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Showing posts with label disasters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disasters. Show all posts
Friday, January 31, 2025
Jealous Jackass Blames Buttigieg for D.C. Crash
"He was a DISASTER!" And Meryl Streep is overrated, too.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Fact or Fantasy?
When asked in a press conference at the White House if climate change caused the devastating outbreak of tornadoes in Kentucky and other states last week, President Biden declined to give an affirmative answer. However, some pundits on the right and on the left are vigorously asserting or denying the proposition; and it seems to me that a great many ordinary people "just know" that climate change was - or was not - the direct and immediate cause. But then again, many people have short memories.
I have no expertise in this field, so I cannot say for certain one way or the other; but I do clearly remember other such horrific outbreaks in my own lifetime, in Texas and elsewhere. For anyone interested in the subject, I recommend taking a thoughtful look at this long Wikipedia List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, dating back as far as 1657. Many have indeed happened in December, and at least one on New Year's Day.
My point being, it's always a good idea to get all the facts before you make up your mind about weather or climate change or anything else. Otherwise, it's just a species of fantasy, isn't it?
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Friday, February 19, 2021
Report from Texas
Just a few lines to let my truckbuddies know that the Pork Boys are surviving here in the Deep Freeze - and thankfully, in better shape than many of our fellow Texans - the disaster struck us only a glancing blow. The temperature where we live got down to zero Monday night, with a wind chill of minus 12. Now that's goddamn cold, I tell you what, boys. Not something M.P. or I have ever seen in our lifetime. 
Rolling blackouts started without warning about midnight on Sunday - but unlike in other places, here they were mostly only an hour or so long - on again, off again. We never knew, though, if the blackout would last an hour or all night or what. Thankfully again, I can report that the power - including the Internet - has stayed on continuously since Thursday morning.
However, yesterday we were informed that our town is under a boil-water order; either the reservoir is very low, or the water pumps are not working, or both. At least we do have water, unlike some places, and the boiling is a minor inconvenience. Some towns and neighborhoods have not had ANY water or power since Monday night - horrible.
But though it's been sometimes very unpleasant, we are getting through this disaster with less discomfort than many people, including some of M.P.'s family; the worst has been sitting here in a drafty old house with a drafty old heating system, where the indoor temperature has been at 50 degrees or less most of the time - painful, but not unbearable. And now we are looking forward to the return of more normal temperatures, as the latest forecast shows:
We also have plenty of good things to eat and drink, having stocked the larder before the snows fell, so no need to worry about us. There are many others, though, who are having a really rough time of it, as you all have no doubt seen on TV news. But here where we live, the snows are melting, the stores are open, and the streets were full of traffic today, so life is quickly getting back to normal.
However, I do want to say a couple of things to enlighten all you furriners out there who may be tempted to believe some far-fetched things said by the drama queens who call themselves journalists in this day and time.
First of all, please remember that Texas is a great big state: about 800 miles across in both directions, north to south, and east to west. Bigger by far than California in square miles. We have a population of 30 million in a state about 20 percent larger than France. So of course, when you hear somebody say, "Texas is . . ." or "Texans are . . ." you must understand that a hasty generalization is sure to follow. The truth is, we have everything here in a place so big and so populous - but not everyone is just the same. Country people tend to be pretty hardy folks; city dwellers, like city dwellers all over the world, not so much.
Also, a lot of ignorant little boys and girls who just love to be on television are spouting nonsense about "how such a HOT state" could get so "COLD." Well of course it does. There's a wide range of temperatures across this state in every month of the year. And every year here in north Texas, the temps often get down into the teens or 20's at night during the winter, and some years we have snow. Some years we don't. What's different this year is going all the way down to zero, which as I said is nearly unheard-of for most of the state. Our homes are not built for Canadian temperatures. And what makes it really bad is losing power AND water, not to mention the intertubes. You can get along without Netflix for a few days - but not without a toilet. When it gets to that point, you're fucked.
M.P. and I are philosophical about it - we understand that Nature is not subject to human control, and never will be. We've lived through winter storms before, not to mention hurricanes and tornados, which are all just part of life on Planet Earth - you pays your money and you takes your chances. Some people now in distress did not prepare for this crisis, which was heavily advertised for nearly a week before it arrived. Some made poor decisions in reacting to the cold. Some were simply unlucky, or in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart goes out to all of them - they're only human, and we all fuck up sometimes, don't we, guys? Compassion, not judgment, is needed here now.
What pisses me off is how an act of God has become another political football so quickly. I am here to say it has nothing to do with anyone's favorite flavor of politics, and just shut up about it already. Lots of talking heads on the picture tube are yammering on about who is to blame - most of whom have never set a foot in Texas, or know shit about the Texas energy grid, or can even tell a transistor from a capacitator. But suddenly they are mouthing off like they know fuck-all about it.
It may well be that some actors or agencies failed to prepare for this crisis as well as they might have - Texas has plenty of everything, including assholes - but I am willing to say that I don't know enough yet to fix any blame, and will reserve judgment until I do. If anyone really, really needs an answer right now this minute, here is a report from NPR that seems to explain what happened in a calm, reasonable way. And if that isn't enough for you, just go away.
