OUTRAGISM!!!
OUTRAGISM!!!
Have you ever been misquoted, your intentions judged to be deceitful, even predatory, your reputation damaged because someones take on something you said or did was misquoted or taken out of context?
If so, you have been the subject of an OUTRAGIST (out-rage-ist).
Anyone who talks to someone is at risk of being misquoted and if you offer an opinion they don’t like, that misquote can become outrageously retold. Think of the game telephone when a story starts at one end and passes thru people until it gets to the other end; inevitability the story changes. Now, insert a person who doesn’t like something they heard, finds something insulting or is having a bad day. That person is liable to take the story and insert some outrageous statements, which then becomes “truth” to the next person to hear the story.
This is the origin of the word: OUTRAGISM. Taking something out of context because it fits with a preconceived idea … the intent or context of the original speaker doesn’t matter.
This is the idea behind Scott Adams (Dilbert creator) coining of the word. In keeping with Scott’s humor, I find labeling a situation and taking it to an extreme is humorous.
Not all criticism is outragism. Remember to look behind the statement or complaint to the origin of it and the person or company. Ask yourself: “Is it reasonable or do you think it’s a little dramatized for an OUTRAGIOUS effect?” If so, it may be OUTRAGISM!
http://blog.dilbert.com/post/109482303301/outragists-are-the-new-awful
Chicago’s “worst electric deals”
What makes the list for being the “worst electric deals” in Chicago? Of course, it’s price!
Price is the easiest item to compare and it’s very important. However, behind the low price can hide many costs!
Consider what we see every day:
- Teaser price: the “quoted” price is low…sounds like a deal. However, its only for 2-6 months. After that, the rate moves to a “market based” price. This is code for we charge you what we want.
- A fixed price (that isn’t): usually for 12-24 months. However, the fixed rate doesn’t include transmission or other “cost of service” or it’s for an amount of electricity that is below what you normally use. The “extra” electric is charge at….you guessed it “market price”.
- Renewal during peak season: a renewal that occurs in the summer during the highest price months is a trap to keep you. Using this tactic, you have little incentive to shop as you will miss their fixed price for the summer (when you use the most electricity).
What the difference between these energy marketers and Realgy? Consider first off that:
Realgy is listed A+ (highest with Better Business Bureau) and we have served Illinois (Michigan and Indiana) for nearly 15 years. We have 1,000’s of customer who chose us and stay with us: a 92% retention rate.
Our difference: we plan to save you money. In each utility (COMED, Ameren, MidAmerican), we know the utilities cost and we have a plan that can save you money.
We don’t offer a teaser rate, we plan your renewal during the off-peak months and we offer seasonal fixed prices.
Illinois Customer Choice works: please ask us to show you how.
Additional information about how we plan to save you money on electric choice in Illinois is at: http://realgyenergyservices.com/#Illinois
A link to the Worst Electric Deals is below;
http://abc7chicago.com/news/citizens-utility-board-lists-chicagos-worst-electric-deals/492005/
Energy Choices Begin with a Choice
Energy comes in many forms; wood, oil, solar, natural gas, propane, etc. With each choice comes the benefits and the costs of delivering those benefits.
Looking at natural gas, it is generally transported from one of three sources; Louisiana Gulf Coast, Oklahoma/Texas panhandle and recently shale gas in Texas, North Dakota and Pennsylvania.
It takes pipelines to carry the natural gas to where the people use the gas. The link below underscores some of the concerns in constructing new pipelines or expanding others; environmental (is it good for people), property rights, ecology (is it good for the all life on the planet) and cost.
Question: are you willing to support new or expanded pipelines for natural gas?
This question (along with many others) will influence what energy choices we have in the future.
In 10 years, your job probably won’t exist
Happy New Year, the future continues!
So with that in mind, here is an interesting question…will your job (career) exist in 10 years, how about 20?
Change is relentless and with the new comes obsolescence.
In energy, the prediction has been that solar will continue to advance in price and efficiency. While this is true, other technology is not standing still.
· The internal combustion engine (cars, trucks, buses, electric generation) is getting more efficient. The US Government has set the average fleet MPG at over 50 within the next 15 years. Currently, it is around 30 MPG.
· Light bulbs have radically changed, such that the incandescent is no longer available. The average LED light bulb will operate continuously for 5 years and would consume less energy over those 5 years than 1 incandescent light bulb operating for just 6 months. In the US, adoption to all LED light bulbs could eliminate the need for over 80 coal fired power plants.
· Of course, fracking has changed the landscape of the oil industry and has cut US importing oil by nearly 30% over the last 5 years.
So change touches us all. It’s exciting to forecast into the future and equally exciting to see it be wrong and right!
Cheers to change.
by David Tuffley a lecturer in applied ethics and socio-technical Studies at Griffith University
Natural Gas Collapses – “This is Panic Selling”
Panic is usually not a “good” thing. But, panic can be used to highlight extremes.
Last winter (2013); “Polar Vortex” came into most people’s vocabulary. Bitter cold extended over most of the continental United States. The result: a panic to higher spot price for natural gas. Recall supply and demand. The panic occurred due to “bottlenecks” in supplying natural gas and electricity.
This winter (2014) began yesterday (December 21, 2014) and the panic has resulted in natural gas prices dropping about 35% since end of Nov 2014. The reason: it’s not as cold as expected and the forecast is about Normal or average winter cold. So traders sold their position in natural gas (the NYMEX futures).
Volatility of natural gas is nothing new. So, if you are an end-user, what should you do? Look ahead…
1. If you didn’t already, think about locking in your Feb and Mar 2015 price. Recall the old adage; Hogs get slaughter, pigs live on.
2. Do not lock in a long term (beyond 6 months). Summer prices have not moved as much as this winters.
3. Talk with your supplier about what this means for your 2015 budget.
Do not think like a trader and try to buy at the bottom; the reasons are many and the benefits are few (compared to the downside). Instead, look at what this means to your budget and plan accordingly.
Realgy is a full-service energy provider and would appreciate an opportunity to speak with you about your energy needs.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102289402
COMED and Ameren Raise Rates
Ameren and COMED have raised their delivery service costs. The following increases will take effect in January 2015:
Ameren up 17.4%
COMED up 11%
MidAmerican announced last month an increase of nearly 11%.
Realgy Energy is a wholesale energy provider that allows you to purchase your energy without the utility markup. The result; we save our customers money.
Additional information on our service is available at;
For COMED: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-53/
For Ameren: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-57/
For MidAmerican: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-58/
We serve residential and commercial customers.
The following is a link to the news announcement
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/12/12/3537665/ameren-comed-get-ok-to-raise-rates.html