Australia went big time into renewable energy and now they have some serious electric and gas bills according to my Australian friends. I guess a few places in America are going to be seeing a serious increase in their power bills too. 

The last stateside house I lived in when we were gone the average electric bill was $39 a month.. The utility put a smart meter on the house (I told them I did not want a stupid smart meter ) ...Our electric bill went from $39 to $89 when we were gone. !! When we were stateside and it was summer the Electric bill ran around $400+ a month (I keep wanting to say we saw some $600 a month bills but I am not sure) as I usually forget unpleasantness or stuff that pisses me off.. The house was a big two story which had a new energy efficient central air conditioner new stucco with double insulation !!.. I think we kept the vents close upstairs most of the time and just cooled the bottom floors.
Heat rises and you could feel the difference when you climbed the stairs.
Here I have 4 air conditioners which there is always at least one running 24/7 70% of the time... The highest electric bill I have ever received amounted to just about $125.. 

I figure once the Dems get in power their green new deal will make this Possible increase a walk in the park

Quote:"A Storm Waiting To Happen": The Average American's Power Bill Is About To Rise As Much As 30%



by Tyler Durden
Fri, 07/03/2020 - 21:25

     

Today in "The Fed can't find inflation anywhere" news, it looks as though the average American's 2020 is going to go from bad to worse. Bloomberg is reporting that with rising temperatures during what is expected to be a blistering summer, most consumers are about to face "sharp increases" in electric bills that could "drive some to the brink of financial ruin". 
That's a serious claim to make about a power bill, but the facts are there to back it up. People that are stuck at home instead of at the office this summer are going to depend on air conditioners far more than they used to. This will drive up power bills by "25% in parts of the U.S.," according to the report. This comes at a time where about 50 million people are experiencing financial hardships.
Working from home has already increased residential demand for electricity by 15% during work hours, according to Innowatts, a utility consultant. Con Ed has warned customers bills could go up 10% this summer and in California, the average bill may rise by 25% to over $200, the state's Public Utilities Commission has warned. 
In parts of the U.S. south, prices could rise as much as 30%, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

The increases could amount to as much as $50 per month, the report says, and will disproportionately affect many who are already struggling through the pandemic.  

Sindy Benavides, chief executive officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens said: “There will be people faced with figuring out whether to pay their bill or put food on the table. It’s a storm waiting to happen.”
Lower income families spend about 9% of their budget on energy bills, according to the report. The problem disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic families who are twice as likely to live in poverty, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP’s environmental and climate justice program, said: “People will start to make very tough choices. It’s another situation where people are paying the price of poverty with their lives.”

A long hot summer is being predicted for most of the U.S. this year and places like California have already dealt with two serious heat waves. New York, Boston and Philadelphia have already reached or exceeded 90 degrees this year. 
Jim Rouiller, lead forecaster at the Energy Weather Group, said: “We have made the turn into what is going to become a long summer of heat.”
Jeremiah Bohr, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh concluded: “It highlights the larger issue of how difficult it is to make ends meet.”

Explanation: I stole this ...




Personal Disclosure: Ha ... haha ....Bwahahahahahahahha Muahahhahahahaha!

 
P.S I have a bet with [muffled sounds] that Beez won't be able to help himself and will post in this thread! Odds of nearly 1 to 1.

P.S.S @Beez ... sorry ... I'm a bad person!

I like Tucker not just because of his T.V. network spot but because I saw him many years ago in a "one on one" interview. It would be a hard decision to step out of a many millions dollar a year job to jump in the frying pan....Yet Trump did so maybe??????????

OR if Trump says screw it and does not run in 2020 maybe Pense could pick Tucker for V.P. Again I doubt any of this will happen but still interesting IMO.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tuck...-president

Quote:Tucker 2024? Growing Chorus Of Republicans Want Fox Host To Run For President



by Tyler Durden
Fri, 07/03/2020 - 15:00

     

Republicans looking to carry President Trump's 'America First' momentum into the post-Trump era are excitedly eyeing Fox News host Tucker Carlson for a 2024 run.

According to Politico, "Republican strategists, conservative commentators, and former Trump campaign and administration officials are buzzing about Carlson as the next-generation leader of Donald Trump’s movement — with many believing he would be an immediate frontrunner in a Republican primary."

Quote:Sixteen prominent Republicans interviewed by POLITICO said there’s an emerging consensus in the GOP that the 51-year-old Carlson would be formidable if he were to run. Some strategists aligned with other potential candidates are convinced he will enter the race and detect the outlines of a stump speech in Carlson’s recent Fox monologues. Others, particularly those who know him well, are skeptical that he would leave his prime-time TV gig.

"Let me put it this way: If Biden wins and Tucker decided to run, he’d be the nominee," said former Trump aide Sam Nunberg - though Nunberg also doesn't think Carlson will run because he's "so disgusted with politicians."
Carlson commands the largest audience of any cable news host in history according to ratings released this week - while Carlson clips on Fox News' YouTube channel have racked up more than 60 million views, according to the report.
To put it simply, Tucker tells the truth and will call out bullshit on both sides of the aisle. He also frequently treads headfirst into subject matter like few, if any, of his media peers.