I will say one more thing before I close: I will never vote to do away with natural gas. It has kept us alive through a week of bitterly cold nights inside this house. Every time the electricity was cut off, so was our gas furnace, which is connected to an electric thermostat. The only thing to do was light candles and go sit in the kitchen by the gas stove, which we turned on and opened the oven door. Just as our mamas and grandmas always did when occasion demanded.
That not only saved us from going into shock, it also kept the pipes from freezing and bursting, which would have flooded the house. And then what would have happened to us? There was nowhere to go over icy roads in the dark - all the motels are full up, and Mick's family are miles away - three of their homes have been dark since Monday, anyway. We could easily have become a pair of statistics such as you've already heard about.
Nope, nope, nope - spare me your environmental whine. When you have sat up shivering all night for a week in the dark, not knowing when or IF the electricity would come back on, then we can continue the conversation but not before. No matter how the electricity is generated, there has to be a backup when the electric grid fails. This is just as true in the summer as in the winter. I'm talking simple survival, not politics.
That's all I have to say. We're okay for now, and I hope all of you are too. It's 15 degrees outside at this moment, and pretty damn nippy inside, too. I'll write more when I've thawed out more.
Update, 4 p.m.: Unexpectedly, it's up to forty degrees outside, hooray! And about 65 inside, thanks be to God.
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| Click to enlarge. |
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
We Can All Use a Little Comedy Relief Now
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| Cheering crowds hail Boston police at the end of the manhunt on Friday night. |
1. D-O-M-A, by Columbia Law Review Students - crudely versified, but good for a laugh:
2. "Jesus, This Week" from The Onion - excerpt:
Following what could only be described by witnesses as the goddamned week to end all soul-crushing weeks, sources all across the nation reported that, sorry, is all this shit really happening at once? Because if all this shit is really happening at once, multiple reports verified, then this might actually be, honest to God, one of the worst weeks of all time.
No joke, added anyone with a set of working eyes and ears. Of all time.
3. Ah but truth is stranger than fiction, and not as funny: "Marathon Runner Witnesses Double Disasters," from the Associated Press.
4. And to take your mind off earthly things, what happens when you wring out a wet cloth in space? The answer is fucking amazing:
5. Andrew Sullivan: If Dali were a bird, he'd be an Inca tern.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
"Like a Nuclear Bomb": Deadly Explosion in Central Texas
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| Apartment complex in West, Texas, destroyed by the explosion. |
Yesterday evening, a fertilizer plant caught fire and then exploded in the tiny town of West, Texas, population 2800, situated on Interstate 35 about 20 miles north of Waco and 75 miles south of Dallas. The blast, measured at 2.1 on the Richter scale by the U. S. Geological Survey, was felt forty miles away, and destroyed more than fifty nearby homes, an apartment complex, and a nursing home. By midnight, at least five deaths and over a hundred casualties were known; authorities feared many more dead could be found as teams of searchers continued to work their way through the ruins overnight.
The Washington Post has maps and pictures of the destruction here.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
After the Storm
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| From the New York Post, earlier today; click to enlarge. |
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the many people who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy, and are now dealing with the effects of it. As of 7 pm Texas time today, I'm hearing that fewer than fifty people have died in the U.S., and of course every death is a tragedy; but considering the intensity of the storm and the density of the population in the Northeast, such a low figure seems nearly miraculous, and says good things about preparations that were made in the affected areas.
Some folks lost their homes or cars, but for several millions, the worst thing is having to live without electricity, cell phones, TV, public transport, or internet for some days or weeks to come. Which will be pretty fucking miserable, certainly; but I'm not hearing that thousands of people are dead, injured, or homeless and starving - such as happened in the Haiti earthquake a few years ago - and it kind of grates on the nerves to hear hysterical broadcasters and bloggers carrying on as if the End of the World had arrived. As bad as they are, things could still be much, much worse.
In much of New York City, some extra fallen leaves on the ground are the only sign that there was any storm last night. So even in the midst of disaster, a little balance is necessary. The other 90 percent of the country is still in good shape, the damage will be repaired, people will pick up the pieces, and life will go right on along, as is always the case after hurricanes - of which we have had beaucoup down here in the South in my lifetime.
However, other kinds of commenters are definitely unbalanced, and were long before the storm struck. As witness the following vid:
On the other hand, the Republican governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, heretofore "one of Mitt Romney's most aggressive surrogates," had nothing but grateful praise this morning for all that federal help and for President Obama's close support through the crisis:
Oh and by the way - of course you do realize, don't you, that just as with every other fucking disaster in the whole entire world . . . IT'S ALL TEH GAYZ' FAULT! God hates us so much, he is "systematically destroying America" as punishment. Now aren't you ashamed of your bad self?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
In Memoriam: Passengers and Crew of RMS Titanic
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| Lifeboat #6 from Titanic, as seen from the rescue ship Carpathia (Library of Congress, via Wikipedia) |
A century later, the story still astonishes and horrifies a thinking reader: so many souls, just as much alive as you or I at this moment, going about their lives full of blood and breath, dreams and hopes and fears and wishes as we are - suddenly called to meet their Maker in what was, after all, a needless tragedy.
