More fun than peeking at Uranus

Greenwich astronomical society will provide  two separate spots to view the transit of Venus Tuesday night, the Bowman Observatory at Julian Curtis and the Seaside center at Tod’s Point. 6:30 -8:30, telescopes provided. If you missed it in 2004 , here’s your last chance until 2117.

Those who applaud Bloomberg’s soda ban will love this

No, Baba Steisand’s Malibu cottage will not be affected – rules are for the little people.

Drowning in debt and a dying economy, California enacts new law mandating increased  energy efficiency for homes and commercial buildings.

Regulators at the California Energy Commission, the agency responsible for updates, said the changes will make houses and commercial buildings 25% to 30% more energy-efficient and eventually will produce energy savings equivalent to the output of six large power plants.

But even supporters expressed concern about the cost, especially when imposed on a building industry in the doldrums. For example, the energy commission said new requirements could add approximately $2,290 to the cost of the average new home. The commission said energy savings would more than make up for the added cost, though it could take years to reach the break-even point.

New office buildings will be required to incorporate features that admit more natural light, reducing lighting and air-conditioning use. Homes will be built with improved insulation and whole-house fans. Most also will have roofs designed to accommodate solar panels by including sections that have good sun exposure that are free of vents or other obstructions.

It’s no different in principle from Greenwich’s draconian FAR and “green space” regulations, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.

“Real Walt” resurfaces at Belle Haven Club

“Do you know who I am? (I sure don’t)”. Fairfield County Look photo

Reader “Grover” sends word of a Walter Noel sighting, hanging out with John J. McCloy and a very-old-looking Monica (scroll down past all the other Beautiful People). Interesting to reflect that, unless McCloy or some other Friend of Walter paid the couple’s way into this soiree, they used stolen funds to gain admittance. We all enjoy using other people’s money, but you’d think this charity’s organizers would have higher standards. Of course, if they are depending  on Wall Streeters for funding, can they afford to set standards at all?

 

UPDATE: Scrolling down the mug shots, look who else showed up? A den of thieves, sure, but at least it was a family affair.

Alix Noel Taub and her probation officer

Who’s doing this brainwashing, and why?

Lance and Stevie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

DC Comics introduces a gay “Green Lantern”.

Americans have no idea how few gay people there actually are. Most guess 24% of the population (30% , teens estimate) when true number is less than 2%. Television, movies   and print media are driving this, but I don’t know why.

I couldn’t care less about someone’s sexuality – I do care that there’s a national agenda here propagated by the Left. What gives?

Mission creep

 

Chief Tornado Hunter

Homeland Security is now extending its jurisdiction to hurricanes. Remember FEMA? Remember Osama bin Laden? Used to be these two agencies were each supposed to cover one.

And remember when neither agency existed? How did we ever survive?

Well everyone knows that Indians are cruel and heartless

 

Moving on

Elizabeth Warren, scourge of predatory banks, flipped foreclosures for fun and profit. Funded by Bain Capital, no doubt.

Elizabeth Warren, who has railed against predatory banks and heartless foreclosures, took part in about a dozen Oklahoma real estate deals that netted her and her family hefty profits through maneuvers such as “flipping” properties, records show.

A Herald review has found that the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate rapidly bought and sold homes herself, loaned money at high interest rates to relatives and purchased foreclosed properties at bargain prices.