I’m in Austin, TX, Bob and while we don’t have any energy, we have enough guns to shoot our way out of a snowstorm, so at least we have that going for us.

Sad that a state that prides itself on the defense on personal freedom can’t provide enough electricity in order for its citizens to pursue it.

“Don’t Mess With Texas?” No, please, someone mess with us and shown us how to plan accordingly. The South will not rise again anytime soon because we don’t even have running water.

No electricity. No water. No salt for the roads. No plows. No food on store shelves. No plan.

I wonder if someone will trade me a cheeseburger for my rifle?

– Keith Peterson

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The level of shitshow here is almost unbelievable.  I’m originally from Phila/NJ area and have lived through my share of snow storms most which would make what happened here in Austin laughable,  but due to the deregulation and privatization of infrastructure what has happened is something that could’ve been avoided but was not cause ya know “We’re Texas and we don’t need nobody and no Government liberals telling us to do”  Well maybe for starters make sure the water system can handle below freezing for A FUCKING WEEK OR TWO!?! (I have no running water at the moment) Watching the Governor speak out both sides of his mouth on the news and finding out Ted Cruz went to Cancun today just makes me wonder “where the fuck are all the smart people?”

Normally not prone to anger

Tom Gillam

Austin Texas

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Bob, California is nothing but one natural disaster after another. How many people have lost their homes and livings from fires alone? Who can afford the insurance? I was in Burbank in 2016 and thought, wow this is nice, I could live here. Then I looked up Zillow and a 1 bedroom bungalow with about 100 sf of yard on a busy main street was $650,000. STOP IT. That’s not normal. You always talk about how nobody can make it in America anymore? Prime example #1. Everyone used to go to California to chase their dreams. Not so much anymore. And I predict Zoom will have big role in eviscerating the population count in the next 10 years.

Keith Michaels

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You totally missed the story here, Bob.

Texas WAS prepared to have surplus with green energy

But “green” energy is a myth, a lie, a truckload of bullshit.  THAT is what failed. Now proof positive that environmental whackos are just that.

Ted

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On my weekly call to my father in Florida, I asked him if he misses living in Texas.  He launched right into the myth that wind power failed the state.  Until all the misinformation dealt with, we will never all be on the same page.

Tim Redman

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The deal with Florida is the water, the beaches. I’ve lived in California. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong. I lived in Santa Barbara. However, it’s dry. My nose bled all the time.  Beach was nice but water was cold. Sure pretty at times but have you ever seen the gulf? There are times you feel like you are on a tropical island. Oh, you are! Does it get humid? You betcha! But that’s the best time to go for a bike ride and sweat it out then jump in the gulf or your pool! In Florida you don’t see oil rigs anywhere! Not in the water or on the land. In Florida the air is clean (depending where you live I suppose). I live in Venice and the ocean breeze is wonderful! Do we get hurricanes? Yup, but what part of the country doesn’t experience some sort of natural disaster? And then of course people. Sorry but people are a certain way in California generally speaking. I felt judged quite a bit. It’s a bit pretentious. In Florida, it’s flip flops and sun glasses. No one cares who you are. I haven’t worn makeup since getting here! Is Florida full of assholes who love Trump still to this day? Yes. I’ll give you that. There’s quite a few stupid people here. But hopefully the rush of people coming to the state will be educated ones.
Cheers!
TerriHaram

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Remember this one?  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/jerry-brown-on-a-california-exodus-tell-me-where-are-you-going-to-go.html?searchResultPosition=2

Jerry Brown asking those “fleeing” Calif: “Where are you going to go?”.

And remote work….I talk to more and more people who are going insane with all the zoom meetings….

Wear your sunscreen

David Epstein

Oakland

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agree, except Cali is on fire from July to Nov now so that means you can’t do much here, so best to get out on the road those months and travel I think. Yes, the mosquitoes of New England suck, but it sure feels more like summer back in the northeast having lived on both coasts.

