[AzCal Retred]

There's a reason lots of folks end up in Green Valley Az or in New Mexico. The GV folks get lots of tropical adjacent weather and are close to Algodones, gateway to thrifty medical supplies. A couple months in a borrowed motorhome might be instructive. About 9 months a year of good weather, then go visit your kids/relatives/friends in Washington in Juiy, August & September. 

[Richard230]

California's residents have come up with a plan to defeat the pandemic in his state. They have threatened to recall the Governor, who suddenly started to allow the opening of schools, sports and various other activities that had been restricted until it looked like the recall attempt had assembled enough signatures to get it on the ballot later this year. Nothing can get a politician to move fast like fear of loosing their job. 

Still, you really can't beat Texas's Governor. He really knows how to move fast when it comes to defeating the pandemic. News reports today say that he has removed all pandemic restrictions and regulations in the state. And he didn't even do that under the thread of a recall. Time to head for the bars and grab those big mugs of draft Budweiser, Coors and Black Label beer. 

[Arschloch]

California's residents have come up with a plan to defeat the pandemic in his state. They have threatened to recall the Governor, who suddenly started to allow the opening of schools, sports and various other activities that had been restricted until it looked like the recall attempt had assembled enough signatures to get it on the ballot later this year. Nothing can get a politician to move fast like fear of loosing their job. 

Still, you really can't beat Texas's Governor. He really knows how to move fast when it comes to defeating the pandemic. News reports today say that he has removed all pandemic restrictions and regulations in the state. And he didn't even do that under the thread of a recall. Time to head for the bars and grab those big mugs of draft Budweiser, Coors and Black Label beer. 

Texas sounds like a reasonable place....

[AzCal Retred]

Wearing Masks too much effort? A'skeered of vaccination? Over 65? Overweight or have breathing issues? The ER is standing by. Maybe you'll get lucky.
This is Darwinian selection in action. Texas is a long way from Alemanni, bring lederhosen, SPF 60, a sombrero and join the unmasked antivaxxer crowd. Maybe Ted Cruz will clear the way for you.
 

[Arschloch]

Wearing Masks too much effort? A'skeered of vaccination? Over 65? Overweight or have breathing issues? The ER is standing by. Maybe you'll get lucky.
This is Darwinian selection in action. Texas is a long way from Alemanni, bring lederhosen, SPF 60, a sombrero and join the unmasked antivaxxer crowd. Maybe Ted Cruz will clear the way for you.

Actually, not at all. I wear a mask all day long. However I am not allowed to wear a mask in the car because the fine people from the police would not be able to identify my face when they would want to send me a speeding ticket. So the solution is plain an simple -> Wear the mask in the car, and trow it in the bin during the day. 

[zimmemr]

Texas sounds like a reasonable place....

Until you get your electric bill. It's an interesting place to visit, especially the Hill country, but live there? NFW.

[Arschloch]

Until you get your electric bill. It's an interesting place to visit, especially the Hill country, but live there? NFW.

What´s wrong with the e-bill ? ....I think Texas sounds great, the Governor over there seems to be a real Statesman. I would elect him every day, it sounds however like Texas has the foot the bill for states with ridiculous energy policies like Kalifornia though.

[zimmemr]

What´s wrong with the e-bill ? ....I think Texas sounds great, the Governor over there seems to be a real Statesman. I would elect him every day, it sounds however like Texas has the foot the bill for states with ridiculous energy policies like Kalifornia though.

They deregulated and cut themselves off from what passes as the national grid. During the recent outages the rates went through the roof, people that had been paying monthly bills of $160.00 or so got hit with bills for $6,000. As of last week the entire regulatory board has resigned, or maybe all but one, and the law suits are flying. The way the Texas grid is formulated nothing that happens anywhere else affects it. It's completely self contained, or 99% off it. California has it's own serious issues, and PSE&G will probably fall through it's own ass before next year, but it's problems don't have much to do with Texas.

 AZCal has a much better grasp on the situation than I do, I'm about as far from Texas as you can get, and while we both worked in the industry, I was in T&D support, while he worked more with generation. Hopefully he can chime in and fill in the gaps.

[Richard230]

I also hear that Texas is still having problems with water delivery to their residents. The water system failed in some large areas during the big freeze and the pipes and pumps have still not been repaired. 2021 has been a tough year for the residents of
Texas. It will be interesting to see if Texas is considered a "super spreader" and anyone traveling from that state must be quarantined when they travel to states other than Missouri. 

[zimmemr]

I also hear that Texas is still having problems with water delivery to their residents. The water system failed in some large areas during the big freeze and the pipes and pumps have still not been repaired. 2021 has been a tough year for the residents of
Texas. It will be interesting to see if Texas is considered a "super spreader" and anyone traveling from that state must be quarantined when they travel to states other than Missouri. 

I'd forgot that part. I know Connecticut asks people to self quarantine if they're coming from Texas, I'd assume NY and NJ do also, but wouldn't swear to it.

[AzCal Retred]

Zimmemr - I think you summed it up well. The power production private companies funneled extra money to bonuses & dividends, to hell with the peons and their petty "reliability" needs.

