I couldn’t stop thinking about what a scam rent is, where you pay your landlord to look after their investment property, so I made a mixed media piece about it. Join Joelene on her whimsical journey to the mythical land of housing security.
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24 responses to “Joelene Versus The Landlord”
Hi Caitlin
I very much enjoyed your video on the morals or otherwise of the landlord tenant relationship. The video surprised me, I had never really thought of it in the terms you presented. I guess as a renter myself, for so long we have been expected to be grateful for some rentier giving us a roof over our heads. Just found your site by accident, so more power to your elbow; and don’t lose your sense of humour and irony; we need that as much as we need anger. Solidarity from little old England
( interrupting to hint at a return of the Binary Black Winged Teenangel. She was Awesome. Hope to read about her striking again somewhere.)
This is obviously satirical in nature, isn’t it? If so, it’s wonderful. But some of it is not too far from the reality. It is commonplace, here in the northeast USA at least, for landlords and property owners to impose certain requirements that would never have been imaginable in the past. For one thing, snow removal. Yes, snow removal. The tenant, not the landlord, is made responsible for getting rid of the snow on the walks and the driveway associated with the rental unit. Yard work, rubbish bin curbing, other maintenance items are routinely included in rental agreements.
All part of the contract or simply don’t sign and go elsewhere. Since the owner most likely doesn’t live there having ice on the sidewalk and driveway would invite lawsuits should anyone get injured or decide to play the game of suing you for failure to keep the sidewalk clear. Too many grifting liars in this country play that angle. Here’s an example based on my own experience. My ex passed away from cancer during the winter and someone from her church decided to tell me that they’d hurt themselves slipping on the ice and snow leading to the front door and wanted me to pay for her injury.. Really? And just how was i to know that she didn’t hurt herself somewhere else and simply wanted to take advantage of me during my time of grief? How to prove it? Huh? I simply ignored her and told others that she could kiss off. People are duplicitous rats when it comes to money and being poor doesn’t make one less of a liar or greedy.
This was Really Cool!!! Thanks Caitlin!
And what about the psychopathic ghosts like in The Shining? Does the caretaker have to put up with that as well for the same fee?
Nope. The caretaker does as the caretaker pleases.
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The caretaker is only taking care and the caretaker can just leave when the caretaker pleases.
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I don’t mind ghosts too much, they are memories of the past. Ghouls and demons and devils and liches and vampires and such are another story – they will get what they deserve. It is gonna happen and I accept this. Can you accept it Pascal?
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Above liches and demi-gods reside bitches and goddesses, but I’m just complaining now. If you go into the gave of Wealth and Death, where Libra resides, the keeper of the scales, then you go somewhere precarious. Somewhere, where if you don’t have a pure heart, you will be tossed of the scales in a heartbeat and it will be done with glee. Best antidote to that is a bit of humility if you want to survive. After awhile, you go there again, then you are taking your own life in your own hands, so best you got a good reason to go there cause Libra don’t suffer no fools. She is all about balance and so am I.
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Can I get you a drink – or would you be willing to suggest what it is that you want? Just tell me and I’ll get if for you if I can. If I can’t, I’ll tell you as such, but later, maybe next time, I’ll be ready when you ask for it, because I aim to please.
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Hot-Dogs – 5 cents a piece.
Best,
BK
Awesome!
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Really good.
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A great video and wonderful artwork. A succinct and easily understood message on many levels – a real-world demonstration of the absurdities all around. Please though just remember: in the end, do what is best for the kids. Easier said than done I know, but I’m thinking that is the only reason the lady on the other line kept talking for as long as she did.
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Thanks – really thanks for that story,
Ken
The only other question I have on the video is upon whose left hand was the “infinity” ring? (ha, ha… it was the artist, the painter).
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OK, here is a game.
Today’s date please: 72721 – lets break it down to its divisors assuming it was written this way: 7/27/21 – ok simple.
We have the following:
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7
3
3
3
3
7
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Do you sense that? Do you understand how the numbers match/”line” up in a way? I like that it is the same forwards and backwards as well or up and down you could say. What is the probability of that? Well, I’ve solved this problem on numbers being the say way forwards and backwards or maybe up and down, but what it the probability that it would have turned out the way it did today by happenstance from my perspective? Pretty low I reckon. Real low, but not 0 – what they hell could be 0 probability? Nothing.
