Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
Trump sentenced, despite his objections:
President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced to unconditional discharge for his conviction last year on 34 charges of business fraud related to hush money payment to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
. . .Trump will not be imprisoned, fined or face probation, but his conviction still stands, and he will enter office as a convicted felon. Prosecutors had recommended the sentence, saying in court Friday, “we must be respectful of the office of the presidency” and Trump’s pending inauguration.
FYI:
Judge Juan Merchan is speaking to Donald Trump and is noting that it’s the office of the presidency that is extraordinary, not the occupant of the office.
“It is the legal protections afforded to the office of the president of the United States that are extraordinary, not the occupant of the office,” he said.
Trump’s comments to the court today:
“It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work,” Trump said.
Trump called the case “a weaponization of government” and “an embarrassment to New York.
Trump then posted on Truth Social:
The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED. The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History. As the American People have seen, this “case” had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference. Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Second news items
About presidential legacies and Joe Biden:
As the passing of Jimmy Carter reminds us, presidential legacies are complicated matters, and it is difficult to predict the verdict of history. But as Biden leaves office, he is less a transformational figure than a historical parenthesis. He failed to grasp both the political moment and the essential mission of his presidency.
Other presidents have misunderstood their mandate. But in Biden’s case, the consequences were existential: By his own logic, the Prime Directive of his presidency was to preserve democracy by preventing Donald Trump’s return to power. His failure to do so will likely be the lasting legacy of his four years in office.
Read the whole thing.
Third news item
A warning for the President-elect:
As a president facing real challenges at home and abroad, Trump will be judged not by talk but by deeds. And he won’t be able to blame Congress for failures, as Congress is controlled by his party, a party he controls. The last time a president entered a second term with control of Congress was George W. Bush in 2005. He claimed a mandate and he and his party were riding high. It didn’t end well.
Fourth news item
Democrats join Republicans in vote:
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday to sanction the International Criminal Court over its issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), passed the House in a 243 to 140 vote, with 45 Democrats joining in support of the GOP-led bill. Thirty Democrats and twenty Republicans did not vote, while one Republican voted present.
Fifth news item
Why aiding Ukraine is imperative to Ukraine’s victory, as well as the West’s victory:
Supporting Ukraine to victory against Russia is in the best interest of the United States.
A world in which Russia prevails would be more dangerous and more expensive for America—requiring an estimated increase of $808 billion in defense spending over five years.
Alternatively, an increased and accelerated multinational commitment to Ukraine and conclusion of the war in the near term would result in a vibrant and free Ukraine with a newly modernized and battle-tested military and a thriving industrial base, which would help stabilize Europe.
Stability in Europe may also improve conditions in the Middle East and Pacific as the Axis of Aggression sees a resolute alliance that is both willing and capable of using a wide range of deterrence options combined with decisive, rapid response to contingencies.
Read the entire report here.
Sixth news item
Russia is looking forward to Trump’s presidency. And that’s not a good thing:
Head of RT Margarita Simonyan, a decorated state TV propagandist and Kremlin insider, has spilled not only Russia’s hopes and dreams for Donald Trump’s second term in office but also Moscow’s strategy for suckering him in.
She believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has an irresistible sway over Trump and will extract the desired outcome—but only if they meet face-to-face, without any influence or interference from other American power brokers, à la Helsinki, where the two men held discussions in secret.
The head of RT is convinced that a personal meeting between Trump and Putin will totally reverse the course taken by the Biden administration, including the sanctions that banned her propaganda network from American airwaves. Speaking on the program The Right To Know, Simonyan predicted that the incoming Trump administration would attempt to establish good relations with Russia and lift multiple sanctions. According to her, RT has good reason to believe that under Trump, it will return to the U.S. cable networks.
Note: I didn’t think I would need to add this clarification, but…please know that I am fully aware of RT and Margarita Simonyan. So why publish this post? Well, I suspect that the compulsive liar Simonyan, may actually be somewhat accurate about the impending Trump/Putin relationship. We already know that Trump is in awe of Putin, Xi, and Kim Jong Un. All of us have witnessed his affection and admiration for them. We also know that Trump loves to boast of his perceived accomplishments and his place on the world stage. He is the egoist’s ego. When one’s greatest weakness is their own overblown sense of self, pride, and ego, it makes dealing with strong leaders who rule with an iron fist and easily manipulate the masses with fear, being smart and careful around them becomes that much more difficult. I don’t think Trump is clever and smart enough to resist the cheap flattery that will come his way. I hope I’m wrong.
Have a good weekend.
—Dana
Hello.
Dana (0687b4) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:04 amTrump called the case “a weaponization of government” and “an embarrassment to New York.
Sometimes even self-serving assh0les are right. This was the one trial where this was true for him. He was still guilty of sedition, election fraud and misuse of classified documents, none of which were “trumped up” like this one was. The Rule of Law does not permit making up charges to get people guilty of other crimes.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:32 amReasonable people will differ, I guess.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:33 amHow does a firestorm, attributable largely to utility negligence (and in LADWP’s case, to municipal greed), that leaves 50,000 people homeless not make the list?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:35 amPosted on the fires yesterday or the day before.
Dana (1f8253) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:46 amTrump’s conviction is a touchdown by the losing team in garbage time.
lloyd (383140) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:53 amRussia is looking forward to Trump’s presidency.
What did you think they were going to say? That they dread his presidency, or are afraid of him? RT is a propaganda organization. They’re always going to try and spin things to their own benefit.
They’ll say whatever they think is in their best interest, including whatever could sow chaos in the US or potentially weaken the incoming administration. You should be skeptical of what they say, especially if it aligns with what you already think.
Observer (ea9b6a) — 1/10/2025 @ 8:55 amTrump has a lot of goodwill going in, ranging from the grudging goodwill of people who never liked him, but liked Biden less, to his full-throated supporters. How he deals with immigration is perhaps central to keeping that, but if he seems to be Putin’s ally he could lose a lot of it. He could force a reasonable resolution to Ukraine (minimal concessions and NATO ascension) or he could become Chamberlain at Munich. He really has a lot of options, as Putin is desperate for this war to end.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 9:19 amObserver,
Clearly, RT is a propaganda machine, but the point being made – one we’ve seen before with Trump – is that he is enamored by murderous thugs like Putin and Xi. Strongmen. Thus, in this case, I think the propaganda is also likely true. Trump is reportedly already making plans to meet with Putin, at Putin’s request. Make of that what you will.
Dana (5c01fa) — 1/10/2025 @ 9:23 amI saw this from twitter, but can’t find it.
But check out this map:
https://nsidc.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/images/Map/ArcticOcean.png.webp?itok=RRcf2eUu
Trump’s dalliance with the idea of purchasing Greenland isn’t crazy. It would be insane to allow China or Russia to gain access to this.
whembly (477db6) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:13 amBuDuh,
Not sure about the point you are trying to make. W famously and fatuously declared: “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy,” Bush said. “I was able to get a sense of his soul.”
At that point, though, Putin hadn’t invaded anyone yet.
Appalled (59f46e) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:13 am#11
The doing of it and the way he is doing it screams “I don’t trust NATO and won’t rule out invading a NATO ally”. Truman made his offer to buy Greenland after the US effectively took it over in WWII to keep Denmark’s Nazi regime from having it. He also did it before NATO was established.
If Trumpian bluster end up triggering the nascent Greenland independence movement, it could be very counterproductive. But Trump has his reasons.
