# Screw Greg Abbott {Texas Governor} **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141 "2021-03-02T21:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/422 "2022-02-02T15:27:17Z")
Thanks, y’all. Damn. I’m officially and completely appalled. 😟 I didn’t think I could be any more appalled than I already was. Or hate Greg Abbott any more than I already do. > [@romansperson](#): > > Because their electricity system is deregulated and comparatively cheap, it is attractive to miners. Jesus. Henry. Christ. 🤦🏽‍♀️ This really is the Wild Fucking West, isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/423 "2022-02-02T15:34:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I didn’t think I could be any more appalled than I already was. Or hate Greg Abbott any more than I already do. From a relatively disinterested outside observer, I’d like to gently recommend that you pace yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/424 "2022-02-02T15:39:46Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The market solution in such cases is clearly to let people freeze rather than spend money that will only come into play perhaps 10 days a decade. ETA: I realized you made the exact same point so this is a waste of a post. Apologies. Here is a picture of a puppy: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7f/26/e7/7f26e71b2c84e6b16d4f6d3fd8a58bca.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7f/26/e7/7f26e71b2c84e6b16d4f6d3fd8a58bca.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/425 "2022-02-02T15:45:13Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > From a relatively disinterested outside observer, I’d like to gently recommend that you pace yourself. Truly. There will be much worse along shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/426 "2022-02-02T15:48:14Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Here is a picture of a puppy: More dapper and capable than Greg Abbott Puppy for TX Gov! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/427 "2022-02-02T16:46:34Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There’s no real “mining” involved here, right? No digging in the ground with picks and shovels, no backhoes, no hard hats. This is virtual currency, not even real paper. All true, but to “find” that virtual currency take some _serious_ mathematical calculations. I have a Bitcoin mining thumb drive that, when I plug it into a desktop or laptop, starts “mining” on its own, taking only the 5v from the USB port but will report to the box its in when it finds one. It was estimated when I bought it for $20 it would take 10,000 years to find a Bitcoin. Directly below is a “starter” rig purported to be the most profitable in 2021. Costing 6,000€, with 10 Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU cards, it is claimed to earn 1,120€ a month at a cost of 100€ a month (0.1€ per kWh) in power for a net profit of 1,020€. [Cite.](https://www.nicehash.com/blog/post/the-most-profitable-mining-rig-in-2021) Below that is a rather larger rig in Siberia. [![](https://static.nicehash.com/marketing%2FImage%20from%20iOS%20%281%29.jpg) ](https://static.nicehash.com/marketing%2FImage%20from%20iOS%20%281%29.jpg) [![](https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindesk/XHJ32V2RBVFJ5ADXOWJQPRLVTQ.jpg) ](https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/coindesk/XHJ32V2RBVFJ5ADXOWJQPRLVTQ.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/428 "2022-02-02T17:05:20Z")
In Siberia. Well, at least they don’t have to heat the joint. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/429 "2022-02-02T17:29:25Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > From a relatively disinterested outside observer, I’d like to gently recommend that you pace yourself. That was the advice people gave me after election day 2016. Didn’t work then either. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > More dapper and capable than Greg Abbott > > Puppy for TX Gov! YES! * * * * * * I truly had no idea about the mining and server farms, electricity usage, and stuff. Is this common knowledge among adult, literate, sentient people? I’m guessing not. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/430 "2022-02-02T17:37:45Z")
Truth be told, you’ve been arming yourself against **[Mothra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothra)**. Pretty legitimate defense for not knowing. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/431 "2022-02-02T17:38:40Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Puppy for TX Gov! It isn’t entirely unprecedented: > **[Have You Met Colorado’s Most Adorable Elected Official?](https://www.5280.com/have-you-met-colorados-most-adorable-elected-official/)** > > Say hello to Parker the Snow Dog, famously known as honorary mayor of Georgetown. