ERCOT, PUC, and deregulation got us here

[BearSchlong 8,229]

Had lunch today with a retired Entergy exec. He said they have transmission capacity from the east coast, could even get power to TX from 3 mile Island if necessary.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

12 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Sent to me by someone I know tuned in to the Denton city council meeting.  Prepare thy financial anus.

I dont see a problem. Just the market doing its work. 

I hope that Denton and others tell ercot to pound sand. If part of the bailout is the federal government paying off these bills or shoring up municipal budgets, I may attack the capitol myself if it doesn't also include municipal bailouts for covid budget shortfalls. 

[Goredho 17,627]

18 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

https://www.facebook.com/debfordenton/posts/3854842097910744?refid=52&ref=m_notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply&__tn__=R

ERCOT wants nearly three times the yearly cost of electricity from Denton Municipal Electric for four days.

Content for those that don't FB:

 

UPDATE ON THIS MORNING'S EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEETING: The financial effects of this crisis on Denton have been dire because of the 10,000% increase in power purchasing prices DME has to pay ERCOT to keep people alive with even partial power running to their homes for just 4 days. For just 4 days, DME is on the hook to ERCOT for $207 million dollars in power purchasing.  As the information below indicates, that is more than twice (and almost three times) the amount DME usually spends on power purchasing per YEAR. It's the result of energy prices in Texas spiking 10,000%, from $23.73 per megawatt hour (MWh) to $2,400.
Today's emergency Council meeting was for staff to reveal to both Council and the public this devastating financial news, and to get direction from Council to pay for it by issuing $100 million in commercial paper, as staff already has the authority to do. On Tuesday, Council will be asked to increase that amount from $100 million to $300 million.

I am devastated beyond words by these dollar amounts, and am angry about the situation Denton and other Texas cities are in right now. My questions and concerns, like so many of yours, were primarily about what the city can do to prevent ratepayers and taxpayers from holding the bill for this.  The city has to pay this bill for now, but in the months ahead, I'm determined to do everything in my power to try to prevent you, the ratepayers and taxpayers, so many of whom are already struggling to pay your bills, for paying for something that is not your fault. I was told that rates, taxes, and bills were not on posting for today's discussion, and was also assured that those questions will be taken up later. I feel very strongly that it's essential to start planning creative damage control solutions NOW.  I don't want you to be on the hook for this in the months and years ahead, and I don't want residents' power shut off in the future because they can't pay their bills (I have always opposed and tried to ban residential shutoffs, but I oppose them now more than ever, under COVID, and after this latest statewide disaster) .  I can't promise what the result will be, but I promise I will fight for that if I have to. Hopefully, Council will agree to do whatever it takes to rebudget to avoid raising your taxes, rates, and reducing essential city services at this unprecedented time.  I already see room in certain areas in our budget to pay for this unprecedented 4-day DME debt without making you pay for it.

So much, for now is uncertain and unknown, but what we know is disturbing and requires planning. Please let me know any and all questions you have, and I will try to get answers. For now, rest assured that rates are not scheduled to change in the weeks and few months ahead. Every year at budget season in the Fall, Council votes on DME rates (to either keep rates the same, to raise them, or to lower them) and staff makes a recommendation on which way to go and explains why. There can never be an automatic change in rates without a majority vote from Council, and that traditionally doesn't happen until the Fall when Council votes on the annual budget. There's no plan I've been informed of for Council to even consider raising rates in the upcoming weeks and few months. But I consider it essential that we get ahead of this issue long before the 2021 budget discussions. It's at the forefront of my mind, and I know it is on yours.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

[Dahobbs 18,183]

7 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

yes, it is their goddamn job. Why is shocking to you that we expect professionals with access to near unlimited resources to be better prepared than joe schmoe? What is wrong with you? My job is to handle my clients cases. I don't get to blame them when I'm not prepared.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Dahobbs

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

5 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

Yes, we do expect the government to be more competent than the average individual. And if you have been voting for people who desire broken government (like all Republicans), then you are getting what you voted for. Its really quite simple. You wouldn't hire a PETA member to run a slaughterhouse. Quit hiring anti-government people to run government. 

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

6 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

Wait, what?  I've been AWOL on the bickering the last 24 hours, but are you seriously putting blame on the homeowner?  

They  pay for electricity, gas, and water.  They expect electricity, gas, and water.  If you think the Average Joe is sophisticated enough to understand when static supply will dip because of reduced generation or excess demand, then you are a fucking idiot.  What are you saying here?  Apologies in advance if you hooked me because I missed some of the conversation.