Of course, most of you will remember the 1997 film about the great ship's destruction, marred by a silly love story and an exaggerated snobbery - but for the real facts of the event, I recommend to my readers who are interested in the human story - which is the only important one - Walter Lord's classic 1955 account, drawn from interviews with 63 survivors, A Night to Remember. Also worth perusing are the many, many personal accounts, with photographs and newspaper articles of the time, gathered together at Encyclopedia Titanica.
Browsing through those accounts, your Head Trucker has come across two possibly gay couples, none of whom survived: look up the names of Thomson Beattie and Thomas McCaffry, as well as those of Major Archibald Butt and Francis Millet, and see what you think.
Many lessons there are from this tragic episode that happened a hundred years ago tonight, many observations there are that one could make on all the little stories of friends, families, lovers, and strangers suddenly thrown together or torn apart - but here I will let some of the survivors speak for themselves, and let my truckbuddies draw their own conclusions.
Update: Via JMG, somebody has already written a book about those possible gay guys your Head Trucker noticed all on his own. Check out a short YouTube interview here.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Screw the Feds, Let the Locals Deal with Irene?
That's the message libertarian fucktard Ron Paul put out yesterday, saying "We should be like 1900; we should be like 1940, 1950, 1960."
Dude has his head so far up his doctrinaire ass, he doesn't even have the facts of history right. Here's a video I found over at David Mixner's site, detailing the much-needed federal response to the horrific 1938 hurricane that slammed the Northeast, later jocularly called the "Long Island Express." Judge for yourselves, boys, whether the federal involvement was worth it for the survivors or not:
Hope you fellas up there in the target zone have plenty of cold beer and candles on hand. Don't forget to fill the bathtub - for flushing - and all the ice chests too. God bless.
Bonus: This headline from Americablog requires no comment from your Head Trucker --
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Haiti versus Katrina
Alex Eichler in the Atlantic pulls together the conflicting views of the disaster, and American response to it, and shows that it may be a false comparison.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Survival and Suffering in Haiti
First, check out this revealing photo essay from Haiti on "Life Beyond the Headlines."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Slow Progress of Haiti Relief
Some of today's news clips before I go to bed here; heartbreaking scenes. I know there's only one airport, but you know during WWII and at other times, we built airports out of practically nothing in every far-flung corner of the globe, and quickly too. And as far as ferrying in surplies by plane, one need only recall the miraculous work of the Berlin Airlift, 1948.
Much can be done with little, if Americans put their minds to the task.
Much can be done with little, if Americans put their minds to the task.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Haiti Still Desperate for Help
Maybe 200,000 dead. Rachel reports on the bottleneck keeping supplies and medical help from those who need it in Port-au-Prince.
I'm not a military man, and no experience in such a huge logistical problem, so I can't criticize anyone at this point. But it sure is sounding more and more like New Orleans after Katrina: thousands of people stranded in baking heat without water, food, or other necessities.
Hillary is enroute to Haiti today to view the destruction and relief efforts in person. Is it just me, or does she look 15 years older than she did in the campaign? Wonder why that is.
I'm not a military man, and no experience in such a huge logistical problem, so I can't criticize anyone at this point. But it sure is sounding more and more like New Orleans after Katrina: thousands of people stranded in baking heat without water, food, or other necessities.
Hillary is enroute to Haiti today to view the destruction and relief efforts in person. Is it just me, or does she look 15 years older than she did in the campaign? Wonder why that is.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Dire Needs in Haiti
Lots of help on the way; but only one airport, one runway, and one road out. Rachel provides a good overview of the current situation and the horror of it:
Meanwhile, Pat Robertson is sticking to his devil-worshipping story:
The inane remarks of the dithering Robertson need no further comment. But your Head Trucker will supply here the words of the guy that Robertson claims so devoutly to follow, and you can make your own judgment:
Meanwhile, Pat Robertson is sticking to his devil-worshipping story:
The inane remarks of the dithering Robertson need no further comment. But your Head Trucker will supply here the words of the guy that Robertson claims so devoutly to follow, and you can make your own judgment:
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13)See also Matthew 25: 31-46 if you want to know what "the will of my Father" is.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
7.0 Earthquake in Haiti
The biggest ever in that region. As bad as the 1989 quake that stopped the World Series in San Francisco, they say; huge destruction is reported in Port-au-Prince, the capital.
You can make a donation for Haiti disaster relief to the American Red Cross, or choose another relief agency at Charity Navigator.
Rachel also has a list of relief providers, along with the State Department's locator number for Americans in Haiti, and numbers for small, quick donations via your cell phone.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
You can make a donation for Haiti disaster relief to the American Red Cross, or choose another relief agency at Charity Navigator.
Rachel also has a list of relief providers, along with the State Department's locator number for Americans in Haiti, and numbers for small, quick donations via your cell phone.
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