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/432 "2022-02-02T17:47:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I truly had no idea about the mining and server farms, electricity usage, and stuff. Is this common knowledge among adult, literate, sentient people? I’m guessing not. Not really. Literate adults understand there’s something called ‘crypto’ out there that involves ‘mining’ but that’s about the extent of general knowledge. There’s a smaller group, generally more tech savvy, who have a better understanding of the other issues. It would shock me to learn if more than handful of high ranking politicians, especially on the GOP side, understood the issues involved either, other than the buzzwords floating around. Same is true for the CEOs of the big investment companies trying to cash in as well. Understanding the technology is for the geeks. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/433 "2022-02-02T18:53:07Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Is this common knowledge among adult, literate, sentient people? Adult, sentient, _geeky_ people. Ask me who’s in the Super Bowl and watch my dumb look. We all have our priorities. Yours is Clarence. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/434 "2022-02-02T20:09:10Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Ask me who’s in the Super Bowl and watch my dumb look. 🙋🏽‍♀️ ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/435 "2022-02-02T20:47:04Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Directly below is a “starter” rig purported to be the most profitable in 2021. Costing 6,000€, with 10 Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU cards, it is claimed to earn 1,120€ a month at a cost of 100€ a month (0.1€ per kWh) in power for a net profit of 1,020€ I’m not buying that cite’s price; a single 3060 Ti runs roughly $900, so six would be $9000 right out of the gate, not including the other components. I would guess that rig is closer to $10000, instead of $6800 (6000 euros in USD). ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/436 "2022-02-02T20:49:26Z")
I think it’s the Yankees versus the Lakers. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/437 "2022-02-02T21:41:17Z")
Depends on when and how it was priced. I bought a 3080 for less than $900 a bit over a year ago. Also depends on how you are sourcing them, OEM’s get a much better deal than retail buyers. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/438 "2022-02-02T22:27:34Z")
Sure, but I doubt they’ve ever been under $600 for anyone since the pandemic began. That’s my point- they’d probably have to get them for like $500 in order to be able to make that rig for 6000 euros. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/439 "2022-02-02T22:43:55Z")
Certainly if they bought the cards on the open market, it’s possible, but wholesale prices have been lower. And it depends on when you buy. I just checked the local Microcenter, and they’ve got a 3060TI retailing for about $630 at the moment, so 600 euros isn’t ridiculous. Their 6 month time frame to recoup their costs is also about right. For a similar consumer card in somebody’s home PC, the ROI is a little over a year early in January (more time than that is required now due to lower crypto prices), so the ~6 months for a dedicated rig isn’t unrealistic. Still, a lot of this depends on the price of electricity, the current price of bitcoin and so on. Crypto prices have dropped a lot over the last month, so the ROI has become poorer (GPU prices have also been tracking crypto prices, unsurprisingly). And it requires a fairly large up front investment that a lot of folks wouldn’t be able to manage to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/440 "2022-02-02T23:11:34Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > (GPU prices have also been tracking crypto prices, unsurprisingly). I wonder if anyone is skipping all the hubbub over bitcoins and just speculating in GPUs; buy a bunch while they’re cheap and sell them at a profit later. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141/441 "2022-02-02T23:23:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I wonder if anyone is skipping all the hubbub over bitcoins and just speculating in GPUs; buy a bunch while they’re cheap and sell them at a profit later. Nobody’s really getting them cheap right now (though prices have fallen a bit due to falling crypto). But some people have been profiting on GPUs as well. eBay is full of people selling extra GPUs they managed to get their hands on. And most crypto miners are planning to recoup part of their costs by selling cards if/when crypto prices drop low enough not to be worth it anymore. That’s another reason why Abbott’s idea is stupid. Nobody (intelligent) really thinks this is an eternal gravy train or that prices will ever be stable or eternally rise. Relying on a ‘commodity’ whose prices can fluctuate wildly from month to month in order to fund power plants that take years to build is the exactly kind of strategery I’d expect from our GOP leaders. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-greg-abbott-texas-governor/934141.md?page=23)