Appalled (59f46e) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:21 amUp to now, Greenland, as part of Denmark, is protected from Chinese or Russian invasion by NATO.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:45 amThe fact that the US has a large military base (Pituffik Space Base) and other installations in Greenland would preclude any hostile takeover.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:53 amAppalled (59f46e) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:21 am
To be the only significant political figure supporting something which nobody is able to offer a cogent enough sounding argument against. It’s opposed quietly, not forthrightly.
The arguments against it too easily sound wishy washy. Same thing with the Panama Canal.
Trump’s now raising his NATO commitment argument to spending 5% (from 2%) of GDP on defense – a target the United States no longer meets. He’d like to move the goalposts. He’s not really ready to.
Besides, wasting money counts as something good this way
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:10 amDenmark did not have a Nazi regime, but it was occupied. This could be the reason it was not directly taken over – to try to use that as leverage to control Greenland. Same thing with the Vichy regime and North Africa. As soon as North Africa was invaded by the U.S. and Great Britain (mainly) all of France was occupied.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:13 amDonald Trump always wants to meet with anyone because he thinks he can argue dictators (or anyone) out of things, and if not, he thinks nothing is lost. But something is lost.
I think Putin wants to meet with Trump because he is worried about what Trump might do, and meeting him enables him to size Trump up and determine whether or not certain ideas Putin fears are in Trump’s head.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:17 amGW Bush wasn’t the only one chumped by Putin and his propaganda machine.
It was 2008 in Bucharest when Putin declared his hostility to NATO, and followed it up by invading and partially occupying Georgia.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:17 amThree Year Letterman for the win.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:27 am#16
“Silent opposition” to Trump has a way of morphing into “silent consent”. At least on the stuff he chooses to make high profile.
Appalled (59f46e) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:39 amNo, the opposition remains opposed, and bills containing the idea still have difficultly passing, but it gains more support and the opponents can lose seats in Congress in the next election..
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:45 amVictory is Ukrainian tanks rolling into Red Square, or Russia suing for peace. That sounds impossible, but if the Russian military collapses, or starts to collapse it can end without escalating to nuclear war.
Biden’s policy was effectively, continued limited war.
Which is not very satisfactory.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:51 am14 “protected by NATO..”
Polite fictions are on the way out.
What is the country of 330 million with a reasonably competent military that is the only reason anyone listens to “NATO”?
Is it Germany, with a very high percentage of inoperable fighters, 90% fewer Main Battle Tanks than a decade ago and self induced energy costs of 3 times the US?
Is it France, that we all know to be a military power? Or Belgium?
Speaking plainly has advantages: NATO as it now exists, protects no one.
Which is one reason why all those “mean tweets” in 2017-2020 demanding that NATO up its game were so on target. NATO has been a fiction since about 1989.
With fiction removed, who protects Greenland?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:52 amI’ve added this clarification to the last news item:
Dana (29311b) — 1/10/2025 @ 11:54 amUp to now, Greenland, as part of Denmark, is protected from Chinese or Russian invasion by NATO.
China is trying to buy up critical resources there and offering funding for seaports and airports. The island has many strategic minerals that China would prefer to keep a monopoly on. They don’t have to seize it to control it.
I think that trying to force Denmark to surrender Greenland is terribly foolish. But if a deal can be made, it might be a good thing.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:01 pmGW Bush wasn’t the only one chumped by Putin and his propaganda machine.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:03 pmEver wonder why Israel was not attacked by missiles from Syria?
Assad opposed it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/world/middleeast/iran-general-syria-defeat.html
This is testimony that Iran is responsible for the whole war – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and everything. Assad had evidently been stalling, arguing he would lose. Stalling like like Franco with Hitler, except that Franco was saying first conquer the Suez Canal..
And Putin didn’t want to get involved in a conflict with Turkey, either.
!!!
Russia didn’t want a conflict with Israel.
And it lied to its allies.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:03 pmopponents can lose seats in Congress in the next election.
People say that the GOP is running scared of Trump, but the Democrats in swing districts have got to pay attention, too.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:05 pmMore:
Iran wants to stat trouble in Syria, regarding the new government as allied with the United States in effect:
There’s division at high levels in the Iranian government, but it’s leaning to creating new proxies.
Iran is not yet ready to give up.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:07 pmHow soon we forget. The only time Article 5 was invoked was after 9/11, when our NATO allies came to our aid in Afghanistan.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:11 pmNation Gets Preview Of Gavin Newsom Presidency.
lloyd (383140) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:17 pmHere’s an official summary of NATO’s engagement in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2021:
Jim Miller (4ef2c1) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:17 pmSome bad people have seized control of the American Historical Association, the way Communist used to control front groups in the 1940s:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/opinion/israel-gaza-scholasticide.html
It’s ridiculous, even assuming that what they said were true. Yes of course schools are a closed in Gaza. That is a byproduct of the war. It is not the most important thing going on in Gaza nor is it a war aim – except that Israel doe desire an end to the promotion of hatred of Israel in Gaza schools, but that is along term thig and part of why they want Hamas to lose power and UNWRA out of there.
This NYT columnist is entirely too friendly to the people doing this, even though she is against this all. She’s giving the proponents far too much credit.
And Republicans – they haven’t noticed how the AHA has been infiltrated.
The slogans and clothing worn by the proponents show they support the murder of Jews.
The only question is, what foreign country is running them?
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:19 pmIncompetence…
An extra 117 million gallons of water may not have made a serious difference, or maybe it could’ve saved dozens or hundreds of homes.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:23 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:05 pm
The interesting thing is the place they want to give ground on is immigration
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:23 pmTrump is looking for a disease to blame migrants for (for legal reasons, not polemical ones)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/us/politics/trump-title-42-migrants.html
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:26 pmAnd in the meantime?
This was aa very bad case scenario. They are to be faulted not just for not being able to cope with it, but for not knowing that there was very bad case scenario they could not cope with.
This brings out the importance of executive ability.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:30 pm“Czar” Putin has so much contempt for the Loser that he allowed this on Russian TV.
I sure hope those around the Loser make sure he is accompanied by a guardian any time he meets with Putin.
Jim Miller (4ef2c1) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:30 pmA curfew to be imposed in LA. Eventually, things will get back to normal, when the homeless, drug addicts and the mentally deranged can roam residential neighborhoods at all hours with or without blow torches.
The media of course is falling over themselves defending Bass, Newsom and blue state insanity.
The story about the Palisades fire starting with a spark in a garden is likely never going to get questioned.
lloyd (e9936c) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:33 pmThe question is then why aren’t US companies or the US government investing in Greenland?
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:40 pmCalifornia governments don’t seem to have learned much from the 2018 Camp Fire:
(Links omitted.)
Yes, the Wikipedia article has bias problems, in particular the attempt to blame far too much on the utility. Mostly, utilities do what governments tell them to do.
Jim Miller (4ef2c1) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:42 pmZuckerberg finally comes clean
lloyd (383140) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:43 pmOr Russia withdrawing its troops back to the 2013 borders and offering compensation to Ukraine.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:44 pmSome of you sure watch a lot of Russian propaganda and disseminate it far and wide.
NJRob (6621c0) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:49 pmMostly, utilities do what governments tell them to do.
Especially the LADWP, which is owned by the City of Los Angeles and whose surplus income (please do not call it a profit!) goes into the city’s General Fund. After DWP employees’ substantial annual bonuses are paid, of course.
