News commentary

I might be getting $125 as a member of the class that is suing Bar/Bri. I suppose it is better than nothing, but it still feels like a coupon. Bar/Bri remains an evil entity, and the monopoly will continue to reap in profits from the fears of would-be lawyers.

The potential buyout of TXU is also really interesting in how it affects 8 of the 11 proposed coal-fired plants. For those not in Texas, a gigantic energy company wanted to build 11 new coal plants to meet future energy needs for the state. The problem is that TXU didn't give a shit about air quality or other environmental impacts, arguing that it would be "too expensive" to install technology to reduce emissions, never mind that those costs would be passed along to consumers anyway. Also for those not in Texas, there is a surprising growing environmental consciousness in the state; a lot of people are upset over the issue and even have made some headway in litigation to stop the plants' construction. Maybe it would have been better to air out the issue in the courts, in the legislature, and in media so that more people would have been involved, but I guess the buyout produces a good end result, even if it feels murky and imposed from on high. There's a lot more I could say about this whole issue, but I'll stop for now.