Texas is really, really bloody scary right now

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

People were struggling with poverty even when things were going well. They've been hard hit by COVID, and now this.

Link here www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/18/texas-food-banks-crisis-storm-freezing-supplies

Terrifying.

Actually I suppose one thing we can be smug about when talking to Americans, at least we've never voted to put a racist liar in charge of our country! Oh, wait...

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-16-2021?r=clh4c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=copy

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-17-2021?r=clh4c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=copy

I've been following Historian, Heather Cox Richardson from before the election

Long, but fascinating, with some background there.

I'd not clicked that it was Plan saying that the food in their freezer thawed in sub freezing temperatures.
Bless.

Maybe buy a proper AAA+ rated EU freezer

@Porcupineintherough

They are suffering as a result of the values they uphold. I am really struggling to feel sympathy for them - which probably makes me a terrible human being but there it is.

Can you expand on this?

I've been watching in horror but know nothing about the state in general and I like to have full worry to make an accurate conclusion.

Ted Cruz left his dog behind in an unheated house when he flew to Cancun

Don't get me wrong ... I think it is totally wrong he left his dog in a freezing house behind (called Snowflake incidentally, haha, funny, not) but I care more that he left behind all the people he is supposed to represent and to be the bridge between those people and the Government whilst his State is suffering massively.

Even Republican politicians can barely hide the fact they hate Cruz. The Marie Antoinetteishness of him heading off to Cancun to escape his chilly house.

I think people forget that many British people don't handle heatwaves very well. And those heatwaves are nowhere near as hot as they are in many countries

I was astounded that British were complaining about temperatures in the upper 80s in the last heat wave as that’s just normal summer weather to me but then I went to my friend’s house (I have a poorly insulated flat) and realized that a British home is designed to trap heat and so it felt so much hotter.

Sub zero temperatures are not really sufficient to maintain food quality- don't domestic freezers run at about -18°? (C not F!)

Besides some people have neither cool boxes nor outsides

My freezer failed over new year one year during a lot of snow. I put the contents of my fridge and freezer out on the deck in the snow.

Canned drinks exploded. Stuff got nasty wet on the outside and started threatening to defrost. Local wildlife got very interested.

@MechantGourmet

Sub zero temperatures are not really sufficient to maintain food quality- don't domestic freezers run at about -18°? (C not F!)

Besides some people have neither cool boxes nor outsides

A properly insulated freezer will stay cold for a couple of days without power bitter experience but the fact is that appliance electrical energy standards in much of the USA are dire compared with what is expected in places like the EU

What really strikes me about Cruz is how completely he got it wrong.

He went on holiday instead of staying home in solidarity trying to help.
He told everyone it was his kids' fault.
He lied and said he was only flying them out there then coming back next day.
(And even if he didn't lie, why would you fly during a pandemic if you're simply going to fly back next day?)
He got the local police to provide security for him at the airport when they had far more pressing things to be doing.

What a twat.

Off topic slightly, but regarding third world, I always thought third world was a Cold War era term, from a western perspective. So the US-Western European alliance was the first world, the USSR was the second world and the third world was the parts of the world not covered by the above. Not strictly a category of development.

@MechantGourmet

This is caused by Texas' isolationism though- they didn't want to be part of a national grid, because other states would take all their power... so you have three grids in the US- east, west, and Texas. Will this catastrophe change their practices?

This is the main fact. They had cheap oil to turn into cheap gas and cheap electric. They kept it for themselves. Kept the power bills low and built a grid that did not have to and would not meet national safety standards. Fine for them until this storm hit. Then their cheap grid froze and since they weren't connected to the national grid no one could transfer them any power. All the money they "saved" and more will now be spent updating their grid and connecting to the national one.

The mayor of colorado's attitude was astonishing, even more sociopathic than Cruz's "No one owes you or your family anything; nor is it the local governments responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it’s your choice!” he wrote. “The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING!"
nypost.com/2021/02/16/texas-mayor-quits-calls-residents-lazy-amid-power-outages/

Although also, does anyone else think that someone in the Cruz's circle is not their friend. That leaked message inviting everyone to join them in Cancun

I’m in Texas.

We didn’t lose power as we are on a hospital grid. Pure dumb luck when we bought the house. We had 2 days of lack of water but had bottled water that we stock for hurricane season anyway. Also have a gas stove top and bbq for cooking if we’d lost power. Heat would have been a problem. So many houses have burst pipes and flooding from it to contend with. Our county judge who is a immigrant from India has done an amazing job keeping us informed and encouraged even though he suffered the same and has a damaged flooded house.

Sadly there are many cases of carbon monoxide poisoning due to methods used trying to keep warm. The electricity provider has not invested in infrastructure for years, the cost of supply is barely covered by the charges is their excuse. They were warned in 2011 to winterise and did nothing.

Jesus, do these idiots forget they're elected?

@iklboo

Jesus, do these idiots forget they're elected?

They seem to be untouchable! Would not surprise me if they all got voted back in

DH got banned from Twitter for calling the governor a fucking liar when he tried to blame green energy for this fiasco . He is a fucking liar

I remember the snow in Texas in 2011 because I was on holiday in Florida - which was cold and rainy but we consoled ourselves with the fact that at least we didn't have snow like they did in Texas.

And here we are all over again in 2021, I'm in Florida, it's cold and rainy...

@ZZTopGuitarSolo

I remember the snow in Texas in 2011 because I was on holiday in Florida - which was cold and rainy but we consoled ourselves with the fact that at least we didn't have snow like they did in Texas.

And here we are all over again in 2021, I'm in Florida, it's cold and rainy...

DH was supposed to be in Florida. He had to come back because I’d injured myself the week before. Silver lining he was here to insulate the pipes and do his regular checks on them. I think I would have managed but would have forgotten to do something important for sure.

The Harris county judge (where Houston sits) has just announced 10 deaths from hypothermia and over 600 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning. I hate to see the final tally in the coming days

Thinking of everyone in Texas without power or water or in need. I can't understand why anyone would not have sympathy for their fellow human beings who are caught up in a crisis.

This is a national disaster, like others before it. They have, as a state, done little to mitigate events such as this, despite history showing them they should. The fact that Texas is the way it is, or at least the way it is portrayed (republican, gun-toting, rich/poor), is irrelevant. I'm in California, and can't bear the thought that actual Texans would leave us to die in the event of an earthquake, because of our politics.

Ted Cruz on the other hand. He is a poor example of a human. If they don't throw him out, then that is shameful.

The Harris county judge (where Houston sits) has just announced 10 deaths from hypothermia and over 600 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning

OMG it is really bad, this sounds horrific. It is horrific

@KatySun

Off topic slightly, but regarding third world, I always thought third world was a Cold War era term, from a western perspective. So the US-Western European alliance was the first world, the USSR was the second world and the third world was the parts of the world not covered by the above. Not strictly a category of development.

But it's still third. Could have been first, but it's third. Same as Europe being at the top of the map, and inflated in size. Could have been at the bottom, there's no up in space, but it's not. Could have used a different projection so it wasn't giant, but didn't. These things aren't accidents, they are ingrained prejudice.

I prefer 'majority world'. I'm hoping it catches on.

Can’t believe Cruz blamed his pre-teen DDs for decision to go to Cancun. What a twat.

i love that his friends ratted him out within minutes of him coming up with the story about his daughter.