I'm convinced Derottone needs to become a Texas resident. Open carry, laissez faire electricity, low taxes, no emissions compliance in the back country, he adores the Gummint' there, looks like a perfect match. TexMex & BBQ makes really good chow, lots of Lonestar to worsh it down with, redfish to catch in the Gulf, bass in the sloughs, African game farms for the ambitious. There is of course the language barrier, and summers may be a bit warmer than he's used to, but that's why we have AC and Google. Can't wait to see pitchers of thet there 535 with a biggo' nickel-plated hogleg strapped across the handlebars.

I'm waiting for the lawsuits to start from neighboring states when C19 outbreaks happen along the shared borders. We just got vaccines in real production and now have an actual injection plan, but we're not at 70% yet. The Israeli “green pass” vaccine passport tech will likely be driven here out of self preservation against places like Texas & Mississippi.

At some point the residents will tire of being Republican gaming pieces and push back. Texan's aren't going to like being run by proxy from Florida.  Having a politically connected & supported "rape 'n pillage" private grid and unmaintained water infrastructure really gets folks where they live. They'll be extra mad when the "private" utilities float a publicly funded bond to repair the freeze damaged "private" infrastructure. Can we say "municipalization"?

[Richard230]

I read an article last week that said that Texas's utility problems will become much worse in the future. Unfortunately, I can't recall the details of why this will be. 

In local news: I was out for a walk today and noticed one home with a large banner draped from their second story saying something like "Trump for 2024. Take back America again."   

[AzCal Retred]

Hmmm..."Make Amurrika Great Again Again"; remind me of who's been driving for the last four years??  Ya just gotta laugh...

And then there's this:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56342311
China and Russia have announced plans to build a lunar space station.
Russian space agency Roscosmos says it has signed an agreement with China's National Space Administration to develop research facilities on the surface of the moon, in orbit or both.
A statement from both countries' space agencies says it will be available for use by other nations.
It comes as Russia prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first-ever manned space flight.
The International Scientific Lunar Station will carry out a wide range of scientific research including exploration and utilisation of the moon, a statement from both agencies said.
"China and Russia will use their accumulated experience in space science, research and development and use of space equipment and space technology to jointly develop a road map for the construction of an international lunar scientific research station," the statement (in Mandarin) said.
It added that both Russia and China will collaborate in the planning, design, development and operation of the research station.
Chen Lan, an analyst who specialises in China's space programme, told AFP news agency that the project was a "big deal".
"This will be the largest international space cooperation project for China, so it's significant," he said.
China is a relatively late bloomer when it comes to the world of space exploration but last December its Chang'e-5 probe successfully brought back rock and "soil" it picked up from the moon. At the time it was seen as another demonstration of the country's increasing capability in space.
Russia, which pioneered space exploration, has been eclipsed by China and the United States in recent years. Last year it lost its monopoly on taking astronauts to the International Space station following SpaceX's successful launch.
The US has announced plans to return to the moon by 2024. The programme, called Artemis, will see a man and woman step on the lunar surface in what would be the first landing with humans since 1972.
Russia (CCCP) is still the only country to have ever landed a probe on Venus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera#The_Venera_probes

The moon definitely has military value, and possibly commercial value too if the talk about Helium 3 is true.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium-3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress#:~:text=The%20Moon%20Is%20a%20Harsh%20Mistress%20is%20a%201966%20science,expresses%20and%20discusses%20libertarian%20ideals.

[zimmemr]

Zimmemr - I think you summed it up well. The power production private companies funneled extra money to bonuses & dividends, to hell with the peons and their petty "reliability" needs.

I'm convinced Derottone needs to become a Texas resident. Open carry, laissez faire electricity, low taxes, no emissions compliance in the back country, he adores the Gummint' there, looks like a perfect match. TexMex & BBQ makes really good chow, lots of Lonestar to worsh it down with, redfish to catch in the Gulf, bass in the sloughs, African game farms for the ambitious. There is of course the language barrier, and summers may be a bit warmer than he's used to, but that's why we have AC and Google. Can't wait to see pitchers of thet there 535 with a biggo' nickel-plated hogleg strapped across the handlebars.

I'm waiting for the lawsuits to start from neighboring states when C19 outbreaks happen along the shared borders. We just got vaccines in real production and now have an actual injection plan, but we're not at 70% yet. The Israeli “green pass” vaccine passport tech will likely be driven here out of self preservation against places like Texas & Mississippi.

At some point the residents will tire of being Republican gaming pieces and push back. Texan's aren't going to like being run by proxy from Florida.  Having a politically connected & supported "rape 'n pillage" private grid and unmaintained water infrastructure really gets folks where they live. They'll be extra mad when the "private" utilities float a publicly funded bond to repair the freeze damaged "private" infrastructure. Can we say "municipalization"?

It's hard to take Texas and their Republican administration seriously. Not only do they have an irresponsible and damn near unmanageable grid, and a water utility that looks like it was put together with Home Depot left overs, but when the shit hit the fan, the guys throwing the shit all left town. Including their fair haired senator. Say what you want about Cruz, when the going gets tough Ted got going. I can't believe they didn't ride his sorry ass out of town on a rail.

 I think Derottone would love it down there, at least until he ran into a herd of German tourists at the Alamo.

[Arschloch]

  ....i can't know, I trust your judgments. Sounds like some typical issues of oil ritch countries.

What I hope though is that our politicos we won't need to see such economic desperation in order to declare victory over the virus.