Delayed maintenance isn’t just a greedy capitalist mistake. Greedy municipalities do it, too.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:54 pmThe US has a separate treaty with Denmark allowing the US to defend Greenland.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:55 pmThe charges for trash pickup in Los Angeles, by city workers, something whose cost doesn’t vary a lot by location, is 3 times what Waste Management — a for profit company on a no-bid contract — charges me in the ABQ area.
When LA jacked up the rates a decade ago, they were pretty open about their purpose being to fund other parts of city government. Tax increases had been limited by voters.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 12:59 pmIndeed.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 1:02 pm@49 No direct quotes, of course. Just a left winger’s take in left wing bubble media, which Paul will trust reflexively.
lloyd (383140) — 1/10/2025 @ 2:19 pm@48 Limiting taxes You get what you pay for after cutting 17 million from LA fire department mayor bass demanded 49 million dollar cut two weeks ago. (ACE)
asset (b1544d) — 1/10/2025 @ 2:36 pmOnce again, the bad faith commenter goes after the commenter, not the comment, which is bad faith.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 2:49 pmRogin’s piece has the supporting links.
Nation Gets Preview Of Gavin Newsom Presidency.
Using a disaster than left 50,000 people homeless overnight to score stupid, cheap and moronic political points is offensive in the least. Perhaps you would care to send this to my friend David who is trying to figure out how to house his family for the next year or two.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 2:55 pmThe media of course is falling over themselves defending Bass, Newsom and blue state insanity.
Hardly
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 2:56 pmAn extra 117 million gallons of water may not have made a serious difference, or maybe it could’ve saved dozens or hundreds of homes.
The tanks they were using, and could not refill, each had 1 million gallons. 117 million gallons would have been 100 times as much water and obviously would have helped.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 3:00 pmOne Of Just Two CL-415 Super Scooper Planes Taken Out Of Palisades Fire Fight By Drone
A drone’s collision with a water-dropping aircraft fighting the Palisades fire in Los Angeles caused temporary grounding of all aircraft working that fire and took out one of just two amphibious planes capable of repeatedly scooping 1,600 gallons of water from the ocean and delivering it onto nearby flames, Cal Fire told The War Zone.
………….
The Super Scoopers have been making dozens of flights a day, with multiple drops on each flight, meaning Cal Fire loses the ability to drop tens of thousands of gallons of badly needed water until the damaged aircraft is repaired. The Super Scoopers fly over the fire, release their water, and then head over to the ocean to refill, a process that takes about five minutes. This is a unique capability, at least for Cal Fire, as fixed-wing firefighting aircraft of similar size or larger need to land at an airport to refill and can’t execute continuous drops on a single sortie to beat back a raging fire line.
The drone was flying despite a Temporary Flight Restriction TFR imposed by the FAA over the area from Jan. 9 to Jan. 23 to prevent any aircraft, manned or drone, from interfering with firefighting efforts. The drone was being flown by a photographer taking video of the flames, the LA Times reported.
“It’s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,” the FAA said in a statement. “Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations when temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are in place. The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses. The FAA has not authorized anyone unaffiliated with the Los Angeles firefighting operations to fly drones in the TFRs.”
………….
Photo of damage caused by the drone.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 3:11 pmForgot to blockquote; sorry.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 3:11 pm31:
Paul, fair comment, and its not the I forgot the “contributions” of NATO during the run in Afghanistan. But also fair: sending a MP’s, clerks, traffic officers, etc, while the US does the heavy lifting is not protecting anything. Much less Greenland.
The Brits were there of course, and some 1st rate Candaian snipers, but the US had 100,000 troops at the peak. In contrast, Germany had 4300 soldiers and policemen and France had about 4000 people there, many in intelligence, and lost about 90 people. But we can see who the main player was
The US also built and operated the airbase.
So yes, a veneer of “a NATO coalition.” But not much else.
And Afghanistan was not just a threat to the US: it was a threat to everyone at the time. The idea that NATO countries were going out of their way to aid us in someting in whihc they had no stake does not seem accurate.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/10/2025 @ 3:36 pmGoing by what French and Isgur heard at the Supreme Court, the justices will likely uphold the TikTok “ban”.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 3:38 pmYes, of course we were the main player. We were the ones attacked. We didn’t really need of any of those allies, but they came to our help anyways, because we’re on the same side in the War Against Militant Islamism.
Regarding Greenland and others, Zeihan has a good video about why we’re better off not taking ownership, because we’re already getting what we want militarily but without the burden of ownership, and it’s a formula that works worldwide. I don’t oppose buying Greenland, but it would be counterproductive IMO to be coercive about it.
Paul Montagu (b55108) — 1/10/2025 @ 4:10 pmRegarding Panama, the US has already reserved the right to exert military force in defense of the Panama Canal against any threat to its neutrality (link). All this conquistador talk helps Putin and Xi.
48: And based on visits, the roads have not been paved in some years, whereas they used to be repaved every 3-4 years, then every 7, and then it seems not at all.
Not upgrading and maintaining lets $$ be diverted to union pensions and wages, esp for LA Unified School District, whihc I belive has a ratio of supervisors to staff that is 4 times what is normal; to the hundreds if not thousands of union workers who are aides for homeless–to make sure they take meds, light rail, -to everything but roads and cops.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/10/2025 @ 4:55 pm60, Paul: sure. I am only saying that when someone says “NATO protected Greenland,” we know that means the US when the cover is pulled back. We are always appreciative of the help.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/10/2025 @ 4:56 pmTo expand on Paul’s link @post 59:
Audio and the transcript of the Supreme Court oral argument.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 4:58 pm@56:
They really need to make an example of this clown.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 5:16 pmAnd based on visits, the roads have not been paved in some years
I depends. Where I was living, the roads were repaved more often than they needed to be. Other places, not so much. It also depends on how many times they dug them up.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 5:19 pm“I am a little concerned that a suggestion that the president-elect or anyone else would not enforce the law, when a law is in effect and is prohibitive of certain action, that a company would choose to ignore enforcement on any assurance, other than a change in that law,” she said, while stressing that the company would, in that scenario, be violating the law.
I want to hear that quoted back to her the next time immigration laws come to the court.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 5:21 pmBass wasn’t even mentioned in your example of the media calling her out.
Newsom was mentioned once, only about him calling for an investigation.
Try again.
lloyd (0be402) — 1/10/2025 @ 6:55 pmhttps://www.nationalreview.com/2025/01/pay-up-mr-mann/
It’s a start. Hopefully he will have to pay much more for all the harm he’s caused.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/10/2025 @ 7:12 pmImmigration law provides a lot of administrative enforcement discretion, such as parole authorities.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 7:15 pmRIP Sam Moore (89); one half of the soul duo Sam and Dave:
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 7:23 pmSelf inflicted:
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 7:51 pmTry again.
OK
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:36 pmBut really, lloyd, does your world begin and end with Democrats being called out? Isn’t reporting the facts at least as important? But then you are a hyper-partisan who breathes the stuff.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:38 pmRip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/10/2025 @ 7:51 pm
The judge should jail him until he not only complies with the admission, but he provides a down payment of $10 million to the pair.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/10/2025 @ 10:40 pmWow, another article that doesn’t mention Bass or Newsom. You seem to be working very hard to prove my point. Shouldn’t it be easy to counter a hyper-partisan like me?
lloyd (243042) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:19 amMeanwhile, outside the media bubble….
