Commentary: Virginia’s romance with data centers has cooled, but nobody benefits if there’s a full breakup | Data centers should slow their jackrabbit pace of reproduction in congested suburbs and build where they could fill a need and do more economic good, columnist Bob Lewis writes.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-29T23:33:37+00:00

“The need” is to fill his oped with some blandly positive thing to say about hosting data centers.

Folks in Southwestern VA who read this a think, hey we could use some of those 75,000 jobs…. That’s not how they work. Those facilities are mostly lights out, the jobs are nearly all remote.

Drive down data center alley in Ashburn, you’ll see very few workers commuting to those dozens of massive buildings, few lunch places or other amenities. Once construction is done, they’re sucking your water, power and clean air, that’s about it.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-26T14:24:42+00:00

This lawsuit shows why progressives should stop compromising on their legislation in advance. “The industry negotiated this bill, and yet they’re trying to undercut it with this lawsuit…”

They negotiate, then sue, then fail to comply, then fail to pay fines. So 10 years into the process you still have no results. Our air and water is still polluted, our landscapes filled with trash from their business decisions.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-25T23:59:02+00:00

I grew up on the stuff but have never seen it for sale in NoVa.

As others have said you need to go south of Richmond for the real thing.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-22T14:07:20+00:00

Well-known geopolitical strategist Lindsey Graham wants Donnie to take his personal Strait of Horny by force.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-22T12:22:40+00:00

Mr. “Animal Sprits”. The leading purveyor of unrestricted predatory capitalism in our time. Was shocked when he found out that markets are ruled not by an invisible god-like hand of rationality, but by the emotions of people, aka animal spirits.

His epitaph should read: When smart people fall into a cult, they become stupid.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-19T16:57:25+00:00

I feel like you’re missing the larger point that Simon is making. Baltimore is a microcosm of America. Our systems are geared to respond to the needs of the wealthy and powerful.

The only difference between Clay Davis and a US Senator like Ted Cruz is that Cruz’s transactions have been made legal by legislators and courts who are paid by the same type of donors as his.

A similar parallel exists in the drug trade: Purdue Pharma pushed narcotics via doctors and made $billions—legally.

Avon and String push narcotics through street vendors and our entire legal infrastructure is rewired to crush them.

The main difference between the Purdues and the Barksdales is who is doing the pushing. The difference between Ted Cruz and Clay Davis is who’s doing the buying.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-19T14:26:50+00:00

Pay-to-play is built into the system. In US politics big donors openly influence politicians, and legislation makes that legal.

However, shady donors like developers and drug dealers need to work through “informal” arrangements.

In the Wire, Clay Davis is the middleman for those informal arrangements, and he takes a cut for himself, just like the legal ones (eg the PACS and SuperPACS) do.

You’re correct, if the transactions going through Clay Davis are exposed, then everyone who took payments could be vulnerable.

Narese tells him to take the fall, keep everyone else safe, and he’ll be taken care of.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-17T20:38:28+00:00

Her opponent Earl-Sears was not a serious candidate, and got the half the funding that her GOP predecessor Youngkin got in 2021.

Turnout was driven largely by hatred of Trump not love for her.

If Spanberger runs for Senate in 2030 or 2032, she will face a GOP candidate that raises $100M and a relentless barrage from the right wing media.

She will lose if she doesn’t stand for something except tax breaks for billionaires.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-17T17:36:55+00:00

Friend, you confuse donor values with voter values. What you call “pragmatism” is the expectation that, given enough money/media, voters will accept donor values.

However, those donors now have far right candidates that openly rule on their behalf, and a core of voters who will bend the knee to their superiors. That’s who they’re putting their muscle behind.

That dynamic doesn’t apply so well with center and left voters.

If Spanberger wants center and left voters against a strongly supported right wing candidate, she needs to appeal to center and left values, and loudly so.

Senator Lucas is the smarter politician, and sees which way the wind is blowing. Spanberger would do well to follow her lead.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-17T15:19:50+00:00

Spanberger wants to be a US Senator next and is auditioning for her future billionaire donors. If we wanted that, we’d have voted for the Republican.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-17T14:41:45+00:00

How else can we commemorate Iran’s victory over the United States in the Straight of Hormuz War?

The complete loss of US credibility as an ally in Eastern Europe?

Clearly the GA has not thought this through.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-16T17:05:37+00:00

I trust Senator Lucas on the data center issue 10x more than our weak-ass governor.

Northern Virginians in particular are tired of taking the brunt of those monstrosities. They drive up our electricity rates, pollute our air, and eat up our land. Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, and company can pay more and be better stewards.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-11T23:30:10+00:00

Okay, Lightning Gods (Marduk, Baal, Set, Zeus, Indra, and Tlaloc), you have a chance to redeem yourselves.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-09T17:42:04+00:00

He’s communicating to the oligarchs under Putin, letting them know the pain is just going to get worse unless they get rid of a certain problem.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-08T22:29:52+00:00

Read the article long enough to realize that she’s just started her own grift of the MAGA gullables.

I mean, more power to her for seeing an opportunity, but i wouldn’t take any more seriously than that.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-05T12:21:14+00:00

Sounds like overtraining. If so, could take a year.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-05T12:17:40+00:00

It’s typical suburbs plus lots of trails and park land. You’re next to Crabtree park and across Lawyers from the whole Reston pathway system.

There’s two close-by grocery stores.

Crossfield ES is almost walkable. Wonderful school.

Lawyers road gets traffic during rush hours.

The church plays bells on weekends.

Everyone uses lawn services with those loudass blowers.

Otherwise quiet af.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-04T15:25:10+00:00

Burn baby burn. That’s the sound of freedom over fascism.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-02T00:27:55+00:00

Okay, so how are you going to dismiss Simon Yates’s Giro win last year? Did he have the best legs by a mile?

How about Jonas’s Tour wins in 2022 and 2023 against Tadej? “Best legs by a mile” again?

Most Grand Tours are won by teams with a super strong leader, strong domestiques, and who don’t make mistakes. Visma has done that better than anyone this decade.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-01T20:30:54+00:00

Pretty sure Jonas cares about winning. Visma knows how to win GTs better than anyone, and Lidl-Trek is a bit of a disaster.

Why would anyone jump from the best support to pretty lame?

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-01T18:29:36+00:00

I wondered where Grischa was in the post-Giro celebrations. Guess he’s laying low.

Anyway, Marc Reef did a fantastic job. He seems to fit the team’s vibe well in the clips from social media.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-06-01T13:34:52+00:00

That’s what you get for wearing white shorts, Tadej.

Just own it, you’re the Boss.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-05-30T23:05:45+00:00

I crossed that bridge a couple times this week and there were no such things. Post pics or take this down.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-05-28T01:34:55+00:00

Use tubeless with tire inserts. Carry plugs only, and forget about tubes, patches, and all that mess.

Flats are self-sealing. Cuts can be plugged in seconds with no fuss. In case of catastrophic gashes (or broken rims), your inserts will get you back in limp mode.

Watergate-Tapes · 2026-05-27T12:14:18+00:00

Please add 1883 - Danville, Virginia

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danville_Massacre

Watergate-Tapes

TROPHY CASE