“Open concept’ is an idea which should go away.
==
Halls are of use but can take up more space than they need to; this is especially true with front halls. I’ve seen large houses with formal dining rooms and living rooms which were hardly used. Bad business that. All homes of sufficient size should have male spaces, female spaces, and joint spaces and the decor should reflect that. You’ll need your utility room in the basement, but should finish as much as possible.
==
The ideal residential bloc is not far from commercial boulevards. You have the city lawn strip with street trees, sidewalk, and modest front lawns or wide sidewalks with stoops and stairs. Row houses or detached houses separated by driveways and alleys are preferable. Modest rear patios and back gardens carefully laid out and tended are best. Wooden fencing, brick walls, or stone walls, not chain link. Municipal governments should make sure there is ample parkland (especially playing fields). Large lawns are for people who want to raise sheep, and that should be done on the suburban fringe or out in the country.
Senate Republicans on Thursday triggered the so-called “nuclear option” and changed the rules of the upper chamber to speed up the confirmation of President Trump’s nominees.
The proposed rule change, which will allow senators to confirm lower-level Trump nominees in batches of 48 at a time by a simple majority, cleared the Senate in a 53-45 vote along party lines.
The rule applies to sub-cabinet-level nominees, such as Trump’s picks for undersecretary or assistant secretary roles at various government departments and agencies, and ambassadors.
It will not speed up the confirmation process for high-level Cabinet officials or judicial nominees, who get lifetime appointments to the bench
That MSNBC opinion piece is typically unbalanced, referencing Jan. 6 but completely ignoring leftist violent rhetoric (and actions) spanning decades and ignoring Biden’s proto-Nazi speech in Philadelphia in 2022.
I think Trump is right to continue finding and eliminating any government funding flowing to leftist political and “non-profit” groups. I do not expect taxes to fund right-wing think tanks. We should not be funding our opposition either.
We built our House in 1978. So, we have ROOMS. Three bedrooms but no kids, so Master Bedroom, and a Den for each of us. OK, yes we really don’t use the front room, what we call the Parlor. We expanded the Family Room to a good size. We would sit down for Sunday Dinner in the separate Dining Room. Big Kitchen, with the utility room with Washer, Dryer and Hot Water Heater (no basement). I think havening Washer/Dryer in a basement is a bad ides, carry clothes up and down to wash.
We looked at downsizing (couldn’t afford it, houses to expensive) and really REALLY hated the “Great Room” idea.
@sdferr:The proposed rule change, which will allow senators to confirm lower-level Trump nominees in batches of 48 at a time by a simple majority, cleared the Senate in a 53-45 vote along party lines.
Like I’ve been saying for a while, the filibuster is fake, because it can be set aside by simple majority at any time.
Now think of all the other stuff the GOP could have done this year, but let the Senate leadership allowed the fake filibuster rule to block.
They didn’t even need Vance to vote to make this happen. 2 Dems didn’t vote, Hasan and Fetterman. The leadership did some horsetrading to make this happen, the RINOs could not block a majority vote and so they piled on.
The vote is not the process, the vote is the negotiated outcome.
I have lived in 18 houses and apartments. Eight of them were new, never lived in before places. Two were places less than three years old with one previous family.
Art Deco, to each their own. I have no desire to live where you just described.
Niketas:
Not sure why you keep using the word “fake.” Rules are rules and can ordinarily be changed or made exception to, either temporarily or permanently. They are not immutable laws of nature. The filibuster rule has been changed in many circumstances before, but that doesn’t make it “fake.”
RE: Hearing Video of UFO hit by a Hellfire Missile
At the recent UFO Hearing commentary describing the footage of a Hellfire missile apparently hitting and then bouncing off a UFO described the UFO as apparently just keeping moving forward, followed by some random “debris.”
But a deeper analysis of this video shows that the three smaller objects ejected after the Hellfire hit the UFO and tailing the main UFO weren’t just “debris,” they were three equally sized objects, which apparently followed along behind the main UFO as it continued on it’s course, which I would think might show this UFO to have been much more capable than at first glance, and a much more dangerous proposition.*
* Can’t find this sensible analysis again that I just ran across a few hours ago.