– Brad Byrd

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I was raised in Los Angeles, but have stayed in NYC for 20 years after moving here for college 5 days before 9/11. I was born in Chicago so perhaps that’s why I enjoy the seasonal pain; or my Swedish slice. Cold and dirt and shitty vibes keep you on your toes…

I do appreciate your points, but speaking as a bi-coastal man, I can say with certainty that New Yorkers denizens can outrun any long-haul LA resident in a marathon (business or otherwise)… comfort is over rated. You can sleep when you die, as they say.

I probably won’t move. Except back to Los Angeles when I get older and more tired, or perhaps London or another godawfully rotten city full of horrible sycophants and brilliant dreamers; if I’m away from the city for too long, I start to melt. I truly believe it’s the painful, everyday horrorshow of traditional megalopalypses (sic) and ghettos that will always be the bedrock of our beloved industry. Prove me wrong @internets.

Don’t get me wrong – I love to visit Miami and Austin, and I’m down to cop an apartment in either or both if fate has it, but I don’t see myself ever living outside of the OG towns of yore… But who fucking knows anymore.

Perhaps Mars is a better pivot.

Erik Schneider

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“All those people who left California? Expect them to come back…”

Bob-

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You can tell them from me, a born and raised,  hard working California, who is tired of hearing all the denigration of my state, and all of the BS parroted rhetoric from those who don’t know the weight of the words they are saying about a state they know virtually zilch about:

“The door will be closed AND LOCKED….”

And DON’T BOTHER trying to drive backwards…

Expect severe tire damage…

Mr. Nice

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Bob, as a native Californian who’s been in NYC the past six years and is now looking to go back, I couldn’t agree more. NYC is the best city, no question. But CA — northern or southern — is the best place to live. I laugh at all these rich idiots fleeing to make a point. If you can afford to live in California, why leave for some place with no services and crazy politicians and shitty weather? But at the same time, CA has to find an answer to the affordable housing problem. The rich folks hogging all those nice, prewar, low-rise, inner-ring suburbs around L.A. and S.F. will have to start letting some four-unit apartment buildings or whatever in their neighborhoods. And eventually they will. Then in 20 years the rest of the country will be touting The California Solution to the affordable housing problem: how the Golden State once again built the future for everyone else to follow … just like it always has.

Ian S. Port

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Elon Musk moving to Texas? Lol. Conservatives love supply and demand except when they don’t. I’m surprised you didn’t reference Gregg Abbot. The gov blamed AOC for his state’s woes…. yikes.

Michael Fremer

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Love it , believe it, miss it. I always tell people that when living in LA, almost every day you’ll need sunglasses and sometimes a light jacket, ha!

And every election cycle, every dam politician preaches about investing in infrastructure but NOBODY does a dam thing.

Ps, Get ready for serious blowback Bob!

Steve in Syracuse

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Spot on as usual! I have always marveled at California hatred…excuse me California jealousy! Let’s face it, that is the real underlying cause for the snide and asides to the Golden State. It is obvious.

Time to place bets how many of those who recently made the exodus return within two years?

I am a native, born from two immigrants, one from Texas and one from post war Europe. When I would travel back to Texas as a teenager, let me say that I was treated like an exotic animal. It was rather fun to be honest, but those people loved their State and yes, state. Most I met had at least visited Cali or should I say, Disneyland. Of course I always wondered how anyone who should visit California would ever live anywhere else! Have you been to Houston in the Summer? It’s as bad as Florida for heat, humidity and bugs! I would literally melt.

I was born and raised in the L.A. basin, lived in the Central Valley for a few years (the people did remind me of Texas) and since ’97, the Bay area. I can’t see myself ever living anywhere else than the jewel of the West Coast. I plan on retiring to Palm Springs. Why? Because California has everything and the price is always more than worth it!

As Jim Morrison says, “the West is the best”. And he was pointing directly at California.

Christian Swain

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Many of the institutions may be great but many of the people not so much. Giuliani, Trump, Hannity. All New Yorkers. My Dad made me listen to a NYC right wing talk show host in the 60s named Bob Grant. One of his interns was Hannity.

The NY liberals are just as bad.

—gene bryan johnson (NYC born and bred. Raised our daughter there. Lovin’ LA.)