Gavin Newsom Asks Biden To ‘Deal With’ People Allegedly Spreading ‘Misinformation’ About His Wildfire Response
Looks like Newsom is laser-focused on the main problem.
lloyd (243042) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:23 amWow, another article that doesn’t mention Bass or Newsom. You seem to be working very hard to prove my point. Shouldn’t it be easy to counter a hyper-partisan like me?
Maybe that’s because the writers are talking about the problem, not trying to assign blame. The reader should be able to do that. But then, you’re the kind of guy who thinks that Trump is helping himself by shooting off his mouth to “score points” while 10,000 families are homeless. He’d be better off letting Newsom and Bass sink on their own without offering the distraction.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 8:27 amShorter: I don’t like it when newspapers try to make every problem about Trump, and I wouldn’t find it an improvement if they were as moronic about Newsom.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 8:28 amKevin,
there are still countless homeless struggling through a Carolina winter. Do they matter that the current administration abandoned them?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/11/2025 @ 8:45 am@78 The “mistakes were made” take from NM. Fortunately, I’m a safe distance from the fires— for now. But I’ve spent the past few days worrying about a deranged person allowed to roam the area with a blow torch, whether my local reservoirs are filled, hydrants functioning, and whether my insurance would cover a catastrophe. Unlike Newsom, Bass and the folks who run interference for them, their political viability isn’t a front and center concern of mine.
lloyd (243042) — 1/11/2025 @ 8:50 amThat actually is good news for National Review. It feels like decades that I’ve been following the story.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/11/2025 @ 9:06 amLloyd, they make it clear who made the mistakes — their alert system is for crap, and the people in charge of it are incompetent. It’s one of those places bureaucrats move the incompetents to — mostly a “window seat”, and really how bad can they screw up? As it happens, more than they expected.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 10:17 amThis is how Putin uses his North Korean “guests”…
And the Norks are getting killed-wounded in droves….
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/11/2025 @ 10:24 am@80:
Of course, you expect the articles to all say they have traced all the problems back to Bass or Newsom or Biden. I guess you are just doomed to be unhappy.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 10:44 am@84 Dude, I expect just one article, which you couldn’t even find.
lloyd (f556c8) — 1/11/2025 @ 10:46 am@84 Dude, I expect just one article, which you couldn’t even find.
This is because I don’t read Trumpist publications. Believe it or not, 99% of the people in the world look at what is happening in Los Angeles as OMG, not “How do we pin this on Newsom?”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 10:54 am99% of people aren’t full of themselves, either.
lloyd (f556c8) — 1/11/2025 @ 11:09 amRegarding Karen Bass, blame on her is implied because it’s under her watch, but she’s only been in office since December 10th. There’s a whole LA bureaucracy that gets the brunt of the blame, including her predecessor, Garcetti, for letting their infrastructure and first-response issues wither such as, why has the Santa Ynez reservoir been shut down for a year.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/11/2025 @ 11:20 amBass will nevertheless face a reckoning for this, because she’s still a part of the same LA left-wing culture.
@88 What are you talking about? She’s been in office since 2022.
lloyd (f556c8) — 1/11/2025 @ 11:28 amLike Newsom, she very publicly hired folks for reasons other than competence, experience and intelligence. Those are dumb decisions both of them made with full intent.
lloyd (f556c8) — 1/11/2025 @ 11:31 amMy bad. I saw 2022 but my brain read 2024. You’re right. She’s culpable.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/11/2025 @ 11:37 amAmbitious:
Depending on Panama to shutdown the Darien Gap is a fool’s errand. The Gap is 100 miles long and 30 miles wide of inhospitable jungle. Panama has abolished its military and relies on approximately 30,000 paramilitary forces for its security.
It remains to be seen if the Democrats with their newfound support for the Laken Riley Act will spill over to include support for other Trump Administration immigration policies.
Related:
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 12:09 pm88: Paul-True; Anonymous bureaucrats removed the bollards in NO before replacements were ready, leaving the city center unguarded. As if the reason for the bollards–crazy drivers–would politely stand aside till the new ones were installed.
The Admiral in charge of Pearl Harbor: obsessing on polished buttons, lining battleships all in a neat row–an attack never seemed to enter his mind. Such is the bureaucratic mind.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 1/11/2025 @ 12:14 pmFor some years these two facts have struck me as important:
1. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Navy staged a war game in which the Japanese side attacked the US side, with carriers, successfully. The result received less attention than it should have.
2. Before the battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy staged a war game in which the US side won. (They changed the scoring afterwards to minmize the impact.)
Jim Miller (6b9b01) — 1/11/2025 @ 2:34 pm@94 Wrong about admiral kimmel. General short lined them up in the middle of the air fields. See: Movie tora tora tora for what happened. Kimmel replaced admiral who told roosevelt that fleet should be at San Diego.
asset (774a2b) — 1/11/2025 @ 2:36 pmRe-read post 94. General Short had nothing to do with lining up the battleships “in the middle of the airfield.” Kimmel was CINCPACFLT at the time of Pearl Harbor, and was demoted and forced to retire in 1942 (as was Gen. Walter Short.) Whatever the two leaders knew or didn’t know about the threats to Pearl Harbor, they were in charge and ultimately responsible.
I wouldn’t say Kimmel was responsible for the layout of Pearl Harbor as it was established as a Navy base in 1899 and expanded to accommodate large warships in 1908..
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 3:20 pmSpecial Counsel Jack Smith has resigned.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 4:00 pmI don’t disagree that Karen Bass and her morally posturing administration is going to get a lot of the blame, I just don’t expect to see news stories trying to assign it. That’s not what news is about. Once the fires are out and people are willing to deal with the causes, not all the blame-shifting in the world is going to save her, the LADWP board, the LAFD brass, etc.
But any publication that is doing that now is a partisan rantblog.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:02 pmSpecial Counsel Jack Smith has resigned.
From what?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:03 pmGeneral Short had nothing to do with lining up the battleships “in the middle of the airfield.”
Not an easy task.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:04 pmIt sure was lucky though that the carriers were at sea and only the obsolete battleships were hit.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:06 pmBass will nevertheless not face a reckoning for this, because she’s still a part of the same LA left-wing culture.
We’ll see. The people who lost their homes in the Palisades were the heart of her donor class. Not to mention Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood. This was a pretty ugly and public frack-up by her administration.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/11/2025 @ 6:10 pm>From what?
DOJ
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/11/2025 @ 7:01 pmWorld War II was the last hurrah for the battleships.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 7:05 pmAnd the next war will be the last hurrah for aircraft carriers.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 7:09 pmClick the link.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/11/2025 @ 7:11 pmThe last time Bel-Air/Brentwood burned.
Rip Murdock (d8583b) — 1/11/2025 @ 8:02 pm@97 carriers were away delivering fighters to wake island and midway island to send them to sea without air cover they would have ended up sunk like the repulse and prince of wales 3 days later. War warning from gen.marshal didn’t get to kimmel till after the attack and adm. stark never called adm. kimmel on direct line it shows in the movie.
asset (1388c2) — 1/11/2025 @ 9:54 pmWorld War II was the last hurrah for the battleships.
There was no hurrah for them, at least not as surface combatants. If enemy aircraft were around, they were sitting ducks. At best they were used as mobile artillery for bombarding Pacific Islands.
And the next war will be the last hurrah for aircraft carriers.
