Ms. Bart sits on her condo board and her report on recent issues is like something out of Del Boca Vista, phase II:

... When I took out the trash on Sunday afternoon, I saw a bag dead center on top of the dumpster. I tried to climb up to toss it in the trash, but the dumpster was wet with rain. My neighbor (and employee of the management company) Wally got the bag down. Rather than toss it immediately into the dumpster, he opened it to see if the owner could be ascertained. (Our dumpster isn't exactly difficult to use. It's got sliding doors about four feet off the ground and is in excellent repair. This improper disposal was on purpose.) Well, the trash had unshredded paperwork in it. The trash belonged to Captain Recycle, a rabblerouser who once ordered a giant recycling dumpster for the community without asking anyone. His fiancee performed a 'go recycling - let's save the Earth' cheer at our last annual owner's meeting. He purposely, improperly dumped his garbage (in a manner that could have resulted in trash all over our communal gardens) AND HE DIDN'T RECYCLE!!!!! ...

Tom Fulry reports on an interesting discussion this afternoon with an elderly neighbor who'd come over to alert him to an NStar "service upgrade" tonight:

... I pulled out my blackberry to set an alarm.

"Don't point that device at me! I don't want to catch the death rays!"

I thought she was joking. I pointed it at my crotch, laughing that I can feel the waves penetrating me.

"Stop! You'll kill all your swimmers. You should not carry that radioactive brick anywhere near your down there," she said. ...

Boston Business Journal: The fourth quarter of 2007 saw the highest number of foreclosures in state history ...

NOTE: The post has been removed from public view, so I've taken out the link.

Marcus was the road this morning, about 15 minutes after leaving his home, when his wife called to ask about weekend plans.

... We were talking when I heard the dogs start to bark in the background and she said, "Shit, someone is in here, I just heard the front door close." I told her to make a bee line for the safe down in the basement as she hung up to call 911. ...

Ezra found himself yesterday dealing with conundrums involving both.

The Boston Zoning Commission voted unanimously today to limit apartments to no more than four unrelated college students.

Philip Greenspun comes clean:

... In an effort to become the consummate condo-dwelling yuppie, I replaced my 10-year-old (mid-priced) Whirlpool dishwasher, whose cleaning power was beginning to fade, with a $1200 Bosch. The new Bosch leaves food on silverware and dishes and can't clean pots or pans. The Whirlpool, at age 10, did a far better job. Compared to the Whirlpool when new (throw in any dirty dish, without scraping or rinsing, and pots with all kinds of stuck-on crud), the Bosch is a joke. ...

Chris Lovett reports on a meeting of the mayor's Foreclosure Intervention Team yesterday morning:

"We're not as bad as '93 and '94, but we never want to get there," said the mayor. "And all the predictions we get are the worst is yet to come."

Lovett also provides a map showing properties which not only have been foreclosed but for which the owning banks have been unable to find buyers.

The Boston Condo Guy reports:

... We talk with a growing number of Europeans each week who are interested in buying Boston investment property, or a Boston vacation home in one of America’s most historic cities. Europeans recognize that downtown Boston real estate will always hold its value, and the best time to "get in" is when their currency allows them to do so at a discount.

Miss von Schtoop informs us that Dominic Luberto, the Jamaica Plain guy who lights the way for returning spacecraft during the Christmas season, has put the Castle up for sale:

Single Family Property, Area: Jamaica Plain, Approximately 0.7 acre(s), Lot is 30927 sq. ft., Year Built: 1897, Parking space(s): 4, Swimming pool(s), Basement, Dining room, Laundry room, Hardwood floors

All yours for just $2.2 million.

The Castle in more sedate colors: