Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with California

California Unemployment Help

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:00:29 -0800

Should I get a lawyer to battle the California unemployment office? I was laid off in Oct '09. I filed for unemployment (California) same day, and waited until Nov '09 for my eligibility phone interview. I was then told in Nov '09 that my claim fell under the 'dates' (by one week - previous claim was never finalized because they could not verify my identity & by the time I received their requests I had another job and no longer needed it) of a previous claim from '08. I was told to submit a 'new' claim and EDD would backdate to Oct '09. I received a letter requesting another eligibility interview (which I just had) on 22 Dec '09. It turns out that the second claim I filed had not been backdated - and I still have not received any payments. EDD then offered to backdate this current claim but warned that I might not receive any money until Feb '10.

I'm at a loss as to what to do next - I don't think I can afford to wait until Feb '10 for any kind of payments, but feel that I am entitled to collect on all the weeks that I have been unemployed - especially if I'm able to find employment in Jan/Feb.

Friends suggest getting a lawyer but I'm not sure how that would help. Hive mind - what should I do?

Where to get married in Southern California if you care more about the cultural aspects of the venue rather than the traditional wedding things???

copernicus — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:47:19 -0800

Need help finding a really unique wedding/reception venue in Southern California that melds cultures! Although my fiancee and I are very similar culturally, we are also very different. Neither of us are religious, but she comes from a Muslim background, and I Hindu. She is of Pakistani origin, and I Indian. And of course, in the end we are both American. So we are trying to find a unique California venue that captures all of that. My fiancee and I are from Chicago, but we are getting married in Southern California. As far as which part of Southern California, we are very open- basically anything from San Diego all the way up to Santa Barbara.

The exact location is less important than the theme of the venue. We chose California because of its deep Spanish history and architecture. California, to us, serves as almost a proxy to Spain in that it melds some of the Moorish, Mediterranean, Eastern/Western cultures that we are trying to incorporate in our wedding.

Our ideal location would be a Mission, but unfortunately neither of us are catholic, so that is out. What we love about the Missions is the history, the architecture, and the story.

So, we are trying to target hirtorical buildings, locations, venues, villas, ranches, anything that has a story and would serve as a unique wedding venue.

Hive mind, what you got???

Does my husband qualify for unemployment?

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:26:44 -0800

Will my husband qualify for unemployment in California after a long-term temp/contract position is over? My husband was hired for a three-month stint in an engineering position at a major electronics manufacturer to replace a guy out on sick leave. He is paid through an agency (payrolling.com) and receives a W-2. So I guess he's technically an employee of Payrolling, placed in the electronics manufacturer's office. Because the guy he was replacing ended up having complications, my husband has been there for 14 months and was recently told that the previously sick dude will be back as of the end of January so they'll no longer need my husband's services.

Can he receive unemployment compensation from the state of California? In total, he will have been there 15 months full time when he leaves.

He'd really love to stay there as a full-time employee (not through Payrolling.com) and they have suggested that a position may open up to hire him, so he certainly doesn't want to make any waves but if he's going to be out of work, the unemployment compensation would be welcome.

moving to san francisco

bananaskin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:09:34 -0800

Is there anyone who has experience living in San Francisco and can give me advice about moving there? I live in rural midwest. I have dreamed of moving to San Francisco, CA for several years. I am sure I could find a decent paying job there, as my job is in high demand.

I am a single middle aged woman. No children. I have to do this all alone. I have no one to help me, and I am a little fearful/anxious about making such a big move, making a mistake and moving to a place I may not know is a dangerous area.

My questions are:
1. How much would rent be on a house/apartment? I want a decent sized apartment (not a studio).
2. What are safe areas to live, and dangerous areas for a single woman?
3. How do I research an area to find out if it is safe/crime or not?
4. What are the fun things to do there....cultural, musical, food, etc. and where?
Thank you everyone.

What rights do I have to protect my personal information?

notmydesk — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:54:57 -0800

I ran a red light and got caught by a traffic camera. I received a citation in the mail a few days later. Not my citation, though, someone else's. The citation showed a different car, different intersection, different driver. While examining it, I noticed the citation had a lot of personal information on it. This person's full name, his address, his date of birth, his driver's license number, and all of his vehicle information.

The coversheet of the citation had my name and address and citation number, which was one digit off from his. It appears they made an error matching up the two sheets -- I got mailed someone else's, someone else got mailed mine, and so on down the line. This was confirmed after a couple visits to the red light enforcement office and several phone calls: they messed up their mailings that day and a number of people were mailed the wrong citation.