Quote:Tucker drops names , no fxcks given! pic.twitter.com/5HYcwyOt4f
— Tony (@Mrtdogg) July 3, 2020

On Monday, Carlson took Republican Senator Mike Braun to task, calling him out over Braun's reform of the Qualified Immunity Act - which would expose police officers to greater liability in civil lawsuits.
When Braun tried to argue that he needed to appease Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Carlson shot back: "Who controls the Senate? I thought Republicans controlled the Senate. So you're taking your cues from Chuck Schumer [and] saying, 'He might criticize me, therefore I have to pass a law that makes it easier to sue police'?"

Braun stammered his way through the rest of the interview as Carlson continued to land verbal jabs:

Quote:Fox News’ Tucker Carlson confronts GOP Sen. Mike Braun on his proposed legislation to reform qualified immunity:pic.twitter.com/JjbHHdcSpK
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) June 30, 2020

Quote:What @TuckerCarlson exposed tonight is bigger than just Mike Braun

Tucker showed the Senate effectively has only one party
— Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) June 30, 2020

Can Tucker convert his massive following into votes? 
"There is at the very least a significant faction within the Republican Party that [Carlson] has a huge stake in and arguably leadership over," said Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review and Politico columnist.
"If he has political ambitions, he has an opening. He has a following and a taste for controversy. He’s smart, quick on his feet and personable. Political experience matters less than it once did."

Today, I, a Republican Trump supporter, went down into 'The Belly of the Beast'...to buy some Tuna steaks.
I went to Whole Foods.

Entering the parking lot, I found a large section out front had been blocked off...being forced to park one store over.

At the front door of Whole Foods...I met a couple of private security guards out front (I don't remember ever seeing them there before).
I asked them why their parking lot was blocked off.
One told me there was a protest scheduled to start there.

I asked him what were they protesting...and he walked away.

Coming out of the grocery, the protest was now in full swing...about six young white kids holding signs and shouting about racism and defunding the police.

The irony here was strong.
Leftist Whole Foods is sanctioning a protest in their own parking lot...about defunding my local Police...while protecting it's own property with private security.

Did I mention I was a Republican Trump supporter?

I do not know what to think of this maybe someone else knows something ? I doubt Putin will just kick back and relax if true...

OK most of us know way back when there were some really large bugs but..!

Quote:Giant sea scorpions were the underwater titans of prehistoric Australia
by Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell and Patrick Mark Smith, The Conversation
Credit: Dimitris Siskopoulos/Wiki commonc, CC BY-SA
Let's turn back time. Before extinction knocked dinosaurs off their pillar, before the "Great Dying" extinction wiped out 95% of all organisms—we had the Paleozoic Era.

During this age in Earth's history, between 541 million and 252 million years ago, arthropods (animals with exoskeletons such as insects, crustaceans, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs) were exploring the extremes of size, from tiny to huge.
In fact, some Paleozoic arthropods represent the largest animals on Earth at the time. If you were to take a swim in the Paleozoic oceans, you may have been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to find one of the most fearsome of these extinct arthropods: the sea scorpions, Eurypterida.
Our new research, published in Gondwana Research, is the most comprehensive collection of information on these fascinating creatures that once roamed Australian waters.
A sight to behold
Although Eurypterida looked broadly like scorpions (with a similar body shape, albeit built for swimming), they were not. They were more like the cousins of modern scorpions.
An exceptional part of the sea scorpion evolutionary story is how they fit into the narrative of Paleozoic gigantism.

A Eurypterus remipes fossil. This sea scorpion existed more than 400 million years ago and was usually less than one foot in length, but relatives are believed to have reached up to eight feet. Credit: H. Zell/Wiki commons, CC BY-SA

Sea scorpions include the largest marine predators to have ever arisen in the fossil record, including one species thought to have been more than 2.5 metres long, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae. Back then, some of these giants were effectively in the same place in their food web as the modern great white shark.
These likely agile swimmers would have used their large front limbs, armed with claws, to grab their prey, which they would then crush between the teeth-like structures on their legs (called gnathobasic spines).
While we're not sure exactly what these large animals ate, it's likely fish and smaller arthropods would have been on the menu. And if humans had been around swimming in the sea, maybe us too!
A fascinating (but murky) history
Australia is famous for its array of curious animals, including unique modern species such as the platypus. And this uniqueness extends far into the fossil record, with sea scorpions being a case in point.

But the scientific record and study of Australian sea scorpions has been patchy. The first documented specimen, published in 1899, consisted of a fragmented exoskeleton section found in Melbourne.
Prior to our new research examining the completeness of the group in Australia, there were about ten records—and only one other attempt to pool everything together. As such, the diversity and spread of these fossils was fairly uncertain.

