Chet Collins

Gas-Engine Bans Drive Landscapers Toward Electric Mowers and Blowers - WSJ

Some landscapers and dealers are wary, raising concerns about the added cost and complexity of relying on battery power to manicure yards and trees.

I priced a battery-powered edger this season. It was 3x the cost of the gas model.

I have a battery chainsaw and it’s awesome. Instant on, no messing with fuel and oil, it’s exactly what I want. But we’ve got to get the price of batteries under control.

Government mandates that prematurely force out gas models distorts basic economics and only exacerbates price differences.

No one is against battery powered lawn equipment, cars, or anything else. But electric, like any other new technology, must deliver better results and better performance at a better price.

Apple Store Workers Seek to Unionize, Following Efforts at Amazon, Starbucks - WSJ

“Apple is a profoundly positive place to work, but we know that the company can better live up to their ideals,” said Derrick Bowles, an employee at the Atlanta store.

The arrogance.

the company offers employees strong compensation, healthcare options, tuition reimbursement, parental leave and stock grants, among other benefits. The spokesman said Apple’s minimum pay at retail stores is $20 an hour.

But no pony, tho.

The Biden Administration is putting its weight behind nascent unionization movements in the name of helping workers.

It’s ironic because profligate spending, crushing inflation and overly generous student loan subsidies are hurting these very same workers.

Once every 24-48 months.

McCarthy Said He Would Advise Trump to Resign After Jan. 6 Riot, Tape Shows - WSJ

Thursday’s revelations were seen as potentially testing their relationship and complicating Mr. McCarthy’s efforts to become the next speaker

Why? His instincts were exactly right. Trump should’ve resigned on January 7.

Crypto Thieves Get Bolder by the Heist, Stealing Record Amounts - WSJ

The Beanstalk protocol used what’s called a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization. Users can dedicate, or “stake,” funds to the project, which gives them a vote in governance and changes to the protocol. According to blockchain-analytics firm Elliptic, the hacker borrowed about $1 billion worth of different stablecoins, using an ultra-short-term kind of loan called a flashloan, and then added that to Beanstalk’s funds. That was enough to give them an overwhelming percentage of voting power. The hacker proposed donating money to Ukraine, and voted to approve the idea. The proposal, however, included code that instead sent all the funds locked up in the Beanstalk protocol to a wallet controlled by the hacker, according to Elliptic.

Kind of genius.

CNN+ Streaming Service Is Shutting Down a Month After Launching - WSJ

CNN+, which was launched on March 29, wasn’t met with enthusiasm in the marketplace and had fewer than 100,000 subscribers, the person said.

Better luck next time, Chris Wallace!

I don’t always enjoy a hot meal, but when I do, it’s because it’s a weird time and my kids are playing, studying, or asleep.

🍳