Sale on N. Maple

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314 N. Maple Avenue, $3.695 million, $3.150 received. The sellers paid $3.050 in 2021, so after deducting transaction costs, this is probably a lesson teaching that before making a commitment to buy, make sure you want to stay put long enough to unpack the boxes. That’s a lesson that probably applies to marriages, too.

“He got married and discovered true happiness; but by then, of course, it was too late.”

Yes, you're right: she's a humorless ass kisser, but she's also a moron; modern journalism at its best, and most typical.

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pucker up, cretin

JD Vance mocks MSNBC anchor for fact-checking 'most obvious hyperbole' about his sons' eating habits

Ruhle was previously criticized for her interview with Vice President Kamala Harris

On Sept. 21, Vance visited a supermarket in Reading, Pennsylvania, to discuss the rising prices of groceries under the Biden-Harris administration. He was accompanied by his two young sons, Ewan and Vivek, who interrupted his speech to reach for a carton of eggs.

"Yes, buddy. Want some eggs? Let's talk about eggs. Because these guys actually eat about 14 eggs every single morning. Is that right?" Vance said.

By Sunday, Ruhle caught wind of his comment and posted her own analysis of it.

The dock strike has started, threatening to cripple the economy; the Secretary of Commerce's response?

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'I Have Not Been Very Focused On That'

She’s probably been busy helping Pete Buttincheeks chestfeed his adopted daughters, but whatever she’s been up to, it hasn’t been the looming strike.

David Strom:

If the port strike drags on for a few days, it will be a huge problem. It will be a disaster for America's economy if it drags on for weeks. 

Yet our Commerce Secretary says she hasn't thought much about the impact. She is too focused on "extinguishing" Trump, I suppose, since two assassins have yet to do so. 

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The Teamsters are just demanding higher wages — that can be worked out —their real demand is the elimination of automation and modernization in our ports. We already have the worst, slowest ports in the developed world; the Teamsters want to bring us down to the level of, say, Sierra Leone. That demand is critical to preserving their featherbedding jobs, and, on the other side of the dispute, the need of shippers for lower costs and speed.

For decades, the union fought shippers’ efforts to introduce container shipping (vs break bulk shipping, which required the unpacking and reloading cargos by hand, resulting in delays that meant it took as long to unload a ship as it did to sail it from its origin port). They lost that battle, eventually, because the cost of loading a ship dropped from $5.86 a ton (1956 dollars) to $0.16. 95% of the longshoremen lost their jobs, but the expansion of shipping brought about by the lower costs created far more jobs than were lost.

That same battle is being fought now, and it’s likely to a long, drawn-out fight. The Harris/Biden handlers should be concerned, but apparently, they aren’t paying attention.

we dodged a bullet, apparently

Bonus reading material

June 10, 2022L A Deep Divide on Automation Hangs Over West Coast Port Labor Talks

I hate the pair of them, but still, I hope this is somehow something taken out of context

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(From earlier this year)

Biden/Harris: No More Aid for Hurricane Victims

DAVID STROM: You can't make this up. 

As Southeastern states were devastated by a Biblical disaster, Biden was relaxing on the beach in Delaware. He and Jill were enjoying a bit of sun as North Carolina, in particular, was devastated, with entire towns wiped off the map. 

Quite literally they are gone, along with an as-yet unknown number of people. We may never know the numbers. 

Before he went off to have his fun in the sun, Biden found time to send another $2.4 billion to Ukraine, and when he was coming home, he took a bit of time to tell the people of Appalachia that, since they vote Republican, they will get no more aid from the feds. 

I'm not joking. He did, although he didn't actually mention the political leanings of the region. 

Remember the East Palestine train derailment? The Biden/Harris administration sure doesn't. Since Ohio has been voting Republican lately, the residents of the region have been largely ignored by the federal government. It took months before a high-level official visited the region, and the administration blew off concerns about the health effects of a massive plume of poisonous gas released by the government intentionally blowing up the dangerous chemicals. 

