Personal Utility - Electricity Bill -- June 28, 2024

Locator: 48061ELECTRICITY.

Electricity rates by state, April, 2024, link here. 

Electricity bill, north Texas. Household energy: only electricity, no natural gas. Utility says their electricity is 100% renewable. 

My rate runs about 15.6 cents per kWh, slightly higher than the "advertised" 14.25 cents, up slightly from 14.11 cents one year ago.

Record heat in Texas this spring. The grid held.

But note, the average high temperature unchanged from last year!

Two extra days this billing period compared to last year.

I've been less "stringent" this year with regard to conserving energy -- LOL. I am / was curious to see how that affects our overall usage.

So, less than the cost of a Starbucks coffee each day. 

This year: 20 * 30 =  600

Last year: 18 * 30 = 540

 15.6 cents last year = $84.24 last year.

15.6 * 600 = $93.60 this year. 

Inconsequential. 

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Kitchen Appliances

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The Movie Page 

Wow, wow, wow. One of my favorite television personalities, Ms Della Street on Perry Mason. I always thought she was quite attractive, and then, what do you know? I just found Falcon Out West, starring Tom Conway, and ..... lo and behold --- starring Barbara Hale. Born in April, 1922, same year as my day, and this movie came out in 1944 -- making Barbara Hale about 21 years old when she made this film.

Wow.

Died in Sherman Oaks, CA, at age 94. Wow. Brings back memories of my few short years in southern California.

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Presidential Politics

The first presidential debate was last night.

Folks know how that turned out. Bottom line: Democrat movers and shakers are trying to figure out how to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.

Fast forward twelve hours.

I just received the current issue of The New Yorker, cover dated July 1, 2024, with the lead "The Talk of the Town" story, "Comment: Debatable." It was written before the first debate last night, and gives the writer's view of that (upcoming) debate. The author, Evan Osnos, completely missed what would be the topic of the debate.

Everyone tuned in to watch DJT. 

But everyone left the debate remembering only the vacant look of the president. 

For Evan Osnos to completely have missed this possibility tells us how well the White House has been "hiding" Joe Biden and how quickly the latter has gone "downhill." 

Three comments and observations:

• the spectacle last night raises the question whether the president has the stamina for a "classical" cross-country campaign. Spoiler alert: no;
• the question whether Joe will renege on his agreement for two debates; and,
• most importantly, donor funds for Biden will dry up even as Trump's donations surge.

In a "normal" situation, all would agree that Biden lost the election last night, but 2024 -- with DJT -- nothing is normal.

Having said that, the US Supreme Court is making a lot of decisions favoring Trump and not Biden. We can start with January 6.

Disclaimer: this is no endorsement of either candidate.

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The Movie Page (Again)

Wow, wow, wow. Now, following Falcon Out West, we have the Scapegoat (1959), based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier -- one of my favorites, starring Bette Davis and Alec Guiness, with screenplay by Robert Hamer and Gore Vidal, another favorite. 

All of these old films only became more poignant over time with much more meaning to me personally after my time in England, 2002 - 2006, or thereabouts.  

The premise of the movie is most interesting. It will be interesting to see if it holds up. Nicole Maurey, b. 1925, would have been about 34 years old (?). 

Bette Davis, b. 1908, about 50 years of age.