Trump

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

But, it was all okay. According to Trump, people got free boats that appeared in their back yards.

And presumably more than a few got free swimming pools in their basements as well?

I see this as an absolute win!

[matthewfarmery]

Finally some good news, and a real blow against Trump.

Trump bid to stop tax record being handed over to New York prosecutors declined by Supreme Court

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 05647.html

seems that the supreme court has been sitting on Trump's tax returns for a while now. or a decision has taken a while But this is a good move. And a real blow to Trump, who probably hoped that his appointed judges will rule in favour for keeping the tax returns hidden. At least now things can move forward.

[Vertigo 7]

The story in Texas gets even better. 10 years ago, to the day of the beginning of the winter storm, Texas state legislatures held hearings on what to do going forward from a winter storm that had an almost identical impact. They knew that the power grid would fail if freezing conditions were to occur again, because they just experienced it, and they chose to do nothing.

Good job, Texas! You guys are really worth looking up to!

[matthewfarmery]

The story in Texas gets even better. 10 years ago, to the day of the beginning of the winter storm, Texas state legislatures held hearings on what to do going forward from a winter storm that had an almost identical impact. They knew that the power grid would fail if freezing conditions were to occur again, because they just experienced it, and they chose to do nothing.

Good job, Texas! You guys are really worth looking up to!

So basically, they only have themselves to blame.

[Vertigo 7]

The story in Texas gets even better. 10 years ago, to the day of the beginning of the winter storm, Texas state legislatures held hearings on what to do going forward from a winter storm that had an almost identical impact. They knew that the power grid would fail if freezing conditions were to occur again, because they just experienced it, and they chose to do nothing.

Good job, Texas! You guys are really worth looking up to!

So basically, they only have themselves to blame.

Yup. And the power companies refused to winterize their infrastructure because it would cost them too much.

The problems go beyond the plants. The transformers and and such on the lines have also catastrophically failed due to ice. Poles have fallen, lines snapped, a whole host of things caused by a cold snap. Paired with the state's desire for "independence", that has the effect of keeping the state's power grid free of federal regulation, means they're dead in the water until the state thaws and they spend billions on replacing failed infrastructure.

And it's not just power. Water lines have frozen and burst all over, destroying homes and businesses.

[felter]

And it's not just power. Water lines have frozen and burst all over, destroying homes and businesses.

The 8-Bit Guy suffered from that. When his power went out he went to stay with family, but didn't turn off his water which led to a pipe bursting and flooding his house.

[Vertigo 7]

And it's not just power. Water lines have frozen and burst all over, destroying homes and businesses.

The 8-Bit Guy suffered from that. When his power went out he went to stay with family, but didn't turn off his water which led to a pipe bursting and flooding his house.

You shouldn't turn the water off. In fact, you should turn all the faucets on to keep the water moving. Standing water will freeze and as it expands, it will burst the pipes. But if you can keep it flowing, it's less likely to freeze and cause damage.

[Nanook]

Actually, if you're leaving the house empty for an extended period, the best strategy is to turn off the water and drain your lines as best you can. That way if the water pressure fails at the source, which apparently it did in a number of cases, you aren't left with stationary water in your lines.

[greypanther]

Actually, if you're leaving the house empty for an extended period, the best strategy is to turn off the water and drain your lines as best you can.

Yes, I can remember my dad doing this many years ago as the house was being left for a good while one winter, bloody pain to do as well, as I remember. ( Going from all the strange shouty words my dad was using! )

[Mightysword]

I'm curious, do you need special equipment to drain the pipe? I figure you have to turn off the main valve before draining, but then that means there is no pressure to push old water out. I imagine some kind of blowing or sucking device are needed?

[Alan Phipps]

I didn't know Trump also did plumbing jobs.

[Vertigo 7]

I didn't know Trump also did plumbing jobs.

O rlly? https://youtu.be/2Yj-U8FQnYQ?t=30

This is not a joke.

[felter]

Sorry for this as I know it is off topic, but some of you have the wrong idea about why you turn the mains water off when leaving a house for a length of time in cold freezing weather. For starters it is not to stop any pipes from freezing and breaking, as it is basically impossible to get all of the water out of a pipe. Even turning all the taps on wont work, as eventually you will get an airlock preventing the water in the pipe reaching the tap. That trapped water can still freeze and break a pipe, so even turning the mains water off may not stop a breakage. The reason for turning the water off is to stop a flooding when the pipe freezes and thaws out. If you have turned the water off at the mains, you will only get some of the water in the pipes being released into your property, so you may get a pint or two leaking, while if the mains is still turned on you end up with several hundred gallons or more of water filling up your property, doing a lot of damage. Also running water can still freeze, rivers freeze over all the time it may take a little longer but if it's cold enough, eventually they will freeze. Also a lot of people pay for the amount of water they use, so leaving the taps on would probably end up costing them more than paying for the damage a bust pipe would cause, just less hassle.

[Nanook]

I've done a bit of plumbing for my own homes over the years, and according to the code where I live, you're supposed to install the piping so that they all drain towards the outlets, as well as having intermediate valves and faucets so the water can be drained if needed. And even if some water remains in the pipes, it generally won't burst the pipes if they're less than half full. And modern PEX pipe won't break when the water inside it freezes. It exands and then contracts to the original shape when thawed.

But enough plumbing tutorial for now. Weren't we discussing that other 'plumber'?*

*Urban dictionary definition: plumber · noun: A man who has sex with many, many women. They call me the plumber, 'cause I'm always layin' the pipe.

[Vertigo 7]

Does it still count if you have to pay $130k for it?

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

It's easy being the plumber if you're the one paying for the job.

[mrbadger]

Can it be true? Has my thread finally started to come to an end after 5 years?

Let's just hope he doesn't get elected again.

[Vertigo 7]

I'm sure this is only a temporary lull. CPAC just started and they, literally, rolled out the golden idol. There's plenty of pending criminal and civil litigation. But Trump's removal from social media and office has done much to curb the daily onslaught of his BS.

[matthewfarmery]

Stunning new allegations further connect Trump to Russian mobsters and oligarchs

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-sater/#c ... tion_start

Farther allegations connecting Trump to Russia. The thing is Mueller did a poor job at the time, also wasn't able to gain access to Trump's tax returns, And more. yet now that Trump is no longer president, things are slowly coming out. And yet Trump is wanting to run again. Even though he now does have connections to the Russian mafia. I'm sure when his tax returns are given a good looking at, more proof of the connections will be found. What very concerning is if Trump wins another term, and what damage he will do again. That is an interesting read for anyone that is interested.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

Stunning new allegations further connect Trump to Russian mobsters and oligarchs

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-sater/#c ... tion_start

Farther allegations connecting Trump to Russia. The thing is Mueller did a poor job at the time, also wasn't able to gain access to Trump's tax returns, And more. yet now that Trump is no longer president, things are slowly coming out. And yet Trump is wanting to run again. Even though he now does have connections to the Russian mafia. I'm sure when his tax returns are given a good looking at, more proof of the connections will be found. What very concerning is if Trump wins another term, and what damage he will do again. That is an interesting read for anyone that is interested.

"I believe they're very fine people."