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TX Governor, Lt. Governor & Sect. of State are the leaders of state government there. Right wing Republicans all. If you think they’re incompetent you ought to see the folks who elected them!

Willie Perkins

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You crack me up Bob when you talk about Texas. Seems like you take such glee that some Texans are suffering right now. Have fun with your next Earthquake you hate filled old fruitcake lol.

Such a shame cause I so dig your music columns. Such a shame.

Judd Allen, Houston Texan

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We just disagree. Your opinions have gotten, in my opinion, very incongruent with moderation and have become unpalatable.  Wishing you happy trails

John Blasucci

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Bob, I am living by a flashlight this week here in Austin. I have cooked eggs and coffee we have two lighters.  No water, no power. My car didn’t wanna start without a tow truck jump. I’m not impressed with Texas ability to be prepared for anything. The road system is marginal to bad. Too many people are leaving California and coming here. Hopefully this learned their lesson and they move back.

Nick Wegener

P.S. And I lived in Southern California as well as Texas. While the things you said are correct, the people are arrogant, stuck up, shallow assholes generally speaking. I’ll take the week of miserable Texas weather over the shallowness of the southern California folks any day. LA and Orange county are full of the worst people.

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Republican strategy: nothing is our fault!

Deflect deflect deflect

Jeff Sackman

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One of my favorite Harvey Milk quotes c. 1978:

“The cities will be saved by the people who like it here. The people who prefer the neighborhood stores to the shopping mall, who go to the plays and eat in the restaurants and go to the discos and worry about the education the kids are getting even if they have no kids of their own.”  (viahttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235662.The_Mayor_of_Castro_Street )

David Rubin in SF

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I know some right wing east coasters who bash CA. in the same way they slam lefties, Pelosi, Biden etc.

I love to point out that if CA. were a country it would be the 36th most populous, 92nd largest in land area and have the fifth largest economy in the world right after Germany.  It IS a country but with one hand tied behind its back.  It is more complex on every level than any other state.  No comparison.

So they can eat shit.

John Brodey

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LOL….LOL…LOL   California??  The land of massive taxes…ridiculous traffic jams even at 2pm in the afternoon… FIRES, Mudslides, earthquakes, water issues… OH YEA..the livin is easy!!  LOL, LOL, LOL

Needed the laugh…Thanks

JIm Ryan

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What you said. I lived in Texas and California—not by choice. Not much there. I was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Westchester with lots of time in Manhattan. I fucking Love California. Let ‘em leave. More for us.

Steve Greene

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I saw a bumper sticker once that read “decisions, actions, consequences”

It wasn’t in Texas

RG

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thank you Bob!…yes please, Californians stop moving to our great state.

cj

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I’m not sure you’re right about this one Bob. Nearly a third of the folks I met in LA during my time there have now left. Citing the skyrocketing rents (good luck buying) worsening fire season and massive homeless issues, they’ve taken off. The trend seems to be moving to more medium sized towns that are warm and cheaper. Think Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Charlotte, Tampa. And as for Nashville? We’ve been going there since 2017 and it’s absolutely the new hotbed for the music scene. But I could be wrong. I still love visiting LA when I can and miss the hiking, beaches and progressive attitude the Midwest lacks. But hey, nowhere is perfect 🙂

Danny Jay

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Did you listen to Howard Stern today (Wednesday)? Howard was giving his opinions on the situation in Texas and, in so many words, saying that most of their elected officials like Cruz, Abbott, etc. are dumbasses. He started taking calls from listeners in TX. The first couple agreed with his thoughts and then he got to the caller who didn’t. His big retort to Howard’s opinion on TX and the deficiencies of the people running it? He brought up the ongoing conspiracy theory about Gov. Cuomo (NY) ‘killing’ senior citizens early in the pandemic. Straight to whataboutism, nothing of substance in defense of Abbott, Cruz, etc.

And that is what you are dealing with in the Trump base. It’s always somebody else’s fault or it’s not the ‘real crime’.

