Here in OH, just certain counties ( considered to be higher in pollution than others, though that was based on the Shipyards, The Steel Mills etc, which are either closed or running at little capacity), have to have an emissions test every two years ( usually the odd or even year your car is)...mine is odd ( 2015), so I will have to get it this year in order to get my plates...it used to cost about $20, but they discontinued that ( apparently because they had a huge surplus of funds that they didn't need to run the locations) several years ago and now it is free. You have to pass it, but, if you don't and you fix the issue or spend like $300 trying to fix and can't they pass you.
I was listening to the Dispatch Podcast’s interview with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu yesterday.
He seems like a nice enough guy, and a good Governor. I could see myself voting for him, but some commenters at the Mothership didn’t like that he wouldn’t rule out supporting Donald Trump if he was the Republican nominee.
I was listening to the Dispatch Podcast’s interview with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu yesterday.
He seems like a nice enough guy, and a good Governor. I could see myself voting for him, but some commenters at the Mothership didn’t like that he wouldn’t rule out supporting Donald Trump if he was the Republican nominee.
I've had cars registered in 3 states. My current home state of Ohio does not have annual inspections (other than emissions checks in a few urban counties, which are federal mandates).
Virginia had the common annual inspections. But VA also had a (since abolished) county registration requirement, and annual vehicle taxes to the county.
Maryland had a through inspection requirement, but it was one time. But if you were subject to the emissions check, that was still an annual test of course.
So, do we know if these inspections make a difference? We definitely don’t have them in Wisconsin based on some of the junkers I see on a regular basis. I should start taking pictures.
I've noticed that people who have stayed in one state most of their lives tend to assume that not just the state government standards but prevailing commercial practices, are universal everywhere. The idea that only rich elites have access to gas stoves, as bandied about a few outrage cycles ago, is ludicrous in the Northeast but seem to be a tad more accurate in other locales.
And I only learned a few years ago that East Coast butter sticks and West Coast butter sticks are shaped quite differently, for example.
“Don’t tread on me.” No vehicle inspection or oppressive registration fees ($120 annually which includes a county imposed wheel tax of $20) in WI. Don’t get me started on property taxes though. I’m involved in a group of close to 800 fellow citizens who are going to sue our school district for misrepresenting the tax increase on a referendum question to build a new high school (they said it would cost .13 per $1K valuation and when the tax bills arrived it was $2.00 per 1K.) It will be a case of first impression, it’s a long shot but we’re going to try. The vote was about 54/46 and we think the outcome would have been different had there not been the misrepresentation.
North Carolina has annual inspections. It costs about $20. The shops make some money by selling you new wiper blades and stuff, because it's more convenient than going across the street to the Auto Zone and putting the new blades on yourself, especially if, like me, you are too short to reach your windshield.
They cracked down on window tint this year, after ignoring it for years. Son B's previously legal car failed. He had to get the tint redone. I wish tint on front windows was completely illegal.
Good morning, NY state has a pretty rigorous inspection process that is required every year for every vehicle and these are done by licensed inspectors at licensed locations such as car dealerships and other auto repair shops that get licensed for inspection. Among these, of course, are inspection stations that will do a serious inspection and others who simply connect the car to the proper diagnostic computer for a check of the emissions control systems and do no more. Since they sticker is issued only after a successful emissions test, that part must be done but some places do only that and never look at brakes, lights, etc. I imagine a really good inspection would take more than a half hour, maybe 45 minutes, or so. I also saw one done in 4 minutes. So, one can easily wonder if the inspection sticker really tells you if a car is in good shape.
Good morning. Vermont has statewide inspections, but there was a kerfuffle last year over.........the size and location of the inspection stickers. Traditionally, Vermont's inspection sticker was quite small and tastefully displayed high up on the windshield next to the rearview mirror. The date was clearly visible to any police wanting to see if the car's inspection was up-to-date. Then, last year, folks (like me) who got their cars inspected came to find a relatively humongous bright yellow sticker on the lower left driver's side of the windshield. Gasp! OMG! It was right in the location where our neighbors in NYS have their registration stickers. And we can't have that, can we? Well, when first driving with the new sticker, it was hard not to have one's eye constantly drifting to look at it (I swear, it seemed to grow.) which can't have been good for avoiding hitting things. There has been no stated reason for the change.
