Karma Points

[Rik Deskin]

You do realize that everytime you "smite" someone, you lose real karma.

I "applaud" everyone. That's why most of you have such high Karma points.

No matter what you say.

It makes me feel good to do this little thing.

It's a virtual pat on the back.

I support everyone's efforts in our theater ecology. No matter how disparate. Theatre is about collaboration. There's really no room or time for petty behavior.

Your constant Karma booster.

[Keith Dahlgren]

Rik, Rik, Rik...

They can't hurt you.  Strike back! De-Karmasize them!

I volunteer to be your punching bag. Smite me.  Smite me!  It will feel good.

Accept the dark side!

[Lynn Jepson]

Rik, Rik, Rik...

They can't hurt you.  Strike back! De-Karmasize them!

I volunteer to be your punching bag. Smite me.  Smite me!  It will feel good.

Accept the dark side!

LOL! 

[Rik Deskin]

I...can't...help...but...applaud you.

[Keith Dahlgren]

Now you have to wait an hour before you can smite me.

Smite me! Smite me!  No smiley faces! 

Come on Rik! Get mad!  Yes, you feel it, don't you?  The anger.  The rage.  Thisk about all those bullies, over the years, who took your lunch money, who laughed at your choice of career, who smited you. It feels good, the anger.

Come on.   

Do it.  You know you want to.

Come on, everyone!  Help Rik to the dark side! All together! Smite him! Smite him! Smite Him!

Come on Rik. Smite me!

[Shane Regan!]

so, in a roundabout way, when i smite rik i'm helping his karma!  YOURE WELCOME RIK!

[Lynn Jepson]

You smite me sir, with your quick wit and sharp tongue.  Alas a dragon would be no match for you.
 

[Louise Penberthy]

Translation of Keith's posts --

"Come to the dark side, Luke.  Search your feelings.  You know that it is true."

Keith needs to get a day job.

Oh, wait, he already has one.

[Keith Dahlgren]

Nooo!  Noo!!

My karma's gone up four points!  Stop!

Smite me Rik!  Smite them all!

[Lynn Jepson]

Mine has only gone up one point, and no one has smited me at all.  I feel so neglected!
 

[Rik Deskin]

I just worked a 12 hour I.A.T.S.E. day (yes I do more than act), which is why I have not responded. As to bullies, I was the one who stood up against oppressors of the lunch arena. I always ended up in the Principal's office for defending myself. No one ever got my lunch money.

I also am currently dealing with a crazy bully landlord who thinks that my family has damaged her 1982 house that was ill-built and not made for normal usage so she's been pressuring us to move, which we would if we could afford the time and money to move. We have been nothing but nice to her, but she is obsessed with a house that has closet doors that literally crumble when you open or close them. Also she is obsessed with the lawn, which I always mow, has threatened to cut down 4 trees because they have leaves that fall off and I don't instantly rake them up or sweep the roof since I'm so busy working. 

When people push me, I tend to push back. Now the crazy bully landlord readily admits that we can't get along and that she will evict us if we are ever late with the rent (we had been and always paid late fees, but have been on time since May) or if we are late paying our water and garbage bills (for some insane reason, she gets duplicates) she will not "hesitate to evict us".

Plus she raised our rent from $1480 a month to $1650 a month beginning September. And her reason is to give us time to find another place to live and move out because we can't be slave drones and be the handyman gardeners that she would rather have as tenants. She also hates kids. 

Her karma is going way down.

[Louise Penberthy]

Well that sucks.  I've had sucky landlords but not one that bad.

She can't evict you just because you're late with rent.  There's a process she has to go through.

There's a great summary of Washington State landlord-tenant law at

http://www.seattle.gov/dclu/publications/cam/infofortenants.pdf

I got this link off the King County Dispute Resolution Center Web site, which is at www.kcdrc.org.

The Dispute Resolution Center is a great resource, by the way.  I've been a mediator with them for five years.  Anyone who lives or works in King County can call them up and talk to a mediator for free.  Every time I mediate I'm astonished at what having a neutral third party involved can do to help resolve a sucky situation.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Yep.  A landlord bent on building themselves bad karma can really ruin your day.  I was going to give you the same advice as Louise until I read her post.  You have a lot of rights that the landlord (not surprisingly) won't tell you.  In fact, she is giving you some misinformation.  Some instant karma will come to her the day you inform her of your awareness of your rights and she finds her bluffs called.

Regarding the utilities; the "insane" reason she gets duplicate bills is that the property owner is ultimately responsible by law for them.  If you skip town and can't be contacted the city WILL go after her and she has no recourse but to pay.  This is why many landlords 'include' those utilities in the rent.

Regarding karma; I've applauded you Rik, for your help with the questions I sent to you directly.  Sorry for your house issues.  It's difficult to keep one's eye on the prize with gnats buzzing around your ears.  Moving is a no fun and I'm sure there are family considerations but it might be worth long term peace of mind.

[Keith Dahlgren]

Great Scott, people!  My Karma is at 84, up ten points.  Stop!  Will someone smite me!

Rik...you must feel it?  The urge to smite?  Take out your frustrations with your landlady on me.  Smite me.  It feels so good.

I'm doing you a favor, here, buddy.

[Tanja Pineda]

Thanks Rik for your kindness. I did a recent post about Reviewers that mentions the Karma thing. I don't know what more I can say on this. We all have equal view points and opinions.