IF we ever get out of this mess that Trump, well, didn’t create, but certainly brought to a head, then it’s going to take decades.

Nick Tieder

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I get it, you have a chance to push back on the Cali bashing, and Texas screwed up big and politicians like Cruz deserve their just deserts.

I’m all for rubbing in the fact that their gas and oil pipes froze and they weren’t prepared, and I’m also all for correcting the false narrative by Fox News that “wind farms are not working” and people are dying. (Wind is not part of the critical systems mix and the industry should take a page from the voting machine companies and sue for slander).

I love LA too, but the one thing that struck me while you were pitching the lovely living in LA was, “try living off your own water”.  C’mon Bob, LA is unsustainable and can only suck resources from their neighbors for so long. You sound just as short sighted as the Texans.

Mcgowan Southworth

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Mediocre white men in power , the great story of the United States since day 1 .

Chickens are coming baby ..:.

k d

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About five years ago my cousin and her husband who both grew up in South Georgia and lived for many years in Arkansas, asked if they could visit for a few days on their way back home after visiting their daughter and son in law who had temporarily moved to Lodi.

I said sure, and laughed to myself when they were so surprised how “nice” it is out here. Whether strolling through the neighborhoods from my place to Palisades Park, getting coffee or dinner on Montana Avenue, encountering the cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills, or a gastro pub in the northern climes of Malibu after a hike across Point Dume.

No bugs!!! – beautiful homes and landscaping, and the beautiful beaches, great food, and the people are so nice. You’re so close to Las Vegas!

They’re seriously Christian as well as sober, yet their misconceptions flew in the face of their first hand experience. Still they hate the state of California and everyone in it.

Evil devil worshippers, heretics, baby murderers, and gays, who go against biblical law, and the disdain for guns which they fear will take theirs right out of their hands. Their main fears are any sexual identification outside of straight, married. Guns removed, “Mexicans” taking all the jobs, and illegally helping themselves to all the benefits, abortion murdering babies, and anything that shakes their Christian faith as they believe that God and Jesus ordained the United States and is a Christian prophecy come true in danger from heretics who don’t agree with that story.

Melissa Ward

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Hi Bob,

Texas. Have lived in Austin since 2006. I’m a chauffeur and drive billionaires day in & day out. Well, before Covid. Barely working now. At any rate, the conversations I hear are beyond disgusting. But first, let’s talk Texas state govt. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you or your readers Texas ranks at the bottom in all things quality of life:  health care, education, poverty…We see it up close, before this latest fiasco that we are now being told is AOC’sfault! In my neighborhood alone, there are homes the state runs where they dump disabled and/or mentally challenged folks to live in. They hire the cheapest labor, $7 an hour here in the great Lone Star State (try living on that in Austin), to take care of these folks. It is appalling. If you peaked inside, the living conditions you’d see would leave a scar. Just hide them away, spending as little as possible. In a nutshell, this is how Texas deals with the common folks. Take care of the oil & gas, the corporations, keep those taxes low & everyone else can go pound sand.

Back to driving the billionaires, they are 99% all the same. White, racist & money is all that matters. I have no doubt they’d sell their wives & kids if it was profitable enough for them. Just a couple of weeks ago, I drove one who heads a large bank. He was on the phone. Here are bits of his conversation:  Had been to Chicago recently & said Chicago is dead, nothing but black people, scariest place in the world! Yeah, Trump is a piece of shit but now you are going to pay through the nose in taxes, better get ready. Then made arrangements for his wife to fly down to Dallas to get her Covid shot as she couldn’t get it right away where she lives. Was taking a group of friends to DC to meet with their Senator the following week. Blah, blah, blah. Just one of a million variations on these themes. This was not an unusual conversation.

These folks fly in & out on private jets, have multiple homes & see the world. But they can’t afford to pay higher taxes. And that’s why they love Texas. Low taxes and no regulation rule their world. They are disgusted by the homeless population & blame all of them for the predicament they are in. They have empathy for nobody but themselves & their bank accounts. They’re all about Austin & the venture capitalists & our great state. Look at all those cranes over the skyline. Booming!

