We're living in interesting times

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John Hinderaker, no Trump fan he, but neither is he a Never-Trumper, writes in PowerLine:

Is the Future of Our Democracy at Stake?

…. The Democrats are trying to run on the issue of “democracy,” which polls tell us ranks around fourth in voters’ rating of issues. It has never been clear what Democrats mean by claiming that Our Democracy™️ is on the ballot. Ironically, though, in a very real sense it is.

…. We have not had a functioning president since early in Joe Biden’s term; perhaps we have never had a real president from the day he was inaugurated. And even when Biden’s senility was revealed beyond dispute in the presidential debate, no one except a handful of conservative pundits and politicians seriously thought he should be removed from office. We had gotten along without a president for years, why worry about it now?

Kamala Harris would be a worthy successor to Joe Biden. While not senile, she is so untalented and so uninterested in any matters of policy–the most she can do is mouth left-wing platitudes, from which she is happy to retreat if they become a hindrance–that she could not, in any real sense, function as the president. The government would be run, as it has been for nearly four years, by the Deep State, the permanent bureaucracy, Washington insiders, the White House staff, Democratic Party oligarchs–describe the group how you will. The transition from the senile Joe Biden to the clueless Kamala Harris would be seamless.

This is the subject of Glenn Reynolds’ current column in the New York Post:

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald recently tweeted, “The US has no functional president and has not had one for months, and it’s barely noticeable and barely matters because there’s a permanent unelected machine that runs the government.”
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And of course a whole collection of bureaucrats, interagency committees and even lobbyists (who often write federal legislation and agency regulations) may be basically steering the ship of state in the absence of an actual captain.

What’s surprising, though, is how little anyone seems to care.
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If you read Glenn’s whole column, he is a little more sanguine than I am. I think that our democracy is rapidly circling the drain. There is progressively less relationship between policies that our government follows, especially at the national level, and wishes expressed by voters. We never voted for open borders, for DEI, for “trans” madness, for the destruction of reliable energy and our electrical grid. Most important decisions are made out of sight, and only nominally by those for whom we have voted.

Regardless of whom we elect, the permanent government will continue to press for ever more statist policies, the purpose of which is to expand the power of the state at the expense of the individual. It is notoriously difficult for Republican presidents to control the executive branch for which they are constitutionally responsible.

This year’s election is a critical point at which voters can try to stop the juggernaut of left-wing policies that they never chose. And in Donald Trump, we have a deeply flawed champion, but one who at least understands the problem and is committed to trying to solve it. It may be that 2024 is the people’s last, best hope to stop the tide of ever more powerful and intrusive unelected government.

And so, in a way completely different from what the Democrats propose, our democracy really is on the ballot this year.

Ooops! "That statement is no longer operative"

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dead zebra, or just resting?

Shot:

Greenwich land once owned by murdered developer sold for $13.1M at Hong Kong auction

“It was a pleasure to work with Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions in our shared goal of selling Quaker Lane Farm,” [Sotheby’s Listing Agent Leslie] McElwreath said in a statement. * “We’re proud to have concluded the sale of such a unique offering and to help prove that auction can be a successful method of selling in our community.”

Chaser:

Greenwich Backcountry estate heads to London auction after $13M Hong Kong sale falls through

The buyer defaulted on the purchase which is “a rare occurrence,”according to a Sotheby's public relations representative.

(Listing is back up, here.)

* The content you were trying to reach is no longer available on this page.

Exactly right

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child protective services raid; say goodbye to little nell

Ironically, I was out in the woods stalking Bambi’s extended family yesterday — opening day, dontcha know — and didn’t have an opportunity to comment on this, but David Strom did, and did it well.

(Bambi’s parents are both doing far better than Peanut, by the way, at least until Monday. There were a couple of noisy wild squirrels however, probably rabid, so ….)

David Strom Why Peanut the Squirrel Matters

If you live on Twitter/X (or any of the social media platforms), you will likely have heard the story of Peanut the Squirrel. 

Peanut has been a social media celebrity for seven years. An animal rescue nonprofit was built around him, saving hundreds of animals, from rodents to horses, from abuse, neglect, or simply bad luck. His story and his antics charmed millions of people, and helped people escape from the grittier and nastier realities of living in an unforgiving world. 

Until the New York government decided to raid his home and kill him. They executed a search warrant, trashed a home, seized him and his buddy Fred the Raccoon, and executed them next. 

In the midst of the decisive election campaign of our lifetimes, why talk about Peanut the Squirrel? Aren't there more important issues like the polls, turnout, shenanigans, and all the day's news?

Yes, all those things matter. But the story of Peanut matters because it is a microcosm of what we are facing. A nameless, faceless, and merciless bureaucracy with no sense of proportion or empathy can, at a whim, upend people's lives over what amounts to nothing. It can seize a beloved family pet, the mascot of an organization that does enormous good, just because some nanny-stater decides they don't approve. 

Interesting — why would CNN suddenly decide to pretend to be a news organization now?

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Are they worried that their candidate will lose, and want to jump off the bandwagon before it topples, or are they so sure the election has been locked away that they can afford to look neutral? As I say, interesting.

Ignoring its X poster’s histrionic claim that this video showing Kampalla’s dual, antithetical positions on Israel “destroys” her campaign, the question of “why now?” is still a good one.

"Fraud in the defense of the deep state is no vice"

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Glenn Greenwald: “The US has no functional president and has not had one for months, and it’s barely noticeable and barely matters because there’s a permanent unelected machine that runs the government.”

Which fits nicely with this report:

PA Fraudulent Voter Forms Connected to Company Linked to Democrats

False names; false addresses, filed in bulk — but not to worry, this was done by one of those “non-partisan” organizations that we recently let into Greenwich’s elections, and would our own Republicans let us down?

Another score for Dom DeVito

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248 Round Hill Road, purchased for $3.5 million in May 2023 and renovated by Dom for, what, another $2 million?, is pending after just 107 days, asking price $11.9 million, I wrote about the original house back in ‘23.

Dom’s a good guy: I met him back in 2013-14 or so, and though we’ve lost touch since, I always enjoyed his sense of humor and somewhat crazy take on life. So I’m happy to see him succeed here.

Back in 2014, when NYT reporter  Landon Thomas spent a number of days touring Greenwich with me for an article about this blog “Gadfly of Greenwich Real Estate”, I introduced him to Dom as a colorful character well worth interviewing. Langdon was so impressed with the man that, he told me, he was tempted to rewrite the story and focus on Dom. I’m glad he didn’t; I benefitted from the exposure that article brought, but I understood the sentiments and, secretly might have agreed: Dom and his life-story would have have made for some fascinating reading.

Pre-Renovation, 2023

It took 188 days to take a price cut, but that did the trick

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549 Rogues Hill Road, now priced at $3.999 million, is reported pending. I commented on the “price improvement” back in September, and obviously, someone noticed the change, if not this blog.

7. 42 acres; enough land, the listing claims, to build a 20,174 sq. ft. home, which ought to be large enough to accommodate even the largest ego. The 1775 house that once stood here is no longer.

These owners paid $4.5 for the property in 2009 on an Ogilvy price of $5.250 million, and it probably seemed like a bargain at the time. It wasn’t.

But very nice land, and it will make an attractive parcel to build on.

Gone and forgotten

(Update: Nice obituary of the (late, obviously) owner, Francis K. Brooks, who died at age 90 in 2009. An interesting, accomplished woman).