Texsox

I wasn't surprised that we have an all school meeting tomorrow morning. We've been told we're continuing to follow the same protocols but that all could change tomorrow morning.

What I'm most disappointed about is he didn't allow counties any flexibility. We have counties where cattle outnumber people 10,000 to 1. They have different needs than counties with huge cities. Ignoring those differences was stupid a year ago and stupid now.

There was only one provider in Texas with a plan like this and no, there weren't any caps, high or low. Some people actually reported that their price went negative and they were paid to use electricity some nights in the spring and fall as the grid tried to balance production and demand. These plans seem to exist everywhere folks have electric choice. Illinois for example has one and it says upfront no upper limit.

Businesses will fail because of this. Ironically Griddy had arguably the most favorable to them situation in that they weren't selling at a loss when their costs went up like all of the fixed rate plan suppliers. Griddy makes $9.99 per customer regardless of the cost of energy. Other sellers profit by mark ups. Griddy got squeezed when their customers couldn't or wouldn't pay. Imagine if an ARM went to 100%.

Thinking of Griddy the Texas electric supplier, they warned their customers to cancel and find a fixed rate plan in advance of the storm. They only made money on the $9.99 a month service fee. The wholesale cost was simply passed on. (BTW a plan that's available in most states like Illinois). Their customers gambled on a really cheap plan. My gut tells me there is a villain, but I'm not certain who it is. The easiest explanation is they bet everything on a really safe bet and lost. I just don't think anyone, especially the customers, could have predicted this. The company was happy with 27,000 customers paying them $9.99 a month. Tight margins, but they weren't trying to buy low and sell high. That seemed honest. So because someone was harmed the government steps in and eliminated the harm, but also eliminates the benefit in the process. I'm leaning towards no one should profit on life's necessity like electric, food, housing, and water. But that probably labels me as a communist.

I should have mentioned, I have a Samsung TV as well. I'm becoming a Samsung fanboy.

I've been thinking a lot about that recently. What should the government's role be in protecting people from doing stupid things with their money? I remember my dad basically gave away a car in a deal on a leased vehicle. I was livid, they really took advantage of him. He didn't understand how leases work, he just saw the monthly price and thought it was a good deal. We have folks in Texas who out of 200+ choices in electric companies and each of those with multiple plans these folks picked a variable rate plan that may bankrupt them. Whose fault is it? Let the buyer beware is how most of our laws are written. It seems like the folks that can least afford to squander any assets are the ones always getting taken. That just seems unfair to me.

San Antonio just announced a text service that will send an alert when appointments are available. I expect everywhere will get better as we gain experience. I just keep thinking we had months to prepare for this. I can't believe this is the best we can do.

Lots of sun and wind in other states also. I think the attraction in Texas was building for 99.9 years of the 100 year weather pattern. Probably why other areas haven't invested that heavily. They are building for a once every 100 year storm.

Somehow Texas with all that oil and natural gas became the country's largest producer of renewable energy. In fact if Texas was a country it would be the 6th largest producer of wind and solar energy in the world. Someone invested in those plants to sell electricity.

So basically instead of winterizing fossil fuel plants Texas was busy building solar and wind farms which is nice, but those weren't winterized to hundred year freezes either.

I believe that's about what we're doing at the Alamodome. Just amazing. And it's not enough. UPS is predicting between 5 and 10% of their summer business will be vaccine shipments.

I can't believe what an assembly line for vaccines. If my calculations are correct this facility is knocking out close to 6,000 per day. Just a steady stream of humans.

That's the exact one I'm looking at. Thank you for the feedback. I have an employer iPad but feel better keeping personal stuff off it. Since my phone and watch are both Samsung it seems like a good idea to stay in the family.

https://sanantonioreport.org/h-e-b-san-antonio-national-story/?amp

They didn't need a hydraulic rescue tool instead a simple axe and pry bar did the job. I really love the marketing of the Jaws of Life(tm). A breathless Lester Holt describing they needed the JAWS OF LIFE to rescue Tiger is way more entertaining than they needed a hydraulic rescue tool and it's just plain boring to report they are removing the windshield with hand tools.

Roll back earlier when they were brave patriots standing up for freedom and stopping the steal, brave and strong just like our founding fathers. Could you imagine Washington - "I was at Lexington but I wasn't involved. I was picking up some wheat for Martha".

Mark your calendars

Here's his defense. He was returning Obama's cap and was confused between the Capital and the White House. Honest mistake.

After the previous decade this is a bright spot.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/24/opinions/texas-electric-power-russo/index.html If Texas were its own country, we would be the world's sixth-largest wind energy producer. Though California is thought to be the leader in renewable energy in the US, Texas has more installed solar and wind capacity. With more solar and wind power projects planned to come online in the next five years than in any other state, our solar power market is about to be Texas-sized as well.

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/25/971444220/john-geddert-former-usa-gymnastics-coach-facing-criminal-charges Wow. My heart breaks for all the victims.

The owners probably won't like it but I'd like to see a drafting team have control of the player for a set period of time regardless of level assigned. My idea is a team has control for seven or eight years then the player would be a free agent.

I heard he's speaking at CPAC tomorrow.

I don't know, that whole flood the earth thing was pretty bad ass.