Please allow me to interject my feelings about Mother Nature

Texas: The Grifting State.

The last standing member of Texas’s Public Utility Commission handed in his resignation on Tuesday following a report that he assured out-of-state investors who made big profits from last month’s blackouts that he was working to make sure they could keep their money.

Texas Monthly obtained a recording of a March 9 call between Arthur D’Andrea, the only member of the state PUC who had not yet resigned following the February crisis, and out-of-state energy investors. (The call, naturally, was hosted by Bank of America Securities and was not open to the public or press.) The blackouts caused dozens of deaths, power outages for millions across the state, and an enormous financial hole that means consumers will be facing inflated bills for years to come.

D’Andrea was part of the state body appointed by the governor that is supposed to regulate the state’s grid operator. Theoretically, he’s supposed to be part of a nonpartisan body that makes sure that consumers pay fair prices for energy. But during the call, D’Andrea took pains to make sure that out-of-state investors could feel safe that they’d keep the money they earned during this time.

“I apologize for the uncertainty,” D’Andrea told investors on the call.
…
His presence on this call carried extra weight; two of his fellow commissioners have resigned in recent weeks following the crisis. D’Andrea was only appointed chair of the PUC in March.

“I went from being on a very hot seat to having one of the safest jobs in Texas,” D’Andrea said to the investors. “I think it’s just going to be me for a while.”

Awhile, it turned out, was a week. Following the Texas Monthly report, D’Andrea handed in his resignation on Tuesday evening. Seems like big banks may have to find another utility champion to pull the energy strings for them in Texas.​

Texas Utility Chair Resigns After Leaked Call Pledging to Help Banks

 

This is maybe forty minutes south of Birmingham. Big sumbitch.

 

I was just writing on here to hope you're safe, NC and Mrs. NC. Supercell down south of Birmingham right now, moving northeast. We're starting to get thunder here.

 

We have not been swept away to Oz. Yet.

We're house/cat sitting for a friend in Lincoln, east of B'ham. The big one that hit several suburbs of the 'ham hit Pell City and then went through the Lincoln area on the other side of the interstate four or five miles from here.

It's an active weather day and will be for another six hours or so.

Safe so far, knock wood.

 

When they start calling for frogs, you're fucked.

 

Jeffy's silver lining in a black cloud: Saw something that said Amazon closed its Bessemer facility, today also happens to be the last day employees can vote to unionize.

 

Nootch and everyone else in the path of weather, please hunker down and stay safe.

 

If I hunker any further I'll have to dig a burrow.

 

Had a squall run through the upper-left-hand corner of South Carolina a couple of hours ago, and all is quiet now. Too quiet. We're expecting another round in about three hours.

 

Red in this post is NASCAR legend Red Farmer.

 

Second one went about 4-5 miles south of me. First one about 8-10 miles north.