Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

You know he’s going to shit a cat.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

It’s possible to be a liberal firebrand without crapping on the party.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

He really is that stupid.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

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Energy Policy

Monday Afternoon Open Thread: Today’s Distraction

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But are eggs gonna be okay
www.cnn.com/2025/06/22/b…

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— George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 (@gtconway.bsky.social) June 22, 2025 at 6:54 PM


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I don't know man I feel like if you're committing us to a regional war over uranium enrichment levels you should at least have some idea what the Department of Energy does.

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— Zeddy (@zeddary.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 10:23 AM


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I mean, this kinda reads like a panicky response to global economics that is going to have serious repercussions for a president's popularity. But ymmv.

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— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 10:08 AM


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The problem is that American oil operations also exist at a certain price point that fundamentally cuts against "low low prices"

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— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM


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Americans are notably nonchalant about the price of their gasoline, I'm sure it's fine.

— Joy of Arc (@amethystjoy.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 10:38 AM


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Yes. bsky.app/profile/jfee…

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— Zeddy (@zeddary.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM


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TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Stand Proud

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Our Failed Major Media, Part [X + infinity]…

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Friday Morning Open Thread: Blessed Ramadan

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To those who observe, may your fast be uncomplicated and your prayers rewarding!

Far less elevated, but also important:

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Thought Exercise On Renewable Energy

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Sorry about this morning’s OTR post, restoring my laptop’s hard drive after repair went long after I gave up and went to bed last night. I’ll post it Monday.

I’ve been pondering this renewable energy question off and on recently and figured I’d open it up to discussion to broaden my thinking.

The question is: if you pay a surcharge for renewable energy from your electricity provider, is it better to then be wasteful or at least a “big consumer” of that clean electricity in order to increase demand for clean electricity and thus spurring more investment in renewables, or should you try to be as energy-conscious as possible and not leave lights on, keep the thermostat down/up, etc.?

In this scenario, the electricity that comes in your house is technically a mix of renewable and dirty, but you pay a surcharge to have clean energy equal to your usage added to your provider’s feed. If every customer chose this option, all the electricity provided to your home would be from renewable sources.

My thinking is that, since demand increases investment/supply, it’s desirable to consume more electricity once you’re setup to pay the premium as described above. More investment in renewable energy is a good and a larger supply/higher percentage renewable in the renewable/dirty mix that my provider supplies is also a good. So except for wasting some money, it seems to me like wasting electricity is actually a good here.

If your supply is already 100% renewable (from a provider, not your own solar/wind/etc.), I’m undecided if it makes sense to be a “big consumer” or not.  Again, increasing demand means more investment in supply in your locality and region, and provides the market/investors evidence that such demand might exist in other under-served areas. Since a major goal of us who pay the surcharge for renewable or are willing to pay higher rates or invest in infrastructure like solar is to make a better, carbon-free world, there, perversely, seems to be a clear incentive to be wasteful here too. But I’m not sure.

 

What think you?

 

 

Consider this a non-political open thread.

 

Thought Exercise On Renewable EnergyPost + Comments (35)

A Rare Victory Against Corporate Power in West Virginia

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This is nice:

Natural gas producers in West Virginia no longer can drill on one person’s property to reach gas reserves under adjoining or neighboring tracts, the state Supreme Court said Wednesday in a much-anticipated ruling that gives additional leverage to residents struggling with the effects from the booming industry.

In a 5-0 ruling, the justices upheld a lower court ruling and jury verdict against EQT Corp., siding with two Doddridge County residents who had sued the state’s second-largest gas company.

Justice John Hutchison wrote that gas and other mineral companies must obtain permission from surface owners to use their land to reach reserves under other properties.

“The court will not imply a right to use a surface estate to conduct drilling or mining operations under neighboring lands,” Hutchison wrote. “The right must be expressly obtained, addressed, or reserved in the parties’ deeds, leases, or other writings.”

In the case, two people who live on a 300-acre farm in Doddridge County said EQT came onto their land to extract gas from underneath adjacent properties. The two people, Beth Crowder and David Wentz, warned EQT that the company would be trespassing. EQT entered the property anyway. Crowder and Wentz sued, and a local circuit judge ruled in their favor, and a jury two years ago awarded them nearly $200,000 in damages.

It’s insane that a company would be so brazen as to even take this to court, but, you know, West Virginia.

A Rare Victory Against Corporate Power in West VirginiaPost + Comments (25)