Comments on: Roundup for the first day of 2026 https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/ A blog about political change, among other things Sat, 03 Jan 2026 16:51:33 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: om https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836154 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 16:51:33 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836154 Looks like egg crate open cell polyurethane foam (aka anechoic foam panels) (used for sound control).

https://search.brave.com/images?q=anechoic+foam+panels

]]> By: Art Deco https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836096 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:24:41 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836096 The fire at The Station in Rhode Island in 2003 was caused by a band’s pyrotechnics igniting acoustic foam which had been applied to surfaces in response to complaints from neighbors. The building also had code violations. The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Kentucky was even more deadly. The building had been expanded haphazardly over a period of 50 years and for some reason the code violations were never properly addressed by the owners or local authorities.

]]> By: Kate https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836095 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:04:46 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836095 There was only one exit in that night club: up the stairs.

]]> By: Snow on Pine https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836094 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:59:13 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836094 Reports say that the U.S. has struck Military targets in Venezuela’s capitol, and that Maduro and his wife have been captured, and have already been flown out of the country.*

* See https://www.newsmax.com/us/venezuela-donald-trump-nicolas-maduro/2026/01/03/id/1240603/

]]> By: Snow on Pine https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836091 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:55:57 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836091 Here’s video of the ceiling of this nightclub being ignited by sparks from what look like large long sparklers.*

Well, from the video–instead of heading for the exits and getting the hell out of there–apparently a lot of these patrons thought that this fire on the ceiling was “cool,” and were still dancing to music, and jumping up and down in excitement while using their cell phones to record the fire spreading.

* See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6hT5djTLeY

]]> By: om https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836049 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 01:54:35 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836049 Richard Aubrey:

A report on the radio (Fox) mentioned candles igniting acoustic ceiling tiles. The question remains what they (ceiling surfaces) were made of. I’m not familiar with European construction materials or their building code requirements. Until we know more about the inside of the building/scene of the fire it is all wild ass guessing.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2836046 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 01:19:18 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2836046 om wrt the fire in Switzerland; the quick views of the place seem as if they’re trying from some Swiss version of rustic. It would be odd to have such foam on the ceiling unsealed or otherwise covered up. Ruin the vibe.

Another Mikel; If somebody can pay the hypothetical $5mill for a place in NYC, he’s likely to have the resources to get by someplace else if he only gets out with a mill in hand.
Last Jan, talked to deputy north of Houston, marveling at maybe thirty miles of unbroken commercial terrain on both sides of the expressway. He said he used to hunt there wen he was a kid. People came from CA and MA.

The cost of living is a big factor and you get richer by leaving NYC. As somebody said, you lose half your money simply by getting off the boat onto Martha’s Vineyard.

Been in and traveled through the mid-South both summer and winter. Pleasant and not extreme. With altitude, you get milder summers. I live in Michigan, and Banner Elk, NC frequently is cooler on a summer day. It’s 24 here, and 44 there. Many areas were retreats for the monied before, and sometimes still, air conditioning. Getting away from the heat and yellow fever season.

You don’t get Florida’s summers. And if you’re from NYC, you can stand a month of so ten or twenty degrees warmer than back home in the winter.

]]> By: Another Mike https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2835990 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:34:10 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2835990 Kate– My question centers on “what will the people who plunked down millions for an apartment in Central Park West do?” They paid more than any sane person would pay elsewhere… do they think they will find a buyer for that place in Mamdani’s Manhattan, even if they settle for break-even? I doubt they will just walk, leaving the keys at the bank on their way out of town….

]]> By: huxley https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2835961 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:52:12 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2835961 @Snow on Pine: Mamdani took his oath of office on the Qur’an.

So, when Cthulhu finally wins, the Many-Tentacled One will be sworn in on the Necronomicon.

Progress!

]]> By: TommyJay https://thenewneo.com/2026/01/01/roundup-for-the-first-day-of-2026/#comment-2835958 Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:37:09 +0000 https://thenewneo.com/?p=146478#comment-2835958 Surely everyone over the age of say 55 has heard the song Smoke On The Water. I tend not to grasp the lyrics of many or most rock songs without looking them up in print. (I’m constantly amazed at the how many people in the age range of 18 to 35 really know many classic rock songs.)

From Wiki:
The song’s lyrics are based on true events, chronicling the 1971 fire at Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. It is considered the band’s signature song and its guitar riff [by Richie Blackmore] is considered to be one of the most iconic in rock history.

Give it a listen (fun animation):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2FzZSBD5LE&list=RDQ2FzZSBD5LE&start_radio=1

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