The officers admit they made an error but say it's no big deal. I say, they violated my right to privacy by sending my personal information to a person unknown to me, and exposed me to potential identify theft or other mischief.

Just wondering what recourse you think I have, realistically. I live in Sacramento, California. Note: I'm not contesting my actual citation.

SoCal Holiday Road Trip Tips?

Capostrophe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:55:42 -0800

I'll be embarking on a two week road trip from just before Christmas until just after the new year. My plan is to drive south out of the SF Bay Area and spend most of my time in southern California, possibly with forays into Az, Nevada, and Mexico. My interests are nature, archaeology, and history, and I'm an avid photographer. Tell me about the places I shouldn't miss. I'm considering the obvious destinations: Death Valley, the Salton Sea, Pinnacles, and Joshua Tree. I also intend to spend some time in San Diego, visiting the zoo and wild animal park. Beyond that I'm eager to hear your suggestions about roads to drive, places to stay, places to stop, and places to skip.

Bonus points for forgotten little picturesque attractions, and double bonus points for practical tips on visiting Mexico for a few days.

how to sell a car in Cali

beccyjoe — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:03:08 -0800

Have you sold a vehicle privately in California? Can you tell me what paperwork is required? We are selling our van, registered in NC, here in California.

We know about the smog test and plan to get one tomorrow.

I'm just trying to figure out what other paperwork is required. Have looked on the California DMV site but I'm so confused and would love to have it explained to me by a human if possible.

If you have been through this, would you kindly explain the process?

Other than the smog test, are there special considerations for selling an out of state vehicle?

Many many thanks.

lorem ipsum

luriete — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:23:06 -0800

I need a book printer & binder - ideally the same company - in Northern California who is familiar with photography books. The publication may involve 4-color blacks, or black/silver traditionally litho-printed photographs and text on good paper, Mohawk superfine or something like that; hard and soft bindings may be necessary. Any ideas?

Will any British Columbia vineyards ship ice wine to California?

mote — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:07:58 -0800

Will any British Columbia vineyards ship ice wine to California? A former supervisor, who lives in California, got me a job interview in Vancouver that went really well. I'd like to express my appreciation with something suitably Canadian. canadianwineshop.com seems happy to ship from Ontario vineyards, which is close, but I thought I'd see if y'all could get me any closer! I appreciate that alcohol shipments seem to fall into an insane regulatory environment, though. Thanks!

Foreclosed on when the payments are up-to-date?!

goofyfoot — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:41 -0800

A friend got a notice of foreclosure on a house on which he's made regular payments for over a decade. It's in Sonoma County, California; he's lived in and owned the house since the late 90s. I've advised him to lawyer up, and tomorrow will help investigate what pro bono attorneys are available to him. He has little money; his home is his wealth. Meanwhile, maybe someone here has been in this position and can provide a roadmap? His e-mail to me:

I got a weird story to tell you.
On November 3rd a notice was put on my home saying it was a foreclosed property and I have to move out.
So I knew it wasn't right because I'm current on my loan and have never missed a payment.
Anyway it turns out that my lender seems to have foreclosed on my house, put it up for public auction and then when it didn't get a high enough bid, it was sold to freddie mac.
I think under CA law if someone had picked it up at auction I would have legally lost the house.
Now freddie mac says they own the house, but they're saying that they won't resell it at auction because of what I've told them.
My lender says they're investigating but won't tell me what's going on.
I've been cautious about going out, just in case they try to block me from coming back.
I sent a complaint form to the state lender regulator in Sacramento,
and I also filled out a request to have the consumer news advocate "7 on your side " look into it.

Will I Lose My Driver's License?

goalyeehah — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:28 -0800

Do I have any options with the California Department of Motor Vehicle regarding having had seizures and losing my license? I have to send in form to DMV filled out by doctor about my medical history. DUH! If I take this to neurololgist I've seen, he obviously is going to fill out what has recently happened regarding seizures I have had. Having seizures = no license........or at least that is what I've been told. Is there a probability factor here. I have written a letter explaining my case. Will that have any influence or will I be tilting at windmills (or whatever the adage is)

Med history - I had a skull fracture 20+ years ago. Got into yoga as a means of healing the trauma. 3 years ago I had what doctors would decribe as a seizure and have had 3 since that time. Each time I had blacked out and was taken to emergency room. I saw a neurologist the first time it happened and got checked out. All tests were clear. I am seeing him now and going through all the tests again to make sure of what it isn't and then moving forward from that baseline.

