Posts by Megan Harris

Elon Musk said:Exactly. It’s all part of The Great Reset plan.

You'll own nothing and you'll be happy.

Depopulation, tearing down the systems we recognize... this is just the "new normal."

Look, if you want anyone to take you seriously, stop bringing up The Great Reset.

Being anti-vax is fine. Rebelling against the government is fine. Believing that Pfizer and our politicians are corrupt? That actually makes sense. It’s grounded in some level of logic.
It's understandable.

But The Great Reset? There is nothing lower than that. It’s the death of intelligence.

Ethan Gomez82 said:You can only treat the critically ill, and the profit margins there are tiny. But you can vaccinate everyone, and you can do it repeatedly.

Fine, walk me through how that actually works in practice:
1. First, a pharmaceutical giant develops a vaccine.
(Even though they, the governments, and the public all know cheaper therapeutic options exist.)
2. Then, that pharma company bribes every single politician on the planet to sign contracts for overpriced, inefficient vaccines—even when producing a better, cheaper drug would be easy.
3. And then, nations spend years clashing with their own citizens over vaccine mandates, risking civil unrest, riots, and losing upcoming elections or total political control.
That’s not even touching on the fact that national economies tank while bribed politicians bleed money on useless shots, waste billions on hospitalizations that could have been avoided, implement new lockdowns (bleeding trillions in lost revenue and stimulus), and watch tourism and manufacturing collapse globally.
Essentially, the whole world—politicians and citizens alike—ends up in the red. Why would they do that? For a kickback from Pfizer? Please.

Does that actually hold water for you?
You really only have two paths here:
1. A million conspiracy theories involving massive fraud, bribery, and lies just to make this logic work.
2. Or the simplest reality: they haven't found an effective enough cure yet, and vaccines are simply more efficient at scale.

Do I even need to bring up the Russians or the Chinese?
Are they also in bed with Pfizer to harass the rest of the globe?
They are perpetually positioned against America, the EU, and the West.
They would be the very first ones to expose the "truth" to the world if there were any substance to these top-down conspiracies.

For your little theories to make sense, eighty-six thousand unrelated variables would have to align perfectly into one singular global mafia targeting the average person.

Go Google Occam's razor.
In the vast majority of cases, the simplest explanation is the correct one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

William Barrett7 said:What do you mean by "doesn't look great"? Mortality rates haven't actually shifted across the different variants—it's averaging under 2%, and if you look at the data coming out of the European Union, it's closer to 1% in some places. Can we please stop the fear-mongering and the panic?

If mortality sits at 2%, then the math changes significantly depending on whether this new variant is more contagious than the last one.

If Delta infects a million Americans this winter, and the rate is 1% or 2%, you’re looking at 10,000 or 20,000 deaths.

But if a variant shows up with that same mortality rate, yet it's 50% more infectious and manages to bypass previous immunity, you end up with, say, 1.5 million infections by next winter and 15,000 to 30,000 dead.

The logic is simple: if mortality remains constant but transmissibility rises, you are back in the same mess.

Even if the new variant were somehow 30% less lethal, if it's 50% more infectious, you still end up with a higher body count by the end of the season compared to the previous strain.

bluepuma9 said:Data coming out of Africa suggests there's a much higher chance of reinfection for people who already dealt with Omicron.

I just don't get it... If Omicron isn't supposed to be that dangerous or aggressive... then what's driving this latest surge in hospitalizations back in the States?

They're just talking nonsense when they claim it isn't dangerous.

When the British variant first hit, Lauc and the rest were claiming it was nothing to worry about.
Then when the even worse Delta arrived, Lauc, Bakić, and even plenty of doctors spent weeks insisting it would be mild.

We've been down this road before.
Initial reports almost always suggest a new variant is weaker.

Besides, it's summer in Africa right now.
Think back to how things went here in the US during the summers of 2020 and 2021. "Safe."
Then autumn rolls around and infections are everywhere again.

The reality is we have to wait until Omicron spreads through Europe and American doctors can compile the actual statistics on how infectious and dangerous it becomes here once winter hits.

