As Texas freezes in the dark, Ted Cruz takes his family to Cancun

[KarlMarx]

Wind power turbines a.k.a Condor Cuisinarts because they are known to kill birds, including endangered species.

There is a technology that no one seems to know about and holds much promise, one that is carbon neutral, can generates megawatts of electricity, and is relatively safe.....

Thorium nuclear technology

Thorium is a slightly radioactive element that is 10 times more abundant that Uranium. Furthermore, it is much more difficult to create nuclear weapons with Thorium than with Uranium or Plutonium.

The nuclear reactor technology is such that, if something should go wrong, the nuclear reaction just stops.

The technology is still in its infancy but it does hold promise.

[Gunny]

The freeways were closed due to ice and snow, so Cruz got transportation assistance from the Houston Police Department. Even the GOP governor of Texas remained in Austin, in temporary quarters due to busted pipes. Cruz knows that, like Trump, he is bullet proof and can do whatever he wants without consequences. --------------> https://www.dallasnews.com/news/poli...without-power/

Typical, leftwingnut "educated" shit-stirring. What does Ted Cruz have to do with the weather? What exact role does Ted Cruz play in State and local business? What roled does Ted Cruz play in emergency relief, the National Guard? None. Who cares if he's here? Besides lefwingnuts sensationalists out to slander any Republican with balls at each and every breath he draws?

Sen Ted Cruz represents the State of Texas to the politburo in DC. Other than reputation, he has no official standing here. But then, it's the reputation the left is after, not anything tangible. The OP in this thread is evidence of that.

[gabosaurus]

Perhaps none of you realize what forms the root of this issue. It is hypocrisy. No one is faulting Ted Cruz for wanting to take a vacation, even an ill-timed one. It is the fact that Cruz had harshly criticized California for being unable to solve its own energy crisis a while back, leading to blackouts. Earlier in the pandemic, Cruz attacked the mayor of Austin for taking a trip while his city was shut down. This is what made Cruz look bad for fleeing to Mexico while his constituents froze in the dark. ---------->https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...g-15957325.php

[Gunny]

That's weird... I read that it was because the wind turbines iced up and failed - that's a huge problem up here.

It's both, but the natural gas story pops up in the MSM every time. There are a lot of reasons. What you said is correct: They got sold on these windmills and they failed. Add to that, lefties fleeing their dead, blue states and bringing their bad habits with them overcrowding our cities and putting too much burden on the infrastructure.

I will add that pre-windmill/locust days, we had no failures of this magnitude. This one's been the worst in awhile, but we get hit about every 10-15 years with a storm like this. In perspective, when I lived in DC, KS and IL, this storm might have closed the schools early one day. That would be the second biggest problem I an think of.

We aren't prepared for this from the personal level up. This is mostly info and to stuff a rag in Gabby's mouth who is more worried about what our Senator is doing than any of us are. I can tell you right now from living there as well, this storm would have had all those So Californians crying their privileged, socialist ass off. They are no more prepared to deal with it than we are.

Like I said, about every 10-15 years. Nobody's going to prepare for that. That's a lot of eyesore, taking up space equipment and time and effort for maintenance for 5 days every 13 years (I remember the last one 13 years ago). The people that had stuff mostly busted out their hurricane gear.

We spend 9-10 months a year trying to beat the heat. I'm up at PT at 0500 so I can be done and back in the AC by the time it hits 95-100. Staying out of the heat here is an occupation. And we've got all the crap for it. Last week I was in shorts and sandals sitting in the sun. Looks like I will be next week as well. "Winter" here is average 50s-60s at night and 50s-70s during the day. I tossed my snow boots about 3 years ago for taking up space.

So as much as anything else, this is as much a Mother Nature happens thing as anything else. Complacency at all levels. And yes, another failed, green experiment the left will turn themselves inside out to lie and cover up and try to put lipstick on just made it worse.

Best they can do? Keep tabs on Ted Cruz. Losers

.

[NightTrain]

I suspect that the Natural Gas discussion is a red herring. Push a narrative that the evil petroleum industry is at least partially to blame.

What I do know from personal experience is that wind turbines fail when they ice up, and it's not for the reason most people think. Yes, they are much less efficient when coated with ice, but the real problem is because it unbalances the blades. Ice is never evenly distributed on those blades. So the end result is that they will literally rip themselves apart, self destructing because of the massive imbalance. Most of them have a sensor that detects this and it shunts - locking it until someone can get out there or keep it inoperable until it melts when it warms up.

The State of Alaska has an experimental WindGen project on Shuyak Island off Kodiak. Every year they install $100k worth of windmill, and every October the first good storm off the Gulf destroys it and deposits the pieces in the valley below. Flying over it in a helicopter, it looks like some kind of windmill graveyard down below.