@neo:Not sure why you keep using the word “fake.”
Because people describe it as doing something it does not actually do. There is nothing that cannot be done in the Senate by simple majority vote, even if there needs to be an extra step of appealing the ruling of the Chair.
Give you another example. The Washington State Legislature has many deadlines involving 5 pm on certain days of the session. Know what happens when they need to go over? They unplug the clock. The rule is fake, it does not do what it purports to do. It is very simply routed around. It does not force them to finish up by 5pm in reality, but purports to do so.
The Senate filibuster is a “fake” rule in this sense.
We built our house in 2006, but it has an actual kitchen, it’s own room, galley style, no island.
We did opt for a lot of interconnecting spaces, as we both enjoy the interesting sightlines and the sunlight sources from many different directions in each room. I have to admit that we didn’t take full account of how difficult it would be to isolate noise, especially since all the interior doors have operating transoms.
I don’t understand the complaint about ceilings being too high. All ceilings under 9 feet make me tense, and I’d prefer 10, 12, or even 14, even for small rooms, as you’d find in old-fashioned New Orleans homes. Alcoves and niches provide all the cozy relief I need.
Oh, and we put in all the windows we possibly could consistent with windstorm and budget constraints.
I agree with almost all of the video presenter’s complaints, and could add a few of my own.
We have had one new home in our 50 years of marriage, the first one we bought after AesopSpouse got his law degree. We got to pick our flooring, carpets, and the tile surround for the fireplace, a design that I still have a couple of tiles of. We finished the basement ourselves, complete with a wood burning stove that was a “performance bonus” from the company I worked for at the time (there was a choice of items; they probably got a good deal on all of them). We eventually moved one wall opening to make a better traffic flow (sometimes I do wonder what the developers were thinking when they designed these tract houses), and AesopSpouse built some masonry retaining walls in the back yard.
All of that in only 9 years! We weren’t really anticipating moving back to Texas, but the snow and winter fogs finally got to me.
It’s the house we were in when, as I think I’ve mentioned before, I was teaching at the precursor to UVU, the Utah Technical College. Looking at the maps, our neighborhood — mostly filled with young families like ours — has been completely overlaid with the current campus and buildings, along with our children’s elementary school.
That video is rather interesting. I may take a look at his other material on home architecture.
Two of the radio and television shows that I was on yesterday were hosted by liberals. In each case, they asked what I thought *we* can do to reduce political violence. For starters, I said, you can stop calling everyone you disagree with Adolf Hitler. They didn’t seem to think that was a good idea.
Which raises the question: Why do liberal politicians, talking heads and social media influencers relentlessly liken Donald Trump to Hitler? In every relevant way, Trump is the exact opposite of Hitler. Hitler invaded Poland, France, Belgium, Russia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece, and no doubt a couple more that don’t come to mind. Trump has invaded no one. Hitler murdered six million Jews; Trump is the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House, and has Jewish grandchildren. Hitler raised taxes and greatly expanded the powers of government. Trump has cut taxes and tried to reduce the scope of government. Trump is literally the anti-Hitler.
So are liberals so stupid that they don’t understand how illiterate their Trump/Hitler equivalence is? I don’t think so. I think they are trying to get him killed.
Groups of Germans tried to assassinate Hitler. How does history remember them? As heroes. If you are a loyal Democrat, and you hear your party’s leaders say, thousands of times, that Trump is the same as Hitler, what are you supposed to conclude? That anyone who assassinates Trump is a hero.
I think that is the plan, and I think that is the Democrats’ motive. So far, two Democrat loyalists have taken the hint and tried to kill President Trump.
Same with Charlie Kirk. He has been ritually denounced as a “Nazi” thousands of times, day after day, for years, by influential Democrats. Why? Kirk was the exact opposite of a Nazi. I don’t think Democrats have so characterized Charlie by accident, or out of ignorance. I think they were deliberately trying to get him killed. And now they have succeeded.