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poem of the day 72721 1202 est us of …. a
BK
Wait – I take that back what I said yesterday in the message above.
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I think the lady on the other line really just wanted somebody to talk with, so maybe it wasn’t all about the kids. But still, after the lady on the other line heard the kids, she sort of wanted to help I think. So after the call, the lady on the other line must of called the property owner and inquired about what was desired.
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That was nice of her don’t you think?
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BK
– now out of respect for “28” a perfect number if there ever was one, I won’t say anything else. Watch the video for yourself and make your own conclusions.
Thank you for sharing this artful piece. For some reason, it reminded me of the leaked revelations that Amazon basically has a written policy of getting rid of lower level workers after three years, instead of promoting — because they are deemed lazy pieces of #*&t. It’s just a controlled circular cycle. The nots have no way to work or save their way out. And, the haves will make sure it continues that way.
The Internet opens the door to the thoughts and ideas of every human ” on line “. I just read this article and I am wondering if this is plausible or not. I deeply respect the author and the website; so I am passing this on to others!
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This interesting article can be read here:
The Only Way to Stop Global Warming by Eric Zuesse!
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2021/07/25/the-only-way-to-stop-global-warming/
Very good 🙂 You certainly have a gift for seeing through the crap.
I suppose at the end of the day it is about power. In the current market, the owners have the power to make the renters pay. Maybe when property starts crashing in value the tables will turn
Rent is a scam? Interesting. Do you have even the faintest clue as to what you’re talking about?
Jeez. Most renters in the lower class would not be able to maintain a house long enough to pay it off — they’d be left with three 2×4’s and a few remaining bricks from the chimney after the note is paid. But hey — all that time and money landlords spend to repair and maintain the property is a scam, eh?
A month ago, I had a prospective tenant come to contract signing and she actually gave me a photocopy of a “drivers license” as her “ID”. Lol. She sounded alot like the mythical lady in your video. And the intellect of these people is dropping almost by the day.
The US public education system has deliberately been undermined, underfunded and left to rot by the ruling class.
Here’s your future anyway Jake:
https://scheerpost.com/2021/07/26/hedges-the-collective-suicide-machine/
Ridiculous. “Education” sucks billions out of everyone’s pockets and ends up in the hands of political and ideological operatives with agendas that have nothing to do with teaching and knowledge. Unions, beaurocratic flunkys, consultants, you name it. They all suck at the education teat while Johnny gets stupider being indoctrinated into believing he’s somehow worthy as an ignorant self hating moron. This is all by design. So what do you do? Do you leave your kids inside of the burning edifice while debating the nature of combustion or do you get them the hell out of there?
all that time and money landlords spend to repair and maintain the property is a scam, eh?
that money comes from rent if you really are a landlord is greed making you stupid?or are you so arrogant to think we don’t know that?
Most renters in the lower class would not be able to maintain a house long enough to pay it off
they are paying it off for somebody ELSE
Housing investment is very much a middle class thing.
The ruling class own, rent, lease and exploit the tenants of shopping malls, office blocks, industrial estates etc.
I know several middle class investors who are getting rent, tax deductions and tax write offs from their rental houses, while at the same time whining about those on unemployment, health benefits or pensions.
They all have one thing in common: They are SMUG, ARROGANT and SELF SERVING.
for sure, the capitalist notion of private ownership is quite a riot. “my god gave it to me” is a much more convincing argument.
I look forward to Joelene’s hedge cutting.
https://mobile.twitter.com/yuzubestever02/status/1377525532217143297
“And the great owners, who must lose their land in an upheaval, the great owners with access to history, with eyes to read history and to know the great fact: when property accumulates in too few hands it is taken away. And that companion fact: when a majority of the people are hungry and cold they will take by force what they need. And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed. The great owners ignored the three cries of history. The land fell into fewer hands, the number of the dispossessed increased, and every effort of the great owners was directed at repression. The money was spent for arms, for gas to protect the great holdings, and spies were sent to catch the murmuring of revolt so that it might be stamped out. The changing economy was ignored, plans for the change ignored; and only means to destroy revolt were considered, while the causes of revolt went on.”
― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Oh, that was a good one! Nice video.
Love the humor. If only such calls could take place.
Caitlin, I love this video! Thank you. It makes so much sense.