[crash_davis 23,465]

6 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

Pointing the finger at the wrong people.

Most all of this shit was unavoidable. Most of the entire US dealt with the same storm.Why was Texas the special shit show? All of this shit could have been avoided had assholes done the maintenance and prep required. If we didn't have massive power losses, many people wouldn't have burst pipes and now water shortages.

[Foosters 18,223]

12 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

The point is that the folks who are working for the energy companies are the same individuals who's pipes froze, same as you. I'm not making excuses, I'm simply saying we shouldn't be trying to crucify a bunch of folks for not being smarter than we were. Yeah, we can learn from this and make things better. But we can also throw 100 billion dollars at it and still see significant outages. Some times we just need to chalk stuff up to "shit happens, and how can we not make it happen again" instead of trying to figure out who to disfigure. 

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't think people are out to destroy the average worker in the O&G business. But people do want to see significant consequences for those that allowed this to happen, through either neglect, ignorance, or greed. It doesn't matter if it was "intentional" or not. This is how leadership works. You get to be in charge of shit. In return, you will get compensated more than others and it comes with varying degrees of prestige. However, you are responsible for what happens. That's not cancel culture, or heretofore unseen vindictiveness. That's just politics.

Did Chamberlain intend for Hitler to sweep across Europe? No, he was a good man who chose poorly and his legacy was forever destroyed. Rightly so.

Did Hoover cause the great depression and its lasting effects? In short, no. But he got the blame and took the fall.

Was Jimmy Carter solely responsible for energy crises of the 70s and the floundering economy? No, but he got the blame and the boot. He's been a running joke for 40 years.

Obviously these examples are not meant to be analogous to the current situation, only informative. I'm simply tired of "leaders" crying foul over being held accountable. We are seeing it everywhere these days at all levels and from both parties. People who have fancy titles and nice paychecks just totally paralyzed in the fact of covid, or protests, or homelessness, or climate change, or you name it. They have no ability or even the desire to lead. Usually, they took the job in the before-times when things were running relatively smoothly, and all they had to do was shake hands and take pics with constituents. Now that shit has hit the fan in every direction, they are nowhere to be found.

TLDR: People in power face the metaphorical firing squad when shit goes bad. Always have, always will.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

1 minute ago, crash_davis said:

Pointing the finger at the wrong people.

Most all of this shit was unavoidable. Most of the entire US dealt with the same storm.Why was Texas the special shit show? All of this shit could have been avoided had assholes done the maintenance and prep required. If we didn't have massive power losses, many people wouldn't have burst pipes and now water shortages.

But he works in operations. Which I guess brings up another question. Why is it not all hands on deck right now?  Im sure some people are employed to maintain a defensive posture on social media, but I don't think he is one of them.  

[TwiceHorn 31,984]

34 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

The point is that the folks who are working for the energy companies are the same individuals who's pipes froze, same as you. I'm not making excuses, I'm simply saying we shouldn't be trying to crucify a bunch of folks for not being smarter than we were. Yeah, we can learn from this and make things better. But we can also throw 100 billion dollars at it and still see significant outages. Some times we just need to chalk stuff up to "shit happens, and how can we not make it happen again" instead of trying to figure out who to disfigure. 

Nobody is trying to crucify plant workers.

It's management that should be crucified and their government counterparts.

[David Dennison 19,440]

Maybe let's winterize our shit, huh fellas?

Jesus titty fucking Christ.

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

Just now, David Dennison said:

Maybe let's winterize our shit, huh fellas?

Jesus titty fucking Christ.

Well, that's the problem.  It will not get fixed soon, because Texas Republicans.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

6 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Wait, what?  I've been AWOL on the bickering the last 24 hours, but are you seriously putting blame on the homeowner?  

They  pay for electricity, gas, and water.  They expect electricity, gas, and water.  If you think the Average Joe is sophisticated enough to understand when static supply will dip because of reduced generation or excess demand, then you are a fucking idiot.  What are you saying here?  Apologies in advance if you hooked me because I missed some of the conversation.

I'm just saying thise same homeowners are also the folks trying to keep your power running. Folks here think our best minds should be on this job and we should pay them with rainbows and sunshine. 

[wildcat09 29,556]

18 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

This is so dumb it deserves negrep.

[Foosters 18,223]

14 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

So let's put this the way y'all seem to like. Half or two thirds of the state was too dumb to properly prepare for this storm. Including most of the people reading this. Yet we expect the government to be more competent than a collection of degenerate lawyers? What exactly are y'all smoking, and why aren't you sharing?