Governor Ron DeSantis appears to be doing more to help the residents of North Carolina than Joe Biden, who can't be bothered. This, is despite Florida having been hit by the hurricane as well. 

Trump was down there. The puppets were … elsewhere.

Interesting Xs on post-hurricane conditions down south

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This one caught me attention, because I experienced something similar a few storms ago. Much milder, certainly, but I’ve since kept a modest supply of cash handy for the next one. I’m already equipped to handle looters.

After 116 days on the market, a 2% price cut

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29 Lockwood Drive, slashed from $5.095 million to $4.995. 4,566 sq. ft. plus an additional 1,587 sq. ft. for, it is claimed, “garaging” that will accommodate 8 cars. The house itself is outside of the flood zone — barely — so we’ll assume that your underground Ferrari collection will stay dry, maybe; not so sure about that backyard pool, but isn’t it in the nature of pools to be wet?

The synthetic campaign continues; there is absolutely nothing authentic about this creature except, perhaps, her 80 IQ

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not this one — this one's absolutely genuine. I mean the one below. 

This Might Be the Most Poorly Staged ‘Presidential’ Photo of Kamala Ever

Presidential candidates often seize crises as opportunities to showcase their leadership and ability to handle adversity. Kamala Harris seems to be attempting to exploit Hurricane Helene for the same purpose.

However, she so blatantly staged her efforts that they reek of desperation. Late Sunday night, tweeted that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Hurricane Helene briefed her, that they discussed the federal response, and that she spoke with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper about the state’s ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. 

Of course, just like if you go to the gym without sharing a photo on social media to prove it, it doesn't count, the update from Harris from the official vice president's account on X included a photographic "evidence" of Kamala taking charge during this crisis.

This staged photo of Kamala at the FEMA briefing is a whole new level of poorly staged moments. You'll notice the intense look on her face, the pen in hand, a pad of paper, phone flat on the desk, and a lone earbud in her ear.

Do you notice what's wrong with it?

Our Department of Education building will be draped in black bunting by noon today

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"he took one for the team"

Israeli strike kills Hamas commander in Lebanon, 3 Palestinian militant leaders killed in separate strike

A Hamas commander who worked alongside Hezbollah and led the terrorist group’s activities in Lebanon has been taken out in an airstrike, Israeli officials say. 

Fateh Sherif, the head of the Lebanon branch of Hamas, was killed overnight, according to a joint statement Monday from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet. 

"Sherif was responsible for coordinating Hamas' terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives. He was also responsible for Hamas’ efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons," officials said. "He led the Hamas terrorist organization's force build-up efforts in Lebanon and operated to advance Hamas' interests in Lebanon, both politically and militarily." 

The officials added that Sherif was "an accredited UNRWA member, and was the head of the UNRWA Teachers Union in Lebanon." Some members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency are accused of participating in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which began the war in Gaza.

Inching back UPDATED

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373 Taconic Road, $7.1 million, is under contract after 26 days. The current owner will make out nicely here — he paid $4.6 in a distress sale in 2020 — but his predecessor was not so fortunate, having purchased it new in 2005 for $9.350. Perhaps that poor dupe’s profligacy was the occasion for his later fiscal difficulties, but that makes no matter to this seller now.

I keep posting on the current owner’s difficulties with the law, and then forgetting I’ve done so. Here’s a link that leads to the others.

Pending on North Street

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560 North Street, a 1796 charmer in that 2+ acre Taconic-North Street triangle, was listed at $2.750 million 12 days ago and is reported as pending today. Quite a difference from an earlier attempt that began at $2.950 in June, 2019 and ended unsuccessfully December 2020 even after dropping to $2.795. I’d attribute the different result to the introduction of The Zebra, but apparently that poor creature was there all along, as the picture below, taken from the previous listing, clearly shows. Who can explain the vagaries of the market>

Owners paid $2.130 for the house in 2002 and performed some substantial renovations during their years of ownership.