Rolling blackouts hit Austin 4/17/2006 5:20 PM By: News 8 Austin Staff Record spring heat has created an emergency situation for the state's power grid and led to some rolling blackouts in Austin. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking electricity customers to cut usage to a minimum. That means keeping the thermostat set at 78 or higher, turning off electric lights unless needed for safety reasons and keeping the refrigerator and freezer shut as much as possible. Austin Energy officials say the power shortage is the source of rolling blackouts around town that will continue until around…

You know, when my parents wrote letters to their congressmen and senators, they got back replies that indicated their letter was actually read. Now? I get a reply that goes something like this: Dear , Thank you for contacting me regarding [insert topic here]. [insert paragraph about topic, with no apparent acknowledgment of my concerns and that I want the govt. to butt out, and, usually, assurances that said representative is Working Hard To Protect Me.] Plus, I think the signature is a stamp. Feh.