They solved this icing problem on Kodiak. There's a bunch of monster wind turbines (100' blades) on Pillar Mountain above Kodiak, and an international effort was made by a lot of northern countries - because if you can make them work in Kodiak, they'll work anywhere because it's out in the Gulf of Alaska and the storms are second to none. Icing is the standard, not the exception.

They figured it out by installing heating elements into the blades, and when an imbalance is detected (which would be from icing), those elements are energized and the blades shed the ice load. It works great.

Understandably, Texas would not be interested in that expense because of the infrequent nature of that particular problem. I get it. But relying on those WindGens with no Plan B in place is the height of stupidity. And you know it was brought up more than a few times - the people running that infrastructure are guilty of reckless incompetence of the highest order.

[NightTrain]

Perhaps none of you realize what forms the root of this issue. It is hypocrisy. No one is faulting Ted Cruz for wanting to take a vacation, even an ill-timed one. It is the fact that Cruz had harshly criticized California for being unable to solve its own energy crisis a while back, leading to blackouts. Earlier in the pandemic, Cruz attacked the mayor of Austin for taking a trip while his city was shut down. This is what made Cruz look bad for fleeing to Mexico while his constituents froze in the dark. ---------->https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...g-15957325.php

If you intelligently paid attention at least 10% of the time, you'd see why Cruz was 100% correct in criticizing that Mayor. It's the Mayor's job to manage problems like this.

It is not, however, a US Senator's arena. Nor does a US Senator have any tools to assist.

See the difference now? I can dumb it down further if you need.

[icansayit]

If you intelligently paid attention at least 10% of the time, you'd see why Cruz was 100% correct in criticizing that Mayor. It's the Mayor's job to manage problems like this.

It is not, however, a US Senator's arena. Nor does a US Senator have any tools to assist.

See the difference now? I can dumb it down further if you need.

Couldn't have said it any better than you did.
I was just surprised gabby didn't follow the DNC/JOKER/HYPOCRITE lead and Blame Trump for Cruz having the Wherewithall to take his family out of Harms Way.
But then. You can lead a LIBERAL to the Truth. But you will never make them BELIEVE IT!

[jimnyc]

And while hair salons were shut down in California, Queen Pelosi was getting her hair done. She claimed the salon set her up, the resulting stir over the matter caused the salon owner to close her doors permanently

And while mask mandates and social distancing mandates were in effect your governor was caught rubbing elbows and not wearing a mask at a dinner with some lobbyists

There was an endless list of democrats who were playing God with their mandates and rules and demands - only to get busted shortly later disregarding and doing whatever the hell they want. How many lefties did you count who came to complain in any way whatsoever about their actions? Perhaps chiming into the threads that I an others started over time about all of them? -- Hell, extend that to coming and complaining/condemning/chiming in or whatever about a democrats being wrong and should be held further accountable for whatever their actions were?

Now look up the righties here on the board, and how many condemned actions of folks on the right when it was deserved? Seen it happen to or about GWB at times, Romney even when he ran for president, Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Graham, McConnell, Paul, Murkowski... just a few off the top of my head. At least pointed out and discussed whatever situation and some may agree or some disagree. Point is, most are fair enough to simply point out and condemn wrongdoing when they see it.

And yup, Newsom is awesome, at closing others businesses while his remains open to kill the competition, and yes of course also ignoring his own talk of masks.

[Gunny]

I suspect that the Natural Gas discussion is a red herring. Push a narrative that the evil petroleum industry is at least partially to blame.

What I do know from personal experience is that wind turbines fail when they ice up, and it's not for the reason most people think. Yes, they are much less efficient when coated with ice, but the real problem is because it unbalances the blades. Ice is never evenly distributed on those blades. So the end result is that they will literally rip themselves apart, self destructing because of the massive imbalance. Most of them have a sensor that detects this and it shunts - locking it until someone can get out there or keep it inoperable until it melts when it warms up.

The State of Alaska has an experimental WindGen project on Shuyak Island off Kodiak. Every year they install $100k worth of windmill, and every October the first good storm off the Gulf destroys it and deposits the pieces in the valley below. Flying over it in a helicopter, it looks like some kind of windmill graveyard down below.

They solved this icing problem on Kodiak. There's a bunch of monster wind turbines (100' blades) on Pillar Mountain above Kodiak, and an international effort was made by a lot of northern countries - because if you can make them work in Kodiak, they'll work anywhere because it's out in the Gulf of Alaska and the storms are second to none. Icing is the standard, not the exception.

They figured it out by installing heating elements into the blades, and when an imbalance is detected (which would be from icing), those elements are energized and the blades shed the ice load. It works great.

