You will control NOTHING and be happy


Posted On: Thursday - December 19th 2024 8:28PM MST
In Topics:   Global Climate Stupidity  Curmudgeonry  Artificial Stupidity  Environmental Stupidity  Big-Biz Stupidity



I thought at first it was just me. The furnishings in the modern edgy style hotels piss me off, as noted 3 1/2 years back in the post Stupidity in everything, including the bathroom sink. Thermostats have to be modern and different too now. They're not always easy to figure out. This one didn't have a touch-screen at least, and I had its setting going up, but it wouldn't go past 72 F for heat.

72 F is reasonable. At home, we'll have it down to the high 50s at night, and often only mid-60s in the day, in winter. The high 70s are fine with us in Summer.

This time, though, I'd been outside in 25F weather, I got chilled, and I wanted to warm up in the hotel room. I really like that smell of the dust coming from the old-fashioned units when (after figuring out the controls) I get the hot air blowing. That's even true in the summer when the hotel housekeeping people have the room set at 64 or something ridiculous. However, I couldn't go up past 72 at this place.

I looked it up later on the internet.* It's a thing now, hotels limiting their guests' ability to set the room temperature. That's not cool, inverted pun unintended. It's not as if these rooms cost that much to heat, what with most having only one outside wall. There's a big window, but I figure it's multi-paned and energy efficient.

Peak Stupidity posted Green is the new cheap-ass. 7 years back to call hotel owners out on their duplicity. Lots of measures to reduce waste and cost, most of them quite common sensical and welcome to me, are touted as being done to SAVE THE PLANET! No, we don't need 3 new towels each day. No, I don't need the room cleaned during a 3 day stay, as it'd take a month of that to get to the level of home. I am glad to see the owners making an effort to keep costs down - maybe some of that will keep the rates from going up, up, up, up! (I've been shattered.)

At least this place didn't advertise that management was keeping me from getting warm to SAVE THE PLANET! That's very likely due to their not wanting guests to ever understand that the management is limiting their choice to get warm or cool** This latest hotel policy has got entirely too much of an "eat ze bugs" vibe to it for my tastes. Hopefully, I won't be back.



* This site has some hacks. Alas, this was too late for my stay.

** I neglected to try to check the minimum temp I could set.

Comments:
Adam Smith
Sunday - December 22nd 2024 8:47PM MST
PS: You're welcome, Achmed. A mercury tilt switch stockpile might be a good hedge against inflation.(?) โ˜ฎ๏ธ

Moderator
Sunday - December 22nd 2024 8:27PM MST
PS: Thank you so much, Adam! I will make sure they can work with a new system - no choice, old one went tits up. If so, I ought to stock up.
Adam Smith
Sunday - December 22nd 2024 3:44PM MST
PS: Good evening, gentlemen,

"๐ต๐‘ข๐‘ก ๐‘–๐‘ก'๐‘  ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘โ„Ž๐‘–๐‘™๐‘‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘›!" - every tyrant ever


๐ด๐‘  ๐‘“๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘  ๐ผ ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘ โ„Ž ๐ผ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘™๐‘‘ ๐‘”๐‘’๐‘ก ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘‘ ๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘š๐‘๐‘™๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฆ ๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ .

I have great news, Mr. Moderator! Although they stopped manufacturing them in 2009 there are still (for now) plenty of new old stock mercury tilt switch thermostats to be had for reasonable prices. For example...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405286310041
https://www.ebay.com/itm/226498417683
https://www.ebay.com/itm/256747397966
https://www.ebay.com/itm/326378025904
https://www.ebay.com/itm/356387594672

I'm under the impression that any Honeywell T874 and all older T87 thermostats have mercury switches. You will also find mercury switches in Honeywell T8090 Chronotherm thermostats.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/286201111966

I would imagine there are other brands out there too like this Lux CM84...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116414072028

I'm also under the impression that most thermostats manufactured before 2005 have mercury switches. Not sure if it is true, but who knows.

Anyway... Happy Sunday! โ˜ฎ๏ธ

Mr. Anon
Sunday - December 22nd 2024 12:50PM MST
PS

@Moderator

"What irks me is that gambling is regulated for everyone else but the State. It used to be a moral issue, going back to the 1990s even, but they dropped that, cause, MOAR money for teachers, errrr, schools."

