I am worried that we will be living out the old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.”
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Something I was finally able to do was figure out how much fuel the Official Weekend Pundit Generator uses per hour. I only had a few estimates as to how much propane or gasoline it would use, but they were only guesses and those guesses were based on a number of unproven assumptions.
With three power outages that took place over a period of five weeks - the outages totaling about 27 hours - the longest outage lasting 20 hours which took place last weekend, and then filling the two propane tanks I used to during those 27 hours, I was able to figure out how long a tank of propane will last under the conditions we experienced. This makes it easier to figure out how much fuel I would need for an extended outage. Knowing this has removed most of the guesswork and made planning easier, something important when a storm – be it hurricane, ice storm, or blizzard – is forecast and expected to cause outages.
It’s nice to be able to plan fuel requirements for outages.
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An issue that has been seen popping up all across the US, but is of interest at the local level, is so-called Short Term Rentals (STRs). Many also know them as AirBnB’s, named after the website of the same name. There is also VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner), another STR website, and Expedia.
My home town has been struggling with them and has been working to get some regulation in place, primarily for the ‘commercial’ STRs, or homes that were purchased solely for the purpose of renting out as an STR. In many cases the owners of the commercial STRs in out town are out-of-state corporations. There are a number of downsides to the growth of STRs in our town, one of them being that homes bought for conversions to STRs mean fewer homes available to house families or workers.
But as much as small towns like mine have been struggling with the issue, some of the cities have also struggling with the issue, including New York City.
A new short-term rental registration law put forth by the administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams could remove thousands of Airbnb listings from the market next month. The new measure, which will go into effect in January, will require Airbnb hosts to register their short-term rentals with the city's database -- including proof that the hosts themselves reside there, and that their home abides by local zoning and safety requirements. If Airbnb hosts fail to comply, they could face $1,000 to $5,000 in penalty fees.Some communities have tried even more draconian regulations which have led to lawsuits against those communities.
What’s the answer to STRs and their effects on communities? I think it depends upon the communities themselves as there is no one single answer or solution that will meet the needs and wants of all communities and the people in them.
Our town will be requiring registration of STRs, mainly so we know where they are and who owns them. This is aimed more at the Commercial STRs. Commercial STRs will also be required to undergo inspections by our fire department for life safety issues and the code inspector to ensure there are no building code issues. There are a few more requirements but so far no one has claimed they are onerous or will be a burden.
And so it goes.
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The Congressional Democrats and the DNC are celebrating their ‘win’ regarding releasing Donald Trump’s tax returns. Little do they realize (or care) that this will backfire on them ‘yugely’.
Voters are not in a very Christmas-y mood when it comes to Washington’s punishment politics.Let those who live by releasing their opponent’s tax returns, die by the involuntary release of their own. Seems fitting,, somehow. They tried to weaponize Trump’s tax returns and will likely to have that turned against them. Let’s see how many will be willing to release all of their returns. My guess?
In fact, they’d like to see some payback.
While a majority of voters are OK with House Ways and Means Committee Democrats releasing former President Donald Trump’s federal income taxes, they also feel that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Asked in a new Rasmussen Reports survey if the incoming GOP House majority should release the taxes of Democrats who voted to reveal Trump’s taxes, 54% said yes.
And it wasn’t just Republicans, 63%, and independents, 53%, but included more Democrats than not. Rasmussen said that 45% of Democrats wanted the taxes of the Trump critics released to 38% who didn’t.
The partisan divide was much wider on the overall question of releasing Trump’s taxes, which is to be completed Friday by House Democrats. Some 53% said they approved of the release to 40% who disapproved.
Democrats especially were supportive, with 79% approving of the release. Among Republicans, 63% disapproved.
Very few.
I doubt Congressional Democrats will be in favor of having their tax returns made public because I am less confident in their veracity than Trump’s. They want to impose such ‘punishments’ but be immune to those same punishments. After all, they might have to explain how they became so wealthy serving in Congress. That just wouldn’t do.
Double standards, anyone?
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Do we need any more proof that the Green Energy elite are trying to create a neo-feudal state? In Germany they are ‘suggesting’ people bathe only once a week.
I figure that once they get the people to do that they will, at some point, convince them bathing really isn’t necessary at all. Neither is living in clean and heated apartments. Better a wattle and daub hovel, a retro residence. How long before the elite start referring to themselves as Nobles?
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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee where we’ve entered the January thaw (50ºF here today), the holiday weekend has one more day to run, and I am looking forward to going back to the lab.