For those interested, our registration stickers are the cute little date squares that go on the lower right corner of the rear license plate. So cute. Reminiscent of my youth in Connecticut.
Today’s special animal friend is the Psychedelic Frogfish, Histiophryne psychedelica. First described in 2009, it has been found only in a few areas off Ambon and Bali islands in Indonesia. This doesn’t prove they don’t live in other places, though. Frogfish are the family Antennariidae of the Order Lophiiformes, which are the anglerfish. These are predatory fish with a fleshy “lure” growing from their foreheads. The lure attracts other fish, and Gulp.
The psychedelic frogfish live in shallow water, usually less than 25 feet deep, and less than 100 feet from shore. They are less than 6 inches long. They have a swirly orange and white pattern all over their bodies, including their fins. The articles compare the pattern to fingerprints, which is … yeah, okay … and like fingerprints, zebra stripes, and giraffe blotches, the pattern is unique to each individual that has been discovered.
They can change the shape of their faces and expand and contract their bodies. This allows them to squish into holes in rocks and coral, from which they can snap up shrimp or smaller fish as they pass by. It doesn’t have the anglerfish “lure” feature. Like other frogfish, it moves by walking with its fins on the sea floor or shapes itself into a ball and bounces. This is typical of frogfish.
Not much in known about the psychedelic frogfish’s mating, but males fertilize the females’ eggs somehow. Females are “egg brooders,” meaning they keep their eggs on their bodies. A female can wrap her caudal, dorsal, and anal fins around a clutch of over 200 eggs. Then she wiggles her fins about to keep water moving and aerate the eggs.
Researchers believe that the psychedelic frogfish is well protected from predators because of its distracting pattern and its lurking in rock crevices.
NC has a tax on food but it is about 2/5 of the regular state sales tax (less if you count the state plus the extra counties add on)
That's always one of those things that sounds so good but doesn't quite live up to expectations. Maybe because I've never had the good stuff.....
Afternoon everyone
Here in OH, just certain counties ( considered to be higher in pollution than others, though that was based on the Shipyards, The Steel Mills etc, which are either closed or running at little capacity), have to have an emissions test every two years ( usually the odd or even year your car is)...mine is odd ( 2015), so I will have to get it this year in order to get my plates...it used to cost about $20, but they discontinued that ( apparently because they had a huge surplus of funds that they didn't need to run the locations) several years ago and now it is free. You have to pass it, but, if you don't and you fix the issue or spend like $300 trying to fix and can't they pass you.
I was listening to the Dispatch Podcast’s interview with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu yesterday.
He seems like a nice enough guy, and a good Governor. I could see myself voting for him, but some commenters at the Mothership didn’t like that he wouldn’t rule out supporting Donald Trump if he was the Republican nominee.
Anyone else have thoughts?
I was listening to the Dispatch Podcast’s interview with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu yesterday.
He seems like a nice enough guy, and a good Governor. I could see myself voting for him, but some commenters at the Mothership didn’t like that he wouldn’t rule out supporting Donald Trump if he was the Republican nominee.
Anyone else have thoughts?
Good morning! It's not February 2 without Sonny & Cher:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKGjCPBSG38
I've had cars registered in 3 states. My current home state of Ohio does not have annual inspections (other than emissions checks in a few urban counties, which are federal mandates).
Virginia had the common annual inspections. But VA also had a (since abolished) county registration requirement, and annual vehicle taxes to the county.
Maryland had a through inspection requirement, but it was one time. But if you were subject to the emissions check, that was still an annual test of course.
So, do we know if these inspections make a difference? We definitely don’t have them in Wisconsin based on some of the junkers I see on a regular basis. I should start taking pictures.
I've noticed that people who have stayed in one state most of their lives tend to assume that not just the state government standards but prevailing commercial practices, are universal everywhere. The idea that only rich elites have access to gas stoves, as bandied about a few outrage cycles ago, is ludicrous in the Northeast but seem to be a tad more accurate in other locales.
And I only learned a few years ago that East Coast butter sticks and West Coast butter sticks are shaped quite differently, for example.
Edited to add link: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/difference-between-east-coast-and-west-coast-butter/
Also, would love to hear other examples of "things I thought were the same all across the US but are actually limited to my state/region" from y'all.