This kinda sums up the last 20 years of politics.

Was our national security held to the same standard as the individual workers in the twin towers on 9/11? Well, Dave with Cantor Fitzgerald had no inkling that the Taliban was going to be flying planes into the buildings on 9/11, so how could we possibly expect our Security agencies to be prepared.

[David Dennison 19,440]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Well, that's the problem.  It will not get fixed soon, because Texas Republicans.

Then we'll continue to be a third world country.

[Horn80 6,313]

Just curious but where is Dan Patrick given that he always rush to TV cameras like a fly to a ripe trash can in August?

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

2 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I'm just saying thise same homeowners are also the folks trying to keep your power running. Folks here think our best minds should be on this job and we should pay them with rainbows and sunshine. 

What the fuck?  This is a project management problem at the highest level.  I seriously doubt 100 people are involved in the consequence.  Texas sold out to for-profit power generators and we are paying the price.

What the fuck are you trying to say?

[Dahobbs 18,183]

5 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I'm just saying thise same homeowners are also the folks trying to keep your power running. Folks here think our best minds should be on this job and we should pay them with rainbows and sunshine. 

wtf are you talking about? Most of this thread has been about why we should pay more for energy so that shit like this can be planned and paid for.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Dahobbs

[The Ace of Aces 5,366]

28 minutes ago, BearSchlong said:

Had lunch today with a retired Entergy exec. He said they have transmission capacity from the east coast, could even get power to TX from 3 mile Island if necessary.

Three Mile Island has been closed for a few years, someone should tell him.

Edited February 19, 2021 by The Ace of Aces

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

What the fuck?  This is a project management problem at the highest level.  I seriously doubt 100 people are involved in the consequence.  Texas sold out to for-profit power generators and we are paying the price.

What the fuck are you trying to say?

Let me be more clear:  nobody is blaming Joe Blow who is out trying to get power turned on.  Your inability to divorce those blue collar guys doing the shit from the white collar and political types who created the shit is infuriating.  Fuck off.

[David Dennison 19,440]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Nobody is trying to crucify plant workers.

It's management that should be crucified and their government counterparts.

This is the failure of Republican governance. That failure is a feature, not a bug. They all need to go.

[MoJames 8,258]

16 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

yes, it is their goddamn job. Why is shocking to you that we expect professionals with access to near unlimited resources to be better prepared than joe schmoe? What is wrong with you? My job is to handle my clients cases. I don't get to blame them when I'm not prepared.

 

16 minutes ago, FondrenRoad said:

Yes, we do expect the government to be more competent than the average individual. And if you have been voting for people who desire broken government (like all Republicans), then you are getting what you voted for. Its really quite simple. You wouldn't hire a PETA member to run a slaughterhouse. Quit hiring anti-government people to run government. 

 

15 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Wait, what?  I've been AWOL on the bickering the last 24 hours, but are you seriously putting blame on the homeowner?  

They  pay for electricity, gas, and water.  They expect electricity, gas, and water.  If you think the Average Joe is sophisticated enough to understand when static supply will dip because of reduced generation or excess demand, then you are a fucking idiot.  What are you saying here?  Apologies in advance if you hooked me because I missed some of the conversation.

 

14 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Pointing the finger at the wrong people.

Most all of this shit was unavoidable. Most of the entire US dealt with the same storm.Why was Texas the special shit show? All of this shit could have been avoided had assholes done the maintenance and prep required. If we didn't have massive power losses, many people wouldn't have burst pipes and now water shortages.

 

5 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

This is so dumb it deserves negrep.

 

5 minutes ago, Foosters said:

This kinda sums up the last 20 years of politics.

Was our national security held to the same standard as the individual workers in the twin towers on 9/11? Well, Dave with Cantor Fitzgerald had no inkling that the Taliban was going to be flying planes into the buildings on 9/11, so how could we possibly expect our Security agencies to be prepared.

[hayden_horn 11,401]

7 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I'm just saying thise same homeowners are also the folks trying to keep your power running. Folks here think our best minds should be on this job and we should pay them with rainbows and sunshine. 

man, you keep doubling down on fucking terrible takes. it's kind of astonishing. 

[wildcat09 29,556]

I'm about to the point where I start seriously advocating that we just round up everyone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society, put them on a big fucking barge, and we shove it out into the ocean. I'll fucking run for Congress on this plan.  Let them live out their dumb fucking Randian utopian fairytale where they don't routinely get a bunch of the rest of us killed.

