulate, that has been a problem for years. However, these tech types feel no community spirit, patriotism or remorse. They are greedy pigs. The more spectacular the content, the more eyeballs it reaches, the more money they get for ads. Simple greed. You, me and everybody using the sites are the currency they deal in, selling us to their end-customers, the lying advertising universe.
These social media misfits need to be federally regulated to the point they observe basic tenets and rules, just like other utilities.
Axios today reported that NPR today and others reported that “Lawmakers mulling changes to the law that shields Facebook, Reddit and other online platforms from liability over user-generated content found some bipartisan common ground during a House Energy & Commerce joint subcommittee hearing Wednesday (Oct. 17, 2019).”
Why it mattered: “Technology companies say changing the law that protects online platforms — Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — is an existential threat to their business models and the internet itself. But both Republicans and Democrats agreed the platforms are not doing enough to police themselves when it comes to removing harmful content from their sites.”
Meanwhile back on Facebook
Speaking of social media, I checked in at the LION (Local Independent Online News publishers) page and saw this post by Denise Lockwood, publisher of the Racine County Eye (Local News, Honest Conversation)
This was a pitch from a woman who wanted me to do a story on our city being named one of the best places in the U.S. to Trick-or-Treat. This is crap… and it pisses me off that people keep devaluing the benefit we offer we clearly have to them…. or this shit wouldn’t happen.
Which set me to thinking
Dan WeismanShe is giving you story gold. Why not write a column about how stupid it is? Or talk about the candy at specific, maybe anonymous houses? Or talk to people in other cities to see if the story is accurate? Kind of reminds me of one of my favorite columns, when I rode around and rated/reviewed every trailer park. The ones I trashed threatened to sue. The ones I liked kept inviting me for dinner and to get an award.
And then, Mike McNeil, editor and publisher of the Magnolia Reporter, with whom I have conversed before and for whom I have a soft spot due to his Southwest Arkansas location — I toiled way too long for the Arkansas Democrat in Little Rock and the Ozark Mountains; tell your ma, tell your pa, I’m never going back to Arkansas — said:
Mike McNeill
Just curious. What separates a good one from a bad one?
Good question.
Grading mobile home, er pre-fabricated housing parks of San Marcos, California
A few caveats, first. This opinion column was written many years ago. It appeared in the North County Times. All the North County Times editors were idiots. Some now are dead, so I won’t speak ill of them beyond that.
However, this Margo (excised her full name from my mind) Somebody, was truly, truly ignorant. Believe she was a secretary, or something, who got booted into San Marcos Bureau chief by the evil Kent Davey; very much alive and butchering the Cal State San Marcos student journalism program last I heard. If you are listening kids, do the opposite of anything he says. The dude was fake news before fake news was invented
Margo S. couldn’t write her own name and the few stories upper management forced her to write every year, or so, were garbage. She ordered me to keep the column short enough for her limited attention span. Today, if I had the energy, I would have done this full-splashy magazine blown-up style, it was such a fun idea.
The original story had photos of some of the parks. Margo S. cut them from the final product. She also made me cut about half the copy, so the column that appeared was about half the actual column, the rest now lost to the vagaries of time.
For the final indignity, as per usual, Margo S. buried the column somewhere between the obits and comics because that was her thing.
Some of my best stories never made it anywhere near the front page and, in those days of dead tree journalism, that was its only shot. On the flip side, it was kind of weird how some of the lesser stories, or even worst stories, got played out front by the queen of bad, or misguided, or passive-aggressive, or trying to gaslight, judgment.
But I digress.
Thar’ she blows, and remember these are not anywhere near current trailer park appraisals since a lot has changed over the years, so don’t sue me and don’t try to give me no awards.
Without further ado…
“…We were surprised to note recently that this fair city has more than its fair share of mobile home parks. By official city reckoning, San Marcos is home to 18 mobile home parks with more than 3,500 spaces available for rent or ownership.
They vary in space, scale and pricing as well as in ambiance. About two-thirds cater to seniors only and none have been built in the city since 1982.
Fascinating stuff.
Pardon us then, but we have decided to grade the mobile home parks of San Marcos. We were able to visit 17 of 18 recently and am grading them in the order they were viewed.
Lakeview Mobile Estates: 113 spaces, over-55, rent $210-$300: Conveniently located near offices. Clean, but a bit tattered. Also famous for a 1960s time capsule that somehow got soaked so all the items were rendered useless when opened in November 2000. Grade: C+, but extra credit for time capsule raises final grade to B-.
Valle Verde Mobil Estates: 147 spaces, over-55, rent $278-$335: Nice name but the manager couldn’t say why it was named that and kept ducking my calls. Huge hacienda-type setting for the homes and just across the street from Lake San Marcos. Grade: B-, lost credit for name issue for final grade of C+.
Palomar Estates West: 475 spaces, over-55, rent $300-$600: Nice terraced look. Good views. Big lots. But I got lost driving around. Grade: B-.