Perhaps. Robust point defense may alter that. As may counter-attacks on the missile source. Having aircraft available in-theater is too useful to just give it up. If they are replaced, it will be by something capable of launching and recovering swarms of AI weapons. Of course, those might just as easily defeat incoming missiles.
Conventional wisdom is that submarines will replace the carriers, but the submarines may be even more vulnerable to swarmed attacks, given advances in “torpedoes.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 7:46 am@111: Good. The current political class in New Mexico is terrible.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 7:48 amClick the link.
The point was that he might not have been a duly-appointed “Special Prosecutor.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 7:49 am@114
That’s the “law of the land” in the 11th circuit.
It’s murky if other circuit doesn’t recognize that. In short, he’d probably have authority until SCOTUS makes the ultimate decision (if at all).
whembly (003ea2) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:05 amMeanwhile, Trump gives California officials cover by making stupid criticisms of their obvious malfeasance. Rather than having to defend their actual mistakes, Trump gives them straw men.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:09 amWorld War II was certainly the last hurrah for the battleships, as they were never used in combat again (except for shore bombardment in Korea and Vietnam). There were a number of ship to ship battles in World War Two that didn’t involve aircraft carriers; for example the Battles of the Denmark Strait; North Cape; Surigao Strait; and the hunt for the Bismarck.
Aircraft carriers were just as much sitting ducks in WW II to aircraft (and submarines) as battleships, without aircraft they were defenseless. In the near term carriers will be sitting ducks to hypersonic missiles and the far term to hypersonic unmanned aircraft and space based weapons.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:20 amIt’s not even that; it’s the law of land in Judge Aileen Cannon’s courtroom. Since the Special Counsel’s office suspended its appeal of her decision after the election, there is no decision that applies to the 11th Circuit or anywhere else. As there is no case going forward, the Supreme Court will never hear it.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:35 amDid you expect anything different?
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:37 amTwo glaring problems in L.A.
1) The phone-alert system that gives random alerts to the wrong places at all hours. There is no excuse for this and the level of incompetence is astonishing, even for government.
2) The decision to leave the Palisades reservoir empty for the last year due to a cover, needed to meet newer regulations, needing repair. The firefighters only had a a couple million gallons of water available, rather than the 117 million gallons the reservoir could hold. Even partially filled, it would have added more than an order-of-magnitude more water to the hydrants. This is what Douglas Adams called the “lemon-scented napkin” problem.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:57 amThis one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:01 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
This one is on Newsom.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:02 amWhy would Newsom’s state bureaucrats be distrustful of Oregon safety standards? Anyone heard of a waiver during an emergency situation?
@119 Because if only Trump would shut up, Newsom and Bass would be held to account. Get a clue.
lloyd (d638bb) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:20 amI got Kevin’s point (and yours), but why does anyone expect Trump to behave any differently than he has in the past?
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:27 amBecause the fires are all about whatever Trump said, and whether a governor 3000 miles away will denounce him
lloyd (d638bb) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:30 amWho the F cares? You do. Get a clue.
lloyd (0be402) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:33 amIf the 11th circuit had any qualms about the legality of Smith’s appointment as Special Counsel, they probably wouldn’t have green-lit the release of his report.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:33 amNot really.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:35 amTexas sending firefighters, equipment to help fight California wildfires, Gov. Abbott says
After they get through mandatory sensitivity training videos, Newsom and Bass might let them help out.
Unfortunately, if the situation were reversed, Texas is on a list of states California has banned travel to.
lloyd (d638bb) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:37 amRecovery will be Tempered by Hard Decisions and, if we aren’t careful, Inequality
LATimes laser focused on the problem, while the fires still burn.
lloyd (d638bb) — 1/12/2025 @ 9:43 amGiven their razor thin majority in the House, I can see a majority of Republicans voting against any disaster aid.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:10 amFlashback March 2024:
Flashback July 2024:
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:21 amUntrue, there is no longer any such ban on state-funded travel.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:35 am@140 Ah yes, Rip. Banned lifted in 2023 after being in effect for seven years. Only because it looked bad for Newsom’s presidential ambitions.
That probably also explains the help given TX in 2024.
Funny, TX and other states never had a ban. Ever.
lloyd (0be402) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:45 am*Ban lifted
lloyd (0be402) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:45 amThat was then, this is now.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:47 amFlashback 2017:
The law restricting state funded travel was enacted in 2016.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 11:04 amI doubt the law banning state-funded travel would have affected Newsom’s presidential ambitions. The states on the list wouldn’t have voted for him anyway. It had zero economic impact, and the law was riddled with exceptions.
Right now I would say that Newsom’s presidential ambitions have gone up in smoke.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 11:20 amIn the competition between Tuberville and Marge for dimmest bulb in Congress, today Marge wins…
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 11:22 amOuch!
Rip Murdock (d8583b) — 1/12/2025 @ 11:35 amGiven their razor thin majority in the House, I can’t see a majority of Republicans voting against any disaster aid.
FIFY
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:34 pmKevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:57 am
All telephones used to be landlines, and restricted to a limited geographical area, This is no longer true. They’d have to collect numbers from people who specially registered, wouldn’t they?
Since February?
No examination of unplanned effects. Everything treated as if it was instantaneous
That much? It hadn’t been mentioned in what I ran across.
Which is what?
Anything here?
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:35 pmhttps://www.clivebanks.co.uk/THHGTTG/THHGTTGradio12.htm
Right now I would say that Newsom’s presidential ambitions have gone up in smoke
Maybe. It will depend on how much of the L.A. leadership he can fit under the bus.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:36 pmAll telephones used to be landlines, and restricted to a limited geographical area, This is no longer true. They’d have to collect numbers from people who specially registered, wouldn’t they?
The 911 system has the numbers tied to home addresses. If they don’t use that, then they are, again, incompetent.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:38 pmThat much? It hadn’t been mentioned in what I ran across.
Try the L.A. Times, which has had great coverage and lifted the paywall.
Like here
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:40 pmShouldn’t the alerts tell people to listen to the radio (or some station) or go to a website for updated and more accurate information? Shouldn’t people have the common sense to do this on their own?
There’s not enough distrust of government.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:42 pm“lemon-scented napkin” problem.
In one of his Hitchhiker books, Lester and Ford come across a decaying spaceliner, still waiting for takeoff and filled with the skeletons of passengers. A recording, still repeating, is telling the passengers they will be taking off shortly, as soon as the shipment of lemon-scented napkins arrive.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:43 pmShouldn’t the alerts tell people to listen to the radio (or some station) or go to a website for updated and more accurate information? Shouldn’t people have the common sense to do this on their own?
The director said people should check the website, and this was not accepted as an excuse. When your phone is screaming ALERT ALERT at 3AM, you are probably going to be more concerned where your kids are than checking some (no doubt non-functional) government website. Especially after they turned off the power, as they do.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:46 pmThe LA Times doesn’t say it would have helped that much.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:46 pmBut, even if you do check and see that the alert is unfounded, do you just accept this in good humor?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:47 pmBut what about the radio? Or do people no longer have battery powered AM radios in their home?
The alert is too vague and sounds like it could have been intended for all of Los Angeles. Wouldn’t you need the radio to learn where not to go?
They no doubt did not contact all news radio stations (are there any in LA?)
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:51 pmThe LA Times doesn’t say it would have helped that much.
