Wombat
@wombat-ee.bsky.social
Electrical engineer working on the grid. I have opinions about energy, climate, transport, housing, and politics. YIMBY. #EnergySky
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Wombat
@wombat-ee.bsky.social
· Nov 2
A brief preview of the content you can expect from this account:
Looks like I chose an incredible time to almost entirely quit social media. I'll see y'all when this all blows over. Maybe.
September 18, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Looks like I chose an incredible time to almost entirely quit social media. I'll see y'all when this all blows over. Maybe.
I got a gas bill that actually had billed usage! Wow!
My range (only gas thing that gets used in summer) using a whopping 1 therm of gas in 3 months.
My range (only gas thing that gets used in summer) using a whopping 1 therm of gas in 3 months.
September 15, 2025 at 1:52 AM
I got a gas bill that actually had billed usage! Wow!
My range (only gas thing that gets used in summer) using a whopping 1 therm of gas in 3 months.
My range (only gas thing that gets used in summer) using a whopping 1 therm of gas in 3 months.
Camel by Camel is such an odd song but it's admittedly kind of a banger.
September 12, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Camel by Camel is such an odd song but it's admittedly kind of a banger.
There's not a single non-racist explanation for thinking like this.
September 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
There's not a single non-racist explanation for thinking like this.
Good way to look at it.
So forget about storage and transmission for a sec, let's explore the idea that assets are worthless if used <50% of the time.
-Snow plows
-substantial fraction of the poles and wires (built to peak)
-The Red River Floodway (Most days Winnipeg wouldn't flood anyway!)
-Every gun and private car
-Snow plows
-substantial fraction of the poles and wires (built to peak)
-The Red River Floodway (Most days Winnipeg wouldn't flood anyway!)
-Every gun and private car
September 7, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Good way to look at it.
I haven't been able to open my windows overnight for weeks because of wildfires exacerbated by climate change. So much fun.
Secretary of Energy: “Climate change, for impacting the quality of your life, is not incredibly important. In fact, if it wasn’t in the news, in the media, you wouldn’t know.”
The burning West, choking on smoke from worsening wildfires:
The burning West, choking on smoke from worsening wildfires:
September 7, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I haven't been able to open my windows overnight for weeks because of wildfires exacerbated by climate change. So much fun.
Amazing stuff going on in (checks) the department responsible for energy and nuclear weapons
September 7, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Amazing stuff going on in (checks) the department responsible for energy and nuclear weapons
This is incredible.
Did you know your MacBook has a sensor that knows the exact angle of the screen hinge?
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
It’s not exposed as a public API, but I figured out a way to read it and make it sound like an old wooden door.
September 7, 2025 at 12:19 AM
This is incredible.
"Support our troops!"
"Wait, no, not like that!"
"Wait, no, not like that!"
www.rawstory.com/trump-infuri...
lmao they’re activating them for 29 days over and over so they don’t get full active duty pay
lmao they’re activating them for 29 days over and over so they don’t get full active duty pay
'It infuriates us': Veterans rage at 'abusive' Trump over reports of him stiffing soldiers
Donald Trump has reportedly gone out of his way to avoid paying national guard troops sent in to Washington, D.C., resulting in outrage from veterans.The reports started earlier in the summer that Tru...
www.rawstory.com
September 1, 2025 at 1:25 AM
"Support our troops!"
"Wait, no, not like that!"
"Wait, no, not like that!"
I'll be in NYC in October and I intentionally booked old Acela to get there from Philly because soon I won't have a chance to experience them.
Also it'll be my first time ever on HSR so that'll be neat.
Also it'll be my first time ever on HSR so that'll be neat.
September 1, 2025 at 1:23 AM
I'll be in NYC in October and I intentionally booked old Acela to get there from Philly because soon I won't have a chance to experience them.
Also it'll be my first time ever on HSR so that'll be neat.
Also it'll be my first time ever on HSR so that'll be neat.
I'm a bit of an expert in protection engineering, so I guess I should be fired and the garbage man should start developing recloser settings. I'm sure that'll end with no additional deaths or forest fires.
And in the meantime I'll start driving the garbage truck.
And in the meantime I'll start driving the garbage truck.
RFK Jr: We need to stop trusting the experts... Trusting the experts is not a feature of science or democracy, it's a feature of religion and totalitarianism.
August 30, 2025 at 11:30 PM
I'm a bit of an expert in protection engineering, so I guess I should be fired and the garbage man should start developing recloser settings. I'm sure that'll end with no additional deaths or forest fires.
And in the meantime I'll start driving the garbage truck.
And in the meantime I'll start driving the garbage truck.
It's fine though, Washington voted for Harris so let it burn.
That's probably some of their logic, anyways.
That's probably some of their logic, anyways.
August 29, 2025 at 12:56 AM
It's fine though, Washington voted for Harris so let it burn.
That's probably some of their logic, anyways.
That's probably some of their logic, anyways.
This is just nuts. Imagine talking about this like it's an accomplishment. Meanwhile rent in the LA area continues to be absurdly high.
Here’s the clip of CM Padilla bragging about reducing the size of a 100% affordable housing project in her district and increasing the amount of parking while arguing against the transit oriented upzoning bill SB 79.
(ED 1 is an affordable housing program in LA.)
