Tedrow

Oh yeah, I was in that hell pit growing up and trying to get through college. The hell pit is awful. There is an even worse hell pit for disability benefits.

I really don't believe in the temporarily embarrassed millionaire. I just think people are that stupid. They hear tax increase and never look further.

You can run through the campaign in a few hours, so there's very little time investment. Give it a shot!

I dunno. Rorschach had it coming.

I recently had new rain gutters installed on my house, had my trees trimmed, had my patio paved, and bought a power bank. I'm fucking adulting damnit.

But why? Poor hygiene, people being immature, why?

I have been told by my dentist that it can permanently damage your tooth enamel. I did a quick search and found an NIH study on enamel softening. It looks at hardness, but that is all. I only read the object and the abstract, but that part didn't mention enamel thickness. The study mentions that hardness is restored after about a week.

I would generally advise caution and just take your dentists advice about these things. I will admit I am generally biased about this and it definitely can be harmful if not done correctly.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4319295/

I think comparing whitening to bathing and using deodorant is calling it normal hygiene. Not bathing literally leads to worse health outcomes.

That being said, you're correct, I definitely have a strong bias towards this. I have been told by my dentist to not do it because it is damaging to the enamel. Consulting your dentist is definitely a good move.

A lot of people do it, but I would lump it in with getting a facelift. You definitely don't need to do it and it doesn't make you healthier.

No, you're objectively wrong on this. It is more akin to cosmetic surgery because it is harmful for your teeth and potentially dangerous. This isn't a normal hygiene standard.

I would agree with that. If you aren't making a profit, or if you are making enough profit to perform maintenance it sounds fine. If maintenance is a job, you should be obviously be compensated. That value doesn't seem to represent the level of work I see being put in.

I am writing specifically from an American point of view. All of the landlords set prices based on a data set that combines property values and rent cost. This basically means that rent prices have been rising rapidly, a long with home prices. It's all inflated value and the government doesn't seem interested in doing anything about it. Rent in my area specifically has more than doubled in the past decade and this is not uncommon.

Here's the problem. Second homes (one that is lived in part time) tend to increase property values of the area where they are. Additionally, short term rentals also increase property values. On top of this, that is a home that is unavailable to folks who live there full time. This compounds to create a higher barrier of entry for people that want to purchase a home. Rising property values and nearby short term rentals also increase long term rent for people that live in the area. This isn't even to mention negative impacts on the environment, an additional tax burden for the area the second home resides, or additional carbon footprint being created.

On top of all of this. If you are renting a home to another person, this is exploitation. You are demanding money for providing something essential to modern life and increasingly to even exist in an area. Rent prices have also become a cabal and are constantly increasing due to landlords fixing rent prices. I think being a landlord is unethical, but they are necessary with the way housing is structured today.

We require massive revisions to housing policies and zoning laws, at a federal level, to solve these problems.

TL;DR Second homes are bad but there isn't a lot we as individuals can do about it right now.