The doctors attribute the seizures to the head injury. Whether they are or not, I am confident I can manage these and heal what is going on. I also feel deep down they are passing.

My worst fear is that it is a black/white decision and that my license will be taken away. I live in Los Angeles, am a yoga teacher, have to drive and be at place in a timely fashion. I am also just getting a business going.

What do you do when the court has no record of your "crime"?

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0800

I received a traffic ticket for driving without headlights on in Los Angeles, but now the court has no record of my citation. What do I do now? I was cited during the evening of October 4th for "Driving without Lights on During Darkness." I had only been driving for a few blocks when I was pulled over and hadn't noticed my lights weren't on. For what it's worth, it was a fairly busy street that was well-lit at the time.

Anyway, the ticket says that I must appear at the courthouse by November 18 but I haven't received a courtesy notice in the mail yet. Assuming that the notice must've been lost in the mail, I checked the court's website and they have no record of a citation. I've searched the database with both my driver's license and citation number, but nothing comes up, even though it's past the "21 days" it sometimes takes for the citation to appear in the system.

I've called the court and navigated the automated phone system, but they have no record of it either. I tried to speak to an operator but the system was "too busy" so an automated message said to try the call at a later time.

Is it possible that the police officer, after the fact, realized how brightly lit the street was and decided to discard the ticket or not process it? Incidentally, I later learned that there was a full moon that evening, which could be counted as an extenuating circumstance, something which the officer might have realized himself. I don't know how likely that is or if it's even possible (or just wishful thinking on my part).

Does anyone have any experience with this or advice about what I should do? At this point, I'm leaning towards just going to the courthouse, which is a hassle, but would presumably settle the matter once and for all. On the other hand, I would like to avoid bringing the ticket to the court's attention if it somehow fell through the cracks and there's otherwise no record of it. Please help me, hivemind!

If anyone has any follow-up questions or would like to reply anonymously, my email is wheresmytrafficticket@gmail.com.

Thanks!

What was the searchable public records site for California?

BuddhaInABucket — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:05:20 -0800

There used to be a website for California where you could enter anyone's name and get a public record on them- all their driving and criminal history was available, free, online. I can't find it anymore. Help?

Since the CalDMV screwed up my smog check date?

Rash — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30:27 -0800

California DMV Filter -- "Smog Check Needed" is NOT printed on my registration renewel form, although it should be. Should I get an emission check anyway? It's not a new car, so every two years, and that's now.

Possible contributing factor, recent change of address.

Fun things to do in Santa Cruz?

Mr. Justice — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:58:48 -0800

Fun things to do in Santa Cruz? We are a married couple with three kids aged 6 3 and 1. We are looking for fun things to do in Santa Cruz, California. We have a beach house until Monday and will be spending a lot of time just watching the waves. Any recommendations on good sushi, Mexican, museums, etc?

The 21 day CA unemployment benefit -- am I screwed?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:03:11 -0800

CA Unemployment 21 Days Deadline: How to become eligible again? Back in July, I filed with California to get unemployment benefits. Around the 20th, I got a reply from CA EDD, and I didn't open it for months. I figured that I didn't need the money right then, and the state of California was giving out warrants in lieu of checks (due to the state government's insolvency).

When I finally opened it (on October 9th), it said that I had to register within 21 days of the notice date (July 20th).

My question is: am I screwed? Will I be able to obtain unemployment benefits at all? Do I have to reapply? Should I go in person to the local office to clear things up, or is it better to call in (I haven't had much luck reaching a person when I've done this) or do this online? Any help or insight you can provide would be great. Thanks.

California's Big One Would Mean What For Whom?

mooders — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:36:15 -0800

What would the national and global consequences be if the San Andreas Fault finally gave rise to 'The Big One'? I'm particularly interested in the implications from geographic, economic, environmental, social, political, cultural, technological etc perspectives.

Bonus points for links to essays, articles, books and/or formal research around this topic.

Real estate: encroachment when same person owned both homes?

zippy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:19:23 -0800

How does property line encroachment work when the two properties were owned by the same person? There are two houses in my neighborhood that recently went for sale. The homes were owned by the same person, who lived in both for 20 - 40 years. First house A was foreclosed went on auction, where it was bought. Then house B went on the market, where it remains.

Now, house B, the older of the two homes, crosses several feet over the surveyed property line of house A. The structure over the line includes part of a room and a deck. The room appears to be either original to the home (built in 1920s) or more likely an addition from at least 25 years ago.