100 times the water? OF COURSE the DWP Manager is downplaying his agency’s mistake. Probably has a script from the lawyers. He is probably also saying that the agency’s refusal to turn off power in high-risk areas during 100 MPH winds didn’t affec the outcome.
It is entirely possible that the LADWP will be in private hands before long, given their liability.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:52 pmWas the alert intended to be targeted at anyone?
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:53 pmBut what about the radio? Or do people no longer have battery powered AM radios in their home?
No one has any battery-powered radio other than their phones. At least no one under 70.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:54 pmWas the alert intended to be targeted at anyone?
During the news conference to downplay the alerts, several phones erupted with new alerts. Intentions didn’t seem to mediate events.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:55 pmWhat’s a radio?
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:59 pmWho would be listening to the radio at 3am? It’s much more effective to send alerts by cellphones, which are usually left on overnight.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:03 pmI get (unsolicited) Amber alerts all the time, even though my number my number is unlisted.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:06 pmI can think of about thirty members who would.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:09 pmI don’t think the LA Times article gives the ratio of the water that could have been in empty reservoir to all the water that was available to fight the fire(s).
Water was also missing because power was cut to avoid power lines falling sparking fires.
Maybe there was nobody who understood the system who could make the right calls.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:11 pmGreat WaPo article on Palisades fire start
The LAFD response to 911 calls from the fire origin point were delayed by resources fighting other fires. The fire started at the same place that a New Year’s Eve fire (started by idiots with fireworks) had been extinguished (but maybe not completely).
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:15 pmThe telephone companies (and their regulators) know what numbers are active.
An amber alert goes everywhere.
The other way you can do it is from a commercially available call list or people who registered the number somewhere.
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:16 pmI don’t think the LA Times article gives the ratio of the water that could have been in empty reservoir to all the water that was available to fight the fire(s).
Water was also missing because power was cut to avoid power lines falling sparking fires.
You are misreading.
The water they used was in a couple of storage tanks, each holding about 1 million gallons. There is a provision to refill them through a trunk line, but even with the pumps going full out, they emptied faster than they could be refilled.
And the power to the pumps was eventually cut. LADWP does not cut power proactively even though other utilities do. If power to the pumps was cut intentionally, then that is another mistake.
The reservoir, however, would have fed the hydrants directly, via gravity. With more than 50 times what was in the tanks. So, instead of running out in an hour, it would have provided water for at least a day.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:20 pmSammy, I am going to leave you here. You have no idea of the area, the geography, the agencies or the government in Los Angeles. Your speculation is based on irrelevancies, or extrapolation from those things you know in New York that aren’t true about Los Angeles.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:23 pmFrom the WaPo article linked above:
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:28 pmThis was days after December 31/January 1,
So there was 1 big fire they were fighting already?
Mention here of warning and prepositioning based on past fires but no multiple day fire before Palisades
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/11/us/los-angeles-calfire-firefighters.html
Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:32 pmSo there was 1 big fire they were fighting already?
Read the article. The observation is that wildfires can smoulder for days, only to reignite.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:45 pmChief Marrone put Eaton Canyon, the site of the new fire, into a navigation app and set off from the Palisades. Stuck in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic
I cannot think of a more difficult drive in the county. Not one, but two mountain ranges in the way, plus no direct route. Maybe I-10 to downtown, then the Pasadena Fwy to Pasadena, then I-210 east to Altadena. Starting at 7PM, the traffic really should not have been that terrible though. 90 minutes to 2 hours. Probably too windy for helicopters.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 1:55 pmConfirmation conversion :
Lankford endorsed Gabbard today on Meet the Press.
Rip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 2:00 pm“I have principles. If you don’t like them, I have others.”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 2:31 pmNo one has any battery-powered radio other than their phones. At least no one under 70.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:54 pm
Ahem (*raises hand*)
norcal (a72384) — 1/12/2025 @ 2:32 pmSomebody should ask her about insisting that the Chinese government obtain warrants before accessing data stored under to federal orders.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 2:33 pmI have an old boom box the theoretically could be battery powered, and I have both a crank and a solar radio in my earthquake preparedness kit (someone in my family gives me at least on personal safety item for Christmas every year. This year my brother gave everyone personal water filters that filter out bacteria, parasites, and microplastics in case we every need to drink river water or whatever.)
But no, most people don’t own any radio at all.
Nic (120c94) — 1/12/2025 @ 5:25 pmI had an old crank radio in my old earthquake kit — but it got left with the trash when I moved from SoCal. Won’t be any earthquakes here in ABQ unless the caldera erupts. But the radio wouldn’t help with that.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 5:35 pmBass is culpable and covering her fat butt…
And meantime, a 117 million gallon reservoir has been bone-dry since last February. This mayor needs to be recalled.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/12/2025 @ 7:00 pmThe last I heard, firefighter jobs are ardently coveted, which tells me something–firefighters are paid too much / have super nice benefits. You’ll see police departments having trouble getting recruits, but not fire departments.
Why not get more firefighters by lowering salaries to a point just below the point where people stop climbing over each other to get these jobs. You’ll get more firefighters for the same money.
I’ve even heard of some jurisdictions where firefighters make as much as police officers. That is ridiculous.
What? You think the education lobby is the only lobby with a stranglehold on the public purse?
norcal (a72384) — 1/12/2025 @ 10:48 pmThere was a long delay in getting to the start of the Palisades fire, at which point it had engulfed a number of homes. The LAFD units were dealing with other fires at the time. What I don’t get is why they didn’t ask for the Santa Monica FD to cover, since SM is between the Palisades and the rest of Los Angeles.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/12/2025 @ 11:58 pm@183: I don’t think that firefighter’s pay is the determinant. To utilize twice the number of firemen, you need twice the number of trucks, more firehouses, more equipment, etc. You can’t budget for the worst day ever, either. Right now, there are thousands of firefighters from throughout the Western USA on the firelines, but Tuesday only had the basic crews.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:03 amKeep up the good work of criticizing gavin newsom everyone. He is the last desperate hope of the democrat party’s corporate establishment for 2028 to fend off the progressives.
asset (44b86c) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:04 amKaren Bass is both enjoying the trappings of her office–going on multiple international junkets–and breaking her pledge to suspend international travel as mayor. She’s a typical pledge-breaking left-wing hack…
It’s a political crisis of her own making.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:08 amHe is the last desperate hope of the democrat party’s corporate establishment for 2028 to fend off the progressives.
Because the American people have been clamoring for the Hard Left to swaddle them in government.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 9:35 amI think that Bass, etc, are playing up the prospective danger this week, knowing that they have half the firefighters in the Western USA to fight them. When they heroically defeat these blazes, Bass et al will be taking victory laps.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 9:38 am> I think that Bass, etc, are playing up the prospective danger this week, knowing that they have half the firefighters in the Western USA to fight them. When they heroically defeat these blazes, Bass et al will be taking victory laps.
There’s almost certainly political gamesmanship going on, because there *always* is, but the prospective danger is *enormous* and this comment is landing to me as minimizing the danger.
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:30 amThe prospective danger is enormous.
But when you look at how the Palisades fire got out of control, you can see it was a manpower issue. A previous fire in the same place, started by fireworks on Dec 31st, was put out quickly by LAFD responding quickly. The Jan 7th event saw a nearly one-hour delay in response due to fire teams already committed elsewhere. By the time they got there, the fire was already chewing through homes.