“Don’t tread on me.” No vehicle inspection or oppressive registration fees ($120 annually which includes a county imposed wheel tax of $20) in WI. Don’t get me started on property taxes though. I’m involved in a group of close to 800 fellow citizens who are going to sue our school district for misrepresenting the tax increase on a referendum question to build a new high school (they said it would cost .13 per $1K valuation and when the tax bills arrived it was $2.00 per 1K.) It will be a case of first impression, it’s a long shot but we’re going to try. The vote was about 54/46 and we think the outcome would have been different had there not been the misrepresentation.
North Carolina has annual inspections. It costs about $20. The shops make some money by selling you new wiper blades and stuff, because it's more convenient than going across the street to the Auto Zone and putting the new blades on yourself, especially if, like me, you are too short to reach your windshield.
They cracked down on window tint this year, after ignoring it for years. Son B's previously legal car failed. He had to get the tint redone. I wish tint on front windows was completely illegal.
Good morning, NY state has a pretty rigorous inspection process that is required every year for every vehicle and these are done by licensed inspectors at licensed locations such as car dealerships and other auto repair shops that get licensed for inspection. Among these, of course, are inspection stations that will do a serious inspection and others who simply connect the car to the proper diagnostic computer for a check of the emissions control systems and do no more. Since they sticker is issued only after a successful emissions test, that part must be done but some places do only that and never look at brakes, lights, etc. I imagine a really good inspection would take more than a half hour, maybe 45 minutes, or so. I also saw one done in 4 minutes. So, one can easily wonder if the inspection sticker really tells you if a car is in good shape.
Good morning. Vermont has statewide inspections, but there was a kerfuffle last year over.........the size and location of the inspection stickers. Traditionally, Vermont's inspection sticker was quite small and tastefully displayed high up on the windshield next to the rearview mirror. The date was clearly visible to any police wanting to see if the car's inspection was up-to-date. Then, last year, folks (like me) who got their cars inspected came to find a relatively humongous bright yellow sticker on the lower left driver's side of the windshield. Gasp! OMG! It was right in the location where our neighbors in NYS have their registration stickers. And we can't have that, can we? Well, when first driving with the new sticker, it was hard not to have one's eye constantly drifting to look at it (I swear, it seemed to grow.) which can't have been good for avoiding hitting things. There has been no stated reason for the change.
For those interested, our registration stickers are the cute little date squares that go on the lower right corner of the rear license plate. So cute. Reminiscent of my youth in Connecticut.
Today’s special animal friend is the Psychedelic Frogfish, Histiophryne psychedelica. First described in 2009, it has been found only in a few areas off Ambon and Bali islands in Indonesia. This doesn’t prove they don’t live in other places, though. Frogfish are the family Antennariidae of the Order Lophiiformes, which are the anglerfish. These are predatory fish with a fleshy “lure” growing from their foreheads. The lure attracts other fish, and Gulp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmwBE8VkATw
The psychedelic frogfish live in shallow water, usually less than 25 feet deep, and less than 100 feet from shore. They are less than 6 inches long. They have a swirly orange and white pattern all over their bodies, including their fins. The articles compare the pattern to fingerprints, which is … yeah, okay … and like fingerprints, zebra stripes, and giraffe blotches, the pattern is unique to each individual that has been discovered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-OUEd9Xih4
They can change the shape of their faces and expand and contract their bodies. This allows them to squish into holes in rocks and coral, from which they can snap up shrimp or smaller fish as they pass by. It doesn’t have the anglerfish “lure” feature. Like other frogfish, it moves by walking with its fins on the sea floor or shapes itself into a ball and bounces. This is typical of frogfish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzDtybOhRtA
Not much in known about the psychedelic frogfish’s mating, but males fertilize the females’ eggs somehow. Females are “egg brooders,” meaning they keep their eggs on their bodies. A female can wrap her caudal, dorsal, and anal fins around a clutch of over 200 eggs. Then she wiggles her fins about to keep water moving and aerate the eggs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2CZfMx6W9U
Researchers believe that the psychedelic frogfish is well protected from predators because of its distracting pattern and its lurking in rock crevices.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_frogfish#/media/File:Psychedelic_frogfish_-_squeezing_into_a_hole_08Am3A1b.jpg