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

2 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

I'm about to the point where I start seriously advocating that we just round up everyone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society, put them on a big fucking barge, and we shove it out into the ocean. I'll fucking run for Congress on this plan.  Let them live out their dumb fucking Randian utopian fairytale where they don't routinely get a bunch of the rest of us killed.

I don't disagree, but I think it's more important that we ask ourselves "how do we get the word out"?

The irony that the word needs to be put out is not lost on me.

[David Dennison 19,440]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

I don't disagree, but I think it's more important that we ask ourselves "how do we get the word out"?

The irony that the word needs to be put out is not lost on me.

The word is out. America is just that racist. We have shitty government because an entire party wants nothing to do with lifting a finger to help minorities in general, black people in particular.

It's really that simple.

[Neonmoon 38,130]

7 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

I'm about to the point where I start seriously advocating that we just round up everyone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society, put them on a big fucking barge, and we shove it out into the ocean. I'll fucking run for Congress on this plan.  Let them live out their dumb fucking Randian utopian fairytale where they don't routinely get a bunch of the rest of us killed.

[Pato del Muerto 53,329]

40 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Content for those that don't FB:

 

UPDATE ON THIS MORNING'S EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEETING: The financial effects of this crisis on Denton have been dire because of the 10,000% increase in power purchasing prices DME has to pay ERCOT to keep people alive with even partial power running to their homes for just 4 days. For just 4 days, DME is on the hook to ERCOT for $207 million dollars in power purchasing.  As the information below indicates, that is more than twice (and almost three times) the amount DME usually spends on power purchasing per YEAR. It's the result of energy prices in Texas spiking 10,000%, from $23.73 per megawatt hour (MWh) to $2,400.
Today's emergency Council meeting was for staff to reveal to both Council and the public this devastating financial news, and to get direction from Council to pay for it by issuing $100 million in commercial paper, as staff already has the authority to do. On Tuesday, Council will be asked to increase that amount from $100 million to $300 million.

I am devastated beyond words by these dollar amounts, and am angry about the situation Denton and other Texas cities are in right now. My questions and concerns, like so many of yours, were primarily about what the city can do to prevent ratepayers and taxpayers from holding the bill for this.  The city has to pay this bill for now, but in the months ahead, I'm determined to do everything in my power to try to prevent you, the ratepayers and taxpayers, so many of whom are already struggling to pay your bills, for paying for something that is not your fault. I was told that rates, taxes, and bills were not on posting for today's discussion, and was also assured that those questions will be taken up later. I feel very strongly that it's essential to start planning creative damage control solutions NOW.  I don't want you to be on the hook for this in the months and years ahead, and I don't want residents' power shut off in the future because they can't pay their bills (I have always opposed and tried to ban residential shutoffs, but I oppose them now more than ever, under COVID, and after this latest statewide disaster) .  I can't promise what the result will be, but I promise I will fight for that if I have to. Hopefully, Council will agree to do whatever it takes to rebudget to avoid raising your taxes, rates, and reducing essential city services at this unprecedented time.  I already see room in certain areas in our budget to pay for this unprecedented 4-day DME debt without making you pay for it.

So much, for now is uncertain and unknown, but what we know is disturbing and requires planning. Please let me know any and all questions you have, and I will try to get answers. For now, rest assured that rates are not scheduled to change in the weeks and few months ahead. Every year at budget season in the Fall, Council votes on DME rates (to either keep rates the same, to raise them, or to lower them) and staff makes a recommendation on which way to go and explains why. There can never be an automatic change in rates without a majority vote from Council, and that traditionally doesn't happen until the Fall when Council votes on the annual budget. There's no plan I've been informed of for Council to even consider raising rates in the upcoming weeks and few months. But I consider it essential that we get ahead of this issue long before the 2021 budget discussions. It's at the forefront of my mind, and I know it is on yours.

So is this just another case of an entity signed up for wholesale pricing to save money, and got bit?  Just happens this customer is a municipality so the usage is huge?

or will this repeat with many or most municipalities?

[Goredho 17,627]

6 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

I'm about to the point where I start seriously advocating that we just round up everyone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society, put them on a big fucking barge, and we shove it out into the ocean. I'll fucking run for Congress on this plan.  Let them live out their dumb fucking Randian utopian fairytale where they don't routinely get a bunch of the rest of us killed.