Exactly. What we now call "Lotteries" used to be called "Policy Banking" or "The Numbers Rackets", and the state would arrest you and throw you in jail if you tried to do it. They'd arrest people for engaging in organized sports-betting too. See for example that very fine movie from the 70s, Serpico.

Once the Government decided they could run the numbers rackets, they became okay with it. Oh, yeah, and they're doing it "for the Children" (what a crock).
Moderator
Saturday - December 21st 2024 9:36AM MST
PS: Great comment, Adam - I'll check out the rest of that later today.

As for thermostats I wish I could get the old simple mercury ones. It's not only simple, but it's a very clever idea - the deadband is built into the flexibility of the bimetal coil and the size of the bulb with mercury. You need enough twist of the coil (based an a certain delta-T) such that the blog of mercury flows to the other side. This is the kind of cleverness engineers/inventors needed before digital logic.

Oh, there's your wet-Greta link - the "I dare you" one.
Moderator
Saturday - December 21st 2024 9:31AM MST
PS: Good morning, Adam. You've got the same attitude I do towards gambling. What irks me is that gambling is regulated for everyone else but the State. It used to be a moral issue, going back to the 1990s even, but they dropped that, cause, MOAR money for teachers, errrr, schools.

"๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘–๐‘ง๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›": I don't like the sound of ๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘–๐‘ง๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›. Anyone who's a carbon based life form should be wary about ๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘–๐‘ง๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›. Now, if we were in that one sci-fi story I read, with silicon-based life forms (I liked the sciencey style of sci-fi when I used to read it), well, that'd be different. We need the carbon. OK, some of use could use to eat fewer carbs.

Anyway, now I don't remember in which comment you had the picture of Greta coming out of the water, but I'd have to say she has a BIG silicone footprint! 2 big silicone footprints, and they're spectacular. Thanks, AI. (I think?)
Adam Smith
Friday - December 20th 2024 11:06PM MST
PS: Good evening, Achmed,

https://i.ibb.co/fCgcZgh/Lotto.jpg

โ€ข ๐‘‡โ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข ๐‘๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘ฆ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘›.
โ€ข ๐‘‡โ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ฅ๐‘ก ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘›๐‘›๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘๐‘˜๐‘’๐‘ก ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘™๐‘‘ ๐‘๐‘’ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘ .
โ€ข ๐‘†๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘’๐‘๐‘œ๐‘‘๐‘ฆ'๐‘  ๐‘”๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘ก๐‘Ž ๐‘ค๐‘–๐‘›, ๐‘š๐‘–๐‘”โ„Ž๐‘ก ๐‘Ž๐‘  ๐‘ค๐‘’๐‘™๐‘™ ๐‘๐‘’ ๐‘ฆ๐‘œ๐‘ข.

I played the lotto a couple times when I was a kid. I even won a free ticket one time. And every so often, when the Mega Millions gets really large (like near a billion) Mrs. Smith will buy a couple tickets. You know, because you can't win if you don't play. (I can honestly say that in the last 15 years I've spent $0 and Mrs. Smith has spent $20ish. Which is two bottles of wine.)

But yeah. The lotto is a tax on stupidity. And I'm ok with that because it is completely voluntary. It's completely immoral too, but no one is locking anyone in a cage for not playing the lotto. So the lotto is less immoral than most taxes.


Back to the story...

๐ธ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘ฆ๐ป๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘  ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ ๐‘“๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘’ ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘†๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘ก ๐บ๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘‘, โ„Ž๐‘’๐‘™๐‘๐‘–๐‘›๐‘” โ„Ž๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘’ ๐‘œ๐‘ค๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘‘๐‘ข๐‘๐‘’ ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘ฆ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘ฃ๐‘’ ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ฆ. ๐ธ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘ฆ๐ป๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘‘๐‘ข๐‘๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘ ๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘ก, ๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘š๐‘๐‘™๐‘’, ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ ๐‘ก-๐‘’๐‘“๐‘“๐‘’๐‘๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘ฃ๐‘’ ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘ฆ ๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘Ž๐‘”๐‘’๐‘š๐‘’๐‘›๐‘ก ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘  ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘ก ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘”๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’๐‘› ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘ โ„Ž๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘๐‘’๐‘ก๐‘ค๐‘’๐‘’๐‘› ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ข๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘™๐‘–๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘ฃ๐‘’ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘’๐‘›๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘ฆ ๐‘๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘๐‘™๐‘’๐‘š๐‘  ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘‘๐‘Ž๐‘ฆ ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘ค. Funding: $33.1 Million

