Politics

[shootist~]

A friend used to live in a really nice neighborhood in Houston (based on house sizes, build quality, etc). No HOA. His next door neighbor apparently had multiple grown children move in with them. Possibly others as well because they had so many cars the street was always crowded. And he frequlently had to stop someone from blocking or even parking in his driveway.

My HOA does not allow anyone to continuously park in the street on an overnight basis, so not all bad. No issues with someone visiting, or even a travel trailer if short term.

But Karen complaining to the HOA if I walk my dog without a leash is aggravating.

 

[skydiver386]

Ontario Karen...

View attachment 759591

Quite an accurate depiction, all that's missing is the boogers in the mustache.

 

[jpr9954]

A friend used to live in a really nice neighborhood in Houston (based on house sizes, build quality, etc). No HOA. His next door neighbor apparently had multiple grown children move in with them. Possibly others as well because they had so many cars the street was always crowded. And he frequlently had to stop someone from blocking or even parking in his driveway.

My HOA does not allow anyone to continuously park in the street on an overnight basis, so not all bad. No issues with someone visiting, or even a travel trailer if short term.

But Karen complaining to the HOA if I walk my dog without a leash is aggravating.

Our HOA used to have a guy who would put "parking tickets" on your car if it was parked in the street overnight. Thank goodness he has moved.

Mike (aka Gay Mike) would always try to make nice with our old Dachshund but Sammy was having none of that. If you dog doesn't like someone, listen to your dog.

 

[mdwest]

Quite an accurate depiction, all that's missing is the boogers in the mustache.

this one might be a bit closer to a normal day with our beloved PhD

 

[Wheels]

I read somewhere that Rubio would handle the next round of negotiations, I have a feeling that he might do a better job then Vance.

Just curious. Why do you think Vance didn’t do a good job?

Vance was sent in with a set of instructions by Trump. Iran wouldn’t agree to those conditions. Vance is negotiating from a position of strength. Why kick the can down the road a few more years regarding Irans nuclear program.

If you are in a position of strength why negotiate yourself into a position of weakness.

Iran had financial problems a few months ago. That is what the uprising was all about. Irans fiat is becoming the Zimbabwe Dollar. America can continue to choke off the revenue streams until Iran capitulates. It is idiotic to give away the nuclear program when you don’t have to. Iran is the one coming back to the table.

Just because Trump and Vance haven’t negotiated for five years and given everything away while kicking the can down the road like Obama Hillary and Sullivan doesn’t mean they are bad negotiators. Trump and Vance have time on their side and are using it. Time is part of the negotiations. You don’t have to be face to face to burn time.

 

[Aaron N]

I honestly don’t know… they were something of a rarity when I was growing up.. these days it seems almost every suburban neighborhood has one regardless of the income level…

There are even businesses out there that “manage” HOA now… they collect all the dues, enforce all the rules, etc.., they aren’t actual home owners in the neighborhood.. the association hires them and pays them out of the homeowners dues to do all the work other than host the monthly meeting where the Karen’s all gather to determine what new rules they want to impose…

They can serve a useful purpose if properly managed.. you won’t have a neighbor raising chickens in his back yard and have a rooster crowing 10 feet from your bedroom window… and you won’t have some neo hippy painting their house in purple and orange hues when every other house in the neighborhood is painted in traditional earth tones, etc…

But… as an example of the PIA of dealing with an HOA.. we had a storm come through about 2 years ago that destroyed my fence… I’ve got dogs.. I needed the fence repaired quickly…

It took me almost 3 weeks to get the HOA to approve me building a new fence that was going to be identical to the fence I lost…

After waiting a full week for a response I basically told them to kiss my ass, I was moving forward without them..

So I received a nastygram from some HOA officer declaring that I was building the fence at risk and that if they didn’t approve it after it was built they’d force me to take it down, rebuild another at cost, etc..

To which I replied they’d have to sue.. so go on and ask the members if they’re prepared to have their dues increased to cover legal fees due to the incompetence of the HOA and its inability to approve a necessary, emergency project in a timely manner… and to prepare for the counter suit…

Never heard another word out of them other that getting a letter in the mail 2 weeks later approving the fence to be built..

Sadly that’s not an uncommon interaction with an HOA..

Is it not the privatization of certain municipal services?

 

[mdwest]

Is it not the privatization of certain municipal services?

Sort of depends on the individual HOA..

Some arent much more than "area beautification" programs.. they regulate how big your shrubs can get, demand that your yard stays maintained, control what color schemes you can paint your house, what type of wood can be used to build a fence, etc...

Others will maintain community assets like parks and swimming pools (my subdivision has a 5 acre park in the center of it for example as well as a community pool), will manage a "neighborhood watch" type program, will conduct community events (for example my community has an "event" about once every couple of months.. during warm months they do a "movie night" on a 40' projection screen in the park and encourage people with kids to come (its always a super kid friendly movie).. etc.. in addition to everything the more basic HOAs govern.. they'll also create neigborhood "code" that allows or disallows things like parking on the street, keeping a motorhome or boat or other trailered "stuff" from being visible for more than a particular period of time..

My particular HOA is somewhere in between... they regulate not just how things "look" on the exterior, but actually what can be used.. there are certain plants/trees that are allowed.. and others that are not.. only certain types of roofs with certain types of materials can be used.. only certain woods and certain pattern fences can be built, and anything/everything that happens exterior to your home must be approved by the HOA in advance of moving forward with any project.. for example you can have a detached "shed" or building in your back yard.. but it cannot be visible from the street, has to be certain colors, cannot have a roof more than XX tall, etc..etc.. you cant just go to Home Depot and buy a building to store your lawn equipment in.. you essentially have to get a custom build done to meet HOA requirements..

