Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[TiQuinn]

i vaguely remember watching that in some class, iirc the kid who built the thing was suffering from some trauma induced behavior and Tommy Lee Jones was in it

_
Nothing however will top

Silly tech people never think of just pulling the plug!

I think it was Under Siege 2, the bad guy is holding a laptop and says he’s just started a countdown to fire some a satellite weapon, and Seagal says “Are you telling me I can’t stop that countdown?” Bad guy says, yes the computer is encrypted and you’ll never get in. Seagal shoots the laptop - stopping the countdown

 

[Staffan]

I agree in principle. But OTOH, some neighbors are truly miserable people to deal with.

There a house in a neighborhood not far from where I used to live that was painted in a garish combination of white, lemon yellow, Kelly green, and brick red. The entire yard (semi-obscured by an 8’ fence) was full of playground equipment.

I have to confess I don't see the issue. Their house, their choice on colors. Nobody else's business. Same thing with what they choose to keep in their yard.

 

[Cadence]

I have to confess I don't see the issue. Their house, their choice on colors. Nobody else's business. Same thing with what they choose to keep in their yard.

People can get upset when they think the way a neighbor keeps their house affects their property values. The towns codes or HOA covenants set that baseline. A bigger area like a city often has enough variability to keep the rules within check (maximum height on fences, cutting the grass, not parking on the grass, or the like maybe being in the codes). An HOA is often founded with all brand new houses that everyone involved in the initial rules just bought (so paint color, keeping front yards clear, type of tree you can plant, etc). Having a smaller number of people it is also easier to get the critical mass to go even farther.

 

[Staffan]

People can get upset when they think the way a neighbor keeps their house affects their property values. The towns codes or HOA covenants set that baseline. A bigger area like a city often has enough variability from stopping the rules from being overkill (maximum height on fences, cutting the grass, not parking on the grass, or the like maybe being in the codes). An HOA is often founded with all brand new houses that everyone involved in the initial rules just bought (so paint color, keeping front yards clear, type of tree you can plant, etc).

Yeah but those things are all BS. OK, max height on fences I can buy, there can be legitimate safety concerns about that. But the only one who should have any say in the appearance of a house is the owner of that house. And why would you cut the grass? Better to let it grow or even better, plant something other than a boring lawn. Wildflowers are good. Conformity is not.

 

[Cadence]

Yeah but those things are all BS. OK, max height on fences I can buy, there can be legitimate safety concerns about that. But the only one who should have any say in the appearance of a house is the owner of that house. And why would you cut the grass? Better to let it grow or even better, plant something other than a boring lawn. Wildflowers are good. Conformity is not.

And so some people choose to live in unincorporated areas that are also un-HOAd where they can do pretty much whatever they want with their yard, whether it is having super tall native prairie grass, a field of corn and a variety of animals a city wouldn't allow, or a.bunch of rusted out cars on blocks. And others live where they get what they perceive as the benefits of living under various levels of regulation (or maybe not think of as benefits).

One common argument about tall grass seems to be attracting rats (according to Google anyway). We have a lot of snakes and even some coyotes in our city neighborhood and so have never had a rat problem. (I'm not sure why a wooded lot, park, or area around train tracks doesn't seem to get as much blame for rats or whatnot, but am glad that's the case since our lot is wooded).

 

[TiQuinn]

People can get upset when they think the way a neighbor keeps their house affects their property values. The towns codes or HOA covenants set that baseline. A bigger area like a city often has enough variability to keep the rules within check (maximum height on fences, cutting the grass, not parking on the grass, or the like maybe being in the codes). An HOA is often founded with all brand new houses that everyone involved in the initial rules just bought (so paint color, keeping front yards clear, type of tree you can plant, etc). Having a smaller number of people it is also easier to get the critical mass to go even farther.

The way prices have escalated in the past several years, and the number of houses I’ve seen simply tore down or renovated, I wonder how much those HOA rules really matter towards preserving home value anymore, if they really ever have.

 

[Deset Gled]

Silly tech people never think of just pulling the plug!

I think it was Under Siege 2, the bad guy is holding a laptop and says he’s just started a countdown to fire some a satellite weapon, and Seagal says “Are you telling me I can’t stop that countdown?” Bad guy says, yes the computer is encrypted and you’ll never get in. Seagal shoots the laptop - stopping the countdown

That was also how one of the Naked Gun movies ended. Kinda hard not to notice that Steven Segal plots are indistinguishable from parody.

 

[payn]

Here is the Clan Wolverine tag.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I believe in at least some of those, there's enough time to set up a trust before claiming the winnings and have it -- which doesn't bear your name on it, obviously -- accept the prize.

As I recall, most of the big lotteries have a 120-180 day window to claim your winnings. So yes, there’s plenty of time to think before acting.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Re: the garish house, etc.

That kind of aesthetic can and does affect resale values. In addition, without done kind of external (city, HOA, etc.) rules regarding decorative aesthetics, materials & horticultural decisions, you could have homes with truly objectionable or even dangerous features, such as unmarked toxic plants (see Alnwick Garden) or pornographic/violent vinyl siding or wall wraps.

I know in our current neighborhood, all of the initial corporate homebuilders had limitations on which materials (type and color palette) they could use for external walls and fencing based on contractual agreements with the original landholder. So when we built our house here, certain brick colors were not available.

Some, but not all of those limitations are still enforceable.