Now, they have literally thousands of firefighters to deploy. Anything that starts anew will be crushed. There is serious danger in the Brentwood and Mandeville Canyon areas due to the high winds, but there are also enormous resources they didn’t have before. They may lose some houses. They won’t lose many.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:16 am187 has a bad link – it seems to be trying to go to a bad link at Patterico. This is the correct link: (Lead New York Times front page article today)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/us/karen-bass-ghana-wildfire-travel-los-angeles.html
This is not the first time a mayor was criticized for being out of town. Mayor Hahn Was in DC on September 11, 2001, and it took him 60 hours to get back.
I didn’t even know there was a Mayor Hahn.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:22 am170.
The theory seems to be that the New Year’s Eve fire was not completely extinguished and embers started the Palisades fire (first reported at 10:30 am Tuesday, January 7)
This was Days later.
That sounds like it could be connecting what dots you have, knowing there are missing ones.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:30 amhttps://www.newser.com/story/362375/to-rebuild-fast-newsom-halts-environmental-rules.html
These rules have been a problem for longer than 50 years: (he whole environmental movement has been faulty – and obviously so. It has a lot of unnecessary steps.)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/bad-policy-served-as-kindling-for-californias-wildfires-forest-water-management-social-justice-c5b94a4f
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:44 amIt’s also things that were never even proposed that should have been:
In many places where they fight fires they can save buildings. A person planning to run for mayor of LA owns malls and hired firefighters privately (at a cost $2,000 an hour, according to Mark Simone) and saved malls. Now some wealthy people are considering doing the same thing themselves.
I read of one person who did not evacuate and saved his house with a garden hose. Risky maybe, because t might be more than embers going along distance, and some people lost their lives, but evacuating everyone is also risky because the fire can get bigger and to places it might otherwise not.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:51 amRip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 8:20 am
Korea and Vietnam were not quite the last use of U.S. battleships for shore bombardment. The USS New Jersey (BB-62) was used for shore bombardment in late 1983 and early 1984 in Lebanon. You can find stories from the New York Times or the Washington Post about this, but I won’t post links because of the paywall. This lengthy article can be searched for the phrase “new jersey” for details.
H-080-1: Operation “No Name”—The U.S. Navy in the
JoeH (390085) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:19 pmLebanon Crisis, 1982–84
Bass is culpable and covering her fat butt…
Sure, but the fire chief is also covering her ass.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:43 pmAuthorities forced utilities to spend billions on wind and solar projects
And much of the newly-installed solar and wind projects are unable to power homes in urban areas since the grid doesn’t connect the two. Instead, the solar power is sold out-of-state at bargain prices while CA cities have brownouts.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:46 pmJoeH (390085) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:19 pm
The last time battleships were used in naval combat was WWI. After that they were floating cannon, or aircraft targets.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:48 pmIowa-Class Battleships in Operation Desert Storm
BuDuh (76f0e2) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:48 pmI read of one person who did not evacuate and saved his house with a garden hose. Risky mayb
Another guy was found burned to death holding a garden hose.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:50 pmThe Fate of WW2 Rested on the Last Battleship vs Battleship Engagement in History
BuDuh (76f0e2) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:56 pm“Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” followed by (literally) zombie battleships dueling. The main use of battleships in the event was to provide a last line of anti-aircraft fire with barrages of special proximity-fused weapons.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:12 pmMaybe it depends on whether or not the garden hose is fighting embers thrown far away from fire or there’s something more close by.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:19 pmRip Murdock (9bda50) — 1/12/2025 @ 12:59 pm
This year (I mean sometime in the last few months) I encountered a 15 or 16 year old boy who attended a yeshiva who saw me listening to a radio and asked whether it was “updated” I tried ti explain to him what a radio was but could not. He asked me the same question a day or two later. He is evidently familiar with recorded telephone offerings.
Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:25 pm“There’s an app for that”
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:37 pmThe Fate of WW2 Rested on the Last Battleship vs Battleship Engagement in History
Uh, no. The actual week of the Japanese surrender might have been on the line, but they were using battleships because they had no aircraft left.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:40 pmJoeH (390085) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:19 pm
Obviously I don’t quite understand the intricacies of posting links here, because what I previously posted doesn’t work. Here’s the actual correct url.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/about-us/leadership/hgram_pdfs/H-Gram_080-1.pdf
JoeH (390085) — 1/13/2025 @ 1:54 pm> That pledge has been spectacularly broken.
has it been broken or was it simply a lie ab initio?
aphrael (dbf41f) — 1/13/2025 @ 2:13 pmI don’t think that firefighter’s pay is the determinant. To utilize twice the number of firemen, you need twice the number of trucks, more firehouses, more equipment, etc.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 12:03 am
Then use some of the savings on more equipment, and some on increasing the number of firefighters.
My point still stands that if a public sector job is highly coveted, then the pay/benefits are too lavish.
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 3:07 pmKevin Williamson makes his points like nobody else.
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/wanderland/foreign-distractions-greenland-panama-trump/
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 3:48 pmFrom the same article:
Sad, but true.
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 3:52 pmWhen you see one firefighter on the job, remember you are also paying for an expensive retired person and a percentage of the support staff.
steveg (199cd5) — 1/13/2025 @ 4:07 pmFirefighters are frequently priced at a level that is hard to afford. The LAFD recruits make $90K plus benefits while training in the Academy. up to $118,000 plus benefits during probation
I’m assuming it costs a high rate to insure for “on the job” and “at the job” injuries. In order to field one firefighter, the municipality is paying at least $135-150,000 plus the benefits, comp and liability, support staff, and the retired guy.
Not an easy problem to solve without bushels of cash. The union is going to leverage the hell out of this opportunity
The union is going to leverage the hell out of this opportunity
steveg (199cd5) — 1/13/2025 @ 4:07 pm
Probably. The voters need to wise up, and mount a resistance to this overpaid contingent.
Thank you for those salary details, Steve.
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 4:14 pmCalifornia homeowners building in fire-prone areas
Many of the houses in Altadena were built some time ago. “Craftsman” homes were common, an early 20th century design. To call the area fire-prone, when there had not been a significant fire in 100 years, is a bit handwavy. The Palisades homes were built more recently, but there the “mid-century modern” was common, and again there had not been a significant fire there in living memory.
But what do you expect from a mid-west writer.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:02 pmThat Williamson conflates Malibu with the Palisades is another sign of ignorance.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:07 pmhttps://nypost.com/2025/01/10/business/american-airlines-focus-on-esg-in-401k-plan-is-illegal-judge/
Possibly the biggest decision in the favor of liberty and financial freedom in our lifetime. It’s the fiduciary responsibility of all businesses to engage in behavior on behalf of their financial beneficiaries and not on ESG or other grounds that harm returns.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:08 pmIf LA overpays, it creates a new baseline which hurts less wealthy places like Stockton. Stockton was paying Bay area rates for Police and Fire and nearly went bankrupt.
steveg (199cd5) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:19 pm(Stockton didn’t learn their lesson and decided to start offering people $500 a month Universal Basic Income)
I’m hearing about looters dressing as firefighters to enter evacuation areas.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:24 pmThere there is this, which has an unexpected take-away:
How is it that Mr Peoples has 2 convictions for violent felonies at the age of 22 and is not in prison?
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:29 pmMark Zuckerberg knows how to pander.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:39 pm“Kinneloa Fire was a destructive wildfire in Los Angeles County, Southern California in October 1993. The fire destroyed 196 buildings in the communities of Altadena, Kinneloa Mesa, and Sierra Madre in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, becoming at the time the twelfth-most destructive wildfire in California’s history and one of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history. The fire caused a multitude of minor injuries, one direct fatality, and two indirect fatalities.”