Am I generalizing? Yes. But I can only talk about the hundreds I have driven over the years. Every time I see I will be driving somebody from the finance world or CEO of some big company, I cringe, as I know it will be a long day. That said, for every 100 of them I drive, there might be a handful who seem to be decent people. And all the Europeans are kind, pleasant & respectful. Probably don’t need to say it but the Americans, especially the New Yorkers, are the worst. By far.

Meanwhile, our current disaster. People are in bad shape. Many have had no power since Monday at 2am.You have single digit temperatures & no heat in an area that, right now, should have highs of 65 degrees. No plows or salt so roads are impassable. And if you can get somewhere the store/gas station/whatever, it’s closed/bare shelves/no gas. The City of Austin is doing everything it can to help, providing transportation to warming centers, etc..but now even our hospitals are in trouble. No water! Yes, the entire city is under a boil order & they are evacuating hospitals. It’s insane!

And surely you’ve heard about the idiot mayor of some small, redneck town in west Texas who had to resign after his little tirade:  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-boyd-texas-mayor-colorado-city-resigns-power-outages/ Of course, he doubled down before he resigned. Classis Trump moron.

Abbott is in trouble. And that happened before this fiasco. The conservatives are pissed off at him because he suggested people wear masks. Oh, the tyranny! So, he’s in the doghouse with all those who want the option of death over wearing a mask. And speaking of Abbott, Mr. We Need To Keep The State of Texas open for business. But guess what hoops people have to jump through to get inside the Governor’s Mansion? You take a rapid test outside the mansion.15 minutes later, after your results, you have a temperature check & answer questions before entering. You must wear a mask!

But the rest of us poor working stiffs, we need to work & put up with non-mask wearing folks who have been God knows where doing whatever with who knows who because, you know, got to keep the state economy jumping. If I were to get sick or die, sacrifice. It’s necessary.

This is all just the same old story. The wealthy have & the rest of us don’t. But currently, the wealthy in Texas also have no heat & water so Abbott won’t survive this. Not that I believe the next Governor will be a Democrat.

Take care out there in sunny, warm, southern California!

Name withheld and hoping I don’t get fired. Off to pee in the sink because we have no water, toilet won’t flush, fun times!

PS  Austin musicians who built this city are fleeing in droves. Can’t afford to live here anymore. Live Venture Capitalist of the World should be our motto these days. But that’s another story.

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From a person living in this ridiculous state I can tell you exactly how it feels.  Like you were dumped off in the middle of the artic with one match and one twig and a handshake followed by a hollow “Good luck and Fuck you dumbass”! Now don’t forget to vote for me in the next election”! Yeah go fuck your own goofy looking ass you Trump loving piece of garbage Abbott.  I never even considered him for my vote and will make sure that everyone remembers this week come election day.  Sadly this is a entire nation of people who have a severe case of ADD and a lot of dementia.  They will forget and he will tell them more lies and false promises that he has zero interest in keeping and they will keep him in office.

But the worst part is everyone is blaming each other.  Abbott blames the deserted island company that he helped create and they are blaming,  well actually I don’t know who they are blaming but I do know that they are not taking any responsibility for the complete homicidal screw up.  Abbott actually appointed the 3 and ONLY board members at what I choose to call the deserted island.  And 2 of them don’t even live in Texas so how does he know these people to give them jobs that pay as much $890,000. A year? Friends? In laws? Relatives? College buddies? I’d love to know.

I literally slept and hung out in my car for 3 days.  I finally was able to travel 30 miles to get fuel and something hot to eat and I had not eaten since Sunday night before the lights went off.  I had just spent around 200 on food for staying home during this shit only to loose every single bit of my groceries.   Sickening.  I used nearly 2 tanks of gasoline just to have a warm place to be during temperatures of the lowest being 8 degrees and the highest was 24.  Had no way to heat up food so I just said fuck it I needed to loose some lbs anyway.  Unlike the idiot guy from California in the stupid costume on January 6th I have real issues with some foods like processed meat.  I will end up in a hospital if I eat more than one sandwich a month so sandwich is out for easy food while trying to stay alive.

