Showing posts with label 2025 Los Angeles Fires. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2025 Los Angeles Fires. Show all posts

Friday, January 17, 2025

Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist. 72nd Edition. Carbon Comparison and Contrast.

New York and Vermont recently passed laws like these, which require energy companies to pay climate damages and will likely face fierce challenges.

and: 

‘Make Carbon Dioxide Great Again’ law would ban carbon reduction efforts in Wyoming

Sen. Steinmetz wants to repeal Wyoming’s carbon capture mandate for coal plants.

The thing that those living in Wyoming fail to appreciate (I'm not using the word Wyomingite intentionally, as I think a lot of actual Wyomingites do get it) is that the entire population of Wyoming would amount to what Californians would regard as a mid sized city.

Yes, Trump will have the keys to the Executive Power of the US over the next four years, or until age or J. D. Vance removes him, but that is temporary and even with the dictatorial powers he aspires to, he doesn't have complete dictatorial control.  The clock is really winding down on this one, and the lawsuits about to begin.

Big Tobacco anyone?

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Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist. 71st Edition. DiscrLabels: editing himself and the rest of us in turn.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

How did so many of us, become so mean?

Indeed I tremble for my country when reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever: that considering numbers, nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is among possible events: that it may become probable by supernatural interference!

Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia

An item from Cowboy State Daily columnist Dave Simpson (who is not from Wyoming, like so many of Wyoming's far right are not):

Dave Simpson: Wyoming Paid Us To Cut Dead Trees

Within the column:

Apparently California hasn't had the good sense to encourage landowners to clear their land of the brush that went up in flames around Los Angeles last week, taking 24 lives and destroying 12,000 homes so far. One report explained that landowners clearing brush could be fined for killing rare, protected plants.

Good grief.

Here in Wyoming, we made our places less prone to fire.

Too bad California didn't encourage landowners to do the same.

They're paying the price now.

What a massively ignorant and mean thing to say.

The replies on twitter, at least, were not clueless:

Stephanie Hewitt@Stephhewitt1 2h

But even with thinning the forest, the Snowy Range would not survive with hurricane force winds during a forest fire. Stop the grandstanding.

Indeed the recent fire in Albany and Carbon Counties more than proved that. 

Buckwild @veedawhoo 3h

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back chief🙄

Exactly. 

Traveler@JuniperMesa 1h

Fill Sky will massive amounts heat trapping gases, catastrophically overheat Planet = catastrophic climate change, Aridification, Megadrought, FireStorms gone Runaway, beyond Apocalyptic self reinforcing feedback loop, not "potential", Rocky Mountain Ecosystem, not built for heat

And right again.

Of course, as Simpson, who actual Wyomingites would not regard as a Wyomingite (you have to be born here or in a neighboring state, wondering in as an adult doesn't count), is from the far right, and as a far right migrant who didn't grow up here with winters were real, probably is in the climate change is a fib category.

It isn't.

The old saying is "paybacks are a bitch". 

How naive and clueless can a person be to not realize that an urban fire.

There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.

Raymond Chandler, Red Wind: A Collection of Short Stories

The fires were driven by Santa Ana winds, strong, extremely dry katabatic winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California.

Chandler wasn't kidding. They're something else, and indeed "Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks."

I fear that Wyoming is about to get a real dope slap.

California contributes five times more to the Federal coffers than it receives.

Then I rapped upon a house with a U.S. flag upon display

I said, "Could you help me out, I got some friends down the way"

The man said, "Get out of here, I'll tear you limb from limb"

I said, You know, they refused Jesus, too, " he said, "You're not him

Get out of here before I break your bones, I ain't your pop"

I decided to have him arrested, and I went looking for a cop

Bob Dylan 115th Street Dream.

Wyoming receives more than it gives.

Sitting there smug with a 307 beer can isn't going to change that.

And we have disasters, including fire related disasters, every year.

This year, the Hageman homestead was burned in one such fire.

Guess the Hageman's didn't know enough to clear the underbrush?

I suspect nobody is going to say that.

And if the fires return here next summer, and its been a very dry winter, what will people who hold such mean spirted views say?

And will Wyoming, which had its hand out for disaster relief in 2024, be too embarrassed to ask for it in 2024.  Simpson speaks for a common view here, and the GOP is threatening to hold disaster aid to California up.  Indeed, our Senator, in his new whip role, has hinted at that.

Nature and events have a terrible way of humbling the arrogant.

Every proud heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured that none will go unpunished.

Proverbs, 16:5

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Blaze (in Los Angeles) threatens to leap highway near densely populated regions

A headline in the Tribune this morning.

The tragedy we're seeing here is indescribable.  Truly, this is one of the worst disaster in American history.

Best Posts of the Week of January 5, 2025.

The best posts of the week of January 5, 2025.  A week dominated by the ravings of Mad King Donald, and the horrible fires in Los Angeles.

January 5, 1925. Nellie Tayloe Ross sworn in as Governor.



















Saturday, January 11, 1975. Storms. Things can, and do, get worse.


The cover, page 3, and back cover, of Zhwandūn (ژوندون : مجله هفتگى), an Afghani magazine.





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