Funny you say that.  I have about one serious pure capitalist conservative friend left, and I had to bust his balls a bit.  Sent him a text asking him if he had survived the winter storm market correction, he responded "fuck you."  Then I sent him the link to the Denton city council meeting where they are facing electric bills for the last 4 days in excess of 3 times what they usually pay in a year and asked if he felt like there needed to be municipal bailouts, or if that was dirty socialism.  He sent me a link to https://www.seasteading.org/about/ and told me he's moving onto one as soon as his youngest graduates (age 16).

So there you go, someone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society who is going to willingly jump onto a big fucking barge to be shoved out into the ocean.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

22 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

What the fuck?  This is a project management problem at the highest level.  I seriously doubt 100 people are involved in the consequence.  Texas sold out to for-profit power generators and we are paying the price.

What the fuck are you trying to say?

Actually, I think this kind of gets to the crux of the issue. As long as people think this is a project management issue nothing will happen. 

[Goredho 17,627]

6 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

So is this just another case of an entity signed up for wholesale pricing to save money, and got bit?  Just happens this customer is a municipality so the usage is huge?

or will this repeat with many or most municipalities?

I have no clue.  I hope it's limited only to municipalities that signed up for wholesale pricing and that not many did.  Otherwise, you are looking at the need for widespread municipal bailouts within Texas.

[jimmyjazz 46,966]

2 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Actually, I think this kind of gets to the crux of the issue. As long as people think this is a project management issue nothing will happen. 

So you think the problem lies outside of the bounds of management?  Who exactly is at fault, then?

[Pato del Muerto 53,329]

1 minute ago, Goredho said:

I have no clue.  I hope it's limited only to municipalities that signed up for wholesale pricing and that not many did.  Otherwise, you are looking at the need for widespread municipal bailouts within Texas.

And if you bail out municipalities and corporate customers, you sure as shit better bail out the residential customers as well. Let’s watch. 

[Foosters 18,223]

11 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Funny you say that.  I have about one serious pure capitalist conservative friend left, and I had to bust his balls a bit.  Sent him a text asking him if he had survived the winter storm market correction, he responded "fuck you."  Then I sent him the link to the Denton city council meeting where they are facing electric bills for the last 4 days in excess of 3 times what they usually pay in a year and asked if he felt like there needed to be municipal bailouts, or if that was dirty socialism.  He sent me a link to https://www.seasteading.org/about/ and told me he's moving onto one as soon as his youngest graduates (age 16).

So there you go, someone who doesn't want to acknowledge that we live in a society who is going to willingly jump onto a big fucking barge to be shoved out into the ocean.

Peter Thiel was a big backer of the seasteading movement, iirc. Its like they watched Waterworld right after they plowed through another reading of their dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged, and thought, "hey, I've got an idea..."

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4,998]

3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

So you think the problem lies outside of the bounds of management?  Who exactly is at fault, then?

I'm more saying the whole management culture is at fault. Everybody is quick to throw blame around and say we should fix this, but we are stuck in the same rut that got us here. We can throw as much mo et as we want at it, but we will always have these issues because the have a management class that doesn't actually know that much about how to make things run. Instead of sending people to get their six sigma certifications, we need to send them down to the trenches. Once they see how things actually work and the reasons they don't they can actually make management decisions that will be effective.

[Goredho 17,627]

2 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Peter Thiel was a big backer of the seasteading movement, iirc. Its like they watched Waterworld right after they plowed through another reading of their dog-eared copy of Atlas Shrugged, and thought, "hey, I've got an idea..."

Yeah, I don't know shit about seasteading, except that it really appeals to this friend who's pure market-economy ideology keeps getting threatened by world events.  Are there real, functional seasteads out there in the ocean somewhere?  Or are they just a theoretical concept backed only by 3d models and marketing videos?

[Foosters 18,223]

2 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Yeah, I don't know shit about seasteading, except that it really appeals to this friend who's pure market-economy ideology keeps getting threatened by world events.  Are there real, functional seasteads out there in the ocean somewhere?  Or are they just a theoretical concept backed only by 3d models and marketing videos?

This longform article from years ago is my only real exposure to the movement. 

https://nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/seasteading/

[wildcat09 29,556]

6 minutes ago, Goredho said:

Yeah, I don't know shit about seasteading, except that it really appeals to this friend who's pure market-economy ideology keeps getting threatened by world events.  Are there real, functional seasteads out there in the ocean somewhere?  Or are they just a theoretical concept backed only by 3d models and marketing videos?

Any attempt at it would devolve into a Bioshock game within weeks.