I think we conservatives should aggressively call out Democrats whenever they engage in encouragement to assassination. We have seen that their strategy works. We shouldn’t pretend that we don’t understand what they are doing. Responsibility needs to be laid at their door, and they need to be held accountable.
I think havening Washer/Dryer in a basement is a bad ides, carry clothes up and down to wash.
==
We’ve looked at houses with the washer / dryer in the kitchen or adjacent to the bedrooms in a large hall closet. I’m partial in particular to the latter, so long as it is properly engineered and you’re in no danger of a flood.
==
The basement is where you should have the furnace, hot water heater, a tool bench, dirty storage you haven’t placed in the garage (e.g. paint), old school darkrooms, &c. We had a 1,200 sq foot house with those features (less the darkroom) plus the washer-dryer. I don’t think you could have put it upstairs in that house. Once you had all that in the basement, you had nothing left to finish. (We’ve aged sufficiently since then that it would put us at more risk than I’d like to be lugging laundry up and down stairs).
==
In some apartment complexes, I’ve always thought that it was a bad idea to locate the communal washers and dryers in an often badly lit basement area, because it seemed to me to be a perfect place to get ambushed, especially late at night or in the early morning, when no one else is likely to be around.
P.S. Same thing with badly lit, multi-story parking garages.
Too bad that we have to be aware of, and to take into consideration such things these days.
In some apartment complexes, I’ve always thought that it was a bad idea to locate the communal washers and dryers in an often badly lit basement area, because it seemed to me to be a perfect place to get ambushed, especially late at night or in the early morning, when no one else is likely to be around.
==
Depends on the type of tenant, the likelihood of outsiders getting in the building, &c. I’ve lived in four buildings with washer-dryers in the basement. One might have been better lit. None of the tenants were an issue, though we had one neighbor with bad manners and sketchy friends. All the buildings had security, though not impregnable security. One lacked an elevator to the basement.
==
It would be better if you had a small set of washers and dryers on each floor. They’ve had that in the assisted / independent living centers where my relatives have been billeted, but it may have been too much to add that amenity in extant buildings when it came to be a tenant expectation that the building have laundry services.
==
The one person I’ve known who was subject of an attempted mugging in a parking garage it was in an underground garage located in a downtown. The fellow I knew pulled out a pistol and the mugger hit the road. Word of it reached a local law firm and attorneys in the office were debating possible legal culpability. They later discovered that the pistol wielder was one of the name partners in their own firm.
Art Deco—
When I used to live in Northern Virginia, attempted robberies and assaults in locations like the parking garages at the mall at Tyson’s Corner were starting to be reported.
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From Lynchburg, Va? The disappearance of the Southern accent is distressing.
==
Interestingly, this morning the CNN and Drudge reporting on Kirk was somewhat subdued, but MSNBC had its usual insane screed.
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-charlie-kirk-killing-utah-political-violence-rcna230710
“Open concept’ is an idea which should go away.
==
Halls are of use but can take up more space than they need to; this is especially true with front halls. I’ve seen large houses with formal dining rooms and living rooms which were hardly used. Bad business that. All homes of sufficient size should have male spaces, female spaces, and joint spaces and the decor should reflect that. You’ll need your utility room in the basement, but should finish as much as possible.
==
The ideal residential bloc is not far from commercial boulevards. You have the city lawn strip with street trees, sidewalk, and modest front lawns or wide sidewalks with stoops and stairs. Row houses or detached houses separated by driveways and alleys are preferable. Modest rear patios and back gardens carefully laid out and tended are best. Wooden fencing, brick walls, or stone walls, not chain link. Municipal governments should make sure there is ample parkland (especially playing fields). Large lawns are for people who want to raise sheep, and that should be done on the suburban fringe or out in the country.