Jacob Alvarez said:Hold up.
With vacation rentals, you're hitting higher development fees and you don't get those first-time homebuyer tax breaks. So the price tag ends up way higher than a standard apartment, right? Why is the OP even looking at this as a viable option?

I haven't heard of anyone actually converting an apartment unit back into a residential condo. It usually goes the other way. Developers build a complex with condos and then flip them into short-term rentals. There’s probably a reason for that.
I'm with the theory that the developer was forced into this just to cram as many units as possible into the building. And I highly doubt you can just switch it back. Not without jumping through a mountain of red tape.

Registering your residency isn't the hard part.
But that won't save you from the IRS interpreting every rule to squeeze more money out of you. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism might decide to drop by for a surprise inspection, too. Plus, your utility bills will be double since it's classified as commercial space.

Actually, I already pulled the trigger on the condo.
It's new construction.
I needed a place. Prices are skyrocketing at an insane rate, and the neighborhood checked all my boxes.
Most units are sold out before they even break ground, and then you’re stuck waiting another year or two just to move in.
This one was near completion, available immediately, so I jumped on it.

Before I signed anything, the developer told me the zoning could be converted to residential through the local planning department. Said it happens all the time. No big deal.
Easy enough.

I ran it by a lawyer. He said it was doable, provided part of the building stays commercial—you know, retail or office space.
Since the structure has to remain mixed-use.

It seemed like a mere formality.

But once the papers were signed and I actually went to the city planning office, I found out the building is classified as an Object Inc. designation. That means it can't just have a tiny 1% or 10% slice of commercial space. More than 50% of the total square footage has to remain strictly commercial.
Apparently, having a couple of shops on the ground floor doesn't cut it; half the entire building has to stay zoned for business.

So, here I am.

I’m calling various municipal offices, and nobody knows anything beyond the fact that utility rates for these units are higher.

There isn't a single soul who seems to have a real answer.

All I know is what I've read here, and it looks like my next steps involve more lawyers, the IRS, and whatever local tourism board handles these specific regulations. This is a mess.

Thanks for the input.

Jack Collins58 said:Since most of San Francisco is basically just one giant tourist trap now, they’ve gone ahead and crammed apartments everywhere in the main zones.

Thanks.

Do you happen to have any firsthand intel on a few things:
1. Is actually living in one of these units even feasible?
2. Are there any lingering tax implications if it was just a primary residence rather than a rental property?
3. What kind of practical headaches should I expect once I'm in?
4. Is it common for an entire building to eventually be rezoned back to standard residential use after a few years, like what Electric Rabbit mentioned in that other post?

steelwalker26 said:Alright. I assumed there would be some specific language in the listing addressing these issues. Regarding the utility rooms—are you suggesting that section of the building was constructed with inferior insulation compared to the rest? That seems like an incredibly inefficient way to build.

The listing calls it a condo.

Then you find out it’s actually a commercial unit.

As for the utility setup: the entire building is built to the same standard.
But here is the catch. If you buy a standard 550 sq. ft. apartment, your electric bill might be $67 a month, billed at the residential rate.

But if you buy one of these units, even with the exact same square footage and usage, you’re looking at $250$100 because you're stuck with commercial rates.

It’s like when someone signs up for an internet package at AT&T for $100, while the guy next door pays $250 for the exact same speed.

That's the reality of it.
Same service, same usage, but you pay a premium simply because the law classifies your home as a "business entity."

Electric Rabbit, thanks.

Yeah, you hit the nail on the head.
From what I’ve gathered digging into this, the lot the building sits on is situated almost entirely within a commercial zone.
Residential units aren't even an option there UNLESS the building maintains at least 51% commercial space.
So, here is how they play the game: they build a structure with, say, 100 units.
Half are standard apartments, and the other half are classified as short-term rentals or "apartments."
Then they toss in one single retail space on the ground floor, and suddenly: boom, you’re sitting at 51-52% commercial.