https://www.energystartups.org/startup/energyhub/
https://www.energyhub.com/company
-----------
We recently sat down with Erika Diamond, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Solutions at EnergyHub, to hear her take on this extensive transition. EnergyHub partners with utilities to build and control virtual power plants (VPPs), ๐‘คโ„Ž๐‘–๐‘โ„Ž ๐‘๐‘ข๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘™๐‘’ ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘”๐‘’ ๐‘›๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘  ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘๐‘ข๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘œ๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ ๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘ฃ๐‘–๐‘๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘™๐‘–๐‘˜๐‘’ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘–๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘›๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘Ž๐‘™ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘š๐‘œ๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘ , ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘’๐‘๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ฃ๐‘’โ„Ž๐‘–๐‘๐‘™๐‘’๐‘ , ๐‘ ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ ๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘’๐‘™๐‘  ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘ก๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘’๐‘  ๐‘ก๐‘œ โ„Ž๐‘’๐‘™๐‘ ๐‘˜๐‘’๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ค๐‘’๐‘Ÿ ๐‘”๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘‘ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘–๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘™๐‘’ ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘๐‘’๐‘™๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘’ ๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘–๐‘ง๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›.

Erika shared her perspective on promising energy transition strategies, ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘ข๐‘š๐‘’๐‘Ÿ๐‘ โ€™ ๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘’ ๐‘–๐‘› ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘—๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ฆ and her vision for an efficient future grid.

https://www.missionnorth.com/dispatches/energyhubs-erika-diamond-on-electrification-and-consumer-adoption
----------
โ€œBringing Erika on board reflects EnergyHubโ€™s commitment to being the leader in BYOT demand response,โ€ said Seth Frader๏ผœhyphen๏ผžThompson, President and Co-Founder of EnergyHub. โ€œThe connected device market is growing rapidly, and Erika will expand our capability to connect wholesale power markets and utilities with this valuable new demand response resource.โ€

EnergyHub is a leader in BYOT demand response services. BYOT programs allow utilities to access thermostats sold through retail, trade, and service provider channels for demand response, allowing the utility to reduce program implementation costs while providing choice and value to customers. EnergyHub has offered BYOT demand response services since 2012.

https://www.energyhub.com/news/erika-diamond-vp-energy-markets
--------
And I know you boycott the times like the plague that it is, (and I agree wholeheartedly!) but this article gives a little glimpse into the kinds of people that work for a company like EnergyHub and Seth Frader-Thompson (President and Co-Founder of EnergyHub) more specifically.

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/2kp2S

Original version:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/realestate/townhouse-fort-greene-brooklyn.html

These corporate bureaucrats are very much like "government" bureaucrats, (and they are probably interchangeable through the revolving door) but they also seem somehow slightly different. (Or maybe not? I don't know. I'm a hermit who lives in the woods.) However, after reading through a few of these PR marketing blurbs it really seems like these people are true believers. (I guess they could be cynical scammers chasing that careerism? But, I really think they are believers.)

๐‘Š๐‘’โ€™๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘Ž๐‘ก ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ฅ๐‘ข๐‘  ๐‘œ๐‘“ ๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘™ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘œ๐‘™ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘–๐‘›๐‘”๐‘  ๐‘ค๐‘’ ๐‘ค๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘ก ๐‘ก๐‘œ ๐‘ ๐‘’๐‘’ โ„Ž๐‘Ž๐‘๐‘๐‘’๐‘› ๐‘œ๐‘› ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘”๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘‘ ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘ ๐‘ก๐‘œ ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’ ๐‘๐‘™๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ก.