The size of the largest extinct sea scorpions, relative to a human. Credit: Slate Weasel/Wiki commons

For us, revisiting these amazing fossils resulted in a few trips to different Australian museums. We also had specimens sent to us at the University of New England to examine in person.
This journey of palaeontological discovery uncovered many sea scorpion fossils than hadn't previously been noted. As a result, we now have evidence of a possible six different groups that existed in Australia.
Collating these specimens together in our most recent publication, we illustrate the Pterygotidae (the family of sea scorpions that reached 2.5 metres long) dominated the group's Australian fossil record. Although this had been noted before, the abundance of material from different locations and time periods, especially from Victoria, was unexpected.
Back to the source
Besides showcasing the largest number of Australian sea scorpions, our paper also outlines the overall lack of information on these animals.
Despite there being much fragmented material, there is only one (mostly) complete specimen, Adelophthalmus waterstoni, measuring just 5.7cm long.

Examples of Australian sea scorpion fossils, their two groups and the time range. Blue represents the family Pterygotidae and orange represents the family Adelophthalmidae.

Future research will involve revisiting the sites where these specimens were originally collected, in the hope of finding more complete specimens. Not only will this help document Australian sea scorpion species better, it will also allow for a more complete understanding of the environments in which they lived.
Ultimately, one thing is clear—there is much left to uncover about these titans that swam through Australia's prehistoric oceans.

Quote:The NFL is looking to make some changes in recognition of racial injustice.

The sports league is planning to play "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a song often referred to as the Black national anthem — before the "The Star-Spangled Banner" during every game on the opening week of the 2020 season, according to reports by the NFL Network, USA Today and NPR on Thursday, all of which cited a source with knowledge of the discussions.

NFL to Play Black National Anthem Before 'The Star-Spangled Banner' During All Week 1 Games: Report

Despite the numerous COVID cases being treated with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with success, there are still some people that seem to want to find something negative about the drug.

Maybe this study will help show this drug in a positive light, as it should be.

Quote:A Henry Ford Health System study shows the controversial anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine helps lower the death rate of COVID-19 patients, the Detroit-based health system said Thursday.

Officials with the Michigan health system said the study found the drug “significantly” decreased the death rate of patients involved in the analysis.

Quote:“As doctors and scientists, we look to the data for insight,” said Steven Kalkanis, CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group. “And the data here is clear that there was a benefit to using the drug as a treatment for sick, hospitalized patients.”

The study, published in the International Society of Infectious Disease, found patients did not suffer heart-related side effects from the drug.

Quote:Hydroxychloroquine was approved for medical use in the United States in 1955.[2] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system.[8]

In 2017, it was the 128th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than five million prescriptions.[9][10] The speculative use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID‑19 threatens its availability for people with established indications.[4]

My entry...


The early morning sunlight slowly forced it's way through the dusty, old, Venetian blinds...crawling steadily across the clothing-cluttered floor until it hit Kevin's side of the bed.

Kevin was not asleep. 
It seemed as if sleep would never again be at hand to rescue Kevin by helping him to smother his demons.
The morning light, for it's part, seemed only to further taunt him with offerings of new shadows to further contrast and define the aged derelict he felt he had now become. 

Kevin looked over at his mate, resting silently beside him. Karen was still as beautiful as the first day they had met. That day...a day now long past, yet, remembered for nothing beyond Karen...held the genesis of all his most treasured moments.

Years ago, in what seemed to be by the purest serendipity, they found themselves beside each other in that quaint little shop...in that quaint little town. 
At that moment, Kevin felt he had found his partner for life...and that they were made for each other.
He knew Karen felt it too...and she did.

From that moment on, Kevin and Karen were inseparable. They did everything together; never concerned about their destination, while simply enjoying their journey together. 

Of course,...that was all before the accident.

That damned accident...on that damned street...caused by that damned 18 yr. old 'daddy's girl' texting while driving her new BMW 3-Series 328i/Graduation Present.

The impact in the crosswalk was sudden and unexpected; the damage, devastating and life altering.
Kevin never even saw it happening.

The doctors said the leg was severely crushed...with multiple catastrophic compound fractures to the femur, tibia and fibula. Muscle, tendon and cartilage was irreparably damaged beyond saving...and they said that leg must go.
From that day forward, Kevin and Karen would never be the same together.

That was all well over a year ago...and over that time, Kevin had spent many sad, restless days and long, sleepless nights shuffling between the bar, the fridge and the bed.
Each trip, he felt, took him further and further away from his beautiful mate and all those beautiful days they shared together...before the accident. 

His hygiene suffered greatly and Kevin was becoming tired, ragged and worn out. Kevin smelt of old sweat and stagnant body odor...and now...there was the foot fungus. 

And, yet, through it all, here, still, was his faithful partner Karen, resting quietly by his side under the bed....her fluffy bunny slipper ears and fluffy bunny slipper body still looking as fresh, new and beautiful as that day their owner lost the leg that wore her.

Yes, soon it'll be Friday evening and the Party for theth of July Starts.

Happy Birthday America!


Right now I have the Booze being delivered and the Good Herbs being smuggled in.
I have the Dancing Guys and Girls practicing on stag and more chairs brought in for the Lap Dancing.

 

Looks like everything is getting put in Place, Bring your friends and Have Fun!