Twin Oaks Valley Mobile Park: 190 spaces, family, own: Conveniently located near City Hall. Nice view overlooking industrial park. Homes are too close together. Grade: C+.
Casitas Del Amigos: 126 spaces, over-55, own: The house of friends. Fair enough. But bad traffic, average-looking homes. Grade: C.
La Moree Mobile Estates: 122 spaces, over-55, own: Ah, pardon me, mobile estates? What is this, “Dallas”, the old TV show? But nice. Very nice. Great streets. Swimming pool. Well-maintained. The Cadillac of mobile home parks. Grade: A.
San Marcos Mobile Estates: 264 spaces, over-55, rent $350: The missing “O” in the park sign was a nice touch. Lots of lots for sale. Uneven home quality. Grade: C.
Casitas Del Sol: 195 spaces, over-55, own: Mixed bag. Everyone recycles, but someone had a confederate flag flying and the maintenance men alarmed me. Grade: C.
Madrid Manor Mobile Park: 330 spaces, over-55, own: Another mixed bag. Too much activity. Too many homes too close together. Funky speed bumps. Got lost. But great RV parking area. Grade: C-.
Rancho San Marcos Park: 171 spaces, over-55, rent $244-$460: Big, big clubhouse. Very nice landscaping with big trees. Quiet. U.S. flag with peace dove was a nice touch. Homes a bit cheesy but appear comfortable. Grade: A-.
Foothills of San Marcos: 123 spaces, over-55, own: Nice. Kind of a Rancho San Marcos lite. Need to do better with street names because Short Way, Long Way and South Street don’t cut it. Interesting decorating by residents. Grade: B.
Vista Meadows Mobile Park: 143 spaces, family, rent $280-$312: Good landscaping but not so good a view. Narrow streets. Roads poor. Uneven quality of homes. Grade: C+.
El Dorado Park: 93 spaces, family, rent $222-$242 month: Ah, finally. This IS your grandparents’ trailer park. Real nice 1950s look. Quiet. Reminds me of my salad days in Clearwater and St. Pete. Grade: B, adjusted to B+ for nostalgia sake.
San Marcos View Estates: 192 spaces, family, own: Starter trailers. Too much traffic. Saw weird guy walking around dressed like the Unabomber. Grade: C, adjusted down to C- for Unabomber guy.
Rancho Vallecitos Estates: 340 spaces, over-55, rent $335-$450: Classy. I like it. Great Christmas light show during the season by the way. Decent landscaping. Road a bit rough. Posted exit signs are nice touch. Grade: B+.
Palomar Estates East: 372 spaces, over-55, rent $235-$336: See Palomar Estates West. Great clubhouse. Grade: B-.
E-Z Living Mobile Home Park: 76 spaces, family, rent $180-$600: You call this E-Z living? Surely, you jest. Another throwback park. Economy class. Bad San Marcos Boulevard entrance. Grade: C.
Villa Vista Mobile Estates: 85 spaces, rent $318-$390: Oops. Missed that one and after 17 mobile home parks everything tends to get very, very blurry. Sorry. Not Rated.
So there you have it … the mobile home parks of San Marcos. Fair warning all, let’s get it together ’cause I’ll be back next year for a follow-up review.
Follow this link to a listing of all San Marcos, Ca. mobile home parks with addresses and availabilities….And this is a current, or so,listing from the San Marcos Mobilehome Residents Association
| Rancho San Marcos 971 Borden Road San Marcos, CA 92069 | Lakeview Mobile Estates 809 Discovery Street San Marcos, CA 92078 | El Dorado Park 1515 Capalina Road San Marcos, CA 92069 |
| Palomar Estates West 1930 San Marcos Boulevard San Marcos, CA 92078 | Vista Meadows 155 Las Flores Dr San Marcos, CA 92069 | Palomar Estates East 650 Rancho Santa Fe Rd San Marcos, CA 92078 |
| Rancho Vallecitos 3535 Linda Vista Drive San Marcos, CA 92078 | Valle Verde Mobile Estates Inc 1286 Discovery Street San Marcos, CA 92078 | Springdale Estates 2907 South Santa Fe Avenue San Marcos, CA 92078 |
| San Marcos Mobile Estates 1145 Barham Drive San Marcos, CA 92069 | Twin Oaks Valley Park 500 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, CA 92069 | Casitas Del Sol Mobile Home Park 1219 Barham Drive San Marcos, CA 92069 |
| Ez Living Mobile Home Park 1247 W San Marcos Blvd. San Marcos, CA 92078 | La Moree Mobile Home Estates 1175 La Moree Road San Marcos, CA 92069 | San Marcos View Estates 150 South Rancho Santa Fe Road San Marcos, CA 92069 |
Now, back to saving America from the maniac grifter who stole the presidency with the aid of social media, James Comey, the Electoral College and his Russian handlers.
Awaiting what will happen next spring on the training fields of Florida and Arizona.
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