Is property B really encroaching on A if the owner of B at the time (who happened to be the same person as the owner of A) didn't complain?

Do the owners of A or B have any guidance as to who owns what?

I'm not a party to this, I'm just curious how such an odd situation might play out.

Properties are in Berkeley, California.

Personal recommendations for pug breeders in California?

fishfucker — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:59:20 -0800

Personal recommendations for pug breeders in California? We are looking to add a pug puppy to our family (currently have one 5 year old female), and are having a heck of a time finding a breeder online. We live in Oakland but would probably be willing to drive anywhere in CA to pickup. Have you had personal experience with any pug breeders in California? Online dog breeding seems to be a part of the commercial sector that has yet to move online. We've done plenty of googling, and either found a) sketchy craigslist-type ads, b) dead tripod/geocities sites and bad email addresses, or c) breeder "searches" that are behind pay-walls (which look to be the work of a single company, and most likely contain fake adverts).

What we're really looking for here is a word-of-mouth recommendation for a breeder. Hopefully they have at least a email address or a phone number (website is a big big plus, photos would be just about unbelievable!). I've tried emailing a few California pug clubs for breeder recommendations with no results (either bounced emails, or in one case was told to attend an upcoming event they were having, which we missed). We've been off-and-on googling for at least a year, and haven't found any breeders that look promising.

We've had some (mostly minor, but still emotionally and financially costly) health issues with our current pug and want to maximize our chances of having a healthy dog, so we're looking to get a dog from a breeder who knows what they're doing. To me, this means one that is breeding registered show dogs. We don't necessarily need to get the pick of the litter -- we'd be more than happy with a 'companion dog', but we don't want to buy a puppy from some dude on craigslist that found two pugs in an alley.

We're not considering rescue at this time, due to the aforementioned health issues that often afflict the type of pure-bred pugs you'll find at rescues, and we're not considering other breeds, thanks!

tl;dr: I am looking for recommendations for professional pug breeders in California that you or someone you know has had experience with. Due diligence has been done, so google results are unlikely to be useful to us (however, if you're a pug insider and have website recomendations, lay them on me!). We are not looking at rescues or other breeds.

Any Gothic Churches in Berkeley California?

Ekidnagrrl17 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:57:22 -0800

I am getting married in Berkeley California. Are there any beautiful Gothic churches there for the ceremony? I love buttresses and stained glass :)

Looking for the ideal hangout in South Bay/Long Beach...

Katemonkey — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:34:45 -0800

Looking for a good bar/coffee/food place in the South Bay/Long Beach, CA that works for an unknown number of people with a wide variety of tastes... I want to get a bunch of my old high school friends together when I go visit Long Beach again in October, and I want to find a place that:

A) Won't require reservations for big groups (because I don't know if there will be a big group)
B) Isn't a sit-down type of restaurant, but will serve food
C) Serves a variety of drinks (non-alcoholic, coffee, cocktails, etc.)
D) Is not a sports bar or a meat market or anything like that
E) Veers a bit on the eccentric without trying too hard to be "wacky"
F) Cheerfully caters to a jeans-and-t-shirt clientèle.

Bonus points if it panders shamelessly to nerds.

For an example of what I'm thinking, if the situation was reversed, and I had a bunch of people coming to Nottingham who wanted to go out and have a few drinks, I would take them to the Malt Cross. There, I know I can get an excellent rum and coke or cup of coffee, a good burger, and I'm in an old Victorian vaudeville hall of awesomeness. Or, if I was feeling a bit more kitschy, I'd take them to the Pit & the Pendulum (the website looks like it was hacked, alas), where I know I can get a weird cocktail, some decent food, and it's decked out like a Vincent Price movie.

It doesn't necessarily need to be South Bay/Long Beach - it just seems easier to me, since we all grew up around Long Beach, Carson, Torrance, etc. I'll also caging rides from people rather than driving myself, and I'd much rather talk someone into driving an extra 10 minutes than an extra 45...

(I just don't want to end up hanging out at Del Amo Mall, like I did when I was 17...)

Cheap driving trip from LA?

ValkoSipuliSuola — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:03:00 -0800

Where can I go in SoCal for a 3 day weekend? My husband has next Monday off and we would like to take a driving trip somewhere. We live in LA and would like to see some nature - at least what hasn't caught fire yet. A 3-4 hour drive would be ideal, maybe longer.