Understandably, Texas would not be interested in that expense because of the infrequent nature of that particular problem. I get it. But relying on those WindGens with no Plan B in place is the height of stupidity. And you know it was brought up more than a few times - the people running that infrastructure are guilty of reckless incompetence of the highest order.

The natural gas argument IS a red herring.

I did not put two and to together and think about the technical reason for the windmills failing. I wasn't thinking prop-driven airplanes which used to have the same problem way back when. Makes perfect sense.

Another part of the problem is we don't get to keep/store our own energy which is why I've been high and to the right about these eyesores blotting our landscape from the beginning. Moot issue at this point as the windmills failed, but still an issue with me. I guess the 10th Amendment everyone likes to sling around carelessly doesn't apply to our oil and/or power.

If we ever have a serious discussion about secession, I'll be in attendance.

[NightTrain]

I gotta say I was surprised they hadn't included back up fuel. Sure TX. like AZ has plenty of wind. Sun, and open spaces. No state or country has the battery capacity to store excess, but for moments. Not available yet or maybe ever

Good point, and that brings up another huge fail of current technology to implement this headlong rush to green energy.

Batteries. The very large and unwelcome elephant in the room.

I install telecom grade batteries fairly frequently. These are the best that you can buy, weigh 330# each, and fill very large rooms with hundreds of them, and the cost is staggering - and that's before you pay a guy like me and my crew to wreck out the old ones, install the new ones, and ship those old ones back to the East Coast to the original manufacturer - this would serve about 100k people's internet and phone service for 8 hours as required by federal law. Keep in mind, this ONLY drives internet and dial tone. Nothing else. A fraction of actual power needs.

Here's what you never hear about these extremely expensive industrial grade batteries: they have a service life of less than 10 years. Think about that on a national scale.

As it stands now, we aren't anywhere close to being able able to field battery systems to prop things up until the sun comes back up and the wind starts blowing again. Elon Musk has some intriguing battery tech in the works, but to carry the load in a moderately sized city? No. Not even close.

[gabosaurus]

If you intelligently paid attention at least 10% of the time, you'd see why Cruz was 100% correct in criticizing that Mayor. It's the Mayor's job to manage problems like this. It is not, however, a US Senator's arena. Nor does a US Senator have any tools to assist. See the difference now? I can dumb it down further if you need.

You miss my point. I was criticizing the hypocrisy of Cruz doing what he castigated others for doing. As an elected official, Cruz should be a representative of his constituency. Understand now? I can try to dumb it down further, ... nah, doubt I can get that low.

[Mr. P]

You miss my point. I was criticizing the hypocrisy of Cruz doing what he castigated others for doing. As an elected official, Cruz should be a representative of his constituency. Understand now? I can try to dumb it down further, ... nah, doubt I can get that low.

I don't see any hypocrisy on Cruz's part. My view/opinion is that any politician with National aspirations must

publicly comment/opine on events that occur throughout the Nation.

It's simply just the way it is.

[Gunny]

You miss my point. I was criticizing the hypocrisy of Cruz doing what he castigated others for doing. As an elected official, Cruz should be a representative of his constituency. Understand now? I can try to dumb it down further, ... nah, doubt I can get that low.

Nobody missed the point, Gabby. You just missed the context.

A city mayor leaving his city during a lockdown is pretty much abandoning one's post under fire.

A representative to the Federal Mob has no responsibility within the State, nor any authority. His job is in DC, not here. He lives here and is a citizen of the State of Texas. Any citizen with no official responsibility during a crisis that left for the duration has my blessing. Doesn't matter whether or not he and/or his family is here, and during an emergency, that's one less family to have to worry about and share with.

Face it, you just shot off your mouth without thinking and got busted for it.

[icansayit]

You miss my point. I was criticizing the hypocrisy of Cruz doing what he castigated others for doing. As an elected official, Cruz should be a representative of his constituency. Understand now? I can try to dumb it down further, ... nah, doubt I can get that low.

You had no point, other than to sound like a fifth grader complaining the "IF BOBBY CAN DO IT, WHY CAN'T I?" in the typical double-speak of today.

So tell us gabby. EXACTLY "WHAT?" could Cruz do to improve, or change the weather conditions YOU SAY...he represents???
Secondly....I noticed how YOU, and other LIBERALS intentionally DID NOT SAY ONE WORD about JOE BIDEN...playing "MARIO" with his granddaughter...while the entire Nation is FIGHTING with each other??? Of course...Joe has the right to DOING WHATEVER HE WANTS WHENEVER HE WANTS...RIGHT? As does SENATOR CRUZ...you so quickly felt a need to call a HYPOCRITE...for doing what YOU probably would have done under the same conditions.

BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE FAIR...WOULD IT???

[fj1200]

I heard about the cruise. He's heading back. Another unforced error.

With shenanigans like this there's less time to talk about Cuomo making a mess of nursing homes in NY.