[Homercles 10,206]

Maybe I missed it but one thing I would have really liked to have seen from these agencies we fund is practical advice for homeowners, apartment dwellers and commercial operations...I’ve had to scour Facebook, surly, Reddit, etc for hours to find the best ways to prepare my house for extended cold / ice.  
 

Before I label any homeowners as dumb or ill prepared, were there any entities out there trying to actively give any practical details on things like ‘consider shutting off you water line and drain if you lose power...here’s how’ or ‘foam covers are not enough to prevent freezes...here are extra steps you should take’.  It’s obvious we knew this was coming for two weeks, yet the best info I got was from a plumber on Facebook.  When you let people fend for themselves the law of averages takes over and you get some that survive ok and some that get steamrolled.  You can’t point the finger at those who didn’t know.  
 

Example is the only reason I knew to fill my bathtubs for water was living off base in Turkey for three years where outages happened regularly.  When we moved to Incirlik USAFE gave us a packet with practical ways to prepare for living in the village.   Many friends mocked me this week as alarmist until they started thawing snow to flush their toilets.  

Edited February 19, 2021 by Homercles

[Goredho 17,627]

8 minutes ago, Foosters said:

This longform article from years ago is my only real exposure to the movement. 

https://nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/seasteading/

Reading that, I think I can deduce that the last functional seastead was the Trump boat rally that sank in Lake Travis.

[MoJames 8,258]

4 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

You said one virus is more prone to mutation than another. I question whether you know what you’re talking about, especially when the virus you say is less prone to mutation is barely more than a year old and has already undergone at least two mutations that provided it with a competitive advantage. We don’t know how many neutral or negative mutations have occurred. Genes mutate. That’s unavoidable. The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is too new to make any firm predictions about immunity, the effectiveness of vaccines, or what mutations may be still to come.

Check the COVID Vaccine thread for my response.

[ndawg 1,242]

25 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I'm more saying the whole management culture is at fault. Everybody is quick to throw blame around and say we should fix this, but we are stuck in the same rut that got us here. We can throw as much mo et as we want at it, but we will always have these issues because the have a management class that doesn't actually know that much about how to make things run. Instead of sending people to get their six sigma certifications, we need to send them down to the trenches. Once they see how things actually work and the reasons they don't they can actually make management decisions that will be effective.

What is your basis for concluding that the issues were caused by a lack of front line experience among the management ranks?

[Captainant 28,381]

23 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Any attempt at it would devolve into a Bioshock game within weeks.

which to be fair, is exactly what happens in the bioshock games lol. Ayn Rand and all

[Pato del Muerto 53,329]

1 minute ago, ndawg said:

What is your basis for concluding that the issues were caused by a lack of front line experience among the management ranks?

With as many midwesterners that have moved to Texas over the last 20 years, you’d think enough would be in the energy sector that some knowledge was available. Linemen up to plant managers and engineers. 

[Nivek 17,330]

37 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

I'm more saying the whole management culture is at fault. Everybody is quick to throw blame around and say we should fix this, but we are stuck in the same rut that got us here. We can throw as much mo et as we want at it, but we will always have these issues because the have a management class that doesn't actually know that much about how to make things run. Instead of sending people to get their six sigma certifications, we need to send them down to the trenches. Once they see how things actually work and the reasons they don't they can actually make management decisions that will be effective.

The word exists.  Oligarchy.  

[ndawg 1,242]

7 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

With as many midwesterners that have moved to Texas over the last 20 years, you’d think enough would be in the energy sector that some knowledge was available. Linemen up to plant managers and engineers. 

The puzzling thing to me is that if you take away management methodologies like six sigma, you don't go back to some magical time when American managers were dynamic, creative leaders who started in the mailroom and never lost touch with the work as they climbed the corporate ladder. You're actually just back at Sloan style modern management, which essentially prioritizes... you guessed it... trimming excess capacity and cost cutting above all else.

Edited February 19, 2021 by ndawg

[BearSchlong 8,229]

Three Mile Island has been closed for a few years, someone should tell him.

He was using hyperbole to prove a point. That Texas generation shortfall could have been offset by surplus in other states.

[The Ace of Aces 5,366]

4 minutes ago, BearSchlong said:

1 hour ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Three Mile Island has been closed for a few years, someone should tell him.

He was using hyperbole to prove a point. That Texas generation shortfall could have been offset by surplus in other states.

Oh, ya, I was being a smartass (sorry). TMI closing was a huge thing here.