(ED 1 is an affordable housing program in LA.)
August 29, 2025 at 12:50 AM
This is just nuts. Imagine talking about this like it's an accomplishment. Meanwhile rent in the LA area continues to be absurdly high.
I just got a text from the power company saying the power is out at my house, but uh, my power is still on? Idk, I'm not complaining.
August 25, 2025 at 5:41 AM
I just got a text from the power company saying the power is out at my house, but uh, my power is still on? Idk, I'm not complaining.
Inflation is fun. I just got quoted $1400 for a gutter install. Similar size house, same company, but back in 2020, a coworker paid $600.
And it's only gonna get worse thanks to tariffs. Woo.
And it's only gonna get worse thanks to tariffs. Woo.
August 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Inflation is fun. I just got quoted $1400 for a gutter install. Similar size house, same company, but back in 2020, a coworker paid $600.
And it's only gonna get worse thanks to tariffs. Woo.
And it's only gonna get worse thanks to tariffs. Woo.
This isn't tariffs on your temu garbage, this is directly making things the vast majority of Americans use on a regular basis more expensive. But I guess in the end we're all winning or something, right?
if i'm reading the order correctly here, this means there's a 50% tariff on washing machines (and other household goods that I don't feel like pulling out the HS codes for) www.reuters.com/business/us-...
August 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
This isn't tariffs on your temu garbage, this is directly making things the vast majority of Americans use on a regular basis more expensive. But I guess in the end we're all winning or something, right?
What the fuck
Russian tanks, with Russian and American flags, are driving to storm Ukrainian positions. Right now.
August 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
What the fuck
I live in rural Oregon and ngl shoutout to the Willamette Valley for keeping our roads paved and stuff. Those guys are chil.
Now I realize I'm an exception and most people around here *loathe* Portland with a passion, but what else would you expect from rural Republicans?
Now I realize I'm an exception and most people around here *loathe* Portland with a passion, but what else would you expect from rural Republicans?
At some point i think we’re gonna see a tax revolt from the blue states // urban areas and it’ll get really ugly - “we’re tired of those ungrateful rural welfare queens freeloading off our jobs”
fundamentally rural Republicans are so racist they believe that anyone living in the urban core, and every single Black resident, is on some form of secret benefits they are footing the bill for. at no point is evidence required, it's just innate knowledge.
August 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I live in rural Oregon and ngl shoutout to the Willamette Valley for keeping our roads paved and stuff. Those guys are chil.
Now I realize I'm an exception and most people around here *loathe* Portland with a passion, but what else would you expect from rural Republicans?
Now I realize I'm an exception and most people around here *loathe* Portland with a passion, but what else would you expect from rural Republicans?
Oh so this is what they're doing instead of delivering my package on time.
I’m so relieved that the
*checks notes*
…United States Postal Police are protecting the
*checks notes*
…San Francisco Pizza, Bagel and Beer Festival
*checks notes*
…United States Postal Police are protecting the
*checks notes*
…San Francisco Pizza, Bagel and Beer Festival
August 16, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Oh so this is what they're doing instead of delivering my package on time.
I'm seeing Popeyes discourse and I've been offline enough recently to have absolutely no clue what's going on. Could someone fill me in?
August 16, 2025 at 1:31 AM
I'm seeing Popeyes discourse and I've been offline enough recently to have absolutely no clue what's going on. Could someone fill me in?
Perhaps my biggest electrical pet peeve is when people refer to US electricity as "one ten." It's 120v. ±5%, but still 120v base. If you're getting 110v out of your plugs, your utility is doing something wrong.
And yes I know one ten is fewer syllables than one twenty, but it's also just wrong.
And yes I know one ten is fewer syllables than one twenty, but it's also just wrong.
August 14, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Perhaps my biggest electrical pet peeve is when people refer to US electricity as "one ten." It's 120v. ±5%, but still 120v base. If you're getting 110v out of your plugs, your utility is doing something wrong.
And yes I know one ten is fewer syllables than one twenty, but it's also just wrong.
And yes I know one ten is fewer syllables than one twenty, but it's also just wrong.
Seatbelts, sure, why not, eat steering wheel, that's a you problem. But I'll be damned if I have to put up with your cigarette smoke indoors.
jesus fuck they're really going to go after seatbelt and smoking ban laws, i really thought those were safer than trans people getting to exist in civic life and gay people getting to care for their dying loved ones
Republican Senator Says He Doesn’t Wear Seatbelt in D.C. Because He Fears Being Carjacked: ‘I Don’t Buckle Up’
August 14, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Seatbelts, sure, why not, eat steering wheel, that's a you problem. But I'll be damned if I have to put up with your cigarette smoke indoors.
I got a mis-addressed email about a leaking gutter and through that one photo and a look at the weather radar map I was able to nail down the location to a specific townhouse in Chicago. The internet feels a bit too powerful sometimes...
August 12, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I got a mis-addressed email about a leaking gutter and through that one photo and a look at the weather radar map I was able to nail down the location to a specific townhouse in Chicago. The internet feels a bit too powerful sometimes...
Fast food now costs on par with entry level sit down, so the decision has become pretty obvious...
August 12, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Fast food now costs on par with entry level sit down, so the decision has become pretty obvious...