NYPost, “Senate Republicans invoke ‘nuclear option’ to speed up confirmation of Trump nominees”: https://nypost.com/2025/09/12/us-news/senate-republicans-take-first-steps-to-change-rules-to-speed-up-trumps-nominees/
That MSNBC opinion piece is typically unbalanced, referencing Jan. 6 but completely ignoring leftist violent rhetoric (and actions) spanning decades and ignoring Biden’s proto-Nazi speech in Philadelphia in 2022.
I think Trump is right to continue finding and eliminating any government funding flowing to leftist political and “non-profit” groups. I do not expect taxes to fund right-wing think tanks. We should not be funding our opposition either.
We built our House in 1978. So, we have ROOMS. Three bedrooms but no kids, so Master Bedroom, and a Den for each of us. OK, yes we really don’t use the front room, what we call the Parlor. We expanded the Family Room to a good size. We would sit down for Sunday Dinner in the separate Dining Room. Big Kitchen, with the utility room with Washer, Dryer and Hot Water Heater (no basement). I think havening Washer/Dryer in a basement is a bad ides, carry clothes up and down to wash.
We looked at downsizing (couldn’t afford it, houses to expensive) and really REALLY hated the “Great Room” idea.
@sdferr:The proposed rule change, which will allow senators to confirm lower-level Trump nominees in batches of 48 at a time by a simple majority, cleared the Senate in a 53-45 vote along party lines.
Like I’ve been saying for a while, the filibuster is fake, because it can be set aside by simple majority at any time.
Now think of all the other stuff the GOP could have done this year, but let the Senate leadership allowed the fake filibuster rule to block.
Remember the bill to keep men out of women’s sports? They let the Dems block it. It was only in March of this year.
They didn’t even need Vance to vote to make this happen. 2 Dems didn’t vote, Hasan and Fetterman. The leadership did some horsetrading to make this happen, the RINOs could not block a majority vote and so they piled on.
The vote is not the process, the vote is the negotiated outcome.
I have lived in 18 houses and apartments. Eight of them were new, never lived in before places. Two were places less than three years old with one previous family.
Art Deco, to each their own. I have no desire to live where you just described.
Niketas:
Not sure why you keep using the word “fake.” Rules are rules and can ordinarily be changed or made exception to, either temporarily or permanently. They are not immutable laws of nature. The filibuster rule has been changed in many circumstances before, but that doesn’t make it “fake.”
RE: Hearing Video of UFO hit by a Hellfire Missile
At the recent UFO Hearing commentary describing the footage of a Hellfire missile apparently hitting and then bouncing off a UFO described the UFO as apparently just keeping moving forward, followed by some random “debris.”
But a deeper analysis of this video shows that the three smaller objects ejected after the Hellfire hit the UFO and tailing the main UFO weren’t just “debris,” they were three equally sized objects, which apparently followed along behind the main UFO as it continued on it’s course, which I would think might show this UFO to have been much more capable than at first glance, and a much more dangerous proposition.*
* Can’t find this sensible analysis again that I just ran across a few hours ago.
@neo:Not sure why you keep using the word “fake.”
Because people describe it as doing something it does not actually do. There is nothing that cannot be done in the Senate by simple majority vote, even if there needs to be an extra step of appealing the ruling of the Chair.
Give you another example. The Washington State Legislature has many deadlines involving 5 pm on certain days of the session. Know what happens when they need to go over? They unplug the clock. The rule is fake, it does not do what it purports to do. It is very simply routed around. It does not force them to finish up by 5pm in reality, but purports to do so.
The Senate filibuster is a “fake” rule in this sense.
Heh
https://www.nysun.com/article/fani-williss-secret-lover-nathan-wade-sues-att-for-mental-anguish-for-sharing-vast-and-intimate-details-of-their-affair?
Well that would be foolish
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjmegkejgg
We built our house in 2006, but it has an actual kitchen, it’s own room, galley style, no island.
We did opt for a lot of interconnecting spaces, as we both enjoy the interesting sightlines and the sunlight sources from many different directions in each room. I have to admit that we didn’t take full account of how difficult it would be to isolate noise, especially since all the interior doors have operating transoms.
