I'm not an expert, but I'm surprised this article doesn't mention utility-scale BESS at all. I thought one of the main benefits of large BESS facilities is to add grid stability? Thoughts? I mean: www.woodmac.com/news/opinion...
Buildings. Earthquakes. Public policy. Functional Recovery <--> Community Resilience. Giants baseball. Princeton hoops. contact: djbonowitz (with a 'j') at gmail
1,413 followers 646 following 4,704 posts
view profile on Bluesky
I'm not an expert, but I'm surprised this article doesn't mention utility-scale BESS at all. I thought one of the main benefits of large BESS facilities is to add grid stability? Thoughts? I mean: www.woodmac.com/news/opinion...
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
He's getting close to claiming my offer: bsky.app/profile/dbon...
I'd love to hear from your followers about concern for losses due to wind (straight or tornado). Insurance can reduce $ loss but, broadly speaking, it does NOT reduce service downtime. To do that, you need stronger initial design + redundancy, which IBC proposals S55-25 & S57-25 will try to provide.
Seems the Republican leadership (certainly within the Exec branch) already feels pretty confident of the answer ...
I don't know the composition of the Space Force staff, but if it means moving a bunch of military families from a purple state to a deep red state, that's probably an electoral net plus, tbh.
Any way to quantify the cost reductions due to these regulatory changes? There are also proposals to allow bldgs like this to be designed with the IRC (i.e. CRC), instead of the IBC (CBC), ostensibly to cut cost. But I suspect the effect of these reg changes >> savings from a different code.
Thread of Katrina 20-year anniversary thoughts from me. Mostly can be summarized as "Please stop the Trump administration from putting everyone through this again" disasterology.substack.com/p/disasterol...
Congrats. I wonder if the 3rd finding (belief in accusation) applies only in retrospect ("there WAS fraud") or also prospectively ("there WILL BE fraud"), as the latter also drives policy. Also wonder if it applies to other fraud accusations: birth certs, college grades, mortgage applications, etc.
Brilliant. And here's why most of us will probably not act by the deadline and just lose the subscription by default, not even realizing it's gone until we need it: "You can still keep using America, and depending on your version, it may remain functional for some length of time."
That's right, we still have an outside shot at the playoffs, and it is excellent to have a Giant's strength. Oh, you meant something else? bsky.app/profile/dbon...
#sfgiants have won 8 of their last 10 and have clawed back to .500 at 69-69. Not great, but as they say, nice.
Know you not, ... you ought not walk upon a [Labor] day without the sign of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
Sorry, but Judge Sparkle Sooknanan has changed my thinking on this.
Do you have a 3 bullet point (max 5) Energy Affordability Agenda to give to candidates on a post-it note? Presumably, "reinstate IRA incentives to build renewables" is on it? (And "drill baby drill" is not?)
Same for "I Will," which also makes a great lullaby.
@artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social
Everyone knows a guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy.
Yes, but keep it simple for voters: "Look at your July bill. It's __% higher than it was last year." When that simple truth is on our side, let the other side stumble over "well actually ..." The rabbis speak of four sons: 1 wise, 1 contrary, 1 simple, and 1 who does not even know what to ask.
Yep, I know a maga who sees the same videos and loves them. But even aside from motivated reasoning, it's tough: - There's a sign on the corner, so I know what gas costs even though I don't own a car. - I would have to look at my bill to know what I pay per kWH or how many kWH I use in a day.
You obviously don't get his deep strategy, Ron. Four words: wax on, wax off.
This disconnect exists for lots of issues. Maybe a good analogy is gas prices: the typical voter/consumer simply knows the average price per gallon for their city, and that's all the media reports. After that, it's just finger-pointing. So how to frame the message should vary with your audience.
What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy fellow.
My ongoing question: Is she smart enough to actually know what she's doing, like the most effective faux-evangelical scammers? Or is she simply as preternaturally and intuitively gifted as her boss?
This is Inside Baseball, but Marcy makes the point that SCOTUS Rs *do* often defer to their corporate buddies. Which is the goal of "Shut it Down" (link). Q is whether we'll get enough wins like Friday's tariff ruling without the need for more painful actions. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
For 50 years, American Jews & their allies conflated Judaism, Zionism, and Israel policy. So it's really hard to properly distinguish those ideas now. But it's easy to do what Riesman suggests here (ahem, Princeton): Reject T's and Bibi's b.s. claims that *anything* they're doing will help Jews.
The thing the mainstream media is not remembering about Hurricane Katrina is their own lethal, racist contribution to treating rumors as facts used to demonize the stranded in New Orleans, turning them from victims to be aided to enemies to be contained.
Appreciate your style.
Yes, and it confirms that Schumer (and likely Jeffries too) are not bad at working the back rooms with procedural tactics. Just keep them away from cameras and microphones.