 

[deewayne2003]

I honestly don’t know… they were something of a rarity when I was growing up.. these days it seems almost every suburban neighborhood has one regardless of the income level…

A certain generation came to power and decided they only wanted to live in a neighborhood they controlled in their image of a community and can lord over with their excess of time...... and opinions.

I lived in an HOA neighborhood in McKinney and the 68yo HOA president sent out an email declaring what time people must stop handing out candy to kids on Halloween and to not give candy to kids that were to old to be trick or treating because it created ......

"Time opportunity cost of enjoyment to home owners by answering the door needlessly"

 

[BTB Joe]

“Coal was heavily subsidized until Obama.”
@Big_Easy, what subsidies were removed?

 

[mdwest]

A certain generation came to power and decided they only wanted to live in a neighborhood they controlled in their image of a community and can lord over with their excess of time...... and opinions.

I lived in an HOA neighborhood in McKinney and the 68yo HOA president sent out an email declaring what time people must stop handing out candy to kids on Halloween and to not give candy to kids that were to old to be trick or treating because it created ......

"Time opportunity cost of enjoyment to home owners by answering the door needlessly"

sadly that doesnt surprise me at all...

when the very well accepted and proven solution is.. .when you dont want anyone knocking on your door, turn off the front porch lights..

lights on = come get candy kids

light off = youre wasting your time, im not handing out candy

been that way in every neighborhood I have lived in for the last 28 years (for as long as Ive had kids on this planet)..

 

[Betterinthebush]

All this talk of HOA’s is making me hungry.

I think I’m going to fire up every outdoor wood burning cooking appliance I own, turn the music up to “head splitting”, pitch toys for the dogs and smoke a pork shoulder for 12 hours.

 

[Brent in Az]

A certain generation came to power and decided they only wanted to live in a neighborhood they controlled in their image of a community and can lord over with their excess of time...... and opinions.

I lived in an HOA neighborhood in McKinney and the 68yo HOA president sent out an email declaring what time people must stop handing out candy to kids on Halloween and to not give candy to kids that were to old to be trick or treating because it created ......

"Time opportunity cost of enjoyment to home owners by answering the door needlessly"

If it is not specifically stated in the CC&R's, you can tell them to go pound sand.
An HOA board can not arbitrarily make up rules.

 

[Tex .416]

Iran is sitting pretty. Or at least prettier.

????

Hard to find accurate death and injury reports, but there seems to be a consensus of at least 2,000 - 3,000 Iranians killed and 25,000+ injured.

The US has flown 13,000+ military sorties. That is a lot of damage inflicted.

William Watson: The U.S.-Iran war by the numbers

US lost 1 person for every 1,000 sorties it flew against Iranian targets and its tolerance for POWs was zero. War is different now. Read on.

financialpost.com

There is massive damage to property and infrastructure.

Iran says $270bn war loss must be compensated,​

Iran says $270bn war loss must be compensated, as fresh talks with US loom

Iran demands compensation for war damages caused by US and Israeli attacks on critical infrastructure.

www.aljazeera.com

Here are just a few random photos.

 

[deewayne2003]

If it is not specifically stated in the CC&R's, you can tell them to go pound sand.
An HOA board can not arbitrarily make up rules.

Agreed, but you have to understand it usually takes an attorney/LEO to explain to these people that they are not lord of the subdivision.

This same woman(Beverly) called the cops on kids fishing the pond by her house; the cops got so tired of it that they had the game warden come out and explain that she couldn't restrict access to the pond from people who lived in the community and if she continued to harass them she would be citied for hunter/fishing harassment.

I voiced my displeasure about this at a neighborhood BBQ and it struck a nerve with the other attendees who informed me this woman and her friends on the HOA board wouldn't allow the pond to be stocked with fish years before because she saw it as an "attractive nuisance" to have fishing opportunity in the community.

I gotta hand it to the neighborhood kids though, apparently they rode their bikes down to a local creek, hauling bass and bluegill back in 5gal buckets and stocked the pond at night!

 

[Wheels]

Long but good article on the Iran war by Michael Doran.

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/seven-myths-iran-war-michael-doran

 

[Altitude sickness]

Turns out the Blockade forced China to bitch slap Iran into line.
Pakistan and China told the real Paterfamilias in Iran to make a deal.

Hopefully Iran can eventually return to a thriving, prosperous nation.

 

[Brent in Az]

I don't think Iranian leadership will ever change.
It's an Islamic death cult.
By negotiating, All they do is postpone the inevitable.
For almost 50 years nobody did anything until Trump came along.
Will any of the future Presidents have the courage to do something, when past presidents haven't?

 

[tinktink12]

 

[skydiver386]

When exposing a crime becomes a crime, you know you are being ruled by Criminals.

CRIMINALIZING NICK SHIRLEY

rumble.com

 

[Brent in Az]

Agreed, but you have to understand it usually takes an attorney/LEO to explain to these people that they are not lord of the subdivision.

This same woman(Beverly) called the cops on kids fishing the pond by her house; the cops got so tired of it that they had the game warden come out and explain that she couldn't restrict access to the pond from people who lived in the community and if she continued to harass them she would be citied for hunter/fishing harassment.

I voiced my displeasure about this at a neighborhood BBQ and it struck a nerve with the other attendees who informed me this woman and her friends on the HOA board wouldn't allow the pond to be stocked with fish years before because she saw it as an "attractive nuisance" to have fishing opportunity in the community.

I gotta hand it to the neighborhood kids though, apparently they rode their bikes down to a local creek, hauling bass and bluegill back in 5gal buckets and stocked the pond at night!

Bless those kids for the ingenuity.