I said I “slept” in my car,  you never really get to “sleep” when you are spending most your time trying to get comfortable and in a position that doesn’t hurt the sciatic nerve I have from being a paramedic for years and had to take medical retirement because of a severely screwed up back.  At one point I tossed and moved around so much I was completely miserable and I did get myself to the point that I could have slept standing up in a hurricane.  Only to hear, “Knock knock on my window.  I had just finally passed out from the pain and misery and thought of how much weight can a beam actually hold 8 ft off the ground.  I’m only a buck thirty so…nodded off at that point to hear the knocking off the charts knocking like a cop knocks and you swear that they are there to give you bad news knocking.  I become wide awake and here is the most important question I have ever been asked in my life,  “Are you going to sleep in your car”? Had I not accidentally fell on my dog while scrambling to get out of my car,  and had her screaming in pain now and jar my ass back from killing mode the idiot who asked that stupid shit would have been murdered right beside my car in 10 degree weather.  I told Einstein “No I am teaching my dog how to play MONOPOLY, she insists I be the dog and she be the car, you dumbass!”  So there’s that stupid shit to deal with.  And that stupid shit happened 4 times. I would never dreamed a storm almost caused my ass to be charged with murder but I came very close.  I didn’t get sleep or food for 72 plus hours.

Now like everyone in my small rural town all the stores have to throw out all their perishable products and no telling when they can get trucks back out because the roads still have ice on them.

So this colossal fuck up is far worse than people hear about.   Oh yeah we have no water either to add insult to misery.

And Abbott takes his dumbass to Friendly State TV Faux no news and bitches and whines about green energy being a big disaster when in reality this is solely a management and poor planning fuck up because the power is out there waiting to be used but if you don’t order it before you need it and instead they are sitting around bitching and crying about some kids making a haul on Reddit and Robinhood, (literally that’s what Abbott’s been bitching and whining about since that story broke news.)  In addition to trying to comfort the nation’s enemy, Trump.  Omg this guy’s crush on Trump is absolutely disgraceful and embarrassing for us.  I think even Republicans are saying,  Dude control your pathetic self already ”

Yeah it’s been a complete fucking nightmare since Sunday for where I live in this third world country called Texas.

I am tired,  hurting and completely miserable still and I have power again finally.  Btw I literally live right next door to the only hospital for miles and miles and they have been running on generators since Sunday which is limiting how they are able to treat or not treat a severely sick or injured person.  Remember people are getting frostbite and CO2 poisoning from stupid shit like bringing a BBQ pit inside for heating.  It’s unbelievable how common sense just evades people in a crisis.  I learned many hurricanes ago that you absolutely must NEVER EVER depend on the government to save your ass in a crisis or your likely to end up regretting depending on the government as you literally take your last breathes of your life.  New Orleans ring any bells? Too many people depended on local  and federal and state governments to get them to safety before the hurricane but the mayor was more concerned with impressing out of town guest and setting them up in N.O. nicest hotels while people drowned in the rising sea and lake.  The Gov. Was practicing her crying technique for TV and just being a dumb bitch in general I guess.  Good grief why would anyone ever put their lives in the hands of criminals and thugs and liars and cheaters and thinking that they will be taken care of will always baffle me and I was in the business of rescuing people.  Learn to swim and run away and know where the exits are is what parents should teach their children nowadays.  Not call 911 expecting a miracle.  It’s what I taught my now 30 year old daughter.  She’s pretty self reliant now.  Good for her and congratulations me!

But depending on the government for life saving fuel should be a federal crime.  So I have something else that Biden can focus on if he finds himself tolling around the white house one night at bewitching a.m. what Abbott failed to do should come with a criminal charge.  As the idiots who run….correction POORLY ran deserted island power hoarder.  This is absolutely as big of a fuck up as New Orleans was during Katrina.

I’m moving the first chance I get.  Back to Upstate NY where the summer is beautiful and the winters are a bitch but are managed properly.

Donna Connelly

Eagle Lake,  Texas

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Fuck you!

Cory L. Moore