My thinking is that it's still all Defense until Nov 2026. And there are a few ways to play it (see link). We're currently taking approach #1. My fear is that if we don't gear up #3, we will end up at #2 ... bsky.app/profile/dbon...
This whole thread is excellent, along w/ Graff & Elrod, the best thing I read this week. Yet we are still lacking direction on what exactly to do that isn't mostly the same as what we did in 2017-20. What does Dan mean by "tactics of mass protest"? 1/2
Yes, but may I suggest that while this comprehensive, rational approach works for leaders, most communities are followers. And it's OK to be a follower! It's less risky and A LOT CHEAPER & FASTER. For followers, it's just 2 steps: Find a leader you like. Copy them, even if it's not bespoke for you.
100% bsky.app/profile/dbon...
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
This is VERY GOOD. I've been saying the same, independently, for years. The new problem/challenge, given a FEMA quasi-Admin w/ no experience is that the Stafford Act itself uses "disaster" -- NOT defined -- confusingly AND as part of "major disaster," which IS defined, AND misuses "catastrophe." Oy.
@artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social
Holy cow, the Orioles are coming apart. They look lost. They look as bad as ... the Giants looked against the Padres just a week ago. #sfgiants
Wait, what happened to Kelce?
I'm making jokes too (below), but my real guess is a secret trip to Russia to announce some Ukraine solution, with a big self-congratulatory press conference coming Sunday. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
There are other explanations. Maybe he's quietly traveling to Minneapolis to comfort the families of the victims there. Or maybe he's busy trying to re-staff CDC, FEMA, NIH, etc. Or taking a private weekend with his son before Barron heads back to school. But tbh, it's more likely that he's dead.
Honestly, I hope he's well enough to be told the news about the tariff and deportation rulings ... and that *that* makes his heart explode.
🎉BREAKING: The Utah Supreme Court halted #RalphMenzies’ ex*cution, ordering a new review of his competency amid worsening dementia. Full ruling: legacy.utcourts.gov/opinions/sup...
Yikes but also #structural_engineering ftw
Kiley considers himself the tip of the Speer.
I'm seeing 3 broad strategies to get us to Nov 2026: 1. Gut it out. Everything Gregg lists below is essentially here. Maybe it's enough if we get some wins soon. Maybe not. 2. Take up arms. Violent. Let's avoid this. 3. Shut it down. Basically a general strike to get corporations to demand change.
Yep. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
Gonna try to think through & post more about these 3 strategies over the weekend. To be clear, all the resistance we're starting to see -- the CDC walkout, the FEMA letter, the lawsuits, the obstruction -- is all "Gut it out." It's good, but I don't know if we can win by only playing defense.
Re-posting in light of today's CDC news. These FEMA staffers put their jobs on the line & forced the hand of unqualified appointees. The right attitude: "You're making our jobs impossible, but we're going to try anyway. We're not quitting. If you fire us, the resulting damage is on you."
And even if they just screwed up the footnote, the opposite is true: Making it easier to retrofit, replace, and supplement existing damage-prone housing will help PREVENT post-disaster housing crises and PROTECT owners and investors.
Doing a quick search for my pet issues, and found this claim (p16) about disaster resistance: "[Abundance] will result in post-disaster housing crises and could threaten the stability of crucial financial institutions." Eh? The reference is note 22, which is a completely unrelated tweet by DKT.
Curious if those brick columns are solid masonry, or if there are timber (or even steel? doubt it) posts inside them.
You can add your name to the list of supporters at the link in Maddow's post. I did. I'm also proud of Victoria Salinas, former Chief Resilience Officer of Oakland (and thus a client), as one of the public FEMA signatories. I assume this means she's been put on leave. (I also gave $46, optional.)
oh, man, I can smell the neatsfoot oil. beautiful stuff. A2000 baby!
Roughly 1/7 of a smoot, darth
Good coverage of the FEMA situation with Greg Fugate on the PBS Newshour tonight. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QN2...
Our essay on the Annunciation Catholic School shooting: substack.com/profile/5411...
Sorry, but to clarify, does that mean that if it's in the LibGen database, it counts for these purposes? I didn't register the copyright, but I suppose the journal might have.
A bunch of the history plays, including Henry V, are here. I'd never heard of Andrew Jarvis, but he's really good as Richard III (looks, ominously, like Stephen Miller). www.youtube.com/@shakespeare...
Came here to say exactly this. Even worse than Robert Downey Jr. in McKellen's Richard III (which is otherwise excellent).
Does "book" include journal papers that show up in the LibGen database? That database has a bunch of my papers, but none of them are standalone published books, and I have no idea if there's an ISBN. Thanks
Oh, this is a whole 'nother level of discourse, but I wouldn't want to hijack Amanda's thread, so I'll just leave this here for others to contemplate: slate.com/human-intere...
