The worst about California = my last two years in Bel Air.

I'm moving back to Wisconsin next Wednesday the 9th. And I've been reflecting on my 11 1/4 years here in Los Angeles. Thought I'd dish the bad news first.

For seven years I lived a surreal life in a gorgeous two-story guest house on 10 acres high above Sunset. A life only a few people can relate to. The first five years were great. It's the last two years that were shit.

2004 was when I got whacked in the eye by the gardener. Whacked bad. My boss and property owner, Barbara Bollenbach did nothing. I forgave the guy who injured me - it was a stupid act but he didn't mean to hurt me. Barbara, however, did nothing at a time when I needed her the most. She didn't give me a WC claim form to fill out. She never confirmed with me that she had WC and she never reported it. I gave her the benefit of the doubt for two years (under CA law) and she did nothing. I sucked it up for TWO YEARS - waiting...and she made no offer to rectify the situation (there are more details but I'm giving you the watered down version). Only after I moved out in 2006 and sued her did she THEN report my injury to her insurance company. She even had the balls to say to me when I told her I had an eye doctor visit on a day I was to be working on her property, "You had a doctor visit on my day last week...I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick."

I've been fighting with her insurance company since 2006. And the cheap bitch millionaire who didn't report my injury to her insurance company (for what I assume to be many reasons) has now purchased and razed two multi-million dollar properties adjacent to her own so she can expand her own acreage in order to construct a compound in order to allow her children to live close by (each of whom owes me $10 by the way).

So, as I reflect about those last two years in Bel Air and think about Barbara, I'm reminded of the words Marlon Brando spoke in a scene from Last Tango in Paris:

"You cheap, goddamn, fucking, godforsaken whore. I hope you rot in hell. You're worse than the dirtiest street pig anybody could find, and you know why? You know why? Because you lied. You lied to me and I trusted you. You lied. You knew you were lying! Go on, tell me you didn't lie. Haven't you got anything to say about that? You can think up something, can't you? Go on, tell me something! Smile, you cunt! Go on, tell me...tell me something sweet. Smile at me and say I just misunderstood. Go on, tell me. You pig-fucker! You goddamn, fucking, pig-fucking liar."

I pray you or someone you know reads this, Barb. All that money you give to charity? All those honors bestowed on you by charities - for being charitable. Bullshit. Where I come from charity begins at home. And you failed miserably at it. (Go ahead - tell me I need to "let go". Yeh...when I settle with her insurance company. Until then, go back and read the quote above.)

NOTE: If you're curious to see a virtual map shot of the property where I lived in Bel Air, click on READ MORE!


The red denotes Barbara's property line when I lived there. The blue denotes property she added while I was there but razed after I had left. The yellow is where a famous singer lived (can't tell you who) and last time I checked, that house had been razed as well - for Barbara's compound. Yet she couldn't report my WC injury to insurance company.

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Iraq, Immigration, "Idiot" and Insurance Folly

Recent polls asking the question, "Do you fee the U.S. should be involved in a war with Iraq?":

NBC News/Wall Street Journal = 68% disapprove
LA Times/Bloomberg Poll = 67% disapprove
ABC News/ Washington Post = 67% disapprove
CBS News = 70% disapprove
Newsweek = 73% disapprove of Pres. Bush's handling of Iraq
CNN = 67% oppose the war
USA Today/Gallup Poll = 62% US made a mistake getting involved

So, it's obvious the American people aren't happy with the situation. Now, I'm not saying this is my opinion. I'm torn - I don't know.

I also heard that the U.S. may be allowing up to 100,000 Iraqi refugees into the U.S.? And that the U.S. just gave the United Nations $40 million in aid as a gesture to Palestinian refugees?

In the meantime, I'm still waiting for my former employer's insurance company (former employer heretofore known as, "Idiot") to approve my workman's compensation suit as a result of my eye injury - paperwork that's been sitting on their desk since November 2006.

Continuing. Paperwork that could've been avoided had my former employer, "Idiot", reported my work-related injury to her insurance company in a timely manner as is required by law and by the insurance coverage she purchased when she bought her mansion in Bel Air instead of waiting until I sued her - then saying (I'm putting words in the "Idiot's" mouth), 'oh, I had a worker's comp. policy all along, Jeffrey - I just NEVER reported your injury to my insurance company; I NEVER informed you I had WC insurance; I NEVER gave you the claim form to fill out when you reported your injury, I NEVER posted signage informing my employees of their rights if they're ever injured on my property while working for me (all required by law), AND I NEVER EVER even signed the claim form once you mailed it to me like I'm supposed to (also required by law) but I'll pay your medical bill with my credit card so I don't have to report it to my insurance company' (also...required by law). That's one long sentence. And the "Idiot" is still one heartless, conceited, arrogant, selfish bitch. I ask you - why would a woman of means not report a worker's injury to her insurance company when she's legally bound to? That's why you have WC insurance - so you don't get sued. Oh - but wait. "Idiot" tells me on the phone (she was explicitly told not to contact me by my lawyer) after she found out I had sued her, quote, "I guess it's true when they say no good deed goes unpunished". Excuse me (I chuckled)? What good deed did you do for me exactly? OK - she let me live on her 8-acre mansion in Bel Air for 7 years - in a nice guest house (which I miss) - and treated me like family. In return, "Idiot's" dipshit LEGAL gardener hits me with a garden house and f%^&*ks up my eye for life and then "Idiot" proceeds to violate almost every law an employer must follow under CA worker's compensation statutes. AND - get this - and "Idiot" chastises me for making my 2nd doctor visit on a day that I'm working for her (as opposed to a day that I was working my 2nd job off the property), saying, "Your first visit was on a day you work for me...I think I'm getting the short end of the stick here". Wait a second - WHO got the short end of what stick? I got injured by YOUR gardener, on YOUR property, working for YOU and it was a God damned HOSE and I GOT IT IN MY FREAKIN' EYE, LADY!!! Thanks, "Idiot". Thanks for all your "good deeds".

I'm laughing. The rich break the law. The poor and meek continue to get screwed. There are people walking around thinking they're doing good deeds for others when they're just a bunch of assholes. And our country gives aid to every Tom, Dick and Harry, but when it's own citizens need help, we continue to get the big shaft. I'm also very - very angry - like our Orc-friend there. As a matter of fact, I'd probably kick his ass.

And people still want to emigrate here. It's ridiculous. Don't get me wrong - I love my country, but something HAS to change or the Idiots of the world will truly run this planet.

[UPDATE: Three weeks ago, the insurance company said they'd mail me the forms to fill out in order to choose one of "their" doctors for an impartial check-up on my injury. It took them 6 months to inform me of this - information I had already anticipated would be "the next move"...6 months ago! Oh - and I still haven't received the doctor list from them...three weeks ago.]

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