Because only a fool who lives in the woods or a commenter at PeakStupidity wouldn't want to accelerate the march toward decarbonization.

But much like the lotto, people do not have to participate in these sorts of schemes. And If people didn't play then people like Erika Diamond and Seth Frader-Thompson would have to go ๏ผœ๐‘ ๏ผžfind a real job๏ผœ/๐‘ ๏ผž be a ๏ผœ๐‘ ๏ผžbureaucrat๏ผœ/๐‘ ๏ผž parasite somewhere else.

Pro tip on bypassing the smart thermostat and boycotting EnergyHub...

https://www.homelectrical.com/single-pole-wall-mount-thermostat-non-programmable-22-amp-white.cdt-t521w.1.html

Obviously there are other options, but a simple mechanical thermostat does the trick and it's so easy anyone can install it.

๏ผœ/rant๏ผž

Cheers to a nice weekend! โ˜ฎ๏ธ

Moderator
Friday - December 20th 2024 6:12PM MST
PS: From your last (archive) link:

"โ€œThe real benefit of these programs is a very small inconvenienceโ€”potentially no inconvenience at allโ€”in order to make sure that everybody has a HVAC and lights during these extreme weather events, which I think are becoming more prevalent,โ€ says Erika Diamond, vice president of customer solutions at EnergyHub."

Ahaaa, did you catch that "more prevalent" bit? So, these are very rare minor inconveniences, 'cept the Climate Calamityโ„ข. See, if you all hadn't been causing this Climate Calamityโ„ข, this would be no big deal and very rare, as we said in the flyer. Plus, don't forget - you've got a chance of winning $5,000 in energy bill payments... yeah a 1 in 85,000 chance, and you can't win if you don't enter!
Moderator
Friday - December 20th 2024 6:08PM MST
PS: From Adam Smith's 1st link:

"When they enrolled in a program called โ€œSmart Savers Texasโ€ โ€” entering them in a sweepstakes to win up to $5,000 off their energy bills for the next year โ€” these users didnโ€™t realize that this also gave the power company permission to adjust their thermostat during high demand periods, like heat waves."

There's no free lunch. What a bunch of suckers! Same people that play the LOTTO, for the schoolkids, while I'm trying to pay cash for gas.

From the 2nd link:

"In return for lower electricity rates, utilities will be able to shut off appliances like your furnace, boiler, air conditioner or water heater. Disruptions in service will be short and the majority of homeowners will not notice a change."

No, of course not. I wonder if residents' TVs are part of this internet of utilities. I imagine that a shut off of the TV in the middle of Sportsball may have some residents on their phones right away... except their phones are out of energy because their chargers were plugged into power strips that were turned off, cause heat wave, burnin' inside...

How about this? Variable rates that DO go up at peak times, IF and only if, it's part of the contract.

Moderator
Friday - December 20th 2024 6:53AM MST
PS: Good morning, Mr. Smith. I don't think most hotels have extra blankets in the rooms like they used to - gotta bring your own. I know that the airliners don't. Covid-19, dontcha' know. That was the end of them.

I'll check out your links shortly. Yeah, if it comes down to it, people will just wire an on/off switch for the red/green pair or whichever is for the A/C. As you wrote, you shouldn't have to!
Adam Smith
Friday - December 20th 2024 12:56AM MST
PS: Good evening, Achmed...

https://i.ibb.co/j5cVP52/How-Dare-You.jpg

It's pretty wild that a hotel would set limits on the thermostats in the rooms like that. I'm sure it is not about cutting down on expenses any more than it is about saving the planet. I guess people will start bringing ceramic heaters with them when they stay in hotels or find other ways to circumvent the controls.

Now, imagine your utility having control of your thermostat...

https://www.vox.com/recode/22543678/smart-thermostat-air-conditioner-texas-heatwave

https://leblanchvac.com/blog/news-letters/smart-grid-utilities-that-control-your-thermostat

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/power-company-control-thermostat/

https://archive.ph/3my5C

I'm sure people will find ways to hack, override, or replace their smart thermostats. But they shouldn't have to. This nanny state (nanny corp?) nonsense is getting out of hand.

โ˜ฎ๏ธ

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