I don’t understand the complaint about ceilings being too high. All ceilings under 9 feet make me tense, and I’d prefer 10, 12, or even 14, even for small rooms, as you’d find in old-fashioned New Orleans homes. Alcoves and niches provide all the cozy relief I need.
Oh, and we put in all the windows we possibly could consistent with windstorm and budget constraints.
I agree with almost all of the video presenter’s complaints, and could add a few of my own.
We have had one new home in our 50 years of marriage, the first one we bought after AesopSpouse got his law degree. We got to pick our flooring, carpets, and the tile surround for the fireplace, a design that I still have a couple of tiles of. We finished the basement ourselves, complete with a wood burning stove that was a “performance bonus” from the company I worked for at the time (there was a choice of items; they probably got a good deal on all of them). We eventually moved one wall opening to make a better traffic flow (sometimes I do wonder what the developers were thinking when they designed these tract houses), and AesopSpouse built some masonry retaining walls in the back yard.
All of that in only 9 years! We weren’t really anticipating moving back to Texas, but the snow and winter fogs finally got to me.
It’s the house we were in when, as I think I’ve mentioned before, I was teaching at the precursor to UVU, the Utah Technical College. Looking at the maps, our neighborhood — mostly filled with young families like ours — has been completely overlaid with the current campus and buildings, along with our children’s elementary school.
That video is rather interesting. I may take a look at his other material on home architecture.
John Hinderaker lays the cards on the table.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/09/why-do-they-call-trump-hitler.php
I think havening Washer/Dryer in a basement is a bad ides, carry clothes up and down to wash.
==
We’ve looked at houses with the washer / dryer in the kitchen or adjacent to the bedrooms in a large hall closet. I’m partial in particular to the latter, so long as it is properly engineered and you’re in no danger of a flood.
==
The basement is where you should have the furnace, hot water heater, a tool bench, dirty storage you haven’t placed in the garage (e.g. paint), old school darkrooms, &c. We had a 1,200 sq foot house with those features (less the darkroom) plus the washer-dryer. I don’t think you could have put it upstairs in that house. Once you had all that in the basement, you had nothing left to finish. (We’ve aged sufficiently since then that it would put us at more risk than I’d like to be lugging laundry up and down stairs).
==
In some apartment complexes, I’ve always thought that it was a bad idea to locate the communal washers and dryers in an often badly lit basement area, because it seemed to me to be a perfect place to get ambushed, especially late at night or in the early morning, when no one else is likely to be around.
P.S. Same thing with badly lit, multi-story parking garages.
Too bad that we have to be aware of, and to take into consideration such things these days.
In some apartment complexes, I’ve always thought that it was a bad idea to locate the communal washers and dryers in an often badly lit basement area, because it seemed to me to be a perfect place to get ambushed, especially late at night or in the early morning, when no one else is likely to be around.
==
Depends on the type of tenant, the likelihood of outsiders getting in the building, &c. I’ve lived in four buildings with washer-dryers in the basement. One might have been better lit. None of the tenants were an issue, though we had one neighbor with bad manners and sketchy friends. All the buildings had security, though not impregnable security. One lacked an elevator to the basement.
==
It would be better if you had a small set of washers and dryers on each floor. They’ve had that in the assisted / independent living centers where my relatives have been billeted, but it may have been too much to add that amenity in extant buildings when it came to be a tenant expectation that the building have laundry services.
==
The one person I’ve known who was subject of an attempted mugging in a parking garage it was in an underground garage located in a downtown. The fellow I knew pulled out a pistol and the mugger hit the road. Word of it reached a local law firm and attorneys in the office were debating possible legal culpability. They later discovered that the pistol wielder was one of the name partners in their own firm.
Art Deco—
When I used to live in Northern Virginia, attempted robberies and assaults in locations like the parking garages at the mall at Tyson’s Corner were starting to be reported.