@Daniel said in Thoughts on portable electric heaters:
I considered buying a small indoor propane heater
Those give me headaches. I would avoid.
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WTF Cookbook@Mik Looks great, will definitely try it; we love Indian food.
I bought almond flour at Costco, not terribly expensive, but as you point out it's not something you use a lot.
I made almond cake.
https://natashaskitchen.com/almond-cake-recipe/
The almond flour is holding its own in the freezer.
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Board of Peace$1B fee for permanent membership; no fee for three year appointment.
At least six more countries said Sunday the United States has invited them to join U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace," a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in Gaza that's showing ambitions for a broader mandate in global affairs.
A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the Trump-led board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the charter, which hasn't been made public. The official said the money raised would go to rebuilding Gaza.
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The curious cult of AldiI'm a member.
How an 80-year-old German discount chain became America’s hottest grocer.
(hope you can read this link, which was included in a daily newsletter I get. hope it's shareable.)
Aldi has been in our area for a long time. We went to one of the stores probably 15 or 20 years ago and were completely unimpressed at the time. Maybe five years ago, my walking buddy kept talking about the great deals she was getting so I figured it was worth checking out. It's become a stop on our weekly grocery trip.
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Humor as a tool for social changeWe live in a time when the world can feel quite a lot like a horror movie. When there are no cataclysmic floods, there are rampaging wildfires. When there’s no deadly heat wave, there’s an unprecedented ice storm. One day it’s horrific violence, the next it’s a slide into autocracy. And through it all, multiple overlapping systems of oppression not only remain but seem to entrench themselves deeper each year.
It’s overwhelming to even write about, much less to live through. Having a sense of humor doesn’t solve any of these issues. It’s not a magical quick fix.
But what a sense of humor can do is relieve some of the tension. It can make the work of achieving justice feel a little bit less like a horror movie and more like a comedy. Humor is a powerful tool in combating cynicism and burnout and in developing a vision for a better world. Instead of causing the work for social change to feel draining, it can make it empowering.
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Meanwhile, in VenezuelaThe capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces has raised hopes of a democratic opening in the South American country. But so far, there's been no "Venezuelan Spring."
That's, in part, because Diosdado Cabello, Maduro's most hardline enforcer, remains in power under interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over following Maduro's capture by U.S. forces.
But despite the U.S. charges, Cabello remains a central figure in the Venezuelan government, continuing to wield significant power while the administration seeks to improve relations with the Trump administration following Maduro's removal.
When asked about Cabello at a White House news conference on Wednesday, President Trump didn't seem to recognize his name.
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/18/nx-s1-5678974/venezuela-maduro-enforcer-cabello
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A brief history of nutrition recommendationsI don't remember some of the recent ones at all.
Have to admit I've often ignored these types of guidelines. Full fat milk products have been part of my diet for my entire life. Remember when eggs were considered to be bad for you? I thought it was crazy and ate them anyway.
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So about GreenlandSeen during protest in Greenland:
And from the Guardian:
A third voting bloc in the European Parliament has said they will halt the ratification of the EU-US trade deal next week, signalling the biggest material confrontation between the two sides since Donald Trump came to power.
The centre-right and largest group, the European People’s Party, and the second-biggest bloc of MEPs in the Socialists & Democrats group have already said they will pull the plug on the parliamentary legal process on Wednesday.
Now, the liberal Renew group has said it will join them.
In a statement, Valerie Heyer, the French MEP and head of the group, said:
The threats by President Donald Trump to impose increased customs duties on states refusing to agree with his plan to annex Greenland are unacceptable.
These announcements follow many other aggressive actions towards the EU. Therefore, it is now time to move from reliance to deterrence.
Consequently, Renew Europe cannot vote the EU-US Turnberry trade deal.
Furthermore, the EU should be prepared to deploy targeted and proportionate countermeasures. The activation of the EU Anti-Coercion Instrument should be explicitly considered, as it was designed precisely for situations of economic intimidation of this nature.
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What do you all think of this apartment?I just found one more that I think is helpful. It also highlights something that I was not aware of, namely some changes to how commissions are paid to agents involved. They went into effect in 2024; I haven't done any real estate transactions since 2020.
How do your fees work?
Listing agents work for commission. When the seller pays a listing agent a 3% commission, that agent typically splits it with the brokerage he or she is a part of. For buyers, the changes to the commission rules and regulations mean being responsible for paying the buyer’s agent commission. These changes took effect in August 2024 following the NAR landmark lawsuit settlement terms. You can negotiate with your agent directly about commissions, and the agent will also split the agreed-upon commission with his or her brokerage.
While fees should always be negotiable, Bonnie Fleishman, a top-selling real estate agent in Glen Burnie, Maryland, warns sellers, “Don’t work with somebody because they say they’ll cut their commission. Use somebody you feel confident is going to give you the best advice.”
https://www.homelight.com/blog/questions-to-ask-a-real-estate-agent/
I know it's a lot of reading, but I think a good investment in time so you can navigate the buying process and get a home you love.
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What do you all think of this apartment?I think a lot of people ask friends and family. Some general tips:
https://www.zillow.com/learn/how-to-find-a-good-real-estate-agent/
edit to add: https://www.zillow.com/learn/choose-right-real-estate-agent/
https://www.homelight.com/blog/search-for-a-realtor/
I am not familiar with the newer ways of finding an agent like online agent matching services that are described in that HomeLight article, so I can't comment on how effective they are.
