Please don't use your electricity

So Texas has been laughing up it's collective sleeve about all the Californians moving to Texas because California sucks so bad.  Of course I read today about recent job creation in California exceeding the combined workforce gains of Texas and New York and the growth exceeding the entire workforce of the state of Nevada.  (The Arizona workforce likely has continued to outstrip.  They need lots of people to create 'newly found' ballots).

So what happens when you have an increased population?  They want to drink water and cool their houses.  So we're on permanent water rations and now ERCOT is 'shocked I tell you' that we don't have enough power.  For some reason it is hot this time of year.  How did that happen?

It is always a discussion in my head between causation and correlation but this is pretty much a done deal.  The rate of growth here is really hard to fathom.  I thought it was a lot before but the rate of housing starts is double what it was a couple of years ago.  Places I used to ride my bike that were rural are now developments.  All those people need infrastructure and it is falling behind.   As is the ability to find low wage employees (aka — newly arrived future citizens).  Why are we working so hard (now the Gov is proposing spending money towards building our own walls —  we're not using it on infrastructure so we may as well) to keep people out who are the solution to part of the problems.  

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The times that I love Amazon

I bought a mug that Dana wanted to give to a friend.  It was one of those "I would fight a bear for you sister.... " sayings.  But it came yesterday and it said brother instead of sister.  I'm absolutely sure it was my fault.  I went ahead and hit return figuring I could salvage a couple of bucks even if I had to pay for shipping.  The response was a full refund, don't bother to return it.

Of course I immediately ordered the correct one and immediately got a $10 credit in my email.

So much bitching about how bad is Amazon.  And they just hit my good company buttons all the time.

The masked minority

Well, we're here now.  Over a year ago I was in an HEB store and there were a couple of Asians who had masks on.  I scoffed.  That was the thing to do at the time.  Scoff.  I'm hip.

Today the percentage of people in that same HEB wearing masks was maybe 5.  I was among them lagging, now, the social norm.  

Apparently masks are no longer needed.  EVERYONE has a vaccine in Texas.  There are no variants that are spreading anywhere in the world.  And the 2nd amendment has been repealed.  

Or maybe not.  I've got a lot of nice masks and baring dinner at the Driskill I'll wear them everywhere.  If I get Covid at the Driskill I'll brag about it anyway so no problem there.