Of possible, related interest: bsky.app/profile/dbon...
Hmm, I notice Hillel is standing on both feet. LIVE YOUR TRUTH, HILLEL! (Also, don't miss the alt text.)
MAY I SUGGEST ALSO SOME LEGISLATION that prohibits ICE from targetting anyone seeking or receiving disaster assistance? As soon as I posted earlier about how this DHS policy is awful, I realized that ICE is just as likely to target aid recipients, as they do asylum seekers and day laborers.
Atheists of Jewish heritage (it me): God isn't real and these bread things aren't bagels.
Two decades later, Hurricane Katrina still looms large in our national memory. The disaster influenced a generation of scholars, journalists, and artists. This selection of media and research offers a wide variety of personal stories and detailed analyses of Katrina's legacy: bit.ly/3JzpeVl
Yes, and of a piece with @vermontgmg.bsky.social 's excellent piece a few days ago. Velshi & Walsh are good not only the current state of play, but also on Dems' inadequate response. So: bsky.app/profile/dbon...
Thing is, we HAD s program for volunteerism, but he cut that too. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
The cruelty ... Reminds me: I miss Adam Serwer here.
Keep it soft, and preferably funny.
brb, gotta pick up a few things from the store: - water jug - water-based or washable red paint - super-soaker Anyone need anything?
AGs and DAs standing up where law firms and health insurers wouldn't. Public servants ftw.
This would be the biggest scandal for at least 43 Presidents and I bet not even 1% of the public knows about it
www.routledge.com/Clear-as-Mud...
Kinda disagree here, in large part because of NO's actual experience. I get that nobody wants to recover to a bad state, but recovery will absolutely get bogged down by debates over what's better. Communities that failed to mitigate are often the same ones ill-equipped to do effective planning. See:
No wonder Sean Duffy's afraid of subways.
Hmm. The irony is that I want what maga wants: for the govt to leave me alone. But I can't do that until I see the rest of my community doing ok. So this advice, often good, seems ill-timed when we still need ramped up collective action. (Plus, I feel another fruitless "abundance" debate coming.)
I imagine you already follow him, but just in case, and for your followers ... @brenttoderian.bsky.social
You know, the idea of a corps of volunteers to help beautify the country and assist local and state agencies is not a bad idea. Maybe call it ... Corps for America ... no, wait, how about AmeriCorps. Oh, wait. @nprnews.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/05/09/n...
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
Well, if Pritzker would just let in the National Guard, this problem would be solved.
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
This outcome boosts my thinking that overall, we have not made enough effective use of ketchup squirt bottles (for their cars), glitter, or food-coloring water balloons -- anything with a soft impact that can be launched from a distance. Rs are right: This result means escalation.
It's sickening to watch, but this is a smart take. One would have expected this in January, but it says something different that it's still going. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
Aside from the offensive linking of homelessness to crime, I gotta say if they were serious, Rs' typical lack of nuance could turn this into a new City Beautiful movement. But of course they are NOT serious. They are selfish. This is no more serious than "I don't like seeing windmills when I golf."
Both of these ideas are good, if defensive. And the statement from DA Krasner (link below) is promising. Big picture, I'm thinking that for the next 14 months, there are 3 broad potential strategies: 1. Gut it out. (Our current course) 2. Take up arms. 3. Shut it down. bsky.app/profile/acyn...
But her emails.
Seems like the answer would be relevant to this very welcome statement from Krasner: bsky.app/profile/acyn...
@sfgiants.com Jon & Dave talking about wordle starters, and I can't believe neither of them uses mine: GIANT (And during basketball season: TIGER.)
Sincere Q: Do we know if they're identifying specific individuals from some database, then waiting for them to be out in public? Or are they really just targeting delivery drivers, profiling them, and hoping they get lucky when they demand ID?
Hell of a passage to read in twenty twenty five
@artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social
Disgraceful, but not unexpected. Cheers to FEMA staff for raising their voices. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
bsky.app/profile/dbon...
The original buddy comedy. SHAMMAI: Third base!
This makes eleven wars solved
Parallels my own taxonomy: 1. Deplorables: It will hurt our enemies. 2. Elites: We'll ride him to our profit. 3. Normies: Refused to believe the (accurate) doomcasting. And yes, it was all in the open. In an exceptional con, the mark thinks he's in on it. bsky.app/profile/dbon...
The bit at the end was news to me -- that during the Rodney King protests and in 1967 Detroit, deployed troops were told to remove their bullets. Which is consistent with my fear that what's more likely than Kent State is something more chaotic, like the Boston Massacre or Harper's Ferry.
(I only wish they had applied the "seven generations" principles to their seismic design criteria, as that would have set a remarkable example and proof of feasibility for Vancouver's other developers. But alas, that's my hobbyhorse.)