My brother evacuated from Altadena last week. His house is still standing but the block lost several homes. His neighbor behind burned as did the home across the street. My sister’s home east of his over on Eaton Canyon was also spared. Luck of the wind and embers. Firefighters were overmatched by the winds.
I’ve been inside 3 brushfires in my life and in all 3, the winds dictated terms, not the firefighters. Back when roofs were all wood shake and fire insurance was minimal, we stayed and fought. The firefighters left us because they had to go try to hold the line in a better defensive position but I know for a fact that garden hoses and ladders can and do save homes. I also know singed hair, ember burns and smoke inhalation. Got fed real well at the base camp after the Sycamore Fire.
steveg (199cd5) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:51 pmDavid Weiss punches back on Biden…
If Joe were smart, he’d take a cue from George W. and STFU for his entire post-presidency, but Joe is not smart and in a mental fugue.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:29 pmIf you ask Norcal Williamson, it is Trump and his sycophants to blame.
Hasn’t anyone here realized that Bass is the in-your-face clearest example of voting democrat no matter the reason??
Hopefully everyone can head outside tonight, look to the sky, dig deep into the truest parts of your brain and soul, and figure out where we will end up if there is no thought process past a Kevin Williamson false choice.
Be well everyone.
BuDuh (76f0e2) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:45 pmThat’s the latest message the shape-shifting chief executive sought to relay to the masses as he pushes a frenzied effort to recast himself as a friend of the president-elect at a moment of peril and opportunity for Meta Platforms.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 5:39 pm
So what if Meta is “imperiled”? Take your dignity (if you had any) and your 100 billion and go enjoy life, for crying out loud.
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:46 pmI am sure there are plenty of people who want to rush into literal burning forests or buildings for minimum wage. Yes, this seems likely.
Nic (120c94) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:51 pmI didn’t expect a reductio ad absurdum argument from you, Nic.
There is a point somewhere between minimum wage and the high salaries of firefighters where there will still be plenty of qualified applicants for firefighting jobs.
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:58 pmApparently you have never heard of volunteer fire departments.
BuDuh (76f0e2) — 1/13/2025 @ 6:58 pm198 Kevin: But the Fire Chief, who i was prepared to dislike as a DEI hire, seems not only to know her business but is also not reluctant to speak up. If she had been mayor, I bet she would not have been off in Ghana ….
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (b123ae) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:01 pm200 also Kevin: But the Bismark and The King George V in WWII?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (b123ae) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:04 pmPrisoners on CAL FIRE hand crews earn far less than minimum wage, gaining important skills (a felony conviction is not a bar to employment with CAL FIRE), and the opportunity to work in the outdoors.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:26 pmI left out the use of battleships in Lebanon and Desert Storm because they didn’t involve ship to ship combat. Like in Korea and Vietnam, battleships after their last hurrah in WW II were merely big offshore cannons.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:35 pmm
Did Bass leave for Ghana before or after the fires started?
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:39 pmThis will be the future of firefighting :
My HOA has a contract with one of these services. At the first hint of a fire, one of their trucks shows up.
Rip Murdock (552a1e) — 1/13/2025 @ 7:58 pmNot sure why my post 235 is in moderation.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:03 pmThe future of firefighting.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:04 pmPer my blockquote at 183…
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:23 pmThanks, I haven’t followed this like you have. Good job.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:29 pmThis guy left the State Department awhile back, but I wonder how many there are who remain that share his repugnant morally bereft views, that somehow we should reward Hamas with statehood after they massacred 1,200 humans.
Paul Montagu (695396) — 1/13/2025 @ 8:52 pm@226 Zuckerberg was so much more likable when he was banning conservative speech on Biden’s orders.
lloyd (7d1cae) — 1/13/2025 @ 9:05 pmThe fire destroyed 196 buildings in the communities of Altadena, Kinneloa Mesa, and Sierra Madre
Kinneloa Mesa has had a lot of fires. It is certainly in wildfire territory. But Sierra Madre and Altadena are pretty flat.
If you look at the current map, the MEsa is in the thick of this one. I should know: I was living at 3275 Vosberg in 1961, when another fire hit. But get this: That house is still standing, 60+ years later. Three blocks east or west, not so much.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 9:58 pmThe fire destroyed 196 buildings in the communities of Altadena, Kinneloa Mesa, and Sierra Madre
Kinneloa Mesa has had a lot of fires. It is certainly in wildfire territory. But Sierra Madre and Altadena are pretty flat.
If you look at the current map, the MEsa is in the thick of this one. I should know: I was living at 3275 Vosberg in 1961, when another fire hit. But get this: That house is still standing, 60+ years later. Three blocks east or west, not so much.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 9:58 pmBismark and The King George V in WWII?
Dinosaurs not getting the message that they were dead. Sure, battleships could still attack commercial shipping, which is what that was about. But that doesn’t really make them surface combatants. I bet you neither ship went anywhere dear an enemy carrier or airfield.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:03 pmThe George V is decent hotel though.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:03 pmIn Bass’ defense, the Palisades fire did not get out of hand because of budget cuts. It was a failure to assign priorities.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:05 pmNo jury required:
Said the defenders of the Rule of Law
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:14 pmNo jury required:
Said the defenders of the Rule of Law
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:14 pmI only clicked once.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:15 pm@214 do what alabama and mississippi does. Fast food restaurants ask parole boards to delay paroles as prisoners are used as cheap labor. (DU)
asset (5b236d) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:15 pm(DU) = code words for bullsh1t. It’s like quoting Gateway Pundit or Infowars.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:34 pm(DU) = code words for bullsh1t. It’s like quoting Gateway Pundit or Infowars.
Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/13/2025 @ 10:34 pmI’m suddenly getting a craving for Doublemint gum. 😛
norcal (a72384) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:16 pmThat’s no different than a prosecutor standing up in court and saying the defendant is guilty. I’m sure Jack Smith believed Trump was guilty, otherwise he wouldn’t have indicted him.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:29 pmProsecutors don’t bring cases against anyone they believe are innocent.
Rip Murdock (9dcb44) — 1/13/2025 @ 11:33 pm@252 ap npr nyt have the same story about alabama not paroling prisoners so they can work in fast food and worse places.
asset (5b236d) — 1/14/2025 @ 12:45 am@norcal@228 We are asking them to risk their lives on often an ongoing basis. I don’t begrudge them a salary that might let them buy a house somewhere in CA.
@Buduh and Rip@229/232 Different motivations. I’ll volunteer to work at a soup kitchen, but I’m not working there for minimum wage and that’s a way less dangerous job.
Nic (120c94) — 1/14/2025 @ 1:03 amFood service is more dangerous, Nic. So is social work.
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
Maybe they deserve bigger houses?
BuDuh (f29d5c) — 1/14/2025 @ 3:43 amLOL! Maybe Mike Nifong can chime in.
lloyd (7d1cae) — 1/14/2025 @ 5:59 am@247
It’s a one-sided report that is nothing more than a political vendetta masquerading as a legal analysis. It’s riddled with selective evidence, cherrypicked to fit the “iNsUrReCtIoN” narrative.
It’s a political hack of a document written by a political hack for political hack’s consumption.
whembly (477db6) — 1/14/2025 @ 6:48 am