We don't have any camping equipment, but could conceivably purchase some. The biggest problem is we have a Miata, which has a very small trunk. I'm not sure we could fit a tent and cooler in there even if we wanted to. On the plus side, the car is a hoot and a half to drive, hence the desire to drive somewhere. We also need to do it on the cheap. Any suggestions?

We've looked at Big Sur and Yosemite, but everything's booked.

Parvovirus: odds of a puppy getting it?

zippy — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:34:45 -0800

I understand the danger parvovirus poses to puppies, but what are the odds of a puppy contracting the disease in the US (specifically Alameda County, California)? I have been reading about parvovirus in dogs (including this discussion), and understand how serious the illness is.

What I can't seem to find is any indication of risk or prevalance. What are the odds a dog will get parvo, and how many cases of it are there a year in my area?

The more mathematical and bounded the answer, the better. I know I can't be assured to the fifth decimal place about anything, but I want to know: Parvo, this terrible disease, are the odds 1%, 10%, or 100%?

More details below, in the hope that they may allow more exact bounding of the answer.

My dog is five weeks old. He was one of the larger dogs in the litter (with two or three brothers and a sister), which I understand tends to confer longer maternal immunity. I intend to start him on a full vaccine series for parvo.

He's 3/4 Australian Cattle Dog, 1/4 Fox Terrier. He was born in a remote rural area of Humboldt County, California, and as of a few days ago now lives in a semi-urban area in Alameda County.

I keep him mostly indoors, with trips to the back and front yard for exercise. I understand that completely preventing exposure to parvo is impossible (as the virus hardy and survives for long periods in the soil), but also that minimizing exposure to parvo greatly reduces the chances for infection.

I would like to know:

How common is parvo in Humbolt County and in Alameda County? Or, if these specific numbers aren't available, then whatever numbers are available for California or the US. A link to numbers of cases per year would be ideal.

What are the odds of a puppy getting parvo between the ages of 5 and 16 weeks if he's allowed to socialize with a: known dogs (with shots), or b: occasionally visit parks and meet other non-wild dogs.

Links to scholarly papers are fine, and links to the dog equivalent to the CDC would also appreciated.

If this is too specific, or if there isn't enough information, please let me know. Also, I do know how bad the illness itself is.

A Rosensweigelheimer By Any Other Name ...

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:11:13 -0800

Planning to change my last name, which isn't a common thing for men to do. Not sure what reactions to expect from colleagues and peers. How can I best deal with potential social stigma and explanations of reasoning involved? Going from a multi-syllable "ethnic" name to a single syllable variation. I've always felt it to be a hindrance and would like to change it for myself and my family for many reasons.

I'm now in my early 30's with a small family, established career, decade old friendships, ... etc. While I realize it should make no difference what others think, I know that I would probably think it was "weird" if another man were to change their last name. I also worry about future job and rental applications making me look sketchy.

I'm hoping someone else has some direct or indirect experience with this and might be able to offer advice on how best to ease the transition. Also any advice on the process itself are welcome. Thanks.

[My offspring isn't in grade school yet. Wife is in school switching careers.]

Turning 30 in California, after Christmas: what to do?

filthy light thief — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:20:11 -0800

I'm turning 30 this year, and my birthday is between Christmas and New Years. I live in central California, and may not have a lot of time for vacation. I want to do something interesting. What would you recommend to do in (central-ish) California, or possibly the greater West Coast, in the end of December? Sights to see, food to eat, events to attend? Lots of thoughts inside. I've never wanted a big or specifically interesting event for my birthday. Usually it's been family somewhere near home because my friends are elsewhere with their respective families. The only year that felt like it fell a bit flat was my 21st, which lacked the excitement I associated with 21st birthdays (in the US) in general, but it wasn't terrible. For whatever reason, I want to do something interesting this year. The fact I'm turning 30 doesn't seem to be weighing on my mind, but I feel like I should do more to celebrate it.

I've been married for a bit over two years now, and I don't know how much time I'll have off. With that, a nice trip with my wife sounds pretty good, and probably closer to home so I don't spend most of it traveling to get somewhere (unless the trip is part of the fun).

What are some good winter trips in California (and farther)? What have people done for birthdays or celebrations that add some level of interest to things?

In regards to previous 30th birthday AskMe posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5): 1- not looking for travel, and a "treat myself well" day is lacking some oomph, 2- turning 30 is no big deal to me, 3- I'm not looking for some present of significance, 4- closest suggestions so far, and now I realize I don't want a showy, public event (fireworks) or a big countdown (advent calendar), and 5- no desire to skinny-dip in tropical oceans. Thanks!