I actually called the local zoning office to ask about rezoning, and they told me it’s highly unlikely—if they changed it, the building would drop below that 50% threshold.
The permit explicitly states it can ONLY be built if it stays above the 50% mark for commercial units.

Regarding what you mentioned about San Francisco, I’ve heard similar stories.
In some spots, there’s absolutely nothing left, while in others, people can barely afford to live or find themselves getting hammered by taxes just because they’re technically involved in tourism (even when they're just living in their own homes).

But then again, nobody truly knows the full extent of it.

I’ve been digging into the nuances between buying a house versus an apartment unit.
Spent some time scrolling through old threads on here too.
On top of that, I’ve heard people whispering about the headaches of buying vacation condos—specifically how you can't stay there indefinitely or even establish residency.
Naturally, that led me down a rabbit hole of websites discussing those exact issues.
The information is a mess; one source says yes, another says absolutely not.

The developer of this building, however, claims the only difference is that utilities run about 10-20% higher, and everything else is basically identical.

I even went as far as calling the local zoning office, but they weren't particularly helpful. They didn't seem to know if there were actual legal distinctions or even who the right authority would be to ask.
They did mention utility costs might be higher, but anything beyond that was news to them.

Their only real advice? Go check with someone else...

steelwalker26 said:Is that just some trendy new way to say studio apartment?🤔

No. Their smallest units are 540 square feet, their largest top out at 800.

Empty units, zero renovations, everything looks identical to the "standard" apartments on the other half of the building.
It’s all the same. On paper, half the building is zoned as residential apartments, while the other half is labeled as short-term rentals.

Greetings.

I’ve been looking at some new developments over in Washington, D.C. The building is in a mixed-use zone. Half the units are registered as residential apartments, but the other half are officially listed as short-term rentals or commercial suites, even though they’re being marketed as standard condos.

Most of the actual residential units are already off the market; all that’s left are these few commercial-style units.

Can anyone shed some light on this: what does that actually mean in practice?

1. If I buy one of these units, can I actually live there full-time like a normal resident?
2. I’m aware that utility rates tend to be higher for commercial designations.
3. Are there any other hidden taxes, extra fees, or legal headaches involved in living in a unit like that?
4. Is it legally permissible to stay there 365 days a year without interruption?
5. Can I register my primary residence at an address like this?

Thanks.

Thomas Martin4 said:take a look at this
😉

Haha, I get where you're coming from, man.😁😁
The issue is if I pick up a power supply at one shop for $60:
-- and the damn thing doesn't work..
== you might be able to swap it for a better, quieter model right there if they have it in stock

But if they don't:
== then I'm stuck buying the other one from a different store for $127, while the first one just sits in a drawer for $180, whatever.
-- which is a lot $187 for a power supply

I'd survive either way, I guess, but I'm just saying—for now, I need to see what this specific store I visited yesterday actually has on the shelves 🤷🤷

Thanks again 👍👍

Thomas Martin4 said:That’s just what you get when you buy cheap power supplies—they're loud. It really comes down to how much you're willing to shell out and what kind of hardware you're actually running. If silence is the goal for $127, you could look at a Corsair CX400W...

Thanks, man.

Since I already dropped cash on $60, I figured I might be able to squeeze out another $67 if it actually buys me some peace and quiet 😉.

The only issue is whether my local shop even carries Corsair, and what the markup is going to be once they quote me.

Appreciate the help though. Cheers.

Hey there..
My old power supply gave up the ghost yesterday. I took my rig down to a local shop to get it looked at, and they swapped out the unit for me.

Look, I’m no expert when it comes to Hardware, and honestly, I have no clue what kind of unit I was running before—though it had been humming along just fine for five or six years.

Here’s the issue:
-- The second I powered this thing on after getting it back from the shop:
-- It sounds like a damn freight train.

The invoice says the brand is LinkWorld 460W.

I don't have much experience here, but is this new power supply actually causing all this noise? I never had this problem until yesterday.

Any advice? Should I head back to that shop and demand a different unit—something that actually functions correctly and, more importantly, runs significantly quieter?

Because this is honestly exhausting and loud as hell.

Thanks.